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Challenger Raceway
INDIANA, Penn. (April 19) - The UFo PA State Short Track Championships kicked off on Saturday night with The Challenger Raceway 2008 Blastoff, as Gregg Satterlee from Rochester Mills earned $2,000 for the victory in the 33-lap Super Late Model main event. Rusty Martz from Brookville was the winner of the Cadet Feature race. Mark Peck from Uniontown topped the field of Sport Stocks.
Gregg Satterlee and Davey Johnson led the 33-lap Super Late Model main on the starting grid with Satterlee immediately taking command. Cautions on laps 1 and 2 slowed the pace early, but racing settled down with Satterlee nosing ahead of Johnson as racing resumed. Mike Johnson settled into third with Dave Hess, Jr. and Dutch Davies trailing. Hess passed Mike Johnson for third on lap 5, with Davies passing Johnson for fourth on lap 8. Satterlee was driving away from the field at this point, as a battle was shaping up for it was Satterlee second. Davies moved to third on lap 10 as the battle for position continued in the top five. At lap 14 it was Satterlee with a comfortable lead over Davey Johnson, seventh starting Davies, tenth starting Rob Blair, and Hess.
Satterlee's large lead was wiped out by a lap 17 caution, the third of the event which would be the final caution at the halfway mark of the event. Satterlee again pulled away from Johnson on the double file restart, Davies moved to second on lap 19, as Hess blasted from fifth to third. Keith Barbara passed Johnson for fifth on lap 22, as Davies and Hess stayed within a couple car lengths of the leader. Satterlee continued to hold the top spot, as he drove a steady race over the remaining distance in picking up the victory. Davies was second ahead of Hess, Blair, and Barbara. Rounding out the top ten were Davey Johnson, 14th starting Matt Lux, Alan Dellinger, 20th starting Matt Gaston, and Shawn McGarvey. Barbara, Mike Johnson, and Hess were the Heat winners, as Dwayne Taneyhill topped the Last Chance Race.
Jim Boyer and Don Kramer led the 25-lap Cadet Feature to the green flag, with Boyer leading the opening lap. Kramer gained the lead on lap 2, as the first yellow flag of the event appeared on lap 4. With an outside pass in turn two on the restart, third starting Rusty Martz gained a lead that he would hold the remaining distance. An incident on lap 7 caused damage to the third and fourth place cars of Chris Schneider and Rod Laskey who had started sixth and ninth. Schneider was done for the event, and Laskey returned to the race a lap down after a visit to the pits. A lap 8 incident triggered by a bump between Kramer and Joe Kelley caused a major pileup involving ten cars, as all but one drove away under their own power. Tenth starting Scott Stein stayed close to Martz over the remaining distance, but Martz raced home the winner over Stein and Eric Baun. Nathan Russell and Boyer completed the top five, as just seven cars were running at the finish. Heat winners were Martz and Kramer.
Mark Peck topped a field of five competitors to win the 15-lap Sport Stock Feature event. Starting fifth of the five, Peck slipped by Jason Bainey on lap 12, then held off a last lap bid from Bainey to win by a fender. Bob Miller, Ryan Newman, and lap 1 leader Dale Zufall completed the field. Peck was also the Heat race winner.
The Challenger Raceway will be right back in action on Sunday, April 27 with the inaugural race of brand-new Unified Force Race Championship Tour for Super Late Models presented by Comcast. The "Area 51-lap" championship feature will pay $5,000 to the winner. It will be a late model fan's dream as it will feature a double-division late model program with the Semi-Lates (limited/crate/steel block late models) paying $1,000 to win for the 30-lap PA State Short Track Championship. E-mods will return to the Challenger Raceway after a 1-year hiatus with an $800 to win, 25-lap championship and the 4-cylinder Roadrunners will compete in a 20-lap feature-only format paying $250 to win.
Pit gates are scheduled to open at 12:30, general admission gates at 2:30, drivers meeting at 3:45, and warmups will start at 4:00. The first session of racing will begin at 4:30 with the E-mod heats and consolation as well as the Roadrunner feature with the late model racing beginning approximately 5:45 after track prep. Adult grandstand admission is $20, Junior 11-15 $10 Children 5-10 $5 and Pit Admission is $31.
The Challenger Raceway is located 6.4 miles southwest of US 422 on PA 286, then one mile north on McIntyre Road. For the most complete source of Challenger Raceway information, please visit the track's web site at www.challengerraceway.com. Additional information on the UFo Race Championship may be obtained at www.uforacechampionship.com. Information may also be obtained by calling 724-726-9808 on race days or 724-726-5494 during weekdays.
Challenger Raceway results for Saturday, April 19, 2008
Super Late Models, car count - 28.
Heat winners - Keith Barbara, Mike Johnson, Dave Hess, Jr.
Last Chance Race winner - Dwayne Taneyhill.
Feature - 1, Gregg Satterlee, Rochester Mills; 2, Dutch Davies, Warren; 3, Dave Hess, Jr., Waterford; 4, Rob Blair, Centerville; 5, Keith Barbara, South Park; 6, Davey Johnson, Greensburg; 7, Matt Lux, Franklin; 8, Alan Dellinger, Hermitage; 9, Matt Gaston, Rochester Mills; 10, Shawn McGarvey, Coalport; 11, Clate Copeman, Greensburg; 12, Sam Stile, Charleroi; 13, Mike Johnson, Imperial; 14, Doug Glessner, Boswell; 15, Ron Delano Jr. , Stoystown; 16, Dane Laraway, Harrison City; 17, Dwayne Taneyhill, Bellwood; 18, George Lee, Loudonville, OH; 19, Bobby Watt, Latrobe; 20, Dave Satterlee, Rochester Mills; 21, Michael Davis, Rayland, OH; 22, Jacob Hawkins, Fairmont, WV; 23, Mickey Wright, Albion; 24, Bobby Stokes, Milton.
Did not qualify - Dan Swartzlander, Freeport; Matt Dobnak, West Mifflin; Terry Rayko, Atwood; D.J. Miller, Hookstown.
Cadets, car count - 20.
Heat winners - Rusty Martz, Don Kramer.
Feature - 1, Rusty Martz, Brookville; 2, Scott Stein, Cherry Tree; 3, Eric Baun, Rossiter; 4, Nathan Russell, Curwensville; 5, Jim Boyer, Indiana; 6, Rod Laskey, Oil City; 7, Dave Baker, Elderton; 8, Don Kramer, Meadville; 9, Joe Kelley, Mount Pleasant; 10, Bill Pluta, Jr., Cairnbrook; 11, Joe Poraczky, Johnstown; 12, Russell Byler, New Wilmington; 13, Bob Egley, Kittanning; 14, Pat Weldon, Monongahela; 15, Tim White, Punxsutawney; 16, Mike Desch, Tyrone; 17, Chris Schneider, Springdale; 18, John Kinsey, Greensburg; 19, Ray Charles, Chickaree Mountain; Did not start, Jake Ayers, Elkton, MD.
Sport Stocks, car count - 7.
Heat winner - Mark Peck.
Feature - 1, Mark Peck, Uniontown; 2, Jason Bainey, Morristown; 3, Bob Miller, Lemont Furnace; 4, Ryan Newman, Lemont Furnace; 5, Dale Zufall, Latrobe; Did not start, Bobby Noel, Mundy's Corner. Disqualified, Bob Nelson.
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