Chad Wright Wins Wild Topless Crate Late Model Special At Raceway 7

By Jay Pees

Conneaut, OH (August 14, 2015): The Evergreen Lake Park Campground CARS Crate Late Models ran a special with a twist, topless! The seventeen car field was set through time trials, heats and two dashes for the fastest in the heats. Chad Wright, a former track champion and leader in the 2015 points chase, set fast time on 18.692 seconds, won his heat, then ran second to Bill Henry in his dash. By virtue of winning the first dash, Henry started from the pole position in the feature with Wright sitting outside front row by virtue of his second place in the first dash. Wright led all twenty-five laps of the event, despite several clashes with competitors and a red flag during the event for a major wreck which occurred on lap twenty-two, sending Bryan Salisbury off in an ambulance. He was deemed to be ok but certainly took a hard tumble.

In other action current Bonnell Auto Sales Economods points leader Rick Prosser lowered the track record for his class to 19.625 seconds, breaking the record he set August 7 during his heat, then went on to win his fourth feature of the season. Brandon Groters returned to action after several weeks off due to mechanical problems in a big way, winning both the Campbell’s Mini-Storage Street Stocks heat and feature. Dan McDonald led all twenty laps of the Bonnell Collision Center E-Mods feature, his first win since 2009. Jason Easler led the caution-free Specialty Products Mini Stock feature from flag to flag for his third triumph of the season.

Joel Watson, driving the 00 owned by Bootie Petsko, started the Bonnell Collision Center E-Mods feature from the pole position with Dan McDonald outside. McDonald led from green with Chuck Steinle Jr coming to second and Watson falling to the rear. Points leader Percy McDonald ran third in the early going with three time winner Ken Zimmer fourth and Jesse Gould fifth. With five laps remaining the only caution of the event flew for debris sitting in turn three. McDonald held on for his first win since 2009 with the rest of the top five remaining the same.

The 25-lap Topless Special for the Evergreen Lake Park Campground CARS Crate Late Models started with Chad Wright grabbing the immediate lead over Billy Henry. At five laps complete William Pinckney spun in turn two, slowing the event. Then after green several cars got together with Bob Pifer spinning, again slowing the event. Under caution Dennis Lunger headed to the pit but was able to return for the restart. By seven complete Airgood was up to second when Rueben Schwartz spun in turn two, again slowing the event. On green Henry again got back to second but Wright was pulling away. With ten laps remaining Rueben Schwartz and Wright got together heading into turn one with Schwartz getting disqualified for rough driving. Airgood came back to second at green then suddenly slowed in turn four with eighteen laps complete. Once again Wright led the field back to green, with Dennis Lunger coming to second. After a single file restart with five laps remaining Wright led Lunger, defending champion Zimmerman, Henry, and Wendall Pinckney back to green. On lap twenty-two Bryan Salisbury flipped at the end of the back straight, stopping the race under red. With the race under red Salisbury’s crew got into an altercation with a competitor, resulting in his disqualification. When the red flag was lifted third-running Kyle Zimmerman pulled to the pit but rejoined the field for the green. With Lunger, Henry, Wendall Pinckney, and Darrell Bossard right behind, green was shown but Lunger jumped the start and was penalized two positions. He then exited his car so was disqualified from the event. On his way pit side Lunger slammed the leader. Wright was given a chance to check his car, then the race was restarted with Wright leading Henry, Pinckney, Bossard, and Joe Long through the final laps, to Wright’s ninth win of the season.

The Specialty Products Mini Stocks started with Hoyt Mihalak and Jason Easler on the front row. Easler took off in quest of his third win of the season with Brad Cole coming to second. At halfway Easler led Cole, points leader Bud Sergeff, Mihalak, and Dylan Goodman. Easler went on to the win with the top five remaining the same. The race ran green to checkers with no yellow flags. The quote of the year was said in victory Lane by the winner when he said “This is a great class. We bump and bang each other then when the race is over we hug, shake hands, have a beer, and all help each other to fix the cars”.

Rick Prosser and Chuck Steinle Sr brought the Bonnell Auto Sales Economods to the green flag with Prosser leading from the start over Eric Reinwald, points leader Josh Ferry, Jace Ferringer, and Mitch Wright by lap five. The race ran green until ten laps in when James Myers spun in turn four. After green the order remained the same with Ferry challenging for second but Reinwald holding on to the spot to the checkers. On the final lap Wright got sideways, allowing Steinle Sr to advance to the fifth spot.

The final event of the evening was the Campbell’s Mini-Storage Street Stocks feature with Tony Marotto and Brian Crandall leading the way to green. Crandall led at the end of one lap with points leader Shaun Fawcett challenging Marotto for second. At the end of three laps fourth starting Brandon Groters was second, then was leading at the end of four. Fawcett got to second a lap later but Groters was pulling away when John Bailey spun in turn four with nine laps complete. The green flag was called back when Crandall “jumped” the start and was penalized two spots. Groters brought the field back to green with Fawcett second. At turn four on the first lap of green Ed Bolyard got into Crandall, with both spinning at the pit entrance. Bolyard headed to the pit with Crandall requiring a tow from the pit entrance. Bolyard returned to the event before racing resumed. Bolyard spun again at turn three with two laps remaining. Then Groters went on to win number five of the season over points leader Fawcett, Marotto, Rob Bates, and Chris Hochschild.

Evergreen Lake Park Campground CARS Crate Late Models:

Time Trials Top Three: Chad Wright 18.692 (84.261 MPH), Dennis Lunger 18.950 (83.113 MPH), Kyle Zimmerman 19.105 (82.439 MPH)

Heat 1: Chad Wright, Kyle Zimmerman, Bob Pifer, Darrell Bossard, Bryan Salisbury, Joe Long, Matt Harvey, Bud Watson, William Pinckney

Heat 2: Dennis Lunger, Dave Airgood, Billy Henry, Wendall Pinckney, Khole Wanzer, Breyton Santee, Mike Lozowski, Rueben Schwartz

Dash 1: Billy Henry, Chad Wright, Kyle Zimmerman, Bob Pifer, Dennis Lunger, Dave Airgood (DNS)

Dash 2: Darrell Bossard, Wendall Pinckney, Breyton Santee, Khole Wanzer, Bryan Salisbury, Joe Long

Feature: Chad Wright, Billy Henry, Wendall Pinckney, Darrell Bossard, Joe Long, Kyle Zimmerman, Bud Watson, Khole Wanzer, Mike Lozowski, Dave Airgood, Matt Harvey, Breyton Santee, Bob Pifer, William Pinckney, Bryan Salisbury (DQ), Dennis Lunger (DQ), Rueben Schwartz (DQ)

Bonnell Collision Center E-Mods:

Heat: Percy McDonald, Jesse Gould, Dan McDonald, Ken Zimmer, Joel Watson, Chuck Steinle Jr, Bill Taylor, Josh McDonald

Feature: Dan McDonald, Chuck Steinle Jr, Percy McDonald, Ken Zimmer, Jesse Gould, Joel Watson, Bill Taylor, Josh McDonald (DNS)

Campbell’s Mini-Storage Street Stocks:

Heat 1: Rob Bates, Tony Marotto, Brian Crandall, John Bailey, Brian Mohawk

Heat 2: Brandon Groters, Shaun Fawcett, Chris Hochschild

Feature: Brandon Groters, Shaun Fawcett, Tony Marotto, Rob Bates, Chris Hochschild, Brain Mohawk, Ed Bolyard, Brian Crandall, John Bailey

Bonnell Auto Sales Economods:

Heat 1: Rick Prosser, Josh Ferry, Jace Ferringer, Mitch Wright, James Myers

Heat 2: Eric Reinwald, Chuck Steinle Sr, Steve Haefke, Mike Harmon

Feature: Rick Prosser, Eric Reinwald, Josh Ferry, Jace Ferringer, Chuck Steinle Sr, James Myers, Mitchell Wright, Mike Harmon, Steve Haefke (DNS)

Specialty Products Mini Stocks:

Heat 1: Jason Easler, Kyle Adkins, Brad Cole, Scott Gill, Brian McGarvie, Tyler Rendell, Carlos Aponte, (DNS)

Heat 2: Derrick Tuttle, Dylan Goodman, Bud Sergeff, Hoyt Mihalak, Zoey Gill, Casey Harmon, Pat Drennan

Feature: Jason Easler, Brad Cole, Bud Sergeff, Hoyt Mihalak, Dylan Goodman, Scott Gill, Derrick Tuttle, Brian McGarvie, Casey Harmon, Lyle Adkins, Tyler Rendell, Zoey Gill (DNS), Pat Drennan (DNS), Carlos Aponte (DNS)