May 12th, 2001  – Firsts, Seconds, and Repeats
By Joshua Paxton

Street Stocks – In qualifying it was the same faces in victory lane again, with one exception.  #72 Randy Rusnell and #41 Dave Miskolczi kept their winning streaks alive with a heat win each, while the number #4 carried over its success from the previous week and landed in victory lane under the piloting of Brian Davis.  The new face under the checkers was that of #02 Jim Mannen who won his first of the season.  In the feature Brian Davis grabbed an early lead while a pack of six cars fell in behind him.  Like a pack of dogs chasing a fox, the #45 Dave Bennett, #41 Dave Miskolczi, #02 Jim Mannen, #72 Randy Rusnell, #20 Sean Warren and #5 Jeff Bean, all followed the #4 of Davis closely, running nose to tail.  The drivers started to mix it up amongst themselves though, as at the front Dave Miskolczi challenged Dave Bennett for second.  Bennett raced hard on the outside trying to hold off the #41 but lost his spot.  Now the pack separated, and as Miskolczi drove on to catch the #4, Bennett found himself leading Rusnell and Mannen in an attempt to catch the #41.  With 2 laps to go Miskolczi had caught the #4 and was looking for some racing room.  He eventually found it, but ran out of time.  The #4 was the first car to end its night in victory lane in back to back weeks.  Brian Davis, like his partner Bill Barfoot had done the week before, won the feature.  He was followed by #41 Dave Miskolczi, #72 Randy Rusnell, #45 Dave Bennett, and #02 Jim Manen.

Thunder Cars – In four heats, we had four different winners last week.  The first qualifying race went to the #12 Mike Post who won the feature the week before.  The second went to point leader #91 Randy Richard.  The third went to #10 Ray Gowan, the first Thunder Car feature winner of 2001.  And the fourth went to #43 Dave Habel, last year’s Thunder Car champion.  Four drivers, all veterans, and all with a taste for winning.  They started front four in the feature, and early on it was all the #12 of Mike Post.  By halfway, it was still all the #12 Mike Post.  The cars had gone into single file formation to run down the #12, but their chasing was not enough to catch the #12 who by now was almost a full second away from the pack.  Nearing the end of the race #91 Randy Richard broke free of the pack and went solo to run down Post, and came close, but had no chance in over powering the #12.  Mike Post, became the first repeat feature winner of 2001, winning back-to-back features in the #12.  Randy Richard brought the #91 across second, followed by #10 Ray Gowan, #43 Dave Habel, and #50 John Burdick.

“Go Fours” – The highlight of the night was the racing in the “Go Four” Mini Stocks.  Two drivers shared the heat wins.  #22 Ken Turner and #85 Robert Allerellie won both of their heat races, but only one could finish the hat trick and win the feature.  After the inversion both the #22 and #85 started near the back of the pack, leaving the lead position to be battled for between #17 Jim Hill and #2 John “Crash” Myers.  Racing door to door, the #2 was on the outside trying to go around but the #17 would not have it as Jim Hill battled back on the inside.  Robert Allerellie brought the #85 into the lead pack and was quick to get in on the action.  Crash Myers found himself hung on the outside and falling back as the #17, #85 and #77 went by.  But out of corner four Allerellie made contact with the #77 of Bryn Rennie.  Both cars spun to the infield, but they kept rolling, got back on the track and racing continued with out a caution.  Up front, #17 Jim Hill had assumed the lead and Crash Myers was back in second, and looking to take the lead when Hill started to slide up the track.  But Myers’ challenge for the lead would have to wait as #01 Mark Czuba and #22 Ken Turner showed up on the scene to mix it up.  Three wide they went around the track racing for second, and it was the #2 of Myers that had to give and fall back a couple spots.  Now the #22 of Turner was right on the back end of #17 Jim Hill, and it didn’t take long for him to move up and make it door-to door.  A front pack had formed, and were sorting out the top spots amongst themselves, but Robert Allerellie, who had fought his way through the pack in a hurry, joined up in fifth spot and looked to crash the party.  Allerellie got by the #2 of Myers, and the #01 of Czuba, to put the #85 into third.  Behind Jim Hills #17, and with sights set of Turners’ yellow #22, Robert Allerellie went to work.  The #17 Jim Hill fell off the pace, and Ken Turner drove the #22 into the lead, but the #85 was right there in second.  The front two drove away from the rest, off to fight the battle between them.  Duelling for the hat-trick, that ever elusive third win in one night, the #85 got the nose inside of the #22 with 5 laps to go.  Side by side they raced out of corner four, the #22 inching ahead down the straightaway.  With two laps to go, Robert Allerellie brought the #85 by Ken Turner when the #22 slid high in the corner.  Allerellie was shown the white flag on the next lap.  With one to go, and nearing slower traffic, the battle for the lead intensified.  Around the track, Ken Turner gave chase to the #85 but was slowed when he had to go by the slower #75 Scott Mast.  Down to the checkered flag it was Robert Allerellie winning the feature, and his third race of the night.  He was followed by the #22 of Ken Turner, #69 Harry Vandenboom, #01 Mark Czuba, and #77 Bryn Rennie.

Late Models – A good night for the rookies.  In qualifying #7 Petey Shepherd won his first race of 2001.  In the same heat #57 Rob Maas made his return after that bad opening night crash on April 28th, and #77 Kenny McNicol Jr. looked like he had sorted out the problems in that car and was racing competitively.  #9 Chris Boschler won a heat race, as did the #48 Gerry Wheaton, and #8 Paul Howse, who made his first appearance of 2001.  In the feature the Late Models spread out around the track, lead by the #19 Trevor Warren.  #48 Gerry Wheaton was giving chase, and contending for the lead, but was forced to head pit side with transmission problems.  Running nose to tail in a freight train, the Late Models raced around the track.  #77 Kenny McNicol Jr. worked on the #36 Bill Jackson, trying to find a way to take fourth spot, and did.  Nudging the #36 through the corners, McNicol was able to pull inside of Jackson and run the #36 up the track as he drove the #77 into fourth. When the white flag dropped it was still the #19 in the lead, with a race going on for second between the #8 of Howse and #9 Chris Boschler.  Out of corner four and down to the checkers it was #19 Trevor Warren winning his first feature of 2001, followed closely by #9 Chris Boschler, #8 Paul Howse, #77 Kenny McNicol Jr. and the #36 Bill Jackson.  Good news, #7 Petey Shepherd finished a competitive sixth, and #57 Rob Maas kept all the fenders on the car, and all the wheels on the asphalt.