MATT THOMAS CAPTURES 13^TH ANNUAL CS TECHNOLOGIES PLUS APPLEFEST 100 AT TRI-CITY SPEEDWAY; GREG MYERS WINS THUNDERCAR APPLE CORE 20; JOHN SHANNON SNARES INAUGURAL APPLE SEED 15 FOR MINI STOCKS
by Brian Spaid

September 13, 2009

   FRANKLIN, PA  …  Tri-City Speedway hosted an annual tradition on Sunday night as beautiful weather graced the Venango County half-mile oval, and Matt Thomas captured the 13^th Annual CS Technologies Plus Applefest 100 for the E.F. Rogers Plumbing & Heating Pro Stocks. It was the third win of the season and career for Thomas, who collected $2,840 in prize money.

   In other action, Greg Myers won the 7th Annual Apple Core 20 for the Klapec Auto Body Thundercars, and John Shannon won the Inaugural Apple Seed 15 in the first-ever appearance for the Mini Stocks at Tri-City.

   Matt Thomas of Grand Valley, Pa., led a total of 73 laps on his way to the biggest win of his career. Taking advantage of mechanical breakdowns for the other race leaders, Thomas scored a popular victory in his Farm Fresh Foods/Coursen Racing Engines/Ken Humanic Racing Chevrolet No. 54.

   “I can’t believe it,” said Thomas in victory lane with his proud crew, family and friends basking in the glow of the win. “I knew I was in trouble when Bobby Whitling got by me, but I saw him start smoking and I backed off a little. We worked on this car all week and we found some problems that needed to be fixed. This win hasn’t sunk in yet. I have to thank all my sponsors, crew and family for this win tonight.”

   Defending race winner Alan Dellinger and Jason Reagle led the field to the green flag. They leaped out to a big advantage at the start. Reagle led the opening two laps before Dellinger assumed command. Suffering from power steering pump and overheating issues all night, Dellinger led until the eighth circuit when he pulled pitside handing command of the race back to Reagle. Then, during the first caution of the race, Reagle’s engine expired handing Thomas the lead on the 17^th circuit.

   With a quarter of the race complete, Thomas led Whitling, Jackson Humanic, Chris Haines and Jason Johns. Dave Ferringer was challenging Johns for fifth when both drivers got around Haines in lapped traffic on the 30^th circuit. One lap later, Ferringer tangled with Johns in turn three. Ferringer pulled off the track, and Johns lost a lap under caution, which factored into his run back to the front late in the race.

   With 35 laps complete, Thomas still had the advantage over Whitling and Haines. Russ Coyne and Andy Buckley, both racing with GM 602 crate engines under the hood, were in the mix too battling with Humanic for the fourth and fifth place. Out front, however, Thomas was cruising with Whitling hot on his tail.

   Whitling tried to make a charge under Thomas as the drivers came to the line to complete the 50^th lap, but Thomas held fast earning $300 for leading the lap from William R. Karns Plumbing, Heating and Air Conditioning.

   With half the race over, Whitling started to make a move. He raced on the low groove challenging Thomas lap after lap. The two stars put on one of the most classic battles in race history. Whitling even led the 64^th circuit, but Thomas fought him off and continued to pace the race after that. Haines was running well in third before his car appeared to lose a radiator hose on the 69^th circuit ending his run and causing a caution.

   Following the restart, Whitling continued to challenge Thomas on the low side. However, the sly veteran was simply trapping Thomas into a move. Whitling made that move on the 77^th circuit when he took the outside lane off turn two. Surprising Thomas, Whitling’s bold pass worked as he took the lead to the cheers of his fans racing for his fourth win in the race. Behind the two leaders, Humanic ran third while Johns, a lap down, worked his way up to fourth on the speedway trying to get his lap back. Buckley and Les Myers rounded out the top five.

   Whitling’s run started to unravel with less than 20 laps to go. The telltale sign of mechanical trouble reared its ugly head with puffs of smoke. Then, as he completed the 86^th lap, the rear end housing snapped in a ball of flame in the frontstretch. Whitling finally came to a stop in turn three under red flag conditions for the fire under his car. In a cloud of fire extinguisher retardant, Whitling’s dream of a fourth win came to an end, and Thomas saw victory in his sights.

   With the final restart on the 90^th circuit, Thomas raced with Johns, who passed him to return to the lead lap two circuits later. Johns, the 2009 Pro Stock track champion, may have had the quickest car on the track, but the lost lap earlier in the race ended his chances of victory. Likewise, Rod Laskey lost a lap on the 46^th circuit when it was ruled that he caused an intentional caution for a flat tire. He too was battling Thomas in the late stages before his engine expired. Humanic even challenged Thomas with about five laps to go, but he could not muster the speed to make a move. After the race, Humanic admitted that a leg cramp slowed his effort.

   At the finish, Thomas crossed the line winning over Humanic, Buckley, Coyne and Johns, who secured fifth when Myers broke with nine laps to go. With his third place finish, Buckley earned the $100 Hard Charger Award courtesy of Urban Insurance. Curt Bish Jr. was the Shawgo Real Estate Rookie of the Race earning $100. Bish returned to the track to finish 13^th following earlier mechanical trouble in the race. Craig Kamicker won $25 from Oyler Action Photography for running 13^th on the 13^th circuit.
   A total of five cautions and one red flag slowed the race for only 12 laps.

   Alan Dellinger set fast time in the time trials at the beginning of the night with a time of 21.045 seconds, which equated to an average speed of 85.531 mph. Dellinger collected $100 from Village Auto for fast time. Johns collected $50 courtesy of Klapec Auto Body for the Best Appearing Car.

   Dellinger, Reagle, Thomas and Whitling won the Pro Stock heats for the 26-car field. Dellinger also won the Hovis Auto Supply/E.F. Rogers Plumbing & Heating Heat Winners Dash, which paid a purse of $300. The dash event consisted of the heat race winners and determined the starting lineup of the race.

   In the Thundercar Apple Core 20, Greg Myers of Franklin, Pa., held off the hard charging Dave Baker to capture his fifth win of the season and his career in the R.K. Virgile Scrap Metals Chevrolet No. 44M. Myers started the race in 11^th and worked his way into the lead on the sixth circuit battling Baker the rest of the way.

   “That was a helluva race,” exclaimed Myers in victory lane. “This is a great way to end our season.”

   Baker led at the start of the race over Jace Ferringer and Josh Seippel. Behind him, all eyes were on Myers. He was running fourth by the fifth circuit before two cautions slowed the race, including one caused when Seippel and Jeff Manners crashed out of the top five in turn two.

   On the restart, Myers worked under Baker off turn two to take the lead. From that point on, Baker made every move he could to try to work under Myers. He actually led the 10^th circuit, but Myers fought back. The two raced side-by-side for the rest of the race and barely touched one another. On the final two circuits, Myers took away Baker’s line and held on for the win to cap his 2009 Thundercar championship season.

   Baker finished second over Bill Myers, who was subbing for Joe Sloss. Patrick Fielding and Curt Bish Sr. rounded out the top five. Baker and Greg Myers won the Thundercar heats for the 15-car field.

   John Shannon of Harrisville, Pa., survived a caution-riddled Apple Seed 15 for the Mini Stocks, which made their first appearance at the track. Taking the lead from Marty Warren on the 13^th circuit, Shannon raced to his first career win at Tri-City in his Meier’s Towing and Notary Dodge Neon No. 14.

   “I saw Marty’s tire was starting to come off and I wanted to get by him,” said Shannon. “These cars are fast here and I made sure everything was tight before we came tonight. I want to thank Tri-City for letting us race the Mini Stocks here.”

   Amidst a total of seven cautions, Tim Callahan led the first seven circuits of the race. Callahan first fended off the challenges of Michael Thompson before Dillon Kinneston took second. Kinneston tried to catch and pass the state trooper, but mechanical problems forced him pitside. Then, Callahan broke and hit the turn two wall allowing Warren to take the lead on the ninth lap. Warren lasted only four laps out front before his ride ended with tire problems. Shannon raced outside Warren off turn two with two laps to go and went on to score the win as the third leader of the race. Wally Stearns Jr. took second. Warren lost his rear wheel on the final corner, and that allowed Troy Lehnortt, Steve Walker and Jim Buchanan to get past him and round out the top five finishers. Callahan and Walker won the Mini Stock heat races for the 17-car field.

   Next week, Tri-City Speedway will host the final Sunday night show of the 2009 season with the Super Sprints in the Tri-City Speedway Hall of Fame Classic.  The E Mods, Pro Stocks and Thundercars will also complete the card. The Pro Stocks will compete in double features to include the blacked out feature event from August 2^nd, which will be the final point race of the season for that division. Gates open at 4 p.m. and racing starts at 6 p.m. Adult grandstand admission will be $18. 

  13th ANNUAL CS TECHNOLOGIES PLUS APPLEFEST 100 PRO STOCK SUMMARY

   Heat 1: Alan Dellinger, Jackson Humanic, Chris Haines, Bob Sloss, Vince Kamicker III.

   Heat 2: Jason Reagle, Jason Johns, Dave Ferringer, Andy Buckley, A.J. Poljak.

   Heat 3: Matt Thomas, Rod Laskey, Les Myers, Mark Sanders, Curt Bish Jr.

   Heat 4: Bobby Whitling, Russ Coyne, Willie Aley, Craig Kamicker, Jim Keith.

   Dash: Alan Dellinger, Jason Reagle, Bobby Whitling, Matt Thomas.

   CSONLINE APPLEFEST 100 (100 Laps): 1. MATT THOMAS, 2. Jackson Humanic, 3. Andy Buckley, 4. Russ Coyne, 5. Jason Johns, 6. Rod Lasker, 7. Les Myers, 8. Bobby Whitling, 9. Vince Kamicker III, 10. Willie Aley, 11. Jim Keith, 12. Chris Haines, 13. Curt Bish Jr., 14. Mark Sanders, 15. Pat Weldon, 16. Dave Ferringer, 17. Craig Kamicker, 18. Bob Sloss, 19. Jason Reagle, 20. A.J. Poljak, 21. Alan Dellinger, 22. Nathan Kellogg, 23. Randy Wyant. DNS: Don Kramer, Nick Kocuba, Terry Wheeler.

   THUNDERCARS APPLE CORE 20 (20 Laps): 1. GREG MYERS, 2. Dave Baker, 3. Bill Myers, 4. Patrick Fielding, 5. Curt Bish Sr., 6. Bill Baker, 7. Bill Winters, 8. Mike Dobrick, 9. Jace Ferringer, 10. Josh Seippel, 11. Jeff Manners, 12. Tony White. DNS: Charlie McMillen, Alan Perry, Ed Deloe.

   MINI STOCKS APPLE SEED 15 (15 Laps): 1. JOHN SHANNON, 2. Wally Stearns Jr., 3. Troy Lehnortt, 4. Steve Walker, 5. Jim Buchanan, 6. Marty Warren, 7. Ricky Steigerwald, 8. Michael Thompson, 9. E.J. Rarer, 10. Tim Callahan, 11. Mike Scharba, 12. Dillon Kinneston, 13. Doug Fairfield, 14. Eric Gabany, 15. Lee Lehnerd, 16. Paul Blake. DNS: Mike McConnell. 

   UPCOMING EVENTS 

   September 20 – Tri-City Speedway Hall of Fame Classic: Super Sprints, E Mods, Pro Stocks (Double Features) and Thundercars

   October 10 – Night of Destruction !!!