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Rusty Smith is Simply Unstoppable at Mountain Speedway
By: Gene Ostrowski
August 3, 2008
Early morning rain showers forced the management at Mountain Speedway to
host Saturday’s originally scheduled show on Sunday. Fans in attendance
witnessed Rusty Smith of Oxford, NY score his fourth feature win of the
season in the regular modified division. They also cheered on Wayne
Lowe, as he scored his first career win in the thriller division.
Richie DiMarco notched his fifth victory of the season in the street
stocks and Bill Verwys, Sr. took the four-cylinder FWD verdict.
Eighteen tour type modifieds took to the track with Todd Baer on the
pole for the start of the 4-lap main event. Baer jumped out in front
over Lew Hallock, Geary Rinehimer, Barry Callavini and Billy Weichert on
the start until the caution flew with only one lap completed.
The caution was for Jerry Woody and Kyle Ebersole- the two had linked
bumpers in turn three.
After starting tenth, Rusty Smith, of Oxford, NY, shot by Hallock and
Rinehimer to take second. He outdueled Baer for the lead two laps
later.
The yellow flag waved on several occasions in the early going. One of
the worst of the caution flags flew on lap eight when Hallock got
sideways in turn one. The incident slowed many of the drivers and they
began to stack up. Some of the drivers involved were Woody, Weichert,
Brian DeFebo, Harry Buchman and Buddy Miller. The red flag was also
thrown during the same period because of a passing rain shower. After
several minutes, green flag racing resumed with Smith leading over
Ebersole, Baer, Andy Walko and Callavini.
Smoke became evident for Baer on lap twenty-four. He slowed on the
speedway and the final caution flag of the event was thrown.
Green flag racing resumed and Smith checked out from the field to notch
his fourth regular modified win of the season. Smith is also the
division points leader and has not finished worst than second this
season.
Walko pressured Ebersole for second lap after lap, but never did find
the way around the seventeen year old for the runner-up spot. Callavini
and Rinehimer completed the top five.
Qualifier wins went to Todd Baer, Bobby Jones and Geary Rinehimer.
After winning the heat race earlier in the afternoon, Scott Meckes
grabbed the early lead after starting from the pole in the 25-lap street
stock feature. After three laps were complete, Steve Clark sat second,
followed by Elliott Wohl, Richie DiMarco and Chip Wanamaker.
With four laps in the books, DiMarco challenged and passed Clark for the
second spot.
DiMarco began to put some distance between himself and Meckes. In the
meantime, Clark had his hands full trying to hold off Wanamaker, Wohl
and Steve Shultz.
DiMarco drove off to victory in the caution free event over Meckes,
Clark and Wanamaker. Shultz edged Wohl out for the fifth spot at the
finish.
After winning the heat race earlier in the afternoon, Wayne Lowe started
on the pole position in the 20-lap thriller main event.
Lowe set the pace early on and with one lap complete, Nick Shaw held
second, followed by Mike Moyer, Sr., Nick Ross and point leader, Scott
Adams.
With five laps by the wayside, Ross moved around Shaw and took the
second position. By mid race, Adams moved to third, Shaw dropped to
fourth and Mike Moyer, Jr. moved by his father to take fifth.
With five laps remaining, Ross caught and passed Lowe for the lead.
However, it was short-lived, as Ross spun his car while coming off of
turn four on the following lap.
Green flag racing resumed and the caution flew again when Shaw and Adams
tangled in turn two. That moved Ross back to third, followed by Keith
Emmons and Adams.
Lowe tried to fend off Mike Moyer, Jr. over the closing laps. At one
point, Moyer even led a lap by a bumper. Ross joined the mix and it was
anyone’s race at the stripe.
When it was all said and done, Lowe grabbed the victory, which was the
first of his career. Ross barely took second over Moyer, Jr. Adams and
Emmons completed the top five.
Eric Banashefski started from the pole in the 20-lap four cyl. FWD main
event. However, Bill Verwys, Sr. came from his second starting spot and
grabbed the lead before a single lap was scored.
Banashefski remained second, followed by Jeff Biegley, Jess McGlynn and
Ken Kleppinger.
Biegley moved into second, then the caution flew on lap fifteen when
Kleppinger, Jake Oswald and Frank Katona collected at the end of the
front stretch.
Biegley slipped by Banashefski for second on the restart and set his
sights on Verwys. Biegley tried several lines around the speedway, but
just couldn’t find the grip that he needed to overtake the leader.
Verwys went on to take his first win since 2005. Biegley finished in
the second spot. Banashefski, Kleppinger and Jess McGlynn completed the
top five.
Results
Modifieds (40-laps) 1. RUSTY SMITH 2. Kyle Ebersole 3. Andy Walko 4.
Barry Callavini 5. Geary Rinehimer 6. Jerry Woody 7. Brian DeFebo 8.
Todd Baer 9. Lewis Hallock 10. Buddy Miller 11. Nick Pecko 12. Jerry
Brighthaupt 13. Bobby Jones 14. Billy Weichert 15. Harry Buchman 16. Tom
Casagrande 17.Robert Fink 18. Rich Parker
Street Stocks (25-laps) 1. RICH DIMARCO 2. Scott Meckes 3. Steve Clark
4. Chip Wanamaker 5. Steve Shultz 6. Elliott Wohl 7. Keith St Clair 8.
Brian Sones
Thrillers (20-laps) 1. WAYNE LOWE 2. Nick Ross 3. Mike Moyer Jr. 4.
Scott Adams 5. Keith Emmons 6. Nick Shaw 7. Mike Moyer Sr. 8. Paul
Morgan Jr. DNS: Pat Verwys
4 Cyl. FWD (20-laps) 1. BILL VERWYS, SR. 2. Jeff Biegley 3. Eric
Banashefski 4. Ken Kleppinger 5. Jess McGlynn 6. Jake Oswald 7. Frank
Katona
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