Cole Duncan thrilled to be in Sheetz Victory Lane - Stivason Photos

Cole Duncan Steals Victory from Ed Lynch Jr.

Lux and Rougeux outlast Late Model and Modified Fields

Holtgraver, Hall, Martz, Lehnerd, Hay and Truitt get Belt Buckles!

Sarver, PA (October 25, 2009) In one of the more improbable endings to a race in the history of Don Martin’s Lernerville Speedway, second generation driver Cole Duncan stole $2000 from Ed Lynch Jr. on a green-white-checkered restart Sunday afternoon to capture the DIRTcar Sprint Car Feature as part of the Inaugural DIRTcar Round Up Steel City Stampede.

Ed Lynch Jr. is both the leading feature winner at the speedway in 2009 and the all time wins leader in the Commercial Truck & Trailer DIRTcar Sprint Division.  Starting from the outside pole, Lynch took the lead at the green flag and appeared destined for a wire-to-wire feature win.  However a late race caution set up the always exciting green-white-checkered restart.  Most in attendance, myself included, blindly assumed that Lynch would blast off on the restart and roll the iconic 2L into Sheetz Victory Lane. 

But the Ohio youngster had other plans.  Duncan found some traction through the middle of turns three & four and used it on the restart to drive past Lynch on the front straightaway, then slide through one & two, taking Lynch’s line and lead away.  The super slick track prevented Lynch from reeling him back in and Duncan captured his first Lernerville Speedway feature win to claim the DIRTcar Round Up Steel City Stampede Plate and Belt Buckle.

Lynch followed Duncan across the stripe to finish second.  Mike Lutz ran a strong race to finish third, Jack-o-Lantern Sodeman was behind the wheel of the black & orange Rudzik #94 and finished fourth.  Scott Bonnell rounded out the top five.  Six through ten went to 2009 Track Champion Rod George, Bob Felmlee, Danny Holtgraver, Pete Miller III and Brent Matus.  Lynch and George checkered their heat races Saturday Night.

Before the shocker in the sprints, Del Rougeux Jr. and Matt Lux won features in the DIRTcar/BRP Big Block Modifieds and DIRTcar Late Models features respectively.

 Rougeux (20D) door-to-door with Shingledecker (37MD) - Stivason Photos

Much like with Lynch starting on the outside pole and looking like the odds on favorite to win, Brian Swartzlander started on the outside pole of the DIRTcar Big Block Modified Feature, which was also a BRP-sanctioned event, and took the early lead.  But Del Rougeux Jr. started right behind Swartzlander and was in his wake from the drop of the green flag.  He tried high and low to get past Swartzlander before finding some bite on the highside exiting turn two and took the lead down the back straightaway.  He quickly jumped out to a half straightaway lead as the field took shape behind him.

Rougeux continued to stretch his lead, but 2009 Track Champion Jeremiah Shingledecker was making his way through the field from his ninth place starting position.  Shingledecker got past Swartzlander on lap 10 and started his pursuit of Rougeux.  A handful cautions gave Shingledecker a chance at the $2000 winner’s share of the purse, but Rougeux held tough each time and motored to his fourth Lernerville Feature win of 2009.

Shingledecker tried one last time to steal the win away from Rougeux as they came to the checkered flag by driving low through turn four while Super DIRTcar Series Superstar Alan “A.J. Slideways” Johnson tried to blast around the very top of turn four.  Johnson could not get past Rougeux, but he did nip Shingledecker for second.  Johnson was behind the wheel of the Bolland 777, as Kevin Bolland was suspended from the event by the BRP Board for pre-exisiting BRP Tour matters.  Shingledecker took third, followed by Joe Crawford who ran with the leaders throughout the 25 lap shootout.  Rex King rounded out the BRP Top Five, and in doing so clinched the 2009 BRP Tour Championship.  Brian Swartzlander, Dave Murdick, Brad Rapp, Mike Turner and Rex King Jr. rounded out the top ten.  Heat races were claimed by Swartzlander and Rapp on Saturday Night.

Starting on the outside pole was no guarantee of victory Sunday Afternoon, but for John Flinner it was downright ghoulish.  As he rolled onto the speedway, the car was missing and it never did fire properly, forcing the polarizing driver to the pits before the green flag even waved.  The crew later reported the MSD Ignition Box to be the victim of the gremlins. 

Matt Lux (21) drives away from Jared Miley (H1) - Stivason Photos

With the legendary driver in the pits, the 25-lap DIRTcar Late Model Feature was left in the hands of Generation Now drivers led by pole sitter Matt Lux.  Lux is a threat to win any race at any track any time he rolls onto the speedway, but has experienced terrible luck at Lernerville over the past few years and always seems to be in the wrong place at the wrong time, or has mechanical failures.  But that all changed on Sunday!  Sunday was different, Lux clearly had the car to beat, but was being tailed by four other young up and coming drivers thirsty for a $2000 payday.

Lux was quickly joined at the front of the field by Gregg Satterlee, who started seventh but was in second at the flagstand to complete lap one.  By lap seven, World of Outlaws Rookie of the Year front runner Russell King and Dave Hess Jr. were in the mix battling Satterlee for second.  King got around Satterlee for second on lap eight as they battled three wide for the lead with Lux.  The very next lap, Jared Miley took away third place from Satterlee on a restart.  By lap 14, Lux had a full straightaway lead, but a caution slowed the field on lap 15.

When the field went back to green, Lux took off, while Satterlee, Miley and King battled three wide behind him for second, allowing him to slip away on an open track.  Miley got past King on lap 16 and began reeling in Lux, but there was too much open track in front of the leader.  As the leaders were coming to the white flag, however, Bobby Marietta spun; setting up yet another green-white-checkered restart.  But as he had on previous restarts, Lux rocketed off turn four to a comfortable lead.  Miley tried to slide him in turns three & four but could not find enough bite to pull alongside, much less past Lux.  For Matt Lux, it was his first win at Lernerville Speedway in over two years and a nice payday at $2000.

Jared Miley took home second place, while Gregg Satterlee recovered to finish third.  Russell King and Dave Hess Jr. rounded out the top five.  The top ten shook out with Gary Lyle, Doug Eck, DJ Cline, Dave Murdick and Kenny Schaltenbrand.  Lux and Flinner won the heat races on Saturday Night.

Lee Lehnerd in Sheetz Victory Lane - Stivason Photos

After the big three divisions finished up, it was 4 Cylinder time!  Saturday Night heat race winner Chris Hickok started on the outside pole but slid off the top of turn two on the opening lap.  Steve Settle, driving a Dale Earnhardt inspired #3 car, led the opening five laps before giving way to John Shannon.  Shannon had started in the back row of the feature, but zipped through field and led the next seven laps.  A late race caution spoiled Shannon’s hopes of winning the big belt buckle.  On the restart, there was a three wide battle for the lead between Lee Lehnerd, John Ford and Ryan Claycomb.  On the final lap, Ford had a slight advantage exiting turn two, but Lehnerd charged back to the lead entering turn three and held on to take the checkers.  Ford and Claycomb followed Lehnerd to the stripe, while Pete Blazczak and David Smail rounded out the top five.

Michael Hay's Feature Winning #22 - Stivason Photos

The Mod Lites feature was the Michael Hay Show.  Hay took the lead at the drop of the green flag from the outside pole and led wire-to-wire to win the 15-lap feature.  Matt Hay came from ninth to finish second, followed by Rick Ament, Kenny Meadows and Alan Knepper.  Mark Marcucci came from the tail of the field to finish seventh.

Rusty Martz (16M) on his way to another victory - Stivason Photos

DIRTcar Sportsman Rookie of the Year Contender Corey McPherson led the 24-car Sportsman/Stock feature to the green flag flanked by Eric Baun.  Baun took the lead on the opening lap and led the first 10 circuits.  On the lap 11 restart, Rusty Martz took the lead in turns one & two and never looked back.  Jeff Walters stormed from 11^th to second, SS Chassis Guru Chris Schneider finished third, followed by Chris Haines and Joe Kelley to round out the top five.

Josh Holtgraver (00) battles Gregg Satterlee (8V) - Stivason Photos

In the UMP Pro Late Models, Josh Holtgraver jumped out to a big lead early in the race, but was overtaken by Gregg Satterlee behind the wheel of the 8V.  Holtgraver regained the lead on lap 11 and Satterlee faded fast, eventually rolling to a stop in turns one & two.  Holtgraver held off the advances of Ricky Meglaye and Dan “The Greek” Karalgas to seal the victory.  Meglaye and Karalagas finished ahead of Andrew Satterlee and Butch Lambert.  Lambert, a multiple time Track Champion in the Sportsman division, started shotgun on the field, due to missing Saturday’s heat races, but the “Man from Mars” knows his way around the Action Track and it showed Sunday evening!

Randy Hall with Ms. Lernerville Mandy Golec - Stivason Photos

The final feature of the evening belonged to the UMP Modifieds with Randy Hall, Brent Rhebergen, Daryl Charlier and Dave Hess Jr. all battling for the $1000 winner’s share of the Steel City Stampede purse.  When the checkered flag waved it was Randy Hall in Sheetz Victory Lane.  Hess finished a close second, followed by Rhebergen, Charlier and Carl McKinney.

Enduro winner Brent Truitt showing off his Belt Buckle! - Stivason Photos

The final chapter of the Inaugural DIRTcar Round Up Steel City Stampede was written by 70 drivers in the $1000-to-win, 100-lap Enduro.  The rolling demolition derby did not fail to deliver a crashtastic ending to the 2009 racing season at Lernerville Speedway.  When the carnage ended and the score sheets were tallied, Brent Truitt stood victorious in Sheetz Victory Lane, claiming the ninth and final Steel City Stampede Belt Buckle!  Mike Roberts finished second, Tyler Hill third and Robert Prosser Jr. fourth.

Sadly, that was the end of the 2009 season at Lernerville Speedway.  The Action Track will be dark for the next five months, but we’ll be back in 2010 with Opening Night on Friday, March 26.  A full schedule of events will be released in the coming months. 

If you can’t wait until March to see your Lernerville favorites, follow them to Charlotte for the World of Outlaws World Finals at the Dirt Track at Lowe’s Motor Speedway on Thursday-Saturday November 5-7.  For more details about the World Finals, log on to www.WorldofOutlaws.com.

Contact: Lernerville Speedway                       

Eric J. Westendorf, Public Relations Director