Randy Hall, the defending United Emod Series champion made a statement last night at Mercer Raceway Park (PA) that he was all set to defend his title by easily winning the annual Chiller Thriller to kick off the 2009 UEMS title chase. The Olean, New York driver picked up his third win of the 2009 season as he picked up a pair of wins in Florida in February.
Thirty Emods from New York, Pennsylvania and Ohio helped kicked off the ten race UEMS series. Hall who was just coming off winning $10,000 during the Alltel All Star Fan voting contest drew the pole position for the 25 lap main event. Sophomore Emod driver, Kyle Bedell sat on the outside pole to start the event but Hall immediately shot to the front in his Follman’s Rental Properties machine and would lead lap one before the first yellow of the night would come out for the multiple cars of Joel Watson, who won the last UEMS event at Mercer in October, Tim Engles, Mike Eschrich, Dave Atkinson and Scott Stiffler. Hall again got a good restart on Bedell and drove away but as the field completed lap 2 the yellow would come out again for John Woodward who slowed suddenly and the cars of Atkinson, Kari Gasser and Mike Knight sat sideways. A pair of restarts would get lap three completed as the yellow fever seemed to be setting in for the opening UEMS event of the year. Another restart saw the same fate for Bedell as Hall again drove away but hard crash on the front stretch ended the night for Shawn Shingledecker, Larry Kugel and Watson.
The restart still had Hall on the point with Greg Johnson sitting beside him with ninth starting Rich Michael in third. Hall again took off leaving Johnson, Michael, Russ Dunn and Bedell behind. Bedell and thirteenth starter, Tim Peterson made contact resulting Bedell and sixteenth starter Daryl Charlier getting together to bring out the sixth yellow of the event. With five laps in, the top five showed Hall leading Russ Dunn, Johnson, Michael and Dave Hess. A series of green flag laps saw Hall open up a comfortable lead as the battle for second was highly contested between Dunn and Michael, with Johnson and Hess battling it out for fourth. Lap nine would see the yellow come back out again as Daryl Charlier would come to a stop in turn four with a dropped driveshaft ending the night for the Midway Missile. Hall again got a great restart as Dunn and Michael were in a dogfight for second until lap eleven as the second and third place finishers made contact coming out of turn two resulting in both spinning out and the yellow lights being flashed again. The new top five still saw Hall, the 2009 Alltel All star Champion in the lead over the 2008 Alltel All star Florida Champion, Dave Hess Jr. Greg Johnson sat third ahead of thirteenth starting Tim Peterson and seventeenth starting Brent Rhebergan was now in fifth.
Hall again took off on the restart as Johnson got around Hess for second while Peterson was working the inside of Hess. With ten laps to go, it was still Hall in command while Johnson and Hess were now competing for the second spot with Peterson and Rhebergan still in fourth and fifth. The final yellow of the event would come out on lap eighteen for Tim Engles who spun on the front stretch and while during the yellow, the fifth place running car of Rhebergan came to a stop with an undisclosed mechanical problem. The top five with seven laps remaining was still Mr. Alltel All Star, Randy Hall, Johnson Hess, Peterson and Rich Michael was back to fifth from his lap even encounter with Russ Dunn. Hall again controlled the start masterfully as he pulled away from his competitors. Hess went to the top shelf of turn one and two to clear Johnson and it appeared maybe the two Florida Alltel winners would duke it out for the win but it was clear that Hall was in full control and would lead the final seven laps to become the first two-time United Emod Series winner and defend his 2008 Chiller Thriller victory and leave Mercer $800 richer and the early series point leader in his title defense. Hess came home second with Johnson finishing a fantastic third. Tim Peterson was fourth from his thirteenth starting spot and Russ Dunn recovered for fifth. The next top five saw Chad Silleman come home in a fine sixth over twenty-second place starting Jason Stetson, Tim Engles who started dead last was eighth, Rich Michael was ninth and 2008 Ohio Alltel All Star Champion, Mike Knight came home in tenth from his eighteenth starting spot.
Qualifying heat winners were Hess, Shingledecker and Michael, while Mike Knight captured the consolation event. In the Allen’s Wine & Liquor Victory Lane, Hall was quick to thank the fans for the support during the Alltel All star voting and apologized to the fans for the many cautions in the event. Hall drives the yellow and blue #10 BMS chassis, sponsored by Follman Rental Properties, Absolute Powder Coating, AFCO, Close Racing Supply, Cloud Co., Drive Shaft Specialist, Heron Indian Smokes, JJ Bucher, Portville Truck & Auto Repair Inc., R&R Transmission, Stephan Oil Field Service, Smith Fabrication and American Racer Tire.
The opening UEMS event at Mercer featured thirty teams entering with only Hall and Watson being the only winners from 2008 being on hand. Hall’s win broke a streak of four straight second place finishes in UEMS competition and he became the first multiple winner of the series. Kari Gasser became the first female to compete in ULMS Racing Series history. Gasser who has lot of seat time in an Emod and full blown late model competition was a welcome addition to the ULMS Racing family. Dave Hess, Mike Knight and Randy Hall all have won the Alltel All star fan vote were on hand competing at Mercer in UEMS competition.
The United Emod Series is now off till May 9 when the ULMS Racing Series has a double header at McKean County Raceway as both the UEMS Emods and the Northern Tier Inc ULMS Late Models will be on the same program.
CHILLER THRILLER RESULTS:
RANDY HALL, Dave Hess Jr, Greg Johnson, Tim Peterson, Russ Dunn, Chad Silleman, Jason Stetson, Tim Engles, Rich Michael Jr., Mike Knight, John Woodward Jr., Kyle Bedell, Brent Rhebergen, Richard Stiffler, Darryl Charlier, Justin Carlson, Justin Tatlow, Shawn Shingledecker, Larry Kugel Mike Eschrich, Kari Gasser, Dave Atkinson, Joel Watson, Scott Stiffler
DNS: Jack Young (Scratch)
DNQ: Clayton Kennedy, Tom Norland, Gary Fisher, Vic Vena, Dale Charlier
CLOSE RACING SUPPLY – GRT Race Cars Heat #1:
Dave Hess, Joel Watson, Kari Gasser, Chad Silleman, Tim Peterson, Daryl Charlier, Jason Stetson, Tim Engles, Gary Fisher, Richard Stiffler
HOOSIER TIRE Mid Atlantic Heat #2:
Shawn Shingledecker, John Woodward, Justin Tatlow, Kyle Bedell, Larry Kugel, Justin Carlson, Tom Norland, Mike Eschrich, Scott Stiffler, Vic Vena
LIAS TIRE – American Racer Tire Heat #3:
Rich Michael, Russ Dunn, Randy Hall, Greg Johnson, Jack Young, Brent Rhebergan, Mike Knight, Dave Atkinson, Clayton Kennedy, Dale Charlier (DNS)
R&M Home and Auto / Cousins Designs / Allen’s Wine & Liquor Consolation:
Mike Knight, Scott Stiffler, Mike Eschrich, Dave Atkinson, Jason Stetson, Richard Stiffler, Tim Engles, Clayton Kennedy. DNS: Vic Vena, Gary Fisher, Tom Norland
AWARDS:
LIAS TIRE – American Racer Tire Award: Randy Hall
HOOSIER TIRE Mid Atlantic: Dave Hess Jr.
GENESIS SHOCKS Award: Dave Hess Jr.
