RGeeProductions
06-01-2014, 01:07 AM
It’s been just over two years since Todd Baer of New Tripoli visited Modified victory lane at Evergreen Raceway Park. Baer will never forget that win on May 20, 2012 and recalled it well in victory lane after winning the main event on Saturday at the speedway. Randy Schlenker of Whitehall has been on rails lately when it comes to Street Stock competition and this week was no different, as he notched his unprecedented fourth straight victory. New Jersey’s Ricky Yetter continued his dominating ways in Dirt Modified action and cruised to his third win of the year, as did John Banashefski of Wilkes-Barre in the Four Cylinder main. Matt Mattern, Jr. of Mountaintop held off his teammate to notch his second Pure Stock win of the year.
Jim Bojohnny stared from the pole position and led the Modified field to the drop of the green flag in the 35-lap feature. Todd Baer, who began in second, took the lead to complete lap one over Bojohnny, Paul Frantz, Jerry Hildebrand and Donny Hartzell.
Frantz grabbed second from Bojohnny on the following circuit and Hildebrand moved to third shortly after. At this point in the show, Baer held a five car length advantage over second but Frantz began to reel in the leader. With 15 laps remaining, the top two were nose to tail and Frantz peeked high and low to see what Baer had in his pocket.
Baer, who knew that Frantz was in tune, began to pick up the pace and went on to take his first victory in the division since May of 2012. Frantz crossed the stripe to score a career best second, followed by Hildebrand, Bojohnny and Hartzell.
After winning the heat race earlier in the day, Ricky Yetter overtook Mark Levy for the lead in the 25-lap Dirt Modified feature. Just behind him, Chuck Potts battled hard with Levy for second.
One short yellow flag period slowed the event but nothing could slow Yetter, as he cruised to take his third checkered flag of the year over Potts, Darrin Schuler, Levy and Mike Garris, Sr.
Bernie Uphold started from the pole and led the opening circuit of the 30-lap Street Stock feature over Rich Emel, Randy Schlenker, Charlie Castiglione and Joe Stavoy. With one lap recorded, Schlenker got by Emel to move into the runner up spot.
With three laps complete Castiglione moved into third and rode behind the leaders.
Schlenker hounded Uphold and finally mad his move to the outside and into the lead on lap 19. However, the action was slowed briefly on lap 23 for a single car spin in turn two.
Green flag racing resumed and Uphold battled back to lead lap 25. His lead however was short-lived. Battling hard, Emel got into the back of Uphold off the exit of turn four. The contact forced Uphold’s ride to turn left and clip Castiglione. Both cars ended up making contact with the front stretch wall and Castiglione was done for the night.
Schlenker was untouched in the closing laps and went on to take his fourth straight win over Emel, Uphold, Gordy Buchman, Jr. and Stavoy.
Following his heat race victory, Matt Mattern, Jr. over took pole sitter, Frank Katona on the opening lap of the 20-lap Pure Stock feature. With one lap in the books, Cassagrande crossed the line in second, followed by Katona and Scott Adams.
Although Cassagrande gave him a run for his money coming out of turn four and to the checkered flag, Mattern held on for his second victory of the season over Cassagrande and Katona.
Ray Fennell III led the Four Cylinder field to the drop of the green flag in the 20-lap feature. He led the first lap over Heather Fennell, Bob Azarowicz, John Banashefski and Anthony Pugliese.
With one lap complete Banashefski climbed to second and then the caution flag waved two laps later when fluid was being laid down on the track surface. Unfortunately, H. Fennell and Azarowicz, two of the top five drivers were the culprit and were forced pit side.
Banashefski overtook R. Fennell for the lead following the restart and he never looked back as he took his third win of the season over Luke Colleran, Bill price, Jr, Pugliese and R. Fennell.
Heather Fennell was the heat race winner.
It was announced at the track on Saturday that management has decided to try racing on Friday nights to help boost the car count and overall track support. The difficult decision was based on several things, but all of the racers that were at the track on Saturday said that they were in support of the switch.
The speedway will be running the Friday night shows as a trial over the next two weekends. If it is more successful then the Saturday evening or Sunday afternoon shows, management will make the change to run all of the Saturday night race dates on the schedule to Friday.
Evergreen Raceway Park is just minutes from Hazleton, Pa, located on St. John’s Road, between Routes 93 and 309. For more information, including upcoming shows, rules, payouts and news, please visit www.evergreenracewaypark.com.
Modified (35-laps) 1. TODD BAER 2. Paul Frantz 3. Jerry Hildebrand 4. Jim Bojohnny 5. Donny Hartzell 6. Jarred Nace
Dirt Modifieds (25-laps) 1. RICKY YETTER 2. Chuck Potts 3. Darrin Schuler 4. Mark Levy 5. Mike Garris, Sr.
Street Stock (30-laps) 1. RANDY SCHLENKER 2. Rich Emel 3. Bernie Uphold 4. Gordy Buchman, Jr 5. Joe Stavoy 6. Charlie Castiglione
Pure Stock (20-laps) 1. MATT MATTERN, JR 2. Tom Cassagrande 3. Frank Katona 4. Scott Adams
Four Cylinder (20-laps) 1. JOHN BANASHEFSKI 2. Luke Colleran 3. Bill Price, Jr 4. Anthony Pugliese 5. Ray Fennell III 6. Bob Azarowicz 7. Heather Fennell
Gene Ostrowski
Jim Bojohnny stared from the pole position and led the Modified field to the drop of the green flag in the 35-lap feature. Todd Baer, who began in second, took the lead to complete lap one over Bojohnny, Paul Frantz, Jerry Hildebrand and Donny Hartzell.
Frantz grabbed second from Bojohnny on the following circuit and Hildebrand moved to third shortly after. At this point in the show, Baer held a five car length advantage over second but Frantz began to reel in the leader. With 15 laps remaining, the top two were nose to tail and Frantz peeked high and low to see what Baer had in his pocket.
Baer, who knew that Frantz was in tune, began to pick up the pace and went on to take his first victory in the division since May of 2012. Frantz crossed the stripe to score a career best second, followed by Hildebrand, Bojohnny and Hartzell.
After winning the heat race earlier in the day, Ricky Yetter overtook Mark Levy for the lead in the 25-lap Dirt Modified feature. Just behind him, Chuck Potts battled hard with Levy for second.
One short yellow flag period slowed the event but nothing could slow Yetter, as he cruised to take his third checkered flag of the year over Potts, Darrin Schuler, Levy and Mike Garris, Sr.
Bernie Uphold started from the pole and led the opening circuit of the 30-lap Street Stock feature over Rich Emel, Randy Schlenker, Charlie Castiglione and Joe Stavoy. With one lap recorded, Schlenker got by Emel to move into the runner up spot.
With three laps complete Castiglione moved into third and rode behind the leaders.
Schlenker hounded Uphold and finally mad his move to the outside and into the lead on lap 19. However, the action was slowed briefly on lap 23 for a single car spin in turn two.
Green flag racing resumed and Uphold battled back to lead lap 25. His lead however was short-lived. Battling hard, Emel got into the back of Uphold off the exit of turn four. The contact forced Uphold’s ride to turn left and clip Castiglione. Both cars ended up making contact with the front stretch wall and Castiglione was done for the night.
Schlenker was untouched in the closing laps and went on to take his fourth straight win over Emel, Uphold, Gordy Buchman, Jr. and Stavoy.
Following his heat race victory, Matt Mattern, Jr. over took pole sitter, Frank Katona on the opening lap of the 20-lap Pure Stock feature. With one lap in the books, Cassagrande crossed the line in second, followed by Katona and Scott Adams.
Although Cassagrande gave him a run for his money coming out of turn four and to the checkered flag, Mattern held on for his second victory of the season over Cassagrande and Katona.
Ray Fennell III led the Four Cylinder field to the drop of the green flag in the 20-lap feature. He led the first lap over Heather Fennell, Bob Azarowicz, John Banashefski and Anthony Pugliese.
With one lap complete Banashefski climbed to second and then the caution flag waved two laps later when fluid was being laid down on the track surface. Unfortunately, H. Fennell and Azarowicz, two of the top five drivers were the culprit and were forced pit side.
Banashefski overtook R. Fennell for the lead following the restart and he never looked back as he took his third win of the season over Luke Colleran, Bill price, Jr, Pugliese and R. Fennell.
Heather Fennell was the heat race winner.
It was announced at the track on Saturday that management has decided to try racing on Friday nights to help boost the car count and overall track support. The difficult decision was based on several things, but all of the racers that were at the track on Saturday said that they were in support of the switch.
The speedway will be running the Friday night shows as a trial over the next two weekends. If it is more successful then the Saturday evening or Sunday afternoon shows, management will make the change to run all of the Saturday night race dates on the schedule to Friday.
Evergreen Raceway Park is just minutes from Hazleton, Pa, located on St. John’s Road, between Routes 93 and 309. For more information, including upcoming shows, rules, payouts and news, please visit www.evergreenracewaypark.com.
Modified (35-laps) 1. TODD BAER 2. Paul Frantz 3. Jerry Hildebrand 4. Jim Bojohnny 5. Donny Hartzell 6. Jarred Nace
Dirt Modifieds (25-laps) 1. RICKY YETTER 2. Chuck Potts 3. Darrin Schuler 4. Mark Levy 5. Mike Garris, Sr.
Street Stock (30-laps) 1. RANDY SCHLENKER 2. Rich Emel 3. Bernie Uphold 4. Gordy Buchman, Jr 5. Joe Stavoy 6. Charlie Castiglione
Pure Stock (20-laps) 1. MATT MATTERN, JR 2. Tom Cassagrande 3. Frank Katona 4. Scott Adams
Four Cylinder (20-laps) 1. JOHN BANASHEFSKI 2. Luke Colleran 3. Bill Price, Jr 4. Anthony Pugliese 5. Ray Fennell III 6. Bob Azarowicz 7. Heather Fennell
Gene Ostrowski