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Call by Crew Directs “Pistol Pete” Brittain to Victory Lane at
Sundance Vacations Speedway
By Gene Ostrowski
July 18, 2009
With $3000 on
the line to win the 100-lap Modified main event at Sundance
Vacations Speedway on Saturday, the crew chief for New Jersey’s Pete
Brittain made the call to pit for four tires, while the competition
took in two. Brittain didn’t question the call and took the race
lead for the final time with two laps remaining to pocket the cash.
Zane Zeiner held off Joe Hoffman to notch his first Late Model
Victory of the season and Mike Moyer, Jr. scored his fifth Factory
Stock win of the year. Scott Hubler held off Zane Zeiner to score
his second INEX Legends win of the season.
The top nine qualifiers pulled numbers for their starting positions
for the 100-lap Modified main event. Lew Hallock started from the
pole and led the first five circuits before third place starter,
Pete Brittain, overtook him.
Brittain set the pace early and with ten laps complete, led over
Mike Andrews, Kyle Ebersole, Bobby Jones and Andy Walko.
The yellow flag flew on lap 22 when Andrews spun around in turn one.
While running in the top 10, Barry Callavini received damage during
the incident as was forced to pit for repair. The change of events
moved Todd Baer into fifth.
Green flag racing resumed and drivers began to question whether or
not they should hit the pits for tires once the race reached the
halfway mark. That question was answered when Harry Buchman
clobbered the front stretch wall and brought out the caution on lap
72.
Brittain, of Allenhurst, NJ, surrendered the lead and headed pit
side. Ebersole, who was running second followed, as did Jones, the
third place runner. Ebersole took two tires, as did Jones, while
Brittain gave up valuable track position to take four. The lead was
transferred to Walko, as he did not pit under that yellow.
Walko took the green for the restart with Andrews in his mirror.
Andrews made contact with Walko two laps after the restart and sent
him into a spin. Both drivers were forced to restart from the tail
end of the field, which gave the lead to Ebersole. Geary Rinehimer,
Jr. was second, followed by Jones, Baer and Brittain.
Rinehimer slipped back on the restart and Brittain worked by Baer to
take third. He then raced by Jones for second and chased down
Ebersole. With two laps remaining, Brittain made the race-winning
pass and held on to take the checkered flag. Ebersole settled for
second, followed by Jones, Baer and Walko completed the top five.
“It was a great race”, said Brittain in victory lane. “The crew won
me the race with four tires, it was a great call”, he said. “Kyle
(Ebersole) gave me room to race and he’s a great young driver who
has himself a big future”, he noted.
Although he didn’t win, Ebersole seemed content as the runner up and
said, “I knew we had to get out in front of him (Brittain) when we
pitted which is why we took two tires”. When asked about his next
outing at the speedway Ebersole said, “We’ll be back in two weeks”.
Mike Andrews, Bobby Jones and Wayne Szerencsits were heat race
winners.
Phil DeFranco led the Late Model field to the drop of the green flag
in the 30-lap feature. Before a lap was complete, Zane Zeiner moved
into second, followed by Joe Hoffman, Jerry Hildebrand and Mike
Sweeney.
Kyle Harvell spun in turn two with two laps complete, which lined
Zeiner up alongside DeFranco. Zeiner took the race lead on the
restart and DeFranco and Hildebrand tangled in turn two.
Green flag racing resumed and as Zeiner began to pull away the rest
of the field fought for position. Hoffman continued to hold second
with Hildebrand, Sweeney and Mitch Hawk in his mirror.
The caution flew on lap sixteen when DeFranco, Jennifer Kutz and
Doug Bell collected in turn one. One quick caution followed and
Zeiner, of Bath, PA, held off several attempts by Hoffman to score
his first Late Model victory of the season. Hildebrand finished
third with Sweeney and Hawk completing the top five.
Joe Hoffman and Mike Sweeney were heat race winners.
Eric Wink grabbed the top spot from pole sitter, Mike O’Byrne on the
opening lap of the 20-lap Factory Stock feature.
Jeff Searfoss moved into second and overtook E. Wink for the lead on
lap three. Seven laps into the event, Searfoss was still in command
over E. Wink, Mike Moyer, Jr, Jay Gould and Bob Wink.
Moyer overtook E. Wink for second and powered around Searfoss on lap
eight for the race lead.
The caution waved with six laps remaining when Searfoss got into
Gould in turn one. Both drivers were forced to restart from the tail
end of the field.
The final laps were caution-free and Moyer, of Freeland, PA, held
off father/son, Eric and Bob Wink to score his fifth win in six
starts this season. Gould was fourth, followed by O’Byrne.
Steve Gaul led the INEX Legends to the drop of the green flag in the
20-lap main event. Scott Hubler quickly took command and Zane Zeiner
drove to second.
The duo battled for a number of laps and Hubler was reluctant to
give Zeiner the room that he needed to complete the pass for the
lead.
The caution flag flew on lap 12 when Zeiner and Hubler tangled in
turn two and the change of events gave the race lead to Karl
Heisler. Heisler’s lead however was short-lived, as Hubler regain
the position on the restart.
Hubler, of Coplay, PA, held off Zeiner over the closing laps to
score his second feature event win of the season. Zeiner settled for
second, followed by Heisler and Gaul.
Modifieds
(100-Laps)
1. PETE BRITTAIN 2. Kyle Ebersole 3. Bobby Jones 4. Todd Baer
5. Andy Walko 6. Geary Rinehimer Jr 7. Ken Vogel Jr 8. Lewis Hallock
9. Nick Pecko 10. Mike Andrews 11. Harry Buchman 12. Wayne
Szerencsits 13. Barry Callavini 14. Mike Quinn 15. Tom Casagrande
Late Model
(30-Laps) 1. ZANE ZEINER 2. Joe Hoffman 3. Jerry Hilderbrand 4. Mike
Sweeney 5. Mitch Hawk 6. Joseph Burns 7. William Schneider 8. Doug
Bell 9. Frank Katona 10. Jennifer Kutz 11. Phil Defranco 12. Kyle
Harvell
Factory Stocks
(20-Laps) 1. MIKE MOYER, JR 2. Eric Wink 3. Bob Wink 4. Jason Gould 5.
Mike O'Byrne 6. Jeff Searfoss DNS: Kendal Faulk
INEX Legends
(20-Laps) 1. Scott Hubler 2. Zane Zeiner 3. Karl Heisler 4. Steve Gaul
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Speedway
Info
Sundance Vacations Speedway is a 1/3 mile asphalt oval located in the beautiful
mountains of northeast Pennsylvania. The speedway hosts exciting stock
car racing every weekend from April to October, making it one of NEPA's
premier entertainment attractions.
read more
Sundance Vacations Speedway
Mill Mountain Road
St Johns, PA 18247
full
directions & map
(570) 788-7544
Sundance Vacations
Speedway
is available to rent
to any team interested in testing their cars. To
schedule a date and time please call
the track office at (570)
788-7544.
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