by Mike Rininger
June 19, 2004
On a clear and cool night the
racing action heated up as Coca-Cola presented the NASCAR Dodge
Weekly Series action at Jennerstown Speedway.
Bobby Henry became the fourth
different winner in four races in the Wheeler Bros. Super Late
Model Division while Todd Price made it three different winners
in three events for the New Enterprise Stone and Lime Late
Models. Duane Noel and Scott Bowman split the twin features in
the Somerset Furniture Sales Chargers while Greg Lohr and
Patrick Parlock were the winners of twin features in the Advance
Auto Parts Hobby Stocks. Dink Colarusso was victorious for the
second straight week in the Day Ford Street Stocks and Mike
Walker took the checkered flag in the Minicup feature.
Cary Todaro took off with the
lead at the start of the super late model feature but would soon
find Barry Awtey, Garry Wiltrout and Bobby Henry close behind in
a great four-car battle for the lead. Wiltrout got to the inside
of Todaro in turns three and four on the twentieth circuit but
slight contact sent Wiltrout spinning down the front stretch
with the remained of the 17-car field scattering. Awtey took the
lead from Todaro on the restart with Henry close behind. After
making the move past Todaro, Henry set his sights on the leader
and with ten laps remaining, made the inside pass on Awtey
coming out of turn four. From there it was smooth sailing as he
picked up his first checkered flag of the season. Awtey finished
second for the third straight race with Todaro putting together
his strongest performance of the season with a third place
finish. Jeff Dunmyer finished fourth with Wiltrout recovering
from his spin to round out the top five. Mark Smith and Henry
won the heats.
Todd Price was never challenged
in the late model 25-lap feature. The former pro truck driver
took off with the lead from the start and would build up nearly
a straightaway lead over the remainder of the field as he would
go on to take his first win in a late model. Rick Boyer managed
to cut into the huge lead but would settle for second with last
week’s winner Wade Champeno coming home third. Dusty Rhoads and
Mel Wilt rounded out the top five with Price taking home the
heat win.
Dave Tavormina led the first
three laps of the street stock feature before Rich Nicola would
make the move into the top spot, opening the flood gates as
Jason Holder, Josh Dunmyer and Dink Colarusso all would get
passed Tavormina. After a caution for Rich Beam and saw Travis
Smith leave on a wrecker after losing the left front wheel,
those four drivers would put on a torrid battle with the lead
changing back and forth between Nicola and Holder. Colarusso
followed Holder to the front and would make the winning pass
with five laps to go for his second win of the season. Holder
held onto second followed by Nicola, Dunmyer and Adam Kostelnik
in the top five. Nicola and Colarusso won the heats.
Scott Bowman led the first three
laps of the first charger feature before making hard contact
with the outside wall, losing the right front wheel in the
process bringing out the yellow. Bowman would make it to the pit
area and amazingly rejoin the field for the restart. After the
restart Duane Noel and Michael Stevens put on a fierce battle
for the lead but Stevens would fade high giving Noel all the
room he needed and made the pass on lap 9 and cruised from there
to take home his second win of the season. Stevens held onto
second followed by Stephen Mock, Bowman and Rick Phillips in the
top five. After making extensive repairs to the car after the
first feature, Bowman took the lead from Phillips on the second
lap and built a substantial lead in the caution free event,
taking his second victory of the year. Noel, Mock, Phillips and
Stevens rounded out the top five. Stevens won the heat race.
In only his second night out,
Dennis Roles looked like he would cruise to his career first
victory in the first hobby stock main event. After taking the
lead from Deidre Petrie on lap three, Roles set a blistering
pace but would start to lose the handle with only a few laps
remaining allowing Greg Lohr to close in on the leader. On the
white flag lap Roles got very loose and nearly spin the car in
turn two allowing Lohr to pass on the inside and go on to the
win, his second of the season.
Roles would hold on for second
with Patrick Parlock, Bob Enos and Eugene Zerfoss rounding out
the top five. The second feature also saw Petrie jump out to the
early lead only to be overtaken by Enos two laps into the race.
Enos, Parlock, Lohr and Jeff Zillweger made it a four car battle
for the lead through the middle part of the race, but with four
laps to go the leader Enos bounced hard off the back stretch
wall and came to a stop in turn 3 to bring out the yellow,
setting up a dash to the finish. Parlock took command of the
lead on the restart and would hold off Lohr at the finish to
take his first win of the season.
Zillweger, Petrie and Zerfoss
completed the top five. Parlock won the heat race.
Mike Walker took off from the
start of the minicup feature and go uncontested for the win in
the 20-lap event.
Next Saturday, June 26 Craftsman
presents the biggest show at the Laurel Highlands Oval in recent
memory. The high-flying winged warriors of the International
Supermodified Association make their return to Jennerstown after
a few years absence along with the inaugural visit of the WSoA
305 asphalt sprint series. The Wheeler Bros. Super Late Models,
New Enterprise Stone and Lime Late Models and the PA Legacy
Series will also be on the card for a super fast night of
racing. The rain date is tentatively set for Sunday, June 27.
For more information on this event or the remaining schedule at
Jennerstown Speedway contact the track office Monday through
Friday at 814-629-6677, or log onto the website
www.jennerstown.com. |
