RGeeProductions
07-15-2013, 10:27 AM
Picture perfect, albeit a very warm, weather greeted drivers and race fans this past Saturday at Elegant Builders Raceway Park. The stands were packed with both old and new race fans and the EBRP drivers in each division put on quite a show for the fans.
The nights action started on the inner ¼ mile oval with the After Hours Imaging TQ Midgets and it was Arik McGruder leading the field to the green flag from the number one starting spot. The racing action was short lived however as the drivers couldn’t quite start in the side by side manner expected. When the field finally started racing clean and green, McGruder held onto his lead. Brandon Zavarella, who had started behind McGruder in third, quickly slotted into second while Erik Musto ran third. Soon the front runners had company in the form of Andy Jankowiak who, by lap five had moved up to second. Jankowiak began applying heavy pressure to McGruder for the lead but McGruder held on tight, fending off multiple challenges by Jankowiak. On lap 16 however, Jankowiak moved too high up the track and Musto, who had been patiently racing in third waiting for a chance to advance his position, got it and moved into the second. McGruder still held onto the lead however and notched his first TQ Midget feature win of the season and becoming the fifth different winner in six races this season.
The inner oval action continued with the 4 Cylinders next up for their 20 lap feature event. Rookie Garrett Cleversly and Derrick Brant started up front and as the race got the initial green flag, Cleversley took possession of the lead. On the move however was Kevin Bainbridge, who had started eighth. By lap four he had made his way up to second and just one lap later had taken the lead from Cleversley. Cleversley began to fall back through the field, yielding his second place position to Brandon Sherwood on lap seven. The field sliced and diced and weren’t afraid to trade paint as each driver vied for position. By the halfway point, Bainbridge led Sherwood, Tom LaLomia Jr., Bobby Woch, and Al Piasecki, who were all locked in a fierce battle for second on back. Bainbridge however was able to hold his lead, fending off challenges from LaLomia, and captured his first 4 Cylinder feature win of the season.
The action then switched to the outer track for the remainder of the night’s features, starting with the fan favorite Street Stocks. Mike Dalfonso Jr., Dave Vona, Heather Weber, and Gary Bartella brought the field side by side to the green flag. Dalfonso took control of the lead but soon had company as Matt Druar, who had started fifth, made his way up to second position. By lap four Druar had taken the lead from Dalfonso and set about building a lead over the rest of the pack. Nate Straus was also on the move and was up to second by lap five. By the halfway point of the feature Druar had a comfortable lead over Straus, Jake Lyon, Jim Stein, and Weber. The racing was clean and green until lap fifteen when trouble struck when the something broke in the car of Bob Heineman, leaving a trail of fluid around the track. After the clean up, Druar’s lead was erased and he was joined up front by Straus, Stein, TJ Cochrane, and Lyon. Druar again grabbed the lead but just two laps later the field caught a case of yellow fever as three cautions came about on one lap as Lyon, Straus, and Dalfonso all encountered problems. The following restart gave Druar a new restart partner as Cochrane was now stationed to his outside while Stein, Dennis Londos, and Weber were behind them. Druar and Cochrane raced side by side, lap after lap, as Druar kept his low line and Cochrane tried to make the outside line work for the pass. Druar held tight and eventually cleared Cochrane for the lead. At the drop of the checkers it was Druar crossing the finish line first and taking his third feature win of the season.
The visiting Big 10 Super Stock series was up next on the agenda and with few EBRP veterans in the field, it was going to be a crap shoot as to who could figure out the best set up for their car on the complex EBRP oval. Thirteen cars took the green flag with Jason Dieter, Mike Ramos, Jake Snell, and Dave Johnson leading the way. Ramos immediately jumped into the lead while Johnson followed into second by lap two, passing by Dieter. By lap seven, Snell, who was making his EBRP debut, raced into third place. The race took on a green flag feel and the laps started clicking off as Ramos built a sizable lead over Johnson, who in turn had a large lead over Snell and the rest of the field. By lap 16 the leaders began hitting lap traffic although it did nothing to stop the blistering pace the Ramos was setting. The race appeared as if it was going to go caution free but lap 22 proved to be troublesome for the field. The initial caution appeared for the Dieter car that had mechanical problems, leaving a trail of fluid around the track. During the clean up, three different cars – including second place Johnson – suffered flat tires and had to head pitside for tire changes. When racing finally resumed, the field had taken on a different look as many of the cars up front had pitted. Ramos still led but he now had Joe Mancuso and Lee Sharpsteen, both of whom initially started the race in the back of the pack, to his outside and behind him. Mancuso was unable to challenge Ramos and soon dropped back to third as Sharpsteen used the inside line to slot into second. Ramos’s car though was on rails and he built up a lead as the laps wound down, taking the win and the guaranteed Race of Champions qualifying spot.
The final event of the evening was the Sportsman 35 lap feature and Sherri Hogan and Tom MacLeod brought the field to the green flag. They raced side by side with Hogan eventually slotting in front of MacLeod for the lead. The field settled in single file with Hogan leading MacLeod and Andy Jankowiak, who had steadily worked his way up through the pack after starting last. By lap fifteen though MacLeod made his move, passing Hogan for the lead and bringing Jankowiak with him, who slotted into second place, relegating Hogan to third. MacLeod set off up front but Jankowiak shadowed him around the track. Behind them, Billy Burd had begun his march up through the field and was up to fourth with ten laps to go, after passing Mark Pennell on lap 25. By lap 27 Burd was up to third as the battle for the lead up front heated up. On lap 32 the leaders began to hit lap traffic and Jankowiak tried to use the lap cars as a pick to get around MacLeod but had no luck. As the laps clicked off, Jankowiak turned up the pressure on MacLeod, looking high and low for a way around the leader. As the field came out of turn four on the last lap, contact was made between the two leaders, sending them both spinning, allowing Burd to move up and capture the win. Burd broke Jankowiak’s unbeaten streak this season, notching his first feature win of the season.
The Elegant Builders Raceway Park Stock Car program is off the week of July 20th but returns Saturday, July 27th with First Responders Night where all police, fire, and EMS personnel will receive discount admission. On the racing card are the Sportsman, Street Stocks, 4 Cylinders, and After Hours Imaging TQ Midgets.
SPORTSMAN FEATURE FINISH (7/13/13): BILLY BURD, Mark Pennell, Sherri Hogan, Kevin Miller, Bobby Lippa Jr., Kevin Lewis, Kalie Clementi, Andy Jankowiak, Tom MacLeod
Lap Leaders: 1-14 Hogan, 15-34 MacLeod, 35 Burd
Heat Winners: Hogan, MacLeod
BIG 10 SUPER STOCK FEATURE FINISH (7/13/13): MIKE RAMOS, Lee Sharpsteen, Joe Mancuso, Ted Welshans, Jake Snell, Tom Markham, Dave Johnson, Mitchell Wright, Phil Alhart, Tim Welshans, Greg Irish, Jason Dieter, Jay Canonico
Lap Leaders: 1-25 Ramos
Heat Winners: Johnson, Ramos
STREET STOCK FEATURE FINISH (7/13/13): MATT DRUAR, TJ Cochrane, Jim Stein, Dennis Londos, Keith Flanigan, Heather Weber, Gary Bartella, Jeff Whalen, Mike Dalfonso Jr., Steve Cochran, Mike Dalfonso Sr., Dave Vona, Jake Lyon, Nate Straus, Bob Heineman DQ: Rick Ortwein
Lap Leaders: 1-3 Dalfonso Jr., 4-25 Druar
Heat Winners: Heineman, Weber
4 CYLINDERS FEATURE FINISH (7/13/13): KEVIN BAINBRIDGE, Tom LaLomia Jr., Bobby Woch, Al Piasecki, Brandon Sherwood, Derrick Brant, Garrett Cleversley, James Loveland, Chris Bugenhagen, Ross Carlson, Craig Sponholtz, Peter Koschuk, Jayme Thompson
Lap Leaders: 1-4 Cleversley, 5-20 Bainbridge
Heat Winners: Woch, Thompson
AFTER HOURS IMAGING TQ MIDGETS (7/13/13): ARIK MCGRUDER, Erik Musto, Andy Jankowiak, Brandon Zavarella, Ethan Morgan, Shaun Szejnar, Jim Musto, Timex Morgan, Jimmy Etue, Sonny Goodnough
Lap Leaders: 1-20 McGruder
Heat Winner: Jankowiak
Lori Overdorf
The nights action started on the inner ¼ mile oval with the After Hours Imaging TQ Midgets and it was Arik McGruder leading the field to the green flag from the number one starting spot. The racing action was short lived however as the drivers couldn’t quite start in the side by side manner expected. When the field finally started racing clean and green, McGruder held onto his lead. Brandon Zavarella, who had started behind McGruder in third, quickly slotted into second while Erik Musto ran third. Soon the front runners had company in the form of Andy Jankowiak who, by lap five had moved up to second. Jankowiak began applying heavy pressure to McGruder for the lead but McGruder held on tight, fending off multiple challenges by Jankowiak. On lap 16 however, Jankowiak moved too high up the track and Musto, who had been patiently racing in third waiting for a chance to advance his position, got it and moved into the second. McGruder still held onto the lead however and notched his first TQ Midget feature win of the season and becoming the fifth different winner in six races this season.
The inner oval action continued with the 4 Cylinders next up for their 20 lap feature event. Rookie Garrett Cleversly and Derrick Brant started up front and as the race got the initial green flag, Cleversley took possession of the lead. On the move however was Kevin Bainbridge, who had started eighth. By lap four he had made his way up to second and just one lap later had taken the lead from Cleversley. Cleversley began to fall back through the field, yielding his second place position to Brandon Sherwood on lap seven. The field sliced and diced and weren’t afraid to trade paint as each driver vied for position. By the halfway point, Bainbridge led Sherwood, Tom LaLomia Jr., Bobby Woch, and Al Piasecki, who were all locked in a fierce battle for second on back. Bainbridge however was able to hold his lead, fending off challenges from LaLomia, and captured his first 4 Cylinder feature win of the season.
The action then switched to the outer track for the remainder of the night’s features, starting with the fan favorite Street Stocks. Mike Dalfonso Jr., Dave Vona, Heather Weber, and Gary Bartella brought the field side by side to the green flag. Dalfonso took control of the lead but soon had company as Matt Druar, who had started fifth, made his way up to second position. By lap four Druar had taken the lead from Dalfonso and set about building a lead over the rest of the pack. Nate Straus was also on the move and was up to second by lap five. By the halfway point of the feature Druar had a comfortable lead over Straus, Jake Lyon, Jim Stein, and Weber. The racing was clean and green until lap fifteen when trouble struck when the something broke in the car of Bob Heineman, leaving a trail of fluid around the track. After the clean up, Druar’s lead was erased and he was joined up front by Straus, Stein, TJ Cochrane, and Lyon. Druar again grabbed the lead but just two laps later the field caught a case of yellow fever as three cautions came about on one lap as Lyon, Straus, and Dalfonso all encountered problems. The following restart gave Druar a new restart partner as Cochrane was now stationed to his outside while Stein, Dennis Londos, and Weber were behind them. Druar and Cochrane raced side by side, lap after lap, as Druar kept his low line and Cochrane tried to make the outside line work for the pass. Druar held tight and eventually cleared Cochrane for the lead. At the drop of the checkers it was Druar crossing the finish line first and taking his third feature win of the season.
The visiting Big 10 Super Stock series was up next on the agenda and with few EBRP veterans in the field, it was going to be a crap shoot as to who could figure out the best set up for their car on the complex EBRP oval. Thirteen cars took the green flag with Jason Dieter, Mike Ramos, Jake Snell, and Dave Johnson leading the way. Ramos immediately jumped into the lead while Johnson followed into second by lap two, passing by Dieter. By lap seven, Snell, who was making his EBRP debut, raced into third place. The race took on a green flag feel and the laps started clicking off as Ramos built a sizable lead over Johnson, who in turn had a large lead over Snell and the rest of the field. By lap 16 the leaders began hitting lap traffic although it did nothing to stop the blistering pace the Ramos was setting. The race appeared as if it was going to go caution free but lap 22 proved to be troublesome for the field. The initial caution appeared for the Dieter car that had mechanical problems, leaving a trail of fluid around the track. During the clean up, three different cars – including second place Johnson – suffered flat tires and had to head pitside for tire changes. When racing finally resumed, the field had taken on a different look as many of the cars up front had pitted. Ramos still led but he now had Joe Mancuso and Lee Sharpsteen, both of whom initially started the race in the back of the pack, to his outside and behind him. Mancuso was unable to challenge Ramos and soon dropped back to third as Sharpsteen used the inside line to slot into second. Ramos’s car though was on rails and he built up a lead as the laps wound down, taking the win and the guaranteed Race of Champions qualifying spot.
The final event of the evening was the Sportsman 35 lap feature and Sherri Hogan and Tom MacLeod brought the field to the green flag. They raced side by side with Hogan eventually slotting in front of MacLeod for the lead. The field settled in single file with Hogan leading MacLeod and Andy Jankowiak, who had steadily worked his way up through the pack after starting last. By lap fifteen though MacLeod made his move, passing Hogan for the lead and bringing Jankowiak with him, who slotted into second place, relegating Hogan to third. MacLeod set off up front but Jankowiak shadowed him around the track. Behind them, Billy Burd had begun his march up through the field and was up to fourth with ten laps to go, after passing Mark Pennell on lap 25. By lap 27 Burd was up to third as the battle for the lead up front heated up. On lap 32 the leaders began to hit lap traffic and Jankowiak tried to use the lap cars as a pick to get around MacLeod but had no luck. As the laps clicked off, Jankowiak turned up the pressure on MacLeod, looking high and low for a way around the leader. As the field came out of turn four on the last lap, contact was made between the two leaders, sending them both spinning, allowing Burd to move up and capture the win. Burd broke Jankowiak’s unbeaten streak this season, notching his first feature win of the season.
The Elegant Builders Raceway Park Stock Car program is off the week of July 20th but returns Saturday, July 27th with First Responders Night where all police, fire, and EMS personnel will receive discount admission. On the racing card are the Sportsman, Street Stocks, 4 Cylinders, and After Hours Imaging TQ Midgets.
SPORTSMAN FEATURE FINISH (7/13/13): BILLY BURD, Mark Pennell, Sherri Hogan, Kevin Miller, Bobby Lippa Jr., Kevin Lewis, Kalie Clementi, Andy Jankowiak, Tom MacLeod
Lap Leaders: 1-14 Hogan, 15-34 MacLeod, 35 Burd
Heat Winners: Hogan, MacLeod
BIG 10 SUPER STOCK FEATURE FINISH (7/13/13): MIKE RAMOS, Lee Sharpsteen, Joe Mancuso, Ted Welshans, Jake Snell, Tom Markham, Dave Johnson, Mitchell Wright, Phil Alhart, Tim Welshans, Greg Irish, Jason Dieter, Jay Canonico
Lap Leaders: 1-25 Ramos
Heat Winners: Johnson, Ramos
STREET STOCK FEATURE FINISH (7/13/13): MATT DRUAR, TJ Cochrane, Jim Stein, Dennis Londos, Keith Flanigan, Heather Weber, Gary Bartella, Jeff Whalen, Mike Dalfonso Jr., Steve Cochran, Mike Dalfonso Sr., Dave Vona, Jake Lyon, Nate Straus, Bob Heineman DQ: Rick Ortwein
Lap Leaders: 1-3 Dalfonso Jr., 4-25 Druar
Heat Winners: Heineman, Weber
4 CYLINDERS FEATURE FINISH (7/13/13): KEVIN BAINBRIDGE, Tom LaLomia Jr., Bobby Woch, Al Piasecki, Brandon Sherwood, Derrick Brant, Garrett Cleversley, James Loveland, Chris Bugenhagen, Ross Carlson, Craig Sponholtz, Peter Koschuk, Jayme Thompson
Lap Leaders: 1-4 Cleversley, 5-20 Bainbridge
Heat Winners: Woch, Thompson
AFTER HOURS IMAGING TQ MIDGETS (7/13/13): ARIK MCGRUDER, Erik Musto, Andy Jankowiak, Brandon Zavarella, Ethan Morgan, Shaun Szejnar, Jim Musto, Timex Morgan, Jimmy Etue, Sonny Goodnough
Lap Leaders: 1-20 McGruder
Heat Winner: Jankowiak
Lori Overdorf