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Johnson and Vollmoeller buzz
to NEETS victories at Mountain Speedway St. Johns, PA - Rich Johnson and Robin Vollmoeller each picked up victories Monday in the third ABC Car Crushing, NEETS Holiday Stock Car Series (NEETS HSCS) points race of the season, the Busy Bee Pest Control ‘Freedom 100’ and ‘Victory 100’. Unlike what seems to be the normal for the NEETS series, the sun was shining as a total of 128 cars and trucks were set to take the green flag for the Valley Service four cylinder and the Cottman Transmission 6/8 cylinder feature events. However, by the end of the second feature, Mother Nature dumped moisture on the speedway, just like ‘old times’. John Saccomandi started from the pole in the 100-lap Valley Service four cylinder spectacular. On the drop of the green, Dorrance, PA’s Ollie Stewart hopped out front, bringing a slew of cars with him, past Saccomandi. The red flag was displayed on lap thirty, when Sam Schlosberg’s #70s caught fire on the front stretch. Scholsberg was unable to continue. Berwick, PA’s Dale Garrison worked his way into the second spot and set his sights on Stewart. Unfortunately Garrison’s day ended when he slammed the turn three wall, making very hard contact. The Butler Township ambulance crew quickly approached the accident scene when the red flag waved. Although he was shaken up, Garrison was unhurt. When the action resumed, Stewart looked unstoppable. That was until lap seventy-three, when current point leader, Robin Vollmoeller, caught, and made the pass on Stewart for the lead. When the checkers flew, it was Vollmoeller, taking his second straight Valley Service four cylinder win in the NEETS HSCS, over Ollie ‘Jabber Jaws’ Stewart, Mark Hammer, Bobby ‘Peaseman’ Pease and ‘Bumpin Bob Haeger. In victory lane, Robin credited his success to his family, especially his son, who gave him the car that he drove to victory. At intermission, fans enjoyed the NEETS ‘Busy Bee’ mascot, who gave away tee shirts, frisbees and lollipops. Carl Heater jumped out to the early lead in the Cottman Transmission 6/8 cylinder main event, but was passed by Ed ‘Speedo’ Jager for the top spot before one lap was scored. The lead swapped again, on the following lap when Hazleton, PA’s Shawn Gallucci made the pass stick on Jager. The red flag was displayed on lap eleven, when the #61L, driven by Evan Zlock, caught fire near turn one. Zlock was not injured, but did retire from the event. Racin’ Rich Johnson was gaining on Gallucci, and knew that it would only be a matter of time before he would shoot to the front. As the two dueled for many circuits, Johnson finally made his move on lap twenty-three, dropping Gallucci to second. Gallucci held the second position for many laps. Meanwhile, ’04 NEETS champion, Joe ‘Millionaire’ Jentile move his way into third. At this point, Jentile was at least a half of lap behind Gallucci. Unfortunately for Gallucci, he had car problem on lap fifty-six, and took his machine to the pits, ending his day. Jentile now inherited the second spot, but was a very distant second to Johnson. The red flag was not displayed again until lap sixty-three, when Phil Lomonaco, Aaron Miller and Ryan Klingel all collected each other in turn three. Lomonaco was not able to continue, dashing his hopes for victory. By lap sixty-eight, clouds began to cover the speedway, but since NEETS enduros are run rain or shine, the race continued. Rain began pouring on the asphalt, therefore greatly reducing the speeds of the cars. Johnson, who admitted that he does not care to race in the rain, beat Jentile by nearly a lap, and by doing so, picked up his first NEETS HSCS victory of ’05. Jeff Walls, Brian Moses and Tim Pauch, brother of dirt legend, Billy Pauch, rounded out the top five. During his victory lane interview, Johnson thanked his crew, family and friends. Rich also noted that he recently picked up a sponsor, Clean Burn Waste Oil Heaters, who he dedicated the win to. “It’s great to have a sponsor as great as Clean Burn”, noted Johnson. Richard ‘Uncle’ Petey and Harry Sager both won ‘best appearing’ awards for the sleek appearing automobiles. Being this event was held on Memorial Day, NEETS set aside $1 from each general admission for a veteran’s memorial plaque, which will be displayed at Mountain Speedway. The next ABC Car Crushing, NEETS Holiday Stock Cars Series event at Mountain Speedway is scheduled for July 3rd. The ‘Firecracker Smacker on the Fourth of Junkly’ will feature two 104-lap features for the Valley Service four cylinders and Cottman Transmission 6/8 cylinders. A four-cylinder demolition derby is also scheduled for intermission. At this event, $1 from each general admission will be donated to the local chapter of the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. For more information about the series and its events, please visit www.neetstour.net
Finishing Order:
Valley Service 4 Cyl. Pos No. Name 1 2x Robin Vollmoeller 2 57s Ollie Stewart 3 1974 Mark Hammer 4 97 Bobby Pease 5 21 Bob Haeger 6 39 Rob Pyle 7 34 Woot Lawrence 8 61S Harry Sager 9 62 Luke Colleran 10 88 Bill Verwys Sr 11 1002 David Holinbaugh 12 4 Harry Oneal 13 73 David Bentley Jr 14 70D Denise Garrison 15 10X Shane Snyder 16 81 Kenny Wallace 17 78 Robert Fink 18 800 Scott Garrison 19 48 Bill Price Jr 20 M Maurice Ott 21 17 Art Kulik 22 22R Lloyd Riegel 23 477 Mike Racho 24 7 Mrs Busy Bee 25 br54 Jerry Reggie 26 91 Jamie White 27 5R11 TJ Stevens 28 106 Jennifer White 29 43A Andy Pluegfelder 30 2000 Sig Albarron 31 18 Peter Verwys 32 81 Billy Connolly 33 615 Mike Wilcox 34 666 Duane Garrison 35 7C Dan Caciolo 36 32 Alex Fletcher 37 58R Andy Stout 38 2 Shawn Wanat 39 56 Brian Moses 40 20X Ken Cornell 41 22 Terry Johnson 42 70 Dale Garrison 43 143 Mike Venturn 44 30 Joe Grocholski 45 308 Ken Harper 46 72 Mark Paine 47 472 Steve Elliston 48 18J Gary Reed Jr 49 84 Charlie Feigles 50 210 Matt Keahey 51 17 Shawn Burd 52 69v Clyde Van Horn 53 131 Ryan Nelson 54 0 Kyle Curtis 55 70S Sam Schlosberg 56 118 Mark Neberdosky 57 519 Ron Pierson 58 999 Lee Schantzenbach 59 J61 Jon Haegele 60 13 Steve Elicati 61 7A Nicholas Adams 62 4 Ryan Hill 63 57BR Harry Dennis 64 8 Eric Haeger 65 27 John Saccomandi 66 777a Jason Shaffer 67 7 Kevin Higgins 68 64 Jeff Dauberman (DQ) 69 51C Scott Dunn(DQ)
Cottman Transmission 6/8 Cyl. Pos No. Name 1 1 Rich Johnson 2 41 Joe Jentile 3 31x Jeff Walls 4 97 Brian Moses 5 5 Tim Pauch 6 15 Glenn Osborn 7 72H Carl Heater 8 10 Tom Slee 9 75 Howie Bott 10 124 Mark Spencer 11 F-1 Frank Katona 12 79X Richie Knell 13 76 James Presley 14 2 Pappy Herman 15 177 Shawn Burd 16 4 Chris Lamura 17 60 Ron Dirkes 18 669 Ryan Klingel 19 169 Mark Forman 20 69 Ed "Speedo" Jager 21 266 Bob Kulik 22 20K Kory Stevens 23 17R Ray Rothfuss 24 1X Cory Student 25 28 Dean Wollford 26 26 Joe Kmetz 27 13B Brock Miller 28 13A Charles Bossert 29 81 David Moore 30 17m Jeff Modoll 31 14 Phil Lomonaco 32 830 Kevin Makarewicz 33 23G Shawn Gallucci 34 78 Aaron Miller 35 81 Keith Boehm 36 34 Jimmy White 37 9LI Jim White 38 3C Mike Chambers 39 51 Eric Nobel 40 9 Bob Barker 41 96 Anthony Jager 42 3 Richard Deck 43 24 Gary Bauer 44 711 Dan Klein 45 410 Steve Tito 46 43 Richard Petey 47 78P Frank Petroski 48 302 Joey Helberg 49 13X Nick Shaw 50 101 Tim Ripley 51 11X Robert Benz 52 8LI Laura White 53 7 Mike Rudolph 54 417 Bob Wink 55 61L Evan Zlock 56 MC17 Matt Chambers 57 777A Bill Miller 58 13 John Plitsas 59 47 Joe Intermaggio BACK TO THE TOP
Defebo and Fisher batting 500 at Mountain Speedway
Ernie Dengler started from the pole in the 30-lap Balliet’s Country Corners feature, but was overtaken by Jason Arthofer at the drop of the green.
On the following circuit, Mike Adams was spun on the backstretch, which caused ciaos for many drivers, such as Don Wagner, Wayne Szerencsits and Donny Hartzell, who had no where to go during the incident. Wagner was unable to continue.
On the following lap, Dave Pecko shot past Arthofer, and into the second slot. Meanwhile, Brian Defebo entered the top five.
The caution flew on lap four for a Dengler, Hartzell and Szerencsits tangle in turn four. On the double-file restart Pecko got the jump over Arthofer, bringing Jim Long with him, into second.
The following circuit was crucial, as Defebo caught Arthofer, powering his way around the outside of both he and Long, for second.
Pecko held the point until a lap ten restart, where Defebo made a move, and made it stick, picking up his third straight feature win over Pecko, Long, Arthofer and Adams.
When Defebo was told he moved into second in the point standings, he agreed that there is plenty more racing to go this season. “I just can’t thank everyone enough for all the support they’ve given us. It was great to win from starting ninth”. The Berwick, PA native also noted that he would like to accomplish the same feat the next two days, when he competes at Chemung and Tioga speedways.
Dave Pecko had his season-best finish so far in 2005. Long, although missing the heat race due to traffic during his commute from Staten Island, NY, was still pleased with his team’s efforts.
Tim Santee and Jason Arthofer were heat winners.
Mike Rodriguez, Jr. started on the pole for the 25-lap late model feature. Rodriguez darted out front, pursued by Don Holland, Mike Collins and Joe Barbush, Jr.
The caution flew when Jackie Ziegler had a solo spin in turn 2. At the same time, a brief shower crossed the speedway, which caused an extended yellow flag period.
By lap twelve, point leader, Larry Fisher, worked his way around Barbush and Collins to take over the runner-up spot.
Rodriguez led the first seventeen laps until he spun on the backstretch. He had to restart from the rear of the field, which then handed the lead to Fern Glen, PA’s Larry Fisher.
On the following circuit, Rodriguez was displayed the black flag for another solo spin, this time in turn one.
Over the final seven laps, Fisher was challenged by Holland, but by the time the checkers flew, he had a two second advantage over Holland, Collins, Barbush and Hoffman.
Emotions ran high as Fisher climbed from his car in victory lane. This win marks the third-straight win for him and his team.
Mike Rodriguez, Jr. was the heat winner.
Brad Barbush sprung past pole-sitter, Rich Smith on the start of the 20-lap street stock feature. Unfortunately for Barbush, the caution flew when Brian Labar got into the division’s point leader, Jim Yamelski.
On the complete restart, Smith held the point, but drifted high in turn two, allowing Todd Ahner to make the pass for the lead. Ahner would bring Barbush and Wanamaker by Smith into third and fourth.
By lap seven, Lehighton’s Scott Meckes, worked his way into the third position, while Brad Kline and Yamelski powered into the top five.
The second, and final caution of the event came on lap nine, when Meckes got into the second place runner of Barbush in turn one. Barbush would have to restart from the rear.
Ahner got a great jump on the restart, but Meckes made his move on lap twelve for the lead, which he never relinquished, picking up his first feature win of the season over Ahner, Kline, Yamelski and Wanamaker.
Heat wins went to Brad Barbush and Brad Kline
Mark Paine sat on the pole for the 20-lap thriller event. Paine jumped out front, leading the way for the fourteen thrillers until a lap four caution, which involved the fourth place points runner, Marissa Nelmes. Nelmes’ machine suffered heavy damage, as she was unable to continue.
On the restart, ninth place starter, Bill Price, shot by Paine for the top spot. Meanwhile, the action from third on back was intense, as Speedo Jager and point leader, Howie Bott swapped paint.
On lap nine, Paine encountered problems and pulled his ride to the infield. At the same time, Steve Taylor worked his way into second.
Unfortunately for Taylor, he would be the cause for the caution on lap eleven, when his car went up in smoke in turn four. Taylor was unable to continue.
Over the following laps, Price showed the way, winning his third straight thriller feature over Jager, Hoffman, Petey and Shultz. The win was enough for Price to take over the division point lead.
Heat winners were Steve Hoffman and Bill Price
It was announced at the speedway, that the Balliet Country Corner’s modified feature on Friday, June 3rd, would be 40 laps. Along with the extra distance, will be a $3,000 to win prize. Mountain Speedway is hosting the event to say thank you and welcome back to all the modified drivers who support the speedway and show their dedication to Friday night asphalt racing. The speedway did not host modifieds in 2004.
RESULTS 1. Brian Defebo, 2. Dave Pecko, 3. Jim Long, 4. Jason Arthofer, 5. Mike Adams, 6. Tim Santee, 7. Wayne Szerencsits, 8. Alan Decker, 9. Billy Swartz, 10. Ernie Dengler, 11. Stephen Nederostek, 12. Donny Hartzell, 13. Don Wagner
Fat Lap: Brian Defebo, lap 14, 13.631 Hard charger: Jim Long, 10 positions
Late Model (25 laps) 1. Larry Fisher, 2. Don Holland, 3. Mike Collins, 4. Joe Barbush, 5. Joe Hoffman, 6. Jason Makarewicz, 7. Barry Callavini, 8. Brad Kline, 9. Jackie Ziegler, 10. Mike Rodriguez, Jr., 11. Chris Whitenight
Fast Lap: Larry Fisher, lap 24, 14.795 Hard charger: Joe Hoffman, 5 positions
Street Stock (20 laps) 1. Scott Meckes, 2. Todd Ahner, 3. Brad Kline, 4. Jim Yamelski, 5. Chip Wanamaker, 6. Brad Barbush, 7. Brian Labar, 8. Rich Smith, 9. Mark Deysher, 10. Robert Fink, 11. Frank Katona, 12. Paul Frantz, 13. John Labadia
Fast lap: Brad Kline, lap 18, 15.979 Hard charger: Brad Kline, 7 positions
Thriller (20 laps) 1. Bill Price, 2. Speedo Jager, 3. Steve Hoffman, 4. Richard Petey, 5. Steve Shultz, 6. Howie Bott, 7. Josh Oswald, 8. Jim White Jr., 9. Travis Tracy, 10. Mike O'Byrne, 11. Steve Taylor, 12. Mark Paine, 13. Kevin Makarewicz, 14. Marissa Nelmes
Fast lap: Hand scored, no time. Hard charger: Speedo Jager, 11 positions
BACK TO THE TOP
Defebo and Fisher take repeat
wins at Mountain Speedway The initial start of the 30-lap Balliet’s Country Corners modified feature was waved off when outside pole sitter, Mark Washko, made hard contact with the front stretch wall. Washko was finished for the evening, needing the ‘double hook’ to remove his car from the speedway. Pole sitter, Jason Arthofer, wasted no time jumping out to the lead, with Alan Decker and Dave Pecko applying the pressure. Meanwhile, Mike Adams was busy working Donny Hartzell, trying to make his way to the front. On lap two, Adams did just that, as he took command over Jim Long, Jr. Adams led until lap five, when he spun in turn two, which brought out the caution once more. Long assumed command, and Pecko took over second. As Pecko tried an inside maneuver coming off turn four on lap five, he too, found himself going in a loop. Pecko would restart at the tail end of the field. Ninth place starter, Brian Defebo, patiently worked his way into the second spot. When the green flag flew for the lap six restart, Defebo overtook Long for the lead, with Hartzell and Decker in toe. On lap twenty, Decker spun on the backstretch, allowing the field to bunch up again for another start. Defebo never gave up command, distancing himself from second place, Jim Long, at the stripe. Pecko came back to finish third. Hartzell and Adams, in a side-by-side battle at the line, finished fourth and fifth respectively. In victory circle, Defebo credited the driving abilities of his rivals. “I felt really comfortable racing with Long, Pecko, and Donny (Hartzell), They’ll run ya clean. It’s always fun to start toward the rear and win. Lately when we start in the front, we haven’t even finished”. Jim Long Jr. inherited the point lead with his strong finish. Rusty Smith, the series leader, was not at the speedway for competition. Heat winners were Mike Adams and Alan Decker Modified (30 Laps) 1.Brian Defebo 2. Jim Long 3. Dave Pecko 4. Donny Hartzell 5. Mike Adams 6. John Markovic 7. Alan Decker 8. Jarod Nace 9.Jason Arthofer 10. Stephen Nederostek 11. Ernie Dengler 12. Matt Clemens 13. Mark Washko Fast Lap: Brian Defebo, lap 8, 13.552 Joe Hoffman paced the field early on in the 25-lap late model feature, after starting on the pole. Fifth place starter, Larry Fisher, wasted no time, effortlessly charging to the second spot. Fisher mounted a serious charge on Hoffman for the point on several occasions, but time after time, Hoffman slammed the door. That all ended on lap fifteen, as Fisher completed the pass on Hoffman exiting turn two, bringing Joe Barbush along. While trying to retake the second spot, Hoffman and Barbush got together on the backstretch. Both drivers were able to continue. Rookie standout, Chris Whitenight, inherited the second position over Jerry Brighthaupt, but together, they would bring out the next yellow, with Whitenight spinning down the front stretch on lap twenty-two. Brighthaupt assumed second after the ordeal. On the final restart, Brighthaupt attempted to catch Fisher, but could not mount the charge, settling for the runner up slot. Rounding out the top five were Joe Hoffman, Joe Barbush and Chris Whitenight. During his victory lane interview, Fisher admitted he had the car to beat. “I knew once Joe (Hoffman) got loose and we got out front, they would have a hard time catching us. Two in a row is great!” Larry Fisher was the heat winner. Late Model (25 Laps) 1. Larry Fisher 2. Jerry Brighthaupt 3. Joe Hoffman 4. Joe Barbush 5. Chris Whitenight 6. Billy Balliet 7. Jason Makarewicz 8.Jackie Ziegler 9. Barry Callavini Fast Lap: Larry Fisher, lap 22, 14.757 Brad Barbush recently celebrated his 18th birthday, and also started on the pole for the 20-lap street stock feature. Barbush dominated the early part of the event, which was caution-free until lap twelve. The caution flew on lap fifteen, when Eric Danyluk and Mark Deysher made contact on the front stretch. Both drivers were able to continue, but this allowed the field to close in on Barbush. Brad Kline was lined up third on the restart, behind Scott Meckes and Barbush. Kline mounted a daring three-wide maneuver to the front, only to have it called back when the caution was thrown for a Chip Wanamaker, Paul Frantz, Frank Katona and Rick Smith incident on the back stretch. By this point, current point leader, Jim Yamelski, had worked his way to fourth, but would soon be the reason for the next caution, as he spun in turn one. Over the next few laps, Kline battled Barbush for the lead. Finally, on the final lap, coming off turn four, the two time champion (Kline) edged Barbush for the win by 7/100 of a second, picking up his third feature win of the season. Scott Meckes, Danny Cascioli and Brian Labar rounded out the top five. Heat winners were Danny Cascioli and Brad Barbush Street Stock (20 Laps) 1. Brad Kline 2. Brad Barbush 3. Scott Meckes 4. Dan Casicioli 5.Brian Labar 6. Ron Babula 7.Chip Wanamaker 8. Jim Yamelsk i9. Mark Deysher 10. Paul Frantz 11. Frank Katona 12. Eric Danyluk 13.Robert Fink 14. Todd Ahner 15. Rich Smith 16. Richard Petey 17.Geary Rinehimer Fast Lap: Brad Kline, lap 7, 16.001 On the start of the 20-lap 4-cylinder thriller feature, pole sitter, Dale Shoemaker’s hood flew up over his windshield. Dale immediately pulled to the infield. One driver’s misfortune benefited Shoemaker, when Travis Fisher brought out the caution on the same lap. Fisher was able to continue on, and Shoemaker headed to the pit for crew assistance. He rejoined the field prior to the restart. Unlike their heat race, this would be the only caution of the event. Chris Walk held the early lead, but would find himself battling ninth place starter, Joe Grocholoski on lap two for the lead. By the time they crossed the stripe, Grocholoski had taken the top spot. During the course of the event, many drivers experienced problems in this exciting paint-swapping fiesta, including Joe Heintzelman, Justin Nesbitt, Brent Witner, Jimmy White and Scott Adams. By mid race, Grocholoski looked untouchable, but eleventh place starter, Pete Verwys, was ever so slightly gaining on him. With two laps remaining, Verwys completed the turn four pass on Grocholoski, who would retaliate trying to regain the lead on the inside of turn one. Grocholoski couldn’t make the pass stick, and Pete Verwys went on to win his second straight feature over Joe Grocholoski, Chris Walk, Travis Fisher and Nick Adams. Joe Heintzelman was the heat winner. 4 Cyl. Thriller (20 Laps) 1.Pete Verwys 2. Joe Grocholoski 3. Chris Walk 4. Travis Fisher 5. Nick Adams 6. Dale Shoemaker 7. Joe Heintzelman 8. Justin Nesbitt 9. Brent Witner 10. Jimmy White, Jr. 11. Scott Adams Fast Lap: Pete Verwys, lap 4, 18.778 BACK TO THE TOP
NEETS Holiday Stock Car Series event on Memorial Day up next! St. Johns, PA - The ABC Car Crushing, NEETS Holiday Stock Car Series is back at it, Monday, May 30th at Mountain Speedway with their third points race of the season; the Busy Bee Pest Control ‘Freedom 100’ 6/8 cyl. and ‘Victory 100’ 4 cyl. Enduros. Even without a win so far this season, current Cottman Transmission 6/8 cyl. Point leader, Glenn Osborne, has a 30 point advantage over Joe ‘Millionaire’ Jentile, who sites in second. ‘Slippery’ Tom Slee sits third, only 5 points out of second. With one win and two runner up finishes, Robin Vollmoeller is atop the Valley Service 4 cyl. Standings with 195 tallies. Winless, but consistent, John Haegele sits second, 25 points out of first. With one win, Pat Verwys is currently third, a mere 20 points out of second. Along with the most exciting enduro racing in this area, the entire NEETS crew has big plans for this Memorial Day event, including free red, white and blue Popsicles (courtesy of Bartley Racing Enterprises), free Frisbees from the NEETS mascot and free American flags (handed out by two military personnel). Fans drivers will also witness the destruction of the ‘Osama mobile’, which will be destroyed during intermission. Along with the halftime break between the two feature events, Forgotten Fury, a local band from Berwick, PA, will perform in the grandstand area. The NEETS Holiday Stock Car Series donates $1 from every general admission to a charity of choice from each event. For this Memorial Day race, NEETS promoter, Billy Bartley will donate $1 from each admission toward a veteran’s plaque, which will be displayed at the speedway to honor all past and present military. All the racing action begins Monday, May 30th at 1:30 PM. Don’t forget, the NEETS series runs, rain or shine! General admission is $7 for ages 7 and up. Kids 6 and under are admitted free. Pit gates open at 9:00 AM, and registrations open at 10:00 AM. BACK TO THE TOP
Defebo Scores First Mod Win of
Season At Mountain Speedway St. Johns, PA - After opening the ’05 season with two straight DNF’s, and a runner-up finish, Berwick, PA’s Brian Defebo was back visiting victory lane Friday at Mountain Speedway, winning the Balliet’s Country Corners 30-lap modified feature. Tim Santee started from the pole in the fifteen-car contest and sprung out into the early lead, but the Caution flew on lap four when Jason Arthofer spun entering turn four. On the restart, Defebo made his move, taking the top spot from Santee. Current point leader, Rusty Smith, along with Dave Pecko, respectively, from their ninth and tenth starting spots, worked their way through traffic pursuing Defebo. Unfortunately for Pecko, he would bring out the caution on lap seventeen for a turn four spin. On the restart, Jim Long Jr. mounted a ferocious charge on Smith for the runner up spot until the yellow flew once more on lap twenty-eight, involving Ryan Preece and Cal Snyder. Preece, a 14-year old rookie standout from Berlin, CT, tagged Snyder entering turn one. Both drivers were able to continue. On the final restart, Defebo gained breathing room on Smith, taking the win in fashion over Smith, Long, Hartzell and Decker. While in victory lane, Defebo noted, “We’ve had a rough start to the ’05 season, but it’s early. Hopefully we’ve had our bad luck now. The season is long and we’ve been down, but not out. We’ve also led a number of features, but the finishes just haven’t shown”.
Jason Arthofer and Tim Santee were heat winners.
Hazleton’s Mike Rodriguez Jr. jumped into the early lead in the 25-lap late model feature after starting from the pole. Third place starter, Joe Hoffman cautiously followed Rodriguez waiting to make his bid for the lead. By the tenth lap, Hoffman was able to sneak underneath Rodriguez coming off of turn two. However, while racing side by side down the backstretch, the two touched and tangled. Rodriguez’s car slammed into the backstretch wall. Both drivers were unable to continue because of the severe damage. Fern Glen’s, Larry Fisher, assumed the lead for the next restart, followed by Barry Callavini, who made his first start of the season. Callavini looked as though he was a bit faster than Fisher, but taking the top spot was another story. On lap seventeen, Callavini was able to drive beneath Fisher entering turn one. When the gap closed, Callavini found himself in the infield grass, as Fisher retained the lead. Rookie standout, Chris Whitenight found himself in the second spot for the next restart, but was overtaken by Earl Paules when the green flew once more. Paules was not able to catch Fisher, as he cruised to his first feature win of the season over Paules, Whitenight, Makarewicz and Callavini. Along with thanks to his crew and sponsors in victory lane, Fisher noted that he had no idea Callavini was making a move on him for the lead. “If I knew he was all the way there, I would have given him room”, exclaimed Fisher.
The heat winner was Mike Rodriguez, Jr.
Frank Katona led the street stock field to the green flag for their 20-lap feature. Katona jumped out front, holding off charges from Chip Wanamaker and Paul Frantz, when the caution flew on lap three. On the restart, Katona retained his lead over Frantz, but the two time factory stock champion knew what he had to do, as Frantz worked his way inside of Katona on the backstretch. As the two battled, things got furious behind them. Frantz was tagged from behind and spun out of harms way into the infield. After pit work, Frantz returned to the speedway. The next restart was clean, as Scott Meckes, Brad Kline, and Jim Yamelski battled three wide for the third spot. On lap seven, Kline and Meckes came together in turn four. Only Meckes was able to continue. Yamelski, the current point leader, restarted in third. Once the green flew again, he sailed his way to the front, passing Katona with an outside move on lap eight. Yamelski, from Hunlock’s Creek, PA, picked up his first feature win of the season, starting from the ninth spot, and holding off Ahner, Katona, Danyluk and Wanamaker.
Heat winners were Frank Katona and Paul Frantz
When the 20-lap thriller feature took the stage, it was Steve Hoffman at the point. Hoffman set the early pace, with Steve Shultz in toe. The first of three cautions flew on lap two, when Jim White Jr. spun in turn one. Jimmy rejoined the tail end of the field. Hoffman continued out front, but the latest thriller feature winner, Bill Price, was making his way up through the pack from his eighth starting spot. Meanwhile, Richard Petey, Howie Bott and Sue Collins were pressuring Speedo Jager for third, as each of them took a shot at getting by ‘dirt-track’ Jager. While applying a lot of pressure, Price caught Hoffman. Trying a move going into turn three, Price got into Hoffman, spinning him around in the process. However, Hoffman continued, so the caution flag wasn’t thrown. This series of events put Price out front, with a cluster of cars behind him, as they tried to avoid Hoffman. Richard Petey also spun in the mix. Bill Price went on to win his second straight thriller feature, followed by Howie Bott, who was seriously challenged by last year’s champion, Sue Collins. Jager and Nelmes were fourth and fifth respectively.
Steve Hoffman and Marissa Nelmes scored heat wins.
At intermission, Brant Quick from nearby, Berwick, PA entertained fans, playing a three-song set with his guitar and harmonica.
The next spectacular Friday night show at Mountain Speedway is May 20th. Scheduled to take the green flag are the modifieds, late models, street stock and 4 cyl. thrillers. Regular thrillers have the night off. Catch all the action at 7:30 PM sharp.
For this weeks ‘Mountain Madness’, and your complete guide to asphalt racing in the Pocono foothills, visit www.mountainspeedway.com.
Modified (30 Laps) Brian Defebo, Rusty Smith, Jim Long, Donny Hartzell, Alan Decker, Earl Paules, Mike Adams, Cal Snyder, Ryan Preece, Tim Santee, Matt Higgins, Dave Pecko, Wayne Szerencsits, Ernie Dengler, Jason Arthofer Fast Lap: Brian Defebo, 13.493, lap 5
Late Model (25 Laps) Larry Fisher, Earl Paules, Chris Whitenight, Jason Makarewicz, Barry Callavini, Jason Arthofer, Billy Balliet, Mike Collins, Mike Rodriguez, Jr., Joe Hoffman Fast Lap: Joe Hoffman, 14.901, lap 6
Street Stock (20 Laps) Jim Yamelski, Todd Ahner, Frank Katona, Eric Danyluk, Chip Wanamaker, Paul Frantz, Scott Meckes, Brian Labar, John Labadia, Geary Rinehimer, Wayne Medlin, Dan Casicioli, Brad Kline, Rich Smith, DNS: Dennis Buss Fast Lap: Jim Yamelski, 15.979, lap 16
Thriller (20 Laps) Bill Price, Howie Bott, Sue Collins, Speedo Jager, Marissa Nelmes, Josh Oswald, Richard Petey, Steve Hoffman, Steve Shultz, Jim White Jr., TJ Rentschler, Tony Hilliard, Steve Taylor, Pat Verwys, DNS: Mark Paine Fast Lap: Speedo Jager, 16.334, lap 19 BACK TO THE TOP
Win #2 for Smith; Brighthaupt tops
late model field at Mountain Speedway Heat winners were Brian Defebo and Rusty Smith. Pete Brittain started on the pole in the 25-lap late model showdown. Brittain
held the top spot from the drop of the green, being pressured by Joe Barbush and
Larry Fisher. Meanwhile, Jerry Brighthaupt worked his way into the top 5 from
his 9th starting spot. On lap 10, Fisher, who was in second, got turned around
on the backstretch, bringing out the caution. On the single file lap 15 restart,
Brighthaupt was glued to the back bumper of Brittain. Going into turn one,
Brighthaupt made his move to the inside of Brittain, making slight contact.
Brittain went around, and the Heat winners were Pete Brittian and Larry Fisher. JR Roth started from the pole in the 20-lap street stock feature. The initial start of the race was not scored, as rookie, Geary Rinehimer spun in front of the entire field coming off turn four, causing everyone to take evasive action. Rinehimer collected Dennis Buss, who had no place to go. When the race actually began, Roth hopped out front ahead of Meckes, Katona, Kline and Wanamaker. By lap 6, Kline worked his way to second and made his outside bid for the top spot the following lap. The caution flew on lap 9, when Ahner and Wanamaker made contact in turn
four. Meanwhile, street stock point leader, Jim Yamelski quietly entered the top
3. Heat winners were JR Roth and Scott Meckes Jimmy White Jr. started on the pole in the 20-lap 4 cyl. thriller event, but
it was Travis Fisher out front early on. The caution flew on lap 2 when Joe
Heintzelman spun, while battling the Heat winners were Pete Verwys and Nick Adams The next show on the card for Mountain Speedway is Friday, May 13th. Four divisions will be racing, which will include the modifieds, late models, street stocks and thrillers. Pit gates open at 5:00 P.M. and warm-ups are at 6:00 P.M. The first heat will take to the track at 7:30 P.M. sharp. Happy Mother’s Day to all the moms out there! For additional info, please
visit www.mountainspeedway.com. Modifieds (30 Laps) Rusty Smith, Brian Defebo, Dave Pecko, Jim Long, Jr., Don Wagner, Pete Brittain, Donny Hartzell, John Markovic, Mark Washko, Mike Adams, Dave Koroleski, Alan Decker, Cal Snyder, Ernie Dengler, Jason Arthofer, Tim Santee Fast Lap: lap 8, Rusty Smith (13.735)
Late Model (25 Laps) Gerry Brighthaupt, Jim Lamoreaux, Pete Brittain, Larry Fisher, Chris Whitenight, Joe Barbush, Jason Makarewicz, Tom Scales, Billy Balliet, Jackie Ziegler, Mike Collins, Joe Hoffman, Jeff Searfoss, Earl Paules, Mike Rodriguez, Jr. Fast Lap: lap 7, Larry Fisher (14.857)
Street Stock (20 Laps) Brad Kline, Jim Yamelski, Paul Frantz, Scott Meckes, JR Roth, Todd Ahner, Robert Fink, Chip Wanamaker, Frank Katona, Rich Smith, Eric Danyluk, Dan Casicioli, Brad Barbush, Geary Rinehimer, Dennis Buss Fast Lap: lap 12, Jim Yamelski (15.858)
4 Cyl. Thriller (20 Laps) Pete Verwys, Joe Heintzelman, Nick Adams, Joe Grocholoski, Bill Verwys Sr., John Cozza, Chris Walk, Chris Meker, Travis Fisher, Dale Shoemaker, Jimmy White, Jr., Brent Witner, Justin Nesbitt, Dave Freundt, Scott Adams, Fred Shotwell, Ryan Hill Fast Lap: lap 16, Pete Verwys (18.414) BACK TO THE TOP
Rusty Smith sharp at Mountain
Speedway Fans witnessed a record amount of shows at Mountain Speedway Sunday. The number of feature events totaled eight, plus a half time 'Tricked out Custom Cycle' motorcycle show. It made for a very long day, but for anyone wanting to see plenty of racing, the crowd got their money's worth. Wayne Szerencsits started from the pole in the 30-lap Balliet's Country Corners modified feature. On lap two, Tim Santee worked his way to the point, while Szerencsits had to settle for second. However, on the following circuit, something went away on Szerencsits modified, sending him into the turn 1 fence, thus ending his day. Two-time track champion, Brian Defebo's day also ended on the same lap, as he was forced in the pits with a malfunction. Santee held the lead until a lap 6 restart, when Rusty Smith in #34 got around him. However a complete lap was not complete, due to the caution waving for a Dave Pecko spin. Lap 20 brought out the caution once more for a turn 1 pile-up, involving
Wagner, Brittain, Adams and Snyder. Adams was unable to continue. On the same
lap track officials noticed fluid leaking from the X6 of Santee. Smith was challenged over the last few circuits by runner-up, Jim Long, but held him off for his first modified victory at Mountain Speedway. Heat Winners were Wayne Szerencsits, Brian Defebo and Tim Santee Modified Finish (30 Laps) Rookie Mike Collins started from the pole in his second-ever Mountain late model start, with another rookie, Mike Rodriguez, Jr. outside. When the green waived, Rodriguez shot to the point. Rodriguez held the top spot until the caution flew for a spin by the #40 of Todd Giest. Rodriguez spun the rear tires on the restart, sending him into a spin and into the infield. At this point, Larry Fisher, who had worked his way into the second spot, inherited the lead. Fisher held the top spot until a lap 9 caution involving Tommy Scales. Last late model race winner, Joe Hoffman now had the top spot. But, on another lap 9 restart, Hoffman got loose, allowing Jim Lamoreaux to sneak by on the outside. Lamoreaux distanced himself from the rest of the field. Over the second half of the race, pole sitter Mike Collins, and Jason
Makarewicz worked their way into the top 5, along with Pete Brittain and Mike
Rodriguez Jr, but there was not enough time to try and catch Jim Lamoreaux, who
collect his first feature win of 2005. Heat winners were Smalls and Lamoreaux Late Model Finish (25 Laps) Robert Fink started from the pole in the 20-lap street stock feature. On lap 4, Randy Ahner shot to the lead, taking the #26 of Scott Meckes along with him. As the two battled for the top spot, Paul Frantz, Brian Labar and Brad Kline joined the mix. Yamelski, after restarting from the rear, worked his way into 4th, and took 3rd from Kline. The caution waived once more on lap 19 for a Geary Rinehimer spin in turn 3, allowing Meckes to have a shot at the win, but he could not get around Ahner on the final lap. Yamelski held off Kline for fourth, and Brian Labar rounded out the top 5. Heat winners were Ahner and Yamelski Street Stock Finish (20 Laps) 2004 4 Cyl. Champion, Pat Verwys started from the pole in the thriller feature event. It didn't take long for Steve Hoffman to get around Verwys for the top spot, followed by Bill Price. Price caught Hoffman on lap 8, and made his bid for the lead. The caution waived on lap #10 for a spinning Verwys. Both Verwys, and 2004 thriller champion, Sue Collins was sent to the back of the field. At the same time, Hoffman had problems, which forced him to the infield. The last half of the race was uneventful; as Price went on to take the checkers over Marissa Nelmes, Howie Bott, Richard Petey and Randy Ahner Jr. Heat winners were Bott and Hoffman. Thriller Finish (20 Laps) Chris Walk started from the pole in the 4 cyl. Thriller showdown. On the first lap, Travis Fisher shot to the lead, bringing the #7 of Adams with him. On lap 6, Adams, while working on Fisher, made contact, forcing Fisher to spin into the front stretch wall. Fisher was unhurt, but was unable to continue. Chris Walk inherited the lead when Adams was re-positioned to the rear of the field, but it didn't take long for Bill Verwys Sr. to over take Walk for the top spot. Verwys held on to score the victory over a hard charging Joe Heintzelman, Christ Walk, Joe Grocholski and Dale Shoemaker. Heat winners were Grocholski and Heintzelman 4 Cy. Thriller Finish (20 Laps) The 4 C modifieds were also on hand for a special show. When it was all said
and done, Woot Lawrence was victorious. Big wheel event winners were Collin Wilkinson, Ricky Collins and Zach Culp.
BACK TO THE TOP
Mountain Speedway Welcomes Promoter "BillyB" to regular weekly racing Mountain Speedway's promoter, Joe Callavini is proud to announce that former director of operations, Billy Bartley, (AKA BillyB) will take the helm of the speedway for the remainder of the season, 'tagged' as co-promoter of the regular racing and full promoter of the special events. Bartley dubbed the "Savvy Promoter" by Speed TV's Dave Despain, will bring his unique style of promoting to the Regular racing at Mountain in hopes to give fans and drivers alike a newfound interest in the speedway. "I want to create more of a family type atmosphere at the
facility," said Bartley, who is currently the promoter of the famed North
East Enduro Holiday Stock Car Series and the newly formed "X-SES Monster
Car Series. Bartley recently hired a new race director, Ed Solt to the speedway's manager list. Most recently, Ed was employed by nearby Mahoning Valley Speedway. "I've seen Ed in action and he does a terrific job" explained Bartley. He has also added extra track officials to speed up pre-race line Ups. Just to list a few additions and changes are the recent addition of the tracks new PA system. The system has been installed, and should be fully operable for next week's action. Another future addition will be an arcade for the fans, both young and young at heart. The arcade will have video games, also featuring a snow cone and popcorn machine, giving a 'carnival-type' atmosphere at the local short track. Bartley stated that he knows how kids get bored easily, and the arcade is just another idea that was taken from the 'consideration list', and moved to the 'we will do' list. Plenty of fan give-a-ways, including family admission packs and track ticket handouts are also in process. Bartley plans on overseeing all operations at the speedway to make sure
everything is right for the fans. I want everybody to enjoy him or herself when
they are here and go home in anticipation for the next week 'Halftime' One of the main goals is to pick up car counts and pack the stands so all new drivers will be surprised to hear that the mandatory track pit license fee has become extinct. In the past, a driver had to purchase a $75 pit license whether they raced once or 26 times at the speedway. That is true no longer. Drivers who have purchased the license for the season already will still be admitted for the $25 fee and benefit from the savings. All others are $35. This will be beneficial only to those cars that would not be attending more than 7 races at the speedway. Anyone who knows Bartley will say he is one of the most driver oriented promoters they know. With this in mind, plenty of drivers give-a-ways are also planned, and will be announced at the next drivers meeting along with other new benefits. Drivers will also become more involved during a variety of events with their fans in the grandstands. The usual autograph nights are still scheduled, plus there are a few other driver/fan programs that will be tried during the course of the year. Bartley has a 40+ year history in racing. A former dirt track champion along with over 18 years of track operations experience, he knows what the drivers and fans want. Bartley has been an employee at the Mountain Speedway since the first year Callavini took it over in 2000. When asked about the recent promotion, Bartley just smiled and said, "I am as dedicated to this track as I am my family. If 50% of my ideas turn into results, we'll have one heck of a show". Bartley had one more comment to add. "Joe Callavini is one of my best
friends and I am thankful to him for trusting me in this position. I'll do the
best job I can for him and all the loyal Mountain Speedway people. Please stay tuned for all the Mountain Speedway action, as the speedway's switch to Friday night racing begins May 6th at 7:30 P.M. For all race-related information, please visit: www.mountainspeedway.com
BACK TO THE TOP
Mountain Speedway Welcomes Co-Promoter Mountain Speedway's promoter, Joe Callavini is proud to announce that former director of operations, Billy Bartley, will take the helm of the speedway for the remainder of the season, 'tagged' as co-promoter. "I want to create more of a family type atmosphere at the facility," said Bartley, who is currently the promoter of the famed North East Enduro Holiday Stock Car Series. "There's too many changes to list on paper, but they will be noticed over time. I just wish this deal would have been compete by the beginning of the season". Joe Callivini plans to give the reins of the operation to Bartley to take control for the remainder of the season. Bartley recently named new race director, Ed Solt to the speedway's manager
list. Most recently, Ed was employed by nearby Mahoning Valley Speedway. Just to list a few additions and changes are the recent addition of the tracks new PA system. The system has been installed, and will be fully operable for nest week's action. Another future addition will be an arcade for the fans, both young and old at heart. The arcade will also feature a snow cone and popcorn machine, giving a 'carnival-type' atmosphere at the local short track. Bartely stated that he knows how kids get bored easily, and the arcade is just another idea that was taken from the 'consideration list', and moved to the 'we will do' list. Plenty of fan give-a-ways, including family admission packs and track ticket handouts are also in process. 'Halftime' shows are also underway for fan entertainment. Some of which include stunt drivers ad their automobiles. This type of fan interaction is something the track has been lacking for some time. All drivers will be surprised to hear that the regular track pit license fee has become extinct. In the past, it was mandatory for a driver to purchase a $75 pit license for their first race of the season at the speedway. That is true no longer. Drivers who have purchased the license for the season already will still be admitted for the $25 fee. All others are $35. Plenty of drivers give-a-ways are also planned, and will be announced at the next drivers meeting. Drivers will also be become more involved during a variety of events with their fans in the grandstands. The usual autograph nights are still scheduled, plus there is also talk of bringing back the passenger 'ride-a-long' program, where a lucky fan can win a few laps around the speedway as a passenger with a current driver. Bartley has been an employee at the track for a number of years. When asked about the recent promotion, Bartley just smiled and said, "I am as dedicated to this track as I am my family. If 50% of the ideas turn into results, we'll have one heck of a show". Please stay tuned for all the Mountain Speedway action, as the speedway's switch to Friday night racing begins May 6th at 7:30 P.M. For all race-related information, please visit: Mountain Speedway Welcomes Promoter "BillyB" to regular weekly racing Mountain Speedway's promoter, Joe Callavini is proud to announce that former director of operations, Billy Bartley, (AKA BillyB) will take the helm of the speedway for the remainder of the season, 'tagged' as co-promoter of the regular racing and full promoter of the special events. Bartley dubbed the "Savvy Promoter" by Speed TV's Dave Despain, will bring his unique style of promoting to the Regular racing at Mountain in hopes to give fans and drivers alike a newfound interest in the speedway. "I want to create more of a family type atmosphere at the
facility," said Bartley, who is currently the promoter of the famed North
East Enduro Holiday Stock Car Series and the newly formed "X-SES Monster
Car Series. Bartley recently hired a new race director, Ed Solt to the speedway's manager list. Most recently, Ed was employed by nearby Mahoning Valley Speedway. "I've seen Ed in action and he does a terrific job" explained Bartley. He has also added extra track officials to speed up pre-race line up's. Just to list a few additions and changes are the recent addition of the tracks new PA system. The system has been installed, and should be fully operable for next week's action. Another future addition will be an arcade for the fans, both young and young at heart. The arcade will have video games, also featuring a snow cone and popcorn machine, giving a 'carnival-type' atmosphere at the local short track. Bartley stated that he knows how kids get bored easily, and the arcade is just another idea that was taken from the 'consideration list', and moved to the 'we will do' list. Plenty of fan give-a-ways, including family admission packs and track ticket handouts are also in process. Bartley plans on overseeing all operations at the speedway to make sure everything is right for the fans. I want everybody to enjoy him or herself when they are here and go home in anticipation for the next week 'Halftime' shows are also underway for fan enjoyment. Some of which include stunt drivers and other non-racing events. This type of fan entertainment is something the track has been lacking for some time. One of the main goals is to pick up car counts and pack the stands so all new drivers will be surprised to hear that the mandatory track pit license fee has become extinct. In the past, a driver had to purchase a $75 pit license whether they raced once or 26 times at the speedway. That is true no longer. Drivers who have purchased the license for the season already will still be admitted for the $25 fee and benefit from the savings. All others are $35. This will be beneficial only to those cars that would not be attending more than 7 races at the speedway. Anyone who knows Bartley will say he is one of the most driver oriented promoters they know. With this in mind, plenty of drivers give-a-ways are also planned, and will be announced at the next drivers meeting along with other new benefits. Drivers will also become more involved during a variety of events with their fans in the grandstands. The usual autograph nights are still scheduled, plus there are a few other driver/fan programs that will be tried during the course of the year. Bartley has a 40+ year history in racing. A former dirt track champion along with over 18 years of track operations experience, he knows what the drivers and fans want. Bartley has been an employee at the Mountain Speedway since the first year Callavini took it over in 2000. When asked about the recent promotion, Bartley just smiled and said, "I am as dedicated to this track as I am my family. If 50% of my ideas turn into results, we'll have one heck of a show". Bartley had one more comment to add. "Joe Callavini is one of my best
friends and I am thankful to him for trusting me in this position. I'll do the
best job I can for him and all the loyal Mountain Speedway people. Please stay tuned for all the Mountain Speedway action, as the speedway's switch to Friday night racing begins May 6th at 7:30 P.M. For all race-related information, please visit: www.mountainspeedway.com
BACK TO THE TOP
J & J Contractors presents... 'Mountain Big
Wheel Series' All children are invited to compete in the events, which are free, and will take place during the speedway's Sunday shows at intermission. The current format for Friday night big wheel shows is still in up in the air, and may not take place due to time constraints. These exciting races are held on the speedway's front stretch. The three age groups are: 2-4 year olds, 5-7 year olds and 8-10 year olds. The winners from each race will receive a trophy, and ribbons will be awarded to the second and third place finishers. Just as in the past, drivers are also asked to donate racing related items for the kids. In return, the drivers will have their pictures taken with the drivers and their racing machines in victory lane. If this weekly racing fix isn't enough for these future racers, points will
be awarded and tabulated throughout the racing season for each age group. Mountain Speedway in conjunction with J & J Contractors, Inc. believe that today's young fans are tomorrow's future drivers. The Mountain Big Wheel Series schedule is subject to change without notice. For more information and big wheel updates throughout the season, please visit www.mountainspeedway.com 2005 Mountain Big Wheel Series schedule Sundays Saturday BACK TO THE TOP
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