John Mollick Takes Modified Main Event Laurels Friday Night At Lernerville

Information By: GARY HEEMAN / LERNERVILLE SPEEDWAY – SARVER, PA – The sparks flew both on and off the track as the stretch run of Fab4 Friday nights Revved up with Marburger Farm Dairy, graced the clay at The Action Track on Friday night and fireworks filled the air courtesy of American Steel Processing.

Meanwhile, Terry Bowser Excavating Victory Lane saw some familiar faces as “The Crusher Kid” Mike Norris struck again for his second feature win of the season and Joey Zambotti managed his third Action Track victory of 2020 while John Mollick made the Dig Block Modified points battle a bit tighter with his second win of the year. However, the highlight of the night belonged to “The Underdog” Dan Shetler who took a well deserved feature win in 410 Sprint Car action for his first Lernerville trophy since 2017.

Shetler started on the front row of the 25 lap Peoples Natural Gas Sprint Car Main event and from the drop of the green flag took the early advantage. All forward progress was halted just a lap later as Chase Metheney went upside down on the front stretch bringing out the red flag. When action resumed, Shetler got a good jump on the field and kept command while behind him, front row mate Leyton Wagner looked impressive in holding the second spot for the first half of the race. At the same time, 2020 feature winner Michael Bauer, current points leader Carl Bowser and the hard charging Sye Lynch made a formidable chase pack. They made their way around Wagner just past the halfway point, led by Bauer, and set their sights on running down Shetler who hit his marks on seemingly every laps and left no mistake to capitalize on. Bauer was able to pull to Shetler’s tail tank in the latter stages but was unable to make his way around partially due to Lynch who made his way around Bowser and stalked Bauer for the second spot. Lynch made his way by with two laps to go, but out front, Shetler did not flinch or fail, taking the hard earned feature victory.

“It’s been too long,” Shetler said in victory lane “It’s just tough for the little guys like us. We got a finally got a chance to start up front and we capitalized on it. All those guys will press you, if you make a mistake or two you’re going to be driven by and won’t get a chance to get it back.”

Almost in the same fashion, John Mollick made no mistakes in claiming his second feature victory of the season in the Diehl Automotive Big Block Modifieds. Colton Walters and Jeremiah Shingledecker led the field to the green flag while the fifth starting Mollick set out in search of the lead immediately, making his way past division heavyweights Brian Swartzlander, Rex King Sr., and Shingledecker in the first five laps, passing King for the lead on lap seven while using the high side of the speedway to his advantage. Behind him, points leader and seventh starter Garrett Krummert was moving forward in a hurry, jumping to the third spot on an early restart while preparing for a battle for second with King Sr. that took place during the final laps. Krummert was able to make his way around to take the spot, but out front Mollick was dispatching one piece of lapped traffic behind him after another en route to his second feature win of the season.
In the Precise Racing Products Late Model main event, Mike Pegher Jr and 2019 champion Ken Schaltenbrand started out up front where Pegher would take command of the field in the early portion of the race. Schaltenbrand dropped back a few spots in the running order in the early going, just as Mike Norris was getting ramped up and climbing through the cars from his sixth starting spot. Norris was able to make his way around Pegher coming out of turn two with nine laps down while behind them, Pegher, last Friday’s feature winner Alex Ferree, and a resurgent Schaltenbrand were three wide for the second spot which allowed Norris to put even more distance behind himself out front. The three pack of pursuers would get one more chance to get around Norris on a restart with seven laps to go where Schaltenbrand threw the kitchen sink at the leader and made his way around for the lead on lap 19. However, Norris made his way back around and never looked back, finding victory lane for the second time in 2020.

The red hot Joey Zambotti started up front in the Millerstown Pic-A-Part Pro Stock finale but had to deal with the cream of the division crop behind him from the drop of the green flag. Following an early caution for front row mate Joe Kelley, Zambotti was joined on the front row by points leader Tyler Dietz and had in the row behind them lurked the always dangerous Chris Schneider who’s winning percentage in spot starts over the years at Lernerville has been impressive to say the least. Zambotti’s car was working in all three grooves on Friday night as he used the low side to get in front of Dietz and the high side to his advantage afterwards. Behind the top three, six time track champion and last week’s feature winner Corey McPherson continued showing speed in a big way, moving forward from his 11th starting spot while passing Schneider for the second spot on lap 13. Meanwhile, Dietz seemed to have something go away on the car as he vanished from the top five in the waning laps while Chase Lambert charged forward to a top five finish from his 12th starting spot in impressive fashion. Out front though, it was all Zambotti who kept the field at bay including a furious late charge from McPherson to collect the victory.

Immediately following racing action on Friday night, The Action Track Podcast team was hard at work recapping the entire night of racing action as Announcer Eric Westendorf, PR Director Screamin’ Gary Heeman, and producer Brian Mitchell give you an inside look on the night that was. You can listen to this week’s podcast right here Action Track Podcast 3.12

Peoples Natural GasDIRTcar 410 Sprint Feature: (25 Laps)

(7K) Dan Shetler
(42) Sye Lynch
(11) Carl Bowser
(46) Michael Bauer
(2) A.J. Flick
(18J) R.J. Jacobs
(38) Leyton Wagner
(33) Brent Matus
(22) Brandon Spithaler
(22jr) Jack Sodeman Jr.
(40) Geoge Hobaugh
(13) Brandon Matus
(76) Davey Jones
(14H) Jeremy Hill
(250) Jared McFarland
(J4) John Garvin Jr.
(23) Darren Pifer
(C1) Clay Riney
(08) Dan Kuriger
(31C) Chase Metheney

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

(72) Michael Norris
(29) Ken Schaltenbrand
(4) Alex Ferree
(27) Mike Pegher
(48R) Russ King
(33K) Kyle Knapp
(9Y) Levi Yetter
(10) Gary Lyle
(77) Tyler Dietz
(9) Clayton Kennedy
(11) Joshua Powell
(217) Howard Fraley
(12) John Myers
(15*) Kelvin Kohan
(10C) Ryan Christoff
(01H) Ron Hall
(92) Jayme Beck
(14R) Clay Ruffo
(B8) Tom Bateman

(81) Mike Miller- Did Not Start

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

(4J) John Mollick
(29) Garrett Krummert
(65) Rex King Sr.
(165) Rex King Jr.
(61) Dave Murdick
(83) Brian Swartzlander
(37MD) Jeremiah Shingledecker
(18G) JR McGinley
(18W) Colton Walters
(45) Steve Feder
(22) Kevin Long
(32R) Chris Rudolph
(35) Steve Slater
(71) Randy Chronister
(72M) Jacob McElravy
(3K) Shawn Kozar

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

(948) Joey Zambotti
(C33) Corey McPherson
(74) Chris Schneider
(22jr) Chase Lambert
(25) Brett McDonald
(10) Nick Kocuba
(66) Joe Kelley
(26) Mike Bordt
(30) Bob Egley
(27) Tyler Dietz
(21) Jeff Miller
(81) Mike Miller
(28) Doug Iorio II
(5) James Bertges
(77H) Heath Close
(19M) Ryan Maglione
(4) Brett Hutira
(35b) Jacob Dietz

(73) Jason Fosnaught- Did Not Start
(V2) Bob Connor- Did Not Start
(99T) Teddy Baumbartner- Did Not Start

Amick Associates Heat 1 for Peoples Natural Gas Sprint Cars:

(42) Sye Lynch
(38) Leyton Wagner
(46) Michael Bauer
(08) Dan Kuriger
(250) Jared McFarland
(33) Brent Matus
(14H) Jeremy Hill
(4K) Kip Edwards
(J4) John Garvin Jr.

Glassmere Fuel Service Heat 2 for Peoples Natural Gas Sprint Cars:

(2) A.J. Flick
(11) Carl Bowser
(7K) Dan Sheler
(23jr) Jack Sodeman Jr.
(31C) Chase Metheney
(23) Darren Pifer
(27) Zach Morrow
(11H) Edward Holben

Ferguson Heating and Air Conditioning heat 3 for the Peoples Natural Gas Sprint Cars

(18) R. J Jacobs
(13) Brandon Matus
(22) Brandon Spithaler
(C1) Clay Riney
(40) George Hobaugh
(3) Ryan Beatty
(76) Davey Jones
(44) Pete Landrum

BMain for the Peoples Natural Gas Sprints- Top 5 to Main Event

(33) Bent Matus
(J4) John Garvin Jr.
(23) Darren Pifer
(76) Davey Jones
(14H) Jeremy Hill
(44) Pete Landrum
(27) Zach Morrow
(3) Ryan Beatty
(4K) Kip Edwards
(11H) Edward Holben

GetPhil.com Late Model Heat 1 for the Precise Racing Late Models

(4) Alex Ferree
(29) Ken Schaltenbrand
(72) Mike Norris
(92) Jayme Beck
(01H) Ron Hall
(11) Joshua Powell
(217) Howard Fraley
(10C) Ryan Christoff
(14R) Clay Ruffo
(81) Mike Miller

American Steel Procesing Heat 2 for Precise Late Models:

(27) Mike Pegher
(33K) Kyle Knapp
(9Y) Levi Yetter
(48R) Russ King
(15*) Kelvin Kohan
(77) Tyler Dietz
(9) Clayton Kennedy
(12) John Myers
(10) Gary Lyle
(B8) Tom Bateman

(48) Colton Flinner- DQ

McCutcheon Enterprises Heat 1 for Diehl Modifieds:

(165) Rex King Jr.
(61) Dave Murdick
(45) Steve Feder
(83) Brian Swartzlader
(18W) Colton Walters
(22) Kevin Long
(32R) Chris Rudolph
(3K) Shawn Kozar

Thermo Twin Windows Heat 2 for Diehl Modifieds:

(65) Rex King Sr.
(4J) John Mollick
(29) Garrett Krummert
(37M) Jeremiah Shingledecker
(35) Steve Slater
(72M) Jacob McElravy
(71) Randy Chronister
(18G) JR McGinley- Did Not Start

Thoma Meat Market Heat 1 for Pic-A-Part Pro Stocks:

(27) Tyler Dietz
(948) Joey Zambotti
(74) Chris Schneider
(66) Joe Kelley
(77H) Heath Close
(35b) Jacob Dietz
(22jr) Chase Lambert
(10) Nick Kocuba
(28) Doug Iorio
(99T) Teddy Baumgartner
(30) Bob Egley

Hovis Auto and Truck Supply Heat 2 for Pic-A-Part Pro Stocks:

(73) Jason Fosnaught
(C33) Corey McPherson
(25) Brett McDonald
(81) Mike Miller
(5) James Bertges
(4) Brett Hutira
(21) Jeff Miller
(19M) Ryan Maglione
(V2) Bob Connor
(26) Mike Bordt

Car Count Total:
Peoples Natural Gas Sprints: 25
Precise Late Models: 21
Diehl Modifieds: 16
Millerstown Pic-A-Part Pro Stocks: 21
Total Car Count: 83