Mercer Raceway Park Press Releases

LUTZ WINS FOR 2ND TIME IN 3 RACES SATURDAY IN SPRINTS; 1ST OF YEAR FOR GUIDACE IN MODS; CAREER 1ST LATE MODEL WIN FOR POND; D’AP

Sat, May 1, 2010 -- "Saturday Night Live"
Written by: Mike Leone

After two weeks of inclement weather, Mercer Raceway Park was able to complete the racing action Saturday night despite a very unfavorable forecast and scattered showers throughout the day. Celebrating in the Hoosier Tire Mid-Atlantic victory lane were Mike Lutz-Luxaire Heating & Cooling Sprint Cars, Frank Guidace-Approved Toilet Rentals Modifieds, Dwayne Pond-4 Your Car Connection FASTRAK Late Models, Steve D’Apolito-Big Daddy’s Speed Center Stock Cars, and Pete Blazczak-M&D Paving Mini Stocks. It was Free Shenango Valley Night presented by Flynn’s Tire & Auto Service and Mahoning Valley Scrapper Night with 1,000 ticket giveaways.

Hometown racer Mike Lutz entered the 2010 season with only six career Mercer wins, but he and car owner Jim Chappel were bound and determined to go after the championship when new track owner Bill Altman announced Mercer would be the highest paying Sprint Car track in the area.

Lutz opened the 2010 campaign with a last lap pass of Jason Dolick and then returned to victory lane Saturday night with a wire-to-wire win in the 20-lap Luxaire Heating & Cooling feature to propel him into the point lead. The win was worth $1,500 plus a certificate for a new Goodyear rear tire valued at nearly $200. Lutz also received another Goodyear Tire certificate earlier in the night as a random draw.

“Man I gotta tell you, we had Hoosiers on the first two weeks because we were allowed to run them,” explained the 40-year-old racer. “I was afraid to put the Goodyears on because it was uncertain and all the other racers were saying they were loose, loose, loose. We bolted them on tonight and didn’t change one thing from what we were doing and that car was a rocket ship on them and I like ‘em!”

Lutz drew the pole position and was able to beat Rod George into turn one. Danny Holtgraver drove around Chris Shuttleworth for third on the opening lap before Eric Williams spun off turn four to bring out the caution with one lap completed. When racing resumed, Lutz took off and had a sizeable advantage until George began to close on lap five. Lutz began to work traffic on lap seven until action slowed when newcomer Francis Sesco spun with eight laps completed.

On the ensuing restart, Bob Felmlee advanced to fourth past Shuttleworth. Up front, Lutz continued unchallenged over George as the laps ticked off. The third and final caution was displayed for Eric Williams when he spun slowing action with 15 laps completed.

Lutz took off when green flag racing resumed, while George had to get by the lapped car of Brian Steinman. Meanwhile, Ed Lynch, Jr., who started 12th, drove by both Charlie Holben and Carl Bowser on the backstretch on lap 16 to move into the top five. With each consecutive lap, George slowly closed the gap on Lutz, but he ran out of time as cautions and lapped cars played to Lutz’s advantage in the Centerline Boring/Chappel Welding/Lutz Hauling-sponsored #8.

“I felt good in traffic and didn’t know how close Rod was,” stated Lutz. “The cautions came in handy with an open race track and I could when I wanted. Jim Chappel gives me an awesome race car. This is our third year together and I feel like we’re there right now.”

Holtgraver’s third was his best Mercer finish since April 4, 2009. Felmlee was fourth for the second straight race to go along with a third on opening night. Lynch completed the top five and earned the Goodyear hard charger certificate. Bowser was sixth and received one of the random Goodyear certificate drawings and Scott Priester was seventh in his season debut. Shuttleworth came in eighth ahead of Holben, who claimed a Goodyear certificate for being the last car on the lead lap. Steinman was 10th in his first start of 2010. Dan Kuriger received the other Goodyear random drawing certificate. Lutz and Holtgraver won the heats. All 10 racers that have competed in all three Mercer races in 2010 also received a Goodyear certificate.

After coming up just short to Dustin Martin the last time the Modifieds raced, defending champion Frank Guidace led all 20 laps of the Approved Toilet Rentals Modified feature for his first win of 2010. “Boy that was a great track tonight,” stated the Mercer, Pa. driver. “The car was on a rail and fortunately we had an outside starting spot. We tried something different tonight. We put on a set of FASTRAK Late Model tires on. I was nervous, but they worked great! I have to thank ASI for the new suit; H.R.E. builds a killer motor, and Troyer Chassis.”

Guidace took off using the outside to his advantage past Clyde Gumpp. Chris Myers started fifth and made his way to second on the opening lap followed by Rick Hall. The teenage Myers was right on Guidace in just his second year of Modified racing. Fifth and sixth starting Lonny Riggs and Jimmy Holden put on a quite a show running side-by-side for laps 4-8 with Holden finally making the pass stick on the bottom of turn four on lap eight to take fourth.

Myers great run ended when he looped his mount in turn two on lap 13 trying to stay with Guidace. The spin moved Hall to second with Holden and Riggs up to third and fourth. Another lap was completed before Martin spun to bring out the event’s final caution with 13 laps completed. On the restart, Holden took second from Hall. Riggs then was able to get around Hall in turn four for second on lap 17.

Guidace though was too much as his G&G Auto #1G powered to his 12th career win in the “358” division and 23rd overall at the track. Holden and Riggs ironically entered the night tied for the point lead. The duo both won their heats, but Holden was able to top Riggs for second in the feature giving him a two-point advantage in the standings despite not winning a feature yet. Hall was fourth in his second debut. Myers came back to finish fifth. Gumpp dropped to sixth over newcomer Brian Fingado, Martin, and Rich Whitney and Kevin Green, who also made their first Mercer starts of the year. Holden and Riggs won the heat races.

Dwayne Pond would have never imagined he would have been in victory lane at Mercer when his day started on Saturday. Pond and car owner Scott Bidwell were on their way to Tyler County Speedway in West Virginia for a Northeast Touring Series event when their trailer broke down in Pittsburgh. After four hours to make repairs, the duo decided to head to Mercer and made it to the track at 7 p.m. just in time to tag the tail of a heat race.

A few hours later, Pond was standing in victory lane for the first time in his career at Mercer and first ever in a Late Model in just his fifth ever start in the division. Pond led all the way in a dominating performance in the 20-lap 4 Your Car Connection FASTRAK feature.

“I ran Stocks for a few years by myself and couldn’t do it,” explained the 38-year-old Saegertown, Pa. driver. “Scott and I have been friends since sixth grade. We’re big race fans and he loves it. We teamed together in the Stocks back in the 90s. We talked one night this winter and the rest is history. It’s an awesome race car. I got to thank Scott for the opportunity to get in it.”

Pond out-dragged Leigh Wheeler into turn one for the early lead. Sixth starting Ben Black passed Rusty Cade for fourth on lap two with 10th starting Brian Booher following. It was a great three-car race for third with Bob Vogt, Jr. trying to hold off Black and Booher. The trio went three-wide on lap eight with Booher getting past both Black and Vogt. Black moved back to fourth one lap later driving under Vogt.

Pond had a straightaway lead on Wheeler at the halfway point. The event’s only caution was displayed when Chad Myers, who was making his return to racing after taking 2009 off, lost the driveshaft bringing out the caution with 13 laps in the record books. Black got a great restart when racing resumed, passing both Booher and Wheeler for second. Booher then was able to get by Wheeler and charged under Black in turn three on lap 16 for second.

By the time Booher made it to second, Pond had a half-straightaway lead. Booher was unable to cut into Pond’s lead as Pond put the #B1D in victory lane for the first time since August 8, 2008 when Bobby Powell scored the victory. In his first start of the season, Booher held off Black for second. Vogt was a Mercer career best fourth as Wheeler dropped to fifth. Rounding out the top 10 were Kyle Zimmerman, Garrett Mott, Mike Anderson, Jr., Justin Kreider, and Cade. Booher and Vogt won the heat races.

Steve D’Apolito came from the eighth starting spot to win for the second straight time in the 15-lap Big Daddy’s Speed Center Stock Cars. “I wasn’t too sure earlier tonight,” described the Boardman, Ohio racer. “It hasn’t failed me yet though. I have to thank my mom, dad, brother, and cousin Brian. We’ve been testing and doing all kinds of stuff to make it better and better. We finally got something going.”

Shaun Hooks and Mark Sanders battled for the lead with Hooks leading the first lap. On lap two, Andy Buckley had passed Sanders for second, but Hooks slowed in turn four and collected Buckley. This moved Sanders to the lead on the restart with D’Apolito alongside.

D’Apolito grabbed the lead when racing resumed and only a caution for a spin by Clay Ruffo with eight laps completed would slow his efforts. D’Apolito raced on to his seventh career victory by nearly a five-second margin in his D’Apolito Christmas Tree Farm/Utsinger’s Towing/Race 1-sponsored #84, GM 602-powered crate engine. Behind D’Apolito, it was a quite a battle as seven cars raced hard, side-by-side for second place.
Chris Haines got by both Bryan Wagner and Sanders on lap nine to finish second. Sanders made his first Mercer start since July 4, 2009 when he finished third and matched that finish. Wagner was fourth in his first Mercer race in nearly two years. Buckley came back to finish fifth. Hooks and Buckley won the heats.

Pete Blazczak held off Tim Callahan to become the fifth different winner in as many races in 2010 as he captured the 12-lap M&D Paving Mini Stock feature. “I didn’t think I was going to make it- the clutch was slipping the last lap,” explained the 38-year-old Gibsonia, Pa. driver. “I was praying it wouldn’t let go. I tried to make the car wide. A couple weeks ago (Dan) Bish got me by a half-car length on the last lap and I had the same problem. Hopefully I get that fixed for next week.”

Fifteen-year-old Brad Shaffer raced to the early lead from the pole position with Doug Ehrenberg and sixth starting Blazczak in tow. Blazczak moved to second on lap five taking the spot from Ehrenberg. Shaffer had a half-straightaway lead on Blazczak when the event’s first caution was displayed with seven laps completed.

Blazczak took over the lead on the ensuing restart. Shaffer stayed close trying to win his first career feature. On lap 11, Shaffer drove hard in turn four trying to get under Blazczak, but made contact and his car came to a halt in turn four bringing out the final caution and setting up a one-lap shootout.

Blazczak had seventh starting Tim Callahan alongside, but Blazczak was able to hold on for his fourth career win in his Blazczak Salvage #77. Jordan Ehrenberg worked his way from eighth to finish third to maintain his point lead. Dan Bish came from 12th to finish fourth ahead of 10th starting Jerry Batcher. Heat winners were Batcher and Shaffer.

Luxaire Heating & Cooling (410) Sprint Cars (20 laps, $1,500 to-win): 1. MIKE LUTZ (Chappel 8) 2. Rod George (4) 3. Danny Holtgraver (D4) 4. Bob Felmlee (6) 5. Ed Lynch, Jr. (2L) 6. Carl Bowser (10) 7. Scott Priester (11) 8. Chris Shuttleworth (11) 9. Charlie Holben (Dionise 15) 10. Brian Steinman (24s) 11. Chris Best (66) 12. Gale Ruth, Sr. (1R) 13. Eric Williams (7) 14. Joe McEwen (Paden 11W) 15. Francis Sesco (2s) 16. Dan Kuriger (08)-DNS 17. John McCracken, Jr. (79)-DNS.

Approved Toilet Rentals (358) Modifieds (20 laps): 1. FRANK GUIDACE (1G) 2. Jimmy Holden (28H) 3. Lonny Riggs (Black 58) 4. Rick Hall (B2) 5. Chris Myers (1c) 6. Clyde Gumpp (51) 7. Brian Fingado (13F) 8. Dustin Martin (29D) 9. Rich Whitney (19W) 10. Kevin Green (74) 11. Kyle Fink (66F) 12. Jim Thompson (99)-DNS.

4 Your Car Connection FASTRAK Late Models (20 laps): 1. DWAYNE POND (Bidwell B1D) 2. Brian Booher (Hoover 00H) 3. Ben Black (27B) 4. Bob Vogt, Jr. (30) 5. Leigh Wheeler (Smith 717) 6. Kyle Zimmerman (z17) 7. Garrett Mott (43X) 8. Mike Anderson, Jr. (72) 9. Justin Kreider (29) 10. Rusty Cade (47) 11. Chad Myers (01) 12. Bryan Force (31)-DNS.

Big Daddy’s Speed Center Stock Cars (15 laps): 1. STEVE D’APOLITO (84) 2. Chris Haines (35H) 3. Mark Sanders (32) 4. Bryan Wagner (56) 5. Andy Buckley (965) 6. Dwight Boice (528) 7. Brandon Johnston (14J) 8. Earl Snyder, Jr. (Roberts 19) 9. Clay Ruffo (14R) 10. Terry Wheeler (2W) 11. Shaun Hooks (Janovick 65).

M&D Paving Mini Stocks (12 laps): 1. PETE BLAZCZAK (77) 2. Tim Callahan (54) 3. Jordan Ehrenberg (JD57) 4. Dan Bish (4x) 5. Doug Ehrenberg (D57) 6. Jerry Batcher (Blazczak 7) 7. Wally Stearns, Jr. (33) 8. Zack Hawk (47) 9. Doug McNany (141) 10. Rudolph Troples III (28) 11. Justin Forsythe (F6) 12. Brad Shaffer (17) 13. Randy Shaffer (17R) 14. Ed Haylett (8-ball) 15. E.J. Rarer (3J) 16. Merle Black (76) 17. Buck Buchanan, Jr. (93).