CHESEBRO WINS DARWIN SNYDER MEMORIAL
by Chris Zuver
(E. Smethport PA)

 

MCR came back to life after their second rainout of the year to be greeted with bright sunny skies and a very good field of cars in the pits.  Jeff Cheesboro of Smethport was the big winner of the night capturing the Darwin Snyder Memorial for the Wimpy's Place Super Stocks.  Todd Andrews repeated his opening night win in the FASTRAK Late Models on R&R Transmissions of Olean NY night.

The Wimpy's Place Super Stocks had their first special event of the year as they honored late super stock car owner, Darwin Snyder in his memorial event that saw the racers racing the convertibles in a 25 lap topless event without their roofs.  Defending track champion, Randy Hall was making his first visit of the year in the super stock and drew the lucky number one pill to start on the pole.  Hall shot out in front of Jon Lichy and quickly established himself as the car to beat.  By lap five Hall had a half a straightaway lead over Lichy as Jeff Chesebro was all over Lichy's #35 machine.  As lap ten clicked off the board, Hall had a full straightaway over Lichy and Chesebro.  At the halfway point, Hall was coming up on the lap car of Dan Dunham and the rest of the pack; the top five were Hall, Lichy, Chesebro, Matt Cobb and Steve Dixon.  As lap traffic became a big factor this allowed Lichy and Chesebro to close in on Hall.  Chesebro put his black #97 machine into second on lap 17 they worked the lap traffic, by the very next lap the top five cars had cleared the lap cars and the race was on for the finish till lap twenty-two when more lap cars came into play as Hall kept the closing cars of Chesebro and company at bay.  Tragedy struck on the very next lap for Hall as he was looking to capture the win, he would bring out the only caution of the event when he lost his left rear tire and axle and retired in turn two for the evening resulting in a very disappointing finish.  Chesebro, who had beaten Hall earlier in heat race and second to Hall in the Australian Pursuit would now inherit the point with Lichy, Cobb, Dixon and Dan Cobb rounding out the top five.  Chesebro would take Tony VanPelt's green flag and would go the final three laps unscathed and capture his first win of the year in the Darwin Snyder Memorial.  Lichy, Matt Cobb, Dixon, Dan Cobb rounded out the top five.  George Ritter edged out opening night winner, Rich Michael Jr. at the line for sixth as the top seven were the only cars on the lead lap.  With Chesebros' win, he should be the new point leader in the Wimpy's Place Super Stock division.   Dixon, Chesebro won the qualifying heats and Hall won the six car Australian Pursuit from his pole position as Chesebro was second coming from dead last.

The Maynard Electric FASTRAK Late Models rolled on the raceway and the fans saw the entire field on Goodyear racing tires for the first time.  Mike Wonderling Jr. was on the point driving his father's number z1 as the elder Wonderling is still battling some medical problems.  On the outside of Wonderling was opening night FASTRAK winner, Todd Andrews, who had to make a last lap pass on Wonderling in the heat for the win.  A barnburner was definitely coming in the twenty-five lap event.  Andrews rocketed into the lead in his CJ Rayburn machine as Wonderling slipped to third behind Jon Law.  Greg Oakes quickly moved into third on lap two as Wonderling had slipped to fourth.  Law kept Andrews within striking distance till lap 8 when Oakes would get by for second place and the first yellow of the event was flown for Dan Stives, who had came to a stop in turn four.  Andrews again got a little distance on the restart as Oakes stayed within striking distance of Andrews, but the real battle was for third between John Lacki, Wonderling and John Haggerty who were within a car length of each other.  At the halfway point it was still Andrews in his #42 machine over Oakes, Lacki, Wonderling and Haggerty.  As lap 21 was being clicked off, fourth place running Wonderling got completely out of shape in turn 3 and four and would spin on the front stretch to bring out the final yellow and one last chance for Oakes to get by the veteran Andrews.  Andrews wasn't having nothing to do with that as his years of experience showed and he would go the final laps in front and cross the line ahead Oakes, Lacki, Haggerty and Jon Law.  Andrews has a strangle hold on the early point chase with capturing both races so far in the early season, but Oakes and Lacki have wins at other area tracks and the competition level in this class is starting to show it self.  Oakes and Andrews were qualifying heat winners for the Maynard�s Electric FASTRAK Late Models.

The Emods were up next and Rich Michael saw himself on the front row beside rookie Kevin Kohl.  Michael immediately opened the lead on Kohl and as the field rolled thru turns one and two on lap two, Kohl would loop his machine and get collected by opening night winner, Randy Hall and newcomer Chad Silleman.  The cars of Hall and Silleman were done for the evening, ending an obvious frustrating night for Hall.  Michael would again get a good restart, this time over Bob Connor; he would slip to third, as Tim Peterson would grab the second position.  As lap five clicked off, Michael had a couple car length lead over Peterson as Vic Vena was using the outside groove to sit in third over Nathan Hill and Ryan Bright.  Hill and Vena would swap positions on lap seven and eight and by the halfway point it was John Woodward jumping into fifth as he came from the rear of the field after the lap two caution.  Michael would start getting into the lap traffic on lap eleven as Bright now was in second over Peterson and Vena.  Michael had opened a very comfortable lead as the laps clicked off and lap cars were now his friend in keeping Bright and company behind him and he would pick up his first EMOD win and his second win of the year at MCR as he won the opening night's super stock feature.  Bright would finish second after starting twelfth; he was followed by Peterson, Vena and John Woodward Jr., who also charged from the rear of the field after pitting on the lap two yellow. Qualifying heats went to Travis Asel and Tim Peterson.

The Jerge Used Auto Parts Street Stocks were the next event of the evening and defending track champion, Andy Michael and Derrick Frances were your front row starters.  Frances and Michael would go door to door on the opening lap but Frances would about loop it coming out of turn four and would collect Michael ending the night for the #17x and further making his defense of the title harder.  Bruno Mowery would grab the lead, as Frances was still second over Joe White.  Mowery looked very strong in his El Camino and a torrid battle for second was taking place between Frances, Brett Smith, White, point leader, Chris Austin and Vic Vena.  As lap eight was completed, Mowery was out in front by a half straightaway as Frances, Smith and Austin came across the stripe three wide. The first yellow came out on lap nine as the cars of Richard Kemp and Allan Neamon came to a stop in turn three.  This put the five-car battle for second right on the back bumper of Mowery.  Mowery would again lead the field, but this time they were on the back bumper.  Point leader, Chris Austin tried to make it three wide as the field rolled into turn 3 as he got into the second place car of Smith, spinning the #2x as he was then collected by, Frances, White, Vena, Justin Tatlow and Jason Schoonmaker.  Austin would go to the tail of the field for his over aggressiveness. Damon Lewis subbing for TJ Shaw in the #98 street stock was now Mowery�s new nemesis as the field refired at the halfway point.  Jeff Hellwig who won one of the twin 21s on opening night found himself in third on lap 14 as he was charging from 20th starting spot.  The top three waged a great battle with Lewis trying the outside line to get by Mowery over the final six laps, but it would be Bruno Mowery picking up his first Jerge�s Used Auto Parts Street Stock win of the year over Damon Lewis, Hellwig, Leon Gardner and Chris Austin came back from his earlier incident to finish fifth.  Heat winners for the Jerge�s Street Stocks were, Justin Tatlow, Mowery, Frances, while Hellwig won the consolation event as twenty seven street stocks were on hand.

The mini stocks saw young Justin Yohe on the point in a new machine as he rolled his 4cylinder Omni on opening night and the young driver from Kane would lead the opening lap, until Dave Burdick would swoop on by.  Burdick coming off a win the night before at Freedom was bound and determine to get his first ever win at MCR and he quickly opened up a comfortable lead over Yohe.  At the halfway point it was still Burdick by a good dozen car lengths but Steve Mowery was now in second and was wanting to track down Burdick to back up his opening night win.  Daniel Cunningham moved into third on lap nine and it was clear that Burdick was on a rail tonight as Cunningham closed in on Mowery but it would be Burdick winning easily over Mowery, Cunningham, Yohe and Donnie Clemens.  Qualifying heat winners were Mowery and Norm Varner.  Mowery still has a slim early season point lead over Burdick as these two have finished one � two both nights so far this season.

Barry Mushaweck would repeat his opening night win in the Pure Stocks as he would win over Pat Yohe, Scott Fuller and Josh Keith.

MCR would like to remind the fans that next week it will be the Jim "Fuzzy" Mader Memorial for the EMODS.  Extra money will be on the line for this event, the EMODS will be joined by the normal full card of racing featuring the Maynard Electric FASTRAK Late Models, Wimpy's Place Super Stocks, Jerge's Street Stocks, Mini Stocks and Pure Stocks as Highlander Energy, Crosby Mini Marts and Kane Liquid Fuels sponsor the full night of racing.  For more information, please check out MCR�s website at www.mckeancountyraceway.com.

RESULTS:

DARWIN SNYDER MEMORIAL
Wimpy's Place Super Stocks:
JEFF CHESEBRO, Jon Lichy, Matt Cobb, Steve Dixon, Dan Cobb, George Ritter, Rich Michael, Alan Wais, Jr. Peters, Dan Dunham, Rich Thornton, Dean Layfield, Jason Schoonmaker, Randy Hall, Ron Baker, Jeremy Wonderling (DNS)

Maynard Electric FASTRAK Late Models
TODD ANDREWS, Greg Oakes, John Lacki, John Haggerty, Jon Law, Jim Frank, Derrick Frank, Steve Houben, Dan Stives, Mike Wonderling Jr., Dave Norton Jr., Tim Schram.

EMODS:
RICH MICHAEL JR., Ryan Bright, Tim Peterson, Vic Vena, John Woodward Jr., Travis Asel, Damon Lewis, Charlie Winchell, Kyle Scott, Ron Boardman, Dana Wellington, Nathan Hill, Bob Connor, Kevin Kohl, Randy Hall and Chad Silleman

JERGE USED AUTO PARTS Street Stocks:
BRUNO MOWERY, Damon Lewis, Jeff Hellwig, Leon Gardner, Chris Austin, Brad Bigley, Brett Smith, Matt Palmer, Justin Tatlow, Darren Morgan, John Miller, Joe White, Vic Vena, Jason Schoonmaker, Derrick Frances, Joe Layfield, Charles Sillerman, Paul Gerace, Lance Palmer, Allan Neamon, Richard Kemp, Curt Pastorious, Rich Hemphill and Andy Michael.  DNQ, Butch Williams, Ken Shelley, John Williams and Brad Swanson

MINI STOCKS:
DAVE BURDICK, Steve Mowery, Daniel Cunningham, Justin Yohe, Donnie Clemens, Jeff Buhl, Chris Parr, Dave Lowe Jr., Kevin Dzuroff, Ben Rothermel, Tyler Carlin, Dave Lowe, Jeff Yard, Matthew Ball (DNS), Norm Varner (DNS).

PURE STOCKS:
BARRY MUSHAWECK, Pat Yohe, Scott Fuller and Josh Keith