The Steel City Outlaw Forges Memorable Win! Doug Drown Captures MACS Jim Shank Memorial Bob Lipinski wins third feature in August! 8.29
The Steel City Outlaw Forges Memorable Win!
Doug Drown Captures MACS Jim Shank Memorial
Bob Lipinski wins third feature in August!
Sarver, PA (August 29, 2008) To use a cliché like “Saved the best for last” would be an understatement for what just unfolded on the famed Action Track at Don Martin’s Lernerville Speedway in the final sprint feature of the 40th Anniversary Season. To use a cliché like “Find a silver lining” would be an understatement to describe the success Tim Shaffer has had in the Aaron Call #83 since leaving the Advance Auto Parts World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series. And to use a cliché like “He’s back!” would be an understatement to describe Tyler Walker’s return to the national sprint car scene in the Kasey Kahne #91.
Tonight, in the Cleveland Brothers CAT/O’Reilly Auto Parts All Star Sprint Feature the “Steel City Outlaw” Tim Shaffer came home to thrill the crowd in a 30-lap shootout with Tyler Walker. Shaffer and Walker went wheel-to-wheel, exchanging the lead multiple times, in the best sprint car feature in recent memory at Lernerville Speedway. When the dust settled and pulses began to subside, it was the hometown favorite celebrating with family and friends in Sheetz Victory Lane!
The destination was not an easy one for Shaffer, as Tyler Walker took the lead at the green flag and led the first nine laps. Walker, however, bicycled in turns one & two in heavy lapped traffic, leaving the door open for Brock Maye to take the lead on lap 10. Shaffer put a wicked slide job on Maye in turns three & four to take the lead. Two laps later Walker hammered the cushion to take the lead around the high side exiting turn four. Walker and Shaffer battled wheel-to-wheel for a handful of laps before Shaffer retook the lead on lap 20 around the cushion in the middle of turns one and two. Shaffer slid the whole way to the wall on lap 27, allowing Walker to dive bomb him in turns one & two to take the lead. Shaffer passed Walker for the final time on lap 27 exiting turn two, but a caution slowed the field with three to go.
But while Walker was a bit faster, Shaffer was that much smoother and that proved to be the deciding factor on the final restart. Shaffer blasted off of turn four, while Walker jumped the inside lip of the track losing valuable momentum which prevented him from giving Shaffer a serious challenge in the final two laps! With an open track and a healthy lead, Shaffer motored to his first Lernerville feature win since the 2005 Silver Cup.
An ecstatic Tyler Walker was honored to finish second to longtime friend and competitor Tim Shaffer. Walker’s return to the national sprint car scene in the Kasey Kahne #91 on the O’Reilly All Stars Circuit of Champions tour is good news for sprint car fans and food for the soul for Walker!
The race for third place was almost as heated as the Shaffer/Walker battle for the lead. Brock Mayes, Brandon Martin, Dale Blaney and Ed Lynch Jr. waged an all out war for the third spot, with that position changing hands at least a dozen times between the four drivers. In the end it was Mayes in third, Martin in fourth, Blaney in fifth and Lynch in sixth. “The Hurricane” Randy Hannagan, Mark Smith, Lance DeWease and Brian Ellenberger rounded out the top ten.
Earlier in the evening, Ed Lynch Jr. set the Kistler Engines Fast time with a lap of 12.881 seconds. Lance DeWease, Kevin Schaeffer, Steve Lines and Rob Eyler won heat races. Todd Bauer won the C-Main, Rod George won a scintillating B-Main and Tim Shaffer won the Dash!
In the Advance Auto Parts UMP DIRTcar Street Stocks, it was the Bob Lipinski show once again as the Mean, Green Machine captured his third feature in the last four races. Despite starting XXth, Lipinski advanced to third on lap one. A caution on lap four saw Lipinski restart alongside Jim Fosnaught on the front row. The green flag dropped and Lipinski took the lead, never looking back despite a handful of restarts. Lipinski cruised virtually unchallenged to his third feature win of the season, all of which coming in the last four races. Ryan Moyer had his best finish of the season with a strong second place finish. Pole sitter and early leader Jim Fosnaught crossed the stripe third. 2008 Advance Auto Parts Street Stock Track Champion Bob Egley raced home fourth and Tough Luck Terry Young scored his best finish of the season in fifth. Six through ten went to Matt Keith, Chad O’Brien, Eric Piotrowski, Chris Haines and Mark Sanders. Bob Lipinski and Terry Young took the heat race checkers.
It was an emotional night for the Mid-Atlantic Championship Series Media Liaison Jason Shank and his entire family as Wooster, OH’s Doug Drown held off two-time and defending MACS Champion Jason Covert to claim the $7,000 top prize in the Cleveland Brothers CATERPILLAR Jim Shank Memorial 50 presented by Potoka Trucking & Repair.
The 50-lap feature was preceded with the traditional MACS four-wide salute to the fans with a bit of a twist. To honor Jim Shank’s memory, his favorite driver and long time friend, two-time MACS Champion, Lynn Geisler headed the talented formation of 27-cars during the parade lap.
After the emotional pre-race ceremonies the field settled back into two-by-two formation, with ‘04 MACS Champion, Robbie Blair, and current AlturnaMATS® MACS Rookie of the Year point leader Coleby Frye pacing the field. As the green flew, Frye jumped out into the early lead followed by Blair, Doug Horton, Doug Drown and Jason Covert. Frye was setting an intense, but somewhat of an erratic pace, as he hurled around the cushion causing his mount to lurch awkwardly at times.
The fast pace was first slowed on lap seven when local Big Block Modified standout Brian Swartzlander spun in turn four. The ensuing ‘ Delaware ’ style restart had Frye continuing to lead as Drown worked his way around Blair for second.
Frye was still on point when the pack was slowed for the second time on lap 14 as Jared Miley jumped the cushion in turns three and four damaging the suspension which ultimately sent him spinning in turn two. The restart still had Coleby leading as Covert began pressuring Drown for second.
Another quick caution on lap 19 for debris tightened the field once again. On the restart, Drown looked to inside of Frye for the lead. Doug’s heavy pressure and a consistent line found him moving around Coleby on lap 23. Covert began hounding Frye for second before the pace slowed again on lap 26, this time for 2003 MACS Rookie of the Year, Keith Barbara.
When the green reappeared, Covert made the pass for second as Frye hurled his mount around the rim almost losing control in turn two permitting Gregg Satterlee, Blair, and Horton to blast by relegating Frye to the sixth. Drown and Covert were setting a blistering pace and pulled away from the field. The ground they had gained on the field was surrendered when MACS regular Waylon Wagner came up lame in turn two. During the caution period Satterlee pitted forfeiting his top five run.
Drown, driving a Moyer Victory Circle Chassis, could have been easily mistaken for “Mr. Smooth” as lap after lap he ran a silky smooth and extremely consistent line. Covert, still riding in second, did everything he could to chase down the Ohio lead-foot; but not even a late caution on lap 47 could thwart Drown as he went on to collect his second career MACS career feature win and the $7,000 top prize. Covert settled for second, over Blair, Horton and Frye rounding out the top five. The next tier of five was led by ‘07 MACS Rookie of the Year Matt Lux, from 19th; followed by Dutch Davies; Boom Briggs, from 22nd; Gary Lyle, from 14th; and Dave Hess, Jr. from 20th; completing the top ten.
The Action Track will be dark next Friday Night for the first weekend since the last rainout way back on May 16! But next Saturday September 6, it’s the “Back to School” Races featuring School Bus, Powder Puff, Senior Series and Kid’s Bikes followed by the season’s first demo derby! Then the following weekend will be the big year end Advance Auto Parts Autumn-Motive Fest two day show! Friday Night is Modified Madness as the Advance Auto Parts Super DIRT Series and BRP Modifieds headline a three-tire Modified spectacular along with the Small Block Mods and Mod Lites! Saturday Night is the Open Rule Street Stock Pandemonium and 100-lap Enduro. For more information log on to www.Lernerville.com or call the speedway office M-F 8:00AM-4:00PM at (724) 353-1511.
Race Results
8.29.2008
O’ Reilly All Star Circuit of Champion Sprints Feature (30 Laps)
- (83) Tim Shaffer, Aliquippa
- (91) Tyler Walker, Los Angeles CA
- (11B) Brock Mayes, Bucyrus OH
- (11M) Brandon Martin, Attica OH
- (2) Dale Blaney, Cortland OH
- (2L) Ed Lynch Jr., Apollo
- (1X) Randy Hannagan, San Jose CA
- (7M) Mark Smith, Tower
- (30C) Lance Dewease, Fayetteville
- (20E) Brian Ellenberger, Butler
- (0) Brandon Wimmer, Fairmont IN
- (9) Kevin Schaeffer, Kittanning
- (18) Danny Smith, Chillicothe OH
- (59) Lee Jacobs, Holmesville OH
- (4G) Rod George, Kittanning
- (8) Mike Lutz, Mercer
- (23) Steven Lines, AUS.
- (49) Jimmy Hawley, New Castle
- (5) Byron Reed, Monclovia OH
- (56R) Ryan Myers, Eaton OH
- (5A) Rob Eyler, Franklin
- (3B) Scott Bonnell, Fairview
- (75) Dean Jacobs, Wooster OH
- (5B) Chad Blonde, Litchfield MI
Heat Race Winners: DeWease, Schaeffer, Lines, Eyler
Dash Winner: Tim Shaffer
B-Main Winner: Rod George
C-Main Winner: Todd Bauer
Cleveland Brothers CAT Jim Shank Memorial 50 MACS Late Model Series Feature (50 Laps)
- (79D) Doug Drown, Wooster OH
- (43A) Jason Covert, York Haven
- (W11) Robbie Blair, Titusville
- (46) Doug Horton, Bruceton Mills WV
- (F1) Colby Frye, Dover
- (21) Matt Lux, Franklin
- (40) Dutch Davies, Warren
- (99B) Boom Briggs, Bear Lake
- (10G) Gary Lyle, Hyde Park
- (44H) Dave Hess Jr., Waterford
- (04) Bob Close, Eldred
- (66F) John Flinner, Zelienople
- (14P) Jack Pencil, Bedford
- (39) Greg Fetters, Everett
- (9K) Mike Knight, Ripley NY
- (0) Ron Delano, Stoystown
- (5W) Waylon Wagner, Lewistown
- (32S) Sam Stile, Charleroi
- (22) Greg Satterlee, Rochester Mills
- (B22) Bump Hedman, Sugar Grove
- (1C) Lynn Geisler, Cranberry Twp.
- (17) Keith Barbara, South Park
- (4) Alex Ferree, Saxonburg
- (H1) Jared Miley, South Park
- (56) Russell King, Bristolville OH
- (111) Brian Swartzlander, Leechburg
- (4J) John Mollick, Toronto OH
Heat Race Winners: Davies, Covert, King, Barbara
B-Main Winners: Mike Knight, Brian Swartzlander
Advance Auto Parts UMP Street Stocks Feature (20 Laps)
- (55L) Bob Lipinski, Pittsburgh
- (13X) Ryan Moyer, Harmony
- (20J) Jim Fosnaught, Bairdford
- (30) Bob Egley, Kittanning
- (28Y) Terry Young, Butler
- (15K) Matthew Keith, Franklin
- (77) Chad O’Brien, Corsica
- (7) Eric Piotrowski, Cranberry Twp.
- (3S) Paul Schreckengost, Creighton
- (24) Mike Gilliland, Portersville
- (32) Mark Sanders, New Castle
- (1) Randy Hanovick, Mars
- (29B) Scott Byers, Butler
- (57) Troy Jeuther, Valencia
- (92) Bobby Heim, Allison Park
- (54) Wayne Carbo, Saxonburg
- (9R) Roger Stivenson, Freeport
- (48) Kevin Haas, Sarver
- (12) Shawn Thorn, Murrysville
Car Count Total: 108
Sprint: 45
Late Model: 43
Street Stock: 20
Contact: Lernerville Speedway
Eric J. Westendorf, Public Relations Director
(724) 664-1075 · This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. "> This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.