McKean Country Raceway
July 3, 2013
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Rob Blair wins Corporal Jason Dunham Memorial at  McKean Country Raceway
Dixon is UEMS winner, Max Blair, Ashcroft, Ely, and Boylan also score big
 
by Jay Pees
SMETHPORT, PA (July 3) - Jason Dunham was an American hero, presented with the Congressional Medal of Honor for his April, 2004 actions in Iraq. Dunham lost his life as a result of those actions which save many lives of his fellow soldiers. Every year McKean County Raceway remembers Corporal Dunham with a race in his honor. With weather changing from beautiful at race time to overcast by the conclusion of time trials for both the UEMS E-Mods and the NDRL/ULMS Super Late Models preliminary events started but during the Street Stock heat rain struck causing a brief delay. During the second Mini Stock heat Larry Mitchell Jr, a five-time feature winner in 2013, rode the front straight wall, going completely over then coming to rest wedged between the old guardrail and the concrete wall, completely vertical resting on the front of the car. Fastest qualifiers were Bob Close and Vic Vena.
 
Bob Close and Ron Davies started the Jason Dunham Memorial from the front row with Close blasting off to the lead and Rob Blair, winner the last two outings, in second by five laps into the race. At seven complete Blair was drawing even with the many time MCR champion and nosed ahead at lap eight by inches, then had a car length lead one lap later. At halfway the top five were Blair, by ten car lengths, Close, Davies, David Scott, and Dick Barton. Blair began lapping cars with seventeen complete while a quarter lap behind him Close and Davies were fighting for second, Close relinquishing it on lap twenty. With five to go Blair still had the quarter lap lead but Scott was now third with Mike Knight coming to fourth. A lap later Barton also got by Close. The top five at the checkers in the caution-free event were Blair, Davies, Scott, Knight, and Barton.
 
Heat winners Max Blair and Adam Sixt started on the front row of the RUSH Crate Late Model feature with Blair pulling to the immediate lead and Bryce Davis coming to second. Dusty Waters and Justin Tatlow made contact in turn three of lap four with both spinning and eventually collecting four more cars. Another caution at lap four and then a three car incident at lap eight again slowed the field. After the restart at lap eight Sixt came back to second and young Eric Wilson moved to fourth. Lap fourteen saw a hard hit in the middle of the back straight when Chad Silleman spun and was collected by John Lichy. At this green Davis got back by Sixt. Meanwhile B-Main winner Chad Ruhlman had worked his way up to sixth. The order remained the same to the finish, Blair, Davis, Sixt, Wilson, and Carley.  
 
The dominant driver of the Close Racing Supply Street Stock season, Adam Ashcroft, started on the pole for the feature with Kurt Stebbins outside. After a lap one caution for a spin by Ted Mascho, Ashcroft and Stebbins ran side by side for half a lap before Ashcroft started opening a lead, dominating yet another feature with Stebbins finishing second, Andy Michael third, Brad Ullman fourth, and Jason Dobson fifth. It was the second all-green feature of the evening. It was Ashcroft's fifth win of the season.
 
Randy Hall and Steve Dixon brought the 24 UEMS A&MP Electric E-Mods to John Powell's green flag with Dixon using the high line to lead lap one over Hall and Joel Watson. By lap six Watson was challenging for second but was unable to get beyond Hall's door panel. At halfway Dixon was coming into lapped traffic. A lap past halfway Travis Asel and John Woodward tangled in lap three with Woodward spinning.
 
For the "Delaware" restart Watson was alongside Hall, who chose the high line. Watson used the restart to his advantage and got the spot as soon as green fell but green only lasted one lap with Chad Carlson coming to a halt in turn four. For this restart Watson, now second, chose the inside line and held the spot with Rich Michael now fighting for third with Hall. Using the outside line, Michael got by Hall on lap seventeen just as Gary Sullivan looped his mount on the back straight. As caution flew before Michael completed the pass, Hall was restored to third for the restart. Again Watson and Hall started side by side and again Watson prevailed. With five to go Hall got a flat right front, slowing dramatically on the front straight again slowing the field under caution. A lap after green Bruce Powell slammed the turn one wall hard enough that he lost consciousness. The race was red-flagged while the ambulance crew attended to him and transported him to hospital. The final four laps had Dixon solidly in command with Watson running second, Brent Rhebergen came to third over Michael and fast qualifier Vic Vena filling out the top five.
 
Joe and Mitch Boylan started the Mini Stock feature on the front row. The younger Boylan took off in the lead over Kurt Babcock, who got by Mitch Boylan on lap one. At the end of fifteen laps it was Joe Boylan, Kurt Babcock, Eric Canfield, Mitch Boylan, and Chris Paar. Larry Mitchell Jr, who destroyed his mount in the spectacular heat crash, used his father's #47 to drive to sixth. The Mini Stocks were the third all-green feature.
 
Fred Ely and Joe Layfield were the front row of the Pure Stock feature, making their first appearance in 2013.  Mark Carlson took second at lap six and Moose Reed came to third at eight complete. Carlson lost power at lap eleven and caught fire, bringing the red flag over the event. The final four laps ran without incident with Ely taking the win over Layfield, Jim Challingsworth, Brad Curren, and Tim Burkett.
 
ULMS Super Late Models:
Qualifying: Bob Close 14.961, Dave Scott, Ron Davies
Heat 1: Bob Close, Rob Blair, Dick Barton, Brent Rhebergen, Matt Urban, John Volpe, Mike Oakes
Heat 2: Ron Davies, Mike Knight, David Scott, Jason DuPont, Dutch Davies, Greg Oakes, Randy Lobb
Feature: Rob Blair, Ron Davies, David Scott, Mike Knight, Dick Barton, Jason DuPont, Brent Rhebergen, Bob Close, Matt Urban, Boom Briggs, Greg Oakes, John Volpe, Dutch Davies, Randy Lobb, Mike Oakes
 
RUSH Late Models:
Heat 1: Max Blair, Ed Carley, Craig Dean, Jason Genco, Doug Ricotta, Bob Kish, Joey Buccola, Scott Fitch
Heat 2: Eric Wilson, Dusty Waters, Ward Schell, Garrett Mott, Chad Silleman, Dave Norton, Gage, Rich Hemphill
Heat 3: Cody Mason, Bryce Davis, Garrett Stephen, Zack Carley, John Haggerty, John Lichy, Gavette
Heat 4: Adam Sixt, Justin Tatlow, Bruno Mowrey, Bob Dorman, Dave Shagla, Chad Ruhlman, Bill Mesler
B-Main: Chad Ruhlman, Chad Silleman, John Lichy, Bill Mesler, Gavette, Rich Hemphill, Scott Fitch, Gage, Bob Kish, Joey Buccola
Feature: Max Blair, Bryce Davis, Adam Sixt, Eric Wilson, Ed Carley, Chad Ruhlman, Zack Carley, Ward Schell, Bob Dorman, Dave Norton, Jason Genco, Dave Shagla, Doug Ricotta, Garrett Stephen, Dusty Waters, Chad Silleman, Bill Mesler, Garrett Mott, Justin Tatlow, Craig Dean, John Lichy, Cody Mason, John Haggerty, Bruno Mowery
 
UEMS A&MP Electric E-Mods:
Qualifying: Vic Vena 16.288, Steve Dixon, Mike Smith
Heat 1: Randy Hall, Scott Pangrazio, Vic Vena, John Woodward, Carl McKinney, Shane Crotty, Darren Tarabori, Bruce Powell, Ken Zimmer, Karl Born
Heat 2: Steve Dixon, Mike Kinney, Brent Rhebergen, Ron Davies, Al Brewer, Brian Douglas, Carl Ballinger, Gary Sullivan, Tony Maratto
Heat 3: Joel Watson, Mike Smith, Travis Asel, Rich Michael, Kirk Bradley, Tim Walden, Chad Carlson, Steve rex, Nathan Hill (DNS)
B-Main: Ken Zimmer, Cad Carlson, Carl Ballinger, Steve Rex, Bruce Powell, Gary Sullivan, Tony Maratto, Karl Born, Darren Tarabori
Feature: Steve Dixon, Joel Watson, Brent Rhebergen, Rich Michael, Vic Vena, Al Brewer, Mike Kinney, Ron Davies, Scott Pangrazio, Tim Walden, John Woodward, Randy Hall, Mike Smith, Carl McKinney, Kirk Bradley, Carl Ballinger, Bruce Powell, Travis Asel, Gary Sullivan, Chad Carlson, Shane Crotty, Brian Douglas, Ken Zimmer, Steve Rex
 
Close Racing Supply Street Stocks:
Heat 1:  Adam Ashcroft, Kurt Stebbins, Andy Michael, Brad Ullman, Jason Dobson, Ted Mascho, Josh Wilcox, Joe Chamberlain, Jeremy Perry
Feature: Adam Ashcroft, Kurt Stebbins, Andy Michael, Brad Ullman, Jason Dobson, Jeremy Perry, Ted Mascho, Josh Wilcox, Joe Chamberlain
 
Pure Stocks:
Heat 1: Fred Ely, Moose Reed, Mike Parmenter, Brad Curren, Tim Burkett, Dennis Cummings, Roger Schweikart
Heat 2: Mark Carlson, Joe Layfield, Dan Schart, Jim Challingsworth, Michael Ely, Cliff Easton, Dennis Cummings
Feature: Fred Ely, Joe Layfield, Jim Challingsworth, Bead Curren, Tim Burkett, Dennis Cummings, Roger Schweikart, Moose Reed, Michael Ely, Mark Carlson, Cliff Easton, Mark Parmenter, Dan Schart
 
Mini Stocks:
Heat 1: Kurt Babcock, Mitch Boylan, Aaron Bartas, Davey Lowe, Lindsey Carlson, Buck Jackson, Cody Egner
Heat 2: Joe Boylan, Larry Mitchell Sr, Eric Canfield, Chris Paar, Denny Babcock, Larry Mitchell Jr
Feature: Joe Boylan, Kurt Babcock, Eric Canfield, Mitch Boylan, Chris Paar, Larry Mitchell Jr, Aaron Bartas, Buck Jackson, Lindsey Carlson, Denny Babcock, Cody Egner