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Mike Leone
MERCER, Penn. (August 23) - After 20 straight weeks of rain in the forecast, sunshine graced Mercer Raceway Park for the second straight Saturday night as all four shows in August were completed. Celebrating in the Hoosier Tire Mid-Atlantic victory lane were Rod George-Luxaire Heating & Cooling Sprint Cars, Frank Guidace-Tire Express Modifieds, Jay Watson-McElwain Motors FASTRAK Late Models, Rod Jones-Big Daddy's Speed Center Mod Lites, and Kyle Colwell-M&D Paving Mini Stocks. Over 100 cars filled the pit area for the third time in four weeks. It was Automotive Service Industry Night presented by Hovis Auto & Truck Supply and the rescheduled Free Butler County Night presented by McClymonds Supply & Transit and Armstrong.
Making just his second appearance of the season and first since Memorial Day, Raceway 7 track champion Jay Watson captured the victory with a stout run in the 20-lap McElwain Motors FASTRAK Late Model feature. Watson's only other Mercer win came more than 12 years ago on July 3, 1996 in an E-Mod.
"I really like this division," stated the Conneaut, Ohio former Super Late Model and E-Mod standout. "It's pretty cost efficient. Tonight we won with a set of tires that had nine features on them if you can believe that- you can't beat it. The tires last, the motors are cheap, and the racing is good. I don't get out and run too many tracks because of family obligations. I'd like to be here every week. We came with a couple different setups to try for the Grand Nationals. It's a great race track and a great place to race. Everyone here is real professional and I appreciate them putting on the shows."
Right off the bat it was three-wide for the lead with third starting Watson leading the opening lap with Rusty Moore and Gary Miller, Jr. trailing. Watson got a break on lap four when his car pushed allowing Moore by for the lead, but Brian Booher brought out the caution negating the pass. On the restart, Dennis Lunger, Jr. made a nice move to get by Steve Hollabaugh and Miller for third. The next nine laps ran off caution-free as Watson, Moore, and Lunger pulled away.
Following a caution for Ben Black and Rusty Cade with 12 laps completed, Lunger drove under Moore in turn four on lap 13 to take second. Another caution for Cade brought out the final caution with 15 laps completed and allowed Lunger to line-up alongside Watson. Lunger though didn't have anything for Watson, who captured the win in his C&C Lawn Care/Polchosky Excavation-sponsored #7x. Lunger's second was his best effort since his opening night $2,000 "Chiller Thriller" win. Moore and Hollabaugh traded third and fourth back and forth, but in the end it was Moore edging Hollabaugh for the spot. Butch Lambert was fifth. Sixth through tenth were Booher, Miller, Carl McKinney, Guidace, and Chad Myers. Heat wins went to Guidace and Booher over the 14-car field.
McElwain Motors FASTRAK Late Models (20 laps): 1. JAY WATSON (7x) 2. Dennis Lunger, Jr. (17L) 3. Rusty Moore (17M) 4. Steve Hollabaugh (3H) 5. Butch Lambert (27) 6. Brian Booher (Hoover 00H) 7. Gary Miller, Jr. (1m) 8. Carl McKinney (6M) 9. Frank Guidace (1G) 10. Chad Myers (01) 11. Steve D'Apolito (84) 12. Andy Buckley (Robinson 34R) 13. Rusty Cade (47) 14. Ben Black (27B).
Luxaire Heating & Cooling Sprint Cars (20 laps): 1. ROD GEORGE (4) 2. Gale Ruth, Jr. (5x) 3. Charlie Holben (42G) 4. Andy McKisson (0) 5. Mike Lutz (Preston 1P) 6. Broc Martin (83M) 7. Eric Williams (76) 8. Chris Shuttleworth (11) 9. Dan Kuriger (08) 10. Danny Holtgraver (D4) 11. Duffy Smith (Kempthorn 38K) 12. Jeremy Cook (5L) 13. Brian Steinman (24s) 14. Glenn Styres (0) 15. Gary Rankin (Kaminski 8K) 16. Mike Dehner (17) 17. Paul Kish (Clark 4c) 18. Joe Butera (Matus 3J) 19. Brent Matus (33) 20. Lindsay Enscoe (96) 21. Nate Stein (93) 22. Sheila Rankin (16) 23. Gale Ruth, Sr. (1R) 24. Keith Dempster (5) DNQ: Walt Tutak, Jr. (141), Brandon Matus (33W), John McCracken (63), Arnie Kent (18), Robert VanTassel (69x).
Tire Express 358 Modifieds (20 laps): 1. FRANK GUIDACE (1G) 2. Garrett Krummert (29) 3. Jeff Schaffer (4) 4. Jimmy Holden (28H) 5. Gary Smoker (516) 6. Lonny Riggs (Black 58) 7. Rick Hall (B2) 8. Eric Gabany (3E) 9. John Buchanan (93) 10. Randy Brown (67R) 11. Mark Frankhouser (03) 12. Matt Reeher (711) 13. Kevin Green (74) 14. Mark Rossey (Brown 67J) 15. Mark Bailey (14B) 16. Fred Sasse (0) 17. Dillon McElrath (7) 18. Steve Barr (25B) 19. Jr. Baker (359) 20. Rick Kress (222) 21. Dave Cogswell (8)-DNS.
Big Daddy's Speed Center Mod Lites (15 laps): 1. ROD JONES (820) 2. Bud Watson (15) 3. Alan Knepper (1) 4. Kenny Meadows (Teague 10T) 5. Levin Spinneweber (10s) 6. Mark Marcucci (8M) 7. Kotie Kirkbride (97N) 8. Dave Jones (82) 9. George Englert (11x) 10. Bill Stivason (116) 11. J.J. Metheney (31c) 12. Todd Canter (Teague 9T) 13. Lynn Knepper (10) 14. Terry Young (98).
M&D Paving Mini Stocks (12 laps): 1. KYLE COLWELL (80JR) 2. Pete Blazczak (77) 3. Tim Callahan (Stewart 26T) 4. John Shannon (14) 5. Cody Colwell (67R) 6. Dan McEwen (44) 7. Dillon Kineston (19) 8. Stephen Laslo (55) 9. Jerry Batcher (Blazczak 7) 10. Wally Stearns, Jr. (33) 11. Joe Reed (Brown 67) 12. Dan Nagy (17B) 13. Ed Haylett (8-ball) 14. Shannon Heberling (1H) 15. Bill Fuchs (10) 16. Scott Gilliland (27) 17. Kyle Crawford (14c) 18. Dillon Barr (15) 19. Rudolph Troples (28) 20. Tyler Powell (36) 21. Adam Bulfone (19JR) 22. Jordan Ehrenberg (JD57)-DNS 23. Sam Kloos (62K)-DNS.
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