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CONNEAUT, Ohio – Despite the date being Friday the 13th and a nearly full moon, Raceway 7 ran its first night of racing with five features filled with battles throughout the field for most positions.
At the end of the night, it was Garrett Calvert, Joel Watson, Dennis Lunger, Rob Kristyak, and Brian McGarvie earning trips to Victory Lane.
The first feature race of the 2022 season was for the Lakeview Ford Economods with pole-sitter Garrett Calvert leading the distance, but not without constant company at the front of the line. Lap one had outside pole-sitter Alex Siekkinen nipping at Calvert’s heels but a complete restart was needed when Dale Reiser spun in turn three. When the race restarted Calvert again led Siekkinen with another yellow period at lap three for an incident involving Donald Watson, Andrew Pisarchick, and Ryan Wisniowski in turn three. Although they kept going, the resulting melee brought out yellow for Tyler Barr, Ryan Howard, and Mike Biehler. Calvert continued to lead after green, this time with Mitchell Wright, then Siekkinen, Jarett Young, and Dale Reiser following. For laps six and seven it was Siekkinen and Young side by side until Zach Etzel spun from the front straight. At halfway the order was Calvert, Wright, Siekkinen, Young, and Jordan Simmons, all the way from nineteenth in the starting lineup. Simmons was fourth at eleven laps. Calvert and Wright made contact on turn four with three laps left with no problems, not slowing either’s momentum but allowing Calvert to lead. With one to go, reigning champion Young spun after mechanical issues. The final restart was Calvert leading Wright, Simmons, Siekkinen, and Dan Moffitt but at the finish, Judson Fell had replaced Moffitt for fifth.
Reigning champion Joel Watson, the winningest driver in Raceway 7 history, started sixth in the Whelen Engineering UMP Modified feature but wound up in Victory Lane. Jim Plance and Mike Potosky, a many time winner and former champion, started the event from row one with Potosky leading Plance, former champion Troy Johnson, Watson, and Jeff Johnson through lap one, but yellow slowed the field when Dennis Dillinger spun in turns one and two with Mason Lobb also involved. The “Big One” happened in turn four after the restart when eleven cars piled up. Yet another yellow was needed when Eric Reinwald lost power on the back straight and drifted to a halt. At lap two Potosky led Watson, Troy Johnson, Dennis Lunger, and former champion Nate Young. Dellinger again spun at lap four, his third of the event, thus relegating him pitside. Young was fourth after five laps. The lead really heated up through laps eight, nine, and ten with Potosky and Watson side by side most of the time. At ten laps, halfway, it was Potosky ahead of Watson, Troy Johnson, Lunger, and Young. Watson finally established himself as the undisputed leader at turn two on lap thirteen. Gerry Kielar spun on lap fourteen for the final caution. At the checkers, it was Watson, and Troy Johnson with a last-lap pass on Potosky, Lunger, and Young.
Devin Henry and Dennis Lunger brought the Evergreen Lake Park Campground RUSH Late Model feature to green with Lunger establishing an immediate lead and former champion Josh Ferry coming to second on lap one over Chad Sines, Henry, and Jay Watson. Gary Youngs spun at lap four, collecting Kayla McManus, Albert Bull, and Jonathan Stockdale. At green, Bull again spun. After green Lunger again led, this time with Sines and Ferry engaged in a side-by-side battle with Sines having a slight edge. Former champion Breyton Santee had come to fourth after being eleventh in the line-up. Joe Long was fifth at this point. At six laps Long came to fourth. Halfway saw Lunger leading Ferry, Sines, Long, and Santee. Santee’s day ended at lap twelve when he pulled to the infield with mechanical ails, apparently a driveshaft issue, elevating Steve Hollabaugh to the top five. Sines took over second at thirteen laps. At fourteen laps Ferry (twice an opening night winner) was battling for position with Joe Long while Jay Watson took fifth. Albert Bull and McManus spun at fourteen laps for the final caution of the event. After green Henry moved up to fifth the final order at the front was Lunger, Ferry, Sines, Long, and Henry.
The Campbell’s Mini Storage RUSH Modifieds started with Kyle Martel and Ben Easler up front. The race only got to turn two when Dave Price, Brandon Ritchey, Gage Priester, Jacob Wolfe, the number 5 car, and Tony Tatgenhorst tangled in turn two. Only seventeen of the original starters restarted the race. At six laps Kole Holden and Martel were In a heated battle for fourth. Easler and Kristyak were near even at lap ten with Martell, Holden, and Ayden Cipriano filling out the top five. At twelve laps Jacob Jordan was fifth after Cipriano pulled to the infield. The top five wound up being Kristyak, Easler, Martell, Holden, and Jordan by .045 seconds over Shea.
The Sunnyside Farms Transit Mini Stocks started with Zoey Gill and Steve Campbell leading the way to green. Gill led Campbell, and former champion Zach Downes through lap one. Then, on lap two, Jacob Jordan spun in turn one. Campbell pitted but rejoined the race. At the end of three laps, it was Brian McGarvie, Downes, Gill, Austyn Richards, and Darrick Randolph showing the way. Caution flew at turn three on lap three when Cale Sousa came to a halt. Randolph came to fourth at lap four. McGarvie led at halfway, followed by Downes, Shawn McBraide, Randolph, and Richards. McGarvie and Downes were nearly side by side for the lead at lap nine when the caution flew for Andrew Smith, at that time Downes exited the track with both left side tires flat. The final green had McGarvie leading McBraide, Randolph, Richards, and Braden Bice but the finish was McGarvie, McBraide, Randolph, Barr, and Andy Richards after Bice got some “air time” in turn two and fell back to tenth.
Next week will be the first special of the season for the Super Late Models. The Campbell Mini Storage Street Stocks will make their first appearance of the season.
Lakeview Ford Economods
Heat 1: Mitchell Wright, Jacob Eucker, Dan Moffitt, Donald Watson, Branden Porter, Zack Etzel, Jordan Simmons, Ryan Wisniowski
Heat 2: Judson Fell, Jeremy Double, Kevin Vanderhoof, Andrew Pisarchivk, Bob Simmons, Ryan Howard, Norman Hare
Heat 3: Garrett Calvert, Alex Siekkinen, Scott Burk Jr, Jarett Young, Chris Runyon, Mike Biehler, Tyler Barr, Alex Brockway
Feature: Garrett Calvert, Mitchell Wright, Jordan Simmons, Alex Siekkinen, Judson Fell, Dan Moffitt, Bob Simmons, Kevin Vanderhoof, Donald Watson, Alex Brockway, Andrew Pisarchick, Jarett Young, Tyler, Branden Porter, Scott Burk Jr, Jake Eucker, Zach Etzel, Ryan Wisniowski, Jeremy Double, Ryan Howard, Gris Runyon, Mike Biehler, Dale Reiser
Evergreen Lake Park Campground RUSH Late Models
Heat 1: Dennis Lunger, Chad Sines, Billy Henry, Albert Bull, Kayla McManus, Tyler Allison
Heat 2: Jay Watson, Will Pinckney, Joe Long, Brenton Santee, Gary Youngs
Heat 3: Josh Ferry, Devin Henry, Steve Hollabaugh, Konar Loney, Jonathan Stockdale
Feature: Dennis Lunger, Josh Ferry, Chad Sines, Joe Long, Billy Henry, Steve Hollabaugh, Wendall Pinckney, John Stockdale, Gary Youngs, Albert Bull, Jay Watson, Kayla McManus, Breton Santee, Devin Henry, Konrad Loney (DNS), Tyler Allison (DNS)
Sunnyside Farms Transit Mini Stocks
Heat 1: Brian McGarvey, Zach Downes, Austyn Richards, Braden Bryce, Cale Sousa, Krista Start, Juston Bailey, Tricia Jacklett
Heat 2: Scott Gill, Derrick Randolph, Steve Campbell, Andrew Smith, Devin Bailey, Tyler Fedorko, Bill Taylor
Heat 3: Shawn McBride, Zoey Gill, Mike Barr, Howard Garlick, Josie Kish, Tristen Start, Jeremy White
Heat 4: Jacob Wheeler, Andy Richards, Devin Haefke, Alexis Vogt, Amanda Isabella, John Paul Kish, Carl White
B-Main: Tyler Fedorko, Justin Bailey, Tristan Start, Bill Taylor, Howard Garlick, Krista Start, John Paul Kish, Carl White (DNS), Trisha Jacklett (DNS)
Feature: Brian McGarvie, Shawn McBraide, Derrick Randolph, Mike Barr, Andy Richards, Austyn Richards, Alexis Vogt, Devin Haefke, John Paul Kish, Arden Bice, Justin Bailey, Josie Kish, Devin Bliley, Zach Downes, Zoey Gill, Amanda Isabella, Bill Taylor, Scott Gill, Tylar Fedorko, Andrew Smith, Tristan Start, Steve Campbell, Jacob Jordan, Cale Sousa
Whelen Engineering UMP Modifieds
Heat 1: Nate Young, Josh McDonald, Geoff Conn, Mike Harmon, Vincent DePizza, Mason Lobb, Gerry Lielar
Heat 2: Joel McDonald, Casey Bowers, Jim Plance, Carl McKinney, Eric Reinwald, Bud Watson, Alan Atkinson
Heat 3: Mike Potosky, Percy McDonald, Justin Sax, Jeff Johnson, Brandon Grossman, Dennis Dellinger
Heat 4: Dennis Lunger, Troy Johnson, Dustin DeMattia, Travis Creech, Steve Sornberger Jr, Chuck Steinle
Feature: Joel Watson, Troy Johnson, Mike Potosky, Dennis Lunger, Nate Young, Dustin DeMattia, Carl McKinney, Percy McDonald, Steve Sornberger, Bud Watson, Brandon Grossman, Mason Lobb, Vincent DiPizzo, Mike Harmon, Geoff Conn, Gerry Kielar, Jim Plance, Josh McDonald, Dennis Dellinger, Casey Bowers, Justin Sax, Jeff Johnson,Travis Creech, Eric Reinwald, Chuck Steinle Jr
Campbell’s Mini Storage RUSH Modifieds
Heat 1: Kole Holden, Jake Rutana, Ayden Cipriani, Jacob Jordan, Brandon Ritchey, Cole Edwards, Preston Cope
Heat 2: Justin Shea, Ben Easler, Kyle Martel, J C Boyer, Dalton Gabriel, Jacob Wolfe, Brandon Tercho
Heat 3: Jordan Ehrenberg, Rob Kristyak, Doug Rutana, Gage Priester, Lucas Canon, Tony Tatgenhorst, Dave Price, 5
Feature: Rob Kristiyak, Ben Easler, Kyle Martell, Kole Holden, Jacob Jordan, Justin Shea, Doug Ratana, J C Boyer, Dalton Gabriel, Gage Priester, Brandon Ritchey, Cole Edwards, Brandon Tercho, Ayden Cipriani, Dave Price, Jordan Ehrenberg, Jacob Wolfe, Tony Tatgenhorst, Lucas Canon, 5, Preston Cope
