Ricky Ross, Jr. and Zane Zeiner Share Sport Modified
Spotlight at Sundance
Earning his second win of his rookie Sport Modified season, Ricky Ross,
Jr. of Mountaintop, held off Barry Callavini to take the checkers in the
first of two Sport Modified headliners Saturday at Sundance Vacations
Speedway. After restarting from the tail end of the field following an early
caution, Zane Zeiner of Bath, soared to victory lane in the second Sport Mod
main event. Robert Fink scored his first Street Stock victory since the 2001
season and for the first time in his career, Eric Banashefski of Ashley,
drove to the FWD winners circle and Scott Hubler easily drove to the INEX
Legends feature win.
Joe Wielgosz led the Sport Modified field to the drop of the green flag in
the 40-lap main event. Wielgosz held the early lead, followed by Harry
Schaefer, Paul Frantz, Scott Brannick and Bob Wilson.
Brannick drove into the runner up spot and overtook Wielgosz for the race
lead on lap four. Jason Hearne and Scott Adams began to make their presence
known and headed toward the top five.
The red flag flew on the following lap when Wilson made contact with the
front stretch wall. Several drivers began piling into the mix, including
Beryle Herman, CJ Lactavia and Anthony Aquilino. Despite having the entire
skin ripped from his roof, Herman was able to continue after heading pit
side.
Hearne restarted the race in second and quickly took the race lead on the
restart. Adams moved into second and Mike Speeney overtook Brannick for
third. Barry Callavini and Zane Zeiner entered the top five by lap 15 and
raced hard to catch the leader. First, Callavini overtook Speeney and then
Zeiner attempted the pass. Unfortunately, contact was made on the pass and
Speeney spun, which sent both drivers to the rear for the lap 18 restart.
With Hearne still in command on lap 21, Callavini attempted to overtake
Adams in turn one. The two tangled and Ricky Ross, Jr. slid in the mix as
well.
Green flag racing resumed and Hearne led over Mike Skarbowski, Frantz, Frank
Reakes and Brannick. However, Zeiner wasted no time and made a hard charge
back toward the front. From the sixth spot, Zeiner disposed of three drivers
ahead of him and then took second from Skarbowski on lap 29.
Zeiner pulled alongside Hearne and the two dueled side by side for a number
of laps before Zeiner came out as the leader with five laps remaining.
Zeiner, of Bath, went on to take his fifth win of the season over Hearne,
Skarbowski, Speeney and Callavini. He dedicated the win to his Grandmother,
who was seriously injured in an auto accident earlier in the week.
Heat race victories went to Mike Skarbowski, Jason Hearne and Ricky Ross,
Jr.
From the pole position, John Stonier led his fellow Street Stock drivers to
the drop of the green flag in the 20-lap feature. Robert Fink held second in
the early going, followed by Kevin Higgins, Ron Babula and Harry Sager.
The event was slowed by several cautions in the early going and Stonier held
the race lead after every restart. Meanwhile, Richie DiMarco began his run
toward the front and sat in fourth with only six laps of racing in the
books.
Fink worked by Stonier and into the race lead on lap 11. DiMarco worked his
way into second, with Sager, Stonier and Babula in tow.
The yellow waved on the following lap when Chip Wanamaker and Higgins
tangled in turn three. Both drivers needed the dreaded double hook to the
pit area.
Green flag racing resumed and DiMarco jumped to the outside groove. The two
dueled for the race win down to the wire and Fink grabbed the victory by a
bumper. Sager finished in the third spot, followed by Babula and Joe Barbush.
The win marks his second career Street Stock win, and first since September
of 2001.
Ron Babula, Kevin Higgins and Harry Sager won qualifiers. CJ Lehmann was the
consi winner.
Eric Banashefski overtook polesitter, Chris Toole on the opening lap of the
double points 30-lap FWD feature and began to distance himself from the
field.
Just past halfway, Banashefski held the race lead over Robert Fink, John
Smith, Brian Kunkel and Chris Toole.
Fink experienced car problems, spun to the infield and brought out a lap 19
yellow. Green flag racing resumed and Banashefski stormed away with his
first career win over Smith, Kunkel, Kenny Kleppinger and Fink.
Heat race wins went to Jon Smith and Robert Fink.
Scott Hubler jumped into the lead on the opening lap of the 20-lap INEX
Legends main event and never looked back as he cruised to his fifth win of
the season over Karl Heisler, Justin Grim and Greg Rittenhouse.
Frank Reakes overtook Polesitter, Dean Ficarro on the opening circuit of the
40-lap Sport Modified make up feature from July 25.
Reakes’ lead was short-lived and as he was passed by Dave Garfinkel on the
second circuit. Ricky Ross, Jr. drove into the second spot with Barry
Callavini, Harry Schaefer and Jason Hearne in pursuit.
Garfinkel got out of shape on lap five and Ross scooted into the lead.
Callavini followed through to take the second spot.
The red flag flew when Beryle Herman slapped the turn four wall and rode it
down the front stretch. The mangled car finally came to a stop under the
flag stand. Fortunately, Herman was uninjured and walked back to the pit
area.
Green flag racing resumed and Ross was on a mission. The talented rookie
worked through lapped traffic over the remaining laps and went on to notch
his second win of the season over Callavini and Mike Speeney.
Heat race winners from 7/25 were Scott Adams, Ricky Ross, Jr. and Frank
Reakes.
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.
Sport Modified Make up from 7/25 (40-laps): 1. RICKY ROSS, JR. 2. Barry
Callavini 3. Mike Speeney 4. Jason Hearne 5. Harry Schaefer 6. Bob Wilson 7.
Mike Skarbowski 8. Paul Frantz 9. Scott Adams 10. Dave Garfinkel 11. Scott
Brannick 12. Joe Wielgosz 13. Frank Reakes 14. CJ Lacatvia 15. Mike Mangini
16. Zane Zeiner 17.Beryle Herman 18. Dan Berlitz 19. Dean Ficarro
Sport Modifieds (40-laps) 1. ZANE ZEINER 2. Jason Hearne 3. Mike Skarbowski
4. Mike Speeney 5. Barry Callavini 6. Ricky Ross Jr 7. Frank Reakes 8. Dave
Garfinkel 9. Scott Adams 10. Paul Frantz 11. Harry Schaefer 12. Scott
Brannick 13. Tony Aquilino 14. Joe Wielgosz 15. Beryle Herman 16. Bob Wilson
17.Pat Verwys 18. CJ Lacatvia 19. Dan Berlitz 20. Dean Ficarro
Street Stocks (20-laps) 1. ROBERT FINK 2. Rich Dimarco 3. Harry Sager 4. Ron
Babula 5. Joe Barbush 6. Brad Barbush 7. John Stonier 8. Todd Barbush 9.
Brian Wozniak 10. Chip Wanamaker 11. Scott Meckes 12. Mitch Hawk 13. Mike
Schadder 14. CJ Lehmann 15. Steve Shultz 16. Brandon Oltra 17.Darryl
Schwartz 18. Kevin Higgins 19. Steve Clark 20. Tony Hilliard DNQ: Robert
Haueisen, Jeff McGrath
FWD (20-laps) 1. ERIC BANASHEFSKI 2. John Smith 3. Brian Kunkel 4. Ken
Kleppinger 5. Robert Fink 6. Nikki Sager 7. Chris Toole 8. Pete Maier 9. Jay
Skupski 10. Joe Katona 11. Justin Hughes 12. Cory Dymond DNS: Mike Kline,
Frank Katona
INEX Legends (20-laps) 1. SCOTT HUBLER 2. Karl Heisler 3. Justin Grimm 4.
Greg Rittenhouse
Source: Geno Ostrowski/Sundance
Vacations Speedway PR
Posted:
September 6, 2009