July 3rd,2003 - Mike Balzano Wins 
Bossard/Crawford GM Store Renegade Dirt Car 50
 at Stateline Speedway
by Glenn Slocum

             Perfect racing weather brought a large crowd to Stateline Speedway for the Bossard/Crawford GM Store Renegade 50. Local racer, Renegade Champion and current point leader Chub Frank from Bear Lake Pa. unveiled a silver car to commemorate his 25^th year in racing at the track he started racing on. Fast time was set by Ron Davies from Warren Pa. and Stateline start Scott Johnson from Wattsburg Pa won the dash to start on the pole.  Mike Balzano from Parkersburg WV, won the event as a charging Dave Lyon ran out of laps and had to be content with the second spot. Tommy Fox won his fifth feature in the Spectator division and Merle Burlingham won his first. Phil Knight won his first Outlaw Cadet feature of the season. Pat McGuire won his third feature in the Budweiser Super Sportsman event. Pat McGuire won his third feature in the Limited Late division.

            The Bossard/Crawford GM Store Renegade 50 was brought to the speedway by Scott Johnson and Mike Balzano. Ed Carley and Robbie Blair were in row two and Ron Davies and John Mason in row three. Local favorite Chub Frank started thirteenth. Johnson jumped to the early lead followed by Carley and Balzano. Blair was fourth with Davies fifth and Al Chocker sixth. Balzano got the best of Carley on lap nine then beat Johnson down the backstretch to assume the lead on lap ten. Lap twelve say Balzano in lap traffic and building a lead over second running Johnson. Chad Ruhlman moved into the fourth spot on lap sixteen relegating Blair to fifth, Davies was in the sixth spot. Balzano continued putting cars a lap down as the green remained out. Moose Dunnewold slowed high in turn two causing the first yellow with twenty-four laps completed. Balzano was put in the first spot followed by Johnson, Carley, Ruhlman, Blair, Davy Lyon, Dave Hess Jr. and Davies. Frank had lost several spot in lap one was placed in the seventeenth spot. Balzano continued to lead at the half way mark. Hess was moving up gaining the fourth spot by lap twenty-seven and challenging Johnson for third. Hess mastered Johnson on lap twenty-nine taking the third spot. Balzano had a half straight away lead. Hess slowed on lap thirty-four allowing Lyon by. Lyon continued his charge getting by Carley on lap thirty six and set off after Balzano. Balzano was back in lap traffic and Alan Dellinger pulled into the infield with ten to go. Chad Ruhlman was fourth as Hess slid to fifth. Lyon had cut Balzano’s lead to a few car lengths as the white came out but Lyon was unable to close with Balzano. Balzano won the event ending Franks win streak with Lyon second, Carley third and Ruhlman fourth.

            Phil Knight led lap one of the Outlaw Cadet feature. Vern Sheldon and Chuck Parker brought out the caution after one. John Boardman was in the second spot followed by Dustin Eckman and Cliff Lamphere. Jim Bergman and Alex Feisler brought out the caution after tangling in turn four on lap four. Lamphere tapped Eckman sending them both spinning into the infield on lap nine earning Lamphere the black flag. A lap eleven spin by Bill Dunn earned the black for Greg Johnson and brought out the yellow for the third time. Terry Daniels was now in the third spot with Jamie Erhard fourth. Knight won the event going away with Boardman second and Daniels third.

            Mike Hess moved from his second starting spot to the lead on the first lap of E-Mod feature. Randy Hall and Chad Silleman tangled on lap three resulting in the first yellow of the race. Dan Nocero took the second spot after the restart followed by Al Cressley and Dave Hess Jr. who had move up from near the end of the field. The leader pulled into the pits on lap eight giving the top spot to Cressley. A spin brought out the caution on lap nine with Cressley out front, Dave Applebee second and Dave Hess Jr. third. Hall had recovered to take the fourth spot with five remaining. Silleman lost a drive shaft on the front stretch to bring out the yellow with four laps to go. Hess decided it was time to go and drove by Cressley on the restart. Hess won the event with a ten car length lead over Cressley. Applebee finished in the third spot.

            Dan Shellhouse led the three laps of the Limited Late Model feature giving way to Brian Fardink on lap four. Shellhouse slipped a few more spots as Les Lyon and Pat McGuire got by for second and third. McGuire moved by Lyon lo lap eight and was challenging Fardink for first when the yellow flew for Shellhouse and Andy Knight who had become hooked together and had stopped on the front stretch. McGuire beat Fardink to turn one to lead for the first time.  Shellhouse spun into the infield on lap ten. McGuire remained the leader after the restart and Paul Briggs took second from Fardink. Bob Vogt was fourth and Lyon fifth. Lyon lost the handle on lap sixteen forcing Chad Ramsey to spin to avoid a collision for the fifth caution. Gurdak, Vogt and Fardink were locked in a battle for the third spot and Spanky Hall threw the white flag. McGuire lead Briggs across the line and Gurdak barely beat Fardink for third.

            Pat McGuire quickly took control of the Budweiser Super Sportsman event followed the Joe Buccola and Dave Cumming Jr. third. Just as Don McGuire took the third spot from Cummings the yellow came out for a smoking Chris Kuschel who has stopped in turn four. Don McGuire wrested second from Buccola one lap after the restart. Cummings regained the third spot with two to go. Pat McGuire lead brother Don across the line with Cummings third and Buccola fourth.

            Chris Couchenour was the leader with one lap in the book when the yellow flew for Rush Firestone who had spun in turn two. Dennis Lunger was second with Dave Auge third and Nate Lester fourth. Tommy Fox became a factor on lap two passing Auge for third. Lunger passed Couchenour then Fox passed both of them for the lead. Lunger and Couchenour were fighting for the second spot when Lunger lost the handle spinning in turn three causing the second caution of the event on lap six. Chad Ramsey was third on the restart then spun in turn two but the caution did not come out. Auge took over the third spot. Lester spun with nine complete for the third caution. Lester left the speedway on the hook as the cars were realigned for the one lap dash to the finish. Fox won the event and Couchenour finished second with Auge third.

            Brian Johnson made the big move at the start of Spectator feature number two going from the second row to the number one spot at the drop of the green. Johnson and Merle Burlingham out distanced the rest of the field then on lap four Burlingham made his move passing Johnson for the number one spot on the back stretch. Pat Passanise was running in the third spot. The race stayed green until the eight lap when the yellow flew for J. R. Brown. The restarted was marred when Passanise tagged Johnson who spun collecting several cars in turn one. Passanise was disqualified as the cars were realigned for the restart. Burlingham led the finial tow laps with Ray Finch in the third spot and Derrick Dickerson second.

Results:

   Spectators:

      Heat 1: Derrick Dickerson, Merle Burlingham, Tim Peterson

      Heat 2:  Dave Auge, Nate Lester, Brian Johnson

      Feature 1: Tommy Fox, Chris Couchenour, David Auge, Brian Crandall, Kevin Brumett, Dana Wellington, Dennis Lunger, Josh Lucas,  Rush Firestone, Chris McDonald

      Feature 2: Merle Burlingham, Derrick Dickerson, Ray Finch, Jamie Schnars, Todd Pierce, Joe Houser, Dan Surrena, Josh Silleman, Brian Johnson

  Outlaw Cadets

      Heat 1: Phil Knight, Pete Alspaugh, Jim Bergman

      Heat 2: Ron Seeley, Louie DeDionisio, Mark Hall

                 Feature 1: Phil Knight, John Boardman, Terry Daniels, Jamie Erhard, Mark Hall, Pete Alspaugh, Ron Seeley, Louie DeDionisio, Jeff Van Arsdale, Nathan Short

  E-Mods:

     Heat 1: Mike Hess, Bill Thomas, Randy Hall

      Heat 2: Al Cressley, Dave Hess Jr., Tim Rater

      Feature: Dave Hess Jr., Al Cressley, Dave Applebee, Randy Hall, Quincey Turner, Dan Nocero Jr., Justin Carlson, Tim Rater, Jim Abbott, Brad Pease

   Budweiser Super Sportsmen:

      Heat 1: Randy Parmenter, Don McGuire, Aaron Robinson

      Heat 2: Bob Van Arsdale, Chris Kuschel, Don Standley

      Feature: Pat McGuire, Don McGuire, Dave Cummings Jr., Joe Buccola Sr., Randy Parmenter, Don Standley, Aaron Robinson, Hank Francis, Pete Volpe, Mike Kosinski

   Limited Late Models:

      Heat 1: Bob Vogt, Brian Fardink, Pat McGuire

      Heat 2: Chad Ramsey, Les Lyon, John Cline

      Feature: Pat McGuire, Paul Briggs, Scott Gurdak, Brain Fardink, Bob Vogt, Tom Schnars, Bobby Rohrer, John Pencile, Andy Knight, John Cline

   Super Late Models:

      Heat 1: Mike Balzano, Ron Davies, Chad Ruhlman, Chub Frank, Alan Dellinger

      Heat 2: Ed Carley, Scott Johnson, Doug Eck , Kirk Bradley, Davey Johnson

      Heat 3: Dave Lyon, Robbie Blair, Jim Bernheisel, Dave Troutman. Dave Hess Jr.

      Heat 4: John Mason, Al Crocker, Rod Maloy, Dick Barton, Todd Andrews

      B-Mains 12 Laps 3 Qualify

      B-Main: Alan Dellinger, Brian Ruhlman, Rod Conley, Bump Hedman, Dan Armbruster, Ward Schell, Davey Johnson, Randle Chupp, David Scott, Chris Hackett

      B-Main: Todd Andrews, Dave Hess Jr., Rod Phillips, Scott Gurdak, Matt Urban, Rich Gardner, John Lacki, Andy Boozel, Rick Briggs, Randy Lobb

      Dash: Scott Johnson, Mike Balzano, Ed Carley, Robbie Blair, Ron Davies, John Mason

      Feature: Mike Balzano, Dave Lyon, Chad Ruhlman, Ed Carley, Dave Hess Jr., Scott Johnson, Robbie Blair, Doug Eck, Todd Andrews, Ron Davies, Al Crocker, Chub Frank, Rod Philips, Rod Maloy, Dick Barton, Jim Berneisel, Brian Ruhlman, Dave Troutman, Rich Gardner, Doug Drown, Alan Dellinger, Davey Johnson, Kirk Bradley, Dan Armbruster, Chris Hackett, Rod Conley

   Renegade Time Trials: