results Pecko and Meckes Notch Second Wins of the Season at Mountain Speedway

June 24, 2005
by Gene Ostrowski

Vandling, PA's Dave Pecko, Held off a late race charge by Brian Defebo, picking up his second feature win of the season in the 30-lap Balliet's Country Corners modifieds.

Ernie Dengler, who was originally scheduled to start first, elected to drop to the rear of the field for the start, which handed the pole to Don Wagner. Wagner jumped out into the lead over Mike Adams, Donny Hartzell and Wayne Szerencsits.

On lap three, Dave Pecko took over the third position and set his sights on Adams. Tim Santee followed, moving into fourth, dropping Hartzell back a few spots.

By lap six, current point leader, Brian Defebo worked his way into the top five. Two circuits later, Defebo overtook the fourth spot.

After dropping back earlier, Hartzell regained his positions lost. On lap ten he moved into the third position. The only caution of the event flew the following lap, when Dengler spun in turn three.

Through out the first seventeen circuits, Wagner held the point, but small puffs of smoke were evident from the headers on his machine. On the eighteenth lap, Pecko made his move around Wagner and brought the rest of the top five with him.

Over the remaining laps, Adams challenged Pecko while trying to fend off Defebo and Hartzell. But in the end, it was Pecko, taking the win over Defebo, Hartzell and Wagner.

Adams, who was running strong in the top five, spun on the back stretch on the final lap and had to settle for an eighth place finish.

When asked about racing with Wager earlier on, Peck noted, “Don did a great job holding his line. Once I saw a little smoke, I knew we could get around him, but just had to be patient”.

Dave Pecko and Don Wagner both won heat races.

Robert Fink led the twenty car street stock field to the start of the 20-lap feature from the pole. On the first circuit, Lehighton's Scott Meckes came from his third starting spot and overtook Fink on the backstretch for the lead.

With only one lap scored, a caution slowed the event when Fink and Todd Ahner collected on the front stretch, while Danny Cascioli had a spin of his own in turn three.

The yellow waved again following the next restart, when a cluster of cars collected off of turn two. Barry Gommer suffered the worst of the damage and was unable to continue.

When green flag racing resumed, it was still Meckes out front, over Frantz, Eric Danyluk Brad Barbush and Ron Babula. Frantz tried several maneuvers on Meckes, but could not capitalize on his attempts.

Meanwhile, current division point leader, Jim Yamelski, worked his way through the field. Yamelski, who started tenth, got around Frantz on lap six for the runner-up spot.

Over the remainder of the race, Meckes showed that he was out to overturn his recent streak of bad luck, by staying ahead of the rest of the field. By doing so, Meckes beat Yamelski to the checkers, picking up his second feature win of the season. Frantz, Danyluk and Babula rounded out the top five.

Heat winners were Scott Meckes, Paul Frantz and Brad Kline

Hazelton, PA's Marissa Nelmes led the thriller field to drop of the green flag after starting on the pole. Pat Verwys jumped out front from the second spot before the first lap was complete.

By the second circuit, Steve Hoffman moved into the fourth position after starting sixth. Meanwhile, thriller point leader, Bill Price Jr. moved into sixth, coming from his tenth place starting spot.

Two cautions on the same lap slowed the event. First, Hoffman made contact with the backstretch wall and headed into the pits for repair. On the restart, things got hairy, when a few cars went into turn one three-wide. The end result was a spin by Josh Oswald.

Pat Verwys continued out front, but his car started to smoke rather heavily at times. On lap seven, Verwys was displayed the black flag, which was disappointing after his stellar performance.

Bill Price Jr, who was running second, inherited the top spot and spent the remaining laps cruising to what seemed to be his fifth victory of the season over a side-by-side battle between Steve Shultz and Hoffman. Richard Petey and Kevin Makarewicz rounded out the top five.

Although the checkered flag flew, both Price and Shultz were disqualified during post-race inspection, which awarded Steve Hoffman with his first feature win of the season.

Steve Hoffman was the heat winner.

From the pole position, Fern Glen's Travis Fisher led the four-cylinder thriller feature field to the green flag. Before one lap was scored, the caution flew when Fred Shotwell, Jimmy White Jr. and Chris Walk collected on the backstretch. Only Walk was able to continue.

While Fisher held the point, Bill Verwys, Sr. took over the second position from point leader, Joe Grocholski, bringing Dale Shoemaker with him.

Although the rest of the feature was caution free, the battle was between the top four drivers, as Verwys, Walk and last weeks winner, Joe Heintzelman, all wanted a shot at Fisher.

Over the last several laps, sixteen-year-old Fisher held off a number of charges from Verwys, who was later overtaken by Heintzelman for second. Walk and Shoemaker rounded out the top five.

Commenting on his first career feature win, Travis commented “my dad (Late Model driver, Larry Fisher) told me to run my line and don't overdrive it”.

Travis Fisher and Chris Walk were heat winners.

After racing was complete, Mountain Speedway Co-Promoter, Billy Bartley, made the announcement that this Sunday's Balliet-Toole Inc. Late Model Nationals would be cancelled. “There were a number of Mountain regulars, along with driver who ran the nationals in the past, who weren't planning to come out to support the show. We didn't want to give the fans a sub-standard show”. The Long Island Mini Cups were also on the card for the afternoon. Their shows are cancelled as well.

Next Friday, July 1 st , Mountain Speedway will host its annual gigantic fireworks display, along with the late models, street stocks, thrillers, four cylinder thrillers and the 4C modifieds. The Balliet's Country Corners modifieds have the night off.

Balliet's Country Corners Modifieds (30 laps)

Dave Pecko , Brian Defebo, Donny Hartzell, Don Wagner, Tim Santee, Wayne Szerencsits, Steven Reed, Mike Adams, Ernie Dengler, Brian MacQueen, Billy Swartz

Fast Lap: Dave Pecko, lap 4, 13.782

Hard Charger(s): Dave Pecko and Brian Defebo, 6 positions

Street Stock (20 laps)

Scott Meckes , Jim Yamelski, Paul Frantz, Eric Danyluk, Ron Bubala, Brad Kline, Mark Deysher, Robert Fink, JR Roth, Chip Wanamaker, Mike Schadder, Brad Barbush, Brian Labar, Frank Katona, John Labadia, Todd Barbush, Shaun Burd, Todd Ahner, Barry Gommer, Dan Casicioli

Fast Lap: Brad Barbush, lap 8, 16.060

Hard Charger: Mark Deysher, 10 positions

Thriller (20 laps)

Steve Hoffman , Richard Petey, Kevin Makarewicz, Marissa Nelmes, Howie Bott, Travis Tracy, Josh Oswald, Jim White Jr., Tony Hilliard, Pat Verwys DNS: Mark Paine DQ: Bill Price, Steve Shultz

Fast Lap: Steve Hoffman, lap 15, 17.527

Hard Charger: Kevin Makarewicz, 6 positions

4 Cyl. Thriller (20 laps)

Travis Fisher , Joe Heintzelman, Bill Verwys Sr., Chris Walk, Dale Shoemaker, Chris Meker, Joe Grocholski, Justin Nesbitt, Fred Shotwell, Jimmy White, Jr.,

Fast Lap: Bill Verwys, Sr, lap 3, 18.725

Hard Charger: Joe Heintzelman, 8 positions

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