John Flinner tops first half of PENNational, rain wins second half at PPMS
Imperial, PA (July 24) Pittsburgh’s Pennsylvania Motor Speedway had scheduled the PENNational on Saturday night, with twin 28-lap feature races. John Flinner from Zelienople, PA won the first race, but weather moved in and the second race was canceled by rain. The second race for the co-sanctioned show between the UFo Race Championship and ULMS Racing Series will be made up as an added bonus to the Red Miley Rumble on Saturday, August 28.
29 cars were on hand for the event, divided into three qualifying heats. Keith Barbara took the first heat win, from the pole position. John Flinner topped heat 2, from second starting position. John Mollick won heat three from second spot. Lynn Geisler won the B-Main to set the 24 qualifiers for the first of the Pennational 28’s.
In the redraw for the top 12 starting positions, front row berths were earned by Jim Stephans and Jared Miley, and they led the field to the green flag with lightning flashing to the north of the Monster Half Mile. Miley took off in the lead at the drop of the green over Stephans, Mark Banal, UFo point leader Chad McClellan, and Steve Baker. Baker shot to third on lap 2 ahead of Banal and eighth starting John Flinner, as McClellan slowed to a stop with a flat tire for the event’s first caution period. After another incident on the attempted restart, Miley continued to lead over Baker, Flinner, Stephans, and Keith Barbara. Miley quickly built an advantage over the field, but entering turn one on lap 5 his mount shot up the track and pounded the outside wall, ending his evening.
Baker inherited the lead on the restart, and he controlled the race over Flinner, Barbara, Stephans, and PPMS point leader Mike Johnson. Baker and Flinner pulled away from the field as they raced for the lead, with Flinner making a strong challenge at lap 10. Entering turn three, Flinner dove to the bottom of the track and cleared Baker, becoming the new race leader with 11 laps complete. Third was being hotly contested between Barbara, Stephans, and Johnson, with Johnson taking fourth on lap 12.
Past halfway, Flinner continued to extend his lead. Baker gave chase in second, with Barbara and Johnson continuing to swap third place. Laps continued to tick by, and Flinner took the white flag as the eighth place car of Lynn Geisler slowed in turn two to add some drama to the end of the race. Gone was Flinner’s huge lead, and Baker would line up alongside in what would be a two-lap race to the finish per Series rules.
Flinner chose the outside lane for the restart, with Baker now on his inside. Flinner got out ahead at the drop of the green, and at the white flag Baker was trying the inside for a chance to pass. Johnson and Barbara were third and fourth, with Alex Ferree getting a great restart on the high side to gain several spots to get to fifth.
At the checkered flag it was John Flinner earning the win from eighth starting position. Third starting Steve Baker was a close second. Mike Johnson won the battle for third, from 11th starting spot. Alex Ferree earned fourth spot, from 21st starting spot and after being involved in the second lap 2 tangle. Jim Stephans was fifth, in a good run after missing some time with engine problems. Keith Barbara was sixth, with Mark Banal, Ben Miley, Boom Briggs, and Brandon Wearing rounding out the top ten. Ferree earned the Pass-Maximum award winner, presented by Bernheisel Race Components and Lazer Chassis, for advancing 17 positions in the main event.
Flinner drew a 12 for the invert for the second race, which will be made up on Saturday, August 28 before the Red Miley Rumble. That will put Mike Knight and Dennis Lunger on the front row for that 28-lap event. The 24 cars that ran this race will earn starting spots, the five non-qualifiers will be alternates for the makeup race.
The Northern T ier Inc. ULMS Late Model Series points have shaken up some with Dennis Lunger now the new point leader (159) over David Scott (148). Bump Hedman now is third just one point behind Slowride, with Boom Briggs sitting fourth (139) and defending ULMS champion, Bob Close in fifth (134).
The Northern Tier Inc ULMS Late Models will be back in action for a triple header weekend beginning Thursday, August 5 at McKean County Raceway for the 6th annual Stephanie Eckl Memorial that will pay a minimum of $2500 to win. The next night the ULMS stars head to Raceway 7 for the July 9th makeup of the Fallen Heroes of Raceway 7 Memorial in part of the tracks 40th Anniversary event and it will pay $2000 to win. The very next night (August 7), ULMS will roll into Stateline Speedway for a $7000 to win (American Racer tire only) event. Three shows with almost $12,000 on the line! ULMS will then head to Woodhull Raceway (NY) for the 29th annual Late Model Reunion on Saturday, August 14.
ULMS – UFo Race Championship race results for Saturday, July 24, 2010, Pittsburgh’s Pennsylvania Motor Speedway, Imperial, PA
Car Count – 29.
Lap leaders:
1-5 Jared Miley.
6-10 Steve Baker
11-29 John Flinner
Finish, Start, Car, Driver, Hometown
1, 8, 48, John Flinner, Zelienople, PA
2, 3, 0, Steve Baker, Morgantown, WV
3, 11, 2J, Mike Johnson, Imperial, PA
4, 21, 4, Alex Ferree, Saxonburg, PA
5, 1, 38, Jim Stephans, Baldwin, PA
6, 6, 17, Keith Barbara, South Park, PA
7, 5, T8, Mark Banal, St. Clairsville, OH
8, 14, 99, Ben Miley, Venetia, PA
9, 12, 99B, Boom Briggs, Bear Lake
10, 10, B1, Brandon Wearing, Callery, PA
11, 7, 17L, Dennis Lunger, Albion, PA
12, 13, 9K, Mike Knight, Ripley, NY
13, 20, 27C, Daryl Charlier, Midway, PA
14, 19, 1C, Lynn Geisler, Cranberry Twp., PA
15, 4, 119, Chad McClellan, Stoystown, PA
16, 22, B22, Bump Hedman, Sugar Grove, PA
17, 18, 6, Jim Lepro, Midway, PA
18, 16, 91, Tommy Beck, Murrysville, PA
19, 15, 76R, Jason Rider, Clinton, PA
20, 17, 16*, Dereck Frank, Jamestown, NY
21, 24, 18D, Danny Mitchell, Clarksburg, WV
22, 9, 4J, John Mollick, Toronto, OH
23, 2, H1, Jared Miley, South Park, PA
24, 23, 76, Dave Wade, Clinton, PA
Heat 1 – 1, 17, Keith Barbara. 2, 2J, Mike Johnson. 3, H1, Jared Miley. 4, 38, Jim Stephans. 5, 9K, Mike Knight. 6, 91, Tommy Beck. 7, 1C, Lynn Geisler. 8, 72, Mike Norris. 9, 2M, Chuck Medved. 10, 18D, Danny Mitchell.
Heat 2 – 1, 48, John Flinner. 2, 0, Steve Baker. 3, B1, Brandon Wearing. 4, 17L, Dennis Lunger. 5, 99, Ben Miley. 6, 16*, Dereck Frank. 7, 27C, Daryl Charlier. 8, 4, Alex Ferree. 9, 07R, Brent Rhebergen. 10, B22, Bump Hedman.
Heat 3 – 1, 4J, John Mollick. 2, T8, Mark Banal. 3, 119, Chad McClellan. 4, 99B, Boom Briggs. 5, 76R, Jason Rider. 6, 6, Jim Lepro. 7, 25, Bob Hershman. 8, 76, Dave Wade. 9, 17B, Brandon Burgoon.
B-Main finish – 1, 1C, Lynn Geisler. 2, 27C, Daryl Charlier. 3, 4, Alex Ferree. 4, 17B, Brandon Burgoon. 5, 72, Mike Norris. 6, B22, Bump Hedman. 7, 25, Bob Hershman. 8, 76, Dave Wade. 9, 2M, Chuck Medved. 10, 18D, Danny Mitchell. 11, 07R, Brent Rhebergen.
Did not qualify – 2M, Chuck Medved, Imperial, PA. 07R, Brent Rhebergen, Clymer, NY. 17B, Brandon Burgoon, McDonald, PA. 25, Bob Hershman, Swanton, MD. 72, Mike Norris, Sarver, PA.
