Joel Watson Bags $2k At Mercer – Randy Hall UEMS Champion
October 5, 2008
Mercer, PA
Joel Watson of Conneaut, Ohio charged from his twelfth place starting spot to end the 2008 United Emod Series season with a cool two grand in the 30 lap Fall Brawl at Mercer Raceway Park. Randy Hall of Olean, NY left the track with his fourth straight second place finish and the inaugural 2008 UEMS championship crown. A record fifty-eight Emods filled MRP pits.
Twenty-five cars rolled onto the 3/8 mile facility with Rich Michael Jr and Mike Eschrisch on the front row. Michael debuting a brand new Clinger Built machine rocketed down the front stretch a s Eschrisch got shuffled back on the start. As lap one was completed it was Michael, David Scott driving the Bootie Petsko #00 machine in second with Shawn Shingledecker third, Kyle Scott and Randy Hall passing four cars on the opening lap to be fifth. Hall would charge into fourth on lap three as Kyle Scott would get kicked back to fifth while Michael was still in front of the determined David Scott. With five laps in the event it was Michael still with a five car length lead over Scott and Russ Dunn now was in fifth as Kyle Scott backslid to sixth. The fans came to their feet on lap seven as Shingledecker, David Scott and Hall came across the line three wide with Shingledecker getting scored second and the trio of cars still battled two and three wide for the next two laps as Michael was starting to check out in his new ride. With ten laps in the event, Slowride was back in second in the Petsko #00 machine with Shingledecker, Hall and Dave Hess Jr making his presence felt in fifth. Joel Watson found himself in sixth using the high line around the Mercer oval. Lap eleven saw the first yellow come out for the cars of Craig Bedell, Tom Deutsch and Scott Jones as the trio sat together in turn two. Michael was still your leader over David Scott, Shingledecker, Hall and Hess. The next five were, Watson, Dunn, Kyle Scott, Brent Rhebergan and Eschrisch was in tenth.
On the restart the field stuck with Michael as he could not shake David Scott and company. Michael’s car started to get a mid corner push and on lap thirteen it left the door open for Slowride to grab the front spot away as Watson made a sweeping pass to come from sixth to third in turn two. At the halfway mark it was still David Scott looking to return to Mercer victory lane as he has twice with the ULMS Racing Series late model series. Watson now was in second with Hall, Shingledecker, Hess rounding out the top five. Michael’s new car was starting to become ill handling and was now in sixth with Dunn, Rhebergan, nineteenth starting, Bob McCann and Carl McKinney rounding out the top ten. On lap 18, Rhebergan car broke coming gown the front stretch ending his night and on the next lap the yellow would come out for Tim Peterson bunching the field behind Watson. The top five was Watson, David Scott, Hall, Shingledecker and Hess.
The green would come back out again and Watson again distanced himself by a few car lengths as Scott, Hall and Shingledecker waged a battle for second. With ten to go it was still Watson in his CRS Racing #92 BMS Emod out in front with Scott, Hall, Shingledecker and Hess. On lap 22 the yellow would come out again for Rich Michael as something on the 17x machine broke and the ill handling car that was a contender for the first half of the event was done for the evening. The top five was still the same with Dunn in sixth and late model veteran, Dick Barton, driving the Justin Carlson backup machine in seventh. The restart was wild as Slowride, Hall, Shingledecker were all there on the back bumper of Watson and as lap twenty three clicked off the board it was Slowride being scored the leader by a half of a car length over Watson. The next lap, Watson would be scored the leader as Scott and Hall came across with Watson almost three wide for the lead. This would go on for the next two laps till the last yellow would come out on lap twenty seven for Justin Carlson. During the yellow, fifth place running, Dave Hess Jr left the track with a undisclosed problem ending his night. The top five now was Watson, Scott, Hall, Shingledecker and Dunn.
On the restart it was a beehive of action behind Watson with Scott, Hall and company. Watson just has a little more motor off the corners the final laps and as the field took the white flag lap, David Scott machine would develop a undisclosed left front mechanical problem see him slow substantially and coming to a stop at the turn one and two wall as the leaders raced thru three and four. The final 2008 UEMS event would come to a close with the checkers and yellow waving as Joel Watson topped 2008 UEMS Champion, Randy Hall who came home second for the fourth straight UEMS event! Shawn Shingledecker had a strong third place showing, with Russ Dunn and late model veteran and past ULMS Racing Series late model champion, Dick Barton finishing fifth. The next five were Bob McCann who had started nineteenth, he was followed by Carl McKinney, twentieth starting, Daryl Charlier came home eighth with Scott Gurdak and outside polesitter, Mike Eschrisch rounded out the top ten.
Heat winners for the fifty-seven Emods were: Hall, Hess, Barton, Shingledecker, Rhebergan and Dunn. The Main winners were McCann, Charles and Justin Carlson.
Series and Event Notes: Fifty-eight Emods filled the pits Saturday night at Mercer. The largest field of Emods for the inaugural UEMS season. Season car count average was 38 cars per event. Randy Hall was crowned the 2008 UEMS Champion. After winning the season inaugural event, Hall finished second in every show except for the Little Valley Speedway event when a broken axle knocked him out of the event while running second. Rich Michael Jr., debuted a brand new Clinger Built chassis and was very fast in the qualifying event and the first half of the feature. Dick Barton, Greg Oakes, Butch Lambert, Dave Hess Jr., and Brent Rhebergan did double duty during the evening driving their super late models or competed in the FASTRAK late model event. Late Model veterans, David Scott and Mike Knight were in UEMS action as well. One hundred and twelve different drivers competed in the six race inaugural season for the United Emod Series. There was not a repeat winner in each of the six events.
Results: Fall Brawl 30:
JOEL WATSON, Randy Hall, Shawn Shingledecker, Russ Dunn, Dick Barton, Bob McCann, Carl McKinney, Darryl Charlier, Scott Gurdak, Mike Eschrisch, Tom Deutsch, Steve Dixon, Tim Peterson, Butch Lambert, Mike Knight, Kyle Scott, David Scott, Dave Hess Jr., Justin Carlson, Rich Michael Jr., Brent Rhebergan, Scott Jones, Mike Munsee, Greg Eicher, Craig Bedell
DNQ: Denny Nakutis, Bruce Dreisdedt, Jason Stanke, Dave Atkinson, Scott Stiffler, Kyle Bedell, Gary Sullivan, Bob Williamson, Steve Haefke, Al Brewer, Bill Taylor, Howard Fraley, Bill Westlake, Randy sprouse, Tom Martineck, Brandon Blackshear, Edward Wilson, Greg Oakes, Jeff Hassay, Tim Engles, Bob Diver, Chuck Steinle, Darren Tarabori, Michael Butcher, Ed Snyder, Justin Tatlow, Andy Sweetland, Richard Stiffler, Jeff Walter, Rick Prachter, Rick Robinson, Shane Crotty, Tom Norland,
Close Racing Supply -GRT /BMS Race Cars HEAT #1:
Randy Hall, Rich Michael, Mike Munsee, Bob McCann, Bill Westlake, Butch Lambert, Ed Snyder, Craig Bedell, Bob Diver, Bob Williamson
Hoosier Tire – Mid Atlantic HEAT #2:
Dave Hess Jr., Kyle Scott, Tim Peterson, Steve Haefke, Bill Taylor, Justin Tatlow, Richard Stiffler, Edward Wilson, Tom Norland, Denny Nakutis
Lias Tire and American Racer Tire HEAT #3:
Dick Barton, Carl McKinney, Steve Dixon, Scott Stiffler, Bruce Dreisdedt, Chuck Steinle, Randy Sprouse, Jeff Walter, Greg Oakes, Howard Fraley
R&M Home and Auto – AMSOIL HEAT #4:
Shawn Shingledecker, Joel Watson, Scott Gurdak, Darryl Charlier, Andy Sweetland, Mike Knight, Kyle Bedell, Rick Prachter, Jeff Hassay, Al Brewer
Cousin Designs HEAT #5:
Brent Rhebergan, Mike Eschrisch, Greg Eicher, Rick Robinson, Darren Tarabori, Tom Martineck, Jason Stanke, Justin Carlson, Tim Engles
Oyler Racing Photos HEAT #6:
Russ Dunn, David Scott, Scott Jones, Gary Sullivan, Tim Deutsch, Brandon Blackshear, Michael Butcher, Shane Crotty, Dave Atkinson
Payout For UEMS at Mercer This Saturday
October 2, 2008
$2000 TO WIN (UEMS RULES)
1 $2,000
2 $800
3 $500
4 $400
5 $300
6 $225
7 $200
8 $190
9 $180
10 $175
11 $160
12 $155
13 $150
14 $145
15 $140
16 $135
17 $130
18 $125
19 $125
20 $125
21 $125
22 $125
23 $125
24 $125
Tow $50
There is a $50 Entry Fee — Make Checks payable to MERCER RACEWAY PARK.
Pits open at 2:30 p.m. and the grandstands at 3:30 on Saturday. Hot laps
begin at 5 with FASTRAK Late Model time trials following and racing at
approximately 6 p.m. Adult admission is $15 with students 6-15 $7 and
while kids five and under are free. The family pass, which admits mom,
dad, and up to four kids, is $35. Pit passes are $30. The rain date for
the event is Saturday, October 11.
Mercer Raceway Park is located just minutes from both Interstates 79 & 80
just off Route 19 at 555 Fairground Road, Mercer, PA. For more
information, check out www.mercerracewaypark.com or call the office at
724-964-9300. For information on race day, call the track at 724-662-1310
