 Over 120 cars were in the pits this past Saturday night, August 30 for the final night of points and Season Championship features at Midvale Speedway. Late Models, Modifieds, Pro Stocks, Pure Stocks and Compacts were on hand to compete, and not one division had a champion crowned when the night started, as point battles were extremely close.
The 2003 Late Model field put one of the best shows of the season, as fourteen strong competitors put on an excellant show. Darrel Dexter and Mike Enos brought the field in for the green flag, and the only caution of the race came in the first lap when John Miller and Farmer Smith, two of the night's fastest qualifiers, had an accident in the track's third turn. After that, the race went green for the duration with Dexter leading the pack by several car lengths. With the outside lane coming to the drivers, Tom Garbrandt, Duane Dunn, and Mike Miller were moving up quickly. At the race's midpoint, Garbrandt went to the second groove to work on the leader. Dexter, a good friend of Garbrandt, was able to withstand the pressure for several laps of side-by-side racing before dropping back to second. Meanwhile, Miller was charging from his scratch starting spot, and eventually moved into third by the end. Garbrandt went on to take his second feature win of the season in his D&B Machine/Trenton Service #64. Dexter, Miller, Dunn, and Enos completed the top five. Rounding out the top ten were Greg Beule, Tom Newman, Jr., Don Harvey, Jr., Farmer Smith, and John Miller. With his third place finish, Miller became the 2003 Late Model track champion. Dunn and Bob Eichel won the heats, while Smith set fast time.
Jeff Smith and Mark Willison started up front in the Tolloti Pipe Modified 20-lap Season Championship. Smith, looking for his first feature win of the season, pulled into the lead in the open laps with Willison in tow. Cars making moves were Mark Striker, Glen Jewell, and Dusty Woodie, as they battled in the middle of the field, but ran out of time trying to get to the front. Smith, who ran an unusual high lane as he exited the turns, led lap after lap, as Willison tried to get by for his division leading third win. However, Smith, driving the Downtown Ford #34 was able to hang on for the victory, despite many cautions slowing the pace. In the post race celebration, Smith pulled off a "Chitwood" like no other as he kicked the car sideways at the line, gunned it, and slid through the wet grass all the way to turns one and two. Following Smith in the rundown were Willison, Randy Gray, Striker, and Jewell. Woodie, Shawn Nastasi, John Wilson, George Bowers, and Ron McBride completed the top ten. Striker wrapped up the track championship. McBride and Willison won the heats, while the fast qualifier was Striker.
Greg Mazzoleni and Don Rufener, Jr. started up front in the Tusco Net Pro Stock feature. On the first couple of circuits of the 20-lap event, Mazzoleni took the lead and it was his time to fend off challenges from quicker cars. With Mazzoleni in charge, Will Walker was making a late run through the field. Walker, via the outside lane, drew alongside the leader with a lap and a half to go. However, just as it looked like he was going to pull it off, the car washed up the banking, and Mazzoleni crossed the stripe in first. Following Mazzoleni in his Wainright Auto Parts #19 were Walker, Keith Thomas, Waylon Orr, and Doug McMillen. The rest of the top ten were Rufener, Tim Skinner, Bill Aubihl, Roger Butler, and Bill Hilliker. Skinner took the point title as well as fast time, while McMillen and Hilliker won the heats.
Several cautions slowed the pace of the Papa John's Pure Stock feature. Justin Lawson and D.J. Radanovich brought the 23 car field in for the green with Lawson taking the lead and Radanovich dropping in line in second. Previous week's winner Blake Mackey was able to get to the lowside of Radanovich in the race's early going, to take second and start challenging for the lead. Bubba Smith, Larry Smith, and Brian Oliver were also in the picture. On the next to last circuit, Mackey got to the lowside of the leader in turn three, the two touched in the middle of three and four, and Mackey led at the line. However, as the cars entered turn one, Lawson elected to turn into the right rear of the leader's car, sending him head on into the turn one wall. Teddy Oliver made a heads up move during evasive action to move into the first spot, as no caution was thrown. At the finish, Oliver, B. Smith, Rich Schweitzer, John Leasure, and Radanovich completed the top five. Norm Stutler, Brian Wood, Larry Smith, Douglas Higgins, and Adam Stewart completed the top ten. Stutler, driving for point leader Joe Oliver, was able to hang on for the point championship for Oliver, his first. Mackey, Brian Oliver, and Stewart won the heats, while T. Oliver set fast time with a new track record.
The closest point battle of the night was in the fireproofcar.com Compact division, as Randy Smart led by only 50 points over Kelly McNutt. The outcome of the race was basically determined rather early as Josh Grove flew through the field, without a problem, and pulled away with the convincing victory. Early front runners Cody Kahler, Dale Beatty, Jack Grove, and Terry Colletti completed the top five at the finish. Grove's J.D. Byrider/Grove Home Medical #4 was also followed in the top ten by Randy Smart, who hung on for the point championship, Jason Morgan, Jason Grewell, Jeff Lanzer, and Rich Fox. NOTE: Following inspection, the #6 of Smart was found to be illegal and was disqualified. Kelly McNutt becomes the point champion.
Perry Nave picked up the win in the second feature for the Compact division. The New Philadelphia, Ohio driver was able to cross the line ahead of Greg Grove, Tom Barrett, Will Miller, and Shawn Smarsh. Brian Wilson, Steve Lute, Rocky Moore, Josh Irwin, Tye Kelly rounded out the top ten.
Kenny Jewell was victorious in the third, and final, Compact feature, as Jesse Page, Bruce Gibson, Brian Oliver, and Earl Scranton finished the top five.
Cody Kahler, Tom Barrett, Will Miller, Shawn Smarsh, and Bruce Gibson all won heats, while Kelly McNutt set fast time.
Racing will continue this coming Saturday, September 6, as Late Models, Modifieds, Pro Stocks, Pure Stocks, and Compacts will all be in action. Spectator drags, Figure 8's, and Powder Puff races for Pure Stocks and Compacts will also be held. Qualifying is from 3:50-5:50, while the racing starts at 6:30. Also, an announcement is expected soon on Midvale Speedway's expanded 2003 schedule. The Fall Championship dates will be posted soon.
Results For Midvale Speedway
Late Models
Top Qualifier - Farmer Smith 14.77
Heat #1 - Duane Dunn, Tom Newman, Jr., Don Harvey, Jr., Mike Miller, Farmer Smith
Heat #2 - Bob Eichel, Mike Enos, Greg Beule, Larry Page, Tom Garbrandt
Feature - Tom Garbrandt, Darrel Dexter, Mike Miller, Duane Dunn, Mike Enos, Greg Beule, Tom Newman, Jr., Don Harvey, Jr., Farmer Smith, John Miller, Bob Eichel, Larry Page, Glen Jewell, Bear Schwartz
Tolloti Pipe Modifieds
Top Qualifier - Mark Striker 14.78
Heat #1 - Ron McBride, Mark Enos, Glen Jewell, John Wilson, Dusty Woodie
Heat #2 - Mark Willison, Mike Bowers, Shawn Nastasi, Randy Gray, Jeff Smith
Feature - Jeff Smith, Mark Willison, Randy Gray, Mark Striker, Glen Jewell, Dusty Woodie, Shawn Nastasi, John Wilson, George Bowers, Ron McBride, Mark Enos, Mike Bowers
Tusco Net Pro Stocks
Top Qualifier - Tim Skinner 15.80
Heat #1 - Doug McMillen, Will Walker, Kurt Waller, Waylon Orr, Kevin McClintock
Heat #2 - Bill Hilliker, Greg Mazzoleni, Roger Butler, Dan Gasser, Bill Aubihl
Feature - Greg Mazzoleni, Will Walker, Keith Thomas, Waylon Orr, Doug McMillen, Don Rufener, Jr., Tim Skinner, Bill Aubihl, Roger Butler, Bill Hilliker, Kevin McClintock, Dan Gasser, Frank Heater, Kurt Waller, Jimmy Orr, John Tantarelli, Jr.
Papa John's Pure Stocks
Top Qualifier - Teddy Oliver 17.77
Heat #1 - Blake Mackey, Teddy Oliver, Justin Courtney, Al Street, Bubba Smith
Heat #2 - Brian Oliver, Barney Gerber, John Leasure, Norm Stutler, Chris Miller
Heat #3 - Adam Stewart, Dick Aubihl, Dan Moore, Mike Daugherty, Chuck Sampson
Feature - Teddy Oliver, Bubba Smith, Rich Schweitzer, John Leasure, D.J. Radanovich, Norm Stutler, Brian Wood, Larry Smith, Doug Higgins, Adam Stewart, Ray Van Lehn, Dick Aubihl, Justin Lawson, Chuck Sampson, Blake Mackey, Brian Oliver, Barney Gerber, Al Street, Chris Miller, Mike Daugherty, Dan Moore, Paul Parson, Justin Courtney
fireproofcar.com Compacts
Top Qualifier - Kelly McNutt 18.25
Heat #1 - Cody Kahler, Russell Grandison, Josh Grove, Jack Grove
Heat #2 - Tom Barrett, Jim Beatty, Jr., Phil Veno, Rich Fox, Perry Nave
Heat #3 - Will Miller, Steve Lute, Tammy Rufener, Rocky Moore, Tye Kelly
Heat #4 - Shawn Smarsh, Jim Keller, Jr., Jamie Leslie, Josh Irwin, Jesse Page
Heat #5 - Bruce Gibson, Bob Passwaters, Sr., Brian Oliver, Paul Stull, Earl Scranton
Feature #1 - Josh Grove, Cody Kahler, Dale Beatty, Jack Grove, Terry Colletti, Jason Morgan, Jason Grewell, Jeff Lanzer, Rich Fox, Jim Beatty, Jr., Robert Mizer, Phil Veno, John McNutt, John Nealey, Bob Passwaters, Jr., Russell Grandison, Kelly McNutt, Jim Poole
Feature #2 - Perry Nave, Greg Grove, Tom Barrett, Will Miller, Shawn Smarsh, Brian Wilson, Steve Lute, Rocky Moore, Josh Irwin, Tye Kelly, Adam Mishler, Jamie Leslie, Kyle Grewell, Charles Ritch, Luke Crawshaw, Ben Gibson, Steve Cooper
Feature #3 - Kenny Jewell, Jesse Page, Bruce Gibson, Brian Oliver, Earl Scranton, Chris Grubbs, John Wissman, Paul Stull, Kenny Ford, Russ Moore, Charlie Lanzer, Jack Thomas, Bob Passwaters, Sr., Mickey Green, Jim Keller, Jr., Jaimie Huebner, Eric Sell
Written by: Adam Mackey |
