CLIPP WINS ARMEL MEMORIAL - ROBINSON ENDS FOUR YEAR DRY SPELL
By Stan Dillon
HAGERSTOWN, MD.  Six weeks ago, Richard Clipp of Hagerstown scored his first win in the highly competitive late model sportsman division at the Hagerstown Speedway. Saturday night, he substantiated that win with a convincing performance in the prestigious 50-lap Tony Armel Memorial by Expert Tire of Chambersburg, PA. Clipp worked his way to second on the 13th lap then hounded Wayne Walls Jr. for seven laps before inheriting the lead when the leader slowed to a stop with overheating problems. Once in front, Clipp held off a couple late race charges of Daryl Kendall to score the biggest win of his career.

Jeff Robinson of Greencastle, PA held off the late challenges of
Rodney Franklin to score his first win since September 10, 1995 in the 25-lap
late model feature, Jim Snyder of Hagerstown also broke a long winless streak dating back to June 5th, 1996 in the 15-lap pure stock feature and Larry Baker II scored his first career win in the 10-lap Ernie's Salvage Yard 4-cyl pure stock main event. Jim Mullendore won the 30-lap enduro dash.

Staring in the fifth spot, Clipp paced himself for the longest race
of the year for the sportsman as Mike Walls set the pace from the pole. Wayne Walls Jr. quickly worked his way into the top five by the sixth lap after starting 10th and set his sights on the leader. By the ninth lap, Walls had taken the lead and was looking in good shape for another Armel Memorial win. But Clipp started to pick up momentum and moved into second on the 13th lap.  Clipp stayed glued to Walls' bumper and was setting up the leader for the pass when Walls came to a stop on lap 20 with overheating problems turning the lead over to Clipp. Once in front, Clipp was able to open a half straight away lead but had it wiped out on lap 28 when Walls brought out another caution. Clipp had no problem on the restart as Daryl Kendall was now in second looking for a Clipp miscue. As Clipp was working on a comfortable lead, a caution was waved on lap 43 when Barry Miller hit the first turn wall. On the restart, Kendall threatened to take the lead from Clipp and the two raced side-by-side as Clipp barely held onto the lead when Bob Friese hit the first turn guardrail bringing out the red flag. This time on the restart,Clipp managed to get away from Kendall and pulled away to a five car length win.

Rookie Mike Walls turned in a strong performance in his first extra
distance race for third with Mike Yeakle coming form 15th for fourth and the
St. Thomas Towing Hard Charger Award. Devin Friese completed the top five
after starting 13th. The balance of the top ten were Darryl Burkholder, John
Giannone, Scott Palmer, Frank Howery and Donnie Farling. Heat winners for the 22 sportsman were Kendall, Richard and Wayne Walls.

Alan Sagi grabbed the early lead from the outside pole in the late
model feature as Jeff Robinson started back in fifth. Robinson and Charlie
Schaffer began working their way to the front and went three wide with Sagi for the lead down the backstretch on the seventh lap. Robinson found the best traction down low and got the jump coming off the fourth turn to take the lead on the eighth lap. Schaffer kept the pressure on the leader to move in front on the 12th lap, but Robinson came back three laps later to regain the lead as Rodney Franklin and Nathan Durboraw moved in to make a bid for the top spot. With Franklin, Schaffer and Durboraw racing three wide, Robinson kept his car low in the groove that brought him 38 career wins. On lap 23,Frankie Plessinger brought out the third and final caution. With Franklin on his bumper for the restart, Robinson was able to hold off the challenge to take the win by three car lengths. Durboraw was third with Rick Workman making a last lap pass of Schaffer for fourth. Roy Deese Jr. and Andy Anderson were next with Brent Smith coming from 19th for eighth and the Hard Charger Awards from Timber Wolf Grass Roots Racing and Ernie's Salvage Yard. Doug Burkholder and Les Hare finished out the top ten. Deese, Robinson and Durboraw won the qualifying events for the 20 cars.

Dave Mikolajski took the lead from the outside pole in the pure stock
main event as Jim Snyder worked his way into the top five by the fourth lap
after starting 10th. Kenny Dillon took over the lead on the seventh lap, but
Mikolajski made contact with the leader two laps later coming off the fourth
turn bringing out the caution as both cars were finished for the night. Jeff
Bennett led the field on the restart with Snyder right behind. Snyder kept
the pressure on the leader to take the lead on lap 13 and was able to hold
off Bennett the final two laps to take the win. Steve Long came on strong to
pick up the Turner's Bowling Centers Hard Charger Award after starting 19th
to finish third behind Snyder and Bennett. Eugene Conley and Rick Stouffer
finished out the top five. Mikolajski, Smokey Pharo and Dillon won the
preliminaries for the 29 cars and Long won the consolation.

Larry Baker took the lead on the first lap from his fourth starting
spot in the 4-cyl pure stock feature feeling the pressure from Andy Holmes by
the second circuit. Holmes pulled even with the leader several times early in
the race as Brian Miller and Sean Dawson made it a four way battle the final
three laps. But the rookie Baker, the former quarter-midget driver, held off
the challenges to take his first career win. Andy Holmes was second as Miller
placed third with the Hard Charger Award from Pit Pass Collectibles. Dawson
and Eric Mellott completed the top five. Baker and Dawson were the heat
winners for the 13 cars.

In the 30-car/30-lap enduro dash, Tony Ford led from the front row
for two laps before giving way to Richie Miller. Miller led for three laps
until Jim Mullendore, who started ninth, moved in front. Jim Mongan came from 26th to challenge the leader on lap 23, but Mongan was able to hold on to take the win by two car lengths. Following Mullendore and Mongan were Kevin Durst, who started 31st, Eric Goshorn, Ford, Steve Lowery, Wayne Hawbaker,Steve Dillon, Karzy Kenny Thomas and Pete Gems.

This Saturday, July 31st, the Pennzoil World of Outlaws will make its
final appearance of the century at the Hagerstown Speedway. Race time is 8
P.M. with gates opening at 5 P.M. Advanced reserve tickets are now on sale.

RESULTS: LATE MODEL SPORTSMAN: (Heat 1) 1. Kendall; 2. R. Friese; 3. M.
Walls; 4. Howery; 5. Yeakle; 6. D. Farlling. (Heat 2) 1. R. Walls; 2. Palmer;
3. Burkholder; 4. Giannone; 5. Miller; 6. G. Farlling. (Heat 3) 1. W. Walls;
2. Clipp; 3. Beaver; 4. Sagi; 5. D. Friese; 6. Sipe.
50-LAP TONY ARMEL MEMORIAL: 1. Richard Clipp; 2. Daryl Kendakk; 3. Mike
Walls; 4. Mike Yeakle; 5. Devin Friese; 6. Darryl Burkholder; 7. John
Giannone; 8. Scott Palmer; 9. Frank Howery; 10. Donnie Farlling; 11. George
Farlling; 12. Blake Haulsee; 13. Richard Walls; 14. Bob Friese; 15. Barry
Miller; 16. Wayne Walls Jr.; 17. Don Zechman; 18. Alan Sagi; 19. Tom Deavers.20. Kenny Day.

LATE MODELS: (Heat 1) 1. Deese; 2. Elksnis; 3. Burkholder; 4. Davis; 5.
Crowl; 6. Woolford. (Heat 2) 1. Robinson; 2. Myers; 3. Franklin; 4. Sagi; 5.
Workman; 6. Scheckler. (Heat 3) 1. Durboraw; 2. Schaffer; 3. Palmer; 4.
Plessinger; 5. Anderson; 6. Hare.
25-LAP LATE MODEL FEATURE: 1. Jeff Robinson; 2. Rodney Franklin; 3. Nathan
Durboraw; 4. Rick Workman; 5. Charlie Schaffer; 6. Roy Deese Jr.; 7. Andy
Anderson; 8. Brent Smith, HC; 9. Doug Burkholder; 10. Les Hare; 11. Alan
Sagi; 12. Jesse Sheckler; 13. Frankie Plessinger; 14. Bill Palmer; 15. Paul
Crowl; 16. Mark Elksnis; 17. John Wicklein; 18. Ernie Davis; 19. D.J. Myers;
20. Duane Woolford.

15-LAP PURE STOCK FEATURE: 1. Jim Snyder; 2. Jeff Bennett; 3. Steve Long; 4.
Eugene Conley; 5. Rick Stouffer Jr.; 6. Craig Carbaugh; 7. Ronnie Dennis; 8.
Bill Funk; 9. Gary Calimer; 10. Kirk Evans; 11. Hans Stamberg; 12. Smoket
Pharo; 13. Pappy Cunningham; 14. Doug Bennett; 15. Randy Mallott Sr.; 16.
Russ Mosley; 17. Bruce Leibowitz; 18. Kenny Dillon; 19. Dave Mikolajski; 20.
Kevin Price; 21. Davey Stouffer Jr.; 22. Dave Rice Jr.; 23. Phil Madagan.

10-LAP 4-CYL PURE STOCK FEATURE: 1. Larry Baker II; 2. Andy Holmes; 3. Brian Miller; 4. Sean Dawson; 5. Eric Mellott; 6. Dean Holmes; 7. Ashley Gordon; 8.Tiffany Shoemaker; 9. Keith Bass Jr.; 10. Bill Ecton Jr.; 11. Jim Shatzer;12. Robert Holmes; 13. Jerry Fifield.