Jeremiah Shingledecker's Championship Mount! - Stivason Photos

2009 was his breakout season; claiming Track Championships at both Lernerville Speedway and Tri-City Speedway.  But much like Rod George and Alex Ferree, Shingledecker won the Track Championship with a modest win total, but rock solid consistency!  Shingledecker’s thrilling win on the final night of Budweiser Points was just his second Diehl Mods feature win of the season; but no driver in any division had more Top Five finishes than he did.  In 14 Fab Four Fridays of competition, Jeremiah scored an incredible 13 top five finishes!  In addition to his two feature wins, Jeremiah finished in second and third place four times each and recorded two heat race wins.

His first win of the season came on Friday June 12; the return of the Mid-Season Championships.  He took the lead from Tom Winkle on lap six and appeared to have the race in the bag when a caution slowed the field with four laps to go.  Kevin Bolland, coming off back-to-back wins, restarted right alongside of Shingledecker, but had nothing for him as Shingledecker blasted around the top of the Action Track to his first feature win of 2009.  The excitement was palpable on the final night of Bud Points on Friday August 28 with three drivers vying for the title.  Swartzlander entered the night with the points lead but was involved in two separate cautions during the 25-lap feature.  Bolland theoretically inherited the points lead, but could not get past cagey veteran Dean Pearson and Shingledecker ran away with the feature win and the Track Championship!

The 777 of Revin' Kevin! - Stivason Photos

Kevin Bolland narrowly missed winning his third Track Championship, but led the Diehl Mod division in feature wins with five.  The five wins brings his career total to 47 at Lernerville Speedway, fifth in the division, trailing only Inaugural Class Hall of Famers Lou Blaney, Bob Wearing Sr. and Blackie Watt, as well as longtime rival Brian Swartzlander. 

His first win of the season came on Friday April 24, the first night of Budweiser Points.  That win was the 100^th feature win of his career, 43 of which (at the time) came at Lernerville Speedway.  By the time the 2009 season had come to a close, Bolland’s Lernerville win total was at 47, as he claimed feature wins on May 22 & 29, July 10 and August 21.  The May 29 race was a BRP-sanctioned, thus the field also included the Kings, Kevin Hoffman, Gary Smoker and Brad Rapp.  In addition to his five feature wins, Bolland also won four heat races.  In feature competition, Bolland tied Track Champion Jeremiah Shingledecker with 13 top ten finishes, 11 of which were top five finishes.

Brian Swartzlander - Stivason Photos

Brian Swartzlander entered the 2009 season as the Two-Time Defending Track Champion, but suffered an unfortunate and terrifying accident at the BRP Mod Tour Race at PPMS mid-season. He only missed one week of Budweiser Points at Lernerville Speedway, (brother Keith piloted the car on Friday June 12 to a sixth place finish), and actually entered the final night of points as the Bud Points leader over Bolland and Shingledecker.  Swartzlander was involved in two separate incidents in the feature, preventing him from claiming his seventh Track Championship.

Despite missing out on sitting at the head table at the banquet in February, Swartzlander did add to his Lernerville Speedway Hall of Fame resume by winning four features, bringing his Lernerville career total to 64.  During the 2009 season, he passed the Career Modified win totals of Inaugural Class Hall of Famers Blackie Watt (61) and Bob Wearing Sr. (62).  He now trails only the Iconic Lou Blaney in division wins.  Blaney’s division record 69 wins could fall in 2010!  In addition to his four feature wins, Brian tied Del Rougeux Jr. with a division leading seven heat race wins. He also recorded 12 top ten finishes; 10 of those in the top five.

"Double Duty" Dave Murdick - Stivason Photos

Two-Time Track Champion Dave Murdick stunningly has gone two complete seasons without a feature win at Lernerville Speedway.  Few drivers are more consistent, but for whatever reason, Dave has not been able to find his way to Sheetz Victory Lane since August 17, 2007.  Despite the slump, Dave continues to be a threat to win every week and his consistency keeps him among the Bud Points leaders throughout the season. 

Murdick was tied with Shingledecker and Bolland for the division lead with 13 top tens, ten of which were top five runs, including finishing third and fourth four times each.  His best finish of the season came on May 15, when he finished second to Del Rougeux Jr.  He also finished the Fab Four season with four heat race wins on his way to a fourth place finish in the Final Budweiser Point Standings.

 Tom Winkle - Stivason Photos

Rounding out the Diehl Auto Group DIRTcar Modifieds Top Five was Tom Winkle.  Winkle has not won a feature at Lernerville since the 2006 season, but continues to be a front runner and one of the more consistent drivers in the division.  He finished the season with 10 top ten finishes, seven of which came in the top five. His best finish of the season came on the final night of Bud Points as he chased soon-to-be-champion Jeremiah Shingledecker across the stripe to record a season best second place finish.  He also won three heat races during the 2009 campaign.

Del Rougeux Jr. - Stivason Photos

Del Rougeux Jr. was the only other driver to win a Diehl Auto Group DIRTcar Modifieds feature at Lernerville Speedway during the 2009 season.  Rougeux also had the worst luck of any driver in the division; missing out on at least three wins throughout the season due to mechanical failures or on-track incidents.  Del has one of the heaviest right foots in all of Fab Four Racing and it showed with four feature wins, including the $2000-to-win Inaugural DIRTcar Round Up Steel City Stampede.  His other three wins (May 8 & 15 and August 7) came during the Budweiser Points season.

In addition to his four feature wins, Rougeux tied Brian Swartzlander for the division lead with seven heat race victories.  Due a few DNFs, Rougeux recorded less top tens than his fellow competitors recorded top fives.  All told, Rougeux scored 10 top tens, seven of which were top fives.  He finished the 2009 season sixth in Bud Points, but with a little bit better luck in 2010, Del could easily be a title contender!

Dean Pearson - Stivason Photos

Veteran driver Dean Pearson finished seventh in Budweiser Points in the Diehl Auto Group DIRTcar Modified division through consistency and persistency.  Dean recorded just two top five finishes, but logged 10 top ten finishes.  He also checkered two heat races.  His best run of the season, a third place finish on the final night of Bud Points, was a key variable in Jeremiah Shingledecker’s improbable Championship run.  Even one hiccup by the veteran wheelman would’ve allowed Bolland to sneak by for third and claim the Track Championship.

Mike Turner - Stivason Photos

After finishing just outside the Budweiser Top Ten in points in 2008, Mike Turner returned in 2009 with an eighth place finish.  Mike is still eagerly awaiting his first trip to Sheetz Victory Lane in his Big Block Modified, but he did score a career best fourth place finish on Friday August 7.  Mike had one other top five finish and a total of nine top tens; he did not win a heat race.

Carl Murdick's Golden Anniversary Special - Stivason Photos

Carl Murdick celebrated his 50^th Anniversary in 2009.  No, he didn’t turn 50 years old, nor was he celebrating his 50^th wedding anniversary.  No, Carl Murdick was celebrating his 50^th season behind the wheel of a race car.  An absolutely amazing feat, made all the more impressive by the fact that he recorded another top ten finish in the Budweiser Point Standings for the Diehl Auto Group DIRTcar Modified.  Most of Carl’s competitors were not alive when he started racing, but there he is every week wheeling his iconic #6 Modified around the Action Track.  By all common knowledge, Carl has only missed two nights of racing in the 42 year history of Lernerville Speedway.  He is tied for 11^th in the division with 14 career feature wins.  In 2009, Murdick scored four top tens, including a season best eighth place finish on two separate occasions.

Steve Feder - Stivason Photos

Up and coming driver Steve Feder rounds out the Bud Top Ten for the Diehl Mods in 2009.  Like Turner, Feder has yet to roll into Sheetz Victory Lane, but is coming ever closer with each passing season.  Steve accomplished a major milestone this season with his first Top Ten Finish in Budweiser Points.  For that accomplishment, he will be recognized at the Lernerville Speedway Banquet in February!  The next milestones for Feder are a heat race win and a top five finish, both of which could very likely be achieved this coming season!  For 2009, Feder recorded six top tens; four of which were ninth place finishes. 

Other Modified drivers whom competed at Lernerville Speedway during the 2009 season of Fab Four Racing include (in order of final Budweiser Point Standings): Erik Martin, Mike Miller, Shawn Fleeger, Jim Weller Jr., Jeff Miller, Dustin Martin, Skip Moore, Brian Sadler, Phil Evans Jr., Kevin Green, Mark Flick, Chris Dye, Gene Kirilla, Dave Reges, Carl Weatherby, Joe Crawford, Rex King Jr., Dennis Slater, Jeremy Paup, Rex King Sr., Eddie Brown, Brian Bailes and J.R. McGinley.

2010 promises to be another exciting year for the Diehl Auto Group DIRTcar Modifieds.  Jeremiah Shingledecker will be looking to defend his crown against future Hall of Famers Brian Swartzlander and Kevin Bolland.  Actually, there is some question whether Bolland will return to the division, as BolTech had everything but the garage for sale at season’s end with rumors of a possible move into the Late Model division.  Del Rougeux and Dave Murdick are also title contenders, while Mike Turner and Steve Feder will be looking for their first feature win.