BOBBY HENRY TAKES ANOTHER LATE MODEL WIN AT JENNERSTOWN

By Mike Milliron

 Jennerstown, PA –June 23, 2001 – It was a night of great racing at Jennerstown Speedway as Bobby Henry took the Wheeler Bros./AC Delco Late Model division feature win as Craftsman presented the Wheeler Bros./AC Delco Fan Appreciation Night. The races were also co.-sponsored by the Tribune-Review and Stan’s Transmission Services, who presented the special appearance by the open wheel, Grand American Modified cars. Other feature winners in the NASCAR Weekly Racing Series action were Todd Price in the Jennerstown Pro Truck, Adam Kostelnik in the Brown Timber & Land Street Stock, Jayme Bolkovac in Cover Insurance Agency/PA Legacy Car, Jason Holder in Jennerstown Charger, and Mike Bakalon in Stan’s Transmission Services Modified.

 It was another win from the front row, as Bobby Henry took over the lead from his outside pole position over Cary Todaro, and never looked back en route to his second feature win of the 2001 season. The action was fast and furious throughout the entire race, which was only slowed by two early cautions for flat tires by Barry Awtey and Mark Cottone. After that, the race remained clean and green, as the main competition was for the remaining top five positions. At the finish line it was Jeff Dunmyer in second, with Brad Creighton improving from seventh starting spot, to finish in third. Mark Smith came home in fourth and Barry Awtey recovered from his early race misfortune to take a fifth place finish. Jeff Dunmyer and Bobby Henry won the heat races.

 The Jennerstown Pro Trucks put on another whale of a show, as “Jammin” George Nicola and Todd Price put on a fine display of tight racing action throughout the entire twenty five-lap event. Nicola had the early race lead, until an engine failure forced a restart on lap nine, which allowed Price to take over the lead on lap ten. Nicola bounced back to take over the lead just six circuits later. Price was not to be denied though, as he once again found the inside opening, and allowed him to take over the lead, which he held onto for the final three laps in some of the closest racing of the season. Finishing behind the two top runners in another tight battle, last lap pass for third position was Josh Coughenour, who got by Aaron Will with less than a half lap remaining. Fifth place went to Marion Reno, who missed the heat races, and had to come through most of the field, after starting the feature race from last place. Josh Coughenour and George Nicola won the heat races.

 Adam Kostelnik and Tracy “Dink” Colarusso displayed another example of sportsmanship driving, as the two battled wheel-to-wheel during the second half of the twenty five-lap race. Kostelnik was involved in the first of two opening lap, multi car accidents, which forced the race to be restarted three times. Former Street Stock divisional multi-race winner Mike “The Daredevil” Davis, who was making his first start of the 2001-racing season in his Rhino Bedliners of Johnstown Ford Torino, was the first casualty of the race. Carl Travarrow, Matt Berkibile, and Craig Stoner, who also were eliminated in accidents, soon followed him. Once the race was resumed, Kostelnik was forced to charge from the back of the pack, and once in the top five, was forced to move into the outside lane to get by the log jam of top running cars. His outside charge went virtually unchallenged, and by lap fourteen he was racing with the leader Colarusso for the top position. The two drivers swapped positions all around the track, with Kostelnik finally taking the lead on lap nineteen, which he extended into a slim lead at the finish line over Colarusso. In a strange twist of fate, it was Kostelnik who helped put Colarusso’s car back together after a Friday night crash nearly eliminated his closest competition from even making it to the Saturday night race. Roger Onstead, Todd Knight, and Robert Smith rounded out the top five.  Tracy Colarusso and Chris Deyarmin won the heat races. 

 Jayme Bolkovac has proven to nearly everyone at the Jennerstown Speedway that her 2000 season Cover Insurance Agency/PA Legacy Car Championship was no fluke, as she once again proved to be the class of the field, on her way to yet another feature win. This week she was seriously challenged by two different drivers, the first being Dustin Powell who managed to keep the Greensburg pilot at bay, until a late race restart spin forced him out of the fight.  His place was taken by Ricky Anderson who also applied heavy pressure, but had to settle for the runner-up position at the finish line.  Todd Peck held on to finish third just in front of Joey Dennewitz, who made a late race charge and a last lap pass over Dave Holder to claim the fourth spot, with Holder rounding out the top five. 

 Jason Holder won the battle of the fighting Jason’s in the Jennerstown Charger division, as he withstood a challenge from Jason Fritz.  June Wyant looked to be in control of second place until a late race slide opened the door for Fritz to get by for second, dropping Wyant to third at the finish.  Greg Praysner rebounded from an early race spin to capture the fourth position, with Al Robinson coming home fifth in his first Charger division appearance at Jennerstown Speedway.  Jason Fritz and Jason Holder won charger heats.

 In the special presentation of the Grand American Modifieds presented by Stan’s Transmission Service, it was a familiar face getting his first win in the open wheeled division.  Mike Bakalon of North Versailles, PA, a former Jennerstown Speedway Street Stock division champion claimed a special prize in becoming a feature winner in two separate divisions at the Laurel Highlands Oval.  The twenty-lap feature event was run caution free by the twelve drivers who competed, to the approval of the fans in attendance.  James Nicola ran a strong race to finish in second, just in front of Bob Bentz, Jr.  Jason Busch fought off a hard charger Paul Urso to finish in fourth and fifth place respectively.  Bob Bentz, Jr. and Mike Bakalon won heat races. 

In the Mens Enduro race it was Terry McCoy of Somerset, PA taking the checkered flag win, with Jim Bopziak finishing in second.  Jeffery S. Ahlborn came home in third, while Gregory Lohr and Harvey Shaulis, Jr. rounded out the top five. 

Next week, Timber Wolf will present the NASCAR Weekly Racing Series five division racing program, plus a Ladies Enduro race.  Gates open at 4 p.m. Racing starts at 7 p.m. 

Modifieds

1. 48 Mike Bakalon
2. 5 James Nicola
3. 60 Bob Bentz Jr.
4. 42 Jason Busch
5. 61 Paul Urso
6. 17 Chad Fellabaum
7. 45 Bernard McQuillan
8. 76 Tom Knight Jr.
9. 6 Tom Bentz
10. 07 George Wright
11. 10 Joseph Stabile
12. 9 Rich Hoffman

 Enduro’s