Downes Prevails In Mini Stock Tilt At Raceway 7

Conneaut, OH (May 18, 2018]: The third try was a charm for Raceway 7 as finally Mother Nature finally smiled on race teams and fans. The Sunnyside Farm Transit Mini Stocks were the featured division with a twenty-lap finale paying $400 to the winner. Prior to the start of the action three drivers who became deceased during the off season were remembered, Kenny Lamp Jr, Bill Herb, and Richard Chess, Jr.

Although the weather forecast had not called for rain until 3 AM, the sprinkles started just as the final feature concluded. 116 cars had signed in for the opening night program and fans were treated to close racing all through the program.

After qualifying heats set the feature lineups the Bonnell’s Auto Sales Economods took to the raceway with Mitch Wright and Eric Reinwald on the front row for their fifteen lap finale. Reinwald led the way but caution flew as Clint Smith and Bob Bellinger had problems in turn one. On the resumption of action Wright got to the end of lap one leading with the Reinwald brothers second (Eric) and third (Kyle) when caution again flew before two laps were in the book, this time for Mike Harmon, stopped in turn two. For the next restart four cars (Bill Taylor, Justin Sax, Dustin Demattie, and Brandon Fiedler) failed to negotiate turn two. Eric Reinwald was back to the front at the green, followed by Wright and Kyle Miller. Justin Sax spun in turns three and four at five complete, again slowing the event. Miller pulled pitside under the caution. After the “Delaware restart” Eric Reinwald again led Wright, Kyle Reinwald, Casey Harmon, and Steve Haefke. With ten laps complete Justin Sax again spun in turn four. With three to go Haefke was third when caution appeared for Casey Harmon, turned around in turn four. With thirteen complete Kyle Reinwald spun from fourth place in turn four. With the white flag flying Ashley Rogers spun in turn four for the eighth slowing of the event. At the checkers it was Eric Reinwald, Mitch Wright, Steve Haefke, Matt Alexander, and Brandon Blackshear.

The Campbell’s Mini Storage Street Stock Feature started with Pat Fielding and Mark Frontera up front. Fielding grabbed the lead at the drop of the green but three cars, Sid Snyder, Joe Stajnrajh, and Jason Fosnaught turned around on the back straight. Jamie Scharba had heavy damage to the right front but continued. Mike Miller spun in turn two for another caution but the leaders crossed the line prior to the caution so one lap was scored. Fielding again led on green with Frontera second when Garrett Calvert slowed to a halt on the back stretch, drawing the caution. At halfway it was Fielding, Frontera, Mike Miller, Chris McGuire, and Chris Withers when caution flew for David Baker who had spun into the turn four fence. Miller got to second at the restart with McGuire coming to third. Fosnaught, Leigh Wheeler, and Bill Applebee all wrecked at the end of nine laps. McGuire got to second at halfway but Miller fought back to the spot at the end of eleven. Joe Stajnrajh spun in turn four at twelve complete. Gary Miller and Ron Boardman spun in turn four with two laps remaining. At the white flag McGuire edged ahead of Miller for the runner up position but Fielding continued onto the win with Miller nosing ahead of McGuire at the line for second. Fosnaught wound up fourth with Withers fifth. It was Fielding’s first win at Raceway 7 and he remembered Richard Chess Jr, thanking his family for “raising such a good kid”.

Shawn McBride and Defending Champion Joe Campbell brought the Sunnyside Farm Transit Mini Stock feature to green with $400 on the line for the win. McBride led to turn one but slid high on turn two, allowing Campbell to take over at the front. Campbell then went high and John Szeleznick took over at the head of the pack with Zack Downes coming to second from eleventh on the grid. At turn one on lap seven, Szeleznick again went high in turn two, allowing Downes to get to the lead. At eight laps the two front runners had a full straight lead over third running McBride. Yellow flew at eleven complete as Jacob Peterson slowed to a stop on the back straight, allowing McBride, Campbell, and Dhillon Speer to close the gap on the leaders. Downes began opening his lead over Szeleznick with Speer challenging both Campbell and McBride, coming to third at the white flag. The top five at the checkers were Downes, Szeleznick, Speer, Campbell, and McBride.

Reigning champion Gary Eicher and Percy McDonald, another former champion, brought the twenty Bonnell’s Collision Center E-Mod starters to green after Billy Henry had to be towed from the racing surface during the pace laps. Eicher led till turn two when he slipped high, allowing Percy McDonald to take over at the front with Mike McGee second. Former champion Joel Watson came to third at the end of three from tenth on the grid. Caution flew at five laps when Hunter Hulley spun in turn four. For the restart it was McGee, Percy McDonald, Watson, Jesse Gould, and Eicher. Watson was second as the field roared out of two with McGee leading the way. At seven complete Eicher was back to fourth but yellow flew for Greg Johnson, Troy Johnson, and Casey Bowers all spun in turn two. Greg Johnson headed pitside but Troy Johnson and Bowers, spun but able to continue. Watson had half a length lead at the end of eight with Eicher third, behind McGee. At halfway it was Watson, McGee, Eicher, Gould, and Percy McDonald. With nine to go Rick Pratschler and Dan McDonald tangled in turn one. Eicher was up to second by twelve laps complete but Watson was pulling away. Percy McDonald spun in turn four at thirteen laps. For this green it was Watson, Eicher, McGee, Josh Ferry, and Nolan Dalton. McGee got by Eicher at lap fourteen with Dalton getting by Ferry for fourth. With two to go Watson had half a straight lead over McGee. A quarter lap was the final margin of victory over McGee, Eicher, Dalton, and Bud Watson.

Josh Stroica and Darrell Bossard started the Evergreen Lake Park Campground RUSH Crate Late Model feature on the front row but John McGee got turned around at the start, immediately slowing the race and necessitating a complete restart. Bossard, a former champion, grabbed the lead at the start but only one lap was in when caution flew for Brandon Porter, spun on the main straight. When the race resumed Dave Airgood began pressuring Bossard for the lead with former champion Kyle Zimmerman third. Only three laps were complete when Mike Smith spun in turn three. Heading into turn one Airgood snagged the inside berm , then shot across the track, leaving Zimmerman no place to go, but to collide, and also gathering Josh Stoica. All were able to continue. Brandon Porter pitted during the caution. For the green it was Bossard, Breyton Santee, and Zach Kane with that order as the race progressed. Chad Sines and Cory Sines fill out the top five. At seven laps it was Khole Wanzer fifth but Airgood was back to the spot at eight complete. At halfway Mike Smith spun directly ahead of the leader but the entire field got by without contact. Airgood got to fourth at twelve laps. Cory Sines spun in turn one and was collected hard by Josh Stoica for the next caution. Kane got to second at the green but Santee fought back to run right next to him at fourteen. Then Airgood got by Kane and began challenging for second, gaining the spot with two to go. At the white flag Bossard had a half straight lead, going on to the checkers over Airgood, Santee, Kane, and Wanzer.

Results:

Evergreen Lake Park Campground Crate Late Models:

Heat 1: Dave Airgood, Josh Stoica, Zach Kane, Cory Sines, John Stockdale, Brandon Porter, Mike Smith, Khole Wanzer, John McGee

Heat 2: Darrell Bossard, Kyle Zimmerman, William Pinckney, Chad Sines, John McGee, Breyton Santee, Jeff Walters

Feature: Darrell Bossard, Dave Airgood, Breyton Santee, Zach Kane, Khole Wanzer, Chad Sines, John Stockdale, William Pinckney, Cory Sines, Josh Stoica, Mike Smith, Kyle Zimmerman, Brandon Porter, Jeff Walters (DNS)

Bonnell’s Collision Center E-Mods:

Heat 1: Josh Ferry, Greg Johnson, Michael McGee, Gary Eicher, Jesse Gould, Dan McDonald, Rick Pratschler, Dan Davies, Ken Zimmer

Heat 2: Nolan Dalton, Percy McDonald, Steve Rex, Hunter Hulley, Josh McDonald, Alan Atkinson, Mike Kinney

Heat 3: Joel Watson, Billy Henry, Troy Johnson, Bud Watson, Casey Bowers, Dan Sasso, Bill Taylor, Dennis Lunger

Feature: Joel Watson, Michael McGee, Gary Eicher, Nolan Dalton, Josh Ferry, Dennis Lunger, Troy Johnson, Ken Zimmer, Alan Atkinson, Dan Sasso, Rick Pratschler, Jesse Gould, Steve Rex, Percy McDonald, Hunter Hulley, Bill Taylor, Dan McDonald, Greg Johnson, Casey Bowers, Billy Henry, Josh McDonald (DNS), Mike Potosky (DNS), Dan Davies (DNS)

Campbell’s Mini Storage Street Stocks:

Heat 1: Pat Fielding, Darr Dielegman, Leigh Wheeler, Chris Withers, Jason Fosnaught, Sid Snyder, Gary Miller

Heat 2: Mark Frontera, Mike Clark, Chris McGuire, Jimmy Kennerknecht, Brad Stueger, Paul Schreckengost, Jessie Brock

Heat 3:Garrett Calvert, Tony Bruno, Ron Boardman, Anthony Marotto, Gary Miller, Charlie Baptiste, David Baker

Heat 4: Jamie Duncan, Jamie Scharba, Joe Stajnrajh, Mike Miller, Bill Applebee, Terry Wheeler

Feature: Pat Fielding, Mike Clark, Chris McGuire, Jason Fosnaught, Chris Withers, Paul Schreckengost, Darr Diegelman, Bill Applebee, Anthony Marotto, Tony Bruno, Charlie Baptiste, David Baker, Terry Wheeler, Gary Miller, Ron Boardman, Sid Snyder, Joe Stajnrajh, Mark Frontera, Leigh Wheeler, Jessie Brock, Mike Miller, Garrett Calvert, Jamie Duncan, Jamie Scharba, Jimmy Kennerknecht, Brad Stueger

Bonnell’s Auto Sales Economods:

Heat 1: Steve Haefke, Charlie Steinle Jr, Geoff Conn, Casey Harmon. Ashley Rogers, Dennis Dellinger, Brandon Fiedler

Heat 2: Kyle Reinwald, Mike Harmon, Gary Olson, Bob Bellinger, Pat Drennan, Lee Patrick, Dale Fraschetti

Heat 3: Kyle Miller, Eric Reinwald, Mark Titus, Matt Alexander, Dustin Demattie, Dennis Dellinger, Buzz Seitz

Heat 4: Brandon Blackshear, Mitch Wright, Billy Henry, Justin Sax, Jason Brightman, Ed Roberts, Clint Smith

Feature: Eric Reinwald, Mitchell Wright, Steve Haefke, Matt Alexander, Brandon Blackshear, Gary Murphy, Buzz Seitz, Justin Sax, Kyle Reinwald, Ashley Rogers, Pat Drennan, Brandon Fiedler, Jason Brightman, Ed Roberts, Devin Henry, Geoff Conn, Mike Harmon, Bob Bellinger, Kyle Miller, Chuck Steinle Jr, Dale Fraschetti, Gary Olson, Mark Titus, Matt Alexander, Casey Harmon, Dennis Dellinger (DNS)

Sunnyside Farm Transit Mini Stocks:

Heat 1: Jim Buchanan, Brad Cole, Shawn McBride, William Haylett, Bill Fuchs, Nick Steiger, Justin Bailey, Chuck Homa, Kyle Donnelly

Heat 2: Zack Downes, Dillon Speer, Nichole Condron, Scott Gill, Zoey Gill, Mike Barr, Jacob Peterson, Jessica Harvey

Heat 3: John Szeleznick, Joe Campbell, Mitchell Rex, Jim Haefke Jr, Derrick Tuttle, Wes Stull, Zack Eller, Emily Stoyer, Shane Shook

Feature: Zack Downes, John Szeleznick, Dillon Speer, Shawn McBride, Joe Campbell, Brad Cole, Jim Haefke Jr, Nicole Condron, Jim Buchanan, Shane Shook, Zoey Gill, William Haylett, Bill Fuchs, Wes Stull, Nick Steiger, Mike Barr, Emily Stoyer, Justin Bailey, Zack Eller, Chuck Homa, Mitchell Rex, Jacob Peterson, Kyle Donnelly, Scott Gil, Jessica Harvey (DNS), Derrick Tuttle (DNS)