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Lernerville Speedway Race Results August 6, 1999
Sarver, PA August 6, 1999
While Indy had the Brickyard 400, Don Martin's Lernerville
Speedway had the "Kid's Club" 400-bike racers plus a four division
show! It was an action packed evening and powering into victory lane were
following: Agip Motor Oil Sprints - Jimmy Hawley, West Middlesex; Friedman's
Market/Bi-Lo Foods Late Models - John Flinner, Zelienople; Ferrante
Oldsmobile Modifieds - Brian Swartzlander, Leechburg and Dingbats Restaurant
Pure Stocks - Mike Faas, Creighton. It was Snyder of Berlin Night and
there were Ferraccio Family Bike Races.
The spirited Jimmy Hawley hunted down and eventually caught
Ralph Spithaler in the 20 lap Agip Motor Oil Sprint main event to score his
seventh 1999 feature. Hawley, the current point leader and 1998 defending
champ started twelfth as "young lion", Eric Smith, running the best
race of his career guided the field for three circuits. On lap three, Gary
Kriess and Scott Priester hooked wheels and Kriess rolled his sprint, bringing
out the sole caution flag for this event. He was uninjured.
Spithaler passed Smith on the restart and Priester was third and Hawley was
fourth. On lap five Hawley motored by Priester to claim third and then
reeled in Smith on lap eight. Hawley's Doc Crawford owned #CIII set sail
for Spithaler. Approaching lapped traffic, Spithaler used the high line,
while Hawley hugged the inside. On lap 18 a back marker blocked Spithaler,
and Hawley breezed into the third spot, remaining there to the checker.
Scott Priester claimed third and Eric Smith's fourth was his best finish of the
year. Places five through ten went to Brent Matus, Ralph Engel, Jamie
Smith, Rich Kerstetter, Tommy Marshall and Leonard Ripper. With three more
regular nights of racing, Hawley leads the points at Lernerville over Spithaler
by 25 and also tops the list at two other sister tracks. Priester and
Spithaler won the prelims.
Running a super race, John Flinner found the 20 lap
Friedman's Supermarkets/Bi-Lo Foods Late Model victory lane for the second time
this year to defeat Lynn Geisler. Flinner started fifth as Joe Johnson
took control for four circuits. On a lap four restart for the collision
of Tom Bateman and Carl Bittner. Keith Zimmerman, Flinner and Geisler
passed Johnson relegating him to fourth. Flinner caught Zimmerman on a lap
eight restart. Running the cushion Geisler shadowed Flinner in cobra-like
fashion until lap 15 when Flinner was momentarily obstructed by a lapped
car. Geisler took the helm laps 16 and 17 and then it was Geisler's #1C
that was blocked by a lapped racer, giving Flinner the edge to the stripe.
Ben Miley was third and was trailed by Joe Johnson, Dave Norton, Bob Puz, Nick
Jones, Gary lyle, Ken Schaltenbrand, and Jeff Henry. Flinner and Miley won
the heat races. The Lynn Geisler Fan Club and Owl's Club both gave Flinner
a $50 bonus. Dave Norton tops the point chart over defending champ Lyle by
21.
Brian Swartzlander cruised into the Ferrante Oldsmobile
Modified victory lane posting his fifth victory. Mike Sutton led the first
round as Swartzlander came from fifth place berth to take third. Point
Leader Jim Weller got into a tangle on the original start and had to exit the
race. On the restart, running an excellent race, Swartzlander's McCutcheon
Enterprise #83S took command keeping it the distance to defeat Mike Sutton, Dave
Murdick, Tommy Kristyak, Rodney Beltz, Josh Skarzenski, Jeff Schaffer, Carl
Murdick, Jim Faas and Bobby hoffman. Beltz and Kevin Bolland won the
preliminary events. With Weller's early exit the Modified point battle
tightened up. Weller still leads with 387, Blaney has 382 and Swartzlander
has 377.
Mike Faas was the fastest Dingbats Restaurant Pure Stock
capturing his first evert of the year. From the pole position, driving a
superb race, Faas led the race from coast to coast to defeat Bruce Milbert,
Harold Reges, Jeff Walters, Scott Bochek, Joe Kelley, Chris Schneider, Herman
Bertolini, T.Faas, and Tom Tuite. Kelley, Bochek, and Tuite scored in the
heat races and Dan Pfleuger in the B-Main. Kelley has a 37 digit spread
over Bochek in the point chase.
Pure Stock driver Harold Reges gave a $20 gift for dinner to
the youngest bike racer who was two. Snyder of Berlin gave away 2,500 bags
of chips at the speedway. The winner of the Ferraccio Family Supermarket's
Bike was Justin Sable of Ohio.
Next week the first 1,000 adults will receive a certificate
for a gallon of Austin's A1 Bleach.
Agip Motor Oil Sprint Feature:
1. Jimmy Hawley, West Middlesex
2. Ralph Spithaler, Evans City
3. Scott Priester, Rimersburg
4. Eric Smith, Sarver
5. Brent Matus, Wampum
6. Ralph Engel, Sewickley
7. Jamie Smith, Economy
8. Rich Kerstetter, Dubois
9. Tommy Marshall, Beaver Falls
10. Leonard Ripper, Ellwood City
11. Roger Bennett, Evans City
12. Robert Altmeyer, Kittanning
13. Gale Ruth, Jr., Pleasantville
14. Charlie Holben, Cabot
15. William Kiley, Cabot
Started: 12th Wins: 7 Laps: 20
Lap Leaders: Smith 1-3, Spithaler 4-17, Hawley 18-20
Sprint Qualifying Race Winners:
1st Heat: Scott Priester, Rimersburg
2nd Heat: Ralph Spithaler, Evans City
Ferrante Oldsmobile V-8 Modified Feature:
1. Brian Swartzlander, Allegheny Twp.
2. Mike Sutton, Evans City
3. Dave Murdick, Slippery Rock
4. Tommy Kristyak, Stoneboro
5. Rodney Beltz, Ellwood City
6. Josh Skarzenski, Erie
7. Jeff Schaffer, Fombell
8. Carl Murdick, Butler
9. Jim Faas, Creighton
10. Bobby Hoffman, Renfrew
11. Dan Campbell, Ellwood City
12. Lou Blaney, Hartford, OH
13. John Durci, Sarver
14. Frank Guidace, Mercer
15. George Hobaugh, Karns City
Feature Race Notes:
Started: 5th Wins: 4 Laps: 20
Lap Leaders: Sutton 1, Swartzlander 2-20
Modified Qualifying Race Winners:
1st Heat: Rodney Beltz, Ellwood City
2nd Heat: Kevin Bolland, New Brighton
Friedman's Market/Bi-Lo Foods
Late Model Feature:
1. John Flinner, Zelienople
2. Lynn Geisler, Cranberry Twp.
3. Ben Miley, Venetia
4. Joe Johnson, Monaca
5. Dave Norton, Shinglehouse
6. Bob Puz, Rural Ridge
7. Nick Jones, Pittsburgh
8. Gary Lyle, Hyde Park
9. Ken Schaltenbrand, Sarver
10. Jeff Henry, Butler
11. Tony Burke, Sarver
12. Bill Knepper, Clinton
13. Dan Swartzlander, Freeport
14. Chuck Sarver, West Sunbury
15. Mark Booth, West Newton
Feature Race Notes: Started: 5th Wins: 2
Laps: 20
Lap Leaders: J.Johnson 1-4, Zimmerman 5-7, Flinner 8-15, 18-20,
Geisler 16-17
Late Model Qualifying Race Winners:
1st Heat: John Flinner, Zelienople
2nd Heat: Ben Miley, Venetia
Dingbats Restaurant Pure Stock Feature:
1. Mike Faas, Creighton
2. Bruce Milbert, Cranberry Twp.
3. Harold Reges, Butler
4. Jeff Walters, Evans City
5. Scott Bochek, Cheswick
6. Joe Kelley, Mt. Pleasant
7. Chris Schneider, Tarentum
8. Herman Bertolini, Creighton
9. Terry Faas, Creighton
10. Tom Tuite, West Sunbury
11. Butch Lambert, Mars
12. Randy Caldwell, Sarver
13. Dave Harbaugh, Ellwood City
14. Mike Ventura, Pittsburgh
15. Roland Hall, Cabot
Feature Race Notes:
Started: 1st Wins: 1 Laps: 15
Lap Leaders: Faas 1-15
Pure Stock Qualifying Race Winners:
1st Heat: Joe Kelley, Mt. Pleasant
2nd Heat: Scott Bochek, Cheswick
3rd Heat: Tom Tuite, West Sunbury
B-Main: Dan Pfleuger, Cabot