 The biggest car count of the early season was on hand this past Saturday, May 7 at Midvale Speedway. 110 drivers graced the pit area for the four divisions of racing action. Late Models, Sport Stocks, Pure Stocks, and Compacts all competed.
16 Performance Race Fuel Late Models were in the pits for the third night of racing. After qualifying, all divisions had a number “9” dice roll, so that put ninth fastest qualifier Dave Watson on the pole for the 25-lap event. Watson, driving the car that was purchased from Farmer Smith during the offseason, jumped out the early lead as Duane Dunn challenged. Dunn, looking for his first win after a couple of early season struggles, challenged both low and high in the early going. Finally, on a lap 9 restart, Dunn worked by coming out of turn two. However, caution quickly flew for a stopped competitor and that handed the lead back to Watson. After a couple of more failed restarts, Dunn was eventually passed by Mike Miller. That is when things got real interesting. Miller, always strong in the second groove, looked to the outside. The duo raced side-by-side for the lead for a couple of laps before they bumped tires in turn three. Watson’s racer was as sideways as anyone can get without spinning and powerslid through turn four and somehow held onto the lead. Miller never gave up, but could not get around the #9 of Watson. Following the chrome and red Pine Ridge Condos/TNM Motorsports car were Miller, Dunn, Phil Rozum, and Marcus Malcuit. The rest of the top ten were Mike Enos, Tom Feller, Jr., Todd Miller, Bubba Smith, and Mark Enos. Dunn won the fast heat, while Mike Enos won heat #2 and the pursuit race. Rozum set fast time with a 14.59.
The Tusco Net Sport Stock field was again a bit small but still very fast and competitive. After three drivers broke the track record in qualifying, rookie Josh Grove won his fast heat and the pursuit convincingly. The Dover, Ohio driver was slotted third in the feature line-up and it didn’t take long for him to challenge race leader Glen Jewell. Jewell, who had won the last time Midvale Speedway had racing, led momentarily before Grove was able to scoot by. Behind him, drivers were racing forward. First to battle for the lead was Keith Thomas. Thomas, who held the track record coming into the night, broke his own record earlier in the evening. It was then broke by Joe Linard and Wes Gilland, who now holds the fastest Sport Stock lap. Back to the race, Thomas went to the outside of Grove. After a few laps of battling, Thomas was edging ahead on the backstretch. Thinking that he had Grove cleared, he tried closing the door in turn three. The top two touched, Thomas spun, and caution came out. Thomas told track officials to put Grove back up front, putting him to the rear. Joe Linard was next in line to race with Grove, but his challenge was not enough, as Grove cleaned house with a newly built engine under the hood. Linard, Gabe Pringle, Doug McMillen, and Jewell rounded out the top five behind the Hartzler’s Quality Housing/Grove Home Medical #4. Thomas rallied back to sixth, Gilland came home seventh, while Don Rufener, Jr., Chris Kail, and Kevin McClintock finished off the top ten. Paul Murray was the winner in the second heat.
In the Papa John’s Pure Stock class, Bryant Smith and Chuck Elkins made up the front row for the 15-lap grind. After a relatively caution-free Sport Stock feature, the Pure Stocks were in for one much like the Late Models, caution-filled. When the green dropped, Smith took the lead. The rookie driver led for just a short time when Blake Mackey, the third place starter, was able to squeeze underneath for the top spot. Mackey also led for just a short while, as Canton, Ohio driver Scott Archer was able to race by on the inside. Racing was exciting between the many cautions, but it was hard for drivers to make runs, as the slow down laps wiped out their tries. Randy Smart and Al Street, the night’s second and fastest qualifiers were able to also get by Mackey for second and third, but were not able to catch Archer. At the checkered, it was the Arch-a-motive #28 of Archer taking the victory. Following him were Smart, Street, Mackey, and Rich Schweitzer. Doug Higgins, David Breehl, Chuck Elkins, Joe Fewkes, and Dan Moore completed the top ten. Archer, Joe Oliver, and John Leasure won the heats, while Street won the pursuit from the back of the field. Street also set fast time and has proven he’s the one to beat this season, despite not picking up the feature win.
Entering the fast feature for the Musick & Myers Compact division, Josh Irwin had a chance to do what Grove did in the Sport Stocks…clean house. Irwin, after winning the fast heat and the pursuit race behind the wheel of the Mishler racing back-up car, started up front in the feature event. Coming from the field was the team car and driver, Adam Mishler. The two finished first and second in the heat, first and third in the pursuit, and were running first and second in the feature. Russell Grandison tried to break up the team party out front as he wrestled for second and the lead. Grandison ran right with the lead duo, but it was not enough, as no one had anything for Irwin on this night. After taking half of a season off last year and missing the first two weeks this season, the Wainright, Ohio driver was able to hold off his teammate of Adam Mishler and go on to victory, completing the clean sweep. Mishler, Grandison, Tad Grove, and Dale Beatty followed the Mid-Vid Racing Video/Performance Race Fuels #69 across the stripe. John McNutt, Jason Shaw, Perry Nave, Tom Barrett, and Nick Grubbs completed the top ten.
In the second Compact feature, Jack Grove was out front and looking good. Lap-after-lap, the Dennison, Ohio driver paced the starting field. However, with a little over a lap to go, Dover’s Kyle Grewell proved to be strong enough in the outside lane to yank the lead away and go on to his first feature win this season. Grove, Don Rufener, Jr., Jason Morgan, and Kenny Ford finished off the top five. Also following the Conner’s Corner Garage #199 were Jesse Page, Kenny Jewell, Eric Anderson, Chris Smith, and Mike Gribble.
The third Compact feature got a little rough. First, Bob Viertel spun into the infield, wiping out a huge tire and his car. Nearly flipping, the car landed on its wheels and Viertel slowly climbed out. Back to green flag racing, Chris Bloom, the rookie, was looking for career win #1. However, just after Earl Scranton and Chester McMasters were involved in a melee in turn two, Mickey Green and Chris Bloom had contact for the lead. Both were sent to the tail, as no one admitted fault and that gave the lead to Scranton. The Fresno, Ohio driver went on to victory, while Paul Stull, Richard Duvall, Bill Burkholder, and Barb Feister completed the top five. Cody Shuss, Johnny Campbell, Tammy Ondo, John Wissman, Jr., and Green finished off the top ten. Irwin, Grewell, Page, Scranton, and McMasters won the heats, while Irwin took the pursuit. Dale Beatty set fast time in the Kelly McNutt owned #36.
This coming Saturday, May 14, the Legend cars will race for the first time at Midvale this season, and be joined by the Late Models, Sport Stocks, Pure Stocks, and Compacts. Heats, pursuits, and features will be run. Admission prices are $10 for adults, $8 for seniors 62+, and $6 for kids 6-15. Qualifying is from 4:00-6:00 and the racing will start at 6:30.
The Late Model top qualifier will be racing for the Randy Sayre Tire & Muffler $200 bonus if he can win the feature. The Sport Stock top qualifier will be running for the $100 Fuel Depot award and if the Pure Stock top qualifier wins the feature, he will pick up an additional $100 courtesy of J.D. Byrider of Dover. Al Street, of Malvern, picks up this week’s DLC Racing Equipment Hard Charger Award. Street came from the back of the Pure Stock pursuit to pick up the victory. He will pick out an item, courtesy of DLC Racing Equipment of Painesville.
Pit pad money is also due in full this weekend. See Adam to get everything taken car of.
Race Results For Midvale Speedway
Performance Race Fuels Late Models
Top Qualifier – Phil Rozum 14.59
Heat #1 – Duane Dunn, Mike Miller, Ed Middaugh, Mark Enos, Doug McMillen
Heat #2 – Mike Enos, Dave Watson, Travis Devore, Todd Miller, Bob Eichel
Pursuit – Mike Enos, Duane Dunn, Mark Enos, Doug McMillen, Phil Rozum
Feature – Dave Watson, Mike Miller, Duane Dunn, Phil Rozum, Marcus Malcuit, Mike Enos, Tom Feller, Jr., Todd Miller, Bubba Smith, Mark Enos, Bob Eichel, Ed Middaugh, Tom Garbrandt, Travis Devore, Doug McMillen
Tusco Net Sport Stocks
Top Qualifier – Wes Gilland 15.41 NTR
Heat #1 – Josh Grove, Joe Linard, Keith Thomas, Doug McMillen, Kevin McClintock
Heat #2 – Paul Murray, Glen Jewell, Don Rufener, Jr., Chris Kail, Bill Hilliker
Pursuit – Josh Grove, Kevin McClintock, Wes Gilland, Don Rufener, Jr., Joe Linard
Feature – Josh Grove, Joe Linard, Gabe Pringle, Doug McMillen, Glen Jewell, Keith Thomas, Wes Gilland, Don Rufener, Jr., Chris Kail, Kevin McClintock, Paul Murray, John Tantarelli, Jr., Bill Hilliker
Papa John’s Pure Stocks
Top Qualifier – Al Street 17.28
Heat #1 – Scott Archer, Randy Smart, Al Street, Blake Mackey, Rick Elkins, Jr.
Heat #2 – Joe Oliver, Chuck Elkins, Paul Parson, Doug Higgins, Bryant Smith
Heat #3 – John Leasure, Ken Feister, Joe Fewkes, Bob Passwaters, Sr., Tim Rodgers
Pursuit – Al Street, Joe Oliver, Doug Higgins, Bryant Smith, Chuck Elkins
Feature – Scott Archer, Randy Smart, Al Street, Blake Mackey, Rich Schweitzer, Doug Higgins, David Breehl, Chuck Elkins, Joe Fewkes, Dan Moore, Bob Passwaters, Sr., Bryant Smith, Rick Elkins, Jr., John Leasure, Tim Rodgers, Bob Passwaters, Jr., Paul Parson, Will Miller, Ken Feister, Joe Oliver
Musick & Myers Heating & Cooling Compacts
Top Qualifier – Dale Beatty 18.34
Heat #1 – Josh Irwin, Adam Mishler, Josh Grove, Russell Grandison, Otto Polilli
Heat #2 – Kyle Grewell, Lee McCreery, Don Rufener, Jr., Jim Poole, Jason Morgan
Heat #3 – Jesse Page, Jack Grove, Neil Rolli, Mike Gribble, Kenny Ford
Heat #4 – Earl Scranton, Bill Wilkin, Richard Duvall, Chris Bloom, Jason Dotson
Heat #5 – Chester McMasters, Cody Shuss, Bill Burkholder, John Wissman, Jr., Gary Gibson
Pursuit – Josh Irwin, John McNutt, Adam Mishler, Dale Beatty, Tom Barrett
Feature #1 – Josh Irwin, Adam Mishler, Russell Grandison, Tad Grove, Dale Beatty, John McNutt, Jason Shaw, Perry Nave, Tom Barrett, Nick Grubbs, Lee McCreery, Steven Feister, Troy McMath, Otto Polilli, James Domer, Chris Grubbs, Jim Poole
Feature #2 – Kyle Grewell, Jack Grove, Don Rufener, Jr., Jason Morgan, Kenny Ford, Jesse Page, Kenny Jewell, Eric Anderson, Chris Smith, Mike Gribble, Tammy Rufener, Bill Wilkin, Bruce Gibson, Mike Hostetler, Jason Dotson, Neil Rolli, Eric Sell
Feature #3 – Earl Scranton, Paul Stull, Richard Duvall, Bill Burkholder, Barb Feister, Cody Shuss, Johnny Campbell, Tammy Ondo, John Wissman, Jr., Mickey Green, Chester McMasters, Chris Bloom, Mike Roth, Laura Green, Bob Viertel, Jason Anthony
Written by: Adam Mackey |
