Todd Roncaglione Grabs UEMS All-Star E-Series Event On Night Two Of Tri-City’s Oil Region Classic
The United Emod Series (UEMS) returned for the second day of the Oil Region Labor Day Classic at Tri-City Speedway in Franklin, PA. The All Star 30 was on tap for the evening, seeing a cool grand going to the winner. Todd Roncaglione of Linesville, PA picked up his biggest career win and his first win since 2001 at Tri City Speedway. He became the fourth different winner in the four 2008 UEMS events this year.
Roncaglione and defending All Star 30 winner and defending two-time Tri City champion, Carl McKinney were the front row starters for the 30 lap main event. McKinney, fresh off a FASTRAK Late Model win earlier in the night, was looking to give his car owner, Mike Hendrickson, his second UEMS – E Series win of the weekend.
Roncaglione had other ideas as he out dragged McKinney at the start. As lap one was completed the third and fourth place cars of Bruce Powell and Ron Roncaglione touched as they entered turn one shooting both cars to the top of the track in front of the field, resulting in a multi skirmish. Cars involved were George Catanzano, who was second in the UEMS points, Rick Robinson, Vic Vena, and the UEMS third-place-in-points car of Shawn Shingledecker which was severely damaged and done for the night. Jonathan Taylor and the previous night’s winner, Al Cressley, was also damaged bad enough to be finished for the night, ending his shot at sweeping the weekend’s UEMS events. The top five after the lap one red flag saw Roncaglione, McKinney, Mike Potosky, Randy Hall and Evan Taylor the new top five.
Roncaglione used his inside row starting spot to his advantage on the restart. Hall went right to work on Potosky and would move into third on lap three as Todd Roncaglione kept McKinney at bay. Dave Hess Jr. would move into fifth on lap five as 2007 Calvacade champion, Rich Michael came from eleventh to sixth. Hess and Potosky would swap the fourth positions back and forth; with Hess taking control of fourth on lap eight with a turn one pass on Potosky. As lap ten clicked off the board, Hall was closing in on McKinney for second. The second yellow of the event came out on lap 14 for Darryl Charlier and Larry Kugel. Roncaglione saw his ten car length lead vanish over McKinney was erased. Hall was sitting third followed by Hess, Potosky, Rich Michael, Evan Taylor, Darren Tarabori in his v6 powered machine was eighth followed by George Catanzano who was back to ninth from restarting at the rear of the field per the first lap red flag incident.
As Roncaglione lead the halfway point of the All-Star 30, Hall was applying severe pressure to McKinney for second. Lap sixteen would see Hall take his yellow and blue #10 into the runner up position but McKinney was not backing down. DaveHess Jr. joined the duo, as it became a three wide battle for second. Roncaglione just motored away from the three car second place battle. As lap twenty clicked off, Hess was on the inside of Hall while McKinney was still on the outside of his two counter parts as the three cars battle kept the crowd on their feet. While all this was going on, Rich Michael quietly slipped into fifth behind the three car battle for second. Hall would finally come out on top for the second place battle would try to run down Roncaglione. With five to go, the twenty car length lead of Roncaglione had been trimmed down to approximately fifteen. Hess and McKinney was still battling for third with Hess having the spot.
The battle for fifth was hot also between Michael and Potosky and the six cylindermachine of Tarabori. Potosky would beat Michael to the line on lap twenty six to be scored fifth but as they entered turn one, the cars of McKinney and Hess touched with Hess spinning and doing acomplete 360 as Michael and Potosky raced by the two. Hall was tracking down Roncaglione but the laps were clicking off and the clock finally struck midnight with Todd Roncaglione capturing the 2008 UEMS sanctioned E-Series All-Star 30 event. Hall came home in the runner up position for the second consecutive night. With his pair of second place finishes over the weekend, Hall regained the UEMS point lead. Rich Michael came home a fantastic third over Potosky and McKinney. Hess would come home sixth after the lap twenty-six incident cost him a top three finish. Darren Tarabori and his v6 powered machine was seventh, with George Catanzaro in eighth. Bruce Powell and Rick Robinson rounded out the top ten.
Heat winners were: Cressley, Hess, McKinney, Ron Roncaglione and Bruce Powell. Jim Frontz and Tim Peterson were the B main winners.
The Sunday portion of the Oil Region Labor Day Classic at the Franklin, PA oval saw forty-seven Emods sign in for the All-Star 30. Fifty-one different UEMS drivers from three states entered the Tri City Speedway E-Series weekend events. Mike Potosky won the Tri City Speedway’s E-Series point title.
The United Emod Series will return to action on September 19-20 at Pittsburgh Pennsylvania Motor Speedway. The UEMS cars will run for a $1000 winner prize as part of the Pittsburgher 100 weekend. The UEMS portion of the Pittsburgher will start thirty-two cars with two provisionals each for PPMS and UEMS racers. For more information about the Pittsburgher, please check the PPMS website at www.ppms.com.
UEMS is tentatively schedule to be at Woodhull Raceway on Friday, October 3. ULMS Racing Series officials will be in contact with Woodhull Raceway this week in regards to this event. Race teams are asked to keep an eye on the schedule to see any possible date change or removal of this event.
UEMS will close out the inaugural season on Saturday, October 4 at Vicki Emig’s Mercer Raceway Park in Mercer, PA with a $2000 to win UEMS Emod Championship finale as part of the first annual Fall Brawl. For more information, check out the track website at www.mercerracewaypark.com. For all the ULMS Racing Series information,check out the ULMS Racing Series website at www.unitedlatemodelseries.com.
RESULTS:
UEMS E SERIES ALL STAR 30 (E MODS) (30 Laps): 1. TODD RONCAGLIONE, 2. Randy Hall, 3. Rich Michael Jr., 4. Mike Potosky,5. Carl McKinney, 6. Dave Hess Jr., 7. Darren Tarabori, 8. George Catanzano,10. Bruce Powell, 11. Rick Robinson, 12. Russ Dunn, 13. Brian Douglas, 14. Vic Vena, 15. Jonathan Taylor, 16. Larry Kugel, 17. Daryl Charlier, 18. Jim Frontz,19. Gary Sullivan, 20. Tim Peterson, 21. Butch Lambert, 22. Ron Roncaglione,23. Al Cressley, 24. Shawn Shingledecker.
DNQ: Scott Stiffler, Jeff Deeter, Jim Turley, Bruce Dreistadt, Rick Loomis, Justin Tatlow, Craig Bedell,Rick Pratschler, David Atkinson, Jeff Johnson, Jason Stetson, Tom Hagberg, Kyle Bedell, Nathan Short, Rob Kristyak, Dustin Fraley, Jon Rohacevich, Chad Silleman, Dave Willoughby, T.J. Downs, Chip Mahood, Tim Engles, Mike Eschrisch
ULMS RACING SERIES proud sponsors are: Northern Tier Inc., Bernheisel Race Cars Inc., Hoosier Tire of Mid Atlantic, Lias Tire,American Racer, R&M Home and Auto / AMSOIL, Close Racing Supply, GRT Race Cars, BMS Race Cars, Big Shot Performance, The Shock SAVER, WZKZ Radio, Cousins Designs, Bills Dirt Late Models.com, Raceway Magazine.com, Genesis Shocks,Andrews Auto Salvage, Derek Bobik Photography, Matt Wheeler Race Videos and Justified by Grace Web Services.