Press Reslease by Terry Whetstone
STRONGSTOWN, PA – Jim and Sharon Michny opened their 15th season at Dog Hollow Speedway with great car counts and a great crowd to witness some great racing action on Friday night.
Albrights Power Equipment Sponsored the action as the Precise Racing Products Racesaver 305 Sprints made their weekly debut with Dan Shetler of Johnstown picking up the victory. Other winners included: Sammy Stile of Charleroi in the Townsend Gas and Oil Super Late Models, Mike Laughard of Twin Rocks in the Stoystown Auto Wreckers Fastrak Late Models, Nick Goss of Punxsutawney in the Hoosier Tire Mid Atlantic Street Stocks, Justin Queen of Irvona made history by putting the Bob Helsel owned Mophar in victory lane in the Lias Tire Pure Stocks, marking the first time a Mophar has ever won a pure stock feature; Jon Lee of Mahaffey picked up his career first win at DHS in the Myers Tires Four Cylinder Sidewinders and Paul Little of Nanty Glo won the Myers Tire Four Cylinder Modified main event.
The Super Late Models took to the surface with Shane McMeans taking the lead from fellow front row starter Clate Copeman and was setting the pace with Steve Everhart a close second and Copeman in third.
On lap five Everhart went under Means off the second turn for the lead, with sixth place starter Sammy Stile and Eighth place starter Mike Blose made their presence known and were fourth and third respectively by the seventh lap. Blose and Stile then moved to second and third on lap eight and Stile couldn’t make the low groove work, so he went to the outside and on lap 13 passed both Blose and Everhart for the lead. Once out front, the race was for second with Everhart holding on. Blose, Copeman and Dane Laraway completed the top five. Heat wins went to Everhart, Laraway and McMeans.
The Racesaver 305 Sprints were making their weekly debut with 13 cars on hand for opening night with Skip Dougherty and Steve Kenawell on the front row with Dougherty taking the lead and Kenawell in second. As the race wore on Robbie Bartchy and Dan Shetler began to move towards the leaders with Shetler taking the lead on lap 10 with an inside turn two pass. While he set the pace Ryan Lynn and “Cowboy” Jim Kennedy were making a presence as the checkered flag waved over their first feature of the season it was Shetler getting the win with Lynn, Kennedy, Bartchy and Jeff Bacha completing the top five. Kenawell and Dougherty won the heats.
Mike Laughard led from flag to flag to pick up the opening night win in the Fastrak Late Models with Dan Karalagas following him the entire 20 lap distance. Bobby Cossell was third for the majority of the feature and that’s how they finished. Andrew Satterlee came from 15th to fourth and Jeremy Zufall was fifth. Cossell and Rich Logan won the heats.
Ray Hickok and Jamie Price led the street stocks to the start with Hickok taking the lead and brining Nick Goss to second. As Hickok led, Goss was trying to find the right groove, and he found it on lap four, by taking the lead off the second turn on the inside. Hickok didn’t give up easily though, as he battled back and nearly regained the lead on a restart but it wasn’t to be his night as Goss took the win. Hickok, Nate Smith, David Rocker and Price completed the top five. Goss and Smith won the heats.
The Pure Stocks were led to the start with Matt Summers and Adam Pletcher on the front row with Pletcher taking the lead at the start. As he led Justin Queen was in second and trying every line he could to get by Pletcher. On lap five Pletcher gave Queen the opportunity he needed, as Pletcher went high in the third turn and Queen shot by on the bottom. Once out front, Queen put the Bob Helsel owned Chrysler in victory lane for the first win of Helsels career and for a Mophar in the class at DHS. Pletcher, Jim Hamilton, Summers and Kylie Hamilton completed the top five. Pletcher and Jim Hamilton split the heats.
The Four Cylinder Sidewinders were led to the start with Gene Charles and Sean Fitzpatrick leading the way. As Kevin Smyers waved the green it was Charles taking the lead with Scott Brown second and Tim Lamer third. As they battled each other, they
should have been watching Jon Lee, as he was moving forward and took the lead on lap five. Once out fron the was able to hold off all the challenges and took his first ever DHS win. Charles, Brown, Lamer and Chris Yoder completed the top five. “Wild” Bill Hassenplug, Fitzpatrick and John Costa won the heats.
Paul Little led the modified four cylinders from start to finish with Mark Maglet second the entire distance. The top five were Little, Maglet, John Hayes, Chris Hickok and Ashley Britsky. Little also won the heat.
DOG TRACKS: 113 teams filled the pits, including: 21 Super Late Models, 13 RaceSaver 305 Sprints; 16 Fastrak Late Models, 11 Street Stocks, 12 Pure Stocks, 30 Four Cylinder Sidewinders and 10 Modified Four Cylinders…Todd Lynn took a nasty flip in his RaceSaver 305 at the start of his heat race. He was a little sore but was otherwise ok…There was a moment of silence for Ed Keilmen and Kent Michaels who passed away other the winter. Keilman was a past Pure Stock Point Champ at the speedway while Michaels was a flagman at various tracks…Coming up this week is The Fastrak Northeast Touring Series will be on hand along with the Townsend Gas and Oil Super Late Models, Precise Racing Products Racesaver 305 Sprints, Hoosier Tire Mid Atlantic Street Stocks, Lias Tire Pure Stocks and Myers Tires Four Cylinder sidewinders and Modified Four Cylinders…Coming up on Tuesday June 5 is the American Racer Appalachain Mountain Speedweek fro Late Models, paying $5,000 to win. The Street Stocks will be on hand racing for $700 to win and the four cylinder sidewinders will be going for $200 to win. There will also be fireworks. For a complete schedule go to www.dog-hollow.net.
SUMMARY
TOWNSEND GAS & OIL Super Late Models (21): Sam Stile, Steve Everhart, Mike Blose, Clate Copeman, Dane Laraway, Chad McClellan, Rodney Phillips, Casey Fleegle, Sam Gindlesperger, Quinten Wyandt, Dwayne Brooks, Tom Shaffer, Andrew Gordon, Jim Boyer, Shane McMeans, Denny Fenton, Dwayne Taneyhill, Denton Boyer, Jerry Redden, Ryan Christoff, DNS: Randy Sterling
STOYSTOWN AUTO WRECKERS FASTRAK Late Models (16): Mike Laughard, Dan Karalagas, Bobby Cossell, Andrew Satterlee, Jeremy Zufall, Rich Logan, Tim Snare, Jr., John Eckenrod, John Mazey, Dave Padula, Jeremy Shaffer, Kyle McFarland, Scott Fitch, Joe Moyer, Joe Petyak, Wes McKeel
PRECISE RACING PRODUCTS Racesaver 305 Sprints (13): Dan Shetler, Ryan Lynn, Jim Kennedy, Robbie Bartchy, Jeff Bacha, Roger Irvine, Don Sotosky, Jim Marquette, Brian Walker, Steve Kenawell, Walt Tutak, Jr., Skip Dougherty, DNS: Todd Lynn
HOOSIER TIRE MID ATLANTIC Street Stocks (11): Nick Goss, Ray Hickok, Nate Smith, David Rocker, Jamie Price, Jeff Sweeney, Bob Rosman, Randy Sterling, Vigi Zuccolotto, Jim Zufall, Bruce Hartzfield
LIAS TIRE Pure Stocks (12): Justin Queen, Adam Pletcher, Jim Hamilton, Matt Summers, Kylie Hamilton, Anthony Brown, Gary Taylor, Tom Whiteford, David Beahr, Matt Krause, Matt Henry
MYERS TIRE 4 Cylinders (30): John Lee, Gene Charles, Scott Brown, Tim Lamer, Chris Yoder, Mike Phillipson, Tyler Laughard, John Lamer, Jayson Newlin, John Costa, Jack Theys, Mark Rematt Sr., Sean Fitzpatrick, Bill Hassenplug, Jim Kleitches, Ryan Claycomb, Gus Davis, Ashley Rocker, Mark Rematt, Dakota Craig, Jeff Pennington, John Welsko, Terry Kester, David Gacka, Ben Blystone, Stephanie Ivory, DNS: Megan Myers, Frank McGuire, Adam Laughard, Mike Potter
MYERS TIRE Modified 4 Cylinders (10): Paul Little, Mark Maglet, John Hayes, Chris Hickok, Ashley Britsky, Ray Edwards, Dana Krause, Tim Brant, Robert Lydic, Rick Lamer