The Inside Track Nov 2014

Cover Photo: Logan Diehl celebrates after his first Linda’s Speedway National Open Win (Bonnie Goshert Photo) Index Photo: Borgers Speedway Rumble at the Ridge winner Ryan Tidman (Tim KrysiukPhoto)

Cody Kline

A look at the Granddaddy of them all

Speedway Entertainment event at Grandview is profiled

Kyle Licks crazy wreck at Grandview

Borgers Pre Indoor big event is reviewed

Legends Made

The High GrooveThe Hell Tour 2014

Slingshot Allumni

September 2014 ~ 5

Adams returned to the track hungry and ready. He showed that by timing very well and making the invert. He started on the pole of his heat. Randy West was in that heat. Adams led the first four laps as West attacked. West did about everything to rattle Adams' cage. He would not budge. West did eventually work by Adams and win the race. Adams qualified to the feature. In the feature as the field came to take the green Adams slowed. The master link had broken on his chain causing his car to lose power. It was a heartbreaker and his shot at a top sixteen spot was gone. Most drivers, not just teenagers, but all drivers would have been thrown off; not this kid. He told his parents Friday night we will race in tomorrow. It wasn't cockiness, it was confident, and really it wasn't even confidence, it was simply determination. Adams raced all night to get into the B-Main. He got to second and pressured Mike Skias for the win the whole race. He kept his word and qualified for the National. The master link again broke Saturday in the 50 lap Main Event taking him out early.

In this year's National Open, a lot of drivers stepped into a new league, but these two drivers became more. They might have finished first and last, but each wrote a little bit of their own history in an epic 25 year story.

6 ~ The Inside Track

Logan Diehl was a sleeper pick going into the National Open after several strong performances in 2014. He left with his name on the big trophy and etched in time forever. Diehl is a 20 year old college student who started racing at Linda's Speedway in a 600 Modified. Last year he and his family made the move to the 270 Micro Sprint class. Diehl qualified for the Nationals last year in his first attempt. This year, with some help from Randy West and Brian Carber, Diehl was able to race weekly with some of the best. He said after his qualifying night win that he tried to race like it was any other night. We all know it was anything but. The win Thursday gave Diehl the number one seed going into Saturday's Front Row Challenge and a shot at $10,000. When Saturday came, Diehl was the first driver in the staging area for the Front Row Challenge. He was focused on the goal. He didn't win the FRC but, he settled into a third starting spot. Diehl again was one of the first up for the feature. He sat alone in the staging area at he stared at the race track. His studying of the surface would quickly go away when rain fell. It changed everything. Diehl was ready. When Randy West and Steve Dunmire tangled on the start, Diehl made a breath-taking move to the inside and his three wide move was worth $3,000, a National Open trophy, and hope to anyone who isn't a favorite going into the big weekend.

But, this story isn't all about Logan Diehl. It is also about another person. Diehl is 20 years old and unofficially is the youngest driver to ever win the Nationals. How about the youngest driver to ever attempt a start at the National? Devin Adams is 14 years old, and five days. He made the minimum age by five days. Adams had a so-so night one, but was looking for more after a long Friday in school.

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Copyright 2014 by Mike Co

Publisher:

Michael Batz

Volume 1 Issue 3

November 2014 ~ 7

Mike Fry Photo

Logan Diehl has flirted with his first win at Linda's Speedway all year and Thursday October 23rd he grabbed an opportunity to visit victory lane on the biggest stage Linda's Speedway has to offer. Diehl took the Reanimated Art and Tattoo Studio quick time and locked into the dash by finishing second in his heat race. Diehl then won the dash earning the pole for the main event.

National Open Night 1 (25 Laps)1- Logan Diehl2- Nick Skias3- Kyle Weiss4- Josh Stoyer

5- Jarid Kunkle6- Mike Rutherford7- Jacob Hendershot8- Jesse Maurer9- Mike Skias10- Nunzi Allegrucci


Image by K Lindquist

A king and a champion were crowned this past weekend at Penn Can Speedway on Saturday October 18th. Despite the threat of showers a full field of cars were there to win a spot on the throne but only one could wear the crown. Will Eastman, driving for Bob Rowback, did just that in high fashion taking the lead on lap #2 and never looking back.

“I have to thank Bob and Connie for letting me run their new car. I wanted to stay in the top ten in points and couldn’t have done it without their help,” stated Eastman.

Eastman charged to the front with Bowes and Korey Inglin right on his bumper. Inglin and Bowes raced side by side without losing too much ground to Eastman with Richie Hitzler within reaching distance to take advantage of any opening. Drivers let it all out and spectators were treated to

some of the hardest driving of the year with Eastman taking the win followed by Bowes and Inglin. Aaron Bowes was officially declared the 2014 Xcel Champion after a final points review by Xcel owner Doug Borger.

by Joanne Mady

Brown might not be the color of money, but Friday night Brad Brown seen a lot of it. The funny thing is none of it was as important to him as the shot he has at a National Open went with being the Friday night winner of the 270 Sprint main event. The rebounded solidly Friday for Brown's second career Linda's Speedway win.

National Open Night 1 (25 Laps)1- Brad Brown2- Randy West3- Kenny Miller III4- Pat Bealer

5- Steve Dunmire6- Sean Mcandrew7- Greg Robinson8- Pete Skias9- Richie Hartman10- Kyle Spence

Photographers:Supply your ¼ Midget pictures for display in the Stars of Tomorrow section of the magazine by sending them to [email protected]

The O'Connor Brothers Liam and Collin Battle For The Lead In Junior Sportsman Champ Karts at Borgers Speedway.

Bob Snyder Photo

November 2014 ~ 9

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Jonestown, PA - The 25th Anniversary of the National Open at Linda's Speedway had a little bit of everything...lots and lots of racing, huge car counts, mysterious rainfall, a first year driver adding his name to the event's prestigious list of winners, and redemption for another after a heart breaking loss in the 2013 edition of the Open.

Logan Diehl ran 600cc Modifieds until he switched to 270cc Micro-Sprints near the end of the '13 campaign. This year, in his first full season of 270cc activity, the 20-year-old improved immensely throughout the summer and into the fall before putting together a fantastic couple of nights that culminated in a National Open victory.

Jay Hartman, from Flagtown, NJ, figured this race owed him after a gut-wrenching defeat last October, and he gained his revenge on Saturday with a pulsating triumph in the 600cc portion of the National Open at the Jonestown, Pa. quarter-mile.

Diehl scored the win in Thursday's National Open prelim, parlaying his victory into a third-place starting spot for Saturday's 50-lap A-Main. The pole sitter, Randy West, declined to take the Front Row Challenge that would have paid a whopping $10,000 if he gave up his starting position, then won the race after starting from the rear of the field. His front row mate, Steve Dunmire, also refused the opportunity, as did Diehl and Nick Skias, the drivers who would line up in row two.

When West and Dunmire got into one another and a bit out of shape on the original start, Diehl shot between them and into the lead as the trio exited turn two for the first time. West and Dunmire battled one another for the runner-up spot as Pat Bealer rumbled from fifth to make it a three car fight for second.

A fairly heavy rain shower (that appeared from out of nowhere, as none of the local forecasts predicted any precipitation for the entire weekend) moved in and doused the speedway right after the conclusion of the 600cc A-Main - and right before the 270cc A-Main was pushed onto the track. A long delay - after the rain finally subsided - to get the track back into shape had everyone scratching their heads over set up and tire choice because the moisture from above turned the quarter mile oval from black and slick to heavy and tacky.

With softer tires bolted on, rather than the hardest rubber they could find, the groove moved up and the 270cc wheel-twisters were flying as the A-Main proceded toward a mandatory stoppage at the halfway point. Diehl was sailing off into the corners, his No. 94d hooked up in the higher line as he negotiated lapped traffic. Some timely yellow flags provided clear race track in front of him, and on each restart, he simply powered away from his pursuers.

by Barry Angstadt

November 2014 ~ 11

The racing for the remainder of the top five positions was fiercely entertaining, with West, Bealer, Dunmire, Jesse Maurer, and Nick Skias battling in separate little groups. After the fuel stop at the midway point of the 50-lapper, Bealer and West ran three laps in side-by-side fashion as they tussled for the runner-up position. Bealer eventually won out over West, but the No. 23R of West came roaring back, zipping around the outside of Bealer to reclaim second in the final few trips around the clay.

Diehl blasted to the big victory, with West celebrating his runner-up finish and the fact that, through his business (West Fabrications), he'd built the motors that powered the top three finishers in the National Open. Bealer, Maurer, and N. Skias rounded out the top five with 17th-starting Ross Perchak slicing his way to sixth.

Kenny Miller III, Mike Rutherford, Jarid Kunkle, and Pete Skias finished seventh through tenth.

Eddie Strada, who started 17th, earned sixth-place money, while Jason Sechrist wound up seventh. Jason Swavely, using a provisional to take the green in 30th position, threaded his way to an eighth-place payday. Tim Buckwalter, who won the B-Main, finished ninth and Travis Scott completed the top ten.National Open Notebook:

Tough to get a total car count for the event, since the 270's actually started racing on Thursday and Friday night and using Saturday to try and race their way into the big dance if they weren't able to lock themselves in through the preliminary nights' main events.

Jay Hartman pretty much had a perfect weekend at the National Open, setting quick time and winning his heat race on Friday night, then leading from start to finish in the 40-lap A-Main on Saturday. His victory was part redemption, too, as the Flagtown, NJ driver had last year's race in the bag, only to tangle with a lapped car with two to go.

A timely caution flag aided his effort on Saturday, getting him out of heavy lapped traffic that allowed Tyler Walton to close in and set up the leader for what would have been a race-winning pass. Just as Walton was ready to pounce, though, the yellow flew with just five circuits remaining.

On the restart, third place Brian Carber ducked under Walton, and that permitted Hartman to get away. He crossed the stripe 0.836-seconds in front of Walton, who repelled Carber's challenge to finish as the runner-up over Carber, Mike Dicely, and 18th-starting Heath Hehnly.


There were 71 cars on hand on Thursday, while 75 took part in Friday's program. With 16 drivers locked in heading into the final day (Saturday), another 60 competitors attempted to race their way to the A-Main through time trials, heat races, and the alphabet mains.

A total of 59 entries signed in for 600cc competition.

Jason Swavely, Douglassville Pa., had the distinction of using provisionals to start both A-Mains -in each one, he started way back in 30th position after suffering misfortune during Saturday qualifying for the 270's and 600's.

Swavely avoided a couple of multi-car tangles in the early stages of the 600cc feature, then deftly navigated his way into the top ten. He finished eighth and was easily the hard charger of the event.

In the 270cc headliner, Swavely was not as fortunate, finishing 21st as the first driver one lap down.

On Friday night, Swavely did score an impressive triumph in the Race of Champions, driving a second Ken Miller No. 23mx machine to the win over a field of point champions from various tracks across Pennsylvania and surrounding states.

The 16 drivers who locked themselves into Saturday's 270cc A-Main (by virtue of finishing in the top eight positions in Thursday and Friday's preliminary features) competed in a series of one-on-one match races on the final night to determine their starting spots for the 50-lapper. Randy West marched through the bracket to earn the pole, defeating Steve Dunmire in the final round. West had to beat Jacob Hendershot, Sean McAndrew, Logan Diehl, then Dunmire to win the pole. There were several close finishes along with some upsets in the match races, and the entire Front Row Challenge was well received by the competitors and fans.

Drivers from North Carolina, Ohio, New York, and Connecticut took part in the 25th Anniversary edition of the National Open.

November 2014 ~ 13

Hell Tour 2014…Two Weeks of Pure Joy

en races in 14 days…any true race fan would drool with anticipation and delight over the prospect of attending that many events over a period of two weeks. But I can top that, as I had the good fortune and golden opportunity to not only attend, but announce (and write about) ten racing programs in 14 days at the beginning of August, 2014.

As my schedule developed and the time for my personal “Hell Tour” drew near, I was really looking forward to it. I had never even come close to announcing that many races in a two week span…would my voice hold up? Would I survive the test of endurance, as the nights were to be filled with racing while my days were taken up by my job at St. Joseph Medical Center? And would I still be married after spending the majority of two weeks at my job and the race track? Fortunately, that answer is yes – in fact, the answer to all of the questions above is a resounding “YES!”

Unfortunately, I had to delete one event off the Hell Tour, as the Tuesday, August 12 program at the Kutztown Fair was rained out. I still considered myself lucky, though…losing just one race of this 10-in-14 stretch isn’t too bad. But it did alter the Tour to nine races in 14 days.

Here is a brief recap of those nine events; just one or two personal highlights that I took from each night of my dirt track nirvana…

Monday, August 4: the 10th Annual Nostalgia Nationals at the Reading Fair. It’s hard to believe that this is already the tenth anniversary of this marquee event for the All Star and Junior Slingshots. And I’m very proud of the fact that I’ve announced all ten Nostalgia Nationals…all the way back to the first one in 2005, when Ryan Smith (what’s he done lately? Oh yeah, he just beat the World of Outlaws at Port Royal a few weeks ago, didn’t he?) captured the inaugural event. This year, Mike McLaughlin, in a beautiful car painted similarly to Kenny Weld’s “Batmobile” that revolutionized the dirt Modified division in 1980, took home the victory at the Reading Fair.


Tuesday, August 5: The Slingshot race at the Reading Fair used to be a two-night affair, but the folks who promote and run the racing events at the Fair, the Reading Fairgrounds Racing Historical Society, want to present a varied menu of motorsports to the fairgoers, so Micro-Sprints filled the bill on Tuesday. The 270cc and Sportsman Classes were joined by the Stage One Modifieds. I’m still not sure about the Micros on that track…it’s a bit small, but the drivers seem to enjoy it. And, not to downplay Ken Andreas’ win in the 270’s, but this event kicked off what turned into a pretty big week for Jarid Kunkle, who won the Sportsman feature at the Fair.

Wednesday, August 6: The Hell Tour moved to the JeffreyHogueRealtor.com Action Track USA on the Kutztown Fairgrounds. The night was notable because Jarid Kunkle (remember him?) recorded his first career triumph in a 600cc Micro-Sprint when he took the wingless victory at his home track. The other winners this night were Earl Paules (his first win in a SpeedSTR), Larry Raifsnider(All Star Slingshots), and Damon Paul made it two in a row in the Junior Slingers. Remember the name Damon Paul, too…

Friday, August 8: Back to the Reading Fair for 125cc Micro-Sprints, Stage One Modifieds, and Karts. Darren Miller bagged the 125cc victory in a race marked by heavy contact in almost every turn of every lap. I do enjoy watching the Karts whiz around the small oval at the Reading Fair; all three classes of Karts were very competitive.

Saturday, August 9: The first half of Hell Tour would wrap up with a huge seven-feature card at Lanco’s Clyde Martin Memorial Speedway. The 270’s and 600’s made up features that were rained out on July 19, then competed – along with the 125cc, Sportsman, and 250cc Four-Stroke Micros – in heats, consolations, and regularly scheduled 25-lap main events. Significant item from this night: Heath Hehnly swept the 600cc features for his only two victories of what became a championship season for Hehnly and car owner Sonny Cooke. Oh, and Jarid Kunklewon again…this time, he cashed in for his second Sportsman triumph of the week and his first win in that division at the Clyde.

Tuesday, August 12: All day rain put an end to any hope of racing at the Kutztown Fair, giving me three consecutive days without any races…and I have to admit, I wasn’t too disappointed when I heard the event was cancelled.

Wednesday, August 13: The JeffreyHogueRealtor.com Action Track USA dried out from Tuesday’s precipitation, and the Fair Week Nationals began with Billy Pauch Jr. taking the big win in Wingless 600cc activity, while James Morris collected $1,000 for winning the Hump Day Challenge for the wingless 600’s. Morris had recently junked not one, but two frames in a couple of bone-jarring flips, so it was nice to see him earn some big dollars. Brad Brightbill won his first SpeedSTR feature, but the best was yet to come for Kenny’s kid…

November 2014 ~ 15

Thursday, August 14: It’s just me, so anyone connected with Enduro type racing, please don’t be offended, but I just don’t like Enduros! The Daniel Boone 100 (thank goodness it wasn’t 200 laps, as was the case in 2013) for stock cars took center stage at the Kutztown Fair on this night. It becomes a scoring nightmare, even with transponders, but I kept one eye on the leader at all times, so at least I always knew who was in front. And it was Randy Ahner Jr. who led most of the way to notch the victory. A darn good wingless 270cc race was won by Richie Hartman (Mike Batzsaid, “that’s the best race of the entire Fair, and I whole-heartedly agree with him), and Damon Paul – I told you to remember that name – won his third and fourth (consecutive) Junior Slingshot features. This kid, with his awesome personality and skill behind the wheel, is – in my humble opinion - destined for greatness.

Saturday, August 16: Back at my Saturday night home, Lanco’s Clyde Martin Memorial Speedway. It’s always neat to see a first time winner, and especially cool when the triumphant driver is just a really good person. That was the case in the 600cc division, as Boyertown’s Taylor Troxel registered his initial victory in the 25-lap main event. Taylor and his dad were just ecstatic in victory lane, and it was really fun to watch them celebrate the big win. It was also a night for the young guns, as Bradley Brown scored win number three in the 270’s, Kenny Miller III won his fifth of the season in the 250cc Four-Stroke Class, Darren Miller also took home his fifth checkered flag of the year in the 125cc feature, and third generation racer Curtis R. Miller won his fourth Sportsman feature of the season. The youth movement is alive and well at the Clyde…

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Sunday, August 17: The season finale at Action Track USA and the end of my Hell Tour made this a bittersweet evening. A great night of racing made me forget just how tired I was, as James Morris notched his third win of the year at Kutztown in the Wingless 600’s. And talk about the young lions who are beginning to dominate local small car racing…Louden Reimert (also a third generation driver) muscled past Travis Bieber on the final lap to win the All Star Slingshot main in a great finish. Brad Brightbill – remember him? – had a night to remember, too, as he was victorious in the Dick Tobias Classic for the SpeedSTR division. It was a $5,000 payday for Brightbill, as well as his second straight SpeedSTR victory at Action Track USA. Since it was the final race of the year, I had fun keeping track of the point battles and attempting to keep the large crowd informed as to whom was leading the championship standings throughout each feature. Billy Pauch Jr. out-pointed his dad to record the SpeedSTR title, while Jay Hartman (even though he was knocked out of the feature very early) held off Pauch Jr. to capture his second consecutive Wingless 600cc point crown. And, in the closest point chase among the three weekly divisions at the Action Track USA, Danny Buccafusca won his second straight All Star Slingshot track championship over Brett Bieber. In the early stages of the Slinger’s feature, the two wheel-twisters were actually tied for the point lead, then one would edge ahead by a slim margin, only to have the other driver leap-frog over him a few laps later. Unfortunately, Bieber was forced to retire long before the checkered waved after contact damaged his No. 32.

And that was my Hell Tour 2014. I not only survived, but enjoyed every minute of those nine events. And I’m hoping that the summer of 2015 brings the opportunity to go for ten races in that same two-week span in August.

On Monday, August 18, by the way, my wife and I headed to Virginia for a week of vacation. It was much needed, but I was ready to head home on Friday so I could be ready to go at Lanco on Saturday the 23rd…

Thanks for reading; hope you enjoyed it.

November 2014 ~ 17

Brad & Brittany Brown and their crew were

awarded best dressed crew at the Linda’s

Speedway National Open.

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Samantha Bowen Photo18 ~ The Inside Track

November 2014 ~ 19

Mike Fry catches Kyle Lick going for this Vicious Ride at Grandview

The second annual Borgers Rumble On The Ridge for Hoosier Racing Tires TQ/Asphalt 600 Sprints was expected to live up to every expectation and more as twenty four TQ/600 Sprints would take Starter Tyler Knitter’s green flag. From the very start of the day the bumping and banging was evident. In heat #1, Buddy Sload took the Colin Martin owned TQ for a wild ride down the front stretch. the alpha where out and looking to get to the front of the line ASAP! Knowing that track position would be key for the 75 lap feature everyone went hard in the heats!

Driving the Mark Janisch owned 750 TQ , fan favorite, Bing Metz was able to "Bing Back to the Future" and earn two solid top 5's in his heats landing him a top ten starting position for the feature. So impressed, editor and chief, Len Sammons vowed to make Bing a star!

The northern CanAM TQ series sent down their power house, Brandon Zavarella. Brandon was able to keep pace with the lighter and smaller Asphalt600 crowd earning himself a decent spot for the feature. The Bangor Steel Boys, Rob Vivona and Pat Van Varick made quick work of the field in the heats and would be starting up front for the feature. One of the favorites, Geo Sutton driving the Metz Ride4rent would get caught up in an incident and would have to now work from the rear. Everyones kid, Billy Pauch Jr., climbed into the MMF #46 owned by George and Marylin Van Varick and quietly completed the qualifying round up front.

Rumble On The Ridge (75 Laps)1- Ryan Tidman2- Rob Vivona3- Larry Hoagland4- Sheldon Iudicello5- Brandon Zavarella6- Jordan Tittle7- Nick Groff8- Steve Yankowski9- Larry Raifsnider10- Avery Stoehr

by Bob Snyder

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At the conclusion of the inverted second round of heats, everyone knew Tidman was the man to beat. In 2013 the Boyd owned machine of Flying Ryan was always there to contend for the top spot ( parking once in VL in 2013 too! ). At the drop of the green, the big dogs would be rail to rail. The 5b Excel600 chassis 600 wheeled by veteran wheeler Bobby Butler and the up north native Shawn Nye chased Tidman to turn one. Nye, reminiscences of last years performance and his success in AC , slingshotted by Butler out of turn two with his sights set on Tidman.

By lap ten the remaining Bangor Steel entry wheeled by Rob Vivona was ticking faster laps than the leader and was on the move. His teammate and owner, Pat Van Varickwas once again sidelined by brake issues. Vivionna had no problem carry the team and screamed into fourth with Billy Pauch Jr. glued to his rear bumper. On Lap fourteen after the two traded places, it was clear that Pauch's MMF #46 was going to have his hands full with the lighter Hyper 750 TQ. As the laps clicked off , Vivona moved up two spots into second with Pauch Jr falling in behindVivona for third.

After a few yellows, Pauch was clearly starting to get a rhythm and was on the move and took over second on a lap twenty five restart. The red flag waved mid way thru bringing the cars to a halt on the backstretch to take on fuel and make tire air pressure adjustments.

As the race went back to green it was Tidman, Pauch, and vivona dicing for the lead. As the fight for the lead intensified Larry Hoagland, Sheldon Iudicello, and Brandon Zavarella joined the hunt. With six laps to go Pauch was involved in a tangle that sidelined him with a bent tie rod ending a spectacular run for the lead. As the checkered flag waved it was Tidman, Vivona, Hoagland, Iudicello, and Zavarella.

Other winners included Taylor Eccles (Slingshots), Kurt Bettler(Slingshot Cash Dash), Joey Costello (Junior Slingshots), Joel Smith (Stage One Modifieds), and Drew Fornoro(ATQNRA Vintage TQ’s)

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November 2014 ~ 23

Rich Tobias developed the Slingshots for a few reasons. One, to keep racing affordable, two, driver talent is the defining source and three make it a springboard for a career in big car racing.

For a few current big car drivers, he has accomplished that with some drivers taking the headlines in auto racing trade papers and websites.

Right now there isn't a national race fan that hasn't heard of Ryan Smith, as the former Slingshot National Champion made a name for himself by beating the best at Port Royal Speedway with his October 25th World of Outlaws Sprint win over the new King of the Outlaws, Donny Schatz. Ryan has shown his talents as a top running micro-sprint racer, has taken on USAC Silver Crown's best at Phoenix and Richmond. Some veteran drivers were seen checking out his 551 to see if they had any hidden secrets during a strong qualifying run at Richmond. Ryan was also a top runner in the Sammons Motorsports Indoor Racing Series events held at Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City. He was a Slingshot race winner and was a top runner in the TQ class in many of the indoor races. Next up was a move to the central PA sprint car circuit as a regular at the Williams Grove Speedway and Lincoln Speedway, he teamed up with Don Kreitz Jr. and learned from one of the best in the business and recorded many top 10 runs at the Mechanicsburg, PA 1/2 mile. 2014 found Ryan teaming up with the Rob Warko Racing and things went one step farther as top 10 finishes were now becoming top 3 finishes and whatever he learned from Kreitz, he put to use on the Warko 94. A top 10

in 2014 Williams Grove points and to top off a fantastic 2014 racing season so far, the big win at Port Royal. Ryan has also stepped into another Tobias creation the SpeedSTR and lost a heartbreaker at Mahoning Valley Speedway to another young star, Kris Graver. Ryan's career from the Slingshots to the 410 sprints to whatever class of car he decides to drive next will find that his real talent is behind the wheel of a race car and he has passed that knowledge and help to many of the young Slingshot drivers currently racing.

Mike Fry Photo


Many of the Slingshot alumni stay on the dirt ovals, but one exception is also being noticed on the NASCAR Asphalt Modified circuit. Former Linda's Speedway Slingshot track champion Kyle Ebersole, is putting his familiar # 5 in the front of the pack at stops like South Boston Speedway in Virginia. His asphalt modified career had a few closer to home stops along the way as he made starts at Mountain Speedway in 2007, Bridgeport Speedway as a dirt tracking Sportsman racer, and then back to Sundance Vacation Speedway to return to the asphalt ovals. A track championship and racing in the RoC Mod Tour gave Kyle a solid 2009 season. He now has 2 career NASCAR Southern Modified Tour wins with a September South Boston 150 win and a win at Langley Speedway, also in Virginia. Kyle's smooth driving style and ability to be patient has made this still young talent a contender in every race he enters.

As a young driver that at one time entered the Slingshots through the window instead of the roof, Montgomery, NY's Anthony Perrego is now a 20 year old with a nice future in small block and big block modified racing in the northeast. Perrego was a member of the 2007 Weikel's Sportswear Tour and became a strong runner in the All Star Tour. That was before taking to Accord Speedway in the Crate Sportsman Class at age 15 and being a dominant force for 3 seasons. He closed out 2013 by winning The Gobbler at Accord Speedway and taking home over $7000. His 2014 season would begin as the regular driverof the Gary Mann 55 Modified, a car he won four features this year at Accord. He also took the Tommy Perrego wrenched number 18 to seven wins at Five Mile Point Speedway,

All three of these drivers were top runners in the Slingshots and realized that car control and throttle control mixed in with their talents behind the wheel could make them competitive. They are all contenders as they race as big class drivers, which is the still what Rich Tobias envisioned when he built his first Slingshot in 1999.

including the Short Track Super Series Battle of the Bullring in Kirkwood, NY. He also made a stop at the Grandview Speedway Freedom 76 and went home with a top 10 finish.

November 2014 ~ 25

www.theinsidetrackmagazine.com Go

Speedway Entertainment Presents

Bechtelsville, PA - Feature winners and National Champions shared victory lane on an incredibly blustery Sunday at the Grandview Speedway, as Speedway Entertainment wrapped up its season with the running of the Fourth Annual Fall Jamboree.

While it was the fourth Jamboree for the Rich Tobias-led organization, it was the first time the event was held at Grandview. Scheduled as a two-day program, rain on Saturday cut the show in half and placing even more emphasis on Sunday's A-Mains, which were claimed by Billy Pauch Sr. (USAC Championship SpeedSTR's); Dylan Hoch (All Star Slingshots); James Morris (Wingless 600cc Sprints); and Dillon Steuer (Junior Slingshots).

The Fall Jamboree was also Championship Weekend for the three Speedway Entertainment divisions, with National titles going to Canadian sensation Maxime Plante (USAC Championship SpeedSTR's); Dylan Hoch (All Star Slingshots); and Damon Paul (Junior Slingshots).

The 35-lap, $3,000 to win A-Main for the SpeedSTR's saw polesitter Kris Graver wiggle a bit in turns one and two, allowing Grandview Modified ace Duane Howard to grab the early lead. Howard, making his SpeedSTR debut, was in front at the completion of lap one, but his time at the head of the pack would be short-lived.

On a restart with one down, Kyle Weiss took the green right behind Howard's No. 24. Using a big run off turn four, Weiss stormed into the lead, passing Howard on the high side.

Weiss set the pace for the next several circuits, but all eyes were on the Bob Hilbert Sportswear/ Fatt Kat No. 9 driven by Billy Pauch Sr. A three-time winner at Action Track USA this season and the most recent All Pro Tour winner on dirt (at Five Mile Point), Pauch was rumbling from his seventh starting position, taking third from Howard - who was passed by Frank Cozze for the runner-up spot - by the time the second caution flag was thrown with ten tours complete.

The SpeedSTR's were making good use of the ample racing room provided by the high banked Grandview oval, scrambling in two and three-wide fashion throughout the field. Asphalt standout Earl Paules charged from his 15th starting spot to break into the top five, while Wayne Weaver and Brad Brightbill began to make their presence known near the front of the pack.

On a lap 13 restart, Pauch Sr. blasted by Cozze to snare second place, then ducked under Weiss and grabbed the lead on the 14th revolution. Cozze moved to second on the next trip around the clay as Pauch, from Frenchtown, NJ, separated himself from the field.

November 2014 ~ 27

A terrific battle for fourth between Brad Brightbill and Weaver ended with 24 down as Brightbill, Paules, and Craig Whitmoyer were knocked out after tangling in turn four. On the restart, Cozze hung with Pauch for a few laps, challenging the leader with a few attacks in the low groove, but Pauch eventually pulled away once again. One final restart, with just one tour remaining, did not alter the outcome as Pauch motored to the victory over Cozze, Tim Buckwalter (who rallied from sixth to third late in the race), Weaver, and Frank Yankowski.

"They watered the top just before the feature, and that was nice because it gave us a top groove for a while, and that's what I used to pass my way to the front," noted race winner Pauch Sr.

"But I knew it was going to rubber up, and I think I may have been the first one to find the rubber," he added. "And that got me to the lead. After that, it was just trying to save the tires, but the track wasn't really too rough on the tires today."

The battle for the All Star Slingshot's National title was a three horse race, with Mertztown, Pa.'s Dylan Hoch holding a narrow advantage over Larry Raifsnider and three-time National Champ Brett Bieber.

Hoch's title-clinching philosophy was simple: win the race and the championship would be his...so that is precisely what the high school student did.

With Bieber and Raifsnider sharing the front row for the 20-lap main event, it was Biebersnatching the early lead as fourth-starting Hoch dueled with his good buddy, Cody Kline, for third.

Hoch eased in front of Kline on the fourth circuit, then set his sights on Raifsnider, who was losing ground to the Oley Jet in the No. 32 as Bieber continued to extend his lead. Hoch darted past Raifsnider, then reeled in Bieber as the race headed toward its halfway point.

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As they rocketed off turn four to take the crossed flags, Hoch went a bit higher than normal to get a run down the banking as the lead duo moved onto the homestretch. His strategy worked as his No. 35 pulled even with Bieber at the start/finish line. They rubbed in one and two, with Hoch nosing ahead on the back chute. The National Tour's point leader was now the race leader, with nine laps remaining, and he was not about to give it up.

Bieber tried to surprise the leader on a restart with a couple of circuits left, but the attempt was called back by track officials and the subsequent restart had Hoch accelerate away from Bieber, putting an end to any potential late race drama.

Hoch flew to the checkered, capping a late season comeback in the National standings that culminated in a final race win and championship. Bieber's three-year strangle-hold on the National title came to an end with his second-place finish in the finale, and Raifsnider, who led the National standings for a while during the summer, wound up third in the Fall Jamboree's A-Main for the All Star Slingers. Demetrious Drellos and Kenny Heffner completed the top five when starter Mike Feltenberger waved the checkered flag.

The Wingless 600cc Sprint feature was a good one, with Riegelsville's James Morris fending off the challenges of Robbie Hocker and Simon Egan to claim the victory.

When the 20-lapper went green initially, polesitter Tim Buckwalter dashed to the lead ahead of Morris, his front row partner. Morris stayed with the leader as Bobby Butler and Hocker tussled for third and Stephen Reynolds navigated his way from 11th on the starting grid to run fifth by the time lap five was scored.

An incident in turn four brought out the yellow with six complete, and Kyle Lick got pinched into the backstretch wall as the field slowed for the caution. Lick's No. 8 flipped wildly, converting the yellow slowdown to a red flag stoppage.

During the red flag period, officials noticed that Buckwalter's car had a flat right-front tire, and the Greth Racing No. 71 was sent to the pits to have the tire changed. That handed the lead to Morris, who had slipped past Buckwalter just prior to the yellow/red...the pass was negated by the incident, but Buckwalter gave up the top spot when he headed to the pits for a new right front sneaker.

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November 2014 ~ 29

The Junior Slingshot National Tour A-Main was a tale of two (young) drivers; while one of them captured the day's battle, the other wheel-twister won the season-long war.

Dillon Steuer, from Bohemia, NY, entered Sunday's program trailing Junior National point leader Damon Paul. Steuer went out and did everything he could possibly do to overtake his Stoney Point, NY rival...he won his heat race, then passed Paul for the lead in the 15-lap feature and going to on register the big win in the season finale. But he came up a little bit short in the point tally, as Paul's runner-up finish was enough to clinch the championship.

Paul appeared to be cruising out front, sprinting from his inside front row starting position to lead the initial six circuits. Steuer, however, was not going to throw in the towel without a fight, as he ran down the race leader, then motored by Paul and into the top spot. It was then Steuer who was on cruise control, as Paul and Dakota Kohler battled for second over the final laps.

At the finish, it was Steuer in for the win, with Paul settling for runner-up status over Kohler. Chloe Andreas and Tyler Peet finished fourth and fifth, respectively.

When the green reappeared, Morris gassed his No. 85 to a slim lead over Hocker, but Hocker's Grime Boss No. 54 nipped at the leader's heels as he waited for Morris to bobble. The lead pair was soon joined by 17th starting Simon Egan, who rumbled into fourth, then third, before making it a three-car dance for the lead in the waning laps.

Morris never bobbled, locking his car to the bottom groove and going on to win by a narrow margin (0.087 seconds) over Egan, who edged Hocker for runner-up honors. Reynolds finished up his stellar run with a fourth-place effort, and Doug Snyder came from the back after his involvement in an early race mishap to record a fifth-place payday. After his pit stop, Buckwalter sliced his way from the rear of the field to finish sixth.

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Fall Jamboree Fodder...Despite losing Day One to rain and facing a cold, blustery Sunday, a total of 114 entries took part in the

Fourth Annual Jamboree which, until this year, was held at New Egypt Speedway (2011) and Path Valley Raceway Park (2012 and 2013). The car count breakdown is as follows: 28 SpeedSTR's; 29 Wingless 600cc Sprints; 39 of the All Star Slingshots; and 18 Junior Slingshots.

Billy Pauch Sr. set the tone for his SpeedSTR victory by turning the quickest lap, with Kyle Lick second fastest and Duane Howard, in his maiden voyage in a SpeedSTR, clocking in with the third-fastest lap. Brett Bieber and Larry Raifsnider were the two quickest drivers in All Star Slingshot timed dashes, while Damon Paul was the fastest Junior Slinger over Justin Mills and Dillon Steuer.

Tim Buckwalter, James Morris, and Bobby Butler were heat race winners in the Wingless 600cc division, while Howard, Kyle Weiss, and Frank Cozze captured heat race victories for the SpeedSTR's.

Claiming Junior Slingshot heat race triumphs were Paul, Mills, and Steuer. The four heats for the All Star Slingers went to B. Bieber, Raifsnider, Cody Kline, and Dylan Hoch.

Tex Snyder, the ageless wonder who steers a 600cc Sprinter, was launched into a scary series of flips in the Wingless 600 main when his right-rear wheel broke off and the axle dug into the turn one racing surface. Snyder exited the car (with some help) and was taken to the hospital for further evaluation after being examined by the EMT's at the track.

Kris Graver, who won his second SpeedSTR race of the year on the Mahoning Valley Speedway pavement the week before the Fall Jamboree, was not as fortunate on Grandview's dirt surface. Graver started on the pole of Sunday's feature, but fell back fairly quickly. He dropped into heavy traffic in the middle of the pack and appeared to get squeezed into the backstretch wall as several cars scrambled for position with 12 laps complete. Graver's No. 29b flipped wildly at the midpoint of the back chute, but he emerged unhurt after the tumble.

Damon Paul, even though he's only 13-years-old, handled his defeat in the Junior Slingshot feature with a maturity and professionalism that is sadly lacking in many racing divisions and sports in general.

When the final points were tallied, of course, Paul, who won four consecutive Junior Slingshot features at the JeffreyHogueRealtor.com Action Track USA this season, could break into a smile because his runner-up finish was good enough to win the National Championship for the Junior Slingers.

Quote from Tim Buckwalter after his third place run in the SpeedSTR main: "I wish it was 40 laps, instead of 35...under the one yellow, I found an adjustment in the car that I had no idea was there...and I am still not sure what it does, exactly, but I was running so bad that I decided to turn it as far as I could. It did something, because the car was awesome after that...it's how I got to third at the end. I think it (the adjustment) has something to do with the brake bias..."

November 2014 ~ 31

https://3c-lxa.mail.com/mail/client/dereferrer?redirectUrl=http://JeffreyHogueRealtor.com

Amy Williams snags Logan Diehl Winning the National Open

Rick Schwindenhammercatches some 4cyl

action at Bridgeport


Tim Krysiuk has the Borgers TQ’s

ready to go

Mike Fry shoots the 600’s pre green

Amy Williams catches Josh Stoyer’s flip

November 2014 ~ 33

600 Micro Sprint driver Brett Michalski’s

New Helmet from CR Graphics

Shown in action in a Rick Schwindenhammer

Photo


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ickinson Photo

The "Capitan" Cody Kline is a driver that shows up at the track with a good attitude and a goal of victory. For Kline winning

hasn't come easy, but it has come plenty. Kline enjoys his times in Slingshots and says it will be status quo for now as the slingshot is a very affordable race division in the area. Kline has wins at 20 tracks and throw in a mechanics race win at the closed Moc-a-Tec speedway for good measure. Something that is impressive is Kline has enjoyed wins at the Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, Reading Fairgrounds, and Trail-ways Speedway in what few starts the Slingshots have at each place.

Outside of racing, Kline has had his hands full in 2014. Kline underwent brain surgery in February of 2014 and thought that it would keep him out of the seat for the full season. With some doctors help and motivation to race Cody was back behind the wheel before anyone expected. He even has a win to his credit this year.


Type of Car: Slingshot by Tobias

Car Number: 59 / 1c

Home Town: Bangor, Pa

Date of Birth: Aug. 23, 1984

Sponsors: R.G. Hoffman Electrical Contractor, NAPA Auto Parts of the Delaware & Lehigh Valley’s, Vishnesky & Son’s Construction, Extreme Race Bodies, Bill Weaver Home Improvement, MMF Chassis, & Wert’s Beverage

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“Jesus Christ is the same, yesterday, today and forever.”

Hebrews 13:8

Kline, much like many other drivers grew up in the sport he loves. Kline's dad and uncle owned cars together that his uncle piloted at various central Pa track. Kline remembers races at Nazareth, Penn National, and Orange County Fair Speedways. Now if there is a big Slingshot race Kline is there. He has wins in Go Karts and the Slingshots in his racing career. He says that there are so many special moments that it is hard to pin point just one. With that said, a former National Champion has to appreciate that feather in his cap.

Kline says, at this point he is happy racing a Slingshot. Whether it is his own number 59 that shares the number his uncle carried on his big block Modified or the 1c that he races for friend and car owner Bill Weaver, Kline is out to win and have fun. Maybe one day he would venture to a Crate or 358 Modified to run at Grandview, Big Diamond, or New Egypt, but as for now Slingshot drivers can expect to be challenged by Kline.

*Editors Note*

Outside of racing, Cody has overcome a pretty traumatic experience with the serious sequences of surgeries. One thing I can appreciate from the outside is Cody never questioned, he just did. He did not complain, he dealt. He was focused on the goal, getting back in a racecar and I for one am glad I was able to see him reach that goal.

November 2014 ~ 37

Bobby Butler (5b) tries to go around Robbie Hocker (54) in the closing laps of the Fall Jamboree feature event. James Morris Leads

Rick Schwindenhammer Photo


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The Inside Track Nov 2014