JERRY REDDEN, TIM BISH, RAY HICKOK AND CHRIS HICKOK KICK OFF THE SECOND HALF OF THE SEASON WITH FEATURE WINS AT THUNDER MOUNTAIN SPEEDWAY
July 10, 2009
Knoxdale, PA
After the Mid Season Championships and subsequent break, Thunder Mountain Speedway returned to action and saw Jerry Redden (Steel Block late Models) and Ray Hickok (Pure Stocks) grab their 2nd wins of the season while Tim Bish (Super Stocks) and Chris Hickok (Thunderbolt Enduros) snare their initial victories of 2009.
“If that was a couple laps longer, I wouldn’t have made it” stated Jerry Redden after his latest feature win. “It started pushing water, but when I saw 1 to go I said I’m gonna keep going. I wouldn’t have caught Chris (Clark) if he didn’t spin, hated to see that.” continued Redden.
Redden and Clark, who was driving Redden’s 2nd car paced the 16 car field to the green with Redden leading Clark and Chris Farrell into turn 1. The start was negated after Derek Rodkey came to a halt exiting turn 4 with left front damage. Rodkey was towed to the pits and done for the night. The ensuing restart saw the teammates of Redden and Clark side by side before Clark wrestled the lead as Ed Connor got by Farrell for 3rd. Clark’s lead lasted until he spun in turn 2 on lap 4 bringing out a yellow.
Redden inherited the lead for the restart and had his hands full with Connor before the pace was slowed on lap 6 for a Benny Gordon spin in turn 3. Connor resumed his pressure on the leader when green replaced yellow as Denny Fenton took 3rd from Farrell. Farrell spun on lap 7 bringing out a caution. Gordon brought out another caution at the halfway mark which erased a full straight stretch lead by Redden.
Redden restarted ahead of Fenton and Connor with Jim Parson Jr in 4th. Fenton mounted a challenge to Redden before the leader opened breathing room on lap 16. From there, Redden stretched his lead and won over Fenton, Connor, Parson, and Dwayne Brooks. Rick Maxim, Clark, Chuck Kennedy, Bruce Raybuck and Bill Davis completed the top 10. Farrell and Matt Gaston picked up heat wins.
Prior to the night’s racing action, Ray Hickok was concerned about his transmission. After being pushed to victory lane, the Commodore, PA driver was relieved. “It broke at the scales, I guess I lucked out” admitted Hickok. “I’ll probably be running here the rest of the year, hopefully I can win some more” continued Hickok.
Josh Fields and newcomer Kevin Kilgore lead the 17 car Pure Stock field to the start with Kilgore taking the lead. Fields was 2nd with Bruce Hartzfeld and Jim Gullace in pursuit. Fields spun in turn 2 forcing a complete restart. Kilgore took the lead ahead of Hartzfeld and Hickok to passed Gullace for 3rd. Gullace then moved to 2nd before his car started smoking with sparks coming from the rear end and coasted to a halt on lap 3, bringing out a yellow.
Kilgore headed the restart with Hickok, Bob Alcorn and Hartzfeld in tow. 13th starter Kyle Shannon moved to 5th on lap 6 as the yellow flag waved for Justin Kanouff’s stopped machine on the front stretch. Back under green, Kilgore had his hands full with Hickok as Shannon took 3rd from Alcorn. The top 4 cars began to pull away from the pack before a lap 10 caution for Mike Calhoun bunched the field. Hickok took the lead on lap 11 and Shannon followed to 2nd, putting Kilgore in 3rd with Alcorn closely behind. Mike Lee passed Hartzfeld and Brian Rhed for 5th with 2 laps to go. Out front, Hickok stretched his lead and went on to pick up his 2nd pure stock feature win in as many appearances. Shannon maintained his points lead with a runner up finish ahead of Kilgore, Alcorn and Lee. Rhed, Hartzfeld, Shawn Hadden, Fields and Ryan Jones rounded out the top 10. Steve Matko and Shannon were heat race winners.
Super Stock points leader Tim Bish padded his lead with his first feature win of the season. “The car got better and better. Chad (Obrien) was running pretty good, but my car went wherever I put it” admitted Bish in victory lane.
Eric Baun and Chad Obrien brought the field to the line with Obrien taking the top spot. Baun settled into 2nd with Levi Ardery and Jamie Barber chasing the lead duo. Barber moved to 3rd as Bish sent Ardery to 5th . Obrien was cruising to a big lead before Brandon Connor stopped with a flat tire, bringing out the first yellow on lap 2. Racing resumed for 2 laps before Ardery, Fuzzy Fields and Skip Lindemuth were involved in a turn 3 spin. Back under green, Obrien again lead with Baun, Barber and Bish. Bish took 3rd from Barber on lap 7 and looked under Baun for 2nd. Baun closed the door and held the spot as Gary Luzier got sideways in turn 4 collecting Ardery and Fields. Luzier was able to continue, but Ardery and Fields were done for the night.
Obrien lead the restart over Baun. Bish and Barber were battling for 3rd before Bish had a strong run out of turn 2 and took 2nd from Baun at the halfway point of the race. A lap later, Bish caught Obrien and the pair waged a battle for the lead that lasted until a lap 14 slide job gave Bish the lead. From there, the field spread out and Bish went on to win over Obrien, Baun, Barber, and Lindemuth. The balance of the top 10 were Orin Taylor, Jim Handyside, Luzier, Denny Draisma, and Steve Barnes. Ardery and Obrien were heat winners over the 16 car field.
Not to be outdone by his brother Ray, Chris Hickok captured his first Thunderbolt Enduro feature win of the season. Chad Greely and Hickok ma de up the front row of the 24 car feature line up as Hickok took the lead from the start. Greeley and Chuck White battled for 2nd while point leader Jamey Lee moved to 5th. Dennis Tracer stopped on the front stretch bringing out the yellow on lap 3. Greely fell to 4th on the restart as White and John Miller took 2nd and 3rd respectively. 13th starter Jason Joiner moved to 4th at the halfway mark, then into 3rd before Joe Huffman Jr slowed and was making his way towards the pits. Joiner was unable to avoid the slowing car and lambasted the rear end of Huffman. The red was displayed as safety crews checked on the two drivers. Both were ok, but done for the night.
Hickok lead the rest of the way with White trailing. White exited the track and handed 2nd to Miller on the white flag lap. Greeley was 3rd with Aaron Hill and Lee 4th and 5th. 6th through 10th went to Roswell Babcock, Doug Surra, Randy Rickard, Sam Orf Jr, and Cory Silvis. Heat wins went to White, Joiner and Hickok.
The next event on tap at Thunder Mountain Speedway will be a regular show of Steel Block Late Models, Super Stocks, Pure Stocks, and Thunderbolt Enduros. Also slated will be Mechanics Races for Steel Block Late Models and Super Stocks. Drivers competing in other divisions are not eligible to compete. The popular TMS Kids Club will provide children 12 and under a chance to cool off with a water balloon toss. The following week (July 24), kids have a chance to win bicycles for the Sign Design Night event. All kids 12 and under can show their creativity by designing a sign for their favorite driver they can hang on the front stretch fence. A boy and girl winner will be chosen and get their picture taken with the driver they feature on their sign. Gates open at 5:00 with the first heat race hitting the track at 7:30. All information to these event and many more can be found on the track’s web site at www.thundermountainspeedway.net.
COMPLETE RESULTS:
STEEL BLOCK LATE MODELS: (16 Cars)
1. JERRY REDDEN, 2. Denny Fenton, 3. Ed Connor, 4. Jim Parson Jr, 5. Dwayne Brooks, 6. Rick Maxim, 7. Chris Clark, 8. Chuck Kennedy, 9. Bruce Raybuck, 10. Bill Davis, 11. John Reed, 12. Matt Gaston, 13. Benny Gordon -DNF, 14. Chris Farrell -DNF, 15. Merv Killion -DNF, 16. Derek Rodkey -DNF.
HEAT WINNERS: Farrell, Gaston.
PURE STOCKS: (17 Cars)
1. RAY HICKOK, 2. Kyle Shannon, 3. Kevin Kilgore, 4. Bob Alcorn, 5. Mike Lee, 6. Brian Rhed, 7. Bruce Hartzfeld, 8. Shawn Hadden, 9. Josh Fields, 10. Ryan Jones, 11. Zach Gustafson, 12. Guy Coder, 13. Jason Young -DNF, 14. Mike Calhoun -DNF, 15. Justin Kanouff -DNF, 16. Jim Gullace -DNF, 17. Steve Matko -DNS.
HEAT WINNERS: Matko, Shannon.
SUPER STOCKS: (16 Cars)
1. TIM BISH, 2. Chad Obrien, 3. Eric Baun, 4. Jamie Barber, 5. Skip Lindemuth, 6. Orin Taylor, 7. Jim Handyside, 8. Gary Luzier, 9. Denny Draisma, 10. Steve Barnes, 11. Brandon Connor, 12. Emory Rinehart -DNF, 13. Levi Ardery -DNF, 14. Fuzzy Fields -DNF, 15. Dan Henry -DNF, 16. Johnny Lindenpitz -DNS.
HEAT WINNERS: Ardery, Obrien.
THUNDERBOLT ENDUROS: (24 Cars)
1. CHRIS HICKOK, 2. John Miller, 3. Chad Greeley, 4. Aaron Hill, 5. Jamey Lee, 6. Roswell Babcock, 7. Doug Surra, 8. Randy Rickard, 9. Sam Orf Jr, 10. Cory Silvis, 11. Randy Holliday, 12. Scott Brocious, 13. Dan Bish, 14. Chuck Himes, 15. Mike Fields, 16. Wayne Terwillinger, 17. Chuck White -DNF, 18. Rusty Murray, 19. Jason Joiner -DNF, 20. Jacob Kline -DNF, 21. Joe Huffman Jr -DNF, 22. Brandon Reitz -DNF, 23. Dennis Tracer -DNF, 24. Ryan Kemmer -DNS.
HEAT WINNERS: White, Joiner, Hickok.
