GREGG SATTERLEE CAPTURES JIM DUFFY MEMORIAL AT MCKEAN COUNTY RACEWAY
Twenty-four year old, Gregg Satterlee of Rochester Mills, Pennsylvania shocked and surprised Bob Close and the McKean County Raceway fan faithful with a last lap pass on Close to capture the season opening Northern Tier Inc. United Late Model Series event to kick of the 25th anniversary of McKean County Raceway. Satterlee would go home $2000 richer and knowing he is also a guaranteed starter for the MCR Priority Care RaceFAN 50, during the Fall Classic weekend in September, which pays $12,000 to win.
The thirty lap, Jim Duffy Memorial for the Northern Tier Inc. ULMS Late Models was the highlight of the evening. Satterlee and Jeff Hoffman would be your front row starters for the Fall Classic Qualifier. The opening lap saw the first yellow as third place starter, Peter Mantha spun, with fifth place starting, Mike Knight also spinning to avoid the Canadian #CFR1. Hoffman shot to the lead to lead the opening lap over Satterlee but the #22G machine of Satterlee came storming back to grab the top spot on lap 2. Bob Close would move into second on lap three as he set his eyes on Satterlee. A pair of yellows on lap three and four kept the field close to Satterlee. On the restart, Close would make a power move to the outside of Satterlee to take over the top spot and immediately open up a little distance between him and Satterlee. By this time, Dave Hess Jr and Ron Davies found themselves in the top five. With ten in the books it was still Close over Satterlee. Hess was holding onto third over ninth place starting Boom Briggs and Davies. Mike Blose entered the picture on lap twelve as he got around Davies for fifth. The yellow would come out on lap twelve for veteran, Al Brewer who came to a stop in turn four. Close took off again only to see the cars of Chris Farrell and Bobby Stokes sitting in turn four, with Stokes night ending with a broken axle. Again Close took off with Satterlee in tow. Both cars running the extreme low line. Brent Rhebergen rolled into sixth at the halfway point as it was still Close, Satterlee, Hess, Briggs and Blose rounding out the top five.
With ten laps remaining the top five still remained the same and on lap 22, the sixth place running Rhebergen left the facility with an undisclosed mechanical problem, handing sixth back to Ron Davies. Boom Briggs started to make some noise as he was now in third, when caution came out on lap 23 for Chris Farrell. On the restart Close again had to fend the stiff challenge of Satterlee as Blose hounded Hess for fourth and would grab the spot only to see the yellow come out again with five to go for the #22 machine of Greg Oakes. On the restart Close and Satterlee roared into turn one and two, both hugging the inside lane and it looked like Close was on his way to win as both drivers were committed to the inside groove. But as the duo roared into turns three and four to get the white flag, Satterlee went to the outside of Close and won the drag race down the front stretch to lead lap twenty nine. Satterlee kept the #22 Rocket Chassis pointed straight for the final 3/8 mile to capture the Jim Duffy Memorial and the guaranteed starting spot for the season ending Priority Care RaceFAN 50 during the Fall Classic. Close came home a disappointing second after leading twenty four straight laps. Boom Briggs came home a solid third with Mike Blose finally getting a little luck at MCR was fourth. Dave Hess Jr came home fifth followed by Ron Davies, Jason Dupont, Doug Ricotta, Mike Knight and Jeff Hoffman rounding out the top ten. Mantha, Briggs, Hess were heat winners.
The FASTRAK Late Models rolled onto the track with Derrick Frank and Kyle Drum on the front row. Drum won the drag race to turn one over Derrick and Jim Frank. The first yellow came out on lap three for Ryan Seekings. The Frank's were still tailing Drum on the restart as 2007 MCR FASTRAK champion, John Lacki entered the picture on lap four as he now trailed Jim Frank and Drum. As lap ten clicked off the board in was still Drum over Jim Frank, Lacki, Derrick Frank and Tim Schram in fifth. Schram would move into fourth on lap eleven as pole sitter Derrick Frank faded to fifth. Lap thirteen saw disaster as Stockton, NY driver, Bob Dorman went barrel rolling off the backstretch after contact with another car. When the dust settled the Dorman #19 car suffered serious damage with the cars of Dave Norton Jr., Ron Baker, Garrett Mott, Derrick Frank and Steve Hollabaugh all being involved. On the restart it was Drum again in front with Lacki now moving into second with Kyle Zimmerman now in fifth. Bob Kish moved into fifth on lap sixteen and looked to battle Schram for fourth. With five to go, Drum was still leading as Lacki and Jim Frank battled for second with Frank grabbing the runner up spot with the white flag lap. As the checkers dropped it was Wayland, New York's Kyle Drum picking up his first win of the year over Jim Frank, John Lacki and Tim Schram. Heat winners were Lacki, John Haggerty and Drum.
The EMODS were up next with John Woodward Jr sitting on the front row with Waterford, Pennsylvania emod star, Dave Hess Jr. on the outside. Hess immediately leaped into the lead over Woodward as Kyle Bedell swept into second as lap one was completed. By lap two, fifth place running, Randy Hall was up to second setting sights on Hess as the event was billing to see two of the top regional Emod stars battle. Lap four would see Hall get alongside Hess and on lap five it was Hall by nose over Hess with Bedell, Tim Peterson and Woodward in fifth. The top two checked out on the rest of the field as they duked out the lead between the two of them. Lap nine would see Hall power into the lead. At the halfway point it was Hall, Hess, Peterson now in third with Bedell and Woodward in fifth. The battle for sixth was hotly contested with the three cars of Mike Eschrich, Jason Genco and Al Brewer going at it. As the event was winding down, Hall drove away from Hess and the rest of the field. Fifth place running John Woodward would pull his car into the infield on lap eighteen as the event stayed green with Hall winning convincingly over Hess, Peterson, Bedell and Mike Eschrich in fifth. For Hall it was his fourth straight feature win of the season and his sixth win of the young season. Hall and Hess were heat winners.
The always competitive MCR street stocks class saw former track champion Andy Michaels lead the field to John Powell's green flag as Michaels would lead the opening lap. 2008 Little Valley Speedway champion, Adam Ashcroft would get around Michaels on lap two. As lap five clicked off it was Ashcroft still leading Michaels with Justin Baxter in third. At the halfway point it was still Michaels trailing Ashcroft, Baxter and defending track champion, Adam Sixt. Ashcroft started to put lap cars in between himself and Michaels. Baxter would leave event on lap fourteen as the field restarted giving Michaels a shot at Ashcroft. As the field got the five to go signal it was still Ashcroft leading with Michaels and Sixt swapping spots in a heated battle for second. Jeff Hellwig and Jason Dobson had moved into the top five as well. Ashcroft again kept lap cars in between him and the second place battle of Michaels and Sixt with Michaels getting the runner up spot back on lap nineteen to finish second behind Ashcroft. Adam Sixt, Jeff Hellwig and Jason Dobson completed the top five.
Seventeen mini stocks entered for their fifteen lap main event. Nick Snayzak and Chris Parr lead the field at the start with defending champion, Steve Mowery shooting around the front row starters to grab the lead to lead lap one. Mowery quickly showed his muscle and opened up a lead over Snayzak. Mowery was not going to be denied as he lead from green to checkers but the action was great behind him with the cars of Mike Miller, who was making his first ever start had a stellar run in second along with Joe Boylan, Snayzak, Parr, Bob Hauber and Dave Burdick all battling it out for the top five. Mowery would win convincingly to make a point to his competitors that the defending champion was up to the challenge to defend his title. Miller came home an impressive second place finish in his first ever race over Joe Boylan, Snayzak and Parr. Heat winners were Miller and Mowery
Ten pure stocks were on hand for the opening night event of the tracks 25th anniversary. Brad Curran and Curt Pastorious lead the ten car field at the start with Pastorious leading the opening laps. 2008 track champion Mark Schweikart moved into second on lap three with Fred Ely taking third on the very next lap. Pastorious was doing a great job holding off the challenges but Ely would take second from Schweikart on lap six and on lap seven it was Ely over powering Pastorious to take over the top spot. The battle for fourth was hot to with Donnie Williams and Dennis Thomas battling behind the top three cars but as the checkers fell to end the opening night of the 25th anniversary season it was Fred Ely over Pastorious, Schweikart, Williams and Thomas. Heat winner was Donnie Williams.
McKean County Raceway will sit idle for a week and return to action on Saturday, May 9 as the Northern Tier Inc. ULMS Late Models return for the Dave Lundgren Memorial. This event will pay a minimum of $2000 to win. Also the United Emod Series will be making their first ever appearance to MCR and a quality field of open wheel Emods will be on hand. Fans could expect to see race cars from Ohio, New York, Pennsylvania and Canada on hand May 9. The FASTRAK Late Models, Street Stocks, Pure Stocks and Mini Stocks will also be on the program. Race time will be 7PM. For more information on this event, please make sure you check the website out at www.mckeancountyraceway.com
RESULTS:
ULMS Jim Duffy Memorial:
GREGG SATTERLEE, Bob Close, Rick "Boom" Briggs, Mike Blose, Dave Hess Jr. Ron Davies, Jason Dupont, Doug Ricotta, Mike Knight, Jeff Hoffman, Greg Oakes, Paul Grigsby, Chris Farrell, Peter Mantha, Dave Norton, Brent Rhebergen, Bobby Stokes, Al Brewer, Nick Loffredo, Wally Fox (DNS)
EMODS:
RANDY HALL, Dave Hess Jr., Tim Peterson, Kyle Bedell, Mike Eschrich, Vic Vena, Jason Genco, Dan Davies, Al Brewer, Jeremy Bucktooth, John Woodward, TJ Downs, Travis Asel and Darren Tarabori (DNS)
FASTRAK Late Models
KYLE DRUM, Jim Frank, John Lacki, Tim Schram, Dave Padula, Joe Martin, Steve Hollabaugh, Bob Kish, Kyle Zimmerman, Garrett Mott, Ron Baker, Ryan Seekikngs, #Brad Mesler, Derrick Frank, Dave Norton Jr., Bob Dorman, John Haggerty, Dan Stives and Jon Law
Street Stocks:
ADAM ASHCROFT, Andy Michaels, Adam Sixt, Jeff Hellwig, Jason Dobson, Justin Baxter, Rich Hemphill, Glenn Layfield, Rich Wojtowicz, Joe Layfield, Conley Giboo, Matt Palmer, John Case, Cliff Johnston, Chad Green, Tim Bruce, DNS: Brian Peterson, Dennis Hathaway, Brad Ullman, Chris Austin, Dan Giboo, Scott Fuller.
Mini Stock:
STEVE MOWERY, Mike Miller, Joe Boylan, Nick Snayzak, , Chris Parr, Bob Hauber, Dave Burdick, Barry Muschaweck, Matt Ball, Jim Galloway, William Bailey, Kyle Babcock, James Nellis, Dave Lowe, Jeff Buhl, Dave Lowe Jr (DNS), Norm Varner (DNS)
Pure Stock:
Fred Ely, Curt Pastorious, Mark Sschweikart, Don Williams, Dennis Thomas, Brad Curren, Pat Schauer, Jared Nellis, Josh Keith