Ohio's Fun Place to Race!!
2024 Race Season |
 | April 16, 2016 |
 Saturday night April 16th lifted the lid on the 63rd Season of racing at "Thunder In The Valley" with The McIntosh Oil Company Season Opener featuring Double Points for all 5 Divisions. We have all sat through some very cold season opener's in the past, we were blessed with one of the warmest we have had in a very long time with not a cloud in sight. At race time it was 75 degrees with bright sunny skies. Sixty eight car and trucks made the pull to Midvale Speedway.
The Canton Auto Salvage Compact's would hit the Speedway next for the first of their two 15 lap features. Rookie Cody Shields in the #92 and Jeremiah Hartline in the #169 started on the front row. The #18 of Tim Frederick has "Redemption" written across the windshield of his machine, it should have said "Coming To The Front". Frederick made a nice 3-wide move to the bottom of the front duo in turn one, to take the race lead as Hartline raced into second. As the laps clicked away, Frederick continued to extend his advantage a little bit each lap. Britt Vanmeter's #27 and Gage Jaberg's #21 were the fastest cars on the track but were stuck in heavy traffic. This Division showed us that it is going to be as competitive as it has ever been. Frederick would continue to draw away but the action mid pack was fierce. Those guys needed a caution to have a shot at battling it out for the victory, but it never came. Following the Barnhill OH driver in the Leggett's Tire, Sensel-Finnican sponsored #18 to the finish was Hartline, Vanmeter, Clayton Oliver and Jaberg.
The McIntosh Oil Company Late Model's would take to the 3/10 mile oval for their 30 lap main event with the #4 of Matthew Mills and Bob Schneider Jr in the #17 leading the field down for the start. After a couple machines had issues in the heat races, hot laps and practice this week, the field was smaller than anticipated. After the green flag flew, Mills would take the top spot with Schneider close behind. The only caution of the event waved on lap 2 as Schneider got loose off turn 4 and slid through the infield. He would return after a brief visit to pit lane. Mills would have the #1 of Bryant Smith along side for the restart. The two would battle for a couple laps but Smith would win that battle and take over the point. His brother and last year's Late Model Champion Bubba Smith in the #12 was able to work around the high side of Mills on Lap 4. The brothers Smith would build up more than a straightaway advantage as the laps quickly wound down. Bubba tried multiple times to get a run up off the corner, but each time Bryant had enough horsepower to hold him off. Bubba seemed to have the better handling car, but Bryant had the track position, and that's all he needed. He dedicated his opening night feature win to his Mom Sue in an emotional victory lane. Following the Canton OH driver to the finish line in the Canton Auto Salvage, Finish Line Design's, Freedom Auto Finance sponsored #1 was Bubba, Mills, Gary Hoopingarner and Larry Baker.
A nice field of cars in the JD Byrider Street Stock feature were scheduled to lineup, but after a few accidents and mechanical issues, we started with seven. Speaking of #7, Gabe Pringle making his return to Midvale Speedway after 8 years, was starting on the pole in a jaw dropping retro paint scheme to the one his Dad ran 30 years ago this year. TJ Barker in the #11 sporting the new style bodies the Street Stock's are allowed to run this year, started along side in row one. Pringle would take his red, white and blue car out front as Larry Smith in the #44 followed up to 2nd. Just two weeks ago, Smith was in a desperate search for a motor, what a difference two weeks makes. The first caution flew on lap 2 for the #39 of Brian Lewis Sr, who lost a motor in turn one and made a huge mess of things. After a lengthy cleanup, the pivotal point in the race was this restart. Pringle showed a little rust as Smith snookered him as they came off turn 4, taking the lead. Going down into turn 3, Pringle got in just a little too deep and got into Smith, sending the #44 spinning and the #7 to the tail. After a couple restarts, Smith, Todd Miller in the #77 and Pringle would put on a great show over the final eleven circuits. Miller was all over the place, looking for a way to get by the leader. He finally settled on the high side, which allowed the now smoking #7 to pull up behind Smith in the lower lane. Lap after lap they jockey'd for position and lap after lap Pringle's transmission leak got worse and worse. This will be another Division that could see a record number of different winner's in 2016. Tonight, it was the Stewart's Flooring, ZiffieCats.com, Joe's Auto Service, CJ's Bar & Grille sponsored #44 from Canton OH. Rounding out the top 5 behind Smith was Miller, Pringle, Phillip Cox filling in for the injured Colton Ritchey and Barker.
The Finish Line Motor's Mini Truck's are another one of those Divisions that was decimated with mechanical issues and Trucks not quite being finished yet. After all was said and done, Cody Jaberg in the #22 and the #751 of Tim Dreher led the field to the stripe. Jaberg, a 3rd generation wheelman, picked up the first checkered flag of his young career in the Heat Race. Codeman would lead the first 4 circuits until lap 5 when the #118 of Colt Locker was able to work around the top of the race track and take over the lead. As the laps went off the board, Locker set sail to take the opener. Following the Somerdale OH driver in the Townhouse Drive Thru, My Water Doctor, The Lindentree, GM Electric sponsored #118 to the line was Jaberg, Michael Varnes and Dreher.
The final feature of the evening was the second Compact 15 lapper. This may have been the best race of the night. The #44 of Andrea Bishop and the #11 of James Butts started on the front row. After a failed initial start, Kyle Shalosky in the #2 and the #01 of Hunter Corbett set the early pace with Bruce Gibson in the #32 marching up from the 10th starting position. The only other caution flew on lap 11 for the #42 of Steven McCue who lost a right front wheel. That set up the shootout and Gibson was able to get a great restart to take the lead with a bottom side, 3-wide pass in turn one. Everyone thought that was probably the winning move of the race, everyone except for Kyle Shalosky. He got a great run off turn 2 on the final lap, drove it into turn three along side Gibson and completed the clean pass off turn 4 for his first career feature victory. Following the New Philadelphia OH driver in the Matthew's Lawn Care, Strikers South Phila Drive Thru, 2 Guys Garage, Herron Motorsports sponsored #2 was Corbett, Gibson, Korey Herron and Butts.
Next Saturday Night April 23rd join us for Pepsi / Bloom's Printing / Wear Blue For Autism Night. All 5 Regular Divisions will be in action with Spectator Drags at intermission. Everyone is encouraged to wear blue in support of Autism awareness.
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McIntosh Oil Company Late Model's
Fast Time: Bubba Smith 13.907
Heat 1: Tom Stankiewicz, Bubba Smith, Bryant Smith, Gary Hoopingarner, Larry Baker
Heat 2: Mark Willison, Matthew Mills, Bob Schneider Jr, Bob Eichel, Derek Grewell
Feature: Bryant Smith, Bubba Smith, Mills, Hoopingarner, Baker, Schneider Jr, Willison, Eichel
Summit Racing Economy Modified's
Fast Time: Kevin McClintock 14.75
Heat 1: Phillip Cox, Lee McCreery, Braden Swaney, Kevin McClintock, Bryce Allensworth, Brandon Bailey, Laney Striejewske
Heat 2: Shawn Marder, Mike Bowers, Jeff Bowling, Cristian Bailey, Lucas Ripley, Doug McMillen, Trey Williams
Feature: McCreery, Swaney, Brandon Bailey, Ripley, Cox, Cristian Bailey, Jason Grewell (Striejewske), Marder, McMillen, McClintock, Allensworth, Bowling, Bowers
JD Byrider Street Stock's
Fast Time: Waylon Orr 16.266
Heat 1: Todd Miller, Larry Smith, Waylon Orr, Phillip Cox, Bob Passwaters Sr
Heat 2: Gabe Pringle, TJ Barker, Brian Lewis Sr, Mackinze Pringle
Feature: Smith, Miller, Pringle, Cox, Barker, Vanessa McCreery, Brian Lewis Sr.
Finish Line Motor's Mini Truck's
Fast Time: Colt Locker 16.999 (NTR)
Heat 1: Cody Jaberg, Colt Locker, Michael Varnes, Tim Dreher
Feature: Locker, Jaberg, Varnes, Dreher.
Canton Auto Salvage Compact's
Fast Time: Gage Jaberg 17.960
Heat 1: Britt Vanmeter, Gage Jaberg, Kyle Finlayson, Mike McDonald, Dan Buckey, Clayton Oliver, Brent Shreffler, Brandon France
Heat 2: Jeremiah Hartline, Tim Frederick, Cody Shields, Bruce Gibson, Korey Herron, Toby Cook, Sam Bigham, Noah Patterson
Heat 3: Kyle Shalosky, Richard Moore, Hunter Corbett, Steven McCue, Tyler Eichel, Andrea Bishop, James Butts
Feature 1: Frederick, Hartline, Vanmeter, Oliver, Jaberg, Shreffler, Buckey, McDonald, Finlayson, Shields, France, Patterson
Feature 2: Shalosky, Corbett, Gibson, Herron, Butts, Moore, Bigham, Cook, McCue, Bishop
Written by: Chris Kail |
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04/16/2016 Race
Late Models Listings |
| Finish Pos. | Driver |
| 1. | Smith, Bryant |
| 2. | Smith, Bubba |
| 3. | Mills, Matt |
| 4. | Hoopingarner, Gary |
| 5. | Baker, Larry |
| 6. | Schneider Jr, Bob |
| 7. | Willison, Mark |
| 8. | Eichel, Bob |
| 9. | Grewell, Derek |
| 10. | Stankiewicz, Tom |
| More |
04/16/2016 Race
Economy Modifieds Listings |
| Finish Pos. | Driver |
| 1. | McCreery, Lee |
| 2. | Swaney, Braden |
| 3. | Bailey, Brandon |
| 4. | Ripley, Lucas |
| 5. | Cox, Phillip |
| 6. | Bailey, Cristian |
| 7. | Striejewske, Laney |
| 8. | Marder, Shawn |
| 9. | McMillen, Doug |
| 10. | McClintock, Kevin |
| More |
04/16/2016 Race
Street Stocks Listings |
| Finish Pos. | Driver |
| 1. | Smith, Larry |
| 2. | Miller, Todd |
| 3. | Pringle, Gabe |
| 4. | Ritchey, Colton |
| 5. | Barker, TJ |
| 6. | McCreery, Vanessa |
| 7. | Lewis Sr, Brian |
| 8. | Passwaters Sr., Bob |
| 9. | Pringle, Mackinze |
| 10. | Passwaters Jr, Bob |
| More |
04/16/2016 Race
Mini Truck Listings |
| Finish Pos. | Driver |
| 1. | Locker, Colt |
| 2. | Jaberg, Cody |
| 3. | Varnes, Micheal |
| 4. | Dreher, Tim |
| 5. | Schweitzer, Rich |
| More |
04/16/2016 Race
Compacts Listings |
| Finish Pos. | Driver |
| 1. | Frederick, Tim |
| 2. | Hartline, Jerimah |
| 3. | Vanmeter, Britt |
| 4. | Oliver, Clayton |
| 5. | Jaberg, Gage |
| 6. | Shreffler, Brent |
| 7. | Buckey, Dan |
| 8. | McDounld, Mike |
| 9. | Finlayson, Kyle |
| 10. | Shields, Cody |
| More |
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