Racerchaser
06-19-2007, 12:43 AM
by Mike Leone
HAMMETT, Pa. -- After being rained out on May 27, the FASTRAK Northeast Late Model Touring Series made their first ever appearance to Bobby Rohrer’s Eriez Speedway (http://www.racefan.com/sresults.asp?SanctionID=988&StoryID=223657#) on a hot and sunny Sunday evening. A fine field of 22 competitors from four different states closed out the historic three-race weekend at the 3/8-mile oval located just outside the Erie metro area as Dick Barton won for the second time this season. Fans were treated to the FASTRAK brand of racing with two and three-wide racing all night long that is becoming customary every night.
Dick Barton backed up his inaugural FASTRAK Northeast Late Model Touring Series win at Raceway 7 on May 25 by capturing his second Touring victory of the season in the 25-lap, $1,500 to-win event out-dueling John Watson for the victory “John (Watson) is a great race car (http://www.racefan.com/sresults.asp?SanctionID=988&StoryID=223657#) driver,” expressed the Ashville, New York driver. “He had a good weekend. This Series is a blast! There were already 41 FASTRAK drivers in the area before this weekend. This is the future of racing. We’re all on the same Goodyear tires and run the same engine. I made the outside work, but it was so slick coming off two.”
Watson drew the pole position and raced out to the early lead with Rodney Phillips and Barton in tow. By lap three it was a three-car race for the lead with Watson trying to hold off Phillips and Barton. Phillips tried to get under Watson, while Barton ran the top side of the speedway. On lap six, it was three-wide for the lead with Barton edging past Phillips for second. Barton appeared to make the outside work to overtake Watson on lap seven, but a spin by Bob Kish negated the pass for the lead. The event’s second and final caution was for Dave Padula with eight laps completed as the final 17 laps went non-stop.
When racing resumed, Chris Knuth and Alan Dellinger passed Phillips for third and fourth on lap nine, while Watson and Barton raced side-by-side for the lead. Directly behind the race for the lead, Knuth and Dellinger were also side-by-side on lap 10. Dellinger made the move for third on lap 11, but the following lap saw Phillips and Knuth battle back running three-wide once again for the spot.
Barton kept working and working the top side of the speedway finally making the pass stick coming off turn four on lap 13; meanwhile, Phillips worked his way back to third taking the position back away from Knuth. Now it was Dellinger’s turn to make a move. The veteran standout racer started ninth, got as high as third on lap 11 before falling back to fifth on lap 12. Dellinger didn’t give up as he took fourth away from Knuth on lap 15 and slipped past Phillips for third on lap 17. Dellinger ran down Watson and the two ran side-by-side on laps 18 and 19 for second with Dellinger making the pass on the outside on the 19th circuit.
Barton began to deal with lapped traffic on lap 20 and then again on the event’s final two laps. Dellinger cut into Barton’s near straightaway lead, but ran out of time as Barton raced on the checkered flag first in Ron Neilson’s Bolt Place/All Sound Group/Custom Vinyl Graphics-sponsored #28B. Barton credited all the people behind the scenes for giving him a great race car. Barton continues to lead the Northeast Touring Series standings, which will award the Series champion $5,000 and a 2008 Bullitt Chassis worth $3,395 plus puts him in good shape toward the $50,000 National Championship.
Dellinger’s runner-up was his best effort of the season in Bob Williams’ #8. Phillips passed Watson on lap 23 to finish third; however, was disqualified in post-race tech inspection for a carburetor spacer infraction. Phillips had just gone from a GM 602 to the GM 604 engine. Watson moved back up to third at the finish. Knuth, who charged from 19th to finish sixth Saturday night at McKean County Raceway, had another solid run placing fourth. John Lacki’s bid for a clean sweep of the weekend ended with a fifth place finish after starting 12th. Completing the top 10 were Steve Hollabaugh, Bump Hedman, Tom Snyder, Jr., Tom Kemp, and Mark Osburn. The event was completed in less than 15 minutes with only two cautions for minor spins and once again just three cars (http://www.racefan.com/sresults.asp?SanctionID=988&StoryID=223657#) were lapped. Heat winners over the 22-car field were Greg Oakes, Lacki after Phillips was disqualified, and Barton. At least three racers were unable to return that were on hand before the rains came on May 27 including Jay Watson, Carl McKinney, and Bob Vogt, Jr.
Newcomers to the Series on Sunday night were Dog Hollow Speedway regular Dave Padula, who made the long tow from near the Pennsylvania/Maryland border in Greencastle, Pa. and Wayne Mohawk of Irvine, New York.
RESULTS
FASTRAK Northeast Late Model Series Race #4 (25 laps): 1. DICK BARTON ($1,500) 2. Alan Dellinger 3. John Watson 4. Chris Knuth 5. John Lacki 6. Steve Hollabaugh 7. Bump Hedman 8. Tom Snyder, Jr. 9. Tom Kemp 10. Mark Osburn 11. Dave Padula 12. Joe Watson 13. Chad Myers 14. Wayne Mohawk 15. Bob Kish 16. Scott Lyon 17. Dereck Frank 18. Jon Law 19. Greg Oakes 20. Kyle Drum 21. Jim Frank 22. Rodney Phillips-DSQ (illegal).
Lap leaders: John Watson (1-12), Dick Barton (13-25)
Heat winners: Greg Oakes, John Lacki, Dick Barton
Car count: 22
The next event is this coming Saturday night, June 23 at Ohio’s Lakeville Speedway, where the FASTRAK Late Models will be running a 25-lap $1,200 to-win feature joining the Super Late Models and Steel-Block Late Models. For more info, check out www.lakevillespeedway.com.
To join our mailing list, simply send an e-mail to fastrakpr-subscribe@yahoogroups.com. Mike Leone and Vicki Emig can be reached at 724-964-9300. E-mail to webmaster@mercerracewaypark.com and snail mail to 4368 Route 422, Pulaski, PA 16143. For more information, check out www.fastrakracing.com.
Partners of the FASTRAK Racing Series Include: Goodyear Racing, GM Performance Parts, Maypole Chevrolet, Duralite Wheels, PPM Racing Products, Heintz Performance, MK-Direct, Braswell Carburetion, Mastersbilt Racing Chassis, TNT Racing Chassis, Rocket Racing Chassis, Modern Chevrolet and Schoenfeld Headers.
HAMMETT, Pa. -- After being rained out on May 27, the FASTRAK Northeast Late Model Touring Series made their first ever appearance to Bobby Rohrer’s Eriez Speedway (http://www.racefan.com/sresults.asp?SanctionID=988&StoryID=223657#) on a hot and sunny Sunday evening. A fine field of 22 competitors from four different states closed out the historic three-race weekend at the 3/8-mile oval located just outside the Erie metro area as Dick Barton won for the second time this season. Fans were treated to the FASTRAK brand of racing with two and three-wide racing all night long that is becoming customary every night.
Dick Barton backed up his inaugural FASTRAK Northeast Late Model Touring Series win at Raceway 7 on May 25 by capturing his second Touring victory of the season in the 25-lap, $1,500 to-win event out-dueling John Watson for the victory “John (Watson) is a great race car (http://www.racefan.com/sresults.asp?SanctionID=988&StoryID=223657#) driver,” expressed the Ashville, New York driver. “He had a good weekend. This Series is a blast! There were already 41 FASTRAK drivers in the area before this weekend. This is the future of racing. We’re all on the same Goodyear tires and run the same engine. I made the outside work, but it was so slick coming off two.”
Watson drew the pole position and raced out to the early lead with Rodney Phillips and Barton in tow. By lap three it was a three-car race for the lead with Watson trying to hold off Phillips and Barton. Phillips tried to get under Watson, while Barton ran the top side of the speedway. On lap six, it was three-wide for the lead with Barton edging past Phillips for second. Barton appeared to make the outside work to overtake Watson on lap seven, but a spin by Bob Kish negated the pass for the lead. The event’s second and final caution was for Dave Padula with eight laps completed as the final 17 laps went non-stop.
When racing resumed, Chris Knuth and Alan Dellinger passed Phillips for third and fourth on lap nine, while Watson and Barton raced side-by-side for the lead. Directly behind the race for the lead, Knuth and Dellinger were also side-by-side on lap 10. Dellinger made the move for third on lap 11, but the following lap saw Phillips and Knuth battle back running three-wide once again for the spot.
Barton kept working and working the top side of the speedway finally making the pass stick coming off turn four on lap 13; meanwhile, Phillips worked his way back to third taking the position back away from Knuth. Now it was Dellinger’s turn to make a move. The veteran standout racer started ninth, got as high as third on lap 11 before falling back to fifth on lap 12. Dellinger didn’t give up as he took fourth away from Knuth on lap 15 and slipped past Phillips for third on lap 17. Dellinger ran down Watson and the two ran side-by-side on laps 18 and 19 for second with Dellinger making the pass on the outside on the 19th circuit.
Barton began to deal with lapped traffic on lap 20 and then again on the event’s final two laps. Dellinger cut into Barton’s near straightaway lead, but ran out of time as Barton raced on the checkered flag first in Ron Neilson’s Bolt Place/All Sound Group/Custom Vinyl Graphics-sponsored #28B. Barton credited all the people behind the scenes for giving him a great race car. Barton continues to lead the Northeast Touring Series standings, which will award the Series champion $5,000 and a 2008 Bullitt Chassis worth $3,395 plus puts him in good shape toward the $50,000 National Championship.
Dellinger’s runner-up was his best effort of the season in Bob Williams’ #8. Phillips passed Watson on lap 23 to finish third; however, was disqualified in post-race tech inspection for a carburetor spacer infraction. Phillips had just gone from a GM 602 to the GM 604 engine. Watson moved back up to third at the finish. Knuth, who charged from 19th to finish sixth Saturday night at McKean County Raceway, had another solid run placing fourth. John Lacki’s bid for a clean sweep of the weekend ended with a fifth place finish after starting 12th. Completing the top 10 were Steve Hollabaugh, Bump Hedman, Tom Snyder, Jr., Tom Kemp, and Mark Osburn. The event was completed in less than 15 minutes with only two cautions for minor spins and once again just three cars (http://www.racefan.com/sresults.asp?SanctionID=988&StoryID=223657#) were lapped. Heat winners over the 22-car field were Greg Oakes, Lacki after Phillips was disqualified, and Barton. At least three racers were unable to return that were on hand before the rains came on May 27 including Jay Watson, Carl McKinney, and Bob Vogt, Jr.
Newcomers to the Series on Sunday night were Dog Hollow Speedway regular Dave Padula, who made the long tow from near the Pennsylvania/Maryland border in Greencastle, Pa. and Wayne Mohawk of Irvine, New York.
RESULTS
FASTRAK Northeast Late Model Series Race #4 (25 laps): 1. DICK BARTON ($1,500) 2. Alan Dellinger 3. John Watson 4. Chris Knuth 5. John Lacki 6. Steve Hollabaugh 7. Bump Hedman 8. Tom Snyder, Jr. 9. Tom Kemp 10. Mark Osburn 11. Dave Padula 12. Joe Watson 13. Chad Myers 14. Wayne Mohawk 15. Bob Kish 16. Scott Lyon 17. Dereck Frank 18. Jon Law 19. Greg Oakes 20. Kyle Drum 21. Jim Frank 22. Rodney Phillips-DSQ (illegal).
Lap leaders: John Watson (1-12), Dick Barton (13-25)
Heat winners: Greg Oakes, John Lacki, Dick Barton
Car count: 22
The next event is this coming Saturday night, June 23 at Ohio’s Lakeville Speedway, where the FASTRAK Late Models will be running a 25-lap $1,200 to-win feature joining the Super Late Models and Steel-Block Late Models. For more info, check out www.lakevillespeedway.com.
To join our mailing list, simply send an e-mail to fastrakpr-subscribe@yahoogroups.com. Mike Leone and Vicki Emig can be reached at 724-964-9300. E-mail to webmaster@mercerracewaypark.com and snail mail to 4368 Route 422, Pulaski, PA 16143. For more information, check out www.fastrakracing.com.
Partners of the FASTRAK Racing Series Include: Goodyear Racing, GM Performance Parts, Maypole Chevrolet, Duralite Wheels, PPM Racing Products, Heintz Performance, MK-Direct, Braswell Carburetion, Mastersbilt Racing Chassis, TNT Racing Chassis, Rocket Racing Chassis, Modern Chevrolet and Schoenfeld Headers.