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This Saturday, September 4 will be another can't miss, action packed night at Midvale Speedway. Figure 8's will join the Late Models, Sport Stocks, Pure Stocks, and Compacts for a full show of heats, pursuits, and features. At intermission, the Uhrichsville McDonald's car show will cruise around the 3/10-mile oval. Fans should also come to the track hungry, as it will be $1 Dogs/$1 Pops in the concession stand. With dry and cool conditions forecasted, track records are likely to fall in qualifying, while the evening's racing should be fast and furious.
The September 4 event will mark the first of just two nights left in the point season. September 11 is season championship night, where drivers will earn their final points of the year. The September 18 season finale will not be a point night, but will be a great show of racing for the regular divisions plus the track's second annual trailer race.
The 2010 championship battle is starting to show a clearer picture. In the McIntosh Oil Company Late Models, Clinton, Ohio driver Mike Miller is again locking horns with Canton, Ohio's Bubba Smith. Smith beat Miller by the slimmest of margins in 2010 and trails him by only 19 entering this Saturday's event. Smith is also carrying the momentum of having won his first race in over two year, by claiming last Saturday's feature victory. Bryant Smith is third in points 43 back of the top spot. Rich Marcum and Bob Schneider, Jr. complete the top five.
The Tusco Net Sport Stock championship trophy is in the hands of Randy Smart, unless something drastic happens over the final two weeks. The Dover, Ohio driver has a 146 point lead on Kevin McClintock with it possible for a driver to accumulate 264 total points over the last two weeks. Bill Aubihl, Tad Grove, and Jerry McNealy are the rest of the top five.
Canton, Ohio driver Teddy Oliver holds a 59 point advantage on Bob Passwaters, Sr. in the Midvale Speedway Pure Stock division. Passwaters' problems arose when his car's engine blew up several weeks ago. He has been in a couple of different cars since then, trying to stay close. Vince Martin, Bill Burkholder, and Bob Passwaters, Jr. are top five competitors.
Don Rufener, Jr. looked to be on his way to another Compact division championship around the halfway mark of this season. However, since then, Rufener has run into a string of bad luck, while his competitors are reeling him in. The Uhrichsville, Ohio driver is up by just 15 over Rich Dunlap. John McNutt is only 28 out, while Jesse Page and Kyle Grove are within striking distance as well.
All Neil Rolli has to do is start the last two Figure 8 features to claim the championship. Rolli has won each of the five features held this season. Many have been rained out and the fields have been on the small side.
This Saturday night will also be "drivers choose their lane night" for heats and features. On each start and restart, drivers will line up single file. A cone will then be placed on the frontstretch, giving them the option of lanes. Once a driver chooses one lane, they cannot change their mind and join the other groove before the green comes out. It will be possible to pick up several spots under caution, depending on what the other competitors in front of them do. It was done twice during the 2009 season, but this will be the first time it has been used at Midvale for more than just heats. If a driver were to fall out due to mechanical issues after choosing lanes, that lane will just move forward to fill his space. Also, if a caution waves before one lap is completed after a start or restart, the charged driver will be sent to the tail, while the line in which he was in will just move forward.
Pit gates will open at 2, hotlaps at 3, qualifying at 5, and racing at 6:30. Admission is $12 for adults, $10 for seniors, $8 for kids 6-15, and children 5 and under are free.
More information may be available online at www.midvalespeedway.com.
CURRENT CHAMPIONSHIP STANDINGS
McIntosh Oil Company Late Models - Mike Miller 866, Bubba Smith 849, Bryant Smith 825, Rich Marcum 781, Bob Schneider, Jr. 730, Ron Jaberg, Jr. 651, Derek Grewell 601, Bob Eichel 538, Doug McMillen 530, Todd Ripley 481
Tusco Net Sport Stocks - Randy Smart 1204, Kevin McClitnock 1058, Bill Aubihl 993, Tad Grove 848, Jerry McNealy 824, Don Rufener, Jr. 402, Ron Kirkpatrick 372, Ron Dague 332, Brad Kirkpatrick 262, Virgil Ravenscroft III 176
Midvale Speedway Pure Stocks - Teddy Oliver 1055, Bob Passwaters, Sr. 996, Vince Martin 872, Bill Burkholder 801, Bob Passwaters, Jr. 777, Brian Minard 668, Todd Miller 662, Lee McCreery 566, Keith Anderson 472, Phil Bunton, Jr. 457
Midvale Speedway Compacts - Don Rufener, Jr. 997, Rich Dunlap 982, John McNutt 969, Jesse Page 937, Kyle Grove 919, Brad Henry 914, Don Rufener, III 903, Wes Ennis 889, Kyle Rector 723, Earl Scranton 689
Midvale Speedway Figure 8's - Neil Rolli 300, Don Rufener, Jr. 188, Derek Grwell 138, Larry Ennis 138, Lennie Orr 96, Lennie Orr 46, Tim Frederick 46, Kyle Rector 44
Written by: Adam Mackey |
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| 2008 Late Models Series Standings |
| Records updated 01/10/09 |
| Rank | Driver | Behind |
| 1. | Miller, Mike | Leader |
| 2. | Smith, Bubba | -98 |
| 3. | Garbrandt, Tom | -184 |
| 4. | Tedesco, Ryan | -200 |
| 5. | Marcum, Rich | -257 |
| 6. | McMillen, Doug | -263 |
| 7. | Beule, Greg | -277 |
| 8. | Schneider, Jr., Bob | -321 |
| 9. | Jaberg, Jr., Ron | -322 |
| 10. | Smith, Bryant | -408 |
| More |
| 2008 Sport Stocks Series Standings |
| Records updated 01/10/09 |
| Rank | Driver | Behind |
| 1. | McClintock, Kevin | Leader |
| 2. | Grubbs, Nick | -108 |
| 3. | Archer, Scott | -118 |
| 4. | Dague, Ron | -191 |
| 5. | Mackey, Blake | -244 |
| 6. | McNealy, Jerry | -417 |
| 7. | Smart, Randy | -643 |
| 8. | Miller, Chris | -707 |
| 9. | Pringle, Gabe | -716 |
| 10. | Bitticker, Blake | -864 |
| More |
| 2008 Pure Stocks Series Standings |
| Records updated 01/10/09 |
| Rank | Driver | Behind |
| 1. | Gibbs, Tory | Leader |
| 2. | Schweitzer, Rich | -105 |
| 3. | Miller, Todd | -172 |
| 4. | Grove, Tad | -272 |
| 5. | Oliver, Joe | -305 |
| 6. | Passwaters, Sr., Bob | -346 |
| 7. | Anderson, Keith | -451 |
| 8. | Bunton, Jr., Phil | -523 |
| 9. | Oliver, Teddy | -536 |
| 10. | Higgins, Doug | -591 |
| More |
| 2008 Compacts Series Standings |
| Records updated 01/10/09 |
| Rank | Driver | Behind |
| 1. | Rufener, Jr., Don | Leader |
| 2. | McNutt, Kelly | -92 |
| 3. | Hunt, Jay | -175 |
| 4. | Dunlap, Rich | -176 |
| 5. | Diano, A.J. | -227 |
| 6. | Campbell, Johnny | -247 |
| 7. | Grewell, Derek | -386 |
| 8. | Mishler, Adam | -392 |
| 9. | Scranton, Earl | -588 |
| 10. | McNutt, John | -601 |
| More |
| 2008 Figure 8 Series Standings |
| Records updated 01/10/09 |
| Rank | Driver | Behind |
| 1. | Rufener, Jr., Don | Leader |
| 2. | Morgan, Jason | -18 |
| 3. | Jewell, Kenny | -124 |
| 4. | Frederick, Tim | -270 |
| 5. | Morgan, Gene | -290 |
| 6. | Ennis, Larry | -334 |
| 7. | Scranton, Earl | -368 |
| 8. | Orr, Lennie | -388 |
| 9. | Ferrebee, Isaac | -430 |
| 10. | Slentz, Joe | -432 |
| More |
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