TRI-CITY SPEEDWAY 2005 SEASON REVIEW
by Brian Spaid

November 13, 2005

   FRANKLIN, PA …. Tri-City Speedway concluded its 10th consecutive season of dirt track action and the 2005 track champions will be honored on January 7th. Top drivers at the half-mile Venango County oval included Rod George (NorthPointe Automotive Super Sprints), Del Rougeux Jr. (Schwab’s Ford DIRT Modifieds), Matt Lux (RPM Auto Sales/Shawgo Real Estate E Mods), Gerry Bruce (E.F. Rogers Plumbing & Heating Pro Stocks) and Chad Myers (4 Your Car Connection Thundercars).

   For the third time in four seasons, Rod George of Kittanning, Pa., is the Super Sprint champion at Tri-City. Piloting his Delp Powder Coating/Dr. Marty’s Foot Care Maxim No. 4, George tied his own season win record set in 2003 with nine feature victories. As a result, George raised his overall total to 37 career wins, which broke a tie with the legendary Lou Blaney as the top winner at the track. George earned 14 top five finishes in 16 events and five heat race wins. In addition, on July 3rd, Gary Rankin substituted for George, and Rankin captured his first-ever Super Sprint feature win to keep George on top of the point standings. Making his return from a neck injury in 1999, Bob Felmlee raced to four wins and second in points. Andy McKisson, Todd Bauer and Dr. Bob Altmeyer rounded out the top five in the final rundown. McKisson (1) and Jody Keegan (1) each won features race to join George, Felmlee and Rankin in victory lane. Like Rankin, Keegan was a first-time winner at Tri-City. McKisson was the top heat race winner with six.

   Del Rougeux Jr. of Frenchville, Pa., made it two-out-of-three in the DIRT Modified division. The 2003 track champion earned his second title at Tri-City with four feature wins aboard his Vinyl Graphics Unlimited Bicknell No. 20D. For his career, Rougeux has 12 wins at Tri-City. Coming back from a runner-up point run in 2004, Rougeux scored 14 top five finishes in 16 feature events, and he was the top DIRT Modified heat race winner with five victories. BRP Modified Tour champion Rex King finished second in the point chase with one win. Jeremiah Shingledecker emerged as a top contender in the class with his first three career feature wins and a third in the point chase. Chris Schiffer and Russell King rounded out the top five in the points. Kevin Bolland was the top winner in the class with five feature wins, including the Dick Rankin Memorial on May 29th. Bolland was not a contender in the point race due to midseason engine problems and injuries that he suffered in a wreck at Sharon Speedway that sidelined him for a brief time. Defending track champion Andy Priest was not a contender for this year’s title either, but he earned two feature wins, including the Kodiak Memorial on Sept. 4th. Russell King (1) was the only other feature winner.

   Former Pro Stock favorite Matt Lux of Franklin, Pa., returned to his hometrack and earned the E Mod championship for the first time in his career. Teamed with car owner Scott Bidwell, Lux captured eight feature wins and overcame a week off to win the title aboard the Fame RV Center/Maloney Tool & Mold Pierce No. 21.  Lux earned 13 top five finishes in 17 feature events, and he was the top heat race winner with six victories. Similar to Rod George, Lux also received some help in his title run when Rusty Whitmore substituted for him on July 3rd and raced to his first career win. Whitmore’s win preserved first place in points until Lux and Bidwell took the their E Mod to Challenger Raceway on July 24th, where Lux wanted to race his Late Model. The team fell to third in the point chase and clawed their way back to the top with three wins in the last four point events. Lux topped off the season with a victory in the All Star 50 on Sept. 3rd, which also earned Lux the three-race E Series title. Shawn Shingledecker, defending track champion Mike Potosky, Josh Skarzenski and Jim Frontz rounded out the top five in points. Potosky scored four feature wins while Frontz (1), David Atkinson (1), Russ Dempsey (1) and Josh Skarzenski (1) joined Whitmore as single event victors.

   The Pro Stocks once again produced the tightest point chase, and Gerry Bruce of Franklin, Pa., emerged as champion for the first time in his career. Driving Ken Humanic’s Eagle Hoist & Winch/Senesco Marine Chevrolet No. Z17, Bruce held off Jason Johns by 20 points to win the title. Bruce scored five feature wins in the process, which were his first career victories at Tri-City. He earned 13 top five finishes in 18 events, and five heat race wins. Bruce rode a string of midseason success to the title. Johns finished second in the point chase with three wins followed by Doug Iorio II, Bobby Whitling and Dave Ferringer. Iorio II won two features and was the top heat race winner with 10 victories. Other feature winners included Jason Reagle (3), Terry Wheeler (2), Doug Iorio (2) and Danny Exley (1). Reagle won the biggest race of his career on Sept. 11th when he captured the 9th Annual CSOnline Applefest 100. Not only did Wheeler win his first career features at Tri-City, the former Pittsburgh Circle Track Club Senior Series champion also captured the four-race William R. Karns Plumbing, Heating & Air Conditioning Detroit Iron Pro Stock Series title. For the first time in his career, Whitling did not win a feature race in a season at Tri-City.

   Second generation driver Chad Myers of Oil City, Pa., dominated the Thundercar division as he earned the 2005 title. Winning nine feature races, Myers topped perennial challenger Robby Switzer in the win column and the point chase. Myers, who is the son of Tri-City’s all-time Sportsman Modified winner Randy Myers, earned 14 top five finishes in 18 events and six heat race wins. Switzer scored four feature wins and was the top heat race winner with nine victories. Switzer was close to Myers all season, but sold his car with two weeks left in the point race. That decision allowed Myers to clinch the title with ease. Joe Blake, Regina Deloe, Switzer and Curt Bish Sr. rounded out the top five in points. Other feature winners included Joe Blake (1), Wearne Cook (1), Jeff Manners (1), Josh Seippel (1) and Craig Koteles (1). Other than Switzer and Manners, every other winner, including Myers, won his first career feature at Tri-City.

   Dave Ferringer of Cochranton, Pa., used a strong late season charge to win the Hard Charger Award for the second time in his career. Ferringer was Tri-City’s first Hard Charger champion in 1998.  With points accumulated from all divisions based on the number of positions a driver advances in the feature finish from his official starting spot, Ferringer beat Thundercar driver Curt Bish Sr. with 75 passing points. E Mod driver Andy Sweetland tied for third with Thundercar champion Chad Myers. Current E Mod driver and 2001 DIRT Modified track champion Josh Skarzenski finished fifth in the Hard Charger points.

   All champions will be honored at the Tri-City Speedway Banquet on Saturday January 7th at the Rocky Grove Fire Hall in Rocky Grove, Pa., located about 6.5 miles from the track just outside Franklin. For banquet information and tickets, please contact the track office at (814) 473-4038.

TRI-CITY SPEEDWAY FINAL POINT STANDINGS 2005

SUPER SPRINTS: 1. Rod George (Kittanning), 1,500; 2. Bob Felmlee (Franklin), 1,458; 3. Andy McKisson (Strattanville), 1,336; 4. Todd Bauer (Clarion), 1,244; 5. Dr. Bob Altmeyer (Kittanning), 993; 6. Jarod Larson (Rock Creek, OH), 982; 7. John Schuyler (Ashville, NY), 905; 8. Brent Covell (Titusville), 884; 9. Jody Keegan (Fremont, OH), 769; 10. Gary Rankin (Renfrew), 693.

DIRT MODIFIEDS: 1. Del Rougeux Jr. (Frenchville), 1,300; 2. Rex King (Bristolville, OH), 1,220; 3. Jeremiah Shingledecker (Polk), 1,195; 4. Chris Schiffer (Franklin), 1,106; 5. Russell King (Bristolville, OH), 1,004; 6. Dave Schrader (Endeavor), 1,002; 7. Lenny Leibold Jr. (Annville), 944; 8. Chanda Reitz (Dempseytown), 932; 9. Andy Priest (New Castle), 925; 10. Dean Pearson (Harrisville), 889.

E MODS: 1. Matt Lux (Franklin), 1,359; 2. Shawn Shingledecker (Franklin), 1,317; 3. Mike Potosky (Guys Mills), 1,293; 4. Josh Skarzenski (Erie), 1,283; 5. Jim Frontz (Cambridge Springs), 1,239; 6. Kari Gasser (Girard, OH), 1,226; 7. Russ Dempsey (Centerville), 1,210; 8. David Atkinson (Titusville), 1,200; 9. Mike Samuelson (Conewango Valley, NY), 1,180; 10. Bruce Powell (Cochranton), 1,061.

PRO STOCKS: 1. Gerry Bruce (Franklin), 1,392; 2. Jason Johns (Oil City), 1,372; 3. Doug Iorio II (Kennerdell), 1,355; 4. Bobby Whitling (Seneca), 1,250; 5. Dave Ferringer (Cochranton), 1,184; 6. Jason Reagle (Oil City), 1,167; 7. Doug Iorio (Kennerdell), 1,158; 8. Rusty Kellogg (Titusville), 1,093; 9. Rod Laskey (Seneca), 1,086; 10. Jason Engles (Oil City), 1,073.

THUNDERCARS: 1. Chad Myers (Oil City), 1,468; 2. Joe Blake (Oil City), 1,282; 3. Regina Deloe (Cranberry), 1,276; 4. Robby Switzer (Kennerdell), 1,239; 5. Curt Bish Sr. (Titusville), 1,221; 6. Josh Seippel (Franklin), 1,206; 7. Ed Deloe (Oil City), 1,161; 8. Jeff Manners (Cherrytree), 1,150; 9. Wearne Cook (Cooperstown), 1,077; 10. Bill Winters (Cooperstown), 1,037.

E SERIES: 1. Matt Lux/Rusty Whitmore (Franklin), 284; 2. Mike Potosky (Guys Mills), 268; 3. Josh Skarzenski (Erie), 260; 4. Russ Dempsey (Centerville), 254; 5. Kari Gasser (Girard, OH) and David Atkinson (Titusville), 234 (tie); 7. Shawn Shingledecker (Franklin), 224; 8. Todd Roncaglione (Linesville), 206; 9. Bruce Powell (Cochranton), 200; 10. Jim Frontz (Cambridge Springs), 194.

DETROIT IRON PRO STOCK SERIES: 1. Terry Wheeler (Polk), 350; 2. Bobby Whitling (Seneca), 330; 3. Jason Johns (Oil City), 317; 4. Jason Reagle (Oil City), 316; 5. Gerry Bruce (Franklin), 303; 6. Dave Ferringer (Cochranton), 300; 7. Andy Buckley (Stoneboro), 296; 8. Rod Laskey (Seneca), 268; 9. Rusty Kellogg (Titusville), 267; 10. Doug Iorio II (Kennerdell), 259.

HARD CHARGER: 1. Dave Ferringer (Cochranton)(PS), 75; 2. Curt Bish Sr. (Titusville)(T), 68; 3. Andy Sweetland (Spartansburg)(E) and Chad Myers (Oil City)(T), 66 (tie); 5. Josh Skarszenski (Erie)(E), 59; 6. Rod George (Kittanning)(SS), 52; 7. Jeremiah Shingledecker (Polk)(M), 49; 8. Scott Myers (Oil City)(PS), 47; 9. Jeff Manners (Cherrytree)(T), 46; 10. Russ Coyne (Cooperstown)(PS), 45. Key: Super Sprints (SS), DIRT Modifieds (M), E Mods (E), Pro Stocks (PS), Thundercars (T).

 

   Tri-City Speedway is owned and operated by Roger and Susie Crick and Mike and Margaret Graham. They have promoted Sunday night racing at the popular facility since they reopened it in 1996. The Super Sprints, DIRT Modifieds, E Mods, Pro Stocks and Thundercars race each week at the Venango County half-mile dirt oval. Tri-City is located seven miles north of Franklin, Pa., off State Route 417.