Bill Watson Gets First Win Of Year At Raceway 7

Conneaut, OH (August 2, 2019): For the twelfth consecutive night of 2019 Raceway 7 got all scheduled events completed with one new winner and four repeats. Bill Watson was the new winner, scoring his first Campbell’s Mini Storage Street Stock victory of the year while Matt Latta (Evergreen Lake Park Campground RUSH Late Models) collected his fourth of the year, Gary Eicher, a past champion, won his third of the season, Kyle Miller (Bonnell’s Auto Sales Economods) got his fourth, and defending Sunnyside Farm Transit Mini Stocks champion Dillon Speer upped his season total to six!

The first feature out was for the Sunnyside Farm Transit Mini Stocks with pole-sitter Zoey Gill leading Brad Cole, Emily Stoyer, Jessica Harvey, and Corey Wick through lap one. Caution flew when Kevin Watson clipped an infield marking tire in turn four, moving it onto the racing surface. Points leader Mark Lawrence moved into second position at lap two after starting eighth. At three laps Lawrence was leading with Gill now second, Stoyer third, defending class champion Dillon Speer up to fourth after starting ninth, and Harvey now fifth. Speer came to third at five laps then was second at the halfway point. With three laps left Lawrence and Speer were side by side at the stripe with Speer the leader with two to go, taking over on the back stretch as a lapped car impeded the leaders at turn two. At the finish it was Speer for his sixth victory of the year over Lawrence, Gill, Stoyer, and Cole.

Next up were the Bonnell’s Collision Center E-Mods with former two-time champion Gary Eicher and Alan Atkinson on the front row. At the drop of the green Eicher charged into the lead, which he would not relinquish, winning his third of the year. At lap two four-time ’19 winner Mike Potosky went wide in turn two, nearly clipping the rails and slipping back to eighth in the running order. In turn three on lap three Josh McDonald got into the guard rails and Brian Huffman spun, slowing the race under yellow. For the restart it was Eicher, Atkinson, Jesse Gould, Mike Kinney, and defending champion Troy Johnson leading the way. Only one more lap was finished when Huffman again spun and Scott Stiffler came to a halt in turn three. Stiffler was done for the night, the apparent victim of mechanical ails. For this green Kinney was second behind Eicher with Gould third, Atkinson back to fourth, and former champion Percy McDonald up to fifth. The next yellow was at lap six when Bill Taylor and Huffman spun in turn two, Huffman was relegated pitside as it was his third charged caution of the event. When halfway was reached the order was Eicher, Kinney, Gould, Johnson, and Potosky. Percy McDonald was the next caution, at the halfway point, when he stopped at turn three. On lap eleven it was three wide for third among Johnson, Potosky, and Gould coming through turn two with Potosky emerging with the position over Gould and Johnson. Johnson got to fourth with five to go and points leader Casey Bowers was fifth at eighteen complete. At the checkers it was Eicher, Kinney, Potosky, Johnson, and Bowers.

The Campbell Mini Storage Street Stocks were next with Joe Stajnragh and Tony Spaghetti to the front of the field. Stajnragh led the way over Spaghetti, points leader and two-time winner Pat Fielding, David Baker, and Bill Watson, who had suffered a flat tire while leading last Friday. On turn two at two laps Mike Miller, Jamie Duncan, Curt Bish, and Dave Snyder piled up. With three complete Watson was up to third behind Stajnragh and Fielding. At four laps Darr Diegelman spun in turn two, suffering front end damage. After green Watson was the leader by the time four laps were complete over Stajnragh, Fielding, Jamie Duncan, and Spaghetti. Fielding was second at five laps. Caution flew at seven laps when Charlie McMillen spun in turn four with Snyder, Tom Teed, and Jesse Brock all spinning to avoid involvement. At halfway it was Watson leading Fielding, Stajnragh, Larry Kugel, up from tenth, and Duncan. Duncan was on the move, up to third at nine laps when Tom Teed spun for the third time, ending his night. Brock’s night ended on a sour note when he hit the front straight wall at lap ten. The final caution was for Stajnragh, spun in turn two with two to go. Duncan took over second on the back stretch on the final lap. Watson went on to the win, his first of the year, over Duncan, Fielding, who lost power coming to the line, Baker, and Spaghetti. In post-race inspection, Stajnragh, who had finished eighth, was disqualified and moved to the last place in the rundown.

Three-time winner Kyle Miller and two-time winner Nate Young were the front row for the start of the Bonnell’s Auto Sales Economod feature with Miller taking the immediate lead over Young, Mitchell Wright, Brian Huchko, and Dustin Demattia. Demattia got up to second on the back straight of lap two when Derek Connors spun in turns three and four, also involving Judson Fell, Gary Murphy, Hayden Loomis, and Dan Moffitt. Demattia pitted under caution. The restart order was then Miller, Nate Young, Wright, Brian Hochko, and Will Pinckney. Loomis was the next caution only one lap later. Jarrit Young came to fifth at lap four, then Connors spun again in turn one. When green resumed Demattia returned, two laps down. Hayden Loomis spun in three on lap five with both Hochko and Billy Cunningham spinning after the caution was flying. As such, they were restored to their spots for the green. By halfway the front five were Miller, Nate Young, Wright, Jarrit Young, and Hochko. Dan Moffitt was the next yellow on lap eight. After green Wright and Jarrit Young had a two lap spirited battle for third then on lap ten both Moffitt and Loomis spun in turn one, the third for each so both were sent to pits. Points leader Matt Alexander was fifth with two laps to go when Allen Phillips spun, then coming to the green Moffitt and Phillips wrecked on the front straight. The final green had Miller, Nate Young, Jarrit Young, Wright, and Alexander in the top five through to the finish.

The night capper was for the Evergreen Lake Park Campground RUSH Late Models with three-time winner Matt Latta and June 7 winner Breyton Santee at the front. Latta, Santee, Chad Sines, former champion Kyle Zimmerman, and defending champion and current points leader Darrell Bossard fifth. Yellow flew at lap two when Joe Howell spun in turn one. Chris Withers spun in turn one at lap two. Chad Sines took over second at green with Bossard coming to fourth at two laps. At lap two Jacob Peterson spun in turn four. Santee was back in second at lap three with Sines and Zimmerman side by side at four laps. Brandon Porter looped his mount at lap four in turn four. Zimmerman was second at lap five. At halfway it was Latta, Zimmerman, Santee, Bossard, and Sines. The order remained static though the final caution, for a spin by Joe Watson on lap seventeen, and then through to the checkers as Latta became a four-time winner.

Next Friday will see another 5-Star show.

This week’s race report brought to you by Close Racing Supply:

Evergreen Lake Park Campground RUSH Crate Late Models:
Heat 1: Dave Airgood, Chad Sines, Breyton Santee, Cory Sines, John Oakes, Joe Howell, John Watson
Heat 2: Joe Long, Darrell Bossard, Khole Wanzer, Dennis Dellinger, Chris Withers, John Stockdale
Heat 3: Matt Latta, Kyle Zimmerman, Joe DeFazio, Joe Watson, Jacob Peterson, Brandon Porter
Feature: Matt Latta, Kyle Zimmerman, Breyton Santee, Darrell Bossard, Chad Sines, Joe Long, Dave Airgood, Dennis Dellinger, Chris Withers, Khole Wanzer, John Oakes, John Watson, Joe DeFazio, John Stockdale, Jacob Peterson, Joe Watson, Brandon Porter Joe Howell, Cory Sines

Bonnell’s Collision Center E-Mods:
Heat 1: Casey Bowers, Gary Eicher, Mike Potosky, Mike Kinney, Brandon Grossman, Bill Taylor, Scott Stiffler, Brian Huffman
Heat 2: Percy McDonald, Charlie Steinle, Alan Atkinson, Troy Johnson, Dan McDonald, Jeff Johnson, Garrett Calvert
Feature: Gary Eicher, Mike Kinney, Mike Potosky, Troy Johnson, Casey Bowers, Jesse Gould, Alan Atkinson, Brandon Grossman, Jeff Johnson, Garrett Calvert, Charlie Steinle, Dan McDonald, Bill Taylor, Percy McDonald, Brian Huffman, Josh McDonald, Scott Stiffler

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

Bonnell’s Auto Sales Economods:
Heat 1: Kyle Miller, Nate Young, Jarrit Young, Matt Alexander, Justin Chaddock, Mike Harmon, Dan Moffitt
Heat 2: Mitchell Wright, Will Pinckney, Justin Sax, Billy Cunningham, Jim Mama, Allen Phillips, Judson Fell
Heat 3: Dustin Demattia, Brian Hochko, Derek Connors, Gary Murphy, Charlie Steinle, Kyle Adkins, Casey Harmon
Feature: Kyle Miller, Nate Young, Jarrit Young, Mitchell Wright, Matt Alexander, Brian Huchko, Justin Sax, Justin Chaddock, Will Pinckney, Gary Murphy, Billy Cunningham, Derek Connors, Allen Phillips, Jim Muma, Dustin Demattia, Casey Harmon, Dan Moffitt, Hayden Loomis, Kyle Adkins, Judson Fell, Mike Harmon (FNS)

Sunnyside Farm Transit Mini Stocks:
Heat 1: Jessica Harvey, Mark Lawrence, Joe Dewoody, Brian Butler, Andrew Pisarchick, Tristen Start, Ana Vassen
Heat 2: Zoey Gill, Corey Wick, Brad Cole, Dalton Speer, Jeremy Start, Scott Gill, Tricia Jacklett
Heat 3: Dillon Speer, Jim Haefke, Emily Stoyer, Kevin Watson, Mike Barr, Colton Priebe
Feature: Dillon Speer, Mark Lawrence, Zoey Gill. Emily Stoyer, Brad Cole, Jim Haefke, Jessica Harvey, Corey Wick, Dalton Speer, Mike Barr, Jeremy Start, Joe Dewoody, Tricia Jacklett, Brian Butler, Andrew Pisarchick, Colton Priebe, Tristen Start, Ana Vassen, Kevin Watson, Scott Gill (DNS)