Kekich Takes 12th Career 410 Sprint Win At Mercer
5 min read
By Jim Balentine
(Mercer,Pa)
After record setting heat temperatures during the week Saturday at Michaels Mercer Raceway turned into a fall like evening but the action was hot on the track as the fourth race of the 2022 season was completed as the speedway honored the Michaels family for their longtime contributions to the speedway.
Adam Kekich scored his 12th career 410 sprint win pocketing $3000, former emod standout veteran Mike Kinney won his first career big block modified feature; Jake Gomola in the Racesaver 305 sprints and Tim Callahan in the mini stocks both picked up their first wins since 2020; and Jeff Schaffer Jr. won his 2nd career FASTRAK modified feature.
In the Michaels memorial $3000 to win sprint spectacular western Ohio invader Ricky Peterson driving the Jeremy Kornbau #27 would lead from the pole holding off Chase Metheney for the top spot. Petersen held off Metheney until a caution would slow the field . On the restart Metheney would go below the cone on the front stretch as 7th starting Adam Kekich, Bob Felmlee and Jack Sodeman jr would all get around Peterson as the yellow waved again with Peterson getting a flat tire in turn 2. On the restart Metheney was penalized two positions for jumping the restart and would put him behind the other three. Kekich would then lead the final laps to take his 2rd $3000 mercer win of 2022 by 1.41 and his 12th overall 410 win. Bob Felmlee would be 2nd, Metheney 3rd, Sodeman jr 4th and Logan McCandless 5th. “I saw his (Peterson) tire go down before the Yellow came out and you just have to be smart when you see that and have to try to stick it in there where they aren’t and it worked out for us. This place is racey! you can dive bomb low and go high it gets better and better each week!”
In the Racesaver 305 feature Vivian Jones led them from the pole. Jake Gomola passed Tommy Jasen for 2nd on lap 5. A hard crash in turn 2 by rookie Jake Perricilia would bring out the red. Jimmy Morris would get around Jasen for 3rd But a yellow on lap 10 for Roman Jones bunched up the field again. On lap 16 Gomola would get around Jones and go on for his first win since October 2020 by 3.02 seconds. “I saw her (Vivian Jones) get wore out later in the and she was sliding up and I saw 5 to go and I knew we had to make some moves and hold the bottom. New owner put a car and team together and it’s working 3rd night out. This is the 11th year I have won a race in a row so I’m happy.” Vivian Jones would settle for 2nd, Jimmy Morris 3rd, Brent Brunkenhoefer 4th and Tommy Jasen 5th.
The big block modifieds had newcomer from eastern pa Anthony Tramontana subbing for Rick Regalski and he would take the lead on the start but veteran Mike Kinney would take the position from Tramontana and would go on to win his 1st career big block modified win after many in the emod class by 1.81 seconds. A jubilant Kinney would say, “Brett porter owns everything and wanted to go big block racing this year and we did. We are having some fun with this and it’s definitely different than running the emod!” Tramontana finished 2nd, Eric Martin 3rd, Rodney Beltz 4th and Kevin Greene 5th.
In the FASTRAK modifieds Jeff Schaffer jr lead from the pole with Caden Petry running 2nd. A Caution on lap 13 by put Petry and 2 time winner Brian Schaffer right on the back bumper. Another yellow by Don Cornelius and Scott Kay again slowed the field . Brian Schaffer would get around Petry but another yellow for a 3 car crash involving gage Preister , Scott Kay and Anthony Antus slowed the field again. On the restart Schaffer jr once again held Brian Schaffer at bay and went on to his 2nd win of his career all this season by a narrow .332. Caden Petry was 3rd, Michael Kristyak 4th and Billy Adams 5th.
In the $400 to win mini stock Nightcapper Point leader and 3 time undefeated winner Andy Thompson would start 18th in the field. Adam Aley would start on the pole and began leading the field. Meanwhile a torrid battle was going on behind him as Will Aley, Tim Callahan, and Carl Ealy were all battling for 2nd. Thompson would move all the way up to 5th in just 6 laps. Callahan would take the lead and then Ealy would get around Adam Aley for 2nd. At halfway Thompson would also get around Aley for 3rd. With Callahan up front Ealy and Thompson tried to catch him but it was to no avail as Callahan picked up his 1st mini stock win by .953 since July of 2020. Ealy and Thompson would finish 2nd and 3rd, Cory Brice finished a career best 4th, and Randy Ealy 5th. Callahan would say “it’s about time!! I was watching the scoreboard the whole time . This class gets faster and faster each year and with the extra lane it’s getting more competitive.”
Michaels mercer raceway will be dark for 2 weeks but will return on Saturday July 9 with the 4th 410 sprint spectacular of 2022 paying $3000 for the unsanctioned event.
Media Results for 6/18/2022 at Michaels Mercer Raceway – Mercer, PA
305 Sprints – Winged 14 Entries
A Feature 1 20 Laps
- 4J-Jacob Gamola[3]; 2. 20M-Vivian Jones[2]; 3. 16-Jim Morris[9]; 4. 47-Brett Brunkenhoefer[8]; 5. 12G-Tommy Jasen[4]; 6. 27K-Jeremy Kornbau[12]; 7. 88-Greg Dobrosky[6]; 8. 25-Jarrett Rosencrance[5]; 9. 17S-Shane Shook[1]; 10. 82M-Roman Jones[7]; 11. 34M-Mike Marano[10]; 12. 347-Nevan O’Donnell[13]; 13. 154-Shamus O’Donnell[14]; 14. 18-Jake Perricellia[11]
Dirt Big Block Modifieds 6 Entries
A Feature 1 25 Laps - 20P-Mike Kinney[4]; 2. 96-Anthony Tramontana[1]; 3. 29E-Eric Martin[2]; 4. 64-Rodney Beltz[6]; 5. 74-Kevin Green[5]; 6. 817-John Zvenuto[3]
Sport Compact 20 Entries
A Feature 1 15 Laps - 54-Tim Callahan[6]; 2. 7-Carl Ealy[9]; 3. 5-Andy Thompson[18]; 4. 10-Corey Bice[5]; 5. 38-Randy Ealy[10]; 6. 9-William Aley[3]; 7. 999-Adam Aley[1]; 8. 10S-trevn schaffer[16]; 9. 22D-Chuck Davis[8]; 10. 02-Devin Haley[11]; 11. 79-John McCraken[12]; 12. 029-Ben Aley[2]; 13. C4-Alex Claypoole[7]; 14. 325Z-Zack Swartz[17]; 15. 66M-Matt Miller[13]; 16. 77-Braden Bice[4]; 17. 64-Summer Pitts[15]; 18. (DNS) 33-Brianna Parker
Limited Modified 16 Entries
A Feature 1 25 Laps - 14-Jeff Schaffer Jr[1]; 2. 41-Brian Schaffer[8]; 3. 7P-Caden Petry[4]; 4. 404-MIchael Kristyak[6]; 5. 717-Bill Adams[5]; 6. 01-Nathaniel Bale[11]; 7. 12L-Patrick Lane[14]; 8. 1M-Makayla Guidace[2]; 9. 29A-Anthony Antus[13]; 10. 93-Phill Kapcewich[12]; 11. 02-Jeremy Beichner[15]; 12. 24-Dillon Viglani[16]; 13. 113-Don Cornelius[7]; 14. 71-Gage Priester[9]; 15. 7-Scott Kay[3]; 16. 25-Jolene Smith[10]
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6/19/2022 1:53PM CST
410 Sprints – Winged 13 Entries
A Feature 1 25 Laps - 5K-Adam Kekich[7]; 2. 6-Bob Felmlee[5]; 3. 31C-Chase Metheney[2]; 4. 23JR-Jack Sodeman Jr[3]; 5. 29-Logan McCandless[8]; 6. 88N-Frank Neill[9]; 7. 11X-George Englert[12]; 8. 38-Leyton Wagner[4]; 9. 20-Danial Burkhart[11]; 10. 27K-Ricky Peterson[1]; 11. 86-Michael Lutz Jr[6]; 12. 20B-Cody Bova[10]; 13. 7T-Tom Housteau[13]
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