Path Valley results 2003-07-04

Spring Run, PA_ Two of seven feature winners were racing at the Path Valley Speedway Park for the first time Friday night, and only Jim Young and Randy Patterson had previous wins this season as more than 140 race teams celebrated the Independence Day holiday with a second NRA Disabled Shooters Program Race Night.

Through several severe crashes no drivers were injured, and first-time visitor Mike Carber of Pipersville emerged from the debris with the 270 Sprints win while past national champions Jason Shultz of Chambersburg in the 305 Sprints and Jim Young of Johnstown in the 600 Sprints won their features.

Raymond Middaugh of Shade Gap won his first feature ever in the thunder cars and Brian Woodhall of Apollo won on his first visit in the Dwarf Cars. Kevin Thomas of St. Thomas won his first of the season in the mini stocks while Randy Patterson of Shippensburg won for the second time in the V-8 Street Stocks.

Dave Baskin, director of the National Rifle Association Disabled Shooters Services, displayed and demonstrated appliances to allow disabled hunters and target shooters to continue in their sports. His display even included a device to allow one-handed archery, with the drawn arrow released by the shooter's chin.

In victory lane Baskin told the big holiday weekend crowd that the program is ready to aid any of the 1.5 million American hunters and marksmen with disabilities. Baskin said that anyone who wants help with the shooting sports despite a physical disability can contact the free NRA service at 703-267-1495.

A dejected Frankie Reisinger walked to the pits after his #55 crashed and flipped on turn three in heats to kick off the PA 305 Sprints action. Jim Wentz and Brandon Keller won the heats and the pill draw for starting order inverted four to put Ryan Lynn on the pole, only to spin on the first lap. Jason Shultz, a past national champion who often races with the Virginia Sprint Series, started fifth and took the lead on lap five after racing wheel to wheel with Jim Wentz in laps one and three. The front five were Jason Shultz, Scott Ellerman, Jim Roush, Jim Wentz, and Todd Spangler.

The PA 305 Sprints return in two weeks. Next Friday the Central PA Legends Cars battle the two other sprint classes for top billing and the following night, after the regular Saturday afternoon kart and quad racing, the Slingshots join the venue with the three classes of strictly stock cars. Gates open at 5 p.m. for evening shows and 10 a.m. for the karts and quads and the afternoon grandstand admission is free.

Mike Carber is 15 years old and he has been racing for ten years. The youngster from Pipersville profited from a 270 Sprints four-car inversion pill draw that put him on the pole and he raced like that scared rabbit, leading every lap with Sean Good right behind him from the second lap on. "This is a great track to race on and I wasn't at all scared about Sean Good because I've raced against him before and know how good and careful he is," Carber said. "We had just enough cautions (3) to keep me out of lapped traffic."

The 270 feature started with a crumpled pile of sprints in turn four that included Josh Dressler, Zack Zook, Mike Boyer, Jared Allen, Ray Peters, and Chad Thomas, among many. The front five finishers were Carber, Sean Good, Brian Walker, Matt Miller, and Jim Young. Heat wins went to Brian Walker, Jim Young, Alex Cunningham, Carber, and Sean Good. Rodney Glass won the first ten-sprint, ten-lap consi and Mike Boyer won the second consi.

Jim Young, the Valvoline Cup national champion last year, started sixth in the 600 Sprints feature after winning heats in both the 600cc and the 270cc classes. Young passed defending champion Terry Peters on lap nine for third place with Gary Linderman commanding the pace and Jim Callahan a strong second. On lap 17 Linderman spun the #82 coming out of turn four.

On the lap 17 restart Young went to the inside with his Predator house car going into turn one and passed cleanly but Callahan saw his error and dived to the inside of turn two to take back the lead. Wheel to wheel down the backstretch Young beat Callahan into turn three and pulled ahead but Callahan caught Young coming out of turn four on the final lap -- only to finish a half length behind in the outside groove.

"I noticed Jim was going wide into turn one when Gary (Linderman) was leading and thought 'That's my chance on a restart if we ever get a caution'," Young told on-track interviewer Walt Cox. The front five finishers were Young, Callahan, Peters, Butch Harrington and Duane Harbaugh and Jesse Snyder, Jim Brookens and Young won the heat races.

The four-cylinder thunder cars put on as thrilling a race as the sprints as Ray Middaugh led from the pole with Richard Stache right behind. On lap seven Stache got too far inside turn one and hit a half-buried tire to go up on two wheels to the outside turn two. He recovered and then on the next lap flopped his #27 onto its side off the turn two outside wall after an intimate affair that involved Charles Stallman and Wes Schofield.

Middaugh cruised to his first win just a length or two ahead of frequent winner John Rasp. The front five were Middaugh, John Rasp, Melvin Bigler, Derrick Casner and Chris Casner and Bigler and Jeremy Truax won the heats.

Randy Patterson started sixth in the V-8 Street Stocks and took the lead from Doug Hoffman on lap three to cruise to his second win at Path Valley and third of the season. The front five were Patterson, Wayne Hawbaker, Allen Shives, Brian Havenstein and Brad Long and Patterson won the single heat race.

Kevin Thomas said he left North Caroline at 8 a.m. to race at Path Valley and he was glad he made the trip. The Favorite Driver Contest winner two months ago, Thomas celebrated his first mini stock win with a burnout in his #3C after beating former Rookie of the Year Kyle Wiser by about three lengths. In a race with only two cautions, the second half was non-stop and the front five were Thomas, Kyle Wiser, Jerry Bard, Korey Washinger and Gary Dehart while Bard and Dehart won the heats.

First time visitor Brian Woodhall started eighth in the field of 21 Dwarf cars and took the lead from Mike Hay on laps 16 and 17 after a restart for the race's third of four cautions. Mike Hatton, Eric Hay and Lynn Knepper won the heats and the front five finishers were Woodhall, Mike Hay, Mike Stratton, Steve White and Brian Pietsch. "Mike Hay and I are teammates and I love beating him that close," Woodhall said.

The Path Valley Speedway Park is located in Spring Run PA a mile north on PA Route 641 from the intersection with PA Route 75, halfway between Port Royal and Hagerstown. It is five miles east from the Willow Hill Exit 14 of the PA Turnpike. The new phone number at the track for promoter Ken Geesey is 717-349-7111. For information on the 2003 schedule and rules, race teams and fans can consult the website at www.pathvalley.com or they can email Two Wheel Promotions at twp@pathvalley.com.

FINISH ORDER

PA 305 SPRINTS _ Jason Shultz, Scott Ellerman, Jim Roush, Jim Wentz, Todd Spangler, Mike Freet, Bret Comp, Bandon Keller, Mike Wagner II, James Kennedy, Rick Mayberry, Von McGee, Denny Mellott, Ryan Lynn, Frank Reisinger DNS; Heats to Wentz, Keller.

600 Sprints -- Jim Young, Jim Callahan, Terry Peters, Butch Harrington, Duane Harbaugh, Jim Brookens, Aaron Eichelberger, Donnie Hendershot, Chad Criswell, Justin Frontz, Mark Watkins, Keith Woodson, Jake Murphy, Lyle Stroman, JC Walling, Dusty Heistand, Luke Ericksen, Gary Linderman, Jesse Snyder, Ben Murphy, Shawn Lawler, Pat Klose, Tim Barrick, Shawn Doebrich DQ; Heats to Snyder, Brookens, Young.

270 Sprints _ Mike Carber, Sean Good, Brian Walker, Matt Miller, Jim Young, Todd Steffy, Tim Robertson, Doug Dodson, Rob Griffin, Craig Myers, Chad Thomas, Ray Myers, Brian Hart, Bill Laughman, Alex Cunningham, Jim Still, Rodney Glass, Chad Myers, Josh Dressler, Ray Peters, Mike Boyer, Zack Zook, Jared Allen, Tom Tice; Heats to Brian Walker, Jim Young, Alex Cunningham, Mike Carber, Sean Good; Consis to Rodney Glass, Mike Boyer.

Dwarf Cars _ Brian, Wes Zimmerman, Jeff Barclay, Dan Hageman, Keith Swartzlander, Greg Johnson, Matt Hubbard, Russ Felgar, John Gerula, Frank Dunkle, Josh Sigman, Steve Shirk, Tom Showman, Eric Hay, Lynn Knepper, Frankie Dunkle, Don Kagarise DNS; heats to Hubbard, Hay, Knepper.

V-8 Street Stocks _ Randy Patterson, Wayne Hawbaker, Allen Shives, Brian Havenstein, Brad Long, Terry O'Donel, Doug Hoffman, Brian Gordon, Joe Gearhart DNS; Heat to Patterson.

Mini Stock _ Kevin Thomas, Kyle Wiser, Jerry Bard, Korey Washinger, Gary Dehart, Steve McCartney, Jerry Schott Jr., Ricky Harper, Brenda McCartney, Ed Kirby, Tim Burkholder, Barry Welch, Tim Bumbaugh, Calvin Frederick, Bryan Neff, Mike Harlow; Heats to Bard, Dehart.

4-Cyl. Thunder Cars _ Raymond Middaugh, John Rasp, Melvin Bigler, Derrick Casner, Chris Casner, Dave Ricker, Jeremy Truax, Tim Varner, Josh Detra, Mike Calinich, Duane Ricker, Jake Shoup, Charles Stallman, Richard Stache, Wes Schofield, John Griswold, Terry Smith DQ; Heats to Bigler, Truax.

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