Wright, Groters Repeat At Raceway 7

By Jay Pees

Conneaut, OH (May 8, 2015): The weather had threatened all week but when Friday afternoon arrived the skies were clear and racing started for the third time in 2015. Heats were run off with only two caution periods, both coming in the final qualifying event. Josh Ferry set a class record for the Bonnell auto Sales Economods of 19.719. Four of the five feature events were completed but Mother Nature interrupted the final event of the evening, the Specialty Products Mini Stock feature, with just seven laps remaining. The event will be completed next Friday prior to the start of the scheduled events. The completed feature saw two repeat winners, Chad Wright in the Evergreen Lake Park Campground CARS Late Models, and Brandon Groters in the Campbell’s Mini Storage Street Stocks. Ken Zimmer, Bonnell Collision Center E-Mods, and Rick Prosser, Bonnell Auto Sales Economods, registered their first wins of the season.

Dan Sasso started from the pole and blasted into the immediate lead in the Bonnell Collision Center E-Mod feature with Josh McDonald second. Ken Zimmer got by McDonald for second a lap later and was slowly gaining on the leader when caution slowed the field at lap nine when Gary Murphy spin in turn four. When green flag racing resumed Sasso again led over Zimmer, McDonald, and Brent Rhebergen. Coming off turn two on lap twelve Justin Chaddock, in his first-ever appearance at Raceway 7, got sideways, flipping several times side for side down the back straight. Chaddock was ok but the car needed “cradled” off the track. Going into turn one on lap thirteen Sasso, still leading, apparently had a mechanical failure, sliding sideways to a halt and scattering the rest of the field. For the restart it was now Zimmer leading with Brent Rhebergen second from his sixth place starting berth. Chuck Steinle Jr was now up to third from his tenth position on the starting grid. Bud Watson and Percy McDonald were fourth and fifth. Zimmer maintained his lead through to the checkers with Rhebergen winding up second, Steinle third, Percy McDonald fourth, and Bud Watson filling out the top five.

Outside front row starter, Chad Wright, a former champion and opening night winner, took off with the early lead in the Evergreen Lake Park Campground CARS Late Model feature. Pole-sitter Billy Henry, a former Steel Block Late Model champion, settled into second with Breyton Santee third, Matt Latta fourth, and defending champion Kyle Zimmerman fifth by the halfway point. Wright cruised to his second feature win of the season in the all green event over Henry, Santee, Latta, and Zimmerman.

The Campbell Mini Storage Street Stocks were led to the green by Chris Hochschild and former champion Ed Bolyard. Hochschild grabbed the early lead over Bolyard and opening night winner Shaun Fawcett. Last week’s winner Brandon Groters came to fourth at lap four and into third at lap six. Mike Harmon and Rob Bates spun heading into turn one on lap eight, slowing the event for the first time. At green Groters immediately came to second and was leading at the end of lap eight. Withers came to third a lap later and to second at lap eleven. At the finish it was Groters, Withers, Hochschild, Bolyard, and Fawcett.

Rick Prosser led the Bonnell Auto Sales Economods from the drop of the green flag. Third-running Devin Henry came to a halt high in turn four, slowing the event by yellow at lap three. Coming to the green Henry and Terry Akerley got together and spun into the inside barrier in the front straight. Henry retired to the pit with a flat left front. Prosser again took off with the lead over Brad Blackshear, Eric Reinwald, defending champion Josh Ferry, and Chuck Steinle Sr. Ferry got to third at the end of six laps. At halfway Prosser had a half-straight lead. With five laps remaining Steinle spun in turn three, bringing caution again over the field. With two laps remaining Terry Akerley slammed the front straight wall, coming to a halt in turn one, out of the event. The dash to the checkered flag had Prosser leading the way with Ferry right behind. Blackshear wound up third with Eric Reinwald fourth and Bob Bellinger fifth.

Mitch Stokes and former champion Brad Cole led the Specialty Products Mini Stocks to the green with Cole leading the way at the end of lap one. On the back straight of lap four several cars got together on the back straight including last week’s winner Casey Harmon, defending champion Dale Fraschetti, Jason Easler, Mitch Stokes, and former champion Bud Sergeff with Sergeff winding up in the outside wall. After green Cole was again leading with Fraschetti second and Jason Easler third. A downpour hit at the restart and red was shown. Officials decided to finish the event at the beginning of next week’s racing.

Evergreen Lake Park Campground CARS Crate Late Models:
Heat 1: Dennis Lunger, Kyle Zimmerman, Breyton Santee, Wendall Pinckney, Bob Pifer, Khole Wanzer
Heat 2: Chad Wright, Dave Lyon, Billy Henry, Matt Latta, Bryan Salisbury, William Pinckney (DNS)
Feature: Chad Wright, Billy Henry, Breyton Santee, Matt Latta, Kyle Zimmerman, Dennis Lunger, David Lyon, Wendall Pinckney, Bryan Salisbury, Bob Pifer, Khole Wanzer, William Pinckney

Bonnell Collision Center E-Mods:
Heat 1: Dan Sasso, Jack Young, Brent Rhebergen, Dan McDonald, Bud Watson, Chuck Steinle Jr, Bill Taylor, Alan Atkinson
Heat 2: Percy McDonald, Kenny Zimmer, Josh McDonald, Paul Schreckengost, Justin Chaddock, Russ Dunn, Gary Murphy
Feature: Kenny Zimmer, Brent Rhebergen, Chuck Steinle Jr, Percy McDonald, Bud Watson, Alan Atkinson, Bill Taylor, Paul Schreckengost, Dan McDonald, Dan Sasso, Josh McDonald, Jack Young, Justin Chaddock, Gary Murphy, Russ Dunn (DNS)

Campbell’s Mini-Storage Street Stocks:
Heat 1: Brandon Groters, Ed Bolyard, Chris Hochschild, Jamie Duncan, Mike Harmon (DNS), John Bailey (DNS)
Heat 2: Mark Frontera, Chris Withers, Shaun Fawcett, Rob Bates, Dan McEwen
Feature: Brandon Groters, Chris Withers, Chris Hochschild, Ed Bolyard, Shaun Fawcett, Mark Frontera, Jamie admin an, Mike Harmon, John Bailey, Rob Bates, Dan McEwen

Bonnell Auto Sales Economods:
Heat 1: Rick Prosser, Eric Reinwald, Russ Kapalin, Devin Henry, Chuck Steinle Sr
Heat 2: Josh Ferry, Terry Akerly, Brad Blackshear, Bob Bellinger
Feature: Rick Prosser, Josh Ferry

Specialty Products Mini Stocks:
Heat 1: Jason Easler, Dale Fraschetti, Mitch Stokes, Dylan Goodman, Scott Gill, Alex Forbes, Zoey Gill, Kyle Adkins
Heat 2: Brad Cole, Bud Sergeff, Justin Boardman, Hoyt Mihalak, Logan Keney, Casey Harmon
Feature: Rinning order at 5 laps complete! Brad Cole, Dale Fraschetti, Jason Easler, Justin Boardman, Hoyt Mihalak, Dylan Goodman, Mitch Stokes, Bud Sergeff, Scott Gill, Zoey Gill, Logan Keney, Alex Forbes, Kyle Atkins