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Rusty Smith Blasts Mountain Speedway Field
By: Gene Ostrowski
August 16, 2008
Rusty Smith of Oxford, NY continued in his winning ways by notching his
fifth regular modified win of the season Saturday night at Mountain
Speedway. Steve Shultz of Drums, PA notched his second street stock
victory in his rookie season and Hazleton’s Mike Moyer, Sr. bested his
son to score his first thriller victory since 1995. Junedale’s Frank
Katona grabbed his first career 4 cyl. FWD main event. It was the
earliest finish of the speedway this season, as the last feature event
was completed by 9 pm.
The 40-lap modified main event kicked off with Harry Buchman in command
after starting from the pole position. Geary Rinehimer moved into
second, followed by Lew Hallock, Andy Walko and Billy Weichert.
Rusty Smith started seventh and quickly began to move forward. Smith
crossed the start/finish line third on lap five, then quickly moved by
Walko and Buchman to take the lead in turn one.
Rinehimer was bit by a flat tire on lap eight, which brought out the
yellow flag.
The next twenty circuits ran caution free, with Smith in his own zip
code. Kyle Ebersole and Walko fiercely battled for second, as did Todd
Baer, Barry Callavini and Brian DeFebo for the remaining top five
positions.
The second yellow of the event flew on lap twenty-eight when Nick Pecko
spun off of turn two. The yellow waved three laps later for Baer, as he
spun in turn four.
Smith was flawless on the restarts and Ebersole, Walko, Callavini and
DeFebo continued to dice it up toward the front of the field.
The final caution flew on lap thirty-eight when DeFebo and Walko
touched while battling for third. The end result was a spin by DeFebo
in turn four. He rejoined the tail end of the field.
Green flag racing resumed and Smith drove away from the field to score
his fifth regular modified feature win of the season over 17-year-old
Kyle Ebersole. Callavini got past Walko to finish third and Baer
completed the top five.
“Actually I felt that we were off a little bit”, said Smith while
recalling his worst finish of second a week prior. “We took it back to
the shop and worked on it a bit, which is kind of a rarity. “We came
back this week, ready to get on the horse. “To finish second last week
to Brian (DeFebo) was great- he deserved it, but I have the feeling that
if I had the car that I have tonight we would have had something for
him”.
“It was the hardest fought second place that I’ve had in a while”, said
Ebersole after finishing second. “I got by Andy Walko a couple times
there and every time the caution came out once I got by him, so I got
put behind him (on the restarts). “It’s another top three for us, so it
was a good points night”, he said.
Callavini finished third and said, “We’ve been doing pretty good the
last few weeks, but got shuffled to the back at the beginning of the
race. “I thought that we were going to have another fourth place
finish, but we broke that chain and got up to third, so I’m pretty
happy”.
Heat race winners were Harry Buchman and Rusty Smith.
“Rookie of the Year” contender, Steve Shultz, started from the pole and
led the opening laps in the 25-lap street stock feature. Steve Clark
settled in the second position, followed by Brian Wozniak, Brad Barbush
and Chip Wanamaker.
The first of two yellow flag periods came when Richie DiMarco spun in
turns three and four while battling with Wanamaker for fifth. DiMarco
tagged on to the tail end of the field for the restart.
Green flag racing resumed and Barbush slipped by Clark for second.
Clark began to lose positions. First Wanamaker got by. Next Jason
Arthoefer blasted past.
DiMarco began to move back toward the front and grabbed the third spot
from Arthoefer on lap thirteen. With fifteen laps complete, Paul Frantz
joined the top five.
Shultz was unchallenged over the closing laps and cruised to his second
career street stock win. Barbush tied his best finish of the season
with second, followed by DiMarco, Arthoefer and Frantz.
Steve Shultz and Steve Clark won heat races.
Paul Morgan, Jr. and Mike Moyer, Sr. shared the front row for the start
of the 20-lap thriller main event. With the largest number of thrillers
to take the green flag this season, Moyer, Sr. grabbed the top spot
before a single lap was scored.
Mike Moyer, Jr. slipped past Morgan for second after the start, and Nick
Shaw and Wayne Lowe battled for fourth.
Points leader, Scott Adams, began to move through traffic after starting
seventh. Adams got by Lowe for fifth on lap seven, and then overtook
Morgan and Shaw for third on lap ten. Morgan later fought back and
retook third.
With his son running a close second, Moyer, Sr. was flawless over the
course of the event and went on to take the checkered flag. It was his
first win since the 1995 season.
Several cars got together, which jostled the top five runners as the
checkered flag was thrown. Morgan settled for a third place effort,
followed by Adams and Bob Wink.
Scott Adams and Paul Morgan, Jr. won heat races.
Eric Banashefski and Frank Katona took the green flag after starting on
the front row in the 20-lap four cylinder FWD main event. Banashefski
grabbed the lead, but Katona overtook him for the top spot with one lap
complete.
Jess McGlynn worked her way into the second spot. Ken Kleppinger and
Bill Verwys, Sr. ran fourth and fifth respectively with three laps into
the event.
The only caution of the race waved on lap nine when McGlynn spun in turn
two. Verwys powered by Banashefski on the restart and took control of
the second spot. Jeff Biegley began to make his way into the top three.
Katona, who had never earned a win in the division, cruised over the
remaining circuits to score the triumph. Verwys finished second.
Biegley, Banashefski and Kleppinger completed the top five.
Before
making the switch back to Sundays, the final regular Saturday night show
will take place at the speedway next Saturday with a 50-lap, double
points main event for the late models. The popular sport modifies will
also be in action, along with the street stocks, thrillers and the
ATQMRA Midgets. The Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Pioneers stunt team will also
be on hand for the evening. All of the action will begin with heat
races at 6 pm.
Results
Modifieds (40-laps)
1. RUSTY SMITH 2. Kyle Ebersole 3. Barry Callavini 4. Andy Walko 5. Todd
Baer 6. Harry Buchman 7. Buddy Miller 8. Brian DeFebo 9. Lewis Hallock
10. Steve Tooker 11. Nick Pecko 12. Billy Weichert 13. Amber Levandowski
14. Geary Rinehimer
Street Stocks
(25-laps) 1.
STEVE SHULTZ 2. Brad Barbush 3. Rich Dimarco 4. Jason Arthoefer 5. Paul
Frantz 6. Chip Wanamaker 7. Brian Wozniak 8. Steve Clark 9. Todd Barbush
10. Keith St Clair 11. CJ Lehmann 12. Jeff McGrath 13. Brad Kline
Thrillers (20-laps)
1. MIKE MOYER, SR 2. Mike Moyer Jr 3. Paul Morgan Jr 4. Scott Adams 5.
Bob Wink 6. Nick Ross 7. Jay Gould 8. Nick Shaw 9. Wayne Lowe 10.
Richard Petey 11. Keith Emmons 12. Pat Verwys 13. Brian Flanagan 14.
Harry Sager 15. Richie Smith
4 Cyl. FWD (20-laps)
1. FRANK KATONA
2. Bill Verwys Sr 3. Jeff Biegley 4. Eric Banashefski 5. Ken Kleppinger
6. Jess McGlynn 7. Nikki Wachs 8. Vern McLaughlin
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