8/12/06

WILL THOMAS TAKES JENNERSTOWN MAARA 100

 
The Mid-Atlantic Asphalt Racing Alliance (MAARA) made its third stop of its inaugural schedule at the Jennerstown Speedway. Thirty-seven teams attempted to make the field for the 100-lap feature, with a good mix of Jennerstown-regulars and MAARA teams showing up at the fast d-shaped half-mile.

In its third event, the MAARA series had its third different winner as Will Thomas of Sharpsville, PA made a late race charge to win the 100-lap feature.

Following the four heat races, Rick Miller and Mark Poole drew the top two starting spots for the main event with Miller on the pole. Poole used his home-track expertise to his advantage and launched into the lead at the drop of the green flag. By the second lap Pete Vanderwyst had moved into the second spot after starting fourth.

The race saw plenty of long stretches of green flag racing thanks to only five caution periods. The first of those came on lap 11 when John Komarinski spun in turn three.

Barry Awtey took over second during the longest stretch of green flag laps as the top five cars distanced themselves from the pack. Poole continued to lead while Awtey, Mark Smith, Pete Vanderwyst, and Bobby Henry followed closely behind.

As the race neared the halfway point, Henry began losing ground to the cars running ahead of him. He would eventually spin out on lap 58 to bring out the second yellow flag.

Poole and the leaders had set a torrid pace during that run and lapped half of the field. When the race restarted just 15 cars of the 32 that started remained on the lead lap.

The top five was shuffled somewhat following the restart as Barry Awtey got hung out to dry in the lead pack. Mark Smith took over second on the restart but eventually gave that spot to Pete Vanderwyst on lap 62. Will Thomas, who started sixth, moved past Awtey for fourth on lap 65.

Ken Grimm took the hardest hit of the night on lap 75 as he hit the inside wall of the front stretch. Grimm was able to walk hit from the incident uninjured.

This set up a final 25-lap dash to the finish with Poole and Vanderwyst lined up on the front row for the restart. At the drop of the green flag, Vanderwyst got the jump on Poole and took the outside pole. Will Thomas followed Vanderwyst from the outside of row two to move into the second spot.

Just one lap later the yellow flag came out again as Jason Lasky stopped on the track in turn three. This put Vanderwyst and Thomas on the front row for the restart with just 23 laps to go. The restart looked very similar to the one two laps earlier as Thomas once again used the outside line to move himself up a spot as he took the lead from Vanderwyst on lap 78.

Thomas and Vanderwyst pulled away from the pack in the final 22 laps as Thomas cruised to his first MAARA win. Thomas began his racing career at Jennerstown in Legacy cars, but it was first win at Jennerstown in a Late Model. Vanderwyst gets his best MAARA finish with the runner-up effort.

Jennerstown points leader, Mark Smith, finished third after starting ninth. Barry Awtey and Glenn Gault Jr. rounded out the top five. Gault continues to lead the MAARA points after starting15th at Jennerstown.

Mark Poole finished sixth after leading the first 75 laps. Ricky Boyer won a heat race and finished seventh. Kyle Martel gained 11 spots from the 19th starting position to finish eighth. Bobby Henry and Rick Miller rounded out the top ten.

Canadian driver Cole Pearn from Mt. Brydges, Ontario made his first career MAARA start. Pearn competes at the Delaware Speedway in Canada. He started 27th and finished 16th.

The MAARA Late Models will head to Holland Speedway for the Bud 100 on Saturday, September 2. The final round of the MAARA Late Model Series will be at the Lancaster Raceway Park on September 24. For more information log on to MAARAracing.com.

Mid-Atlantic Asphalt Racing Alliance
Event #3 - Jennerstown Speedway – August 12, 2006

Finish Start Car # Driver Hometown
1. 6th #9 WILL THOMAS - Sharpsville, PA
2. 4th #50 Pete Vanderwyst - St. Thomas, ON
3. 9th #94 Mark Smith - Meyersdale, PA
4. 3rd #75 Barry Awtey - Jenners, PA
5. 15th #32 Glenn Gault, Jr. - Hubbard, OH
6. 2nd #96 Mark Poole - Eighty-Four, PA
7. 10th #45 Ricky Bowyer - Blairsville, PA
8. 19th #59 Kyle Martel - Lebanon, PA
9. 5th #11 Bobby Henry - Connellsville, PA
10. 1st #25 Rick Miller - Connellsville, PA
11. 13th #1 Todd Goble - Clarion, PA
12. 11th #95 Garry Wiltrout - Somerset, PA
13. 16th #31 Mark Cottone - McKeesport, PA
14. 12th #15 Tim Bainey, Jr. - Philipsburg, PA
15. 25th #37 Paul Urso - Glenshaw, PA
16. 27th #6 Cole Pearn - Mt. Brydges, ON
17. 14th #98 Gregory Kelley - Connellsville, PA
18. 22nd #66 Todd Price - Alum Bank, PA
19. 26th #3 Cory Lischer - Elma, NY
20. 21st #1B Steve Black - Smithton, PA
21. 20th #24 Jeff Dunmyer - Friedens, PA
22. 31st #82 Jason Lasky - Johnstown, PA
23. 17th #27 Marion Reno, Jr. - White Oak, PA
24. 29th #17 Ken Grimm - Pittsburgh, PA
25. 8th #02 Oliver Allen - Streetsboro, OH
26. 7th #99 Robby Marhefka - Windber, PA
27. 24th #33 John Komarinski - Greensburg, PA
28. 18th #99TJ T.J. Johnson - South Wales, NY
29. 30th #14 Gary Eicher - McKean, PA
30. 28th #26 Bryan Salisbury - W. Springfield, PA
31. 32nd #83 Joesph Moose - Derry, PA
32. 23rd #21 Chantal Germek - N. Huntingdon, PA

Lap Leaders: Poole 1-75, Vanderwyst 76-77, Thomas 78-100

DNS: Daniel Angelicchio, Ron Burkholder, Mike Hennessey, Jeremy Holbrook, Scott Nurmi

Heat Winners: Pete Vanderwyst, Mark Smith, Will Thomas, Ricky Boyer

Source: Dave Buchanan/MAARA PR
Additions: Mark Southcott/NYRaceZone.com
Posted: August 14, 2006