Evergreen Raceway’s second annual “King of the Green” (KOTG) weekends kicked off Saturday afternoon. The pits were filled with racecars and anxious drivers that couldn’t wait to his the 1/3-mile asphalt oval for the last event of the season at the track. Once the dust settled following some intense action, Zane Zeiner of Bath, PA went to victory lane in the Sport Modified division. The Himmer Graphics Late Models took to the track and after a slow start, they clicked off a long green flag run. Although he was pressured in the early going by Kyle Harvell, Mike Sweeney of Nesquehoning picked up his first ever KOTG victory. Harry O’Neill of Mountaintop took the early lead in the Evan’s Roadhouse Four Cylinder feature and never looked back en route to victory. Also from Mountaintop, TJ Kapish held off numerous charges from his competition to notch the Strictly Stock feature win.

Paul Hartwig, Jr. led the Sport Modified field to the drop of the green flag in the 50-lap main event. He led the opening circuit over Paul Morgan, Jr, Connor Sellers, Paul Monkoski and Nick Baer.

The first yellow flag waved for a spin on lap 10 and Morgan was forced to the pits with a fuel leak. Great flag racing resumed and with Hartwig still showing the way, Zane Zeiner moved into the third spot. Two laps later he got underneath Sellers for second and drove to Hartwig’s rear bumper.

Zeiner gave the leader a little shot and then moved into the lead on lap 18. Hartwig tried to return the favor, but spun out in the process.

Racing resumed and following a few sporadic yellow flags and multiple restarts, Zeiner took the checkers over Baer. Joe DeGracia crossed the stripe in third but was penalized two positions for passing under the pink lined in turns one and two. The change moved Joey Jarowicz and Sellers to third and fourth respectively.

Hartwig and Morgan were heat race winners.

Steve Shultz and Mike Sweeney shared the front row for the start of the 50-lap Late Model feature. Following two attempts to get one lap in the books, Shultz crossed the stripe to lead lap one over Sweeney, Frank Batista, Jr, Kyle Harvell and Jerick Johnson of North Carolina. Sweeney didn’t waste any time and pulled alongside Shultz to lead the following circuit.

A handful of yellows slowed the show in the early going, one of which involved a spin by Shultz in turns one and two. Rich Cooper took the high side to avoid Shulz, but then pounded the foam barriers. Luckily, Cooper was uninjured but unable to continue.

Sweeney remained on point following the restart and continued to show the way over Harvell and Travis Fisher at the halfway mark. Unfortunately, Harvell’s stellar run came to an end when he was tagged by a lap car in turn three. The lap 35 incident forced the former champion to retire from the show.

Sweeney was flawless o the restarts and eventually went on to take the big victory over Fisher, Johnson, Batista and Shultz.

With his sixth place finish, Francis Gross III took the division championship, which was his first ever after many seasons of competition.

Shultz, Batista and Sweeney were heat race winners.

Jake Jones led the Four Cylinder field to the drop of the green flag in the 40-lap feature. Harry O’Neill kept his car glued to the outside and led the first circuit by a bumper over Jones, John Ayre, Scott Adams and TJ Kapish.

A yellow slowed the show for the first time on lap nine and then another flew following the restart when Kapish and Shawn Kistler tangled in turn four. Neither driver was able to continue.

With the green back in the air, Joe Barbush III began to advance. He moved into third on lap 14 and then overtook J. Ayre for second two laps later. There were several opportunities for J. Barbush to have a shot at the leader, but O’Neill pulled on each and every restart.

O’Neill went on to take the victory, followed by J. Barbush, Adams, Tony Rispin and J. Ayre.

Jones, O’Neill and J. Ayre were heat race winners. Kyle Krempasky was the consi winner.

Although he wasn’t in action for the event, Brayden Spencer won the Four Cylinder championship.

Mitch Sponenberg led the Strictly Stock field to the drop of the green flag in the 20-lap feature. Kapish led the first lap and O’Neill slipped through for second. Despite heavy pressure from O’Neill, Kapish pulled off the victory. O’Neill settled for second, followed by Jarrett Campbell and Sponenberg.

O’Neill won the divisional championship.

The Modifieds will compete for the $4,000 prize on Sunday, October 22, plus the Street Stocks and Factory Stocks will also be in action for extended lap main events. The pit gates will swing open at 10 AM and practice will kick off at 12:30 PM. Qualifying will start at 2 PM. The grandstands will open at 12:30

PM. Free admission passes are for regular events only and will not be honored for Sunday’s King of the Green events.

All purses are based on a full field of 20 cars taking the green flag in the feature. If less than 20 cars take the green, the purse will be prorated. Pit admission is $50.

Grandstand admission is $20 for Saturday and $25 for Sunday. Fans can purchase a special two day event grandstand pass for $40. As always, children 12 years of age and younger will be admitted into the grandstand area for free. Free admission passes are for regular events only and will not be honored for the speedway’s King of the Green events.

Evergreen Raceway is located minutes from Hazleton, PA, in between routes 93 and 309. For more information regarding Evergreen Raceway, including the entire season schedule, directions and divisional payouts, please visit www.evergreenracewaypark.com and don’t forget to like their Facebook page as well.


Sport Modifieds (50-laps) 1. Zane Zeiner 2. Nick Baer 3. Joey Jarowicz 4. Connor Sellers 5. Joe DeGracia 6. Mike Albasini 7. Rich Lapolt 8. Damon Frutchey 9. Paul Monkoski 10. Peter Lattanzio 11. Paul Morgan, Jr DQ: Paul Hartwig, Jr.

Late Models (50-laps) 1. MIKE SWEENEY 2. Travis Fisher 3. Jerick Johnson 4. Frank Batista Jr 5. Steve Shultz 6. Francis Gross III 7. Daryn Miller 8. Mike Snyder 9. Kyle Harvell 10. Brian Romig 11. Rob Kutz 12. Geno Steigerwalt 13. Eric Kocher 14. Broc Brown 15. Ricky Collins 16. Dan Casciolli 17.Frank Hughes DQ: Todd Cooper DQ: Rich Cooper

Four Cylinders (40-laps) 1. HARRY O’NEILL 2. Joe Barbush III 3. Scott Adams 4. Tony Rispin 5. John Ayre 6. Jeff Biegley 7. Ray Kochin 8. Austin Beers 9. Rebecca Barbush 10. Ed Wildes 11. Chris Elixson 12. Jay Skupski 13. Beau Drobot 14. Jake Jones 15. Kyle Krempasky 16. Jimmy Ayre 17. TJ Kapish 18. Shawn Kistler 19. Keith St Clair DQ: Joe Warren DNQ: Jesse Ehert, Don Rodgers, Peter Maier, Charles Zukowski, Preston Prydatko, Justin Hughes

Strictly Stocks (20-laps) 1. TJ KAPISH 2. Harry O’Neill 3. Jarrett Campbell 4. Mitch Sponenberg


Gene Ostrowski