Banal Best for Season 1st PPMS Late Model Main; Matejka Returns to Collect 1st E-Mod Checker

PITTSBURGH, PA (7-16-05) - The scattered thunderstorms plaguing the area all week stayed away long enough to let several familiar faces grace Pittsburgh's Pennsylvania Motor Speedway's victory lane Saturday night.  Mark Banal (St. Clairsville OH) was the big winner in the Napa Late Model main, while Jesse Burroughs (Robinson Township) became the victor again in the Advance Auto Parts Limited Late Models, and Russ Matejka (Monaca) returned to the track to promptly claim his season first win in the E-Modifieds.   The veteran Ron O'Patchen (Scott Township) picked up his second checkered flag in the Isiminger's Pennzoil Pure Stocks, and Gary Koteles (Monongahela) finished off the exciting night of racing with another win in the Amateur Stocks.

The Limited Late Models were the first feature of the night with Kirk Young and Larry Marks on the front row.  Young took off with the early lead, but a crash involving Tom Bateman and Joel Johns (in the M5), quickly slowed the action behind him.  On the restart, Young once again led with Ray Brown in close pursuit, but another caution on lap two slowed the field for the second time.  Brown took over the point on lap 3 and held it until lap 13, although he had to battle both Young and Jesse Burroughs to keep it.  On the 14th go round, Young regained the lead with Brown, Stephans and Burroughs all on his tail. Lap 17 would be the end for Young, as both he and second place Stephans were involved in an accident that put Burroughs in front with Jim Zarin (in Bobby Castelveter's 27C) second.  Burroughs continued on to take the win, with Zarin second, Brown third, Larry Marks fourth and Tony Sinicrope fifth.  Nick Duratz, John Cain, Young, Bryan Hoffman and Stephans finished out the top ten.  Heat wins went to Sinicrope and Stephans with race winner Burroughs also collecting the Monarch Oil Hard Charger honors.

Jared Miley and Scott Gunn paced the field for the 25-lap Late Model main.  Gunn took the early lead with Miley and Dave Wade not far behind.  A few cautions slowed the pace, but finally on lap ten, fifth starting Mark Banal blasted past Gunn to take the lead.  While Banal would not relinquish the top spot, the battle was ongoing behind him, as Lynn Geisler came from eighth to take second from Gunn.  Steve Baker came into the mix after powering his way from the 12th starting position to fourth.  At the checker, it was Banal collecting the win, his 39th on the Monster Half Mile, with Geisler claiming second, Gunn settling for third, Baker fourth and Ed Ferree rounding out the top five.  Dave Wade, Lou Bradich, John Flinner, Jared Miley and Michael Davis completed the top ten.  Qualifying heat race wins went to Banal, Wade and Baker with Keith Rodriguez named the hard charger of the event.

Russ Matejka made his first E-Modified start of 2005 a good one with a feature win, a career 19th at PPMS, although it was not easy by any means.  Matejka started on the outside pole with Kurt Halbedl alongside.  Matejka took the lead on the first lap and never gave the top spot up, although throughout the race he had Wayne Tessean and Shawn Domhoff right behind.  At the finish it was Matejka, Domhoff, Tessean, Tom Martineck and Mike Basich  the top five, with Halbedl, Mitch Basich, Dennis Niederriter, Daryl Charlier, and Kari Gasser finishing six through ten.  Martineck and Mitch Basich took the heats, while J.E. Stalder was the hard charger.  Randy McElhaney had a fiery accident in the first E-Modified heat that left his car virtually destroyed, but Randy uninjured.

When you have hot shoe Craig Kamicker starting on the pole for the Pure Stock feature, you can make a pretty safe bet that he would end up in victory lane, but such was not the case Saturday night.  Kamicker led the first six laps before a bobble let Darryl Robison by on the next circuit.  Robison would then lead until lap 12 with Bob Schwartzmiller and Ron O'Patchen on his tail.  O'Patchen would finally pass Robison on lap 13 and win the hard earned race, the 65th of his career at the track.  Robison hung on for second with Schwartzmiller third, Jake Simmons fourth and Tim Folmer fifth.  Kamicker wound up sixth with Steve Webb, Aaron Jones, A.J. Poljak and Bill Robertson rounding out the top ten.  Joe Hackimer took a long overdue heat race win, along with Steve Webb.  O'Patchen was the hard charger after starting ninth.

The night ended with Scott Warman and Rick Gorsuch (in the Tomei 21T) making up the front row to lead the Amateur Stock field to the green.  Gorsuch assumed the lead at the start and was looking good to win until an accident on the fifth lap had him bumping a uke tire head-on.  Gorsuch was able to continue on, but Wes Wheeler and Gary Koteles were now the lead duo.  Koteles ended up with the point on the next lap and went on to win his second feature of 2005.  Wheeler claimed second with Robby Torrens third, John Chipps fourth and Bill Tennant fifth.  Davy Lee, Dennis Maffei, John Greywolds, Lonnie Lamb and Darren Ferguson completed the top ten.  Lee and Chipps were the heat race winners and Robby Torrens went from 12th to third to collect the hard charger award.

Saturday, July 23, will be a regular night of racing for the Late Models, Limited Late Models, E-Modifieds, Pure Stocks and Amateur Stocks, but make sure you mark your calendar for our second "Topless Tuesday" event which is scheduled for Tuesday, July 26 on the Monster Half Mile.  Times for the Tuesday event are the same as our Saturday racing programs, with gates opening at 5:00pm and racing getting underway promptly at 7:00pm.  The special Tuesday event will see the Super Late Models and Limited Late Models racing without their roofs while the E-Mods, Pure Stocks and Amateur Stocks present their regular program.  The winner of the "Topless" 35-lap feature will collect $2000 for his efforts, and the event will start 34 cars.  For more information regarding racing at Pittsburgh's PA Motor Speedway, including details on our new 4-cylinder Young Gun Teen Division, please call the Pittsburgh Office at 412-279-7223 or visit the web site at ppms.com

PITTSBURGH'S PENNSYLVANIA MOTOR SPEEDWAY JULY 16 RACE RESULTS

Napa Late Models
Monarch Oil Hard Charger:  Keith Rodriguez
Heat Race Winners:  Mark Banal, Dave Wade, Steve Baker
Feature (25 Laps):  1) Mark Banal, 2) Lynn Geisler, 3) Scott Gunn, 4) Steve Baker, 5) Ed Ferree, 6) Dave Wade, 7) Lou Bradich, 8) John Flinner, 9) Jared Miley, 10) Michael Davis, 11) Mark Moats, 12) Jim Lepro, 13) Keith Rodriguez, 14) Mike Johnson, 15) Danny Rich, 16) Mike Cecere, 17) Jim Arcuragi, 18) D.J. Miller, 19) Butch D'Antonio, 20) Scott Peltz, 21) Rick Heim, 22) J. E. Stalder, 23) Bob DeJulio

Advance Auto Parts Limited Late Models
Monarch Oil Hard Charger:  Jesse Burroughs
Heat Race Winners:  Tony Sinicrope, Jim Stephans
Feature:  (20 Laps):  1) Jesse Burroughs, 2) Jim Zarin, 3) Ray Brown, 4) Larry Marks, 5) Tony Sinicrope, 6) Nick Duratz, 7) John Cain, 8) Kirk Young, 9) Bryan Hoffman, 10) Jim Stephans, 11) Joel Johns, 12) John Hobbs, 13) Bruce Takach, 14) Laura Lukon, 15) Tommy Schirnhofer, 16) Tom Bateman

E-Modifieds
Monarch Oil Hard Charger:  J. E. Stalder
Heat Race Winners:  Tom Martineck, Mitch Basich
Feature (15 Laps):  1) Russ Matejka, 2) Shawn Domhoff, 3) Wayne Tessean, 4) Tom Martineck, 5) Mike Basich, 6) Kurt Halbedl, 7) Mitch Basich, 8) Dennis Niederriter, 9) Daryl Charlier, 10) Kari Gasser, 11) J. E. Stalder, 12) Kevin Miller, 13) Bobby Watt, 14) Joel Johns, 15) Clate Kennedy, 16) Chad Will, 17) Mike McKee, 18) Randy McElhaney DNS

Isiminger's Pennzoil Pure Stocks   
Monarch Oil Hard Charger:  Ron O'Patchen
Heat Race Winners:  Joe Hackimer, Steve Webb
Feature (15 Laps):  1) Ron O'Patchen, 2) Darryl Robison, 3) Bob Schwartzmiller, 4) Jake Simmons, 5) Tim Folmer, 6) Craig Kamicker, 7) Steve Webb, 8) Aaron Jones, 9) A.J. Poljak, 10) Bill Robertson, 11) Nick Kocuba, 12) Jim Moore, 13) Joe Anthony, 14) Craig Fraser, 15) John Hobbs, 16) Aaron Fraser, 17) Joe Hackimer, 18) Jim Wagner, 19) Jay Adams DNS

Amateur Stocks
Monarch Oil Hard Charger:  Robby Torrens
Heat Race Winners:  Davy Lee, John Chipps
Feature (12 Laps):  1) Gary Koteles, 2) Wes Wheeler, 3) Robby Torrens, 4) John Chipps, 5) Bill Tennant, 6) Davy Lee, 7) Dennis Maffei, 8) John Greywolds, 9) Lonnie Lamb, 10) Darren Ferguson, 11) Rick Gorsuch, 12) Butch Levandosky, 13) Scott Warman, 14) Jim Kosut, 15) Jason Herniak, 16) Eric Goldberg, 17) Skeets Levandosky, 18) Todd Evans DNS