TRI-CITY SPEEDWAY 2007 SEASON REVIEW
by Brian Spaid

December 2, 2007

   FRANKLIN, PA …. Tri-City Speedway concluded its 12^th consecutive season of dirt track action in September, and the 2007 track champions will be honored on January 5^th at the Rocky Grove Fire Hall near Franklin.

   Top drivers at the venerable half-mile Venango County oval included Rod George (4 Your Car Connection Super Sprints), Kevin Bolland (Schwab’s Ford DIRTcar Big Block Modifieds), Carl McKinney (RPM Auto Sales/Shawgo Real Estate E Mods), Doug Iorio II (E.F. Rogers Plumbing & Heating Pro Stocks) and Bill Myers (Klapec Auto Body Thundercars).

    For the fourth time in his career, Rod George of Kittanning, Pa., captured the Super Sprint championship at Tri-City. Driving his Notary Express/Dr. John Crawford III Family Practice Maxim No. 4, George ended a bad luck streak that started halfway through the 2006 season. George’s triumphant return included 21 feature wins overall and two titles, including the Mercer Raceway Park championship. At Tri-City, George captured eight wins and four second place finishes in 12 point events. Thus, he never finished outside of the top two, and he even placed third in the All Star Circuit of Champions Series race on July 3^rd. George also scored nine heat race wins. George’s other championships occurred in 2002, 2003 and 2005. Bob Felmlee finished second in the point standings ahead of Brent Covell, Todd Bauer and Russ Sansosti. Joining George in victory lane was Felmlee with three wins, Rob Eyler with a single victory, and Dale Blaney, who won the All Star event.

   Kevin Bolland of New Brighton, Pa., captured his third career and second consecutive title at Tri-City in the DIRTcar Big Block Modified division. Piloting his Northland Ford/Bolland Machine Bicknell No. 777, Bolland earned three feature wins and 11 top five finishes in 12 events. He also won three heat races. Bolland was also the track champion in 2000 and 2006. For the fourth season in a row, Ohio veteran Rex King finished second in the point championship. He matched Bolland’s stats with three feature wins, 10 top fives and three heat race wins. However, Bolland’s performance edged King by 20 points in the final tally with more feature races led and four third place feature finishes compared to King’s one in full-point events. BRP Modified Tour 2007 champion Russell King finished third in the point standings ahead of Jeremiah Shingledecker and Del Rouguex Jr. Like Bolland and King, Shingledecker scored three feature wins. Single victories went to Joe Crawford, Russell King, who won the BRP Modified Tour Dick Rankin Memorial on May 27^th for the second year in a row, and Del Rougeux Jr., who won the BRP Modified Tour Kodiak Memorial on July 15^th, ending his near two-year losing streak at Tri-City. In the four-race Schwab’s Ford Big Block Modified Challenge Series run with Lernerville Speedway, Brian Swartzlander topped Bolland for the title.

   Carl McKinney of Cranberry Township, Pa., completed a stellar season with his first career E Mod track championship at Tri-City. Driving Mike Hendrickson’s Holden Precision Machine/Gil Dahlstrom Iron & Metal Pierce No. 6M, McKinney rolled over the competition in his first full season of racing at Tri-City. McKinney captured five feature wins, including both nights of the Oil Region Labor Day Classic Weekend. Those two victories secured McKinney the 2007 Allegheny Toyota E Series championship as well. In the end, he earned 12 top five finishes in 14 feature events, and won five heat races. Similar to Rex King, Shawn Shingledecker repeated his second place in the point standings for the third season in a row with three feature wins. Jim Frontz captured two feature wins while Russ Dunn, Jason Johns, Bobby Whitling, and Justin Carlson each won once. Following McKinney and Shingledecker in the point chase were Frontz, Whitling, and Mike Potosky.

   Matching the feat performed by his father Doug (1996) and uncle Ron (2001), “The Kennerdell Kid” Doug Iorio Jr. won the 2007 Pro Stock title at Tri-City. Capturing four feature wins, 11 top five finishes in 14 feature events, and 10 heat race wins, Iorio outdistanced his rivals aboard his Gil Dahlstrom Iron & Metal Chevrolet No. 28. The Kennerdell, Pa., racer topped Danny Exley for his first career track championship by a whopping 145 points. Dave Ferringer, Gerry Bruce and Rod Laskey rounded out the top five in the point standings. Matching Iorio’s win total, Jason Reagle scored four feature victories, but did not race the entire season, and was unable to contend for the title. Laskey and Bobby Whitling each scored two feature wins while Ferringer and Steve D’Apolito each won once. D’Apolito’s victory came in the 11^th Annual CSOnline Applefest 100 on September 16^th. Although he focused on his E Mod team most of 2007, Whitling competed in all of the races on the William R. Karns Plumbing, Heating & Air Conditioning Detroit Iron Pro Stock Series. Both of his wins occurred in those events, which propelled him to the 2007 series title. This was Whitling’s second career Detroit Iron Pro Stock Series title at Tri-City, the first coming in 2003.

   Bill Myers of Seneca, Pa., dominated the Thundercar division to capture his first career title in the class. Driving his Color Tek/R.K. Virgile Scrap Metals/Corner Pocket Bar Chevrolet No. 43M, Myers captured five feature wins and 10 top five finishes in 14 feature events. He also won 10 heat races. At the start of the season, Myers did not finish in the top five in the first three events. He came on strong toward the end scoring three wins and three runner-up finishes in six consecutive midseason feature events, which throttled the competition. Charlie McMillen, Jon Huff and young Cody Manners each scored two wins, but McMillen and Manners were inconsistent otherwise, and Huff did not compete all season. As a result, none of them stood a chance against Myers. Josh Seippel, Curtis J. Bish and two-time track champion Jeff Manners each won one feature.  In the final point tally, Myers defeated Seippel, Regina Deloe, Joe Blake and McMillen. Among his victories, Cody Manners won the biggest race of the season, the Apple Core 20, on September 16^th.

   Although he finished second in the E Mod points for the third consecutive season, Shawn Shingledecker won the 2007 Oyler Action Photo Hard Charger Award. It was Shingledecker’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, Shingedecker beat DIRTcar Big Block Modified driver Russell King by two passing points (49-47). E Mod track champion Carl McKinney finished third in the Hard Charger points followed by E Mod racer Tim Engles and Pro Stock star Denny Crawford.

   All champions will be honored at the Tri-City Speedway season banquet on Saturday January 5^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 2007

 SUPER SPRINTS: 1. Rod George (Kittanning), 1,495; 2. Bob Felmlee (Franklin), 1,358; 3. Brent Covell (Titusville), 1,248; 4. Todd Bauer (Clarion), 1,169; 5. Russ Sansosti (Youngstown, OH), 953; 6. Gale Ruth Jr. (Pleasantville), 939; 7. Rob Eyler (Franklin), 916; 8. John Schuyler (Jamestown, NY), 701; 9. Cory Good (Gibsonia), 592; 10. Jody Keegan (Fremont, OH), 589.

 DIRTcar BIG BLOCK MODIFIEDS: 1. Kevin Bolland (New Brighton), 1,209; 2. Rex King (Bristolville, OH), 1,189; 3. Russell King (Bristolville, OH), 1,146; 4. Jeremiah Shingledecker (Polk), 1,075; 5. Del Rougeux Jr. (Frenchville), 1,065; 6. Dave Schrader (Endeavor), 1,014; 7. Skip Moore (Jackson Center), 1,013; 8. Dave Murdick (Slippery Rock), 1,010; 9. Carl Murdick (Butler), 894; 10. Chris Schiffer (Franklin), 877.

 BIG BLOCK MODIFIED CHALLENGE SERIES: 1. Brian Swartzlander (Leechburg), 569; 2. Del Rougeux Jr. (Frenchville), 546; 3. Russell King (Bristolville, OH), 515; 4. Rex King (Bristolville, OH), 497; 5. Dave Murdick (Slippery Rock), 494; 6. Jeremiah Shingledecker (Polk), 488; 7. Skip Moore (Jackson Center), 437; 8. J.R. McGinley (Fairmount City), 425; 9. Rex King Jr. (Bristolville, OH), 425; 10. Kevin Bolland (New Brighton), 406.

 E MODS: 1. Carl McKinney (Cranberry Twp.), 1,344; 2. Shawn Shingledecker (Franklin), 1,282; 3. Jim Frontz (Cambridge Springs), 1,271; 4. Bobby Whitling (Seneca), 1,252; 5. Mike Potosky (Guys Mills), 1,155; 6. Jason Johns (Oil City), 1,101; 7. Tim Engles (Franklin), 1,010; 8. Butch Lambert (Mars), 999; 9. Chip Mahood (Titusville), 967; 10. Evan Taylor (Saltsburg), 965.

 E SERIES: 1. Carl McKinney (Cranberry Twp.), 468; 2. Jim Frontz (Cambridge Springs), 426; 3. Bobby Whitling (Seneca), 406; 4. Shawn Shingledecker (Franklin), 396; 5. Bill Thomas (Waterford), 388; 6. Mike Potosky (Guys Mills), 374; 7. Butch Lambert (Mars), 364; 8. Jason Johns (Oil City), 359; 9. Bruce Powell (Cochranton), 354; 10. Justin Carlson (Sherman, NY), 346.

 PRO STOCKS: 1. Doug Iorio II (Kennerdell), 1,257; 2. Danny Exley (Rocky Grove), 1,112; 3. Dave Ferringer (Cochranton), 1,082; 4. Gerry Bruce (Franklin), 1,064; 5. Rod Laskey (Seneca), 1,041; 6. Denny Crawford (Franklin), 1,037; 7. Matt Thomas (Grand Valley), 1,011; 8. Chris Haines (Sandy Lake), 1,001; 9. Bobby Sutley (Cooperstown), 1,000; 10. Jackson Humanic (Titusville), 965.

 DETROIT IRON PRO STOCK SERIES: 1. Bobby Whitling (Seneca), 556; 2. Jason Reagle (Oil City), 519; 3. Dave Ferringer (Cochranton), 516; 4. Doug Iorio II (Kennerdell) and Rod Laskey (Seneca), 490 (tie); 6. Gerry Bruce (Franklin), 468; 7. Danny Exley (Reno), 457; 8. Bobby Sutley (Cooperstown), 455; 9. Russ Coyne (Cooperstown), 439; 10. Chris Haines (Sandy Lake), 435.

THUNDERCARS: 1. Bill Myers (Seneca), 1,397; 2. Josh Seippel (Franklin), 1,299; 3. Regina Deloe (Cranberry), 1,268; 4. Joe Blake (Oil City), 1,261; 5. Charlie McMillen (Oil City), 1,257; 6. Curtis E. Bish (Dempseytown), 1,230; 7. Cody Manners (Oil City), 1,221; 8. Ed Deloe (Oil City), 1,205; 8. Bill Winters (Cooperstown), 1,136; 10. Patrick Fielding (Titusville), 1,084.

HARD CHARGER: 1. Shawn Shingledecker (Franklin)(E), 49; 2. Russell King (Bristolville, OH)(M), 47; 3. Carl McKinney (Cranberry Twp.)(E), 45; 4. Tim Engles (Franklin)(E), 43; 5. Denny Crawford (Franklin)(PS), 39; 6. Cody Manners (Oil City)(T) and Don Kramer (Meadville)(PS), 38 (tie); 8. Doug Iorio II (Kennerdell)(PS) and Joe Lockhart (Seneca)(PS), 36 (tie); 10. Rod Laskey (Seneca)(PS), 35. Key: Super Sprints (SS), DIRTcar Big Block 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 DIRTcar Big Block Modifieds, FASTRAK Late Models, E Mods, Pro Stocks and “Sunday Night Thunder” Cars will race each week at the Venango County half-mile dirt oval in 2007. Tri-City is located seven miles north of Franklin, Pa., off State Route 417.