Ultimate NE Late Models- Herb Scott Memorial Live Blog

Patrick Miller Photo

Imperial, PA (June 30, 2018) The annual Herb Scott Memorial for the Ultimate Northeast Super Late Models at Pittsburgh Pennsylvania's Motor Speedway is now underway. Here you'll find updates throughout the night as the tour regulars and regional heavyweights battle it out on the "Monster Half Mile" for a $3,000 to win payday.

Official Ultimate NE Late Model photographer and TDN photographer Patrick Miller is on the scene and has pictures from tonight as well.

Official Ultimate NE Super Late Models Recap

from Kyle Symons- Ultimate NE Super Late Model Public Relations:

IMPERIAL, PA - Jared Miley of Pittsburgh, Pa., picked up his second Ultimate Northeast Super Late Model Series by winning the Herb Scott Memorial at Pittsburgh's Pennsylvania Motor Speedway. The victory was worth $3,000 for Miley who took the lead on lap 23 when race leader Michael Norris blew a right rear tire with a straighaway lead.

Alex Ferree led the first lap of the event from his pole starting position before Norris pulled a big slider on him and second-running Miley to take the lead on lap two. From there, Norris began to pull away from the field.

Norris had a straightaway adavantage on Miley and had lapped up to the 6th place running machine of Matt Cosner before blowing a right rear tire on lap 23 bringing out the first caution of the event.

On the restart second-running Ferree attempted on Miley, but Miley powered off the second corner and began to pull away. Kyle Lee reeled in Miley slightly late, but Miley was able to pick up the victory by about 10-12 car lengths.

9:27 PM-  Unofficial feature finish

1. Miley 2. Lee 3. Ferree 4. Robinson 5. Montgomery 6. C.Flinner 7. Cosner 8. Baker 9. Hodgkiss 10. Kohan 11. Norris 12. Weaver 13. Schneider 14. Beck 15. Stefanick

9:24 PM- Miley leads Ferree, Robinson, Lee, Montgomery, Flinner, Cosner and Baker. Green restart! Ferree attempts a slider and slides back in the field after it comes up short.

9:23 PM- Norris suffers a flat right rear with seven to go. Miley inherits the lead. Caution is on thespeedway

9:19 PM- With 10 laps to go, Norris has lapped up to seventh place.

9:17 PM- Norris has a full straightaway lead over Miley at the halfway mark. Lapped traffic is almost upon him. Top five cars are still the same.

9:16 PM- Derek Stefanick retires on lap four

9:15 PM- Ferree leads early but is overtaken by Michael Norris on lap two. 7 laps down, Norris leads Miley, Ferree, Ross Robinson and Ryan Montgomery

9:11 PM- Feature is now rolling off at PPMS. Alex Ferree will lead em to the green flag!

Feature Lineup: 

(4) Alex Ferree-(10) Jared Miley
(72) Michael Norris-(7R) Ross Robinson
(2T) Kyle Lee-(66C) Matt Cosner
(12) Ryan Montgomery-(75) Colton Flinner
(11) Kirk Baker-(65) Derek Stefanick
(69) Jon Hodgkiss-(55) Chris Schneider
(91) Tommy Beck-Kelvin Cohan
(W3) John Weaver

Heat 1 Results: 

1. (10) Jared Miley
2. (7R) Ross Robinson
3. (2T) Kyle Lee
4. (12) Ryan Montgomery
5. (11) Kirk Baker
6. (69) Jon Hodgkiss
7  (91) Tommy Beck
8. (W3) John Weaver

Heat 2 Results: 

1. (72) Michael Norris
2. (4) Alex Ferree
3. (66C) Matt Cosner
4. (75) Colton Flinner
5. (65) Derek Stefanick
6. (55) Chris Schneider
7. (15) Kelvin Cohan


Tonight's Time Trial Results:

1. (2T) Kyle Lee-18.442
2. (72) Michael Norris- 18.563
3. (7R) Ross Robinson- 18.924
4. (4) Alex Ferree- 19.042
5. (10) Jared Miley- 19.132
6. (66C) Matt Cosner- 19.320
7. (11) Kirk Baker- 19.630
8. (75) Colton Flinner- 19.681
9. (12) Ryan Montgomery- 19.687
10. (65) Derek Stefanick- 19.843
11. (91) Tommy Beck- 19.849
12. (55) Chris Schneider- 20.155
13. (69) Jon Hodgkiss- 20.598
14. (15) Kelvin Cohan- 20.678
15. (W3) John Weaver- 21.040


Ultimate NE Top Five Points Coming Into Tonight:

1. Jared Miley- 145
2. Matt Cosner- 140
3. Ross Robinson- 134
4. Kyle Lee- 112
5. Ryan Montgomery-101

Tonight's Driver Roster: 

(2T) Kyle Lee
(W3) John Weaver
(4) Alex Ferree
(7R) Ross Robinson
(10) Jared Miley
(11) Kirk Baker
(12) Ryan Montgomery
(15) Kevin Cohan
(55) Chris Schneider
(65) Derek Stefanick
(66C) Matt Cosner
(69) Jon Hodgkiss
(72) Michael Norris
(75) Colton Flinner
(91) Tommy Beck

The Story From Lernerville: Gulick Scores Buckeye Outlaw Series Win; Dobrosky Tops 305 Field; Ruhlman Wires RUSH Sprints

Patrick Miller Photo

Current Empire Super Sprint Series points leader and former USAC Sprint competitor Coleman Gulick won the battle for wingless supremacy at Lernerville Speedway on Friday night. Gulick inherited the lead following a early race spin and roll over from 2017 race winner AJ Flick and then survived several restarts down the stretch while fending off a stiff challenge from Dan Shetler on the last lap to take his first career victory with the Buckeye Outlaw Sprint Series.

"It was pretty gnarly you know," Gulick said in victory lane referring to Flick's misfortune on lap five.  "I saw the leader (Flick) get turned over there and I was working on my line in one and two just to kind of diamond it off and maybe I could have caught him, maybe not but we're sitting here in victory lane." On that restart my motor stumbled so bad and I was on the throttle screaming at the car and I knew somebody was coming on the bottom so I just kind of stuck it up on the top and hoped for the best. I was glad I was able to get around him because it was really slick off the top of two.  I'm doing ESS 360 Sprints up in New York state and we're leading the points there so we're just going to stick with that and fill in around it and we have a Silver Crown Car this year and we've been traveling a little bit but this is what I love the most, the non-wing cars. I can really hustle the race car and with the wing, everybody's fast so you have to look for the moisture with the non-wing stuff.

Patrick Miller Photo

Flick drew the pole after winning his heat race in dominant fashion earlier in the night and quickly drew away from the field behind him followed by previous race winner Jack Sodeman Jr., third starting Gulick and Bill Rose. Flick then stumbled in turn two on top of a formidable cushion and made a thrilling attempt to keep the car on all four tires with a wheel stand and pirouette, however the car rolled onto it's side and the field saw the red flag. Flick was able to return briefly, but his car was not much of a factor after a trip to the work area and retired after officials denied him a second trip to continue to work per B.O.S.S. policy.

When racing resumed, Gulick quickly assumed control of the field as he made his way past Sodeman while behind them, B-Main winner Kory Crabtree was coming forward with authority from his 16th stating spot to fifth. Meanwhile, two more assaults on the leaders were coming from Carmen Perigo and Dan Shetler. The two would battle for position in the middle portion of the race with Shetler emerging as the strongest challenger to Gulick who was setting a torrid pace at the front of the field.


Veteran wheel man Mike Miller brought all progress to a halt when he wound up on his side in turn four with 12 laps in the books and on the ensuing restart, Gulick and Shetler looked to decide the outcome of the race with Shetler getting close enough to take looks on the leader. By lap 17, Gulick had amasses a near straightaway advantage from Shetler who was in the midst of a challenge for his position from Crabtree but Shetler was able to shut the door and retain the spot. Behind them Crabtree and Perigo began to both challenge Shetler for second with action sometimes going three wide when a pair of late race restarts would set the stage for a one lap battle for the win.

Patrick Miller Photo

Crabtree suffered a hearbreak when he had a tire go down after contact with one lap remaining and on the ensuing restart, Shetler threw the kitchen sink at Gulick in turns one and two however his bid to slide under the leader came up just short as Gulick remained ahead for the rest of the lap. Bill Rose rounded out the podium while local driver Andy Feil managed to finish strong, stealing the fourth spot from Tyler Tilton on the final set of turns.


Buckeye Outlaw Sprint Series Main Event (25 Laps) 

1. (14G) Coleman Gulick
2. (7K) Dan Shetler
3. (6) Bill Rose
4. (08) Andy Feil
5. (42) Tyler Tilton
6. (21) Carmen Perigo
7. (19) Matt Cooley
8. (87) Paul Dues
9. (1R) Gale Ruth Jr.
10. (14) Chad Wilson
11. (76) Davey Jones
12. (40) George Hobaugh
13. (91X) Aaron Middaugh
14. (5) Bob McMillin
15. (86) Rick Holley
16. (41) Cole Ketcham
17. (77) Kory Crabtree
18. (23J) Jack Sodeman Jr.
19. (82) Mike Miller
20. (2) AJ Flick
21. (12) Ted Hines
22. (18) Arnie Kent- Did Not Start




Fleming's Error is Dobrosky's Gain

The Allegheny Sprint Tour 305' Sprint Cars were thirty pounds on Will Fleming's car away from having their fifth different winner in their last five races at The Action Track. Fleming looked to have certain victory in hand in the Allegheny Sprint Tour 305 main event following a thrilling battle with Kyle Colwell for the lead during the middle portion of the 20 lap feature.

Patrick Miller Photo

Colwell took the lead from Fleming, who started on the pole, but gave it back to Fleming after Colwell emerged with a flat tire following a lap 16 restart. Fleming held off Greg Dobrosky who ran in the top three the entire night and appeared to have his first career victory at Lernerville in hand, but came up light at the scales following the conclusion of the race, handing the victory to Dobrosky, his second feature victory at The Action Track in his past five appearances.


Allegheny Sprint Tour 305 Sprint Main Event (20 Laps)

1. (88) Greg Dobrosky
2. (27) Vinny Dougherty
3. (12J) Jonathan Jones
4. (880) Drew Ritchey
5. (75) Dylan Shatzer
6. (26) Ryan Lynn
7. (34) Glenn Noland
8. (12H) Eric Husick
9. (00s) Randy Sterling
10. (36P) Rod Ort
11. (22) George Frederick
12. (X7) Andy Cavanaugh
13. (29B) Robbie Bartchy
14. (28) Brian Wright
15. (41) Matthew Gardina
16. (11) Don Blaney
17. (80J) Kyle Colwell
18. (4J) Jake Gomola
19. (86) Ron Aurand
20. (154) Shamus O’Donnell
21. (5J) Jim Kosnosky
22. (36) Jaremi Hanson- Did Not Start
23. (21) Chad Hill- Did Not Start
24. (79W) Will Fleming- DQ



Ruhlman Rules Rush Sprints

Chad Ruhlman paid a visit in something other than a Late Model as he wired the field of 11 RUSH Sprint Cars on hand in a stout performance. It was the veteran wheel man’s third series victory of the season and broke up the early season dominance of both Gale Ruth Jr. and Arnie Kent.  Brandon Hawkins completed a strong performance that saw him running second at times as he came home third on the podium.

Patrick Miller Photo

RUSH Sprint Car Main Event (15 Laps)

1. (87R) Chad Ruhlman
2. (18) Arnie Kent
3. (27H) Brandon Hawkins
4. (1C) Gale Ruth Jr.
5. (27) Zach Morrow
6. (36) Shawn Smith
7. (37) Scott Hawkins
8. (56) Steve Cousins
9. (9J) Joe McEwen
10. (35) Tyler Powell
11. (27D) Dave Hawkins- Did Not Start

The 2018 Pennsylvania Super Late Model Power Rankings: Week 13

Hey there race fans, it's Monday, so that means it's time to update these here rankings that I keep for super late model racing in the state of Pennsylvania.

This particular week only had four scoring races, and coincidentally, all four races happened at the same track over the course of three days. Of course, I'm talking about Firecracker weekend, which has three points paying World Of Outlaws Late Model Series points paying features, and a non qualifiers race that pays a cool 3k to win. All of those shows managed to get in, pretty muc hon time, despite an awful forecast and rain that blanketed much of the area all weekend. Everybody else in the state that runs super lates either took the week off or were rained out.

Being that the races were all raised purse races, a ton of points were scored this week, most of em by guys who weren't previously in our rankings. You'lll see some new names in these rankings, and you'll probably wonder why they scored so many points. if you're not remembering, I'll refer you to the scoring system I laid out here.

So let's go ahead and get to those rankings. 

1. Jeff Rine******, 71 points. Jeff couldn't manage to score any points this week.

2. Max Blair*****, 47 points. Max wasn't able to score this week.

3. Dylan Yoder***, 43 points. Dylan failed to score any points this week.

4. Michael Norris*****, 38 points. Mike got the win at Lernerville Friday.

4. Mike Maresca**, 38 points. Mike won the Uncle Sam no qualifiers race Saturday at Lernerville.

6. Jared Miley***, 36 points. Jared took an 0fer this weekend.

7. Chris Madden**, 33 points. Chris won Thursday, got a third Friday, and won the Firecracker 100 Saturday, all at Lernerville.

8. Mike Marlar, 27 points. Mike ran third Thursday, fifth Friday, and second in the Firecracker 100, all at Lernerville.

8. Devin Moran, 27 points. Devin got fifth Thursday, second Friday, and ran fourth in the Firecracker 100, all at Lernerville.

10.  Gene Knaub, 25 points. gene wasn't able to score any points. this week.

And that's our top ten for this week. Check back next week to find out where your favorites end up after this coming weekend's action. The preliminary weather forecast actually looks pretty favorable, for a change.

And I'd like to take a moment to send our collective thoughts and prayers out to Jason Johnson's family and friends. Even though this is a late model column, our hearts still hurt when any race car driver is killed.

2018 Firecracker Pickem - Night #3 Results

A couple things to touch on here before we move onto the Pickem results.

First off...all of us at TDN send our condolences to the family, friends and fans of Jason Johnson following his passing. Although we didn't know Jason personally, it's evident that he was a great husband, father, friend and competitor.

Now the Firecracker 100...wow. Fantastic racing all three nights. The track crew and staff of Lernerville Speedway deserves the utmost praise - with the weather struggles they were dealt all weekend long, every show started on time and drivers were given a beautiful racing surface all three nights.

Pat Schroepfer took 1st place honors in our Firecracker 100 Pickem by a wide 40-pt margin over James Barber and Brent Chance.

Schroepfer stood at 34th in the standings following Night #1, and mounted his charge during Night #2 when he settled into the 4th position heading into the finale. Schroepfer's winning driver picks were Mike Marlar, Brandon Sheppard, Devin Moran, Tyler Erb and David Breazeale. Pat will receive a $100 Visa gift card for his winning efforts.

James Barber fell one spot on the final night to claim the runner-up spot in our standings. His picks of Brandon Sheppard, Chris Madden, Chase Junghans, Rick Eckert and Michael Norris earned him a $25 Visa gift card.

Rounding out the podium is Brent Chance (@ChanceBrent), who moves forward from the 5th spot heading into the finale. His picks were Chris Madden, Shane Clanton, Jared Miley, Devin Moran and Michael Norris. He will receive a Firecracker 100 event t-shirt.

If you were keeping score at home, the best possible combination of drivers would have been Chris Madden (190 pts.), Mike Marlar (166 pts.), Devin Moran (161 pts.), Tyler Erb (137 pts.) and Michael Norris (134 pts.) - which would have resulted in a total of 788 points.

Pos. 1-60

Pos. 61-120

Pos. 121-165

2018 Firecracker Pickem - Night #2 Results

Two nights of beating the weather...we might just get this thing in as scheduled.

James Barber charged hard from his 8th place standing following Night #1 to take the point heading into the finale. The picks that have gotten him this far are Brandon Sheppard, Chris Madden, Chase Junghans, Rick Eckert and Michael Norris.

Brian Johnson (@flwrpwr29) dropped one spot and will look to reclaim the top spot as the Firecracker 100 weekend comes to an end this evening.

Rocket1 maintained his position of 3rd in the standings. Some argue that in order to win a crown jewel, you just have to give yourself a chance - just be there in the end. Well here it is, all drivers currently in the Top 10 have a reasonable shot at winning the crown.

Pos. 1-60

Pos. 61-120

Pos. 121-165

2018 Firecracker Pickem - Night #1 Results

Following a great Night #1 of racing for the coveted Firecracker 100, Brian Johnson (@flwrpwr29) holds a slim lead over Barry Macockiner (@tschwarzl23) and Rocket1.

Johnson's picks that earned him the lead after the lidlifter are Chris Madden (1st), Brandon Sheppard (2nd), Michael Norris (6th), Jared Miley (9th) and Darrell Lanigan (10th).

Today's forecast continues to look slightly more favorable as time goes on. Provided the track can squeeze tonight's show in, we'll be back with the updated standings in the morning.

Pos. 1-60

Pos. 61-120

Pos. 121-180

TDN's 2018 Firecracker 100 Preview

Hey race fans, in case you hadn't heard, this weekend is the biggest weekend for super late models in the state of Pennsylvania. In typical TDN style, we'll answer the five Ws and a couple predictions at the end.So let's go ahead and get to it.

Who? 40 or so of the very best super late models in the country. It'll be all of the WoO touring regulars, a couple Lucas regulars, some true "outlaw" drivers, and most of the very best the state of PA has to offer.

What? 3 nights of racing action, starting tonight with a full program with qualifying, heats, consis and a 30 laps feature paying 6k to win and full WoO points. Tomorrow night's program witll be the same as tonight's. and Saturday will see a program consisting of heats set from the previous two night's results, conis, the Uncle Sam 30, which pays 3k to win, and the big feature of the weekend, the Firecracker 100, where the winner will take home a cool 30k.

Where? Lernerville Speedway in Sarver PA. It's a semi banked 4/10 oval that typically produces multiple grooves of racing. It's one of the greatest dirt tracks in America. Of you need directions, they can be found here.

When? Tonight, June 21st through Saturday, June 23rd. I'm not an an idiot, and I know the forecast is less than perfect, so those dates are kind of fluid and may change the programs a little to gt in around Mother Nature. That wouldn't be anything new for the Friecracker 100. But still, we're going to treat it like it's all going to run off as scheduled. A full schedule of the weekend's event's can be found here. 

Why? 12 years ago, the World of Outlaws Late Model Series decided it needed a signature event at one of it's signature tracks. The event has morphed abnd changed over the years, and settled into this three day format a number of years ago.

 How? There are a couple different ways you can follow along with the action this weekend. A: You could go to the races. This is the best option. B: You could order the pay per view that our friends at DirtonDirt.com will be broadcasting.  or C: You can follow along our Twitter, which will be providing some updates all weekend.


Now that you have an idea of the specifics of the vent. let's have some fun. Here a are few predictions for the weekend.

Who will win?

  
Brandon Sheppard. Yes, I know, he doesn't have much in the way of track time at Lernerville, but the team he drives for has thousands of laps there. And a so-so start to the season for Brandon which culminated in missing the Dream at Eldora has led to a very motivated Sheppard since, where he went 1-2-1 for the weekend this past weekend. A motivated Sheppard and an always stout Rocket1 racing team could lead to a rough time for every other race car at the track this weekend.

Who won't win?

 

Don O'Neal is one of a few drivers who have decided against coming because of the weather forecast. Some others are Don's son Hudson O'Neal, Jimmy Owens and Jonathan Davenport. 

Who could shock the world?

I know, I know, Michael Norris wouldn't really be that shocking. I mean, he's been pretty dominant this season at Lernerville, picking up 4 feature wins, and he's proven himself to be very fast when the big boys come to our area, BUT the Firecracker is a different animal and him managing to go 100 laps without falling off would be pretty shocking. 

And that's it for our race preview. Hope we were able to help!

 

The 2018 Pennsylvania Super Late Model Power Rankings: Week 12

Hey there race fans,. it's Monday and that means it's time for the weekly update to the SLM rankings we keep here.

It was a full weekend of racing action, with every track that had supers scheduled getting in for the first time all season. Mother nature looks to be finally feeling better and letting us get some racing in. Because of that, there were a ton of points scored this week and a bunch of movement from second on back. And yes, all of that movement is from second on back because Jeff Rine gonna Jeff Rine and continue his stranglehold on the top of the rankings.

Most of the shows that got in this week were regular shows, with the exceptions being a ULMS swing that consisted of a show Saturday night at McKean County Raceway and another show Sunday at Eriez.

That said, let's get to this week's top 10.

1. Jeff Rine******, 71 points. Jeff ran third Friday at Bedford and got the win at Selinsgrove Saturday.

2. Max Blair*****, 47 points. Max won Saturday at McKean County and backed it up with another win Sunday at Eriez.

3. Dylan Yoder***, 43 points. Dylan was unable to score any points this week.

4. Jared Miley***, 36 points. Jared was victorious at Lernerville Friday night.

5. Mike Maresca*, 31 points. Mike came home fourth at Lernerville Friday and got a third at McKean Saturday.

6. Michael Norris****, 30 points. Michael was second at Lernerville Friday.

7. Gene Knaub, 25 points. Gena finished third at Selinsgrove Saturday.

8. Doug Eck*, 23 points. Doug Got the win Friday at Thunder Mountain, was fifth at McKean Saturday, and got third Sunday at Eriez.

8. Coleby Frye. 23 points. Coleby failed to score any points this week.

10. Jon Lee***, 22 points. Jon ran fourth at Thunder Mountain Friday, and got another fourth at Dog Hollow Saturday.

And that's the top ten this week. Check back next week to see where your favorites end up.

And about next week... unless youve been living under a rock you know exactly what week it is for super late model racing here in Pennsylvania, and these rankings in general.Yes, I'm talking about the Firecracker. We're looking at a weekend where a ton of points will be scored. It'll be an 8 point scale the first two nights, and the final night is on a 20 point scale. In reality, having a great weekend might be the only way anybody catches Jeff Rine. Somebody like Jared Miley or Michael Norris could absolutely score 30+ points and close these standings up in a hurry.

Speaking of that Firecracker, keep an eye out for our preview Wednesday, where we'll give you all you need to know about attending the biggest late model race in the state and make a few predcitions of our own.

Until next week...

The Story From Sharon- Johnson Makes History With Steel Valley Pro Stock Nationals Win

Zack Anthony Photography

Hartford, OH-The Homak Penn-Ohio Pro stock series took to Sharon Speedway for the inaugural Steel Valley Pro Stock Nationals and lived up to all the pre race hype and then some. There was everything a history making inaugural event could have and more. The participants and full grandstand were treated to great racing action drama and certainly left everyone talking about next years event

Zack Anthony Photo

Andrew Gordon of Dubois, Pa and Brent Johnson of Brookville, Pa brought the 30 car field to green as Gordon jumped to the lead while third starting Chris Schneider of Lower Burrell, Pa wasted no time in tracking and hunting Todd Weldon and then set his sights on Gordon whom he made his way around with relative ease putting himself in the lead at a track he'd mastered several times before. Schneider entered lapped traffic on lap nine and had built up an 11 second lead as he worked the lappers which allowed Gordon to close. Meanwhile, Bobby Whitling began to make a charge to the front from his 16th starting spot to become a factor in the top five in the second half of the race. The race's most pivotal moment came on lap 50 when a lapped car spun in turn three as Schneider was closing in. The leader slowed trying to avoid the spin and Gordon slammed into the Schneider causing him to spin and stop momentarily.

The lead was handed to Brookville, PA wheel man Brent Johnson and the caution reset the top five at a critical moment as Johnson was followed by 2017 Penn-Ohio Champion Whitling, Rob Shook, Noah Brunell and Kyle Couchenour.  When the green came back out Schneider and Gordon restarted 17th & 18th respectively but all progress was halted in the name of safety as a problem with the lights at the track in turns two and three gave drivers turned the race into a 25 lap dash for the $10,000 top prize.

Zack Anthony Photo

When racing went green again the 55s of Schneider put on a clinic masterfully slicing his way back to the front. A late race caution and ensuing restart saw Schneider sitting in 4th place and it took little time for him to make his move for the lead lead as an amazing finish was setting up for the victory. Coming off of turn 4 with the checkers in sight, the caution was thrown for the 65 of Shawn Hooks of Sandy Lake, Pa.  Two more attempts were needed, setting up one last chance for the front runners to etch their name in the history books. It came down to one moment and on the final restart Johnson seized it and kept pace entering turn one and drove in deep drifting up the track in the line of the 55s car and again as the two were door to door coming off turn 4 and the checker flag waved over the 92 x of Johnson.

Zack Anthony Photo

Many in attendance did not understand the lack of a green-white-checker finish. The Penn-Ohio series does not have that policy to finish their races.

Zack Anthony Photo

After the race a relived and happy Johnson explained his mind set coming to the checkers.

“It was for 10 grand and I wasn't lifting and neither was Chris. We were both going for it. It was good hard racing for 10 grand”. Johnson was asked what it felt like and meant to take part in such a history making event. “Unbelievable. "Johnson said. "One hell of a show and job well done by the series and track.This was the biggest win of my career by far”


“I though we were doing a green-white-checkered finish but before that I thought I won the race and the caution waved," Schneider said.  "When asked about making his way back up thru the field and when he felt he was actually back in contention again Schneider said “ When I was fifth, I thought I could win it again and put the car where it needed to be.”

3rd finishing Whiltling was pleased with his night after starting 16th.  “We took a big swing at the set up starting that far back and it worked out for us with a decent night," Whitling said while looking forward to the event next year and said he felt the track and series will apply what they learned and make it even better.

All photos courtesy of Zack Anthony Photography

Feature Finish- 75 Lap ($10,000 to win) Steel Valley Pro Stock Nationals

1.Brent Johnson (92X) 2. Chris Schneider (55S) 3. Bobby Whitling (7w) 4. Rob Shook (64) 5. Noah Brunell (55N) 6. Paul Davis (3) 7. Kyle Couchenour (299) 8. Chris McGuire (63) 9. Jackson Humanic (17) 10. Andrew Gordon (25A) 11. Alan Dellinger (1B) 12. Mike Miller (T6) 13. Shaun Hooks (65) 14. William Hurrelbrink (c8) 15. Brian Carothers (02c) 16. Tyler Thompson (T2) 17. Jason Fosnaught (73) 18. Randy Wyant (11T) 19. Rusty Martz (16M) 20. Wayne Carbo (54) 21. Rod Laskey (1R) 22. Terry Wheeler (2W) 23. Steve D’Apolito (84) 24. Todd Weldon (45) 25. Nick Stone (27) 26. Ryan Newman (12) 27. Eddie Stewart (119) 28. Curt J. Bish  (29) 29. Bryan Wagner (56) 30. Jeff Broniszewski (08).

History Will Be Made At Steel Valley Nationals In Inaugural $10,000 To Win Battle

The stars of the Pro Stock geography will be coming out on Saturday night at Sharon Speedway....and they will shine. The Homak Penn-Ohio Pro Stock Series presented by Schwartzmiller Ground Maintenance will be on display and will battle for one of the richest purses in dirt Stock Car racing history as the winner will go home with $10,000, and will etch their name in the history books.

The inaugural Steel Valley Pro Stock Nationals will see nearly 80 of the best Pro Stock drivers in the area with a good amount of story lines running through the event. It's state versus state, one track's stars versus another with each driver looking to take not only the novelty check, but what will amount to a Super Bowl win in terms of prestige.

Fans can expect tight battles all over the surface as 77 drivers will go through group qualifying to line up heat races, paying $100 to win each, which will invert four from qualifying.  The heat winners will then redraw for the dash, which will set the beginning rows of the feature lineup. All cars not making it through the heats will participate in an alphabet soup consolation format where drivers will be throwing all that they have including the kitchen sink to get to the front for the chance to start in the back of the next consolation round. The final, $10,000 to win, $300 to start 75 lap main event will have the best of the best in the area in the 30 car starting lineup, having survived a very competitive qualification process indeed.

Who To Look For

Andrew Gordon- A strong contender, the veteran pilot took a win at Sharon in Penn-Ohio action last season and almost had two had it not been for a DQ in an early season race.

Chris Schneider- The S&S Chassis originator took the Penn-Ohio opener at PPMS earlier this month and has had tremendous success in limited action at Sharon over the years.

Bobby Whitling- The reigning Penn-Ohio Series Champion is more than capable of getting the job done following a season that saw him take wins at Raceway 7, Tri-City Raceway Park, Dog Hollow, and McKean County Raceway. He finished 2nd twice in two Penn-Ohio starts last season at Sharon Speedway.

Rusty Martz- Perennial heavy hitter among the Stock Cars running in the area over the years, he finished second in the season standings in 2017 and took wins at Eriez Speedway and PPMS last season.

Keep Your Eye On

Steve D'Apolito- Makes a very good dark horse selection with his history at Sharon and against drivers in the field.

Rusty Moore- Can get the job done with some good luck and a fast car

Chris McGuire- Took the win in a 50 plus car field at Sharon in Penn-Ohio Series action last year

Paul Davis- 2017 Track Champion can take one for the home team here this Saturday


Camping will open on Wednesday evening. Gates for practice and tech inspection on Friday night will open at 4 p.m. Practice will run from 6-10 p.m. Following practice, there will be a bonfire behind the grandstands and the band BINGE will perform live until 2 a.m. Pit admission is $20 on Friday night, while grandstand admission is free.

Pits are open throughout the day on Saturday with pit passes going on sale at 4 p.m., while the main grandstands open at 5. THERE WILL BE NO WARM-UPS ON SATURDAY NIGHT! Group qualifying will get underway at 6:30 p.m. with racing to follow.

Grandstand admission for those 14 and over is $10. Patio seating upgrades are just $5 and fan suite seating upgrades are just $20 over the cost of general admission. In order to reserve either of these ahead of time, call the office Monday through Thursday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at 330-772-5481. Children under 14, parking, and camping is FREE! Pit passes are $30. Pit passes for children 12 and under are $20. Sharon has a no carry-in cooler policy

8th Annual Firecracker 100 Pick 'Em Contest

We're back to bring you another one of our special event Pick 'Em contests for Western PA's biggest racing event. The World of Outlaws Late Models and numerous other national and regional invaders will make the annual trek to Sarver, PA where some of the Northeast's best dirt late model drivers will look to defend their turf in a three-day onslaught.


This contest, like all others here at TDN, is 100% FREE to all participants. Prizes will be awarded to the Top 3 finishers, and they are as follows:

1st Place - $100 Visa Gift Card
2nd Place - $25 Visa Gift Card
3rd Place - Firecracker 100 t-shirt

So here's how it works. You'll pick drivers out of our predetermined driver groups (5 drivers in total). Once your picks are locked in, they'll accumulate points for both preliminary 30 lap features on Thursday and Friday, and more importantly for their finish in the 100 lap finale on Saturday.


Here's the unique scoring structure that will be used for the Firecracker 100 contest:


Thursday/Friday: 1st (50), 2nd (45), 3rd (40), 4th (38), 5th (36), 6th (34), 7th (32), 8th (30), 9th (28), 10th (26), 11th (24), 12th (22), 13th (20), 14th (18), 15th (16), 16th (15), 17th (14), 18th (13), 19th (12), 20th (11), 21+ (10)

Firecracker 100: 1st (100), 2nd (90), 3rd (85), 4th (80), 5th (75), 6th (70), 7th (65), 8th (60), 9th (55), 10th (50), 11th (48), 12th (46), 13th (44), 14th (42), 15th (40), 16th (38), 17th (36), 18th (34), 19th (32), 20th (30), 21st (28), 22nd (26), 23rd (24), 24th (22), 25+ (20)

That about wraps it up for now! Any other information you should need is located in the contest link just below this. Good luck, have fun, and may the best picker win!

FIRECRACKER 100 PICKEM CONTEST LINK

The 2018 Pennsylvania Super Late Model Power Rankings: Week 11

Hey there late model fans, it's Monday, so that means it's time for me to update the late model rankings we keep here.

It ended up being a solid weekend for racing in the region, and every track that had a show scheduled managed to get it in for the first time this season. Hopefully we can keep this kind of vibe going for the rest of the season.

Many of the shows ran this weekend were special raised purse shows, particularly out in central PA, where even the legendary Williams Grove Speedway ran a late model show, which is pretty rare for them. Usual late model tracks Bedford and Port Royal were not scheduled to run them this weekend, though.

Lots of points were scored this week, by various drivers, but strangely, none of those points went to current point leader Jeff Rine. He had a bit of a rough weekend by his standards, started off by getting involved in the "big one" at Williams Grove Friday night., and he backed that up by finishing just outside of the top five at Selinsgrove Saturday. This bit into his pretty significant points lead some.

One note I must make is that I made an error in scoring Jared Miley's points from the special at Bedford on May 25th. I had neglected to add his points from that show to his total for the year, and I have rectified that this week, and it will be reflected in his point total. He earned five points that night.

That said, let's go ahead and get to this weeke's top ten.

 1. Jeff Rine*****, 63 points. Jeff failed to score any points this week.

2. Dylan Yoder***, 43 points. Dylan ran fourth Friday at Williams Grove and picked up the win at Selinsgrove Saturday.

3. Max Blair***, 33 points. Max was first under the checkers Sunday at Eriez.

4. Jared Miley**, 31 points. Jared came home second at Selinsgrove Saturday.

5. Michael Norris****, 26 points. Michael go the win at Lernerville Friday.

6. Mike Maresca*, 24 points. Mike got a second Friday at Thunder Mountain. 

7. Coleby Frye, 23 points. Coleby came home second at Williams Grove Friday and was fourth at Selinsgrove saturday.

8. Gene Knaub, 22 points. Gene ran third at Slinsgrove Saturday.

9. Jason Covert**, 20 points. Jason was victorious at Williams Grove Friday.

9. Andy Haus*, 20 points. Andy couldn't manage to score any points this week.

10. Jon Lee***, 18 points. Jon was fifth at Thunder Mountain Friday, and got the win at Dog Hollow Saturday.

And that's our top ten for this week. Check back next week to see where your favorites land after this coming weekend's action. 

The Story From Lernerville- Wagner Blasts Off-Holds Off Matus; Norris Cruises; King Jr. Takes One The Hard Way; Brunell Takes First Feature Win

Cory Stivason/Stivason Photos

Embedded somewhere between fireworks, six red flags and the fact that the stands could almost not get any fuller was the fact that four action packed 25 lap main events that had fans on the edge of their seat most of the night took place at Lernerville Speedway.

There was a little something for everyone on hand at The Action Track on Friday night as fireworks filled the air and a first time winner made it to victory lane. There were intense battles for the wins in three out of the four Fab4 main events and a tacky surface with just enough cushion to lean on which challenged drivers and setups all night long

Logan Wagner made the trip from central Pennsylvania and put on a clinic in the Peoples Gas DIRTcar Sprints before a late race caution tightened the field and gave Brandon Matus one last chance at a victory. Matus came up just short though, and Wagner wound up with his third appearance in victory lane in the past two seasons. In the Precise Racing Products DIRTcar Late Models, Michael Norris made his way past Chad McClellan in the early going and never looked back en route to his fourth victory of the season.

Rex King Jr. was the benefactor of a blown tire from race leader Brian Swartzlander and made the most of the opportunity, took the lead, lost it to Jim Weller and got it back on the last lap to take his second win of 2018. And in the Millerstown Pic-A-Part DIRTcar/RUSH Pro Stocks, Noah Brunell used lapped traffic to perfection and was rewarded with his first ever trip to Terry Bowser Victory lane.

Cory Stivason Photo

Wagner Blasts Off, Then Holds Off Matus

When Logan Wagner ventures from his central, PA base of operations to The Action Track, his performances have generally been worth the price of admission and then some. His Friday night performance was no exception to that statement as he made quick work of the field in front of him and held off an oncoming Brandon Matus for his third victory in three years at Lernerville.

George Hobaugh and Dan Shetler brought the field to the initial green flag, and when it waved, Wagner, Matus and AJ Flick all looked as if they had been shot out of a cannon. Following three straight early cautions for Jeremy Hill, Ken Rossy and Cody Bova, the race finally picked up momentum as Matus made his way around Shetler who had assumed the early lead. Matus looked to be the car to beat as he approached lapped traffic with eight laps down as he and second running Wagner gained separation from their immediate pursuers while behind them, Flick, Shetler and Hobaugh battled for the third spot. Then on lap 11, Wagner threw a pinpoint perfect slide job underneath Matus in turn four and made it stick as he took the lead nearing the halfway point.

The momentum slowed with 13 laps down when Rossey brought out another caution which was followed by another yellow waving flag for Vinny Douherty with 16 laps in the books. And in between the two cautions, Wagner looked invincible in getting the jump on the restart and leaving the field in his wake.

On the lap 16 restart, Wagner looked for a similar result and got it as Jack Sodeman Jr. and Hobaugh battled for the fifth spot with Wagner, Matus and Flick all pounding the cushion in a three car train of speed. Flick began taking looks to the outside of Matus for the second spot when the red flag came out on lap 21 for Jeremy Hill who found himself upside down in turn four. Matus stayed closer to the leader on the restart and came up with what looked like a potential slide job for the lead in turn four with just over a lap to go but his bid came up short, and Wagner made no mistake to take advantage of the rest of the way. 

Peoples Natural Gas DIRTcar 410 Sprint Feature: (25 Laps)

1. (7W) Logan Wagner
2. (13) Brandon Matus
3. (2) AJ Flick
4. (7K) Dan Shetler
5. (40) George Hobaugh
6. (23J) Jack Sodeman Jr.
7. (29) Scott Barris
8. (46) Michael Bauer
9. (2L) Sye Lynch
10. (08) Dan Kuriger
11. (4N) Jimmy Morris
12. (51) Brent Matus
13. (12J) Jonathan Jones
14. (27K) Jeremy Kornbau
15. (56) Ralph Spithaler
16. (76) Davey Jones
17. (24) Jeremy Hill
18. (27) Vinny Dougherty
19. (66) Ken Rossey
20. (20B) Cody Bova

Cory Stivason Photo

Norris Stays Hot-Cruises To Victory

When one thinks of the ways to describe the way in which Michael Norris has had such a firm command of the Late Model fields at Lernerville in 2018, they may start running out of ways to describe it. Norris has seemingly had the cars on hand in the palm of his hand and on Friday night, he seemingly had the field the way he wanted it until a late race caution gave him a different set of circumstances to conjure a way to victory lane through.

Veteran pilot Chad McClellan paid a visit and found himself on the front row alongside Clayton Kennedy. However, when the race got underway, it was Mike Pegher Jr. who found himself with a good jump and the early momentum as he took the lead from McClellan on lap two. Kennedy nearly changed the course of the race altogether when when spun in turn four with three laps down while drivers maneuvered quickly to avoid him.

Meanwhile, Norris had moved from ninth to fourth and he pegged the ensuing restart as he made a bid for the second spot as he made his way around McClellan. Norris then set his sights on Pegher as he caught and passed the leader on lap seven. Behind them, Dan Angellichio began making a run towards the podium as he made his way around McClellan as Norris was entering lapped traffic.

Norris split the lapped cars of Collin Burke and Bob Moore in turns three and four while Pegher slowed on the backstretch. McClellan and Angellichio kept battling door to door past the halfway point, trading the second position several times when the action came to a halt for a slowing John Flinner with 15 laps down. When action resumed, Norris bolted out to a half straightaway lead that looked completely unbeatable until Gary Lyle brought out the caution with 24 laps down, setting up a green, white, checkered finish. On the restart, Norris quickly but all hopes from his competitiors away, leaving them to a four car battle for the second position which Angellichio won while Norris cruised to yet another victory.

Precise Racing Products DIRTcar Late Models Feature: (25 Laps)

1. (72) Michael Norris
2. (14) Dan Angellichio
3. (7M) Chad McClellan
4. (91T) Tommy Beck
5. (29) Ken Schaltenbrand
6. (10L) Gary Lyle
7. (14R) Clay Ruffo
8. (81) Mike Miller
9. (11) Joshua Powell
10. (411) Bob Moore
11. (41) Collin Burke
12. (9) Clayton Kennedy
13. (36) Tony Musolino
14. (4T8) John Flinner
15. (1C) Mike Pegher Jr.
16. (91) Weston Phillis

Cory Stivason Photo

King Jr. Earns It The Hard Way

The Big Block Modified feature was a hard one to win, and Rex King Jr. found a way as he led early, lost it to Brian Swartzlander, got it back and had to wrest it way one more time in the closing laps en route to his second victory of the season.

King started on the pole and assumed the early lead followed on the top of the Speedway by a hard charging Garrett Krummert while behind them, Jeremiah Shingledecker and Jeff Miller battled for position in the top five. Colton Walters brought out the yellow flag with two laps down and on the ensuing restart, Miller and Shingledecker made contact causing Shingledecker to fall back in the field. Out front, Krummert began to whittle away at King's lead while at the same time, Swartzlander started to make his presence felt in the front of the field. Miller then brought out the caution with five laps down with a spin in turn four.

King kept the lead on the restart, but could not shake Krummert completely. Swartzlander was coming forward with authority however, and he made his way under Krummert on lap seven and began hunting the leader as he moved to the top of the surface. Behind them, Jim Weller began to make his charge as he found himself making his way around Krummert for the third spot just before all progress was halted as Erik Bowser stopped in turn four. Swartzlander made his way around King for the lead on the restart which was just before Steve Feder lost his engine to bring out another caution with 11 laps down.

When action resumed, Swartzlander looked to be in firm command as he set a blistering pace past the halfway point, but he could not continue his momentum as Shingledecker found himself upside down on the front stretch with 12 laps in the books. After a clean restart, Swartzlander looked destined for victory lane until a rear tire went down on lap 22, handing the lead to Weller who had just passed King for the second spot one lap earlier. King remained focused through the events that had transpired and would then find good bite coming out of turn two on the final lap to power past Weller for the lead en route to Terry Bowser Victory Lane.

Cory Stivason Photo

Diehl Automotive DIRTcar Northeast Big Block Modified Feature: (25 Laps)

1. (165) Rex King Jr.
2. (31) Jim Weller
3. (65) Rex King Sr.
4. (61) Dave Murdick
5. (29) Garrett Krummert
6. (13) Rick Regalski
7. (66) J.R. McGinley
8. (123) AJ Flick
9. (17M) Skip Moore
10. (25) Chris Rudolph
11. (75) Jeff Miller
12. (88) Shawn Fleeger
13. (83) Brian Swartzlander
14. (37M) Jeremiah Shingledecker
15. (4J) John Mollick
16. (45) Steve Feder
17. (89) Erik Bowser
18. (18) Colton Walters

Cory Stivason Photo

Brunell Uses Lappers To Perfection In First Career Victory

Persistence pays off, eventually. Noah Brunell can now attest to that statement as he looked primed for his first career victory following four weeks of strong performances that saw him come as close to victory lane as one could possibly get, without getting rewarded. On Friday night, Brunell left no opportunity for victory to evade him as he used some well timed lapped traffic to keep an oncoming Tyler Dietz at bay.

A steadily improving Ryan Moyer brought the field to the green flag with Brunell alongside on the front row and the two engaged in a door to door battle in the first three laps until the red flag came out for Chase Lambert who suffered a shot in the door from another car on the front straightaway. Lambert was okay and when action resumed, the two leaders found themselves still locked in battle while behind them, Joey Zambotti, Scott Byers and Dietz were lurking and looking for a mistake from the front runners as the engaged in a three way battle for the third spot. Following two more early race cautions, Brunell found himself on the top side of the speedway and found it too his liking as he stretched out a lead over Moyer while Dietz moved past Zambotti for the third spot.

The top three were then being pursued themselves by a strong running John Hartman who had found some magic on a restart and looked to join the battle at the front. He would be overtaken by a hard charging Corey McPherson while at the front, Dietz began taking looks under Moyer for second at the halfway mark where Dietz made the pass and began to hunt Brunell. The two drivers then embarked on a door to door battle for the win, a scene that had played out in some way or form in each of the first four features of the season. However, this time Brunell would find a way to keep Dietz behind him for good as he found a way to hang Dietz on two lapped cars in the last five laps to preserve his first career victory at Lernerville.

Cory Stivason Photo

Millerstown Pic-A-Part RUSH/DIRTcar Pro Stocks Feature: (20 Laps)

1. (31) Noah Brunell
2. (27) Tyler Dietz
3. (C33) Corey McPherson
4. (13X) Ryan Moyer
5. (948) Joey Zambotti
6. (30) Bob Egley
7. (32) Mark Sanders
8. (25) Brett McDonald
9. (10) John Hartman
10. (29B) Scott Byers
11. (17) Sam Eichelberger
12. (21) Jeff Miller
13. (35B) Jacob Dietz
14. (310) Dale Tuche
15. (66) Joe Kelley
16. (12M) Trevor McCann
17. (22J) Chase Lambert
18. (26) Mike Bordt
19. (28Y) Terry Young- Did Not Start
20. (77) Heath Close- Did Not Start

Peoples Natural Gas DIRTcar 410 Sprint Heat 1:

1. (2L) Sye Lynch
2. (13) Brandon Matus
3. (4N) Jimmy Morris
4. (23J) Jack Sodeman Jr.
5. (56) Ralph Spithaler
6. (51) Brent Matus
7. (76) Davey Jones
8. (81) Sadie Siegel



Peoples Natural Gas DIRTcar 410 Sprint Heat 2:

1. (7K) Dan Shetler
2. (7W) Logan Wagner
3. (40) George Hobaugh
4. (20B) Cody Bova
5. (27) Vinny Dougherty
6. (4K) Bill Kiley
7. (24) Jeremy Hill
8. (00) Alan Free



Peoples Natural Gas DIRTcar 410 Sprint Heat 3:

1. (46) Michael Bauer
2. (2) AJ Flick
3. (27K) Jeremy Kornbau
4. (08) Dan Kuriger
5. (29) Scott Barris
6. (12J) Jonathan Jones
7. (66) Ken Rossey
8. (28) Brian Wright

Peoples Natural Gas DIRTcar 410 Sprint BMain- Top 5 Transfer

1. (51) Brent Matus
2. (76) Davey Jones
3. (12J) Jonathan Jones
4. (66) Ken Rossey
5. (24) Jeremy Hill
6. (28) Brian Wright
7. (91) Sadie Siegel
8. (4K) Bill Kiley
9. (00) Alan Free

Precise Racing Products DIRTcar Late Model Heat 1:

1. (1C) Mike Pegher Jr.
2. (81) Mike Miller
3. (9) Clayton Kennedy
4. (7M) Chad McClellan
5. (36) Tony Musolino
6. (11) Joshua Powell
7. (14R) Clay Ruffo
8. (91) Weston Phillis

Precise Racing Products DIRTcar Late Model Heat 2:

1. (91T) Tommy Beck
2. (4T8) John Flinner
3. (14) Dan Angellichio
4. (72) Michael Norris
5. (10L) Gary Lyle
6. (411) Bob Moore
7. (41) Collin Burke
8. (29) Ken Schaltenbrand- DNF



Diehl Automotive DIRTcar Northeast Big Block Modified Heat 1:

1. (165) Rex King Jr.
2. (31) Jim Weller
3. (75) Jeff Miller
4. (37M) Jeremiah Shingledecker
5. (17M) Skip Moore
6. (18) Colton Walters
7. (25) Chris Rudolph
8. (66) JR McGinley- DNF
9. Erik Bowser- DNS



Diehl Automotive DIRTcar Northeast Big Block Modified Heat 2:

1. (83) Brian Swartzlander
2. (65) Rex King Sr.
3. (13) Rick Regalski
4. (29) Garrett Krummert
5. (4J) John Mollick
6. (45) Steve Feder
7. (123) AJ Flick
8. (88) Shawn Fleeger
9. (61) Dave Murdick -DNF

Millerstown Pic-A-Part RUSH/DIRTcar Pro Stocks Heat 1:

1. (13X) Ryan Moyer
2. (948) Joey Zambotti
3. (31) Noah Brunell
4. (29B) Scott Byers
5. (22J) Chase Lambert
6. (12M) Trevor McCann
7. (25) Brett McDonald
8. (310) Dale Tuche
9. (28Y) Terry Young- DNF
10. (77) Heath Close- DNF



Millerstown Pic-A-Part RUSH/DIRTcar Pro Stocks Heat 2:

1. (c33) Corey McPherson
2. (27) Tyler Dietz
3. (66) Joe Kelley
4. (10) John Hartman
5. (32) Mark Sanders
6. (17) Sam Eichelberger
7. (35B) Jacob Dietz
8. (21) Jeff Miller
9. (26) Mike Bordt



Car Count Total: 78
Peoples Natural Gas Sprints: 24
Precise Late Models: 16
Diehl Modifieds: 18
Millerstown Pic-A-Part DIRTcar/RUSH Pro Stock 20