Crates Go “Topless” At Raceway 7 This Friday

By Jay Pees

Conneaut, OH (August 16, 2016): This coming Friday will be the night the tops come off the Evergreen Lake Park Campground CARS Crate Late Models at Raceway 7. This is the week fans get to really see the drivers working the steering wheels of their racers as the driver will be in the open. It’s the one night of the year to really see the work that goes into getting the cars through the turns. With the season having only three weeks to determine the 2016 champion, every position will be important and battles will be hot throughout the entire evening.

All five classes will be in action with the Evergreen Lake Park Campground CARS Crate Late Models leading the way. The points chase is close with 2009 champion Dennis Lunger leading Darrell Bossard by only 23 points. Bossard has three wins this season while Lunger only has two. Another former champion, Kyle Zimmerman, is currently third, still in the hunt to add to his laurels. Zimmerman has four wins this season. Consistent “up-front” finishes has been Lunger’s forte this summer, the mark of a champion. Fourth-running Wendall Pinckney collected his first Crate Late Model win earlier this summer and is primed for more. Former Street a Stock champion Chris Withers is currently fifth in the standings, right on the verge of breaking through to win a feature.

Seven-time feature winner Joel Watson only holds a nineteen point edge on second-running Dennis Lunger in the Bonnell Collision Center E-Mod chase. Watson has missed three nights of competition but has been incredibly strong in the races he has competed winning in all but three of his appearances. On July 22 Linger got his only E-Mod win to date but, again, is consistently near the front at the checkers. Troy Johnson, who has not yet visited Raceway 7’s Victory Lane this summer, is third, only 39 points in arrears of Lunger and still within striking distance of the lead. Dan and Josh McDonald are fourth and fifth, both mathematically eliminated from any hope of winning the championship title.

Rob Bates has led the Campbell’s Mini Storage championship tilt since winning the opening night feature and has built a cushion of 107 points over Shaun Fawcett, the defending champion. Bates has two wins on the season while Fawcett has gone to Victory Lane three times. Chris McGuire, a four-time winner, is third, another 143 points back while Don McGuire is fourth and Chris Hochschild is fifth. Only Bates and Fawcett and mathematically able to take the title.

Steve Haefke holds a narrow 20-point lead over defending champion Rick Prosser in the Bonnell Auto Sale Economods race for the championship. Haefke is a six-time winner, including a three in a row stretch near the mod-point of the season, while Prosser has two victories. Eric Reinwald, a winner June 10, is third with Tyler Frankenberry, a double winner fourth. Mike Harmon, not yet a winner this season, is fifth.

Jason Easler has dominated the McDonald’s Sand & Gravel Mini Stocks since opening night, building a 79-point lead over Hoyt Mihalak on the basis of eight wins. Mihalak has yet to visit Victory Lane this summer while tired place Bud Sergeff, a former champion, has one win. Defending champion Brad Cole, has two wins while Andy Proper has one win. Kyle Adkins is fourth with Cole fifth. Easler, Mihalak, and Cole are still in the hunt for the championship mantle.

Weather permitting, gates open every Friday at 5:30 PM with pill draw cut off at 7 PM and racing at 7:30 PM. VIP suites are available for rental for $250 a night which includes eight general admissions passes. Admission is set for $10 for adults for regular events, kids 7-14 are $5. Children 6 and under are free. Pit passes are $25. For more information please visit www.raceway7.com or call the track on race day after 12 noon at 440-594-2222.