MITCHELL WINS JENNERSTOWN SPEEDWAY LATE MODEL 150, COLARUSSO WINS ELEVENTH OF 2003 AT LAUREL HIGHLANDS OVAL 

26 July 2003

(Jennerstown, PA) Saturday night at Jennerstown Speedway,“ fans saw the “usual suspects” make their way to victory lane on a warm and humid evening at the Laurel Highlands Oval. 

In the Jennerstown Speedway Late Model 150, Richard Mitchell continued his streak of long distance wins by taking the checkered flag in the 150 lap feature of the Rolling Rock Late Models. The Bruceton Mills, WV driver fought off attacks by pole sitter Barry Awtey, Tommy Beck and Neil Brown to win his third feature at Jennerstown in 2003. Mitchell, Awtey and Beck were followed by Garry Wiltrout and Mark Poole in the top five finishers.  

Rolling Rock Late Model division points leader Neil Brown was not as fortunate. On lap 90, he and Chuckie Keslar made contact on the front stretch causing a multiple car incident. Brown’s late model was severely damaged and, despite a noble effort by his crew, the Acme, PA driver was unable to mount any type of assault on the front pack and finished a season worst thirteenth in a field of twenty four late models. Additionally, Meyersdale, PA’s Mark Smith was stripped of his third place finish when his late model failed the post race tech inspection due to a non-approved suspension. 

In the Tommy Gale/Haulmark Trailers Pro Trucks, 2001 division champ Todd Price lead every lap and made his fourth trip to victory lane of 2003. Current points leader, Jason Lasky, worked his way through the pack to finish second. Marion Reno, Jr., Josh Coughenour and Derek Wink made up the top five finishers. Alum Bank, PA’s Todd Price was also the heat race winner. 

Irwin, PA’s Bob Bentz, Jr. turned in a solid performance in the Modified division feature leading every lap from the drop of the first green to the flying of the checkered. Paul Urso mounted a late race push for the lead, but Bentz was out in front and won his fifth win in eight races at Jennerstown in 2003. Matt Smith, Matt Panaia and Bernie McQuillan joined Bentz and Urso in the top five. Bentz was also the winner of the heat race. 

Dink Colarusso inched closer to Jennerstown Speedway’s record for wins in a season as he collected his eleventh trophy of 2003 in another dominating performance. The West Mifflin, PA driver maneuvered through the field and took the lead on lap fourteen passing Jason Holder. Colarusso and Holder were followed by June Weyant, Roger Onstead and Bill Ashton in the top five. Onstead was the heat race winner. 

Phill Grubbs took off with the lead in the Jennerstown Speedway Charger feature, but points leader Chantal Germek got by Grubbs on lap six of the fifteen lap race. Germek went on to win her fourth win of 2003 and maintains her lead in the Charger division points. The North Huntingdon, PA driver was followed by Greg Praysner, Duane Noel, Phill Grubbs and Mike Stevens in the top five feature finishers. Germek made it a clean sweep by winning the heat race. 

The PA Legacy Series did not race at Jennerstown Speedway. The division will return to action at the Laurel Highlands Oval on August 9, 2003. 

Next Saturday, Wheeler Pontiac and Wheeler Trackside present the evening’s racing of the NASCAR Dodge Weekly Series. Jennerstown Speedway management announced that the adult admission price for the racing will be only $5 for this and the August 9th race. Children under 12 will be admitted for free. Pit gates will open at 2PM, grandstand gates will open at 3PM, and racing will begin at 6PM. 

Jennerstown Speedway, Western Pennsylvania’s Finest Motorsports Complex, is located in the beautiful Laurel Highlands of Western Pennsylvania and offers race fans up to eight divisions of racing on Saturday nights throughout the summer. For driving directions, ticket information or to learn more about the many promotional opportunities at the Laurel Highlands Oval, please visit www.jennerstown.com or call the Jennerstown Speedway business office at 814-629-6677.