 105 racecars were in the pits for Ferris Chevrolet night at Midvale Speedway. A very good crowd was also on hand, as the track hosted its racecar rides at intermission. Late Models, Sport Stocks, Pure Stocks, and Compacts were all in action.
In the Performance Race Fuels Late Model division, Bob Schneider, Jr. and Greg Beule started on the front row for the 25-lap main event. Schneider took the early lead, looking for his first career Late Model feature win. On the move was third place starter, Paul Adkins. Adkins was using the outside lane and going for the top two spots when Schneider’s car slipped up the banking and Greg Beule shot by on the inside. Schneider, caught in the second lane, also had Adkins with nowhere to go and falling back. Mark Willison moved into the second spot, while Tom Garbrandt took third. After a couple of mid-race restarts, John Crumrine and Mike Miller made their moves trying to get to the front. The outside lane was very usable for both, but the drivers each ran out of time and speed to compete with the top three. At the checkered flag, Boardman, Ohio driver Greg Beule picked up his second career Late Model victory and his first in around ten years. Following the Westgate Ford/Route 39 Auto Salvage #21 Ford were Willison, Garbrandt, Crumrine, and Duane Dunn. Miller, Mike Enos, Ed Middaugh, Bob Eichel, and Bubba Smith completed the top ten. Adkins and Beule won the heats, while Middaugh took the pursuit win. Miller set fast time.
The Tusco Net Sport Stock feature was a thriller. In the 20-lapper, Bill Hilliker started on the pole, while Don Rufener, Jr. started in the second spot. At the green, Hilliker moved out front, pacing the starting field. Behind him, Gabe Pringle was closing in. Pringle went to the outside and was looking for his third feature win of the season. Lap-after-lap, Pringle looked as though he would have enough to get by Hilliker. However, after a several lap battle, third place driver, Roger Linard, dove to the inside in the first corner, making it a three wide battle. Going out of turn two, Linard was the new leader, but that lead was short lived as Keith Thomas shot to the inside on the backstretch. The top two in points touched in the third turn, but both were able to straighten things out and go forward. After a brief red flag for a race fan going into labor, Thomas was able to continue his strong season with another feature win. Linard followed the Scott Foods/American Payroll Advance #34 as well as Kevin McClintock, Pringle, and Bill Aubihl. The rest of the top ten were Rufener, Steve Lute, Hilliker, Jerry McNealy, and Chad Dixon. Josh Grove and Nick Grubbs won the heats, while Dixon took the pursuit.
David Breehl and Bryant Smith brought the 18-car starting field for the Papa John’s Pure Stock feature in for the green. Breehl moved into the lead, while racers behind him were trying to fight their ways to the front. After a couple of three wide battles eliminated some of the front runners because of flat tires, things settled down and had Rich Schweitzer in the lead. Shortly thereafter, top qualifier Rick Elkins, Jr. and second fast qualifier, Blake Mackey raced to the outside to take first and second away. Schweitzer settled into third. At the checkered, Elkins, of Carrollton, Ohio, picked up the victory in his Passmore’s Roofing & Siding/V-Rock Shop #53. Mackey came home second, Schweitzer third, Randy Smart fourth, and Jimbo Roup fifth. The rest of the top ten finishers were Tim Rodgers, Bob Passwaters, Sr., Todd Miller, Dan Moore, and Tim Oliver. Heat wins were claimed by Teddy Oliver, Breehl, and Rodgers. Elkins claimed the pursuit from the back of the field.
James Domer, after starting on the pole, looked to be on his way to his first Compact fast feature win. After leading over 2/3 of the 15-lap race, Domer pushed just a little higher off of the second turn, giving teenager Tad Grove the inside lane. Grove, who had backed out of a couple of chances to make a pass earlier, had his patience pay off as he raced into the lead. Coming across the line for the checkered, Grove picked up his first feature win in the J.D. Byrider/Best Racing #3. Domer, Tom Barrett, Randy Smart, and Don Rufener, Jr. rounded out the top five. Kelly McNutt, Adam Mishler, Troy McMath, Jack Grove, and Kyle Grewell were the rest of the top ten.
Bruce Gibson raced hard for 15-laps in the second Compact feature, as the Uhrichsville, Ohio driver was able to hold off Tammy Rufener in the latter stages for the feature win. Gibson celebrated the victory while Rufener, Mike Pyle, Kenny Jewell, and Chris Bloom completed the top five. Mike Roth, Billy Hilliker, Kevin Rennicker, Johnny Campbell, and Bob Viertel had top ten finishes.
Earl Scranton was the long time leader in the third feature, but was clocked under his qualifying time and black flagged. That gave the lead to Jesse Page, while Jason Anthony ran a close second. At the stripe, Page won with Anthony, Cody Shuss, Tammy Ondo, and Joe Elerick finished off the top five. The rest of the top ten were Chris Bloom, Ryan Kopp, John Wissman, Jr., Paul Stull, and Laura Green.
Jason Morgan, Kenny Jewell, Derek Grewell, Jason Anthony, and Earl Scranton won the heats, while Eric Anderson won the pursuit. Kelly McNutt set fast time.
Racing action continues this coming Saturday, August 6, with a great night of action. Late Models will be running for extra money in their second 35-lap Super 6 race this season while, Sport Stocks, Pure Stocks, and Compacts are also on the night’s card. At intermission, the exciting Spectator Drag races will be held. Pit gates and grandstands open at 2:00, hotlaps start at 2:30, and qualifying is at 4:00. Racing will start at 6:30.
Two bonuses were claimed Saturday night, as Keith Thomas was the top qualifier and feature winner to claim the Fuel Depot $25 bonus money in the Sport Stocks, and Rick Elkins, Jr. was the J.D. Byrider top qualifier and feature winner in the Pure Stock feature to claim an extra $100. The Late Models will be running for the $250 bonus this week, while the Sport Stocks and Pure Stocks have had their bonus money reset at $25. Rick Elkins, Jr. was the DLC Racing Equipment Hard Charger this past Saturday for his strong effort.
Results For Midvale Speedway
Performance Race Fuels Late Models
Top Qualifier – Mike Miller 14.62
Heat #1 – Paul Adkins, Duane Dunn, Mike Miller, Mark Willison, Bubba Smith
Heat #2 – Greg Beule, Bob Schneider, Jr., Ed Middaugh, Mike Enos, Bob Eichel
Pursuit – Ed Middaugh, Greg Beule, Mark Willison, Bubba Smith, Mike Miller
Feature – Greg Beule, Mark Willison, Tom Garbrandt, John Crumrine, Duane Dunn, Mike Miller, Mike Enos, Ed Middaugh, Bob Eichel, Bubba Smith, Bob Schneider, Jr., Paul Adkins, Mike Pizonka
Tusco Net Sport Stocks
Top Qualifier – Keith Thomas 15.51
Heat #1 – Josh Grove, Keith Thomas, Kevin McClintock, Gabe Pringle, Bill Aubihl
Heat #2 – Nick Grubbs, Bill Hilliker, Don Rufener, Jr., Steve Lute, Chad Dixon
Pursuit – Chad Dixon, Roger Linard, Steve Lute, Keith Thomas, Kevin McClintock
Feature – Keith Thomas, Roger Linard, Kevin McClintock, Gabe Pringle, Bill Aubihl, Don Rufener, Jr., Steve Lute, Bill Hilliker, Jerry McNealy, Chad Dixon, Paul Murray, Nick Grubbs, Chad Dixon
Papa John’s Pure Stocks
Top Qualifier – Rick Elkins, Jr. 17.21
Heat #1 – Teddy Oliver, Rich Schweitzer, Blake Mackey, Rick Elkins, Jr., Greg Grove
Heat #2 – David Breehl, Doug Higgins, Bryant Smith, Chester McMasters, Chris Miller
Heat #3 – Tim Rodgers, Bob Passwaters, Sr., Dan Moore, Todd Miller, Tim Oliver
Pursuit – Rick Elkins, Jr., Tim Rodgers, Greg Grove, Todd Miller, Tim Oliver
Feature – Rick Elkins, Jr., Blake Mackey, Rich Schweitzer, Randy Smart, Jimbo Roup, Tim Rodgers, Bob Passwaters, Sr., Todd Miller, Dan Moore, Tim Oliver, Keith Anderson, David Breehl, Chris Miller, Chester McMasters, Greg Grove, Doug Higgins, Bryant Smith, Teddy Oliver
Musick & Myers Heating & Cooling Compacts
Top Qualifier – Kelly McNutt 18.39
Heat #1 – Jason Morgan, Jack Grove, Tad Grove, Don Rufener, Jr., James Domer
Heat #2 – Kenny Jewell, Mike Pyle, Perry Nave, Mike Gribble, Kenny Ford
Heat #3 – Derek Grewell, Steve Roth, Bill Wilkin, Johnny Campbell, Larry Pringle
Heat #4 – Jason Anthony, Jesse Page, Chris Bloom, Cody Shuss, Joe Elerick
Heat #5 – Earl Scranton, Tammy Ondo, Ryan Kopp, Anthony Nicholas, John Wissman
Pursuit – Eric Anderson, Tom Barrett, Adam Mishler, Kelly McNutt, Mike Hostetler
Feature #1 – Tad Grove, James Domer, Tom Barrett, Randy Smart, Don Rufener, Jr., Kelly McNutt, Adam Mishler, Troy McMath, Jack Grove, Kyle Grewell, Eric Anderson, Perry Nave, Jason Morgan, Randy Hahn, Mike Hostetler, Kenny Ford, Chris Smith, Mike Gribble
Feature #2 – Bruce Gibson, Tammy Rufener, Mike Pyle, Kenny Jewell, Chris Grubbs, Mike Roth, Billy Hilliker, Kevin Rennicker, Johnny Campbell, Bob Viertel, Brad Henry, Steve Roth, Bill Wilkin, Jim Campbell, Pat Carnes, Derek Grewell, Dave Conrad
Feature #3 – Jesse Page, Jason Anthony, Cody Shuss, Tammy Ondo, Joe Elerick, Chris Bloom, Ryan Kopp, John Wissman, Jr., Paul Stull, John Wissman, Howard Bartholow, Earl Scranton
Written by: Adam Mackey |
