Three championships (Wright, Watson, and Withers) decided with feature wins at Raceway 7

By Jay Pees

Conneaut, OH, August 23, 2013: Chad Wright picked up his first-ever points championship as a result of his fifth win in the Evergreen Lake Park Campground FASTRAK Late Model feature. Joel Watson sealed his second consecutive championship in the Bonnell Collision Center E-Mod with his sixth win of the season. Chris Withers drove to his seventh win of the season and clinched the 2013 Western Reserve Animal Clinic Street Stock Championship, his second at Raceway 7, the first coming in 2011. Brian Hathaway failed to finish the McDonalds Meat Economod feature but has scored enough to hold an 83-oint Alex Paden made his first-ever visit to Raceway 7 and won the Specialty Products Mini-Stock feature but the championship will go down to the final event of the season next week with defending champion Bud Sergeff coming to second and slightly closing the gap on leader Brad Cole.

Matt Latta and Kyle Zimmerman led the Evergreen Lake Park Campground FASTRAK Late Models to the green with Latta leading the way and Chad Wright, who wrapped up the points title merely by starting the event, coming to second before the end of one lap. At lap nine Wright pulled even with Latta on the back stretch and to the lead by the end of the lap. With nine laps complete Mike Mitchell looped his mount in turn one, bringing caution over the field. For the restart one lap prior to halfway the top five were Wright, Latta, Zimmerman, Dan Angelicchio, and last week’s winner Dennis Lunger. Zimmerman got the advantage at the green and a lap later Lunger was challenging Latta for the third spot, gaining it on lap thirteen. With five remaining Angelicchio had come to fourth and the order remained the same to the checkers with Wright gaining his fifth win of the season and his first track championship at Raceway 7. The top five were Wright, Zimmerman, Lunger, Angelicchio, and Latta.

Brian Douglas and Josh McDonald led the Bonnell Collision Center E-Mods to the green with Douglas taking the immediate lead but third-starting Joel Watson, the defending champion and current point’s leader, coming to the lead at the end of two laps. Mike Potosky spun in turn two on lap three, bringing yellow out even though he never stopped. Only one more lap was run under green before another yellow, this time for a spin by Bill Taylor. Watson led the field back to green with his cousin Bud Watson second and Douglas third. Four more yellows for minor incidents slowed the race before six laps were complete. At halfway Watson led Bud Watson, with Former champion Percy McDonald third, Mike Potosky fourth, from the rear after the lap three incident and Dan McDonald fifth. With five to go caution again flew for the final time. The McDonalds and Potosky waged a spirited three-wide battle for third but Percy McDonald prevailed with Potosky fourth and Dan McDonald fifth. Joel Watson’s win, the sixth of the season, wrapped up his successful defense of his championship mantle. Cousin Bud Watson was second at the checkers.

The Western Reserve Animal Clinic Street Stocks started with Mike Harmon and Eric Reinwald on the front row but Shawn Fawcett coming to the lead by turn two. At the end of lap two Rusty Wheeler and John Bailey spun coming out of turn four, bringing caution over the raceway. After green Fawcett resumed the lead with points leader Chris Withers and Eric Reinwald fighting over second until Withers competed the pass at lap four. On lap eight Withers caught the leader just as Jonny Boyd spun in turn four. For the restart it was again Fawcett leading with Withers and Reinwald second and third, but Mike Harmon came to a halt in turn two, again slowing the event. Bailey spun in turn two at lap ten, again necessitating caution. One lap after green, Withers got by Fawcett, then went on to his seventh feature win of 2013 and sealing the season championship. Fawcett wound up second with Reinwald third, Rusty Wheeler fourth, and Ed Bolyard fifth.

Tony Hyde led the McDonalds Meats Economods feature from the pole but retired to the pits under the first caution period, at the end of lap one when Jamie Scharba and Brian Hathaway, the points leader, spun in turn one. Russ Kapalin led the field back to the green but Steve Samuelson was the leader after one lap with Casey Bowers challenging for the spot at the end of three. Scharba again looped his mount during lap four, with Gene Crouch then spinning to avoid contact. Bowers came to second after one more lap under green and to the lead after five laps. The next yellow came right after the lead change when Kyle Fellows turned his car around in turn two. Hathaway was marching to the front in his quest for his first championship, up to third by the time of the next caution at lap six, when Josh Ferry and Kyle Fellows spun. Hathaway challenged Bowers through lap seven but after another yellow, Hathaway suffered mechanical problems, coming to a halt in turn two. With six laps remaining Steinle Sr, second in points, spun in turn two. With five to go Fellows spun for the third time and headed to the pits. After yet another caution, Bowers went on to the win, his first of the season, with Kapalin second, Scharba third, Samuelson fourth, and Jodi Woodworth Sr fifth. The championship is Hathaway’s as Steinle’s seventh place finish does not close the gap to within 75 points going into the final week.

Logan Keney and Tim Fisher started the Specialty Products Mini Stock feature at the front with Fisher assuming the immediate lead. Zach Downes, last week’s feature winner got into the wall on turn one, meaning a complete restart. Fisher again led after green with Alex Paden coming to second. At the line at the end of three laps Paden took over at the front with Caleb Hickok up to third from sixth at the green. At halfway Paden led Fisher, Hickok, Jason Easler, and Downes, after restarting at the rear of the pack. With two to go Paden had a quarter lap lead over Downes, now up to second. At the checkers Paden won by a quarter lap over Downes with Hickok third, Jason Easler fourth, and Bud Sergeff fifth. It was Paden’s first visit to Raceway 7.

Evergreen Lake Park Campground FASTRAK Late Models:

Heat 1: Chad Wright, Dan Angelicchio, Kyle Zimmerman, Mike Mitchell, Joel Watson, Bob Pifer, Wendell Pinckney, Khole Wanzer

Heat 2: Matt Latta, Dave Airgood, Dennis Lunger, Billy Henry, Jamie Brown, Mark Tatalovic, Tony Mariano

Feature: Chad Wright, Kyle Zimmerman, Dennis Lunger, Dan Angelicchio, Matt Latta, Dave Airgood, Billy Henry, Jamie Brown, Wendell Pinckney, Joel Watson, Mark Tatalovic, Breyton Santee, Tony Mariano, Khole Wanzer, Mike Mitchell, Bob Pifer

Bonnell Collision Center E-Mods:

Heat 1: Joel Watson, Gary Eicher, Dan McDonald, Bud Watson, Chuck Steinle Jr, Howard Fraley, Jim Dellinger

Heat 2: Mike Potosky, Percy McDonald, Josh McDonald, Brian Douglas, Ed Wilson, Gary Murphy, Bill Taylor

Feature: Joel Watson, Bud Watson, Percy McDonald, Mike Potosky, Dan McDonald, Chuck Steinle Jr, Josh McDonald, Brian Douglas, Ed Wilson, Gary Murphy, Gary Eicher, Bill Taylor, Howard Fraley, Jim Dellinger

McDonald Meats Econo Mods:

Heat 1: Casey Bowers, Brian Hathaway, Chuck Steinle Sr, Russ Kapalin, Gene Crouch, Jodi Woodworth Sr, Kyle Fellows

Heat 2: Jamie Scharba, Steve Samuelson, Jace Ferringer, Jodi Woodworth Jr, Josh Ferry

Feature: Casey Bowers, Russ Kapalin, Jamie Scharba, Steve Samuelson, Jodi Woodworth Sr, Josh Ferry, Chuck Steinle Sr, Jodi Woodworth Jr, Kyle Fellows, Brian Hathaway, Gene Crouch, Tony Hyde, Jace Ferringer.

Western Reserve Animal Clinic Street Stocks:

Heat 1: Chris Withers, Rusty Wheeler, Eric Reinwald, Jimmy Kennerknecht, Ed Bolyard, Art Gilchrist, Ken Lamp (DNS)

Heat 2: Paul Schreckengost, Shawn Fawcett, Jonny Boyd, Mike Harmon, David Snyder, Don Kramer, John Bailey

Feature: Chris Withers, Shawn Fawcett, Eric Reinwald, Rusty Wheeler, Ed Bolyard, April Schreckengost, Jimmy Kennerknecht, Dave Snyder, Don Kramer, Art Gilchrist, Jonny Boyd, John Bailey, Mike Harmon, Kenny Lamp (DNS)

Specialty Products Mini-Stocks:

Heat 1: Brad Cole, Bud Sergeff, Alex Paden, Zach Downes, Dale Fraschetti, Mitch Stokes, Alex Forbes

Heat 2: Tim Callahan, Tim Fisher, Cleb Hickok, Scott Gill, Patrick Drennan, Chris Forbes

Heat 3: Jason Easler, Logan Keney, Tom Cupp, Hoyt Mihalak, Cale Sousa, Carlos Aponte

Feature: Alex Paden, Zach Downes, Caleb Hickok, Jason Easler, Ed Sergeff, Tim Fisher, Brad Cole, Tim Callahan, Scott Gill, Mitch Stokes, Logan Keney, Tom Cupp, Patrick Drennan, Chris Forbes, Alex Forbes, Dale Fraschetti, Hoyt Mihalak, Cale Sousa, Carlos Aponte (DNS)