STARS

 BRET EMRICK

   STUHLER HANGS 'EM AT HAGERSTOWN!!!

(Hagerstown,MD 8-14-99)

 Gary Stuhler of Greencastle,PA captured his fourth STARS National DirtCar
Racing League sanctioned win of the season Saturday dominating the $10,000
to win "52nd Anniversary 100" at Hagerstown Speedway in Hagerstown,MD.
Starting fifth aboard the Reliable Painting/Duron Paints/MasterSbilt
Chassis/Leggett Engine Research No.19 Beitler Enterprises Pontiac Grand
Prix, Stuhler wasted little time moving to the front taking the lead from
Rodney Franklin on lap 9 and then totally dominated the event eventually
taking the checkered flag nearly 6.5 seconds ahead of 13th starting Chub
Frank. Mike Balzano, who started eighth, rode home third with pole sitter
Roy Deese Jr. fourth and twelfth starting Bart Hartman fifth. Completing
the top ten were 10th starting Nathan Durboraw, 18th starting Jeremy
Miller, Steve Shaver, 16th starting Donnie Moran (the last car on the lead
lap) and Lynn Geisler.

 From the outside pole, Franklin powered into the lead at the end of the
first lap with Deese Jr., D.J. Myers, Shaver and Stuhler trailing. Stuhler
rode past Shaver for fourth on lap 2 with Balzano moving past Shaver on lap
3. Myers moved underneath of Deese Jr. for second on lap 4 with Stuhler
following suit to move into third. Stuhler battled Myers for the runner-up
spot for the next two laps before taking the position on lap 7. The first
of three caution periods flew on lap 8 when R.J. Conley made contact with
the inside guardrail damaging his steering slightly. With the race quickly
back underway, Stuhler wasted little time in grabbing the lead as he ran
side by side with Franklin for one lap before moving ahead on lap 9.
Balzano worked past Deese Jr. for fourth as Stuhler began to open up some
ground on Franklin and the rest of the field. Myers moved into second on
lap 11 with Balzano shuffling past Franklin for third on lap 13. By lap 15
Stuhler enjoyed a 3 second lead as he raced in and out of lapped traffic
with ease. Deese Jr. grabbed fourth from Franklin on lap 16 with Frank
moving past Franklin and into the top five on lap 18. By lap 25 Stuhler had
a 4 second lead with Balzano now second with Myers third, Frank fourth and
Deese Jr. fifth followed by Hartman, Shaver, Moran, Franklin and Durboraw.
Stuhler
was off and gone leaving the rest of the field to battle for position as
Frank moved into third on lap 30 and then took second six laps later with
Hartman grabbing fifth on lap 38.

 The race was stopped at lap 50 for a mandatory fuel stop with the running
order Stuhler, Frank, Balzano, Deese Jr. and Hartman followed by Moran,
Shaver, Durboraw, Lynn Geisler and Miller. One lap after going back to
green the yellow was quickly back out as Moran came to a stop on the
backchute when a battery cable came undone shutting off his car. Quick work
by his pit crew got him back into the race at the tail end of the field but
in 11th position. Stuhler again opened up a three second margin by lap 60
but his pace was slowed on lap 68 as the final caution waved for Les Hare
who pounded the turn one guardrail. Stuhler was never threatened over the
remaining laps but Balzano and Frank had a great battle for second for
several laps. Balzano wrestled second away from Frank on lap 70 but Frank
stayed right with him as the two traded the spot back and forth until Frank
grabbed the spot for good on lap 88. By this point Stuhler had opened up a
4.5 second lead and had lapped up to the ninth place car. Stuhler continued
his torrid pace grabbing the checkered flag as Frank raced into turn three.

 47 driver's were on hand for the $38,000 event with Franklin setting quick
time at 20.154 seconds around the semi-banked 1/2 mile track. BORLA EXHAUST heat race wins fell to Andy Fries, Balzano, John Mason and Durboraw. Deese Jr. grabbed the ISKY RACING CAMS dash while the twin PRO SHOCKS "B" Mains went to Conley and Miller.

STARS National DirtCar Racing League Race Report (for 8-14-99)
Race No. 24-1999 Season-"52nd Anniversary 100"
Hagerstown Speedway-Hagerstown,MD-1/2 Mile Oval
$38,000 Purse-$10,000 To Win-100 Lap Feature

(Showing Finish Pos.,Start Pos.,Car #,Driver,Laps,Purse,Reason Out)

1. (5) #19 Gary Stuhler 100 $10,040 Running
2. (13) #1* Chub Frank 100 $5,000 Running
3. (8) #E1 Mike Balzano 100 $3,000 Running
4. (1) #05 Roy Deese Jr. 100 $2,100 Running
5. (12) #75 Bart Hartman 100 $1,500 Running
6. (10) #24 Nathan Durboraw 100 $1,400 Running
7. (18) #1M Jeremy Miller 100 $1,340 Running
8. (3) #30 Steve Shaver 100 $1,260 Running
9. (16) #99 Donnie Moran 100 $1,100 Running
10. (14) #1C Lynn Geisler 99 $1,000 Running
11. (22) #W11 Rob Blair 99 $940 Running
12. (9) #72 John Mason 99 $800 Running
13. (21) #34 Rick Workman 99 $740 Running
14. (7) #82 Andy Fries 99 $650 Running
15. (15) #33 Aaron Scott 98 $600 Running
16. (26) # 3 Jeff Robinson 98 $590 Running
17. (25) # 9 Frankie Plessinger 98 $540 Running
18. (23) # 1 Rodney Combs 96 $540 Running
19. (17) #71C R.J. Conley 68 $540 Cooling
20. (11) #40 Les Hare 68 $500 Accident
21. (24) #32L Greg Lucas 67 $540 Handling
22. (20) #42 Todd Andrews 61 $540 Handling
23. (19) # 7 Charlie Schaffer 50 $540 Handling
24. (4) #44 D.J. Myers 49 $550 Cooling
25. (2) #01 Rodney Franklin $580 Handling
26. (6) #46 Brent Smith $535 Handling

TIME OF RACE: 55 Mins.
YELLOW FLAGS: Three-Laps 8,51,68
RED FLAGS: None
LAP LEADERS: Two-Franklin 1-8;Stuhler 9-100
"ROOKIE OF THE RACE": Scott
OUTERWEARS CO. "Co-Hard Charger's Of The Race": Frank,Blair
PROVISIONAL STARTERS: Combs,Lucas,Plessinger,Robinson
CAR COUNT: 47
FAST QUALIFIER: Franklin 20.154 secs.
BORLA EXHAUST Heat Race Winners: Fries,Balzano,Mason,Durboraw
SCOTT PERFORMANCE WIRE Heat Race Bonus Winner: None
ISKY RACING CAMS Dash Winner: Deese Jr.
PRO SHOCKS "B" Main Winners: Conley,Miller

SUMMARY
Qualifying: (LAP TIMES NOT AVAILABLE) 1)#01 Rodney Franklin; 2)#19
Gary Stuhler; 3)#1 Rodney Combs; 4)#30 Steve Shaver; 5)#44 D.J. Myers;
6)#05 Roy Deese Jr.; 7)#46 Brent Smith; 8)#40 Les Hare; 9)#82 Andy Fries;
10)#9 Frankie Plessinger; 11)#72 John Mason; 12)#84 Rodney Sweitzer; 13)#75
Bart Hartman; 14)#E1 Mike Balzano; 15)#04 Bob Close; 16)#24 Nathan
Durboraw; 17)#34 Rick Workman; 18)#1* Chub Frank; 19)#33 Aaron Scott;
20)#4N Allen Brannon; 21)#7 Charlie Schaffer; 22)#99S Marshall Shunk;
23)#1C Lynn Geisler; 24)#99 Donnie Moran; 25)#12 Devin Friese; 26)#42 Todd
Andrews; 27)#71C R.J. Conley; 28)#1M Jeremy Miller; 29)#51 Jesse Scheckler;
30)#21 Jeff Shearer; 31)#2P Bill Palmer; 32)#W11 Rob Blair; 33)#76 Doug
Burkholder; 34)#80 Bryan Durig; 35)#2S Sam Stile; 36)#92 Harold Dorsey Jr.;
37)#99H Mike Hardy; 38)#2J Jeff Rine; 39)#10 Jere Wierman; 40)#4J Jeff
Bryner; 41)#W7 Thomas Ware; 42)#3 Jeff Robinson; 43)#32L Greg Lucas; 44)#17
Jim Stasiowski; 45)#15 Tommy Armel; 46)#25A Andy Anderson; 47)#D2 Nolan
Dalton

BORLA EXHAUST Heat #1: Fries,Franklin,Hartman,Myers,Schaffer,
Workman,Scheckler,Burkholder,Friese,Hardy,Ware,Stasiowski (Top 4
advance to feature)
BORLA EXHAUST Heat #2: Balzano,Deese Jr.,Frank,Stuhler,Andrews,
Robinson,Shearer,Rine,Durig,Plessinger,Shunk,NS-Anderson (Top 4
advance to feature)
BORLA EXHAUST Heat #3: Mason,Smith,Geisler,Scott,Conley,Combs,
Palmer,Lucas,Wierman,Close,Stile,NS-Dalton (Top 4 advance to feature)
BORLA EXHAUST/SCOTT PERFORMANCE WIRE Heat #4: Durboraw,
Hare,Shaver,Moran,Miller,Sweitzer,Brannon,Blair,Dorsey Jr.,Armel,Bryner
(Top 4 advance to feature)
ISKY RACING CAMS Dash: Deese Jr.,Franklin,Shaver,Myers,Stuhler,
Smith (Finish determines first three rows of feature)
PRO SHOCKS "B" Main #1: Conley,Schaffer,Workman,Lucas,Burkholder,
Combs,Stile,Palmer,Scheckler,Hardy,Friese,Ware,Wierman,Stasiowski,NS-
Close,Anderson (Top 3 advance to feature)
PRO SHOCKS "B" Main #2: Miller,Andrews,Blair,Robinson,Brannon,Armel,
Sweitzer,Rine,Plessinger,Shunk,Durig,Bryner,Shearer,Dorsey Jr.,NS-Dalton
(Top 3 advance to feature)