 One week after rain canceled racing for the third time during the 2001 season, drivers, teams, and cars, came out in droves this past Saturday, August 25, at Midvale Speedway. 22 Late Models, 16 Modifieds, 24 Detroit Irons, 27 Pure Stocks, 67 Compacts, and 8 Side-Winder Sprints totaled 164 cars in the pits for a regular night of racing action. However, the night was anything but regular as the action was close, competitive, and exciting.
For the second time this season, the Tolloti Pipe Open Wheel Modifieds had 16 start the 20-lap feature. Rookie Mike Bowers and third year driver, Jim McCune, brought the field down for a green on the original start. However, a spin by Dan Shannon in turn three caused a complete restart. On the second try, McCune jumped out front with Bowers and Mark Enos in tow. The car on the move during the first half of the event was that of Wadsworth, Ohio’s Ernie Shook. Shook, making his second career Modified feature start, stuck his car in the outside lane and by lap 9 was passing Enos for second. At halfway, Shook, who started on the outside of row #4, went to the outside of McCune and took the top spot away. One more caution would slow the event, as on lap #12, Jeff Smith looped his #34 racer off of the fourth turn. This would bunch up the entire field, but it did not matter as on the completion of lap 20, Shook had a half-straightaway lead and his first Modified feature win. The veteran driver in his second week of racing the D.R.S. Services/Goodyear Gemeni #2 was followed by McCune, Mark Striker, Enos, and Glen Jewell. Dusty Woodie, Tim Allensworth, Butch Erickson, Smith, and Bowers completed the top ten. Woodie was top qualifier, while Jewell and McCune won the heats.
In another exciting feature race, the 22-car Smokers Paradise Late Model field went 25-laps. Bear Schwartz and Duane Dunn started on the front row of the event, as the #10 pill was drawn after qualifying. After two failed starts that caused slight damage to several of the racers, the third start had Schwartz lead lap one with Mike Miller taking second. The cars of Dunn and Darrel Dexter slid back in the outside lane, causing Bob Sibila to get boxed in and drop to the latter part of the field. Sibila, however, would not give up as the #83 car used the outside lane to move back into the top five. Also, up front things were beginning to heat up. Miller who ran second for 13 laps, slipped up and allowed Don Harvey, Jr., and Marcus Malcuit to get by. The next caution flew with 14 laps in for top qualifier, Kenny Carroll, who broke in turn two. The top five cars at this point were Schwartz, Harvey, Malcuit, Miller, and Sibila. Feature restarts at the speedway have the top three cars single file, with fourth on back, double file. When the green flew again, Sibila once more used the outside lane to pick up a spot. However, as he moved up into third, the car started to lose power, eventually causing a DNF for the Massillon, Ohio driver. With five to go, Harvey tried to make his run on the outside lane, but Malcuit was able to take second from him. Coming out of the second turn with 23 laps complete, Malcuit and Schwartz made contact and the leader spun. The caution lights came on, Malcuit admitted fault, and Schwartz stayed up front. As the checkered flag was waved, Schwartz’s New Image Homes/Trico Construction #77 crossed the line ahead of Miller, Farmer Smith, Harvey, and Tom Garbrandt. Dunn, Malcuit, Dexter, Gary Hoopingarner, and Tim Sibila completed the top ten. Miller, Garbrandt, and Rob Julian won the heats.
The Tusco Net Detroit Irons again had a large field of cars, as this time, 23 took the green for the 20-lapper. Polesitter, Don Rufener, Jr. took the early lead after having his best qualifying run in a while, earlier in the night. New Cumberland, Ohio driver Todd Miller, who started on the inside of the second row, made the next move for the top spot. On lap 3, he had the lead, and Rufener was in second. With five to go, a yellow for liquid in turn one caused the field to be bunched up, but Miller’s Jake Miller Excavating/Martin Homes #11 was too much for Jimmy Orr, John Tantarelli, Kevin McClintock, and Tim Gowins. In post race inspection, the cars of Orr and McClintock were found to have an incorrect frame height and were disqualified. The top five now has Miller, Tantarelli, Gowins, Joe Linard, and Lee McCreery in it. The rest of the top ten were Dave Jordan, Rufener, Rich Stalnaker, Calvin Collins, and Tim Croft, Jr. Will Walker, Jordan, and Collins won the heats, while Linard was the fast qualifier.
Canton’s John Leasure came into the night with a season best finish of 2nd – five times in the Papa John’s Pure Stocks. However, he left the speedway with his first win of the year, as he was able to pass and hold off J.R. Ridgway, Brian Wood, Jim Shaw, and Mike Martin. Joe Coram, Matt Wallick, Joe Oliver, Bryan Aubihl, and Chester McMasters completed the top ten. Barney Gerber, Anthony Bissett, and Martin won the heats, while Shaw was the fastest qualifier.
In Canton Auto Salvage Compact action, Russell Grandison picked up the fast feature, the second of the season for the Uhrichsville, Ohio driver. Kelly McNutt, Terry Colletti, Billy Stutler, and Josh Grove completed the top five. Bubba Smith, John McNutt, Chuck Elkins, Rick Elkins, Jr., and Lennie Orr finished off the top ten.
In the second feature, New Philadelphia’s Rick Everett, Jr. was the winner. Jason Anthony, Bobby Long, Gary Gibson, and Ron Myers rounded out the top five. And in the third feature event, Robert Nealy won convincingly over Chad Squires, Keith Anthony, Otto Polilli, and Adam Stewart.
Rounding out the night’s program was a very entertaining Figure 8 feature, as some 16 cars competed. Lennie Orr was the winner of the event, with John Wissman, Chad Squires, Vince Martin, and Rich Fox completing the top ten.
This coming Saturday, September 1, drivers will compete for double points and go for the huge Season Championship trophies at Midvale Speedway. On that night, points will be awarded for the last time this season, so the top ten in each division will be determined. Those drivers will be given cash and trophies at the Midvale Speedway 2001 awards banquet. To compete in the season championship features, the driver/car combo must have been in attendance during two weeks of the 2001 season. Also, different from year’s past, races will be lined up by qualifying and not by points. Qualifying will start at 4, while racing will begin at 6:30.
Results For Midvale
Smokers Paradise Late Models
Top Qualifier – Kenny Carroll
Heat #1 – Mike Miller, Don Harvey, Jr., Marcus Malcuit, Farmer Smith, Darrel Dexter
Heat #2 – Tom Garbrandt, Tim Allensworth, Ron Jaberg, Jr., Bear Schwartz, Paul Sibila
Heat #3 – Rob Julian, Larry Page, Bob Eichel, Tim Sibila, Jack McGrath
Feature – Bear Schwartz, Mike Miller, Farmer Smith, Don Harvey, Jr., Tom Garbrandt, Duane Dunn, Marcus Malcuit, Darrel Dexter, Gary Hoopingarner, Tim Sibila, Jack McGrath, Bob Sibila, Kenny Carroll, Rob Julian, Tim Allensworth, Ron Jaberg, Jr., Bob Schneider, Jr., Mike Enos, Larry Page, Bob Eichel
Tolloti Pipe Modifieds
Top Qualifier – Dusty Woodie
Heat #1 – Glen Jewell, Butch Erickson, John White, Mark Striker, Tim Allensworth
Heat #2 – Jim McCune, Mike Bowers, John Wilson, Jeff Smith, Dan Shannon
Feature – Ernie Shook, Jim McCune, Mark Striker, Mark Enos, Glen Jewell, Dusty Woodie, Tim Allensworth, Butch Erickson, Jeff Smith, Mike Bowers, John Wilson, Mike Buchanan, George Bowers, John White, Lawney Vaughn, Dan Shannon
Tusco Net Detroit Irons
Top Qualifier – Joe Linard
Heat #1 – Will Walker, Todd Miller, John Tantarelli, Joe Linard, Tim Gowins
Heat #2 – Dave Jordan, Rich Stalnaker, Tim Skinner, Don Rufener, Jr., Lee McCreery
Heat #3 – Calvin Collins, Dan Selway, Dave McMillen, Paul Murray, Tim Croft, Jr.
Feature – Todd Miller, John Tantarelli, Tim Gowins, Joe Linard, Lee McCreery, Dave Jordan, Don Rufener, Jr., Rich Stalnaker, Calvin Collins, Tim Croft, Jr., Larry Ennis, Joe Sanford, Jr., John Burns, Tim Roudebush, Doug McMillen, Dan Selway, Paul Murray, Waylon Orr, Will Walker, Tim Skinner, Dave McMillen
Papa John’s Pure Stocks
Top Qualifier – Jim Shaw
Heat #1 – Barney Gerber, Jim Shaw, Brian Oliver, Joe Coram, J.R. Ridgway
Heat #2 – Anthony Bissett, Curtis Collins, Matt Wallick, Sonny Arkenburgh, Vic Paul
Heat #3 – Mike Martin, Joe Oliver, Paul Parson, Chester McMasters, John Ferrell
Feature – John Leasure, J.R. Ridgway, Brian Wood, Jim Shaw, Mike Martin, Joe Coram, Matt Wallick, Joe Oliver, Bryan Aubihl, Chester McMasters, Bob Oliver, Paul Parson, John Ferrell, Anthony Bissett, Sonny Arkenburgh, Chunky Radanovich, Teddy Oliver, Curtis Collins, Barney Gerber, Vic Paul, Larry Smith, Scott Spino, Brian Oliver
Canton Auto Salvage Compacts
Top Qualifier – Bubba Smith
Heat #1 – Rick Elkins, Jr., Greg Grove, Chuck Elkins, Billy Stutler, Russell Grandison
Heat #2 – Bryce Scott, Phil Veno, Bill Mercier, Robert Mizer, Ron Myers
Heat #3 – Ray Scott, Jerry Kimble, Rick Everett, Jr., Gary Gibson, Jason Anthony
Heat #4 – Walt Burdette, Larry Riggle, Dan Gray, Keith Anthony, Matt Eggerton
Heat #5 – Otto Polilli, Kirk Whittaker, Jamie Leslie, Gary Murray, Reece Shoup
Feature #1 – Russell Grandison, Kelly McNutt, Terry Colletti, Billy Stutler, Josh Grove, Bubba Smith, John McNutt, Chuck Elkins, Rick Elkins, Jr., Lennie Orr, Jason Shaw, Greg Grove, Rich Fox, Jason Morgan, Jack Grove, Jim Keller, Jr., Blaine Partee, Robert Mizer, Phil Veno, Vince Martin, Bill Coburn, Patrick Wade, Cody Kahler, Bryce Scott
Feature #2 – Rick Everett, Jr., Jason Anthony, Bobby Long, Gary Gibson, Ron Myers, Jimbo Roup, Ray Scott, Jerry Kimble, Matt Eggerton, Justin Courtney, Dan Gray, John Wissman, Walt Burdette, Larry Riggle, Jim Poole, Bobby Hunter, Bill Peckins, Ben Pearch, Bill Mercier
Feature #3 – Robert Nealey, Chad Squires, Keith Anthony, Adam Stewart, Violet McMasters, Jamie Leslie, Gary Murray, William Scott, Kelly Wissman, Jill Harshey, Reece Shoup, Taylor Long, John Baker, Shawn Smarsh, Craig Rudolph, Bob Dressel, Kirk Whittaker
Dale’s Heating & Cooling Figure 8’s
Feature – Lennie Orr, John Wissman, Chad Squires, Vince Martin, Rich Fox
Side-Winder Sprints
Heat – Josh Shannon
Feature – Joe Shannon
Written by: Adam Mackey |
