TRI-CITY SPEEDWAY 2006 SEASON REVIEW
by Brian Spaid

November 12, 2006

   FRANKLIN, PA …. Tri-City Speedway concluded its 11^th consecutive season of dirt track action and the 2006 track champions will be honored on January 6^th at the Rocky Grove Fire Hall near Franklin.

   Top drivers at the half-mile Venango County oval included Bob Felmlee (4 Your Car Connection Super Sprints), Kevin Bolland (Schwab’s Ford DIRT Modifieds), Brent Rhebergen (RPM Auto Sales/Shawgo Real Estate E Mods), Bobby Whitling (E.F. Rogers Plumbing & Heating Pro Stocks) and Jeff Manners (Klapec Auto Body Thundercars).

    For the third time in his career, Bob Felmlee of Franklin, Pa., captured the Super Sprint championship at Tri-City. Driving his World of Wheels Maxim No. 6, Felmlee returned to action in 2005 nearly six years after his near fatal accident at the track. In 2006, Felmlee’s return was completed with a stellar season that included the track title at Mercer Raceway Park. At Tri-City, Felmlee notched six wins and 10 top five finishes in 13 events. He also scored four heat race wins. With four consecutive wins to end the season, Felmlee captured his third career title at Tri-City. His other championships occurred in 1996 and 1998. Todd Bauer finished second in the point standings ahead of Brent Covell and Rod George, who was the early point leader with three victories, but suffered from engine problems late in the season that relegated him to the sidelines and opened the door for Felmlee to snare the title. Gale Ruth Jr. rounded out the top five in points. Joining Felmlee and George in victory lane with single wins were Andy McKisson, Rob Eyler, Ed Lynch Jr., and Steve Kinser, who won the National Sprint Tour (NST) race on July 16^th.

   Kevin Bolland of New Brighton, Pa., scored his second career title at Tri-City in the DIRT Modified division. Piloting his Cintas Uniform/Bolland Machine/Brighton Hot Dog Shoppe Bicknell No. 777, Bolland earned four feature wins and nine top five finishes in 12 events, including the Kodiak Memorial on July 23^rd. With 26 career feature wins at Tri-City, Bolland became the top winner in the division surpassing legends Lou Blaney and Ed Lynch. Bolland, who also won the track title in 2000, added six heat race wins to his point tally. The Tri-City championship completed an amazing season for Bolland, who also won the Lernerville Speedway and Big Block Modified Challenge Series titles, the latter an eight-race series run between Tri-City and Lernerville. Amidst his championship campaign, Bolland’s team ran with heavy hearts as his mother, Rosalie, was hospitalized all summer with leukemia, and she eventually succumbed to the disease in early September after Bolland secured his titles. Rex King finished second nearly matching Bolland’s statistics with four feature wins, but still ended up a bridesmaid for the third year in a row as Bolland was just a little bit more consistent than the Buckeye State favorite. Jeremiah Shingledecker, Joe Crawford and Chris Schiffer rounded out the top five in points. Shingledecker scored two wins while Russell King and Danny Johnson each earned one win. Russell King won the BRP Modified Tour Dick Rankin Memorial on May 28^th. Johnson’s victory on August 6^th was his first as the driver for team owner Dave Thompson. Johnson and Thompson teamed for several huge wins at the end of the season including the Syracuse Eckerd 200.

   For the third time in his career, Brent Rhebergen of Clymer, N.Y., captured the E Mod track championship at Tri-City. After a year’s hiatus, the 2002 and 2003 champion returned to full-time action at Tri-City as a teammate to Shawn Shingledecker. Piloting Shingledecker’s Lucky Hills Golf Course/Madara Equipment Pierce No. 45S, Rhebergen scored four feature wins and 10 top five finishes in 13 events adding to his Tri-City E Mod win total (45). He also won two heat races. Shingledecker scored two feature wins and four heat race wins placing second to Rhebergen in the points and completing a great season for their team. Jim Frontz, David Atkinson and defending track champion Matt Lux rounded out the top five. Lux and Mike Potosky each scored three feature wins. Potosky captured the All Star 30 on September 3^rd and the four-race Fame RV Center E Series title. Sharon Speedway champion Russ Dunn (1) was the only other feature winner.

   After a winless 2005 season, Pro Stock star Bobby Whitling of Seneca, Pa., returned to Tri-City with a vengeance. Capturing five feature wins and 13 top five finishes in 16 events, Whitling won the track championship aboard his E&K Equipment/Dulaney’s Garage Chevrolet No. 7W. Whitling also earned eight heat race wins. He had to fend off the hard charging Doug Iorio II for his third title matching championship efforts from 1999 and 2002. Like Whitling, Iorio snagged five feature wins and eight heat race wins, but mechanical troubles in the second half of the season resulted in a couple of poor performances. As a result, Whitling snagged the title over Iorio. Dave Ferringer, Scott Myers and Jason Engles rounded out the top five point contenders. Ferringer captured four feature wins, including the 10^th Annual CSOnline Applefest 100 on September 17^th. Defending track champion Gerry Bruce and Andy Buckley each won once. Bruce subbed for rookie Jackson Humanic in the four-race William R. Karns Plumbing, Heating & Air Conditioning Detroit Iron Pro Stock Series, and won the series title to boot.

   Jeff Manners of Cherrytree, Pa., dominated the Thundercar division to capture his second career title in the class. Manners won the first Thundercar title at Tri-City in 2003. This season, Manners earned six feature wins and 12 top five finishes in 13 events along with four heat race wins in his Jerry’s Auto Repair/Cherrytree General Store Buick No. 16. Josh Seippel won three features, but was unable to catch Manners in the point chase. In another stellar performance, rookie Bill Myers won nine heat races and one feature race on his way to a third place finish in the points. Curt Bish Sr. and Charlie McMillen rounded out the top five. Other single feature winners included Bish, Bill Kluck Jr. and Eric Goldberg, who won the Apple Core 20 on September 17^th.

   In addition to the E Mod title, Brent Rhebergen won the 2006 Maloney Tool & Mold Hard Charger Award. It was Rhebergen’s first Hard Charger point title. 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 defending DIRT Modified track champion Del Rougeux Jr. by one passing point (61-60). E Mod driver Mike Samuelson finished third in the Hard Charger points followed by Thundercar champion Jeff Manners and DIRT Modified driver Andy Priest.

   All champions will be honored at the Tri-City Speedway season banquet on Saturday January 6^th 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 2006

SUPER SPRINTS: 1. Bob Felmlee (Franklin), 1,424; 2. Todd Bauer (Clarion), 1,326; 3. Brent Covell (Titusville), 1,181; 4. Rod George (Kittanning), 1,008; 5. Gale Ruth Jr. (Pleasantville), 991; 6. Andy McKisson (Strattanville), 988; 7. John Schuyler (Jamestown, NY), 951; 8. Russ Sansosti (Boardman, OH), 950; 9. Andy Priest (New Castle), 884; 10. Brent Matus (Wampum), 851.

DIRT MODIFIEDS: 1. Kevin Bolland (New Brighton), 1,281; 2. Rex King (Bristolville, OH), 1,206; 3. Jeremiah Shingledecker (Polk), 1,131; 4. Joe Crawford (Polk), 1,107; 5. Chris Schiffer (Franklin), 1,087; 6. Andy Priest (New Castle), 1,075; 7. Del Rougeux Jr. (Frenchville), 1,056; 8. Dave Schrader (Endeavor), 1,017; 9. Dave Murdick (Slippery Rock), 1,002; 10. Chanda Reitz (Dempseytown), 946.

BIG BLOCK MODIFIED CHALLENGE SERIES: 1. Kevin Bolland (New Brighton), 935; 2. Rex King (Bristolville, OH), 862; 3. Russell King (Bristolville, OH), 790; 4. Del Rougeux Jr. (Frenchville), 762; 5. Tom Winkle (Mars), 736; 6. Joe Crawford (Polk), 727; 7. Dave Murdick (Slippery Rock), 629; 8. Chanda Reitz (Dempseytown), 608; 9. Jeremiah Shingledecker (Polk), 584; 10. Keith Swartzlander (Leechburg), 552.

E MODS: 1. Brent Rhebergen (Clymer, NY), 1,205; 2. Shawn Shingledecker (Franklin), 1,173; 3. Jim Frontz (Cambridge Springs), 1,053; 4. David Atkinson (Titusville), 996; 5. Matt Lux (Franklin), 992; 6. Russ Dempsey (Centerville), 973; 7. Carl McKinney (Cranberry Township), 962; 8. Mike Potosky (Guys Mills), 960; 9. Evan Taylor (Saltsburg), 949; 0. Jeff Taylor (Saltsburg), 917.

E SERIES: 1. Mike Potosky (Guys Mills), 442; 2. Shawn Shingledecker (Franklin), 433; 3. Brent Rhebergen (Clymer, NY), 426; 4. Russ Dempsey (Centerville), 363; 5. David Atkinson (Titusville), 348; 6. Jeff Taylor (Saltsburg), 347; 7. Evan Taylor (Saltsburg), 345; 8. Bruce Powell (Cochranton), 311; 9. Carl McKinney (Cranberry Township), 310; 10. Jason Johns (Oil City), 301.

PRO STOCKS: 1. Bobby Whitling (Seneca), 1,494; 2. Doug Iorio II (Kennerdell), 1,406; 3. Dave Ferringer (Cochranton), 1,361; 4. Scott Myers (Reno), 1,253; 5. Jason Engles (Franklin), 1,174; 6. Joe Lockhart (Seneca), 1,170; 7. Jackson Humanic (Titusville) and Rod Laskey (Seneca), 1,157 (tie); 9. Matt Thomas (Grand Valley), 1,120; 10. Chad Myers (Oil City), 1,112.

DETROIT IRON PRO STOCK SERIES: 1. Gerry Bruce (Franklin), 452; 2. Bobby Whitling (Seneca), 440; 3. Mike Pegher Jr. (Wexford), 436; 4. Dave Ferringer (Cochranton), 412; 5. Doug Iorio II (Kennerdell), 384; 6. Rod Laskey (Seneca), 375; 7. Denny Crawford (Cooperstown), 351; 8. Rusty Kellogg (Titusville), 342; 9. Matt Thomas (Grand Valley), 331; 10. Jason Engles (Franklin), 326.

THUNDERCARS: 1. Jeff Manners (Cherrytree), 1,375; 2. Josh Seippel (Franklin), 1,324; 3. Bill Myers (Seneca), 1,260; 4. Curt Bish Sr. (Dempseytown), 1,189; 5. Charlie McMillen (Oil City), 1,166; 6. Bill Kluck Jr. (Oil City), 1,112; 7. Joe Blake (Oil City), 1, 077; 8. Bill Winters (Cooperstown), 1,057; 9. Ed Deloe (Oil City), 1,053; 10. John K. Miller II (Oil City), 1,031.

HARD CHARGER: 1. Brent Rhebergen (Clymer, NY)(E), 61; 2. Del Rougeux Jr. (Frenchville)(M), 60; 3. Mike Samuelson (Conewango Valley, NY)(E), 53; 4. Jeff Manners (Cherrytree)(T), 50; 5. Andy Priest (New Castle)(M), 45; 6. Rex King (Bristolville, OH)(M), Rod Laskey (Seneca)(PS) and Chris Schiffer (Franklin)(M), 44 (tie); 9. Bob Felmlee (Franklin)(SS), 42; 10. Chanda Reitz (Dempseytown)(M), 39. 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.