Path Valley results 2003-10-10

Spring Run, PA_ High school ace Matt Miller of Sunbury won his first Path Valley feature in 270 Sprints and Travis Keeney of York won his first in a crash delayed full-size 305 Sprints main event while defending champion Jimmy Brookens of Fayetteville ran away with the 600 Sprints win.

In the special event of the night Kevin Rhoades of Breezewood won a hotly contested feature in the exhibition race of the four-cylinder strictly stocks, formerly junk cars, that race Saturday nights. It was the first win for Rhoades in his first season of racing.

The regular support division wins went to past champion Ricky Harper of Three Springs in the mini stocks and to Dave Ricker of Chambersburg in the four-cylinder thunder cars.

Only two Friday night programs remain as Path Valley races into fall to make up for a total 31 rainouts this season, and the four-cylinders take the spotlight next Sunday, Oct. 19, for the annual Four-Cylinder Shootout for the mini stocks with $1,000 to the winner.

At the request of many drivers, next Friday night's 270 and 600 Sprints races are not points races. The 305 Sprints headline the show with a special exhibition race for the minimal cost six-cylinder strictly stocks, and both regular weekly classes of four-cylinders will be on hand. With kart and quad points racing concluded Oct. 11, the main event Oct. 18 is the final Saturday night race for the strictly stock classes, with a mechanics race as a special bonus.

Oct. 24 sees the final Friday night race for sprints and stock cars with the V-8 strictly stocks up for a special appearance, and the season of racing concludes Oct. 25 with the annual Saturday Night Finale for karts - their only opportunity this season to race on a soft nighttime track.

The annual awards banquet is Nov. 15 at the Pleasant Hall Firehall and only a total of 400 tickets are available.

While Travis Keeney of York in his #88 ran away from the field to lead every lap of the 305 Sprints feature for his first season win, Lee Cavalet of Hollidaysburg had a disastrous night, thrilling and scaring the grandstand. On lap three Cavalet was involved in a dramatic crash as Jim Wentz parked his #88W on its tail against his wing. Wentz was out of the race from the turn four crash that brought out the night's first red flag, but Cavalet returned to finish the race.

With Keeney still in the lead, Cavalet and Brent Comp tangled on lap ten in the same turn four and both flipped and rolled and ruined their wings. At that point Cavalet, Comp, Wentz and Don Slack were all out of the race. Even Keeney had a bad moment as he posed in the winners circle and his right rear tire went flat.

In sharp contrast, the 600 Sprints raced without a caution pause and Brookens took the lead on lap two and by lap 13 built up a lead of more than a turn before Jim Young made it into second and started an unsuccessful effort to catch up. Young Miller, a frequent top five finisher from Stonington just out of Sunbury, led every lap in the 270 Sprints to his first win, and he successfully held on through five restarts for cautions as Brian Walker, the season's points leader, dogged his trail.

Breezewood rookie Kevin Rhoades provided lots of thrills in the strictly stock demonstration as he passed leader Kenneth Bumbaugh cleanly on lap 14 and then worked through lapped car traffic to the win. Veteran and past champion Ricky Harper waited until lap 18 and made a dashing dive to the inside of turn one to pass Tim Burkholder, who had appeared to be ready for the win after leading every lap to that point. "It took all I had to catch him," Harper said.

Charles Stallman led the early laps in the four-cylinder thunder cars but Dave Ricker got to the inside of Stallman's #44 into turn three on the fifth circuit and built up a lead of more than a turn in two laps. Ricker led by more than half the track by lap 16 when Ray Middaugh and Terry Smith began to close the distance, but by then it was too late as the Chambersburg driver took the checkers.

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 is 717-349-7111. For information on the 2003 schedule and rules, race teams and fans can consult our website at www.pathvalley.com or they can email Two Wheel Promotions at twp@pathvalley.com.

FINISH ORDER:

PA 305 Sprints - Travis Keeney, Mike Freet, Brandon Keller, Chris Meleason, Scott Ellerman, Randy Kaylor, J.R. Fogelsonger, Von McGee, Jim Roush, Jim Kennedy, Todd Spangler, Ryan Lynn, Mike Wagner II, Reed Thompson, Lee Cavalet, Brent Comp, Jim Wentz, Don Slack. Heats to Ellerman, McGee.

270 Sprints - Matt Miller, Brian Walker, Matt Horst, Rodney Glass, Zack Zook, Jim Callahan, Doug Dodson, Craig Myers, Aaron Lynch, Rob Griffin, Eric Spahr, Neil Petock, Ray Peters, Tigh Miller, Craig Folmar, Craig Shaw, Jason Horst, Jason Hall, Danny Holtgraver, Josh Dressler, Jeff Hoover, Chad Myers, Kelly Hall, Dave Socks DNS Greg Kone. Heats to Folmar, Horst, Walker.

600 Sprints - Jim Brookens, Jim Young, Dan Kanagy, Jason Starr, Justin Frontz, Rod Schell, Richie Fitz, Ben Murphy. Heat to Schell.

Mini Stock - Ricky Harper, Kevin Thomas, Jerry Bard, Gary Dehart, Kyle Wiser, Larry Stine, Frank Gordon, Jeff Mangle, Bryan Neff, Tim Burkholder, Mike Beidel, Doug Bilger, Eric Mellott, Ed Kirby, Ed Halter. Heats to Dehart, Thomas.

4-Cylinder Thunder - Dave Ricker, Raymond Middaugh, Terry Smith, Lyle Barnes, Jeremy Truax, Duane Ricker, Charles Stallman, Wes Scofield, Keith Armolt, John Rasp, Rocky Payne, Matt Williamson, Melvin Bigler. Heats to Smith, Middaugh.

4-Cylinder Strictly Stock - Kevin Rhoades, Jeff Treece, Kenneth Bumbaugh, Robert Weist, Tim Burdge, Hank Fales, Curt Atherton, Justin Mong, Wilbert Barker, Russell Fraker, Jim Wilkins, Barron Taylor, Curtis Guyer, Tom Martin, Tony Thurber, Brad Kress, David Ramsey, Johnny Runk, Denny Schofield, T.J. Atherton, Derrick Hinish, Jeff Koser. Heats to Robert Weist, Treece, Bumbaugh.

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