IMPERIAL, PA  (Sept. 11) – Ben Miley of Venetia collected his third Late Model win Saturday night at Pittsburgh’s Pennsylvania Motor Speedway, while Dave Wade from Clinton saw his dream season become a reality when he clinched the 2004 Late Model Track Championship following his qualifying heat race win.  Other victors were D.J. Miller of Hookstown, who became a winner for the first time in the Limited Late Models, Russ Matejka from Monaca came home first in the E-Modifieds, and  Baldwin’s AJ Poljak found victory lane in the Pure Stocks.  Super Sub Gary Koteles of Finleyville became a winning  driver for the second time this season in the Amateur Stocks.  As an added attraction, The Tim Chitwood Thrill show astounded the fans with a fiery performance that included the amazing Chevy Thunder Jet Truck.   With one more week of regular racing left, unofficially, Rich Apolito clinched the Advance Auto Parts Limited Late Model title Saturday, as did Larry Marks, who will become the Division Champion in the Isiminger’s Pennzoil Pure Stocks, and Ian Tomei has locked it up in the Amateur Stocks.  The E-Modified title, still undecided, goes down to the wire between defending Track Champion Wayne Tessean and Shawn Domhoff.  Sixteen points separate leader Domhoff from Tessean as they go into next weeks final points event.
    
Rick Heim and Ben Miley headed the full field of Late Models with Heim getting the advantage on the initial start of the 25-lap event. Heim led the first circuit, but a Dave Wade spin brought out the yellow.  Wade went to the rear of the bus, and on the restart Miley got the jump, and he settled into the lead.   Michael Davis got by Heim for second, and Jimmy Zarin took over third on the following circuit.  Davis applied pressure on Miley, while Zarin, Neal Isiminger and Heim kept them in sight.  Lapped traffic soon became a factor, but Miley worked it best maintaining the lead while Davis continued his pursuit. Meanwhile, Lou Bradich, from twelfth, was working his way through traffic to the front.  A caution just before half way slowed the pace, but Miley took up right where he left off when the green returned.  Zarin finally got around Davis for second with three to go, and Bradich slipped by Davis at the same time.  With more lapped traffic ahead, Miley maintained his composure and went on to take the win, his third of the season and 52^nd at PPMS.  Zarin claimed the runnerup spot with Bradich in tow for third.  Davis settled for fourth and Isiminger had a great run for fifth.  Mark Banal, from seventeenth, claimed sixth with Mike Johnson seventh.  Dave Wade recovered from his early spin to work his way back to eighth, Heim finished ninth, and Jim Kutas completed the top ten.  Zarin, Wade and Kutas were the heat race winners, and Banal was the Monarch Oil Hard Charger.  
    
The Hookstown Hornet, D.J. Miller, has been trying to get in victory lane since the season started, and he nearly ran out of time, but finally it was Miller’s night as he led all twenty laps of the Limited Late Model main to add his first Limited Late Model feature win to his racing resume. With the victory, Miller now has a win in the Late Models, E-Mods and Limited Late Models at PPMS.  Rich Apolito tucked into second and then tried every move he could make, but Miller was not to be denied, and Apolito settled for runnerup.  Jesse Burroughs rode home third with Pete Loria fourth and Frankie Schneider completed the top five.  The remainder of the top ten were Jim Stephans, Jon Hodgkiss, Tony Sinicrope, Tom Schirnhofer Jr., and Bobby Henne.  Schneider and Hodgkiss won the heat races and Hodgkiss was also the Monarch Oil Hard Charger. 
    
Russ Matejka recently returned to racing after taking most of the season off.  From the front row, Matejka got the jump on Tom Martineck as the green waved for the start of the 15-lap E-Modified feature event.  Matejka and Matineck then waged a heated battle for the top spot with Martineck finally nosing ahead enough to be credited with leading the fifth lap.  That turned out to be the only one he would lead as Matejka came right back, and then held Martineck off the remainder of the distance to make his first return to the winner’s circle since April 17.  The win gives him three on the year.  Wayne Tessean and Shawn Domhoff both charged from deep in the pack to duel it out for third and fourth.  Tessean just edged Domhoff at the finish for third, and Herm Myers drove a steady race to claim the fifth position.  Newcomer Mike Basich had a good run for sixth, Kari Gasser finished seventh, with Kurt Halbedl, Joel Johns and Cody Barrack eighth through ten respectively.  Gasser and Randy McElhaney claimed heat race wins with Hard Charger honors going to Shawn Domhoff. 
    
The always exciting Pure Stocks went caution free for 15 fast and furious laps.  At the checker it was A.J. Poljak, who also ended a long dry spell, by holding off Larry Marks for the close win.  Poljak’s win gives him two on the season, his other victory coming back on April 17 ironically the same night as E-Mod pilot Matejka picked up his last checker.   Following Poljak and Marks across the stripe was John Cain for third, E.J. Vasko fourth, and Jake Simmons fifth.  Six through ten were Shawn Bryan, Craig Kamicker, Aaron Fraser, Darryl Robison and Brian Banas.  Kamicker and Marks took heat race wins and Tony Capo earned Hard Charger honors.
    
Butch Levandosky wasn’t feeling well and asked Gary Koteles to fill in for him in the Amateur Stocks.  Not only did Koteles jump in and drive the car, but he went on to lead all twelve laps of the main event to pick up his second of the year.  Koteles battled his brother Craig most of the event as the two went at it, but at the checker it was Gary in a close one over Craig with Robby Torrens third, Ian Tomei fourth and Wes Wheeler completed the top five.  Credited with sixth was Adam Chytil, Jim Moore was seventh, Rick Gorsuch eighth, Rob Ward ninth and John Chipps rounded out the top ten.  Teammates Torrens and Tomei won the qualifying heat races and Moore was the Monarch Oil Hard Charger.
    
The regular racing season will conclude on Saturday, September 18 with a five-division action event of Late Models, Limited Late Models, E-Modifieds, Pure Stocks and Amateur Stocks.  The Season Finale takes place under the lights Friday, September 24 and Saturday, September 25 when the World of Outlaws Late Models and their “Dirty Dozen” arrive at Dirt’s Monster Half Mile for the 16^th Annual Pittsburgher.  For more information on the Pittsburgher, you can call the business office during the week at 724-853-7223, or visit the web site at www.ppms.com
 

Feature (12 Laps):  1) Gary Koteles, 2) Craig Koteles, 3) Robby Torrens, 4) Ian Tomei, 5) Wes Wheeler, 6) Adam Chytil, 7) Jim Moore, 8) Rich Gorsuch, 9) Rob Ward, 10) John Chipps, 11) Jim Kosut, 12) Bill Tennant, 13) Jon Everett, 14) Skeets Levandosky, 15) Eric Goldberg, 16) Todd Evans, 17) John Martin DNS, 18) Jay Adams DNS