Joel Watson Ends Season With Bob & Jackie Vogt Memorial Win At Raceway 7

Conneaut, OH (September 1, 2017): Bob and Jackie Vogt were among the most popular figures in the history of Raceway 7. Since their passing (Bob in 2003, and Jackie in 2015) an E-Mod special has been run in their honor each summer. At the end of the thirty-lap feature it was Joel Watson claiming the win and the Bonnell’s Collision Service E-Mod championship, win number four in his title defense, while second place finisher Gary Eicher captured the champion’s mantle.

In other divisions Dave Airgood finished his Evergreen Lake Park Campground CARS Crate Late Model season with his fifth win of the season while Kyle Zimmerman claimed the championship with a third-place run. Zimmerman had also won the title in 2011. Brandon Blackshear finished 2017 the same as he started it back in May, standing in the Bonnell’s Auto Group Winner’s Circle. Steve Haefke successfully defended his points championship, earning his second consecutive title. Tim Deutsch won his third feature of the season in the Campbell’s Mini Storage Street Stock finale while Jimmy Kennerknecht won the championship, his first since at Raceway 7. Zach Downes collected his fourth consecutive Sunnyside Farm Transit Mini Stock feature win and sixth of the year in six appearances! With one win and steady top five finishes, Joe Campbell collected the champion’s rewards, winning the title in the Season points battle for the class, his first-ever championship.

Dave Airgood, a four time winner in 2017, and Chad Sines brought the Evergreen Lake Park Campground CARS Crate Late Models to green with Alan Dellinger coming to second after a lap one restart due to a spin by Mike Bambarger. Two more laps were in with Airgood and Dellinger again leading the way when Sines spun. Ed Bolyard spun for the next yellow, with four laps completed. Airgood, Dellinger, Breyton Santee, points leader Kyle Zimmerman, and Darrell Bossard brought the race back to green. Zimmerman came to third at six complete, padding his points lead over Bossard. Chad Wright was up to fourth at this point. At halfway Bossard was challenging Santee for fifth, gaining the spot at eleven. Coming out of turn two on lap thirteen Bambarger slowed to a stop as the leaders were putting him a lap down. At fourteen complete Wright was third when Dylan Goodman spun in turn two. Wright immediately came to second when green again flew. With white in the air Sines again spun, setting a one-lap race for the win. Airgood then led the final lap of the season for the victory, his fifth of the year with Wright second, and Zimmerman third, gaining the points championship. Dellinger was fourth with Bossard fifth.

Dillon Speer and Ed Haylett were on the front row for the final Sunnyside Farms Transit Mini Stock season feature with Speer leading the way from the drop of the green. At three laps complete Zoey Gill came to a halt in turn two, slowing the race under yellow. Speer, Haylett, points leader Joe Campbell, 2016 champion Jason Easler, and five time winner Zach Downes brought the field back to green. Campbell came to second behind Speer at green but Downes displaced him for the spot at the end of the lap, then to the lead at five compete. At halfway Downes led with Speer back to second, Easler third, Campbell slipped back to fourth, and Shane Shook up to fifth. Caution again flew with the white flag flying when Speer spun in turn three. For the one-lap run to the checkers it was Downes, Easler, Shook, Campbell, and Brad Cole. That was the finish with Campbell being crowned the points champion. Easler was penalized two positions at the finish for “jumping a start”, making the top five officially Downes, Shook, Campbell, Easler, and Cole.

Joel Watson and Gary Eicher brought the 30-lap Bob and Jackie Vogt Memorial for the Bonnell Collision Service E-Mods to green with Watson jumping out to a big lead on lap one. Eicher was second with Russ Dunn and Brian Ruhlman fighting over third at three laps into the event. Brent Rhebergen was up to fifth at five laps complete. At ten laps the front five were the same with Watson closing in on the rear of the field. At twelve laps, Watson was lapping the back markers. At twenty laps Eicher caught Watson and was battling for the lead on m heavy traffic. Watson then pulled back out to a four length lead with five laps remaining. The caution flew when Josh Ferry and Dan McDonald got together and spun in turn four at lap 25. For the final five laps it was Joel Watson, Gary Eicher, Brian Ruhlman, Russ Dunn, and Brent Rhebergen. On the first lap under green Dunn came to third, then Zimmer came to fifth at 27 complete. When the checkers fell on the race it was Watson, Eicher, Dunn, Zimmer, and Rhebergen as Ruhlman faded to seventh on the final lap. Jeremy Double collected the Close Racing Supply Hard Charger award for his tenth place finish and a new tire paid to the tenth finisher (position randomly drawn at the end of the event), also courtesy of Close Racing Supply.

Ryan Moyer and Tim Deutsch brought the Campbell’s Mini Storage Street Stocks to green with Moyer leading at the end of one. Garrett Calvert came to third at the end of two with Jimmy Kennerknecht fourth and Chris McGuire fifth. Jamie Duncan, Jarod Larson, and Tony Bruno spun in turn two at four complete for the first caution but Larson kept moving, so was not charged with the caution. Calvert got to second at the restart with Chris McGuire joining the battle but suffering a flat left front in the scuffle for the spot. On lap ten Deutsch came to the lead as Rich Chess Jr spun in turn two. With five remaining it was Deutsch, Moyer, Calvert, Kennerknecht, and Stajnrajh. Kennerknecht got to third at the start, then at eleven laps Stajnrajh spun in turn four for yet another caution. With two to go McGuire spun in turn two, ending his hampered run. Deutsch pulled away over the final laps with Kennerknecht next to Moyer at the white flag but falling in behind Deutsch on the final lap. Mike Clark was fourth with Mike Horton fifth. Kennerknecht was crowned the champion, his first championship since 2003 at Little Valley, NY.

Mitchell Wright and Devin Henry started the Bonnell’s Auto Sales season finale up front. In the tightest points battle of the season Tyler Frankenberry was five points behind Steve Haefke for the lead with Brandon Blackshear only thirteen points from first. At green Blackshear got by Wright but yellow flew at one complete when Rich Chess Sr spun. Again at the end of two Chess spun and then was sent to pit for a fuel leak. He was able to return to the race before it was resumed with the leak stopped. Nate Young, who had also spun into the fence in turn three, was able to return under the caution. Devin Henry spun at four laps with Matt Alexander also spinning. Henry headed pitside under the caution. Casey Harmon stopped in turn four at six laps, then pulled to the pit after yellow was shown. Fourth-running Justin Sax spun, collecting Matt Alexander. At eight Sax, Gary Murphy, and Lee Patrick spun in turn four but Murphy kept moving so kept his spot. Blackshear, Haefke, Zack Lenart, and Frankenberry, were the top four for the green with seven to go. Blackshear then opened his lead after green with Haefke second when Sax again spun, this time in turn two, his third of the event, sending him to the pit. With five to go Wright spun down the front straight into the infield. Wright tried to rejoin the field but mechanical ails brought him to a stop before green could be restored, needing towed from the event. This restart had Blackshear leading defending champion Haefke, Lenart, Frankenberry, and Gary Murphy. At the checkers it was the same order and with his second place finish Haefke successfully defended his title defense, his second championship in a row.

Evergreen Lake Park Campground Cars Crate Late Models:
Heat 1: Alan Dellinger, Darrell Bossard, Chris Withers, Dave Airgood, Kohle Wanzer, Wendall Pinckney, Ed Bolyard, Joe Long, Lon Emerick
Heat 2: Chad Wright, Kyle Zimmerman, Breyton Santee, Chad Sines, Mike Bambarger, Dylan Goodman, Corey Sines, Hunter Hulley
Feature: Dave Airgood, Chad Wright, Kyle Zimmerman, Alan Dellinger, Darrell Bossard, Chris Withers, Breyton Santee, Wendall Pinckney, Ed Bolyard, Joe Long, Mike Bambarger, Dylan Goodman, Chad Sines, Kohle Wanzer, Corey Sines, Lon Emerick, Hunter Hulley (DNS)

Bonnell Collision Service E-Mods:
Time Trials:
Group 1: Brent Rhebergen 18.736, Russ Dunn 18.958, Mike McGee 19.140, Bob Page 19.292, John Schenker 19.321, Jesse Gould 19.643, Bill Taylor 20.152, Jim Plance 20.206
Group 2: Gary Eicher 18.713, Joel Watson 18.720, Bud Watson 18.866, Casey Bowers 19.159 Rick Pratschler 19.806, Chris Rudolph 20.390, Billy Henry 22.130, Ed Wilson 22.287
Group 3: Josh Ferry 19.001, Mike Kinney, 19.193, Troy Johnson 19.219, Steve Simon 19.460, Dan McDonald 19.462, Alan Atkinson 19.476, Josh McDonald 19.657, Mike Potosky No Time
Group 4: Ken Zimmer 18.929, Jeremy Double 19.051, Brian Ruhlman 19.159, Casey Fritz 19.388, Jeff Johnson 19.588, Percy McDonald 19.756, Jack Young 20.417
Heat 1: Russ Dunn, Brent Rhebergen, Mike McGee, John Schenker, Bob Page, Jessie Gould, Bill Taylor, Jim Plance
Heat 2: Joel Watson, Gary Eicher, Bud Watson, Casey Bowers, Rick Pratschler, Chris Rudolph, Ed Wilson, Billy Henry
Heat 3: Troy Johnson, Josh Ferry,Dan McDonald, Josh McDonald, Mike Kinney, Steve Simon, Alan Atkinson, Mike Potosky (DNS)
Heat 4: Ken Zimmer, Brian Ruhlman, Jeremy Double, Casey Fritz, Jeff Johnson, Jack Young, Percy McDonald (DNS)
B-Main: Steve Simon, Jack Young, Alan Atkinson, Jesse Gould, Chris Rudolph, Billy Henry, Bill Taylor
Dash 1: Joel Watson, Gary Eicher, Russ Dunn, Brent Rhebergen, Brian Ruhlman, Ken Zimmer, Troy Johnson, Josh Ferry
Dash 2: Mike McGee, Bud Watson, Casey Bowers, Dan McDonald, John Schenker, Casey Fritz, Josh McDonald, Jeremy Double
Feature: Joel Watson, Gary Eicher, Russ Dunn, Ken Zimmer, Brent Rhebergen, Mike McGee, Brian Ruhlman, Bud Watson, Troy Johnson, Jeremy Double, John Schenker, Jack Young, Rick Pratschler, Josh Ferry, Dan McDonald, Bob Page, Jeff Johnson, Alan Atkinson, Jesse Gould, Steve Simon, Mike Kinney, Bill Taylor, Casey Bowers, Josh McDonald, Casey Fritz

Bonnell’s Auto Group Economods:
Heat 1: Steve Haefke, Brandon Blackshear, Lee Patrick, Mark Titus, Ashley Rogers, Eric Wilson, Dennis Dellinger
Heat 2: Devin Henry, Justin Sax, Casey Harmon, Chick Steinle Sr, Gary Murphy, Richard Chess Sr, Eric Reinwald (DNS)
Heat 3: Tyler Frankenberry, Zack Lenard, Mitch Wright, Matt Alexander, Nate Young, Steve Haefke Jr
Feature: Brandon Blackshear, Steve Haefke, Zack Lenard, Tyler Frankenberry, Gary Murphy, Matt Alexander, Steve Haefke Jr, Lee Patrick, Dennis Dellinger, Ashley Rogers, Casey Harmon, Eric Reinwald, Chuck Steinle Sr, Nate Young, Mitchell Wright, Justin Sax, Devin Henry, Rich Chess Sr, Eric Wilson, Mark Titus

Campbell’s Mini Storage Street Stocks:
Heat 1: Tim Deutsch, Chris McGuire, Jimmy Kennerknecht, Tony Bruno, Mark Hopkins, Charles Baptiste, Rich Chess Jr, Mike Clark
Heat 2: Garrett Calvert, Ryan Moyer, Joe Stajnrajh, Dan Fedorchak, Jarod Larson, Jamie Duncan, Mike Horton, Jesse Brock, Larry Kugel
Feature: Tim Deutsch, Ryan Moyer, Jimmy Kennerknecht, Mike Clark, Mike Horton, Larry Kugel, Joe Stajnrajh, Charlie Baptiste, Jesse Brock, Tony Bruno, Rich Chess Jr, Garrett Calvert, Chris McGuire, Mark Hopkins, Dan Fedorchak, Jamie Duncan, Jarod Larson

Sunnyside Farm Transit Inc Mini Stocks:
Heat 1: Ed Haylett, Brad Cole, Corey Wick, Jason Easler, Bill Fuchs, Emily Stoyer, Gary Drake, Mike Barr
Heat 2: Zach Downes, Dillon Speer, Joe Campbell, Joe Keney, Zoey Gill, Wes Stull, Alex Forbes, Logan Keney
Heat 3: Scott Gill, Tyler Fulton, Jim Jones, Shane Shook, Mary Hammond, Jessica Harvey, Mike Gehlhausen, Derrick Tuttle, Patrick Drennan
Feature: Zach Downes, Shane Shook, Joe Campbell, Jason Easler, Brad Cole, Bill Fuchs, Scott Gill, Ed Haylett, Emily Stoyer, Mary Hammond, Tyler Fulton, Wes Stull, Patrick Drennan, Jim Jones, Gary Drake, Derrick Tuttle, Joe Keney, Dillon Speer, Jessica Harvey, Mike Barr, Corey Wick, Logan Keney, Zoey Gill, Alex Forbes (DNS), Mike Gehlhausen (DNS)