Aug. 17th, 2003 - Scott Gurdak Wins Conway O’Malley Goodyear ULMS Tri-State Championship Race and
 Dick Barton Wins Tri-State Points Title
at Eriez Speedway
By Glenn Slocum      

Hammet Pa:  A beautiful Sunday afternoon greeted racers and fans at Eriez Speedway. Conway O’Malley Goodyear sponsored the evenings events highlighted by the final race of the Tri-State Super Late Model Series. Scott Gurdak led them all to win the ULMS Tri-State Championship event with Renegade Champion Chub Frank moving from eleventh to push the leader across the line. Dick Barton was sent to the rear of the field on lap one and finished seventh to win the point Championship for the series and $3,000. Tim Churchill won the first Spectator event and Rick Thompson the second. Jeff Campbell led green to checkers winning his second Outlaw Cadet feature of the season. Dan Osborne passed Dale Wise with two laps to go to win his fifth Four Cylinder feature. Bill Thomas held off Dave Hess Jr. to win his first E-Mod feature of the year. Don Standley won his first Budweiser Super Sportsman feature of the season. Joe Weber notched his second win in the Limited Late Model class.

             Twenty-seven Super Late Models reported to the Speedway for the final Tri-State Championship event of the season. Ed Carley was a no-show for the race. Scott Gurdak and Doug Eck were on the front row followed by Kirk Bradley and Dave Hess Jr. The green flew but Brian Ruhlman had stopped in turn four and as the yellow flew several cars tangled in turn two including Dick Barton, Andy Boozel, Merle Terry, George LaBarbera and Steve Halpainy. The race was realigned with all those involved in the yellow sent to the rear of the field. Halpainy left on the hook. Hess move up two spots to fall in behind Gurdak on the restart. One lap latter Eck got sideways coming out of four and the entire field managed to get by with out and incident, only Bruce Hordusky was left sitting having spun to avoid a collision. Two laps were now complete with Gurdak out front followed by Hess, Rich Gardner, Doug Eck, Scott Johnson, Andy Kania, Rod Maloy and Chris Hackett, Chub Frank was in the tenth spot. One more lap was completed when Eck was again involved in a spin in four. Rookie Paul Briggs had also spun to a stop. Eck needed a push to get restarted then fell in at the rear of the field. Frank moved into the seventh spot on the restart then put Kania behind him one lap latter. Rod Maloy spun on lap seven collecting Wally Fox. Maloy checked into the pits then returned to the end of the pack with Fox. Barton had managed to gain the eleventh spot for this restart after going to the rear on the initial yellow of the event. The top ten were Gurdak, Hess, Johnson, Gardner, Hackett, Frank, Kania, Bump Hedman, Dave Scott and Bill Cunningham.  Bruce Hordusky ruined the next restart pulling into the infield with a flat. Johnson beat Hess into one for the second spot on the restart and Frank moved to the outside to try and get around Gardner. Franks outside move did not work so he moved to the inside taking the spot from Gardner on lap ten. Frank then attacked Hackett and made the pass on lap twelve for the fourth spot. Hess was now squarely in Franks sights as Spanky Hall showed half way. Gurdak was in lap traffic as Frank moved arount Hess on lap sixteen. Maloy retired on lap eighteen. Franks march to the front continued passing Johnson on lap twenty and Hess retired to the infield. Gurdak had ah a ten car length lead owiht seven to go. Frank caught Gurdak in traffic on lap twenty seven and trailed Gurdak for the next three laps looking for an opening that never occurred. Gurdak finished three quarters of a car length ahead of Frank for the win. Dick Barton finished seventh to win the points race for the Tri-State series.

Jeff Burger and Ron Watson were the early leaders of the first Spectator Feature. Lee Rider had trouble just before the halfway mark bringing out the caution flag. Scott Perrin was in the third spot for the restart with Danielle Weber in fourth. Weber lost the handle on the slippery track spinning up against a track tire between turns one and two. The restart was marred with two incidents collecting several cars including Ken Seymore, Wilbur, Perrin and Monty Seekings. Ray Churchill had acquired the lead just prior to the yellow with Tony Lyngarkos in the second spot. Churchill led the final five to win on his second appearance of the season.  

Clarence Dickerson brought the second Spectator feature to the speedway but an incident in turn one involving Brian Swift, Merle Burlingham, Dana Wellington and J. R. Brown brought out the yellow before a lap was completed. The second attempt to start was successful with Dickerson on the point followed by Tommy Fox and Dennis Lunger. Lunger had trouble in lap tow losing several spots as Fox passed Dickerson for the lead. Fox stumbled allowing Dickerson back around. Bill Van Volkenburg also got by Fox for the second spot. J. R. Brown brought out the yellow on lap seven and point leader Fox retired from the event. Steve Keith and Rick Thompson moved up behind Dickerson on the restart. The yellow flew again on lap nine for Brown. Dickerson slid up the track in turn one allowing several cars by led by Rick Thompson and Steve Keith. Thompson led the final lap for his first win of the season. Keith was second with Dana Wellington third.

Jeff Campbell led the first lap of the Outlaw Cadet feature with John Boardman and Jim Moon in second and third. The yellow was thrown when an ambulance call occurred in the pits. The restart saw Moon move into the second spot then the yellow flew for Bill Dunn who had spun in turn four. Moon did not repeat the move on the next restart but the yellow flew for Brian Zimmerly stopped in turn three. George Cole got sideways coming out of turn four on the restart stacking up several cars including Pete Alspaugh who made heavy contact with the turn four wall. The restart was waived off by Spanky Hall but the next was okay but after one more lap the caution flew for Boardman who had spun in turn three. Campbell was still the leader with points leader Ron Seeley in the second spot, Louis DeDionisio third and Cole fourth. Campbell hugged the bottom as Seeley tried to find a way around. Mike Knight moved into the top five with four remaining. Campbell held on to win with Seeley in the second spot and DeDionisio third.  

Ken Wanzer and Tom Liberatore make contact o the initial start of the Four Cylinder feature sending Wanzer into the turn two fence in shower of sparks. Dale Wise led the first green flag lap with Tom Bean second and Dan Osborne third. Wise had a ten car length lead at the half way point and Osborne got by Bean for the runners up spot. Wise lost his big lead on lap nine when a spin by Bob Harrison brought out the yellow. Osborne won the drag race to turn one to lead the white flag lap and Liberatore and Bean hooked allowing J. R. Cross into the third spot. Osborne went on to win his fifth feature with early leader Wise in the second spot.

Nineteen E-Mods reported to the speedway for their feature evnt with Joe Harvey on the pole. Harvey pulled into the infield at the initial start and Tom Anderson spun also but the green stayed out. James Irwin led the first four followed by Bill Thomas and Dave Hess Jr. when a spin brought out the yellow. Both Thomas and Hess got by Irwin on the restart and just one more lap was completed when Shawn McArdle, Bill Taylor and Dave Surrena were involved in an accident on the front stretch. Taylor was able to continue but McArdle and Surrena reported to the pits. Thomas and Hess jumped away from the field on the restart with Thomas out in front by a car length. Kevin Decker was third with Justin Carlson fourth. Hess was on the bumper of Thomas with two to go. Thomas did not give Hess an opportunity to get by on the last lap winning his first of the season.

Mike Corrigan led the first lap of the Budweiser Super Sportsman event with Pete Volpe second and Hank Francis third. Brian Crandall spun with four laps complete. Corrigan faded on the restart and Don Standley moved up to the front. Standley held off Volpe for the win with Don McGuire in the third spot.

Andy Sweetland and Scott Cooney were on the front row of the Limited Late main event and Cooney immediately got into trouble on the start getting sideways coming out of turn two collecting several cars including Sweetland and leaving Andy Knight stranded on the speedway. Joe Weber moved up to assume the point with John Pencile in the second spot. The next start was successful and Weber retained the lead followed by Pencile, Pat McGuire, Mike Coyle and Bobby Rohrer. The yellow appeared again on lap five for Gary Eicher and Tom Schnars in turn two. Sweetland pulled into the pits during the caution.  Ed Simmer and Mike Moore tangled on the restart sending them both into the infield on turn one. Moore was able to restart but Simmer required a hook. Weber mastered the restart with Pencile and McGuire in tow. Scott Gurdak moved into the top five at the half way mark sending Rohrer back to the sixth spot. The top five remained the same with five to go as Gurdak worked over the rear bumper of Coyle for the fourth spot.  Gurdak took the spot with two to go were his run to the front stopped as Weber won the event followed by Pencile and McGuire.

Results:

   Spectators:

      Heat 1:  Jeremy English, Danielle Wilbur, Ken Lamp

      Heat 2: Mike Zemcik, Dennis Lunger, Mark Thompson

      Feature 1: Ray Churchill, Tony Lyngarkos, Brian Graham, Ken Lamp, Walt Johnson, Scott Perrin, Ron Watson, Bob Kinne, George Thomas, Monty Seekings Jr.

      Feature 2: Rick Thompson, Steve Keith, Dana Wellington, Mike Zemcik, Clarence Dickerson, Bill Van Volkenburg, Brian Crandall, Tommy Fox, Paul Norman, Justin Krieder

   4-Cylinder Sportsmen

      Heat 1: Dan Osborne, Tom Bean, Tom Liberatore

      Feature: Dan Osborne, Dale Wise, J. R. Cross, Boyd Hess, Tom Liberatore, Scott Friend, Stan Davis Jr., Tom Bean, Bob Harrison, Ken Wanzer

  Outlaw Cadets

      Heat 1: Nathan Short, Dave Tolon, Rich Becker

      Heat 2: Mike Knight, Louie DeDionisio, George Cole

      Feature: Jeff Campbell, Ron Seeley, Louie DeDionisio, George Cole, Mike Knight, Rich Becker, Terry Daniels, Dustin Eckman, Tom Norland, Dewey Kinnear

  E-Mods:

     Heat 1: Justine Carlson, Bill Thomas, Dave Hess Jr.

      Heat 2: Brad Pease, Tim Rater, Mike Hess

      Feature: Bill Thomas, Dave Hess Jr., Kevin Decker, Justin Carlson, Brad Pease, Tim Rater, Bill Taylor, Mike Boyd, Jason Illig, Chris Peterson

   Budweiser Super Sportsmen:

      Heat 1: Hank Francis, Dan Standley, Mike Murray
      Heat 2: Bobby Rohrer, Pat McGuire, Don McGuire

      Feature: Don Standley, Pete Volpe, Don McGuire, Pat McGuire, Chad Carlson, Hank Francis, Bob Rohrer, Gary Foster, Mike Corrigan, Brent Crandall

   Limited Late Models:

      Heat 1: Mike Moore, Bobby Rohrer, Andy Sweetland

      Heat 2: Andy Knight, Joe Weber, Gary Eicher

      Feature: Joe Weber, John Pencile, Pat McGuire, Scott Gurdak, Mike Coyle, Bob Rohrer, Gary Eicher, Tom Schnars, Andy Sweetland, Mike Moore

   ULMS Super Late Models:

      Heat 1: Scott Johnson, Rod Maloy, Dave Hess Jr., Steve Halpainy, Rich Gardner

      Heat 2: Merle Terry, Dick Barton, Ed Carley, Scott Gurdak, Chub Frank

      Heat 3: Doug Eck, Chris Hackett, Kirk Bradley, George LaBarbera, Andy Boozel

      Feature: Scott Gurdak, Chub Frank, Scott Johnson, Chris Hackett, Bump Hedman, Rich Gardner, Dick Barton, Andy Kania, Dave Scott, Brian Ruhlman, Bill Cunningham, Al Crocker, Merle Terry, Jason Morel, George LaBarbera, John Lacki, Dave Shagla, Doug Eck, Wally Fox, Andy Boozel, Paul Briggs, Dave Hess Jr., Rod Maloy, Wendell Pinckney, Bruce Hordusky, Steve Halpainy