Watson wins Clinger Memorial at Raceway 7
6 min read
Conneaut, OH (August 8, 2014): Chris Clinger was remembered at Raceway 7 Friday night with a 29-lap feature for the Bonnell Collision Center E-Mods, Chris’ favorite class. The 29-year old son of noted car builder Jim Clinger perished in a work-related accident in 1999. The annual memorial was won this year by Joel Watson who set fast time and then started from the outside front row.
Joel Watson set fast time in trials for the Chris Clinger Memorial for the Bonnell Collision Center E-Mods with a one-lap time of 19.114 and 82.400 MPH. Steve Dixon won the dash to set the top of the starting lineup and led the feature until Watson got by eight laps into the event, going on for his fifth win of the season. Kyle Zimmerman got his second win of the year in the Evergreen Lake Park Campground Crate Late Models feature. Chris Withers won his sixth Campbell’s Mini-Storage Street Stocks feature of the season in a wreck-strewn event where the winner was the only car to escape damage. Brandon Blackshear captured his third Zimmer Service Center Economods feature while Jason Easler prevailed for his first win of the season in the Specialty Products Mini Stocks night capper.
Chris Hochschild and Mike Harmon brought the Campbell’s Mini Storage Street Stocks to the green flag with Hochschild leading the way through lap three when caution flew for a spin by Dave Myers. Chris Withers came to the runner-up spot at green on the first lap after resumption do racing with Jimmy Kennerknecht also back in the thick of the battle. Myers spun again on lap six. After green Withers and Hochschild again battled for the lead with Withers finally gaining the spot at eight laps complete when caution again was shown, this time for a spin by Kyle Reinwald. At the green seven of the eight cars remaining piled up coming to the flag. The leader was the only car not involved. The five cars remaining ran the five laps after green with three of the five getting together in turn one after taking the white flag when Bolyard and Kennerknecht spun, collecting Frontera in the process. The final lap had Withers racing to the win over Ron Boardman, Mark Frontera, Bolyard, and Kennerknecht. It was Wither’s sixth win of the season in his title defense.
Kyle Fellows and Russ Kapalin were at the front of the field for the start of the Zimmer Service Center Economods fifteen lap feature. At the end of one lap Russ Kapalin and fourth starting Steve Burns were side by side for the lead with Kapalin having a slight edge. Eric Reinwald, Wayne Mohawk, and Devin Henry tangled in turn four at the end of lap two. Kapalin led after green with Blackshear coming to the front at the completion of lap five, just as Wayne Daniels wound up against the wall in turn four. Blackshear came to the lead after green with action again slowing when Daniels got into the turn two fence. Five cars were involved in a skirmish in turn two at eleven laps complete, slowing the race once again. Josh Ferry looped his mount while attempting to get by Burns for third with two laps to go. Blackshear went on to his third win of the season over Kapalin, Rick Prosser, Burns, and Kyle Fellows.
The Chris Clinger Memorial for the Bonnell Collision Center E-Mods had the lineup set through time trials, heat races, and a ‘dash’ putting Steve Dixon on the pole and reigning track champion Joel Watson outside front row. The $1250 to win 29-lapper had twenty cars take the green flag with Dixon taking the immediate lead but Rich Michael pulled to the infield and the race was restarted. Dixon again led on green but Watson was right behind through lap eight when Watson got by for the lead. Lapped traffic came into play at lap twelve with Watson maintaining his lead handily while dealing with the traffic. At halfway Watson was leading Kyle Bedell after Dixon pulled to the pits coming to the halfway point. Mike Kinney was then third, Jack Young fourth, and points leader Gary Eicher fifth. As the cars took the halfway signal Denny Crawford slammed the turn one wall. After another yellow on the restart Watson pulled away from the field with Bedell now second, Kinney third, and Eicher up to fourth. Eicher pulled to third at lap twenty-two. The top four remained that way to the finish with Jay Watson taking fifth. it was Watson’s thirtieth E-Mod win at Raceway 7 and his fifth this season.
Kyle Zimmerman and Bob Pifer brought the Evergreen Lake Park Campground Crate Late Models field to the green with Pifer grabbing the lead at the start with Zimmerman coming back alongside in the turns but unable to compete the pass. At lap four Kevin Hill got out of shape enough that yellow was shown even though he never stopped. After green Dennis Lunger got by Zimmerman at the start but went wide in turn three, losing several spots. On lap six Zimmerman was able to get by Pifer and began immediately extending his lead. Halfway saw Zimmerman leading Pifer, Darrell Bossard, Wendell Pinckney, and Breyton Santee. Zimmerman went on to his second win of the season with Pifer holding on to second, Bossard third, Pinckney fourth, and Santee fifth.
Zoey Gill and Jason Easler were on the front row for the Specialty Products Mini Stocks feature with Easler leading the way after one lap and Carlos Aponte up to second. Seventh starting points leader Dale Fraschetti was up to third at the end of three laps. At the end of four Jeannie Fowler came to a halt on the front straight and caution was shown. On turn two of the restart Fraschetti got up high, losing spots to former champions Bud Sergeff and Brad Cole. Zoey Gill stopped on the front straight with a flat tire at lap eight, again bringing caution over the raceway. Sergeff came by Aponte for second with two laps to go with Fraschetti coming to fourth and Hoyt Mihalak to fifth. Easler went on to his first win in 2013 with Sergeff second, Aponte third, Fraschetti fourth, and Mihalak fifth.
Results:
Evergreen Lake Park Campground Late Models:
Heat 1: Bob Pifer, Kyle Zimmerman, Darrell Bossard, Dennis Lunger, Mike Mitchell, Matt Latta, Dave Airgood, Billy Henry
Heat 2: Wendell Pinckney, Breyton, Bryan Salisbury, Bruce Hordusky, Tony Mariano, Khole Wanzer, Dennis Dellinger, Kevin Hill
Feature: Kyle Zimmerman, Bob Pifer, Darrell Bossard, Wendell Pinckney, Breyton Santee, Bruce Hordusky, Bryan Salisbury, Dave Airgood, Dennis Lunger, Matt Latta, Billy Henry, Khole Wanzer, Tony Mariano, Dennis Dellinger, Kevin Hill, Michael Mitchell
Bonnell Collision Center E-Mods Chris Clinger Memorial:
Fastest Qualifiers: Joel Watson, Steve Dixon, Rich Michael
Heat 1: Joel Watson, Kyle Bedell, Jack Young, Dan McDonald, John Boyd, Al Brewer, Chuck Steinle Jr, Gary Murphy (DNS)
Heat 2: Mike Kinney, Steve Dixon, Gary Eicher, Steve Simon, Kirk Bradley, Mike Potosky, John Boardman
Heat 3: Rich Michael, Jay Watson, Bill Taylor, Percy McDonald, Shane Crotty Josh McDonald, Denny Crawford
Dash: Steve Dixon, Joel Watson, Kyle Bedell, Mike Kinney, Rich Michael, Jay Watson
Feature: Joel Watson, Kyle Bedell, Gary Eicher, Mike Kinney, Jay Watson, Percy McDonald, Jack Young, Mike Potosky, Shane Crotty, Josh McDonald, Denny Crawford, Bill Taylor, Dan McDonald, Kirk Bradley, Steve Dixon, Al Brewer, John Boardman, Steve Simon, John Boyd, Rich Michael, Gary Murphy (DNS), Chuck Steinle Jr (DNS)
Campbell’s Mini-Storage Street Stocks:
Heat 1: Chris Hochschild, Jimmy Kennerknecht, Ron Boardman, Kyle Reinwald, Kenny Lamp
Heat 2: Chris Withers, Mike Harmon, Ed Bolyard, Mark Frontera, Dave Myers
Feature: Chris Withers, Ron Boardman, Mark Frontera, Ed Bolyard, Jimmy Kennerknecht, Chris Hochschild, Mike Harmon, Kyle Reinwald, Dave Myers, Kenny Lamp (DNS)
Zimmer Service Center Economods:
Heat 1: Rick Prosser, Russ Kapalin, Steve Burns Jr, Eric Reinwald, Jodi Woodworth, Devin Henry, Shaun Fawcett, James Myers
Heat 2: Josh Ferry, Jace Ferringer, Brandon Blackshear, Kyle Fellows, Chuck Steinle Sr, Wayne Daniels, Dennis Dellinger (DNS)
Feature: Brandon Blackshear, Russ Kapalin, Rick Prosser, Steve Burns, Kyle Fellows, Chuck Steinle Sr, Josh Ferry, James Myers, Wayne Daniels, Jace Ferringer, Jodi Woodworth, Devin Henry, Eric Reinwald, Wayne Mohawk, Shawn Fawcett (DNS), Dennis Dellinger (DNS)
Specialty Products Mini Stocks:
Heat 1: Bud Sergeff, Hoyt Mihalak, Jason Easler, Mitch Stokes, Mary Hammond, Jeannie Fowler, Alex Forbes, James Miller, Casey Harmon
Heat 2: Brad Cole, Dale Fraschetti, Carlos Aponte, Zoey Gill, Tim Gillette, Doug Hensel, Aris Charnas, Stephen Scrowe
Feature: Jason Easler, Bud Sergeff, Carlos Aponte, Dale Fraschetti, Hoyt Mihalak, Brad Cole, Mary Hammond, Stephen Crowe, Mitch Stokes, Tim Gillette, Casey Harmon, James Miller, Aris Charnas, Zoey Gill, Alex Forbes, Jeannie Fowler, Doug Hensel
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