Path Valley results 2004-06-26

Spring Run, PA_ Two veterans and two first-timers won features Saturday night in strictly stock action at the Path Valley Speedway Park.

The thrilled first time winners were Natasha Mills of Everett in the Powder Puff and Bruce Ginther of Lebanon in the 4-Cylinder feature. The equally excited repeat winners were Dave Dunkle of Spring Run in the V-8 feature and Ricky Rosenberry of Willow Hill in the 6-cylinders. Both of the latter, coincidentally, started seventh in their respective features.

The next Strictly Stock race at Path Valley will be Saturday evening, July 10, with gates open at 5 p.m. The low budget stock cars race in four, six and eight-cylinder classes and complete rules are available at the track's website. Special events like the Powder Puff held Saturday for only the ladies who do not race regularly, or a Mechanic's Race, are often unannounced or held in response to driver interest.

Natasha Mills said in her victory lane interview that she drives like that all the time, even on the highway, but her husband Shawn 'Boris' Mills said it was her first race and that she had the four-cylinder in second gear all the way. Natasha took off like a shot and by lap three was putting the slower ladies a lap down. At the finish she had lapped all but the second and third place cars.

Dave Dunkle moved into third place by lap three and passed Rob Keller for second on lap 12 after early leader Danny Burdge went to the infield and gave Tony Verno the front spot. Dunkle caught up to Verno and went side by side on lap 15, completing his pass to the outside of turn one on lap 16. A final caution flag regrouped the cars on lap 18 and at the finish a length or less separated Dunkle, Verno and Keller, the front three money winners. Dunkle thanked a long list of sponsors and had those present join him for photos in victory lane. Tom Brady and Robert Naugle collected for the heat race wins.

Flagman Steve Murphy of Martinsburg had warned the racers at the driver's meeting against rough driving and senior race director John Winsett told them that the caution flag would be used judiciously for anyone in danger or capable of continuing. So on lap two of the six-cylinder feature, Murphy took the black flag from his flag stand to the track and displayed it to all of the cars.

Fully warned that they were not racing a demo derby, Chad Gambol continued to lead in his #43 as Rosenberry worked his way patiently toward the front. On lap 7 Rosenberry passed Kenny Brown and caught Gambol to take the lead at the start-finish line. By lap nine he had a full turn lead and began lapping slower cars on lap 12. Ten cars finished on the lead lap with Rosenberry, Josh Walstrum and Gambol one, two, three. Rosenberry dedicated his win to his father and Michelle Gipe and thanked Mike Gipe for the car to drive and Dave Dunkle for the help with setting it up. Heat race winners were Walstrum and Robert Weist.

Bruce Ginther said he has been a race fan all his life, but never thought he could afford to race until joining the Path Valley strictly stocks this season. "Winning a race like this is a dream come true and I thank the Lord for the chance to do it," he said in victory lane. The Lebanon racers said every race is worth the nearly two-hour drive from his home in Lebanon. Ginther started sixth and worked his way into third by lap eight as Jason Fredrick dominated the early laps. Chester Atherton took over the lead on a lap 12 restart and stayed well ahead of Ginther until lap 17 when Atherton went too wide on turn four and Ginther dived inside for the lead, finishing two lengths ahead of Atherton two laps later. The front three were Ginther, Atherton, and Wilbert Barker, and Barker and Hank Fales won the heats.

John Winsett announced plans next season for a "Chain Car" class in which the front car would have an engine and a rear car with a separate driver chained fast to the front car would have brakes. The track is also surveying interest in a Friday night hobby stock class of bare bones V-8 fully-caged racecars that would cost far less to field than the present V-8 Street Stock class.

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 2004 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.

PHOTO* MENU AND ID: Photos by Walt Cox available all to media from coxxcomm@pennswoods.net. Miss Path Valley is Brandi Adams of New Bloomfield.

FINISH ORDER:

Powder Puff -- Natasha Mills (started 3), Stacie Naugle, Rachael Scofield, Tonya Rank, Jody Brown, Katie Krause, Christie Rhoades, Tammy Hutchinson, Misti Kopp, Alma Walstrum.

4-Cylinder -- Bruce Ginther Jr. (started 6), Chester Atherton, Wilbert Barker, Denny Schofield, Jeff Koser, Barron Taylor, Wayne Kopp, Shawn Mills, Dakota Hutchinson, Jason Fredrick, Bill Burdge, Hank Fales, Brandon Burdge, Bobby Johnson, Dave Strait, Mike Beers, Jeff Arcq. Heats to Barker, Fales.

6-Cylinder -- Ricky Rosenberry (started 7), Josh Walstrum, Chad Gambol, Bob Elvin, Kenny Brown, Robert Weist, Andy Krause Jr., Raymond Seville, Allan Covert, Jason Ege, Terry Golden, Tim Burdge, James Arcq, DNS Todd Price. Heats to Walstrum, Weist.

V-8 -- Dave Dunkle (started 7), Tony Verno, Rob Keller, David Reaugh, Tom Brady, Jacob Cottle, Robert Naugle, Joe Daywalt, Danny Burdge, Dustin Brown, Randy Hockenberry, Joey Burdge. Heats to Naugle, Brady.

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