Matt Stangle Takes First Of Season Saturday Night At New Egypt Speedway

Story By: MIKE WISNIEWSKI / NEW EGYPT SPEEDWAY – NEW EGYPT, NJ – At New Egypt Speedway’s Plumsted Township Night, Matt Stangle scored a win in the Vahlco Wheels Modified feature. The Crate Modified feature was won by Eric Palmer. Rich Mellor collected the checkered flag in the main event for the Larry’s Hot Rods & Harley’s Northeast Wingless Sprint Cars. Joe Garey Sr. visited victory lane after winning the 4-Cylinder race while Anthony Tramontana Jr. was the victor in the Lyons Construction/Metal Fab Rookie Sportsman.

The 30-lap Vahlco Wheels Modified feature began with polesitter Brian Papiez bolting to the front with JR Fulper and Matt Stangle in tow. The top three remained in order until a pair of cautions took place on the sixth tour. When green flag racing returned, Stangle grabbed the lead with Papiez in second and Fulper in third. Mike Butler, who started the event in fourteenth, was continuing his march forward as he moved into fourth place on the eighth revolution. After an eleventh lap yellow flag for a slowing John McClelland, the ensuing restart was red flagged as Kevin Vaclavicek’s car flipped on the frontstretch and collected other competitors. Once action resumed, Stangle was still on top with Papiez in second with twelve laps completed. Sixteenth place starting Danny Bouc inched closer to the front as he passed Butler for third on the thirteenth tour. The yellow lights illuminated for the final time with eight laps to go for Fulper. As the green flag waved, Stangle held off Papiez to maintain his lead as Butler took third place from Bouc and eighteenth place starting Ryan Godown motoring into fifth. On the very next circuit, Bouc regained third from Butler. With five laps remaining, Stangle had developed a half straight away advantage over Papiez. Stangle went unchallenged the rest of the way to pick up his second career Modified feature win. Papiez’s strong run netted him the runner-up position. With Bouc finishing third, Butler was fourth and Godown was fifth. Brian Papiez, Matt Stangle and TJ Lilly claimed the Vahlco Modified heat races.

In the 20-lap Crate Modified feature, Eric Palmer catapulted to the front on the second circuit and remained on top to capture his ninth career victory. Second place went to Joseph Brown. George Gareis Jr. came from eighth place to finish in third. Ryan Heim and Aaron Weaver rounded out the top five. The Crate Modifieds heat races were won by Joseph Brown and Eric Palmer. Robby Dunn was the victor of the consolation contest.

For the third time in his career, Rich Mellor took top honors in the 25-lap Larry’s Hot Rods & Harley’s Northeast Wingless Sprint Cars main event. Following a restart, Mellor overtook Brian Spencer on the sixteenth circuit and pulled away from the pack to gain the win. With Spencer taking second, Jermain Godshall was third. Heidi Hedin was fourth and Al Cheney came home in fifth. John Brammell and Brian Spencer took the Larry’s Hot Rods & Harley’s Northeast Wingless Sprint Cars qualifying events.

After taking the lead from Paul Hartwig on the second circuit, Joe Garey Sr. went unchallenged to capture the 15-lap 4-Cylinder race. The runner-up spot was taken by Joe Garey Jr. Mike Fox was third. Fourth went to TJ Graves with Hartwig holding on to take fifth.

Anthony Tramontana Jr. took the lead from Nick Van Wickle as the white flag waved to win his first career Lyons Construction/Metal Fab Rookie Sportsman contest. Ryan Godown Jr., who had won the first two rookie races this season, nipped Van Wickle at the line to grab second. With Van Wickle third, Ryan Krushinski was fourth and Vinny Troia was fifth.

On Saturday, April 27 at New Egypt Speedway, Premio Sausage Night will present two 20-lap features for the Vahlco Modifieds. The Larry’s Hot Rods & Harley’s Northeast Wingless Sprint Cars, Hammer Sportsman, Street Stocks & Lyons Construction/Metal Fab Rookie Sportsman will be on the agenda as well. Competitors can begin to enter the pits at 3:00 p.m. with the spectator ticket window opening at 4:00 p.m. Hot laps get cranked up at 5:00 p.m. and the first green flag waves at 6:00 p.m. Admission to the grandstand is $25 for adults, $23 for seniors 65 and older, $15 for teens 12-15, $15 for military personal and their spouses with ID, and Kids 11 & under are FREE. Pit admission is $30 with a New Egypt Speedway license and $40 without.

NEW EGYPT SPEEDWAY RESULTS – SATURDAY, APRIL 20, 2019

Vahlco Wheels Modifieds

Heat 1 – 1. Brian Papiez 2. Mike Butler 3. John Pakenham 4. Blaine Bracelin 5. Billy Osmun 6. Billy Pauch Jr.

Heat 2 – 1. Matt Stangle 2. Kevin Vaclavicek 3. PJ Oliver 4. Ryan Godown 5. Brandon Grosso 6. Cale Ross

Heat 3 – 1. TJ Lilly 2. Danny Bouc 3. JR Fulper 4. John McClelland 5. Ryan Krachun 6. Pat Wall

VAHLCO WHEELS MODIFIEDS – 30 LAP FEATURE

1. MATT STANGLE 2. Brian Papiez 3. Danny Bouc 4. Mike Butler 5. Ryan Godown 6. Billy Pauch Jr. 7. Ryan Krachun 8. David VanHorn 9. Cale Ross 10. John McClelland 11. TJ Lilly 12. JR Fulper 13. Wade Hendrickson 14. Rich Rutski 15. John Pakenham 16. PJ Oliver 17. Bryan Kuhl 18. Pat Wall 19. Kevin Vaclavicek 20. Ryan Watt 21. Brandon Grosso 22. Billy Osmun 23. Blaine Bracelin 24. Davey Sammons

Crate Modifieds

Heat 1 – 1. Joseph Brown 2. Ryan Heim 3. Rob Mancini 4. Joe Toth 5. Glenn McIntyre 6. Dan Fleming 7. Johnny Bangs 8. Bobby Holzwarth

Heat 2 – 1. Eric Palmer 2. George Gareis Jr. 3. Aaron Weaver 4. Steve Hicks 5. Sammy Martz Jr. 6. Tom Princiotta 7. Ryan Simmons 8. Jeremy Martino

Consolation – 1. Robby Dunn 2. Kevin Borden 3. Ryan Godown Jr. 4. Matt Miller 5. Vinny Troia 6. Andy Walko 7. DJ Hunt 8. Nick Van Wickle

DNQ: Zachary Mendola, Jim Van Wickle, Darren Cox

CRATE MODIFIEDS – 20 LAP FEATURE

1. ERIC PALMER 2. Joseph Brown 3. George Gareis Jr. 4. Ryan Heim 5. Aaron Weaver 6. Dan Fleming 7. Ryan Simmons 8. Sammy Martz Jr. 9. Johnny Bangs 10. Glenn McIntyre 11. Jeremy Martino 12. Ryan Godown Jr. 13. Andy Walko 14. Matt Miller 15. Vinny Troia 16. Kevin Borden 17. Nick Van Wickle 18. Robby Dunn 19. Tom Princiotta 20. Bobby Holzwarth 21. Joe Toth 22. DJ Hunt 23. Steve Hicks 24. Rob Mancini 25. Anthony Tramontana Jr.

Larry’s Hot Rods & Harley’s Northeast Wingless Sprint Cars

Heat 1 – 1. John Brammell 2. Ken Nealls 3. Charles Weslowski 4. Eric Degler 5. Brad Schaale

Heat 2 – 1. Brian Spencer 2. Jermain Godshall 3. Stan Ploski 4. Duane Nixon 5. Al Cheney 6. Heidi Hedin

LARRY’S HOT RODS & HARLEY’S NORTHEAST WINGLESS SPRINT CARS – 25 LAP FEATURE

1. RICH MELLOR 2. Brian Spencer 3. Jermain Godshall 4. Heidi Hedin 5. Al Cheney 6. Stan Ploski 7. Duane Nixon 8. Brad Schaale 9. Larry Drake 10. Ken Nealls 11. John Brammell 12. Charles Weslowski 13. Eric Degler

4-CYLINDERS – 15 LAP FEATURE

1. JOE GAREY SR. 2. Joe Garey Jr. 3. Mike Fox 4. TJ Graves 5. Paul Hartwig 6. Jimmy Avery 7. Brian Osborn 8. Doug Ashford 9. Dominick Antonelli 10. Ken Horner 11. Nicole Razzano 12. Ian Ashford 13. Justin Dunn

DNS: Scott Dunn

LYONS CONSTRUCTION/METAL FAB ROOKIE SPORTSMAN – 8 LAP FEATURE

1. ANTHONY TRAMONTANA JR. 2. Ryan Godown Jr. 3. Nick Van Wickle 4. Ryan Krushinski 5. Vinny Troia 6. Zachary Merola 7. Jim Van Wickle 8. Jonathan Swift 9. DJ Hunt