CHANCE OF A LIFETIME!!!

GARY SMOKER UPSETS BRP MODIFIED TOUR FIELD TO WIN DICK RANKIN MEMORIAL AT TRI-CITY SPEEDWAY; MAX BLAIR, CARL McKINNEY, JACKSON HUMANIC AND CODY MANNERS ALSO TRIUMPH
by Brian Spaid

May 25, 2008

   FRANKLIN, PA ... Gary Smoker scored a huge upset win in the 5th Annual Dick Rankin Memorial as the BRP/Hoosier Race Tires/Sunoco Race Fuels Modified Tour 2008 opened its season featuring the Engles Trucking DIRTcar Big Block Modifieds on Sunday night at Tri-City Speedway.
   In other action on a warm and sunny evening of racing, Max Blair (FASTRAK Late Models), Carl McKinney (RPM Auto Sales/Sherry Shawgo Real Estate E Mods), Jackson Humanic (E.F. Rogers Plumbing & Heating Pro Stocks), and Cody Manners (Klapec Auto Body Thundercars) scored feature wins on Rankin & Son Excavating Night. It was Tri-City’s third show of the season after two consecutive rainouts.
   Driving a 358 Small Block Modified, Gary Smoker of Mercer, Pa., scored his first-ever DIRTcar Big Block Modified feature win at Tri-City. Driving his Bill’s Portable Restroom Rentals Bicknell No. 516, Smoker took the lead from polesitter Joe Crawford on the seventh circuit. Then, the Mercer Raceway Park regular held off the stout challenges of Andy Priest to score the win in the prestigious race.
   “I owe it all to my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ,” said Smoker with tears in his eyes. “He did it all tonight. This is incredible. Andy and I raced for years, and he always races me clean. I knew he was there. I just can’t believe I’m in victory lane tonight.”
   Crawford jumped into an early lead at the start of the race. Smoker started second and stalked Crawford until the seventh circuit. Taking the low lane in turn one, Smoker grabbed the lead. Priest moved into second on the 11th circuit. In a race that featured six cautions, Smoker would not be denied his chance at victory. Priest’s best shot at Smoker came with two laps to go as he managed to get his car to the low side in turn three. Smoker held off the 2004 track champion and raced to the popular win.
   Brian Swartzlander finished third after he ran in that spot early in the race, only to fall back into the bottom half of the top ten. At the halfway mark with the lead duo out front, Jeremiah Shingledecker was running third after passing Crawford with Swartzlander in fifth. The four-time track champion started his charge back to the front on the 18th circuit getting past Shingledecker and Crawford. Then, Kevin Bolland entered the mix. Bolland took fourth from Shingledecker on the 21st lap. He zipped by Swartzlander for third on the 26th circuit. Bolland hit a rut in turn three with one lap remaining, which caused him to drift wide. In the end, Swartzlander was third at the pay window over Bolland and Shingledecker.
   Rex King Jr., Crawford, Swartzlander and Del Rougeux Jr. won the DIRTcar Big Block Modified heats. Tommy Kristyak and Gary Risch Jr. won the B mains.
   Max Blair of Titusville, Pa., led the youth charge at Tri-City as the 19-year-old son of 1997 Late Model track champion Robbie Blair scored his first career feature win at the track in the 21-lap FASTRAK Late Model main. Fortune was on his side as he inherited the lead with two laps to go after a hard crash eliminated Tom Snyder Jr. and Bobby Whitling from the lead battle. Blair then raced the last two laps with a flat left front tire. Blair also won Saturday night in the FASTRAK Northeast Touring Series race at McKean County Raceway in his Moody & Son Welding/Specialty Products Rocket No. 111.
   “Dad told me not to race this much this weekend,” said Blair, who received word in victory lane that his father won the IRS Late Model Series race at Cannonball Speedway. “We ended up doing pretty good with two wins. My tire started to go flat after I hit a concrete strip on the inside of turn two late in the run. I was just hanging on for third when Whitling crashed. When I got the lead, I had to stay out there with the flat and race for the win.”
   Snyder led the entire affair with Blair initially in tow most of the way. Six cautions slowed the race, but Whitling was in second by the ninth circuit. Whitling, a three-time Pro Stock track champion and fan favorite, was running the outside cushion to perfection. With Snyder in the mid-to-low line of the track, Whitling bided his time as he continued to fend off Blair. With the white flag in the air, Whitling worked his way around Snyder in turns three and four. Snyder did not give up, however, and drifted high to block Whitling. The aggressive move forced Whitling hard into the front wall. Whitling’s car rode and then climbed the fence pointing straight into the air before flipping upside down on the frontstretch to the shock of the crowd. Whitling was unscathed in the incident, but his car was heavily damaged. Snyder was sent to the pit area for unsportsmanlike driving.
   At that point, Blair inherited the lead. Running on the left front flat tire, Blair held off Carl McKinney for the win over the final two laps, which extended the race an extra circuit. Butch Lambert finished third followed by opening night winner Dave Lyon and Justin Kann. McKinney and Whitling captured the FASTRAK Late Model heats.
   Defending E Mod track champion Carl McKinney of Cranberry Township, Pa., followed up his runner-up finish in the FASTRAK Late Model feature with a win in the 15-lap E Mod feature. McKinney was supposed to start on the front row beside Alan Dellinger, who was driving for Dwayne Clay. An electrical problem forced Dellinger to the trailer as the cars aligned in the pit area. As a result, McKinney cruised to his second win of the season aboard Mike Hendrickson’s Dahlstrom Iron and Metal Pierce No. 6M. It was McKinney’s eighth career win at Tri-City.
   “Once again, hats off to the entire Hendrickson crew,” said McKinney. “We have a strong team, and our ‘test and tune’ car even finished fourth. I would like to have raced against Dellinger because he’s tough and I wanted to see how our car compared with his. Either way, it worked out for us tonight with this win.”
   McKinney led from the start and was followed to the checkered flag by Mike Potosky and Shawn Shingledecker. Al Cressley drove McKinney’s team car to fourth over Jim Frontz. Dellinger and McKinney won the E Mod heats.
   Jackson Humanic, 15, of Titusville, Pa., became the youngest feature winner in Tri-City history as he captured the 15-lap Pro Stock feature. Driving for his father, Ken Humanic, in his third year of Pro Stock competition, Humanic took the lead on the second circuit from his racing mentor Gerry Bruce. Once out front, Humanic could not be denied as he drove to the win over Bruce in the Humanic Racing Eagle Hoist & Winch/Blue Ox Timber Chevrolet No. 17 for his first career feature win. He even celebrated with a victory donut on the frontstretch and a Polish victory lap around the track.
   “It’s about time,” exclaimed Humanic in victory lane. “I don’t know what to say. Gerry taught me a lot. I have a lot of people I have to thank for this. I have been waiting for this for a long time.”
   Bruce finished second to Humanic in the caution-free race. Bruce held off point leader Chris Haines, who came on strong with a late race charge through the top five. Haines got to third, but could not muster a challenge for second. Dave Ferringer and Bobby Sutley rounded out the top five. Russ Coyne and Jason Johns won the Pro Stock heats races.
   Continuing the youth movement started by Blair and Humanic, Cody Manners of Oil City, Pa., defeated Curtis E. Bish for the win in the 12-lap Thundercar feature. Piloting his Tarr Motorsports/Jerry’s Auto Chevrolet No. 16, the 17-year-old Manners scored his first win of the season and the third of his career. It was made all the more special by the fact that Manners underwent a kidney transplant during the offseason with his mother, Evelyn, as the donor, and she enjoyed the winning moment in victory lane.
   “I’d like to thank my mom for donating her kidney to me,” said Manners in honor of her sacrifice. “That was a tough race with Curtis. I just held my line.”
   Bish led at the start of the race, but Manners took the lead on the fourth circuit. With Manners on the inside lane, and Bish in the outside lane, the lead duo battled most of the race side-by-side. Two caution periods did not deter them. On the final lap, Bish managed to take the preferred inside lane on Manners. Then, Bish slid in some water left on the second turn by an imploded radiator from another car. That caused Bish to slide just enough that Manners raced off with win. Bish finished second over point leader Chadd Uber, Bill Myers and Regina Deloe. Myers and Jon Huff captured the Thundercar heats.
   On Sunday June 1st, Tri-City Speedway heads into the summer months as Armstrong Cable Presents Five-Star Racing featuring the Engles Trucking DIRTcar Big Block Modifieds, 4 Your Car Connection FASTRAK Late Models, RPM Auto Sales/Sherry Shawgo Real Estate E Mods, E.F. Rogers Plumbing & Heating Pro Stocks and Klapec Auto Body Thundercars. The E Mods will compete in the first 20-lap Welding Technologies E Series race of the season. Gates open at 4 p.m. and racing starts at 6 p.m. Adult grandstand admission will remain at $11 with students (13-15) at $5 and children 12 and under admitted free.

   BRP MODIFIED TOUR(30 Laps): 1. GARY SMOKER, 2. Andy Priest, 3. Brian Swartzlander, 4. Kevin Bolland, 5. Jeremiah Shingledecker, 6. Dave Murdick, 7. Joe Crawford, 8. Rex King Jr., 9. Gary Risch Jr., 10. Skip Moore, 11. J.R. McGinley, 12. Mark Flick, 13. Carl Murdick, 14. Mike Turner, 15. Tommy Kristyak, 16. Matt Baker, 17. Rodney Beltz, 18. Rick Hall, 19. Mike Miller, 20. Rex King, 21. Del Rougeux Jr., 22. Tom Mattocks Jr., 23. Brad Rapp, 24. Kevin Hoffman, 25. Ron Eperthener Jr. DNS: Dean Pearson. DNQ: Ken Moy Jr., Phil Evans, Doug Fleeger, D.J. Schrader, Kyle Fink, Rich Whitney, Dave Reges, Jeremy Paup, Steve Barr, Keith Swartzlander, Steve Feder, Rick Ryder, Dwayne Clay, Brian Sadler.
   FASTRAK LATE MODELS (21 Laps): 1. MAX BLAIR, 2. Carl McKinney, 3. Butch Lambert, 4. Dave Lyon, 5. Justin Kann, 6. Chris Haines, 7. Gary Miller Jr., 8. Chad Myers, 9. Jim Frank, 10. Dereck Frank, 11. Tom Copeland, 12. Bobby Powell, 13. Tom Snyder, 14. Bobby Whitling, 15. Steve Hollabaugh, 16. Scott Myers, 17. Gary Stahl, 18. Alan Dellinger.
   E MODS (15 Laps): 1. CARL McKINNEY, 2. Mike Potosky, 3. Shawn Shingledecker, 4. Al Cressley, 5. Jim Frontz, 6. Butch Lambert, 7. David Atkinson, 8. Jeff Deeter, 9. Tim Engles, 10. Evan Taylor, 11. Adam Beck, 12. Kevin Miller, 13. Jonathan Taylor, 14. Rick Pratschler, 15. Chip Mahood, 16. Jared Domhoff, 17. Robert Double, 18. Bruce Dreistadt. DNS: Bruce Powell, Alan Dellinger, Ed Wilson.
   PRO STOCKS (15 Laps): 1. JACKSON HUMANIC, 2. Gerry Bruce, 3. Chris Haines, 4. Dave Ferringer, 5. Bobby Sutley, 6. Rod Laskey, 7. Jason Reagle, 8. Jason Johns, 9. Darrell Bossard, 10. Randy Wyant, 11. Ronnie Davie, 12. Don Kramer, 13. Matt Thomas, 14. Russ Coyne, 15. A.J. MacQuarrie, 16. Arthur Edwards, 17. Terry Wheeler, 18. Joe Drusko, 19. Josh Seippel, 20. James Keith, 21. Ray Virgile, 22. Kevin Carson. DNS: Denny Crawford, Jeff Manners.
   THUNDERCARS (12 Laps): 1. CODY MANNERS, 2. Curtis E. Bish, 3. Chadd Uber, 4. Bill Myers, 5. Regina Deloe, 6. Ed Deloe, 7. Greg Myers, 8. Jon Huff, 9. Bill Winters, 10. Don Blake Jr., 11. Joe Sloss, 12. Joe Blake, 13. Bill Baker, 14. Ed Roberts, 15. Dave Baker, 16. Alan Perry, 17. Mike Dobrick, 18. Scott Kilgore, 19. Patrick Fielding. DNS: Charlie McMillen, Jason Swartz, Cody Carson.

   UPCOMING EVENTS
   June 1 – Armstrong Cable Presents DIRTcar Big Block Modifieds, FASTRAK Late Models, E Mods (Welding Technologies E Series), Pro Stocks and Thundercars (Little League Night: All Little Leaguers in uniform receive free grandstand admission)
   June 8 – WDDH 97.5 WDDH “The Hound” Presents DIRTcar Big Block Modified, FASTRAK Late Models, E Mods, Pro Stocks, Thundercars and One-on-One Spectator Races
   June 15 – Cranberry Pennzoil 10 Minute Oil Change Presents DIRTcar Big Block Modifieds, FASTRAK Late Models, E Mods, Pro Stocks, Thundercars and PPC Violence Network Ladies Charity Ladies Only Mid-Sized Car Demo Derby
   June 22 – McDonald’s Presents DIRTcar Big Block Modifieds, FASTRAK Late Models, E Mods, Pro Stocks (William R. Karns Plumbing, Heating & Air Conditioning Detroit Iron Pro Stock Series) and Thundercars (Kids Night Bike Races)