King Jr. Wires Modifieds At Lernerville; Miley, Conley Dietz Also Win

Story By: GARY HEEMAN / LERNERVILLE SPEEDWAY – SARVER, PA – The Fab4 Fueled by Turners Premium Iced Tea graced the clay at The Action Track for the second time in 2018 with sunshine on the track and a pit area stocked with 83 cars ready to do battle. And when the the final checkered flag waved, three new winners found Terry Bowser Excavating Victory Lane while Tyler Dietz made his second appearance.

Jared Miley left no doubt in the inaugural Frank Choura Memorial for the Precise Racing Products as he led from start to finish en route to a $2525 victory. In the Diehl Automotive DIRTcar Big Block Modifieds, Rex King Jr. looked dominant early on and held off a late charge from Jim Weller to take his first Lernerville victory of 2018.

In the Peoples Gas DIRTcar Sprints, several members of Tony Stewart’s Arctic Cat All Star Sprints were on hand and one of them came up with a fast and smooth 25 laps while splitting lapped traffic twice in the waning laps to secure his first career Lernerville victory. And in the Millerstown Pic-A-Part DIRTcar/RUSH Pro Stocks, a feeling of deja vu swept over the crowd on hand as the trio of Noah Brunell, Tyler Dietz and Corey McPherson found themselves running within inches of each other coming out of turn four on the last lap. And for the second week in a row. Dietz edged the competition in a thrilling battle that was decided by a fraction of a second.

Conley Cruises

With a mixed field of regular weekly drivers, combined with a few All Stars and a pair of Patriot Sprint drivers who decided to pay a visit, the Peoples Gas Sprint field had a little something for everyone on Friday night. Fresh off a very encouraging performance at Sharon Speedway, former track champion Carl Bowser found himself battling for yet another Lernerville win and nearly earned it had it not been for a near perfect performance from visiting All Star Cale Conley.

Brandon Matus started on the pole and within two laps found himself looking at the tail tank of Conley who assumed the early lead. Following a caution for debris three laps in, Conley stretched out to a sizable lead while behind him, Bowser, AJ Flick, George Hobaugh and Brent Matus found themselves in position battles all over the speedway.

Bowser started to run down Conley past the halfway point as lapped traffic started appearing in front of the leader. However, Conley made his way through in very decisive fashion, dispatching one piece of lapped traffic after another while Bowser would become hung up behind two cars as the laps wound down. He would make his way trough them, but the gap up front was too much to overcome with too few laps remaining as Conley cruised to victory lane.

Peoples Natural DIRTcar 410 Sprint Feature: (25 Laps)

(7C) Cale Conley
(98) Carl Bowser
(13) Brandon Matus
(40) George Hobaugh
(2) A.J. Flick
(33) Brent Matus
(35) Jared Zimbardi
(51) John Garvin Jr.
(22) Brandon Spithaler
(46) Michael Bauer
(98T) Joe Trenca
(76) Davey Jones
(23) Darren Pifer
(56) Ralph Spithaler
(C1) Clay Riney
(4N) Jimmy Morris
(4K) Bill Kiley
(23) Jack Sodeman Jr.
(55) Gary Kriess Jr.
(7K) Dan Shetler

Miley Leaves No Doubt

It had been quite some time since Jared Miley had dropped in for a weekly show and once he hit the track, he looked as if he hadn’t been away at all as he wired the field with authority on Friday night. Miley started on the pole and quickly bolted out to a commanding lead followed by Alex Ferree, Mike Pegher Jr. and defending champion Michael Norris.

Ferree and Norris managed to battle door handle to door handle for the first half of the race, swapping the second spot more than once in the early going. The battle helped Miley extend his margin up front to the point that fans could only watch the battles behind him for position. Norris was able to make his way around Ferree for the second spot as the laps wound down, but no one had an answer for Miley whether they were in clean air or maneuvering around lapped traffic. Miley collected the $2525 winner’s share of the purse while etching his name in the history books as the inaugural event winner of the Frank Choura Memorial.

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

(10) Jared Miley
(72) Michael Norris
(4) Alex Ferree
(1C) Mike Pegher
(111) Matt Lux
(91T) Tommy Beck
(29) Ken Schaltenbrand
(9) Clayton Kennedy
(4T8) John Flinner
(10L) Gary Lyle
(73) Devin Lewis
(14R) Clay Ruffo
(411) Bob Moore
(19) Weston Phillis
(4F) Ed Ferree

King Jr. Checks Out and Holds On

It took double overtime for Rex King Jr. to collect his first Lernerville win of the season as the Ohio native pegged two critical restarts and kept an oncoming Jim Weller at bay en route to the victory. Eric Gabany started on the pole but saw his hopes to stay out front vanquished by a spin with one lap in the books. King then took control of the field while the action behind him heated up with position battles surfacing among Rex King Sr., Garrett Krummert and Brian Swartzlander and Weller

Krummert made his way around King Sr. with nine laps down, working the bottom of the speedway. However, the battle allowed King Jr. to drive away from his pursuers until a caution on lap 14 for Jim Rasey who drove off the top of turn four. On the ensuing restart, Swartzlander spun in turn four in front of the oncoming field causing King Sr., Jeremiah Shingledecker and Rasey to come to a stop on the front stretch.

When action resumed, Weller began pressing Krummert for the second spot and managed to make his way around, using Krummert’s preferred line to take the position. Weller then began chasing down King Jr. as Dave Murdick emerged with the third spot and began hunting Weller. All progress was halted with 24 laps down for a Travis Walsh caution, and then once again for Chris Rudolph, making for a second green-white-checkered finish. King Jr. withstood any challenges from the pack behind him the rest of the way while Murdick managed to take second very briefly from Weller, losing the spot a lap later.

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

(165) Rex King Jr
(31) Jim Weller
(61) Dave Murdick
(29) Garrett Krummert
(37M) Jeremiah Shingledecker
(65) Rex King
(13) Rick Regalski
(83) Brian Swartzlander
(66) J.R. McGinley
(32) Jim Rasey
(123) A.J. Flick
(45) Steve Feder
(5) Brian Sadler
(25) Chris Rudolph
(12W) Travis Walsh
(18) Colton Walters
(69) Tommy Mattocks
(3E) Eric Gabany
(4J) John Mollick
(27R) Dave Reges
(89) Erik Bowser
(88) Shawn Fleeger

Dietz Dazzles Once Again In Pro Stocks

Thrilling last lap finishes seem to be the way of it in the early portion of the season as once again, the victory wasn’t decided until very late in the 20 lap feature, and on this night, not until the top three cars crossed the start/finish line.

John McCann brought the field to the green flag but it would not take long for opening night runner up finisher, Noah Brunell to start taking looks to the inside of early race leader Bob Egley. With seven laps in the books, Brunell dove under Egley in turn three and came to the stripe with the lead. Meanwhile, Tyler Dietz was making a charge to the front with authority and found himself in the fourth spot at the halfway mark of the race.

Brunell found himself in lapped traffic at the lap 14 mark while Egley and McPherson engaged in a fierce battle for the third spot. With 18 laps in the books, Chase Lambert brought out the caution flag as he spun on the top of the backstretch near turn two. The ensuing restart set the stage as McPherson, Dietz and Brunell made it clear that they would decide the outcome themselves. The three cars came out of turn four on the final lap in a virtual dead heat as Dietz made his way for he finish line despite contact of the hard racing variety from Brunell. Dietz found himself barely edging his two competitors and collected his second viotory in his two Lernerville appearances in 2018 so far.

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

(27) Tyler Dietz
(31) Noah BrunelFi
(C33) Corey McPherson
(30 ) Bob Egley
(13X) Ryan Moyer
(17) Sam Eichelberger
(948) Joey Zambotti
(66) Joe Kelley
(32) Mark Sanders
(28Y) Terry Young
(29B) Scott Byers
(10) John Hartman
(25) Brett McDonald
(35B) Jacob Dietz
(77) Heath Close
(26) Mike Bordt
(22J) Chase Lambert
(12M) Trevor McCann
(310) Dale Tuche

Peoples Natural DIRTcar 410 Sprint Heat 1:

(98) Carl Bowser
(7K) Dan Shetler
(2) AJ Flick
(23) Darren Pifer
(51) John Garvin
(35) Jared Zimbardi
(2L) Sye Lynch
(98T) Joe Trenca
(91) Ethan Siple

Peoples Gas DIRTcar 410 Sprint Heat 2:

(22) Brandon Spithaler
(13) Brandon Matus
(23J) Jack Sodeman Jr.
(C1) Clay Riney
(4N) Jimmy Morris
(46) Michael Bauer
(4K) Bill Kiley
(24) Jeremy Hill
(23c) Jerry Hairhoger

Peoples Gas DIRTcar 410 Sprint Heat 3:

(33) Brent Matus
(7C) Cale Conley
(40) George Hobaugh
(56) Ralph Spithaler
(55) Gary Kriess
(76) Davey Jones
(29) Scott Barris
(21N) Frankie Nervo
(00) Alan Free

Peoples Gas DIRTcar 410 Sprint B-Main:

(98T) Joe Trenca
(35) Jared Zimbardi
(76) Davey Jones
(46) Micheal Bauer
(4K) Bill Kiley
(2L) Sye Lynch
(29) Scott Barris
(21N) Frankie Nervo
(91) Sadie Siegel
(24) Jeremy Hill
(23c) Jerry Hairjoger
(00) Alan Free

Precise Racing Products DIRTcar Late Model Heat 1:

(4) Alex Ferree
(72) Michael Norris
(91T) Tommy Beck
(111) Matt Lux
(29) Ken Schaltenbrand
(14R) Clay Ruffo
(19) Weston Phillis
(4F) Ed Ferree

Precise Racing Products DIRTcar Late Model Heat 2:

(10) Jared Miley
(1C) Mike Pegher Jr.
(4T8) John Flinner
(9) Clayton Kennedy
(10L) Gary Lyle
(73) Devin Lewis
(411) Bob Moore

Diehl Automotive DIRTcar Big Block Modified Heat 1:

(165) Rex King
(83) Brian Swartzlander
(31) Jim Weller
(4J) John Mollick
(45) Steve Feder
(69) Tommy Mattocks
(123) AJ Flick
(88) Shawn Fleeger

Diehl Automotive DIRTcar Big Block Modified Heat 2:

(29) Garrett Krummert
(61) Dave Murdick
(65) Rex King Jr.
(37M) Jeremiah Shingledecker
(13) Rick Regalski
(66) J.R. McGinley
(27R) Dave Reges

Diehl Automotive DIRTcar Big Block Modified Heat 3:

(32) Jim Rasey
(3E) Eric Gabany
(18) Colton Walters
(25) Chris Rudolph
(12W) Travis Walsh
(5) Brian Sadler
(89) Erik Bowser

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

(13x) Ryan Moyer
(c33) Corey McPherson
(948) Joey Zambotti
(66) Joe Kelley
(32) Mark Sanders
(28Y) Joey Zambotti
(25) Brett McDonald
(26) Mike Bordt
(22J) Chase Lambert
(29B) Scott Byers
Millerstown Pic-A-Part RUSH/DIRTcar Pro Stocks Heat 2:

(27) Tyler Dietz
(31) Noah Brunell
(10) John Hartman
(30) Bob Egley
(17) Sam Eichelgerger
(12M) Trevor McCann
(77) Heath Close
(35B) Jacob Dietz
(310) Dale Tuche

Car Count Total: 83

Peoples Natural Gas Sprints: 27

Precise Late Models: 84

Diehl Modifieds: 22

Pic-A-Part Pro Stocks: 19