Miller Wins 2-Barrel Rumble At Raceway 7

By Jay Pees

Conneaut, OH (July 26, 2019): Excitement was the rule at Raceway 7 Friday night as one feature was decided in a last-corner pass, another featured three-wide racing for the lead with the eventual winner sneaking through between the leaders and a mini stock pirouetting after clipping an infield marker. Tempers flared at several points during the evening! After the final checkers flew it was five veterans in Victory Lane. Dave Airgood led from flag to flag for his second consecutive win in the Evergreen Lake Park Campground RUSH Late Models, Casey Bowers led the distance in the Bonnell’s Collision Center E-Mods, and Jamie Duncan paced the Campbell’s Mini Storage Street Stocks, taking the lead after a caution just past the halfway point. Kyle Miller took the laurels for the third time in the Bonnell’s Auto Sales Economod feature after a daring pass in a three-wide tussle for the lead on lap six. The night-capper was won on the final corner in a door-to-door and sheet metal banging run for the win with Joe Campbell emerging the victor!

The first class on the track for feature action was the Bonnell’s Collision Center E-Mods with Dan McDonald and Brandon Grossman on the front row. The field had only got to turn three when Josh McDonald spun, forcing a complete restart. When the lap was complete it was third-starting Casey Bowers showing the way over Dan McDonald, opening night and two-time winner Mike Kinney, Grossman, and Alan Atkinson. On lap two Kinney got to second then Dan Davies spun in turn two. Davies was done for the night with front end damage. The next caution was on the restart when a ‘mud-plug’ flew off a competitor, landing on the track. At five laps the order was Bowers, Kinney, former two-time champion Gary Eicher (up from ninth on the grid), Dan McDonald, and Grossman. At halfway Eicher had got by McDonald and was now third. That was the order at the finish, Bowers, Kinney, Eicher, McDonald, and Grossman.

Next to race was the Campbell’s Mini Storage Street Stocks with pole-sitter Jim Fosnaught taking the lead over Bill Watson, Darr Diegelman, Jamie Duncan, and Larry Kugel. Caution flew when Tom Teed, Charlie McMillen, and Jesse Brock tangled. Watson took over at the front entering the back straight on lap four but he only held it until lap six when his right rear tire went flat, elevating Fosnaught back into the lead. At halfway it was Fosnaught, Duncan, points leader Pat Fielding, Diegelman, and Joe Stajnragh the top five. Just past halfway, at lap eight, Teed and Dave Snyder spun in turn two, again slowing the race. After green Duncan got to the front of the pack in turn two on lap nine. He immediately began extending his lead, eventually to 2.247 seconds at the finish. With three to go Fielding came to second on the back stretch. The final order of the top five was Duncan, Fielding, Fosnaught, Stajnragh, and Kugel.

The featured event of the evening was for the Bonnell’s Auto Sales Economods, brought to green by last week’s winner, Matt Alexander, and defending champion Eric Reinwald. Alexander led Reinwald, fourth-starting Kyle Miller, third-starting Kyle Reinwald, and two-time winner Nate Young through lap one. Judson Fell spun in turn two on lap three, eventually involving Derek Connors and Hayden Loomis, who spun to avoid contact. Connors was unable to continue. By lap four Miller had moved into second then held the lead by 1/100 second at the line when they crossed at lap six ahead of Eric Reinwald, Alexander, Nate Young, and Kyle Reinwald. The next caution was for Allen Phillips, spun in turn two. Coming through turn four on lap nine Eric Reinwald slid wide and dropped from second back to sixth. At the halfway point (10 laps) Bob Vogt Jr and Justin Sax spun in turns three and four. Miller, Alexander, Nate Young, Mitch Wright, and Kyle Reinwald were the leaders at the resumption of competition but Kyle Reinwald and Will Pinckney both spun, again slowing the race and moving Jarrit Young into fifth. After green, Pinckney again spun, this time in turn four on lap twelve with Young now in fourth, ahead of Wright. Jarrit Young again spun on the restart with Eric Reinwald also involved. With seven to go Nate Young mounted a challenge for the lead but Miller pulled out to a .325 second lead at the stripe with Billy Cunningham taking over fifth. The gap from Miller back to second increased to .612 second at two to go but tightened to just .344 second at the checkers. The top five wound up as Miller, Nate Young, Alexander, Wright, and Cunningham.

The Evergreen Lake Park Campground RUSH Late Models were next with June 7 winner Breyton Santee on the pole and July 19 winner Dave Airgood on the outside. Airgood grabbed the lead but Santee stayed with him and was only .150 second back at the end of one lap. Fourth-starting Matt Sipes was third with third-starting Chad Sines fourth and points leader, and defending champion, Darrell Bossard fifth after one lap. Bossard was up to fourth at three laps with Steve Hollabaugh, Jamie Wrightsman, and Andy Boozel involved in a spin, slowing the event under yellow. At lap four Sipes got to second on the back straight but then slowed dramatically a lap later and headed pitside. Yellow again flew at lap eight when Brandon Porter spun in turn two with Matt Latta now up to second , Bossard third, Santee fourth, and Sines fifth. Sines came to fourth at the halfway point with Airgood increasing his lead through lap thirteen. Yellow flew for Joe Howell, who stuck his nosepiece between the guard rails in turns one and two at lap fourteen. At the white flag Airgood enjoyed his biggest lead, .694 second but Latta closed to just .336 second at the checkers. The final order of the top five was Airgood, Latta, Bossard, Santee, and Sines.

The night-capper featured a wild finish. It started normal-enough with defending champion and five-time winner Dillon Speer and points leader Mark Lawrence on the front row. Lawrence jumped to the lead at the start with Dillon second, 2017 champion Joe Campbell third, Mike Barr fourth, and Jessica Harvey fifth. Both Harvey and Emily Stoyer got by Barr at lap three. At the halfway mark Lawrence led Speer, Campbell, Harvey, and Stoyer. Barr was back up to fifth at lap eight. Then, in turn one, second place points car Jim Haefke hit an infield-marking tire and pirouetted one complete roll on his nose. Haefke was ok but was done for the night. On green Campbell challenged for the lead in turns one and two but fell back into second. Debris in the form of Tristan Start’s rear bumper cover in turn two was the cause of the next caution. Stoyer took over fourth from Harvey at lap ten. Speer, tied for second in points with Haefke, then slowed to a stop with a left front flat and not under power on the front straight. He needed his car pushed pitside. One more caution was necessary when Ana Vassen got into the wall on the front straight. On the final trip through turns three and four Campbell and Lawrence got together with Campbell taking the lead and the win. Lawrence showed his displeasure at the outcome by brushing against Campbell’s car sitting in Victory Lane. Stoyer wound up third with Harvey fourth, and Barr fifth.

Evergreen Lake Park Campground RUSH Late Models:
Heat 1: Dave Airgood, Chad Sines, Zach Downes, Matt Sipes, Jamie Wrightsman, Joe Watson, Joe Howell (DNS)
Heat 2: Chris Withers, Joe Long, Corey Sines, Khole Wanzer, Steve Hollabaugh, Jacob Peterson
Heat 3: Darrell Bossard, Matt Latta, Breyton Santee, Kyle Zimmerman, Brandon Porter, Andy Boozel
Feature: Dave Airgood, Matt Latta, Darrell Bossard, Breyton Santee, Chad Sines, Kyle Zimmerman, Joe Long, Matt Sipes, Andy Boozel, Khole Wanzer, Chris Withers, Jamie Wrightsman, Joe Watson, Jacob Peterson, Joe Howell, Steve Hollabaugh, Brandon Porter, Cory Sines, Zach Downes (DNS)

Bonnell Collision Center E-Mods:
Heat 1: Casey Bowers, Howard Farley, Brandon Grossman, Alan Atkinson, Gary Eicher, Dan Davies, Charlie Steinle, Scott Stiffler
Heat 2: Dan McDonald, Mike Kinney, Garrett Calvert, Jeff Johnson, Josh McDonald, Brian Huffman, Bill Taylor (DNS)
Feature: Casey Bowers, Mike Kinney, Gary Eicher, Dan McDonald, Brandon Grossman, Alan Atkinson, Scott Stiffler, Josh McDonald, Howard Fraley, Garrett Calvert, Jeff Johnson, Bill Taylor, Dan Davies, Chuck Steinle Jr, Brian Huffman (DNS)

Campbell’s Mini Storage Street Stocks:
Heat 1: Jim Fosnaught, Joe Stajnragh, Tom Teed, Darr Diegelman, Tony Spaghetti, Jessie Brock, Troy Dezarn, Steve Horvath
Heat 2: Bill Watson, Jamie Duncan, Larry Kugel, Pat Fielding, Dave Snyder, Charlie McMillen, David Baker
Feature: Jamie Duncan, Pat Fielding, Jim Fosnaught, Joe Stajnragh, Larry Kugel, Darr Diegelman, Tony Spaghetti, Charlie McMillen, Dave Snyder, Tom Teed, Steve Horvath, Troy Dezarn, Bill Watson, Jesse Brock, David Baker (DNS)

Bonnell Auto Sales Economods:
Heat 1: Matt Alexander, Eric Reinwald, Mike Harmon, Casey Harmon, Derek Connors, Justin Sax, Cale Sousa
Heat 2: Nate Young, Mitchell Wright, Gary Olson, Jarrit Young, Judson Fell, Allen Phillips, Hayden Loomis
Heat 3: Kyle Reinwald, Kyle Miller, John Boyd, Billy Cunningham, Bob Vogt Jr, Will Pinckney
Feature: Kyle Miller, Nate Young, Matt Alexander, Mitchell Wright, Billy Cunningham, Bob Vogt Jr, Jarrit Young, Mike Boyd, Will Pinckney, Justin Sax, Allen Phillips, Kyle Reinwald, Casey Harmon, Eric Reinwald, Mike Harmon, Cale Sousa, Gary Olson, Judson Fell, Derek Connors, Hayden Loomis

Sunnyside Farm Transit Mini Stocks:
Heat 1: Corey Wick, Jessica Harvey, Jim Haefke, Alan Souza, Tricia Jacklett, Ana Vassen, Chuck Rush
Heat 2: Joe Campbell. Zoey Gill, Mike Barr, Joe Watson, Scott Gill, Joe Dewoody, Tristan Start
Heat 3: Mark Lawrence, Dillon Speer, Emily Stoyer, Dalton Speer, Brian McGarvie, Alex Siekkinen
Feature: Joe Campbell, Mark Lawrence, Emily Stoyer, Jessica Harvey, Zoey Gill, Mike Barr, Dalton Speer, Brian McGarvie, 01, Joe Dewoody, Alan Sousa, Chuck Rush, Tristan Start, Kevin Watson, Dillon Speer, Trisha Jacklett, Jim Haefke, Corey Wick, 01L, Scott Gill, Alex Siekkinen, Ana Vassen