Sundance Vacations Speedway- Awesome Asphalt Racing in The Pocono Foothills

Earl Paules Doubles the Glory At Sundance Vacations Speedway

By: Gene Ostrowski

June 26, 2010

Due to being postponed from two weeks earlier, the Sport Modified and Late Model drivers ran double features on a hot and muggy Saturday evening at Sundance Vacations Speedway. In dominating fashion, Earl Paules of Palmerton stormed to the Sport Modified make up win and he followed it up later that night with another feature victory. Mike Coll of Long Island and Mike Sweeney of Nesquehoning split the Late Model main events and Brandon Oltra of Alden notched his first career Factory Stock victory. After a last lap pass, Bob Wink of Palm found victory in the Father’s Day Factory Stock race and Scott Hubler of Coplay scored his fifth straight PA Asphalt Legends feature win of the season.

Paul Frantz led the Sport Modified drivers to the drop of the green flag in the 40-lap make up feature from June 12 and was quickly overtaken by Todd Baer for the top position. Nick Pecko had worked his way into the second spot by the fifth lap and Frantz, Jason Hearne and Pat Verwys raced closely behind the leaders.

Contact between Frantz and Hearne brought out a lap nine caution. Several others were involved in the turn one and two incident, including Ricky Ross, Jr., Verwys and Mike Speeney.

Green flag racing resumed with Baer in front, followed by Pecko, Mike Skarbowski and Earl Paules. Paules, the seventeenth place starter wasted no time and began to claw further toward the top and two laps later he got by Pecko for second.

Paules drove to the inside of Baer in turn four on lap 15. The final yellow flew with seven laps remaining when Skarbowski and Baer tangled on a restart.

With the green back out, Paules never looked back as he took the checkered flag and $1000 payday over Jason Hearne, Ross, Pecko and M. Speeney.

Paul Frantz and Todd Baer won qualifiers for the event on June 12.

CJ Lacatvia led the Sport Modified field to the drop of the green in the regularly scheduled 40-lap feature. Paul Frantz quickly took command with Todd Baer in tow.

Baer and Frantz battled side by side for the lead on lap four and then Earl Paules joined the mix for a three-wide battle into turn one. The end result was a spinning Frantz and the yellow flag waved.

Baer inherited the race lead with Paules, who started in tenth, in second. Nick Pecko, Mike Skarbowski and Brian Sones followed.

The following laps were caution filled and excitement driven. First, Mike Skarbowski experienced a small fire from underneath his hood on lap 11 and was forced to pit.

With six laps remaining and while battling for fourth, Pecko and Sones tangled in turn two and set up the final restart.

Untouched, Paules drove off to his second $1000 feature win of the day and third overall this season in the division. Baer finished second, followed by Hearne, Skarbowski and Geary Rinehimer.

Mike Skarbowski and Nick Pecko were heat race winners.

Todd Stehle started from the pole in the 30-lap make up Late Model feature and led the opening laps over Craig Lutz, Mike Coll, Mike Sweeney and Todd Geist.

The yellow flag waved on the third lap when Jerry Hildebrand and Austin Kochenash got together in turn three. Green flag racing resumed and Coll took command. Sweeney followed for second, as did Justin Onderko and Lorin Arthofer.

Sweeney nearly overtook the leader on several occasions and suddenly his car nearly shot into the turn three wall on lap 13. He fell victim to a flat tire.

Coll remained out front over the closing laps and went on to pick up the $800 check, along with his second feature win of the season. Onderko, Arthofer, Stehle and Hildebrand completed the top five.

Joe Burns and Jim Lamoreaux won the qualifiers on June 12.

Geno Steigerwalt started from the pole and led the opening laps of the regular 20-lap Late Model feature. Why only 20-laps one might ask? Well, let’s just say that the caution flags flew often and at a lap 11 caution the drivers were told that the race was cut 10 laps short.

Jerry Hildebrand grabbed the race lead from Steigerwalt on the second circuit and was closely followed by Mike Coll, Steigerwalt, Mike Sweeney and Kyle Harvell.

Sweeney worked into the third spot and then overtook Coll for second on a lap six restart. Hildebrand held off several pass attempts by Sweeney until he sealed the deal on lap 10 and became the new race leader.

Todd Geist tried the high groove and it was evident that his car didn’t like it, as he slipped up the track off of turn four and nailed the front stretch wall. The drivers were told under the lap 11 caution that the race would be cut to only 20-laps.

Hildebrand did his best to overtake Sweeney over the remaining laps and with only one lap remaining, Hildebrand appeared to be the victim of a flat tire, as he was first overtaken by Onderko and then spun from contention on the final lap.

Sweeny crossed the stripe to score the $800 prize and his second win in his last three races. Onderko finished in the second spot, followed by Harvell, who earned his best finish of the season. Jason Zastko and Craig Lutz completed the top five.

Geno Steigerwalt and Lorin Arthofer were heat race winners.

Joey Barbush led the Factory Stock filed to the drop of the green flag in the 20-lap feature and was overtaken by Brandon Oltra before a lap was scored.

Paul Morgan, Jr. Climbed to the second spot by lap nine and hunted for a lane to get by the leader. Kermit Jacoby held third, with Matt Schlenker and Eric Wink right behind.

Despite the pressure from Morgan, a three-time winner already this season, Oltra held on to score his first career Factory Stock Victory. Morgan was forced to settle for second, followed by Jacoby, Schlenker and Scott Adams.

Heat race victories went to Brandon Oltra and Paul Morgan, Jr.

Several fathers in the pit area took part in a special Father’s Day Factory Stock race, which was put on by Tech. Official, George “Pappy” Herman. As exciting as any special race could possibly be, Bob Wink and Joe Barbush rubbed fenders in turn three before Wink pulled off the victory. Barbush was content with his second place effort. Paul Morgan, Sr. was third, followed by Nick Adams and Alan Schlenker.

Scott Hubler kept his winning streak alive, as he won his fifth straight Pennsylvania Asphalt Legends feature of the season over Carl Jones.

The Sundance Vacations Contingency winners were Dan Speeney and Dennis Krupski (Sport Mods), Lorin Arthofer and Justin Onderko (Late Models) and Kendall Foulk (Factory Stock).

Sport Modified Make Up from 6/13 (40-laps) 1. EARL PAULES 2. Jason Hearne 3. Ricky Ross Jr 4. Nick Pecko 5. Mike Speeney 6. Paul Frantz 7. Scott Adams 8. CJ Lacatvia 9. Todd Baer 10. Dan Speeney 11. Dennis Krupski 12. Brian Sones 13. Dean Ficarro 14. Geary Rinehimer 15. Mike Skarbowski 16. Pat Verwys 17.Frank Scimeca

Sport Modified (40-laps) 1. EARL PAULES 2. Todd Baer 3. Jason Hearne 4. Mike Skarbowski 5. Geary Rinehimer 6. Mike Speeney 7. Nick Pecko 8. Ricky Ross Jr 9. Dennis Krupski 10. CJ Lacatvia 11. Paul Frantz 12. Dean Ficarro 13. Brian Sones 14. Dan Speeney 15. Frank Scimeca 16. Pat Verwys

Late Model Make Up from 6/13 (30-laps) 1. MIKE COLL 2. Justin Onderko 3. Lorin Arthofer 4. Todd Stehle 5. Jerry Hildebrand 6. Austin Kochenash 7. Mike Sweeney 8. Craig Lutz 9. Adam Cox 10. Todd Geist 11. Geno Steigerwalt 12. Frankie Althouse 13. Joe Burns 14. Travis Fisher 15. Jim Lamoreaux

Late Model (20-laps) 1. MIKE SWEENEY 2. Justin Onderko 3. Kyle Harvell 4. Jason Zastko 5. Craig Lutz 6. Frankie Althouse 7. Elliott Wohl 8. Geno Steigerwalt 9. Jerry Hildebrand 10. Todd Stehle 11. Mike Coll 12. Lorin Arthofer 13. Adam Cox 14. Austin Kochenash DQ: Todd Geist

Factory Stock (20-laps) 1. BRANDON OLTRA 2. Paul Morgan Jr 3. Kermit Jacoby 4. Matt Schlenker 5. Scott Adams 6. Eric Wink 7. Joe Barbush 8. Keith Frankenfield 9. Kendall Foulk 10. Mike O'Byrne

Father’s Day Factory Stock Race (20-laps) 1. BOB WINK 2. Joe Barbush 3. Paul Morgan 4. Nick Adams 5. Alan Schlenker 6. Harold Foulk 7. Terry Nansteil

P.A.L. Legends (15-laps) 1. SCOTT HUBLER 2. Carl Jones