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| Tuesday, April 14th |
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Ohio's Fun Place to Race!!
2026 Race Season |
 | June 5, 2004 |
 Morning drizzle gave way to afternoon cloudiness for night #9 of the 2004-racing season at Midvale Speedway. Over 100 cars were on hand, and despite on of the smallest car counts of the year, the racing was great for the second week straight.
Mel Robinson and Jeff Smith started up front in the 20-lap Tolloti Pipe Modified feature. Smith took the early lead, despite problems on the warm-up lap that sent him into the infield, hitting a tire barrier. As Smith raced out front, rookie driver Keith Thomas was moving through the field quickly. Thomas, who started in the sixth position worked up to the second spot before a caution flew. That put the first-year driver on the rear bumper of Smith. Smith, forced to run fast to stay out front, was caught under his qualifying time, hence a black flag sending him to the tail. Back to green flag racing, Thomas ran out front with point leaders Mark Willison and Glen Jewell in tow. Willison ran the high lane trying to get a run at his fourth feature win of the year, while Jewell tucked under him in third. Lap-after-lap the exciting three car battle would continue, as Willison pulled door-to-door on a couple of different occasions only to drop back as Thomas scooted off of the turns and down the straights. At the checkered it was Thomas in the Renner & Daughter Concrete Construction/ABC Siding & Windows #17 with Willison, Jewell, Mark Enos, and John Wilson completing the top five. Dave Watson finished sixth, while Jeff Smith moved back up into the seventh spot, and Mike Bowers, Tim Skinner, and Mel Robinson rounded out the top ten. Thomas also won the heat, while Watson set fast time for the second week in a row.
The Performance Race Fuels Late Models also had an interesting race. Darrel Dexter and Tom Garbrandt were the front row starters, with Garbrandt taking the lead at the green. Garbrandt, looking for his second win in a row, was sitting pretty until Farmer Smith moved into the second spot. Smith quickly ran down the leader and started to work on him for the top spot. After several laps of trying, Smith’s work finally paid off as he dove low on the backstretch and raced out front. The New Philadelphia, Ohio driver pulled away with the win, while Garbrandt, Greg Beule, Bear Schwartz, and Duane Dunn followed the J.D. Byrider/Miceli Glass #7 across the line. Darrel Dexter, Travis Devore, Bob Eichel, and Rich Marcum complete the finishers. Dexter won the heat race, while A.P. Ren had fast time.
In Tusco Net Sport Stock racing, Larry Pringle led the early laps, but Jimmy Orr raced from his fifth starting position to the lead in the early going. Orr, whose Ford powered machine was much faster than the previous week held the lead until rookie Bubba Smith raced into second. Smith dove low going into turn three in the first half of the race, the two made contact, and Orr spun. Smith admitted fault for the crash, sending Orr back up front and Smith to the tail. Over the final circuits of the race, Smith’s #12 raced all the way back through the field and into the second spot. At the finish of the 20-lap race, the Canton driver came up short, but in a post-race inspection and pumping of the top three finisher’s motors, Orr’s came out over the limit of 360 cubic inches. Smith was handed the victory in his Smith’s Auto Sales/Canton Auto Salvage #12, while Don Rufener, Jr., Rich Stalnaker, Kurt Waller, and Roger Butler finished in the top five. John Tantarelli, Jr., Kevin McClintock, Joe Linard, Bill Weaver, and Larry Pringle finished off the top ten. Rufener and Weaver were credited with heat wins, while McClintock set fast time.
22 Papa John’s Pure Stocks started the 15-lap main event. Justin Courtney and Mike Martin started up front as Teddy Oliver started moving up from his fifth starting position. Oliver, Larry Smith, Rob Scott, and Tuscarawas, Ohio driver Greg Grove eventually all battled for the lead position, but Grove made the final important pass to race his way to his first official Pure Stock victory. Smith, Oliver, Scott, and Randy Smart followed the J.D. Byrider/AAA Travel #3 in the top five. Blake Mackey, Rick Elkins, Jr., Al Street, Mike Martin, and John Leasure finished off the top ten. Grove, Chuck Elkins, and Tim Postel won the heats, Rick Elkins, Jr. the pursuit, and Street set fast time.
In Compact action, Terry Colletti was again the man to beat as his top qualifying car won the pursuit race from the back of the field in five laps. In feature action, Colletti’s #27 Cavalier started fourteenth, but picked off cars one at a time until he raced out front. Once in the lead, the New Philadelphia, Ohio driver never looked back and finished with this fourth victory of the season. Russell Grandison, Kelly McNutt, Jim Poole, and David Breehl followed the KM Cages/Stonecreek Bar & Grill racecar. John McNutt, Tye Kelly, Kyle Grewell, Jason Morgan, and Charles Ritch finished off the top ten.
Tracy Lovell picked up the win in the second Compact feature win. Eric Feister raced from the middle of the field to pick up a second place finish, while Kenny Ford, Earl Scranton, and Kurt Waller rounded out the top five. Kenny Jewell, Jim Miller, Tammy Rufener, James Domer, and Dale Beatty finished in the top ten.
In the final feature of the evening, Billy Hilliker of Midvale, Ohio picked up the win. Mike Gribble came home second, despite racing much of the race for the lead in the outside lane. Cody Shuss, Chris Grubbs, and Mike Roth completed the top five. The rest of the top ten were Bob Viertel, Kenny Griffith, Joe Elerick, Chris Smith, Violet McMasters.
David Breehl, Tammy Rufener, Kenny Ford, Joe Elerick, Cody Shuss, and Terry Colletti picked up compact preliminary victories.
A special event will be held this coming Saturday, June 12, as the ARCA Lincoln Welder Truck series will be on hand for a 100-lap feature event. Late Models, Modifieds, Sport Stocks, Pure Stocks, and Compacts will also race. Qualifying will begin at 4:00, while racing action will start at 6:30.
Results For Midvale Speedway
Performance Race Fuels Late Models
Top Qualifier – A.P. Ren 14.54
Heat – Darrel Dexter, Bob Eichel, Bear Schwartz, Duane Dunn, Travis Devore
Feature – Farmer Smith, Tom Garbrandt, Greg Beule, Bear Schwartz, Duane Dunn, Darrel Dexter, Travis Devore, Bob Eichel, Rich Marcum
Tolloti Pipe Modifieds
Top Qualifier – Dave Watson 14.66
Heat – Keith Thomas, Mark Willison, Glen Jewell, John Wilson, Jeff Smith
Feature – Keith Thomas, Mark Willison, Glen Jewell, Mark Enos, John Wilson, Dave Watson, Jeff Smith, Mike Bowers, Tim Skinner, Mel Robinson, Jim McCune
Tusco Net Sport Stocks
Top Qualifier – Kevin McClintock 15.65
Heat #1 – Don Rufener, Jr., Kevin McClintock, John Tantarelli, Jr., Bubba Smith, Kurt Waller
Heat #2 – Bill Weaver, Roger Butler, Rich Stalnaker, Larry Pringle
Feature – Bubba Smith, Don Rufener, Jr., Rich Stalnaker, Kurt Waller, Roger Butler, John Tantarelli, Jr., Kevin McClintock, Joe Linard, Bill Weaver, Larry Pringle, Eric Sell, Rob Hooper
Papa John’s Pure Stocks
Top Qualifier – Al Street 17.33
Heat #1 – Greg Grove, Rich Schweitzer, Al Street, Blake Mackey, John Leasure
Heat #2 – Chuck Elkins, Larry Smith, Bob Passwaters, Jr., Mike Martin, Rob Scott
Heat #3 – Tim Postel, Will Miller, Bob Passwaters, Sr., Chester McMasters, Dan Moore
Pursuit – Rick Elkins, Jr., Rob Scott, Rich Schweitzer, Al Street, Larry Smith
Feature – Greg Grove, Larry Smith, Teddy Oliver, Rob Scott, Randy Smart, Blake Mackey, Rick Elkins, Jr., Al Street, Mike Martin, John Leasure, Bob Passwaters, Jr., Rocky Moore, Chuck Elkins, Will Miller, Doug Higgins, Bob Passwaters, Sr., Nick Cross, Joe Fewkes, Dan Moore, Rich Schweitzer, Justin Courtney, Chester McMasters
Compacts
Top Qualifier – Terry Colletti 18.14
Heat #1 – David Breehl, Russell Grandison, Kyle Grewell, Adam Mishler, John McNutt
Heat #2 – Tammy Rufener, Tye Kelly, Charles Ritch, Steven Feister, Jim Poole
Heat #3 – Kenny Ford, Jim Miller, Eric Feister, Dale Beatty, Tracy Lovell
Heat #4 – Joe Elerick, Billy Hilliker, Mike Roth, Chris Smith, Ryan Kopp
Heat #5 – Cody Shuss, Bob Viertel, Ben Gibson, Kenny Griffith, Gary Gibson
Pursuit – Terry Colletti, Jim Poole, Russell Grandison, David Breehl, Adam Mishler
Feature #1 – Terry Colletti, Russell Grandison, Kelly McNutt, Jim Poole, David Breehl, John McNutt, Tye Kelly, Kyle Grewell, Jason Morgan, Charles Ritch, Josh Irwin, Adam Mishler, Eric Anderson, Jesse Page, Tom Barrett
Feature #2 – Tracy Lovell, Eric Feister, Kenny Ford, Earl Scranton, Steven Feister, Kenny Jewell, Jim Miller, Tammy Rufener, James Domer, Dale Beatty, Jason Garrett, Patrick Wade, Bryant Smith, Ryan Kopp, Jamie Leslie
Feature #3 – Billy Hilliker, Mike Gribble, Cody Shuss, Chris Grubbs, Mike Roth, Bob Viertel, Kenny Griffith, Joe Elerick, Chris Smith, Violet McMasters, Gary Gibson, Barb Feister, John Wissman, Jr., Jaimie Huebner, Jr.
Written by: Adam Mackey |
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06/05/2004 Race
Late Models Listings |
| Finish Pos. | Driver |
| 1. | Smith, Farmer |
| 2. | Garbrandt, Tom |
| 3. | Beule, Greg |
| 4. | Schwartz, Bear |
| 5. | Dunn, Duane |
| 6. | Dexter, Darrel |
| 7. | McMillen, Doug |
| 8. | Eichel, Bob |
| 9. | Marcum, Rich |
| 10. | Ren, A.P. |
| More |
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06/05/2004 Race
Modifieds Listings |
| Finish Pos. | Driver |
| 1. | Thomas, Keith |
| 2. | Willison, Mark |
| 3. | Jewell, Glen |
| 4. | Enos, Mark |
| 5. | Wilson, John |
| 6. | Watson, Dave |
| 7. | Smith, Jeff |
| 8. | Bowers, Mike |
| 9. | Skinner, Tim |
| 10. | Robinson, Mel |
| More |
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06/05/2004 Race
Pure Stocks Listings |
| Finish Pos. | Driver |
| 1. | Grove, Greg |
| 2. | Smith, Larry |
| 3. | Oliver, Teddy |
| 4. | Scott, Rob |
| 5. | Smart, Randy |
| 6. | Mackey, Blake |
| 7. | Radanovich, D.J. |
| 8. | Street, Al |
| 9. | Martin, Vince |
| 10. | Leasure, John |
| More |
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06/05/2004 Race
Sport Stocks Listings |
| Finish Pos. | Driver |
| 1. | Smith, Bubba |
| 2. | Rufener, Jr., Don |
| 3. | Stalnaker, Rich |
| 4. | Waller, Kurt |
| 5. | Butler, Roger |
| 6. | 5 Racing, Team |
| 7. | McClintock, Kevin |
| 8. | Linard, Roger |
| 9. | Weaver, Bill |
| 10. | Mazzoleni, Greg |
| More |
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06/05/2004 Race
Compacts Listings |
| Finish Pos. | Driver |
| 1. | Colletti, Terry |
| 2. | Grandison, Russell |
| 3. | McNutt, Kelly |
| 4. | Poole, Jim |
| 5. | Nave, Perry |
| 6. | McNutt, John |
| 7. | Kelly, Tye |
| 8. | Grewell, Kyle |
| 9. | Morgan, Jason |
| 10. | Ritch, Charles |
| More |
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