BNS: Jennerstown, PA report 95-05-06

Jennerstown, PA May 6, 1995

Well Roaming Russ took a long road trip this past weekend with my nine year old son Matt. We traveled to Jennerstown Speedway, Jennerstown, PA, for the Burnham 150 BGNN race. Defending race champion was Stub Fadden. The following report is as accurate as I could produce.

The Jennerstown track is listed in the National Speedway Directory as being a 1/2 mile high banked asphalt oval. This is a great racing facility. I personally would not list the track as being high banked. They normally run three divisions which consist of: NASCAR Late Models, Street Stocks and Pure Stocks. The gates opened at 4pm and racing started at 6pm.

During hot laps the #16 NAPA Auto Parts - Buick of Stanely "Stub" Fadden developed an oil leak problem that the team could not remedy on their V8 engine. What to do? Well they did have a show car behind the grandstand on display. Yeah it did have a V6, yeah it was not set up to race at Jennerstown, but what the heck. So they drove the car down the speedway driveway out on a local road and around to the pit driveway on the back stretch!

The way the BGNN officials worked the race the first 20 starting spots are secured through time trials with the remaining positions being secured through the B main. Unfortunately since this was my first visit to the track and the first time I have watched a BGNN stand alone event and I missed a few things along the way (I think this is what the wife refers to as the fan in the race shop syndrome).

the remaining 10 positions were filled through the B main or if 8 positions were filled with two provisionals.

part of it and I thought that they probably lined the cars up from the times run during the time trials. Well I can not get what I had as a partial and the time trial times to correlate. The other big problem was that they had three green flags before they ever got the first lap in officially. On the first start there was an accident in turn 2. Originally the officials were going to count the lap and have the field go with a single file restart. Then one of the officials in turn 4 gave the double up sign to the field and we had the cars two wide for the restart. On the restart a car spun on the backstretch bringing out they yellow. Finally on the third try the race was started and run without further cautions. Remember if you did not qualify here it was time to go home any many of these teams towed a long distance.

starting positions for 21 - 30 do not correlate. So to be as fair as possible I am not listing the finishing order of the B main or the A main starting positions for 21 thru 30.

why I was taking notes and the other one I missed as the track PA system went from the qualifying to do a live radio show.

all the scoreboard went to. And I missed the run down of the finishing order on Race Day!

BGNN Time Trials in order of qualifying attempt. Starting Car # Driver 1st Lap 2nd Lap Positions 1-20 34 Glenn Sullivan 19.724 19.288 8 22 Jeff Berry* 19.722 19.961 27 Paul Spenser* 19.850 19.772 29 Dave Dion* 19.776 19.540 18 4 Brad Bennett (R) 19.887 19.767 73 Brian Ross^ 19.466 19.380 2 1 Joe Bessey 19.87 19.907 87 Ron Theil Jr. (R) 20.82 19.791 65 Dean Crystal 20.575 22.98 5 McGray* 22.76 19.42 6 Robbie Crouch 19.440 19.373 4 09 Mike Stefanik 19.697 19.542 19 71 Bobby Dragon 19.501 19.401 10 10 Bill Duggan (R) 19.865 19.481 16 44 Andy Santerre 19.461 19.424 13 21 Eric L. Bodine (R) 19.919 19.770 02 Sanbone^ ------ 38 Babe Banscombe 20.130 19.934 56 Martin Truex 19.423 19.343 6 15 Derek Lynch (R) 19.593 19.440 14 91 Butch Leitzinger (R) 20.094 19.771 37 Alan Champman 20.051 19.834 47 Kelly Moore 19.510 19.332 7 63 Brandon Butler* (R) 19.721 19.412 12 25 John Swanson 19.70 19.466 15 76 Tom Bollis 21.000 20.006 99 Steve Nowakowski 19.757 19.80 51 Jerry Marquis 19.407 19.349 5 2 Dan Merservey Jr.(R) 20.020 20.03 8 Thomas Rosati 19.60 19.49 17 98 Keith Lamell 19.52 19.40 11 16 Stub Fadden 19.672 19.641 20 9 Russ Galindo ------ 54 Gerald Gravel 20.01 19.663 26 Ken Kagle 20.32 20.33 23 Ed Spenser III 20.53 20.20 50 Robert Gahan (R) 19.955 19.85 30 Denny Doyle (R) 19.422 19.390 1 7 Dale Shaw 19.422 19.375 3 28 William Penfold (R) 19.676 19.68 35 Mike Laughline, Jr.(R)19.726 19.39 9 69 Jeff Spraker 19.86 19.71 88 Brett Roubinek (R) 20.553 20.326 52 Vince Stutter* 22.288 21.85 * denotes a driver not listed in the program as being pre registered ^ denotes a driver in a car that did not match the programs pre registered list ------- denotes me missing the times (R) denotes drivers competing in the Penrose Rookie Challenge. All total there are 19 drivers currently listed for the Challenge.

Most of the cars in the field were running the V6 engine. The #09 of Mike Stefanik put on a fire works display as it got darker out of his exhaust pipe exiting turn one.

Joe Bessey was disappointed with his time so his team was trying to change an engine prior the start of the B main. Unfortunately they were unable to make the change prior to the start of the race and you could watch Joe walk from his pit up pit road and past the scales. However, Joe did drive in the Burnham 150! He was in the 27 car of Paul Spenser who got the car qualified through the B main.

Notice any familiar names? Spenser? Bodine? Yep these folks are cousins to the Winston Cup drivers. Notice the name Kagle? How about son of Red Kagle driving the #26 Monster Mile EX - Oldsmobile.

The Burnham 150 A wave of the green and we had a good clean start and the field was off. On lap 9 the #28 of William Penfold was in the pits for the first of many stops due to an electrical problem. At the completion of lap nine the top three were #73 of Robbie Thompson, #30 of Denny Doyle and the #6 of Robbie Crouch. On lap 11 the #76 of Tom Bolles and the #44 of Andy Santerre were warned about rough riding. This would be the first of many warning during the event. The #76 came into the pits for right side tires and the #22 was also on pit road. On lap 13 the #38 of Babe Branscombe was on pit road and the #22 was done for the evening having broken a rocker arm.

On lap 22 the #54 of Gerald Gravel spun on the back stretch but got it going prior to a caution being displayed. The #6 of Robbie Crouch was the new race leader. On lap 26 the #37 of Alan Chapman spun in turn 4 and brought out the caution. Chapman was latter penalized with a stop and go penalty for passing under the yellow. During the caution the following cars came onto pit road for service: #54, #27, #38, #10, #71, #76, #15, and the #28. On the restart the leaders were the #6, #73 of Robbie Thompson, #30, #47 of Kelly Moore, and #51 of Jerry Marquis.

On lap 33 the #56 of Martin Truex spun between turns 3 and 4 but was able to get going so the green stayed out. On lap 37 the #10 of Bill Duggan and the #37 got together. The #37 was penalized for pitting to early and had to go to the end of the longest line on the restart.

On lap 44 the #56 and the # 10 spun in turn 3 but manage to get going so the green stayed out. At the completion of lap 45 the running order was #6, #51, #47, #30, #7, #73 and the # 09.

By lap 55 a good battle was going on for second and third positions between the #51, #47 and the #7. On lap 57 the yellow was displayed for a spin on the backstretch involving the #35 of Mike Laughline Jr. The following cars entered pit road for service: #09, #34, #35, #73, #29 (overheating) and the #8. The #99 of Steve Nowakowski was given the black flag and for rough riding and was told on lap 60 to come in or have his card pulled.

On the restart at lap 61 the running order was #6, #51, #47, #7 of Dale Shaw and the #30. On lap 62 the yellow waved for an accident on the front stretch involving the #44, #16 of Stubb Fadden, #99, and the #63 of Butler. The #63 was facing traffic and had the rear of the car actually sitting on top of the pit road wall. The 16 had just gotten his times from the crew and was looking to make the move towards the front. He hit the outside retaining wall fairly good but did not pit. During the accident pit road was closed but the following cars pitted and were forced to go to the end of the longest line on the restart: #28, #34, #73, #8, and the #76. On lap 68 the running order was the #6, #56, #47, #7, and the #4. The #44 was warned again about rough riding.

On lap 72 the running order was: #6, #51, #47, #7, and the #44. On lap 75 the running order was: #6, #47, #51, #7, #98, #44, #4, #16. The #10 was one lap down while the #28 was eight laps down.

By lap 81 the #98 was off the pace and the running order was: #6, #47, #51, #4, #44, #16. The caution waved again on lap 83 as a car spun between turn 1 and 2 and gave it the gas and spun around to get going in the right direction. During the caution the #98, #54, #34 and the #73 were on pit road for service. As the field is preparing to take the green on the restart the #4 of Brad Bennett pulls out of line and comes to a stop between turn 3 and 4. He latter retires with electrical problems.

On lap 92 the field takes the green for the restart with the leaders being: #6, #47, #51, #7, #44 and #16. The #7 of Dale Shaw passes the #51. On lap 101 the #7 pulls out and passes the #6 and #47 and takes the lead.

On lap 110 the #10, #8, and the #35 are one lap down while the #28 is more than ten laps down. The running order is: #7, #47, #6, #51, #44 and #16.

The running order stayed pretty constant until lap 119 when the #44 and the #35 go together between turn one and two with the #35 finally coming to rest with the back end into the wall. The officials were going to give the #35 a two lap penalty if he had been able to resume racing. The #44 actually came to a stop near the #35 so they could exchange pleasantries.

On lap 123 the field restarted with the running order being #7, #47, #6, #51, #71. The restart was single file. The #47 tried to find the room to get by the #7 but he was protecting his position.

On lap #135 the #47 of Kelly Moore nudged the #7 of Dale Shaw in the right rear quarter panel and put him into the wall between turn one and two. The #7 had severe rear end damage as it backed into the wall hard. The BGNN officials felt that the #47 of Kelly Moore intentionally nudged the #7 and sent him to the rear of the field. It did not really matter since the #47 had the right front dragging on the speedway surface. They contested the penalty to no avail. The #44 was also on pit road for a tire change due to a flat. On the restart on lap 139 the new leaders were: #6, #51, #74.

On lap 141 the yellow waves again for the #54 of Gerald Gravel who came to rest with the car backed it into the wall between turn one and two. The front end was so severely damaged that the wrecker had a had time removing the car from the racing surface. The restart came on lap 146 with the running order: #6, #51, #71, #16, #29, #30, #09. And that is how they finished.

1.) 6 Robbie Crouch AutoPalace/Valvoline Pontiac 2.) 51 Jerry Marquis Boston Teddy Bear Co. Pontiac 3.) 71 Bobby Dragon Talarico/Tubbs Snowshoes Pontiac 4.) 16 Stub Fadden NAPA Auto Parts Buick 5.) 29 Dave Dion* Ford 6.) 30 Dennis Doyle Performance/Richards Corp. Cheverolet 7.) 09 Mike Stefanik Burnham Builders Oldsmobile * not listed in pre registered entries

After the race fans are allowed down into the pits. I got to meet and talk with Stub Fadden which was really a great experience. If the BGNN series runs on a track near you I highly recommend that you make plans on attending because they put on a good show for the money. Our ticket totals were $30.00. The next time I will see the BGNN drivers will be when they have a combined race with the BGN drivers in Nazareth, Pa on May 21.

Personally I think if the event was 200 laps it would have been a better race since there seemed to be this rush to get to the front near the end. I believe this race last year was 200 laps in distance. Not to forget the local drivers at Jennerstown here are the winners: Pure Stock 20 Lap Feature Winner - #7 of Douglas Shaulis Street Stock 25 Lap Feature Winner - #3 of Dave Wilt Late Model 40 Lap Feature Winner - #07 of Jeff Dunmyer

As always questions, comments, or constructive critisim is welcomed. My email address is rgould@oehs.upenn.edu Until the next race this is Roaming Russ wishing you a caution free week.

-- -Russ Gould-

rgould@oehs.upenn.edu