Carber, Raifsnider, & Rain Win Goldie Meitzler Memorial In Jeffrey Hogue Action Track Opener
Carber, Raifsnider, & Rain Win Goldie Meitzler Memorial In Jeffrey Hogue Action Track Opener
Kutztown, Pa. – The first race at the new JeffreyHogueRealtor.com Action Track USA had a little bit of everything…even that four-letter word that is hated at every race track in the modern world.
A huge crowd packed the aluminum stands for the season opening Goldie Meitzler Memorial Race and a total of 117 racecars filled the pit area. And, in the middle of the evening’s second feature, rain began to pelt the facility. The precipitation, along with the fact that all those cars forced the program to run long – inching closer and closer to the mandatory 10:30 curfew – was just enough to force the hand of co-promoters Rich Tobias and Doug Rose. The second feature on the track, for the NAPA Auto Parts All Star Slingshots, was declared official and the rest of the event was postponed.
Make-up dates for the 270cc Micro-Sprint and SpeedSTR features are being discussed and will be revealed in the near future.
Brian Carber, Pipersville Pa., snatched the lead from Rick Perone on a restart with 11 laps complete, then held off a determined James Morris to score the win in the Pioneer Pole Building Wingless 600cc Micro-Sprint main event. Because this was the first feature of the night, Carber became the very first winner at Action Track USA as a new era was ushered in by Tobias and Rose at the speedway located on the Kutztown Fairgrounds, in the shadows of Kutztown University.
Carber, behind the wheel of Barry Greth’s No. 71, started fifth and followed seventh-starting James Morris to the front of the pack, as Morris drove to second and Carber grabbed third in the early going. Carber disposed of Morris just after the race went back to green following a caution period with eight complete, then set his sights on race leader Perone.
Jay Hartman, who’s been on a roll of late, was steadily climbing from his 14th starting position, entering the top five just past the halfway point of the 20-lap main event.
At the finish, it was Brian Carber who graced the Savage61.com victory lane. Morris finished second, with Perone, Jay Hartman, and Kyle Lick making up the top five.
With 37 of the wingless 600’s signing in for competition on opening night, heat races went to Molly Chambers, Lick, and Shane Lewis. The 600cc B-Main was won by Alex Bright.
Cody Kline darted from his pole position to lead the first few circuits of the NAPA Auto Parts All Star Slingshot feature race. Larry Raifsnider kept Kline relatively close, with Brett Bieber, Dylan Hoch, and Danny Buccafusca racing hard for third.
Raifsnider pulled up to Kline’s back bumper, and the race for the lead was on!
As they battled side by side for the lead, Raifsnider made the move that won him the race. After they waged a terrific side by side battle for the lead, he shoved his McCoy Home Improvement No. 11R under Kline in turns one and two, then pulled ahead as they entered the backstretch. When a yellow flag appeared with six revolutions in the books, Raifsnider was in front of Kline, putting him on the pole for the restart. Raifsnider never wavered, even during subsequent caution periods, and he was declared the victor when the thunderstorm rolled in with 12 laps scored as complete.
When the rain intensified and the clock inched perilously close to that 10:30 curfew, it was quickly decided to postpone the rest of the program, which was to include the feature races for the winged 270cc Micro-Sprints and SpeedSTR’s.
Trailing Raifsnider at the finish were Slingshot veterans Cody Kline and Brett Bieber. Young charger Danny Buccafusca wound up fourth and third generation racer Louden Reimert completed the top five when the race was called with 12 tours completed.
Dylan Hoch, Kline, and Joe Bodenschatz won heat races for the 36 Slingshots that showed up to race on Wednesday. B.J. Antonio won the B-Main.
Drivers who were victorious in the qualifyng heat races for the 270cc Micros included Andrew Dietrich, Nick Skias, and Mike Weinert. There were 28 of the 270cc Micro-Sprints in the pit area on Wednesday.
With 16 Insinger Performance/ Sunoco SpeedSTR’s on hand, Freddie Rahmer Jr. and Mike Mahaney took the heat race victories. Rick Eckert and John Kovatch IV were quickest in the timed warm-ups, enabling them to transfer directly to the feature without running a heat race.
The JeffreyHogueRealtor.com Action Track USA will throw open its gates once again next Wednesday, May 29. The four weekly divisions (SpeedSTR’s, Wingless 600cc and winged 270cc Micro-Sprints), along with the Slingshots, will be in action once again. The All Star Slingshots will be featured in a Mid-Atlantic Silver Tour event.
Pit gates open at 4 p.m., while spectator gate open at 5:00. Warm-ups for the wingless 600cc and winged 270cc, along with the Slingshots, get underway at 6 p.m. The first heat race goes green immediately following warm-ups.
Come on out and get your Midweek Motorsports Adrenaline Rush at the JeffreyHogueRealtor.com Action Track USA!
RESULTS:
Pioneer Pole Buildings Wingless 600cc Micro-Sprint Feature, 20 laps: 1.Brian Carber, 2.James Morris, 3.Rick Perone, 4.Jay Hartman, 5.Kyle Lick, 6.Jeff Hartman, 7.Brett Peters, 8.Tim Carter, 9.Eric Bodine, 10.Zach Fisher, 11.Eric Bodine, 12.Shane Lewis, 13.Billy Murphy, 14.Tyler Ross, 15.Brandon Azzalina, 16.Louis Horvath, 17.Taylor Troxel, 18.Dave Graziano, 19.Tim Buckwalter, 20.T.J. Lilly, 21.Tony DiMattia, 22.Alex Bright, 23.Andrew Hannula, 24.Ryan Neil.
NAPA Auto Parts All Star Slingshot Feature, 20 laps (race was deemed official after 12 laps due to rain): 1.Larry Raifsnider, 2.Cody Kline, 3.Brett Bieber, 4.Danny Buccafusca, 5.Louden Reimert, 6.Ed Shaub, 7.Matt Massone, 8.Sam Scicchitano, 9.William Mohring, 10.Dave McCollough, 11.Donny Hockman, 12.Dylan Hoch, 13.Kyle Gruber, 14.Matt Miller, 15.B.J. Antonio, 16.Ryan Kreis, 17.Ryan Raidline, 18.Chris Kurtz, 19.Tayllor Schoenly, 20.Ryan Lilick, 21.Ray Nemeth, 22.Mark Sensenig, 23.Joe Bodenschatz, 24.Joe Nemeth.
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