Last Lap Pass Leads Joe Barbush to Emotional Brad Kline
Memorial Win
Brad Kline, a two time Sundance Vacations Speedway Street Stock champion
lost his life back in March of this season. The 26 year old loved the big
money, “all out” races and through the efforts of his entire family, friends
and fellow competitors the Brad Kline Street Stock Shootout Memorial kicked
off Sunday at his home track. The event featured two Street Stock race
segments, with the second segment winner declared the overall victor. In a
very close battle to the finish, Richie DiMarco grabbed the win in segment
#1 and Joe Barbush of Drums, Pa completed a last lap pass on Chip Wanamaker
to claim the overall victory in what many called the best Street Stock
racing of the season. Paul Lotier, Jr. visited victory lane in his Tobias
SpeedSTR after their first ever visit to the speedway and Kyle Hieber took
the Tobias Slingshot win. Several dirt modifieds ran an exhibition “Dirt
Mods on Asphalt” event and Ricky Ross, Jr. took the victory.
Twenty-two Street Stocks time trialed for starting spots for the 23-lap,
first segment of the non-points, Brad Kline Memorial Street Stock Shootout.
Steve Shultz timed fourth quickest and was awarded with the fastest overall
time after the top three timers failed to make ride height in tech. Shultz
was awarded a clock from Track Photographer, Kevin Green for his efforts.
Shultz flipped a coin to determine the invert for the start of the first
segment and the top twelve time trailers were inverted.
Following the invert, Dave Cascioli started from the pole position and was
quickly overtaken by Shaun Burd for the race lead. Brandon Oltra lost a
wheel in turn four following a quick lap three debris caution. The field
bunched up for the lap seven restart with Burd leading over Scott Meckes,
Chip Wanamaker, Steve Shultz and twentieth place starter, Richie DiMarco.
Green flag racing resumed and Meckes completed a pass for the lead on the
following lap but unwilling to give up Burd took back the top spot one lap
later. With the top five in a tight pack, Meckes regained the lead two
circuits afterward. With ten laps remaining Meckes held the lead over Burd,
Wanamaker, DiMarco and Shultz.
Things heated up following the restart. Frank Reakes worked his way into the
top five and battled with Wanamaker. The duo made contact, which sent
Wanamaker into a spin cycle in turns three and four.
DiMarco restarted third and worked over Burd for second before running the
outside line around Meckes and into the race lead with two laps remaining.
DiMarco went on to take the first segment win over Meckes, Reakes, Shultz
and Burd. Along with the segment win, DiMarco picked up the $50 “Hard
Charger” bonus from Barbush Automotive.
DiMarco “Rolled the Dice” on the front stretch for the segment #2 invert and
the top nine cars were inverted for the start of the 50-lap and final
segment.
Robert Fink led the field to the drop of the green flag and led the first
circuit before Brian Sones overtook him. With six laps complete, Sones led
over Fink, Reakes, DiMarco and Burd.
The caution flag waved on lap seven when Reakes tangled with Fink. Both
drivers were forced to restart from the rear of the field, which moved Danny
Cascioli and Nick Gargiulo into the top five.
While working the outside groove all day, DiMarco disposed of Fink and
chased Sones. Meanwhile, Joe Barbush and Shultz joined the top five runners.
DiMarco took the race lead following a Shaun Burd spin on lap 23 and the lap
was not completed because Sones and Barbush tangled in turn four. Several
others joined the mix, including Reakes, Gargiulo and Meckes.
Instead, Wanamaker grabbed the lead on the lap 23 restart and led over
Shultz, Meckes and Nick Shaw.
A yellow flag wasn’t seen over the final half of the event and DiMarco raced
to the outside of Wanamaker. Unbelievably, the two raced side-by-side, lap
after lap, as they exchanged the race lead eleven times. Meanwhile, Barbush,
Shultz and Sones battled closely behind for third.
Barbush settled into third behind the leaders and kept within striking
distance. With two laps remaining and still on the outside of Wanamaker,
DiMarco was forced up the track and brushed the front stretch wall. Barbush
slipped by to take second and then chased Wanamaker.
In dramatic fashion Barbush drove underneath Wanamaker on the final lap to
drive off to an emotional victory. DiMarco finish third, followed by Sones
and Shultz.
“I was content with finishing third”, said Barbush when asked about running
third with a handful of laps remaining. “Brad (Kline) was definitely here
with us today, first we grabbed a win earlier in the season for dad and now
we got one here today for Brad”, he said.
Barbush was also the “Hard Charger” of the event and picked up a $100 bonus.
Laps were sponsored for both segments by many of Brad’s family members,
friends and competitors, along with the Crossroads Inn in Mountain Top and
the leader of each of the sponsored laps received the cash.
A Chinese Auction was held and the proceeds went to the Cole Kline Trust
Fund. The fund was set up for Brad’s two-year-old son. Several drivers
walked through the grandstands with Brad’s helmet to collect money for the
trust fund and speedway Promoter; Joe Callavini donated $5 from every
entered Street Stock towards the trust fund.
The Tobias SpeedSTRS hit the stage for the first time ever at the speedway.
After winning their heat races earlier in the afternoon, Don Zrinski and
Paul Lotier, Jr. shared the front row for the start of the 20-lap feature.
The green flag waved and Lotier took the lead with one lap complete.
Things got ugly for Steve Hicks on lap four when his car got out of shape
and flipped onto the retaining wall in turns one and two. Hicks was not
injured and was forced pit side with a DNF.
Green flag racing resumed and Lotier held command over the competition. With
13 laps completed he was still of front over Richie Tobias, Jr., Billy
Vanlnwegen, Jr, Zrinski and Tyler Potts.
Potts had problems and was forced pit side with three laps remaining. The
field tightened for the restart and Lotier barely held off Tobias to take
his first ever win at the speedway. Vanlnwegen finished third, followed by
Jeff Strunk and Nick Pecko.
The Tobias Slingshots were also on the card and after overtaking heat race
winner, Katie McCardle, Kyle Hieber drove off to the checkers over McCardle,
Gary Hieber, Ben Whitaker and Carl Bittenbender to take the win in the
15-lap event.
A trio of dirt modifieds was also on hand for an exhibition event. Ricky
Ross, Jr. beat out Randy Thomas and Nick Ross to take the win in the
15-lapper.
Sundance Vacations Speedway is just minutes from Hazleton, Pa, located on
St. John’s Road, between Routes 93 and 309. Grandstand admission for all
regular events is just $10 for ages 11 and older. Children 10 years of age
and younger are admitted for free.
For further information, please visit the track site at
www.sundancevacationsspeedway.com.
Brad Kline Street Stock Memorial (23-Laps, Segment #1) 1. RICHIE DIMARCO 2.
Scott Meckes 3. Frank Reakes 4. Steve Shultz 5. Shaun Burd 6. Dan Cascioli
7. Brian Sones 8. Harry Sager 9. Robert Fink 10. Chip Wanamaker 11. Nick
Gargiulo 12. Paul Morgan Jr 13. Robert Haueisen 14. Dave Casscioli 15. Bob
Wink 16. Steve Hoffman 17.TJ Kemmerer 18. Joe Barbush 19. Tony Hilliard 20.
Wayne Lowe 21. Nick Shaw 22.Brandon Oltra
Brad Kline Street Stock Memorial (50-Laps, Segment #2) 1. JOE BARBUSH 2.
Wanamaker 3. DiMarco 4. Sones 5. Shultz 6. Meckes 7. Burd 8. Shaw 9. Sager
10. Hoffman 11. Wink 12. Haueisen 13. Kemmerer 14. Cascioli 15. Reakes 16.
Gargiulo 17.Lowe 18. Fink 19. Oltra 20. Hilliard 21. Morgan Jr 22.Casscioli
Tobias SpeedSTRS (20-Laps) 1. PAUL LOTIER, JR 2. Rich Tobias Jr 3. Billy
Vanlnwegen Jr 4. Jeff Strunk 5. Nick Pecko 6. Kyle Hieber 7. Don Zrinski 8.
Jeff Gallup 9. DJ Macri Jr 10. Kyle Hieber 11. Tyler Potts 12. Steve Hicks
Tobias Slingshots (15-Laps) 1. KYLE HIEBLER 2. Katie McCardle 3. Gary Hieber
4. Ben Whitaker 5. Carl Bittenbender 6. Will Eastman
Dirt Modifieds (15-Laps) 1. RICKY ROSS, JR 2. Randy Thomas 3. Nick Ross
Source: Geno Ostrowski/Sundance
Vacations Speedway PR
Posted:
August 17, 2009