BOBBY HENRY WINS LATE MODEL FEATURE RACE AT JENNERSTOWN

by: Mike Milliron

Jennerstown, PA – July 21, 2001 – Bobby Henry survived a Late Model event filled with numerous accidents to claim his third win of the 2001 NASCAR Weekly Racing Series season at Jennerstown Speedway. Other winners during Arnold Palmer Motors Race Night were Todd Knight in Brown Timber & Land Street Stocks, Rick Boyer in Cover Insurance Agency/PA Legacy Series, Aaron Will in Jennerstown Pro Trucks, and June Weyant in Jennerstown Chargers. Brad McCoy won the Men’s Enduro race. 

It was a crash filled Wheeler Bros./AC Delco Late Model division event, as many of the top running racecars were involved in heavy, multi-car incidents at the Laurel Highlands Oval. Bobby Henry started the fifty-lap event in tenth position, and used a combination of horsepower and driving skills to avoid being caught up in any of the racing accidents. By lap twenty-eight Henry had worked his way into second place after a restart accident took out the front row cars of Barry Awtey and Neil Brown. That left the door open for Mark Smith and Henry to begin a two car side-by-side duel that lasted for nearly fifteen laps, before Henry finally took over the lead. The race ended with Henry taking the checkered flag and Smith finishing in a close second. Third through fifth places in the crash filled event went to Jeff Dunmyer, Neil Brown, and Jayme Bolkovac, who had all been involved in earlier race incidents. Neil Brown and Jayme Bolkovac won the heat races.

After the first lap of the Brown Timber & Land Street Stock division race, there was little doubt as to who would win the race. Todd Knight was on the pole, but a slow start for outside front row starter Carl Trevarrow allowed the inside line of race cars to move ahead, forcing a logjam of competitors allowed Knight to pull away with a large lead. As the lead pack of cars battled amongst themselves for second through sixth, Knight simply continued to increase his advantage over the remainder of the field. With no cautions throughout the entire twenty five-lap race, the margin of victory for Knight was nearly one half of a lap at the checkered flag. The battles were for second on back, as Tracy “Dink” Colarusso claimed the runner-up position, with Adam Kostelnik finishing in third. Billy Mostoller and Chris Deyarmin finished within a bumper’s width to take home fourth and fifth respectively. Tracy Colarusso and Adam Kostelnik won the heat races.

 In the Cover Insurance Agency/PA Legacy Series feature race, it was a duel between the team racecars of Rick Anderson and Rick Boyer. The two drivers battled throughout most of the twenty five-lap feature event, but in the end it was Rick Boyer who won the battle, and the race. The real battle came from Marshall Biddington, who worked his way through the field, and took over the second position from Anderson on the final lap for a nice finish. P.J. Ehrlich and Jayme Bolkovac completed the top five. 

Aaron Will made it two wins in a row since his return from an early season blown motor, which kept him out of action for most of the 2001 racing campaign.   After starting on the pole position Will’s biggest challenged came from Josh Coughenour, who shadowed the Altoona pilot for the entire twenty five-lap feature race to come home in second place.  The biggest battles were for third through fifth as George Englert and George Nicola waged a two-truck battle.  On the final lap Nicola completed the pass, which allowed him to win the battle between the George’s’ to finish in third.  George Englert finished the race in fourth, with Brandon Manns coming home in fifth.   Aaron Will and Josh Coughenour won the heat races.   

June Weyant captured his first feature win of the 2001 racing season in the Jennerstown Charger division.  The race was slowed by an early caution involving race leader Travis Smith and defending division champion Pete Walrath, as the two cars made contact while challenging for the top position.  Weyant inherited the lead position on the race restart, and never looked back en route to the checkered flag.  Jason Holder finished the race in second, right in front of Greg Praysner, who finished third.  Justin Lasky and Jason Fritz rounded out the top five.  Heat races were won by Travis Smith and Jason Holder. 

The Mens Enduro race was won by Brad McCoy, who completed the fifty-lap event in front of Terry McCoy.  Jim Bopziak came home in third, with Curtis Stewart and J.J. Wild rounding out the top five.