Tim Bish crowned “King of the Mountain” and $1,000 richer in Super Stocks; Matt Gaston (Late Models) and Kenny White (Enduros) earn feature wins while Jason Joiner picks up his first pure stock win as Thunder Mountain Speedway closes its season.

October 2, 2010

Brookville, PA

The summer heat is long gone, but the on track action was as hot as ever at Thunder Mountain Speedway. A late season decision to hold a season ending special packed the pits as drivers weren’t quite ready to mothball their cars for the winter.

After narrowing down the 35 super stocks signed into the pits, 24 solid cars started the “King of the Mountain” Super Stock Spectacular with Jeff Mease and Joe Kot leading the field to the green. Mease took the lead before Kot spun in front of the field in turn 3 bringing out the first yellow. Back under green, Mease again held the top spot as 6th starter Tim Bish moved to 2nd with Craig Koteles a close 3rd. Koteles had a disappointing end to his night as he was caught up in a turn 4 altercation. Koteles went to the pits and called it a night. When the green flag flew again, Mease has his hands full with Bish. With Mease running high and Bish on the bottom, the duo raced side by side for several laps. Bish had the lead at the end of 3, but Mease fought back and regained the point. Mease lead until lap 10 when Bish took over out front before a front stretch collision with Dan Smeal and several other cars. Smeal was towed to the pits with heavy rear end damage along with a missing wheel. Rusty Martz followed the lead battle for 7 laps before taking 2nd from Mease on lap 11. Martz then pressured Bish for the lead before spinning the leader down the back stretch. Martz was sent to the tail for rough driving and eventually disqualified.

Once out front, Bish steadily opened ground on the rest of the field with Mease back in 2nd ahead of Dom Surra and Tim White. On lap 16, Mease looped his mount in turn 4 collecting Surra. Both cars were done for the night. After a pair of cautions for debris, Bish again motored his way to a sizable advantage over White as Skip Lindemuth took 3rd from Bob Rosman with 5 laps to go. Tom Snyder followed Lindemuth and sent Rosman to 5th. As the final laps clicked off, the field spread out as Bish held on for his biggest feature win since capturing the 2009 track championship at Thunder Mountain Speedway. First time visitor White was a solid runner up with Lindemuth, Snyder, and Brian Rhed making up the front 5. Rosman faded to 6th at the finish ahead of Gary Luzier, Dan Lewis, Rich Waltman, and Paul Blake. Surra, Bish, Lindemuth and Martz were heat race winners as Smeal won the b main.

Mark Booth and Rod Phillips paced the 17 car late model field to the 20 lap battle ahead of them. Phillips took the lead over Booth, who had Chuck Kennedy pressuring him before taking 2nd on lap 3. Tom Shaffer brought out the first of several lap 8 cautions which also included Bob McMillen, Bill Davis, and John Chesnalavich. Booth had apparent car troubles as he got a bad restart and lost spots to Scott Stein and 14th starter Matt Gaston. On lap 10, Booth spun off the backstretch bringing out a caution. On the ensuing restart, Gaston drove by Kennedy and set chase after Phillips. Gaston, well known for his high line around the 3/8 mile oval proved he can go to the bottom as he drove under Phillips for the lead on lap 13. Chesnalavich brought out his 2nd caution of the night on lap 14.

When green replaced yellow, Gaston stretched his lead and methodically worked through lapped traffic. The traffic disappeared with 2 laps to go as Todd Sallack brought out the final yellow. Gaston had a clear track in front of him and powered to a comfortable win over Phillips, Kennedy, Scott Stein and John Reed. The bottom half of the top 10 went to John Brady, Bernie Witherite, Jerry Redden, Davis, and Booth. Booth and Phillips took home heat race wins.

Jason Joiner has been on victory lane’s doorstep all season after moving up to the Pure Stock division from a successful Enduro tenure. Joiner has several heat race wins to his credit before adding another, earning him the pole starting spot for the 15 lap feature. Shawn Lindemuth started along side Joiner and followed the leader until the pair made contact on the front stretch on lap 3. Lindemuth began slowing before coasting to a stop on lap 5 as caution waved for a Dustin Challingsworth spin. Joiner lead the restart with newcomers Jace Ferringer and Ryan Hess in hot pursuit. The trio were in a tight battle for the lead the rest of the way, but Joiner held on for his first Pure Stock feature win. Ferringer, Hess, Chad Ramsey and Travis Brady followed across the line. Steve Barnes, Sam McClelland, Mike Calhoun, Dustin Challingsworth, and Lindemuth rounded out the top 10.

The final event of the season was the 12 lap-12 car Thunderbolt Enduro feature. John Lee and Kenny White made up the front row with White taking the lead at the drop of the green. 6th starting Ryan Krause moved to 2nd and hounded the leader before coasting to the pits on lap 5. White had a half lap lead at the finish over Lee, Chris Hickok, Cliff Deemer and Denny Phillips. Ryan Kemmer, Mark Rematt, Jeremy Paulson, Krause, and Brent Shattis completed the top 10. Lee and White were heat winners.

COMPLETE RESULTS:

Super Stocks:

1. Tim Bish, 2. Tim White, 3. Skip Lindemuth, 4. Tom Snyder, 5. Brian Rhed, 6. Bob Rosman, 7. Gary Luzier, 8. Dan Lewis -DNF, 9. Rich Waltman -DNF, 10. Paul Blake -DNF, 11. Jamie Duncan, 12. Jeff Mease -DNF, 13. Dom Surra -DNF, 14. Fuzzy Fields -DNF, 15. Dan Smeal -DNF, 16. Eric Baun -DNF, 17. Jim Handyside -DNF, 18. Gary Little -DNF, 19. Joe Kot -DNF, 20. Craig Koteles -DNF, 21. Chad Rougeux -DNF, 22. Jamie Price -DNF, 23. Jackson Humanic -DNF, 24. Rusty Martz -DQ.

DNQ- Ray Hickok, Drew Koteles, Rich Howell, Mike Dempsey, Jay Blum, Randy Reitz, Jason Fosnaught, Steve Barnes, Jackie Phillips, Todd English, Todd Mathews.

Heat Winners: Surra, Bish, Lindemuth, Martz.

B-Main: Smeal.

Late Models:

1. Matt Gaston, 2. Rod Phillips, 3. Chuck Kennedy, 4. Scott Stein, 5. John Reed, 6. John Brady, 7. Bernie Whiteford, 8. Jerry Redden, 9. Bill Davis, 10. Mark Booth, 11. Todd Sallack, 12. Mike Zemrose, 13. Jeremy Geer, 14. John Chesnalavich -DNF, 15. Tom Shaffer -DNF, 16. Bob McMillen -DNF, 17. Denny Draisma -DNF.

Heat Winners: Booth, Phillips.

Pure Stocks:

1. Jason Joiner, 2. Jace Ferringer, 3. Ryan Hess, 4. Chad Ramsey, 5. Travis Brady, 6. Steve Barnes, 7. Sam McClelland -DNF, 8. Mike Calhoun -DNF, 9. Dustin Challingsworth -DNF, 10. Shawn Lindemuth -DNF, 11. Jim Challingsworth -DNF.

Heat Winner: Joiner.

Thunderbolt Enduros:

1. Kenny White, 2. John Lee, 3. Chris Hickok, 4. Cliff Deemer, 5. Denny Phillips, 6. Ryan Kemmer, 7. Mark Rematt, 8. Jeremy Paulson -DNF, 9. Ryan Krause -DNF, 10. Brent Shattis -DNF, 11. Eric Luzier -DNF, 12. Tom Pavelko -DNS.

Heat Winners: Lee, White.