6/4/2005

MCGRATH AND HEHR SPLIT DOUBLE MODIFIED FEATURES AT LANCASTER

For only the second time this season the Lancaster Raceway Park was able to get a full program of racing in as Mother Nature wreaked havoc on the first month of the season. The grandstands were nearly full to capacity as race fans were hungry to see some racing once again.

As an added bonus there were double Modified features with one being made up from the rain-shortened program on May 21. Bill Mislin and Tim Mangus started on the front row for the first of the two 25-lap features. Mislin would grab the early lead followed by Billy Putney.

Tom McGrath started fifth but was up to third by lap six. By lap 10, McGrath would be up to second and would start to go after Mislin for the lead. Five laps later, McGrath dropped low coming out of turn four and made the pass with just ten circuits to go.

McGrath would drive off for the last 10 laps to score his first win of the year. Mislin followed him across the line in second. Tim Mangus, Sege Fidanza, and Billy Putney would round out the top five.

In the second feature for the Advance Auto Parts Modifieds, Ron Williams and Karl Hehr would pace the field to the green flag. Williams would lead the first lap, but then race would be halted for caution period after Billy Putney spun in turn one. Hehr would take the lead following the restart with Tim Mangus once again running in second. Hehr and Mangus would battle side by side for a number of laps but Hehr would hang on to the top spot.

Eventually, Billy Putney would make his presence felt after starting fifth. Putney looked to be the fastest car on the track as he raced up to third place and reeled in Hehr and Mangus. With five laps to go, Putney and Mangus traded the second back and forth but Mangus would keep the spot.

Meanwhile, Karl Hehr would survive a pair of late race restarts and hang on for his first win of the season. It’s his first win since the 2002 US Open. Mangus would finish second and have the best average finish for the two featues. Putney, Matt Alix, and Dave Wollaber would complete the top five.

In the Bobcat of Buffalo Late Models, Matt Alix dominated for his first career Lancaster Late Model win. The 2000 Holland Speedway Late Model champion has been filling for Bobby Weber who was sidelined with a work-related shoulder injury. Alix beat second place finisher, Tom MacLeod, by half of a lap.

In the Signworks SST Sportsman, Bill Hebing captured his first career Lancaster win. Hebing passed Sherri Hogan on lap five and led the final 15 laps to collect the victory. In the late stages of the race, Hebing had to fend off the challenges of both Neal Dietz Jr. and Bobby Holmes. Dietz would go to finish second. Hogan wound up third ahead of Holmes and Russ Gian.

Ed Collver collected his second career win in the Probity Construction Super Stocks, his first since 2003. Dave Milbrand originally crossed the finish line first, but was disqualified following post-race inspection.

Rick Widmer grabbed the win in the Glen Campbell Chevrolet Street Stocks. Widmer led 14 of the race’s 15 laps as he beat out Frank Batista at the finish line by a car length. Joe Mergl, Jim Stein, and Kyle Sharpe completed the top five.

James Michael Friesen captured the 20-lap TQ Midget feature. It’s Friesen’s eighth career win in the Midgets at Lancaster. It was also his second win in less than a week after a winning on Memorial Day Monday at Holland Speedway.

Monster Trucks invade Lancaster Raceway Park this week, June 11. The third round of the Holland/Lancaster Late Model Series will also take place as part of a full card of racing. Racing starts at 6:30 PM.

RESULTS

ADVANCE AUTO PARTS MODIFIEDS
Feature #1 – TOM MCGRATH, Bill Mislin, Tim Mangus, Sege Fidanza, Bill Putney, Dave Wollaber, Lee Sherwood, Ron Williams, Brett Scherrer, Eddie Murray, Bill Torrisi, Karl Hehr, Matt Alix, Sean O’Neill, and Kenny Troyer. DNS/Didn't return from 5/21: Chuck Hossfeld.

Feature #2 – KARL HEHR, Tim Mangus, Bill Putney, Matt Alix, Dave Wollaber, Sege Fidanza, Bill Mislin, Lee Sherwood, Tom McGrath, Sean O’Neill, Eddie Murray, Ron Williams, Brett Scherrer, Bill Torrisi, and Kenny Troyer.

BOBCAT OF BUFFALO LATE MODELS
Heat Winners – Joe Carbone, Matt Alix

Feature – MATT ALIX, Tom MacLeod, Joe Carbone, Mark Pennell, Tommy Reese, Mike Ticco, Ron Nurmi, T.J. Johnson, Scott Skora, Craig Orr, Scott Jarrell, Darryl McKay, and John Julicher. DNS: Bob Nye, Mark Krupczyk, and Dan Habuda.

SIGNWORKS SST SPORTSMAN
Heat Winners – Sherri Hogan, Bobby Holmes

Feature – BILL HEBING, Neal Dietz, Jr., Sherri Hogan, Bobby Holmes, Russ Gian, Eddie Murray, Frank Booker, Jr., Ed Grimmer, Steve West, Mike Mitchell, Dave Johnson, Mike Shields, Justin Shepker, Don Wylie, Jim Pierce, Jerry Gradl, Jr., Ed Weber, Richard Thomas, and Tom Kornowski. DNS: John Barber.

PROBITY CONSTRUCTION SUPER STOCKS
Heat Winners – Wayne Bernhard, Dave Milbrand

Feature – ED COLLVER, Jay Mudra, Wayne Bernhard, A.J. Cole, Mark Hoch, Tom Carney, Ed Lechner, Mike Scott, Doug Evans, Jason Gwin, Jay Canonico, Ben Harms, Paul Alberti, and Chris Pennell. DQ: Dave Milbrand.

GLEN CAMPBELL CHEVROLET STREET STOCKS
Heat Winners – Dave Johnson, Rick Widmer, Jim Stein

Feature – RICK WIDMER, Frank Batista, Jr., Joe Mergl, Jim Stein, Kyle Sharpe, Jeff Madill, Tim Garlock, Scott Mutka, Rob Bulger, Russell Knutsen, Gary Light, John Shurmatz, Mike Maggiore, Mike McDonald, John Kraemer, Pete Hackett, Bobby Hanel, Jr., Don Deville, Jim Bryant, Wayne Lavis, Gary Bartella, Shane Porter, Bob Blaszak, Jim Offhaus, Dave Johnson, Paul Tessier, Kyle Volk, Tom Agen, Joe Light, Tom Deville, and Kevin Mendel.

TQ MIDGETS
Heat Winners – James Michael Friesen, Dave Wollaber

Feature – JAMES MICHAEL FRIESEN, Dave Wollaber, A.J. Hessler, Justin Mapes, Mel Raab, Dan Lawrence, Erick Rudolph, Mike Blair, Mark Schulz, Rich Watkins, Gordon Steffan, Shawn Szejnar, Joel Friesen, D.J. Sossong, Jamie Collard, Charlie DiRosa, Jim Fleischman, and Vinny Christiano, Jr. DNS: Chad Haywood, Chris Bandelian.

Source: Dave Buchanan/Lancaster Raceway Park PR
Posted: June 5, 2005