Raceway 7 Opening Night Win To Wright, McDonald, Fawcett, Ferry & Mihalak

By Jay Pees

Conneaut, OH (May 1, 2015): For the 45th time Raceway 7 began the new racing season with all five weekly divisions in action. Opening night feature wins were claimed by (Campbell’s Mini-Storage Street Stocks) Shaun Fawcett with an exciting last lap pass, (Evergreen Lake Park Campground CARS Crate Late Models) Chad Wright, (Bonnell Collision Center E-Mods) Percy McDonald, (Bonnell Auto Sales Economods) defending champion Josh Ferry, and (Specialty Products Mini Stocks) Hoyt Mihalak.

The Campbell’s Mini-Storage Street Stocks were the first feature of the 2015 season and were led to Roger Osburn’s green flag by Brandon Groters and Brian Crandall. Groters led from the drop of the green with Crandall, Mark Frontera, and defending champion Chris Withers trailing. At lap five Withers got by Frontera for third. At six laps complete Mike Harmon spun into the infield in turn one, slowing the event for the first time. During the caution Groters exited to the pit area with a failed ball joint. Crandall led the field back to green with Withers now second, Frontera third and Shaun Fawcett now fourth. With nine laps in Jimmy Kennerknecht spun in turn one, collecting past champion Ed Bolyard. Again, the leader, Crandall, pulled to the pit wi mechanical ails, leaving Withers now the leader, Frontera second, and Fawcett third. With four laps remaining Fawcett was second, all over the leader looking for the way to the lead. In turn one on the final lap Fawcett powered by Withers on the outside and went on to his first win of the season. Frontera was third at the line with Jason Covey fourth and Rob Bates fifth.

The CARS sanctioned Evergreen Lake Park Campground Crate Late Models were led to green by Matt Latta and Chad Wright with Wright leading the way to turn one then both Latta and Dennis Lunger, from the fourth staring berth, tried getting by for the lead coming out of turn two with Latta getting crossed up and spinning into the infield. For the restart Wright and Mike Mitchell were on the front row with Latta Lunger and Wendell Pinckney in row two. Dave Airgood lost control at turn one, again preventing the completion of lap one. Bob Dorman pulled into the infield in turn three, out of the race. At the end of one lap Wright was leading with Mitchell right behind. Lunger, a past track champion and winner on opening night of 2014, took over the runner-up spot on lap two. At halfway the top five were Wright, Lunger, Mitchell, Billy Henry, and 2014 champion Kyle Zimmerman. Zimmerman came to fourth a lap past halfway. At twelve complete Lunger got next to the leader on the back straight but slid up the racing surface in turn three, allowing Wright to hold onto the lead. At sixteen complete Zimmerman was up to third as Wright was now extending his lead. At the checkers it was Wright by several car-lengths over Lunger, Zimmerman, Mitchell, and Henry.

Dan and Josh McDonald, father and son, led the Bonnell Collision Center E-Mods to the green for their feature with Dan jumping out to the immediate lead. With three laps complete Rick Pratschler spun in turn four, slowing the field for the first time in the event. On the restart it was the elder McDonald leading his son Josh, Mike Potosky, Joel Watson, and Paul Schreckengost back to green. Potosky came to second with Watson third before lap four was complete. Watson was second at the end of five laps. Debris brought out the second caution of the event as the field was coming to the halfway mark. The order was now Dan McDonald, Watson, and Potosky. The field only made it to turn two when Watson and McDonald got together, spinning and collecting Potosky and Jack Young. Under caution, Josh McDonald pulled pit side with problems. Percy McDonald was the new leader with Ken Zimmer now second and Chuck Steinle Jr third. Schreckengost and Potosky filled out the top five at the halfway point. Rick Pratschler came to a halt at lap eleven for caution number four. After green Potosky got by Steinle for third at lap thirteen. Zimmer hounded McDonald every lap, drawing even in turn three at lap sixteen but momentum kept McDonald ahead the rest of the event for his first win of the season. Zimmer had a tire go flat with one lap remaining allowing Potosky to get by for second, Schreckengost for third, then Steinle fourth, and Dan McDonald fifth.

Nine Bonnell Auto Sales Economods started their feature with Eric Reinwald and Russ Kapalin leading the way. Rick Prosser, Bob Bellinger, and Dan McEwen got together in turn one, slowing the race immediately. Eric Reinwald spun in turn two on the restart, again slowing the event. Kapalin and Brad Blackshear led the field back to green, this time with all cars running at the end of lap one. Kapalin showed the way with Jace Ferringer coming to second. Blackshear spun in turn two after two laps complete. For the next restart it was Kapalin leading Ferringer and Josh Ferry. Ferry, the defending champion, came to second at the drop of the green but Ferringer reassumed the position before the end of the lap. Dan McEwen then spun at lap three. Again Ferry powered into second at the drop of the green and again Ferringer was second at the end of the lap. Ferringer battled Kapalin, eventually taking over the front spot at lap seven. Then McEwen slowed, spewing smoke, out of turn four and coming to a halt. Ferringer and Ferry battled side by side after green with Ferry getting by just as caution fell again when Rick Prosser spun. Ferringer led the way for another green flag with Ferry trailing for the next two laps until Ferringer slipped high in turn two and falling back to fourth. Ferry then led Kapalin and Blackshear with Ferringer and Young Devin Henry fighting over fourth. Eventually both Ferringer and Henry got by Blackshear. At the finish it was Ferry, Kapalin, Henry, Ferringer and Blackshear.

The final feature of the evening was the Specialty Products Mini Stocks with defending champion Dale Fraschetti on the pole and Justin Boardman alongside. Fraschetti shot out to the immediate lead with Boardman and Hoyt Mihalak right behind. At the end of lap one Mihalak was second. At halfway Fraschetti had a half straight lead over Mihalak with Boardman third, former champion Brad Cole fourth and Mitch Stokes fifth. Boardman slipped high on lap seven dropping two spots. At nine laps complete Jeannie Fowler got into the wall on turn two, slowing the action for the only time in the event. At the restart for the final three laps it was Fraschetti leading Mihalak, Cole, Stokes, and Boardman. Fraschetti led until lap ten when he slowed on the back straight, out of fuel, handing the lead over to Mihalak, who went on to his first win of the season over Cole, Boardman, Scott Gill, and Dylan Goodman.

Evergreen Lake Park Campground CARS Crate Late Models:
Heat 1: Kyle Zimmerman, Dennis Lunger, Chad Wright, William Pinckney, Khole Wanzer, Bob Pifer, Bryan Salisbury, Chris Nicholson
Heat 2: Billy Henry, Wendall Pinckney, Matt Latta, Mike Mitchell, Dave Airgood, Bob Dorman, Breyton Santee, Jorden Peters
Feature: Chad Wright, Dennis Lunger, Kyle Zimmerman, Mike Mitchell, Billy Henry, Wendell Pinckney, Matt Latta, Bob Pifer, Breyton Santee, Khole Wanzer, Jorden Peters, William Pinckney, Dave Airgood, Bob Dorman, Chris Nicholson (DNS), Bob Dorman ( DNS)

Bonnell Collision Center E-Mods:
Heat 1: Percy McDonald, Mike Potosky, Chuck Steinle Jr, Gary Murphy, Jason Longwell, Bill Taylor, Ken Zimmer
Heat 2: Joel Watson, Dan McDonald, Josh McDonald, Paul Schreckengost, Rick Pratschler, Jack Young
Feature: Percy McDonald, Mike Potosky, Paul Schreckengost, Chuck Steinle Jr, Dan McDonald, Ken Zimmer, Bill Taylor, Rick Pratschler, Joel Watson, Josh McDonald, Jack Young, Gary Murphy, Jason Longwell (DNS)

Campbell’s Mini-Storage Street Stocks:
Heat 1: Shaun Fawcett, Brandon Groters, Brian Crandall, Jason Covey, Ron Boardman, Rob Bates, Dan McEwen
Heat 2: Ed Bolyard, Mark Frontera, Chris Withers, Jimmy Kennerknecht, Mike Harmon, Jamie Duncan, Kyle Reinwald, Bill Banick Jr
Feature: Shaun Fawcett, Chris Withers, Mark Frontera, Jason Covey, Rob Bates, Ed Bolyard, Ron Boardman, Bill Banick Jr, Mike Harmon, Brian Crandall, Jimmy Kennerknecht, Brandon Groters, Dan McEwen, Chris Hochschild, Kyle Reinwald, Jamie Duncan (DNS)

Bonnell Auto Sales Economods:
Heat 1: Rick Prosser, Josh Ferry, Brad Blackshear, Dan McEwen, Devin Henry
Heat 2: Jace Ferringer, Russ Kapalin, Eric Reinwald, Bob Bellinger
Feature: Josh Ferry, Russ Kapalin, Devin Henry, Jace Ferringer, Brad Blackshear, Eric Reinwald, Bob Bellinger, Rick Prosser, Dan McEwen

Specialty Products Mini Stocks:
Heat 1: Dylan Goodman, Hoyt Mihalak, Brad Cole, Justin Boardman, Jason Easler, Bud Sergeff, Tommy Joyce
Heat 2: Dale Fraschetti, Mitch Stokes, Scott Gill, Joe Keney, Logan Keney, Jeannie Fowler
Feature: Hoyt Mihalak, Brad Cole, Justin Boardman, Scott Gill, Dylan Goodman, Jason Easler, Joe Keney, Logan Keney, Mitch Stokes, Dale Fraschetti. Bud Sergeff, Jeanne Fowler, Tommy Joyce