The ISMA Lucas Oil/Helping Hands
America Super Series returned to Jennerstown Speedway Saturday
night for the first time since 1999. The highflying
supermodifieds have always been a fan favorite at the Laurel
Highlands Oval and certainly did not disappoint the large
crowd in their return. Rowley, Massachusetts driver Chris
Perley picked up his first tour win of the season in the
50-lap main event. Not to be outdone was Tim Sites who led
wire to wire in the Winged Sprints on Asphalt (WSoA) feature
event. Bobby Henry was victorious in Wheeler Brothers Super
Late Model action along with Todd Price in the New Enterprise
Stone and Lime Late Models and Kyle Martel picking up his
first win of the season in the PA Legacy Cars. Craftsman
Tools sponsored all of the nights racing action.
A moment of silence was held
before the ISMA feature event to honor Randy Witkum, who lost
his life due to injuries suffered in a crash the last time the
series visited Jennerstown. A full field of 24-cars took the
green flag with Larry Lehnert jumping out to the early lead.
Joe Grunda made the move passed Lehnert on lap 8 but had the
heat on behind him as Rick Wentworth and Chris Perley closing
in quickly. A hard impact with the backstretch wall by Russ
Wood brought out a red flag on lap 12 which heavily damaged
the car. Wood walked away from the incident ok. Grunda kept
the lead on the restart as Perley started to make his move.
First passing Nokie Fornoro, then Wentworth into second and
finally made the inside move down the backstretch on lap 15 to
take the top spot and started to check out from the rest of
the field. A spin by Lehnert on lap 24 would bunch the field
one last time which was to the benefit of Tim Jedrzejek and
Joey Payne, both of whom started deep in the field and had
positioned themselves into the top five. After the restart,
Perley continued to extend his lead leaving behind a great
battle for second involving Grunda, Jedrzejek, Payne and Pat
Abold. Jedrzejek would eventually grab the second spot and
would close in on the leader but to no avail, as Perley was
long gone. Perley went on to take his second career win at
Jennerstown with Jedrzejek holding onto second. Abold, who
attended his daughters graduation earlier in the day and
arrived at the track just in time for heat race action,
finished third followed by Payne and Grunda in the top five.
Perley holds the track record with a time of 15.239 seconds
(over a 120 mph average) which he set in 1995, but
unofficially a number of drivers this night were turning laps
in the 14.9-15.1 second range on the new asphalt surface.
Winning the three qualifying heats were Larry Lehnert, Nokie
Fornoro and Scott Martel.
Not to be outdone were the WSoA
305 sprint cars as they took to the track for their 25-lap
feature event. Tim Sites jumped out to the lead right off the
start and just totally drove away from the field. As Sites
checked out, a battle shaped up for second with Danny Brown
and Jimmy Taylor. Leaving only four cars on the lead lap in
the caution free event, Sites cruised to a near half lap
victory. Taylor held off Brown for second with Jonathan
Kittlewell in fourth and Paul Buckingham rounding out the top
five. Sites and Brown won the qualifying heats with Brown
also taking the dash win. Terry Gibson set fast time during
time trials with a 16.69 second lap. The sprint cars will
return to Jennerstown on July 31.
Cautions plagued the super late
model feature, as the first yellow would fly before a single
lap would be completed. Point leader Barry Awtey made contact
with the turn 3 wall eliminating him from the event. Paul
Urso jumped out to the lead on the restart only to have his
bad luck reveal its ugly head once again as he hit the turn 3
wall after an apparent mechanical failure, eliminating him
from the event. Cary Todaro inherited the lead on the restart
with Jayme Bolkovac close behind. Bolkovac made the move
passed Todaro on lap 12 to take her first lead of the season
in the super late models. Todaro would start to fade as Garry
Wiltrout, Mark Poole and last weeks winner, Bobby Henry, all
getting past. Coming from the twelfth starting spot, Henry
made it a three-car battle for the lead with Bolkovac and
Wiltrout midway through the 50-lap event. Henry made the move
passed Wiltrout on lap 27 then made it look easy as the
Connellsville, PA driver passed the leader Bolkovac one lap
later and started to distance himself from the field. The
caution flew again on lap 35 for a spinning Bolkovac with
Wiltrout also being sent to the rear of the field for being
involved in the incident. Henry would hold off Neil Brown on
the restart only to be slowed by another caution on lap 40 for
Todaro and Mark Smith. The final yellow came out on lap 42
after a restart which saw Mark Poole spin in front of the
field in turn 2. Luckily the field made it through cleanly
but relegated Poole to the rear after running third. Henry
got the jump on the final restart and held on to take his
second straight win. Brown came home second with Wiltrout
coming back to finish third. Jeff Dunmyer claimed fourth with
Todaro rounding out the top five. Heat races went to Awtey
and Poole.
Wade Champeno and Todd Corson
battled door-to-door in the early laps of the late model
feature which soon turned into a five car scramble with Dusty
Rhoads, Todd Price and Rick Boyer joining in on the fun.
Champeno got loose coming out of turn four giving Corson the
lead on lap 8 and was a break for Price who got by for
second. Four laps later Price would pass Corson and break
away from the pack with the lead. Price would survive a late
race caution holding off a hard charging Rhoads for his second
win of the season. Corson held on for third with Mel Wilt and
Boyer rounding out the top five. Champeno took the heat race.
Kyle Martel took the lead form
pole sitter Ed Butler on the opening lap of the PA Legacy Car
feature and never looked back. Jayme Bolkovac made the move
into second from her sixth starting position and could get to
the rear bumper of Martel but never mount a serious threat for
the lead. Martel led wire to wire in the caution free event
to take his first win of the season with Bolkovac finishing in
the runner-up spot. Rounding out the top five were Dave
Campbell, Brett Boyer and Ed Butler. Campbell won the heat
race.
Jennerstown Speedway returns to
its regular racing action next Saturday as #1 Day Ford of
Monroeville presents the NASCAR Dodge Weekly Series. The
Wheeler Brothers Super Late Models, New Enterprise Stone and
Lime Late Models, Somerset Furniture Sales Chargers, Advance
Auto Parts Hobby Stocks and the PA Legacy Cars will all be in
action along with twin 20-lap features in the Day Ford Street
Stocks. Pit gates open at 2:30 with the grandstands opening
at 4:30. Racing starts at 6:00.
