Randy Hall Wins Inaugeral UEMS Event At Mercer
Saturday night, a new era started for the Emod racers of the northeast. The inaugural event for the new United E Mod Series was held at Mercer Raceway Park (PA) as part of the annual “CHILLER THRILLER.” Randy Hall of Olean, NY won the first ever event for the new series.
Twenty-eight race teams from New York, Pennsylvania and Ohio entered the first of six scheduled 2008 events on the United Emod Series (UEMS) schedule. Alan Dellinger of Hermitage, PA would put his name into the UEMS record books by winning the Lias Tire / American Racer Tire heat over second generation driver, John Woodward Jr., Russ Dunn and Jack Young.
The Close Racing Supply / GRT Race Cars Heat # 2 saw Randy Hall winning his qualifying event, but had to hold off the pressure of Dave Hess Jr. after a late yellow. Butch Lambert and Greg Eicher came home third and fourth. Eicher came from ninth place in the qualifying event.
The Hoosier Tire – Mid Atlantic – Cousins Designs Heat #3 was a barnburner. George Catanzano of Chatham, NY made the seven-hour drive and would lead until the final lap when 2007 McKean County Raceway and Little Valley Speedway Emod champion, Rich Michael would make the winning pass on the backstretch on the white flag lap to pull off the win. Catanzano would break a rear end gear on the final lap but would limp home second, just ahead rookie Emod driver, Justin Tatlow and Shawn Shingledecker.
The UEMS main event entered the race track with Jack Young of Thompson, OH and Butch Lambert of Mars, PA pacing the field to kick off the very first main event of the new United Emod Series. After two complete restarts, the racing got going and the drivers didn’t disappoint. Young would get the early lead ahead of Lambert, Woodward, Dunn and Hall on the opening lap. By lap five Young was comfortably in front of Dunn by six car lengths ass Hall was in third charging to the front as Lambert was now fourth and eighth place running Alan Dellinger was now fifth and coming fast. On lap nine Dellinger who was running fourth went pit side with an undisclosed problem and the front running Young was experiencing a tight race car on exiting the corners allowing Dunn and Hall to close in. As lap ten was being clicked off the board, Hall made his move past Dunn and to grab the lead from Young when his car suddenly turned left into Hall and bounced hard into the wall ending his night. It was later determined that Young’s steering box locked up causing him to get into Hall and resulting in his car finding the front stretch wall.
With ten laps down, Hall was now your new leader with, 2007 Emod “Chiller Thriller” runner up, Russ Dunn in second. Eleventh place starting Shawn Shingledecker was now third with Lambert still in fourth and twelfth place starting, Dave Hess Jr. in fifth. Hall would jump out in front on the restart as Dunn tried to stay within reach. By lap fifteen Hall was now six car lengths ahead of Dunn with Shingledecker fending off a hard charging Hess in a furious battle for third. Lambert was still fifth but he was holding off the still challenges of Catanzano. Behind them was a great battle between the cars of Woodward, Eicher, Al Brewer, Tatlow and Vic Vena for seventh to eleventh. On lap seventeen Vena would spin in turn two to bring out the final yellow of the event.
With eight laps to go the top ten were Hall, Dunn, Shingledecker, Hess, Lambert, Catanzano, Woodward, Brewer, Eicher and rookie Emod driver, Steve Dixon. Hall again jetted out by a few car lengths over Russ Dunn on the restart and Catanzano would move into fifth on lap 18 as Lambert was now in sixth. Hess and Shingledecker were still in the furious battle for third as Hess was trying low and the very extreme high line to find a way around the #54s of Shingledecker. With five to go, last place starting, Justin Carlson found himself in the top ten. As the final laps clicked off, Hall was unstoppable as he won the very first United Emod Series event over Russ Dunn, who finished second for the second year in a row in the Emod portion of the “Chiller Thriller”. Shingledecker held off the furious challenge Dave Hess gave him for third; while George Catanzano came home fifth in his first ever visit to the Mercer oval. Lambert, Woodward, Brewer, Carlson and Bruce Powell rounded out the top ten.
Hall is sponsored by Follman Rental Properties, Duggan and Duggan Contracting, Absolute Powder Coating, Heron Cigarettes, Driveshaft Specialist, Cousins Designs, Southeastern Eastern Transmissions, Close Racing Supply and BMS Race Cars.
The win was also the first ever win at Mercer Raceway Park for the 2007 Cavalcade Emod champion and his second win of the young season as Hall won his season opening event in Florida in February.
The next event on the United E Mod Series schedule will be Friday, May 16 at McKean County Raceway in East Smethport, PA. The E Mods will be supporting the IRS super late model event. The 25 lap UEMS event will pay $750 to win. Hall will be looking to go two for two. MCR champion, Rich Michael will be looking to get his first win of the year. Another stout field of entries is expected.
RESULTS:
Lias Tires and American Racer Tire HEAT #1:
Alan Dellinger, John Woodward Jr., Russ Dunn, Jack Young, Al Brewer, Craig Bedell, Gary Sullivan, TJ Downs, Paul Phillips (DNS)
Close Racing Supply and GRT Race Cars HEAT #2:
Randy Hall, Dave Hess Jr., Butch Lambert, Greg Eicher, Kyle Bedell, Vic Vena, Nathan Hill, Joel Watson, Rick Robinson (DNS)
Hoosier Tire - Mid Atlantic and Cousin Designs HEAT #3
Rich Michael, George Catanzano, Justin Tatlow, Shawn Shingledecker, Joe Weber, Bruce Powell, Steve Dixon, Troy Carr, Justin Carlson
E MOD “CHILLER THRILLER” 25 LAPS $750 TO WIN:
1. RANDY HALL 2. Russ Dunn 3. Shawn Shingledecker 4. Dave Hess, Jr. 5. George Catanzano 6. Butch Lambert 7. John Woodward, Jr. 8. Al Brewer 9. Justin Carlson 10. Bruce Powell 11. Vic Vena 12. Steve Dixon 13. Gary Eicher 14. Troy Carr 15. Justin Tatlow 16. Joe Weber 17. Kyle Bedell 18. Gary Sullivan 19. Jack Young 20. Alan Dellinger 21. Richard Michael, Jr. 22. Nathan Hill 23. Jim Dellinger 24. Craig Bedell-DNS 25. Joel Watson-DNS 26. T.J. Downs-DNS 27. Rick Robinson-DNS 28. Paul Phillips-DNS.