STARS

CONTACT: BRET EMRICK

MORAN THUNDERS TO WIN AT I-79!!!

Shinnston,WV 9-4-99

Donnie Moran of Dresden,OH captured his ninth STARS National DirtCar Racing League sanctioned win of the season Saturday pocketing $10,000 for his efforts in the "Simonton Windows Mountain State Thunder 75" at Interstate 79 Speedway in Shinnston,WV.

Aboard the McCullough Industries/Eddie's Sunoco/MasterSbilt Chassis/Fisher Motorsports Engines No. 99 Moran Racing Pontiac Grand Prix, Moran grabbed the lead from Eddie Carrier Jr. on lap 12 racing away to his 69th career STARS victory. R.J. Conley, who had to use a provisional to make the race after dropping a driveshaft during his PRO SHOCKS "B" Main, started 24th and roared through the field to take second place. Chub Frank wound up third with 13th starting Steve Lucas fourth and Tim Hitt fifth. Completing the top ten finishers were Booper Bare, Mike Balzano, Gary Stuhler, Steve Shaver and Bob Salathe. Light rain showers during the BORLA EXHAUST heats, ISKY RACING CAMS dash and PRO SHOCKS "B" Mains as well as the beginning laps of the main event threatened to wash out the event but all events were completed.

A violent crash involving Aaron Scott, Jeff Yeager and Gary Tonkery during the second BORLA EXHAUST heat race sent Scott, who was the "meat in the sandwich", flipping down the frontchute. Luckily no one was injured in the scary melee but Scott's car was virtually destroyed.

Pole sitter Carrier Jr. jumped into the lead at the end of the first lap with Moran, Balzano, Frank and Jeff Burdette trailing. Cautions on lap 4 for a Thomas Ware spin, on the lap 4 restart for Frank Wilson Jr. and again on lap 6 slowed the action but after that the racing was intense. Carrier Jr. was shadowed by Moran for laps 7 and 8 with Frank joining the mix on lap 9 as he scooted past Moran only to loose the spot the next circuit. Moran shot to the inside of Carrier Jr. on lap 12 to take the lead with Frank using the same move to grab second. Hitt entered the top five on lap 13 as Moran opened up a four car length margin on Frank. Moran entered lapped traffic on lap 23 but Frank got caught behind the backmarkers allowing Moran to open up a six car length margin. By lap 30 Conley had worked his way into the top ten using the extreme inside groove and broke into the top five on lap 37. Caution on lap 42 gave everyone a chance to catch their breath. Two laps after going back to green Conley worked his way past Balzano for fourth and then grabbed third from Hitt on lap 53.

Caution again on lap 57 slowed the race with Moran enjoying the comfort of three lapped cars between himself and Frank for the restart. Two laps after going back to green Conley worked underneath of Frank and grabbed second. Conley tried everything he could think of to run down Moran but Moran kept his car in the middle groove never allowing Conley a chance to close on him. The battle for position behind the two front runners was worth the price of admission as positions third through tenth changed every lap. Caution with six laps remaining bunched the field back up but Moran pulled away on the restart and took the checkered flag with a six car margin.

The $34,000 purse drew 48 drivers to the semi-banked 1/4 mile track with Burdette topping the field in time trials with his quick lap of 16.626 seconds.

BORLA EXHAUST heat race wins fell to Carrier Jr., Hitt, Salathe (SCOTT PERFORMANCE WIRE heat race bonus winner) and Bare. Carrier Jr. also grabbed the ISKY RACING CAMS dash while Davey Johnson and Mike Benedum scored the PRO SHOCKS "B" Mains.

STARS National DirtCar Racing League Race Report (for 9-4-99)
Race No. 28-1999 Season-"Simonton Windows Mountain State Thunder 75"
Interstate 79 Speedway-Shinnston,WV-1/4 Mile Oval
$34,000 Purse-$10,000 To Win-75 Lap Feature

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

1. (2) #99 Donnie Moran 75 $10,080 Running

2. (24) #71C R.J. Conley 75 $4,040 Running

3. (4) #1* Chub Frank 75 $2,550 Running

4. (13) #5L Steve Lucas 75 $1,500 Running

5. (7) #68 Tim Hitt 75 $1,400 Running

6. (9) #00 Booper Bare 75 $1,300 Running

7. (3) #E1 Mike Balzano 75 $1,260 Running

8. (11) #19 Gary Stuhler 75 $1,100 Running

9. (10) #30 Steve Shaver 75 $1,000 Running

10. (8) #RG3 Bob Salathe 75 $900 Running

11. (17) #79J Davey Johnson 75 $840 Running

12. (1) #1C Eddie Carrier Jr. 75 $800 Running

13. (19) #31 Denny Chamberlain 75 $640 Running

14. (18) #25 Mike Benedum 75 $590 Running

15. (25) #D2 Nolan Dalton 74 $540 Running

16. (5) #44 Jeff Burdette 74 $490 Running

17. (23) #16 Kenny Johnson 74 $440 Running

18. (22) # 1 Scott Miles 74 $440 Running

19. (16) #100 C.S. Fitzgerald 74 $400 Running

20. (14) #18 Robbie Scott 74 $400 Running

21. (12) # 0 Dave Groves 57 $400 Handling

22. (6) #1MC Butch McGill 42 $435 Rear-End

23. (15) #33M Joe Meadows 6 $400 Handling

24. (20) #W7 Thomas Ware 6 $440 Wheel

25. (21) #1KC Frank Wilson Jr. 4 $440 Steering

TIME OF RACE: 43 Mins.
YELLOW FLAGS: Six-Laps 4,4 (RS),6,42,57,69
RED FLAGS: None
LAP LEADERS: Two-Carrier Jr. 1-11;Moran 12-75
STARS "ROOKIE OF THE RACE": Ware
OUTERWEARS CO. "HARD CHARGER OF THE RACE": Conley
PROVISIONAL STARTERS: K. Johnson,Conley,Dalton
CAR COUNT: 48
FAST QUALIFIER: Burdette 16.626 secs.
BORLA EXHAUST Heat Race Winners: Carrier Jr.,Hitt,Salathe,Bare
SCOTT PERFORMANCE WIRE Heat Race Bonus Winner: Salathe ($100)
ISKY RACING CAMS Dash Winner: Carrier Jr. PRO SHOCKS "B" Main Winners: D. Johnson,Benedum

SUMMARY

Qualifying: 1)#44 Jeff Burdette 16.626; 2)#E1 Mike Balzano 16.642;3)#16 Kenny Johnson 16.741; 4)#1* Chub Frank 16.789; 5)#1x1 Sonny Conley 16.881; 6)#21H Robert Hensley 16.907; 7)#99 Donnie Moran 16.936; 8)#46 Doug Horton 16.961; 9)#1C Eddie Carrier Jr. 16.972; 10)#1MC Butch McGill 16.972; 11)#RG3 Bob Salathe 17.000; 12)#00 Booper Bare 17.007; 13)#87 Gary Dalton 17.007; 14)#68 Tim Hitt 17.011; 15)#19 Gary Stuhler 17.017; 16)#18P Jim Pyles 17.033; 17)#31 Denny Chamberlain 17.038; 18)#18 Robbie Scott 17.048; 19)#79J Davey Johnson 17.127; 20)#2J Mike Johnson 17.129; 21)#6 Lance Lauffenburger 17.146; 22)#33 Aaron Scott 17.147; 23)#1KC Frank Wilson Jr. 17.149; 24)#0 Dave Groves 17.160; 25)#5L Steve Lucas 17.207; 26)#71C R.J. Conley 17.209; 27)#80 Bryan Durig 17.210; 28)#25 Mike Benedum 17.217; 29)#30 Steve Shaver 17.218; 30)#55 Jeff Yeager 17.258; 31)#32L Greg Lucas 17.270; 32)#100 C.S. Fitzgerald 17.271; 33)#11 Chris Conner 17.305; 34)#32 Gary Tonkery 17.323; 35)#17 Shannon Webb 17.332; 36)#07R Brent Rhebergen 17.367; 37)#S1 Steve Wilmoth 17.368; 38)#W7 Thomas Ware 17.380; 39)#33M Joe Meadows 17.386; 40)#75 Don Gross 17.416; 41)#13 Frank Wilson 17.440; 42)#7 Chad McDougal 17.521; 43)#00H Chuck Harper 17.620; 44)#1 Scott Miles 17.622; 45)#12 Rick Williams 17.647; 46)#3H Stephen Hollabaugh 17.711; 47)#D2 Nolan Dalton 17.797; 48)#95 Jesse Guseman 17.806

BORLA EXHAUST Heat #1: Carrier Jr.,Shaver,Burdette,S. Lucas,Wilson, Chamberlain,S. Conley,Conner,Wilmoth,G. Dalton,Williams,Lauffenburger
(Top 4 advance to feature)

BORLA EXHAUST Heat #2: Hitt,McGill,Balzano,R. Scott,R.J. Conley, Ware, McDougal, Hensley, A. Scott. Tonkery, Yeager, Hollabaugh (Top 4 advance to feature)

> > BORLA EXHAUST/SCOTT PERFORMANCE WIRE Heat #3: Salathe, Moran, Stuhler, Meadows, K. Johnson, D. Johnson, Wilson Jr., G. Lucas, Webb,Harper,N. Dalton,Durig (Top 4 advance to feature)

> > BORLA EXHAUST Heat #4: Bare,Frank,Groves,Fitzgerald,Benedum,Miles, Horton,M. Johnson,Rhebergen,Gross,Guseman,Pyles (Top 4 advance to feature)

> > ISKY RACING CAMS Dash: Carrier Jr.,Moran,Balzano,Frank,Burdette, McGill (Finish determines first three rows of feature)

> > PRO SHOCKS "B" Main #1: D. Johnson,Chamberlain,Wilson Jr.,Wilson,S. Conley, Webb,N. Dalton,Harper,G. Lucas,Wilmoth,Conner,Williams,Durig, Lauffenburger,K. Johnson,NS-G. Dalton (Top 3 advance to feature)

> > PRO SHOCKS "B" Main #2: Benedum, Ware, Miles, M. Johnson, Gross, Horton, Rhebergen, McDougal, Pyles, Hensley, R.J. Conley, Tonkery, Guseman, NS-A.Scott, Yeager,Hollabaugh (Top 3 advance to feature)