Sergeff Scores Narrow Victory In Biggest Mini Stock Event Of The Season
7 min readConneaut, OH (June 16, 2017): It was planned to be a full night of hot racing under beautiful mostly clear skies. The “make-up” Evergreen Lake Park Campground CARS Crate Late Model feature was first on the card with Dave Airgood going green to checkers in front of the field for the win. When the regularly scheduled features started it was Jimmy Kennerknecht taking the lead at seven laps into the event then leading until checkers fell, Tyler Frankenberry picking up his first Bonnell Auto Group Economod feature win of the year, then Raceway 7’s most prolific winner, Joel Watson, took over at the front on lap three, leading to the rains came for his first win of the current campaign. The regularly scheduled Evergreen Lake Park Campground CARS Crate Late Model feature will be run at a date to be determined.
Khole Wanzer and Dave Airgood started the “make-up” feature from the front row with Airgood getting the jump at green with Kyle Zimmerman coming to second and Darrell Bossard third. At five complete Dylan Goodman spun in turn two. With green in the air it was now Airgood, Bossard, points leader Dennis Lunger, Zimmerman, and Alan Dellinger. Dellinger came to fourth at nine complete. Brandon Porter came to a stop coming out of two just past halfway, slowing the field again. Lunger got to second at twelve complete with Zimmerman back up to fourth. Then at fifteen complete Zimmerman headed to the infield with mechanical ails. At the checkers it was Airgood by a quarter lap over Bossard, Lunger, Brenton Santee, and June 9 winner Chris Withers.
After the “Autograph Session”, always a fan favorite, was finished, the Bonnell’s Auto Group Economods took to the track for their 15-lap finale with Wayne Daniels and Eric Wilson on the front row. Justin Sax looped it in turn one, setting up an immediate restart. Just past the start Wilson was crowded into the outside wall, ending his night early. The third attempt at green was successful with Steve Haefke coming to the lead and starting to open a lead until lap three when Kyle Reinwald spun in turn one. Third-restarting Brandon Blackshear came to second at the start but only one more green flag lap was completed before Jim Van Cise spun on the main straight. On this start Tyler Frankenberry had the lead by the time the field made it to the back straight but again only one lap was green when Sax again spun. On this start cars spun on both ends on the track, Mitch Wright prior to the green and Geoff Conn in turn one. Frankenberry again led after green with Blackshear and Haefke right behind. The next caution was at five laps, Sax’s third of the event, sending him pitside, with Jim Van Cise also coming to a stop. Cale Sousa was the next caution, again at five laps. With six complete Haefke was challenging Frankenberry but the early-season winner began lengthening his lead. With five to go it was Frankenberry, Haefke, Blackshear, Eric Reinwald, and Jace Ferringer when Matt Alexander spun in turn one. Coming to green Van Cise again spun, ending his night. Haefke came to a halt in turn one with four to go. For the restart it was Frankenberry, Blackshear, Eric Reinwald, Ferringer, and Geoff Conn. It was Frankenberry’s first win of the 2017 Raceway 7 season.
Don McGuire took off with the early lead in the Campbell’s Mini Storage Street Stocks. As the field reached the end of lap one Ron Boardman and Chris McGuire spun in turn three, bringing caution with fourteen to go. Mike Hudzik slowed to a halt in turn two so only one more lap was complete. Jimmy Kennerknecht led from green but three racers piled up in turn four before a lap was complete, yet again slowing the race. McGuire again led with at one lap with Kennerknecht second and Marotto third when Snyder spun in turn two, his second chargeable caution. Kennerknecht again came to second with Jamie Duncan third at five compete. Richard Chess Sr was the next caution at lap six. At the end of seven Kennerknecht was the leader over McGuire with Jamie Duncan and Tim Deutsch fighting over third but Deutsch spun into the infield at turn one. Duncan was second at ten complete while Kennerknecht was opening his lead. With two to go Duncan was closing the gap but Kennerknecht held on for the win with McGuire third, Marotto fourth, and points leader Shaun Fawcett fifth.
Former champions Dale Fraschetti and Bud Sergeff brought the Sunnyside Farm Transport Mini Stocks $400 to win 15-lapper to green with Sergeff leading over Fraschetti and Joe Campbell, a winner earlier in the season. At seven laps into the race lapped traffic came into play with the leaders successfully negotiating the maze of cars as they reached reached them but without incident. With three laps left the front three were close on the track with the lapped car of Gunner Schwartz making contact with second-running Fraschetti, with the former champion then spinning into the infield off turn four and putting the race under caution for the first time. For the final three laps the order for green was Sergeff, Joe Campbell, former champion Brad Cole, Andy Proper, and Tim Callahan. Proper challenged for second over the final laps but Sergeff and Campbell pulled away until Schwartz again had problems on turn four, spinning by himself, bringing caution over the field with one lap to go. Campbell made a charge on the final lap, pulling almost even with Sergeff who won by mere inches over Campbell, Proper, Tim Callahan, and defending champion Jason Easler.
Troy Johnson and Mike Potosky brought the twenty-car Bonnell Collision Service Center E-Mod feature to green with early-season feature winners Ken Zimmer and Josh Double right behind. Potosky lead the way with Johnson second for the first two laps. In turn two third running Double spun as rain began falling on the track. At green points leader Joel Watson, running fourth at the restart shot to second in turn one, then leading as they came across the line at the end of three laps. At the end of four, Potosky stopped at the pit entrance, drawing the next caution. Watson brought the race back to green with Gary Eicher now second and Johnson third. Eicher challenged over the first lap back green but Watson then showed his dominance, pulling out to the lead. The two front runners opened a quarter lap lead on third. At halfway Watson’s lead was growing with Brent Rhebergen coming to fourth and Billy Henry fifth. With six to go, Henry slowed in turn three, advancing Ken Zimmer to the top five. Rain was falling harder at this point and caution was thrown for the rain. Watson was declared the winner over Eicher, Johnson, Rhebergen, and Zimmer.
Evergreen Lake Park Campground CARS Crate Late Models:
Heat 1: Alan Dellinger, Darrell Bossard, Brenton Santee, Khole Wanzer, Chad Sines, Mike Bambarger, Brandon Porter
Heat 2: Dave Airgood, Chris Withers, Will Pinckney, Joe Long, Dylan Goodman, Hunter Hulley, Chris Nicholson
Heat 3: Kyle Zimmerman, Josh Stoica, Wendall Pinckney, Bo Walters, Dennis Lunger, Ed Bolyard
Feature: Rained out
Make-Up Feature: Dave Airgood, Darrell Bossard, Dennis Lunger, Brenton Santee, Chris Withers, Wendall Pinckney, Chad Sines, Josh Stoica, William Pinckney, Khole Wanzer, Kyle Zimmerman, Alan Zimmerman, Dylan Goodman, Ed Goodman, Brandon Porter, Alex Anderson (DNS)
Bonnell Collision Service E-Mods:
Heat 1: Mike Potosky, Brent Rhebergen, Percy McDonald, Casey Bower, Jake Eucker, Josh Ferry, Josh McDonald
Heat 2: Jeremy Double, Ken Zimmer, Billy Henry, Mike Kinney, Jeff Johnson, Bill Taylor
Heat 3: Joel Watson, Gary Eicher, Troy Johnson, Rick Pratschler, Chuck Steinle Jr, Dan McDonald, Bud Watson
Feature: Joel Watson, Gary Eicher, Troy Johnson, Brent Rhebergen, Ken Zimmer, Percy McDonald, Jeff Johnson, Rick Pratschler, Jake Eucker, Josh Ferry, Chuck Steinle Jr, Jeremy Double, Dan McDonald, Josh McDonald, Bill Taylor, Billy Henry, Bud Watson, Mike Potosky, Mike Kinney, Casey Bowers
Bonnell’s Auto Group Economods:
Heat 1: Tyler Frankenberry, Gary Miller, Justin Sax, Kyle Reinwald, Jim Van Cise, Casey Harmon, Mike Harmon, Cale Sousa (DNS)
Heat 2: Brandon Blackshear, Mitch Wright, Jim Haefke, Mark Titus, Eric Reinwald, Gary Murphy, Ashley Rogers
Heat 3: Eric Wilson, Jace Ferringer, Wayne Daniels, Geoff Conn, Jason Brightman, Matt Alexander, Chuck Steinle, Sr,
Feature: Tyler Frankenberry, Brandon Blackshear, Eric Reinwald, Jace Ferringer, Geoff Conn, Jason Brightman, Gary Murphy, Bob Vogt Jr, Kyle Reinwald, Casey Harmon, Matt Alexander, Cale Sousa, Dan McEwen, Wayne Daniels, Steve Haefke, Chuck Steinle Sr, Ashley Rogers, Jim Van Cise, Mark Titus, Mike Harmon, Justin Sax, Mitchell Wright, Eric Wilson, Zach Myers (DNS)
Campbell’s Mini Storage Street Stocks:
Heat 1: Chris McGuire, Shaun Fawcett, Jamie Duncan, Garrett Calvert, Jessie Brock, Mike Horton, Darr Diegelman, Tim Deutsch
Heat 2: Anthony Marotto, Pat Fielding, Dan Fedorchak, Mike Hidzik, Ron Boardman, Bill Applebee, Wesley McCray, Tony “Spaghetti” Bruno
Heat 3: Jimmy Kennerknecht, Jacob Billyk, Don McGuire, Dave Snyder, Art Edwards, Troy Dezarn, Richard Chess Sr
Feature: Jimmy Kennerknecht, Jamie Duncan, Don McGuire, Anthony Marotto, Shaun Fawcett, Pat Fielding, Garrett Calvert, Jacob Billyk, Bill Applebee, Wesley McCray, David Snyder, David Snyder, Mike Horton, Jesse Brock, Tim Deutsch, Tony “Spaghetti” Bruno, Troy Dezarn, Richard Chess Jr, Art Edwards, Chris McGuire, Ron Boardman, Dan Fedorchak, Mike Hudzik, Darr Diegelman (DNS)
Suunnyside Farm Transit Inc Mini Stocks:
Heat 1: Jeff Nunemaker, Jason Easler, Andy Proper, Zack Eller, Alan Sousa, Jesse Harvey, Zack Downes, Casey Burch, Derrick Tuttle
Heat 2: Tim Callahan, Bud Sergeff, Scott Gill, Pat Drennan, Jack Shipman, Mike Barr, Corey Wick, Joe Keney, Kyle Adkins
Heat 3: Brad Cole, Joe Campbell, Dale Fraschetti, Bill Fuchs, Emily Stoyer, Brian McGarvie, Shawn McBride, Alex Forbes, Gunnar Schwartz,
Heat 4: Matt Miller, Tyler Fulton, Jim Jones, Gary Drake Jr, Zoey Gill, Mary Hammond, Wes Stull, Justin Bailey, Al Georgia
B-Main: Casey Burch, Brian McGarvie, Tyler Barr, Mary Hammond, Shawn McGarvie, Jesse Harvey, Alex Forbes, Wes Stull, Gunner Schwartz, Justin Bailey, Zack Downes, Derrick Tuttle, Joe Keney, Kyle Adkins, Al Georgia, Corey Wick
Feature: Bud Sergeff, Joe Campbell, Andy Proper, Tim Callahan, Jason Easler, Matt Miller, Bill Fuchs, Casey Burch, Tyler Fulton, Pat Drennan, Jim Jones, Gary Drake Jr, Zack Eller, Brian McGarvie, Mike Barr, Mary Hammond, Emily Storer, Gunner Schwartz, Alan Sousa, Zoey Gill, Brad Cole, Shawn McBride, Dale Fraschetti, Jack Shipman, Jeff Nunemaker, Scott Gill (DNS)