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ROD GEORGE
COMPLETES WEEKEND SPRINT SWEEP; REX KING WINS SECOND IN A ROW IN BIG
BLOCKS; JASON JOHNS AND CODY MANNERS TAKE CAREER FIRSTS; CAMILLE
FERRINGER WINS LADIES PRO STOCK CHARITY RACE June 17, 2007 FRANKLIN, PA ... Hot and dry conditions dominated Father’s Day at Tri-City Speedway, and the action was just as hot on the track as Rod George (4 Your Car Connection Super Sprints), Rex King (Schwab’s Ford DIRTcar Big Block Modifieds), Jason Johns (RPM Auto Sales/Shawgo Real Estate E Mods), and Cody Manners(Klapec Auto Body Thundercars) captured feature wins on Cranberry Pennzoil 10 Minute Oil Change Night at the Venango County half-mile oval. Johns won the first Allegheny Toyota E Series race of the season. In other action, Camille Ferringer won the PPC Violence Network Ladies Pro Stock Charity race featuring the cars of the E.F. Rogers Plumbing & Heating Pro Stock division, which had the night off. For the fourth time in 2007, Rod George of Kittanning, Pa., scored the win in the 20-lap Super Sprint feature aboard his Notary Express/Dr. John Crawford III Family Practice Maxim No. 4. Combined with wins Friday night at Lernerville Speedway and Saturday night at Mercer Raceway Park, George completed a weekend sweep. It was George’s 44th career win at Tri-City. Battling with track champion Bob Felmlee and last week’s winner Rob Eyler, the three drivers swapped the top three spots nearly the entire race. Waiting in the wings was 2006 All Star Circuit of Champions Sprint Series champion Greg Wilson, who made a stop at Tri-City in preparation for the series race on July 3rd. On the 16th circuit, George used a quick move off turn four to sweep under Felmlee. George’s slide job sent him in front of Felmlee at the line. Felmlee then charged into turns one and two, but his outside bonsai run ended against the water barrels and he collected Eyler in the process. From there, George raced home the winner. “What a great race,” said George. “There were four guys going at it out there. The bottom of the track was great tonight. This pit crew is awesome. I’d like to thank the fans for coming out and I’d also like to wish a Happy Father’s Day to all the fathers.” Felmlee took the lead from polesitter Brent Covell on the opening lap. George and Wilson raced into second and third within the first two laps. George actually drove around Felmlee on the sixth circuit, but a caution slowed the action. Reverting to the last completed lap, Felmlee resumed command of the race and opened a comfortable lead on the restart. At the same time, Eyler used an extreme high groove to rocket past George for second. George would not be outdone, however. He patiently allowed the lower groove to come to him. On the 13th circuit, as all three drivers diced among lapped traffic, George took back second. He almost passed Felmlee too, but lapped traffic slowed his pace and Eyler zoomed back by for second on the 14th lap. One lap later, George dove under Eyler off turn four and took second again. On the next round, he made the same move on Felmlee to take the lead for the first time. Felmlee crashed and collected Eyler shortly thereafter. As the final laps ticked off, George cruised to a comfortable win. Wilson finished second. Australian Troy Little completed a weekend trip through Western Pennsylvania with a third place finish in his first visit to Tri-City. Todd Bauer and Eyler rounded out the top five. Wilson and George won the Super Sprint heats. Rex King of Bristolville, Ohio, received a nice Father’s Day gift from his son, Rex Jr. After blowing an engine Saturday night at Sharon Speedway, the younger King offered his DIRTcar Big Block Modified to his father for Tri-City. The gesture allowed the elder King to keep up his run to a career first track championship, and, as an added bonus, he won his second consecutive feature. It was King’s 12th career win at Tri-City. “Rexy let me drive his car tonight,” said King beside the King Bros. Septic Tank Installation/Reese Services Bicknell No. 165, which renumbered 65 for this event. “This is a great Father’s Day gift. I’ve got to thank the fan that pulled the heads up start. We needed that tonight because the track got real slick with this heat and sun.” Starting on the pole position of the 20-lap feature, King leapt into the lead over point leader Jeremiah Shingledecker. By the third circuit, Kevin Bolland was in second and he tried to chase down King. On the sixth circuit, Bolland was running the middle groove outside King battling him for the lead. King held off Bolland’s stellar effort by maintaining control of the low groove. Shingledecker then started to give Bolland fits. The two muscled each other for second place, and Shingledecker took the spot with five laps to go. He could not catch King, however. At the finish of the caution-free race, King was the winner over Shingledecker, Bolland, Russell King and Del Rougeux Jr. Rex King and Shingledecker won the DIRTcar Big Block Modified heats. At the end of the night, King and Shingledecker emerged in a tie in the point standings. Jason Johns of Oil City, Pa., ended a winless drought in his sophomore season of E Mod competition leading every circuit of the first 20-lap E Series race of the season. The former Pro Stock racer captured his first career E Mod feature win in his Changing Times Telephone Service/Cherrytree Mini Storage Pierce No. 31. “It’s about time,” said Johns. “This team kicks butt. I’ve got to thank my entire crew and all of my sponsors. The Harry boys also build a great engine. I’ve waited for this one a long time.” Johns took the lead from the pole position at the start of the race with the first four laps slowed by cautions. When the field finally settled down, Mike Potosky was running second. He charged under Johns a few times, but then faded. Johns ran a consistent line around the half-mile and gradually pulled away from Potosky. Point leader Carl McKinney started to make his way through the field in the latter half of the race. He moved into the top five after dueling with Bill Thomas and Bobby Whitling for about five laps. Running fourth when the fifth and final caution waved on the 17th circuit, McKinney used the next three circuits to charge into second. It was too late, however, for McKinney to catch Johns, who took the win. McKinney finished second over Potosky, Shawn Shingledecker and Whitling. Shingledecker and McKinney captured the E Mod heat races. Cody Manners of Oil City, Pa., will be a high school junior this fall, but he became a feature winner at Tri-City on Sunday night as he captured his first career Thundercar win. Driving a car that his father, Jeff, piloted to win the 2006 Thundercar track championship, Manners took the lead on the third circuit and held off several advances to get his inaugural victory. “This is awesome,” said the shy Manners beside his Tarr’s Motorsports/Jerry’s Auto Chevrolet No. 16 in victory lane. “I’d like to thank my dad and all the sponsors.” Manners took the lead at the start of the race, which was slowed by a rollover at the end of the first circuit when Chad Ubber was uninjured after a tumble racing off turn four. On the restart, Josh Seippel took the lead for one circuit before Manners charged back under him on the third circuit. Regina Deloe entered the battle on the fourth circuit. She tried to charge around the outside of Manners for over a lap, but Manners held her off. Deloe eventually stopped in turn one after nearly spinning out on the seventh circuit. With Deloe out of contention, Manners cruised to the win over rookie Curtis E. Bish, who scored his best career finish. Joe Blake finished third over Ed Deloe and Seippel. Bish and Bill Myers won the Thundercar heats. Camille Ferringer of Cochranton, Pa., scored the win in the 12-lap PPC Violence Free Network Ladies Pro Stock Charity Race. Taking the lead at the start of the race, Ferringer was virtually unchallenged as she drove the Donovan & Bauer Auto Group/Lowry’s Auto Body Chevrolet No. 02 normally piloted by her father, Dave Ferringer. The former Miss Tri-City Speedway earned her second win of the season after capturing the Powder Puff race on Mother’s Day. “I had no problems out there tonight,” quipped Ferringer. “I didn’t know who was behind me, but I had no problem wrecking Dad’s car to hold them off.” Ferringer defeated Casey Paup and another former Miss Tri-City Speedway and two-time race winner Megan Greenlee. Donna Appel and Star Grimm rounded out the top five. Paup won the lone heat race. Jennifer Moon, executive director of PPC Violence Free Network, announced during the night that the agency raised over $7,500 in this charity event. At the conclusion of the night, Matt Zinz of Cooperstown, Pa., won the first Lowry Auto Body Compact Car Demo Derby of the season. Tri-City Speedway continues its season next Sunday June 24th with the 4 Your Car Connection Super Sprints, Schwab's Ford DIRTcar Big Block Modifieds, RPM Auto Sales/Shawgo Real Estate E Mods, E.F. Rogers Plumbing & Heating Pro Stocks, and Klapec Auto Body Thundercars in another five-star racing program. The Pro Stocks will compete in their second William R. Karns Plumbing, Heating & Air Conditioning Detroit Iron Pro Stock Series event of the season after taking a week off for the charity race. It will also be Red Express Fan Appreciation Night and Fisher & Father Kids Night at Tri-City as children 12 and under will be able to compete in the annual bike races. Helmets are required. Gates open at 4 p.m. and racing starts at 6 p.m. Adult grandstand admission will be a family friendly $11. SUPER SPRINTS (20 Laps): 1. ROD GEORGE, 2. Greg Wilson, 3. Troy Little, 4. Todd Bauer, 5. Rob Eyler, 6. Gale Ruth Jr., 7. Brent Covell, 8. Matt Heimbach, 9. Russ Sansosti, 10. Bill Jones Jr., 11. Bob Felmlee, 12. Nate Stein, 13. Jody Keegan. DIRTcar BIG BLOCK MODIFIEDS (20 Laps): 1. REX KING, 2. Jeremiah Shingledecker, 3. Kevin Bolland, 4. Russell King, 5. Del Rougeux Jr., 6. Chris Schiffer, 7. Skip Moore, 8. Jason Reagle, 9. Dave Schrader, 10. Dave Murdick, 11. Kevin Hoffman, 12. Carl Murdick. DNS: Mike Turner. E MODS (20 Laps): 1. JASON JOHNS, 2. Carl McKinney, 3. Mike Potosky, 4. Shawn Shingledecker, 5. Bobby Whitling, 6. Bill Thomas, 7. Evan Taylor, 8. Mike Samuelson, 9. Jeff Walters, 10. Jim Frontz, 11. Tim Engles, 12. Butch Lambert, 13. Jonathan Taylor, 14. Chip Mahood, 15. Gary Sullivan, 16. Robert Double, 17. Chad Reitz, 18. Jared Domhoff, 19. Arthur Edwards, 20. Scott Malone, 21. Justin Carlson. DNS: Jeff Deeter. LADIES PRO STOCK CHARITY RACE (12 Laps): 1. CAMILLE FERRINGER, 2. Casey Paup, 3. Megan Greenlee, 4. Donna Appel, 5. Star Grimm, 6. Aimee Sloss. THUNDERCARS (12 Laps): 1. CODY MANNERS, 2. Curtis E. Bish, 3. Joe Blake, 4. Ed Deloe, 5. Josh Seippel, 6. Greg Myers, 7. Bill Winters, 8. Regina Deloe, 9. Patrick Fielding, 10. Wearne Cook, 11. Bill Myers, 12. David Fleeger, 13. Fred Schultz, 14. Bill Baker, 15. John K. Miller, 16. Chester Raup, 17. Chad Ubber, 18. Charlie McMillen. DNS: Jon Huff.
UPCOMING
EVENTS July 1 – Super Sprints, DIRTcar Big Block Modifieds, E Mods (Allegheny Toyota E Series), Pro Stocks and Thundercars (Edward Jones Investments Fireworks Extravaganza by Cartwright Fireworks) July 3 – “The Freedom Fifty” Featuring All Star Circuit of Champions Sprints and Limited Sprints July 8 – Super Sprints, DIRTcar Big Block Modifieds, E Mods, Pro Stocks and Thundercars (Buyer’s Fair Pennzoil Night) (Scout Night – All Scouts in Uniform Receive Free Grandstand Admission) |