Friday the 13th Excitement at Thunder Mountain Speedway as Seger, Fenton, Martz, Shannon and Miller Claim Victories!!!: Fans and drivers ready for the Mike Eberl/Donnie Leonard Memorial!

August 13 , 2010
Knoxdale, PA

Friday the 13th is a date that some people fear, it is a date that is synonymous with bad luck, and superstitions. For race fans, this edition of Friday the 13th was filled with high speeds, action, excitement, and a little bit of drama, as the Thunder Mountain Speedway hosted the 410 Winged Sprint Cars for the final time this season. Cooler temperatures and overcast skies kept the speedway tacky and fast for the return of the fastest cars on dirt! Hot laps for the sprints got the fans fired up and proved that the overcast and fast conditions would lead to some great racing action as the features rolled out on to the track.
 
Up first tonight were the Super Stocks with Gary Luzier and Eric Baun leading the way to the green flag. Multi-time feature winner Rusty Martz started 13th on the grid and provided plenty of excitement in the event. Luzier took the early lead with Baun hot on his tail, but it wasn’t long before 6th place starter Skip Lindemuth found himself at the front of the pack after wrestling the second spot away from Baun exiting turn two, and then taking the lead from Luzier as the pair raced out of turn four. Once out front, Lindemuth began to build a comfortable lead as Baun, Luzier and Tim Adamson were locked in three car battle for second. After starting scratch, Martz was on a mission, and had worked his way into the top five by lap number six, passing cars high and low on the speedway. It was then that Martz began to show his muscle as he quickly dispatched Baun, Adamson and Luzier to take over the second position. Shortly after taking the second position, Martz lost the handle of the #16m machine in turn three and found himself almost sideways in front of the field. As Martz worked to maintain control of his racer, he was tagged from behind by Luzier who was almost sideways himself trying to avoid Martz. The caution flew and was charged to Luzier for the contact allowing Martz to retain the second position. On the restart, Lindemuth jumped out to the lead with Martz all over his rear bumper. 10th place starter Dom Surra was making his presence known as he had worked his way into the third position and was looking strong as he began to pressure Martz for the second position. Martz had his hands full as he was fending off the pressure from Surra while applying pressure of his own to Lindemuth for the lead. Lindemuth’s time in the lead came to end when he slipped out of the low line in turn three allowing Martz to sneak by. Once out front Martz opened up a comfortable lead over Lindemuth. Even a late race caution did nothing to slow down Martz as he pulled away to take yet another feature win on the season. Following Martz across the line to round out the top five were, Lindemuth, Surra, Jeff Mease, and Baun. Heat race winners were: Rusty Martz and Skip Lindemuth.
 
Seventeen Steel Block Late Models were on hand tonight in a final tune up for next weeks $2,500 to win Eberl / Leonard Memorial event. The field was led to the green flag by Denny Fenton and Dave Buchanan, with Fenton powering into the lead as the field entered turn one. 5th place starter Chuck Kennedy got a great start and took the second position from Buchanan on the third circuit and began to challenge Fenton for the lead. Matt Gaston started 8th on the grid and quickly worked his way into the top five, as Kennedy and Fenton were putting on a side by side battle for the lead. Gaston found the top side of the speedway to his liking and quickly moved around Buchanan for third and began to reel in the leaders. Kennedy was all over Fenton as the pair raced side by side for several laps before Gaston flew by on the high side of the Kennedy and one lap later used the same high side move to get around Fenton for the lead. Gaston was a rocket ship on the high side of the speedway. In only a few laps he opened up a large lead over Fenton and looked like he was getting faster each lap. As the old saying goes, “all good things must come to an end,” and for Gaston, the end came as he exited turn four on unlucky lap #13. Something broke on the #47 ending Gaston’s great run at the front and turned the lead back over to Fenton. Fenton took advantage of Gaston’s misfortune and began to pull away from the field as Kennedy found himself locked in a battle with Terry Rayko for second. As the laps wound down, Kennedy would draw closer to Fenton before Rayko spun in turn three as the white flag flew. Kennedy would get one last shot at Fenton in a green, white, checkered finish. Kennedy drove it hard into turn one, but Fenton turned away the challenge and pulled away down the backstretch as he raced to his second feature win of the season. Kennedy, Buchanan, John Brady, and Luke Hoffner rounded out the top five behind Fenton. Heat race victories went to, Dave Buchanan, Denny Fenton, and Terry Rayko.
 
The Winged Warriors of the 410 Sprint division were next on the blocks for their final appearance of 2010 at the 4/10’s mile oval. Chuck Brion and Jeff Taylor brought the field to the green flag with Brion taking the lead as the field charged in to turn one. Taylor was throwing everything he had at Brion in the early going, but Brion was able to turn back the challenges, as John Smith began to gain some ground on the lead pair. Smith would use the low line to get around Taylor for second only to have the pass negated by a caution before the lap was completed. As Brion continued to pace the field, all eyes were on the #25 of Jimmy Seger. Like Gaston in the late models, Seger was hooked up on the top side of the speedway and was quickly drawing closer to the lead pair. In one lap, Seger charged from fourth to second as he took third from Smith on the high side of turn two and then rocketed down the backstretch and dove under Taylor into second in turn three. Seger was quickly reeling in Brion when the caution flew again for a spin by Dylan Proctor. On the lap nine restart, Seger shot into the lead with a high side pass of Brion in turn two and began to check out from the rest of the field. Seger was setting a blistering pace as Brion and Smith continued to battle for second. Multi-time feature winner Dan Shetler was on the move after missing his heat race and starting at the rear of the field after his crew replaced a broken push rod. Shetler had raced his way to the fourth position and joined Brion and Smith in the battle for second. At the front of the pack it was all Seger as he had opened up a strait-away advantage over the field. Disaster almost struck the leader as Seger was racing through lapped traffic. Exiting turn four, Seger ran into the back of Dave Delisle and found himself in a 360 degree spin on the front stretch! Seger kept the wheels turning and righted his out of shape racer just past the flag stand to maintain the lead after the spin, as Delisle got out of shape entering turn one and spun to the infield bringing out the caution. Ironically, the incident occurred on, you guessed it, lap #13! The caution gave Seger a chance to regain his composure, and on the restart he again shot out to the lead. As the laps wound down, it was apparent that the incident did nothing to hurt the #25 as Seger once again began to distance himself from the field. Brion, Smith and Shetler continued their battle for second as Bill Jones raced his way in to fifth on the high side of the speedway. Like the chess club president on prom night, Seger was all alone as he took the checkered flag to earn his first feature win of the year! Chuck Brion earned his best sprint car finish with his second place showing. John Smith finished a solid third while Dan Shetler put his engine woes behind him as he brought home a fourth place finish. Bill Jones ended a great run from the twelfth starting spot with a strong finish to round out the top five. Heat race winners were, Jimmy Seger and Gale Ruth Jr.
 
The Pure Stock division has been Kyle Shannon’s play ground this year as he finds his way to victory lane on a regular basis. Tonight was no exception as Shannon would once again claim the feature win, but, it wasn’t as easy this week. The field was lead to the green flag by Zach Gustafson and Sam McClellan, but it was Jason Joiner making the big move in turns one and two taking the lead as the field raced down the backstretch. Mike Calhoun settled in to second with Steven Arthurs and Shawn Lindemuth hot on his trail. Shannon began his trek to the front as Joiner continued to lead, with Arthurs and Calhoun racing hard for second. By the seventh circuit, Shannon had worked his way in to second and began to close the distance between himself and Joiner. A caution on lap ten bunched up the field and moved Shannon right on Joiners back bumper. Shannon pulled even with Joiner as the pair raced out of turn two on the restart and completed the pass entering turn three with Lindemuth moving in to second. Lindemuth would be the victim of a squeeze play and contacted the front stretch wall causing damage to the #54 which sent him to the pits for the remainder of the event. Chad Ramsey was looking strong as he worked into the third position and began to challenge Joiner for second. With two laps to go, Shannon had opened up a comfortable lead as Joiner and Ramsey traded paint down the backstretch and in to turn three where they got together and slipped up the track allowing the rest of the field to squeeze by. When the checkered flew, it was Shannon taking the win with Arthurs, McClellan, Gustafson and Lori Weaver rounding out the top five. Heat race wins went to Steven Arthurs and Kyle Shannon.
 
The Front Wheel Drive Thunderbolts were up next with Doug Surra and the returning Shawn Hadden on the front row. Hadden was returning after a wild ride at Central Pa Speedway a few weeks ago where he found himself riding the front stretch wall on his side. Hadden looked strong as he took the initial lead in the event and would lead past the halfway point as John Miller made a great move on the back stretch to go from sixth to third. Miller would get around Surra on the low side and begin to run down Hadden . Hadden and Miller raced side by side before Miller finally pulled off the pass for the lead. Last weeks winner Ben Smith had been working his way to the front and found himself in second with two laps to go. Smith would gain some ground on the leader but Miller was too far ahead and took the win in convincing fashion. Rounding out the top five were Smith, Hadden, Greely, and Surra.
 
Notes: Once again the 410 sprint shows proved to be a fan favorite as another large crowd was on hand to witness the high speed excitement of the sprinters. Thunder Mountain would like to thank the race teams and fans for their continued support of the 410 sprint specials! Next week is another special night at the speedway as we present the 2010 Mike Eberl / Donnie Leonard Memorial for Steel Block Late Models. The night will feature a $2500 to win $200 to start Steel Block Late Model event! Admission prices for the Eberl/Leonard Memorial will be the same as a regular night at the speedway with General Admission $10, kids under 12 years old free, and Pit Admission $20. There will be a $30 registration fee for the Steel Block Late Models, with all registration fees going to the Make -a- Wish Foundation. Thunder Mountain would like to thank all the sponsors who have signed on to make this special memorial race a truly special event! A list of all participating sponsors in posted on the speedway website. Join us next week as we bring the Thunder to the Mountain on Friday Nights!
 
www.thundermountainspeedway.net
 
Full Results:
 
Super Stocks:
1. Rusty Martz
2. Skip Lindemuth
3. Dom Surra
4. Jeff Mease
5. Eric Baun
6. Gary Luzier
7. Rich Howell
8. Jackie Phillips
9. Allen English
10. Tim Adamson
11. Nathan Yeaney
12. Steve Barnes
DNF: Todd English
 
Steel Block Late Models:
1. Denny Fenton
2. Chuck Kennedy
3. Dave Buchanan
4. John Brady
5. Luke Hoffner
6. Rick Maxim
7. Bill Davis
8. John Chesnalavich Jr.
9. Donnie Connor
10. Terry Rayko
11. Denny Draisma
DNF: Matt Gaston, Chris Clark, Mike Demrose, Bruce Raybuck
DNS: Jerry Redden
 
410 Sprints:
1. Jimmy Seger
2. Chuck Brion
3. John Smith
4. Dan Shetler
5. Bill Jones
6. Gale Ruth Jr.
7. George Suprick
8. Jeff Taylor
9. Cory Good
10. Gale Ruth Sr.
11. Ryan Lynn
DNF: Dave Delisle, Todd Lynn, Dylan Proctor, Kyle Lefelhoc, Zeke Brungard
DNS: Rich Brungard
 
Pure Stocks:
1. Kyle Shannon
2. Steven Arthurs
3. Sam McClellan
4. Zach Gustafson
5. Lori Weaver
6. Ryan Jones
7. Jason Joiner
8. Chad Ramsey
9. Jason Young
DNF: Mike Calhoun, Shawn Lindemuth, Devin Yeaney
 
FWD Thunderbolts:
1. John Miller
2. Ben Smith
3. Shawn Hadden
4. Chad Greely
5. Doug Surra
6. Randy Rickard
7. Rusty Murray
8. Randy Holliday
DNF: Mike Fields, Cory Silvis, Wayne Terwillinger, Ryan Kemmer, Cliff Deemer