Mercer Raceway Park
Race Results
www.mercerracewaypark.com

09/18/06

ELLENBERGER TAKES $3,000 WESTERN PA SPRINT CHAMPIONSHIP SUNDAY AT MERCER; HOFFMAN HOLDS ON TO WIN #3 IN MODS; WHEELER COMES FROM 20TH FOR HIS 2ND STOCK WIN; BISH ROUNDS OUT NIGHT WITH 2ND STRICTLY WIN
By Mike Leone
September 10, 2006 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Mercer, PA.After being fogged out Saturday night after the completion of the heat races, Mercer Raceway Park completed the 18th annual "Western PA Sprint Championship" presented by PNC Investments Sunday evening. Celebrating in the Hoosier Tire Mid-Atlantic Victory Lane with victories were Brian Ellenberger-RoadRunner & Lake Road Auto Sales Sprint Cars, Kevin Hoffman-American Racer/Lias Tire Modifieds, Terry Wheeler-Tire Express Stock Cars, and Curt Bish, Sr.-Maurer's Trading Post Strictly Stocks.

Brian Ellenberger collected his first win of the season and picked a good night for it capturing the $3,000 to-win 30-lap "Western PA Sprint Championship" for his biggest career win. "I want to thank everyone at the track for doing these special shows and putting money up top," expressed the Butler, Pa. victor, who became the 10th different RoadRunner & Lake Road Auto Sales Sprint Car winner this season. "I was glad to see all the Sprint Cars come out as they need to support Vicki (Emig) on these shows and I appreciate it. Frank (Benic) did an awesome job on the race track, and my great did a great job on the car."

Arnie Kent out-dragged pole-sitter Jamie Martin into turn one for the lead, while Ellenberger and Scott Bonnell passed Gary Edwards for third and fourth on the opening lap. Just as Kent was entering traffic with Martin on his heals, Carl Bowser took a nasty flip in turns one and two bringing out the red. Bowser was okay, but was done for the event. When racing resumed, Martin, Ellenberger, and Bonnell chased Kent. By lap 10, it was a three-car race for the lead. Ellenberger got a great run to drive by Martin for second off turn two on lap 11 in traffic.

With Ellenberger now in second, he slowly began to cut into Kent's lead and was on the leader's tail tank on lap 17. Ellenberger's winning move came on lap 20 when Kent got slowed behind the lapped car of rookie Scott Rodgers and Ellenberger made a bold outside move in turns three and four to drive past both for the lead. Once in front, Ellenberger quickly pulled away and had a sizable lead by lap 22. Meanwhile, Scott Bonnell was having a good run and disposed of Martin for third on lap 24. Martin's fine run ended up in smoke with 26 laps completed bringing out the caution. Two more laps were run until Rob Eyler slowed and brought out the event's final caution.

The caution was all that slowed Ellenberger from his fourth career win in his un-sponsored #20E. "My car got faster the later the race went on," explained the winner. "I was struggling at the beginning and wasn't sure if I was going to have anything for these guys then we got in lapped traffic and was able to make a couple passes and get in the lead. It locked down at the end and that's when you need it and it paid off."

Kent held off Bonnell to finish second. A great battle ensued between Edwards, Bob Felmlee, and Ed Lynch, Jr. over the late stages of the races. On the final lap, the trio were three wide, with Lynch making an amazing move to pass both Felmlee and Edwards to finish fourth after starting ninth. Felmlee edged Edwards for fifth and won his third track title. Seventh through tenth were Todd Bauer, Tom Quarterson, and Danny Holtgraver, and Andy McKisson, who made his first start of the season. Topping the heat races on Saturday over the season-high 33-car field were Kent, Bonnell, and Skip Dougherty. McKisson won the B main.

After going winless for over four months, Kevin Hoffman returned to victory lane for the second time in three weeks and for the third time this season in the 20-lap $800 to-win American Racer/Lias Tire Modified feature holding off new champion Frank Guidace. "This feels great," exclaimed the Franklin, Pa. winner. "I hate starting on the pole especially when you have all these guys on your tail. The car was a little tight, but was fast enough through the middle to keep me going- it feels great!"

Hoffman jumped into the lead from the pole position with Kevin Green and Guidace in tow. Guidace worked his way past Green for runner-up on lap three. Hoffman was able to maintain his lead as the laps ticked off caution-free. On lap 11, Hoffman caught the back-markers and had three cars holding him up allowing Guidace to erase a half-straightaway deficit. Just as Guidace caught Hoffman and was attempting to make a move in turn four, Alex Anderson spun bringing out the event's final caution with 11 laps scored.

Hoffman was able to maintain the lead on the double-file restart, while Gary Smoker disposed of Green for third. Seventh starting Brad Rapp was able to get past Green for fourth then took third away from Smoker on lap 16. Hoffman though was just too much for Guidace as he held on to collect his fourth career win in the M-D Paving/Virgile Scrap Metal/Hepler Trucking, Hoffman Door Co.-owned #00.

Guidace, who entered the night, trailing Stine by one point, finished second, but didn't do so in the championship point race as he came out on top by a mere three points for his first championship of any kind. Rapp held off a late charge by the veteran Stine, who passed Smoker for fourth on lap 19 but came up just shy in his bid for the title in his first ever full season at Mercer. Defending champion Smoker dropped to fifth. Completing the top 10 were Steve Young, Green, Jeff Schaffer, Ron Eperthener, Jr., and Jimmy Holden. Heat victors over the 28-car field on Saturday were John Buchanan, Eperthener, and Young, while Mike Anderson won Sunday's B main.

Veteran Terry Wheeler put on quite a charge from the 20th starting spot to edge out champion and 19th starting Brian Booher in the 20-lap $500 to-win Tire Express Stock Car feature for his second win of the season. "Brian is pretty good and was hard at it, but I had to pull a couple tricks on him," joked the Stoneboro, Pa. winner. "I have to thank everyone, it was a good, clean race. Last Sunday (at Tri-City Speedway) we blew a fresh motor and my engine builder Mike Shingledecker was up all night and put in the motor at 9 in the morning Monday. My dad would race every night, but I can't do it."

Jim Fosnaught raced into the early lead from the pole position with standout racer Rusty Martz passing Mark Sanders and Andy Thompson for second on the initial lap. Martz hounded Fosnaught and was all over the surprise leader. On lap 11, six cars battled for the lead. Fosnaught's bid at his first career win ended on lap 12 when he looped his mount in turn four and collected the third place car of Dan Smeal.

While Martz inherited the lead, Jim's brother Jason was now up to second with Wheeler third. When racing resumed, Lernerville Speedway champion flew past Wheeler and Fosnaught for second, while Wheeler moved ahead of Fosnaught to reclaim third.

Wheeler nipped Lambert at the start-finish line for second on lap 14 then grabbed the lead one lap later when Martz slipped high in turn four. Lambert disposed of Martz for second on lap 17. Booher entered the picture taking third from Martz then second from Lambert on lap 19 just before a caution for Skip Reseigh. With a green-white shootout for the win, Booher got a great start on Wheeler and appeared headed for victory , but Jim Fosnaught and Smeal tangled for the second time necessitating another green-white finish.

This time on the restart, Wheeler got a better start and edged out Booher at the checkered by one-half car-length, while Booher claimed his second straight championship. The victory was Wheeler's sixth of his career and came in the Jimmy Wheeler-owned, Greenhill Farms/Pap's Place/Lakeview Fertilizer/Shingledecker Welding-sponsored #2W. Lambert held off Martz for third. Rod Laskey had a great run coming from 22nd to finish a career best fifth. Heat winners on Saturday over the 34-car field were Jim Fosnaught, Martz, and Smeal, while Booher won Sunday's B main.

For the second straight year, Curt Bish, Sr. celebrated his birthday in victory lane by scoring the 12-lap Maurer's Trading Post Strictly Stock feature for his second win of the season. It was just the second win of the season and first since April 22 for the Titusville, Pa. driver, who won 15 features in the first two seasons including the inaugural championship and a runner-up to his son last year. Bish started on the pole and led from green-to-checkered in his #29 holding off the challenges of first Dave Bass then Dave Airgood, Jr. Airgood and Bass swapped second back and forth three times before Airgood claimed the spot for good on lap 10. Bass was third over Jeff Manners and Josh Seippel. Airgood and rookie champion Bryan Wagner won the heats on Saturday over the 11-car field.

"Western PA Sprint Championship" RoadRunner & Lake Road Auto Sales Sprint Cars (30 laps):
1. BRIAN ELLENBERGER ($3,000) 2. Arnie Kent 3. Scott Bonnell 4. Ed Lynch, Jr. 5. Bob Felmlee 6. Gary Edwards 7. Todd Bauer 8. Tom Quarterson 9. Danny Holtgraver 10. Andy McKisson 11. Andy Priest 12. Mike Dehner 13. Brent Matus 14. Scott Rodgers 15. Paul Kish 16. Pup Nystrom 17. Joe Butera 18. Rob Eyler 19. Butch Beasley 20. Jamie Martin 21. Skip Dougherty 22. Kevin Schaeffer 23. Carl Bowser 24. Paul Kapuchuck 25. Chris Shuttleworth-DNS DNQ: Tait Hilbert, John McCracken, Bobby Nuhfer, Riki Likowski, Rod George, Gale Ruth, Leonard Ripper, Jr., John Stickley.

American Racer/Lias Tire (358) Modifieds (20 laps): 1. KEVIN HOFFMAN ($800) 2. Frank Guidace 3. Brad Rapp 4. Mike Stine 5. Gary Smoker 6. Steve Young 7. Kevin Green 8. Jeff Schaffer 9. Ron Eperthener, Jr. 10. Jimmy Holden 11. Andy Priest 12. Garrett Krummert 13. Mike Anderson 14. Kyle Ripper 15. Rich Whitney 16. Fred Sasse 17. Bill Adams 18. Matt Reeher 19. Alex Anderson 20. Ed Alcorn, Jr. 21. Eric Gabany 22. Brian May 23. John Buchanan 24. Jr. Baker 25. Matt Baker-DNS DNQ: Ryan Haney, Lonny Riggs, Barry Bulfone.

Tire Express Stock Cars (20 laps): 1. TERRY WHEELER ($500) 2. Brian Booher 3. Butch Lambert 4. Rusty Martz 5. Rod Laskey 6. Terry Young 7. Andy Thompson 8. Jason Fosnaught 9. Bobby Heim 10. Bill Lanigan 11. Bob Sloss 12. Wayne Carbo 13. Ryan Moyer 14. Ed Cornell 15. Chris Haines 16. Jim Fosnaught 17. Dan Smeal 18. Kevin Thompson 19. Skip Reseigh 20. Mark Sanders 21. Andy Buckley 22. Gary Robinson 23. Mike Aley 24. Gary Sullivan DNQ: Bryan Shaffer, Clyde Roberts, Shon Derr, Adam Aley, Rick Norco, Bill Vance, Jr., Pat Carfley, Tim Burns, Tommy Dembowski, Justin Bailey.

Maurer's Trading Post Strictly Stocks (12 laps): 1. CURT BISH, SR. 2. Dave Airgood, Jr. 3. Dave Bass 4. Jeff Manners 5. Josh Seippel 6. Paul Reiser 7. Bryan Wagner 8. Charlie McMillen 9. William Shelatree 10. Chadd Uber 11. Jon Mabry-DNS.

RAIN DELAYED "WESTERN PA SPRINT CHAMPIONSHIP" GETS FOGGED OUT AT MERCER SATURDAY; SHOW TO BE COMPLETED SUNDAY AT 6 PM
By Mike Leone

Mercer, PA.Rain showers tried to dampen the spirits of race fans and drivers for the running of the 18th annual "Western PA Sprint Championship" presented by PNC Investments Saturday night at Mercer Raceway Park, but in the end it was fog that took the final checked. After a nearly two-hour rain delay, racing got underway and all the heat races were completed; however, just as the Sprints were hitting the track for their B main the fog set in and despite an attempt to lift the fog all was lost and the show was postponed until Sunday night (September 10) with gates opening at 4 p.m., hot laps at 5:15, and racing at 6 p.m.

Racing will resume where it left off as the RoadRunner & Lake Road Auto Sales Sprint Car B main, the American Racer/Lias Tire Modified B main, and the Tire Express Stock Car B main will be a prelude to the 30-lap $3,000 to-win Sprint Car feature, the 20-lap $800 to-win Modified feature, the 20-lap $500 to-win open Stock Car feature, and the 12-lap Maurer's Trading Post Strictly Stock feature. Car counts were 33 Stocks, 32 Sprints, 27 Modifieds, and 11 Strictly Stocks. New cars will be permitted to compete; however, they will have to start at the tail of the B main or feature.

Fans and drivers that were in attendance can simply bring their rain checks back Sunday and will be admitted at no charge Sunday. There are no refunds. Any car not able to return will receive tow money. For anyone not in attendance, adult admission is $15. Students 6-15 are $7. Children five and under are free. The pit pass is $30.

Mercer Raceway Park is located minutes from both Interstate 79 and 80 just off Route 19 on Fairground Road in Mercer, Pa. Dirt track racing and quality family entertainment are presented weekly late March through September. The office in New Bedford, Pa. is open year-round Monday through Friday after 1:00 p.m. For more information call the office at 724-964-9300 or the track on race day at 724-662-1310. Check out our website at www.mercerracewaypark.com for the latest.

"WESTERN PA SPRINT CHAMPIONSHIP" TO OFFER $3,000 TO-WIN SATURDAY AT MERCER; CHAMPIONS TO BE DETERMINED; NO E-MODS
By Mike Leone

Mercer, PA.After a week hiatus, Mercer Raceway Park will host its final weekly four-division program of the season this Saturday night, September 9. The 18th annual "Western PA Sprint Championship" presented by PNC Investments will feature the RoadRunner & Lake Road Auto Sales Sprint Cars, American Racer/Lias Tire Modifieds, Tire Express Stock Cars, and the Maurer's Trading Post Strictly Stocks to determine the 2006 champions with racing at 7 p.m.

The "Western PA Sprint Championship" was brought back in 2004, but the event was rained out. Last year's show was completed with Ed Lynch, Jr. victorious in the first one since 1982. Over the course of 1966-1982 there were 16 races held with eight different winners. Leading the list is Mercer's all-time winner, Ralph Quarterson, with five scores. Bobby Allen is second with four victories and Johnny Beaber is the only other driver to repeat with two wins. Single winners were Kenny Weld, Jan Opperman, Buddy Cochran, Lynn Paxton, and Lou Blaney.

"We moved the event from June to September and raised the payoff from $2,000 to $3,000 to-win," said owner Vicki Emig. "This traditionally was the biggest race of the season and we wanted to do that again and what better way to end the season."

A strong field of cars is expected as there will be no other Sprint Cars races on tap in western Pa. and nearby eastern Ohio for the weekend. The 30-lap $3,000 to-win, $200 to-start feature will not only be the biggest race of the season, but the biggest non-sanctioned show this year in the region, and richest in the 18-year history of the event.

All eyes will be on Bob Felmlee of Franklin, Pa. and Rod George of Kittanning, Pa. Felmlee, the 1989 and 1998 champion, currently leads defending champion George by a mere eight points. Both drivers are suffering through a winless dry-spell. George's last win came in last year's season ender on September 5, while Felmlee hasn't won since May 6 after winning in three of the season's first six weeks. Four-time winners, Arnie Kent and Rob Eyler, and both mathematically alive trailing Felmlee by 33 and 34 points respectively. A total of nine different drivers have won features this year.

The Modified point chase has been a five-man battle all season-long and had it not been for a late start by Brad Rapp and motor problems with Jimmy Holden, seven drivers would be fighting it out. Veteran standout Modified racer Mike Stine (four wins) has made the long tow every week from Smithmill, Pa. becoming a Mercer regular for the first time and has just a two-point lead over three-time winner Frank Guidace. Both Stine and Guidace are hoping for their first championships. Winless Steve Young sits third 17 points back followed by defending champion Gary Smoker 23 points back, and two-time victor Kevin Hoffman 41 back. The Modifieds will be racing for extra money throughout the purse with $800 awarded to the winner in the final tune-up before the September 30 T3 All-Star Series "Little Guy Nationals"

Brian Booher of Sandy Lake, Pa. simply needs to start Saturday's 20-lap Stock Car feature and he'll earn his second consecutive title. Booher is one win shy of matching last year's career high seven scores. Andy Buckley is coming off his division-leading 22nd career win since the track reopened in 1994 and is the only driver with a mathematical chance, but would need both a heat race and feature win and have Booher not score any heat race points and not qualify or start the feature. Despite missing three events, Mike Pegher, Jr. has quickly climbed the point ladder to third with a track-high eight victories. No other driver has been able to repeat this season. Saturday's 20-lap feature will be an open rules event prepping for the "Little Guy Nationals" with $500 going to the winner.

Rookie teenager Bryan Wagner of New Wilmington, Pa. clinched the "Redneck Racers" Shotgun Series Championship for the Strictly Stocks last week with his seventh win. Early title contender and seven-time winner Carl Ealy has been a no-show the last three events and three-time winner Paul Reiser looks to move into second.

The E-Mods were originally scheduled for the show, but with a big two-day show at Raceway 7 added after our schedule came out, the decision was made to cancel the event. The E-Mods will appear next at the season finale on September 30 for the $1,000 to-win Mel Myers Memorial.

Pit gates open at 3:30 p.m. with grandstands at 4:30. Hot laps begin at approximately 6:15 with the first official green flag at 7 p.m. Adult admission is $15. Students 6-15 are $7. Children five and under are free. The Family Pass is $35. Pit passes are $30.

Mercer Raceway Park held its first auto race on July 26, 1951 and is located minutes from both Interstate 79 and 80 just off Route 19 on Fairground Road in Mercer, Pa. Dirt track racing and quality family entertainment are presented weekly late March through September. The office in New Bedford, Pa. is open year-round Monday through Friday after 1:00 p.m. For more information call the office at 724-964-9300 or the track on race day at 724-662-1310. Check out our website at www.mercerracewaypark.com for the latest.

NEELY INVADES & WINS WINGLESS SPRINTS ON 55TH ANNIVERSARY NIGHT AT MERCER; RAPP TAKES $2K BILL EMIG MOD MEMORIAL; BUCKLEY & WAGNER WIN STOCKS & STRICTLIES; LAWHORN VICTORIOUS IN VARC
By Mike Leone

Mercer, PA.Mercer Raceway Park hosted the 55th Anniversary Event on Saturday night presented by Armstrong ZOOM Internet. Celebrating in the Hoosier Tire Mid-Atlantic Victory Lane with victories were Mat Neely-RoadRunner & Lake Road Auto Sales Wingless Sprint Cars, Brad Rapp-Bill Emig Memorial American Racer/Lias Tire Modifieds, Andy Buckley-Tire Express Stock Cars, Bryan Wager-Maurer's Trading Post Strictly Stocks, and John Lawhorn-Vintage American Race Cars. Along with the Vintage club cars on display, numerous other restored race cars joined approximately 70 retired race drivers. A special autograph session was held during intermission.

Making his first ever appearance, Mat Neely made the long tow profitable showing his experience without the wing by winning the 25-lap $2,000 to-win RoadRunner & Lake Road Auto Sales Wingless Sprint Car feature. "In the non-winged cars it's all about getting it way sideways in so you get in the center and off the turns good," explained the Robinson, Illinois racer. "Scott Benic had the car great I've kind of let him down in the last couple weeks driving the car. The car has always been there; tonight we tried to redeem ourselves."

Mike Dehner surprised many when he raced out in front of defending champion Rod George for the lead at the start of the event with Rob Eyler passing Tom Quarterson for third. Dehner led the first four laps before jumping the cushion in turns one and two allowing George, Eyler, and fifth starting Neely to take over the top three spots. George, Eyler, and Neely raced hard for the lead using the entire track. Eyler made a great move in turns three and four sliding under George to take the lead on lap seven with Neely following one lap later taking second. Neely then proceeded to pass Eyler for the lead on lap nine, but the pass was negated when August 12 winner and Friday night's Lernerville Speedway winner Scott Bonnell spun to bring out the caution.

When racing resumed, Eyler regained the lead and tried his hardest to keep the more experienced Neely at bay. Neely though made the winning move driving under Eyler and past him off turn two on lap 11. Charlie Holben passed George for third on lap 15 and the two swapped the spot back and forth over the next five laps until George spun with 20 laps completed.

The last five laps saw Neely drive off to the convincing win in the Scott Benic-owned, Lucas Oil/Karavan Trailers-sponsored #2B and became the ninth different winner of the season. After starting 10th, Andy Priest came on at the end first getting past wingless veteran Johnny Heydenreich for fourth on lap 21 and Holben for third down the backstretch on the final lap. Priest quickly ran down Eyler, but ran out of time and settled for third. Holben was fourth over 12th starter Arnie Kent. Sixth through tenth were Dehner, Ralph Spithaler, Jr., Bonnell, Heydenreich, and point leader Bob Felmlee. The event's only casualty was Paul Kish got upside down after jumping a wheel when the field got bunched up on the first lap. He was okay, but done for the night. Heat winners over the 21-car field were Felmlee and Bonnell.

Brad Rapp's amazing season got even better when he captured the biggest victory of his young career winning the $2,000 Bill Emig Memorial by leading all 30 laps and holding off the region's best Modified racers in the American Racer/Lias Tire feature. "That was pretty fun- I enjoyed that," expressed the Shippenville, Pa. 18-year-old. "A lot of people came out from the Clarion football team, a lot of other people, and most of my family is here so I was glad to get the win. I wasn't around back when he (Bill Emig) was here, but I'm glad to hear he liked all the stuff that I do."

Rapp out-muscled John Buchanan for the lead at the start, while Mike Stine passed Kevin Hoffman for third. Frank Guidace got sideways in turn four on lap three ensuing a 10-car melee. Most of the cars were able to resume. When racing resumed, Stine and Hoffman advanced to second and third disposing of Buchanan. The laps ran off as Stine keep Rapp in sight. At the halfway point, Rapp caught lapped traffic allowing Stine to close. On lap 16, Stine, the defending race winner, was all over Rapp hoping to overtake the youngster for another major victory; however, a caution for Garrett Krummert proved beneficial for Rapp.

When racing resumed, Rapp maintained his lead on Stine. Guidace passed Hoffman for third on lap 16, but didn't maintain the position long as 12th starting Jeff Schaffer passed Hoffman then made his way into contention taking third on lap 18. Guidace lost fourth from Steve Young on lap 19. The event's final caution was displayed for Jerry Schaffer, who spun in his season debut with 26 laps completed.

Stine tried everything he had on the restart as the two were side-by-side in turns one and two, but Rapp had too much on the outside and went on for his division-leading fifth win of the season and sixth of his career in Butch Rapp-owned Auto & Truck Specialties/Riverhill Battery House/JW Steel-sponsored #11R. Stine was second and took over the point lead. Jeff Schaffer was a strong third in just his third appearance of the season ahead of Young. Ron Eperthener, Jr. passed Gary Smoker on lap 27 to finish fifth. Completing the top 10 were Smoker, Andy Priest, Jimmy Holden, Guidace, and Buchanan. Heat victors over the 33-car field were Guidace, Jeff Schaffer, and Hoffman. Kevin Green won the B main.

After finishing second in five of the last seven features and being shutout of victory lane for more than four months, Andy Buckley returned to victory lane winning the 20-lap $500 to-win Tire Express Stock Car feature and became the winningest driver in the division since the track reopened in 1994. "We won a couple there at the beginning of the season and I've been second, second, second and been close, but had some bad luck," described the Stoneboro, Pa. winner. "It's been a tough one to get this next win. We had some good, clean racing and a lot of fun. Most of the guys I was racing with are either neighbors or good friends of mine, which made it good and I liked it."

Kevin Thompson charged into the lead with newcomer Chad Stevenson taking second from Tim Deutsch. Terry Wheeler, who started fifth, passed both Bobby Heim and Deutsch for third on the opening lap. Thompson, Stevenson, and Wheeler were three-wide for the lead on lap four with Wheeler taking charge. Point leader Brian Booher and 10th starting Buckley disposed of Stevenson for third and fourth on lap six. Thompson, Booher, and Buckley were then three-wide for second on lap seven with Buckley advancing to third.

On lap nine, Buckley drove to the inside of Thompson off turn four to grab second. Buckley ran down Wheeler and the two ran side-by-side for lead on laps 10 and 11, but Wheeler would lose the lead when he slipped high off turn four allowing Buckley, Thompson, and Booher by for the top three spots. Buckley went on for his third win and more important 22nd of his career moving him past Alan Dellinger as the division's all-time winner since the track reopened in 1994. Dellinger still leads the division's all-time list with 30 victories.

Thompson was second for the second straight week after his first win on August 12 since June 15, 1996. Booher was third. Mike Pegher, Jr. came from the rear after an early race spin to finish fourth after passing Wheeler for the spot on lap 19. Wheeler dropped to fifth. Buckley and Thompson won the heat races over the 23-car field.

Bryan Wagner made a last lap pass to win his season's seventh 12-lap Maurer's Trading Post Strictly Stock feature. The New Wilmington, Pa. rookie teenage racer started fourth and moved into second past Dave Airgood, Jr. on lap four. Wagner ran down Paul Reiser and passed the race-long leader off turn two on the final lap for his second straight win and clinched the championship in the Ron Wagner-owner, Duke Whiting Auctioneer/Brian Swisher Trucking/Wilson Lumber-sponsored #56. Reiser was second over Dave Bass, Airgood, and Jim Boring. Wagner also won the heat race.

John Lawhorn of Sinking Spring, Ohio captured the 15-lap Vintage American Race Car feature. Chuck Dillon led the first two laps before fourth starting Don Tarr took over. Tarr led through lap 12 when Lawhorn made the winning move on lap 13 and went on for the victory in the 1975 USAC dirt champ car powered by a 350 Chevy. Tarr held off Dillon for second with Cliff LaJouness and John Sheridan completing the field.

RoadRunner & Lake Road Auto Sales Wingless Sprint Cars (25 laps): 1. MAT NEELY ($2,000) 2. Rob Eyler 3. Andy Priest 4. Charlie Holben 5. Arnie Kent 6. Mike Dehner 7. Ralph Spithaler, Jr. 8. Scott Bonnell 9. Johnny Heydenreich 10. Bob Felmlee 11. Gale Ruth, Jr. 12. Rod George 13. Danny Holtgraver 14. Mel Straley 15. Riki Likowski 16. Tom Quarterson 17. John Stickley 18. Chris Shuttleworth 19. Ed Alcorn, Jr. 20. Paul Kish 21. John McCracken-DNS.

Bill Emig Memorial American Racer/Lias Tire (358) Modifieds (30 laps): 1. BRAD RAPP ($2,000) 2. Mike Stine 3. Jeff Schaffer 4. Steve Young 5. Ron Eperthener, Jr. 6. Gary Smoker 7. Andy Priest 8. Jimmy Holden 9. Frank Guidace 10. John Buchanan 11. Matt Baker 12. Rick Hall 13. Matt Reeher 14. Kevin Green 15. Mark Frankhouser 16. Scott Smith 17. Jerry Schaffer 18. Travis Shingledecker 19. Kevin Hoffman 20. Garrett Krummert 21. Lonny Riggs 22. Steve Barr 23. Ryan Haney 24. Bill Adams DNQ: Kyle Ripper, Mike Anderson, Alex Anderson, Junior Baker, Rich Whitney, Howard Duff, Fred Sasse, Brian May, Joe Gibson.

Tire Express Stock Cars (20 laps): 1. ANDY BUCKLEY ($500) 2. Kevin Thompson 3. Brian Booher 4. Mike Pegher, Jr. 5. Terry Wheeler 6. Bobby Heim 7. Chad Stevenson 8. Bill Vance, Jr. 9. Rick Norco 10. Rob Bates 11. Russ Coyne 12. Tim Deutsch 13. Gary Sullivan 14. Skip Reseigh 15. Justin Bailey 16. Bryan Shaffer 17. Tim Burns 18. Clyde Roberts 19. Jim Brunson 20. Bill Lanigan 21. Doug Iorio II 22. Branden Porter 23. Dave Ferringer-DNS.

Maurer's Trading Post Strictly Stocks (12 laps): 1. BRYAN WAGNER 2. Paul Reiser 3. Dave Bass 4. Dave Airgood, Jr. 5. Jim Boring 6. Chadd Uber

Vintage American Race Cars (15 laps): 1. JOHN LAWHORN 2. Don Tarr 3. Chuck Dillon 4. Cliff LaJouness 5. John Sheridan

Upcoming Events:
9/2 No racing
9/9 "Western PA Sprint Championship" presented by PNC Investments. Sprint Cars ($3,000), Modifieds ($800), Open Stocks ($500), & Strictly Stocks.
9/16 & 23 No racing
9/29 "Little Guy Nationals" Night 1- Open Stocks ($1,000), Micro Sprints ($750), TUSA Mod Lites ($600), & Strictly Stocks ($150). Racing at 7 PM.
9/30 "Little Guy Nationals" Night 2- T3 All-Star 358 Mods ($2,000), Open Stocks ($2,000), E-Mods ($1,000), & Demo Derby ($500). Racing at 4 PM. Rain date: 10/1

55TH ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION SATURDAY AT MERCER; WINGLESS SPRINTS & BILL EMIG MEMORIAL FOR MODS TO PAY $2,000 TO-WIN EACH; MEET & GREET RETIRED MERCER RACERS & SEE CARS OF YESTERYEARS
By Mike Leone

Mercer, PA.Mercer Raceway Park will host its 55th anniversary celebration this Saturday night, August 26 presented by ZOOM Internet. The RoadRunner & Lake Road Auto Sales Wingless Sprint Cars, Bill Emig Memorial for the American Racer/Lias Tire Modifieds, Tire Express Stock Cars, the Maurer's Trading Post Strictly Stocks, and the Vintage American Race Cars will be on the card. Many retired Mercer racers will be on the grounds along with cars of yesteryears. Racing will begin at 7 p.m.

"We decided it was time once again to bring everyone back for an anniversary event," explained eighth year owner Vicki Emig. "The 50th anniversary was amazing back in 2001 and then we brought it back on a smaller scale the following year due to popular demand. We didn't want to dilute the anniversary too much, but with it being four years since the last one and 55 years being a milestone we felt the time was right."

The Sprint Cars will shed their wings and go topless featured in a 25-lap feature paying $2,000 to-win, $175 to-start. Fans of non-wing Sprint Cars will not want to miss their only chance to see traditional Sprint Cars race in western Pennsylvania and eastern Ohio for the 2006 season. "We always have a wingless show once a year and felt this was the appropriate night to do so for nostalgic purposes," stated Emig.

Since 1989, eight wingless events have been run. Four-time track champion, Jamie Smith leads the way with three wins totaling $7,300. Other winners include 2002 and 2003 champion Troy Preston, who won the 1989 event, wingless standout racers Todd Kane (1997) and Rob Chaney (2000), and the last two years' surprise winners, Rob Eyler (2004) and Doug Stanley (2005).

Heading into the event, 1989 and 1998 champion and Bob Felmlee leads defending champion Rod George by just four points. Felmlee, who clinched the Tri-City Speedway Championship on Sunday with his fourth straight victory, has been shutout of victory lane at Mercer since May 6, while George hasn't won at Mercer since September 5 of last season. Four-time winners Arnie Kent and Rob Eyler have closed in trailing Felmlee by 36 and 41 points respectively.

The Modifieds will be competing in their third of four major events of the season. The Bill Emig Memorial will be a 30-lap feature paying a whopping $2,000 to-win. The Modified division has averaged 30 cars per night with an amazing 73 different cars competing. All of the top drivers will be competing in this prestigious event, which won by Mike Stine last season. The Bill Emig Memorial started at Lernerville Speedway for the Six-Cylinder Modified division before being moved to Hickory Speedway and eventually to Mercer when it reopened. With the demise of the six-cylinders, it changed to the Big-Block Modifieds before switching to the 358s last season.

Frank Guidace of Mercer took over the point lead for the first time by virtue of his runner-up finish combined with Steve Young coming up light at the scales. Guidace leads Stine by seven points, Young by 21, and Smoker and Hoffman by 29 in his quest for his first ever championship.

The Stock Cars will race 20 laps for $500 to-win. Six-time winner and defending champion Brian Booher of Sandy Lake, Pa. currently leads two-time winner Andy Buckley by 39 points and clinch the title by finishing 10th or better in each of the next two events. Twenty-year-old Mike Pegher, Jr. has had an amazing year scoring a track-high eight wins and has climbed to third in points despite missing three races in the first two months of the season.

The Strictly Stocks will round out the regular card with a 12-lap feature. Teenage rookie Bryan Wagner of New Wilmington, Pa. will clinch the "Redneck Racers Shotgun Series" by simply showing up Saturday thanks to nemesis Carl Ealy being a no-show the last two weeks. Wagner has six wins, while Ealy leads the division with seven.

The Vintage American Race Cars (VARC) will make their annual stop. They will display their cars of yesteryears behind the grandstands for fan's viewing pleasure and then will compete in an exhibition event later in the night. Several locals will also be bringing their cars to put on display as well.

As of Tuesday night, over 50 retired Mercer racers have confirmed their appearance as our guest on Saturday night. A special meet and greet autograph session will also take place during the night. If any retired driver did not get an invite and would still like to come, they are urged to contact our office to get on the list.

Pit gates open at 3:30 p.m. with grandstands at 4:30. Hot laps begin at approximately 6:15 with the first official green flag at 7 p.m. Adult admission is $15. Students 6-15 are $7. Children five and under are free. The special Family Pass is $35. Pit passes are $30.

Mercer Raceway Park held its first auto race on July 26, 1951 and is located minutes from both Interstate 79 and 80 just off Route 19 on Fairground Road in Mercer, Pa. Dirt track racing and quality family entertainment are presented weekly late March through September. The office in New Bedford, Pa. is open year-round Monday through Friday after 1:00 p.m. For more information call the office at 724-964-9300 or the track on race day at 724-662-1310. Check out our website at www.mercerracewaypark.com for the latest.

PHILLIPS WINS STEEL-BLOCK LATE MODEL DEBUT AT MERCER; HOFFMAN STEALS VICTORY FROM PRIEST IN MODS; MCCANN TAKES E-MODS; PEGHER SOARS TO 8TH STOCK WIN; #2 FOR WOODHALL IN MOD LITES; WAGNER IN STRICTLIES
By Mike Leone

Mercer, PA.Mercer Raceway Park completed the 20th event of the season beating the rain Friday night in a big six-division program. Celebrating in the Hoosier Tire Mid-Atlantic victory lane were Rodney Phillips-Steel-Block Late Models, Kevin Hoffman-American Racer/Lias Tire Modifieds, Bob McCann-E-Mods, Mike Pegher, Jr.-Tire Express Stock Cars, Brian Woodhall-Mod Lites, and Bryan Wagner.-Maurer's Trading Post Strictly Stocks.

Rodney Phillips captured the inaugural appearance by the Steel-Block Late Models capitalizing on a costly mistake by teenage racer Max Blair for the 20-lap victory and his first ever at the track. "I wish Max would have been up there running with me, but I guess that's what happens," stated the Punxsutawney, Pa. veteran racer. "It's better to be lucky than good, and I was lucky with Max running that good. We're trying out a new chassis that a friend of mine built this year. We've been out 17 times and won 12- it's a pretty good car!"

Phillips, who has competed at Mercer in years past with his Super Late Model, made a great move in turns one and two on the opening lap to overtake Blair and Dan McDonald for the lead. On lap six, Billy Henry passed McDonald for third in turn one then put a slider on Blair in turns three and four for second. Blair fought back and made the identical move two laps later to reclaim second.

Blair ran down Phillips on lap 10 and the duo raced side-by-side on laps 11 and 12 before Blair put a slider on Phillips to take the lead in turn four on lap 12. Blair opened up some ground and appeared headed for his first career victory; however, on lap 15 Blair miss-entered turns one and two and caught the cushion wrong sending his sideways off turn two and off the backstretch allowing Phillips to fly by. Blair was able to maintain second until spinning on lap 17 bringing out the caution.

Blair's spin moved Henry to second, but he was unable to mount a challenge as Phillips captured the victory in his #1P over Henry. Percy McDonald, Jr. passed brother Dan to finish third, but came up light at the scales moving Dan to third at the finish. Bert Blackson and Blair were fourth and fifth over Bobby Watt, Mark Kelly, Jr., Jim Rozum, and Jim Shanan. Heat winners were Percy McDonald and Henry.

After losing a driveshaft and suffering engine woes the last two weeks putting a damper on his championship run, Kevin Hoffman returned to victory lane for the first time in over four months stealing a victory away from Andy Priest on a late-race restart in the 20-lap American Racer/Lias Tire Modified feature.

"I didn't have the car to win," conceded the Franklin, Pa. victor. "Andy moved up because he knew where Frankie (Guidace) was going. Andy had the car to beat and I got lucky. We spent a lot of money to get here tonight and I wish it was next week getting a check for two-grand, but we'll be here."

Priest shot out in front from his fourth starting spot to the lead on lap one. Pole-sitter Lonny Riggs wasn't about to give up so easy as the two raced hard side-by-side on lap two with Priest holding on. Hoffman, who started sixth, entered the picture on lap three taking third from Garrett Krummert. Hoffman then took second from Riggs down the backstretch on lap five. Ninth starting Steve Young and 10th starting Guidace also moved ahead of Riggs for third and fourth the same lap.

Young made a nice move to get under Hoffman off turn four to advance to second on lap six and appeared as if he may have the fastest car. Guidace and Hoffman swapped third and fourth back and forth on laps nine and ten. Young finally was able to run down Priest and was on the leader in lapped traffic on lap 16 right before a caution slowed action.

When racing resumed, Guidace got the outside working driving around both Hoffman and Young for second on lap 17 right before the event's final caution. Priest chose the inside on the restart and then as expected moved up on Guidace taking the outside from him, but that opened up the inside for Hoffman, who got a great run off turn two to assume the lead. Guidace snuck under Priest off turn four to take second at the start-finish line.

Hoffman was able to hold off new point leader Guidace for his third career win in the M-D Paving/Virgile Scrap Metal/Hepler Trucking, Hoffman Door Co.-owned #00. Priest matched his season-best finish in third with Mike Stine finishing fourth after starting 15th and Brad Rapp fifth. Completing the top 10 were Gary Smoker, Riggs, Kevin Green, Bill Adams, and Ron Eperthener, Jr. Guidace, Priest, and Smoker won the heats over the 28-car field. It was a heartbreaking night for point leader Young, whose great night ended with a flat tire on the last lap relegating him to 11th at the finish ending his perfect string of top 10s for the season, then came up light at the scales dropping him to third in points.

Veteran Mercer racer from Semi-Late days, Bob McCann, returned to victory lane in the 15-lap E-Mod feature for his first win since September 28, 2003. "This track is my favorite," said the New Castle, Pa. resident. "We run good here and the crew did a great job. This win is for Albert Gettings- nobody else but him. He was my neighbor and had an unfortunate thing happen (lost his life serving in Iraq earlier this year)."

Jeff Hassay led the first six laps before spinning out on lap seven and collected Russ Dunn, Bruce Powell, and Dave Willoughby. This handed the lead to Mike Anderson, who made his first start of the season after a finishing a strong third in last year's Modified points. Anderson though wasn't able to hold off 11th starting McCann, who rocketed into the lead on the restart.

McCann survived two more restarts and never looked back in the Gregg Fornataro-owned, Gregg's Auto Body-sponsored #33 collecting his third career E-Mod win and 16th overall at the track. Anderson matched a career best finish in second. Rick Robinson was third over Jeff Walters and Dunn. Winning the heat races over the 18-car field were Robinson and McCann.

The unbelievable season for Mike Pegher, Jr. continued as the 20-year-old racer captured his track-leading eighth win of the season in the 15-lap Tire Express Stock Car feature. "It's pretty good racing up here," expressed the Wexford, Pa. driver. "It's cleaned up a lot and there isn't too much rough driving- a lot of good guys and fast cars. I couldn't do anything on the bottom so I moved up top to see what we could do and it worked out."

Tim Deutsch raced past Bob Sloss and Bryan Wagner for the lead on the initial lap. Last week's winner Kevin Thompson started seventh and overtook Mike Aley for third on lap three then Sloss for second on lap four. Pegher, who started ninth, entered the picture on lap five when he grabbed third from Sloss.

Thompson ran down Deutsch and the two raced side-by-side from laps four through eight. It was then three-wide for the lead on lap seven with Thompson coming out on top and one lap later it was four-wide with Pegher moving to second after dropping back to fourth the previous lap. Following a restart with 11 laps completed, Pegher took the lead from Thompson on the outside coming off turn four. Tenth starter Andy Buckley passed Thompson for second on lap 14 before a caution for Bill Lanigan set up a one-lap shootout.

The drama ended in a hurry as Buckley had a tire go down allowing Pegher to race off unchallenged to his 10th career win in his Alternative Power Sources/Triple-S Auto Outlet/SS Racing Chassis-sponsored, Dunk-powered #09. Thompson and Terry Wheeler were able to get back by Buckley for second and third. Buckley dropped to fourth at the finish ahead of Rick Norco. Scoring heat race wins over the 27-car field were Brian Booher, Deutsch, and Buckley.

Two former Sprint Car winners finished one-two in the 15-lap Mod Lite feature as it was Brian Woodhall capturing his second win of the season holding off another charge by Doug Stanley. "Mercer is so awesome," expressed the Apollo, Pa. driver. "I love racing here! The track actually had a lot more bite than I thought it would have. A couple weeks ago my car was tight and it got real tight at the end and we finished fourth. Tonight I cranked all the rear brake in I could and hung on for the win."

Pole-sitter Rusty Birch led the first three laps before a caution for Angie Grzelak. On the restart, fifth starting Woodhall made the winning move. Woodhall survived four cautions to collect his fourth career win at the track in his Eliminator Race Cars #8B. Doug Stanley, who started 12th, passed both Lynn Knepper and Mark Marcucci on the final lap to finish second. Marcucci edged Knepper for third after a long battle. Kenny Meadows came from 19th to finish fifth. Woodhall, Stanley, and Ted Williams won the heat races over the 29-car field. Meadows won the B main.

Rookie teenager Bryan Wagner added his sixth win of the season in the 12-lap Maurer's Trading Post Strictly Stock feature. The New Wilmington, Pa. driver charged past Dave Bass, Dave Airgood, Jr., and Jon Mabry into the lead on the initial lap. Wagner held off seventh starting Curt Bish, Sr. for the victory in the Ron Wagner-owner, Duke Whiting Auctioneer/Brian Swisher Trucking/Wilson Lumber-sponsored #56. Bass was third. Bill Winters finished fourth in his season debut over Mabry. Wagner and Bass were the heat race winners.

Steel-Block Late Models: 1. RODNEY PHILLIPS 2. Billy Henry 3. Dan McDonald 4. Bert Blackson 5. Max Blair 6. Bobby Watt 7. Mark Kelly, Jr. 8. Jim Rozum 9. Jim Shanan 10. Percy McDonald, Jr.-DSQ (light) 11. Rich Womeldorf-DNS.

American Racer/Lias Tire (358) Modifieds: 1. KEVIN HOFFMAN 2. Frank Guidace 3. Andy Priest 4. Mike Stine 5. Brad Rapp 6. Gary Smoker 7. Lonny Riggs 8. Kevin Green 9. Bill Adams 10. Ron Eperthener, Jr. 11. Fred Sasse 12. Jim Rombold, Jr. 13. Rich Whitney 14. Jeff Stuchel 15. John Buchanan 16. Alex Anderson 17. Jr. Baker 18. Steve Toth 19. Brian May 20. Steve Barr 21. Garrett Krummert 22. Ryan Haney 23. Matt Reeher 24. Steve Young-DSQ (light) 25. Barry Bulfone-DNS 26. Eric Gabany-DNS 27. Ben Porter-DNS 28. Tim Zuschlag-DNS.

E-Mods: 1. BOB MCCANN 2. Mike Anderson 3. Rick Robinson 4. Jeff Walters 5. Russ Dunn 6. Bruce Dreistadt 7. Arlan Coy 8. Dustin Fraley 9. Joe Betz 10. Jim Turley 11. Howard Fraley 12. Jeff Hassay 13. Dave Willoughby 14. Bruce Powell 15. Jeff Yocum 16. Larry Walters-DNS 17. Herm Myers-DNS 18. Steve Haefke-DNS.

Tire Express Stock Cars: 1. MIKE PEGHER, JR. 2. Kevin Thompson 3. Terry Wheeler 4. Andy Buckley 5. Rick Norco 6. Russ Coyne 7. Bobby Heim 8. Bob Sloss 9. Gary Sullivan 10. Scott Myers 11. Tim Burns 12. Mike Aley 13. Skip Reseigh 14. Tim Deutsch 15. Bill Lanigan 16. Brian Booher 17. Mark Sanders 18. Adam Aley 19. Matt Keith 20. Corey Ruffo 21. Bill Vance, Jr. 22. Dave Ferringer 23. Justin Bailey 24. Bryan Shaffer 25. Ed Cornell-DNS 26. Chad Myers-DNS 27. Shawn Macklin-DNS.

Mod Lites: 1.BRIAN WOODHALL 2. Doug Stanley 3. Mark Marcucci 4. Lynn Knepper 5. Kenny Meadows 6. Jack Nutter 7. Ted Williams 8. Keith Smith 9. Todd Canter 10. Mike Evans 11. Joe Haun 12. John Decker 13. Ben Black 14. Ray Gregory 15. Barry Lasosky 16. David Ianes 17. Chris Logan 18. Kevin Brown 19. Josh Holtgraver 20. Lou Dean 21. Rusty Birch 22. Jerry Cushing 23. Mark Finch 24. Angie Grzelak DNQ: Robert Keener, Jay Dye, Adam Buttermore, Jeff Teeters, Charles Campbell.

Maurer's Trading Post Strictly Stocks: 1. BRYAN WAGNER 2. Curt Bish, Sr. 3. Dave Bass 4. Bill Winters 5. Jon Mabry 6. Paul Reiser 7. Dave Airgood, Jr. 8. Ryan Moyer.

Upcoming Events:
8/26 55th Anniversary Event presented by Armstrong. Wingless Sprints ($2,000), Bill Emig Memorial 358 Mods ($2,000), Stocks ($500), & Strictly Stocks plus Vintage American Race Car Series. Meet former drivers of yesterday. Racing at 7 PM
9/2 No racing
9/9 "Western PA Sprint Championship" presented by PNC Investments. Sprint Cars ($3,000), Modifieds ($800), E-Mods ($500), Open Stocks ($500), & Strictly Stocks.

Mercer Raceway Park is located minutes from both Interstate 79 and 80 just off Route 19 on Fairground Road in Mercer, Pa. Dirt track racing and quality family entertainment are presented weekly late March through early October. The office in New Bedford, Pa. is open year-round after 1:00 p.m. Monday through Friday. For more information call the office at 724-964-9300 or the track on race day at 724-662-1310. Check out our website at www.mercerracewaypark.com for the latest.

STEEL-BLOCK LATE MODELS HEADLINE BIG 6-DIVISION FRIDAY SHOW ALONG 3 CLASSES OF MODS & 2 CLASSES OF STOCKS FOR JUST $7 & $10 FOR FAMILIES AT MERCER; E-MOD AUTOGRAPH NIGHT ALSO ON TAP
By Mike Leone

Mercer, PA.Mercer Raceway Park will be in action this Friday night, August 18 for a big six-division show featuring the Steel-Block/Semi/Crate Late Models, American Racer/Lias Tire Modifieds, E-Mods, Mod Lites, Tire Express Stock Cars, and the Maurer's Trading Post Strictly Stocks. It will also be the second Fan Appreciation Night with $7 adult, $10 family, and $3 student admission. Racing will begin at 7:30 p.m.

"This is definitely a show like none other," added Emig. "Not only is it your only chance to see Late Model at Mercer this season, but you'll get to see three different classes of Modifieds and two divisions of Stocks for just $7 for adults and only $10 for families."

Making their first-ever appearance will be the Steel-Block/Semi/Crate Late Models as they will be highlighted in a 20-lap feature. It'll be fans' only chance of the season to see the Late Models in action at Mercer. The event will be open to all tracks that run such divisions along with the northern Cadet class. It will be your track rules with an open tire rule.

"With Raceway 7 not racing Friday we decided to add the Steel-Block Late Models to the show," stated owner Vicki Emig. "We've had drivers ask in the past and thought this would be the perfect time to do it. It will be something different for the fans."

One driver looking forward to Friday's show is up and coming future star Max Blair. The Centerville, Pa. high school senior drives the #111 and is the son of late model standout Robbie Blair. Many of the Raceway 7 drivers are expected and there's been interest from tracks like Hummingbird Speedway, Marion Center Speedway, and Pittsburgh's PA Motor Speedway.

Mercer's own exciting Modifieds will get another shot to accumulate points toward the down-to-the-wire championship race. Steve Young of Grove City, Pa. fought his way back from an early race spin last Saturday night to finish fifth maintaining his perfect 18-for-18 in top 10 finishes this season and more importantly stayed atop the point lead by seven over Mike Stine. Frank Guidace is now just eight points back in third. The average car count this season has been 30 per night with 75 competing drivers.

The E-Mods will be making their sixth of eight appearances on the season in a 15-lap $400 to-win event. The "Meet Your Heroes" autograph night for the E-Mods will take place from 6:30-7 p.m. behind the grandstands. Winners thus far this season include Bill Thomas (twice), Alan Dellinger, Matt Lux, and Russ Dunn. Thomas is the current point leader. A good field of cars is expected with no other E-Mod races scheduled in western Pa. or eastern Ohio.

Due to the excellent support in the two events thus far this season and many requests, the Mod Lites will return for yet another show. Former Sprint Car driver Brian Woodhall won the first show, while Jeff Teeters won for the first time on August 4. The division also features last year's wingless Sprint Car winner Doug Stanley, many former Stock Car racers, along with female competitors Angie Grzelak and Tiffany Williams.

"We also wanted to incorporate a second Modzilla-type event," explained Emig. "The Mod Lites have really supported us well and love racing at Mercer so we decided to add them to this show giving us three Modified classes."

The wheel-to-wheel competitive, Stock Car division appears like Brian Booher is well on his way to his second straight crown. If the Sandy Lake, Pa. driver finishes ninth or better in the final three shows, he'll clinch car owner Terry Hoover's third championship. Andy Buckley, who is searching for his third championship, needs just one more win to become the division's top winner since the track reopened in 1994, but trails Booher by 53 points.

It appears rookie teenage racer, Bryan Wagner of New Wilmington, Pa., is headed for the "Redneck Racers Shotgun Series" Champion in the Strictly Stocks. Wagner and his five victories lead seven-time winner Carl Ealy by 85 points. With four point nights remaining, Wagner needs to finish 12th or better to win the title.

Six big divisions will make up "Fan Appreciation Night 2" with just a $7 adult admission, the family pass is only $10 which includes mom, dad, and as many kids 15 and under, students 6-15 have been reduced to $3, and kids five and under are always free. Pit passes are still only $22. Grandstands open at 5 p.m. Hot laps are slated for 6:45 p.m. and the first green flag will wave at 7:30 p.m.

Mercer Raceway Park is located minutes from both Interstate 79 and 80 just off Route 19 on Fairground Road in Mercer, Pa. Dirt track racing and quality family entertainment are presented weekly late March through September. The office in New Bedford, Pa. is open year-round Monday through Friday after 1:00 p.m. For more information call the office at 724-964-9300 or the track on race day at 724-662-1310. Check out our website at www.mercerracewaypark.com for the latest.

BONNELL WINS 1ST IN 11 YEARS IN MERCER 410 SPRINTS; ADAMS WINS 1ST IN 4 YEARS IN MODS; 1ST FOR THOMPSON IN 10 YEARS IN STOCKS; LUCK GIVES REUSSER 1ST EVER IN MICROS; AIRGOOD IS NIGHT'S ONLY REPEAT WINNER IN STRICTLIES
By Mike Leone

Mercer, PA.Mercer Raceway Park returned to Saturday night action as another big crowd turned out watching four of the night's five winners celebrate their first wins. Scott Bonnell-RoadRunner & Lake Road Auto Sales Sprint Cars, Bill Adams-American Racer/Lias Tire Modifieds, Kevin Thompson-Tire Express Stock Cars, Todd Reusser-Micro Sprints, and Dave Airgood, Jr.-Maurer's Trading Post Strictly Stocks were victorious. It was Approved Toilet Rental Night as owner and former track champion Jerry Schaffer presented all the winners with huge embroidered checkered flags to commemorate their wins. Sponsor Dean Dairy gave out milk, juice, and cookies to the fans and presented t-shirts to the RE/MAX Kids Bike Race winners.

Scott Bonnell had the field covered, but a broken front wing the last seven laps nearly cost him his first Mercer 410 Sprint Car since May 27, 1995; however, Bonnell held on for the 20-lap RoadRunner & Lake Road Auto Sales victory. "It's been a long time since I've gotten to talk to you here," said the Girard, Pa. racer as his last Mercer win came in a 360 Sprint race on September 28, 2003. "The car started getting tight and I didn't realize it was the front wing. I heard some banging going on and I thought it was the motor. The last three laps were a handful. It was so bad I thought I was going around off (turn) four on the last corner. I have to thank God for giving me the talent and finances to do this."

Mike Dehner took the early lead from pole-sitter Riki Likowski, while Gale Ruth, Jr. and Bonnell moved past Likowski on the first lap for second and third. Bonnell drove around Ruth for second on the outside of turn two on lap three and ran down Dehner. Bonnell executed the identical pass of Ruth on Dehner for the lead on lap four, but a spin by Sprint rookie Tait Hilbert negated the pass.

Then disaster struck on the restart. Dehner didn't come up to power as the rear-end broke. Bonnell and Ruth were able to avoid the slowing Dehner, but others weren't so lucky getting stacked up behind. Gary Edwards went airborne over a right rear tire and collected Danny Holtgraver and Kevin Andrusky. Though they didn't stop, Rob Eyler and Kevin Schaeffer received scrapes in the accident and pitted, but did return, while the other four weren't so lucky and were done for the night.

When racing resumed, Bonnell quickly pulled away. A three-car race ensued for second as Ruth tried to hold off Skip Dougherty and Arnie Kent. Dougherty couldn't find a way around Ruth as Kent took third away from Dougherty on lap 11. Kent was all over Ruth from laps 11-13 before finally making the pass for runner-up on lap 13; however, later that lap Kent got sideways off turn four allowing Ruth and Dougherty to get back by. Also on lap 13, Bonnell's front wing broke and that appeared would be the only thing to slow his run to the checkered.

Kent re-passed Dougherty on lap 15 and then drove under Ruth in turns one and two for second on lap 18. Bonnell really began to fight his race car in the closing laps as Kent cut into Bonnell's huge lead. Though Bonnell nearly spun out off turn four on the last lap, Kent ran out of laps as Bonnell collected his fourth career win in his Sikkens Paint/Bonnell's Collision Center-sponsored #3B and became the eighth different winner of the season.

Ruth was a career best third. Eyler came from the back to finish fourth dropping Dougherty to fifth with a pass on lap 19. Rod George was sixth over a career best finish by Paul Kish. New Hampshire's Riki Likowski beat out Indiana newcomer Tony Bures for eighth. After suffering front-end damage on the first lap, Bob Felmlee made repairs and was able to finish 10th to maintain his point lead. Heat winners over the 18-car field were Ruth and Schaeffer.

Bill Adams captured the impressive victory in the 20-lap American Racer/Lias Tire Modified feature for his first ever in the class and first win since September 7, 2002. "It came together," said the happy, emotional Hermitage, Pa. victor. "Pedal to the medal- that's about all I know. John Paul Jones is a heck of a car owner. That's the guy I drive for for nothing and just try to bring it home in one piece every night. We had problems at the beginning of the season, but we're turning it around now. I know Lonny (Riggs) isn't too happy with me. Rick (Hall) took off and I bumped into Lonny and it screwed his entry up and I apologize for that."

Lonny Riggs led the first three laps from the pole position. Following a restart on lap four, Riggs was slow allowing fourth and fifth starting Rick Hall and Adams to take first and second. Adams took the top spot over on lap five when he drove by Hall off turn four. After falling back to as far as fourth, Riggs worked his way up and took back second from Hall on lap 11. Brad Rapp, who started ninth, made his presence known taking third from Hall on lap 12 then raced side-by-side with Riggs before a caution with 13 laps completed.

Following another restart with 14 laps completed, Riggs went to the extreme outside in turns one and two to try to pass Adams, but got too high and slammed the wall ending his night. Adams then held off Rapp in a reversal of July 29 for his fifth career win and become the seventh different winner of the season in the John Jones-owner, Jones Performance/Martin Insurance/Reznor/Benjamin's Restaurant/Derr Industries/Marsh Busing-sponsored #99J.

Gary Smoker was a strong third edging 11th starting Frank Guidace. After spinning out on lap four, Steve Young came back to finish fifth and maintained his point lead. Hall dropped to sixth as Mike Stine, Steve Barr, Alex Anderson, and Rich Whitney rounded out the top 10. Scoring heat race wins over the 30-car field were Riggs, Young, and Adams.

Kevin Thompson ended over a 10-year dry spell with an impressive flag-to-flag, non-stop victory in the 15-lap Tire Express Stock Car feature. "I got out front and I wasn't looking back," explained the Polk, Pa. driver following his first win since June 15, 1996. "I have to thank my step-dad Steve Guthrie for putting me in this car. We had trouble at the beginning of the season, now we have a car that can run with these guys."

Thompson didn't waste any time flying from his sixth starting spot around on the outside as he snuck between Rick Norco and the wall coming off turn four for the lead on the opening lap. Tim Deutsch made his way from the eighth starting spot to third on lap two after passing Gary Sullivan. Thompson pulled away, while nine cars were in a pack battling for second on back. Mark Sanders passed Deutsch for third on lap six. Brian Booher and Deutsch then made contact later that lap allowing ninth starter Andy Buckley to move into fourth. Buckley then passed Norco for third on lap nine and one lap later took second away from Sanders off turn four.

By the time Buckley got to second, Thompson was long gone and cruised to his second career win in the Guthrie Auto Service/Ralph's Garage/Fastenal/McKinley Landscaping-sponsored #27. It was the second straight week the Stock Car feature went non-stop; this time timed in 5:00.59. Sanders continued his career best season matching his career best finish in third for his third straight top five finish and fourth of the season. Norco dropped to fourth over Terry Wheeler. Thompson and Booher won the heats over the 18-car field.

Mikey Schall put on one of the most dominating performances ever seen by a Micro Sprint at Mercer, but his car stopped about 30 yards shy of the finish handing the victory over to Todd Reusser for his first ever Mercer win. "Racing is 95% luck," stated the Minerva, Ohio winner. "Mikey (Schall) was gone, but we're finally glad to get one. We love racing here and I have to thank all the fans and everyone for supporting us."

Schall blasted into the lead from pole position with Robert Robertson moving up from fourth to second on the initial lap. Reusser, who started fifth, passed defending track champion J.J. Metheney for third on lap eight then drove under Robertson for second on lap 10. By now Schall had more than a straightaway lead and was on cruise control flying around the track in the non-stop race.

Schall came off turn four and down the frontstretch to take the checkered, but his car stopped immediately ending a stellar run and bringing out the event's only caution. Reusser restarted the event and led the final lap to become the fifth different winner in five races this season and 16th different in 18 races held all-time. The current point leader has been so close to victory over the years and especially this year as he entered the night with two runner-ups and two third place finishes in the Pete Grove-owned, Custom Pallets-sponsored #70. Jeff Bacha passed Robertson on the final lap to place second dropping Robertson to third at the finish. Metheney and Steve Dunmire were fourth and fifth. Reusser and Dunmire won the heats over the 17-car field.

Dave Airgood, Jr. led from green-to-checkered in the non-stop 12-lap Maurer's Trading Post Strictly Stock feature. The West Middlesex, Pa. driver overtook pole-sitter William Morrison III on the first lap and the rookie racer went on for his fourth win in the Fenton's-sponsored #42. Point leader and fellow rookie Bryan Wagner passed Josh Seippel for third lap 10 and edged Paul Reiser for runner-up at the finish. Seippel was fourth with Morrison fifth. Airgood also won the lone heat for the season-low six-car field.

RoadRunner & Lake Road Auto Sales Sprint Cars: 1. SCOTT BONNELL 2. Arnie Kent 3. Gale Ruth, Jr. 4. Rob Eyler 5. Skip Dougherty 6. Rod George 7. Paul Kish 8. Riki Likowski 9. Tony Bures 10. Bob Felmlee 11. Kevin Schaeffer 12. Paul Kapuchuck 13. Mike Dehner 14. Gary Edwards 15. Kevin Andrusky 16. Danny Holtgraver 17. Tait Hilbert 18. Leonard Ripper, Jr.-DNS.

American Racer/Lias Tire (358) Modifieds: 1. BILL ADAMS 2. Brad Rapp 3. Gary Smoker 4. Frank Guidace 5. Steve Young 6. Rick Hall 7. Mike Stine 8. Steve Barr 9. Alex Anderson 10. Rich Whitney 11. Brian May 12. Lonny Riggs 13. Kevin Green 14. Matt Baker 15. Ron Eperthener, Jr. 16. Fred Sasse 17. Ryan Haney 18. Kyle Ripper 19. Howard Duff 20. Branden Porter 21. Ed Alcorn, Jr. 22. John Buchanan 23. Garrett Krummert 24. Matt Reeher 25. Kevin Hoffman-DNS 26. Tim Zuschlag-DNS 27. Joe Gibson-DNS 28. Jimmy Holden-DNS 29. Chris Dye-DNS 30. Rod Artman-DNS.

Tire Express Stock Cars: 1. KEVIN THOMPSON 2. Andy Buckley 3. Mark Sanders 4. Rick Norco 5. Terry Wheeler 6. Bill Vance, Jr. 7. Brian Booher 8. Gary Sullivan 9. Jim Brunson 10. Bryan Shaffer 11. Mike Pegher, Jr. 12. Tim Deutsch 13. Clyde Roberts 14. Bill Lanigan 15. Tim Burns 16. Skip Reseigh 17. Ray Bailey, Jr. 18. Ryan Moyer-DNS.

Micro Sprints: 1. TODD REUSSER 2. Jeff Bacha 3. Robert Robertson 4. J.J. Metheney 5. Steve Dunmire 6. George Hobaugh (Jr.) 7. Rob Felix 8. D.J. Furney 9. Chris Best 10. Lindsay Enscoe 11. Mikey Schall 12. Nick Glaser 13. Eric Williams 14. Robert Fink 15. Jim Myers 16. Terry Robertson-DNS 17. Dave Hawkins-DNS.

Maurer's Trading Post Strictly Stocks: 1. DAVE AIRGOOD, JR. 2. Bryan Wagner 3. Paul Reiser 4. Josh Seippel 5. William Morrison III 6. Vaughn Cook-DNS.

Upcoming Events:
8/18 (Fri) "Fantastic Friday" Steel-Block Late Models, 358 Mods, E-Mods, Mod Lites, Stocks, & Strictly Stocks. Fan Appreciation Night 2- Adults $7, Family Pass $10, Students $3. Racing at 7:30 PM
8/26 55th Anniversary Event presented by Armstrong. Wingless Sprints ($2,000), Bill Emig Memorial 358 Mods ($2,000), Stocks ($500), & Strictly Stocks plus Vintage American Race Car Series. Meet former drivers of yesterday. Racing at 7 PM
9/2 No racing

Mercer Raceway Park is located minutes from both Interstate 79 and 80 just off Route 19 on Fairground Road in Mercer, Pa. Dirt track racing and quality family entertainment are presented weekly late March through early October. The office in New Bedford, Pa. is open year-round after 1:00 p.m. Monday through Friday. For more information call the office at 724-964-9300 or the track on race day at 724-662-1310. Check out our website at www.mercerracewaypark.com for the latest.

MERCER FINALIZES FRIDAY, AUGUST 18 SHOW; STEEL-BLOCK LATE MODELS TO
MAKE 1ST EVER VISIT PLUS MODS, E-MODS, MOD LITES, STOCKS, &
STRICTLIES; 6 DIVISIONS FOR JUST $7 ADULT & $10 FAMILY ADMISSIONS
By Mike Leone

Mercer, PA.Mercer Raceway Park has finalized plans for the Friday
night, August 18 event. On the card will be the Steel-
Block/Semi/Crate Late Models, American Racer/Lias Tire Modifieds, E-
Mods, Mod Lites, Tire Express Stock Cars, and the Maurer's Trading
Post Strictly Stocks. It will also be the second Fan Appreciation
Night with $7 adult, $10 family, and $3 student admission. Racing
will begin at 7:30 p.m.
Making their first-ever appearance will be the Steel-
Block/Semi/Crate Late Models as they will be highlighted in a 20-lap
feature paying $600 to-win, $65 to-start. It'll be fans' only
chance of the season to see the Late Models in action at Mercer.
The event will be open to all tracks that run such divisions along
with the northern Cadet class. It will be your track rules with an
open tire rule.
Mercer's own exciting Modifieds will get another shot to
accumulate points toward the down-to-the-wire championship race.
The Modifieds will also run a 20-lap feature for $600 to-win.
The E-Mods will be making their sixth of eight appearances
on the season in a 15-lap $400 to-win event. Winners thus far this
season include Bill Thomas (twice), Alan Dellinger, Matt Lux, and
Russ Dunn. Thomas is the current point leader. A good field of
cars is expected with no other E-Mod races scheduled in western Pa.
or eastern Ohio.
Due to the excellent support in the two events thus far this
season and many requests, the Mod Lites will return for yet another
show highlighted by a 15-lap $300 to-win feature. Former Sprint Car
driver Brian Woodhall won the first show, while Jeff Teeters won for
the first time on August 4. The division also features last year's
wingless Sprint Car winner Doug Stanley, many former Stock Car
racers, along with female competitors Angie Grzelak and Tiffany
Williams.
The wheel-to-wheel competitive Stock Car division will run
15 laps for $350 to-win along with the 12-lap "Redneck Racers
Shotgun Series" for the Strictly Stocks.
Six big divisions will make up "Fan Appreciation Night 2"
with just a $7 adult admission, the family pass is only $10 which
includes mom, dad, and as many kids 15 and under, students 6-15 have
been reduced to $3, and kids five and under are always free. Pit
passes are still only $22.
Grandstands open at 5 p.m. Hot laps are slated for 6:45
p.m. and the first green flag will wave at 7:30 p.m.
Mercer Raceway Park is located minutes from both Interstate 79 and
80 just off Route 19 on Fairground Road in Mercer, Pa. Dirt track
racing and quality family entertainment are presented weekly late
March through September. The office in New Bedford, Pa. is open
year-round Monday through Friday after 1:00 p.m. For more
information call the office at 724-964-9300 or the track on race day
at 724-662-1310. Check out our website at www.mercerracewaypark.com
for the latest.

$10 FAMILY NIGHT WITH KIDS BIKE RACES, $20 4X4 TRUCK CAB LOAD NIGHT & MICRO SPRINTS COMPLEMENT A FULL NIGHT OF RACING AT MERCER SATURDAY
By Mike Leone
August 8, 2006 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Mercer, PA.Mercer Raceway Park will return to it's core racing program this Saturday night, August 12 with another five-division program of the RoadRunner & Lake Road Auto Sales Sprint Cars, American Racer/Lias Tire Modifieds, Tire Express Stock Cars, Maurer's Trading Post Strictly Stocks, and the Micro Sprint. It's $10 Family Night presented by ZOOM Internet. Kids bike races will be held during intermission plus Approved Toilet Rentals will hold their first Corporate Night.

The fourth $10 Family Night will allow mom, dad, and as many accompanying children 15 and under into The Park for just $10! "The $10 family nights have been very popular with our families and the turnouts have been excellent," said owner Vicki Emig.

A second promotion will take place, which is being called "Gearhead Gathering". All 4x4 trucks and all accompanying people in the cab will be admitted for just $20. Trucks must enter the grounds at the main gate area and drive in. "We tried this promotion last year, but got rained out so we're excited about it as well Saturday," explained Emig.

With it being kids bike race night, corporate night sponsor and former track champion Jerry Schaffer of Approved Toilet Rentals will be giving away five bicycles. Kids are reminded to pick up a frisbee at their display to be eligible. Boys and girls of all ages are welcome.

The Sprint Car point race continues to be tight. 1989 and 1998 champion Bob Felmlee of Franklin, Pa. holds just a seven-point lead over defending champion Rod George of Kittanning, Pa. Felmlee started off the season red off with three victories in the first six weeks, but has been shutout of victory lane since May 6, while George has gone winless this season. Sitting in third and fourth in points are two drivers having career years with four victories apiece in Arnie Kent and Rob Eyler. Eyler has been red hot scoring all four of his wins and a pair of runner-ups in the last eight events. A strong field of Sprints is expected as no other tracks will be running Saturday night in western Pa. or eastern Ohio.

The Modified chase has kept fans on the edge of their seats all season-long. Steve Young of Grove City, Pa. maintained his perfect 17 for 17 in top 10 finishes with a seventh place finish last Friday night, but still is winless; however, now holds a three-point lead over four-time winner Mike Stine. Despite missing a night in April, Frank Guidace has worked his way into contention for his first championship with four victories and sits only nine points back in third. Kevin Hoffman dropped from a tie for first back to fourth 15 points behind after losing the driveshaft in the feature. Defending champion Gary Smoker is fresh off his fourth win and is still alive just 31 points back in fifth with four point events left. Car counts have been strong with an average of 30 Modifieds per night.

Brian Booher of Sandy Lake, Pa. is having another career year with six wins and holds a commanding 60-point lead over two-time winner Andy Buckley. Young Mike Pegher, Jr. has won an amazing seven features this year and has climbed to fourth in points despite missing two events early in the season.

Bryan Wagner continues to extend his point lead in the "Redneck Racers Shotgun Series" for the Strictly Stocks. The nineteen-year-old New Wilmington, Pa. rookie has won five features and leads seven-time winner Carl Ealy by 43 points.

The Micro Sprints will return for their fifth of six visits during the 2006 season. Thus far winners have been Steve Dunmire, George Hobaugh (Jr.), Sean McAndrew, and Mikey Schall. The Micros will be highlighted in a 15-lap feature paying $350 to-win. Todd Reusser leads the points and is still in search of his first win at the speedway. There have been 15 different winners in 17 races contested all-time for the division at Mercer.

Pit gates open at 3:30 p.m. with grandstands at 4:30. Hot laps begin at approximately 6:15 with the first official green flag at 7 p.m. Adult admission is $11. Students 6-15 are $5. Children five and under are free. The special Family Pass is just $10 and the 4x4 cab load is just $20. Pit passes are $22.

An announcement will be made this week regarding the divisions and special promotion that will take place next Friday night, August 18.

Mercer Raceway Park is located minutes from both Interstate 79 and 80 just off Route 19 on Fairground Road in Mercer, Pa. Dirt track racing and quality family entertainment are presented weekly late March through September. The office in New Bedford, Pa. is open year-round Monday through Friday after 1:00 p.m. For more information call the office at 724-964-9300 or the track on race day at 724-662-1310. Check out our website at www.mercerracewaypark.com for the latest.

EYLER CONTINUES HOT STREAK WITH 4TH SPRINT WIN AT MERCER; SMOKER HOLDS OFF RAPP'S CHARGE FOR 4TH MOD WIN; TEETERS TOPS 39 MOD LITES FOR 1ST; #7 FOR PEGHER IN STOCKS; REISER AGAIN IN STRICTLIES
By Mike Leone
August 4, 2006 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Mercer, PA.Mercer Raceway Park hosted action on a beautiful Friday night after heavy thunderstorms Thursday night left the track underwater. A big crowd watched the following drivers score wins and celebrate in the Hoosier Tire Mid-Atlantic victory lane: Rob Eyler-RoadRunner & Lake Road Auto Sales Sprint Cars, Gary Smoker-American Racer/Lias Tire Modifieds, Jeff Teeters-Champ Chassis TUSA Mod Lites, Mike Pegher, Jr.-Tire Express Stock Cars, and Paul Reiser-Maurer's Trading Post Strictly Stocks. A season-high 129 cars filled the pit area. It was Emerson Process Management, Froggy, and Yellow Book USA Night.

Rob Eyler put on an another impressive performance biding his time and making some great moves to capture his season's fourth win in the non-stop 20-lap RoadRunner & Lake Road Auto Sales Sprint Car feature. "It feels good to be here again," expressed the Franklin, Pa. racer in front of the big crowd for Venango County Night. "I had my hands full tonight and had my elbows up pretty hard there for awhile. It was a handful. I was biding my time to not make any mistakes and it worked out pretty well. I've slowed down to go a little faster this year and with Steve (Anderson) on the crew it's all come together."

Pole-sitter Jeremy Cook led the opening lap before Brent Matus drove by on the backstretch for the lead on lap two. Scott Bonnell, Eyler, and Rod George each got past Cook for positions two through four on laps three through five respectively. By lap six it was a three-car race for the lead with Matus trying to hold off Bonnell and Eyler. Eyler made a sweet move sliding under Bonnell in turn four on lap seven to take runner-up.

Matus was doing a great job setting the pace and had his hands full with Eyler, who was applying heavy pressure through lapped traffic. Finally on lap 10, Eyler got a great run off turn two and powered past Matus down the backstretch for the lead. Two laps later Bonnell made the identical move to take second and George drove under Matus for third in turn four on the same lap.

Eyler encountered traffic on lap 14 allowing Bonnell to close, but Eyler continued to hold on. With two laps to go, a batch of lapped cars was directly in front of Eyler, while Bonnell was in fast pursuit. Eyler though was able to weave his way through the slower cars and took the checkered flag in the non-stop event timed in 5:12.10. For Eyler it was his 11th career win in his White Heating/World of Wheels/Bahama Breeze/Designer Graphics-sponsored #5a. All four of Eyler's wins this season have come in the past eight weeks to complement a pair of runner-ups.

Bonnell may have had the fastest car on the track, but had to settle for second matching his best 410 finish since a runner-up on April 12, 2003. Arnie Kent, who started ninth, made a late charge to place third after passing Rod George on the final lap. George dropped to fourth once again utilizing the borrowed motor from Kent. Point leader Bob Felmlee was fifth. Completing the top 10 were Todd Bauer, Matus, Kevin Andrusky, Skip Dougherty, and Aaron Shaffer. Heat winners over the 24-car field were newcomer Scott Priester, Eyler, and Felmlee.

Defending champion Gary Smoker also captured his season fourth win in the 20-lap American Racer/Lias Tire Modified feature making a late race pass of Jimmy Holden and holding off a valiant effort by 21st starter Brad Rapp. "Whew thank you very much that feels good," exclaimed the Mercer, Pa. racer. "I have to thank the Lord Jesus he drove me around the outside in turns one and two and three and four and kept me hanging on."

Young Jimmy Holden raced to the early lead, while Smoker was able to pass Matt Baker, Chris Dye, and Ryan Haney for second on the opening lap. Holden continued to set the pace, while Smoker was right on the leader on lap seven. The duo then raced side-by-side for the lead on laps 9-11 with Holden managing to hold on. Rapp entered the picture on lap nine when he passed Frank Guidace for fourth. Rapp and Guidace then both passed Baker for third and fourth on lap 12.

Holden was able to open up a little distance, while Rapp and Smoker battled hard for second on lap 13 and 14. A caution with 15 laps completed for Garrett Krummert bunched up the field. When racing resumed, Holden and Smoker once again raced side-by-side for the lead with Holden inside and Smoker on top. On lap 17, Smoker got a great run off the outside of turn four to take the lead just before Steve Barr brought out the event's final caution.

Baker fought his way back to re-pass Guidace and Rapp; however, Rapp retook third from Baker on lap 19. Rapp charged off turn four to nip Holden in a photo finish for second. Holden dropped to a disappointing third after his best ever Mercer performance. Mike Stine came from 11th to finish fourth as Baker dropped back to fifth. Sixth through tenth were Guidace, point leader Steve Young who continued his perfect top 10 streak , Ron Eperthener, Jr., Matt Reeher, and Krummert. Topping the heat races over the 30-car field were Kevin Hoffman, Guidace, and Young. Lonny Riggs won the B main.

Jeff Teeters kicked off the Labor Ready Star's Championship Tour for the TUSA Mod Lites by coming out on top of the 39-car field in the 20-lap Champ Chassis $500 to-win feature. "I love this track, it's great," stated the Warren, Ohio driver following his first Mercer win. "This is a great series. I want to thank everyone for putting it on. We should have won this race in the spring, but got a flat tire and lost it. I wanted this race real bad for my mom. I lost her in March. I love her and miss her. Wherever she is at I know she was watching."

April 15 winner Brian Woodhall jumped into the early lead, while Teeters passed Kevin Meadows for second. Lynn Knepper, who started 16th, found his way to the front and passed Angie Grzelak for third on lap seven. The event's second and final caution was displayed with nine laps completed as the last 11 laps went non-stop. Teeters made the winning move taking the lead away from Woodhall in turn three on lap 11. The #10 cars of Knepper of Kenny Meadows both passed Woodhall for second and third on lap 13. Former Sprint Car winner Doug Stanley started 23rd and passed Meadows for third on lap 17.

Up front, Teeters was just too much as he scored the win in his Uni-Tech/Ernie's Garage Doors-sponsored #23. Knepper held off Stanley for second. Kenny Meadows was fourth over 21st starter Mike Hay. Heat victors were Grzelak, Woodhall, Kenny Meadows, and Chris Steele. Hay and Lou Dean won the two B mains.

Mike Pegher, Jr. put on one of the most dominating efforts in a long time winning his seventh of the season in the non-stop 15-lap Tire Express Stock Car feature by close to one-half lap. "That was a pretty fast one," relayed the Wexford, Pa. youngster. "This is such a good car and motor. I couldn't do it without my crew, who sets up this car every night."

Mark Sanders took off in the lead from the pole position with Bill Vance, Jr., Kevin Thompson, and sixth starter Pegher trailing. Thompson slowed and exited the event on lap two handing third over to Pegher. One lap later Pegher disposed of Vance for second and set his sights on Sanders. Pegher made the winning move racing off turn four on the outside to grab the lead at the start-finish line on lap four. Vance got sideways coming off turn four on lap seven allowing seventh starter Terry Wheeler to take third.

Sanders stayed close with Pegher for a few laps, but by the halfway point Pegher began to distance himself from the field. The pack closed on Sanders as six cars were fighting it out for second place on lap 12. Ninth starter Brian Booher edged past Wheeler for third then took over runner-up from Sanders on lap 13. Wheeler followed in third on lap 14.

Pegher cruised to his ninth career victory in the 4:57.88 timed event in his Alternative Power Sources/Triple-S Auto Outlet/SS Racing Chassis-sponsored, Dunk-powered #09. Booher was second. Andy Buckley made contact with Wheeler coming off turn four on the final lap sending Wheeler spinning. Buckley crossed in third, but was put to the tail of the finishing cars. Dave Ferringer, who started 11th, was credited for third and his best finish since September 6, 2003. Sanders dropped to fourth ahead of Scott Myers. Heat winners over the 23-car field were Myers and Pegher.

Paul Reiser made it two-in-a-row and three on the season in the 12-lap Maurer's Trading Post Strictly Stock feature. Despite starting on the pole, the win was far from easy. Brothers Carl and Randy Ealy both passed Reiser for the lead on the first lap. Randy Ealy exited the event on lap three moving Reiser to second. A caution for Jon Mabry set up a two-lap dash to finish. On the restart, Reiser took the lead and led the final two laps for the victory in his #293. Ealy spun in turn four on the final lap. Dave Bass came home second for a career best finish. Bryan Wagner extended his point lead by finishing third over Mabry and Kenny Alcorn. Carl Ealy and Reiser won the heats over the 13-car field.

RoadRunner & Lake Road Auto Sales Sprint Cars: 1. ROB EYLER 2. Scott Bonnell 3. Arnie Kent 4. Rod George 5. Bob Felmlee 6. Todd Bauer 7. Brent Matus 8. Kevin Andrusky 9. Skip Dougherty 10. Aaron Shaffer 11. Scott Priester 12. Jeremy Cook 13. Kevin Schaeffer 14. Mike Dehner 15. Leonard Ripper, Jr. 16. Paul Kapuchuck 17. Paul Kish 18. Joe Butera 19. Butch Beasley 20. Tom Quarterson 21. Terry Young 22. Mel Straley-DNS 23. Riki Likowski-DNS 24. Tait Hilbert-DNS

American Racer/Lias Tire (358) Modifieds: 1. GARY SMOKER 2. Brad Rapp 3. Jimmy Holden 4. Mike Stine 5. Matt Baker 6. Frank Guidace 7. Steve Young 8. Ron Eperthener, Jr. 9. Matt Reeher 10. Garrett Krummert 11. Ryan Haney 12. Fred Sasse 13. Kevin Green 14. Chris Dye 15. Steve Barr 16. Alex Anderson 17. Andy Priest 18. Rich Whitney 19. Kyle Ripper 20. Jr. Baker 21. Rick Kress 22. Kevin Hoffman 23. Lonny Riggs 24. Mike Turner DNQ: Jim Rombold, Jr., Brian May, Leroy Johnson, Jr., Ben Porter, John Buchanan, Travis Bell.

Champ Chassis TUSA Mod Lites (20 laps): 1. JEFF TEETERS ($500) 2. Lynn Knepper 3. Doug Stanley 4. Kenny Meadows 5. Mike Hay 6. Brian Woodhall 7. Angie Grzelak 8. Kevin Meadows 9. Jay Dye 10. Mark Marcucci 11. Jeff DeUnger 12. Jeff Barker 13. Mark Flinner 14. Barry Lasosky 15. Todd Rhoads 16. Todd Canter 17. Calvin Clay 18. Frank Dunkle, Jr. 19. Tiffany Williams 20. Paul Miller, Jr. 21. Jerry Cushing 22. Jack Nutter 23. Brian Daniszewski 24. Lou Dean 25. Chris Steele 26. Dave Ianes DNQ: Ted Williams, Steve Mix, Joe Haun, Larry Rhoads, Steve Mix, Jr., Darrel Lewis, Mike Stiffey, Robert Keener, John Watson, Bill Durstine, Mark Williams, Anthony Gillespie, Ben Black.

Tire Express Stock Cars: 1. MIKE PEGHER, JR. 2. Brian Booher 3. Dave Ferringer 4. Mark Sanders 5. Scott Myers 6. Bill Lanigan 7. Jim Brunson 8. Chad Myers 9. Bobby Heim 10. Bob Sloss 11. Russ Coyne 12. Terry Wheeler 13. Gary Sullivan 14. Matt Keith 15. Andy Buckley 16. Bryan Shaffer 17. Tom Moore 18. Jim Collins, Jr. 19. Bill Vance, Jr. 20. Ray Bailey, Jr. 21. Ryan Moyer 22. Kevin Thompson 23. Lauren Simmons-DNS.

Maurer's Trading Post Strictly Stocks: 1. PAUL REISER 2. Dave Bass 3. Bryan Wagner 4. Jon Mabry 5. Kenny Alcorn 6. Carl Ealy 7. William Morrison III 8. John K. Miller 9. Dave Airgood, Jr. 10. Randy Ealy 11. Josh Seippel 12. William Shelatree 13. Doug Pugh-DNS.

Upcoming Events:
8/12 Sprints, Mods, Stocks, Strictly Stocks, plus Micro Sprints & Kids Bike Races. $10 Family Night and $20 for as many people as you can cram into the cab of 4x4 truck. Approved Toilet Rental Corp Night. Racing at 7 PM
8/18 (Fri) Tentative TBA - Late Models, 358 Mods, E-Mods, Mod Lites, Stocks, & Strictly Stocks
8/26 55th Anniversary Event presented by Armstrong. Wingless Sprints ($2,000), Bill Emig Memorial 358 Mods ($2,000), Stocks ($500), & Strictly Stocks plus Vintage American Race Car Series. Meet former drivers of yesterday.

Mercer Raceway Park is located minutes from both Interstate 79 and 80 just off Route 19 on Fairground Road in Mercer, Pa. Dirt track racing and quality family entertainment are presented weekly late March through early October. The office in New Bedford, Pa. is open year-round after 1:00 p.m. Monday through Friday. For more information call the office at 724-964-9300 or the track on race day at 724-662-1310. Check out our website at www.mercerracewaypark.com for the latest.

FRIDAY NIGHT RACING AT MERCER THIS WEEKEND; FREE GENERAL ADMISSION FOR VENANGO COUNTY RESIDENTS; FULL SHOW PLUS PA MOD LITE SERIES ON TAP
By Mike Leone

Mercer, PA.Mercer Raceway Park will switch to Friday night racing this weekend, August 4, as there will be no racing Saturday night. A full night of racing will be on tap Friday under the lights featuring the RoadRunner & Lake Road Auto Sales Sprint Cars, American Racer/Lias Tire Modifieds, Tire Express Stock Cars, Maurer's Trading Post Strictly Stocks, plus a special appearance by the PA Mod Lite Series with racing beginning one half hour later at 7:30 p.m. It's the rescheduled Yellow Book USA Night and Froggy Friday plus it's Emerson Process Management Corp. Night.

"We wanted to experiment with some Friday night shows," explained owner Vicki Emig on the switch. "We had four scheduled, but lost the first one in May to Mother Nature. Mercer has been a Saturday night track for 55 years, but some things came open with other area speedways so we thought we'd give it a shot. Lernerville Speedway doesn't have the Sprint Cars, Modifieds, or Stock Cars and Gambler's Raceway Park isn't racing plus no one is running the Mod Lites or Strictly Stocks."

Residents of Venango County can take advantage of free admission night. Adults living in Venango County can simply show their driver's license and will be admitted for free along with any accompanying children 15 and younger.

"Even though we already had a free Venango County Night we decided to do another one," said Emig. "Our first one back on June 3 was well attended despite the fact that it rained most of the afternoon and evening in Venango County and surrounding areas. We talked to many people and heard from others that numerous people didn't come because they thought we'd never race. We thought this would be a unique night to give fans from Venango County a second shot at coming."

Making their second appearance will be the Mod Lites as part of the PA Mod Lite Series, which carries a hefty point fund for the mini series. The event will pay $500 to-win. "We really enjoy having the Mod Lites," expressed Emig. "In the past we've always just had them for the Little Guy Nationals, but we snuck them in in April before Deerfield opened and got a good turnout. Bill Bauer has always done a good job with the regional events and he put this mini series together this summer and we told him we'd be willing to add the Mod Lites to this show."

The Sprint Car point race continues to close as it has been all season long. Bob Felmlee of Franklin, Pa. fresh off a win Sunday at Tri-City Speedway has been shutout of victory lane at Mercer since May 6, but holds down a slim seven-point lead over defending champion Rod George, who still is looking for his first win. George used a borrowed engine from Arnie Kent and finished fourth after being passed by Felmlee with two laps to go.

The unbelievable Modified point chase continues to be neck and neck. Entering Saturday night, Steve Young led Kevin Hoffman by one point and Mike Stine by two points. After Saturday night, Young of Grove City, Pa. and Hoffman of Franklin, Pa. are currently tied, while Stine sits just seven points back and fourth place Frank Guidace trails now by just 10 markers despite missing one night. Young has not won a feature at Mercer in more than seasons, but has finished in the top 10 all 16 features this season.

Brian Booher appears headed to his second straight Stock Car Championship. The Sandy Lake, Pa. driver holds a commanding 54-point lead over Andy Buckley and is tied with Mike Pegher, Jr. with six feature wins.

Nineteen-year-old rookie driver Bryan Wagner continues to extend his point lead in the Strictly Stocks. The New Wilmington, Pa. driver has five victories and now has a 39-point lead over Carl Ealy, who dominated the division at the beginning of the season.

Grandstands open at 5 p.m. Hot laps are slated for 6:45 p.m. and the first green flag will wave at 7:30 p.m. Admission for all others will be the following: adults $11, students 6-15 $5, children five and under are free, and the family pass is $25. Pit passes are $22.

Mercer Raceway Park is located minutes from both Interstate 79 and 80 just off Route 19 on Fairground Road in Mercer, Pa. Dirt track racing and quality family entertainment are presented weekly late March through September. The office in New Bedford, Pa. is open year-round Monday through Friday after 1:00 p.m. For more information call the office at 724-964-9300 or the track on race day at 724-662-1310. Check out our website at www.mercerracewaypark.com for the latest.

MURPHY UPSETS SPRINTS AT MERCER; RAPP HOLDS ON FOR #4 IN MODS; WHEELER HANDED 1ST IN STOCKS; #2 FOR REISER IN STRICTLIES; CLEPPER SCORES BUS WIN
By Mike Leone

Mercer, PA. A big crowd turned out for "Pack the Track" Fan Appreciation Night on a stifling hot Saturday night at Mercer Raceway Park. The following drivers celebrated with wins in the Hoosier Tire Mid-Atlantic victory lane: Mark Murphy-RoadRunner & Lake Road Auto Sales Sprint Cars, Brad Rapp-American Racer/Lias Tire Modifieds, Terry Wheeler-Tire Express Ken Carbone Memorial Stock Cars, Paul Reiser-Maurer's Trading Post Strictly Stocks, and Bill Clepper-School Buses. It was also "Meet Your Heroes" Autograph Night as for the first time all the cars were brought onto the speedway during intermission for a much-enjoyed meet and greet session. The entire night was presented by Grove City Auto Mall.

Making just his sixth start of the season, low-buck racer Mark Murphy and his family operation scored one for the little guys with an upset victory in the 20-lap RoadRunner & Lake Road Auto Sales Sprint Car feature. Not only was it Murphy's first win of the season, but his best finish prior to Saturday night was a seventh.

"I'm getting too old for this," quipped the 52-year-old Norton, Ohio veteran. "It was a long day. I got up at 4:30 this morning to pour concrete at 6. I didn't think I was going to make it tonight. I left at 1 and my dad, brother, and nephew had everything ready to go and we came down. I don't know how old this car. We built the frame. My dad is 75 and still builds the motor in the basement from the bore to block to doing the heads. We're backyard racing!"

Leonard Ripper, Jr. jumped out into the early lead from the pole position. Murphy passed Gale Ruth on the opening lap for second, while fifth starter, Rob Eyler, got past both Tom Quarterson and Ruth for third. Todd Bauer looked strong advancing from his seventh starting position into fourth on the second lap after passing both Danny Holtgraver and Ruth.

Ripper was driving a great race and surprising many as he continued to lead the event. On lap seven, Ripper entered lapped traffic allowing Murphy and Eyler to close making it a three-car race for the lead. Murphy got a great run off the outside of turn two on lap eight to power into the lead down the backstretch. Murphy began to open up some ground, while Eyler hounded Ripper. Bauer was closing in fourth until he looped his mount in turn four and spun into the infield. By the time he recovered he was one lap down.

Ninth starter Rod George, who was using a borrowed motor from Arnie Kent, joined the battle for second on lap 13. Finally Eyler disposed of Ripper for second on lap 14 making a similar move that Murphy performed for the lead. Ripper slipped high in turn four on lap 15 allowing George and 11th starting Bob Felmlee to take third and fourth.

Eyler slowly began to cut into Murphy's lead. With two laps to go, Murphy encountered lapped traffic. The leader did a great job and held off the fast closing Eyler at the checkered flag for his third career win in his #98M and became the seventh different winner of the season. It took Murphy 11 years to win his first race, five years to win his second, and less than one year to capture his third.

In the last seven races, Eyler now has three wins and two runner-ups. Felmlee was able to get around George on lap 19 to finish third and maintained his point lead. George was fourth ahead of Kent. Sixth through tenth were Ripper, Skip Dougherty, Holtgraver, Ruth, and Paul Kish. Topping the heat races were Murphy and Eyler over the 20-car field.

Brad Rapp may not have been the quickest car on this night, but he ran the preferred line and got the caution when he needed it to capture his fourth victory of the season in the 20-lap American Racer/Lias Tire Modified feature.

"I didn't know how close he (Bill Adams) was until he got up alongside of me coming off turn two on the high side," revealed the 18-year-old Shippenville, Pa. racer. "I felt my car was good on the bottom, but I went up high to take his line away and the car probably worked better up there."

Rapp started the race in fifth and had the lead from Ron Eperthener, Jr. following a restart on lap two. Bill Adams, who started eighth, was stout working his way all the way to second past Eperthener on lap two. Ninth starting Kevin Hoffman advanced to third on lap four when he took the position away from Eperthener.

By lap five Adams was all over Rapp looking for a way around. Adams continued to hound Rapp and finally on lap 12 got a good run on the outside of turn two. The two ran side-by-side down the backstretch into turn three. Adams was better in turn four and appeared to have the advantage as he nosed ahead coming off turn four, but a caution for a spin by Rich Whitney negated the pass.

The last nine laps went green-to-checkered with Adams all over Rapp trying every move possible, but Rapp had just enough and Adams' preferred inside groove to score his fifth career victory in the Butch Rapp-owned Auto & Truck Specialties/Riverhill Battery House/JW Steel-sponsored #11R. Adams, who is still searching for his first 358 win, was second for the sixth time over the past two seasons. Frank Guidace and Gary Smoker passed Hoffman for third and fourth on laps 12 and 13 respectively. Hoffman dropped to fifth. Rounding out the top 10 were Steve Young, Jimmy Holden, Eperthener, Chris Dye, and Rick Hall. Heat winners over the 28-car field were Stine, Rapp, and Guidace. Dye won the B main. Hoffman and Young are now tied for the point lead as just 10 points separates the top four drivers.

Terry Wheeler came out on top of the 15-lap fourth annual Ken Carbone Memorial for his biggest career win taking the $650 payoff after three of the top six finishers were disqualified following the Tire Express Stock Car event. "I have to thank my wife, family, everyone that helps me, and all my sponsors," stated the Stoneboro, Pa. veteran driver.

Ryan Moyer took the lead from his pole starting position. Fifth and seventh starters Terry and Rusty Wheeler both passed Bill Vance, Jr. for second and third respectively on lap three. It was three-wide on lap four as Terry Wheeler grabbed the lead with Rusty Wheeler taking second. The two unrelated Wheelers unbelievably ran side-by-side lap after lap without any contact, while Andy Buckley, Brian Booher, and Andy Thompson battled hard for third all putting on a great show for the fans.

On lap 13, Rusty finally got under Terry and made the pass stick for the lead in turn four. A caution for Moyer and Vance set up a one-lap dash to the checkered. Rusty held off Terry's last effort for the apparent victory, but was disqualified in post race tech handing Terry his fifth career win in the Jimmy Wheeler-owned, Greenhill Farms/Pap's Place/Lakeview Fertilizer/Shingledecker Welding-sponsored #2W. Buckley, point leader Booher, and Bill Lanigan moved up to second, third, and fourth finishing positions. Thompson finished fifth, but came up light at the scales. Dave Ferringer was next in line, but he refused tech and was disqualified as well. Mark Sanders, who initially finished eight, was then credited with fifth. Terry Wheeler and Buckley won the heat races over the 22-car field.

Paul Reiser held off all the challenges to capture his second 12-lap Maurer's Trading Post Strictly Stock feature win. The Stoneboro, Pa. driver passed Jon Mabry on the opening lap, survived two cautions, and held off a last ditch effort by Josh Seippel for the victory in his Mopar #293. Seippel, who is still searching for his first win, was second for the third time in the last four races. Point leader Bryan Wagner was third after starting 11th and Mabry completed the top five. Heat victors over the season-high 14-car field were Seippel and Reiser.

The School Buses made their third ever appearance and it was Bill Clepper of Freeport, Pa. making an exciting last lap pass of Ben Clepper in the final turn for the 15-lap win. Ben passed Harold Girardat on the initial lap, while Bill took third from Frank Spithaler. Bill moved into second past Girardat on the second go-round. Bill chased Ben for the duration of the event slowing cutting into his lead, but it didn't appear he'd have enough until Girardat came to rest on the final lap necessitating the event's only caution. Bill and Ben raced side-by-side on the final lap and it was Bill nosing ahead at the finish for his second career win in his #99. Mike McNeish, Spithaler, Egli, Ken Hurst, and Girardat completed the field. Ben Clepper and Girardat won the heats.

RoadRunner & Lake Road Auto Sales Sprint Cars: 1. MARK MURPHY 2. Rob Eyler 3. Bob Felmlee 4. Rod George 5. Arnie Kent 6. Leonard Ripper, Jr. 7. Skip Dougherty 8. Danny Holtgraver 9. Gale Ruth 10. Paul Kish 11. Paul Kapuchuck 12. Butch Beasley 13. Mel Straley 14. Tait Hilbert 15. Mike Dehner 16. Todd Bauer 17. Tom Quarterson 18. Gary Edwards-DNS 19. Jeremy Cook-DNS 20. Riki Likowski-DNS.

American Racer/Lias Tire (358) Modifieds: 1. BRAD RAPP 2. Bill Adams 3. Frank Guidace 4. Gary Smoker 5. Kevin Hoffman 6. Steve Young 7. Jimmy Holden 8. Ron Eperthener, Jr. 9. Chris Dye 10. Rick Hall 11. Matt Reeher 12. Mike Stine 13. Jr. Baker 14. Brian May 15. Barry Bulfone 16. Steve Barr 17. Rich Whitney 18. Fred Sasse 19. Ed Alcorn 20. Tim Zuschlag 21. Ryan Haney 22. Kevin Green 23. Garrett Krummert 24. Andy Priest DNQ: Ron Sasse, Rick Kress, Lonny Riggs, Rod Artman.

Tire Express Ken Carbone Memorial Stock Cars: 1. TERRY WHEELER ($650) 2. Andy Buckley 3. Brian Booher 4. Bill Lanigan 5. Mark Sanders 6. Kevin Thompson 7. Mike Pegher, Jr. 8. Bobby Heim 9. Gary Sullivan 10. Ryan Moyer 11. Bill Vance, Jr. 12. Tim Burns 13. Ray Bailey, Jr. 14. Scott Myers 15. Glenn Knopp, Jr. 16. Tom Moore 17. Bryan Shaffer 18. Andy Thompson-DSQ (light) 19. Rusty Wheeler-DSQ (illegal) 20. Dave Ferringer (illegal) 21. Randy Sprouse-DNS 22. Rick Norco-DNS.

Maurer's Trading Post Strictly Stocks: 1. PAUL REISER 2. Josh Seippel 3. Bryan Wagner 4. Dave Bass 5. Jon Mabry 6. Randy Ealy 7. Bill Kluck, Jr. 8. William Morrison III 9. Dave Airgood, Jr. 10. Curt Bish, Sr. 11. Carl Ealy 12. Jim Boring 13. Vaughn Cook 14. Greg Myers.

School Buses: 1. BILL CLEPPER 2. Ben Clepper 3. Mike McNeish 4. Frank Spithaler 5. Gary Egli 6. Ken Hurst 7. Harold Girardat.

Upcoming Events:
8/4 (Friday Night) Sprints, Mods, Stocks, Strictly Stocks plus PA Mod Lite Series ($500). Free general admission for all Venango County residents. Emerson Process Management Corp Night. Note: 7:30 PM start time.
8/12 Sprints, Mods, Stocks, Strictly Stocks, plus Micro Sprints & Kids Bike Races. $10 Family Night and $20 for as many people as you can cram into the cab of 4x4 truck. Approved Toilet Rental Corp Night. Racing at 7 PM
8/18 TBA
Mercer Raceway Park is located minutes from both Interstate 79 and 80 just off Route 19 on Fairground Road in Mercer, Pa. Dirt track racing and quality family entertainment are presented weekly late March through early October. The office in New Bedford, Pa. is open year-round after 1:00 p.m. Monday through Friday. For more information call the office at 724-964-9300 or the track on race day at 724-662-1310. Check out our website at www.mercerracewaypark.com for the latest.

SPRINT TRIPLE 15S TO RETURN SATURDAY FOR "SPRINT SLUG-OUT" AT MERCER; MODS & STOCKS RACING FOR EXTRA BUCKS
By Mike Leone

Mercer, PA.Mercer Raceway Park will host the seventh annual "Sprint Slug-Out" presented by PNC Investments this Saturday night, July 22. On the card will be the RoadRunner & Lake Road Auto Sales Sprint Cars, American Racer/Lias Tire Modifieds, Tire Express Stock Cars, and the Maurer's Trading Post Strictly Stocks with racing at 7 p.m.

Annually one of the biggest races of the year, the "Sprint Slug-Out" will feature the high-flying, mudslinging Sprint Cars in a unique triple 15-lap format. The popular show was contested on Labor Day last year for the first time after being postponed early in the year by rain. Last year's winners were Rod George, Mark Murphy, and Rob Eyler.

The first feature will be pill draw for the top 12 cars from the heat races; the second feature will be an invert 10, 12, 14, 16, or 18 drawn by the first feature winner; and the third feature will invert the top 12 in points accumulated from the night with the remainder of the cars straight-up on points. Each feature will pay $1,000 to-win. There is a $500 bonus if any driver can win all three features and the highest point man from the night will receive a $100.

"We're expecting a good turnout of Sprints," stated eighth year owner Vicki Emig. "We'll be the only sprint show in western Pennsylvania and eastern Ohio on Saturday so all the top drivers are expected. We want to thank PNC Investments for coming on as a new marketing partner this year at the last minute. They got involved by presenting this event and purchasing a VIP suite."

Bob Felmlee and Rod George have swapped the point lead back and forth all season long. Felmlee, the 1989 & 1998 point champion, has a slim three-point lead with three wins, but has been shutout of victory lane since the double feature night on May 6. Meanwhile, George is still searching for his first win of the season. Four-time winner Arnie Kent and three-time winner Rob Eyler are having career years sitting third and fourth in points respectively.

The racing in the Modified division has been phenomenal this year and the point race has been incredible changing seemingly every week. Just two points separates the top three drivers! Steve Young of Grove City, Pa. came back from an early race accident and managed to squeak his way to a 10th place finish last week to keep his perfect streak of 15 top 10s alive and was able cling onto a one-point lead over Kevin Hoffman. Ironically Young has been shutout of victory lane and Hoffman has just one win this season. Sitting in third in points just two points back is Mike Stine, who won his division-leading fourth feature last Saturday and is a Mercer regular for the first time in his storied career. Despite missing one night, three-time winner Frank Guidace is fast closing in fourth just 17 points back of Young. The 20-lap Modified feature will pay $800 to-win.

Defending Stock Car Champion Brian Booher of Sandy Lake, Pa. is having another stellar year with six wins and currently has a 47-point lead over two-time champion Andy Buckley. Buckley is tied with Alan Dellinger at 21 career wins since the track reopened in 1994 and Booher is just one back at 20. Despite missing three nights, Mike Pegher, Jr. has six wins. The Stock Cars will battle 20 laps for $500 to-win.

Rounding out the card will be the Strictly Stocks. Eighteen-year-old rookie Bryan Wagner of New Wilmington, Pa. continues to build his point lead as the five-time winner stands 27 points up on seven-time winner Carl Ealy.

Pits open at 3:30 p.m. and grandstands open at 4:30 p.m. Hot laps are slated for 6:15 p.m. and the first green flag will wave at 7 p.m. Admission is $15 for adults. Students 6-15 are $7. The Family Pass is $35. Children five and under are free. Pit passes are $30.

Mercer Raceway Park is located minutes from both Interstate 79 and 80 just off Route 19 on Fairground Road in Mercer, Pa. Dirt track racing and quality family entertainment are presented weekly late March through September. The office in New Bedford, Pa. is open year-round Monday through Friday after 1:00 p.m. For more information call the office at 724-964-9300 or the track on race day at 724-662-1310. Check out our website at www.mercerracewaypark.com for the latest.

EYLER BACK IN FAST FORM WITH 3RD SPRINT WIN AT MERCER; STINE POWERS TO 4TH MOD WIN; PEGHER & WAGNER KEEP ON WINNING IN STOCKS & STRICTLIES; CAREER 1ST FOR SCHALL IN MICROS
By Mike Leone

Mercer, PA.Mercer Raceway Park completed show #15 of the 2006 season on Saturday night as the following drivers scored wins on the sultry night and celebrated in the Hoosier Tire Mid-Atlantic victory lane: Rob Eyler-RoadRunner & Lake Road Auto Sales Sprint Cars, Mike Stine-American Racer/Lias Tire Modifieds, Mike Pegher, Jr.-Tire Express Stock Cars, Mikey Schall-Micro Sprints, and Bryan Wagner-Maurer's Trading Post Strictly Stocks. It was a good night to have the name Mike as three of the five winners are Mikes.

Rob Eyler put on another impressive run to the front garnering his third 20-lap Roadrunner & Lake Road Auto Sales Sprint Car feature win. "I'm happy, but I'm hot," stated the Franklin, Pa. winner. "I even have an air helmet, but that didn't work either. We checked the air, but as of late it's been real bad air. So we leaned the motor and the high speeds down. I've been real comfortable in the car. Steve Anderson has been helping me the last five weeks and has made a big difference. I have to send this out to him and it's his birthday."

Jeremy Cook jumped out ahead of Mike Dehner into the lead with his 360 on the opening lap, while Skip Dougherty passed both Mark Murphy and Dehner for second. Eyler started the race from sixth and found his way into contention on lap two taking fourth from Dehner. Dougherty meanwhile ran down Cook while Eyler began to pressure Murphy for third. Eyler raced past Murphy for third on lap six then made a sweeping outside move around the outside on lap seven to fly by both Dougherty and Cook into the lead.

Eyler quickly began to open up a lead as Dougherty inched ahead of Cook for second on lap eight. Bob Felmlee, who started 10th, slowly picked off cars as he took third from Cook on lap nine, while Arnie Kent followed in fourth. Felmlee then was all over Dougherty trying to make a move from laps 10 through 12 until a caution slowed action for Riki Likowski, who was racing with a broken left foot.

The caution erased Eyler's straightaway lead, but when racing resumed Eyler quickly distanced himself from the field. The last nine laps went non-stop as Eyler captured his 10th career win in his White Heating/World of Wheels/Bahama Breeze/Designer Graphics-sponsored #5a. Felmlee hounded Dougherty the last nine laps and it wasn't until turn four on the last lap when Felmlee finally made the move using a slide job to take second, which propelled him into the point lead. Dougherty was third with Kent and Rod George completing the top five. Sixth through tenth were Todd Bauer, Jason Jacoby in his season debut, Danny Holtgraver, Dehner, and Cook. Jacoby and Bauer won the heats over the 18-car field.

After winning three features in the first six weeks, Mike Stine was in the midst of dry spell dating back to May 6. Stine put an end to his winless drought powering around the outside to capture his division-leading fourth win in the 20-lap American Racer/Lias Tire Modified feature.

"When you're that close to the front, you're going to go as hard as you can go," explained the Smithmill, Pa. resident. "There was an opening to get around and that's what I went for. I adjusted on it all night and finally got it to where it was going to work. There are so many cars that can win here on any given night, it's just unbelievable."

Ron Eperthener, Jr. raced out to the early lead. Sixth starting Kevin Hoffman and tenth starting Andy Priest both passed Lonny Riggs for third and fourth on lap four. Hoffman though spun in turn two on lap five handing third to Priest. Priest moved to runner-up on lap five taking the spot from Garrett Krummert down the backstretch. Frank Guidace, who started 12th, began to make noise racing ahead of Riggs for fourth on lap five then drove to the inside of Krummert off turn four to take third on lap 12.

As the laps ticked off Stine found the outside to his liking and made it a four-car race for the lead. Stine powered around both Guidace and Priest for second on lap 18 before the final caution slowed action. Under yellow, Priest exited the event relinquishing third. On the restart, Eperthener chose the inside handing Stine the top. Stine had enough power to take charge. Eperthener drove in hard in turn four and nearly spun. By the time he gathered it back up Guidace and Hoffman were by.

Stine went on for his seventh career win in the Thomas Stine-owned, Patriot Chevrolet Cadillac/Lutz Radiator & Auto/Stine Mechanical-sponsored #7. Guidace was second over Hoffman, who came from the tail to third after his spin on lap five. Eperthener dropped to a disappointing fourth after leading the first 17 laps. Steve Barr matched his season's best finish in fifth. Completing the top 10 were Krummert, Kevin Green, Matt Reeher, Rick Hall, and point leader Steve Young, who has finished in the top 10 every race this season. Heat victors over the 29-car field were Brad Rapp, Eperthener, and Young. Alex Anderson won the B main.

Mike Pegher, Jr's dream season just continues as the youngster was victories for the sixth time this season in the 15-lap Tire Express Stock Car feature holding off another furious charge by Andy Buckley. "Andy was definitely a little faster going into turn three than I was, but I was better coming out. I knew Andy was going to run me clean, he's a clean driver."

Ryan Moyer took over the lead on the opening lap from pole-sitter and rookie Tim Burns. Bryan Shaffer started fourth and pulled alongside Moyer on lap three nosing head for the lead, while seventh starting Pegher followed in second. Lap five saw Pegher use the lapped car of Glenn Knopp, Jr. to his advantage as he made the winning move on Shaffer.

Buckley, who started ninth, drove around Bill Lanigan for third on lap seven then went underneath Shaffer for second coming out of turn four on lap nine. Buckley caught Pegher and was on the leader on lap 12. Buckley shot low and the duo raced side-by-side on lap 13. Pegher withstood Buckley's charges to lead laps 13 and 14. On the last lap, Buckley drove as hard as he seemingly could through turns three and four getting underneath Pegher. The two were side-by-side coming off turn four, but Pegher was able to out-drag Buckley down the frontstretch for his eighth career win in his Alternative Power Sources/Triple-S Auto Outlet/SS Racing Chassis-sponsored, Dunk-powered #09. Lanigan was third as Kevin Thompson and point leader Brian Booher completed the first five. Topping the heats were Buckley and Booher.

Mikey Schall scored an upset victory for his first career win in the 15-lap Micro Sprint feature. Schall overtook Jessica McDivitt on the opening lap and only two cautions slowed his run to the checkered in his Sheer Heaven Dog Grooming/Balistic Industries/Scherc's Water Service-sponsored #03. Schall became the fourth different winner of the season and amazingly 15th different winner in 17 races held all-time at the track. D.J. Furney inherited second when McDivitt exited the event on lap five and was able to hold off point leader Todd Reusser, who started 12th. Doug Karlene was fourth with Eric Williams rounding out the top five. Jeff Bacha and George Hobaugh (Jr.) won the heat races.

Dave Airgood, Jr. took the white flag as the leader, Josh Seippel took the checkered flag first, but it was Bryan Wagner credited with the victory in the 12-lap Maurer's Trading Post Strictly Stock feature after a last lap turn four incident between Seippel and Airgood.

Randy Ealy led the first two laps before he slowed on lap three handing the lead to his brother Carl with Airgood second. Carl led through lap eight before he dropped from the event with smoke billowing giving the lead to Airgood. Seippel, who finished second in both of last week's features and won the Compact Car Demo, passed point leader Wagner for second on lap 10. Seippel then made a last lap charge running down Airgood; however he got in too hard in turn four and spun out the leader. Though Seippel took the checkered flag first, he was put at the tail of the lead lap cars for rough driving. The rookie Wagner was credited with his fifth win of the season in the Ron Wagner-owned, Wagner's Duke Whiting Auctioneer/Brian Swisher Trucking/Wilson Lumber-sponsored #56. Airgood crossed in second. Kenny Alcorn made his first ever Mercer start and was third with Jon Mabry and Seippel fourth and fifth. Randy Ealy and Wagner won the heats.

RoadRunner & Lake Road Auto Sales Sprint Cars: 1. ROB EYLER 2. Bob Felmlee 3. Skip Dougherty 4. Arnie Kent 5. Rod George 6. Todd Bauer 7. Jason Jacoby 8. Danny Holtgraver 9. Mike Dehner 10. Jeremy Cook 11. Paul Kish 12. Gale Ruth 13. Riki Likowski 14. Mark Murphy 15. Paul Kapuchuck 16. Mel Straley 17. Tail Hilbert-DNS 18. Leonard Ripper, Jr.-DNS.

American Racer/Lias Tire (358) Modifieds: 1. MIKE STINE 2. Frank Guidace 3. Kevin Hoffman 4. Ron Eperthener, Jr. 5. Steve Barr 6. Garrett Krummert 7. Kevin Green 8. Matt Reeher 9. Rick Hall 10. Steve Young 11. Chris Dye 12. Fred Sasse 13. Alex Anderson 14. Ryan Haney 15. Andy Priest 16. Steve Toth 17. Jr. Baker 18. Rich Whitney 19. Lonny Riggs 20. Greg Unrue, Jr. 21. Brad Rapp 22. Jimmy Holden 23. Rick Kress 24. Gary Smoker DNQ: Ron Sasse, Tim Zuschlag, Brian May, Chuck Crawley, John Buchanan.

Tire Express Stock Cars: 1. MIKE PEGHER, JR. 2. Andy Buckley 3. Bill Lanigan 4. Kevin Thompson 5. Brian Booher 6. Rick Norco 7. Bryan Shaffer 8. Terry Kroner 9. Ryan Moyer 10. Tim Burns 11. Tom Scott 12. Glenn Knopp, Jr. 13. Mark Sanders-DNS.

Micro Sprints: 1. MIKEY SCHALL 2. D.J. Furney 3. Todd Reusser 4. Doug Karlene 5. Eric Williams 6. Mike Himes 7. Jeff Bacha 8. J.J. Furney 9. Rob Felix 10. Jessica McDivitt 11. Lindsay Enscoe 12. George Hobaugh 13. Dave Hawkins 14. J.J. Lute 15. Chris Best.

Maurer's Trading Post Strictly Stocks: 1. BRYAN WAGNER 2. Dave Airgood, Jr. 3. Kenny Alcorn 4. Jon Mabry 5. Josh Seippel 6. Carl Ealy 7. Paul Reiser 8. Randy Ealy 9. Bill Myers 10. Vaughn Cook-DNS.

Upcoming Events:
7/22 7th annual "Sprint Slug-Out". Triple 15s for Sprints ($1,000 each), Mods ($800), Stocks ($500), & Strictly Stocks.
7/29 Sprints, Mods, Stocks, Strictly Stocks, plus School Bus Races. "Pack the Track Night" presented by Grove City Auto Mall with $5 adult, $12 Family, & $3 child 6-15 admission. "Meet Your Heroes" Autograph Night on the speedway. Ken Carbone Memorial.
8/04 "Fantastic Friday II". Sprints, Mods, Stocks, Strictly Stocks plus PA Mod Lite Series ($500). Free general admission for all Venango County residents. Emerson Process Management Corp. Night. Note: 7:30 PM start time.

Mercer Raceway Park is located minutes from both Interstate 79 and 80 just off Route 19 on Fairground Road in Mercer, Pa. Dirt track racing and quality family entertainment are presented weekly late March through early October. The office in New Bedford, Pa. is open year-round after 1:00 p.m. Monday through Friday. For more information call the office at 724-964-9300 or the track on race day at 724-662-1310. Check out our website at www.mercerracewaypark.com for the latest.

$10 FAMILY NIGHT, GOLDEN CORRAL DINNER GIVEAWAYS, KIDS BIKE RACES, & MICRO SPRINTS COMPLEMENT A FULL NIGHT OF RACING AT MERCER
By Mike Leone

Mercer, PA.Mercer Raceway Park will return to it's core racing program this Saturday night, July 15 with another five-division program of the RoadRunner & Lake Road Auto Sales Sprint Cars, American Racer/Lias Tire Modifieds, Tire Express Stock Cars, Maurer's Trading Post Strictly Stocks, and the Micro Sprint. It's $10 Family Night presented by ZOOM Internet. Kids bike races will be held during intermission plus new marketing partner Golden Corral will be giving dinners away to their Hermitage, Pa. restaurant.

The third $10 Family Night will allow mom, dad, and as many accompanying children 15 and under into The Park for just $10! "The $10 family nights have been very popular with our families," said owner Vicki Emig. "We get three to four times as many families that turn out for these nights including many new people"

As a special cross-promotion with Raceway 7, those that attended the Conneaut, Ohio Friday night speedway and bring their rain checks from June 30, July 7, or July 14 will be granted admission for just $3!

The Sprint Car point race has been a back and forth battle between 1989 and 1998 champion Bob Felmlee and defending champion Rod George. George of Kittanning, Pa. leads Felmlee of Franklin, Pa. by just four points, but trails in the win column three to zero. Arnie Kent is having a career year win wise with four victories already and has climbed into third in points ahead of two-time winner Rob Eyler. The Sprint Cars have been very competitive this year with six different winners in 12 features, 50 different cars competing, and an average of over 22 per night.

The Modified chase has been close from the get-go and seemingly changes every week. Two-time Mercer Champion Steve Young of Grove City, Pa. has been consistent all year and took back the point lead last Tuesday as he remains perfect with top 10 finishes. Young leads one-time winner Kevin Hoffman by seven markers. Mike Stine is third in points and Gary Smoker and Frank Guidace are tied for fourth as all three racers have three wins this year. Another three-time winner is Brad Rapp, who has advanced to a tie for 11th in points despite missing the first five shows. Along with his three victories, Rapp placed second in the Bill Emig Memorial and on the July 4 T3 All-Star Series event. The Modifieds have averaged 30 cars per night with six different winners.

Defending champion Brian Booher is on his way to topping his career best year in 2005. The Sandy Lake, Pa. racer already has six wins upping his career total to 20 and has a commanding 53-point lead over two-time winner Andy Buckley, who has 21 career victories. Interestingly, the duo are also contending for the all-time Stock Car win mark since the track reopened in 1994, which has been led by Alan Dellinger with 21 scores. Young Mike Pegher, Jr. has been outstanding with five victories.

Rookie teenager Bryan Wagner of New Wilmington, Pa. has been very impressive as he recently took over the point lead from Carl Ealy and added to that last Saturday with his third win of the season in the Strictly Stocks. Ealy leads the track with seven victories, but is 14 points back of Wagner. After a slow start this year, the Strictly Stocks' car counts have been picking up as there was a season-high 12 last week. As a reminder, competing Strictly Stock drivers are admitted free into the pits.

The Micro Sprints will return for their fourth of six visits during the 2006 season. Thus far winners have been Steve Dunmire, George Hobaugh (Jr.), and Sean McAndrew. The Micros will be highlighted in a 15-lap feature paying $350 to-win. Todd Reusser leads the points and is still in search of his first win at the speedway. There have been 14 different winners in 16 races contested all-time for the division at Mercer.

Pit gates open at 3:30 p.m. with grandstands at 4:30. Hot laps begin at approximately 6:15 with the first official green flag at 7 p.m. Adult admission is $11. Students 6-15 are $5. Children five and under are free. The special Family Pass is just $10. Pit passes are $22.

Mercer Raceway Park is located minutes from both Interstate 79 and 80 just off Route 19 on Fairground Road in Mercer, Pa. Dirt track racing and quality family entertainment are presented weekly late March through September. The office in New Bedford, Pa. is open year-round Monday through Friday after 1:00 p.m. For more information call the office at 724-964-9300 or the track on race day at 724-662-1310. Check out our website at www.mercerracewaypark.com for the latest.

PEGHER WINS 5TH & NORCO SCORES 1ST IN STOCKS AT MERCER; ROOKIES WAGNER & AIRGOOD KEEP ON WINNING IN STRICTLIES; BORDT WINS $1,000 IN DEMO & SEIPPEL TAKES COMPACTS; PULLING VICTORIES TO POLKABLA, BOSWER, & HINKLE
By Mike Leone

Mercer, PA.Mercer Raceway Park held the inaugural "Race, Rattle, & Pull" on Saturday night for the first time ever encompassing racing, pulling competition, and demolition derbies. Mike Pegher, Jr. and Rick Norco split the Tire Express Stock Car features, while rookies Bryan Wagner and Dave Airgood, Jr. picked up wins in the Maurer's Trading Post Strictly Stocks. Victors in pulling action were Sean Hinkle-Hot Farm Tractors, Steve Polkabla-6200 Open Gas Trucks, and Bill Bowser-Street Licensed Diesel Trucks. In Demo Derby competition it was Andy Bordt in the full-size and Josh Seippel in the compacts.

Mike Pegher, Jr. continued his stellar season scoring his fifth win of the year in the 12-lap Tire Express Stock Car feature #1. "We got a really good car this year and a really good crew down there helping me out every week," expressed the Wexford, Pa. winner. "I couldn't do it without them."

Pegher shot around Glenn Knopp, Jr. and Branden Porter on the start and never looked back leading all the way in the non-stop event. For Pegher, it was his seventh career win in his Alternative Power Sources/Triple-S Auto Outlet/SS Racing Chassis-sponsored, Dunk-powered #09. Andy Buckley, who started fifth, moved to third on the opening lap and passed Rick Norco for second on lap four, but was unable to overtake Pegher and settled for second. Norco was third, while Doug Iorio II held off Bobby Heim for fourth.

Rick Norco ended a long dry-spell by winning his first feature since September 18, 2004 in the second Tire Express Stock Car feature. "It's hard, there's a lot of good competition here," recanted the New Castle, Pa. victor. "You win one, you should be proud. It's tough to beat these guys."

Bobby Heim grabbed the early lead, while Norco moved from fifth to second on the first circuit. Heim slipped high on lap two allowing Norco to get under the leader and nip him at the line for the lead. The battle then raged behind as it was three-wide for second on lap four with Pegher moving into the spot. The following lap though Pegher got out of shape allowing Buckley to fly from fourth to second.

The last seven laps saw Buckley all over Norco trying both the high side and to get under the leader, but it was to no avail as Norco held on for his second career win in his M&D Paving/Triple S Auto Sales/Plotts Transmission-sponsored #07. Buckley was second again. Heim edged Pegher and Iorio for third.

Rookie Bryan Wagner added to his point lead by virtue of his season's fourth victory in the 12-lap Maurer's Trading Post Strictly Stock feature. "I told my parents at the beginning of the season I just wanted to be consistent and be in the top five all year," revealed the New Wilmington, Pa. 18-year-old. "Being a rookie I didn't expect much, but it's going great."
Wagner charged from the fourth starting spot past Dave Airgood, Jr., Randy Ealy, and newcomer Scott Malone on the opening lap into the lead. Josh Seippel, who started seventh, passed Curt Bish, Sr. for third on lap three then inherited second when Randy Ealy exited the race on lap seven. Seippel slowly ran down the leader, but didn't have enough laps to contend with Wagner's Duke Whiting Auctioneer/Brian Swisher Trucking/Wilson Lumber-sponsored #56. Seippel was a career best second with Airgood, Bish, and Jon Mabry rounding out the top five.

Fellow rookie Dave Airgood, Jr. was impressive in the backwards Maurer's Trading Post Strictly Stock feature taking the 12-lap victory for his season's third win. "I got pushed around a little in the first one," explained the West Middlesex, Pa. racer. "We made up for it here. I didn't change anything on the car. It was setup for turning left and I did the best I could."

Carl Ealy took charge of the event from the pole, while Airgood raced from fourth past Mabry and Bish on lap two for second. Airgood made the winning move on lap four taking the top spot away from Ealy. Ealy then exited the race on lap seven handing second to Bish with seventh starting Seippel now third. Seippel finally worked his way around Bish for second on lap eight. Airgood though was too much as he's now won three of the last week weeks in his Fenton's #42. Seippel was second again as Bish, Mabry, and Wagner completed the first five.

Steve Polkabla of Grove City, Pa. was victorious in the 6200 Open Street Gas Truck pulling class. Polkabla won in a four-truck pull-off with a distance of 298.67 in his red 1976 Ford. In the Street Diesel Truck class, Bill Bowser topped the field with the only full pull of 315.54 in his blue 2001 Dodge. Sean Hinkle of Carrollton, Ohio came out on top of the Hot Farm Tractor class by virtue of a pull of 273.52 in his "Hard 2 Handle" 1466 IH. For a complete rundown of the pulling competition, check out www.fullpullproductions.com/results.php

Making his first appearance of the season, 2002 and 2004 "Gladiator Series" Champion Andy Bordt of Sewickley, Pa. topped the $1,000 to-win full-size Demolition Derby. After finishing runner-up in both Strictly Stock features, Josh Seippel of Franklin, Pa. ended his excellent night winning the first-ever Compact Car Demolition Derby for the $300 prize.

Tire Express Stock Cars 1 (12 laps): 1. MIKE PEGHER, JR. 2. Andy Buckley 3. Rick Norco 4. Doug Iorio II 5. Bobby Heim 6. Glenn Knopp, Jr. 7. Jamie Duncan 8. Charles Ramsey 9. Branden Porter.

Tire Express Stock Cars 2 (12 laps): 1. RICK NORCO 2. Andy Buckley 3. Bobby Heim 4. Mike Pegher, Jr. 5. Doug Iorio II 6. Jamie Duncan 7. Glenn Knopp, Jr. 8. Branden Porter 9. Charles Ramsey-DNS.

Maurer's Trading Post Strictly Stocks 1 (12 laps): 1. BRYAN WAGNER 2. Josh Seippel 3. Dave Airgood, Jr. 4. Curt Bish, Sr. 5. Jon Mabry 6. Patrick Heckman 7. William Morrison III 8. Randy Ealy 9. Carl Ealy 10. Scott Malone 11. Jack Falk-DNS 12. Paul Reiser-DNS.

Maurer's Trading Post Strictly Stocks 2 (backwards) (12 laps): 1. DAVE AIRGOOD, JR. 2. Josh Seippel 3. Curt Bish, Sr. 4. Jon Mabry 5. Bryan Wagner 6. Carl Ealy 7. Scott Malone 8. Randy Ealy-DNS 9. William Morrison III-DNS 10. Patrick Heckman-DNS 11. Jack Falk-DNS 12. Paul Reiser-DNS.

Upcoming Events:
7/15 Sprints, Mods, Stocks, Strictly Stocks, plus Micro Sprints & Kids Bike Races. Golden Corral (Hermitage) Night-dinner certificate giveaways. $10 Family Night. Bring a Raceway 7 rain check from 6/30, 7/7 or 7/14 and get in for just $3. Dean Dairy Corp. Night.
7/22 8th annual "Sprint Slug-Out". Triple 15s for Sprints ($1,000 each), Mods ($800), Stocks ($500), & Strictly Stocks.
7/29 Sprints, Mods, Stocks, Strictly Stocks, plus School Bus Races. "Pack the Track Night" presented by Grove City Auto Mall with $5 adult, $12 Family, & $3 child 6-15 admission. "Meet Your Heroes" Autograph Night on the speedway. Ken Carbone Memorial.

Mercer Raceway Park is located minutes from both Interstate 79 and 80 just off Route 19 on Fairground Road in Mercer, Pa. Dirt track racing and quality family entertainment are presented weekly late March through early October. The office in New Bedford, Pa. is open year-round after 1:00 p.m. Monday through Friday. For more information call the office at 724-964-9300 or the track on race day at 724-662-1310. Check out our website at www.mercerracewaypark.com for the latest.

"RACE, RATTLE & PULL" TO FEATURE RACING, TRUCK & TRACTOR PULLING, & FULL-SIZE & COMPACT CAR DEMO DERBIES ALL SATURDAY AT MERCER
By Mike Leone

Mercer, PA.Mercer Raceway Park will be the site of a unique and new event this Saturday night, July 8. "Race, Rattle, & Pull" will feature the Stock Cars and Strictly Stocks along with truck and tractor pulling competition, and the night will be rounded out by both a full-size and compact car Demo Derbies. Event start time is 7 p.m.

The Tire Express Stock Cars will open the night competing in a full program. The show will be using Little Guy Nationals "open" rules and a pill draw will be used. The Maurer's Trading Post Strictly Stocks will round out the racing card running both a counter-clockwise and clockwise 12-lap feature.

The middle of the program will feature three different classes of pulling competition. The Hot Farm Tractors will be making their first ever appearance. Returning after a resounding success at the "Spring Nationals" pulling event will be the Street Legal Diesel Trucks, which had 35 entries on May 28. The second truck class making their debut at the Park will be the Street Legal Gas Trucks.

Completing the night will be two Demolition Derbies. The first will be for full-size cars and will pay a whopping $1,000 to-win with $500 for second, $300 for third, $200 for fourth, and $100 for fifth. There is a $50 entry fee, which does grant the driver a pit pass. The last event on the card will be the first ever Compact Car Demo Derby, which will pay $300 for first, $200 for second, and $100 for third. Both events are still open as drivers may simply show up on Saturday and register. There is no entry fee for the compact class.

"We've wanted to try this show for some time," said eighth year owner Vicki Emig. "Everything came together date wise and we decided to take a shot at encompassing racing, pulling, and demo derbies all on the same night. This will be a never before done event. We've held the gate prices at regular admission too."

Pits open at 3:30 p.m. and grandstands open at 4:30 p.m. Hot laps are slated for 6:15 p.m. and the first green flag will wave at 7 p.m. Admission is $11 for adults. Students 6-15 are $5. The Family Pass is $25. Children five and under are free. Pit passes are $25.

Mercer Raceway Park is located minutes from both Interstate 79 and 80 just off Route 19 on Fairground Road in Mercer, Pa. Dirt track racing and quality family entertainment are presented weekly late March through September. The office in New Bedford, Pa. is open year-round Monday through Friday after 1:00 p.m. For more information call the office at 724-964-9300 or the track on race day at 724-662-1310. Check out our website at www.mercerracewaypark.com for the latest.

VANPELT HOLDS OFF HIS FORMER RIDE TO WIN T3 ALL-STAR MODS AT MERCER; DUNN WINS FIRST IN E-MODS; BOOHER WINS #6 IN STOCKS AT CHECKERED; #2 FOR AIRGOOD IN STRICTLIES
By Mike Leone

Mercer, PA.Mercer Raceway Park hosted a special Fourth of July racing card on Tuesday night.  "Saluting the Red, White, & Blue" presented by Alpine H20 saw the following drivers score wins and celebrate in the Hoosier Tire Mid-Atlantic victory lane: Billy VanPelt-T3 All-Star American Racer/Lias Tire Modifieds, Brian Booher-Tire Express Stock Cars, and Dave Airgood, Jr.-Maurer's Trading Post Strictly Stocks.
After getting passed by Lonny Riggs in last October's T3 All-Star Series event, defending series champion Billy VanPelt was not going to be denied as he held off his former ride- the Rapp #11R driven by teenager Brad Rapp to win the 30-lap $1,500 to-win Modified feature in the T3 All-Star-sanctioned event. 
"Brad Rapp is an awesome young driver," recanted the Westfield, Pa. racer.  "I got the chance to drive for Butch & Lisa Rapp and if I got beat by Brad so be it.  He's a good little chauffeur and pays attention.  I'm proud of him.  I made a mistake and he let me know he was there; I had to pick up the pace a little harder."
VanPelt drew the #1 pill and raced into the early lead with Jeff Schaffer following and Andy Priest passing Steve Young for third.  Shaffer slowed on lap four moving Priest to second and sixth starting Frank Guidace to third.  Rapp, who started ninth, made his presence known when he moved ahead of Young for fourth on lap six.  Priest began to close on VanPelt on lap 11, while Rapp was right on Guidace.  Rapp made the pass for third driving under Guidace off turn four on lap 13.
Lapped traffic didn't come into play until lap 15, but VanPelt was able to maintain his lead, while Rapp closed on Priest.  Rapp nipped Priest at the start-finish line for third on lap 18 and set his sights on VanPelt.  The duo ran side-by-side for the lead on laps 23 and 24 with Rapp on the bottom and VanPelt on the top.  VanPelt kept Rapp at bay to the caution for Junior Green with 27 laps completed.  The last three laps saw VanPelt manage to hold off the young charger, who was all over VanPelt in the closing laps.
VanPelt's second career Mercer win came driving his brother Curt's regular ride- the Ted White-owned #12 sponsored by Four Winds Farms and White's Repair.  "Vicki Emig.what an awesome facility," expressed the winner.  "I can't wait to come back here to the Little Guy Nationals.  The whole place is a class act from the fans to the staff.  It's a joy to come down here and race with these guys."
Rapp's runner-up was worth $800.  Priest was third over Guidace, who held off Gil Tegg, Jr. for fourth.  Completing the top 10 were Brian Fink, Young, Donnie Lawson, Stacy Jackson, and Mike Stine.  Heat winners over the season-high 41-car field were Schaffer, Guidace, Tegg, and Chuck Kennison.  Ray Bliss, Jr. and Kevin Hoffman won the two B mains.
Russ Dunn won his season's first E-Mod feature in the 20-lap $500 to-win event that saw five different leaders.  "We've had four seconds in a row and I didn't want another," stated the Harmony, Pa. victor.  "We were on a rail all feature long.  We had three different setups and finally found the one that works."
Jeff Walters took over the lead from Kevin Decker on the start with Alan Dellinger moving to third.  It was a three-car race for second with Decker holding off Dellinger and McCann until Decker exited the event and Walters went wide off turn two all on lap seven.  This gave the lead to Dellinger with Walters and McCann trailing.  Walters remained strong and pulled alongside Dellinger on lap eight, but caught the inside berm in turn four on lap nine trying to get under Dellinger and allowed McCann to take second. 
McCann then became the new leader when he went to the outside of Dellinger on lap 11, while Dunn passed Walters for third.  McCann and Dellinger raced hard side-by-side between laps 12-14 with McCann up top and Dellinger on the bottom.  On lap 14 Dunn snuck past Dellinger for second.  The following lap McCann got crossed up in turns one and two looped his mount handing the lead to Dunn.  Dellinger would exit the event one lap later moving Walters back to second. 
Once out in front and on a clear track, Dunn rode the cushion and pulled away for his second career Mercer win in his Dave Oliveri/#1 Cochran/Dunn Trucking/Frankland Racing, Domhoff Racing Engines-powered #47.  Walters was a Mercer best second with Dave Willoughby, Matt Lux, and Bill Thomas completing the top five.  Walters and Dellinger were victorious in their heats over the 21-car field.
Brian Booher made it two-in-a-row with his division-leading sixth victory and milestone 20th career win in the 20-lap Tire Express Stock Car feature thanks to a flat tire on the last lap by race-long leader Rusty Wheeler.  "I'd rather be lucky than good," exclaimed the Sandy Lake, Pa. winner.  "I seen him (Wheeler) get very loose and got off the backstretch.  We went into (turns) three and four and I saw him get all checked up.  I was really scared of the wall, him coming out and taking both of us out, but I had to give it a shot."
Wheeler was able to get by pole-sitter Mike Aley on the start.  Sixth starter and newcomer Rusty Martz made his way to third on lap two getting by Bobby Heim then moved to second one lap later taking the spot from Aley.  Booher started his climb to the front from 10th and had third from Buckley on lap five; however, Buckley quickly found the top and drove around Booher and Martz for second on lap six.
It was now a five-car race for the lead.  On lap nine, Booher slipped high allowing Martz and Booher back by.  Booher finally took second away from Martz on lap 15 at the start-finish line.  It appeared though that Wheeler had too much and was headed to his second career win, but on the final lap had a tire go down.  Booher saw the opportunity and went to the outside racing off turn four and snuck past Wheeler at the checkereds to win by one-half car-length in the Terry Hoover-owned, Ed & Jerry's Auto Service/Harry & Tim's Roofing-sponsored #00H.  Wheeler was second over Martz, Buckley, and Dave Ferringer in his season debut.  Heat victors over the season-high 35-car field were Wheeler, Aley, and Booger.  Rick Norco won the B main.
Rookie Dave Airgood, Jr. of West Middlesex, Pa. captured his second career win taking the nightcap 12-lap Maurer's Trading Post Strictly Stocks.  Paul Reiser charged past Randy Ealy on lap two and the two raced side-by-side on lap three with Ealy nosing ahead on lap four.  Reiser and Airgood passed Ealy on lap six for the top two spots.  Airgood's winning move came on lap 10 following a restart and he went on for the victory in his #42.  Reiser held second over Bryan Wagner, and William Morrison III.  Airgood and Ealy won the heats.

T3 All-Star American Racer/Lias Tire (358) Modifieds (30 laps): 1. BILLY VANPELT ($1,500)  2. Brad Rapp  3. Andy Priest  4. Frank Guidace  5. Gil Tegg, Jr.  6. Brian Fink  7. Steve Young  8. Donnie Lawson  9. Stacy Jackson  10. Mike Stine  11. Garrett Krummert  12. Chuck Kennison  13. Kyle Ripper  14. Vern Wasson  15. Jim Rombold, Jr.  16. Gary Smoker  17. Matt Baker  18. Junior Green  19. Ron Cartwright, Jr.  20. Matt Reeher  21. Kevin Hoffman  22. Jeff Schaffer  23. Bryan Terwilliger  24. Jimmy Holden  25. Mike Schane  26. Ray Bliss, Jr.-DSQ  DNQ: Ron White, Dylan DeWert, Chris Dye, Steve Barr, John Buchanan, Kevin Green, Fred Sasse, Jr. Baker, Rich Whitney, Rick Kress, Chuck Crawley, Mike Jackson, Dale Welty, Bill Adams, Lonny Riggs.

E-Mods (20 laps): 1. RUSS DUNN ($500)  2. Jeff Walters  3. Dave Willoughby  4. Matt Lux  5. Bill Thomas  6. Mike Potosky  7. Bruce Dreistadt  8. Butch Lambert  9. Dave Atkinson  10. Bruce Powell  11. Greg Johnson  12. Josh Rhoades  13. Dana Wellington  14. Jason Johns  15. Kevin Decker  16. Alan Dellinger  17. Mike Kerr  18. Herm Myers  19. Dennis Lunger, Jr.  20. Howard Fraley  21. Bob McCann

Tire Express Stock Cars (20 laps): 1. BRIAN BOOHER ($500) 2. Rusty Wheeler  3. Rusty Martz  4. Andy Buckley  5. Dave Ferringer  6. Dan Smeal  7. Rod Laskey  8. Bobby Heim  9. Barry Wilson  10. Rich Howell  11. Brian Bush  12. Rick Thompson, Jr.  13. Jason Fosnaught  14. Mark Sanders  15. Jim Fosnaught  16. Casey Smith  17. Mike Pegher, Jr.  18. Gary Fisher  19. Bryan Shaffer  20. Bill Vance, Jr.  21. Mike Aley  22. Gary Sullivan  23. Rick Norco  24. Joe Lockhart-DNS  25. Doug Iorio II-DNS  26. Tim Burns-DNS  DNQ: Carlos Aponte, Dave Shook, Adam Aley, Andy Thompson, Rob Bates, Ryan Moyer, Shaun Hooks, Denny Crawford, Lauren Simmons.

Maurer's Trading Post Strictly Stocks : 1. DAVE AIRGOOD, JR.  2. Paul Reiser  3. Bryan Wagner  4. William Morrison III  5. Patrick Heckman  6. Randy Ealy  7. Bill Kluck, Jr.  8. Charlie McMillen  9. Josh Seippel  10. Carl Ealy.

Upcoming Events:
7/08 "Race, Rattle, & Pull".  Stock Cars, double Strictly Stock features, Demo Derby ($1,000), Compact Car Demo Derby ($300), plus Hot Farm Tractors, Street Legal Gas Trucks, & Street Legal Diesel Trucks.  Event begins at 7.
7/15 Sprints, Mods, Stocks, Strictly Stocks, plus Micro Sprints.  Golden Corral (Hermitage) Night-dinner certificate giveaways.  Kids Bike Races.  $10 Family Night.  Bring a Raceway 7 rain check from 6/30, 7/7, or 7/14 and get in for just $3.  Dean Dairy Corp. Night.
7/22  8th annual "Sprint Slug-Out".  Triple 15s for Sprints ($1,000 each), Mods ($800), Stocks ($500), & Strictly Stocks.

Mercer Raceway Park is located minutes from both Interstate 79 and 80 just off Route 19 on Fairground Road in Mercer, Pa.  Dirt track racing and quality family entertainment are presented weekly late March through early October.  The office in New Bedford, Pa. is open year-round after 1:00 p.m. Monday through Friday.  For more information call the office at 724-964-9300 or the track on race day at 724-662-1310.  Check out our website at www.mercerracewaypark.com for the latest.

BAUER SPRINTS TO FIRST EVER MERCER WIN; SMOKER FLIES TO 3RD MOD WIN; BOOHER CHARGES TO WIN #5 IN STOCKS; MCANDREW WINS AT CHECKEREDS IN MICROS; EALY AGAIN IN STRICTLIES
By Mike Leone

Mercer, PA.Mercer Raceway Park completed show #13 of the 2006 season on Saturday night as a huge crowd watched the following drivers score wins and celebrate in the Hoosier Tire Mid-Atlantic victory lane: Todd Bauer-RoadRunner & Lake Road Auto Sales Sprint Cars, Gary Smoker-American Racer/Lias Tire Modifieds, Brian Booher-Tire Express Stock Cars, Sean McAndrew-Micro Sprints, and Carl Ealy-Maurer's Trading Post Strictly Stocks. One hundred five cars filled the pit area for "American Patriot Night," which included fireworks as all veterans of war, scouts, and Butler County residents were admitted free and was promoted by ZOOM Internet.

Todd Bauer hasn't been a Mercer regular since 2002 when he competed with a 360 against the 410s and won the 360 title. With an upgrade to his program last year, Bauer scored his first career win at Tri-City Speedway on July 11, 2004. Returning to Mercer in 2006, Bauer has been fast all year and finally made it pay dividends as drove an impeccable race to capture his first ever Mercer win in the 20-lap RoadRunner & Lake Road Auto Sprint Car feature.

"Great car and crew here with Donnie, Paul, and Rob Walters," expressed the thrilled Clarion, Pa. winner. "We've been having great cars here for the last few weeks we just finally got it going good tonight. The car worked on the top and bottom. I made a bad choice in traffic allowing Skip back by me, but with the Charlie Fisher motor we just powered right around the top."

Darting from the fourth starting spot, Skip Dougherty made some great moves to race past Mark Murphy, Riki Likowski, and Jeremy Cook to lead the opening lap. Bauer, who started sixth, was already up to third on the first lap then stole second from Cook on lap two. Bauer ran down Dougherty and passed the leader on the bottom in turns one and two on lap four only to get slowed by Mel Straley in turns three and four as Dougherty retook the lead.

Bauer was all over Dougherty in the ensuing laps as the duo ran hard side-by-side for the lead on lap seven in traffic with Bauer finding his way through traffic coming out of turn four edging ahead to take the lead. Kevin Andrusky became a factor when he passed Murphy for third on lap eight then caught Dougherty on lap 12. Andrusky made the pass stick in turn four for second on lap 13. The event's only caution was displayed with 14 laps completed when Leonard Ripper, Jr. spun.

The caution gave Andrusky a shot at Bauer, but Bauer was able to maintain his slight advantage. Lapped traffic became critical the last three laps. Bauer put on a driving clinic using the entire track to make moves and clear the slower cars. Bauer had a gaggle of lapped cars to deal with on the final lap as he was nearly on the binders in turn four, but was able to keep his nose clean and take the checkered flag for the popular win in his Kriebel Gas-sponsored #45.

Andrusky's second was his best since a win on June 18 of last season. Dougherty had a strong third after suffering through a string of hardship. Four-time winner Arnie Kent passed Murphy for fourth on lap nine, but didn't have anything for the front three. Eleventh starting Rod George passed Bob Felmlee on lap 18 to finish fifth and took back the point lead. Completing the top 10 were Felmlee, Murphy, Carl Bowser, Danny Holtgraver, and western Ohio 360 invader J.R. Stewart. Topping the heat races over the 22-car field were Bauer and George.

Three weeks ago Gary Smoker suffered his worst crash of his career as he jumped the guardrail in turn one and launched into the fence. Saturday night, Smoker had his car working to perfection as he ending his two-month dry spell capturing his third win of the season in the 20-lap American Racer/Lias Tire Modifieds.

"It's been a long time," recalled the Mercer, Pa. winner. "We had a streak of bad luck in June. I have to thank the Lord Jesus Christ. He kept me safe through the big crash; he covered me. You had to be smooth tonight, the track was nice, and the car was beautiful."

For the second straight week, Rick Hall took the early lead as Garrett Krummert and Brian Fink trailed. Smoker started fifth and moved into third past Fink on lap three. Krummert slipped high on lap five allowing Smoker to sneak under and take second, while ninth starting Frank Guidace made a great diving slingshot move to pass Brad Rapp and Fink for fourth.

Smoker made his winning move in turn one on lap seven taking the top spot from Hall, while Guidace disposed of Krummert for third. Following a caution for Scott Smith who got into the wall, Guidace grabbed second from Hall on lap eight. All eyes were now on Kevin Hoffman. After starting 18th, Hoffman became a contender when he passed Hall for third on lap 10 then drove under Guidace for second off turn two one lap later. Hoffman slowly chewed into Smoker's lead and by lap 15 appeared he may contend for the win.

Like the Sprint Car feature, lapped traffic played a key factor in the closing laps. Smoker made the right moves, while Hoffman caught the slower cars at bad times giving Smoker enough breathing room to collect his division-leading eighth career win and 36th overall at the track in the D&D Racing-owned, Mito Insulations/MBMR Inc/Kristyak's Service & Towing-sponsored #516. Hoffman extended his point lead with his third runner-up of the season. Guidace was third with Steve Young and Krummert fourth and fifth. Sixth through tenth were Fink, Jimmy Holden, Kevin Green, newcomer Bill Washek, and Mike Stine. Heat victors were Krummert, Guidace, and Young over the 32-car field, which matched a season-high for third time this year. Alex Anderson won the B main.

Brian Booher drove an impressive race coming from the 11th starting spot and charged to the front to record his division-leading fifth win of the season in the 15-lap Tire Express Stock Car feature. "I really want to congratulate them," stated the humble Sandy Lake, Pa. racer referring to his crew. "They really worked hard between the heat and feature- it was just awesome. Mike Pegher had a tire going down and I didn't want to beat him that way, but you got to take them when you can get them."

Kevin Thompson bolted out into the lead from the pole-position with Gary Sullivan following. Rick Norco, who started fifth, took over third from Bryan Shaffer on lap three. Thompson looked stout, but his night came to an abrupt halt when he went up in smoke on lap five handing the lead to Sullivan with Norco now second. On lap six, Sullivan slipped high in turn four allowing Norco to drive under for the lead.

Last week's winner, Mike Pegher, Jr., took second from Sullivan on lap eight and then drove around Norco on the outside for the lead on lap 10. Booher came into play on lap 10 when he passed Sullivan for third. Booher snatched second away from Norco on lap 12 and set his sights on Pegher just before the final caution with 12 laps completed. The caution proved fruitful for Booher as he made the winning move following the restart and went on for his 19th career win in the Terry Hoover-owned, Ed & Jerry's Auto Service/Harry & Tim's Roofing-sponsored #00H. Pegher held off ninth starting Andy Buckley for second. Norco was fourth with Jason Fosnaught fifth. Fosnaught and Thompson won the heats over the 22-car field.

Sean McAndrew came out on top of a wild and exciting four-car battle in the 15-lap Micro Sprint feature making the winning pass at the checkereds for his first ever Mercer win. "That was a heck of race," exclaimed the Edmon, Pa. racer. "Give Todd Reusser credit from the back. He was faster than heck. I hope we put on a good show for the fans. I'm pretty excited, this is a big win for me."

Eric Williams raced ahead of Chris Best on the start for the lead. Last week's George Hobaugh passed Best for second on lap two and ran down Williams. Hobaugh drove under Williams in turn three on lap three for the lead, but the pass was negated when Mike Himes got upside down. He was okay, but done for the night. One more caution slowed action with four laps completed as the last 11 laps were non-stop furious action.

It was three-wide for the lead on lap eight with Hobaugh and 11th starting Todd Reusser alongside. Williams was able to hold on, while Reusser took second with contact. Sixth starting Sean McAndrew entered the picture on lap nine taking third from Hobaugh then nipped ahead of Reusser for second at the start-finish line on lap 12. Reusser came back to make the pass on lap 13 before McAndrew charged back by on lap 14. McAndrew now had one lap to catch and pass Williams and he did just that running down the leader, sliding under him coming off tour, and out-dragged him down the frontstretch for the win in the Rick McAndrew-owned, Kiski Valley Electric-sponsored #15. McAndrew became the 14th different winner in 16 races held all-time at the track in quite possibly the best race ever. Williams was a Mercer career best second over Reusser, Best, and Jeff Bacha. Topping the heats were Bacha and Reusser over the 19-car field.

Carl Ealy returned to victory lane in the 12-lap Maurer's Trading Post Strictly Stock feature. The track's leading winner this year inherited the lead on lap six when his brother Randy got into and spun leader Paul Reiser. Ealy then led the last seven non-stop laps for his seventh win of the season and 10th of his career in his #0. Reiser came back to place second over Bryan Wagner, Dave Bass, and William Morrison III. Heat winners were Ealy and Wagner.

RoadRunner & Lake Road Auto Sales Sprint Cars: 1. TODD BAUER 2. Kevin Andrusky 3. Skip Dougherty 4. Arnie Kent 5. Rod George 6. Bob Felmlee 7. Mark Murphy 8. Carl Bowser 9. Danny Holtgraver 10. J.R. Stewart 11. Jeremy Cook 12. Riki Likowski 13. Gale Ruth 14. Gale Ruth, Jr. 15. Scott Rodgers 16. Paul Kapuchuck 17. Leonard Ripper, Jr. 18. Mel Straley 19. Paul Kish 20. Rob Eyler-DNS 21. Mike Dehner-DNS 22. Robert Vantassel-DNS.

American Racer/Lias Tire (358) Modifieds: 1. GARY SMOKER 2. Kevin Hoffman 3. Frank Guidace 4. Steve Young 5. Garrett Krummert 6. Brian Fink 7. Jimmy Holden 8. Kevin Green 9. Bill Washek 10. Mike Stine 11. Rich Whitney 12. Jim Rombold, Jr. 13. Alex Anderson 14. Chris Dye 15. Jr. Baker 16. Ryan Haney 17. Steve Barr 18. Rick Hall 19. Kyle Ripper 20. Lonny Riggs 21. Fred Sasse 22. Brad Rapp 23. Matt Reeher 24. Scott Smith DNQ: Howard Duff. Chuck Crawley, Rick Kress, Ron Sasse, Jerry Twentier, Sr., Greg Unrue, John Buchanan, Mike Lutz.

Tire Express Stock Cars: 1. BRIAN BOOHER 2. Mike Pegher, Jr. 3. Andy Buckley 4. Rick Norco 5. Jason Fosnaught 6. Mark Sanders 7. Gary Sullivan 8. Andy Thompson 9. Tim Deutsch 10. Clyde Roberts 11. Bill Lanigan 12. Bill Vance, Jr. 13. Bryan Shaffer 14. Denny Crawford 15. Jason Broerman 16. Terry Wheeler 17. Randy Sprouse 18. Branden Porter 19. Ryan Moyer 20. Kevin Thompson 21. Tim Burns-DNS 22. Ray Bailey, Jr.-DNS.

Micro Sprints: 1. SEAN MCANDREW 2. Eric Williams 3. Todd Reusser 4. Chris Best 5. Jeff Bacha 6. Todd Felix 7. J.J. Metheney 8. Doug Karlene 9. Mikey Schall 10. Mike Mecklem 11. Robert Bowser 12. Adam King 13. Jessica McDivitt 14. Robert Fink 15. C.J. Price 16. George Hobaugh (Jr.) 17. Dave Hawkins 18. Ryan McAndrew 19. Mike Himes.

Maurer's Trading Post Strictly Stocks: 1. CARL EALY 2. Paul Reiser 3. Bryan Wagner 4. Dave Bass 5. William Morrison III 6. Patrick Heckman 7. Randy Ealy 8. Jim Boring 9. Dave Airgood, Jr. 10. Jon Mabry-DNS.

Upcoming Events:
7/04 "A Salute to the Red, White, & Blue" presented by Alpine H20. T3 All-Star Mod Series ($1,500), E-Mods ($500), Open Stocks ($500), plus Strictly Stocks. Gates at 3:30. Racing at 6.
7/08 "Race, Rattle, & Pull". Double Strictly Stock feature, Demo Derby ($1,000), Compact Car Demo Derby ($300), plus Hot Farm Tractors, Street Legal Gas Trucks, & Street Legal Diesel Trucks. Event begins at 7.
7/15 Sprints, Mods, Stocks, Strictly Stocks, plus Micro Sprints. Golden Corral (Hermitage) Night-dinner certificate giveaways. Kids Bike Races. $10 Family Night. Bring a Raceway 7 rain check from 6/30, 7/7, or 7/14 and get in for just $3. Dean Dairy Corp. Night.

Mercer Raceway Park is located minutes from both Interstate 79 and 80 just off Route 19 on Fairground Road in Mercer, Pa. Dirt track racing and quality family entertainment are presented weekly late March through early October. The office in New Bedford, Pa. is open year-round after 1:00 p.m. Monday through Friday. For more information call the office at 724-964-9300 or the track on race day at 724-662-1310. Check out our website at www.mercerracewaypark.com for the latest.

Scooby-Doo coming Saturday to Mercer!

Mercer Raceway Park learned late Thursday that sponsor ZOOM Internet
will be bringing popular cartoon charachter "Scooby-Doo" with them to
the track this Saturday night, July 1.

A full program of RoadRunner & Lake Road Auto Sales Sprint Cars, Lias
Tire/American Racer Modifieds, Tire Express Stock Cars, Maurer's
Trading Post Strictly Stocks plus the Micro Sprints will be in action.

There will be a fireworks spectacular after dark. As a reminder, all
Butler County residents, veterans of war, and scouts in uniform will
be admitted free.

Gates open at 4:30 with hot laps at 6:15 and racing at 7. For more
info call 724-964-9300 or the track on race day at 724-662-1310.
Check out www.mercerracewaypark.com for the latest.

SPECIAL TUESDAY, 4TH JULY SHOW AT MERCER TO FEATURE T3 ALL-STAR MOD
SERIES; VANPELT, REIMERT, JACKSON, CARTWRIGHT, BLISS & OTHERS SET TO
BATTLE LOCALS; E-MODS, STOCKS, & STRICTLIES ALSO IN ACTION
By Mike Leone

Mercer, PA.Mercer Raceway Park will host a special racing program
this Tuesday, July 4. "A Tribute to the Red, White, & Blue"
presented by Alpine H20 will feature the T3 All-Star Modified Series
in their first of two appearances along with the E-Mods, Open Stock
Cars, and Strictly Stocks. All event times are one hour earlier
than normal for this special midweek event with racing starting at 6
p.m.
In his second year in charge, Kenny Shupp will lead his band
of New York T3 All-Star travelers south to the Park. Last season,
local Lonny Riggs out-dueled T3 Champion Billy VanPelt to win the
T3's inaugural appearance, which drew 51 cars for the "Little Guy
Nationals". A field of 40 cars is expected Tuesday.
The 30-lap feature will award the winner $1,500 with a beefy
purse that includes $800 for second and $100 to-start. Twelve T3
members have already committed to the show as of June 27 including
defending champion VanPelt, Woodhull Speedway two-time winner Dylan
DeWert, Black Rock Speedway winners Ron Cartwright, Jr. and Gil
Tegg, Jr., brothers and top runners Stacy & Mike Jackson, former
Super DIRT Series regular Ray Bliss, Jr., Gambler's Raceway Park
winner Vern Wasson, along with Mike Shane and Bryan Terwilliger.
One of the top well-known eastern Pennsylvania Modified
racers, Shawn Reimert, is making the tow to Mercer for his first
ever appearance. The 2005 Central PA Speedway Champion and
Grandview Speedway winner has dominated big-block action at Redline
Raceway on Friday nights this season.
Mercer will have its own "All-Star" line-up to contend with
the invaders led by current point leader and winner Kevin Hoffman.
Steve Young has been shutout of victory lane for nearly two years
now and the former big-block racer would love to add his first win
in this event. Three-timer 2006 winner Mike Stine has a knack for
big races, as he owns victories in the "Little Guy Nationals"
and "Bill Emig Memorial". Frank Guidace already knocked off 2-grand
winning the Jeff Hoffman Memorial amongst his three wins and would
love to hold back the invaders on Tuesday. Brad Rapp has been the
fastest car of late and a victory Tuesday would give him his biggest
career score.
Defending champion Gary Smoker got off to a fast start with
a pair of wins, but has been quiet of late. Young Jimmy Holden has
been fast all year and would like nothing more than to score his
first career Mercer win in this event. Other big names like Andy
Priest Brian Fink, Tommy Kristyak, and Rick Hall will all be in the
thick of things along with the fast cars of Matt Baker, Ron
Eperthener, Jr., and Garrett Krummert. The T3 Series will return
to Mercer on September 30 for the "Little Guy Nationals."
The E-Mods will make their fifth appearance of the season
battling 20 laps for $500 to-win. Thus far this current point
leader Bill Thomas of Waterford, Pa. recorded his first two career
Mercer wins, while Alan Dellinger and Matt Lux have also been
victorious.
The Stock Car will be running under open competition "Little
Guy Nationals" rules and will also be racing 20 laps for $500 to-
win. Completing the card will be the strictly stocks, who as
reminder do get a free pit pass for competing. Points will be
awarded for all four divisions.
Pits open at 2:30 p.m. and grandstands open at 3:30 p.m.
Hot laps are slated for 5:15 p.m. and the first green flag will wave
at 6 p.m. Admission is $13 for adults. Students 6-15 are $7. The
Family Pass is $33. Children five and under are free. Pit passes
are $30.
Mercer Raceway Park is located minutes from both Interstate 79 and
80 just off Route 19 on Fairground Road in Mercer, Pa. Dirt track
racing and quality family entertainment are presented weekly late
March through September. The office in New Bedford, Pa. is open
year-round Monday through Friday after 1:00 p.m. For more
information call the office at 724-964-9300 or the track on race day
at 724-662-1310. Check out our website at www.mercerracewaypark.com 
for the latest.

FULL NIGHT OF RACING PLUS MICROS ALONG WITH FIREWORKS SATURDAY AT MERCER; ALL VETERANS, SCOUTS, & BUTLER COUNTY RESIDENTS ADMITTED FREE
By Mike Leone

Mercer, PA. Mercer Raceway Park's annual American Patriot Night will be held at the track again this Saturday night, July 1. A complete program of RoadRunner & Lake Road Auto Sales Sprint Cars, American Racer/Lias Tire Modifieds, Tire Express Stock Cars, Maurer's Trading Post Strictly Stocks, and the Micro Sprints will be on the racing card. To compliment the night, a huge and spectacular fireworks display will be put on after sunset to celebrate the Independence Day holiday.

For the second straight year a free Butler County Night will admit all residents of the county into the grandstands for free general admission free. A valid driver's license or identification card is required for adults showing a city in Butler County. All accompanying children will be admitted free as well. The promotion is presented and promoted by ZOOM Internet.

For the seventh consecutive year, all veterans of war and active servicemen will be admitted free into the grandstands with identification. In the past, around 200 veterans have enjoyed the night as a guest of Mercer Raceway Park. Also, all scouts in uniform will be granted free admission.

For the second time this season, Bob Felmlee and Rod George are tied atop the Sprint Car standings. George, who is still in search of his first win of the season, recorded his third runner-up finish after charging from the 11th starting spot and finished ahead of three-time winner Felmlee, who was been shutout of victory lane since May 6. Arnie Kent is coming off his division-leading fourth win, but inconsistency has kept him out of the title chase.

Kevin Hoffman came back from an early race spin last Saturday night to finish fifth and maintained his Modified point lead. The Franklin, Pa. driver is in search of his first track title. The story of late has been Brad Rapp and Frank Guidace. The duo have accounted for six of the last eight features including three each.

Brian Booher raced to a solid fourth place finish last week and continues to maintain his point lead in search of his second straight title for the Sandy Lake, Pa. driver. Mike Pegher, Jr. denied Andy Buckley last Saturday from becoming the division's all-time winner since the track reopened by scoring his fourth win of the season after a thrilling side-by-side duel.

Despite finishing last, Carl Ealy of Volant, Pa. continues to hold on to his point lead in the Strictly Stocks over rookie driver Bryan Wagner. Dave Airgood, Jr. joined Wagner last Saturday night as rookie racers scoring victories this season.

The Micro Sprints will return for their season's third of six appearances in the rescheduled show from May 13 albeit in an unsanctioned program. The 15-lap feature will still pay $350 to-win, $35 to-start. Mercer Raceway Park urges Micro Sprint racers to support this show in order to continue the ability to host Micro Sprint events in the future. Last Saturday night, George Hobaugh (Jr.) won his first ever feature at the track and became the 13th different winner in 15 races contested all-time at The Park.

Pit gates open at 3:30 p.m. and grandstands at 4:30, hot laps are at 6:15, and racing begins at 7. Adult admission is $11. Students 6-15 are $5. Children five and under are always free. The family pass, which admits mom, dad, and up to four kids, is $25. Pit passes are $22.

Mercer Raceway Park is located minutes from both Interstate 79 and 80 just off Route 19 on Fairground Road in Mercer, Pa. Dirt track racing and quality family entertainment are presented weekly late March through early October. The office in New Bedford, Pa. is open year-round after 1:00 p.m. Monday through Friday. For more information call the office at 724-964-9300 or the track on race day at 724-662-1310. Check out our website at www.mercerracewaypark.com for the latest.

KENT FLIES TO 4TH MERCER SPRINT WIN; RAPP MAKING UP FOR LATE START WITH 3RD MOD WIN; HOBAUGH WINS 1ST IN MICROS; PEGHER EDGES BUCKLEY & MOORE IN STOCK THRILLER; CAREER 1ST FOR ROOKIE AIRGOOD IN STRICTLIES
By Mike Leone

Mercer, PA.With a rare crystal clear blue sky overhead, Mercer Raceway Park was able to complete the 12th event of the 2006 season on Saturday night. A big crowd watched the following drivers score wins and celebrate in the Hoosier Tire Mid-Atlantic victory lane: Arnie Kent-RoadRunner & Lake Road Auto Sales Sprint Cars, Brad Rapp-American Racer/Lias Tire Modifieds, George Hobaugh (Jr.)-Interstate Micro Sprint Series, Mike Pegher, Jr.-Tire Express Stock Cars, and Dave Airgood, Jr.-Maurer's Trading Post Strictly Stocks. With the exception of Kent, all of the winners are in their late teens or 20s.

It's been an up and down year for Arnie Kent. Kent has either been in victory lane or out of the top five and not contending, but Saturday night Kent was on the up and up as flew to his season's fourth win in the 20-lap RoadRunner & Lake Road Auto Sales Sprint Car feature.

"My left rear tire is about flat," revealed the New Castle, Pa. winner. "I'd like to thank everybody for coming out. I met a lot of people tonight and anyone that came to Mercer tonight for the first time I invite you down to see a Sprint Car in victory lane."

Debuting a new car, Gale Ruth, Jr. bolted into the lead around pole-sitter Mike Dehner on the start. Kent, who started sixth, made a great move on lap two diving under Tom Quarterson and Dehner for runner-up. Kent ran down Ruth and was right on the leader on lap five. Meanwhile, 11th starter Rod George quickly found the track's new surface to his liking as he darted past Quarterson for fourth on lap five and into third the following lap past Dehner.

Kent was all over the surprising leader and finally made the pass stick on lap nine flying to the inside of Ruth off turn two. George continued his charge to the front driving past Ruth down the backstretch on lap 13, but now was a straightaway behind Kent. Point leader Bob Felmlee became a contender on lap 14 when he was able to get past Ruth for third. Todd Bauer, who started 10th, was looking strong as he had just passed Ruth for fourth on lap 17, but got jammed up in traffic on lap 18 and spun with front-end damage bringing out the caution and ending his night after 18 non-stop laps.

Kent had the lapped car of Aaron Shaffer in between himself and George for the restart. George quickly ducked under Shaffer going into turn one on the bottom, but didn't have enough momentum to keep up with Kent coming off turn two. Kent went on for his 16th career win in his Equipment Rental Options/Image Factory Signs-sponsored, American Racer-shod #18.

George was second as he's still searching for his first win of the year. Point leader Felmlee was third. Carl Bowser passed Ruth on the final lap to finish fourth. Ruth dropped to fifth for his career best Mercer finish. Completing the top 10 were Rob Eyler, Dehner, Danny Holtgraver, Skip Dougherty, and Shaffer. Heat winners over the season-low 17-car field were Bowser and Quarterson.

After missing the first five weeks of action, Brad Rapp is quickly making up for the lost time as the 18-year-old captured his third win in the past five weeks in the 20-lap American Racer/Lias Tire Modified feature. "The track and car were both good for the feature," stated the Shippenville, Pa. winner. "My cousin Mike had a brainstorm so we tried a few things and it worked out alright as it ran good for me."

Mike Lutz and Rick Hall battled hard for the top spot on the opening lap as Hall was able to nose ahead. Bill Adams started fifth and looked strong as he passed Garrett Krummert for third on lap two and Lutz for second the ensuing lap. Rapp meanwhile began his run to the front from ninth and grabbed third from Lutz on the fifth circuit then disposed of Adams for second on lap eight.

Rapp ran down leader Rick Hall. Coming off turn four, Hall's car pushed high, while Rapp and Adams ducked under making it three-wide for the lead. Rapp came out with the lead with Adams in second, while Hall's car slowed and eventually brought out the caution with 10 laps completed.

The last 10 laps went caution-free. Rapp's only scare came on the last lap when he was mired in lapped traffic and Jr. Baker got sideways in front of him. Rapp though was able to sneak under, while Adams quickly closed in. Rapp went on for his fourth career win in the Butch Rapp-owned Auto & Truck Specialties/Riverhill Battery House/JW Steel-sponsored #11R.

Adams matched his best finish since a runner-up on July 7, 2005. 2004 Sportsman Modified Champion Jeff Schaffer debuted a new car for his brother Jerry. Schaffer started from the 12th position and came up third after the finish after battling the second-half of the race with Mike Stine before getting by for good on lap 16. Stine was fourth. Point leader Kevin Hoffman came back from an early race spin to place fifth. Rounding out the top 10 were Lutz, Jimmy Holden, Gary Smoker, Steve Young, and Frank Guidace. Topping the heat races over the season-low 24-car field were Hoffman, Krummert, and Smoker.

After being close on numerous occasions, second generation driver George Hobaugh captured his first ever Mercer win in the 15-lap Interstate Micro Sprint feature. "It took me a long time to get here," said the happy Chicora, Pa. victor. "If it wasn't for my dad, I wouldn't be here."

Hobaugh passed Chris Stanko on the initial lap, survived four cautions, and held off Todd Reusser for his second career win circuit-wide. The $350 victory came in his Hobaugh Auto Parts-sponsored #40 and he became the 13th different winner in 15 races held all-time at the track. Reusser was second for the second time this year just missing his first ever Mercer win. Third through fifth were Mike Himes, Jeff Bacha, and Chris Best. Scoring heat race wins over the 22-car field were D.J. Furney and Bacha.

Mike Pegher, Jr. and Andy Buckley put on the best race of the night and kept the fans on the edge of their seats with a long side-by-side duel as it was Pegher coming out on top for his fourth 15-lap Tire Express Stock Car win of the season. "I have a lot of fun up here and like how they did the track tonight," said the Wexford, Pa. racer. "We enjoy racing with Andy Buckley. We've been waiting to race each other like that for a long time."

After getting upside down last time out, Gary Sullivan earned the pole position and took off with the early lead. Buckley, who started sixth, wasted no time as drove by Pegher, Kevin Thompson, Bill Vance, Jr., and Randy Sprouse into second all on the first lap. Buckley took the top spot away from Sullivan driving around the leader off turn four on lap two.

Pegher, who started fifth, didn't enter the fray until lap four when he disposed of both Jarrot Moore and Sullivan on a restart. The second and final caution was displayed with seven laps completed for Casey Smith. When racing resumed, Pegher and Buckley put on a show for the fans with Pegher running the bottom and Buckley on top. Moore passed Sullivan for third on lap eight and made it a three-car race.

Pegher and Buckley raced side-by-side lap after lap never touching as Pegher just couldn't get enough momentum off the bottom to make the pass stick. Finally on lap 13 coming off turn two Pegher got a run on Buckley down the backstretch. Heading into turn three Pegher was able to drive it in harder and perfected the slide job through turn four to take the lead.

Pegher was able to hold off Buckley and Moore for his sixth career win in his Alternative Power Sources/Triple-S Auto Outlet/SS Racing Chassis-sponsored, Dunk-powered #09. Brian Booher closed on the leaders at the end to finish fourth after starting 11th. Doug Iorio II was fifth. Terry Kroner, Moore, and Buckley won the heats over the 24-car field.

Dave Airgood, Jr. of West Middlesex, Pa. became the second rookie racer of the year to win a 12-lap Maurer's Trading Post Strictly Stock feature. Airgood, who started fourth, inherited the lead on lap three when the first and second place cars of Bryan Wagner and Paul Reiser spun simultaneously on the backstretch. Airgood went on to win unchallenged in his Fenton's Auto-sponsored #42 by one-half-lap over Reiser, who was the only car still running at the finish. Credited with third through fifth were Vaughn Cook, William Shelatree, and Wagner. Winning the heat races were Wagner and Reiser.

RoadRunner & Lake Road Auto Sales Sprint Cars: 1. ARNIE KENT 2. Rod George 3. Bob Felmlee 4. Carl Bowser 5. Gale Ruth, Jr. 6. Rob Eyler 7. Mike Dehner 8. Danny Holtgraver 9. Skip Dougherty 10. Aaron Shaffer 11. Jeremy Cook 12. Leonard Ripper, Jr. 13. Riki Likowski 14. Gale Ruth 15. Todd Bauer 16. Tom Quarterson 17. Mark Murphy.

American Racer/Lias Tire (358) Modifieds: 1. BRAD RAPP 2. Bill Adams 3. Jeff Schaffer 4. Mike Stine 5. Kevin Hoffman 6. Mike Lutz 7. Jimmy Holden 8. Gary Smoker 9. Steve Young 10. Frank Guidace 11. Rich Whitney 12. Matt Baker 13. Matt Reeher 14. Fred Sasse 15. Kevin Green 16. John Buchanan 17. Jr. Baker 18. Jerry Twentier, Sr. 19. Garrett Krummert 20. Rick Hall 21. Ryan Haney 22. Ron Eperthener, Jr.-DNS 23. Kyle Ripper-DNS 24. Tommy Kristyak-DNS.

Interstate Micro Sprint Series: 1. GEORGE HOBAUGH (JR.) 2. Todd Reusser 3. Mike Himes 4. Jeff Bacha 5. Chris Best 6. Lindsay Enscoe 7. Robert Fink 8. Shawn Mott 9. Jay Groves 10. Jessica McDivitt 11. Chris Stanko 12. Eric Williams 13. D.J. Furney 14. Mikey Schall 15. Doug Karlene 16. Mike Mecklem 17. J.J. Metheney 18. C.J. Jones 19. Dave Hawkins 20. Mark Knorr 21. Andy Paden-DNS 22. Brian Young-DNS

Tire Express Stock Cars: 1. MIKE PEGHER, JR. 2. Andy Buckley 3. Jarrot Moore 4. Brian Booher 5. Doug Iorio II 6. Kevin Thompson 7. Rick Norco 8. Gary Sullivan 9. Andy Thompson 10. Terry Kroner 11. Clyde Roberts 12. Bryan Shaffer 13. Sam Adams 14. Tim Deutsch 15. Randy Sprouse 16. Bill Vance, Jr. 17. Casey Smith 18. Ray Bailey, Jr. 19. Glenn Knopp, Jr. 20. Bill Lanigan 21. Tim Burns 22. Mark Sanders 23. Tom Moore 24. Ryan Moyer-DNS.

Maurer's Trading Post Strictly Stocks: 1. DAVE AIRGOOD, JR. 2. Paul Reiser 3. Vaughn Cook 4. William Shelatree 5. Bryan Wagner 6. Randy Ealy 7. Dave Bass 8. Carl Ealy 9. William Morrison III-DNS.

Upcoming Events:
7/01 Sprints, Mods, Stocks, Strictly Stocks plus Interstate Micro Sprint Series. American Patriot Night Firework Spectacular. Free general admission for all veterans, scouts in uniform, and Butler County residents presented by ZOOM Internet. Gates at 4:30. Racing at 7.
7/04 "A Salute to the Red, White, & Blue" presented by Alpine H20. T3 All-Star Mod Series ($1,500), E-Mods ($500), Open Stocks ($500), plus Strictly Stocks. Gates at 3:30. Racing at 6.
7/08 "Race, Rattle, & Pull". Double Strictly Stock feature, Demo Derby ($1,000), Compact Car Demo Derby ($300), plus Hot Farm Tractors, Street Legal Gas Trucks, & Street Legal Diesel Trucks. Event begins at 7.

Mercer Raceway Park is located minutes from both Interstate 79 and 80 just off Route 19 on Fairground Road in Mercer, Pa. Dirt track racing and quality family entertainment are presented weekly late March through early October. The office in New Bedford, Pa. is open year-round after 1:00 p.m. Monday through Friday. For more information call the office at 724-964-9300 or the track on race day at 724-662-1310. Check out our website at www.mercerracewaypark.com for the latest.

RACING RESUMES SATURDAY AT MERCER; FREE OHIO NIGHT & $10 FAMILY NIGHT; MICRO SPRINT AUTOGRAPH NIGHT
By Mike Leone

Mercer, PA.After a week hiatus, Mercer Raceway Park will return to action this Saturday night, June 24 with five-division program of the RoadRunner & Lake Road Auto Sales Sprint Cars, American Racer/Lias Tire Modifieds, Tire Express Stock Cars, Maurer's Trading Post Strictly Stocks, and the second appearance by the Interstate Micro Sprint Series. It's Welcome Ohio Night and $10 Family Night presented by ZOOM Internet. M&M Insurance Group will hold their first ever Corporate Night. Racing begins at 7 p.m.

For the second straight year, all Ohio residents will be admitted free into the grandstands for general admission by showing a valid ID with an Ohio address. All accompanying children 15 and under will also be admitted free.

The second $10 Family Night that was originally scheduled for May 13 before being rained out has been rescheduled for this Saturday night. Mom, dad, and as many accompanying children 15 and under will be admitted for just $10!

"The $10 family nights have been very popular with our families," said owner Vicki Emig. "We get three to four times as many families that turn out for these nights. We're also inviting all our Buckeye neighbors to the west in for a free night of racing. Last year's turnout was outstanding and we expect that again."

The Sprint Car point race has been a back and forth battle between 1989 and 1998 champion Bob Felmlee and defending champion Rod George. Felmlee of Franklin, Pa. leads George of Kittanning, Pa. by just two points, but leads in the win column three to zero. Rob Eyler of Franklin, Pa. has crept his way into contention with two wins and a runner-up in the last three events and now trails by just 32 points in search of his first ever track championship. The Sprint Cars have been very competitive this year with five different winners in 10 features with 46 different cars competing and an average of over 22 per night.

The Modified chase has been close from the get-go and seemingly changes every week. Kevin Hoffman of Franklin, Pa. took back the point lead from Steve Young and holds down a five-point lead. Hoffman has just one win, while Young is still in search of his first victory since the 2004 season. Sitting just eight points back is three-time winner Mike Stine. The two hottest drivers are Frank Guidace and Brad Rapp. The duo have split the last four features and have won five of the last seven features. In 10 nights, the Modifieds have averaged 29 cars per night with a low of 26 and a high of 32 on two occasions.

Defending champion Brian Booher is off to a great start in 2006. The Sandy Lake, Pa. racer leads the Stock Car division with four victories and the points by 46 over two-time champion Andy Buckley, who has two victories thus far this season. Buckley is tied with Alan Dellinger as the division's top winner since the track reopened in 1994 at 21 and Booher is fast closing with 18.

Carl Ealy leads all racers at the track with six victories. The Volant, Pa. driver is in pursuit of his first ever championship as he leads 18-year-old rookie and three-time winner Bryan Wagner by just 12 points in the Strictly Stocks. As a reminder, all competing Strictly Stocks are admitted free into the pit area.

The new Interstate Micro Sprint Series will be making their second of six appearances. The first event on April 22 was won by Steve Dunmire over a 24-car field. Dunmire also has Series wins this year at McKean County Raceway and Stateline Speedway. The Micro Sprints will be behind the grandstands from 6-6:30 p.m. for autographs.

Pit gates open at 3:30 p.m. with grandstands at 4:30. Hot laps begin at approximately 6:15 with the first official green flag at 7 p.m. Adult admission is $11. Students 6-15 are $5. Children five and under are free. The special Family Pass is just $10. Pit passes are $22.

Mercer Raceway Park is located minutes from both Interstate 79 and 80 just off Route 19 on Fairground Road in Mercer, Pa. Dirt track racing and quality family entertainment are presented weekly late March through September. The office in New Bedford, Pa. is open year-round Monday through Friday after 1:00 p.m. For more information call the office at 724-964-9300 or the track on race day at 724-662-1310. Check out our website at www.mercerracewaypark.com for the latest.

GUIDACE WINS $2,000 JEFF HOFFMAN MEMORIAL FOR MODS; EYLER DOMINATES
SPRINTS FOR 2ND WIN; THOMAS TAKES E-MODS; #4 FOR BOOHER IN STOCKS;
STRICTLIES TO WAGNER
By Mike Leone

Mercer, PA.Mercer Raceway Park hosted the third annual Jeff Hoffman
Memorial presented by the Hoffman Door Co. on Saturday night. The
11th event of the season saw the following drivers celebrate with
wins in the Hoosier Tire Mid-Atlantic victory lane: Frank Guidace-
American Racer/Lias Tire Jeff Hoffman Memorial Modifieds, Rob Eyler-
RoadRunner & Lake Road Auto Sales Sprint Cars, Bill Thomas-E-Mods,
Brian Booher-Tire Express Stock Cars, and Bryan Wagner-Maurer's
Trading Post Strictly Stocks.
Frank Guidace won the biggest race of his career collecting
the prestigious $2,000 victory for his second straight win and third
of the season in the 30-lap Jeff Hoffman Memorial for the American
Racer/Lias Tire Modifieds. "Jeff (Hoffman) was quite a driver and
this is quite an honor for me," acknowledged the Mercer, Pa.
winner. "I had nothing for Brad Rapp early in the race. I couldn't
run his line and you could see the car was loose. I was making
adjustments in the car, but couldn't catch him. I had to get around
a lapped car in turns three and four and he moved me way to the top
and I got a hold of the cushion and it was like `wow this is going
to fly up here!' I would have never caught him if I hadn't moved to
the top."
Brad Rapp edged ahead of Ron Eperthener, Jr. at the start of
the event with Guidace in third. Eperthener slowed and exited the
event on lap three advancing Guidace to second with sixth starting
Gary Smoker up to third. Rapp caught the back-markers on lap eight
and was in heavy traffic on laps 10 and 11 allowing Guidace to close
right in.
Jimmy Holden started eighth and moved into contention taking
third from Smoker on lap 11. At the halfway mark, Rapp began
distancing himself from the field, while Holden closed on Guidace
for second. A caution with 19 laps completed was just what Guidace
needed. Guidace used the outside lane and looked like he was shot
out of a canon as he flew around Rapp into the lead racing off turn
two on lap 20.
Smoker had fell back to fifth before regaining fourth from
Bill Adams on lap 20 then took back third from Holden on lap 22 as
he found the outside just like Guidace. Smoker was coming to the
front until disaster struck on lap 23. Smoker ran the extreme
outside and just as he was attempting to pass Rapp for second, he
got high into the turn one guardrail and launched into the catch-
fence riding it before coming back down onto the track. Smoker was
okay, but done for the night.
The last eight laps went green-to-checkered as Guidace
pulled away in the last five to score his fourth career 358 victory
and 10th overall at the track in his G&G Auto Outlet, Hine-powered,
Teo #1G. Rapp collected $800 for finishing runner-up. Holden was a
strong third. Jeff Hoffman's brother Kevin passed Steve Young on
lap 25 for fifth then Adams at the checkered to salvage a fourth
after coming from the tail. Rounding out the top 10 were Young,
Mike Stine, Mike Lutz, Brian Fink, and Matt Reeher. Heat winners
over the 32-car field were Adams, Lutz, and Rapp. John Buchanan won
the B main.
Rob Eyler is on a roll. Two weeks ago Eyler ended his bad
luck with his season's first win and came back last week just
missing a win by finishing a close second to Gary Edwards. Saturday
night, Eyler dominated the 25-lap RoadRunner & Lake Road Auto Sales
and was never challenged for the $1,500 win.
"They (the crew) told me to get my elbows up and start
driving this thing and that's what I've been doing," exclaimed the
happy Franklin, Pa. winner. "I couldn't tell how far out in front I
was. This car was awesome! As long as I hit my marks going into
turn one I had to straddle the cushion because the car was tight."
Ironically by the luck of the draw, Eyler and Edwards drew
one and two and resumed their battle from last week. This time
Eyler powered into the lead as 16-year-old Danny Holtgraver was able
to get past Edwards for second. Brian Ellenberger was on the move
from his seventh starting spot as he passed western Ohio 360 invader
J.R. Stewart for fourth on lap five then grabbed third from Edwards
on lap six. Ellenberger continued his progression as he dove under
Holtgraver in turn four and made the pass stick for second on lap
eight.
By now Eyler had a near straightaway lead built up. Bob
Felmlee slowly picked off cars from his 10th starting spot as he
cracked the top five on lap 8 taking the position from Stewart then
took fourth from Edwards the following lap. Felmlee cleared
Holtgraver on lap 11 for third and 11th starter Rod George followed
in fourth one lap later. Holtgraver's strong run ended when he
looped his mount bringing out the event's last caution with 14 laps
completed.
The last 11 laps saw Eyler drive a masterful race slicing
and dicing through lapped traffic never hesitating, which propelled
him to his ninth career win in his White Heating/World of
Wheels/Bahama Breeze/Designer Graphics-sponsored #5a. The race was
on for second as Ellenberger had his hands full trying to keep
Felmlee and George at bay. On lap 23, Ellenberger moved to the
bottom in turn three in traffic closing the door on Felmlee, but
Felmlee got into his push bar coming off turn four getting
Ellenberger sideways. But the time Ellenberger corrected and
regained his momentum, he lost second and third to Felmlee and
George. Ellenberger was unhappy fourth as Edwards dropped to fifth
at the finish. Sixth through tenth in the strong field were Carl
Bowser, Todd Bauer, Arnie Kent, Kevin Andrusky, and Stewart.
Topping the heat races over the 26-car field were Felmlee, George,
and Brent Matus. Mike Dehner won the B main.
Opening night winner Bill Thomas returned to victory lane in
the 20-lap $500 to-win E-Mod feature holding off a strong challenge
by Bob McCann. "We always run real good here," stated the
Waterford, Pa. winner. "Bob McCann got under me and raced me
clean. It was a real good run for him."
Russ Dunn grabbed the early lead from the pole position with
Howard Fraley trailing. On lap four, Dunn got crossed up in turn
two and Fraley hooked him sending Dunn spinning. Fraley inherited
the lead with Thomas up to second. Fraley slowed on the ensuing
restart as Thomas took advantage of the opportunity, while 10th
starting McCann took second.
The last 16 laps went non-stop as McCann pressured Thomas
for the duration, but was unable to make the move. Thomas held on
for the victory in the Hess Garage-sponsored #22. Scott Stiffler
came from ninth to finish a close third. Dave Willoughby and Dunn
rounded out the top five. McCann and Jeff Johnson won the heat
races.
Defending champion and current point leader Brian Booher
added his division-leading fourth win of the season in the 20-lap
Tire Express Stock Car feature barely holding off Jarrot Moore. "I
seen him (Moore) there," explained the Sandy Lake, Pa.
resident. "He showed himself a couple times. He's always fast when
he runs here; we're just lucky we held him off. This one's for my
wife. Yesterday was her birthday so I'm dedicating this to
her."
Booher shot past pole-sitter Bill Lanigan into the lead with
Doug Iorio II moving to second and sixth starter Andy Buckley clear
up to third on the initial lap. Buckley drove around Iorio for
second off turn four on lap four. Mike Pegher, Jr. entered the fray
on lap five taking third from Iorio. Just as he began to pressure
Buckley for second on lap seven, Pegher slowed and exited the event
handing third back to Iorio.
Under caution with eight laps completed, Buckley exited with
a flat tire putting Iorio back in second. Seventh starter Jarrot
Moore made his presence known passing Iorio for second on lap nine.
At the halfway point, Moore was right on Booher and was all over the
leader the last 10 laps. Booher ran Moore's line and though he got
under Booher on numerous occasions, he didn't have quite enough as
Booher claimed his 18th career win in the Terry Hoover-owned, Ed &
Jerry's Auto Service/Harry & Tim's Roofing-sponsored #00H.
Finishing third through fifth were Andy Thompson, Shaun Hooks, and
Lanigan. Heat victors over the 23-car field were Iorio and Rusty
Wheeler.
Bryan Wagner came out on top of a wild 12-lap Maurer's
Trading Post Strictly Stock feature for his third win. The New
Wilmington, Pa. rookie started sixth and inched past Carl Ealy on
lap 11 before Patrick Heckman lost a wheel at the white flag
necessitating the caution. The two-car one-lap shootout between the
top two winners saw Wagner barely edge Ealy at the finish in the Ron
Wagner #56. Heckman, William Morrison III, and William Shelatree
completed the top five.

American Racer/Lias Tire (358) Modified Jeff Hoffman Memorial: 1.
FRANK GUIDACE ($2,000) 2. Brad Rapp 3. Jimmy Holden 4. Kevin
Hoffman 5. Bill Adams 6. Steve Young 7. Mike Stine 8. Mike Lutz
9. Brian Fink 10. Matt Reeher 11. Rick Hall 12. Scott Smith 13.
Garrett Krummert 14. John Buchanan 15. Steve Toth 16. Jerry
Twentier, Sr. 17. Fred Sasse 18. Gary Smoker 19. Alex Anderson
20. Kevin Green 21. Tommy Kristyak 22. Ron Eperthener, Jr. 23.
Andy Priest 24. Joe Gibson-DSQ (light) DNQ: Ryan Haney, Chuck
Crawley, Travis Bell, Jr. Baker, Ben Porter, Kyle Ripper, Rich
Whitney, Stan Bell.

RoadRunner & Lake Road Auto Sales Sprint Cars: 1. ROB EYLER
($1,500) 2. Bob Felmlee 3. Rod George 4. Brian Ellenberger 5.
Gary Edwards 6. Carl Bowser 7. Todd Bauer 8. Arnie Kent 9. Kevin
Andrusky 10. J.R. Stewart 11. Chris Shuttleworth 12. Aaron
Shaffer 13. Gale Ruth, Jr. 14. Danny Holtgraver 15. Terry Young
16. Leonard Ripper, Jr. 17. Paul Kapuchuck 18. Mike Dehner 19.
Riki Likowski 20. Skip Dougherty 21. Mark Murphy 22. Brent Matus
23. Dennis Wagner 24. Jason Dolick 25. Tom Quarterson-DNS DNQ:
Joe Butera.

E-Mods: 1. BILL THOMAS ($500) 2. Bob McCann 3. Scott Stiffler 4.
Dave Willoughby 5. Andy Sweetland 6. Russ Dunn 7. Jeff Walters
8. Bruce Powell 9. Ed Wilson 10. Mike Kerr 11. Howard Fraley 12.
Jeff Johnson 13. Tim Henrich 14. Alan Dellinger.

Tire Express Stock Cars: 1. BRIAN BOOHER ($500) 2. Jarrot Moore 3.
Andy Thompson 4. Shaun Hooks 5.Bill Lanigan 6. Terry Wheeler 7.
Ryan Moyer 8. Bryan Shaffer 9. Doug Iorio II 10. Tom Moore 11.
Mark Sanders 12. Chad Myers 13. Andy Buckley 14. Bill Schall,
Jr. 15. Rusty Wheeler 16. Rick Norco 17. Mike Pegher, Jr. 18.
Tim Burns 19. Mark Wlodarsky 20. Bill Vance, Jr. 21. Kevin
Thompson-DNS 22. Gary Sullivan-DNS 23. Randy Sprouse-DNS.

Maurer's Trading Post Strictly Stocks: 1. BRYAN WAGNER 2. Carl
Ealy 3. Patrick Heckman 4. William Morrison III 5. William
Shelatree 6. Dave Airgood, Jr. 7. Paul Reiser-DNS.

Upcoming Events:
6/17 No racing
6/24 Sprints, Mods, Stocks, Strictly Stocks plus Interstate Micro
Sprint Series. Free general admission for all Ohio residents. $10
family night presented by ZOOM Internet. Micro Sprint autographs.
M&M Insurance Group Corp. Night
7/01 Sprints, Mods, Stocks, Strictly Stocks plus Interstate Micro
Sprint Series. American Patriot Night Firework Spectacular. Free
general admission for all veterans, scouts in uniform, and Butler
County residents presented by ZOOM Internet.

Mercer Raceway Park is located minutes from both Interstate 79 and
80 just off Route 19 on Fairground Road in Mercer, Pa. Dirt track
racing and quality family entertainment are presented weekly late
March through early October. The office in New Bedford, Pa. is open
year-round after 1:00 p.m. Monday through Friday. For more
information call the office at 724-964-9300 or the track on race day
at 724-662-1310. Check out our website at www.mercerracewaypark.com
for the latest.

$2,000 UP FOR GRABS IN JEFF HOFFMAN MEMORIAL FOR MODS SATURDAY AT MERCER; $5 OFF ADULT ADMISSION FOR ALL LADIES
By Mike Leone

Mercer, PA.Mercer Raceway Park will host the Jeff Hoffman Memorial presented by the Hoffman Door Co. this Saturday night, June 10 at 7 p.m. On the card will be the American Racer/Lias Tire Modifieds, RoadRunner & Lake Road Auto Sales Sprint Cars, E-Mods, Tire Express Stock Cars, and the Maurer's Trading Post Strictly Stocks. In the event of rain, the show has a rain date of Saturday, June 17. It's ladies night with $5 off the $13 adult admission!

The featured attraction of the event will be the 30-lap feature for the Modifieds, which will pay a cool $2,000 in the first of four major events for the division during 2006. "We're honored to be hosting the Jeff Hoffman Memorial for the second straight year," stated owner Vicki Emig. "We decided with the okay from the Hoffman family to make this show a 358 small-block event this season. We had great support from the division in their inaugural season last year and we've been averaging about 30 cars a night with tremendous racing this year. It should be a great race."

Heading into the event, the point race is very tight. Steve Young and Kevin Hoffman are tied for the lead, while Mike Stine sits just three points back. Young of Grove City, Pa. would like nothing more than to score his first win of the season and the biggest of his career to regain the point lead. Hoffman of Franklin, Pa. on the other hand would love to win his biggest career race in memory of his brother. Stine meanwhile already has three victories this season and has a knack for big races. He won $1,500 in last year's Bill Emig Memorial and $1,500 in the 2001 "Little Guy Nationals".

The two fastest cars in recent weeks are Mercer's own Frank Guidace and teenager Brad Rapp of Shippenville, Pa. The two drivers each have two victories and have accounted for four of the last five victories.

Defending champion Gary Smoker of Mercer is a two-time winner this season and is currently fourth in points ahead of consistent and fast Jimmy Holden, who makes the trek weekly from Tiona, Pa., and is still in search of his first ever Mercer victory.

Andy Priest of New Castle, Pa. will be making his debut Saturday night in the Emig #1 and he'd love to win his 100th career race in a class that has eluded him from victory lane. Other top contenders include Tommy Kristyak, Rick Hall, Ron Eperthener, Jr., Matt Baker, Mike Lutz, and Garrett Krummert. With $2,000 on the line, look for some invaders to make the trip in.

Like the Modifieds, the Sprint Car standings are also tied at the top. Defending champion Rod George is tied with three-time winner and 1989 and 1998 Champion Bob Felmlee for the point lead. The Sprint Cars 25 lapper will pay $1,500 to-win, $150 to-start.

The E-Mods will return for their fourth appearance of the season. Thus far winners have been Bill Thomas, Matt Lux, and current point leader Alan Dellinger. The E-Mods will race 20 laps for $500 to-win.

The Stock Cars will also battle 20 laps for $500. Point leader and defending champion Brian Booher of Sandy Lake, Pa. would like to become the track's first four-time winner of the season. Two-time champion and two-time winner this season Andy Buckley is currently 30 point behind.

Completing the card are the Strictly Stocks. Carl Ealy of Volant, Pa. is in search of his first track title with six wins already this season, but he leads two-time winner and rookie Bryan Wagner by just 13 points. As a reminder, all competing Strictly Stock drivers are admitted free into the pit area.

Pits open at 3:30 p.m. and grandstands open at 4:30 p.m. Hot laps are slated for 6:15 p.m. and the first green flag will wave at 7 p.m. Admission is $13 for adults, while females are just $8. Students 6-15 are $7. The Family Pass is $33. Children five and under are free. Pit passes are $30.

The inaugural Jeff Hoffman Memorial was held at Sportsman's Speedway in 2004 and won by New York's Chad Brachmann, while last year's event moved to Mercer and was a BRP Tour-sanctioned event and won by Rex King.

Hoffman passed away in 2003, but his legacy will live on amongst fans and racers in western Pa. and eastern Ohio. The Franklin, Pa. native started his career off in the pure stock ranks and was winner before moving into the big-block division driving the familiar Hoffman Door #17H and #00H. In his relative short racing career, Hoffman amassed 89 Modified wins at nine tracks, which ranked him seventh all-time through the 2004 season. He's the all-time Sportsman's Speedway winner with 36 scores and also leads the way at Marion Center with 19 wins. Hoffman also has 19 wins at Tri-City Speedway, nine wins at Challenger Raceway, two wins at Lernerville Speedway, and one win at Expo, Hickory Speedway, Raceway 7, and Sharon Speedway.

Hoffman Door Co. is family-owned and operated since 1974 in Franklin, Pa. Hoffman's provide garage doors, sales and service for residential, commercial, and industrial. For more information, call 888-534-8250.

Mercer Raceway Park is located minutes from both Interstate 79 and 80 just off Route 19 on Fairground Road in Mercer, Pa. Dirt track racing and quality family entertainment are presented weekly late March through September. The office in New Bedford, Pa. is open year-round Monday through Friday after 1:00 p.m. For more information call the office at 724-964-9300 or the track on race day at 724-662-1310. Check out our website at www.mercerracewaypark.com for the latest.

EDWARDS HOLDS OFF EYLER FOR 1ST SPRINT WIN; #2 FOR GUIDACE IN MODS; HOOKS WINS 1ST IN STOCKS; CAREER FIRST FOR REISER IN STRICTLIES AT MERCER
By Mike Leone

Mercer, PA.Four separate downpours throughout the day and evening on Saturday at Mercer Raceway Park may have delayed the program nearly two and half hours, but it didn't stop the efforts of the track crew as they had the track nearly perfect and the four-division show ran off in just over three hours. A big crowd watched the 10th event of the season as the following drivers celebrated with wins in the Hoosier Tire Mid-Atlantic victory lane: Gary Edwards-RoadRunner & Lake Road Auto Sales Sprint Cars, Frank Guidace-American Racer/Lias Tire Modifieds, Shaun Hooks-Tire Express Stock Cars, and Paul Reiser-Maurer's Trading Post Strictly Stocks.

After a year off, Gary Edwards returned to the seat of the Rudzik Excavating Sprint Car this season and finally put it all together holding off last week's winner Rob Eyler for an exciting 20-lap RoadRunner & Lake Road Auto Sales victory.

"We've had a fast car every week, but just have had little things keeping us down," expressed the Canfield, Ohio winner. "Without a crew behind me I couldn't have done this. The car was perfect; the track was perfect. Frank (Benic) and his crew did a remarkable job with the track. I love being here and the administration here. I have the best guys, the best owners, and the best fans."

Edwards flew into the lead past Brent Matus at the start of the event. Eyler quickly raced past Chris Shuttleworth and Matus into second on the opening lap. Bob Felmlee, Brian Ellenberger, and Dennis Wagner tangled on lap three with Ellenberger going on his side. All of the cars were able to make repairs and returned to the event.

When racing resumed, sixth starter Carl Bowser and eighth starter Tom Quarterson were in a heated battle for fourth swapping the position back and forth on numerous occasions. Up front, Edwards began working lapped traffic on lap seven, but Felmlee hit the frontstretch wall and turned over ending his night with seven laps completed.

Two separate cautions for Mike Dehner with eight and ten laps completed were the last stoppages of the event as the last 10 laps ran off green to checkered. Edwards continued to maintain a slight advantage over Eyler until Edwards caught lapped traffic on lap 14 allowing Eyler to contend. Eyler got underneath Edwards on lap 15 and the two raced side-by-side, but Edwards was able to hold on.

Edwards cleared lapped traffic on lap 17 and brought the Jeff Rudzik-owned, Rudzik Excavating-sponsored #49 to victory lane for his first win since winning in the car on July 10, 2004. The win was Edwards' third career Mercer 410 win and fourth overall for the former 360 winner. Eyler was second. Quarterson finally passed Bowser for good on lap 17 then charged past Matus on lap 19 to finish third. Matus was a Mercer best fourth over Bowser. Rod George came from 17th to finish sixth. Ralph Spithaler, Jr. was seventh making his season debut in Troy Preston's #1P. Todd Bauer, Arnie Kent, and Scott Bonnell completed the top 10. Heat winners over the 25-car field were Quarterson, newcomer Jody Keegan, and Felmlee.

Frank Guidace came out on top of the 20-lap American Racer/Lias Tire Modified feature after a stirring duel with Ron Eperthener, Jr. then held off Kevin Hoffman for his second victory of the season. "I didn't realize he was there, he snuck up on me," revealed the Mercer, Pa. winner when asked about Eperthener taking the lead. "I was hitting the cushion and the car was a little too tight. I saw him underneath me out of the corner of my eye. I changed my line and caught back up to him and got into that corner and didn't know if I should go low or high. I chose low and saw him high didn't work for him. I feel bad for him he was running well."

Bill Adams took the early lead from pole-sitter Nick Ritchey. Guidace, who started 12th, made a nice move to pass both Eperthener and Kevin Green for third on lap four. On the ensuing lap, Guidace drove under Ritchey off turn two to grab second. On the same lap, Eperthener and Jimmy Holden took third and fourth from Ritchey.

Guidace ran down Adams and grabbed the top spot on lap six driving around the leader off turn two. Adams slowed on lap seven allowing Eperthener, 16th starting Brad Rapp, and Holden to take second, third, and fourth. Thirteenth starting Steve Young quietly worked his way into contention passing Holden for fourth on lap eight then stole third from Rapp the following lap.

Guidace was running the cushion and his car got tight, which allowed Eperthener to run down the leader on lap 11. Eperthener dove under Guidace on lap 13 racing off turn two for the lead. Eperthener then caught lapped traffic on lap 16. Guidace wasn't about to allow Eperthener to speed off to his first win of the year as he ran down the leader on lap 17. The two raced side-by-side down the backstretch splitting the lapped car of Fred Sasse. Going into turn three, Guidace went low and Eperthener high, but Eperthener ran out of room in traffic looping his mount and was collected by Rapp ending both racers' fine runs.

Just when it appeared Guidace would go unchallenged, ninth starter Kevin Hoffman passed Holden for third then got past Young for runner-up on lap 18. Hoffman quickly closed on Guidace and appeared as if he was going to make a last lap challenge, but got high on the backstretch allowing Guidace to go uncontested to the finish for his third career 358 Modified win and ninth overall at the track in his G&G Auto Outlet-sponsored, Hine-powered Teo #1G.

"I didn't know how close they were, but I didn't care I wasn't changing lines," explained Guidace when asked about Hoffman and Young. "The cushion was so high and the track was unbelievable. Lots of traction."

Point leader Young turned in another solid night in third. Holden was fourth ahead of Mike Stine. Sixth through tenth were Gary Smoker, Adams, Matt Reeher, Rich Whitney, and Joe Gibson. Topping the heat races over the 26-car field were Hoffman, Stine, and Ritchey. Rick Hall won the B main.

Shaun Hooks out-dueled his former car driven by Mark Sanders to capture his first win of the season in the 15-lap Tire Express Stock Car feature. "I owe this all to my brother Scott," expressed the humble New Castle, Pa. former track champion. "He worked on it all week while I worked. We had an unfortunate accident last week. We'll be hit and miss with this and the Modified for the rest of the year."

Pole-sitter Sanders took off in the lead with Hooks in tow at the start of the event, while Andy Thompson raced past Bryan Shaffer for third. Sanders slipped high in turn two on lap three and Hooks took advantage of the opportunity.

The race was a quiet one for the most part as the laps ticked off caution-free. Sanders stayed right with Hooks, while the battle raged for third with Thompson trying to keep Terry Wheeler and Doug Iorio II at bay. On lap 13, Wheeler nearly spun off turn four but kept moving as Iorio took the spot. Just when it looked like the event was going to go non-stop, newcomer Larry Root got into the wall on the last lap necessitating the event's only caution.

When racing resumed, Hooks drove off to capture his 12th career win driving the former Chris Brown #68 that he recently acquired. Thompson edged Sanders at the finish, but third was good enough for a best career finish for Sanders. Tenth starter Jarrot Moore passed Iorio on the final lap to place fourth. Hooks, Thompson, and Andy Buckley were heat winners over the season-high 28-car field.

Paul Reiser finally put his Mopar in victory lane in the 12-lap Maurer's Trading Post Strictly Stock feature for a career first win after nearly three years of trying. The competitive event saw the entire pack of cars stay together for the duration. Vaughn Cook took the initial lead from pole-sitter William Morrison III. The two battled for the top spot and raced side-by-side with Cook holding on. On lap seven, Reiser joined the fray making it three-wide for the lead with Reiser coming out on top and Morrison getting past Cook.

Reiser of Stoneboro, Pa. held off Morrison for the rest of the way taking the victory in the #293 and became the 10th different victor since the class' inception in 2004. Morrison was a career best second over Dave Bass, Cook, and point leader Carl Ealy. Heat winners over the season-high 11-car field were Reiser and Wagner.

RoadRunner & Lake Road Auto Sales Sprint Cars: 1. GARY EDWARDS 2. Rob Eyler 3. Tom Quarterson 4. Brent Matus 5. Carl Bowser 6. Rod George 7. Ralph Spithaler, Jr. 8. Todd Bauer 9. Arnie Kent 10. Scott Bonnell 11. Brian Ellenberger 12. Chris Shuttleworth 13. Kevin Andrusky 14. Gale Ruth, Jr. 15. Riki Likowski 16. Paul Kapuchuck 17. Joe Butera 18. Jeremy Cook 19. Butch Beasley 20. Mike Dehner 21. Jody Keegan 22. Bob Felmlee 23. Dennis Wagner 24. Danny Holtgraver-DNS 25. Leonard Ripper, Jr.-DNS.

American Racer/Lias Tire (358) Modifieds: 1. FRANK GUIDACE 2. Kevin Hoffman 3. Steve Young 4. Jimmy Holden 5. Mike Stine 6. Gary Smoker 7. Bill Adams 8. Matt Reeher 9. Rich Whitney 10. Joe Gibson 11. Alex Anderson 12. Jr. Baker 13. Fred Sasse 14. Jim Rombold, Jr. 15. Ryan Haney 16. Ron Eperthener, Jr. 17. Brad Rapp 18. Garrett Krummert 19. Kevin Green 20. Kyle Ripper 21. Ben Porter 22. Nick Ritchey 23. Rick Hall 24. Chuck Crawley-DNS DNQ: Jerry Twentier, Sr., Tim Zuschlag

Tire Express Stock Cars: 1. SHAUN HOOKS 2. Andy Thompson 3. Mark Sanders 4. Jarrot Moore 5. Doug Iorio II 6. Andy Buckley 7. Brian Booher 8. Rusty Wheeler 9. Mike Aley 10. Scott Myers 11. Willie Aley 12. Gary Sullivan 13. Russ Sprouse 14. Kevin Thompson 15. Terry Wheeler 16. Bill Lanigan 17. Ryan Moyer 18. Bill Vance, Jr. 19. Bryan Shaffer 20. Bill Schall, Jr. 21. James Collins, Jr. 22. Larry Root 23. Charles Ramsey 24. Don Rambler 25. Jamie Duncan-DNS 26. Lauren Simmons-DNS 27. Ron Clonch-DNS 28. Ed Cornell-DNS.

Maurer's Trading Post Strictly Stocks: 1. PAUL REISER 2. William Morrison III 3. Dave Bass 4. Vaughn Cook 5. Carl Ealy 6. Jim Boring 7. Bill Myers 8. Terry Yoder 9. Dave Airgood, Jr. 10. Bryan Wagner 11. William Shelatree.

Upcoming Events:
6/10 "Jeff Hoffman Memorial" presented by Hoffman Door Co. Modifieds ($2,000), Sprints ($1,500), E-Mods ($500), Stocks ($500), & Strictly Stocks. Ladies Night ($5 off general admission for all ladies) Rain date is June 17.
6/17 No racing OR 6/10 rain date
6/24 Sprints, Mods, Stocks, Strictly Stocks plus Interstate Micro Sprint Series. Free admission for all Ohio residents. $10 family night presented by ZOOM Internet. Micro Sprint autographs. M&M Insurance Group Corp. Night

Mercer Raceway Park is located minutes from both Interstate 79 and 80 just off Route 19 on Fairground Road in Mercer, Pa. Dirt track racing and quality family entertainment are presented weekly late March through early October. The office in New Bedford, Pa. is open year-round after 1:00 p.m. Monday through Friday. For more information call the office at 724-964-9300 or the track on race day at 724-662-1310. Check out our website at www.mercerracewaypark.com for the latest.

FREE GENERAL ADMISSION FOR VENANGO COUNTY RESIDENT SATURDAY AT MERCER; RACING PLUS COCA-COLA/VAULT & AUTOGRAPH NIGHT ON TAP
By Mike Leone

Mercer, PA.Mercer Raceway Park will look to complete the 10th event already of the 2006 season this Saturday night, June 3. A full night of racing will be on tap featuring the RoadRunner & Lake Road Auto Sales Sprint Cars, American Racer/Lias Tire Modifieds, Tire Express Stock Cars, and Maurer's Trading Post Strictly Stocks.

Residents of Venango County can take advantage of the second annual free admission night. Adults living in Venango County can simply show their driver's license and will be admitted for free along with any accompanying children 15 and younger.

It will be "Meet Your Heroes" Camera & Autograph Night presented by Grove City Auto Mall. All cars and drivers from all four divisions will be on the speedway during intermission. Fans will be permitted to come out onto the speedway and meet their favorite drivers for autographs and pictures. In the event of rain, this will be rescheduled to July 29.

It's also Coca-Cola Night as they'll have the Vault CMX customized truck on display and will have numerous giveaways for the fans.

Three-time winner Bob Felmlee of Franklin, Pa. continues to lead the way in the Sprint Car points in search of his third track title. Despite no wins yet, Steve Young of Grove City, Pa., holds onto the Modified point lead. With his third win of the season this past Saturday night, defending champion Brian Booher of Sandy Lake, Pa. extended his point lead in the Stock Cars. Carl Ealy has already racked up six victories in the Strictly Stocks in hopes of his first ever championship.

Grandstands open at 4:30 p.m. Hot laps are slated for 6:15 p.m. and the first green flag will wave at 7 p.m. Admission for all others will be the following: adults $11, students 6-15 $5, children five and under are free, and the family pass is $25. Pit passes are $22.

One note, coming up on Saturday, June 10 is the Jeff Hoffman Memorial. As an added promotion, all of the ladies that come out on Father's Day Weekend will be granted a $5 discount off general admission.

Mercer Raceway Park is located minutes from both Interstate 79 and 80 just off Route 19 on Fairground Road in Mercer, Pa. Dirt track racing and quality family entertainment are presented weekly late March through September. The office in New Bedford, Pa. is open year-round Monday through Friday after 1:00 p.m. For more information call the office at 724-964-9300 or the track on race day at 724-662-1310. Check out our website at www.mercerracewaypark.com for the latest.

NEARLY 100 PULLERS & PACKED HOUSE OPEN USA-EAST SEASON AT MERCER
By Rick Feicht & Mike Leone

Mercer(PA).On Sunday, May 28, the all-new USA-EAST SLED PULLING sanctioning body opened its 2006 before another standing room only crowd at Mercer Raceway Park for the All-American "Spring Nationals" and day two of American Thunder Weekend.. The huge throng was treated to nearly 100 different pulling vehicles and six hours of non-stop motor sport action on the track. The event was produced by Full Pull Productions of Jamestown, Pa. and featured four different pulling divisions.

BIG RIGS SEMI TRUCKS
David Frantz from Marion, Pa. took the victory in the Big Rigs class with "Thunder Dog". The 998 cubic inch V-8 Mack is sponsored by Re-Mack of Harrisburg, Pa and was built at Antrim Diesel in Greencastle. It was Frantz's first ever Mercer victory.

"SMOKER SERIES" TRACTORS
Former national and regional and state champions and Bowling Green ring winners and even the 2006 NFMS champion were on the grounds at Mercer for the opening leg of the "Smoker Series". But Ray Link of Patton, Pa. stole the show at Mercer with a resounding victory in the four-tractor pull-off. Link's "Gone Mokin" John Deere was first to hook in the class and promptly yanked the Decision Maker Transfer out the gate. After the sled was loaded with another ton of lead weight, Link opted to drop last in the class. And after 22 other tractors had pulled and three had made a full pull, Link brought his Pro Stock back to the track and made another stirring pass to a second Full Pull, albeit at the greater weight sled setting.

The pull-off was loaded with talent as the former NTPA Grand National champion Larry Shope with "Iron Dragon" was the first to pull the weight sled that was now carrying an addition 2000 pounds. Shope made a good pass and settled for a run at 272.9. Second to pull in the second go 'round was the venerable "Shotgun Red" with John Wilkins from Fresno, Ohio aboard. The big IH nudged the lead up to 292 and change with a tremendous thrust down the center of the track. Cory Forrester from Chambersburg, Pennsylvania has found the secret with his alcohol-fueled 504 cubic-inch New Holland and he moved just behind Wilkins IH with a pull of 281.8. And the stage was set for the third run by "Gone Mokin" and Ray Link. The thousands stood on their feet as the big green machine sailed past the mark of "Shotgun Red" and to the victory. Link's distance was 301.03 - an incredible third straight FULL PULL and all at every increasing weights.

The "Smoker Series" is now the largest privately operated and privately funded series of events in the United States that permits the Super Stock Tractors and the Pro Stock Tractors to compete in the point race.

"RUN WHAT YA BRUNG" 4X4 TRUCKS
With both diesel trucks (8000lb) and gasoline trucks (7500lb) able to enter the same class, the 'RWYB' class always draws a significant amount of fan interest. On this night a total of 32 trucks lined up for the opening class on the program. A five-way pull-off ensued with the radically new truck of Larry Francis from Baltimore, Oh. ("Misery"/Ford) taking a hard fought victory. Francis was originally one of the top contenders in the new defunct Ohio Pro Stock 4x4 division and moved over to the much more lucrative RWYB class near the end of the 2005 season.

The brand new 24-valve Cummins diesel power Dodge of Drew Pumphrey from Canal Winchester, Oh. blazed into second place to garner the extra incentive money paid to the top diesel finisher at this event. Pumphrey's "Sleepless Nights" lived up to its name as it was rumored that the boys at Enterprise Engine had pulled an "all-nighter" on Saturday to enable the truck to travel to Mercer. The other three trucks that made the pull-off all had difficulties. Keith Hinchberger's IDT Ford engine was making odd sounds at the end of the run and the Chevrolet of Ken Tenney, Jr. came to a jarring halt near the 200-foot mark. Jack Keihl of Cabot, Pa. tried to hug the right side of the track, but his Chevrolet touch the white line and was disqualified.

STREET LICENSED DIESEL 4X4 TRUCKS
One of the fastest-growing classes in pulling is now the Diesel Pick-Up division. And with 35 machines on hand, this was a tremendous shootout for the new USA-EAST point class. Fords, Dodges and Chevrolets all competed, but on this night the GM Duramax powered Chevrolet of Matt Cooper from Portersville, Pa took home the trophy in his first ever attempt. Second went to Brad Deeter with a Dodge/Cummins from Cooperstown while third place was the vastly improved Ford machine of Kevin Barr from Morgantown, West Virginia.

For full results on the pull check out www.fullpullproductions.com/results.php. More information and photos of the Big Rigs in action at Mercer Raceway are found at www.bigrigspulling.com. The pull at Mercer Raceway Park was the culmination of "American Thunder Weekend", an annual affair at the Speedway that is held each year over the Memorial Day Weekend.

EYLER FLIES TO 1ST SPRINT CAR WIN OF 2006; 2-IN-A-ROW FOR RAPP IN MODS; BOOHER & EALY KEEP ON WINNING IN MERCER STOCKS & STRICTLIES
By Mike Leone

Mercer, PA.Mercer Raceway Park kicked off American Thunder Weekend on Saturday night completing the eighth show out of 10 scheduled for the 2006 season. The first warm and dry Saturday of the season saw a packed house turn out as the following drivers celebrating with wins in the Hoosier Tire Mid-Atlantic victory lane were Rob Eyler-RoadRunner & Lake Road Auto Sales Sprint Cars, Brad Rapp-American Racer/Lias Tire Modifieds, Brian Booher-Tire Express Stock Cars, and Carl Ealy-Maurer's Trading Post Strictly Stocks. Randy Brazel of Stoneboro, Pa. won his first RE/MAX Real Estate Consultants "Gladiator Series" Demo Derby.

Rob Eyler always seems to break out of a slump with a victory and he did just that Saturday night with an impressive triumph for his first of the season in the 20-lap RoadRunner & LakeRoad Auto Sales Sprint Car feature. "It's nice to be here again," expressed the Franklin, Pa. winner. "I had to keep slowing down on the top to get around those guys- it kept getting tight. I pretty much bonsaied it in there above the cushion wide open. It was either make or break- it worked out good."

Sixteen-year-old Sprint Car rookie Danny Holtrgaver out-dragged Gary Edwards into the lead at the start of the event with Eyler in third. Jason Dolick had the bottom working as he drove past Eyler for third on lap two. Following a restart for Dennis Wagner's spin, Dolick's car got unsettled as Eyler reclaimed the third spot. Defending champion Rod George raced his way from eighth into the top five past Tom Quarterson on lap five before a spin by Leonard Ripper, Jr. When racing resumed, Kevin Andrusky and Skip Dougherty tangled with both cars getting upside down on the backstretch. Both drivers were okay, but done for the night.

On the ensuing restart, Eyler blasted around Edwards racing off turn two for runner-up. Eyler then ran down Holtgraver and was all over the youngster. Eyler drove it in hard through turns three and four sweeping around Holtgraver to nip him at the start-finish line for the lead on lap seven. George continued to pick off cars taking fourth away from Dolick on lap 10. Two laps later George caught Edwards and made the pass for third down the backstretch on lap 14.

There was no denying Eyler as he cleared lapped traffic and took the checkered flag by a straightaway over Holtrgaver for the eighth victory of his career in his White Heating/World of Wheels/Bahama Breeze/Designer Graphics-sponsored #5a. "Danny doesn't bite off more than he can chew," explained Eyler when speaking of Holtgraver. "He runs a real good line- I'll race with him anytime. He didn't get in the way at the beginning of the year- now he's fast and up front."

Holtgraver, who was a Micro Sprint winner last season, held off the charging George for runner-up. Edwards dropped to fourth over Dolick. Completing the top 10 were point leader and three-time winner Bob Felmlee, three-time winner Arnie Kent, Quarterson, Brian Ellenberger, and Mark Murphy in his season debut. Heat winners over the 21-car field were Felmlee and Eyler.

Brad Rapp may have missed the first five nights of the season, but the high school senior is quickly making up for lost time with his second straight win in just his third start of the season in the 20-lap American Racer/Lias Tire Modified feature.

"I'm getting to like this," exclaimed the Shippenville, Pa. victor. "Over the winter we rebuilt our program. We got a better motor and updated our chassis. We knew we were going to have a late start, but figured once we got out we'd be in good shape and it's turning out that way so far."

Third starter Gary Smoker led the opening lap after pole-sitter Garrett Krummert pushed in turn four. Jimmy Holden, who started fifth, moved into third on lap two past Matt Reeher and began challenging Krummert for second. It was a three-car race for the lead on lap six as Holden edged past Krummert at the line for third. Rapp, who started eighth, wasn't a factor until lap eight when he made a nice move to pass veterans Mike Stine and Rick Hall for third just before a caution.

When racing resumed, Rapp ascended to second disposing of Holden and set his sights on Smoker. The two raced side-by-side on lap 10 with Smoker holding on. Smoker got a scare on lap 12 when rookie Ryan Haney spun in turns one and two. Smoker had nowhere to go and slammed the side of Haney, but continued with only cosmetic damage and maintained the lead for the restart.

When green replaced yellow, Rapp made his winning move taking the top spot away from Smoker coming out of turn four on the outside. Point leader Steve Young methodically made his way to the front from the 12th stealing the third spot away from Holden on the 12th circuit.

Young then challenged Smoker for second. While Smoker and Young battled for the remainder of the race, Rapp pulled away for another impressive victory- the third of his career in the Butch Rapp-owned Auto & Truck Specialties/Riverhill Battery House/JW Steel-sponsored #11R. Smoker held off Young for runner-up. Holden was fourth over 11th starter Frank Guidace. Sixth through tenth were Stine, Kevin Hoffman, Ron Eperthener, Jr., Matt Reeher, and Matt Baker. Taking heat race wins over the season-high 32-car field were Guidace, Rapp, and Stine. Kevin Green won the B main.

It didn't appear that Brian Booher would be in victory lane after a flat tire early in the race, but came out of nowhere in the final laps to score a thrilling third victory of the season in the 15-lap Tire Express Stock Car feature. "My crew is really good," stated the humble Sandy Lake, Pa. winner. "They have everything laying there for ever corner of the car, tire, and the air pressure is set. All we had to do was change it. I have to give this win to them- without them I wouldn't have been here tonight."

Bill Vance, Jr. took the lead from the start over Mark Sanders and Andy Thompson. Sanders and Vance battled for the top spot on lap two with contact being made that sent Sanders spinning in front of the field on the frontstretch and Vance to the tail for rough driving. This handed the lead to Thompson with Rick Norco up to second.

When racing resumed, sixth starter Terry Wheeler passed Rick Lanigan for third. The last 13 laps went non-stop. Norco closed on Thompson with five laps to go. On lap 12, Thompson got high in turn four allowing Norco to come off the bottom into the lead. On the ensuing lap in turn two, Thompson drifted high once again this time allowing Wheeler to grab second and Booher to third.

It appeared Norco was on his way to his first win of the year, but with the white flag in sight had a tire go down. Wheeler got stuck behind the slowing Norco, while Booher took advantage of the situation and shot around both Wheeler and Norco for the lead. Booher came around and crossed the checkered flag first for his 17th career win in the Terry Hoover-owned, Ed & Jerry's Auto Service/Harry & Tim's Roofing-sponsored #00H. Wheeler was a season best second. Lanigan was third for the third time this season. Thompson dropped to fourth over Kevin Thompson. Wheeler and Andy Buckley won the heat races over the 18-car field.

Carl Ealy won for the sixth time of the season in the 12-lap Maurer's Trading Post Strictly Stock feature. The Volant, Pa. driver passed Bill Kluck, Jr. on lap two and sped off with smoke trailing from the car for the duration of the event for the non-stop victory. The win was the ninth of Ealy's career in his #0. Bryan Wagner passed Kluck on lap nine to finish second. Kluck dropped to third over Curt Bish, Sr. and William Morrison III. Randy Ealy and newcomer Jeff Manners won the heat races.

RoadRunner & Lake Road Auto Sales Sprint Cars: 1. ROB EYLER 2. Danny Holtgraver 3. Rod George 4. Gary Edwards 5. Jason Dolick 6. Bob Felmlee 7. Arnie Kent 8. Tom Quarterson 9. Brian Ellenberger 10. Mark Murphy 11. Chris Shuttleworth 12. Terry Young 13. Riki Likowski 14. Dennis Wagner 15. Gale Ruth 16. Paul Kapuchuck 17. Leonard Ripper, Jr. 18. Kevin Andrusky 19. Skip Dougherty 20. Mike Dehner-DNS 21. Jeremy Cook-DNS.

American Racer/Lias Tire (358) Modifieds: 1. BRAD RAPP 2. Gary Smoker 3. Steve Young 4. Jimmy Holden 5. Frank Guidace 6. Mike Stine 7. Kevin Hoffman 8. Ron Eperthener, Jr. 9. Matt Reeher 10. Matt Baker 11. Steve Toth 12. Rich Whitney 13. Fred Sasse 14. Garrett Krummert 15. Alex Anderson 16. Jr. Baker 17. Kevin Green 18. Ryan Haney 19. Chuck Crawley 20. Rick Hall 21. Steve Barr 22. Kyle Ripper 23. Chris Dye 24. Shayne Izzo 25. Mike Lutz-DNS DNQ: Tim Zuschlag, Joe Gibson, Jerry Twentier, Sr., Tommy Kristyak, Barry Bulfone, Rick Kress, John Buchanan.

Tire Express Stock Cars: 1. BRIAN BOOHER 2. Terry Wheeler 3. Rick Lanigan 4. Andy Thompson 5. Kevin Thompson 6. Mark Sanders 7. Ryan Moyer 8. Bill Vance, Jr. 9. Randy Sprouse 10. Rick Norco 11. Ray Bailey, Jr. 12. Tim Burns 13. Andy Buckley 14. Shaun Hooks 15. Tom Moore 16. Gary Sullivan-DNS 17. Mike Harmon-DNS 18. Stephen Horvath-DNS.

Maurer's Trading Post Strictly Stocks: 1. CARL EALY 2. Bryan Wagner 3. Bill Kluck, Jr. 4. Curt Bish, Sr. 5. William Morrison III 6. Jeff Manners 7. Dave Airgood, Jr. 8. Paul Reiser 9. Patrick Heckman 10. Randy Ealy-DNS.

Upcoming Events:
5/28 All-American "Spring Nationals" World Championship Pulling Event. Big Rig Semis, Smoker Tractors, Street Diesel 4x4 Trucks, & "Run What Ya Brung" Trucks. Pulling begins at 6:30 PM
6/3 Sprints, Mods, Stocks, & Strictly Stocks. "Meet Your Heroes" Camera & Autograph Night presented by Grove City Auto Mall. Free general admission for all Venango County residents
6/10 "Jeff Hoffman Memorial" presented by Hoffman Door Co. Modifieds ($2,000), Sprints ($1,500), E-Mods ($500), Stocks ($500), & Strictly Stocks. Ladies Night ($5 off general admission for all ladies) Rain date is June 17.

Mercer Raceway Park is located minutes from both Interstate 79 and 80 just off Route 19 on Fairground Road in Mercer, Pa. Dirt track racing and quality family entertainment are presented weekly late March through early October. The office in New Bedford, Pa. is open year-round after 1:00 p.m. Monday through Friday. For more information call the office at 724-964-9300 or the track on race day at 724-662-1310. Check out our website at www.mercerracewaypark.com for the latest.

"AMERICAN THUNDER WEEKEND" SATURDAY & SUNDAY AT MERCER; RACING PLUS FREE CRAWFORD COUNTY NIGHT SATURDAY & WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP PULLING FEATURED SUNDAY
By Mike Leone

Mercer, PA.Mercer Raceway Park will be the site of "American Thunder Weekend" for the sixth straight year this Saturday and Sunday, May 27 and 28. The two-day motorsports extravaganza will feature racing on Saturday and world championship pulling on Sunday.

Saturday's racing will include the RoadRunner & Lake Road Auto Sales Sprint Cars, American Racer/Lias Tire Modifieds, Tire Express Stock Cars, Maurer's Trading Post Strictly Stocks, plus the second "Gladiator Series" Demo Derby presented by RE/MAX Real Estate Consultants of Mercer with racing getting underway at 7 p.m.

The second of four free county nights will take place as all Crawford County residents will be admitted free into the grandstands for general admission by showing valid ID with a Crawford County address. Also, all accompanying children 15 and under will be admitted free.

General Electric Diesel Engine Plant has come on board for the first time as a marketing partner and will hold their first ever corporate night at the track.

The return of the All-American "Spring Nationals" World Championship Pulling Event will bring ground-pounding thunder back to The Park on Sunday after five years of great success with standing-room-only crowds.

The fan favorite Big Rig Semis will highlight the show returning for the fifth straight year. The popular Smoker Series Tractors have been part of the show the past two seasons and look forward to their return. For regional and local competitors, the 'Run What Ya Brung' Truck and Street Diesel 4-Wheel Drive Truck classes will be on the card.

The "Spring Nationals" is one of the largest in the Penn-Ohio area and rivals the perennial largest ATPA pull at Canfield, Ohio. If you've never seen world championship pulling in person this is your chance. Make plans to attend this great Motorsports event and plan to spend your Memorial Day Weekend at Mercer Raceway Park.

Saturday's adult admission is $11. Students 6-15 are $5. Children five and under are free. The Family Pass is $25. Pit admission is $22. Gates open at 4:30 p.m. with warm-ups at 6:15 p.m. and racing at 7 p.m.

Sunday's adult admission is $15. Students 6-15 are $7. Children five and under are free. The Family Pass is $35. Pit admission is $20. On Sunday, gates open at 4 p.m. with pulling beginning at 6:30 p.m. The rain date is Monday, Memorial Day with gates opening at 2:30 and pulling beginning earlier at 5 p.m.

Mercer Raceway Park is located minutes from both Interstate 79 and 80 just off Route 19 on Fairground Road in Mercer, Pa. Dirt track racing and quality family entertainment are presented weekly late March through early October. The office in New Bedford, Pa. is open year-round after 1 p.m. Monday through Friday. For more information call the office at 724-964-9300 or the track on race day at 724-662-1310. Check out our website at www.mercerracewaypark.com for the latest.

KING MAKES IT 3-IN-A-ROW IN BRP MOD TOUR RACES AT MERCER; RAPP WINS 358 MODS IN 2ND RACE OF '06; E-MODS TO DELLINGER; 1ST EVER FOR IORIO II STOCKS; EALY AGAIN IN STRICTLIES
By Mike Leone

Mercer, PA.Mercer Raceway Park made up Friday's washed out "Return of Modzilla" on Saturday night completing the seventh event already on the 2006 campaign. Four of the five victors celebrated in the Hoosier Tire Mid-Atlantic victory lane with their first wins and were Rex King-BRP Big-Block Modified Tour, Brad Rapp-American Racer/Lias Tire (358) Modifieds, Alan Dellinger-E-Mods, Doug Iorio II-Tire Express Stock Cars, and Carl Ealy.-Maurer's Trading Post Strictly Stocks.

It took Rex King more than eight years to return to victory lane at Mercer following his BRP Big-Block Modified Tour win one year ago. Saturday night, the 1997 Mercer Champion made it three straight Mercer wins as he charged from the 11th starting spot, wrestled the lead away from Brian Swartzlander, and cruised to the $1,200 victory for his second BRP Tour win of the season.

"I practice a lot on patience- that pays off," explained the Bristolville, Ohio winner. "I don't rush right up through there, instead I pick them off one at a time. I've got a good car, crew, and sponsors."

With Brian Swartzlander, who's been hot on the circuit this season, starting on the pole and King mired in 11th, it looked like Swartzlander would have a good shot at ending King's streak. Swartzlander bolted into the lead with Del Rougeux, Jr. in tow. Joe Crawford got a great start moving ahead of both Andy Priest and Jim Rasey on the opening lap for second. Crawford worked on Rougeux and made the move for second coming off turn four on lap five. Crawford methodically ran down Swartzlander and appeared as he had the fastest car as he was right on the leader on lap 10.

King meanwhile entered the picture cracking the top five on lap 11 taking the spot from Jeremy Paup prior to the event's first caution with 12 laps scored. When racing resumed, King disposed of Rasey for fourth then two laps later raced under Rougeux off turn two for third. A three-car race for the lead on lap 16 was just about to heat up when J.R. McGinley necessitated the race's second caution at the halfway point.

When green replaced yellow, King drove past Crawford for second then put the hammer down through turns three and four driving around Swartzlander and surprising many taking the lead so quickly. Crawford's fine run came to end when he slowed on lap 17 handing third back to Rougeux. The only thing that slowed King's unchallenged run to the checkered flag was three more cautions.

King's victory was the 12th of his career at Mercer in his Cortland Banks/RD Banks Chevrolet/Alltel-sponsored #65. Swartzlander rode home second. Besides King's impressive victory, the second story of the event had to be Dave Murdick. After a poor heat race run that relegated him to the B main, Murdick charged his way from the 22nd starting spot to finish a solid third after getting around Rougeux on lap 27. Rougeux dropped to fourth. A call goes out to Chanda Reitz, who finished fifth after starting in 20th. Completing the top 10 were Kevin Bolland, Dean Pearson, Tom Mattocks, Paup, and Andy Priest. Heat winners over the 30-car field were Bolland, Rasey, Swartzlander, and Jeremiah Shingledecker. Reitz won the B main.

Brad Rapp didn't make his season debut until May 6 and that night ended with a DNF. Making just his second start of the season, the high school racer put on a dominating, impressive performance capturing the 20-lap American Racer/Lias Tire 358 Modified feature for his second career win.

"This is my third year racing," stated the Shippenville, Pa. driver. "Being around the cars and good drivers that my family has had over the years has helped get into the swing of things and progress a lot faster. My dad knows a lot about the cars and it makes it easy for me. I just have to get it and drive it. It's always going to be close; I just have to get the job done."

Steve Young out-dragged pole-sitter Steve Barr for the lead with Rapp moving past Kevin Green for third on the opening lap. Sixth starting Jimmy Holden was strong as he passed Rapp for third then Barr for second on lap four. Barr then lost third and fourth to Rapp and Frank Guidace on laps four and five respectively. Holden's fine run and bid for his first win ended when he came to rest with five laps completed moving Rapp to second and ninth starting Guidace to third.

On the restart, Rapp made the winning move taking the lead away from Young. Rapp's only scare came on lap 16 when the lapped car of Ryan Haney got sideways and made contact with the leader coming off turn four. Rapp had to slow, but had a big enough lead built up that he was still able to maintain the lead. Rapp raced on to the $800 victory in the well-recognized Butch Rapp-owned, Auto & Truck Specialties/Riverhill Battery House/SW Steel-sponsored #11R. Young held off Guidace to record his best finish of the season and propelled from fourth in points to the point lead. Garrett Krummert passed Barr on lap 15 to finish a season-best fourth. Barr dropped to fifth for his best effort of the season. Completing the top 10 were Mike Stine, Matt Reeher, Kevin Hoffman, Matt Baker, and Holden. Heat victors over the 28-car field were Stine, Ron Eperthener, Jr., and Bill Adams.

Alan Dellinger became the third different winner in as many E-Mod races this year as he picked up the 20-lap $500 victory. "This car sits in my hometown and Jimmy White was looking for someone to drive it," revealed the Niles, Ohio veteran. I needed a ride and we got together. Jimmy is the greatest guy I've ever had for a car owner."

Front row starter Todd Roncaglione and Jeff Walters battled for the lead early on. Walters took over from the pole-sitter on lap two, but Roncaglione fought back to the front when Walters slipped high in turn four on lap six. Contact was made on lap seven with Roncaglione spinning out of the lead and giving the lead back to Walters.

When green replaced yellow, 11th starting Dellinger drove around Walters for the lead off turn two on lap seven. Walter's fine run ended with a flat tire under caution with 13 laps completed advancing Jeff Sharp to second with eighth starting Larry Kugel third.

Racing picked back up on lap 14 as Rick Robinson took over third from Kugel, while Sharp challenged Dellinger on the inside. Sharp was right on Dellinger for the next couple laps looking for his first ever Mercer win until Dellinger changed lines and began to open up a lead as the laps ticked off.

Dellinger rode on to his leading fourth career Mercer E-Mod win and more impressively his 38th career win overall at the track. The $500 victory was a first for car owner Jim White, Sr. at Mercer in the Farmer Jim's Sports Complex/Niles VFW-sponsored #53. Sharp was a career best second at Mercer. Coming off turn four on the final lap, Robinson, Kugel, and Russ Dunn made contact with Robinson getting sideways. All three cars continued with Kugel coming across in third. Tim Henrich was able to advance to fourth at the finish after starting 18th. Dave Willoughby was fifth. Taking the heat wins over the 21-car field were Dellinger and Kugel.

Doug Iorio II finally ended what seemed like a black cloud of bad luck always hanging over his head at Mercer being in the wrong place at the wrong time as he won his first ever 20-lap Tire Express Stock Car feature. "We had some mud in wheel at the beginning of the race getting in the cushion in turn two," explained the Kennerdell, Pa. resident. "That was why I fell back so I figured I was either going to win or break something. I began racing three years ago at Tri-City (Speedway) and have been racing ever since. I have to thank everyone in the pits- this one's for them."

While Iorio started on the pole, the $500 victory was far from easy for the youngster. Iorio grabbed the early lead with newcomer Ed Cornell and Rick Norco trailing. Jarrot Moore made his season debut and passed Norco for third on lap two then took second away from Cornell on lap three. Moore then grabbed the lead from Iorio on lap four. Andy Buckley started back in the 11th starting spot and passed point leader and defending champion Brian Booher for third on lap 11.

The battle for the lead intensified on lap 12 as it was three-wide with Iorio coming out on top. The trio raced three-wide again on lap 13 with Iorio holding on. Moore stayed on Iorio and the two then raced side-by-side on laps 14 and 15 with Moore nosing back ahead to lead the 15th circuit. Iorio though was able to reclaim the top spot on lap 16 for good. Two laps later Buckley worked his way past Moore for runner-up. Buckley though was unable to mount a challenge settling for second as Iorio captured the exciting win in his father's owned #28. Third through fifth were Moore, Booher, and Mike Aley in his first start of the season. Topping the heat races over the 24-car field were Booher, Moore, and Norco.

Carl Ealy led all 12 laps of the Maurer's Trading Post Strictly Stock feature for his fifth victory of the season. The Volant, Pa. driver held off another charge by teenager Bryan Wagner. Wagner, who swept both features on May 6 for his first two career wins, passed Paul Reiser on lap eight for second. Wagner was right on Ealy for the remainder of the event, but came up a car-length shy as Ealy collected his eighth career win in his #0. Patrick Heckman was third in his season debut. Jim Boring was a career best fourth ahead of rookie Dave Airgood, Jr. Heat winners were Reiser and Airgood.

BRP Big-Block Modified Tour (30 laps): 1. REX KING ($1,200) 2. Brian Swartzlander 3. Dave Murdick 4. Del Rougeux, Jr. 5. Chanda Reitz 6. Kevin Bolland 7. Dean Pearson 8. Tom Mattocks 9. Jeremy Paup 10. Andy Priest 11. Bob Dorman 12. Gary Risch, Jr. 13. J.R. McGinley 14. Jeremiah Shingledecker 15. Rick Hall 16. Skip Moore 17. Russell King 18. Jim Rasey 19. Carl Murdick 20. Mike Turner 21. Rodney Beltz 22. Joe Crawford 23. Tim Doran 24. Mark Flick 25. Gary Rankin 26. Gary Smoker-DNS DNQ: Don McKnight, Doug Fleeger, Jr. Baker, Howard Duff.

American Racer/Lias Tire (358) Modifieds (20 laps): 1. BRAD RAPP ($800) 2. Steve Young 3. Frank Guidace 4. Garrett Krummert 5. Steve Barr 6. Mike Stine 7. Matt Reeher 8. Kevin Hoffman 9. Matt Baker 10. Jimmy Holden 11. Kevin Green 12. Alex Anderson 13. Chuck Crawley 14. Chris Dye 15. Jr. Baker 16. Ryan Haney 17. Travis Bell 18. Rich Whitney 19. Bill Adams 20. Mike Lutz 21. Fred Sasse 22. Rick Kress 23. Ron Eperthener, Jr. 24. Wally Stearns, Jr. 25. Gary Smoker-DNS 26. Jerry Twentier, Sr.-DNS 27. Tommy Kristyak-DNS 28. John Buchanan-DNS.

E-Mods (20 laps): 1. ALAN DELLINGER ($500) 2. Jeff Sharp 3. Larry Kugel 4. Tim Henrich 5. Dave Willoughby 6. Andy Sweetland 7. Rick Robinson 8. Russ Dunn 9. Bill Thomas 10. Joe Smith 11. Scott Jones 12. Arlan Coy 13. Mike Smith 14. Jeff Hassay 15. Jeff Walters 16. Howard Fraley 17. Bob McCann 18. Todd Roncaglione 19. Bruce Powell 20. Tom Rhoades 21. Mike Potosky.

Tire Express Stock Cars (20 laps): 1. DOUG IORIO II ($500) 2. Andy Buckley 3. Jarrot Moore 4. Brian Booher 5. Mike Aley 6. Bill Vance, Jr. 7. Ryan Moyer 8. Jamie Duncan 9. Corey Ruffo 10. Bryan Shaffer 11. Charles Ramsey 12. Bill Schall, Jr. 13. Tim Burns 14. Ed Cornell 15. Gary Robinson 16. Andy Thompson 17. Rick Norco 18. Willie Aley 19. Gary Sullivan 20. Mike Pegher, Jr. 21. Randy Sprouse-DNS 22. Bobby Whitling-DNS 23. Bill Lanigan-DNS 24. Rob Bates-DSQ

Maurer's Trading Post Strictly Stocks (12 laps): 1. CARL EALY 2. Bryan Wagner 3. Patrick Heckman 4. Jim Boring 5. Dave Airgood, Jr. 6. Paul Reiser 7. Randy Ealy 8. Vaughn Cook-DNS.

Upcoming Events:
5/27 Sprints, Mods, Stocks, Strictly Stocks, plus PCTC Senior Series & Demo Derby. Free general admission for all Crawford County residents presented by ZOOM Internet. General Electric Diesel Engine Plant Corp. Night
5/28 All-American "Spring Nationals" World Championship Pulling Event. Big Rig Semis, Smoker Tractors, Street Diesel 4x4 Trucks, & "Run What Ya Brung" Trucks. Pulling begins at 6:30 PM
6/3 Sprints, Mods, Stocks, & Strictly Stocks. "Meet Your Heroes" Camera & Autograph Night presented by Grove City Auto Mall. Free general admission for all Venango County residents

Mercer Raceway Park is located minutes from both Interstate 79 and 80 just off Route 19 on Fairground Road in Mercer, Pa. Dirt track racing and quality family entertainment are presented weekly late March through September. The office in New Bedford, Pa. is open year-round after 1:00 p.m. Monday through Friday. For more information call the office at 724-964-9300 or the track on race day at 724-662-1310. Check out our website at www.mercerracewaypark.com for the latest.

RACING ON FOR SATURDAY NIGHT AT MERCER; "RETURN OF MODZILLA" WILL FEATURE REGION'S ONLY TIME 3 MOD CLASSES ON THE SAME NIGHT
By Mike Leone

Mercer, PA.All systems are still a go for racing Saturday night (May 20) at Mercer Raceway Park. "The Return of Modzilla" will now be run Saturday night at 7 PM due to the cancellation of Friday's program.

"We're looking forward to completing this unique show Saturday," stated owner Vicki Emig. "Despite nine straight days of rain that has pretty much washed out racing action across the region for nearly two weekends now, everything is as planned for Saturday. Skies are expected to clear and the temperatures are to warm into the 60s."

On the card will be the only appearance by the Big-Block Modifieds in the BRP Tour-sanctioned event battling in a 30-lap feature. It will also be fan's only chance to see three Modified classes racing on the same night as the American Racer/Lias Tire Modifieds will be competing for $800 to-win and the E-Mods for $500 to-win as well.

"Last year this show was very popular with the fans and drew 86 Modifieds between the classes," stated Emig. "We expect the big-block count to be in the mid 30s, the small blocks around 30, plus however many E-Mods attend so 80-100 Modifieds should be in the pit area Saturday."

Rounding out the card will be the Tire Express Stock Cars for $500 and the Maurer's Trading Post Strictly Stocks. Pit gates will open at 3:30 p.m. Grandstands at 4:30 p.m. Hot laps at approximately 6:15 p.m. with racing at 7:00 p.m. Adult admission is $13, students 6-15 are $7, the family pass is $33, children five and under are free and pit passes are $30.

Mercer Raceway Park is located minutes from both Interstate 79 and 80 just off Route 19 on Fairground Road in Mercer, Pa. Dirt track racing and quality family entertainment are presented weekly late March through September. The office in New Bedford, Pa. is open year-round after 1 p.m. Monday through Friday. For more information call the office at 724-964-9300 or the track on race day at 724-662-1310. Check out our website at www.mercerracewaypark.com for the latest.

"RETURN OF MODZILLA" WILL NOW BE RUN SATURDAY NIGHT AT MERCER DUE TO FRIDAY'S CANCELLATION
By Mike Leone

Mercer, PA.Mercer Raceway Park announced that "The Return of Modzilla" will now be run on SATURDAY night at 7 PM due to the cancellation of Friday's program.

"We decided to go ahead and cancel Friday's program now and move it to Saturday and start promoting that fact," stated owner Vicki Emig. "We looked at the updated forecast and Friday is calling for a 60-70% chance of rain during the day and at night with cloudy and windy conditions and high temps only in the low 50s. Saturday's forecast is much warmer and drier."

On the card will be the only appearance by the Big-Block Modifieds in the BRP Tour-sanctioned event. The American Racer/Lias Tire Modifieds will be competing for $800 to-win, the E-Mods for $500 to-win, the Tire Express Stock Cars for $500, plus the Strictly Stocks.

"We hated to lose this show," explained Emig. "With the weather claiming so many recent events plus the fact that none of the divisions scheduled will be competing at any other local tracks we decided to go ahead and run the event on our normal night."

Pit gates will open at 3:30 p.m. Grandstands at 4:30 p.m. Hot laps at approximately 6:15 p.m. with racing at 7:00 p.m. Adult admission is $13, students 6-15 are $7, the family pass is $33, children five and under are free and pit passes are $30.

Mercer Raceway Park is located minutes from both Interstate 79 and 80 just off Route 19 on Fairground Road in Mercer, Pa. Dirt track racing and quality family entertainment are presented weekly late March through September. The office in New Bedford, Pa. is open year-round after 1 p.m. Monday through Friday. For more information call the office at 724-964-9300 or the track on race day at 724-662-1310. Check out our website at www.mercerracewaypark.com for the latest.

MERCER TO USE SATURDAY NIGHT AS A RAIN DATE FOR FRIDAY'S "MODZILLA"
IF NEED BE
By Mike Leone

Mercer, PA.Mercer Raceway Park announced today that they'll utilize
Saturday night at 7 p.m. as a rain date for Friday's
scheduled "Return of Modzilla" event, if necessary.
"Right now the weather isn't looking very conducive for
racing Friday night," stated owner Vicki Emig. "We will make a
decision Friday morning if we are going to attempt to go on with
Friday night's show, which is scheduled to begin at 7:30 PM. With
Saturday's weather looking much better, it being our regular night,
and no conflict with the divisions scheduled at other local
speedways, we've decided to go ahead and use Saturday night if
necessary. We hate to lose this show."
If Saturday night is used, no change will be made to the
format with the exception of our regular Saturday night starting
times would be utilized. The BRP Tour for the Big-Block Modifieds
will be featured in their only appearance of the season. Joining
them will be the American Racer/Lias Tire 358 Modifieds, E-Mods,
Tire Express Stock Cars, and the Maurer's Trading Post Strictly
Stocks.
Pit gates would open at 3:30 p.m. Grandstands would
open at 4:30 p.m. Hot laps would will get underway at approximately
6:15 p.m. with racing at 7:00 p.m. Adult admission is $13, students
6-15 are $7, the family pass is $33, children five and under are
free and pit passes are $30.
Mercer Raceway Park is located minutes from both Interstate
79 and 80 just off Route 19 on Fairground Road in Mercer, Pa. Dirt
track racing and quality family entertainment are presented weekly
late March through September. The office in New Bedford, Pa. is
open year-round after 1 p.m. Monday through Friday. For more
information call the office at 724-964-9300 or the track on race day
at 724-662-1310. Check out our website at www.mercerracewaypark.com
for the latest.

SPECIAL FRIDAY NIGHT PROGRAM TO FEATURE BRP BIG-BLOCK MOD TOUR IN "RETURN OF MODZILLA" AT MERCER
By Mike Leone

Mercer, PA.After Saturday's cancellation, Mercer Raceway Park will be back in action this FRIDAY night with the "Return of Modzilla" featuring the BRP Tour for the Big-Block Modifieds plus the 358 Small-Block Modifieds, the E-Mods, Stock Cars, and Strictly Stocks. Times will be 30 minutes later than usual with racing getting underway at 7:30 PM.

The first "Fantastic Friday" program will see the ground-pounding Big-Block Modifieds making their only appearance of the season in the BRP Tour sanctioned event. Last year's two events were swept by Bristolville, Ohio's Rex King, who has gotten off to a strong start winning the opening round at Lernerville Speedway on May 5. The elder King passed Kevin Bolland on the last lap to garner his seventh career BRP win over the 34-car field. King, the 1995 Mercer champion and defending BRP champion, will look to continue his win streak in the 30-lap $1,200 to-win feature.

Besides King's two victories, past Tour winners at Mercer with wins in parentheses are Lou Blaney (3), Kevin Bolland (2), Alan Dellinger, Ron Smoker, Tommy Kristyak, and Brian Swartzlander. Besides King, Bolland, and Swartzlander other top contenders expected to compete include Andy Priest, Jim Weller, Del Rougeux, Jr., Joe Crawford, Mark Flick, Tim Doran, Tom Winkle, Rick Hall, and Russell King among others.

Mercer's American Racer/Lias Tire 358 Small-Block Modifieds will be competing in their second special event of the season. Defending champion and current point leader Gary Smoker was victorious on opening night and came back to win one of the twin 15s on May 6. The Mercer hometown racer is quickly moving up the track's all-time win list and would love to add his 36th career win in the $800 to-win special. Mike Stine is making the two and half hour tow weekly from Smithmill, Pa. becoming a Mercer regular for the first time. Stine has showed he's going to contend for the title as he leads the division with three victories. Frank Guidace and Kevin Hoffman have also been victorious. Steve Young, Jimmy Holden, Matt Baker, Garrett Krummert, and Rick Hall have been in contention every night but are still searching for victory lane.

The E-Mods will round out the "Modzilla" portion of the show as they'll battle 20 laps for $500 to-win. The E-Mods will be racing in their third event of the season as Bill Thomas and Matt Lux won the opening two events. Thomas and Russ Dunn are tied for the point lead.

"This show was very popular last season and we're excited to bring it back," stated owner Vicki Emig.

Also taking part in the event will be the Tire Express Stock Cars and the Maurer's Trading Post Strictly Stocks. The Stock Cars 20-lap feature will pay $500 to-win. Like Smoker, defending champion and current point leader Brian Booher won on opening night and returned to victory lane on May 6 in one of the twin 12s.

Pit gates open at 4:00 p.m. Grandstands open at 5:00 p.m. Hot laps will get underway at approximately 6:45 p.m. with racing at 7:30 p.m. Adult admission is $13, students 6-15 are $7, the family pass is $33, children five and under are free and pit passes are $30.

Due to last Saturday's rain out, the Interstate Micro Sprint Series have been added to the July 1 program, while the $10 Family Night has been rescheduled to June 24.

Mercer Raceway Park is located minutes from both Interstate 79 and 80 just off Route 19 on Fairground Road in Mercer, Pa. Dirt track racing and quality family entertainment are presented weekly late March through September. The office in New Bedford, Pa. is open year-round after 1 p.m. Monday through Friday. For more information call the office at 724-964-9300 or the track on race day at 724-662-1310. Check out our website at www.mercerracewaypark.com for the latest.

RACES CANCELLED FOR SATURDAY AT MERCER; $10 FAMILY NIGHT RESCHEDULED
JUNE 24; RACING THIS FRIDAY NIGHT
By Mike Leone

Mercer, PA.Mercer Raceway Park has cancelled racing action scheduled
for tonight, May 13 due to inclement weather and an unfavorable
forecast. It was only the second cancellation and first since the
scheduled season opener back on March 25.
"We wanted to make the decision early today," explained
owner Vicki Emig. "We've been able to get six straight shows in,
but there's no reason to hold out today with rain being inevitable
and the inclement weather in general. With high fuel prices, a 70%
chance of rain, and unseasonably cool weather nights like these are
losers for everyone."
The $10 Family Night presented by ZOOM Internet has been
rescheduled for Saturday, June 24. Stay posted for a potential rain
date for the Interstate Micro Sprint Series that was scheduled for
their second race Saturday night.
Mercer Raceway Park will be in action this FRIDAY night with
the first "Fantastic Friday" program of the season. "The Return of
Modzilla" will feature the only appearance by the Big-Block
Modifieds in the BRP Tour sanctioned event. Also on the card will
be the American Racer/Lias Tire (358) Modifieds for $800 to-win, the
E-Mods for $500 to-win, the Tire Express Stock Cars for $500 to-win,
plus the Maurer's Trading Post Strictly Stocks. Everything will
begin 30 minutes later due to the Friday program with the pits
opening at 4 p.m., grandstands at 5, warm-ups at 6:45, and racing at 7:30.
Mercer Raceway Park is located minutes from both Interstate
79 and 80 just off Route 19 on Fairground Road in Mercer, Pa. Dirt
track racing and quality family entertainment are presented weekly
late March through September. The office in New Bedford, Pa. is
open year-round Monday through Friday after 1:00 p.m. For more
information call the office at 724-964-9300 or the track on race day
at 724-662-1310. Check out our website at www.mercerracewaypark.com 
for the latest.

$10 FAMILY NIGHT HIGHLIGHTS FULL NIGHT OF RACING PLUS RETURN OF INTERSTATE MICRO SPRINT SERIES & FIRST KIDS BIKE RACES SATURDAY AT MERCER
By Mike Leone

Mercer, PA.Mercer Raceway Park will look to complete the unprecedented seventh straight show to start the season this Saturday night, May 13. The four weekly divisions will continue their point races in the RoadRunner & Lake Road Auto Sales Sprint Cars, American Racer/Lias Tire Modifieds, Tire Express Stock Cars, and the Maurer's Trading Post Strictly Stocks. Joining the card will be the return of the new Interstate Micro Sprint Series with racing at 7 p.m. The second of four $10 Family Nights will be presented by ZOOM Internet. The first of three kids bike race nights presented by RE/MAX Real Estate Consultants of Mercer will be held at intermission.

"Our first $10 family night back in April went over well despite threatening weather as we nearly tripled our count from a normal night," stated eighth year owner Vicki Emig. "We're expecting another great turnout with the addition of our first kids bike races. In the event of a rainout, we'll use June 24 as a makeup for the $10 family night."

Bob Felmlee of Franklin, Pa. regained the Sprint Car point lead this past Saturday night with his third win in the first 15-lap feature. Defending champion Rod George is still searching for his first win and sits second in points ahead of one-time winner Skip Dougherty and three-time winner Arnie Kent.

Defending Modified champion Gary Smoker of Mercer, Pa. also regained the point lead Saturday by virtue of his third win in the first 15-lap feature. Smoker leads by just three points over one-time winner Kevin Hoffman and 10 points over three-time winner Mike Stine. Steve Young has been up front all season and is just 16 points back in fourth still looking for his first win of the season.

Defending champion Brian Booher of Sandy Lake, Pa. continues to lead the Stock Car points. Booher came out of the box with a win on opening night and appeared like he might be tough to stop; however, Booher went winless until Saturday night and that came after a pole position start in the second 12-lap feature. Booher is up 20 points on two-time champion Andy Buckley, who needs just one more win to become the winningest Stock Car driver since the track reopened in 1994.

Carl Ealy has won four of the seven features this year in search of his first championship in the Strictly Stocks. The Volant, Pa. driver leads the chase by five points over rookie Bryan Wagner, who won his first two career races last Saturday night on his uncle Dave's memorial night.

Joining the card will be the Micro Sprints in their second of six appearances sanctioned by the fledgling Interstate Micro Sprint Series. The Micro Sprints have appeared 14 times over the course of the past nine seasons at Mercer with 12 different winners. Jim Young and April 22 winner Steve Dunmire are the only drivers to have repeated. Other winners include Rod Jones, Maria Mayerchak, Kevin Schaeffer, Matt Wingard, Karlin Miller, Terry Schaeffer, and last year's winners Mike Himes, Danny Holtgraver, J.J. Metheney, and Jay Groves.

Pit gates open at 3:30 p.m. Grandstands open at 4:30 p.m. Hot laps will get underway at approximately 6:15 p.m. with racing at 7 p.m. Adult admission is $11, students 6-15 are $5, children five and under are free and pit passes are $22.

Mercer Raceway Park is located minutes from both Interstate 79 and 80 just off Route 19 on Fairground Road in Mercer, Pa. Dirt track racing and quality family entertainment are presented weekly late March through September. The office in New Bedford, Pa. is open year-round after 1 p.m. Monday through Friday. For more information call the office at 724-964-9300 or the track on race day at 724-662-1310. Check out our website at www.mercerracewaypark.com for the latest.

FELMLEE & KENT IN SPRINTS; SMOKER & STINE IN MODS; PEGHER & BOOHER IN STOCKS; WAGNER SWEEPS STRICTLIES ON MERCER'S "DEUCES WILD!" NIGHT
By Mike Leone

Mercer, PA.Mercer Raceway Park kicked off the month of May completing the sixth straight show of the 2006 season Saturday night. "Deuces Wild!" presented by Hoosier Tire Mid-Atlantic included double features for all four divisions on Dave Wagner Tribute Night. Celebrating in the Hoosier Tire Mid-Atlantic victory lane with wins were Bob Felmlee & Arnie Kent-RoadRunner & Lake Road Auto Sales Sprint Cars, Gary Smoker & Mike Stine-American Racer/Lias Tire Modifieds, Mike Pegher, Jr. & Brian Booher-Tire Express Stock Cars, and Bryan Wagner-Maurer's Trading Post Strictly Stocks.

Bob Felmlee started the night off by capturing the first 15-lap RoadRunner & Lake Road Auto Sales Sprint Car feature for his third win of the season, but first since opening the season with two wins. "It's too bad Andy (Priest), Rod (George), and everyone got tore up there, I like to race with everybody," stated the Franklin, Pa. veteran standout referring to the nine-car pileup on the start. "We lost Dave (Wagner). He was always a great guy. He'd come down and laugh, smile, and we'd always have good conversations."

Andy Priest got crossed up on the start and collected Rod George, who turned on his side, along with seven other cars. When racing got underway, Tom Quarterson out-dragged Todd Bauer for the lead, while Eyler moved ahead of Bauer for second. Felmlee, who started sixth, advanced to third ahead of Bauer using the outside on lap two. Eyler slowed in second bringing out the caution erasing Quarterson's big lead and putting Felmlee second.

Felmlee made the winning move entering turn three on lap five driving under Quarterson. Two cautions were all that slowed Felmlee as he cruised to his 22nd career win in his World of Wheels/Lutz Auto Body/Vinyl Graphics-sponsored #6. Quarterson was a season best second as was Bauer, who picked up an additional $250 for finishing in third in memory of Dave Wagner from his friends, family, and sponsors. Arnie Kent and Bryan Grove came back after being involved on the initial melee to finish fourth and fifth. Sixth through tenth were Carl Bowser, New Jersey's Jeff Taylor, New Hampshire's Riki Likowski, Leonard Ripper, Jr., and Dennis Wagner, who drove his dad Dave's to a 10th place finish in his first ever Mercer start. Bauer won the Australian Pursuit and Ripper won the qualifier over the 20-car field.

Bob Felmlee and Arnie Kent have established themselves as the Sprint Car drivers to beat this season. Kent was able to keep pace with Felmlee as he raced to his third win already on the early season in the second 15-lap Sprint Car feature. Last week in victory lane, Kent stated his number was 38 not 18 in memory of Dave Wagner and when told that's two in a row for #38 Kent replied "that's for sure". "I'm all choked up. This means a lot to me," Kent expressed to win a feature for Wagner, his longtime friend and fellow New Castle, Pa.

Riki Likowski took the early lead with Taylor and Grove in tow. With an invert eight from the first feature, Kent quickly made his way to third taking the spot away from Grove on lap two as Bauer followed in fourth one lap later. Kent ducked under Taylor in turn four to grab second on lap four just before Grove spun to bring out the caution.

When racing resumed, Bauer moved up to third past Taylor, while Kent powered around Likowski off turn four which would prove to be the winning move on lap five. Bauer continued to follow Kent to the front taking second away from Likowski on lap seven. Felmlee didn't make his presence known until lap nine when he disposed of Quarterson for fourth then Likowski for third a lap later. Kent had a straightaway lead on Bauer when he caught heavy traffic on lap 13. George and Eyler tangled bringing out the final caution with 13 laps completed. Kent quickly pulled away on the restart and was never challenged for his 15th career win in his Equipment Rental Options/Image Factory Signs-sponsored, American Racer-shod #18.

Bauer, the 2002 360 Sprint Champion, held off Felmlee for his best career Mercer finish in second. Quarterson was fourth over 15th starting Skip Dougherty. Likowski dropped to sixth ahead of Grove. Bowser was eighth and picked up an additional $250 for finishing in eighth in memory of Dave Wagner from his friends, family, and sponsors. Danny Holtgraver and Taylor were ninth and tenth.

Gary Smoker and Frank Guidace put on a thrilling duel through lapped traffic, but Smoker had just enough to hold on for his second win of the season in the first 15-lap American Racer Modified feature. "I have to thank my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ," acknowledged the Mercer, Pa. victor. "I had a hard time with a really big push so we're going to have to work on that for the next one."

Smoker shot ahead of Matt Baker to lead the opening lap as Guidace nosed ahead of Hoffman for third. Lap two saw Guidace take over runner-up from Baker. The events only caution was for a spin by Brad Rapp with five laps completed. Guidace chased Smoker over the course of the final 10 laps and in heavy lapped traffic the last five. Smoker would prevail for his division leading seventh career win and 35th overall at Mercer in the D&D Racing-owned, Mito Insulations/MBMR Inc/Kristyak's Service & Towing-sponsored #516.

Baker matched his career best Mercer finish in third with Steve Young and Jimmy Holden completing the top five. Sixth through tenth were Kevin Hoffman, Mike Stine, Rick Hall, Steve Toth, and Kyle Ripper. Baker won the Australian Pursuit and Rapp won the qualifying event in his season debut over the 27-car field.

The second 15 lapper for the Modifieds went to Mike Stine leading all the way and holding off a last lap charge by Guidace to collect his third win of the season. "This car is so tight tonight," stated the Smithmill, Pa. winner. "Everything I've done just keeps getting tighter and tighter. We ran a real slick track last night (Gambler's Raceway) and we made the adjustments, but I can't get it loosened up right now. I had to use the cushion to turn the car."

With an invert eight, Stine charged ahead of pole-sitter Rick Hall into the lead. Hoffman inches ahead of Hall to take second on lap four. Holden drove by Hall on the backstretch for third on lap five then got under and by Hoffman for second the following lap. The youngster Holden looked like at times he may have something for the veteran Stine as he closed right in on the leader in search of his first career Mercer win, but on lap 14 slowed ending a great run.

While Holden slowed, seventh starting Guidace shot around Hoffman and now inherited second. Like he was shot out of a canon, Guidace ran down Stine on the last lap. It appeared Guidace may have a shot at overtaking the leader, but slipped off the backstretch allowing Stine to take his sixth career win the Thomas Stine-owned, Patriot Chevrolet Cadillac/Lutz Radiator & Auto/Stine Mechanical-sponsored #7. Guidace held on for his second runner-up of the night. Hoffman was third. Young was fourth for the second time of the night with Smoker fifth. Rounding out the top 10 were Hall, Baker, Kyle Ripper, Fred Sasse, and Jr. Baker.

Mike Pegher, Jr. made it two-in-a-row and three on the early season leading from green-to-checkered in the first 12-lap Tire Express Stock Car feature. "This season has been excellent for us," acknowledged the Wexford, Pa. youngster, who already has five wins of the circuit. "This 358 Dunk engine has been awesome."

Pegher was able to out-race Terry Wheeler into turn one on the opening lap for the lead. Brian Booher passed Russ Coyne for second on the first lap then disposed of Pegher for second on lap two. Booher hounded Pegher until his car came to a stop following the event's only caution with 10 laps completed.

When racing resumed, Pegher led the final two laps for his fifth career victory in just 17 career Mercer starts in his Alternative Power Sources/Triple-S Auto Outlet/SS Racing Chassis-sponsored #09. Rick Norco was a season best season ahead of a career best Mercer finish by Doug Iorio II in third. Andy Thompson was fourth with Bryan Shaffer fifth. Pegher won the Australian Pursuit and Iorio won the qualifying event over the 21-car field.

After breaking in the first feature, an invert 14 was just what defending champion Brian Booher needed putting him on the pole for feature two, which he led from start-to-finish for his second win of the season. "This is the same luck we've had the last two weeks running second and the tranny locked up," explained the Sandy Lake, Pa. victor referring to the first feature. "The crew and I worked hard to get it together for the second feature."

While Booher took off from a rare pole position start, Bill Lanigan passed rookie Tim Burns for second on lap two. Thompson, who started 11th, passed Wheeler for third on lap seven then advanced to second on lap eight getting past Lanigan. Wheeler took third back from Lanigan on lap 10, but lost the spot on the last lap to Pegher.

Up front, Booher cruised to his 16th career win moving him into sole possession of third place past Gary Robinson on the all-time Stock Car win list in the Terry Hoover-owned, Ed & Jerry's Auto Service/Harry & Tim's Roofing-sponsored #00H. Thompson was a season best second ahead of Pegher, Wheeler, and 16th starting Buckley.

Bryan Wagner couldn't have scripted it any better. The rookie racer not only scored his first career win for his late uncle Dave Wagner, but backed it up in the second feature making it a clean sweep of the two 10-lap Maurer's Trading Post Strictly Stock features.

In the first feature, Wagner came all the way from sixth to take the lead on the opening lap and never looked back in the Ron and Tina Wagner-owned, Duke Whiting Auctioneer/Brian Swisher Trucking/Wilson Lumber-sponsored #56. Second-year racer Dave Bass was a career best second ahead of point leader Carl Ealy, Paul Reiser, and William Morrison III.

The second feature saw Randy Ealy race to the early lead with brother Carl taking second on lap two from rookie Dave Airgood, Jr. Carl passed Randy for the lead on lap four. It appeared Carl was well on his way to another win, but on lap nine got high in turn three and spun out handing the lead to seventh starting Wagner. Wagner led the last two circuits for the win and did his second roof dance of the night. Carl Ealy came back to get second over Airgood, Randy Ealy, and Paul Reiser.

RoadRunner & Lake Road Auto Sales Sprint Cars 1 (15 laps): 1. BOB FELMLEE 2. Tom Quarterson 3. Todd Bauer 4. Arnie Kent 5. Bryan Grove 6. Carl Bowser 7. Jeff Taylor 8. Riki Likowski 9. Leonard Ripper, Jr. 10. Dennis Wagner 11. Danny Holtgraver 12. Mike Dehner 13. Paul Kapuchuck 14. Rob Eyler 15. Andy Priest 16. Skip Dougherty 17. Rod George 18. Gale Ruth 19. Gary Edwards-DNS 20. Jack Helget-DNS.

RoadRunner & Lake Road Auto Sales Sprint Cars 2 (15 laps): 1. ARNIE KENT 2. Todd Bauer 3. Bob Felmlee 4. Tom Quarterson 5. Skip Dougherty 6. Riki Likowski 7. Bryan Grove 8. Carl Bowser 9. Danny Holtgraver 10. Jeff Taylor 11. Mike Dehner 12. Rob Eyler 13. Rod George 14. Dennis Wagner 15. Leonard Ripper, Jr. 16. Gale Ruth 17. Paul Kapuchuck 18. Jack Helget 19. Andy Priest-DNS 20. Gary Edwards-DNS.

American Racer/Lias Tire (358) Modifieds 1 (15 laps): 1. GARY SMOKER 2. Frank Guidace 3. Matt Baker 4. Steve Young 5. Jimmy Holden 6. Kevin Hoffman 7. Mike Stine 8. Rick Hall 9. Steve Toth 10. Kyle Ripper 11. Kevin Green 12. Chris Dye 13. Fred Sasse 14. Alex Anderson 15. Matt Reeher 16. Chuck Crawley 17. Tim Zuschlag 18. Jim Rombold, Jr. 19. Jr. Baker 20. Nick Ritchey 21. Shayne Izzo 22. Brad Rapp 23. Travis Bell 24. John Buchanan 25. Mike Lutz-DNS 26. Tommy Kristyak-DNS 27. Bill Adams-DNS.

American Racer/Lias Tire (358) Modifieds 2 (15 laps): 1. MIKE STINE 2. Frank Guidace 3. Kevin Hoffman 4. Steve Young 5. Gary Smoker 6. Rick Hall 7. Matt Baker 8. Kyle Ripper 9. Fred Sasse 10. Jr. Baker 11. Jim Rombold, Jr. 12. Travis Bell 13. Kevin Green 14. Shayne Izzo 15. Chuck Crawley 16. Jimmy Holden 17. Steve Toth 18. Matt Reeher 19. Alex Anderson 20. Nick Ritchey 21. Chris Dye 22. Tim Zuschlag 23. Brad Rapp-DNS 24. John Buchanan-DNS 25. Mike Lutz-DNS 26. Tommy Kristyak-DNS 27. Bill Adams-DNS.

Tire Express Stock Cars 1 (12 laps): 1. MIKE PEGHER, JR. 2. Rick Norco 3. Doug Iorio II 4. Andy Thompson 5. Bryan Shaffer 6. Terry Wheeler 7. Ryan Moyer 8. Bruce Milbert 9. Russ Coyne 10. Gary Sullivan 11. Bill Lanigan 12. Bill Schall, Jr. 13. Tim Burns 14. Brian Booher 15. Shaun Hooks 16. William Smiley 17. Andy Buckley 18. Kevin Thompson 19. Mark Sanders-DNS 20. Bill Vance, Jr.-DNS 21. Clyde Roberts-DNS.

Tire Express Stock Cars 2 (12 laps): 1. BRIAN BOOHER 2. Andy Thompson 3. Mike Pegher, Jr. 4. Terry Wheeler 5. Andy Buckley 6. Bill Lanigan 7. Rick Norco 8. Russ Coyne 9. Shaun Hooks 10. Bill Schall, Jr. 11. Ryan Moyer 12. Bryan Shaffer 13. Bruce Milbert 14. Tim Burns 15. Gary Sullivan 16. Doug Iorio II 17. William Smiley-DNS 18. Kevin Thompson-DNS 19. Mark Sanders-DNS 20. Bill Vance, Jr.-DNS 21. Clyde Roberts-DNS.

Maurer's Trading Post Strictly Stocks 1 (10 laps): 1. BRYAN WAGNER 2. Dave Bass 3. Carl Ealy 4. Paul Reiser 5. William Morrison III 6. Jim Boring 7. Dave Airgood, Jr. 8. Randy Ealy.

Maurer's Trading Post Strictly Stocks 2 (10 laps): 1. BRYAN WAGNER 2. Carl Ealy 3. Dave Airgood, Jr. 4. Randy Ealy 5. Paul Reiser 6. Dave Bass 7. Jim Boring 8. William Morrison III.

Upcoming Events:
5/13 Sprints, Mods, Stock Cars, Strictly Stocks, plus Interstate Micro Sprint Series & Kids Bike Races. $10 Family Night
5/19 Fantastic Friday I - "The Return of Modzilla" featuring the only appearance by the BRP Tour for Big-Block Mods plus Small-Block Mods, E-Mods, Stocks, & Strictly Stocks. Racing at 7:30 PM.
5/27 Sprints, Mods, Stocks, Strictly Stocks, plus PCTC Senior Series & Demo Derby. Free general admission for all Crawford County residents presented by ZOOM Internet. General Electric Diesel Engine Plant Corp. Night

Mercer Raceway Park is located minutes from both Interstate 79 and 80 just off Route 19 on Fairground Road in Mercer, Pa. Dirt track racing and quality family entertainment are presented weekly late March through early October. The office in New Bedford, Pa. is open year-round after 1:00 p.m. Monday through Friday. For more information call the office at 724-964-9300 or the track on race day at 724-662-1310. Check out our website at www.mercerracewaypark.com for the latest.

"DEUCES WILD!" TO INCLUDE DOUBLE FEATURES & AUSTRALIAN PURSUITS FOR ALL DIVISION SATURDAY AT MERCER; DAVE WAGNER TRIBUTE PLANNED
By Mike Leone

Mercer, PA.Mercer Raceway Park will look to complete the sixth straight show of the 2006 season this Saturday night, May 6 remembering the late Dave Wagner, Sr. as part of the special racing program titled "Deuces Wild!" presented by Hoosier Tire Mid-Atlantic. For the first time in the storied history of the speedway, five shows were completed in the month of April. The four weekly divisions will kickoff May continuing their point races in the RoadRunner & Lake Road Auto Sales Sprint Cars, American Racer/Lias Tire Modifieds, Tire Express Stock Cars, and the Maurer's Trading Post Strictly Stocks.

The first special event of the season will be a new show as all four divisions will run double features. The top 12 drivers in points in the Sprint Cars, Modifieds, and Stock Cars will be inverted and will run eight-lap Australian Pursuits to determine the first 12 starting spots of each of the first features. The remaining cars will run a qualifying event(s) to determine positions 13-24. The winner of the first feature will then draw a pill, which will determine the invert from the first feature of 6, 8, 10, 12, or 14 setting the lineup for feature two.

The Sprint Cars will compete in twin 15s with a $200 bonus for a driving winning both features. The Modifieds will race in twin 15s with a $150 bonus for a driving sweeping both features. The Stock Cars will race in twin 12s with a $100 bonus for a driving doubling up. The Strictly Stocks will only run twin 10-lap features. The first feature will be a total invert in points and the second feature will be a reverse of the first feature's finish.

Wagner, 51 of New Castle, Pa., passed away from injuries suffered in an automobile accident on April 25. He was a longtime Mercer racer starting in the Semi-Late Model division in the 70s and most recently competed in the headlining Sprint Car division last season. He had many friends throughout the racing community and this past Saturday's Sprint winner Arnie Kent of New Castle dedicated his victory to him.

Dave's #38 will be driven Saturday night by his son Dennis. Dave's nephew Bryan also competes in the Strictly Stocks as he captured a heat race win and runner-up in the feature this past Saturday night. Several items are being planned to remember Dave as many of his family members will be in attendance Saturday night.

"It's an honor for us to be able to do this for the Wagner Family," stated eighth year owner Vicki Emig. "Dave and his entire family have been longtime supporters of Mercer and this is the least we can do. We invite everyone out to be part of this special night. A lot of people have stepped up to make this night extra special."

Current point leaders are Rod George (Kittanning, Pa.)-Sprint Cars, Kevin Hoffman (Franklin, Pa.)-Modifieds, Brian Booher (Sandy Lake, Pa.)-Stock Cars, and Carl Ealy (Volant, Pa.)-Strictly Stocks.

Pit gates open at 3:30 p.m. Grandstands open at 4:30 p.m. Hot laps will get underway at approximately 6:15 p.m. with racing at 7 p.m. Adult admission is $13, students 6-15 are $7, the family pass is $35, children five and under are free, and pit passes are $30.

Mercer Raceway Park is located minutes from both Interstate 79 and 80 just off Route 19 on Fairground Road in Mercer, Pa. Dirt track racing and quality family entertainment are presented weekly late March through September. The office in New Bedford, Pa. is open year-round after 1 p.m. Monday through Friday. For more information call the office at 724-964-9300 or the track on race day at 724-662-1310. Check out our website at www.mercerracewaypark.com for the latest.

DEMO DERBY JOINS 4-DIVISION RACING SATURDAY AT MERCER; FREE BEAVER COUNTY NIGHT
By Mike Leone

Mercer, PA.Mercer Raceway Park will look to complete the fifth straight show of the 2006 season this Saturday night, April 29. The four weekly divisions will continue their point races in the RoadRunner & Lake Road Auto Sales Sprint Cars, American Racer/Lias Tire Modifieds, Tire Express Stock Cars, and the Maurer's Trading Post Strictly Stocks. Joining the card will be the first "Gladiator Series" Demolition Derby presented by RE/MAX Real Estate Consultants of Mercer with racing at 7 p.m. The first of four free county nights will begin with Beaver County.

"Last year our county nights went over very well," stated eighth-year owner Vicki Emig. "Saturday we will be admitting all residents of Beaver County and accompanying children free of charge into the grandstands for general admission. A driver's license or valid ID showing a Beaver County city is all that we require."

Bob Felmlee crashed out last Saturday's feature just after acquiring runner-up; that coupled with Rod George's second runner-up of the season propelled the defending champion of Kittanning, Pa. into the point lead. Skip Dougherty stole the headlines with his upset win for his first ever Mercer victory as he sits third place in points.

Defending Modified Champion and one-time winner, Gary Smoker of Mercer, bounced back from a DNF the prior week for a close second to two-time winner Mike Stine, who has closed to within four points of Smoker. Kevin Hoffman is keeping pace just eight points back in third with a victory.

Defending Stock Car Champion, Brian Booher of Sandy Lake, Pa., finished out of the top three last Saturday for the first time this season allowing 2003 champion Bobby Whitling to close to within seven points. The big story will be Andy Buckley's bid for his third straight win and to overtake Alan Dellinger as the division's all-time winner since the track reopened in 1994.

It appeared Carl Ealy was going to make it a perfect four-for-four in Strictly Stock competition, but his failure to weigh after the feature gave the division's all-time winner, Curt Bish, Sr., his 16th career victory. Ealy of Volant, Pa. maintains just a one point lead now over rookie Bill Kluck, Jr.

Rounding out the program will be the first of four Demolition Derbies presented by new marketing partner RE/MAX Real Estate Consultants of Mercer. The last three finishing cars will receive $300, $200, $100 respectively and will receive points toward the 2006 "Gladiator Series" Championship.

Pit gates open at 3:30 p.m. Grandstands open at 4:30 p.m. Hot laps will get underway at approximately 6:15 p.m. with racing at 7 p.m. Adult admission is $11, students 6-15 are $5, the family pass is $25, children five and under are free, and pit passes are $22.

Mercer Raceway Park is located minutes from both Interstate 79 and 80 just off Route 19 on Fairground Road in Mercer, Pa. Dirt track racing and quality family entertainment are presented weekly late March through September. The office in New Bedford, Pa. is open year-round after 1 p.m. Monday through Friday. For more information call the office at 724-964-9300 or the track on race day at 724-662-1310. Check out our website at www.mercerracewaypark.com for the latest.

DOUGHERTY WINS FIRST EVER IN SPRINTS AT MERCER; STINE HOLDS OFF SMOKER AGAIN IN MODS; 2-IN-A-ROW FOR BUCKLEY IN STOCKS; MICROS TO DUNMIRE; STRICTLIES TO BISH, SR.
By Mike Leone

Mercer, PA.While it rained all around Mercer Raceway Park for the entire day only sprinkles fell at the speedway allowing the fourth straight night of racing action in the 2006 season to be completed on Saturday night. Scoring wins and celebrating in the Hoosier Tire Mid-Atlantic victory lane were Skip Dougherty-RoadRunner & Lake Road Auto Sales Sprint Cars, Mike Stine-American Racer/Lias Tire Modifieds, Steve Dunmire-Interstate Micro Sprint Series, Andy Buckley-Tire Express Stock Cars, and Curt Bish, Sr.-Maurer's Trading Post Strictly Stocks.

Skip Dougherty entered the 2006 season with just 14 career Sprint Car starts in eight seasons at Mercer with only a pair of fifth place finishes to show for. With a new team in place, Dougherty has become a Mercer regular in 2006 for the first time in his career and recorded a fifth and a pair of sevenths in the first three nights. Saturday night, Dougherty put on the best performance of his career as he captured the 20-lap RoadRunner & Lake Road Auto Sales Sprint Car feature for his first ever Mercer win in any division.

"I'm so excited I don't know what to say," said the jubilant Fairmount City, Pa. racer after climbing from his car in victory lane. "We put a new team together the end of last year. We really worked hard over the winter and have a lot of good people and sponsors. Glenn and Brenda Schick made it all possible. They bought us one hell of a motor and we have another one on the way."

For the third straight week, Gary Edwards raced to the early lead from the pole position with teenage Sprint rookie Danny Holtgraver and Tom Quarterson in tow. Dougherty started the event from eighth and found the top five on lap three getting past Andy Priest. Quarterson had just passed Holtgraver for runner-up on lap four when his car came to a rest. When racing resumed, Dougherty sped past New Yorker Jared Zimbardi for third. Arnie Kent brought out the caution with six laps completed when he got high and smacked the turn one and two fence moving Bob Felmlee into fifth.

Dougherty stole second from Holtgraver on lap seven driving past him down the backstretch. Felmlee made a bold move on the outside to go around Priest and Zimbardi for third on lap nine. Dougherty made the winning move from Edwards going under the leader off turn on lap 10 and quickly pulled away. Felmlee drove past Holtgraver for third down the backstretch on lap 12 before Leonard Ripper, Jr. took a nasty flip getting into the frontstretch catch fence bending the pole and ripping open a portion of the fence. He was okay.

Back under green flag conditions, Felmlee made a similar move that Dougherty performed to take second from Edwards on lap 14. Later that lap though, Felmlee hit the frontstretch wall ending his bid for his third win. Defending champion, Rod George who started 10th, was quiet for the early portion of the race but came on at the end. George passed both Rob Eyler and Holtgraver for fourth on lap 16. He then went around Priest for third on lap 18 and edged ahead of Edwards on the outside for second with the white flag waving. George cut into Dougherty's lead on the last lap, but it was too little too late as Dougherty crossed the finish line for the win.

The win for Dougherty was the third of his career in his V.G. Dougherty Real Estate-sponsored #27 as he also has a Sprint Car win at both Challenger and Sportsman's Speedways. "It's easy to drive a good car," acknowledged Dougherty. "I was hoping I was pulling away from Felmlee then I saw he had trouble. You hate to see that happen, but it took a little pressure off me."

George took over the point lead with his second runner-up. Edwards was a season best third over Priest's third straight top five finish. Eyler completed the first five. Sixth through tenth were Todd Bauer, Holtgraver, Chris Shuttleworth, Bryan Grove, and New Hampshire's Riki Likowski. Heat victors over the 19-car field were George and Dougherty.

For the second time in three weeks, Mike Stine won the shootout over Gary Smoker in the 20-lap American Racer/Lias Tire Modified feature. "I didn't have much choice," stated the Smithmill, Pa. winner when asked about his four-wide move to take over second place early in the race. "I had to go or I was going to be tied up. I took a shot at it and I was able to get enough ahead of him (Lutz) to get him down the frontstretch."

Jimmy Holden passed both Kyle Ripper and Fred Sasse to grab the top spot on the opening lap. Mike Lutz and eighth starter Stine both passed Sasse for second and third on lap three. Stine lost third and fourth to Garrett Krummert and Smoker on successive laps five and six. Lutz, Krummert, Smoker, and Stine battled hard for second on laps six and seven. Stine made a nearly four-wide bold move off turns three and four to fly by all three into second on lap seven. Smoker raced past Lutz for third on lap eight.

Stine made the winning move on Holden coming off turn four on the outside on lap nine. Smoker followed one lap later getting second at the start-finish line. Smoker ran down Stine on lap 14. The two raced side-by-side on lap 16 with Stine on top and Smoker on the bottom before the caution flew for Tommy Kristyak, who came to a halt with 16 laps completed.

Stine chose the bottom for the restart and it proved fruitful as he led the last four non-stop laps to collect his fifth career win in the Thomas Stine-owned, Patriot Chevrolet Cadillac/Lutz Radiator & Auto/Stine Mechanical-sponsored #7. Smoker's runner-up maintained his point lead. Holden matched his career best Mercer finish in third holding off a late charge by 13th starter Kevin Hoffman. Lutz was fifth. Completing the top 10 were Krummert, Matt Reeher, Steve Young, Rick Hall, and Kevin Green. Topping the heat races over the season-high 31-car field were Holden, Hall, and Lutz. Kristyak won the B main.

Andy Buckley made it two-in-a-row as he had the top side of the speedway working once again to capture the 15-lap Tire Express Stock Car feature win and more importantly tied Alan Dellinger as the division's top winner since the track reopened in 1994 with 21 victories. "I've been really lucky," said the Stoneboro, Pa. racer. "The only thing we've done different with this car is put some more gear into it to turn the motor up some; it's really working great."

Buckley started in the fifth position and moved to third past Terry Wheeler on lap four. One lap later Buckley moved into runner-up ahead of young Bryan Shaffer. Buckley made the winning pass on lap six taking the top spot away from Rick Norco. The race's four cautions all occurred with six laps completed.

The last nine laps went non-stop with Buckley in his World of Wheels/McClung Auto Body/MPR Lumber-sponsored #965 picking up the victory. After starting seventh, Andy Thompson passed Wheeler for third on lap seven and then inherited second on lap 13 from Norco when he exited the race. Bobby Whitling, who started ninth, came on late to get third after passing Wheeler on lap 14 and was right on Thompson at finish. Wheeler edged Doug Iorio II for fourth after Iorio came from the back after a lap six tangle. Thompson, Wheeler, and Iorio won the heats over the season-high 26-car field. Jason Reagle won the B main.

The new Interstate Micro Sprint Series made their first of six appearances of the season and it was Steve Dunmire coming out on top of the 15-lap feature. "It's a lot of fun racing here," stated the Ford City, Pa. racer. "It's the best big track to race on. It's a racy race track and is always well prepared. I love coming here!"

Brothers Ryan and Shawn McAndrew set the pace for the first seven laps before Shawn broke giving second to Todd Reusser. Reusser then made a great move racing under McAndrew in turns three and four for the lead on lap eight. McAndrew stuck right with Reusser for the next two laps. On lap 10, he tried a similar move that Reusser performed to try to get the lead back, but caught the inside berm of the speedway and shot up the track and collected Karlin Miller, who slammed the wall.

The accident moved ninth starting Dunmire to second for the restart. Dunmire hounded Reusser before finally getting under the leader off turn four coming down for the white flag. Dunmire was able to edge Reusser for his second career win in the DBY Motorsports-owned, Buffalo Limestone/Gas Town Auto Works-sponsored #83.

Carl Ealy made it four-for-four in the Maurer's Trading Post Strictly Stocks, but failed to scale handing the 12-lap victory to Curt Bish, Sr. for the first time this season. The Titusville, Pa. racer's 16th career victory came in his #29 after starting from the fifth spot. Rookie Bill Kluck, Jr. was second over fellow rookie Bryan Wagner, second year racer William Morrison III, and Paul Reiser. Ealy won the heat race.

RoadRunner & Lake Road Auto Sales Sprint Cars: 1. SKIP DOUGHERTY 2. Rod George 3. Gary Edwards 4. Andy Priest 5. Rob Eyler 6. Todd Bauer 7. Danny Holtgraver 8. Chris Shuttleworth 9. Bryan Grove 10. Riki Likowski 11. Jason Dolick 12. Jared Zimbardi 13. Bob Felmlee 14. Leonard Ripper, Jr. 15. Jamie Nicely 16. Arnie Kent 17. Tom Quarterson 18. Mike Dehner 19. Gary Ruth, Jr.-DNS.

American Racer/Lias Tire (358) Modifieds: 1. MIKE STINE 2. Gary Smoker 3. Jimmy Holden 4. Kevin Hoffman 5. Mike Lutz 6. Garrett Krummert 7. Matt Reeher 8. Steve Young 9. Rick Hall 10. Kevin Green 11. Jr. Baker 12. Jay Blum 13. Fred Sasse 14. Travis Bell 15. Ryan Haney 16. Bill Adams 17. Steve Toth 18. Tommy Kristyak 19. Kyle Ripper 20. Rich Whitney 21. Chuck Crawley 22. Frank Guidace 23. Nick Ritchey 24. Jeff Stuchel 25. Shaun Hooks-DNS DNQ: Tim Zuschlag, Shayne Izzo, Chris Dye, Alex Anderson, Ben Porter, Rick Kress.

Tire Express Stock Cars: 1. ANDY BUCKLEY 2. Andy Thompson 3. Bobby Whitling 4. Terry Wheeler 5. Doug Iorio II 6. Bill Lanigan 7. Russ Coyne 8. Brian Booher 9. Bryan Shaffer 10. Clyde Roberts 11. Ryan Moyer 12. Bill Schall, Jr. 13. Gary Johns 14. Jason Reagle 15. Chad Myers 16. Bruce Milbert 17. Rob Bates 18. Tim Burns 19. Rick Norco 20. Bob Sloss 21. Gary Sullivan 22. Ben Porter 23. Mark Sanders 24. Don Rambler-DNS 25. Bill Vance, Jr.-DNS DNQ: Mike Pegher, Jr.

Interstate Micro Sprint Series: 1. STEVE DUNMIRE 2. Todd Reusser 3. Jeff Bacha 4. George Hobaugh (Jr.) 5. Lindsey Enscoe 6. J.J. Metheney 7. Ryan McAndrew 8. Michael Mecklem 9. Jay Groves 10. Krig McLomes 11. Chad Carpenter 12. Kevin McCoy 13. Adam King 14. Karlin Miller 15. Mike Himes 16. Robert Robertson 17. Shawn McAndrew 18. Shawn Mott 19. Dave Hawkins 20. Dave Seibert 21. Jeff Park 22. Sam Carpenter 23. Eric Williams 24. Tyler Dietz.

Maurer's Trading Post Strictly Stocks: 1. CURT BISH, SR. 2. Bill Kluck, Jr. 3. Bryan Wagner 4. William Morrison III 5. Paul Reiser 6. Carl Ealy-DSQ (no scales) 7. Randy Ealy-DNS

Upcoming Events:
4/29 Sprints, Mods, Stock Cars, Strictly Stocks plus Demo Derby. Yellow Book USA Night. Free admission for all Beaver County residents
5/6 "Deuces Wild!" presented by Hoosier Tire Mid-Atlantic. Double features for all divisions (no heat races) plus Australian Pursuits & dashes.
5/13 Sprints, Mods, Stock Cars, Strictly Stocks, plus Interstate Micro Sprint Series & Kids Bike Races. $10 Family Night
5/19 Fantastic Friday I - "The Return of Modzilla" featuring the only appearance by the BRP Tour for Big-Block Mods plus Small-Block Mods, E-Mods, Stocks, & Strictly Stocks. Racing at 7:30 PM.

Mercer Raceway Park is located minutes from both Interstate 79 and 80 just off Route 19 on Fairground Road in Mercer, Pa. Dirt track racing and quality family entertainment are presented weekly late March through early October. The office in New Bedford, Pa. is open year-round after 1:00 p.m. Monday through Friday. For more information call the office at 724-964-9300 or the track on race day at 724-662-1310. Check out our website at www.mercerracewaypark.com for the latest.

$10 FAMILY NIGHT HIGHLIGHTS FULL NIGHT OF RACING PLUS DEBUT OF INTERSTATE MICRO SPRINT SERIES SATURDAY AT MERCER
By Mike Leone

Mercer, PA.Mercer Raceway Park will look to complete the fourth straight show of the 2006 season this Saturday night, April 22. The four weekly divisions will continue their point races in the RoadRunner & Lake Road Auto Sales Sprint Cars, American Racer/Lias Tire Modifieds, Tire Express Stock Cars, and the Maurer's Trading Post Strictly Stocks. Joining the card will be the debut of the new Interstate Micro Sprint Series with racing at 7 p.m. The first of four $10 Family Nights presented by ZOOM Internet will kick off the 2006 "Fan.tastics Entertainment Savings Events".

"Last year, these $10 Family Nights went over very well," stated eighth-year owner Vicki Emig. "This is a $15 savings over the already reduced $25 family pass. There aren't many places you can take the entire family for a night of entertainment for just $10! These nights are great for exposing new people to the facility and allowing families that otherwise might not have been able to attend the chance of come for a night of racing. We've been very proud of our shows thus far. The racing has been great and we've gotten everyone on their way home before 11 for all three of our five-division shows."

Bob Felmlee of Franklin, Pa. has two wins and a runner-up in the Sprint Cars and is the early point leader over defending champion Rod George, who has a runner-up, a third, and a fourth place finish thus far. Early surprises have been Skip Dougherty and New York youngster Jared Zimbardi who have been fast with consistent runs.

Defending Modified Champion and one-time winner, Gary Smoker of Mercer, suffered a DNF this past Saturday night, but still maintains his point lead by a single digit over last week's winner Kevin Hoffman. Just 11 points separate the top six cars. Mike Stine has also been a winner and is in a tie for third with Steve Young.

Like Smoker, Brian Booher is off to strong start leading the Stock Car points. The Sandy Lake, Pa. driver and defending champion has a win, a runner-up, and a third place finish as he's opened up a 15-point lead on 2003 champion Bobby Whitling, who is still looking to end his winless drought on the circuit that dates back to 2004.

Carl Ealy has come out of the gate swinging and looks like he's ready to contend for his first championship in the Strictly Stocks. The Volant, Pa. racer won all three features and all three of his heat races for a perfect 135 points and already has a 28-point lead over rookie Bill Kluck, Jr.

Joining the card will be the Micro Sprints in their western Pennsylvania and eastern Ohio season debut. The race will be sanctioned by the new Interstate Micro Sprint Series, which boasts a 27-event 2006 slate including six monthly appearances at Mercer. In the event of a rain out, the Micro Sprints will return next Saturday, April 29. The Micro Sprints have appeared 13 times over the course of the past nine seasons at Mercer with 12 different winners. Jim Young is the only driver to have repeated. Other winners include Rod Jones, Maria Mayerchak, Kevin Schaeffer, Matt Wingard, Karlin Miller, Terry Schaeffer, Steve Dunmire, and last year's winners Mike Himes, Danny Holtgraver, J.J. Metheney, and Jay Groves.

Pit gates open at 3:30 p.m. Grandstands open at 4:30 p.m. Hot laps will get underway at approximately 6:15 p.m. with racing at 7 p.m. Adult admission is $11, students 6-15 are $5, children five and under are free and pit passes are $22.

Mercer Raceway Park is located minutes from both Interstate 79 and 80 just off Route 19 on Fairground Road in Mercer, Pa. Dirt track racing and quality family entertainment are presented weekly late March through September. The office in New Bedford, Pa. is open year-round after 1 p.m. Monday through Friday. For more information call the office at 724-964-9300 or the track on race day at 724-662-1310. Check out our website at www.mercerracewaypark.com for the latest.

KENT GETS REDEMPTION BEATING FELMLEE IN SPRINTS; HOFFMAN FINALLY CAPTURES MODIFIED WIN AFTER 11 YEARS; BUCKLEY WINS MILESTONE 20TH IN STOCKS; WOODHALL TAKES MOD LITES; EALY 3-FOR-3 IN STRICTLIES AT MERCER

By Mike Leone
Mercer, PA.Mercer Raceway Park completed the third straight night of racing action in the 2006 season on Saturday night as fair weather finally graced the facility. The five-division program was spun off in just over three and half hours. Scoring wins and celebrating in the Hoosier Tire Mid-Atlantic victory lane were Arnie Kent-RoadRunner & Lake Road Auto Sales Sprint Cars, Kevin Hoffman-American Racer/Lias Tire Modifieds, Andy Buckley-Tire Express Stock Cars, Brian Woodhall-Mod Lites, and Carl Ealy-Maurer's Trading Post Strictly Stocks.

One week ago Arnie Kent left the speedway on the hook after a wicked duel for the win with Bob Felmlee. On Saturday night, Kent redeemed himself with an impressive victory over Felmlee in the 20-lap RoadRunner & Lake Road Auto Sales Sprint Car feature.

"This takes some edge off last week," acknowledged the New Castle, Pa. driver. "Bob (Felmlee) and I settled our differences this week. It was a racing thing and I hope we can go on from it- there's no hard feelings. There's so much adrenalin that it could have been my brother and I would have come of my car and wanted to kill him. I seen Bob behind me and I knew there were lapped cars in between so I knew I had a shot. I was just trying to go as hard and as smooth as I could."

Kent took the lead on the opening lap getting past Gary Edwards, while Andy Priest and Rob Eyler passed Chris Shuttleworth for third and fourth. Eyler used the topside of the speedway to drive around Priest for third on lap three. Eyler and Priest then ran down Edwards making it a three-car race for second on lap five. Two laps later, ninth starting Felmlee joined the race as four cars battled for runner-up. By this time, Kent had built up a straightaway lead over the race for second until Shuttleworth spun bringing out the caution with eight laps completed.

When racing resumed, Felmlee finally worked his way past Priest nipping him at the line for fourth on lap 10. Eyler and Felmlee were all over Edwards on lap 12 as the battle for second heated back up. Eyler got around Edwards on lap 13 just before Edwards slowed and exited the event moving Felmlee to third. Rod George had just passed Priest for fifth and then gained fourth when Edwards pitted.

With six laps to go, Kent stretched his lead to one-half lap, while Felmlee was all over Eyler. Felmlee squeezed past Eyler for second racing off turn four on lap 15. Felmlee chopped into Kent's lead every lap and had it down to less than a straightaway as Kent received the white flag. Kent went low in turn one to get past lapped traffic and just missed the spinning car of Danny Holtgraver, who brought out the caution.

Kent had Aaron Shaffer between himself and Felmlee for the one-lap shootout. Felmlee cleared Shaffer going into turn one, but Kent had enough momentum to take the checkered flag for his first win of the season and 13th of his career in his Equipment Rental Options-sponsored #18.

Felmlee was second and continues to lead the points. Eyler was third ahead of George and Priest. Jared Zimbardi, Skip Dougherty, Todd Bauer, Tom Quarterson, and Shuttleworth completed the top 10. Heat winners over the 19-car field were Kent and Edwards.

Kevin Hoffman has been close, but either bad luck or mechanical woes have always snake-bitten him and kept him from victory lane. Saturday night, Hoffman put it all together and captured the victory in the 20-lap American Racer/Lias Tire Modified feature for the first time at Mercer since a Sportsman Modified win on May 6, 1995.

"That was an awesome race," explained the Franklin, Pa. racer. "We had the car to do it for two weeks, but we had some bad luck. I knew the only place I was going to pass Mike (Stine) was on the bottom on the restart and we got it done."

Young Jimmy Holden raced to the early lead from the pole position with Mike Lutz trailing. Stine, who was last week's winner, got around Matt Baker for third on the opening lap. By lap four it was a four-car race for second with Lutz trying to hold off Stine, Steve Young, and Hoffman. Stine cleared Lutz for second on lap six and ran down Holden. The two raced side-by-side on lap eight and nine with Stine on top and Holden on the bottom. Holden was able to maintain his lead through lap nine when Baker came to a stop and point leader Gary Smoker had nowhere to go slamming his left rear tire ending his night.

Hoffman had just passed Young for fourth prior to the caution; and when racing resumed he moved up to third disposing of Lutz. On lap 11, Stine once again worked his way under Holden and the two raced side-by-side for two laps before Stine had just enough to make the pass stick on lap 12. Holden stayed right with Stine as Hoffman joined the fight and the trio raced for the lead on lap 13. Hoffman nosed ahead of Holden for second that lap. The final caution slowed action with 14 laps completed when rookie Shayne Izzo spun.

The caution and restart proved fruitful for Hoffman as he got a great run off the bottom on the restart and took the lead on lap 15. Hoffman slowly pulled away every lap to the finish and scored his second career Mercer victory in the M-D Paving/Virgile Scrap Metal/Hepler Trucking, Hoffman Door Co.-owned #00. Stine was second. Young was third after passing Holden on lap 16. Lutz passed Holden to regain fourth on the last lap. Holden faded to fifth at the finish. Sixth through tenth were Garrett Krummert, Rick Hall, Kevin Green, Matt Reeher, and Jim Rombold, Jr. Taking the heat wins over the 26-car field were Hoffman, Young, and Smoker.

Andy Buckley came out on top of a great four-car duel to score his first win of the season and milestone 20th of his career in the 15-lap Tire Express Stock Car feature. "It's always nice running first and no one has used the track up," stated the Stoneboro, Pa. two-time champion. "We had a pretty tough year last year and we got the car turned around- I'm hoping to be here a little more."

Bob Sloss charged past Ryan Moyer and Rick Norco for the lead on the first lap. Buckley made a three-wide pass to take second from Moyer and Norco on lap two, while Sloss slowed in turn four allowing Buckley to ascend to the lead. Tenth starting Scott Myers made his way to the front as he took runner-up from Norco on lap five. Point leader Brian Booher started the event from 11th and made his presence felt by lap seven when he disposed of Norco for third.

Buckley continued to chug along in the lead as Myers and Booher were right there in contention. Bobby Whitling, who started ninth, threw his hat in the ring making it a four-car race for the win on lap 12. The four battled hard racing side-by-side, but the positions wouldn't change as Buckley crossed the finish line first in his World of Wheels/McClung Auto Body/MPR Lumber-sponsored #965. Myers may have had the fastest car, but settled for a career best second. Booher was third and continues to lead the points. Whitling was fourth over Bill Lanigan. Heat victors over the 22-car field were Whitling and Mark Sanders.

The Mod Lites made their first of two appearances and it was a familiar face in victory lane. Brian Woodhall, who has two career Mercer Sprint Car victories to his credit including a career first at the tender age of 16, came back from an early race spin to collect the 15-lap feature win. "Oh man what a race," exclaimed the jubilant Apollo, Pa. winner. "My car was pretty good at the beginning and someone spun out and I got into him. It bent the tie rod, but I think it may have made it a little bit better."

Brian Daniszewski led the first three laps from the pole position. Sixth starting Jeff Teeters advanced three spots on the first lap and then had the lead from Daniszewski on lap four. Lynn Knepper moved through the field from his eighth starting spot and took second from Daniszewski on lap nine. Knepper then took the lead from Teeters on lap 10. After getting collected in the first lap accident, Woodhall came from nowhere and suddenly entered the mix. He raced past Teeters for second on lap 11 then one lap later made the winning move driving around Knepper on the outside of turn two.

Brian Wheatley, who started fifth, edged ahead of Knepper for second at the start-finish line with the white flag waving. Wheatley drove hard and made a run for the leader, but didn't have quite enough as it was Woodhall picking up the victory in his Eliminator Race Cars #8B. Third through fifth were Knepper, Daniszewski, and last year's Sprint Car winner Doug Stanley. Heat winners were Knepper, Teeters, and Josh Holtgraver over the 26-car field.

Can anyone beat Carl Ealy? The Volant, Pa. racer made it three-for-three in the Strictly Stocks after taking the 12-lap feature in the "Redneck Racers Shotgun Series". Ealy's victory wasn't as easy as the previous two wins. He passed Dave Bass for third on lap two and Vaughn Cook for second on lap four. Ealy ran down race leader Bill Kluck, Jr. and was on him on lap seven. The two raced side-by-side on lap eight and it was Ealy coming out in the lead after making contact with the wall in turn four. Kluck stayed right with Ealy, but it was Ealy who collected his sixth career win in his #0. Kluck was a career best second over rookie Bryan Wagner, Bass, and Curt Bish. The heats were won by Kluck and Ealy.

RoadRunner & Lake Road Auto Sales Sprint Cars: 1. ARNIE KENT 2. Bob Felmlee 3. Rob Eyler 4. Rod George 5. Andy Priest 6. Jared Zimbardi 7. Skip Dougherty 8. Todd Bauer 9. Tom Quarterson 10. Chris Shuttleworth 11. Aaron Shaffer 12. Leonard Ripper, Jr. 13. Riki Likowski 14. Danny Holtgraver 15. J.R. Stewart 16. Paul Kapuchuck 17. Butch Beasley 18. Gary Edwards 19. Gale Ruth.

American Racer/Lias Tire (358) Modifieds: 1. KEVIN HOFFMAN 2. Mike Stine 3. Steve Young 4. Mike Lutz 5. Jimmy Holden 6. Garrett Krummert 7. Rick Hall 8. Kevin Green 9. Matt Reeher 10. Jim Rombold, Jr. 11. Chuck Crawley 12. Travis Bell 13. Ryan Haney 14. Jr. Baker 15. Shayne Izzo 16. Matt Baker 17. Gary Smoker 18. Tommy Kristyak 19. Jay Blum 20. Rich Whitney 21. Shaun Hooks 22. Kyle Ripper 23. Fred Sasse 24. Rick Kress 25. Brian Fink-DNS 26. Jerry Twentier, Sr.-DNS.

Tire Express Stock Cars: 1. ANDY BUCKLEY 2. Scott Myers 3. Brian Booher 4. Bobby Whitling 5. Bill Lanigan 6. Rick Norco 7. Russ Coyne 8. Andy Thompson 9. Mark Sanders 10. Chad Myers 11. Clyde Roberts 12. Gary Sullivan 13. Tim Burns 14. Bob Sloss 15. Bill Schall, Jr. 16. Ryan Moyer 17. Bill Vance, Jr. 18. Branden Porter 19. Bryan Shaffer 20. Terry Wheeler 21. Joe Lockhart-DNS 22. Gary Johns-DNS.

Mod Lites: 1. BRIAN WOODHALL 2. Brian Wheatley 3. Lynn Knepper 4. Brian Daniszewski 5. Doug Stanley 6. Kenny Meadows 7. Brian Wheatley 8. Mark Williams 9. Rusty Birch 10. Chris Logan 11. Bill Durstine 12. Angie Grzelak 13. Tiffany Williams 14. Kevin Brown 15. Hank Williams 16. Larry Rhoades 17. Chad Wilds 18. Jeff Teeters 19. Josh Sigman 20. Jay Dye 21. James Gump 22. Josh Holtgraver 23. John Watson 24. Frank Dunkle 25. Ben Black-DNS 26. K.R. Bridges-DNS.

Maurer's Trading Post Strictly Stocks: 1. CARL EALY 2. Bill Kluck, Jr. 3. Bryan Wagner 4. Dave Bass 5. Curt Bish 6. Ed DeLoe 7. William Shelatree 8. William Morrison III 9. Vaughn Cook 10. Paul Reiser

Upcoming Events:
4/22 Sprints, Mods, Stock Cars, Strictly Stocks plus Interstate Micro Sprint Series. $10 Family Night
4/29 Sprints, Mods, Stock Cars, Strictly Stocks plus Demo Derby. Yellow Book USA Night. Free admission for all Beaver County residents
5/6 "Deuces Wild!" presented by Hoosier Tire Mid-Atlantic. Double features for all divisions (no heat races) plus Australian Pursuits & dashes.
5/13 Sprints, Mods, Stock Cars, Strictly Stocks, plus Interstate Micro Sprint Series & Kids Bike Races. $10 Family Night

Mercer Raceway Park is located minutes from both Interstate 79 and 80 just off Route 19 on Fairground Road in Mercer, Pa. Dirt track racing and quality family entertainment are presented weekly late March through early October. The office in New Bedford, Pa. is open year-round after 1:00 p.m. Monday through Friday. For more information call the office at 724-964-9300 or the track on race day at 724-662-1310. Check out our website at www.mercerracewaypark.com for the latest.

FELMLEE WINS WILD SPRINT FEATURE FOR 2ND STRAIGHT WEEK AT MERCER; STINE HOLDS OFF SMOKER IN MODS; LUX & PEGHER WIN FIRSTS IN E-MODS & STOCKS; EALY REPEATS IN STRICTLIES
By Mike Leone

April 8, 2006 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Mercer, PA.Mercer Raceway Park completed the second night of racing action in the 2006 season on Saturday night. The five-division program was spun off in just over three hours. Scoring wins and celebrating in the Hoosier Tire Mid-Atlantic victory lane were Bob Felmlee-RoadRunner & Lake Road Auto Sales Sprint Cars, Mike Stine-American Racer/Lias Tire Modifieds, Matt Lux-E-Mods, Mike Pegher, Jr.-Tire Express Stock Cars, and Carl Ealy-Maurer's Trading Post Strictly Stocks.

Bob Felmlee charged from the 12th starting spot and came out on top of a wild five-car race for the lead to win the 20-lap RoadRunner & Lake Road Auto Sales Sprint Car feature for the second straight week. While the Franklin, Pa. didn't make noise until the halfway point, Gary Edwards took the early lead from the pole position as he and Andy Priest resumed their heat race battle.

Edwards caught lapped traffic on lap six just before the caution was displayed for a Chris Shuttleworth spin. Priest continued to hound Edwards, while all eyes began to shift to eighth starter Arnie Kent. Kent passed Brent Matus to crack the top five on lap seven then drove around Carl Bowser for fourth on lap later. Felmlee disposed of Matus for fifth and all of sudden five cars were racing for the lead with 10 to go.

Quarterson made a nice move to slip past Priest for second at the line on lap 11. Kent used the outside to fly around both Priest and Kent for second on lap 13. One lap later, Kent had the lead sneaking past Edwards off turn four. Felmlee then passed Priest for third on lap 15, while Kent pulled away from the pack running the high line stretching out his lead to a near straightaway.

The race really changed with five laps to go. First Edwards slowed and pulled into the infield, while Jason Dolick smacked the wall and collected Rob Eyler. On the following lap, Quarterson got high into the marbles in turn four and looped his car spinning across oncoming traffic with thankfully no one hitting him. The moved Felmlee to second and Priest back to third for the restart.

When racing resumed, Kent and Felmlee raced hard. Felmlee was all over the leader as the two both wanted the same high line around the speedway. Felmlee made his move coming off turn four on lap 18 and the two made contact at the start-finish line with Kent hitting the wall and coming to rest near the infield.

Felmlee would go on to lead the final two laps for his 21st career win in his World of Wheels/Lutz Auto Body/Vinyl Graphics-sponsored #6. Priest was second matching his best finish back on August 10, 2002. Rod George was third after starting 11th. Carl Bowser and Jared Zimbardi recorded their best career Mercer finishes in fourth and fifth. Completing the top 10 were Matus, Skip Dougherty, Quarterson, Danny Holtgraver, and New Hampshire's Riki Likowski. Heat winners over the 23-car field were Priest, Felmlee, and George as five states were again represented for the second straight week.

Mike Stine held off last week's winner and defending champion Gary Smoker and survived a caution-plagued event to score the victory in the 20-lap American Racer/Lias Tire Modified feature.

Stine raced out ahead of Mike Lutz on the start for the lead. Matt Baker passed Lutz for second on lap three and stayed right with Stine. By lap five, eighth starter Kevin Hoffman joined the battle and made it a three-car race for the lead. Hoffman finally worked his way past Baker for second on lap nine and appeared to have the fastest car in the field. However, one lap later rookie Shayne Izzo spun and Hoffman got collected as cars were on the binders.

Hoffman's spin moved Baker back to second and 12th starter Smoker to third. It wasn't until lap 15 when Smoker disposed of Baker for second. Smoker hounded Stine over the final five laps, but didn't have quite enough as Stine took the checkered flag first for his fourth career win in the Tom Stine-owned, Patriot Chevrolet Cadillac/Lutz Radiator & Auto/Stine Mechanical-sponsored #7.

Baker was an impressive third for his best career finish. Rick Hall was fourth after starting ninth and Garrett Krummert came back from an early spin to complete the top five. Lutz drove the Glenn Hinkle #77 to sixth ahead of Hoffman, Matt Reeher, Steve Young, and Shaun Hooks. Heat victors over the 26-car field were Krummert, Stine, and Hoffman.

Matt Lux won his first of the year in the 15-lap E-Mod feature. Lux and Howard Fraley battled for the lead swapping the top spot back and forth. On lap six, the two raced side-by-side and made contact off turn four with Lux coming out on top. Lux of Franklin, Pa. raced on to his third career Mercer E-Mod win and 12th overall at Mercer in the Scott Bidwell-owned, Fame RV/Maloney Tool & Mold/Eddie's Footlong Hot Dogs-sponsored #21. Fraley and Alan Dellinger would battle hard for second with Fraley getting the nod. Dave Hess, Jr. was fourth with Russ Dunn fifth. The heat races went to Dellinger and Fraley.

Mike Pegher, Jr. drove a great race to barely edge last week's winner and defending champion Brian Booher for the 15-lap Tire Express Stock Car win. Rick Norco jumped out to the lead with Bill Lanigan in second and Pegher moving from fifth to third on the opening lap. Pegher then passed Lanigan for runner-up on lap two.

Pegher made the pass for the lead on lap three by getting around Norco. Booher followed as he passed both Lanigan and Norco on the same lap for second. On lap 11, Booher got under Pegher in turn two, but Pegher had just enough to maintain the lead until the final caution was displayed with 11 completed.

When racing resumed, the two picked up their battle and raced side-by-side with Booher nosing ahead to lead lap 13. The following lap saw Booher slip high off turn two allowing Pegher to get back by and lead the final two circuits for the victory. Pegher of Wexford, Pa. collected his third career win in his Alternative Power Sources/Triple-S Auto Outlet/SS Racing Chassis-sponsored #09. Booher was second ahead of Lanigan, Terry Wheeler, and Bobby Whitling. Heat winners were Andy Buckley and Booher over the 21-car field.

Carl Ealy made it two-for-two in the 12-lap Maurer's Trading Post Strictly Stock feature. The Volant, Pa. driver came from the fifth starting and raced side-by-side with leader Vaughn Cook on the third and fourth laps before edging ahead on the fourth circuit. Once in front, Ealy pulled away for his fifth career win in his #0. Cook held on for a career best second. Curt Bish, Sr. was third with rookies Bill Kluck, Jr. and Bryan Wagner fourth and fifth. Ealy also won the heat race.

RoadRunner & Lake Road Auto Sales Sprint Cars: 1. BOB FELMLEE 2. Andy Priest 3. Rod George 4. Carl Bowser 5. Jared Zimbardi 6. Brent Matus 7. Skip Dougherty 8. Tom Quarterson 9. Danny Holtgraver 10. Riki Likowski 11. Joe Butera 12. Chris Shuttleworth 13. Russ Sansosti 14. Jack Helget 15. Paul Kapuchuck 16.Arnie Kent 17. Gary Edwards 18. Rob Eyler 19. Jason Dolick 20. Gale Ruth 21. Bryan Grove-DNS 22. Mike Dehner-DNS 23. Jeff Taylor-DNS.

American Racer/Lias Tire (358) Modifieds: 1. MIKE STINE 2. Gary Smoker 3. Matt Baker 4. Rick Hall 5. Garrett Krummert 6. Mike Lutz 7. Kevin Hoffman 8. Matt Reeher 9. Steve Young 10. Shaun Hooks 11. Kevin Green 12. Ryan Haney 13. Chris Dye 14. Chuck Crawley 15. Frank Guidace 16. Rich Whitney 17. Rick Kress 18. Fred Sasse 19. Shayne Izzo 20. Ben Porter 21. Alex Anderson 22. Nick Ritchey 23. Kyle Ripper-DSQ (light) 24. Jeff Stuchel-DNS 25. Jimmy Holden-DNS 26. Jr. Baker-DNS.

E-Mods: 1. MATT LUX 2. Howard Fraley 3. Alan Dellinger 4. Dave Hess, Jr. 5. Russ Dunn 6. Mike Hess 7. Rick Robinson 8. Bill Westlake 9. Andy Sweetland 10. Bill Thomas 11. Tim Rhoades 12. Keith Bidwell.

Tire Express Stock Cars: 1. MIKE PEGHER, JR. 2. Brian Booher 3. Bill Lanigan 4. Terry Wheeler 5. Bobby Whitling 6. Rick Norco 7. Russ Coyne 8. Ryan Moyer 9. Andy Thompson 10. Bryan Wagner 11. Clyde Roberts 12. Cody Smith 13. Tim Burns 14. Joey Koteles 15. Mark Sanders 16. Steve D'Apolito 17. Sonny Wisler 18. Bob Sloss 19. Branden Porter 20. Andy Buckley 21. Rick Lanigan.

Maurer's Trading Post Strictly Stocks: 1. CARL EALY 2. Vaughn Cook 3. Curt Bish, Sr. 4. Bill Kluck, Jr. 5. Bryan Wagner 6. Dave Bass 7. Josh Seippel 8. William Morrison III.

Upcoming Events:
4/15 Sprints, Mods, Stock Cars, Strictly Stocks plus Mod Lites. Twin-State & PCTC Night
4/22 Sprints, Mods, Stock Cars, Strictly Stocks plus Interstate Micro Sprint Series. $10 Family Night
4/29 Sprints, Mods, Stock Cars, Strictly Stocks plus Demo Derby. Yellow Book USA Night. Free admission for all Beaver County residents
5/6 "Deuces Wild!" presented by Hoosier Tire Mid-Atlantic. Double features for all divisions (no heat races) plus Australian Pursuits & dashes.

Mercer Raceway Park is located minutes from both Interstate 79 and 80 just off Route 19 on Fairground Road in Mercer, Pa. Dirt track racing and quality family entertainment are presented weekly late March through early October. The office in New Bedford, Pa. is open year-round after 1:00 p.m. Monday through Friday. For more information call the office at 724-964-9300 or the track on race day at 724-662-1310. Check out our website at www.mercerracewaypark.com for the latest.

MERCER STILL ON FOR SATURDAY; E-MODS ADDED TO THE PROGRAM
By Mike Leone

April 7, 2006 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Mercer, PA.Mercer Raceway Park has announced that racing for Saturday, April 8 is still on as of Friday evening. Also, the E-Mods have been added to the card joining the RoadRunner & Lake Road Auto Sales Sprint Cars, American Racer/Lias Tire Modifieds, Tire Express Stock Cars, and Maurer's Trading Post Strictly Stocks. A final decision will be made by late Saturday morning pending the weather.

Pit gates open at 3:30 p.m. Grandstands open at 4:30 p.m. Hot laps will get underway at approximately 6:15 p.m. with racing at 7 p.m. Adult admission is $11, students 6-15 are $5, the family pass is $25, children five and under are free and pit passes are $22.

Mercer Raceway Park is located minutes from both Interstate 79 and 80 just off Route 19 on Fairground Road in Mercer, Pa. Dirt track racing and quality family entertainment are presented weekly late March through September. The office in New Bedford, Pa. is open year-round after 1 p.m. Monday through Friday. For more information call the office at 724-964-9300 or the track on race day at 724-662-1310. Check out our website at www.mercerracewaypark.com for the latest.

MERCER LOOKS TO COMPLETE SECOND SHOW OF THE EARLY SEASON SATURDAY; 4-DIVISION PROGRAM ON TAP
By Mike Leone

Mercer, PA.Heading into the third scheduled week of action, Mercer Raceway Park is batting .500 and will look to complete the second event of the early 2006 season this Saturday night, April 8.

The four weekly divisions will resume their point races in the RoadRunner & Lake Road Auto Sales Sprint Cars, American Racer/Lias Tire Modifieds, Tire Express Stock Cars, and the Maurer's Trading Post Strictly Stocks with racing at 7 p.m.

"The weather thus far has been disappointing," stated eighth year owner Vicki Emig. "After a mild, dry winter and decent weather during the week, Saturdays haven't been too nice. We want to thank all the fans and drivers that turned out last week despite the unpleasant conditions. We had some great racing and the show ran off smoothly. With the weather cold this time of the year, we'll do everything in our power to run off a quick show and get everyone home before the temperatures really start to drop."

Bob Felmlee of Franklin, Pa. got three feature starts under his belt at the tough Williams Grove Speedway in March and it paid off as he flew to last week's 20-lap 410 Sprint Car feature win and with that took the early point lead over defending champion Rod George, who came home second. Felmlee topped a quality field of 26 cars for his 20th career Mercer win.

As expected, a strong field of 29 Modifieds turned out for the opener despite the fact that at least 10 regular competitors still were not ready for action. Mercer's own Gary Smoker showed he's ready to defend his championship by topping former big-block racer Frank Guidace and New York star Ron Cartwright, Jr. for the 20-lap win. Smoker is quickly climbing the all-time win chart with 34 career Mercer wins to his credit.

Like Smoker, Brian Booher got off to a great start in hopes of defending his 2005 championship after an impressive victory over Bobby Whitling in the 15-lap Stock Car opener. After entering the 2005 season with just seven career victories, Booher has racked up eight wins in the last year upping his career mark to 15.

Carl Ealy came out of the gate swinging and looks like he's ready to contend for his first championship in the Strictly Stocks. The Volant, Pa. racer's fourth career win came in the 12-lap Strictly Stock night-capper.

Pit gates open at 3:30 p.m. Grandstands open at 4:30 p.m. Hot laps will get underway at approximately 6:15 p.m. with racing at 7 p.m. Adult admission is $11, students 6-15 are $5, the family pass is $25, children five and under are free and pit passes are $22.

Mercer Raceway Park is located minutes from both Interstate 79 and 80 just off Route 19 on Fairground Road in Mercer, Pa. Dirt track racing and quality family entertainment are presented weekly late March through September. The office in New Bedford, Pa. is open year-round after 1 p.m. Monday through Friday. For more information call the office at 724-964-9300 or the track on race day at 724-662-1310. Check out our website at www.mercerracewaypark.com for the latest.

FELMLEE FLIES TO IMPRESSIVE SPRINT OPENING NIGHT MERCER SPRINT WIN; SMOKER & BOOHER PICK UP WHERE THEY LEFT OFF IN MODS & STOCKS; THOMAS WINS 1ST IN E-MODS; EALY TAKES STRICTLIES
By Mike Leone

Mercer, PA.Mercer Raceway Park kicked off the 2006 55th anniversary season on Saturday night despite drizzly, cool conditions. Opening the season with wins and celebrating in the Hoosier Tire Mid-Atlantic victory lane were Bob Felmlee-RoadRunner & Lake Road Auto Sales Sprint Cars, Gary Smoker-American Racer/Lias Tire Modifieds, Bill Thomas-E-Mods, Brian Booher-Tire Express Stock Cars, and Carl Ealy-Maurer's Trading Post Strictly Stocks.

One year ago Bob Felmlee made his return to racing at Mercer after a six-year layoff due to an injury and was simply making laps trying to get the feel back. One year later, the western Pennsylvania standout looked as good as he ever has after a breathtaking, flat-out victory in the 20-lap RoadRunner & Lake Road Auto Sales Sprint Car feature.

"It's a big difference from opening night last year," expressed the Franklin, Pa. driver. "I have to thank the crew, right now this team is clicking. We went to the Williams Grove for three shows and didn't do too bad and we come back here and everyone is a little rusty yet. Hopefully we can keep this going."

Scott Bonnell drew the pole position and raced into the lead with Jason Dolick in tow. Sixth starter, Ed Lynch, Jr., bolted past Rod George, Skip Dougherty, and Felmlee into third on the opening lap. Lynch wasted little time zipping past Dolick for runner-up on lap three and quickly closed on Bonnell in lapped traffic on lap five.

Meanwhile, after dropping back to fifth from his third starting spot, Felmlee made his presence known getting by Skip Dougherty then made a bonsai move off turn four to sneak past Dolick for third on lap five. With Bonnell and Lynch in traffic on lap seven, Felmlee quickly closed on the duo just before a caution for Gale Ruth.

When racing resumed, George passed Dougherty to crack the top five. Lynch's front wing broke on lap nine and moments later Felmlee grabbed the runner-up position. Then seconds later Bonnell slowed and came to rest ending his night and turned the lead over to Felmlee with Lynch, Dolick, and George trailing.

The next 10 laps went green as Felmlee put on quite a show with a breathtaking run through lapped traffic. George continued to inch toward the front getting around Dolick for third on lap 16. Felmlee had a near half-lap lead on Lynch when Lynch looped his car in turn four on the 19th lap.

With lapped cars in between, Felmlee cruised on the final lap taking the checkered by a three-second margin over defending champion George. The victory was Felmlee's milestone 20th of his career in his World of Wheels/Lutz Auto Body/Vinyl Graphics-sponsored #6. Dolick's third matched his best finish since a third on June 26, 2004. Rob Eyler was fourth over Dougherty, who made a rare Mercer start and matched his best finish since a fifth on July 15, 2000. Completing the top 10 were 25th starter Arnie Kent, Jack Sodeman, Jr., Shearer, Carl Bowser, and Lynch. Heat winners over the 26-car field, which includes drivers from five different states, were Shearer, Bonnell, and Ellenberger.

Defending champion Gary Smoker opened the season in fine fashion with a strong performance in the 20-lap American Racer/Lias Tire Modified feature holding off challenges by Frank Guidace and New York standout Ron Cartwright, Jr.

After three attempts at getting a lap in, Garrett Krummert took the early lead racing past Matt Reeher. Smoker moved ahead of Cartwright and Reeher for second with Cartwright in third on the first lap. Smoker and Krummert raced side-by-side on lap two before a caution for Alex Anderson. On the restart, Krummert got sideways allowing Smoker to take charge as Cartwright advanced to second and eighth starter Jimmy Holden to third.

Guidace joined the battle when he passed both Holden and Cartwright to take over second on lap seven. Cartwright fought back regaining the spot one lap later. The final caution slowed action with 10 laps completed when Fred Sasse, Shaun Hooks, and Kevin Green tangled.

When racing resumed, Guidace moved back ahead of Cartwright for second. That would be the last change up front as Smoker was just too much for Guidace and Cartwright as he went green-to-checkered in the last 10 laps. Smoker's sixth career 358 Modified win broke the tie with Lonny Riggs and the victory was also his 34th of his career overall at Mercer in his Mito Insulations/MBMR Inc/Kristyak's Service & Towing-sponsored #516.

Guidace edged Cartwright for third. Holden was fourth ahead of Bill Adams. Sixth through tenth were Steve Young, Krummert, Rick Hall, Reeher, and Sasse. Heat winners over the 29-car field were Kevin Hoffman, Cartwright, and Guidace. Jr. Baker won the B main. New York DIRT Modified star Vic Coffey drove a team car to Cartwright and finished second in his heat, but was unable to get his car to start for the feature.

Bill Thomas captured the 15-lap E-Mod feature for his first ever victory at Mercer. The Waterford, Pa. standout didn't squander his pole position start as led all 15 circuits and survived five cautions for the win in his #22. Thomas became the 11th different winner in 15 E-Mod races contested at Mercer over the years.

Doug Glessner, who started fifth, passed Ryan Learn for second on lap two, but chased Thomas for the duration and had to hold off hard charging Russ Dunn. Seventh and eighth place starters Mike Hess and Justin Carlson finished fourth and fifth respectively. Topping the heat races over the 24-car field were Carlson, Learn, and Howard Fraley. The E-Mods will return next on Friday, May 19.

After a career best season in 2005 which saw Brian Booher win a track-high seven features and collect his first championship of any kind, the Sandy Lake, Pa. racer picked right up where he left off with the win in the 15-lap Tire Express Stock Car feature.

Bobby Whitling flew from his fourth starting spot around Jason Fosnaught, Mark Thompson, Jr., and Andy Thompson into the lead on the opening lap. Booher, who started eighth, along with 15th starting Terry Wheeler both disposed of Andy Thompson for second and third on lap five.

Lap six saw Booher and Whitling race side-by-side for the lead with Booher getting the advantage with a turn four move. Whitling would stay on Booher over the course of the event, but it was Booher in the Terry Hoover-owned, Ed & Jerry's Auto Service/Harry & Tim's Roofing-sponsored #00H claiming his 15th career win moving him into a tie for third with Gary Robinson on the all-time win list.

Whitling came up just shy as he's hungry for a win after getting shutout on the circuit last season and hasn't won at Mercer since May 8, 2004. Wheeler was third as Andy Thompson and Bob Sloss completed the first five. Andy Buckley and Booher won the heat races over the 22-car field.

Carl Ealy raced to a convincing win the 12-lap Maurer's Trading Post Strictly Stock feature. The Volant, Pa. driver led from start-to-finish in the non-stop affair. Ealy's victory was the fourth of his career in his #0 and came over 2004 champion Curt Bish, Sr. Ed DeLoe made his first ever start and was third after starting sixth. Joe Blake and Josh Seippel completed the top five. Seippel and Ealy won the heat races.

RoadRunner & Lake Road Auto Sales Sprint Cars: 1. BOB FELMLEE 2. Rod George 3. Jason Dolick 4. Rob Eyler 5. Skip Dougherty 6. Arnie Kent 7. Jack Sodeman, Jr. 8. Mike Shearer 9. Carl Bowser 10. Ed Lynch, Jr. 11. Chris Shuttleworth 12. Cory Good 13. Jared Zimbardi 14. Brent Matus 15. Tom Quarterson 16. Danny Holtgraver 17. Russ Sansosti 18. Brian Ellenberger 19. Mike Dehner 20. Joe Butera 21. Jeff Taylor 22. Riki Likowski 23. Scott Bonnell 24. Gale Ruth 25. Andy Priest 26. Gary Edwards-DNS.

American Racer/Lias Tire (358) Modifieds: 1. GARY SMOKER 2. Frank Guidace 3. Ron Cartwright, Jr. 4. Jimmy Holden 5. Bill Adams 6. Steve Young 7. Garrett Krummert 8. Rick Hall 9. Matt Reeher 10. Fred Sasse 11. Kevin Hoffman 12. Ryan Haney 13. Chris Dye 14. Jeff Stuchel 15. Kevin Green 16. Shaun Hooks 17. Matt Baker 18. Mike Stine 19. Zack Moran 20. Mike Lutz 21. Rick Kress 22. Alex Anderson 23. Jr. Baker 24. Vic Coffey-DNS DNQ: Tim Zuschlag, Ben Porter, Chuck Crawley, Travis Bell, Shayne Izzo.

E-Mods: 1. BILL THOMAS 2. Doug Glessner 3. Russ Dunn 4. Mike Hess 5. Justin Carlson 6. Dave Hess, Jr. 7. Rich Michael, Jr. 8. Alan Dellinger 9. Gary Robinson 10. Bruce Dreistadt 11. Carl McKinney 12. Ryan Learn 13. Matt Lux 14. Jeff Walters 15. Rich Logan 16. Darrell Bossard 17. Dana Wellington 18. Dave Willoughby 19. Tim Rhoades 20. Howard Fraley 21. Andy Sweetland 22. Mike Potosky-DNS 23. Brett Porter-DNS 24. Keith Bidwell-DNS.

Tire Express Stock Cars: 1. BRIAN BOOHER 2. Bobby Whitling 3. Terry Wheeler 4. Andy Thompson 5. Bob Sloss 6. Scott Myers 7. Mike Pegher, Jr. 8. Jason Fosnaught 9. Andy Buckley 10. Russ Coyne 11. Bill Lanigan 12. Chris Brown 13. Terry Young 14. Mark Thompson, Jr. 15. Tim Burns 16. Bill Vance, Jr. 17. Branden Porter 18. Bryan Shaffer 19. Ryan Moyer 20. Charles Ramsey-DNS 21. Rick Norco-DNS 22. Carlos Aponte-DNS.

Maurer's Trading Post Strictly Stocks: 1. CARL EALY 2. Curt Bish, Sr. 3. Ed DeLoe 4. Joe Blake 5. Josh Seippel 6. Bryan Wagner 7. Bill Kluck, Jr. 8. William Morrison III 9. Vaughn Cook-DNS.

Upcoming Events:
4/8 Sprints, Mods, Stock Cars, & Strictly Stocks.
4/15 Sprints, Mods, Stock Cars, Strictly Stocks plus Mod Lites. Twin-State & PCTC Night
4/22 Sprints, Mods, Stock Cars, Strictly Stocks plus Interstate Micro Sprint Series. $10 Family Night
4/29 Sprints, Mods, Stock Cars, Strictly Stocks plus Demo Derby. Yellow Book USA Night. Free admission for all Beaver County residents

Mercer Raceway Park is located minutes from both Interstate 79 and 80 just off Route 19 on Fairground Road in Mercer, Pa. Dirt track racing and quality family entertainment are presented weekly late March through early October. The office in New Bedford, Pa. is open year-round after 1:00 p.m. Monday through Friday. For more information call the office at 724-964-9300 or the track on race day at 724-662-1310. Check out our website at www.mercerracewaypark.com for the latest.

MERCER TO TRY AGAIN SATURDAY TO OPEN 55TH AVVIVERSARY SEASON; WEEKLY RACING BEGINS PLUS E-MODS ON THE CARD
By Mike Leone

Mercer, PA.After losing the "Chiller Thriller" to Mother Nature for the second straight year, Mercer Raceway Park will try once again this Saturday night, April 1 at 7 p.m. to get the 55th anniversary season underway.

The four weekly divisions will start their championship races in the RoadRunner & Lake Road Auto Sales Sprint Cars, American Racer/Lias Tire Modifieds, Tire Express Stock Cars, and the Maurer's Trading Post Strictly Stocks. Joining the program will be the E-Mods.

"It was disappointing to lose the Chiller Thriller again," stated eighth year owner Vicki Emig. "We were set to go Saturday morning, but the weather took a turn for the worse and we had not choice but to cancel. Warmer weather is expected this weekend so hopefully the rain will move through come Saturday and we can kick off our season."

Rod George will look to defend his first ever Mercer Sprint Car Championship. The Kittanning, Pa. driver never finished worse than fourth last season and will hope to get off to a strong start Saturday as he's expected to have stiff competition with no other area tracks racing Saturday or Sunday. Crawford County's RoadRunner Auto Sales and Lake Road Auto Sales have come together to be the divisional sponsor of the 410 Sprint Cars in 2006.

Coming off the inaugural 358 Modified season, Gary Smoker will look for his second career championship. The Mercer, Pa. veteran, who owns 33 career Mercer wins, will face the likes Tommy Kristyak, Steve Young, Kevin Hoffman, Andy Priest, Rick Hall, Frank Guidace, Brad Rapp, Brian Fink, Mike Stine, Lonny Riggs, Ron Eperthener, Jr., and many more throughout the season as an average of 30 cars is expected. Indiana's American Racer/Lias Tire is the new Modified sponsor for the upcoming season.

The ultra-competitive Stock Cars always provide side-by-side racing. This year should be no different as defending champion Brian Booher leads a strong contingent of racers, who will battle for supremacy. The Sandy Lake, Pa. titlist was also a first time champion in 2005. Andy Buckley, the 2001 & 2004 champion, is two wins from tying Alan Dellinger's leading 21 victories since the track reopened in 1994. New Castle's Tire Express returns for the third year as title sponsor.

The Strictly Stocks will begin their third year of action. Will anyone be able to dethrone the Bishs? It was Curt, Sr. taking the inaugural crown in 2004 and Curt, Jr. last year. The father-son duo have accounted for 22 of the 36 feature wins. Franklin's Maurer's Trading Post will present the "Redneck Racers Shotgun Series" for the third consecutive year.

The E-Mods have taken part in 14 races over the years at Mercer Raceway Park, but will be featured more in 2006 than ever before. Saturday's winner will pocket $400. Alan Dellinger is the all-time winner with three victories.

Pit gates open at 3:30 p.m. Grandstands open at 4:30 p.m. Hot laps will get underway at approximately 6:15 p.m. with racing at 7 p.m. Adult admission is $11, students 6-15 are $5, the family pass is $25, children five and under are free and pit passes are $22.

Mercer Raceway Park is located minutes from both Interstate 79 and 80 just off Route 19 on Fairground Road in Mercer, Pa. Dirt track racing and quality family entertainment are presented weekly late March through September. The office in New Bedford, Pa. is open year-round after 1 p.m. Monday through Friday. For more information call the office at 724-964-9300 or the track on race day at 724-662-1310. Check out our website at www.mercerracewaypark.com for the latest.

STARTING TIME MOVED UP 2 HOURS WITH RACING AT 5 PM FOR SATURDAY'S OPENER AT MERCER; LATE MODELS, E-MODS, & STOCKS PART OF THE "CHILLER THRILLER"
By Mike Leone

Mercer, PA.Mercer Raceway Park announced Monday that the starting times for this coming Saturday's season opener has been pushed forward two hours. Please be aware that the new times are as follows: pit gates open at 1:30 PM, grandstands open at 2:30 PM, drivers meeting at 4 PM, hot laps 4:15 PM, pill cutoff at 4:30 PM, and racing at 5 PM.
Saturday's "Chiller Thriller" will feature the late models in a 30-lap $2,000 to-win feature. The E-Mods will make their first of nine scheduled appearances and will be racing in a 20-lap feature paying $500 to-win. The Tire Express Stock Cars will be using the open competition rules and the 20-lap feature will award the winner $500.
"We're all set to go for Saturday, all we need is Mother Nature to cooperate," stated eighth year owner Vicki Emig. "We're going to do everything we can to get the show in, but with cool weather predicted, we decided it was in the best interest of all to start two hours earlier than normal. This will allow us to complete the three-division show before the temperatures really fall off."
Watch our website throughout the week for updates and be sure to confirm that we are racing before making the trip on Saturday due to the uncertainty of the early spring weather. Adult admission is $15, students 6-15 are $7, the family pass is $35, children five and under are free and pit passes are $30.
Mercer Raceway Park is located minutes from both Interstate 79 and 80 just off Route 19 on Fairground Road in Mercer, Pa. Dirt track racing and quality family entertainment are presented weekly late March through September. The office in New Bedford, Pa. is open year-round after 1 p.m. Monday through Friday. For more information call the office at 724-964-9300 or the track on race day at 724-662-1310. Check out our website at www.mercerracewaypark.com for the latest.

MERCER RACEWAY PARK READY FOR AN EXTRAVAGANT 2006 SEASON; JAMMED-PACKED 27-NIGHT SCHEDULE RELEASED WITH OPENING NIGHT SET FOR MARCH 25
By Mike Leone

Mercer, PA.Mercer Raceway Park recently released the 2006 schedule of event as Saturday, March 25 has been set as the 55th anniversary season opener with late models, e-mods, and open stock cars making up the "Chiller Thriller". Gates will open at 4:30 p.m. with the first green flag of the new season set to wave at 7 p.m. Another season of heart-pounding racing excitement and quality family events make up the 27-night slate.
Mercer Raceway Park is pleased to announce two new divisional sponsors that will join two returning ones. RoadRunner & Lake Road Auto Sales will be the new title sponsor of the headlining sprint cars, while American Racer/Lias Tires have come aboard as the modified divisional sponsor. Tire Express returns for third straight year to sponsor the stock cars as does Maurer's Trading Post as the "Redneck Racers Shotgun Series" for strictly stocks begins their third year. The four-division weekly divisions will take to the track one week later on Saturday, April 1 with points starting and the e-mods will return for the second straight week.
"We've put together another exciting and action-packed schedule," said eighth-year owner Vicki Emig. "We've changed up some of our special events once again and have added to our second year of 'Fan.tastics Entertainment Savings Events' to go along with our great four-division grassroots racing weekly program. We are again offering more increased purse events to the regional racers than any other speedway in western Pa and eastern Ohio. The best thing about all of our special race events is that they are all so affordable for our fans with either a $13 or $15 adult and $33 or $35 family admission."
The first special event following the opener will be a new show titled, "Deuces Wild!", which will be presented by Hoosier Tire Mid-Atlantic on May 6. No heat races will be contested on this night. The top 12 point cars will be inverted for the Australian Pursuit, which will determine the first 12 starting spots of the first feature. The remaining cars will run in dashes to fill the remainder of the line-up, while the second feature will use an invert from the first feature's results.
"The Return of Modzilla" will again feature three modified divisions including the BRP Tour, which will be the only appearance of the season by the big blocks. The small-block mods, e-mods, stocks, and strictly stocks will join in. This year's event will be held on a Friday night, May 19 at 7:30 PM.
For the sixth straight year, Mercer Raceway Park will be the site of a world championship pulling event on Sunday, May 28 at 6:30 PM. The All-American "Spring Nationals" will include the Big Rig Semis, Smoker Tractors, Street Diesel 4x4 Trucks and the "Run What Ya Brung" Trucks with a rain date of Memorial Day at 5 PM.
The Hoffman Family will again come together along with Hoffman Door Co. to present the Jeff Hoffman Memorial on June 10. This year's event will be contested for the small-block mods in their first of four major events for the year. The winner of the 30-lap modified feature will earn $2,000. A rain date of the following Saturday has been established.
A little over three weeks later, the modifieds will again return to the spotlight in the Tuesday, Fourth of July special featuring the first of two appearances by New York's T3 All-Star Series with $1,500 going to the winner. The e-mods, open stock cars, and strictly stocks will be part of the special event, which will be presented by Alpine H2O with an early 6 PM start time.
On July 8 a unique program titled "Race, Rattle, & Pull" will be showcased. For the first time ever racing, pulling, and demo derbies will all be held on the same night! For the racing portion, the strictly stocks will be featured in double features (clockwise and counter-clockwise with bonus money on the line). A huge demolition derby paying $1,000 to-win will be held along with a first-ever compact car demo derby. For pulling fans, three classes have been scheduled including the street legal gas trucks, street legal diesel trucks, and the hot farm tractors. A rain date of Sunday, July 9 at 6 PM will be in effect.
For the second straight year, the "Sprint Slug-Out" will be made up of triple 15-lap features for the sprint cars each paying $1,000 to-win on July 22. A full show will complement the sprints with increased monies for all divisions as new marketing partner PNC Investments will present this event.
After a three-year absence, a celebration of the track's anniversary will be held. The "55th Anniversary Event" will be held on August 26 presented by Armstrong Zoom Cable Internet Service. The sprints will fittingly run wingless on this night for $2,000 to-win and will share the billing with the modifieds in the Bill Emig Memorial also paying $2,000 to-win. The stock cars and strictly stocks will also be in action. The Vintage American Race Cars will have their cars on display and will put on an exhibition. Once again, all retired drivers will be invited as guests for no charge on this night.
The 18th annual "Western PA Sprint Championship" will have its richest payday in history as $3,000 will await the winner of the region's biggest non-sanctioned sprint car event on September 9. The modifieds, e-mods, stock cars, and strictly stocks will join in. Points will end for the sprints, mods, and stocks.
After two weeks off, the "Little Guy Nationals" will take center stage as the region's richest support division only event will again feature two packed days of action. Friday, September 29 includes stock cars ($1,000 to-win), micro sprints ($750 to-win), and mod lites ($600). Then Saturday afternoon, September 30 the stock cars return for a big $2,000 to-win event. The T3 All-Star Series will return for the second appearance as the winner of the modified feature will earn $2,000. The sixth annual Mel Myers Memorial for the e-mods will pay $1,000 to-win.
Mercer Raceway Park is pleased to welcome on new marketing partner RE/MAX Real Estate Consultants of Mercer, who will sponsor both the "Gladiator Series" and kids bike race events. The "Gladiator Series" will be the four-event Demolition Derby schedule with crash em', smash em' action on April 29, May 27, July 8, and September 30, while kids bike races will be held on May 13, July 15, and August 12
Along with "The Little Guy Nationals," the micro sprints will make five additional appearances on April 22, May 13, June 24, July 15, and August 12 as all events will be sanctioned by the fledgling Interstate Micro Sprint Series. The e-mods will make nine stops throughout the season and points will be kept for the first time. The mod lites will join the card for their first of two appearances on April 15, and the PCTC Senior Series will race on May 27.
Grove City Auto Mall will present two events for this upcoming season. "Meet Your Heroes" Night will be held on June 3 as all drivers in all divisions will bring their cars onto the speedway for the camera and autograph night. Then on July 29 a first ever "Pack the Track"- Fan Appreciation Night will admit adults for just $5, students for $2, and families for $12.
Four free county nights will be featured including Beaver (April 29), Crawford (May 27), Venango (June 3), and Butler (July 1). The Crawford and Butler County Nights will be presented by Armstrong, who will also present the return of the popular $10 Family Nights. On April 22, May 13, July 15, and August 12, mom, dad, and as many kids 15 and under can attend the races for just $10 (a minimum $15 savings!)
For the second straight year, Welcome Ohio Night will admit all residents of Ohio free on June 24. American Patriot Night will again admit all veterans and scouts in uniform free on July 1. The final savings event will take place on August 12 for "Gearhead Gathering". On this night, you can cram the cab of your 4x4 truck with all your gearhead pals for just $20.
Some of the other new corporations that have gotten involved at The Park in 2006 include General Electric Diesel Engine Plant, M&M Insurance Group, Coca-Cola/Vault, Golden Corral (Hermitage, PA), Approved Toilet Rentals, and CARQUEST/Weaver & McConnell Auto Parts. Attached is a text-only version of the 2006 schedule. Please contact the office if you are interested in a color brochure with the entire detailed schedule.
Adult admission is $11, students 6-15 are $5, the family pass is $25, children five and under are free and pit passes are $22 for all non-specials. Season passes are available at a discounted price of $270. Season VIP rentals are still available and nightly rentals are $150. Please contact the office if you are interested. Attached is a text version of the 2006 schedule. The color, tri-fold brochure schedules will be available very soon.

Mercer Raceway Park 2006 Event Schedule
March 25 "Chiller Thriller" * Late Models ($2,000)/E-Mods/Open Stocks
April 1 Saturday Night Live! * Sprints, Modifieds, Stocks, & Strictly Stocks plus E-Mods * Points Start
April 8 Saturday Night Live! * (Our full 4-division show)
April 15 Saturday Night Live! * Plus Mod Lites * Twin-State & PCTC Night
April 22 Saturday Night Live! * Plus Interstate Micro Sprint Series * Bring the family for $10
April 29 Saturday Night Live! * Yellow Book USA Night * Plus Demo Derby * Free general admission for all Beaver County residents
May 6 "Deuces Wild!" * Presented by Hoosier Tire Mid-Atlantic * Double features for all divisions (no heat races) plus Australian Pursuits & Helmet Dashes
May 13 Saturday Night Live! * Plus Interstate Micro Sprint Series & Kids Bike Races * Bring the family for $10
(Fri) May 19 Fantastic Friday I - "The Return of Modzilla" * BRP Tour for Big-Block Mods/Small-Block Mods/E-Mods/Stocks/Strictly Stocks * Note: 7:30 PM start time
May 27 Saturday Night Live! * Plus PCTC Senior Series & Demo Derby * Free general admission for all Crawford County residents presented by Armstrong Zoom Cable Internet Service * General Electric Diesel Engine Plant Corp. Night
(Sun) May 28 All-American "Spring Nationals" - World Championship Pulling Event * Big-Rig Semis/Smoker Series Tractors/Street Diesel 4x4 Trucks/"Run What Ya Brung" Trucks * (Rain date Mon., May 29 at 5 PM)
June 3 Saturday Night Live! * "Meet Your Heroes" Camera & Autograph Night * Presented by Grove City Auto Mall * All cars & drivers on the speedway during intermission (Rain date July 29) * Coca-Cola's Vault CXT Customized Truck plus giveaways * Free general admission for all Venango County residents
June 10 "Jeff Hoffman Memorial" * Presented by Hoffman Door Co. * Featuring the Modifieds for $2,000 to-win! Plus Sprints/E-Mods/Stocks/Strictly Stocks * (Rain date June 17)
June 17 No racing OR rain date for June 10 "Jeff Hoffman Memorial"
June 24 Saturday Night Live! * Welcome Ohio Night - free general admission for all Ohio residents! * Plus Interstate Micro Sprint Series & autograph night * M&M Insurance Group Corp. Night
July 1 Saturday Night Live! * American Patriot Night/Fireworks Spectacular! * Free general admission for veterans with I.D., scouts in uniform, & Butler County residents presented by Armstrong Zoom Cable Internet
(Tue) July 4 "Saluting the Red, White, & Blue" * Presented by Alpine H2O * T3 All-Star Modified Series ($1,500)/E-Mods/Open Stocks/Strictly Stocks * Note: 6 PM start time
July 8 "Race, Rattle, & Pull" (Racing, Demo Derbies, & Pulling) * Strictly Stock double features (clockwise & counter-clockwise) * Demo Derby ($1,000) * First ever Compact Car Demo Derby * Street Legal Gas Trucks, Street Legal Diesel Trucks, and Hot Farm Tractor Pulling * (Rain date Sun., July 9 at 6 PM)
July 15 Saturday Night Live! * Golden Corral (Hermitage, PA) Night- dinner certificate giveaways * Plus Interstate Micro Sprint Series & Kids Bike Races * Bring the family for $10 * Bring a Raceway 7 rain check from June 30, July 7 or July 14 and be admitted for just $3 * Dean Dairy Corp. Night
July 22 7th Annual "Sprint Slug-Out" * Presented by PNC Investments * Triple 15s for Sprints! ($1,000 each) * Plus Modifieds/Stocks/Strictly Stocks
July 29 Saturday Night Live! * "Pack the Track" - Fan Appreciation Night ($5 Adults, $12 Family Pass, $2 Students) * Presented by Grove City Auto Mall * Full show including the Ken Carbone Memorial for Stocks ($650) plus "Yellow Fever Bus Rush" - School Bus Races
(Fri) Aug. 4 Fantastic Friday II - Sprints/Modifieds/Stocks/Strictly Stocks plus E-Mods * Autograph night for E-Mods * Emerson Process Management Corp. Night * Note: 7:30 PM start time
Aug. 12 Saturday Night Live! * Plus Interstate Micro Sprint Series & Kids Bike Races * Gearhead Gathering - $20 for as many gearheads as you can cram in the cab of a 4x4 truck * Bring the family for $10 * Approved Toilet Rentals Corp. Night
(Fri) Aug. 18 Fantastic Friday III - Late Models/Modifieds/E-Mods/Stocks/Strictly Stocks * Note: 7:30 PM start time - Tentative -
Aug. 26 "55th Anniversary Event" * Presented by Armstrong Zoom Cable Internet * Featuring Wingless Sprints ($2,000) & the Bill Emig Memorial for Modifieds ($2,000) plus Stocks & Strictly Stocks * Vintage American Race Car Series on display and exhibition races * Celebrating the first 55 years- reuniting former drivers & cars
Sept. 2 No racing
Sept. 9 18th Annual "Western PA Sprint Championship" * Featuring Sprint Cars in the region's richest non-sanctioned event ($3,000) plus Modifieds/E-Mods/Open Stocks/Strictly Stocks * Points end for Sprints, Mods, & Stocks * CARQUEST/Weaver Auto Parts & McConnell Auto Parts Corp. Night
Sept. 16 & 23 No racing
7th Annual "Little Guy Nationals"
(Fri) Sept. 29 Fantastic Friday IV - Open Stocks/Interstate Micro Sprint Series/Mod Lites/Strictly Stocks
Sept. 30 T3 All-Star Modified Series ($2,000)/Open Stocks ($2,000)/Mel Myers Memorial for E-Mods * Demo Derby * Racing begins at 4 p.m. * (Rain date Sun., Oct. 1 at 4 p.m.) * (Entire event rain date Fri.-Sun., Oct. 6-8)

FOUR MAJOR 358 EVENTS HIGHLIGHT 2006 MODIFIED SCHEDULE AT MERCER; KRISTYAK, PRIEST, YOUNG, HOFFMAN, & STINE ADD TO ALREADY STELLAR FIELD FOR A RUN AT THE TITLE; HOOKS TO GIVE 358S A SHOT
By Mike Leone

Mercer, PA. There were a lot of naysayers when Mercer Raceway Park made the decision to drop the Big-Block and Sportsman Modifieds in favor of the formation of a 358 Modified class for the 2005 season.
A year into the books with an average car count of 29 with more than 70 different cars competing and 10 different winners, Mercer Raceway Park is ready to surge ahead in 2006 with a huge schedule of events and a strong field of competitors for the exciting and competitive division.
Four major events along with three additional $800 to-win races and a double feature night will dot an impressive slate of events. The "Jeff Hoffman Memorial" will return to The Park for the second straight year- this year however for the 358s. The June 10 race, which will be presented by Hoffman Door Co., will award the 30-lap winner a cool $2,000. The following week has been reserved for the rain date.
New York's T3 All-Star Series will make their first of two appearances as they trek south to take on the locals in the special Fourth of July program. Brother tandems of Billy & Curt VanPelt and Mike & Stacy Jackson will join drivers like Ron Cartwright, Jr., Gil Tegg, Jr., Dylan DeWert, Donnie Lawson, and others for the $1,500 prize. This show will have a 6 p.m. start time.
The third jewel is the "Bill Emig Memorial," which will also be a 358 race for the second consecutive year. The race, which is run in memory of Vicki's father, has been increased to $2,000 to-win this year to match the Jeff Hoffman Memorial. The event will be part of the 55th Anniversary show with Wingless Sprints on August 26.
Rounding out the season will be seventh annual "Little Guy Nationals" on September 30. The T3 All-Star Series will return for the 30-lap $2,000 to-win special with a rain date of the following day. Racing will start early at 4 p.m.
"We're putting out a quality schedule for the Modifieds," stated eighth-year owner Vicki Emig. "We couldn't have asked for a better debut last year. We expect an even stronger field this year from what we've been hearing over the winter months. Our specials and quality of cars and racers will rival all of the area big-block tracks. I think when some of the racers see what we're offering it's going to make them seriously look at our program."
While all the regulars from last season are expected to return, five other top racers have confirmed their intentions of running for the championship. The 2004 Big-Block Champion, Tommy Kristyak, who owns 105 career wins at the track, will put in a full season in his #26z. Kristyak will have three Howard Michaels six-cylinder engines at his disposal. The Stoneboro, Pa. legend did run seven shows last season splitting his time between Dave Cogswell's #66, Scott Kay's #55, and his own #26z.
Andy Priest, who finished runner-up to Kristyak in the big blocks in 2004 and also earned the Tri-City Speedway DIRT Championship that year, will wheel the Emig Racing #1 for a full campaign. The New Castle, Pa. veteran will also run his #21N Sprint Car on weekly basis. Though he has 99 career wins overall, Priest will be in search of his first career 358 Modified and 410 Sprint Car wins.
Three-time Sportsman Modified Champion, Steve Young, will also throw his hat into the ring. After coming off a rare winless season, the Grove City, Pa. favorite, who owns 26 career wins at Mercer, is making the move out of the big-block division and is very exited about the upcoming season.
Veteran standout racer Mike Stine will be a Mercer regular for the first time in his career as the Smithmill, Pa. racer will make the two hour plus tow. Despite making just four starts last season, Stine made his presence known winning the $1,500 Bill Emig Memorial, an $800 special on July 23, and had a fifth and an eighth in regular shows. Stine also was the victor of the 2001 "Little Guy Nationals" and owns at least 55 358 Modified wins alone since 1992 and numerous track titles.
When Mercer announced the switch to 358s in 2005, one driver that had high hopes was Kevin Hoffman as he was the first to commit to the new class. Five top seven finishes in the first five nights including a runner-up on May 21 had the Franklin, Pa. racer in the thick of the point race, but motor woes in June put Hoffman on the sidelines until September. This year, Hoffman is ready to go with two engines in his stables in search of his first title.
Two other former big-block racers, Lonny Riggs and Frank Guidace, will certainly be contenders. Riggs had four wins including the $2,000 "Little Guy Nationals" last season giving him 18 for his career in the Merle Black #58, but mid-season engines woes took him out of the top 10. Hometown racer Guidace didn't get out until the end of June in his #99, but did respond with a win on September 5 to become the first driver in speedway history to win in four modified classes (big-blocks, 358s, sportsmen, & 6-cylinders)
Mercer's own Gary Smoker will be primed to defend his first championship as he'll have a brand new car to showcase. Veteran racers Rick Hall, Bill Adams, and Ron Eperthener, Jr. will be in the thick of things as always. Mike Anderson, Matt Reeher, and Steve Barr surprised a lot of people last year with their consistent runs and will look to build on that for their first career wins.
The young crop looks very promising. Brad Rapp will look to add to his first career win and 10th place point finish despite missing five shows last season. Another teenage racer, Garrett Krummert, hopes to improve on his ninth place point finish and is in search of his first career win. Steve Toth had a strong year with a victory and a fifth place point finish. Young Kyle Ripper is another former big-block racer that will make the move to the 358s this season.
One potent driver/owner that was on the sidelines in 2005 was Jerry Schaffer. Jerry was the 2003 Sportsman Champion in his #4 and the 2004 Sportsman Championship owner with his brother driving the #14. Shaun Hooks has taken over possession of the #14 car. Hooks, of New Castle, Pa., was the 2002 Stock Car Champion, the 2004 winner of the $2,000 "Little Guy Nationals", and owns 11 career wins at Mercer. The #4 car will also be in competition with the driver(s) to be announced.
Also, look for some of the top running Clearfield-area cars to make occasional appearances like Mark Frankhouser, George Sankey, Jimmy Holden, and Bob Garvey.
While opening night is Saturday, March 25, the Modifieds won't begin their season until the following week on April 1. The entire 2006 schedule will be released in the next couple weeks and will be available on the website at www.mercerracewaypark.com. 

EXPECTED OPENING DAY (APRIL 1) CONTENDERS
#00 Kevin Hoffman Franklin, PA
#1 Andy Priest New Castle, PA
#B2 Rick Hall Stoneboro, PA
#2x Mike Anderson Harmony, PA
#4 Driver(s) TBA (Jerry Schaffer-owned)
#7M Steve Young Grove City, PA
#7S Mike Stine Smithmill, PA
#11R Brad Rapp Shippenville, PA
#14 Shaun Hooks New Castle, PA
#25 Steve Toth New Castle, PA
#25B Steve Barr Grove City, PA
#26z Tommy Kristyak Stoneboro, PA
#28H Jimmy Holden Tiona, PA
#29 Garrett Krummert New Castle, PA
#51 Kyle Ripper Ellwood City, PA
#58 Lonny Riggs Volant, PA
#66F Brian Fink Strattanville, PA
#99 Frank Guidace Mercer, PA
#99J Bill Adams Hermitage, PA
#333 Ron Eperthener, Jr. Grove City, PA
#516 Gary Smoker Mercer, PA
#711 Matt Reeher Volant, PA

Mercer Raceway Park is located minutes from both Interstate 79 and 80 just off Route 19 on Fairground Road in Mercer, Pa. Dirt track racing and quality family entertainment are presented weekly April through October. The office in New Bedford, Pa. is open year-round Monday through Friday after 1 p.m. For more information call the office at 724-964-9300 or the track on race day at 724-662-1310. Check out our website at www.mercerracewaypark.com for the latest.

SEASON OPENER LESS THAN TWO MONTHS AWAY AT MERCER; 27-NIGHT SLATE IN THE WORKS INCLUDING 4TH OF JULY SPECIAL
By Mike Leone

Mercer, PA.With the off-season past the two-thirds mark, and opening night less than two months away, officials continue to work on the 2006 schedule at Mercer Raceway Park. For the third consecutive year, the "Chiller Thriller" is slated to open the new campaign on Saturday, March 25 at 7 p.m.
This year's event will have a slightly different twist as the lid-lifter will see the Late Models battle for $2,000 to-win in the 30-lap feature. The E-Mods will be part of the show for the first time in their first of at least seven appearances during 2006, and will be joined by the Stock Cars, which will be running under the "open rules". Both classes will run 20 lap features for $500 to-win.
Hopefully it's no April fool's joke as one week later on Saturday, April 1, the point chases will get underway in the four weekly classes for the Luxaire Heating & Cooling Sprint Cars, Campbell-Peterson Trail & Turf Modifieds, Tire Express Stock Cars, and the Maurer's Trading Post Strictly Stocks. The E-Mods will return for the second straight week before many of the other speedways open.
Numerous special race events and family promotions are in the works. The "Western PA Sprint Championship" will return bigger and better, the popular "Sprint Slug-Out" will again feature triple 15s, "The Return of Modzilla" will again include the BRP Tour for Big-Block Mods, Small-Block Mods, and E-Mods. The "Little Guy Nationals" will again close down the season.
Some of the new specials include the 55th Anniversary Event highlighted by Wingless Sprints and the Bill Emig Memorial for Modifieds and "THE GAMBLER" and "Deuces Wild!", which will be unique events with more details released in the future.
The only midweek show on the docket will be held on Tuesday, July 4. Making their first of two appearances will be the T3 All-Star Modified Series. The New York-based series is coming off a successful debut season with Billy VanPelt as the defending champion. As you may recall, VanPelt won on May 21 last year and returned on October 1 for the T3 Series event only to be defeated by local favorite Lonny Riggs for the $2,000 prize in the "Little Guy Nationals".
"We've always wanted to do a special either the night before the Fourth or on the Fourth," said eighth year owner Vicki Emig. "With the Fourth hitting on a Tuesday this year we thought this would be the right time plus we wanted to get a second T3date. Kenny Shupp has done an outstanding job getting the T3 Series off the ground. We've had a very good working relationship that we hope to build on this season. I'll think you'll be hearing about the T3 Series for years to come."
The Fourth of July show will have a one-hour earlier starting time at 6 p.m. with the featured T3 Series running first. They will be joined by the E-Mods, Open Stock Cars, and Strictly Stocks.
The entire schedule is expected to be available online at www.mercerracewaypark.com by the end of February and schedules will be available at all of the car shows in March.
Mercer Raceway Park is located minutes from both Interstate 79 and 80 just off Route 19 on Fairground Road in Mercer, Pa. Dirt track racing and quality family entertainment are presented weekly April through October. The office in New Bedford, Pa. is open year-round Monday through Friday after 1 p.m. For more information call the office at 724-964-9300 or the track on race day at 724-662-1310. Check out our website at www.mercerracewaypark.com for the latest.

MERCER RACEWAY PARK CROWNS GEORGE, SMOKER, BOOHER, & BISH, JR. CHAMPIONS AT 2005 AWARDS BANQUET; NUMEROUS SPECIAL AWARDS HANDED OUT
By Mike Leone
January 14, 2006 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Hermitage, PA.Mercer Raceway Park celebrated the 2005 season in grand style Saturday night, January 14, as the beautiful Normandy Banquet Center in Hermitage, Pa. played host for the third time to the annual awards banquet and dinner.

The top ten drivers in each of the five divisions received their point fund monies and plaques. The following 2005 track champions also received an engraved Mercer Raceway Park championship watch compliments of Kidd's Jewelry in Greenville, Pa. and an embroidered jacket: Rod George-Luxaire Heating & Cooling Sprint Cars, Gary Smoker-Campbell-Peterson Trail & (358) Modifieds, Brian Booher-Tire Express Stock Cars, Curt Bish, Jr.-Maurer's Trading Post Strictly Stocks, and Paul Kapuchuck-360 Sprint Cars.

For the seventh consecutive year, Mercer Raceway Park continued its tradition of honoring special achievements at its banquet. Five of those types of awards were once again given out Saturday night.

The "Legacy" Award honors and remembers the late Bill Emig. This year's recipient was track champion Rod George for his overall performance. The Sprint Car racer led the region with 17 wins (18 as a car owner) and also won the title at Tri-City Speedway and the Cavalcade Championship.

The "Horizon" Award was put in place to recognize drivers whose careers shine as brightly as the horizon. This year, for the second time, the award was handed out to two drivers. Modified, high school racer Brad Rapp of Shippenville, Pa. was impressive with his first career win and finished in the top 10 in points despite missing five races. He finished out of the top 10 just twice, once when he tangled battling for the lead, and the second time in the T3 All Star Series event, where he finished 11th in a 51-car field.

The second "Horizon" Award was given to Bryan Shaffer of New Castle, Pa.. The high school racer won four Strictly Stock features and finished fourth in points despite missing two races.

Three "Outstanding Achievement" Awards were handed out. Former Stock Car, E-Mod, & Sportsman Modified racer, Mike Anderson moved into the highly-competitive 358 Modified class and certainly turned heads. The Harmony, Pa. driver raced the Jerry O'rock, Sr. #2x to third in points with 14 top 10s in 16 starts. His only two finishes out of the top 10 were an 11th and in the T3 All Star Series event.

The second "Outstanding Achievement" Award was doled out to Doug Stanley. Like Anderson, the North Benton, Ohio racer was a surprise finishing second in points in his inaugural 410 Sprint Car season. On July 23, Stanley not only won his first Mercer race and first 410 win, but it came in his first ever wingless start beating George in the $2,000 to-win feature.

In 1999, champion Bob Felmlee was given the "Legacy" Award for winning his 100th career Sprint Car win less than 24 hours before what was thought to be a career ending injuries suffered at Tri-City Speedway. Fast forward six years and the Franklin, Pa. driver returned behind the wheel winning two special event wins at Mercer, four features at Tri-City Speedway including the final three, and also set fast time against the World of Outlaws at Sharon Speedway. With those accomplishments, Felmlee was awarded the third and final "Outstanding Achievement" Award.

Living legends are those that will forever be held in high respect by those that enjoyed their excellence. This year's "Living Legend" Award was bestowed to Jack "Skinny" Hall. The Mercer racer was unable to attend as he always spends the winter in Florida; however, his son Rick and longtime engine builder and crew chief Tom Paxton accepted the award on his behalf. "Skinny" had a long, successful career before turning the reigns of his #B2 over to Rick in 2000, which he went on to win the Sportsman Modified Championship. "Skinny" still spends every Saturday night at Mercer helping his son Rick and working for his son's Big Daddy's Speed Center,

The "Majestic" Award honors those that have made grand, noble, and dignified gestures on behalf of Mercer Raceway Park and in general. The husband-wife team of Ken and Charlene Turner, who spend countless hours behind the scenes doing the little things that keep "The Park" in tip-top shape.

Veteran Rod George had a near perfect season on his way to his first ever Mercer Championship in the Luxaire Heating & Cooling Sprint Cars driving his own #4 sponsored by Delp Family Powder Coating and Ankle & Foot Care. The Kittanning, Pa. racer who has won with the All Stars and on the tough central Pa. circuit had 4 wins and even more impressively never finished worse than fourth all season long despite being handicapped almost every feature to the 11th or 12th starting spot.

Doug Stanley's first full season at Mercer was rewarded with a runner-up in points and his first career 410 win and first at Mercer along with 8 top 5s. Despite not winning any features, Tom Quarterson was third in points in his first full season driving for Dick Schuller and first at Mercer since his 2001 championship year. Rob Eyler ended an up and down season with his only victory- his seventh of his career and earned him fourth in points over Bob Felmlee, who won two $1,500 to-win features. Sixth through eighth in points with wins in parentheses were Arnie Kent (2), Kevin Andrusky (1), and Scott Bonnell. Mike Shearer (1) and Jason Dolick tied for ninth. Other winners were Mark Murphy, Brian Ellenberger, and Ed Lynch, Jr.

Most people wouldn't believe that the 2005 Modified Champion's first crown was his first ever track championship. Gary Smoker owns 33 career wins at the track holding the distinction of the all-time win record in the Sportsman modifieds and is tied with Lonny Riggs for the most 358 wins. Over the past 11 seasons, he's finished in the top 9 in points 10 times including a pair of runner-ups, a pair of thirds, and a pair of fourth place finishes. Three feature wins, 5 heat race wins, an impressive 11 top 5s, and just 2 finishes out of the top 10 helped seal the Campbell-Peterson Trail & Turf title for the hometown Mercer driver in the D&D Racing-owned, MBMR, Inc./Mito Insulation/Robert Salvoskis, CPA/Do-All Electronics-sponsored #516.

Two did not starts in the second and third weeks took Bill Adams out of the championship hunt, but he came back to put up outstanding numbers tying Smoker with 11 top 5 and 14 top 10s. Like Adams, Mike Anderson was also consistent with 14 top 10s as neither driver was able to win a feature. Rick Hall and Steve Toth were fourth and fifth with a win a piece. Sixth through tenth in points with wins in parentheses were Ron Eperthener, Jr. (1), Matt Reeher, Steve Barr, Garrett Krummert, and Brad Rapp (1). Other winners were Lonny Riggs (4), Mike Stine (2), Frank Guidace, Travis Shingledecker, and Billy VanPelt.

Brian Booher led the speedway with 7 wins doubling his career total in route to his first championship of any kind. The Sandy Lake, Pa. driver also tied for a track-high 8 heat race wins and had 10 top 5s and 14 top 10s to claim the Tire Express Stock Car Championship in the Terry Hoover-owned, Ed & Jerry's Auto Service/Harry & Tim Roofing-sponsored #00H.

Terry Wheeler had a career year with a runner-up in points and one win. He ended the regular season with five straight runner-up finishes and ended the year with a fifth in the "Little Guy Nationals". Andy Thompson, who led the points early on, dropped to third with two victories. Gary Norman was the only driver in the top seven in points that failed to win a feature, but was very consistent with a perfect 13-for-13 in his 13 starts. Defending champion Andy Buckley was fifth with a victory. Completing the top 10 in points with wins in parentheses were Shaun Hooks (2), John Reiser (1), Tony Bruno, and Ryan Moyer.

In the second season of the "Redneck Racers Shotgun Series" for the Strictly Stocks, the Bishs kept it all the family. Last year, it was Curt, Sr. topping his son Curt, Jr. by 48 points, but this year Curt, Jr. got the best of his father edging him by 22 points. The Oil City, Pa. native had 3 wins, 5 heat race wins, 14 top 5s, and 15 top 10s in 16 starts in route to the title in his #00 sponsored by Dennis Baker Construction, Leonardo's Restaurant, and Comfortmaker. Maurer's Trading Post awarded Curt, Jr. a shotgun valued at approximately $1,000.

Curt, Sr. added 4 more wins propelling him to second in points. Carl Ealy captured his first career win and added two more along the way to third in points. Bryan Shaffer was fourth with 4 wins. Paul Reiser had a consistent year with 11 top 10s for fifth in points. Randy Ealy, Jim Boring, Lauren Simmons, William Morrison III, and Patrick Heckman were sixth through tenth in points. Ronnie Boyd and Mitch Wattelet were also feature winners.

The Pegasus" 360 Sprint Car Series in its fourth season had a new champion for the fourth time. Paul Kapuchuck of New Castle, Pa. won his first championship of any kind as he was the highest finishing 360 seven times and also had a top 10 with the 410s in his self-owned #10. Completing the top 10 were Jeremy Cook, Patriot winner Jamie Martin, J.R. Stewart, Brian Swartzlander, Mary Anne Williams, Rick Wilson, Chris Shuttleworth, Rich Swarthout, Jr., and Arnie Kent.

Brad Rapp and Travis Shingledecker each received a special plaque commemorating their first career wins. Big Daddy Speed Center, Bassett Wheels, and Precise Racing Products awarded certificates for various drivers in each division. Kudos went out to the 16 drivers with perfect attendance as they received a certificate to recognize their dedication to the speedway in 2005.

Track announcer Mike Dutko emceed the event and thanked the sponsors, employees, press, drivers, owners, and all of the fans for making 2005 another success. Special thanks also went out to the Mercer East End, Jefferson, and Pine Township Fire Departments along with Mesaros Towing. The 2006 season was previewed with many upcoming special events.

Watch for press releases on the upcoming 2006 season. Opening night is scheduled for Saturday, March 25 featuring the ULMS Late Models, E-Mods, and open Stock Cars. One week later on April 1 the Sprint Cars, Modifieds, Stock Cars, and Strictly Stocks will begin their point chases. The complete schedule will be released by the end of February.

Mercer Raceway Park is located minutes from both Interstate 79 and 80 just off Route 19 on Fairground Road in Mercer, Pa. Dirt track racing and quality family entertainment are presented late March through early October. The office in New Bedford, Pa. is open year-round Monday through Friday after 1:30 p.m. For more information call the office at 724-964-9300 or the track on race day at 724-662-1310. Check out our website at www.mercerracewaypark.com for the latest.

Final 2005 Mercer Raceway Park Point Standings
Luxaire Heating & Cooling Sprint Cars: 1. ROD GEORGE (Kittanning, Pa.) 495 2. Doug Stanley (North Benton, Oh.) 436 3. Tom Quarterson (West Middlesex, Pa.) 408 4. Rob Eyler (Franklin, Pa.) 379 5. Bob Felmlee (Franklin, Pa.) 342 6. Arnie Kent (New Castle, Pa.) 330 7. Kevin Andrusky (Hermitage, Pa.) 329 8. Scott Bonnell (Fairview, Pa.) 320 9. Jason Dolick (Coshocton, Oh.) & Mike Shearer (Freeport, Pa.) 295.

Campbell-Peterson Trail & Turf (358) Modifieds: 1. GARY SMOKER (Mercer, Pa.) 526 2. Bill Adams (Hermitage, Pa.) 461 3. Mike Anderson (Harmony, Pa.) 458 4. Rick Hall (Stoneboro, Pa.) 455 5. Steve Toth (New Castle, Pa.) 414 6. Ron Eperthener, Jr. (Grove City, Pa.) 389 7. Matt Reeher (Volant, Pa.) 381 8. Steve Barr (Grove City, Pa.) 366 9. Garrett Krummert (New Castle, Pa.) 360 10. Brad Rapp (Shippenville, Pa.) 302.

Tire Express Stock Cars: 1. BRIAN BOOHER (Sandy Lake, Pa.) 529 2. Terry Wheeler (Stoneboro, Pa.) 496 3. Andy Thompson (Mercer, Pa.) 489 4. Gary Norman (New Castle, Pa.) 458 5. Andy Buckley (Stoneboro, Pa.) 434 6. Shaun Hooks (New Castle, Pa.) 389 7. John Reiser (Sandy Lake, Pa.) 372 8. Tony Bruno (Girard, Oh.) 367 9. Chris Brown (Edinburg, Pa.) 348 10. Ryan Moyer (Harmony, Pa.) 298.

Maurer's Trading Post Strictly Stocks: 1. CURT BISH, JR. (Oakdale, Pa.) 630 2. Curt Bish, Sr. 608 3. Carl Ealy (Volant, Pa.) 540 4. Bryan Shaffer (New Castle, Pa.) 514 5. Paul Reiser (Stoneboro, Pa.) 479 6. Randy Ealy (Jackson Center, Pa.) 476 7. Jim Boring (Evans City, Pa.) 428 8. Lauren Simmons (Cortland, Oh.) 366 9. William Morrison III (New Castle, Pa.) 325 10. Patrick Heckman (Mercer, Pa.) 292.

360 Sprint Cars: 1. PAUL KAPUCHUCK (New Castle, Pa.) 319 2. Jeremy Cook (Grove City, Pa.) 229 3. Jamie Martin (Wooster, Oh.) 132 4. J.R. Stewart (Bellefontaine, Oh.) 67 5. Brian Swartzlander (Leechburg, Pa.) 43 6. Mary Anne Williams (Chester, Va.) 42 7. Rick Wilson (Joyceville, ONT, Can.) 40 8. Chris Shuttleworth (Wellsville, Ny.) 39 9. Rich Swarthout, Jr. (Geneva, Ny.) 38 10. Arnie Kent (New Castle, Pa.) 37.

Tommy Gale Trailers Micro Sprints: 1. J.J. METHENEY (Forestville, Pa.) 132 2. Danny Holtgraver (Pittsburgh, Pa.) 127 3. Todd Hoover (Mt. Pleasant Mills, Pa.) 125 4. Mike Himes (Summerville, Pa.) 123 5. Chris Best (Mercer, Pa.) 103 6. George Hobaugh (Chicora, Pa.) 102 7. Steve Dunmire (Ford City, Pa.) 100 8. Mike Mecklem (Fredonia, Pa.) 98 9. Jimmy Arnold (Burgettstown, Pa.) & Jay Groves (Sugar Grove, Pa.) 95.

"Gladiator Series" Demolition Derby: 1. ED BORDT (Sewickley, Pa.) 8

Special Award Winners:
"Living Legend": Jack "Skinny" Hall
"Legacy": Rod George
"Horizon": Brad Rapp & Bryan Shaffer
"Outstanding Achievement": Bob Felmlee, Doug Stanley, & Mike Anderson
"Majestic": Ken & Charlene Turner

OPENING NIGHT AT MERCER SET FOR MARCH 25 FEATURING ULMS LATE MODELS; BANQUET DRAWING NEAR
By Mike Leone
January 2, 2006 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Mercer, PA.As the calendars flip over to 2006, the start of the new season is now less than three months away. Mercer Raceway Park has announced that Saturday, March 25 has been set for the 2006 season opener. The ULMS Late Models will be the featured attraction for the "Chiller Thriller" and will be joined by the E-Mods and Tire Express Stock Cars with racing at 7 p.m.

The inaugural event in 2004 saw David Scott victorious in the 30-lap ULMS feature over a 39-car field. Last year's show was cancelled the day prior due to wet grounds and cold temperatures.

One week later on April 1, the point chases will begin in the four weekly divisions as the Luxaire Heating & Cooling Sprint Cars, Campbell-Peterson Trail & Turf Modifieds, Tire Express Stock Cars, and Maurer's Trading Post Strictly Stocks hit the track.

The 2006 season will see some changes to not only the schedule, but various events, and promotions. "This year's format will be different than in years past," acknowledged Vicki Emig, who will be embarking on her eighth season. "We feel like it's time for a change. We made some changes to our promotions last year that worked well and will continue down that path again this year. Some shows will be moved around and we're excited about a few of our new events that we're working on."

Currently 25 nights are tentatively scheduled. The 2006 season will mark the 55th anniversary since racing began in 1951. Another reunion/celebration event to mark the occasion will be held. One of the most successful events was the "Gold Cup" 50th anniversary event in 2001. Due to requests the event was brought back in 2002. "Even though some asked to do the show again, we didn't want to dilute it too much so we took three years off, but felt now's the time to bring it back again," explained Emig.

Stay tuned in the coming weeks and months as more announcements will be forthcoming. The entire schedule should be released some time in late February.

Before all the attention turns to 2006, one matter of unfinished business from 2005 is the awards banquet, which will be held on Saturday, January 14 at the Normandy Banquet Center/Hickory VFW in Hermitage, Pa. The top 10 drivers in the Sprint Car, Modified, Stock Car, Strictly Stock, and 360 Sprint Car divisions will be honored. Tickets are $31.50. Doors open at 5:30 with dinner at 6:30 p.m. The awards ceremony will follow dinner. Ticket order forms are available on the website. All orders should be in by the 10th.

Mercer Raceway Park is located minutes from both Interstate 79 and 80 just off Route 19 on Fairground Road in Mercer, Pa. Dirt track racing and quality family entertainment are presented weekly April through October. The office in New Bedford, Pa. is open year-round Monday through Friday after 1 p.m. For more information call the office at 724-964-9300 or the track on race day at 724-662-1310. Check out our website at www.mercerracewaypark.com for the latest.

MERCER PUBLISHES 2006 RULES; WEEKLY DIVISIONS TO REMAIN THE SAME; 360 SPRINT PROGRAM DROPPED
By Mike Leone
December 10, 2005 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Mercer, PA.When the 2006 regular season begins, Mercer Raceway Park will return with the same weekly lineup as 2005 featuring the Luxaire Heating & Cooling Sprint Cars, Campbell-Peterson Trail & Turf Modifieds, Tire Express Stock Cars, and the Maurer's Trading Post Strictly Stocks.

"We were very pleased with the 358 Modified class this past season both from the competitiveness standpoint and with car counts," stated owner Vicki Emig following her seventh season of ownership of the 3/8-mile dirt track. "We averaged 29 cars and had more than a full field every night with the exception of the first two weeks plus many of our former big-block racers were in the field. Also, the Strictly Stocks average car count rose by more than three cars per night and we set a record with 23 cars on the final show."

Tech inspector Randy Myers recently completed his updates to the 2006 rules. No changes were made to the Sprint Cars and only minor changes were made to the Modifieds and Strictly Stocks. For the Modifieds, in order to receive the 100-pound weight break (2300 lbs.), engines must be DIRT Sportsman-legal as all other 358s will be 2400 lbs. The Stock Car chassis specs were completely overhauled especially for uni-body and leaf spring cars. Also, weight jackers will be permitted. They're now available online at www.mercerracewaypark.com. Click on the rules link and each division can be viewed.

Unfortunately after four seasons the "Pegasus" 360 Sprint Car program is being dropped at this time. "This is something we really hate to do," stated Emig. "We really believed in the program as the support took off the first two years, but dropped off in 2004 and substantially declined last season to the point where it is no longer feasible to continue."

It was very common the first two seasons to have 10-15 360s in the 410 field. When Wayne County Speedway in Orrville, Ohio dropped their 360s from the weekly card it benefited the program at first, but as time went on many of those drivers either acquired 410s or quit racing.

The following racers were all Wayne County 360s that in recent years have moved into 410s: Doug Stanley, Jason Dolick, Jamie Martin, Jeff Banyas, Aaron Shaffer, Aaron Middaugh, and Bill Morrison

Last year, just three racers attempted to support the program, but that dropped to two once Jamie Martin acquired a 410. Even champion Paul Kapuchuck and Jeremy Cook missed nights throughout the season. High fuel costs contributed to keeping some of the New York 360s from making the tow down. Many of 360 racers that supported the program in the past simply did not race last year. Even the great 360 shows in the past that had tremendous car counts progressively dropped each season.

The 2005 awards banquet will be coming up on Saturday, January 14 at the Normandy Banquet Center/Hickory VFW in Hermitage, Pa. The top 10 drivers in each of the divisions will be honored. Tickets are $31.50. Doors open at 5:30 with dinner at 6:30 p.m. The awards ceremony will follow dinner. Ticket information was mailed to the drivers. Ticket order forms are also available on the website.

Mercer Raceway Park is located minutes from both Interstate 79 and 80 just off Route 19 on Fairground Road in Mercer, Pa. Dirt track racing and quality family entertainment are presented weekly April through October. The office in New Bedford, Pa. is open year-round Monday through Friday after 1 p.m. For more information call the office at 724-964-9300 or the track on race day at 724-662-1310. Check out our website at www.mercerracewaypark.com for the latest.

NORMANDY BANQUET CENTER TO HOST MERCER RACEWAY PARK'S BANQUET FOR 3RD STRAIGHT YEAR ON JANUARY 14
By Mike Leone
November 22, 2005 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Mercer, PA.The Normandy Banquet Center will be the location of Mercer Raceway Park's annual awards banquet and dinner for the third straight year. The facility will host the affair on Saturday, January 14, 2006. The Normandy Banquet Center, which is also the Hickory VFW Post 6166, is located on Route 62 just two miles east of Route 18 in Hermitage, Pa.

"We're thrilled to be going back to the Normandy Banquet Center for our banquet again," stated seventh year track owner Vicki Emig. "They've done a great job hosting the affair the last two years and have we've heard nothing but praise. The facility is top notch and the food is excellent. The location is perfect and it's a short drive for the majority of our attendees."

Rod George will celebrate his first ever Mercer championship in the Luxaire Heating & Cooling Sprint Cars as he was able to finish in the top four every night to go along with four victories. Gary Smoker collected his first championship of any kind as he'll go down in the history as first Campbell-Peterson Trail & Turf 358 Modified Champion. Brian Booher had an outstanding season doubling his career win total with seven victories and will celebrate his first championship of any kind in the Tire Express Stock Cars. Curt Bish, Jr. followed in his father's footsteps as his four victories led him to the Maurer's Trading Post Strictly Stocks. Paul Kapuchuck won the 360 Sprint Car points as he made it five-for-five with new Mercer champions in 2005.

Though they won't be honored at the banquet, J.J. Metheney captured the inaugural four-race Tommy Gale Trailers 270 Micro Sprint Series, and Ed Bordt won the four event "Gladiator Series" Demolition Derby points for the second time in three years.

Doors open at 5:30 with dinner at 6:30 p.m. The awards ceremony will follow dinner. Ticket information will be mailed in mid-December.

Mercer Raceway Park is located minutes from both Interstate 79 and 80 just off Route 19 on Fairground Road in Mercer, Pa. Dirt track racing and quality family entertainment are presented weekly April through October. The office in New Bedford, Pa. is open year-round Monday through Friday after 1 p.m. For more information call the office at 724-964-9300 or the track on race day at 724-662-1310. Check out our website at www.mercerracewaypark.com for the latest.

Final 2005 Mercer Raceway Park Point Standings
Luxaire Heating & Cooling Sprint Cars: 1. ROD GEORGE (Kittanning, Pa.) 495 2. Doug Stanley (North Benton, Oh.) 436 3. Tom Quarterson (West Middlesex, Pa.) 408 4. Rob Eyler (Franklin, Pa.) 379 5. Bob Felmlee (Franklin, Pa.) 342 6. Arnie Kent (New Castle, Pa.) 330 7. Kevin Andrusky (Hermitage, Pa.) 329 8. Scott Bonnell (Fairview, Pa.) 320 9. Jason Dolick (Coshocton, Oh.) & Mike Shearer (Freeport, Pa.) 295.

Campbell-Peterson Trail & Turf (358) Modifieds: 1. GARY SMOKER (Mercer, Pa.) 526 2. Bill Adams (Hermitage, Pa.) 461 3. Mike Anderson (Harmony, Pa.) 458 4. Rick Hall (Stoneboro, Pa.) 455 5. Steve Toth (New Castle, Pa.) 414 6. Ron Eperthener, Jr. (Grove City, Pa.) 389 7. Matt Reeher (Volant, Pa.) 381 8. Steve Barr (Grove City, Pa.) 366 9. Garrett Krummert (New Castle, Pa.) 360 10. Brad Rapp (Shippenville, Pa.) 302.

Tire Express Stock Cars: 1. BRIAN BOOHER (Sandy Lake, Pa.) 529 2. Terry Wheeler (Stoneboro, Pa.) 496 3. Andy Thompson (Mercer, Pa.) 489 4. Gary Norman (New Castle, Pa.) 458 5. Andy Buckley (Stoneboro, Pa.) 434 6. Shaun Hooks (New Castle, Pa.) 389 7. John Reiser (Sandy Lake, Pa.) 372 8. Tony Bruno (Girard, Oh.) 367 9. Chris Brown (Edinburg, Pa.) 348 10. Ryan Moyer (Harmony, Pa.) 298.

Maurer's Trading Strictly Stocks: 1. CURT BISH, JR. (Oakdale, Pa.) 630 2. Curt Bish, Sr. 608 3. Carl Ealy (Volant, Pa.) 540 4. Bryan Shaffer (New Castle, Pa.) 514 5. Paul Reiser (Stoneboro, Pa.) 479 6. Randy Ealy (Jackson Center, Pa.) 476 7. Jim Boring (Evans City, Pa.) 428 8. Lauren Simmons (Cortland, Oh.) 366 9. William Morrison III (New Castle, Pa.) 325 10. Patrick Heckman (Mercer, Pa.) 292.

360 Sprint Cars: 1. PAUL KAPUCHUCK (New Castle, Pa.) 319 2. Jeremy Cook (Grove City, Pa.) 229 3. Jamie Martin (Wooster, Oh.) 132 4. J.R. Stewart (Bellefontaine, Oh.) 67 5. Brian Swartzlander (Leechburg, Pa.) 43 6. Mary Anne Williams (Chester, Va.) 42 7. Rick Wilson (Joyceville, ONT, Can.) 40 8. Chris Shuttleworth (Wellsville, Ny.) 39 9. Rich Swarthout, Jr. (Geneva, Ny.) 38 10. Arnie Kent (New Castle, Pa.) 37.

Tommy Gale Trailers Micro Sprints: 1. J.J. METHENEY (Forestville, Pa.) 132 2. Danny Holtgraver (Pittsburgh, Pa.) 127 3. Todd Hoover (Mt. Pleasant Mills, Pa.) 125 4. Mike Himes (Summerville, Pa.) 123 5. Chris Best (Mercer, Pa.) 103 6. George Hobaugh (Chicora, Pa.) 102 7. Steve Dunmire (Ford City, Pa.) 100 8. Mike Mecklem (Fredonia, Pa.) 98 9. Jimmy Arnold (Burgettstown, Pa.) & Jay Groves (Sugar Grove, Pa.) 95.

"Gladiator Series" Demolition Derby: 1. ED BORDT (Sewickley, Pa.) 8

RIGGS OUT-DUELS VANPELT TO WIN $2K IN T3 ALL-STAR MOD GO; RUSTY WHEELER UPSETS STOCKS & WINS OVER $2K; LUX STRONG IN E-MOD WIN AS 193 CARS GATHER FOR NIGHT 2 OF THE LITTLE GUY NATIONALS AT MERCER
By Mike Leone
October 1, 2005 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Mercer, PA.Mercer Raceway Park closed down the 2005 racing season in fine fashion with night two of the sixth annual "Little Guy Nationals". A whopping 193 race cars in three divisions plus another 23 demo derby cars maxed out the pit area. Recoding huge wins were Lonny Riggs-T3 All-Star 358 Modified Series, Rusty Wheeler-Tire Express Stock Cars, Matt Lux-SMODA E-Mods for the "Mel Myers Memorial", Doug Iorio (Jr.)-Stock Car B Consolation, and Rick Norco-Stock Car C Consolation. Ed Bordt of Sewickley, Pa. won the $500 to-win Demolition Derby and earned an extra $300 for being the "Gladiator Series" Champion for the second straight year.
Lonny Riggs became the sixth different winner of the season on the T3 All-Star Series and the first to repeat in the "Little Guy Nationals" Campbell-Peterson Trail & Turf 358 Modified portion by posting an impressive $2,000 win over veteran hot shoe Billy VanPelt in the 30-lap feature.
"We were ready to run hard, but I was kind of saving the top," revealed the Volant, Pa. winner. "I didn't see anyone else up there. If I got a chance, I was going to the top. I didn't want that last yellow. It was a ball of fun racing with them (T3 Ny. racers). It was nice and clean the whole race."
Hazlitt 1852 Vineyards Red Cat pole sitter, Donnie Lawson, was unable to keep VanPelt at bay at the start as the May 21 Mercer race winner jumped out to the early lead. Riggs, who started fourth, was able to advance to second on the opening circuit moving ahead of Brian Fink and Donnie Lawson.
All eyes shifted to Black Rock Speedway winner Dylan DeWert, who started seventh. DeWert got around Fink to crack the top five then disposed of Bill Adams for fourth on lap five. DeWert continued his progression to the front driving past Lawson for third on the backstretch of lap 10.
VanPelt opened up a straightaway on Riggs by the time he caught lapped traffic on lap 15. Three cautions slowed action between laps 14 through 18. When racing resumed, Riggs went to the top and had just enough momentum to drive around VanPelt off turn four for the lead on lap 19. VanPelt didn't give up driving a hard, smooth line on the bottom to pull even with Riggs on lap 21 as the two raced side-by-side. DeWert then joined the battle as he had the best seat in the house making it a three-car race.
The event's final caution was displayed for a spin by Ron Eperthener, Jr. with 26 laps completed. The last four laps saw Riggs hold off VanPelt as VanPelt used every inch of the track trying various unique lines, but Riggs had just power on the outside to prevail. For Riggs it was his fourth win of the season and 18th of his career overall at Mercer in the Merle Black-owned, Iron Bridge Inn-sponsored #58.
VanPelt earned $1,000 for second plus $50 for leading lap 17 in memory of Lyle Sherwood and was the first driver across the line using VP Racing Fuels. DeWert, who was third in the event in 2003 and fifth last year, recorded his third straight top five in third and won an additional $25 from the D.J. Beardsley & Sons random draw award. Ron Cartwright, Jr. came all the way from the 22nd starting spot to claim fourth earning the Addison Farms Supply Hard Charger. Bill Adams was a solid fifth. Completing the top 10 were Rick Hall, Fink, Lawson, Curt VanPelt, and Jimmy Holden.
Other contingency winners were as follows: Mike Anderson (Red's Speed Shop 19th place finisher), Kevin Hoffman and Mark Frankhouser (10 g. of Sunoco Race Fuels), Steve Young ($25 D.J. Beardsley & Sons random draw), and Stacy Jackson (Lias Tire Hard Luck Award). Heat winners over the season-high 51-car field were Eperthener, Jackson, Adams, DeWert, Riggs, and Hall. The three B mains were won by Gil Tegg, Jr., Young, and Steve Hartman, Jr.
Rusty Wheeler backed up his $1,500 Fall Classic win at Raceway 7 two weeks ago by winning the biggest race of his career in the 40-lap Tire Express Stock Car feature. Wheeler and car owner Rich Howell switched cars following Friday night's event and it turned out to be the right decision as Wheeler collected his first career Mercer win earning $2,000 plus another $390 in lap money.
"Rich (Howell) decided it would be a better decision to put me in this car because he thought I'd have a better 'umpf' to get the 40 laps in than he would," told the Dorset, Ohio resident following his roof dance in victory lane. "I was grateful he gave me this opportunity. I want to thank all the fans for coming out and enjoying the great racing at Mercer Raceway Park."
The action was hot and heavy for the first 10 laps as incredible three-wide racing took place for the lead. Terry Wheeler, Chuck Kennedy, and Rusty Wheeler raced three-wide for the lead on laps two and three with Kennedy being able to lead the third lap. Rusty passed Terry and Kennedy for the lead on lap four. Bill Henney, who started seventh, entered the fray and took third from Terry on lap four. One lap later, Henney powered by Kennedy for second and followed that up on lap six taking the lead from Rusty.
Rusty didn't give up as he stayed with Henney and regained the lead for good on lap nine driving by Henney on the backstretch. By lap 15, Wheeler opened up some ground and began to pull away before three cautions that slowed action between laps 22 and 24.
The last 16 laps went green-to-checkered with Wheeler pulling away each successive lap to win by more than six seconds over Henney at the finish in the Rich Howell-owned #5RT. Henney collected $1,000 for his runner-up performance in his first appearance and an additional $30 in lap money. The second story of the event was Ashley Barrett. The Chambersburg, Pa. Bedford Speedway driver passed 10 cars in the B main to transfer to the feature, where he lined up 20th. At the finish of the 40-lap main, Barrett recorded his best ever Mercer finish in third and received an additional $50 from car owner Gene Steele in recognition of push truck driver Dana "Tiny" Reeher for being the hard charger. Jason Fosnaught was a career best Mercer finish of fourth. Terry Wheeler dropped to fifth at the finish.
Marion Speedway Champion Scott Stein was sixth over Willie Aley in seventh. Bedford Speedway Champion Jim Sayler was eighth over fellow Bedford regular Travis Calhoun. Tri-City Speedway Champion Gerry Bruce was 10th. Shaun Hooks, Butch Lambert, Rusty Wheeler, Mike Beck, Henney, and Terry Wheeler won the heats over the 92-car field. Corey Ruffo, Denny Fenton, Stein, and Barrett won the B mains. A total of 114 Stock Car participated over the two days.
Doug Iorio (Jr.) captured the 15-lap $300 to-win Stock Car B Consolation Feature. The Kennerdell, Pa. youngster came from seventh and passed Rick Lanigan on lap 10 for the lead. Once in front, Iorio pulled away to win by straightaway over Lanigan in his father's owned #28. Dave Ferringer was third ahead of Mike Aley and Rusty Moore.
Rick Norco ended the event by scoring the 12-lap $200 to-win Stock Car C Consolation Feature. The New Castle, Pa. racer, who has suffered through a tough luck season, led all the way to end the year on a positive note in his #07. Fellow New Castle racer, Clyde Roberts, was a surprising second after starting 12th. Charlie Beck, Ryan Moyer, and Port Royal Speedway regular Steve Stitt was fifth.
Matt Lux made it two-for-two this season in E-Mod action as the inaugural "Little Guy Nationals" Stock Car winner claimed the 30-lap $1,000 to-win fifth annual SMODA-sanctioned Mel Myers Memorial. "I still like this place- I really do," expressed the humble Franklin, Pa. winner. "This team gets better and better each time we run with it. We were down a couple guys tonight and the others stepped up. That's a big deal for a young team that we have and they're jelling pretty well."
Lux passed Howard Fraley on lap four and held off an impressive run by Joel Watson, who was a close second. For Lux it was 11th career Mercer win in the Scott Bidwell-owned, Fame RV Center/Maloney Tool& Mold/Eddie's Foot longs-sponsored #21. Watson passed Paul Davis on lap six for second and appeared at times to have a shot at Lux, but had to settle for a career best Mercer finish in second. Jeff Walters was third after starting eighth. Fourth and fifth went to Bob McCann and Russ Dunn. Completing the top 10 were Fraley, Shawn Shingledecker, Justin Carlson, Davis, and Andy Sweetland. Winning the $100 to-win heat races were Walters, Carlson, Larry Walters, Lux, and Bob McCann over the 50-car field. Bill Thomas won the $150 to-win dash. Daryl Charlier and Steve Haefke won the two B mains.

T3 All-Star (358) Modifieds (30 laps): 1. LONNY RIGGS ($2,000) 2. Billy VanPelt 3. Dylan DeWert 4. Ron Cartwright, Jr. 5. Bill Adams 6. Rick Hall 7. Brian Fink 8. Donnie Lawson 9. Curt VanPelt 10. Jimmy Holden 11. Brad Rapp 12. Steve Young 13. Kevin Hoffman 14. Gil Tegg, Jr. 15. Tom Mattocks 16. Mark Frankhouser 17. Steve Hartman, Jr. 18. Ron Eperthener, Jr. 19. Mike Anderson 20. Joe Kubiniec, Jr. 21. Stacy Jackson 22. Tom Holden 23. Steve Barr 24. Andy Priest DNQ: Frank Guidace, Fred Sasse, Jim Rombold, Jr., Mike Jackson, Chuck Crawley, Herb Wright, Steve Toth, Alex Anderson, Joe Gibson, Jr., Garrett Krummert, Rich Whitney, Rick Ryder, Jr. Baker, Leroy Johnson, Jr., Rick Kress, Chris Dye, Travis Shingledecker, Travis Bell, Tim Zuschlag, Matt Baker, Jeff Stuchel, Red Fordyce, Tommy Kristyak, Gary Smoker, Ron Cartwright, Sr., Tim Doran, George Sankey.

Tire Express Stock Cars (40 laps): 1. RUSTY WHEELER ($2,390) 2. Bill Henney 3. Ashley Barrett 4. Jason Fosnaught 5. Terry Wheeler 6. Scott Stein 7. Willie Aley 8. Jim Sayler 9. Travis Calhoun 10. Gerry Bruce 11. Chad Stevenson 12. Denny Fenton 13. Andy Buckley 14. Shaun Hooks 15. Corey Ruffo 16. Mike Beck 17. Denny Curry 18. Chuck Kennedy 19. Mike Pegher, Jr. 20. Butch Lambert 21. Tony Spaghetti 22. Kevin Gossard 23. Patrick McDonough 24. Bobby Whitling

Stock Car B Consolation (15 laps): 1. DOUG IORIO (JR.) ($300) 2. Rick Lanigan 3. Dave Ferringer 4. Mike Aley 5. Rusty Moore 6. Jamey Swank 7. Kip Charles 8. Harry Smith, Jr. 9. Steve D'Apolito 10. Jason Engles 11. Jim Byers 12. Ray Reynolds 13. Cody Smith 14. Rusty Kellogg 15. John Oaks 16. Aaron Jones 17. Sam Adams 18. Chris Brown 19. Ed Cornell 20. Jim McFadden 21. Jason Reagle 22. Jim Davis 23. Branden Porter 24. Gary Johns-DNS.

Stock Car C Consolation (12 laps): 1. RICK NORCO ($200) 2. Clyde Roberts 3. Charlie Beck 4. Ryan Moyer 5. Steve Stitt 6. Rob Bates 7. Tim Folmer 8. Brian Melewski 9. Gary Miller, Jr. 10. Sam King 11. Randy Sprouse 12. John Williams 13. Bill Cramer 14. William Smiley 15. Howard Duncan 16. Barry Wilson 17. Joe Betz 18. Craig Kamicker 19. Jason Stetson 20. Don Zechman 21. Matt Keith 22. Ray Charles 23. Chris Hake-DNS 24. Chuck Gebauer-DNS 25. David Brown-DNS
Did not qualify for any feature: Ron Hebner, Eric Williams, Bill Lanigan, Charles Ramsey, Erick Cwynar, Bill Phillips, Bruce Powell, Mark Thompson, Jr., Trent Ogden, Brian Booher, Jim Nicely, Bruno Mowery, Brian Bush, Lee Hummel, Tom Norland, Bob Schwartzmiller, Spencer Husted, Rich Howell, Henry Wilfong.

SMODA E-Mods "Mel Myers Memorial" (30 laps): 1. MATT LUX ($1,150) 2. Joel Watson 3. Jeff Walters 4. Bob McCann 5. Russ Dunn 6. Howard Fraley 7. Shawn Shingledecker 8. Justin Carlson 9. Paul Davis 10. Andy Sweetland 11. Ron Roncaglione 12. Ricky Meglaye 13. Jim Frontz 14. Daryl Charlier 15. Rick Robinson 16. Tim Rhoades 17. Tony Hyde 18. Chad Ramsey 19. Bill Thomas 20. Dave Hess, Jr. 21. Brian Douglas 22. Brian Ruhlman 23. Jeff Johnson 24. Larry Walters 25. Steve Haefke DNQ: Bill Westlake, Hugo Litwiler, Carl McKinney, Bruce Dreistadt, Quincy Turner, Ed Wilson, Dan Nocero, Jr., Wayne Tessean, Tom Martineck, Mike Smith, J.D. Johnston, Gary Eicher, Ron Seeley, Greg Johnson, Bill Taylor, Jeremy Kosicek, Lou Ansel, Herm Myers, Rich Logan, Jr., Greg Oakes, Mike Hess, Kenny Smith, Bob Williams, Dave Willoughby, Chad Hemphill.
Mercer Raceway Park is located minutes from both Interstate 79 and 80 just off Route 19 on Fairground Road in Mercer, Pa. Dirt track racing and quality family entertainment are presented weekly late March through early October. The office in New Bedford, Pa. is open year-round after 1:00 p.m. Monday through Friday. For more information call the office at 724-964-9300 or the track on race day at 724-662-1310. Check out our website at www.mercerracewaypark.com for the latest.

PEGHER WINS COOL GRAND IN STOCKS, WHILE GROVES, WHITE, & WATTELET WIN FIRSTS IN MICROS, MOD LITES, & STRICTLIES AS A RECORD 205 CARS PARTICIPATE IN NIGHT 1 OF THE LITTLE GUY NATIONALS AT MERCER
By Mike Leone
September 30, 2005 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Mercer, PA.Mercer Raceway Park opened the sixth annual "Little Guy Nationals" on Friday night as a record 205 race cars jammed the pit area for the four-division show. Winning their first features were Mike Pegher, Jr.-Tire Express Stock Cars, Jay Groves-Tommy Gale Trailers 270 Micro Sprint Series, Steve White-TUSA Mod Lites, and Mitch Wattelet-Maurer's Trading Post Strictly Stocks.

Mike Pegher, Jr. took advantage of his pole position and led wire-to-wire in the 25-lap $1,000 to-win preliminary Tire Express Stock Car feature to open the two-day "Little Guy Nationals". Pegher's win was far from easy as he had to keep Bobby Whitling at bay for the final 12 laps as the two put on an amazing battle for the win.

Pegher of Wexford, Pa. jumped out into the early lead with Jarrot Moore passing Whitling and Jim Byers for second on the opening lap. Sharon Speedway Champion Steve D'Apolito, worked his way from the sixth starting spot past Whitling for third on lap five. D'Apolito closed on Moore and the two battled for second until Moore looped his mount on lap 14 putting D'Apolito in second and Whitling in third.

On the restart, D'Apolito was slow to get up to power allowing Whitling to take second and 10th starter Jason Reagle to third. Whitling was all over the third generation racer for the remainder of the event trying every line on the smooth, tacky surface.

Whitling used every inch of the speedway on the final lap and tried every move possible, but came up just one car-length short as he remained winless on the circuit in 2005. Pegher's win was his first of the year at Mercer, but second of his career in his Pegher Painting/Redline Exhaust/Alternative Power Sources-sponsored, Dunk Competition Engine-powered #09.

Reagle was third in his first start of the year as track champion Brian Booher was fourth after starting 13th. Shaun Hooks came from 16th to finish fifth. Lernerville Speedway Champion Butch Lambert was sixth followed by invader Bill Henney, D'Apolito, Andy Buckley, and central Pa. top runner Ashley Barrett. Heat winners over the opening night record 101 cars were Gerry Bruce, Byers, Whitling, Reagle, D'Apolito, Pegher, Gary Miller, Jr., Rich Howell, Rusty Wheeler, and Moore. The five B mains were won by Mike Aley, Buckley, Jim Sayler, Lambert, and Henney.

Jay Groves finally collected his elusive first career Mercer win in the 15-lap Micro Sprint feature as part of the Tommy Gale Trailers 270 Series. The win was worth $750 for the Sugar Grove, Pa. youngster.

Groves wasted little time getting to the front as he blasted by Danny Holtgraver and Mikey Schall into the lead on the first lap. Grove's only real challenge came on the final lap from defending race winner, Steve Dunmire. Dunmire started fifth and moved to third on lap five taking the position away from Holtgraver. On lap 14, Dunmire finally got under and past Todd Reusser for second. Dunmire tried valiantly to make a last lap pass of Groves, but Groves had just enough to hold on. Groves became the 13 different winner in 14 races held for the Micro Sprint division over the course of nine seasons in the Paul Beedle-owned, Bear Lake Energy-sponsored, DBY Racing Engine-powered #25.

Reusser held on to third over Terry Schaeffer and Jeff Bacha. Despite finishing 22nd, J.J. Metheney of Forestville, Pa. came out on top of the Tommy Gale Trailers 270 Series as five of the top six in points either did not finish the feature of failed to qualify. Topping the heats over the season-high 48 cars were Holtgraver, Bacha, Mike Himes, Groves, Lute, and Schaeffer. The two B mains were won by Mike Mecklem and Jim Arnold.

The Mod Lites made their annual appearance and it was Steve White winning the 15-lap $600 to-win TUSA-sanctioned event for his first win. White took over from Lynn Knepper on lap one and survived seven cautions and a late charge by Mikey Hay for the victory.

White made the long tow from Laurel, Delaware profitable as he became the third different winner in four years scoring the victory in the Al White-owned, Northeast Mod Lite/Mike Durham/Bill Wood-sponsored #1.

Hay was a close second over pole-sitter Knepper, Delaware racer Tim White and former two-time Sprint Car winner, Brian Woodhall (Jr.). Female racer Angie Grzelak was sixth after winning the B main and coming from the 18th starting spot. Heat victors over the 33-car field were Knepper, Steve White, and Hay.

Mitch Wattelet made his first ever appearance making the long tow up from Scenery Hill, Pa. and came away with the victory in the 12-lap $150 to-win Maurer's Trading Post Strictly Stock feature after apparent winner Carl Ealy was disqualified in post-race tech inspection.

Ealy passed Jeff Manners on lap one and set the pace out front. Wattelet started 13th and worked his way to the front taking second on lap 10 from Randy Ealy. Wattelet closed on Ealy, but ran out of time as it appeared Ealy had recorded his fifth win. Following the event, Ealy was disqualified in tech inspection handing the win to Wattelet in his #24.

Curt Bish, Jr. was second after starting 20th and clinched the "Redneck Racers Shotgun Series" Championship one year after his father was the inaugural champion. Dave Bass was a career best third. Tri-City Speedway winner Josh Seippel recorded his best Mercer finish in fourth and Curt Bish, Sr. was fifth. A record 23 cars turned out for the paying event as heat races went to Gary Koteles and Bish, Sr.

Tire Express Stock Cars (25 laps): 1. MIKE PEGHER, JR. ($1,000) 2. Bobby Whitling 3. Jason Reagle 4. Brian Booher 5. Shaun Hooks 6. Butch Lambert 7. Bill Henney 8. Steve D'Apolito 9. Andy Buckley 10. Ashley Barrett 11. Denny Fenton 12. Rich Howell 13. Jim Byers 14. Jarrot Moore 15. Mike Aley 16. Bill Phillips, Jr. 17. Chad Stevenson 18. Chuck Kennedy 19. Gerry Bruce 20. Chuck Gebauer 21. Gary Miller, Jr. 22. Jim Sayler 23. Pat McGuire 24. Terry Kroner 25. Rusty Wheeler DNQ: Charles Beck, David Korlewitz, Terry Wheeler, Patrick McDonough, Jason Fosnaught, Jim Nicely, Bruce Powell, Harry Smith, Jr., Jim McFadden, Aaron Jones, Lee Stewart, Steve Stitt, Jamey Swank, Corey Ruffo, Tom Norland, Don Zechman, Matt Keith, Willie Aley, Kip Charles, Branden Porter, Jason Stetson, Gary Johns (Canada), Craig Kamicker, Clyde Roberts, John Williams, Kevin Gossard, Sam King, Scott Stein, Tim Folmer, Bill Cramer, Ed Cornell, Ron Hebner, Jason Engles, Brian Melewski, Mike Beck, Mark Thompson, Jr., Barry Wilson, Scott Myers, Ray Rothfuss, Jim Boyer, Rob Bates, Doug Iorio (Jr.), Trent Ogden, Rick Robinson, Rick Lanigan, William Smiley, Jim Fosnaught, Denny Curry, Bobby Heim, Joel Watson, Jim Davis, Joe Drusko, Eric Rising, Ryan Moyer, Tim Deutsch, Bruno Mowery, Charles Ramsey, Scott Malone, Ray Reynolds, Rod Laskey, Spencer Husted, Jon Parsons, Jr., Rick Norco, Russ Stanke, Mike Laughard, Bill Lanigan, Mitch Kirkendall, Casey Smith, Brian Bush, Lee Hummel, Travis Calhoun, Bob Schwartzmiller, Henry Wilfong, John Reiser, Terry Young, Wayne Carbo.

Tommy Gale Trailers Micro Sprints (15 laps): 1. JAY GROVES ($750) 2. Steve Dunmire 3. Todd Reusser 4. Terry Schaeffer 5. Jeff Bacha 6. Mike Himes 7. Brian Kishbaugh 8. Mike Borawiec, Jr. 9. Chris Best 10. Tim Robertson 11. Skeetz Hockenbroch 12. Joe Marie Gagne 13. Jim Myers 14. Jim Arnold 15. George Hobaugh (Jr.) 16. Mikey Schall 17. Rod Jones 18. Ed Zimmerman 19. Danny Holtgraver 20. J.J. Lute 21. Lindsey Enscoe 22. J.J. Metheney 23. Mike Mecklem 24. Todd Hoover 25. Mike Crane-DNS DNQ: Robert Robertson, Jeff Park, D.J. Furney, John Dohmen, Tanner Price, Adam King, Dave Hawkins, C.J. Price, Steve Van Tine, Rob Felix, Terry Robertson, Doug Karlene, Tyler Deitz, Karlin Miller, Frank Jarkiewicz, Jared Ryan, Alkie Cunningham, Rob Bowser, Keith Walsh, Jr., Sam Carpenter, Missy Gardina, Russ Byler, Trevor Bovard.

TUSA Mod Lites (15 laps): 1. STEVE WHITE ($600) 2. Mikey Hay 3. Lynn Knepper 4. Tim White 5. Brian Woodhall (Jr.) 6. Angie Grzelak 7. Kenny Meadows 8. Chris Logan 9. Chris Steele 10. Ron DeBolt 11. Darrel Lewis 12. Jeff Barker 13. John Watson, Jr. 14. Frank Dunkle, Jr. 15. Rusty Birch 16. Rod Jones 17. Matt Hay 18. Josh Holtgraver 19. Tracy Fritter 20. Brian Woodhall (Sr.) 21. Jeff Teeters 22. Bert Tompkins, Jr. 23. Kevin Meadows 24. Jeff DeUnger 25. Paul Miller-DNS DNQ: W.L. Stile, Ray Heskett, Jimmy Lockard, Bo Solvey, Lou Deon, Floyd Carey, J.W. Tush, Ed Hayes.

Maurer's Trading Post Strictly Stocks (12 laps): 1. MITCH WATTELET ($150) 2. Curt Bish, Jr. 3. Dave Bass 4. Josh Seippel 5. Curt Bish, Sr. 6. Regina DeLoe 7. Craig Koteles 8. Gary Koteles 9. Paul Reiser 10. Jim Boring 11. Bill Winters 12. Robert McMillen 13. Lester Kerr 14. Olivia Eperthener 15. Randy Ealy 16. Jeff Manners 17. Jon Mabry 18. Joey Koteles 19. William Morrison III 20. Ronnie Boyd 21. Lauren Simmons 22. Carl Ealy-DSQ 23. Vaughn Cook-DNS.

Mercer Raceway Park Quick results from 9/30/05

A record 205 cars for night one of the 6th annual "Little Guy
Nationals at Mercer Raceway Park on 9/30/05. A full press release
and results will be sent on Sunday.

Stock Cars
25-lap Feature
1. 09 Mike Pegher, Jr. ($1,000)
2. 7w Bobby Whitling
3. 888 Jason Reagle
4. 00H Brian Booher
5. 65 Shaun Hooks
101 cars

Micro Sprints
15-lap Feature
1. 25 Jay Groves ($750)
2. 83 Steve Dunmire
3. 70 Todd Reusser
4. 2 Terry Schaeffer
5. 48 Jeff Bacha
48 cars

TUSA Mod Lites
15-lap Feature
1. 1 Steve White ($600)
2. 118 Mikey Hay
3. 10 Lynn Knepper
4. 8 Tim White
5. 8B Brian Woodhall
33 cars

Strictly Stocks
12-lap Feature
1. 24 Mitch Wattelet ($150)
2. 00 Curt Bish, Jr.
3. 83 Dave Bass
4. 84 Josh Seippel
5. B1 Curt Bish, Sr.
23 cars

Racing today at 4 PM. T3 All-Star 358 Mod Series ($2,000), Stock
Cars ($2,000), SMODA E-Mods ($1,000), & Demo Derby ($500).

T3 ALL-STAR SERIES SANCTIONS MODIFIEDS IN SATURDAY'S "LITTLE GUY NATIONALS" AT MERCER; OVER 30 CARS PRE-ENTERED WITH AROUND 50 EXPECTED
By Mike Leone
September 29, 2005 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Mercer, PA.The 358 Modifieds have been part of the "Little Guy Nationals" since its inception in 2000; however, there has never been more greater anticipation than this year's sixth version, which will take place this Saturday night, October 1 at Mercer Raceway Park. The 358s were the featured Modified division running weekly on Mercer's racing card for the first time ever and this year's event will be sanctioned by the new T3 All-Star Series based out of New York.

The first five events of the T3 All-Star Series have saw five different winners with Dylan DeWert and Steve Paine victorious at Black Rock Speedway, while Mitch Gibbs won a mid-week special at Five Mile Point Speedway, and brothers Billy and Curt VanPelt have scored victories at Woodhull and Little Valley Speedways respectively in recent weeks.

"Our first five shows have all been very successful," stated T3 Series Director, Kenny Shupp, who announces at New York's Woodhull Speedway. "However, this will be our biggest show of the season by far. Lots of cars, lots of hype, lots of expectations and it all plays out at one of the best venues in the northeast. I'm really excited. Our only disappointment was losing the Clinton County Speedway event, which was to run Friday night until the track pulled the plug on their season."

Shupp expects his top seven and nine of the top 13 in points to make the trip down for their next to final event of the season. Currently Billy VanPelt of Westfield, Pa. is the point leader by 11 points over Ron Cartwright, Jr. VanPelt was a winner at Mercer back on May 21 in an $800 to-win special, the same night he finished fourth in the BRP Big-Block Modified Tour. Rounding out the top 10 in points are DeWert, Donnie Lawson, Gil Tegg, Jr., Mike Jackson, Steve Hartman, Jr., Brian Swarthout, Kevin Chilson, and Stacy Jackson.

Heat races and last chance races will set the 24-car starting field for the 30-lap feature paying $2,000 to-win, $150 to-start. Shupp has also accumulated in the neighborhood of $750 in contingencies, which includes $50 to the leader of lap 17 in memory of Modified racer Lyle Sherwood plus two other random $25 draws.

Past winners of the "Little Guy Nationals" include Ricky Richner (2000), Mike Stine (2001), Rick Hoctor (2002), Lonny Riggs (2003), and Gary Smoker (2004). Smoker, strangely enough is the only one of the previous five winners to pre-enter thus far.

There have been 10 different winners this year in Campbell-Peterson Trail & Turf 358 action at Mercer led by inaugural track champion and defending race winner Gary Smoker with three wins. Riggs also has three wins, while Stine is the division's only other repeat winner with two scores both coming in special events. Rick Hall, Steve Toth, Ron Eperthener, Jr., Brad Rapp, Frank Guidace, Travis Shingledecker, and VanPelt have single victories. A total of 57 different cars have competed this season and the average car count has been 28 per night.

Pit gates open at 11 a.m. and the grandstands at 1:30 p.m. Hot laps will begin at approximately 3:00 p.m. with racing at 4 p.m. Adult admission is $15. The Family Pass is $35. Students 6-15 are $7 and children five and under are always free. Pit passes are $30.

Mercer Raceway Park is located minutes from both Interstate 79 and 80 just off Route 19 on Fairground Road in Mercer, Pa. Dirt track racing and quality family entertainment are presented weekly April through October. The office in New Bedford, Pa. is open year-round after 1 p.m. Monday through Friday. For more information call the office at 724-964-9300 or the track on race day at 724-662-1310. Check out our website at www.mercerracewaypark.com for the latest.

ALREADY 21 SPEEDWAYS & 6 CHAMPS REPRESENTED AS ENTRIES ROLL IN FOR THE STOCK CAR PORTION OF FRIDAY & SATURDAY'S "LITTLE GUY NATIONALS"
By Mike Leone
September 28, 2005 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Mercer, PA.Mercer Raceway Park is set to host the sixth annual "Little Guy Nationals" this Friday and Saturday, September 30 and October 1. Highlighting the show for the fourth straight year will be two complete shows for the Tire Express Stock Cars. For the first time, dry and mild weather is forecasted for both days with sunny skies and temperatures in the 60s on Friday and 70s on Saturday. Western Pennsylvania's crown-jewel of Stock Car events will showcase a 25-lap feature paying $1,000 to-win, $70 to take the green flag on Friday night, and 40-laps feature paying a fat $2,000 to-win, $140 to-start on Saturday.

Also on Saturday the first 24 non-qualifiers will race in the 15-lap B feature paying $300 to-win, while the next 24 non-qualifiers will run in the 12-lap C feature paying $200 to-win. All Stock Cars attempting to race will be guaranteed to receive $50 tow money on Friday and $55 on Saturday.

As of Wednesday, 40 cars were pre-entered representing 21 different speedways including Mercer, Lernerville, Tri-City, Sharon, Raceway 7, Pittsburgh, Marion Center, Roaring Knob, Bedford, Central PA, Hummingbird, Thunder Mountain, Marion Center, Eriez, Stateline, Little Valley, Hesston, Lincoln, Wayne County, Limaland, and Eldora.

Track champions pre-entered thus far include Brian Booher (Mercer), Butch Lambert (Lernerville), Rusty Wheeler (Raceway 7), Steve D'Apolito (Sharon), Jim Byers (Roaring Knob), and Craig Kamicker (Pittsburgh).

Two additions this week were added to the purse. Shaun Hooks, the 2002 Mercer Champion and nine-time winner including last year's "Little Guy Nationals," has obtained lap sponsors for Saturday's 40-lap feature. A minimum of $10 will go the leader of each lap.

Also, Gene Steele, who tows his car each year from western Ohio has put up $50 to the driver that passes the most cars in any of Saturday's last chance races that transfer to the feature in recognition of push truck driver Dana "Tiny" Reeher.

In 2000, Matt Lux won the inaugural event for the $1,000 first place prize. New York's Ken Drake made his first ever appearance to Mercer a successful one in 2001 winning $1,200. Newcomer, Tony Hersh pocketed $1,500 over a whopping, record 122 cars in 2002. Bobby Whitling defended his track title in 2003 taking the $2,000 victory, while it was another local in Shaun Hooks of New Castle, Pa. earning $2,000 last season.

A total of 290 different drivers from seven states (PA, OH, NC, NY, VA, WV, & MI) plus Canada have participated in the first five events. Only two drivers, 2003 track champion Bobby Whitling, and Gary Miller, Jr., have qualified for the A feature all five years. The average car count for Saturday's event is 98.4 cars.

Joining the Stock Cars on Friday night will be the Micro Sprints in the Tommy Gale Trailers 270 Series, the TUSA Mod Lites, and the Maurer's Trading Post Strictly Stocks. On Saturday, the Stock Cars will be accompanied by the T3 All-Star 358 Modified Series, the SMODA E-Mods in the Mel Myers Memorial, and a "Gladiator Series" Demolition Derby.

On Friday, pit gates open at 3 p.m. and the grandstands at 4:30 p.m. Hot laps will begin at 6:15 p.m. with racing at 7 p.m. Then on Saturday, pit gates open at 11 a.m. and the grandstands at 1:30 p.m. Hot laps will begin at 3:15 p.m. with racing at 4 p.m.

Adult admission is $13 on Friday and $15 on Saturday. The Family Pass is $33 on Friday and $35 on Saturday. Students 6-15 are $7 both days and children five and under are always free. Pit passes are $30 both days.

Mercer Raceway Park is located minutes from both Interstate 79 and 80 just off Route 19 on Fairground Road in Mercer, Pa. Dirt track racing and quality family entertainment are presented weekly April through October. The office in New Bedford, Pa. is open year-round after 1 p.m. Monday through Friday. For more information call the office at 724-964-9300 or the track on race day at 724-662-1310. Check out our website at www.mercerracewaypark.com for the latest.

6TH ANNUAL "LITTLE GUY NATIONALS" SET FOR FRIDAY & SATURDAY AT MERCER; TWO COMPLETE SHOWS FOR STOCKS, $1K TO-WIN FRI. & $2K SAT; T3 All-STAR MOD SERIES TO MAKE 1ST APPEARANCE
By Mike Leone
September 24, 2005 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Mercer, PA.Mercer Raceway Park is once again primed to host western Pennsylvania's richest support-division only event- "The Little Guy Nationals". This sixth annual event will take place this Friday and Saturday, September 30 and October 1. Complete shows will be held both days with the Stock Cars, Micro Sprints, TUSA Mod Lites, and Strictly Stocks running on Friday night and then T3 All-Star 358 Modifieds, Stock Cars, SMODA E-Mods, and a Demo Derby on Saturday. The rain date is Sunday, October 2 with an entire event rain date of Friday-Sunday, October 14-16.

The Stock Car portion of the Little Guy Nationals is western Pennsylvania's crown-jewel of Stock Car events. The Tire Express Stock Cars will be featured in two complete shows both Friday and Saturday. On Friday night, the 25-lap feature will pay $1,000 to-win, $70 to take the green flag. Then on Saturday, western Pennsylvania's richest stock car race will hit the track for 40 laps paying a fat $2,000 to-win, $140 to-start.

Along with the big $2,000 to-win feature on Saturday for the Stock Cars, the next 48 non-qualifiers will again be given an opportunity to run a feature. The first 24 non-qualifiers will race in the 15-lap B feature paying $300 to-win, while the next 24 non-qualifiers will run in the 12-lap C feature paying $200 to-win.

All Stock Cars attempting to race will be guaranteed to receive $50 tow money on Friday and $55 on Saturday. The entry fee is $25, which includes both days if received by Friday morning, October 3. The entry fee is $35 on race day.

In 2000, Matt Lux of Franklin, Pa. won the inaugural event for the $1,000 first place prize. New York's Ken Drake made his first ever appearance to Mercer a successful one in 2001 winning the $1,200. Newcomer, Tony Hersh of Somerset, Pa., pocketed $1,500 over a whopping, record 122 cars in 2002. The last two years have been cold enough that sleet and slow flurries have flown. Bobby Whitling defended his track title in 2003 taking the $2,000 victory, while it was another local in Shaun Hooks of New Castle, Pa. earning $2,000 last season.

A total of 290 different drivers from seven states (PA, OH, NC, NY, VA, WV, & MI) plus Canada have participated in the first five events. Only two drivers, 2003 track champion Bobby Whitling, and local driver, Gary Miller, Jr., have qualified for the A feature all five years. The average car count for Saturday's event is 98.4 cars.

The Micro Sprints will make their annual appearance in a 20-lap $750 to-win feature rounding out the Tommy Gale Trailers 270 Series. J.J. Metheney is the current point leader. Past winners of the event include Jim Young, Karlin Miller, Terry Schaeffer, and Steve Dunmire. The average car count for the event is 51 cars.

The Mod Lites will be featured in a regional point series event. Their 20-lap feature will pay $600 to-win and this year will award $100 to-start. Tracey Fritter of Zanesville, Ohio won the first two events, while Eric McKinney was victories for the first time last season. The average car count has been 43.7 cars.

Rounding out Friday's program is the Maurer's Trading Post "Redneck Racers Shotgun Series" Season Championship for the Strictly Stocks. The full program will feature a 15-lap feature paying $150 to-win, $25 to-start. Last year, Robby Switzer topped a record 19-car field for the victory. Currently three-time winner Curt Bish, Jr. leads his dad and defending champion, Curt Bish, Sr., by 21 points.

Joining the Stock Cars on Saturday will be the Campbell-Peterson Trail & Turf Modifieds in the new T3 All-Star Series based in New York. Their 30-lap feature will pay $2,000 to-win, $150 to-start. The first three events went to invaders Ricky Richner of New York, Mike Stine of central Pa., and Rick Hoctor of New York. The last two years have gone to locals Lonny Riggs of Volant, Pa. and this year's champion Gary Smoker of Mercer for their biggest career wins. The average car count has been 50.4 cars.

The event always attracts a large contingent of New York cars from the Ransomville/Merrittville and Black Rock/Woodhull circuits. Billy VanPelt, who won in his first ever appearance at Mercer on May 21, will lead the T3 Series to town for their inaugural event. For more info on the T3 Series, check out their website at www.t3allstarseries.com. 

The fifth annual Mel Myers Memorial will be contested in the E-Mod division, which will be sanctioned by SMODA. The event will be the richest E-Mod event ever held at Mercer highlighted by a 30-lap feature paying $1,000 to-win with a great payoff throughout the field back to $200 to take the green. Heat races will pay $100, $50, $30, $20 with the winners transferring to a dash that will pay $150 to-win, $50 to-start. A clean sweep of the events will be worth $1,250! Past winners include Alan Dellinger, Rich Logan, Bob McCann, and Dave Hess, Jr., who topped a 40-car field last season.

Saturday's event will be topped off by a huge "Gladiator Series" Demo Derby. The top three spots will pay $500, $250, $150. If 50 or more cars participate, positions four through ten will pay $50.

On Friday, pit gates open at 3 p.m. and the grandstands at 4:30 p.m. Hot laps will begin at 6:15 p.m. with racing at 7 p.m. Then on Saturday, pit gates open at 11 a.m. and the grandstands at 1:30 p.m. Hot laps will begin at 3:15 p.m. with racing at 4 p.m.

Adult admission is $13 on Friday and $15 on Saturday. The Family Pass is $33 on Friday and $35 on Saturday. Students 6-15 are $7 both days and children five and under are always free. Pit passes are $30 both days.

Mercer Raceway Park is located minutes from both Interstate 79 and 80 just off Route 19 on Fairground Road in Mercer, Pa. Dirt track racing and quality family entertainment are presented weekly April through October. The office in New Bedford, Pa. is open year-round after 1 p.m. Monday through Friday. For more information call the office at 724-964-9300 or the track on race day at 724-662-1310. Check out our website at www.mercerracewaypark.com for the latest.

KING MAKES IT 2-FOR-2 IN BRP MODS AT MERCER; DELLINGER EARNS $2K FOR
LATE MODEL WIN; HOOKS & BISH, SR. SCORE STOCK & STRICTLY WINS
By Mike Leone
September 10, 2005 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Mercer, PA.Mercer Raceway Park hosted the Jeff Hoffman Memorial "On
Tour 2005" event presented by Hoffman Door Co. on Saturday night.
Celebrating with wins were Rex King-BRP Tour for Big-Block
Modifieds, Alan Dellinger-Late Models, Shaun Hooks-Tire Express
Stock Cars, and Curt Bish, Sr.-Maurer's Trading Post Strictly Stocks.
Rex King celebrated his 40th birthday in grand style winning
the 30-lap Jeff Hoffman Memorial Big-Block Modified feature making
it two-for-two in the BRP Tour events at Mercer this season. "Ya
gotta turn 40 once so you might as well do it with a feature win,"
exclaimed the Bristolville, Ohio winner. "On the next to last
restart I came down a little bit and it was slicker. So the next
time I went higher in (turns) three and four. I drove it on the
top, there was more moisture, the car rolled over and laid it on the
right rear, and it just went."
Fresh off a $2,000 victory in last Sunday's "Kodiak Graham"
Memorial at Tri-City Speedway, Andy Priest jumped into the early
lead from the pole position, while King raced ahead of Steve Young
on the opening lap for second. Following the restart for a caution
for Garrett Krummert and Kevin Hoffman, King blasted around Priest
on the outside for the lead on lap two.
Behind King and Priest the battle raged for third as Young
tried to hold off Jeremiah Shingledecker and Kevin Bolland.
Bolland, who started 10th, began to make his move taking fourth away
from Shingledecker on lap 10 then finally working past Young for
third on lap 15. Another driver making his way into contention was
Brian Swartzlander. Last year's September Tour winner started ninth
and took over fourth from Young on lap 19.
Priest, who at times closed on King in longer green flag
runs, lost power on lap 20 and brought out the caution. This moved
Bolland to second and Swartzlander to third for the restart. When
racing resumed, Bolland drove hard into turn one and tried to get
under King, but the birthday boy had too power up top on the
cushion. Once King cleared Bolland, he powered around the cushion
and went on for his second straight Tour win on the circuit.
King's 11th career Mercer win was worth $1,500 in his R.D.
Banks Chevrolet/Cortland Bank/Cintas/Alltel-sponsored Bicknell #65.
Bolland held off Swartzlander for second. Young was fourth over Joe
Crawford, who came all the way from 19th. Rounding out the top 10
were Shingledecker, Mark Flick, Rob Kristyak, Tom Mattocks, and
Mercer champion Gary Smoker, who had a solid run with his 358 small-
block. Heat winners over the season-high 37-car field were
Swartzlander, Bolland, Priest, and King. Kristyak and Dean Pearson
won the two B mains.
Alan Dellinger put on a driving clinic in an impressive run
to the front to win the 30-lap $2,000 to-win Late Model
feature. "This track is kind of unique- once you learn how to get
around it, it kind of stays with you," explained the Niles, Ohio
native. "My confidence was strong. I know I have a good car and
we've been running real well with it. When we're allowed to run the
open tires, I seem to do pretty good. I wasn't going to get off the
bottom over here (turns one and two) or over there (turns three and
four). You only race as hard as you have to."
Mike Blose took the early lead from the pole position with
Chuck Kennedy and Len Dobrosielski in tow. Sixth starter, Billy
Henry, passed Gary Lyle for fourth on lap six. Henry then flew
passed Dobrosielski on lap seven and with ninth starter Dellinger
following, the duo made it three-wide for the lead. Blose was able
to lead lap seven, but on the following lap Henry nosed ahead for
the lead. A caution for J.R. Gentry bunched up the field with 10
laps completed.
When racing resumed, Dellinger and Blose ran side-by-side
for second until Dellinger put a slider on Blose in turn four to
claim the spot. Dellinger's winning move came on lap 12 when he
drove around Henry off turn four for the lead. Henry drove too hard
into turn one on the following lap trying to get by Dellinger and
looped his mount collecting Dobrosielski.
This moved Blose back to second for the restart, but when
racing resumed Blose slowed bringing out another caution. Gary Lyle
now inherited second with Jay Watson up to third. These two raced
side-by-side for second for five laps before Watson took over runner-
up on lap 19. Dobrosielski, who pitted and restarted tail, found
the outside to his liking. Making his first ever Mercer appearance,
Dobrosielski rode the cushion back to the front getting past John
Mollick for fourth on lap 22 then made a bonsai move passing both
Lyle and Watson for second on lap 24.
With five laps to go, Dobrosielski had less than a
straightaway deficit to make up. Each lap he cut into Dellinger's
lead and it appeared that he would have a shot at overtaking
Dellinger. In the closing laps though Dobrosielski missed his marks
on a couple occasions getting sideways, which was just enough that
allowed Dellinger to maintain his lead. Dellinger took the
checkered flag first in the War Fab/Ohio Steel-sponsored John Rebhan-
owned #99JR for his second career Late Model win at Mercer and 37th
career win overall amongst four divisions at Mercer.
Dobrosielski then ended up holding off Ken Schaltenbrand,
who made a late charge from the tail to get third. Watson dropped
to fourth over Lyle. Sixth through tenth were Gentry, Chuck
Kennedy, Rick Armstrong, Clint Smith, and Mollick. Heat winners
were Dobrosielski and Jeff Henry.
Defending "Little Guy Nationals" winner and 2003 champion
Shaun Hooks entered the night with just one win this season. Hooks'
victory in the 20-lap Tire Express Stock Car feature may have been
one of his most impressive of his career as he charged from the tail
after pitting on lap four with a dragging bumper to top an "all-
star" field of cars for the $600 win.
"This one's for Mike Leone," expressed the New Castle, Pa.
winner. "He said I was a quiet third last week- here ya go Mike!
The big tires were awesome, losing the bumper was probably the best
thing that happened all night it just seemed twice as fast."
Steve D'Apolito raced into the lead at the start with Bobby
Heim following. Joe Kelley passed John Reiser for third then got
past Heim for second on lap two. Kelley caught D'Apolito and the
two raced side-by-side for the lead on laps six and seven before
Kelley took the lead going down the backstretch. Reiser worked his
way under and past D'Apolito for second on lap 10.
Following a restart for a spin by Ken Zimmer with 11 laps
completed, Reiser used the outside to his liking getting enough run
off the top to edged Kelley for the lead on lap 12. The caution was
just what Hooks needed as he was back into contention. On lap 14,
Hooks passed both Heim and Rick Norco for third.
Four cautions slowed action between laps 16 and 17. The
third one included Kelley, who got sideways in turn two and
collected three other cars. Kelley pitted and returned to action,
but now Hooks lined up alongside Reiser. When racing resumed for
good, Reiser was able to lead lap 18, but Hooks was just too much as
he made the winning move on the 19th circuit.
Hooks crossed the lined first and did donuts to celebrate
his 11th career win in his Benny Lombardo Auto Repair-sponsored
#65. Reiser was second. Making his first start in two years, Tommy
Dembowski was third after getting by Heim on lap 18. Heim dropped
to fourth for his best finish since a fourth on April 26, 2003.
After getting in the feature as an alternate, Ed Cornell raced his
way from the tail to finish fifth matching his best run since
October 5, 2002. Heat victors over the season-high 35-car field
were Barry Wilson, Dembowski, Hooks, and Zimmer. Wayne Carbo won
the B main.
After being shutout of victory lane for nearly three months,
defending champion Curt Bish, Sr. made it two wins in a row in the
12-lap Maurer's Trading Post Strictly Stocks. Like King, Bish
celebrated his birthday by winning. Bish started from the ninth
spot and took runner-up from Ealy on lap four. Meanwhile up front,
Paul Reiser led the first seven laps from the pole position. On lap
eight, Reiser got sideways coming off turn four, which allowed Bish
to take over the lead.
Bish would hold off Reiser for his fourth win of the season and 15th
of his career in his A&C Buffet/4 Your Car Connection/Dennis Baker
Construction-sponsored #B1. Reiser matched his cousin John Reiser
by finishing second for his career best finish. Point leader Curt
Bish, Jr. came from 11th to get third. Rookie Vaughn Cook recorded
his first career top five in the fourth spot. Lauren Simmons was
fifth. Bish, Sr. and Ealy won the heats over the 12-car field.

Jeff Hoffman Memorial Big-Block Modified BRP Tour (30 laps): 1. REX
KING ($1,500) 2. Kevin Bolland 3. Brian Swartzlander 4. Steve
Young 5. Joe Crawford 6. Jeremiah Shingledecker 7. Mark Flick 8.
Rob Kristyak 9. Tom Mattocks 10. Gary Smoker 11. Rodney Beltz
12. Dean Pearson 13. Chanda Reitz 14. Carl Murdick 15. Russell
King 16. Rob McClimans 17. Andy Priest 18. Gary Rankin 19. Chris
Schiffer 20. George Hobaugh 21. Andy Paden 22. Dave Murdick 23.
Bob Dorman 24. Kevin Hoffman 25. Garrett Krummert DNQ: John
Boyer, Jr., Doug Fleeger, Rick Hall, Dave Reges, Rick Kress, Arnie
Kent, Jr. Baker, Leonard Baker, Sr., Frank Guidace, Alan Dellinger,
Randy Chronister, Mike Turner.

Late Models (30 laps): 1. ALAN DELLINGER ($2,000) 2. Len
Dobrosielski 3. Ken Schaltenbrand 4. Jay Watson 5. Gary Lyle 6.
J.R. Gentry 7. Chuck Kennedy 8. Rick Armstrong 9. Clint Smith
10. John Mollick 11. Jeff Henry 12. Billy Henry 13. Mike Blose
14. Steve Hollabaugh

Tire Express Stock Cars (20 laps): 1. SHAUN HOOKS ($600) 2. John
Reiser 3. Tommy Dembowski 4. Bobby Heim 5. Ed Cornell 6. Tim
Deutsch 7. Steve D'Apolito 8. Joe Kelley 9. Tony Spaghetti 10.
Rick Norco 11. Bryan Shaffer 12. Rick Lanigan 13. Bill Schall,
Jr. 14. Randy Sprouse 15. Mark Felicetty 16. William Smiley 17.
Lee Hummel 18. Ken Zimmer 19. Brian Bush 20. Denny Fenton 21.
Jarrot Moore 22. Clyde Roberts 23. Mark Sanders 24. Wayne Carbo
25. Barry Wilson-DNS 26. Harry Smith-DNS DNQ: Chris Hake, Charles
Ramsey, Spencer Husted, Rich Frame, Branden Porter, Mike Pegher,
Jr., Matt Keith, Brian Booher, Erick Cwynar.

Maurer's Trading Post Strictly Stocks (12 laps): 1. CURT BISH, SR.
2. Paul Reiser 3. Curt Bish, Jr. 4. Vaughn Cook 5. Lauren
Simmons 6. Dave Bass 7. Jim Boring 8. Lester Kerr 9. Randy Ealy
10. William Morrison III 11. Carl Ealy 12. Jon Mabry.

Upcoming Events:
9/30 6th annual "Little Guy Nationals" night one. Stocks ($1,000),
Micro Sprints ($750), TUSA Mod Lites ($600), & Strictly Stocks
($150). Racing at 7 p.m.
10/1 6th annual "Little Guy Nationals" night two. T3 All-Star
Series for 358 Mods ($2,000), Stocks ($2,000), SMODA E-Mods
($1,000), & Demo Derby ($500). Racing at 4 p.m. Rain date 10/2.
Entire event rain date 10/14-16

Mercer Raceway Park is located minutes from both Interstate 79 and
80 just off Route 19 on Fairground Road in Mercer, Pa. Dirt track
racing and quality family entertainment are presented weekly late
March through early October. The office in New Bedford, Pa. is open
year-round Monday through Friday after 1:00 p.m. For more
information call the office at 724-964-9300 or the track on race day
at 724-662-1310. Check out our website at www.mercerracewaypark.com
for the latest.

LATE MODELS TO MAKE FIRST & ONLY APPEARANCE SATURDAY AT MERCER & JOINED BY JEFF HOFFMAN MEMORIAL FOR BRP BIG-BLOCK MOD TOUR
By Mike Leone
September 7, 2005 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Mercer, PA.After a short week following Monday's "Sprint Slug-Out", Mercer Raceway Park will return to action this Saturday night, September 10 for "On Tour 2005". This year's version is presented by Hoffman Door Co. and will feature the Jeff Hoffman Memorial for the BRP Big-Block Modified Tour plus Late Models, Tire Express Open Stock Cars, and the Maurer's Trading Post Strictly Stocks.

The Big-Block Modifieds will make their second and final appearance of the season to The Park highlighted by a 30-lap feature paying $1,500 to-win. In the Tour's first visit on May 21, Rex King topped a 33-car field. Past Tour winners at Mercer with wins in parentheses are Lou Blaney (three), Kevin Bolland (two), Alan Dellinger, Ron Smoker, Tommy Kristyak, and Brian Swartzlander.

Joining King, Swartzlander, and Bolland are other top big-block racers like Andy Priest, Todd Burley, Del Rougeux, Jr., Joe Crawford, Dave Murdick, Steve Young, Mark Flick, Tom Winkle, and many more will take on some of Mercer's small-block 358 regulars like Gary Smoker, Rick Hall, Frank Guidace, Tommy Kristyak, Kevin Hoffman, and others who are expected to compete. New York racers Ron Cartwright, Jr. and Gil Tegg, Jr. are also likely entrants.

The ground-pounding Late Models will now make their only appearance of the season Saturday night after the first scheduled event on March 26 was cancelled due to weather. The Late Models will be spotlighted in a 30-lap feature paying $2,000 to-win. The exciting, close-competition events have been fan favorites over the past three seasons. The winners list reads like a who's who of local racing with Keith Barbara and David Scott being victories twice, while single wins have gone to Dick Barton, Alan Dellinger, and Nick Jones.

The Stock Cars will be in their final tune-up before the region's biggest event, the "Little Guy Nationals" on September 30 and October 1. The open rules format always draws in some heavy hitters across the region and that's again expected Saturday as $600 will be up for grabs for the winner of the 20-lap feature. Fresh off his first championship, Brian Booher of Sandy Lake, Pa. would love to add to his track high seven wins as he's already won four of the division's seven special events.

The Strictly Stocks are still accumulating points in their "Redneck Racers Shotgun Series". With just two events remaining, Curt Bish, Jr. of Oil City, Pa. continues to close in on the title. The three-time winner has a 27-point lead on his father and defending champion Curt, Sr., who also has three wins. Still alive in the championship hunt is four-time winner Bryan Shaffer, who is 39 points back, and three-time winner Carl Ealy, who is 41 points back.

Pits open at 3:30 p.m. and grandstands open at 4:30 p.m. Hot laps are slated for 6:15 p.m. and the first green flag will wave at 7 p.m. Admission is $15 for adults. Students 6-15 are $7. The Family Pass is $35. Children five and under are free. Pit passes are $30.

Last year's inaugural Jeff Hoffman Memorial was held at Sportsman's Speedway and won by New York's Chad Brachmann. Hoffman passed away in 2003, but his legacy will live on amongst fans and racers in western Pa. and eastern Ohio. The Franklin, Pa. native started his career off in the pure stock ranks and was winner before moving into the big-block division driving the familiar Hoffman Door #17H and #00H. In his relative short racing career, Hoffman amassed 89 Modified wins at nine tracks, which ranked him seventh all-time through the 2004 season. He's the all-time Sportsman's Speedway winner with 36 scores and also leads the way at Marion Center with 19 wins. Hoffman also has 19 wins at Tri-City, nine wins at Challenger, two wins at Lernerville, and one win at Expo, Hickory, Raceway 7, and Sharon Speedways.

Hoffman Door Co. is family-owned and operated since 1974 in Franklin, Pa. Hoffman's provide garage doors, sales and service for residential, commercial, and industrial. For more information, call 888-534-8250.

Mercer Raceway Park is located minutes from both Interstate 79 and 80 just off Route 19 on Fairground Road in Mercer, Pa. Dirt track racing and quality family entertainment are presented weekly late March through early October. The office in New Bedford, Pa. is open year-round Monday through Friday after 1:00 p.m. For more information call the office at 724-964-9300 or the track on race day at 724-662-1310. Check out our website at www.mercerracewaypark.com for the latest.

GEORGE, MURPHY, & EYLER SHARE TRIPLE 15 SPRINT WINS AT MERCER; GUIDACE TOPS 38 MODS FOR 1ST WIN; BOOHER & BISH, SR. ADD TO STOCK & STRICTLY WIN TOTALS
By Mike Leone
September 5, 2005 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Mercer, PA.Mercer Raceway Park hosted the rescheduled sixth annual "Sprint Slug-Out" on Monday, Labor Day. Celebrating in the Hoosier Tire Mid-Atlantic victory lane were Rod George-Luxaire Heating & Cooling Sprint Cars #1, Mark Murphy-Luxaire Heating & Cooling Sprint Cars #2, Rob Eyler- Luxaire Heating & Cooling Sprint Cars #3, Frank Guidace-Campbell-Peterson Trail & Turf Modifieds, Brian Booher-Tire Express Stock Cars, and Curt Bish, Sr.-Maurer's Trading Post Strictly Stocks. A four-division season high of 110 cars filled the pit area.

Rod George celebrated his first track championship by opening the night off winning the first 15-lap Luxaire Heating & Cooling Sprint Car feature holding off a furious challenge by Ed Lynch, Jr. "We kept pacing around there and my temperature gauge was clean out on zero," revealed the Kittanning, Pa. driver after his fourth win of the season. "It was cold as all and when I jumped on the gas it just about stalled right there. It was real tight there going into (turn) one with Ed (Lynch). It was a super race. I don't run the top too much, but it was real fast."

By the luck of the draw George drew the number one pill and would proceed to lead the entire distance, but not without a challenge. Lynch, who started eighth, knew he had a limited time to catch the pole-sitter so he blew around five cars into third on the opening lap. Lynch then raced under Bryan Grove for second on lap two. Lynch caught George and the two raced hard all over the race track through lapped traffic with Lynch trying every move possible. George was coming down for the white flag when Gale Ruth, Jr. tangled with Arnie Kent bringing out the caution and setting up a two-lap dash to the checkered.

George's car sputtered on the restart and Lynch nearly ran over the leader. Lynch tried to go the outside heading into one and the two nearly collided as Lynch backed off with no room to make the move. George got up to speed and held Lynch off for his seventh career Mercer win and circuit-leading 17th overall on the season. The victory was worth $1,000 plus an extra $600 from Estol Harp at Eracers Go-Kart Park for being the "Cash Chaser" and winning the feature in his Delp Powder Coating/Ankle & Foot Care-sponsored #4.

"I know Estol from back in the go-kart days," stated George. "We've had the sticker on the car all year, but just never seemed to quite get it. That's awesome to come in and add that to the payoff. It makes a huge difference."

Rob Eyler passed Grove on the last lap to finish third. Grove dropped to fourth over Doug Stanley. Sixth through tenth were Ralph Spithaler, Jr. in Troy Preston's #1P, Ricky Ferkel, Kevin Andrusky, Tom Quarterson, and Todd Bauer. Heat winners over the 26-car field were George, Andrusky, and Bauer. Bill Kiley won the B main.

Mark Murphy returned to victory lane for the first time since August 26, 2000 in the second 15-lap Luxaire Heating & Cooling Sprint Car feature. "With my old age I was breathing too hard and my shield was fogging up so I kept flipping it up on the straightaways," revealed the Norton, Ohio $1,000 winner. We crashed this car into the wall three or four years ago and we thought we were going to cut it up and throw it away, but we've been working on it and it's been better. I just wished it didn't rain so much this year."

With an invert 16 of the first feature, Leonard Ripper, Jr. took the early lead past Gale Ruth at the start. Murphy, who started sixth, moved into third on the first lap then grabbed second away from Ruth on lap two. Racing was halted on two different occasions with two laps completed when Arnie Kent first got upside down then when racing resumed Rob Eyler flipped on the backstretch.

When green flag racing resumed, Quarterson, who started eighth, was on the move taking third away from Ruth on lap three. Murphy ran down Ripper and was all over the leader on laps four, five, and six before finally making the winning move on the sixth circuit racing off the outside of turn two. Quarterson followed in second on lap 10 dropping Ripper back to third. Lynch was on the move from the 15th starting spot and disposed of Ripper for third on lap 11 as 16th starting George followed in fourth on lap 12.

Murphy though was able to hold off three of the region's biggest stars over the past 20 years in Quarterson, Lynch, and George for his second career win in his family-owned and homemade built, un-sponsored #98M. Spithaler was fifth after starting 11th. Completing the top 10 were Bauer, Andrusky, Ripper, Mike Dehner, and Ruth.

Rob Eyler came back from his flip in the second feature to win the third 15-lapper in a thrilling five-car duel driving a pieced-together car. "It's been a long time coming," said the emotional Franklin, Pa. $1,000 victor. "It's been a rough season. I have to thank all the guys in the pits; Gale Ruth, Doug Stanley, Rod George everybody chipped in and gave me parts. I have Gale Ruth's wing and Bob Felmlee's front end in the car. If it wasn't for all the racers I wouldn't be here."

Grove immediately shot into the lead ahead of Ferkel on the start as the top 12 in points from the night were inverted. Ferkel's car began to spew smoke and he exited the event on lap five handing second to Andrusky and third to Eyler. As Grove continued to hold down the lead, Andrusky, Eyler, Lynch, and George all closed on the leader making for a five-car race at the halfway point. Eyler made a slingshot move to nip Andrusky at the line for second on lap 10. Then coming off turn two on lap 11, Eyler and Andrusky both made a bid at the lead as they were three-wide with Grove down the backstretch. Grove maintained the lead in search of his first career win, but on the following lap Eyler was able to make the winning move in lapped traffic as Grove had to get on the binders.

George slipped under Lynch for fourth on lap 13 then moved ahead of Andrusky for third on lap 14. Time would run out as Eyler won the exciting race to become the division's 10th different winner of the season for his first win since August 7 of last season. Eyler's seventh career win came in the White Heating/Bahama Breeze/World of Wheels-sponsored #5a.

Grove, who has improved remarkably over the course of the season in his first year in a 410, held on for a career best second. George was third and earned an extra $100 for being the night's high point man bringing his winnings to $2,450 for the night. Andrusky edged Lynch for fourth as Lynch joined George as the only two drivers to finish in the top five in all three features. Bauer was sixth giving him a fourth and two sixths on the night in his first appearance since September 6, 2003. Quarterson, Brent Matus, Terry Young, and Spithaler completed the top 10.

Frank Guidace made history by becoming the first driver to win in four different classes of modifieds topping a big field of 38 358 Modifieds and doing it without brakes in the 20-lap $800 to-win Campbell-Peterson Trail & Turf feature.

"I went into one and two without any brakes at all and bounced it off the fence. I raced the rest of the race with no brakes. I was pumping the brake pedal and with no brakes I had to move to the bottom. The top was pretty fast, but someone, probably me, forgot to tighten the brake line. I saw (Gary) Smoker and I knew if I got off the bottom, he'd get me."

Ron Eperthener, Jr. raced ahead of Brian Fink at the start of the event for the early lead with Guidace moving to third ahead of Brad Rapp. Following a restart with three laps completed, Guidace passed Fink for second and set his sights on Eperthener. It was lap five when Guidace lost his brakes and slammed the fence allowing Fink to get back by. Guidace would move back to second following another restart with six laps completed. Then another restart with seven laps completed was when Guidace took over from Eperthener.

Smoker passed Bill Adams for third on lap eight then snuck under Eperthener for runner-up on lap 13. Mike Stine appeared to have the fastest car as he raced past Adams then around the outside of Eperthener for third on lap 14. As Guidace set the pace out front, five cars were in a heated battle for second with five laps to go. As Stine looked to make a move on Smoker on lap 18 he slipped high in turn four and dropped back to fifth.

Up front, Guidace kept his mount planted on the bottom. Smoker tried one last ditch outside sweeping move coming off turn four on the last lap, but Guidace was able to barely hold on for his first ever 358 win and became the division's 10th different winner of the season in his G&G Auto Outlet, Hine Racing Equipment-powered #99. Guidace joined Alan Dellinger and Lonny Riggs as the only drivers in the history of the speedway to win in four different classes, but the first to win in four different modified classes as he has three six-cylinder, two big-block, and one sportsman victory to go along with the 358 score.

Smoker was second and won his first championship of any kind. Rapp was a strong third over Adams and Stine. Front row starters Eperthener and Fink dropped to sixth and seventh. Mike Jackson made the trip down from Addison, New York prepping for the T3 All-Star Series event on October 1 and was eighth. Mike Anderson and Garrett Krummert completed the top 10. Smoker, Guidace, Stine, and Andy Priest were heat winners over the season-high 38-car field. Ben Porter and Kevin Green won the two B mains.

Brian Booher's stellar season continued as he won his first ever track championship by virtue of his career high seventh win, which came in the 20-lap Tire Express Stock Car feature. "I have to thank the crew for an awesome year," expressed the humble Sandy Lake, Pa. $500 winner. "They put together a great car. I want to congratulate Terry Wheeler for a great run and second in points."

Wheeler jumped to the early lead from the pole. Booher, who started fifth, passed John Reiser for third on lap two then moved to second past Rick Norco on lap four. Booher ran down Wheeler and made the pass for lead going under the leader off turn two on lap seven. Wheeler didn't give up though as he regained the lead on lap 10 driving to the outside and around Booher off turn four. Booher came back to retake the lead following a restart with 13 laps completed, and held off Wheeler in the Terry Hoover-owned, Ed & Jerry's Auto Service/Harbor Steel/Harry & Tim Roofing-sponsored #00H. Four of Booher's seven wins this year have been $500 specials and he's now doubled his career win total to 14 this year moving into a tie for fourth all-time with Bill Hanna.

Wheeler backed up his second place at Tri-City Speedway on Sunday night with his amazing fifth straight runner-up finish at Mercer. Shaun Hooks was a quiet third after starting 11th. Jarrot Moore's fourth was his best finish since a third on August 14 of last season. Sophomore racer Chris Brown was fifth. Booher, Bill Lanigan, and Sonny Wisler won the heats over the 31-car field. Scott Myers won the B main.

Curt Bish, Sr. ended a dry spell by winning the 15-lap Maurer's Trading Post Strictly Stock feature. The Titusville, Pa. defending champion started fifth and had the lead on the initial lap. Bish was able to hold off his son Curt, Jr. for his third win of the year and 14th of his career in his A&C Buffet/4 Your Car Connection/Dennis Baker Construction-sponsored #B1.

Point leader Curt, Jr. started 10th and inherited second on lap five when Carl Ealy suffered a flat tire, but didn't have quite enough for his dad. Lauren Simmons was third after starting ninth. Rookie William Morrison III was fourth for his second career top five in the last three races. Regina DeLoe made her first ever start and was fifth after starting 12th as she was one of three females in the field. Bish, Jr. and Bryan Shaffer won the heats over the 15-car field.

Luxaire Heating & Cooling Sprint Cars #1: 1. ROD GEORGE ($1,600) 2. Ed Lynch, Jr. 3. Rob Eyler 4. Todd Bauer 5. Doug Stanley 6. Ralph Spithaler, Jr. 7. Ricky Ferkel 8. Kevin Andrusky 9. Tom Quarterson 10. Bryan Grove 11. Mark Murphy 12. Terry Young 13. Mike Dehner 14. Paul Kapuchuck 15. Leonard Ripper, Jr. 16. Gale Ruth 17. Bill Kiley 18. Arnie Kent 19. Jimmy Seger 20. Gale Ruth, Jr. 21. Randy Kriegisch 22. Brent Matus 23. Joe Butera 24. Butch Beasley DNQ: Robert Van Tassel, Brian Swartzlander.

Luxaire Heating & Cooling Sprint Cars #2: 1. MARK MURPHY ($1,000) 2. Tom Quarterson 3. Ed Lynch, Jr. 4. Rod George 5. Ralph Spithaler, Jr. 6. Todd Bauer 7. Kevin Andrusky 8. Leonard Ripper, Jr. 9. Mike Dehner 10. Gale Ruth 11. Brent Matus 12. Terry Young 13. Bill Kiley 14. Butch Beasley 15. Doug Stanley 16. Bryan Grove 17. Jimmy Seger 18. Ricky Ferkel 19. Andy Priest 20. Arnie Kent 21. Paul Kapuchuck 22. Joe Butera 23. Rob Eyler 24. Robert Van Tassel 25. Gale Ruth, Jr.-DNS DNQ: Brian Swartzlander.

Luxaire Heating & Cooling Sprint Cars #3: 1. ROB EYLER ($1,000) 2. Bryan Grove 3. Rod George 4.Kevin Andrusky 5. Ed Lynch, Jr. 6. Todd Bauer 7. Tom Quarterson 8. Brent Matus 9. Terry Young 10. Ralph Spithaler, Jr. 11. Mike Dehner 12. Gale Ruth, Jr. 13. Leonard Ripper, Jr. 14. Butch Beasley 15. Paul Kapuchuck 16. Joe Butera 17. Bill Kiley 18. Ricky Ferkel 19. Mark Murphy 20. Robert Van Tassel 21. Arnie Kent 22. Doug Stanley-DNS 23. Jimmy Seger-DNS 24. Gale Ruth-DNS 25. Andy Priest-DNS DNQ: Brian Swartzlander.

Campbell-Peterson Trail & Turf (358) Modifieds: 1. FRANK GUIDACE ($800) 2. Gary Smoker 3. Brad Rapp 4. Bill Adams 5. Mike Stine 6. Ron Eperthener, Jr. 7. Brian Fink 8. Mike Jackson 9. Mike Anderson 10. Garrett Krummert 11. Chuck Crawley 12. Fred Sasse 13. Rich Whitney 14. Jr. Baker 15. Matt Reeher 16. Kevin Green 17. Chad Yeager 18. Steve Barr 19. Tommy Kristyak 20. Ben Porter 21. Chris Dye 22. Rick Kress 23. Travis Shingledecker 24. Andy Priest 25. Mike Brosenitsch 26. Rick Hall-DNS DNQ: Leonard Baker, Sr., Travis Bell, Josh McFadden, Rick Ryder, Jimmy Holden, Jim Rombold, Jr., Jerry Twentier, Sr., Jim Thompson, Shayne Izzo, Scott Kay, Tom Holden, Steve Toth.

Tire Express Stock Cars: 1. BRIAN BOOHER ($500) 2. Terry Wheeler 3. Shaun Hooks 4. Jarrot Moore 5. Chris Brown 6. Andy Buckley 7. Bill Schall, Jr. 8. Bill Vance, Jr. 9. Bill Lanigan 10. Tony Spaghetti 11. Larry Root 12. Tim Folmer 13. John Winters 14. Ryan Moyer 15. Rick Norco 16. Tim Deutsch 17. Sonny Wisler 18. Clyde Roberts 19. Scott Myers 20. Bruce Redman 21. William Smiley 22. John Reiser 23. Rod Laskey 24. Tim Zuschlag DNQ: Jon Parsons, Branden Porter, Kenny Bratt, Jr., Ed Cornell, Skip Reseigh, Scott Malone, Mark Felicetty.

Maurer's Trading Post Strictly Stocks: 1. CURT BISH, SR. 2. Curt Bish, Jr. 3. Lauren Simmons 4. William Morrison III 5. Regina DeLoe 6. Jon Mabry 7. Jim Boring 8. Dave Bass 9. Vaughn Cook 10. Chad Myers 11. Olivia Eperthener 12. Bryan Shaffer 13. Carl Ealy 14. Paul Reiser-DNS 15. Randy Ealy-DNS.

Upcoming Events:
9/10 "On Tour 2005"/Jeff Hoffman Memorial presented by Hoffman Door Co. Late Models ($2,000), BRP Tour for Big-Block Mods ($1,500), Open Stock Cars ($600), plus Strictly Stocks.
9/30 "Little Guy Nationals" night one. Stocks ($1,000), Micro Sprints ($750), TUSA Mod Lites ($600), & Strictly Stocks ($150)
10/01 "Little Guy Nationals" night two. T3 All-Star 358 Modified Series ($2,000), Open Stock Cars ($2,000), SMODA E-Mods ($1,000), plus Demo Derby ($500).

Mercer Raceway Park is located minutes from both Interstate 79 and 80 just off Route 19 on Fairground Road in Mercer, Pa. Dirt track racing and quality family entertainment are presented weekly late March through early October. The office in New Bedford, Pa. is open year-round after 1:00 p.m. Monday through Friday. For more information call the office at 724-964-9300 or the track on race day at 724-662-1310. Check out our website at www.mercerracewaypark.com for the latest.

MODS TO DO BATTLE MONDAY IN FINAL TUNE-UP BEFORE T3 ALL-STAR SERIES EVENT ON OCTOBER 1; WEATHER LOOKS GREAT FOR "SPRINT SLUG-OUT"
By Mike Leone
September 3, 2005 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Mercer, PA.One of the toughest decisions during the past six seasons that Vicki Emig had to make at Mercer Raceway Park was dropping the big-block and sportsman divisions and starting a new 358 Modified class. The decision paid off as after the first two nights of 21 cars, the car counts soared with more than a full field of cars every night, a high of 33, a total of 54 different cars competing, and nine different winners.
Heading into Monday's special Labor Day show as part of the "Sprint Slug-Out", and the final night of points, the Campbell-Peterson Trail & Turf Modifieds will get one last tune-up before the T3 All-Star Series-sanctioned event for the headlining event of the sixth annual "Little Guy Nationals" on Saturday, October 1.

Not only is Monday's race a tune-up for the locals that will decide the points, they may have to contend with a few New York cars that are expected to make the tow down before their series hits the track on October 1.

"Even though this is a Sprint Car special, we're looking for another strong field of Modifieds," stated seventh year owner Vicki Emig. "This class has been beyond my expectations this year. The quality of cars and competitiveness is great. It has jelled the up and coming future stars with veterans and many others that either couldn't afford the big blocks or guys that didn't want to run sportsman."

Top New York racers Ron Cartwright, Jr., who will also be coming to race next Saturday with his big-block, and Mike Jackson have already called that they will be competing Monday. Mike also stated he may squeeze his brother Stacy's car in the trailer too. It wouldn't be out of the realm to see a few others from the Empire State also come down.

The sixth annual "Sprint Slug-Out" will feature the Luxaire Heating & Cooling Sprint Cars in their final show of 2005. Rod George has already clinched his first title, but would like nothing more than to add to his win total as he'll have three more shots in triple 15-lap features.

The Stock Cars will go at it 20 laps for $500 to-win in a pill draw format using Mercer tech rules. The Strictly Stocks will also join the card in another "Redneck Racers Shotgun Series" event, and will take part in their twice rained out "Meet Your Heroes" autograph night presented by Grove City Auto Mall. The cars and stars of the division will be signing autographs from 5-5:30 behind the grandstands. Free color autograph cards will be available at each grandstand gate.

Pit gates open at 2:30 with grandstands at 3:30 p.m. Hot laps are slated for 5:15 p.m. with heat races to follow at 6 p.m. Adult admission is $15. Students 6-15 are $7. Children five and under are free. The Family Pass is $35.

Mercer Raceway Park is located minutes from both Interstate 79 and 80 just off Route 19 on Fairground Road in Mercer, Pa. Dirt track racing and quality family entertainment are presented weekly late March through early October. The office in New Bedford, Pa. is open year-round Monday through Friday after 1:00 p.m. For more information call the office at 724-964-9300 or the track on race day at 724-662-1310. Check out our website at www.mercerracewaypark.com for the latest.

"SPRINT SLUG-OUT" SET TO GO ON LABOR DAY WITH FIRST EVER TRIPLE 15S PLUS INCREASED MONEY FOR MODS & STOCKS AT MERCER; STRICTLY STOCK AUTOGRAPH NIGHT
By Mike Leone
August 30, 2005 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Mercer, PA.Following the modern day record ninth rainout of the
season this past Saturday night, Mercer Raceway Park made the
decision to reschedule the "Sprint Slug-Out" for Labor Day this
Monday, September 5. Hoosier Tire Mid-Atlantic will present the
sixth annual event. For the first time ever in the region, Sprint
Cars will be featured in triple 15-lap features. Also on the card
will be the Campbell-Peterson Trail & Turf Modifieds, Tire Express
Stock Cars, and Maurer's Trading Post Strictly Stocks.
"Despite for the most part a dry summer, we've fought the
rain once again much of the season," stated seventh year owner Vicki
Emig. "We didn't want to lose this event for the racers, fans, and
title sponsor Hoosier. With people working and going to school the
next day, we moved the starting time up one hour to 6 and decided to
forgo the time trial format for the Sprint Cars so we can get
everyone on their way home at a reasonable hour."
The event has also seemingly fought Mother Nature almost
every year since its inception in 1999. The 2003 event was rained
out, in 2002 it was postponed to Labor Day, but that show was also
rained out, and in 2001 it took two tries to complete the show. The
event has averaged 35 cars and will see at least one new winner as
previous winners Jimmy Hawley (3), Tommy Burns, Jr., and Jamie Smith
have all retired from racing.
The possibility exists that one driver could walk away with
over $4,200! Like the name implies sprints, will be competing in
short "sprint-type" features as they'll have to get the job done in
just 15 laps. Each feature event will pay $1,000 to-win. A sweep
of the three features will award a $500 bonus. If the selected
driver in the top 10 in points wins the first feature, he will be
awarded the $600 Eracers "Cash Chaser" bonus. High point man for
the night will earn an additional $100. 360 bonus money will also
be on the line.
With no qualifying now, the revised format will see the top
12 cars from the heart races redraw for the first dozen starting
spots of the first feature. The remaining qualifying cars will be
straight-up on heat or B main finishes. The winner of the first
feature will then draw a pill of 10, 12, 14, 16, or 18 for feature
two. The third feature will invert the top 12 in points accumulated
from the night with the remaining positions straight-up.
With no other Sprint Car races scheduled for Sunday or
Monday and the open format, a good field of cars is expected. Two
rainouts and an off week in the month of August clinched Rod
George's first ever Mercer championship. Drivers will be awarded
heat race points and feature points for their best finish amongst
the three features. The real battle is for positions 6-10 as just
30 points separate those five racers.
Another strong field of Modifieds are expected in their
final tune-up before "The Little Guy Nationals" on October 1. Gary
Smoker of Mercer, Pa. simply needs to show up to win his first ever
championship of any kind although he'd love to add his fourth win
and the $800 that goes with it in this pill draw format.
The Stock Cars will go at it 20 laps for $500 to-win in a
pill draw format using Mercer tech rules. None of the top four in
points have ever won a championship at Mercer as Andy Thompson
currently leads Brian Booher, Gary Norman, and Terry Wheeler.
The Strictly Stocks still have two more point races
scheduled after Saturday night. One on September 10 and the
their "Redneck Racers Shotgun Series" Season Championship, which is
a paying event on September 30. Curt Bish, Jr. leads the dogfight
over Bryan Shaffer, Carl Ealy, and defending champion Curt Bish, Sr.
The Strictly Stocks will take part in their twice rained
out "Meet Your Heroes" autograph night presented by Grove City Auto
Mall. The cars and stars of the division will be signing autographs
from 5-5:30 behind the grandstands. Free color autograph cards will
be available at each grandstand gate.
Pit gates open at 2:30 with grandstands at 3:30 p.m. Hot
laps are slated for 5:15 p.m. with heat races to follow at 6 p.m..
Adult admission is $15. Students 6-15 are $7. Children five and
under are free. The Family Pass is $35.
Mercer Raceway Park is located minutes from both Interstate
79 and 80 just off Route 19 on Fairground Road in Mercer, Pa. Dirt
track racing and quality family entertainment are presented weekly
late March through early October. The office in New Bedford, Pa. is
open year-round Monday through Friday after 1:00 p.m. For more
information call the office at 724-964-9300 or the track on race day
at 724-662-1310. Check out our website at www.mercerracewaypark.com  
for the latest.

RAIN CANCELS RACING ON SATURDAY FOR 9TH TIME AT MERCER; "SPRINT SLUG-OUT" RESCHEDULED FOR LABOR DAY
By Mike Leone
August 27, 2005 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Mercer, PA.For the ninth time this season setting a modern day record, Mother Nature took the checkered flag at Mercer Raceway Park on Saturday night. Showers and drizzle throughout the late morning and early afternoon forced the cancellation. The sixth annual "Sprint Slug-Out" has been rescheduled for Labor Day, Monday, September 5 with racing beginning early at 6 p.m.

Joining the Luxaire Heating & Cooling Sprint Cars in triple 15-lap features paying $1,000 to-win each will be the Campbell-Peterson Trail & Turf Modifieds for $800 to-win, the Tire Express Stock Cars for $500 to-win, and the Maurer's Trading Post Strictly Stocks. It will be the final night of points with the exception of the Strictly Stocks, who will race for points on September 10 and 30.

Saturday's rain also wiped out the Grove City Auto Mall "Meet Your Heroes" autograph night for the Maurer's Trading Post Strictly Stocks for the second straight week. It will be rescheduled for Labor Day as well. Gates will open at 3:30 with warm-ups at 5:15 and racing at 6 p.m. There will be now be no time trials for the Sprints.

Mercer Raceway Park is located minutes from both Interstate 79 and 80 just off Route 19 on Fairground Road in Mercer, Pa. Dirt track racing and quality family entertainment are presented weekly late March through early October. The office in New Bedford, Pa. is open year-round Monday through Friday after 1:00 p.m. For more information call the office at 724-964-9300 or the track on race day at 724-662-1310. Check out our website at www.mercerracewaypark.com for the latest.

"SPRINT SLUG-OUT" TO FEATURE FIRST EVER TRIPLE 15S PLUS INCREASED
MONEY FOR MODS & STOCKS SATURDAY AT MERCER
By Mike Leone
August 23, 2005 For Immediate Release

Mercer, PA.With the 2005 racing season quickly winding down, Mercer
Raceway Park will host the sixth annual "Sprint Slug-Out" this
Saturday night, August 27 presented by Hoosier Tire Mid-Atlantic.
For the first time ever in the region, Sprint Cars will be featured
in triple 15-lap features. Also on the card will be the Campbell-
Peterson Trail & Turf Modifieds, Tire Express Stock Cars, and
Maurer's Trading Post Strictly Stocks. Pill draws will be used for
the Modified and Stock Car divisions.
The possibility exists that one Sprint Car driver could walk
away with over $4,300! Like the name implies sprints, will be
competing in short "sprint-type" features as they'll have to get the
job done in just 15 laps. Each feature event will pay $1,000 to-
win. A sweep of the three features will award a $500 bonus. If one
of the drivers in the top 10 in points is selected and wins the
first feature, he will be awarded the $600 Eracers "Cash Chaser"
bonus. Also, fast time and high point man for the night will earn
an additional $100 each. 360 bonus money will also be on the line.
An All-Star-type format will be used as time trials will set
the heat race lineups. The top 24 cars will be inverted. The
fastest six that transfer to the feature will be inverted on times.
The remaining qualifying cars will be straight-up on times with the
remaining spots coming from the B main. The winner of the first
feature will then draw a pill of 10, 12, 14, 16, or 18 for feature
two. The third feature will invert the top 12 in points accumulated
from the night with the remaining positions straight-up.
With no other Sprint Car races scheduled for Saturday and
the open format, a good field of cars is expected. Last week's
rainout clinched Rod George's first ever Mercer championship.
Drivers will be awarded heat race points and feature points for
their best finish amongst the three features. The real battle is
for positions 6-10 as just 30 points separate those five racers.
With approximately 30 Modifieds already in the pits over an
hour before race time last week, another strong field is expected in
their final race before "The Little Guy Nationals" on October 1.
Gary Smoker of Mercer, Pa. simply needs to show up to win his first
ever championship of any kind although he'd love to add his fourth
win and the $800 that goes with it.
The Stock Cars will go at it 20 laps for $500 to-win. None
of the top four in points have ever won a championship at Mercer as
Andy Thompson currently leads Brian Booher, Gary Norman, and Terry
Wheeler.
The Strictly Stocks still have two more point races
scheduled after Saturday night. One on September 10 and the
their "Redneck Racers Shotgun Series" Season Championship, which is
a paying event on September 30. Curt Bish, Jr. leads the dogfight
over Bryan Shaffer, Carl Ealy, and defending champion Curt Bish, Sr.
Pit gates open at 3:30 with grandstands at 4:30 p.m. Hot
laps are slated for 6:15 p.m. with time trials and heat races to
follow. Adult admission is $15. Students 6-15 are $7. Children
five and under are free. The Family Pass is $35.
Mercer Raceway Park is located minutes from both Interstate
79 and 80 just off Route 19 on Fairground Road in Mercer, Pa. Dirt
track racing and quality family entertainment are presented weekly
late March through early October. The office in New Bedford, Pa. is
open year-round Monday through Friday after 1:00 p.m. For more
information call the office at 724-964-9300 or
the track on race day at 724-662-1310. Check out our website at
www.mercerracewaypark.com for the latest.

RAIN CANCELS RACING ON SATURDAY FOR 8TH TIME AT MERCER; GEORGE CLINCHES FIRST MERCER SPRINT CHAMPIONSHIP
By Mike Leone
August 20, 2005 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Mercer, PA.For the eighth time this season, Mother Nature took the checkered flag at Mercer Raceway Park on Saturday night. The pits were full of race cars with more still coming in making for what may have been a season high car count when rain showers hit the speedway just before 6 p.m. and with radar showing another three hours of scattered storms the decision was made to cancel the night's activities. Rain checks can be used for the next two events and must be upgraded due to the special events.

The Micro Sprints were on hand for their fourth round of five for the Tommy Gale Trailers 270 Series. The event will not be made up and will return on September 30 for "The Little Guy Nationals". Their rain checks will be honored for this event and can also be upgraded.

Saturday's rain also wiped out the Grove City Auto Mall "Meet Your Heroes" autograph night for the Maurer's Trading Post Strictly Stocks. It will be rescheduled for this Saturday night.

Coming up this Saturday night, August 27 is the sixth annual "Sprint Slug-Out" featuring the Luxaire Heating & Cooling Sprint Cars in triple 15-lap features paying $1,000 to-win each. The Campbell-Peterson Trail & Turf Modifieds will battle for $800 to-win, and will be joined by the Tire Express Stock Cars for $500 to-win, and the Maurer's Trading Post Strictly Stocks. Gates open at 4:30 with warm-ups at 6:15 and time trials and racing to follow.

It will be the final night of points with the exception of the Strictly Stocks, who will race for points on September 10 and 30. With the rain out, Rod George has clinched his first track title in the Sprint Cars, and Gary Smoker simply needs to just show up and will likewise win his first track title in the Modifieds.

Mercer Raceway Park is located minutes from both Interstate 79 and 80 just off Route 19 on Fairground Road in Mercer, Pa. Dirt track racing and quality family entertainment are presented weekly late March through early October. The office in New Bedford, Pa. is open year-round Monday through Friday after 1:00 p.m. For more information call the office at 724-964-9300 or the track on race day at 724-662-1310. Check out our website at www.mercerracewaypark.com for the latest.

MERCER BACK IN ACTION SATURDAY WITH FULL SHOW PLUS MICRO SPRINTS; $20 4X4 TRUCK CAB ADMISSION; STRICTLY STOCK AUTOGRAPH NIGHT
By Mike Leone
August 16, 2005 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Mercer, PA.After a week off, Mercer Raceway Park will return to action this Saturday night, August 20 with a full program of Luxaire Heating & Cooling Sprint Cars, Campbell-Peterson Trail & Turf Modifieds, Tire Express Stock Cars, Maurer's Trading Post Strictly Stocks, plus another special appearance by the Micro Sprints. It's Dean Dairy Corp. Night. "Gearhead Gathering" will admit all passengers in the cab of a 4x4 Truck for just $20. Trucks must pull in at the drive-in gate located near in the pit entrance to gain admittance.

The Strictly Stocks will bring their cars behind the grandstands for their Grove City Auto Mall "Meet Your Heroes" autograph night. They will be available for autographs from 6-6:30 p.m. Free color autograph cards will be available on each grandstand gate.

The Micro Sprints will join the card for their fourth of five appearances in the Tommy Gale Trailers 270 Series. Their 15-lap feature will pay $500 to-win, $40 to-start. Winners this year have included Mike Himes, Danny Holtgraver, and J.J. Metheney. There have now been 11 different winners in the 12 races contested over the past nine seasons. Car counts have been 26, 27, and 33 respectively. Metheney of Forestville, Pa. currently leads the points by six over central Pa. invader Todd Hoover, who is looking for his first career Mercer win.

Rod George has had what one could call nearly a perfect season. The only thing that has kept the Kittanning, Pa. driver from clinching his first Mercer Sprint Car title was missing the July 2 event due to a family vacation. George currently leads the points by 49 over Doug Stanley. George has three wins, has finished runner-up his last five races and six times overall, and has a third and fourth place finish in his amazing year. Bob Felmlee and Arnie Kent have a pair of wins, while Doug Stanley, Mike Shearer, Kevin Andrusky, Brian Ellenberger, and Ed Lynch, Jr. have also been winners.

Gary Smoker appears to be on his way to his first ever championship of any kind in the Modifieds. The Mercer, Pa. racer has a 42-point advantage over Rick Hall with three wins to Hall's one. Lonny Riggs opened the year with three wins in the first five races, but since struggled with engine and mechanical woes. Mike Stine has only made three appearances, but has been a winner twice. Other drivers victorious this year include Steve Toth, Ron Eperthener, Jr., Brad Rapp, Travis Shingledecker, and Billy VanPelt. Matt Reeher won the non-winners race.

Andy Thompson of Mercer, Pa. leads Brian Booher by just five points in the Stock Cars, but trails in the win column six to two. No other drivers have been able to repeat. Single winners include Terry Wheeler, Andy Buckley, John Reiser, Shaun Hooks, and Willie Aley.

The Strictly Stocks have been dominated by four racers and just 27 points separate them. Curt Bish, Jr. of Oil City, Pa. jumped out of the gates early with three wins in the first five races, but has been shutout since and has a 15-point lead on his father Curt, Sr., who has two wins, and recently turned 18-year-old Bryan Shaffer, who leads the division with four wins. Back just two points is Carl Ealy, who has three wins included his career first.

Just two point races remain for the Sprint Cars, Modifieds, and Stocks, while the Strictly Stocks have four events counting toward points on their docket. Grandstands open at 4:30 p.m. Saturday. Hot laps are slated for 6:15 p.m. and the first green flag will wave at 7 p.m. Admission is adults $10, students 6-15 $5, children five and under are free, and pit passes are $22.

Mercer Raceway Park is located minutes from both Interstate 79 and 80 just off Route 19 on Fairground Road in Mercer, Pa. Dirt track racing and quality family entertainment are presented weekly late March through early October. The office in New Bedford, Pa. is open year-round Monday through Friday after 1:00 p.m. For more information call the office at 724-964-9300 or the track on race day at 724-662-1310. Check out our website at www.mercerracewaypark.com for the latest.

LAST LAP PASS NETS CAREER FIRST FOR RAPP, WHILE TOTH WINS FIRST IN
FEATURE 1 & REEHER TAKES NON-WINNERS FOR MODS; FELMLEE WINS 2ND IN
SPRINTS; BOOHER & SHAFFER KEEP ON WINNING IN STOCKS & STRICTLIES AT
MERCER; GERMAN CREW FILMS NIGHT FOR TV SHOW
By Mike Leone
August 6, 2005 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Mercer, PA.Mercer Raceway Park kicked off the month of August
with "Mod Mania" on Saturday night. Celebrating in the Hoosier Tire
Mid-Atlantic victory lane were Bob Felmlee-Luxaire Heating & Cooling
Sprint Cars, Steve Toth-Campbell-Peterson Trail & Turf Modified 1,
Brad Rapp-Campbell-Peterson Trail & Turf Modified 2, Matt Reeher-
Campbell-Peterson Trail & Turf Modified non-winners race, Brian
Booher-Tire Express Stock Cars, and Bryan Shaffer-Maurer's Trading
Post Strictly Stocks.
Munich-based TV production company Virgo Film was on hand to
produce a show for nation-wide German channel Kabel. The crew
followed Gary Smoker Friday night and throughout the day and night
on Saturday. They also interviewed various fans and took footage
throughout the night. The show is called ''Inside USA'' and is a
weekly program with 40-minute episode containing about five to six
individual segments. The episode on Pennsylvania will also have a
story on US Mint in Philadelphia, one on Manheim Auto Auction, and
another one on Annin & Company.
Steve Toth's goal to win with last year's sportsman-legal
engine with a four-barrel against the 358 Modifieds came to fruition
Saturday night as the second-generation racer opened the night
winning the first 15-lap Campbell-Peterson Trail & Turf feature
event for his first ever win in the division holding off point
leader and three-time winner Gary Smoker.
"I knew he (Smoker) was there- I could hear him every
corner," revealed the New Castle, Pa. winner. "I knew he wouldn't
get me if I could hold it down on the bottom."
Though starting from the pole position, the $500 win was far
from easy. Toth raced into the led with young hot shoe Jimmy Holden
in tow, last week's winner Ron Eperthener, Jr. passed Frank Guidace,
Brad Rapp, and Steve Barr to take over third on the opening lap. It
looked like Eperthener would have a good shot at making it two in a
row as he took second away from Holden on lap three. The battle
raged for third as Holden tried to hold off Guidace, Rapp, and ninth
starter Gary Smoker. Smoker got past Rapp and then Guidace for
fourth on lap seven.
By lap eight it was a four-car race for the lead with Toth
trying to keep Eperthener, Holden, and Smoker at bay. Holden and
Eperthener made contact coming off turn two on lap 10 allowing
Holden and Smoker by for second and third. Following a restart with
12 laps completed, Smoker raced past Holden for second and began to
pressure Toth for the lead.
On the final lap, Smoker drove alongside Toth, but just
didn't have quite enough to make the pass stick as Toth held off the
three-time winner and current point leader by just over a car-length
for his second career win in his AC Electric/Phil Fitts Ford/M&D
Paving-sponsored, CJ Rombold-powered #25. Holden recorded his best
ever Mercer finish in third as Eperthener and Rapp completed the top
five. Sixth through tenth were Guidace, Barr, Rick Hall, Bill
Adams, and Mike Anderson. Heat winners over the season-high 33-car
field were Anderson, Hall, and Eperthener. Kevin Green won the B
main.
Brad Rapp has been oh so close to that elusive first career
win with near misses not only at Mercer, but also at Central PA and
Sportsman's Speedway. In the second 15-lap feature, Rapp put on a
quite a performance coming from 10th and making a last lap pass of
Garrett Krummert to win the battle of the 17-year-old racers in an
exciting finish.
"I didn't know if I was going to have enough laps to catch
him (Krummert) but the caution worked out good," explained the
Shippenville, Pa. youngster. "We struggled a little bit in the
first race. The car was real good and fast tonight. It's fun and I
enjoy racing with these guys."
Andy Paden, who was making his debut in Jerry Schaffer's #14
which won last year's Sportsman Modified Championship with Jeff
Schaffer driving, raced past Jim Rombold, Jr. and Scott Kay into the
early lead on the initial lap. Kay slipped high in turn four on lap
four allowing Krummert and Hall to move into second and third.
Krummert was all over Paden on lap eight and it was three-wide for
the lead on lap nine with Hall entering the fight. Krummert nosed
inside of Paden to lead lap 11. Rapp entered the battle taking
third away from Hall on lap 12 and drove past Paden on the
backstretch for second on lap 14. Just when it appeared Krummert
was on his way to his first career win, Holden stopped to bring out
the caution.
When racing resumed for the one-lap sprint to the checkered,
Krummert and Rapp raced side-by-side with Krummert on the inside and
Rapp on top. Coming out of turn four, Rapp somehow squeezed by
Krummert missing the wall to steal the thrilling $500 win in his
father Butch's familiar #11R sponsored by Riverhill Battery House,
ATS, and Vinyl Graphics Unlimited. Guidace then slipped under
Krummert to nip him for second in a photo finish. Toth completed an
excellent night coming from 14th to place fourth as Bill Adams was
fifth. Completing the top 10 were Paden, Hall, Anderson, Smoker,
and Reeher.
A special race rounded out the Modified program for drivers
that had never won a feature race in any division at any track at
any time during their career. Eighteen of the 33 cars on hand were
eligible pulling pills for the lineup at the beginning of the
night. Brad Rapp's win in the second feature disqualified him from
the event and four other drivers were unable to start due to
attrition from the night. In the end, it was the ever improving
Matt Reeher, who's having his best career season, taking the 15-lap
victory. The Volant, Pa. driver jumped past pole-sitter Fred Sasse
on the start and never looked back surviving five cautions for the
$300 win. Sasse followed him across the line in second. Barr came
back from a spin early the race to place third over rookie Chad
Yeager and Jr. Baker.
Bob Felmlee put on another impressive performance winning his second
$1,500 to-win, 25-lap Luxaire Heating & Cooling Sprint Car feature
despite a mid-race bobble that sent the leader sliding off the
track, but in the end was able to hold off another late charge by
point leader Rod George.
"I pulled a Kevin Andrusky there and went over the edge," joked the
Franklin, Pa. winner. "I couldn't see the entrance (turn three
cushion) there because they kept pushing it up and up. Thankfully I
had a big lead and took care of it. We went back to basics and the
crew had the car working great tonight. It was unreal and fast out
of the gate."
Racing out of the fourth starting spot, Felmlee darted pass
Jason Dolick, Doug Stanley, and pole-sitter Tom Quarterson while
pulling a wheel-stand coming out of turn four to lead the first
lap. Felmlee maintained his lead with Quarterson trying to keep
pace. Felmlee caught lapped traffic on lap seven and a spin by
Kevin Andrusky slowed action with seven laps in the books. Felmlee
took off on the restart and opened a straightaway lead, but on lap
11 got high in turn three and slid off the track. By the time he
regained his momentum, Quarterson pulled alongside coming off turn
four down the straightaway. Felmlee somehow managed to keep the
lead.
All eyes now shifted to 11th starter George, who again would
make his ascent to the front. The point leader cracked the top five
on lap 13 getting past Scott Bonnell and one lap later took fourth
from Dolick. George went to the inside of Stanley for third on lap
16 and kept his momentum up to pass Quarterson for runner-up on the
inside of turn four.
Felmlee had a half-straightaway lead on George on lap 18 and
then caught traffic once again on lap 19. Andrusky spun for the
second time bringing out the caution with 20 laps completed. To the
surprise of many, George was no real challenge to Felmlee over the
last five laps as Felmlee ran the top and took the win for the 19th
time of his career in his World of Wheels/Lutz Auto Body/Fox's Pizza
Den-sponsored #6F.
George has now amazingly finished in the runner-up position
in each of his last five races as he closes in on his first track
championship. Quarterson was third for the third time this season.
Jamie Martin used the inside of the speedway to make a late charge
passing Bonnell then Stanley on lap 23 to finish fourth matching his
best career Mercer 410 finish. Stanley dropped to fifth as Bonnell,
Mike Shearer, Dolick, Bryan Grove, and Carl Bowser completed the top
10. Heat winners over the 17-car field were Grove and Felmlee.
Brian Booher's unbelievable career best season just keeps
getting better. Booher entered the season with seven career wins
and has nearly doubled that total as he recorded his sixth of the
year in the 20-lap Tire Express Stock Car feature. Three of his six
wins have come in the $500 specials.
Booher wasted little time as he shot past newcomer Bobby
Heim and pole-sitter Bill Schall, Jr. into the lead on the first
circuit. Last week's winner and sixth starter, Andy Buckley, picked
his way to the front passing Rick Norco for third on lap six and
then John Reiser for second on lap seven. Eighth starter Terry
Wheeler made his typical charge to the front getting past Reiser for
third on lap eight. At the halfway point, Booher had a straightaway
lead on Buckley with Wheeler charging. Wheeler finally disposed of
Buckley nipping him at the line for second on lap 16.
Wheeler though wouldn't be able to overcome the leader as
Booher raced to his 13th career win in the Terry Hoover-owned, Ed &
Jerry's Auto Service/Harbor Steel/Harry & Tim Roofing-sponsored #00H
moving him into a tie with Norman for fifth on the all-time win
list. Buckley edged Bobby Whitling for third. Norco was fifth.
Whitling, Booher, and Wheeler won the heats over the 24-car field.
Curt Bish, Jr. started the year as the dominating Strictly
Stock driver with three wins in the first five races. Then it
switched to Carl Ealy in the middle of the season as he won three
races in four weeks including his career first. Now it's Bryan
Shaffer's turn to shine as the 18-year-old driver won for the third
straight week and became the division's leading winner with his
fourth of the season in the 12-lap Maurer's Trading Post feature.
Shaffer of New Castle, Pa. started the race from the ninth
starting spot and had the lead on lap five when he passed Ronnie
Boyd down the backstretch. Carl Ealy came from eighth to take
second away from Boyd on lap seven. Ealy wouldn't be able to make a
bid at the leader as Shaffer went on for his fifth career win in his
#77. Point leader Bish, Jr. was third over Randy Ealy and Curt
Bish, Sr., who would have won the $500 Eracers "Cash Chaser" bonus
had he won the feature. Taking heat wins were Shaffer and Bish, Sr.

Campbell-Peterson Trail & Turf (358) Modified #1 (15 laps): 1. STEVE
TOTH ($500) 2. Gary Smoker 3. Jimmy Holden 4. Ron Eperthener, Jr.
5. Brad Rapp 6. Frank Guidace 7. Steve Barr 8. Rick Hall 9. Bill
Adams 10. Mike Anderson 11. Garrett Krummert 12. Andy Paden 13.
Jim Rombold, Jr. 14. Scott Kay 15. Rich Whitney 16. Matt Reeher
17. Jr. Baker 18. Chuck Crawley 19. Fred Sasse 20. Andy Priest
21. Kevin Green 22. Jimmy Holden 23. Chad Yeager 24. Travis Bell.

Campbell-Peterson Trail & Turf (358) Modified #2 (15 laps): 1. BRAD
RAPP ($500) 2. Frank Guidace 3. Garrett Krummert 4. Steve Toth
5. Bill Adams 6. Andy Paden 7. Rick Hall 8. Mike Anderson 9.
Gary Smoker 10. Matt Reeher 11. Rich Whitney 12. Jr. Baker 13.
Fred Sasse 14. Jim Thompson 15. Chad Yeager 16. Jimmy Holden 17.
Kevin Green 18. Chuck Crawley 19. Tom Holden 20. Scott Kay 21.
Jim Rombold, Jr. 22. Steve Barr 23. Ron Eperthener, Jr. 24.
Travis Bell 25. Andy Priest-DNS.

DNQ: Rick Kress, Jerry Twentier, Sr., Joe Gibson, Tommy Kristyak,
Chris Dye, Zack Moran, Ben Porter, Travis Shingledecker

Campbell-Peterson Trail & Turf (358) Modified Non-Winners Race (15
laps): 1. MATT REEHER ($300) 2. Fred Sasse 3. Steve Barr 4. Chad
Yeager 5. Jr. Baker 6. Chuck Crawley 7. Jim Thompson 8. Joe
Gibson 9. Ben Porter 10. Travis Bell 11. Garrett Krummert 12.
Rich Whitney 13. Rick Kress 14. Jerry Twentier, Sr.-DNS 15. Zack
Moran-DNS 16. Kevin Green-DNS 17. Jim Rombold, Jr.-DNS.

Luxaire Heating & Cooling Sprint Cars (25 laps): 1. BOB FELMLEE
($1,500) 2. Rod George 3. Tom Quarterson 4. Jamie Martin 5. Doug
Stanley 6. Scott Bonnell 7. Mike Shearer 8. Jason Dolick 9.
Bryan Grove 10. Carl Bowser 11. Jared Zimbardi 12. Leonard
Ripper, Jr. 13. Gale Ruth, Jr. 14. Kevin Andrusky 15. Rob Eyler
16. Randy Kriegisch 17. Arnie Kent.

Tire Express Stock Cars (20 laps): 1. BRIAN BOOHER ($500) 2. Terry
Wheeler 3. Andy Buckley 4. Bobby Whitling 5. Rick Norco 6. John
Reiser 7. Gary Norman 8. Tim Deutsch 9. Bobby Heim 10. Chris
Brown 11. Bill Schall, Jr. 12. Tony Spaghetti 13. Bill Vance,
Jr. 14. Doug Iorio 15. Andy Thompson 16. Bill Lanigan 17. Tim
Zuschlag 18. William Smiley 19. Bill Wheeling 20. Lauren Simmons
21. Shaun Hooks 22. Erick Cwynar 23. Clyde Roberts-DNS 24. Ryan
Moyer-DNS.

Maurer's Trading Post Strictly Stocks (12 laps): 1. BRYAN SHAFFER
2. Carl Ealy 3. Curt Bish, Jr. 4. Randy Ealy 5. Curt Bish, Sr.
6. Vaughn Cook 7. Jim Boring 8. William Morrison III 9. Dave
Bass 10. Paul Reiser 11. Ronnie Boyd.

Upcoming Events:
8/13 No racing
8/20 Sprints, Mods, Stocks, Strictly Stocks, & Micro Sprints
($500). Grove City Auto Mall "Meet your Heroes"/Strictly
Stocks. "Gearhead Gathering" - $20 for as many people as you can
cram into the cab of a 4x4 truck. Dean Dairy Corp. Night.
8/27 6th annual "Sprint Slug-Out" presented by Hoosier Tire Mid-
Atlantic. Triple 15s for Sprints ($1,000 each) with time trials
plus Mods ($800), Stocks ($500), & Strictly Stocks.

Mercer Raceway Park is located minutes from both Interstate 79 and
80 just off Route 19 on Fairground Road in Mercer, Pa. Dirt track
racing and quality family entertainment are presented weekly late
March through early October. The office in New Bedford, Pa. is open
year-round after 1:00 p.m. Monday through Friday. For more
information call the office at 724-964-9300 or the track on race day
at 724-662-1310. Check out our website at www.mercerracewaypark.com  
for the latest.

MOD TRIPLE 15S PLUS INCREASED PURSE RACES FOR SPRINTS & STOCKS; $10 FAMILY NIGHT SATURDAY AT MERCER
By Mike Leone
August 1, 2005 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Mercer, PA.Mercer Raceway Park is pleased to host another $10 Family Night this Saturday night, August 6. Mom, dad, and as many children 15 and under will be admitted for just $10 for this special event! This is a $23 savings off the what would be $33 Family Pass for this night.

The inaugural "Mod Mania" will feature triple 15-lap features for the Campbell-Peterson Trail & Turf Modifieds. The first feature will pay $500 to-win and will be a pill draw for the top 12 cars from the heat races, while the remaining spots will be filled from the heat or B main finishes. The second 15-lap feature will also pay $500 to-win and will be an invert 8, 10, 12, 14, or 16 from the finish of the first feature. The third 15-lap feature will pay $300 to-win and will only be open to drivers that have never won a feature in any division at any track (excluding go-karts, tractors, motocross, etc.). A separate pill draw will determine the lineup.

Also on the card will be Luxaire Heating & Cooling Sprint Cars for $1,500 to-win, $150 to-start, the Tire Express Stock Cars for $500 to-win, $35 to-start, and the Maurer's Trading Post Strictly Stocks. The Sprint Cars and Stock Cars will also utilize a pill draw to determine the lineup. The Strictly Stocks will be the Eracers "Cash Chaser" division. If the selected driver wins the feature, he will receive $500!

While many naysayers said the new consolidated Modified division wouldn't work, those doubters have been proved wrong. The lowest car counts were the first two weeks with 21 cars present. Since then there has been more than a full field of cars each night with a high of 30. More importantly there have been 52 different cars to date that have competed including former big-block standout racers Tommy Kristyak, Andy Priest, Lonny Riggs, Rick Hall, Frank Guidace, Kevin Hoffman, and Jeremiah Shingledecker. Eight different drivers have won feature events.

Rod George of Kittanning, Pa. continues to close in on his first Mercer Sprint Car Championship as he's finished runner-up four straight times and five of the last seven races to go along with three wins. Gary Smoker of Mercer, Pa., believe it or not, has never won a track championship as he leads the Modified points with three wins. Andy Thompson, also of Mercer, leads the Stock Car points with two wins in search of his first track title. Curt Bish, Jr. of Oil City, Pa. has led the Strictly Stock points since opening night and looks to repeat his father's championship effort in 2004. The Sprint Cars, Modifieds, and Stock Cars have just three point nights left as there will be no racing on August 13. The Strictly Stocks will continue with points on September 10 and September 30.

Grandstands open at 4:30 p.m. Hot laps are slated for 6:15 p.m. and the first green flag will wave at 7 p.m. Admission for all others will be the following: adults $13, students 6-15 $7, children five and under are free, and pit passes are $30.

Mercer Raceway Park is located minutes from both Interstate 79 and 80 just off Route 19 on Fairground Road in Mercer, Pa. Dirt track racing and quality family entertainment are presented weekly late March through early October. The office in New Bedford, Pa. is open year-round Monday through Friday after 1:00 p.m. For more information call the office at 724-964-9300 or the track on race day at 724-662-1310. Check out our website at www.mercerracewaypark.com for the latest.

KENT FLYS TO 2ND SPRINT WIN AT MERCER; EPERTHENER & BUCKLEY END DROUGHTS WITH 1ST WINS IN MODS & STOCKS; 2ND STRAIGHT FOR SHAFFER IN STRICTLIES
By Mike Leone
July 30, 2005 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Mercer, PA.Mercer Raceway Park rounded out the month of July on a picture-picture Saturday night as two drivers picked up their first wins. Celebrating in the Hoosier Tire Mid-Atlantic victory lane were Arnie Kent-Luxaire Heating & Cooling Sprint Cars, Ron Eperthener, Jr.-Campbell-Peterson Trail & Turf Modifieds, Andy Buckley-Ken Carbone Memorial Tire Express Stock Cars, Bryan Shaffer-Maurer's Trading Post Strictly Stocks, and Don Tarr-Vintage Auto Racing Club.

After a rough start to the 2005 season, Arnie Kent has turned it up a notch in the summer heat with his second win in the past five races after in an impressive rim-riding run to win the 20-lap Luxaire Heating & Cooling Sprint Car feature.

"I was trying hard," expressed the New Castle, Pa. winner from victory lane. "My kids are here tonight and I wanted to win one when they were here. We got one!"

The race was halted before a lap was completed when Kevin Andrusky got sideways in turns one and two and collected Doug Stanley, while Jeremy Cook went for a wide ride behind him. The accident also included Gale Ruth, Jr., Robert Van Tassel, and Butch Beasley, all of which would continue. The others were okay, but done for the night.

When racing got underway, Tom Quarterson out-dragged Jason Dolick into turn one for the early lead, while Kent and Mark Murphy moved into third and fourth past Bryan Grove. Kent ran down Dolick and was all over the #70's tail by lap seven. Bob Felmlee caught the frontstretch wall and straddled it on his side down past the flagman. Not only did amazingly Felmlee not flip over, but he kept going into slowing in turn three bringing out the second and final caution with eight laps completed.

While not much passing occurred before the caution, the last 12 thrilling, non-stop laps would change things. Kent was able to work his way past Dolick for second on the backstretch of lap 10. The battle then heated up for third with Dolick trying to hold off Murphy and 12th starting Rod George. Murphy used the outside to sneak past Dolick for third on lap 11, while George followed in fourth one lap later.

Up front, Kent ran down Quarterson, who was looking for his first win. On lap 13, Kent was all over the back bumper of Quarterson looking for a way around. Quarterson somehow was able to hold off Kent's charges until lap 15 when Kent got a great run off the outside of turn two and powered down the backstretch into the lead.

All eyes now turned to George, who would begin his typical last five-lap charge. With five to go, George slipped under Murphy off the inside of turn four for third. Quarterson closed back in on Kent, while the leaders battled through traffic as George began to chop into the deficit. George made a great move to slip under Quarterson in turn three to grab second on lap 19. With the white flag waving, George drove hard to the inside of turns one and two, but Kent was able to clear traffic and just like on June 25 didn't let George make another late race pass as he secured his12th career win in his un-sponsored, Don Blackshear-powered, American Racer-shod #18.

George has now finished second for four straight races and five times in his last seven. Quarterson was third. Murphy's fourth place finish was his best since his first career win back on August 26, 2000. Dolick dropped to fifth. Completing the top 10 were Jamie Martin, Brian Ellenberger, Grove, Aaron Shaffer, and Ruth. Heat winners over the 20-car field were Andrusky and Ellenberger.

After a career best season last year which saw Ron Eperthener, Jr. double his career win total with three sportsman victories, the second generation racer had been shutout of victory lane since his last victory on June 26, 2004. Eperthener ended that skein Saturday night by scoring his first ever 358 Modified win in the 20-lap Campbell-Peterson Trail & Turf feature.

"That was a great race out there," stated the excited Grove City, Pa. veteran. "Scotty (Kay) and I started up front. We were running real good together. Last week we couldn't make a break as every time there was a pileup we were in the middle of it. This week they started us up front and it was running."

Eperthener raced past pole-sitter Scott Kay on the opening lap for the early lead. Chris Dye grabbed third from Matt Reeher on lap two. Just as Eperthener was ready to deal with lapped traffic, point leader Gary Smoker and top runners Travis Shingledecker and Jimmy Holden tangled in turns one and two bringing out the caution.

When green replaced yellow, Mike Anderson got a great restart to move ahead of Reeher and Dye for third with Frank Guidace following in fourth. Meanwhile up front, Kay and Eperthener raced side-by-side with Kay using the inside line to lead lap eight. The two friends made contact through turns three and four on lap nine with Kay holding on, while Anderson closed in third by the halfway mark.

On lap 11, Kay drove too hard into turn one and drifted high allowing Eperthener to retake the lead. Anderson then worked his way by for second on lap 13 using the low line. Rick Hall picked off Kay for third on lap 16. Anderson though didn't have enough as Eperthener scored the popular seventh career win in his Eperthener Auto Wrecking/Stearns Garage/Eperthener Notary Service-sponsored #333. Eperthener also became the division's seventh different winner of the season.

Anderson continued his fine year with his second runner-up as he hasn't finished lower than 11th all season. Hall was third. Garrett Krummert was fourth over Guidace. Sixth through tenth were Steve Toth, Bill Adams, Smoker, Kay, and Steve Barr. Topping the heats over the 25-car field were Eperthener, Guidace, and Hall.

It's been quite the struggle thus far for defending track champion Andy Buckley. Last season, Buckley won five times on his way to collecting his second Stock Car Championship. This season has been a different story as one of Mercer's all-time stock greats just hasn't been up to snuff. Buckley picked a good night to end the drought as he won his first race since last August 26 taking the $550 to-win third annual Ken Carbone Memorial in the 15-lap Tire Express-sponsored event.

"It's been a long season," relayed the relieved Stoneboro, Pa. winner. "We won the track championship last season and have had nothing but bad luck. We've been struggling all year with this car. We got smashed up at Tri-City (Speedway) and busted this thing up. These cars are so fast and competitive and if you have the most minor thing wrong you're a fifth place car or worse. No one's slowing down and it's tough."

Buckley wasted little time as he got past pole-sitter Ryan Moyer on the start and pulled way from the field by lap three. Second-year racer Moyer did everything he could to hold off John Reiser for second until lap six when Reiser nosed ahead. Buckley had a straightaway advantage on Reiser when the caution was displayed for a spin by Cody Smith with six laps completed.

The last nine laps went green-to-checkered. The man on the move for the third straight week was ninth starting Terry Wheeler. Wheeler drove by Bill Lanigan and Moyer for third on lap eight. Wheeler then began to close in on Reiser each and every lap before making the pass for second on lap 12. Wheeler would run out of time as Buckley chalked up career win #19 in his Kristyak's Corner/MPR Lumber-sponsored #965 and also earned an extra $100 from McClung Auto Body. Buckley became the division's seventh different winner of the season.

Wheeler continued his stellar season with his third straight runner-up finish. Reiser was a strong third giving the Stoneboro/Sandy Lake racers a sweep of the podium finishes. Point leader Andy Thompson was a quiet fourth after starting 12th ahead of a season best finish by Lanigan in fifth. Heat winners over the 21-car field were Wheeler and Thompson.

Bryan Shaffer celebrated his 18th birthday by recording his second straight win and third of the season in the 12-lap Maurer's Trading Post Strictly Stock feature. The New Castle, Pa. driver started the event from 10th, while Paul Reiser led the first twp circuits. Point leader Curt Bish, Jr. made the pass of Reiser for the lead on lap three. Shaffer then moved into second past Reiser on lap eight and made his winning move on lap 11. Shaffer went on for his fourth career win as Bish, Jr. finished second to him for the second straight week. Rookie's William Morrison III and Dave Bass recorded their best finishes in third and fourth as Ronnie Boyd completed the top five. Carl Ealy and Bish, Jr. won the heats over the 12-car field.

Don Tarr of Greenville, Pa. won the 15-lap exhibition feature for the Vintage Auto Racing Club with his 1937 Ford Modified 300 homemade-built chassis. Tarr started eighth on the grid and passed Paul Bachus and Larry Reed for the lead on lap nine. Two laps later Reed regained the lead, but lost first and second to Tarr and Bachus on the 14th circuit. Tarr would lead the final two laps in his orange #37 in a race that had five lead changes. Bachus was second over Reed as John Lawhorn and Gary Davis were fourth and fifth. Completing the field were Cliff LaJaunus, Chuck Dillon, Bill Simcox, John Sheridan, and Ed Lewber.

Luxaire Heating & Cooling Sprint Cars: 1. ARNIE KENT 2. Rod George 3. Tom Quarterson 4. Mark Murphy 5. Jason Dolick 6. Jamie Martin 7. Brian Ellenberger 8. Bryan Grove 9. Aaron Shaffer 10. Gale Ruth, Jr. 11. Leonard Ripper, Jr. 12. Bob Felmlee 13. Mike Shearer 14. Randy Kriegisch 15. Robert Van Tassel 16. Mike Dehner 17. Kevin Andrusky 18. Doug Stanley 19. Jeremy Cook 20. Butch Beasley.

Campbell-Peterson Trail & Turf (358) Modifieds: 1. RON EPERTHENER, JR. 2. Mike Anderson 3. Rick Hall 4. Garrett Krummert 5. Frank Guidace 6. Steve Toth 7. Bill Adams 8. Gary Smoker 9. Scott Kay 10. Steve Barr 11. Jimmy Holden 12. Matt Reeher 13. Travis Shingledecker 14. Jim Rombold, Jr. 15. Fred Sasse 16. Chad Yeager 17. Chuck Crawley 18. Rick Kress 19. Kyle Ripper 20. Travis Bell 21. Chris Dye 22. Chuck Crawley 23. Jr. Baker 24. Kevin Green-DNS 25. Ben Porter-DNS.

Ken Carbone Memorial Tire Express Stock Cars: 1. ANDY BUCKLEY ($550) 2. Terry Wheeler 3. John Reiser 4. Andy Thompson 5. Bill Lanigan 6. Chris Brown 7. Gary Norman 8. Shaun Hooks 9. Ryan Moyer 10. Terry Kroner 11. Tim Deutsch 12. Tony Spaghetti 13. Terry Young 14. Mark Sanders 15. Matt Keith 16. Cody Smith 17. Bill Vance, Jr. 18. Ray Bailey, Jr. 19. William Smiley 20. Brian Booher 21. Tim Zuschlag.

Maurer's Trading Post Strictly Stocks: 1. BRYAN SHAFFER 2. Curt Bish, Jr. 3. William Morrison III 4. Dave Bass 5. Ronnie Boyd 6. Jim Boring 7. Paul Reiser 8. Randy Ealy 9. Curt Bish, Sr. 10. Carl Ealy 11. Olivia Eperthener 12. Vaughn Cook.

Vintage Race Car Club: 1. DON TARR 2. Paul Bachus 3. Larry Reed 4. John Lawhorn 5. Gary Davis 6. Cliff LaJaunus 7. Chuck Dillon 8. Bill Simcox 9. John Sheridan 10. Ed Lewber.

Upcoming Events:
8/06 "Mod Mania" Twin 15s and non-winners race for Mods plus Sprints ($1,500), Stocks ($500), & Strictly Stocks. Bring the Family for $10.
8/13 No racing
8/20 Sprints, Mods, Stocks, Strictly Stocks, & Micro Sprints ($500). Grove City Auto Mall "Meet your Heroes"/Strictly Stocks. "Gearhead Gathering" - $20 for as many people as you can cram into the cab of a 4x4 truck. Dean Dairy Corp. Night.

Mercer Raceway Park is located minutes from both Interstate 79 and 80 just off Route 19 on Fairground Road in Mercer, Pa. Dirt track racing and quality family entertainment are presented weekly late March through early October. The office in New Bedford, Pa. is open year-round after 1:00 p.m. Monday through Friday. For more information call the office at 724-964-9300 or the track on race day at 724-662-1310. Check out our website at www.mercerracewaypark.com for the latest.

KEN CARBONE MEMORIAL WITH VINTAGE RACING CLUB, KIDS BIKE RACES, & SPRINT AUTOGRAPHS ON TAP SATURDAY AT MERCER; SENIORS 65 & OLDER ADMITTED FREE
By Mike Leone
July 25, 2005 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Mercer, PA.Mercer Raceway Park will close out the month of July this Saturday night with another four-division program of Luxaire Heating & Cooling Sprint Cars, Campbell-Peterson Trail & Turf Modifieds, Tire Express Stock Cars, and the Maurer's Trading Post Strictly Stocks. Joining the action will be the Vintage Auto Racing Club (VARC), which will have racing machines of the past on display plus will be participating in a an exhibition race.

Grove City Auto Mall will present the rescheduled "Meet Your Heroes" autograph night for the Sprint Cars. The cars and stars of this division will bring their cars behind the grandstands from 6-6:30. Autograph cards will be available to the first 400.

The kids bike races that were rained out on July 16 will be held at intermission for those 12 years and under. Trophies and prizes will be awarded. Helmets are required and sign up will begin at approximately 5:30 p.m. and last until about 7:30 p.m.

The third annual Ken Carbone Memorial will be presented by the Carbone Family of New Castle, Pa. The Stock Car winner will receive a $200 bonus plus plaques and tear offs will be awarded. The Ken started his racing career in the early '60s and continued to be affiliated with the sport until his passing in 1997. He raced coupes and full-bodied cars. Although he was not a big winner, he loved the sport of auto racing like a champion. His numbers were 232 on the coupe and 20 on the full-bodied cars.

Ken's career slowed down due to an industrial accident at Youngstown Sheet and Tube in 1969. His legs were badly burnt and required skin grafts. This made it more difficult to get in and out of the cars. He would drive into the '70s and would later field cars for other drivers that included Bob Covelli. After his driving and owning days were over, Ken could be found in the pit area helping drivers Bob McCann, Tom Williamson, and Paul Rhodes.

Ken's love of racing was passed on to his four children and grandchildren who would like this opportunity to give back to the drivers who help keep the memories of their father alive with each and every week that they compete here at Mercer Raceway Park. Ken Carbone was born on August 6, 1944 and passed away on November 6, 1997.

Grandstands open at 4:30 p.m. Hot laps are slated for 6:15 p.m. and the first green flag will wave at 7 p.m. All senior citizens 65 and older will be admitted free into the grandstands for general admission. Admission for all others will be the following: adults $10, students 6-15 $5, children five and under are free, and pit passes are $22.

Mercer Raceway Park is located minutes from both Interstate 79 and 80 just off Route 19 on Fairground Road in Mercer, Pa. Dirt track racing and quality family entertainment are presented weekly late March through early October. The office in New Bedford, Pa. is open year-round Monday through Friday after 1:00 p.m. For more information call the office at 724-964-9300 or the track on race day at 724-662-1310. Check out our website at www.mercerracewaypark.com for the latest.

STANLEY'S 1ST CAREER 410 WIN COMES IN WINGLESS SPRINT DEBUT; BUCKWALTER & MILLER SPLIT ARDC MIDGET FEATURES; STINE RETURNS TO WIN MODS, THOMPSON & SHAFFER GET 2ND WINS IN STOCKS & STRICTLIES AT MERCER
By Mike Leone
July 23, 2005 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Mercer, PA.Mercer Raceway Park hosted "Wingless - The Return/Part V Plus" on Saturday night. Recording wins and celebrating in the Hoosier Tire Mid-Atlantic victory lane were Doug Stanley-Luxaire Heating & Cooling Wingless Sprint Cars, Steve Buckwalter-ARDC Wingless Midget Cars, Mike Miller-ARDC Winged Midget Cars, Andy Thompson-Tire Express Stock Cars, and Bryan Shaffer-Maurer's Trading Post Strictly Stocks.

You'll always remember your first career win. For Doug Stanley it'll even be more memorable. The former 360 Sprint Car standout won his first career 410 feature in his wingless debut. Stanley's first ever Mercer victory came in the 25-lap $2,000 to-win Luxaire Heating & Cooling feature and became the eighth different winner of the season.

"It's been a long time since I've been able to win anything," expressed the North Benton, Ohio driver. "I didn't think I was going to be able to do that anymore let alone without a wing. The track was great- absolutely perfect. That's why I probably made it look easy. You guys do a great job here. I love this track, the fans are great, and pack it here. I'm very glad I could win here."

After an impressive second place finish right out of the gate in his heat race, Stanley drove a great race leading all but the first lap of the feature. Last year's winner, Rob Eyler, drew the pole position for the feature and led the opening lap with Stanley in tow, while Rod George passed Bryan Grove for third.. Coming out of turn two on the second lap, Eyler looped his mount bringing out the first caution and handed the lead to Stanley.

The second and final caution of the event slowed action with five laps completed when Gale Ruth, Jr. made contact with Jason Dolick going for third spot sending Dolick spinning in turn two and collected Arnie Kent and Scott Priester. The last 20 laps would go green-to-checkered.

When racing resumed, Stanley took charge with George in pursuit. Scott Bonnell was on the move from the 11th starting spot. Bonnell passed Aaron Shaffer for fifth on lap six. Charlie Holben and Bonnell began to pressure Ruth for the third spot. On lap 11, both Holben and Bonnell raced by to take third and fourth.

George reeled Stanley in on lap 12 and remained within striking distance. It appeared George was biding his time as he generally makes his move in the closing laps; however, on lap 20 George drove too hard into turns one and two trying to get a run on Stanley. George did a 360 spin and kept going, but by now Stanley had a straightaway lead and that was all she wrote. Stanley took the checkered flag for the popular win in his Udderly Smooth Udder Cream/Staff Right/Castle Products-sponsored #18s.

"I was waiting to see Rod (George) at any time," stated Stanley from victory lane. "Usually he's tied to my rear bumper, if not passing me. I was just hoping to get by those lapped cars without too much trouble."

George managed to hold off Holben and Bonnell, who battled for much of the event, to record the $1,000 runner-up finish. Tom Quarterson, who started 12th, passed Ruth on lap 21 to take fifth. Ruth, Shaffer, and Grove finished sixth through eighth for the second straight event. Ohio's Aaron Middaugh and West Virginia's Mark Cassella were ninth and tenth in their season debuts. Quarterson and Ruth won the heats over the 18-car field.

The past two seasons Ed Stimely, Jr. and Ray Bull swept both the wingless and winged features for the ARDC Midget Cars. This year it was no sweep as Steve Buckwalter won his first ever Mercer feature in the 25-lap wingless portion, while Mike Miller captured his first career win in the 25-lap winged event.

Buckwalter, who started 10th, wasted little time flying to the front in the wingless feature as he had the lead on lap four from Michelle Miller with a nice move off the bottom of turn four. It appeared like Mike Miller may be a challenger for Buckwalter as he came from seventh to pass Carey Becker for third on lap five then got past his daughter for runner-up. But on lap 16, Miller got high above the cushion allowing 12th place starter, Bull, to move in second. Bull's night would end when he slowed off turn four on lap 23 handing second to Stimely. Buckwalter though led the final two laps for his third win of the season in his #5. Stimely was second over Dave Shirk, Steve Lenig, and Mike Miller.

"I'm really happy to be," said the Royersford, Pa. winner. "We flipped this thing real bad in Wisconsin last Sunday. We got back into PA on Wednesday and stripped it down to the frame and got it back together- it paid off."

The winged contest went green-to-checkered with Mike Miller redeeming himself from the first feature with his first victory after three years of trying. Miller started fifth and was up to second on lap three after getting past Scott Zipp. Mike made the winning move on his daughter Michelle with an inside pass in turn one on lap five. Buckwalter's run to the front came from ninth as he put a slider on Michelle in turns three and four on lap six.

Heavy traffic between laps 14 through 16 allowed Buckwalter to close on Miller, but with five laps to go Miller pulled away with a clear track and wouldn't be challenged the rest of the way. Andy Martin passed Michelle for third on lap 22 for his best ever Mercer finish. Michelle Miller dropped to fourth over Becker.

"We came close last year," described the Birdsboro, Pa. winner. "I thought I had something for Steve (Buckwalter) in the first one, but our tire went down. I don't show her (Michelle) her any slack and she doesn't to me either because if we would the next guy coming up would pass us both."

Mike Stine made it two wins in three tries this season at Mercer as he backed up his July 2 $1,500 Bill Emig Memorial win by scoring the 20-lap $800 victory in the Campbell-Peterson Trail & Turf Modified feature.

"That's what we come here for," said the Smithmill, Pa. winner when asked about his wins. "We were very good in (turns) one and two and he (Smoker) was having problems there."

Point leader Gary Smoker drew the pole position and grabbed the early lead with Steve Barr and Lonny Riggs all over the leader. Riggs, who started fifth, moved into second getting by Barr on lap four. A seven-car melee occurred in turn two claiming several of the top cars including Riggs, Barr, Frank Guidace, Andy Priest, Ron Eperthener, Jr., Garrett Krummert, and Rich Whitney.

When racing resumed, Stine was now second with Bill Adams up to third. Stine had enough power off the outside of turn four to lead lap five. Smoker drove hard and stayed right with Stine. Lap seven saw Stine get too high in turn four as Smoker regained the lead. The two raced hard and clean for the lead before Stine grabbed the lead back for good once again powering back Smoker off the outside of turn four on lap 10.

The last 14 laps went green-to-checkered as Stine record his third career Mercer win, all of which have been special events, in the Tom Stine-owned, Patriot Chevy & Cadillac/DT Computers/Lutz Radiator-sponsored, Stine Racing Engines-powered #7S.

Smoker added to his point lead with his third runner-up of the season to go along with his three wins. Adams continued his consistent season in third as he has now finished either second or third six times. Brian Fink came from 14th to place fourth over a career best Mercer finish by high school student Brad Rapp in fifth. Rounding out the top 10 were Riggs, Steve Toth, Mike Anderson, Krummert, and Eperthener. Heat winners over the 29-car field were Rapp, Tommy Kristyak in the Jim Rombold #7, and Riggs. Toth won the B main.

Andy Thompson led all 20 laps of the Tire Express Stock Car feature for the $500 win, but it was far from easy as he had to hold off some of western Pennsylvania's greatest stock drivers. "The last caution came out and I've lost so many races on the last lap," stated the Mercer, Pa. racer. "I was just hoping it worked out in my favor this time because I lost the last special on the last caution lap."

From the wave of the green flag, Thompson had to contend with stars Bobby Whitling and Joe Kelley, who was making his first start of the season. Whitling got high on lap two trying to challenge Thompson allowing Kelley and Terry Kroner to take over second and third. Kelley, Kroner, and Whitling were all over Thompson trying every move possible to get by, but Thompson maintained the lead. Whitling finally got Kroner for third on lap 10 then made his move to take back second from Kelley on lap 15. Whitling appeared as he may have something for the leader; however, Kelley wasn't about to back down either. The trio went three-wide for the lead without touching, but it was Thompson still holding on.

Then out of nowhere came Terry Wheeler, who started 10th. Wheeler made his move grabbing third from Kelley on lap 18. Wheeler and Kelley then flew by Whitling for second and third on the final lap. Wheeler charged down the backstretch and through turns three and four, but didn't have enough as Thompson's second win of the season and fourth of his career in his #5 broke the tie for the point lead with Brian Booher. "I'd like to take the championship out of here," revealed Thompson. "It's been 12 years and I'm due."

Kelley edged Whitling and Gary Norman for third. Wheeler, Booher, and Bob Sloss won the heats over the 28-car field.

Bryan Shaffer of New Castle, Pa. won the exciting 12-lap Maurer's Trading Post Strictly Stock feature for the second time this season in a race that was only slowed once for caution. Rookie Vaughn Cook led the opening lap before sixth starting Shaffer powered into the lead on lap two with an inside pass off turn four. Seventh starter and point leader Curt Bish, Jr. passed Cook for second on lap three as 11th starting Lauren Simmons followed making the move for third on lap six.

Bish and Simmons closed on Shaffer as the laps ticked off. Bish was right on Shaffer on the final lap. The two made slight contact in turn four, but Shaffer was able to hold on to win by a car-length for his third career win in his #77. Simmons was a close third over 11th starting Carl Ealy and Curt Bish, Sr. Heat victors over the 16-car field were Shaffer and Bish, Sr.

Heating & Cooling Wingless Sprint Cars (25 laps): 1. DOUG STANLEY ($2,000) 2. Rod George 3. Charlie Holben 4. Scott Bonnell 5. Tom Quarterson 6. Gale Ruth, Jr. 7. Aaron Shaffer 8. Bryan Grove 9. Aaron Middaugh 10. Mark Cassella 11. Scott Priester 12. Andy Priest 13. Robert Van Tassel 14. Jason Dolick 15. Arnie Kent 16. Paul Kapuchuck 17. Butch Beasley 18. Rob Eyler.

ARDC Wingless Midget Cars (25 laps): 1. STEVE BUCKWALTER 2. Ed Stimely, Jr. 3. Dave Shirk 4. Steve Lenig 5. Mike Miller 6. Andy Martin 7. Scott Zipp 8. Jeff Stelter 9. Carey Becker 10. Ray Bull 11. Ted Schmid 12. Michelle Miller 13. Lew Blair 14. Jeff Schell 15. Mark Lawshe

ARDC Winged Midget Cars (25 laps): 1. MIKE MILLER 2. Steve Buckwalter 3. Andy Martin 4. Michelle Miller 5. Carey Becker 6. Ed Stimely, Jr. 7. Scott Zipp 8. Dave Shirk 9. Jeff Schell 10. Steve Lenig 11. Jeff Stelter 12. Mark Lawshe 13. Lew Blair 14. Ted Schmid-DNS 15. Ray Bull-DNS.

Campbell-Peterson Trail & Turf (358) Modifieds (20 laps): 1. MIKE STINE ($800) 2. Gary Smoker 3. Bill Adams 4. Brian Fink 5. Brad Rapp 6. Lonny Riggs 7. Steve Toth 8. Mike Anderson 9. Garrett Krummert 10. Ron Eperthener, Jr. 11. Matt Reeher 12. Andy Priest 13. Rich Whitney 14. Jim Rombold, Jr. 15. Jeff Stuchel 16. Junior Green 17. Rick Hall 18. Fred Sasse 19. Tommy Kristyak 20. Scott Kay 21. Jr. Baker 22. Frank Guidace 23. Kevin Green 24. Steve Barr DNQ: Greg Unrue, Rick Kress, Travis Bell, Charles Crawley, Ben Porter.

Tire Express Stock Cars (20 laps): 1. ANDY THOMPSON ($500) 2. Terry Wheeler 3. Joe Kelley 4. Bobby Whitling 5. Gary Norman 6. Chris Brown 7. Terry Kroner 8. Jarrot Moore 9. Brian Booher 10. Andy Buckley 11. Bill Schall, Jr. 12. Ray Bailey, Jr. 13. Mark Sanders 14. Bill Lanigan 15. Terry Young 16. Tony Bruno 17. Kenny Bratt, Jr. 18.Tim Deutsch 19. Ryan Moyer 20. John Reiser 21. Matt Keith 22. Shaun Hooks 23. Bill Vance, Jr. 24. Bob Sloss 25. Rick Norco-DNS 26. Tim Zuschlag-DNS 27. Branden Porter-DNS 28. Scott Malone-DNS.

Maurer's Trading Post Strictly Stocks (12 laps): 1. BRYAN SHAFFER 2. Curt Bish, Jr. 3. Lauren Si14mmons 4. Carl Ealy 5. Curt Bish, Sr. 6. Vaughn Cook 7. Josh Seippel 8. Ronnie Boyd 9. Randy Ealy 10. Jim Boring 11. Olivia Eperthener 12. Dave Bass 13. Lester Kerr 14. William Morrison III 15. Paul Reiser 16. Matt Gibson-DNS.

Upcoming Events:
7/30 Sprints, Mods, Stocks, & Strictly Stocks plus Kids Bike Races. Remember When Night. Ken Carbone Memorial. Australian Pursuits. Grove City Auto Mall "Meet Your Heroes"/Sprints. Free general admission for seniors 65 and older.
8/06 "Mod Mania" Twin 15s and non-winners race for Mods plus Sprints ($1,500), Stocks ($500), & Strictly Stocks. Bring the Family for $10.
8/13 No racing

Mercer Raceway Park is located minutes from both Interstate 79 and 80 just off Route 19 on Fairground Road in Mercer, Pa. Dirt track racing and quality family entertainment are presented weekly late March through early October. The office in New Bedford, Pa. is open year-round after 1:00 p.m. Monday through Friday. For more information call the office at 724-964-9300 or the track on race day at 724-662-1310. Check out our website at for the latest.

$2,000 UP FOR GRABS FOR WINGLESS SPRINTS SATURDAY AT MERCER; ARDC MIDGETS WINGED & WINGLESS; ALL BEAVER COUNTY RESIDENTS ADMITTED FREE
By Mike Leone
July 18, 2005 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Mercer, PA. Mercer Raceway Park will host the popular "Wingless - The Return/Part V Plus" event this Saturday night, July 23. A first ever free Beaver County will admit all residents of the county free general admission into the grandstands. A valid driver's license or ID is required for adults showing a city in Beaver County. All accompanying children 15 and under will be admitted free as well. The rescheduled Texas Roadhouse Night from last Saturday will be held as $25 dinner certificates will be given away to lucky fans.

The event will be fans' only opportunity to see wingless Sprint Cars and Midgets on the same night in western Pennsylvania and eastern Ohio. Fans of non-wing Sprint Cars will not want to miss their only chance to see traditional Sprint Cars race. The 25-lap Luxaire Heating & Cooling feature will pay $2,000 to-win, $175 to-start and will be a pill draw event.

Since 1989, seven wingless events have been run. Defending four-time track champion, Jamie Smith, who is not racing this season, leads the way with three wins totaling $7,300. Other winners include 2002 and 2003 champion Troy Preston, who won the 1989 event, wingless standout racers Todd Kane (1997) and Rob Chaney (2000), and last year's surprise winner, Rob Eyler.

The popular winged/wingless format for the ARDC Midget Cars will return for the third straight year as they will be featured in twin 20-lap features first with the wing and then without. Ironically the last two seasons double features were swept by Ed Stimely, Jr. and Ray Bull, who both earned the $100 bonus for the winning the doubleheader. The inaugural event in 2000 was won by current PA Posse Sprint Car racer Mark Freeland, while another former Sprint Car racer Tim Dietz took home $2,000 winning the NAMARS co-sanctioned event in 2001. The 2002 event scheduled as an ARDC/NAMARS co-sanctioned event was rained out.

ARDC is the oldest Midget Car sanctioning body in the nation dating back to 1955. The early part of ARDC's season was severely plagued by Mother Nature as seven of the first eight shows were lost to the weather. Current point leader and defending five-time series champion, Ray Bull, leads the way with three victories bringing his career total to 42. Steve Buckwalter is a two-time winner, while Donnie Trent also has a victory.

Past well-known ARDC winners include Mario Andretti, Pancho Carter, Van May, Jan Opperman, Tom Bigelow, Kramer Williamson, Smokey Snellbaker, Nick Fornoro, Sr. and Jr., Johnny Heydenreich, Johnny Parsons, Jr., Sleepy Tripp, Lou and Bob Ciconi, Mel Kenyon, Dub May, Gary Bettenhousen, and Lynn Paxton.

The Campbell-Peterson Trail & Turf Modifieds will be back in action for another special event as $800 will await the feature winner. With the Eracers Go-Kart Park "Cash Chaser" being the Modifieds if the selected driver in the top 10 wins the feature, a $300 bonus will be awarded making for an $1,100 night.

The Tire Express Stock Cars will go 20 laps for $500 to-win. Co-point leader, Brian Booher, has claimed two of the previous three $500 to-win events as part of his excellent five-win season. The event will be a pill draw for both the Stock Cars and Modifieds. The Maurer's Trading Post Strictly Stocks will round out the program.

Gates open at 4:30, hot laps are at 6:15, and racing begins at 7 p.m. Adult admission is $15. Students 6-15 are $7. Children five and under are always free. The family pass, which admits mom, dad, and up to four kids, is $35. Pit passes are $30.

Mercer Raceway Park is located minutes from both Interstate 79 and 80 just off Route 19 on Fairground Road in Mercer, Pa. Dirt track racing and quality family entertainment are presented weekly late March through early October. The office in New Bedford, Pa. is open year-round after 1:00 p.m. Monday through Friday. For more information call the office at 724-964-9300 or the track on race day at 724-662-1310. Check out our website at www.mercerracewaypark.com for the latest.

RAIN CANCELS RACING ON SATURDAY FOR 7TH TIME AT MERCER; BIKE RACES & SPRINT AUTOGRAPHS MOVED TO JULY 30
By Mike Leone

Mercer, PA.For the seventh time this season but first since May 28, Mother Nature took the checkered flag at Mercer Raceway Park on Saturday night. The predicted thunderstorms stayed away all day long as sunshine graced the speedway, but around 5:30 p.m. the skies opened up as numerous bands of thunderstorms came through and with more on its way the races were cancelled.

Saturday's rain wiped out the kids bike race. It will be rescheduled for July 30 along with the Grove City Auto Mall "Meet Your Heroes" autograph night for the Luxaire Heating & Cooling Sprint Cars.

Coming up this Saturday night, July 23 is "Wingless - The Return/Part V Plus" featuring wingless Sprint Cars for $2,000 to-win and ARDC Midget Cars racing both winged and wingless features plus the Campbell-Peterson Trail & Turf Modifieds will battle for $800 to-win, and will be joined by the Tire Express Stock Cars for $500 to-win, and the Maurer's Trading Post Strictly Stocks. Gates open at 4:30 with racing at 7 p.m.

Mercer Raceway Park is located minutes from both Interstate 79 and 80 just off Route 19 on Fairground Road in Mercer, Pa. Dirt track racing and quality family entertainment are presented weekly late March through early October. The office in New Bedford, Pa. is open year-round Monday through Friday after 1:00 p.m. For more information call the office at 724-964-9300 or the track on race day at 724-662-1310. Check out our website at www.mercerracewaypark.com for the latest.

$10 FAMILY NIGHT SATURDAY AT MERCER; RACING, KIDS BIKE RACES, & SPRINT AUTOGRAPHS ON TAP; TEXAS ROADHOUSE GIVEAWAYS
By Mike Leone
July 13, 2005 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Mercer, PA.Mercer Raceway Park is pleased to host another $10 Family Night this Saturday night, July 16. Mom, dad, and as many children 15 and under will be admitted for just $10! This is a $15 savings off the already reduced $25 Family Pass price.

A full night of racing will be on tap featuring the Luxaire Heating & Cooling Sprint Cars, Campbell-Peterson Trail & Turf Modifieds, Tire Express Stock Cars, and Maurer's Trading Post Strictly Stocks. The Modifieds will be the Eracers "Cash Chaser" division. If the selected driver wins the feature, he will receive a $300 bonus.

Kids 12 and under can take part in the bike races held during intermission. Helmets are required to compete. Kids will be split up into various age groups and will race a specified distance down the frontstretch of the speedway.

Grove City Auto Mall will present "Meet Your Heroes" autograph night. This week's featured division is the Sprint Cars. The cars and stars of this division will bring their cars behind the grandstands from 6-6:30. Autograph cards will be available to the first 500.

The third annual Texas Roadhouse Night will be held as $25 dinner certificates will be given away to lucky fans.

After taking a week off for vacation, Rod George of Kittanning, Pa. returned to record his third straight runner-up finish to go along with three wins, a third, and a fourth and built his lead back up to 29 over 410 Sprint Car rookie Doug Stanley, who continues to climb the point ladder.

Gary Smoker of Mercer, Pa. extended his point lead in the Modifieds with his third win of the year as the track's all-time sportsman and 358 winner looks for his first ever track title. Rick Hall is 23 points back in second and 42 points back in third may be the surprise of the year in Mike Anderson, who hasn't finished worse than 11th all season.

Brian Booher's second straight win and fifth of the season moved him into a tie with Andy Thompson for the point lead in the Stock Cars. Neither driver has ever won a point title and both are enjoying their best career seasons.

Curt Bish, Jr's point lead has shrunk to just four point over his father and defending champion Curt Bish, Sr. After winning three of the season's first five races, the younger Bishs has struggled with four fourth place finishes and a 12th in the past five weeks. Quickly closing the gap is Carl Ealy, who has won has won three of the last four weeks including his career first win, and is just 10 points back of Bish, Jr.

Grandstands open at 4:30 p.m. Hot laps are slated for 6:15 p.m. and the first green flag will wave at 7 p.m. Admission for all others will be the following: adults $10, students 6-15 $5, children five and under are free, and pit passes are $22.

Mercer Raceway Park is located minutes from both Interstate 79 and 80 just off Route 19 on Fairground Road in Mercer, Pa. Dirt track racing and quality family entertainment are presented weekly late March through early October. The office in New Bedford, Pa. is open year-round Monday through Friday after 1:00 p.m. For more information call the office at 724-964-9300 or the track on race day at 724-662-1310. Check out our website at www.mercerracewaypark.com for the latest.

ELLENBERGER EDGES GEORGE FOR 1ST SPRINT WIN IN OVER 4 YEARS; #3 FOR SMOKER IN MODS; METHENEY WINS 1ST IN MICROS; CAREER YEAR FOR BOOHER CONTINUES WITH 5TH STOCK WIN; EALY DOES IT AGAIN IN STRICTLIES AT MERCER
By Mike Leone

Mercer, PA.Mercer Raceway Park completed the sixth straight racing event since June after a wet spring on a gorgeous Saturday night as two drivers picked up their first wins. Celebrating in the Hoosier Tire Mid-Atlantic victory lane were Brian Ellenberger-Luxaire Heating & Cooling Sprint Cars, Gary Smoker-Campbell-Peterson Trail & Turf Modifieds, J.J Metheney-Tommy Gale Trailers 270 Micro Sprints, Brian Booher-Tire Express Stock Cars, and Carl Ealy-Maurer's Trading Post Strictly Stocks.
Brian Ellenberger has always been a contender throughout his 10-year racing career even though his wins have been few and far between. After selling his top notch equipment and taking a year and a half off from racing, Ellenberger returned to action in a limited form in 2005. Making just his fifth Mercer start of the season and seventh overall, Ellenberger returned to victory lane for the first time since April 14, 2001 narrowly edging standout Rod George by less than a car-length in the 20-lap Luxaire Heating & Cooling Sprint Car feature
"It feels so good to be back here," stated the happy Butler, Pa. driver. "I took a couple years off from racing and we've been getting better and better the last few weeks. I have to thank the crew for giving me a great car to drive. We tried something new going with a JEI car as I've known Barry Jackson for years and they've been going real good this year. I'll be honest I looked up the on the scoreboard on that last restart and saw Rod George in second. I knew he would race me clean as we've raced together for years. I love racing on these Frank Benic prepared tracks."
Mark Murphy quickly darted into the early lead from the pole position with Gale Ruth, Jr. trailing and Ellenberger getting past Jason Dolick for third on the opening lap. Ellenberger then took over second with a pass of Ruth on lap two. Three cautions slowed action with two and three laps completed. The latter for newcomer Phil Mott, who hit the turn four wall. Under caution, Murphy's front wing collapsed and exited the event handing the lead to Ellenberger with Dolick second and Arnie Kent third.
With Ellenberger setting the pace, all eyes now moved to point leader Rod George, who began his progression to the front from the 12th starting spot. George cracked the top five on lap six getting by Ruth and closed in on Dolick, Kent, and Doug Stanley, while Ellenberger opened up a straightaway lead by the halfway mark. Kent made a nice move around the top side of the speedway in turn four to take runner-up from Dolick on lap 11 but one-half-lap later Kent slowed and brought out the caution. Dolick once again moved back up to second for the restart with Stanley, George, and now Jimmy Seger in fifth.
When racing resumed, Ellenberger pulled away while the battle raged for second for the next six laps. Dolick somehow managed to hold off Stanley and George, who were all over him until lap 18. That was when George and Stanley decided to go for it making it three-wide for second racing off turn two. George came through in second with Stanley getting past Dolick.
It appeared Ellenberger was on his way to the victory with less than two laps to go, but last week's winner Bob Felmlee and opening night Mike Shearer brought out the final caution setting up a two-lap dash to the checkered. Ellenberger got a great restart to lead lap 19 cleanly, but George set up for what looked like possibly another last lap pass for the win. George drove hard low into turns one and two getting under Ellenberger, but Ellenberger had just enough to power ahead on the outside coming off turn two. Down the backstretch and through turns three and four they raced nearly side-by-side. George was able to make his mount stick on the inside of turn four as they were side-by-side coming down the frontstretch. Ellenberger was able to win the drag race by less than one car-length.
Ellenberger became the seventh different winner of the season with his third career win at the track in his un-sponsored #20E. His first win dates back to August 26, 1998. George was second for the third time to go along with his three wins and is still the only driver to repeat this season. Doug Stanley was third for his best ever Mercer finish and career best 410 finish. Seger was fourth in his second appearance of the season. Andrusky came from the tail after pitting early to place fifth. Completing the top 10 were Ruth, Aaron Shaffer, Bryan Grove, Dolick, and Shearer. Paul Kapuchuck of New Castle, Pa. was the highest finishing 360 and earned the $150 bonus and also took over the 360 point lead. Winning the heat races over the 19-car field were Ellenberger and Murphy.
Point leader Gary Smoker was able to dodge two separate melees on the same lap that involved eight cars and came out on top for the third time this season in the 20-lap Campbell-Peterson Trail & Turf Modified feature. "Oh my, the good Lord was riding with me again," exclaimed the Mercer, Pa. racer. "I have to thank Jesus. He steered me through those wrecks as he rides with me. Those two young guys, (Brad) Rapp and (Garrett) Krummert, need to settle down and quit giving them to me."
Jim Rombold, Jr. raced past Lee Miller on the start of the event for the early lead. Garrett Krummert passed Miller for second on lap two. Brad Rapp, Frank Guidace, and 11th starting Smoker were able to drive by Miller for positions three through five on lap five. By lap nine it was amazing six-car race for the lead with Rombold trying to hold off Krummert, Rapp, Smoker, George Sankey, and Guidace. Rombold was driving the race of his career as he led the first 10 laps, but on lap 11 Jimmy Holden spun bringing out the caution.
When racing resumed, Matt Reeher, Tom Holden, Steve Barr, Steve Toth, and Rick Hall tangled in turn two and then the first three place cars of Rombold, Krummert, and Rapp got together in turn four. When everything was cleared, Smoker was the new leader with 12th starting Sankey up to second, Guidace third, and Bill Adams fourth. Smoker took off in the lead with veteran Sankey, who was making his first start in the Bill Krause #18, in tow. Adams passed Guidace for third on lap 12 and 14th starting Mike Anderson grabbed fourth on lap 13.
Sankey's fine run ended when he got high in turn four on lap 14 and hit the wall causing front end damage. Adams restarted alongside Smoker looking for his first win. Smoker though had enough over the last six laps to collect his 33rd win of his career in the D&D Racing-owned, MBMR, Inc./Mito Insulations, Do-All Electronics/Savolskis CPA-sponsored #516.
Adams was second for the fourth time this season. Anderson's fine season continued with a strong third as he's finished no worse than 11th all season. Guidace came home fourth for his best performance of the year and Kevin Green recorded his first career top five. Sixth through tenth were Rapp, Andy Priest, Holden, Miller, and Hall. Topping the heat races over the 26-car field were Adams, Smoker, and Guidace.
A happy J.J. Metheney emerged as the winner for the first time in the 15-lap $500 to-win Micro Sprint feature and took over the point lead after round three of five in the Tommy Gale Trailers 270 Series. "I saw the last caution and I didn't need that," revealed the Forestville, Pa. resident. "I dropped it down a couple gears down the backstretch. Karlin (Miller) is a good driver and I knew he'd be right on me. He's been doing this for years and he knows what to do."
Pole-sitter Chris Best raced out front ahead of the pack for the lead with Todd Hoover and sixth starting Metheney getting past Arnold for second and third on the first lap. Metheney moved into runner-up with a pass of Hoover on lap nine. Metheney's winning move came on the 11th circuit when he made a nice move to drive under Best in turn one and came out with the lead. Tenth starting Karlin Miller took over second from Best on lap 13 and a caution with 14 laps completed gave Miller a shot at Metheney.
Metheney, who continues to improve every season, was able to hold off Miller in his Bashlin Industries/Family Traditions Restaurant-sponsored #31c to become the 11th different winner in the 12 races run at Mercer in the past nine seasons. The victory was the second of the season for Metheney overall on the circuit and third of his career. Miller edged Hoover, Best, and last event's winner Danny Holtgraver in a close finish for second.
Brian Booher's dream season just keeps on rolling. The hired gun raced to his second straight win, fifth of the season in the 15-lap Tire Express Stock Car feature, and tied Andy Thompson for the point lead in the meantime. "After we won our fourth race my goal was to win two in a row as I've never done that so we did it," said the humble Sandy Lake, Pa. driver. "We're just having an awesome year. The crew puts this car together every week and with my busy schedule I can't work on it much. They do it all."
Scott Malone led the first two laps from the pole position before Dave Ferringer made the pass. Malone slowed and brought out the caution with five laps completed moving Jarrot Moore to second for the restart. When racing resumed, Moore drove under Ferringer racing off turn four to lead the sixth circuit. Booher, who started 10th, made his presence known on lap seven when he grabbed third away from Gary Norman. One lap later, Booher made the identical move that Moore did on Ferringer to take second.
A caution for spin by Rick Norco with eight laps completed was just what Booher needed. On the restart, Booher powered into the lead. Norman passed Ferringer for third on lap 11, but lost two spots when Terry Wheeler and Andy Buckley blew by on lap 13. Moore and Buckley's strong runs ended when they looped their cars in separate spins on the final lap.
Booher survived the one-lap shootout as he raced on to his 12th career win in the Terry Hoover-owned, Ed & Jerry's Auto Service/Harbor Steel/Harry & Tim Roofing-sponsored #00H. When asked about choosing the outside line for the restart Booher explained, "The bottom was getting slicker and I knew my father-in-law (Wheeler) always runs the top well so I took his line away from him."
Wheeler, who was fresh off his second Tri-City Speedway win last Sunday, was second. Norman's consistent season continued with a third. Shaun Hooks came from 12th to place fourth over Thompson. Norco, Booher, and Wheeler won the heats over the 24-car field.
It's amazing what a career first win can do for your confidence. Carl Ealy made it three wins in the past four weeks after winning the 12-lap Maurer's Trading Post Strictly Stock feature as it was an Ealy one-two finish. The Mercer, Pa. driver started 10th and went from the fourth position to the lead on lap six when he passed last week's winner Ronnie Boyd, his brother Randy, and point leader Curt Bish, Jr. all on lap six.
Once in front, Ealy went unchallenged to the "Redneck Racers Shotgun Series" victory in his Pisor Construction/Shetler Harness Shop-sponsored #0. Randy Ealy passed Bish for second on lap 10 for his career best finish. Curt Bish, Sr. passed his son on the final lap for third. Bish, Jr. dropped to fourth for the fourth time in the past five weeks. Patrick Heckman was fifth. Heat winners over the 13-car field were Randy Ealy and Bryan Shaffer.

Luxaire Heating & Cooling Sprint Cars: 1. BRIAN ELLENBERGER 2. Rod George 3. Doug Stanley 4. Jimmy Seger 5. Kevin Andrusky 6. Gale Ruth, Jr. 7. Aaron Shaffer 8. Bryan Grove 9. Jason Dolick 10. Mike Shearer 11. Bob Felmlee 12. Bud Watt 13. Arnie Kent 14. Paul Kapuchuck 15. Mark Murphy 16. Tom Quarterson 17. Rob Eyler 18. Phil Mott 19. Chris Pochiro.

Campbell-Peterson Trail & Turf (358) Modifieds: 1. GARY SMOKER 2. Bill Adams 3. Mike Anderson 4. Frank Guidace 5. Kevin Green 6. Brad Rapp 7. Andy Priest 8. Jimmy Holden 9. Lee Miller 10. Rick Hall 11. Steve Toth 12. Steve Barr 13. Jim Rombold, Jr. 14. Jeff Stuchel 15. Matt Reeher 16. Fred Sasse 17. Travis Bell 18. Rick Kress 19. George Sankey 20. Garrett Krummert 21. Tom Holden 22. Josh McFadden 23. Jr. Baker 24. Scott Kay-DNS 25. Junior Green-DNS 26. Greg Unrue, Sr.-DNS.

Tommy Gale Trailers 270 Micro Sprints: 1. J.J. METHENEY ($500) 2. Karlin Miller 3. Todd Hoover 4. Chris Best 5. Dan Holtgraver 6. Brian Riddle 7. Brian Kishbaugh 8. Jay Groves 9. Doug Karlene 10. Jim Myers 11. Eric Williams 12. Mikey Schall 13. Ken Downer 14. Ed Zimmerman 15. Mike Mecklem 16. Skeetz Hockenbroch 17. Russell Byler 18. John Dohmen 19. Vince Berardinelli, Jr. 20. Jimmy Arnold 21. Adam King 22. Dave Hawkins 23. George Hobaugh 24. Mike Crane-DNS 25. Mike Himes-DNS 26. J.J. Lute-DNS DNQ: George Baldwin, Jr., Jessica McDivitt, Bob Fink, Travis Barker, Steve Haefke, Jr., Nick Leech.

Tire Express Stock Cars: 1. BRIAN BOOHER 2. Terry Wheeler 3. Gary Norman 4. Shaun Hooks 5. Andy Thompson 6. Dave Ferringer 7. John Reiser 8. Chris Brown 9. Tim Deutsch 10. Bill Lanigan 11. Ryan Moyer 12. Bill Schall, Jr. 13. Tony Bruno 14. Bill Vance, Jr. 15. Mark Sanders 16. Matt Keith 17. Kenny Bratt, Jr. 18. Erick Cwynar 19. Andy Buckley 20. Tim Zuschlag 21. Jarrot Moore 22. Scott Malone 23. Rick Norco 24. Bill Wheeling.
Maurer's Trading Post Strictly Stocks: 1. CARL EALY 2. Randy Ealy 3. Curt Bish, Sr. 4. Curt Bish, Jr. 5. Patrick Heckman 6. Jim Boring 7. Ronnie Boyd 8. Paul Reiser 9. Ben Porter 10. Bryan Shaffer 11. Lester Kerr 12. William Morrison III-DNS 13. Dave Bass-DNS.

Upcoming Events:
7/16 Sprints, Mods, Stocks, & Strictly Stocks. Texas Roadhouse Night- dinner certificate giveaways. Kids Bike Races. Bring the family for $10. Grove City Auto Mall "Meet Your Heroes"/Sprints
7/23 "Wingless - The Return/Part V Plus". Wingless Sprints ($2,000), winged and wingless features for the ARDC Midget Cars, Stock Cars ($500), & Strictly Stocks. Free general admission for all Beaver County residents
7/30 Sprints, Mods, Stocks, & Strictly Stocks. Remember When Night. Ken Carbone Memorial. Australian Pursuits. Free general admission for seniors 65 and older.
8/06 "Mod Mania" Twin 15s and non-winners race for Mods plus Sprints ($1,500), Stocks ($500), & Strictly Stocks. Bring the Family for $10.
Mercer Raceway Park is located minutes from both Interstate 79 and 80 just off Route 19 on Fairground Road in Mercer, Pa. Dirt track racing and quality family entertainment are presented weekly late March through early October. The office in New Bedford, Pa. is open year-round after 1:00 p.m. Monday through Friday. For more information call the office at 724-964-9300 or the track on race day at 724-662-1310. Check out our website at www.mercerracewaypark.com for the latest.

FREE GENERAL ADMISSION FOR ALL OHIO RESIDENTS; FULL SHOW PLUS MICRO SPRINTS ON TAP; NASCAR LICENSE PLATE GIVEAWAYS
By Mike Leone
July 5, 2005 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Mercer, PA.Residents of the state of Ohio can take advantage of the first ever "Welcome Ohio Night" as all "Buckeyes" can cross the border to Mercer Raceway Park for free admission this Saturday night, July 9. Adults living in Ohio can simply show their driver's license or a valid form of ID and will be admitted for free along with any accompanying students 15 and younger.

"We're really looking forward to a large turnout of Ohioans," stated seventh year owner Vicki Emig. "The free county nights thus far have gone over great as we've introduced The Park to a lot of new people that otherwise wouldn't have come."

A full night of racing will be on tap featuring the Luxaire Heating & Cooling Sprint Cars, Campbell-Peterson Trail & Turf Modifieds, Tire Express Stock Cars, Maurer's Trading Post Strictly Stocks, plus the third of five appearances by the Tommy Gale Trailers Micro Sprints. They will be racing for $500 to-win.

Sprint Car standout Rod George took his family on vacation last week and missed competition allowing his fellow racers to close the gap in the point race. The Kittanning, Pa. driver has finished in the top four all seven nights he competed including three wins. A perfect night by Rob Eyler would have tied him with George for the point lead. Eyler started the night off right by winning his heat and was contending for the lead in the feature when he clipped a lapped car ending his night; however, he did chop 30 points into George's lead and now has the margin down to 15.

The Modifieds saw a change in the standings as Mercer's Gary Smoker had a great night finishing second in his heat and second in the Bill Emig Memorial to pass Rick Hall in the standings. Smoker is still down on power using last year's sportsman-legal engine after blowing his primary engine on May 21, but that hasn't slowed him down as he has a win, a pair of seconds, and a third to go along with a 13th during that period. Believe it not despite winning 32 features in his career at Mercer Smoker has never won a track title, but now leads Hall by just five points.

The Stock Cars have been a dogfight all year long between Andy Thompson and Brian Booher. The two drivers have swapped the point lead back and forth all season long. Last Saturday, the duo swapped the lead back and forth before Booher got by on the final lap for the win. Despite Booher's four wins to Thompson's one, Thompson has managed to hold on to a nine-point advantage in the race for the championship with better consistency. Both drivers are having their career best seasons and neither has ever won a title.

Last year's inaugural Strictly Stock season saw the father-son duo of Curt Bish, Sr. and Jr. dominate the division with 15 of the 20 wins and swept the top two spots in points. While the Bishs are still the two to beat, it appears as the others have slightly caught up to them. Curt, Jr. has three wins and leads the points, while Curt, Sr. has two wins and is second in points also just five points behind. Carl Ealy moved down from the stock car division and has two wins including his career first and is third in points. Bryan Shaffer and Ronnie Boyd also have a win apiece.

In the two appearances by the Micro Sprints this season, Mike Himes of Summerville, Pa. topped a 26-car field back on May 7 and 16-year-old Danny Holtgraver of Pittsburgh beat a 27-car field on June 10. Himes leads the points after two events by six over J.J. Metheney. The first race was held for the division in 1997 and they have made 10 sporadic appearances over the course of nine seasons. Of the 10 shows, only one driver has been able to repeat that being Jim Young, who has since moved up to the 600 cc class in central Pa.

The Eracers "Cash Chaser" division will be the Sprint Cars. If the selected driver wins the feature he will receive a $200 bonus. Saturday's giveaway to the fans will be 300 Coca-Cola NASCAR commemorative license plate giveaways.

Grandstands open at 4:30 p.m. Hot laps are slated for 6:15 p.m. and the first green flag will wave at 7 p.m. Admission for all others will be the following: adults $10, students 6-15 $5, children five and under are free, and the family pass is $25. Pit passes are $22.

Mercer Raceway Park is located minutes from both Interstate 79 and 80 just off Route 19 on Fairground Road in Mercer, Pa. Dirt track racing and quality family entertainment are presented weekly late March through early October. The office in New Bedford, Pa. is open year-round Monday through Friday after 1 p.m. For more information call the office at 724-964-9300 or the track on race day at 724-662-1310. Check out our website at www.mercerracewaypark.com for the latest.

STINE IMPRESSIVE IN BILL EMIG MEMORIAL FOR MODS; FELMLEE RETURNS TO VICTORY LANE IN SPRINTS AT MERCER; #4 FOR BOOHER IN STOCKS; FIRST FOR BOYD IN STRICTLIES
By Mike Leone
July 2, 2005 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Mercer, PA.Mercer Raceway Park opened the month of July with the Bill Emig Memorial on Saturday night. Three more new drivers celebrated in the Hoosier Tire Mid-Atlantic victory lane. Scoring wins were Mike Stine-Campbell-Peterson Trail & Turf Bill Emig Memorial Modifieds, Bob Felmlee-Luxaire Heating & Cooling Sprint Cars, Brian Booher-Tire Express Stock Cars, and Ronnie Boyd-Maurer's Trading Post Strictly Stocks. Ryan Boyd of Fredonia, Pa. won round three of "The Gladiator Series" Demo Derby.

Making just his second appearance of the season, Mike Stine added yet another major race to win to his list of accomplishments. The 2001 winner of "The Little Guy Nationals" put on his best performance ever at Mercer with a dominating victory in the 30-lap $1,500 to-win Bill Emig Memorial for the Modifieds.

"We made some adjustments after the Australian Pursuit and went the right way," revealed the Smithmill, Pa. veteran racer. "We miss racing with Lou (Gentile) and the 1-car (Emig) and all the years even back at Marion Center Speedway when Vicki (Emig) was a young girl. I like the format with qualifying and it's tough to pass when there are all these good cars."

Steve Barr raced into the early lead past pole-sitter Steve Toth with Rick Hall trailing. Stine, who started eighth, blew around the quality cars of Brad Rapp, Brian Fink, New York invader Gil Tegg, Jr., and Lonny Riggs on the opening lap to move up four spots into fourth. Stine then made a great pass to secure second on lap four getting around Hall and Toth.

Last week's winner Travis Shingledecker took a nasty barrel-roll down the backstretch and collected Fink ending both racers' nights. Shingledecker was okay. On the restart, Stine and Barr battled hard for the lead with Stine getting the upper-hand. Barr got sideways in turns three and four and kept going, but collected Hall and Frank Guidace bringing out the caution.

When racing resumed, Stine took charge while Tegg passed Toth for third on lap eight. By lap 10, Stine began to pull away before the event's final caution with 12 laps completed when Leroy Johnson, Jr. spun. Stine quickly resumed his lead when green replaces yellow.

The man on the move was 10th starter and last year's "Little Guy Nationals" winner, Gary Smoker. Smoker got under Tegg for third on lap 14 then made a nice inside pass of Barr racing off turn two for second on lap 18. By now, Stine had a near straightaway lead on Smoker. Traffic didn't become a factor until lap 26, which allowed Smoker to close in slightly.

Stine though wasn't to be denied as he made some great moves through heavy traffic in the final two laps to secure his second career Mercer win in the Tom Stine-owned, Patriot Chevy & Cadillac/DT Computers/Lutz Radiator-sponsored, Stine Racing Engines-powered #7.

Smoker's second coupled with Hall's 14th place finish gave him the point lead for the first time. Barr ran a great race for a career best third. Tegg was fourth in his first ever appearance. Toth dropped to fifth. Completing the top 10 were Andy Priest in the Glenn Hinkle #77, Rapp, Ron Eperthener, Jr., Bill Adams, and Mike Anderson. Heat winners were Toth, Guidace, and Rapp and earned an extra $25. Eperthener won the B main. Toth was victorious in the $200 winner-take-all Australian Pursuit that determined the starting lineup of the first nine spots of the feature. Fink set fast time over the season-high 30-car field with a lap of 17.290 and earned $100.

If there were any last remaining doubters that Bob Felmlee hadn't completely made his comeback after suffering what was thought to be career-ending injuries in 1999 at Tri-City Speedway, those were surely erased Saturday night as Felmlee lived up his nickname "The Flying One" with impressive win in the 25-lap $1,500 to-win Luxaire Heating & Cooling Sprint Car feature.

"A lot of people had their doubts that we could do this," stated the Franklin, Pa. winner. "We worked hard and a lot of rehab to get here. It's a lot of fun being out here and doing well. We've been struggling here all year. Steve (Anderson) and Chad (Reitz) changed the car a little for me. It was fast all night and easy to drive. I can't say enough how good it was."

Kevin Andrusky took off at the start of the event from the pole position, while Felmlee, Arnie Kent, and Brian Ellenberger got past outside pole-sitter Aaron Shaffer. Felmlee chased the leader running a smooth inside-to-middle line, while Andrusky was riding the cushion looking to make it two wins in three weeks.

On lap seven, Ellenberger, seventh starting Rob Eyler, and Scott Bonnell were able to get around Kent for positions three through five. Felmlee continued to pressure Andrusky for the lead and on lap 10 Andrusky drifted too high on the wide cushion slipping off the track through turns three and four giving the lead to Felmlee. Andrusky was able to rebound still in second.

All eyes were now on Eyler who had the outside working to his liking. Eyler made a daring move to get past Ellenberger and Andrusky for second on lap 12. As the laps ticked off, Eyler slowly chopped into Felmlee's big lead. With five laps to go, Eyler quickly closed as he ran the cushion as Felmlee was in traffic. On lap 21, Eyler's fine run ended when he clipped the lapped car of Paul Kapuchuck going down the backstretch into turn three. His mount somehow stayed on all four wheels as he slid into the pit area hitting the guardrail. Under caution, Bonnell exited the event in fourth.

The last five laps went green-to-checkered as Felmlee pulled away and took the checkered flag first by 4.94 seconds over Andrusky. Felmlee's 18th Mercer win was his first at the track since his 100th overall of his career on June 5, 1999- the night before his accident at Tri-City came in his World of Wheels/Lutz Auto Body-sponsored #6F.

Andrusky held off a season best run by Ellenberger for runner-up. Doug Stanley came from 12th to finish fourth for the third time this season. Kent was fifth as Mike Shearer, Shaffer, Jeff Banyas, Jason Dolick, and J.R. Stewart completed the top 10. Stewart of Bellefontaine, Ohio received a $150 bonus for being the highest finishing 360. Eyler and Felmlee won the heats over the 17-car field.

Brian Booher's career year got one win better as he captured his fourth win of the season in the 20-lap Tire Express Stock Car feature. "This is great," exclaimed the Sandy Lake, Pa. racer following his second $500 victory of the season. "This is the best season I've ever had. The track was spotty. It was good on the bottom and clear at the top. My best was on the bottom, but it worked out on the top."

Point leader Andy Thompson drew the number one pill and took the lead from the pole position. Booher wasted little time moving into second past Tim Zuschlag and Jarrot Moore on the first lap. Booher and Thompson ran side-by-side for the lead on laps four and five before a caution for debris. Just before a caution for Dave Ferringer, Booher edged ahead to lead lap five. Shaun Hooks took third away from Terry Wheeler on lap six and joined the battle for the lead.

Thompson went to the outside to regain the lead back from Booher on lap 14. The two continued to battle right down to the end with Hooks a close third. A caution for Tim Deutsch set up a one-lap shootout to the checkered. On the restart, the trio were three-wide for the lead with Booher getting the advantage.

Booher narrowly recorded his 11th career win in the Terry Hoover-owned, Ed & Jerry's Auto Service/Harbor Steel/Harry & Tim Roofing-sponsored #00H. Thompson continues to use consistency to lead the points as he recorded his third runner-up the season. Hooks was third ahead of 15th starter Rick Norco and Ferringer, who came from the tail after an early spin. Andy Buckley and Gary Norman were heat race winners over the 23-car field.

Ronnie Boyd of Fredonia, Pa. came out on top to win the wild 12-lap Maurer's Trading Post Strictly Stock feature for his first win of the season. Randy Ealy led the first lap before fourth starter Paul Reiser took over on lap two. Reiser was in search of his first career win and the $100 Eracers "Cash Chaser" bonus as he led until lap seven when seventh starting Boyd made the winning move. Reiser spun his mount on lap nine moving Lauren Simmons into second.

Simmons was all over Boyd in the final laps as the two made slight contact. On the final lap coming off turn four, the two were side-by-side and made contact with the wall. Boyd spun sideways across the finish for his second career win in his Fredonia Tire #10. Simmons was second for the second time in the last three races as Ealy was third. Patrick Heckman was a career best fourth over Reiser. Heat wins went to Reiser and Carl Ealy over the 14-car field.

Campbell-Peterson Trail & Turf Bill Emig Memorial (358) Modifieds (30 laps): 1. MIKE STINE ($1,500) 2. Gary Smoker 3. Steve Barr 4. Gil Tegg, Jr. 5. Steve Toth 6. Andy Priest 7. Brad Rapp 8. Ron Eperthener, Jr. 9. Bill Adams 10. Mike Anderson 11. Garrett Krummert 12. Jim Rombold, Jr. 13. Tommy Kristyak 14. Rick Hall 15. Matt Reeher 16. Kevin Green 17. Jerry O'Rock, Jr. 18. Rick Kress 19. Leroy Johnson, Jr. 20. Frank Guidace 21. Brian Fink 22. Travis Shingledecker 23. Lonny Riggs 24. Jerry Twentier, Sr. DNQ: Travis Bell, Ben Porter, Jr. Baker, Lee Miller, Rich Whitney, Chad Yeager.

Luxaire Heating & Cooling Sprint Cars (25 laps): 1. BOB FELMLEE ($1,500) 2. Kevin Andrusky 3. Brian Ellenberger 4. Doug Stanley 5. Arnie Kent 6. Mike Shearer 7. Aaron Shaffer 8. Jeff Banyas 9. Jason Dolick 10. J.R. Stewart 11. Rob Eyler 12. Scott Bonnell 13. Paul Kapuchuck 14. Mark Murphy 15. Tom Quarterson 16. Leonard Ripper, Jr. 17. Jeremy Cook-DNS.

Tire Express Stock Cars (20 laps): 1. BRIAN BOOHER ($500) 2. Andy Thompson 3. Shaun Hooks 4. Rick Norco 5. Dave Ferringer 6. Gary Norman 7. Chris Brown 8. Tony Spaghetti 9. Scott Malone 10. Bill Schall, Jr. 11. Bill Vance, Jr. 12. Bruce Milbert 13. Tim Deutsch 14. William Smiley 15. Tim Zuschlag 16. John Reiser 17. Mark Sanders 18. Kenny Bratt, Jr. 19. Ryan Moyer 20. Terry Wheeler 21. Jarrot Moore 22. Clyde Roberts 23. Andy Buckley.


Maurer's Trading Post Strictly Stocks (12 laps): 1. RONNIE BOYD 2. Lauren Simmons 3. Randy Ealy 4. Patrick Heckman 5. Paul Reiser 6. William Morrison III 7. Dave Bass 8. Vaughn Cook 9. Bryan Shaffer 10. Carl Ealy 11. Curt Bish, Sr. 12. Curt Bish, Jr. 13. Jim Boring 14. Olivia Eperthener-DNS.

Upcoming Events:
7/09 Sprints, Mods, Stocks, Strictly Stocks, plus Micro Sprints ($500). Welcome Ohio Night- free general admission for all Ohio residents.
7/16 Sprints, Mods, Stocks, & Strictly Stocks. Texas Roadhouse Night- dinner certificate giveaways. Kids Bike Races. Bring the family for $10. Grove City Auto Mall "Meet Your Heroes"/Sprints
7/23 "Wingless - The Return/Part V Plus". Wingless Sprints ($2,000), winged and wingless features for the ARDC Midget Cars, Stock Cars ($500), & Strictly Stocks. Free general admission for all Beaver County residents
Mercer Raceway Park is located minutes from both Interstate 79 and 80 just off Route 19 on Fairground Road in Mercer, Pa. Dirt track racing and quality family entertainment are presented weekly late March through early October. The office in New Bedford, Pa. is open year-round after 1:00 p.m. Monday through Friday. For more information call the office at 724-964-9300 or the track on race day at 724-662-1310. Check out our website at www.mercerracewaypark.com for the latest.

Copyright © 1998-2006 by South Jersey Dirt Racing/ToddJ All Rights Reserved.  Born on date April 21, 1998