RGeeProductions
04-30-2012, 01:31 AM
In the first installment of the Mahoning Modified Madness Series which featured the Triple 25s, Zane Zeiner, Bath, Don Wagner, Wharton NJ, and Matt Hirschman from Northampton picked up victories.
Each race paid $1000-to-win and was highlighted by an inversion of the second and third features. The well thought out concept proved to be a success as 30 quality asphalt Modifieds where pit-side looking to make the 22 car starting grid via time trials and a pair of B-mains.
The first feature was a heads-up start after time trials with Zeiner’s lap of 9.769 good enough for the pole. Hirschman would start second and once the race got underway it became a fast dash as the first 23 laps were reeled off nonstop.
Zanier, who was the Opening Night winner, was flawless in his Cojones Energy Shots No. 76 while staying at the head of the pack. All Hirschman could do was ride along in second as the leader was too strong for him to challenge. Earl Paules, Mike Carroll, Jr., and Don Wagner kept in tow to round out the top five.
“I’m sure Matt (Hirschman) and Earl (Paules) where right behind me the whole time and we may have abused the car a little but we wanted to get into Victory Lane here and we made it. What a blast this was,” said Zeiner.
“The track was very fast and I like this format so far. There was bite up top and on the bottom and I know the next one (feature) is going to be real tough and I’m sure the third one will be a lot of beating and banging.”
It was indeed a tough one for race number two. The invert was 11 which put Matt Wentz on the pole with Troy Bollinger to his right. Just as the field was coming around to complete the first circuit, Wentz had a tire blow which sent him into a wild spin while the rest of the pack was in his path.
Cars were scattered across the front stretch. After all was cleared the race resumed with Bobby Jones the new leader and Wagner moving to second. Several times Wagner made it very exciting when he would pull even with Jones from the outside lane.
He then made his race winning pass with six laps to go, utilizing the same path on the top groove to earn the second feature. Paules had tagged along with Wagner and made the race to the checkered a barnburner as he was zeroing in very quickly. Wagner just barely nipped him with a slim .051-second margin of victory. Kevin Rex, Jr., Zeiner and Jones completing the top five.
“I saw Earl on the outside there at the end and he’s tough and so is Bobby Jones. I really like these Triple 25s, they’re pretty cool. We came here to try and win all three. We got one so let’s go for the next one,” said Wagner.
For the final leg the top ten where flip-flopped which put defending track champion Tyler Haydt on the pole flanked by Bollinger.
At the drop of the green Haydt darted out front with a very impressive running Carroll slipping into second.
Carroll then kept close to Haydt’s tail and grabbed the lead with a nice inside pass at the conclusion of lap eight. Hirschman, who started fifth, was able to take second two laps later.
Carroll was having one of his best night’s and was holding steady with his chances at winning. However, Hirschman, who was piloting the J & J Motorsports No. 59, kept the pressure on and on lap 14 he went to the outside of Carroll and powered his way to the front where he would remain the rest of the way.
A master at 100-lap features, this was the first short distance Mahoning win for the popular Hirschman.
“That was good race up front. Mike Carroll did a real good job and ran real clean. He made a great pass on Tyler (Haydt) and after that I felt we have to size him up and see what we got. The car then came in real good and here we are ending the night on a good note,” said Hirschman.
“These (Triple 25s) are more of a sprint and it was kind of what I expected. The first race, all the fast cars were up in the front and in the second race when you get an invert and it was a higher amount, I kind of expected what you saw there and we got banged up a little but luckily not enough to knock us out.
“I’m not going to lie the 100-lappers where really one of my highlights of the past couple years and I thought they were the best races that I’ve seen or raced in and that goes for NASCAR and RoC and all over. But this was something different and they (management) did a great job with this show and we’ll be back for more.”
Carroll had a career best Modified finish with second while Wagner, Bollinger and Paules rounded out the front five. Hirschman was also named the overall winner with the best average finish in all three meets.
Thanks in part to a pole starting spot, Paules from Palmerton, went two-for-two in the Late Models as he ran out-front for all 25 caution free laps. The current point leader has now led 25 straight laps over the first two 2012 events.
Once the race commenced Paules was in the zone as he pulled away from the pack and would go unchallenged over the distance. He was so strong that his margin of victory over runner-up Paul Koehler, Jr., was whopping 3.5-seconds. The current point leader has now led 25 straight laps over the first two 2012 events. The race was completed in a time 4:27.
Rick Wallace was third with Mike VanFossen and Dave Wallace rounding out the top five. Paules and Rick Wallace won the prelims.
For Jason Frey of Lehighton, he was in the right place, right time in winning the Street Stock main. Running third with three laps to go, Frey seemed poised to follow a few car lengths behind front runners Kevin Smith and Josh Mooney.
However, Mooney tagged the back end of Smith on lap 22 and sent both spinning. Frey was aiming right at them but somehow managed to sneak by without contact. He then held off Todd Ahner over the final circuits to claim his first win of the year.
Defending champ TJ Gursky, who led the first two feature laps and Smith annexed heat wins.
In Dirt Mod action is was all about Kris Graver. The reigning class titlist from Lehighton was on cruise control throughout the night as he began by winning his heat and then from his second starting spot in the main went all out from start to finish in capturing the dominating verdict.
By the time the checkered waved he was almost three seconds ahead of Mike Stofflet. He also eclipsed his own track record with a lap of 10.329-seconds. It also marked his eight time winning with the division and 20th overall at Mahoning. Randy Thomas took third. Mark Levy was also a heat winner.
Jeremy Miller of Northampton kept his 4-Cylinder Stock top finishing status in tact as he notched his second straight win over ’11 champ Barry Christman, Jr.
Miller start from the pole and did encounter some opposition from Christman but in the end he was strong enough to keep him at bay and drive on to his 27th career win. Cody Roth of Kunkletown was the Front Wheel Drive winner and earned a $50 bonus.
Third went to Jake Kibler. The heats wins were split between Miller and Christman.
“Mr. Starter” Roger Snyder of Kempton, Mahoning’s Chief Starter, took time from his post to strap into his Micro Stock and after a very spirited battle among the lead pack, he emerged the winner.
The race was a resemblance of “pack racing” as new motor rules within the club kept all the action close. Walt Mueller was second with Brian Correll a near third.
(continued)
Each race paid $1000-to-win and was highlighted by an inversion of the second and third features. The well thought out concept proved to be a success as 30 quality asphalt Modifieds where pit-side looking to make the 22 car starting grid via time trials and a pair of B-mains.
The first feature was a heads-up start after time trials with Zeiner’s lap of 9.769 good enough for the pole. Hirschman would start second and once the race got underway it became a fast dash as the first 23 laps were reeled off nonstop.
Zanier, who was the Opening Night winner, was flawless in his Cojones Energy Shots No. 76 while staying at the head of the pack. All Hirschman could do was ride along in second as the leader was too strong for him to challenge. Earl Paules, Mike Carroll, Jr., and Don Wagner kept in tow to round out the top five.
“I’m sure Matt (Hirschman) and Earl (Paules) where right behind me the whole time and we may have abused the car a little but we wanted to get into Victory Lane here and we made it. What a blast this was,” said Zeiner.
“The track was very fast and I like this format so far. There was bite up top and on the bottom and I know the next one (feature) is going to be real tough and I’m sure the third one will be a lot of beating and banging.”
It was indeed a tough one for race number two. The invert was 11 which put Matt Wentz on the pole with Troy Bollinger to his right. Just as the field was coming around to complete the first circuit, Wentz had a tire blow which sent him into a wild spin while the rest of the pack was in his path.
Cars were scattered across the front stretch. After all was cleared the race resumed with Bobby Jones the new leader and Wagner moving to second. Several times Wagner made it very exciting when he would pull even with Jones from the outside lane.
He then made his race winning pass with six laps to go, utilizing the same path on the top groove to earn the second feature. Paules had tagged along with Wagner and made the race to the checkered a barnburner as he was zeroing in very quickly. Wagner just barely nipped him with a slim .051-second margin of victory. Kevin Rex, Jr., Zeiner and Jones completing the top five.
“I saw Earl on the outside there at the end and he’s tough and so is Bobby Jones. I really like these Triple 25s, they’re pretty cool. We came here to try and win all three. We got one so let’s go for the next one,” said Wagner.
For the final leg the top ten where flip-flopped which put defending track champion Tyler Haydt on the pole flanked by Bollinger.
At the drop of the green Haydt darted out front with a very impressive running Carroll slipping into second.
Carroll then kept close to Haydt’s tail and grabbed the lead with a nice inside pass at the conclusion of lap eight. Hirschman, who started fifth, was able to take second two laps later.
Carroll was having one of his best night’s and was holding steady with his chances at winning. However, Hirschman, who was piloting the J & J Motorsports No. 59, kept the pressure on and on lap 14 he went to the outside of Carroll and powered his way to the front where he would remain the rest of the way.
A master at 100-lap features, this was the first short distance Mahoning win for the popular Hirschman.
“That was good race up front. Mike Carroll did a real good job and ran real clean. He made a great pass on Tyler (Haydt) and after that I felt we have to size him up and see what we got. The car then came in real good and here we are ending the night on a good note,” said Hirschman.
“These (Triple 25s) are more of a sprint and it was kind of what I expected. The first race, all the fast cars were up in the front and in the second race when you get an invert and it was a higher amount, I kind of expected what you saw there and we got banged up a little but luckily not enough to knock us out.
“I’m not going to lie the 100-lappers where really one of my highlights of the past couple years and I thought they were the best races that I’ve seen or raced in and that goes for NASCAR and RoC and all over. But this was something different and they (management) did a great job with this show and we’ll be back for more.”
Carroll had a career best Modified finish with second while Wagner, Bollinger and Paules rounded out the front five. Hirschman was also named the overall winner with the best average finish in all three meets.
Thanks in part to a pole starting spot, Paules from Palmerton, went two-for-two in the Late Models as he ran out-front for all 25 caution free laps. The current point leader has now led 25 straight laps over the first two 2012 events.
Once the race commenced Paules was in the zone as he pulled away from the pack and would go unchallenged over the distance. He was so strong that his margin of victory over runner-up Paul Koehler, Jr., was whopping 3.5-seconds. The current point leader has now led 25 straight laps over the first two 2012 events. The race was completed in a time 4:27.
Rick Wallace was third with Mike VanFossen and Dave Wallace rounding out the top five. Paules and Rick Wallace won the prelims.
For Jason Frey of Lehighton, he was in the right place, right time in winning the Street Stock main. Running third with three laps to go, Frey seemed poised to follow a few car lengths behind front runners Kevin Smith and Josh Mooney.
However, Mooney tagged the back end of Smith on lap 22 and sent both spinning. Frey was aiming right at them but somehow managed to sneak by without contact. He then held off Todd Ahner over the final circuits to claim his first win of the year.
Defending champ TJ Gursky, who led the first two feature laps and Smith annexed heat wins.
In Dirt Mod action is was all about Kris Graver. The reigning class titlist from Lehighton was on cruise control throughout the night as he began by winning his heat and then from his second starting spot in the main went all out from start to finish in capturing the dominating verdict.
By the time the checkered waved he was almost three seconds ahead of Mike Stofflet. He also eclipsed his own track record with a lap of 10.329-seconds. It also marked his eight time winning with the division and 20th overall at Mahoning. Randy Thomas took third. Mark Levy was also a heat winner.
Jeremy Miller of Northampton kept his 4-Cylinder Stock top finishing status in tact as he notched his second straight win over ’11 champ Barry Christman, Jr.
Miller start from the pole and did encounter some opposition from Christman but in the end he was strong enough to keep him at bay and drive on to his 27th career win. Cody Roth of Kunkletown was the Front Wheel Drive winner and earned a $50 bonus.
Third went to Jake Kibler. The heats wins were split between Miller and Christman.
“Mr. Starter” Roger Snyder of Kempton, Mahoning’s Chief Starter, took time from his post to strap into his Micro Stock and after a very spirited battle among the lead pack, he emerged the winner.
The race was a resemblance of “pack racing” as new motor rules within the club kept all the action close. Walt Mueller was second with Brian Correll a near third.
(continued)