PETERS, MICHAEL, AUSTIN, RAIN and THUNDER WIN AT MCR

Victory Lane Photos are here

(E. Smethport, PA)

McKean County Raceway attempted to have one of the THURSDAY NIGHT THUNDER programs and unfortunately, thunder was present and was one of the winners.  Before the thunder, lightning and rain arrived Junior Peters, Rich Michael and Chris Austin visited victory lane on GTM Sales, Goodman Services Inc THURSDAY NIGHT Thunder night!

With an earlier rainstorm as race teams were arriving and the track crew reworking the track, management decided to go with a features only program to try and beat mother nature.  The Wimpy's Place Super Stocks were the first event of the evening for their twenty-five lap event.  Ron Baker and Junior Peters paced the field to the initial green and it was Peters in his red and white #2 GRT chassis Dodge Intrepid.  Dan Dunham followed Peters into second as Baker settled for third.  Point leader, Jeff Chesebro jumped to third on the second lap and one lap later was trailing Peters in second.  As lap five clicked off, Steve Dixon was your fifth place car after starting eighth. Chesebro was working on the back quarter panel of Peters #2 Intrepid but the inside door was shut on each attempt.  As lap ten clicked off the board, Dixon was now fourth, running behind Dunham and Baker had slipped to fifth.  At the halfway point, John Lichy and Bruce Miller had found themselves in the top five running fourth and fifth as the duo started ninth and tenth. As the field took lap thirteen the red flag came out for pole sitter, Baker whose car caught on fire.  Peters was still your leader with Chesebro sitting second.  Dunham went pit side for an undisclosed problem relinquishing third.  He would return in time to restart the event.  Peters again would withstand the challenges of Chesebro after the restart.  With ten to go it was Peters doing all he could to keep the point leader Chesebro behind him as Lichy was fending off the challenges of Bruce Miller and Dixon was still fifth.  With seven to go, Miller would move his black and blue #80 past Lichy's machine into third.  Chesebro would get his nose under Peters but again it was Peters at the line to lead the lap. The hard charging, Miller would work his way to second on a lap twenty-one pass of Chesebro and seemed to be the faster car, but at the end it was Jr. Peters picking up his first win of the season in the Wimpy's Place Super Stocks division.  Miller, Chesebro, Lichy and Dixon followed Peters.

The Jerge's Street Stocks quickly rolled onto the track as thunder and lighting was making their presence off in the distance.  Jeff Hellwig and Brad Bigley sat on the front row by virtue of their pre race pill draws.  Hellwig would use the inside groove to his liking as he would leave lap one over Bigley.  On the very next lap, point leader, Chris Austin roared from sixth to second and seemed destined to pad his point lead.  By lap five, entering the picture was defending track champion, Andy Michael who was motoring around the outside of the track into third.  Austin would take over the lead on lap six from Hellwig as Michael hounded the top two.  As the field took the halfway flag, the yellow was displayed and Austin was still your leader over Hellwig, Michael, Bigley and Mike Asel.  On the restart, Hellwig tried to recapture the lead but Michael decided to use the outside again and motor around Hellwig on lap twelve to show Austin he was there to give him a run for the money.  Asel went pit side on lap thirteen, allowing Ken Shelley to move into fifth with Derrick Frances now sitting sixth from his eighteenth starting spot.  Michael was using the outside groove as Austin ran low door to door and with five to go, Michael finally grabbed the top spot.  Hellwig went to the infield with undisclosed problems.  The final five laps saw the #22A of Austin and the #17x of Michael battle back and forth for the lead and on the very last lap, it was Austin using a slingshot move coming out of turn four to edge Michael at the line for his second win of the year.  Michael was second followed by Brad Bigley, Ken Shelley and Damon Lewis rounded out the top five from his eleventh starting spot.

The EMODS rolled on the track with two heavy weights on the front row.  Randy Hall and Rich Michael paced the field.  Hall immediately shot in front of Michael, but on the very next lap it was Michael back on top. The duo put on a side by side battle for the lead, while Tim Peterson was making his way to the to five from his ninth starting spot.  As the event made it to the halfway point it was still the 17x of Michael and the black #10 of Hall duking it out for the lead.  Last week's winner, Travis Asel was third with Peterson now in fourth and Chad Silleman sitting fifth from his eleventh starting spot.  Michael and Hall had the crowd on their feet as the two drivers traded paint a few times as they battled for the lead.  With five to go, John Woodward Jr. would make a jump for the top five on lap seventeen.  As the leaders came down for the final  half lap, Hall made a move for the lead on Michael, but Michael closed the door and the Hall forced the issue as the two banged doors down the front stretch only to see Rich Michael pick up his fourth win of the season in the EMODS and pad his point lead.  Hall was second, followed by last week's winner, Asel, Peterson and John Woodward Jr. coming home fifth.

The Maynard's Electric FASTRAK Late Models rolled on the track with Tom Taber making his first appearance in a full bodied race car since 1987.  Taber was subbing for Jon Law as he was out of town for work.  Taber was flanked by Randy Hall who was making his second appearance of the year in the FASTRAK late model.  Hall would use his youth to lead the opening lap over Taber and Sam Fuller.  Two-time FASTRAK winner, Todd Andrews moved into third on the second lap.  Hall was starting to distance himself as the rain began to fall to hard and the event was yellowed flag on lap three with Hall leading over Taber, Andrews, John Haggerty and John Lacki.  At the present time, it is unclear when the rest of this event and the NE MICRO Mini Stock feature will be made up.

Fans are reminded that MCR will be back in action for their second THURSDAY NIGHT THUNDER program featuring the return of the United Late Model Series as the super late models return for the $2000 to win Stephanie Eckl Memorial.  The winner will be a guaranteed starter for the ULMS Woodhull Reunion at Woodhull Raceway on August 11.  This will also be the final tune up for the ULMS racers as they prepare for the $20,000 MCR Fall Classic weekend on September 28 and 29th.  The Wimpy's Place Super Stocks will have the Jason Dunham Memorial on tap and the winner will be a guaranteed starter for the BRP CanAm Series event during the annual fair.  The Emods will race for $650.  A complete card for the Jerge's Street Stocks and NE Micro Mini Stocks will complete the racing program.  MCR will be shut down for the annual fair after this event and will not return to action until August 25.   For more information, check the website out at www.mckeancountyraceway.com.


RESULTS:
Wimpy's Place Super Stocks:
JR. PETERS, Bruce Miller, Jeff Chesebro, Jon Lichy, Steve Dixon, George Ritter, Rich Michael, Matt Cobb, Dan Dunham, Dan Cobb, Ron Baker, Dennis Peters and Dean Layfield.

Jerge's Street Stocks:
CHRIS AUSTIN, Andy Michael, Brad Bigley, Ken Shelley, Damon Lewis, Derrick Frances, Rich Hemphill, Joe Layfield, Chris Conkley, Glen Layfield, Leon Gardner, Jason Schoonmaker, Jeff Hellwig, Mike Asel, Jeremy Bucktooth, John Williams, 40x, Garrett Stephens and Justin Tatlow.

Advantage Rental EMODS:
RICH MICHAEL, Randy Hall, Travis Asel, Tim Peterson, John Woodward, Craig Bedell, Bob Connor, Jim Myers, Kyle Bedell, Al Cressley, Chad Silleman, Mike Samuelson, Damon Lewis, Kevin Kohl, Kyle Scott, Dana Wellington, Darren Tarabori and Vic Vena.