IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Media Contact:  Judy Gower  724-853-7223  jdgocar@comcast.net
September 10, 2005

FLINNER SCORES BIG ON FINAL POINTS NIGHT AT PPMS. 

PITTSBURGH, PA (Sept. 10) – Late Model pilot John Flinner from Zelienople aboard his John’s Towing/Bryan Equipment Chevrolet powered Rocket, was stunned to learn upon landing in victory lane that he also became the 2005 Track Champion following his win Saturday night at Pittsburgh’s Pennsylvania Motor Speedway.  Tommy Schirnhofer, from Dormont, scored his  second Limited Late Model win, while Washington’s Tom Martineck also collected his second checkered flag in the E-modifieds.  Darryl Robison from S. Beaver Township ended a long dry spell with a convincing win in the Pure Stocks,  and Carnegie’s Adam Chytil tuned up for the upcoming Amateur Stock special by winning a close one in the night cap feature event.  Crowned 2005 Track Champions at PPMS were:  John Flinner (Napa Late Models), Jesse Burroughs (Advance Auto Parts Limited Late Models), Dennis Niederriter (E-Modifieds), Craig Kamicker (Isiminger’s Pennzoil Pure Stocks), and Robby Torrens (Amateur Stocks).

A close race for the Napa Late Model points championship got tighter following the qualifying heat races.  Points leader Steve Baker remained atop the leader board, but Lou Bradich was able to narrow the gap by two digits after winning his heat. John Flinner, sitting in third, also won his heat, but the main focus was on Baker and Bradich, as Flinner was going to be a long shot at best.  The luck of the draw put Flinner ninth for the start, Bradich eleventh, and the previous week’s winner, Baker, twelfth.  When the 25-lap race got underway, Ed Ferree quickly shot into the lead with Michael Davis on his bumper.  Flinner displaced Davis for second on the fourth circuit, and by lap twelve he had wrestled the lead from Ferree.  Flinner began to pull away, and the new drama was unfolding behind as Bradich and Baker were working their way to the front.  With five laps remaining, Flinner was in control with Ferree still second, Dave Wade third, and Bradich was up to fourth while Baker battled it out with Davis for fifth.  Had the race ended then, Baker would have taken the title by one point over Flinner, but in racing, it’s not over till the checker waves, and things took another dramatic turn as the final lap was underway.  Third running Wade developed mechanical problems and oil was dumped around the speedway.  The yellow came out, and while the track was tended to and the cars ran it in, points leader Baker appeared to be getting a flat on the right rear.  As the race now became a green, white, checker affair, Baker lost precious ground due to the deflating tire, and his championship hopes went out the window.  Flinner meanwhile was heading for his third feature win, but Bradich was challenging Ferree for second and nearly got the position on the final turn heading for the checker.  That pass would have meant that Bradich would have taken the title by one point.  As it all turned out, a very surprised Flinner soon found out the he not only won the race, but he also clinched the Late Model Track Championship by four points, his first title ever at PPMS.  The victory elevated Flinner to 20 PPMS career late model wins.  Second through fifth were Ferree, Bradich, Davis and Ben Miley.  The remainder of the top ten were Mike Johnson, Rich Apolito, Monarch Oil Hard Charger Jared Miley, Danny Rich, and D. J. Miller.  (Baker crossed the stripe eleventh.)  Heats went to Bradich, George Kowatic, and Flinner. 

Twenty-eight digits separated Jim Stephans from points leader Jesse Burroughs going into the final points night at the track.  Right off the bat, Stephans experienced mechanical woes in the Limited Late Model feature and retired to the pits leading everyone watching to think that Burroughs had the championship locked up. A yellow on the seventh lap got the pencils back out though as Burroughs, who was chasing race leader Tommy Schirnhofer, suddenly slowed and went to the pits.  A quick scramble in the Stephans pits indicated that possibly Burroughs night might be done, and if Stephans could return, he would still have a mathematical chance at the title since the race length was 20 laps.  However, while the field was being re-aligned for the restart, Burroughs crew remedied his problem, and he returned to the tail of the field as they took the green again.  Schirnhofer was dialed in, and the nineteen year old went on to convincingly take his career second win on the monster half mile.  Pete Rech had a superb run to just edge out Bobby Castelveter for second.  Neal Isiminger, subbing for Ray Brown, came from the back of the field to finish fourth and John Cain claimed the fifth spot.  2005 Division Champion Burroughs recovered from his earlier pit stop to take sixth with Nick Duratz, Joel Johns, Bruce Takach and Jeris Collins completing the top ten.  Heats went to Castelveter and Duratz with Neal Isiminger taking home the hard charger honors. 

Randy McElhaney and Mitch Basich led the E-Modified field to the green for the 15-lap event.  McElhaney led two circuits before Basich took over, and as the race wore on, Basich appeared to be on his way to the win.  However, Tom Martineck, who was seeking his first track championship, was on the move from his ninth place starting position, and by lap twelve he was in the runner-up spot.  Martineck got by Basich on the next go round and went on to score his second feature of the season, but came up three points short of taking the title.  Third went to Wayne Tessean, and the points leader Dennis Niederriter, who had started seventh in the main, advanced to fourth, giving him enough points to earn him his first ever Track Championship.  Kurt Halbedl came home fifth.  Six through ten were Daryl Charlier, Vince Laboon, Kari Gasser, Joel Johns and McElhaney.  Martineck and Tessean won the heats, and Joel Johns earned the Monarch Oil Hard Charger honors.

Bill Robertson led the first five laps of the Isiminger’s Pennzoil Pure Stock main, but Darryl Robison was breathing down his tailpipe after he displaced Joe Anthony for second on lap two.  By the fifth circuit Robertson and Robison were dead even at the stripe.  On the sixth lap Robison made what turned out to be the winning pass and each lap thereafter Robison opened the gap between him and the rest of the pack which was battling it out for positions two through ten.  Anthony held on to second with Tim Folmer a very close third, Division Champion Craig Kamicker advanced from twelfth to claim fourth, and Jeff Broniszewski completed the top five.  The next group of five were Jake Simmons, Robertson, Charlie DiLoreto, Aaron Jones and Ron O’Patchen.  Jones and Bob Schwartzmiller took heat race wins, and Kamicker was the Monarch Oil Hard Charger.

The Amateur Stock feature was heading towards a green to checker finish with the top three of Craig Koteles, Adam Chytil and Gary Koteles running under a blanket, but a yellow with two to go slowed the fast-paced event.  On the restart Craig Koteles retained the top spot, but both Chytil and G. Koteles were glued to his back bumper.  As the field went down the back straightaway for the final time, Chytil pulled ahead finally making the winning pass, and went on to claim the winner’s trophy for the second time in 2005.  Craig Koteles settled for second with Gary third, Davy Lee fourth and 2005 Division Champion, Robby Torrens, fifth.  Six through ten were Ian Tomei, Eric Goldberg, Dennis Maffei, Jim Moeller and Richie Cooper.  Heats were won by Torrens and Goldberg, and Torrens also took hard charger honors.

PITTSBURGH'S PA MOTOR SPEEDWAY SEPTEMBER 10 RACE RESULTS