Awtey Scores Third Win Af The Year; Kostelnik Doubles At Jennerstown

Five time Jennerstown Speedway Champion Barry Awtey earned his third victory of 2019 in the Martella’s Pharmacies Late Model division of racing, on Martella’s Pharmacies Night at the Races, August 24th, 2019. Adam Kostelnik won a pair of Stoystown Auto Wreckers Modified feature events, including a makeup race from a previous rainout. After a very impressive drive, Aaron Van Fleet parked in Stoney’s Beer Victory Lane, winning the Tunstall Auto & Truck Repair Street Stock event. Veteran Kelly Shaulis won the Farmers Union Co-Op Charger feature race, and Andrew Pluta was victorious in the Somerset Trust Company Fast ‘n Furious 4-Cylinder division of racing Saturday night at Jennerstown Speedway Complex.

At the wave of the green flag, Mike “Hollywood” Hemminger got a terrific start from the pole position of the Martella’s Pharmacies Late Models’ 30-lap feature race lineup. Barry Awtey moved into second position, passing Joe Maruca on lap two. Hemminger’s reign at the front lasted just five laps, as his off-track friend Awtey, roared to the top spot. Just after Awtey grabbed the lead, on lap six, Maruca advanced to second place, sending recent winner Hemminger back to third position. Awtey started in fifth position, and once ahead, pulled away from all competitors, quickly. On lap ten, point standings leader Teddy Gibala started to challenge Hemminger for third place. Side by side the duo battled for three laps, before six-time-winner, Gibala, claimed sole possession of third position. At the midpoint of the race, Awtey, Maruca, and Gibala were comfortably spaced out, unchallenged. Maruca, who has shown all the speed needed to become a first time winner in 2019, never cut down the lead interval that Awtey amassed. As the all-time leading winner in Jennerstown history, second-generation racer Awtey lives in nearby Jenners, and once again visited Stoney’s Beer Victory Lane at his home track. Winning with ease, the dominant performance marked Awtey’s third triumph of 2019 aboard the Wheeler Family Show Cattle/Stoystown Auto Wreckers/Pizza Hut Chevrolet. Awtey is also a Champion of the Clearfield and Motordrome Speedways, both of which have ceased operation. Finishing in top five positions behind Awtey, were Maruca, Gibala, Hemminger, and 2019 winner Zane Ferrell. Gibala and Awtey won the heat races.

The Stoystown Auto Wreckers Modifieds competed in a makeup 20-lap feature race from the June 29th rainout. Adam Kostelnik grabbed the early lead from defending Champion Anthony Aiello. After two weeks of showing great strength, but falling back late in the events, Kostelnik maintained the lead through the midpoint of the race. He pulled away from close friend Aiello, building an advantage of eight car lengths. Although Aiello could not challenge leader Kostelink, he held a comfortable advantage over third place driver “Racin’ Jason” Busch. All three outran the hottest driver of late, R.J. Dallape. When the checkered flag waved, the top four drivers were a half-lap ahead of all other competitors. Kostelnik earned his first victory of 2019, over the previous week’s winner Aiello, with Busch earning another podium finish in third place. Dallape crossed the finish line in fourth position, and veteran Tom Golik was the fifth place finisher.

Popular Cindy Shaulis, a former 4-Cylinder winner, led lap one of the regularly scheduled Stoystown Auto Wreckers Modified feature event. “Racin Jason” Busch grabbed the lead on lap two, before a four crash on the front straight halted the action. All drivers were uninjured. Busch “jumped” the restart, launching too soon and suffering a penalty of two positions. Kostelnik inherited the top spot and immediately outran R.J. Dallape. Dallape, the leading winner in the division, started closing the gap on leader Kostelnik by lap twelve, as both pulled away from Busch. But Dallape never seriously threatened Kostelnik’s lead. For the second time in the same night, Kostelnik parked in Stoney’s Beer Victory Lane, leading the most laps in both races, and sweeping the night’s activities by even winning his heat race. Dallape placed second, with Busch finishing third after winning a heat race. Anthony Aiello placed fourth and Shaulis earned fifth place for the second time that night.

Casey Fleegle jumped out to an early lead, at the start of the 20-lap Tunstall Auto and Truck Repair Street Stock main event. Points leader Aaron Van Fleet locked up his brakes and flat-spotted his tires at the starting line, when a car in front of him did not reach full speed. After falling back to a distant seventh place during lap one, Van Fleet demonstrated memorable determination. In spite of a vibration from the asymmetric tires, Van Fleet stormed back up to the second position by the halfway point of the race. Former Champion Andrew Kostelnik slowed to bring out the caution flag, which worked to Van Fleet’s favor. Fleegle’s massive lead was erased by the restart, and with seven laps to go a side by side lead battle ensued. After more than a full lap of door-to-door action, Van Fleet made the winning pass. From a disastrous start, to a lead of more than six car lengths at the finish, Van Fleet persevered for a second consecutive victory, and third of the season. Fleegle, a five time 2019 winner, placed second after leading the most laps. Veteran Mel Wilt was the third place finisher, seeking his first victory of the year. Previous winners Zac Todaro and Jeremy Shaffer finished fourth and fifth. Fleegle won the heat race.

Kelly Shaulis has been racing since the early 1990’s at Jennerstown. The 1996 Street Stock Champion started fourth, and took the early lead in the Farmers Union Co-op Chargers’ feature. Aboard his vintage Ford Torino bodied car, Shaulis then opened up a comfortable lead over 2019 winner Chase Payton. While Payton was losing ground to Shaulis, he was able to defend the runner up spot from the challenges of Steven Brown, before the midpoint of the event. Brown, a converted dirt track racer, drove to the runner up spot with five laps to go. But Shaulis had an insurmountable distance over the field, leading all 15 laps. At the finish line, multi-division winner Shaulis collected his second trophy of 2019. Brown, with a very loose handling race car, earned the second position when the checkered flag waved. Point standings leader, Dale Kimberly, passed teammate Payton very late in the going to earn the third spot. Payton and newlywed Cody Gaynor completed the top five. Kimberly won the heat.

Starting third in the 15-lap Somerset Trust Co. Fast and Furious 4-Cylinder feature, Andrew Pluta won a door to door battle with Michael Strouse to lead lap one. Three wide racing caused a spin by rookie Michael Saylor on lap two, forcing a restart. Pluta was then forced to run away from former Champion Brent Bickerstaff, who advanced to second place, after starting in the seventh position. Pluta dominated the event, leading every lap and pulling away from points leader, and close friend, Bickerstaff. At the conclusion, Pluta earned his division leading sixth win, as Bickerstaff placed second. Defending Champ Evan Nibert advanced to third place, after taking the green flag in eighth spot. Fourth place was a best career finish for newcomer Roger Harmon, and Strouse placed fifth. Pluta and Bickerstaff won the heats.

Saturday night, August 31st, five division continues at Jennerstown Speedway Complex, plus the Ron’s Collision Center Enduro Series after the racing action. Gates open at 4pm with racing at 6pm. For more information visit www.jennerstown.org