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Cannonball Motor Speedway in St. Clairsville, Ohio |
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The
3rd Annual Beecher Eaton Memorial: By
LORI PETTIT ST. CLAIRSVILLE, Ohio (Friday, Aug. 16, 2002) -- Fans packed the stands and cars filled the pits -- 114 registered entries in five divisions, plus six Mini-Wedges -- for the 3rd Annual Beecher Eaton Memorial at Cannonball Motor Speedway. The event, which honors the Wheeling businessman and local racing enthusiast who passed away in 1999, has, however, not been kind to Beecher's four racing sons: Brian, Greg, Mike and Doug. The first race, held in 2000, was won by Bart Hartman, and last year's event went to Rick Aukland. This year three sons and one grandson were on hand to participate in the pre-race flag ceremony. Cannonball regulars Greg, Doug and Mike carried American flags in their Late Models on the parade lap, while Mike's son Codi, substituting for the absent Brian, carried a flag in his #40 Mini-Wedge. Doug is currently out of competition recovering from a back injury received in a crash early in the season, so substitute driver D.J. Pellen manned Eaton's #1E for the evening. LATE MODELS The only representative of the Eaton family in the Late Model feature lineup was Mike, starting thirteenth after suffering damage from a collision in his heat. Cannonball Challenge contender Mark Banal (winner at PPMS last week) won the pole beside Greg Baumberger, with Scott Peltz and Bob Moskey forming row two. The other three eligible contestants started further back -- Charlie Maloney (second at Muskingum) in sixth, and Sammy Stile (second at Roaring Knob) and Corey Conley (fourth at Midway) in ninth and tenth. Banal and Baumberger came off the line trading paint, but Baumberger got control and settled into the early lead with Banal in pursuit. Action stalled out on lap 4 as a spin by Josh Flynn began a succession of mishaps that damaged several vehicles, including Peltz, who ejected a drive shaft in turn 3. By the time things got rolling again Baumberger was still out in front of Banal, but Conley had used the time wisely and moved into fourth. Maloney's #1M got into the rough of the cushion and jumped sideways, allowing Conley and Moskey to get by. A lap 7 restart bunched the top four into a cluster that was just beginning to sort out when Ray Seifert and Mike Liggett were involved in a violent collision on the backstretch. Seifert's #23 was so badly mangled as to be almost unrecognizable, but Seifert climbed out, unhurt. In an odd turn of events, as the cars were stopped under the red flag, second-running Banal got out of his car and put the hood up on the #T8. Under Cannonball rules, no driver is permitted to exit the vehicle while on the track during a race in a non-emergency situation, so Banal was forced to retire. Baumberger restarted in front of Conley and Maloney, but with laps winding down slower traffic proved to be the undoing of two of the leaders. Conley got around Baumberger when he got caught up behind a lapped vehicle, and Maloney remained trapped in third behind two cars. Conley took the checkered flag on his fifth Late Model feature win at Cannonball this year, and collected another $600 Challenge check. Baumberger held onto second, Maloney third, and Keith Barbara and Sammy Stile rounded out the top five. Mike Eaton kept his #40 away from trouble and picked up five spots to finish eighth. PURE STOCKS The Beecher Eaton Memorial gave the Pure Stocks their night in the spotlight, as they took to the track after the Late Models for a special $1,000-to-win feature. David Hittle and Kevin Smith in the #4F formed row one, followed by John Snyder and Ted Bier in row two. J.E. Stalder, starting sixth, immediately charged to the front to challenge leader Hittle, followed by Smith. The three came out of turn four side-by-side, got together on the frontstretch and slid as a unit into the infield. The three re-emerged on the other side of the track as trouble began at the end of pit road: an inner tube got loose and shot down the backstretch, Smith spun out and Todd Baier coasted to a stop with a flat tire. Bier had inherited the lead when the three leaders exited the track for the infield, and restarted there in front of Brad Ronshausen and John Snyder. Hittle and Smith resumed the feud coming out of turn 4, but Smith got the worst of it, winding up heading for the pits with a flat tire. Meanwhile, Randy Bauknecht, once again starting near the back of the pack, was steadily gaining positions and got by Ty Glasgow for fourth by lap 8. It was smooth sailing from then on for Bier and Ronshausen. Bauknecht, starting the feature eighteenth through the consey, picked up one more spot and took the checkered in third, followed by Snyder. Bob Nolan, Sr., who had been dueling with Glasgow for most of the event, took advantage of a slip-up by the #13 and came home fifth. AMRA MODIFIEDS After sitting out last week's AMRA Modified feature with mechanical problems, Corey Conley was back with a vengeance, winning his heat and the pole beside Ed Robinette. Norm Aronhalt and Larry Kugel followed in row two. Conley assumed the lead at the green, while behind him Aronhalt challenged Robinette for second and came out the winner. A lap 4 restart provided an opportunity for Aronhalt to have a go at the leader and the two went side-by-side until Aronhalt, running the outside groove, finally got the advantage. Conley kept up pressure on the inside but, with laps running out, appeared to be heading for a second place trophy. However, at Cannonball it ain't over till it's over: on the final lap, Aronhalt's right rear tire let go and shredded, allowing Conley to get by as the #309 slowed. Ninth-starting Jess Hartman, having gotten around Kugel at the last minute, picked up second. Aronhalt got home third, with Kugel and Robinette rounding out the top five. It was Conley's second night of twin feature wins this season, doing double duty in the Late Model and Modified divisions. STREET STOCKS At the weekly pre-race drivers' meeting, all participants are instructed not to leave their cars during an event unless they are "upside down or on fire." Two Street Stock drivers got to try out both scenarios in the feature, providing some scary moments for everyone. Ryan Twarog started on the pole beside Glen Underwood, and Kevin Smith -- back in his familiar #2 Street Stock -- followed in row two with Todd Brennon. Smith and Twarog went side-by-side at the green, but action was halted when the #57L of Robin Lashley overturned and came to rest on the turn 1 guardrail. Lashley had to be helped out, and was taken to the pits by ambulance for observation. A welder had to be brought from the pits to mend the broken guardrail, and when the green came out again at last the #R2 of Brad Ronshausen let go in a cloud of smoke and then caught fire in spectacular fashion on the frontstretch. Ronshausen got the car stopped and jumped out as track officials scrambled to put out the fire. Underwood, who led the way when the green came out again, did not survive several subsequent restarts and gave way to Smith, who soon opened up a comfortable margin. Gary Knollinger, Jr. moved into third as Twarog began to lose ground. Eighth-starting B.J. Kuthy took on Twarog and Michael Curry three-wide for fourth and won, got around a failing Underwood, then went after Knollinger who was now in second. Smith, Knollinger and Kuthy settled into the lead and in the end brought out the checkered, but further back Twarog and Curry ended their fight for fourth in a crash. Rob Melzer and Jim Rayner survived to round out the top five. FOUR-CYLINDER HOBBY STOCKS Terry Colletti earned the pole for the Four-Cylinder Hobby Stock feature, but, unfortunately was also the first casualty. Colletti, Hank Geis, Randy Smart and Ray Scott filled the first two rows, but Colletti failed to come up to speed at the green, coasted to a stop on the backstretch and was collected hard by the #7 of Steve Lute. Smart then checked up on the restart, also got collected, and retired to the pits with a flat tire. Geis took over when the field finally got a good start. Scott followed but soon found himself under pressure from Bill Stutler, who had steadily picked off positions from an eighth-place start. Stutler got by Scott for second, and Geis cruised home to his second feature win in a row at Cannonball. Scott, Kelly McNutt and John McNutt rounded out the top five. MINI-WEDGES Kody Smith caught a bad break and spun out in the Mini-Wedge feature, but Ryan Dodd took over to collect an easy win in the #12 car previously driven by his sister, Paige. Brendon Twarog and Rachel Robinette followed in second and third. Coming up ... Next week Cannonball Motor Speedway will present The Debbie Green Memorial, Friday, Aug. 23. In addition to a regular slate of racing in all divisions, CMS will offer an Australian pursuit and Powderpuff competition for the ladies. For more information on this and other events remaining on the schedule, call the track office at 740-676-5444. Visit www.cannonballspeedway.com for stories and results from all races this season. Go to TOP Friday, August
16, 2002
LATE MODELS Heat 1:
Mark Banal, Bob Moskey, Keith Barbara, Corey Conley, Mike Eaton, Rick
Armstrong, Jeff Wages, Jim Arcuragi, DJ Pellen. Heat 2:
Greg Baumberger, Donnie McFarland, Lou Bradich, Ray Seifert, Mark Moats,
Mike Liggett, Danny McFarland, (Doug Dodd DNS.) Heat 3:
Scott Peltz, Charlie Maloney, Sammy Stile, Josh Flynn, Mike Davis, John
Mollick, Curtis Youst, Denny Klug. Consey
-- 3 advance to Feature: (John Mollick, Mike Liggett, Rick Armstrong,)
Denny Klug, Curtis Youst, Jeff Wages, DJ Pellen, Danny McFarland, (Doug
Dodd, Jim Arcuragi DNS.) FEATURE:
COREY CONLEY (Cannonball Challenge
Winner), Greg Baumberger, Charlie Maloney*, Keith Barbara, Sammy
Stile*, Bob Moskey, Lou Bradich, Mike Eaton, Mark Moats, Donnie
McFarland, Mike Davis, Rick Armstrong, Mike Liggett, John Mollick, Mark
Banal*, Ray Seifert, Scott Peltz, Josh Flynn. *
Eligible for this week's Cannonball Challenge. AMRA MODIFIEDS Heat 1:
Corey Conley, Norm Aronhalt, Andy Parsons, Sam Lovejoy, Jess Hartman,
Pat Carlin, Jay Howe, Ronnie Schmidt, (Cody Barack DNS.) Heat 2:
Ed Robinette, Larry Kugel, Don Lewis, Bill Johnson, Larry Walters, Ray
Perkins, Brian Nethers, Junior Nolan, (Tim Johnson DNS.) FEATURE:
Corey Conley, Jess Hartman, Norm Aronhalt, Larry Kugel, Ed Robinette,
Ray Perkins, Sam Lovejoy, Don Lewis, Andy Parsons, Brian Nethers, Bill
Johnson, Larry Walters, Pat Carlin, Junior Nolan, Ronnie Schmidt, Jay
Howe, (Cody Barack, Tim Johnson DNS.) PURE STOCKS Heat 1:
David Hittle, Ted Bier, Todd Baier, Kacy Campbell, Jimbo Wheeler, Jason
Graham, Mike Fulton, Mark Martie. Heat 2:
Mark Alfman, JE Stalder, Brad Ronshausen, Tim Martie, Dave McNabb, Gary
Boring Jr, Dan Holmes, Shane
Ball. Heat 3:
Kevin Smith, Rob Parker, Bob Nolan Sr, Tink Wilson, Dave McConn, JD
Ramsey, Rich Frohnapfel, Josh Boulet. Heat 4:
John Snyder, Kevin Dotson, Ty Glasgow, Bobby Nolan Jr, Randy Bauknecht,
Tim Skelton, Doug Berghoff, Dave Fulton. Consey
1 -- 2 advance to Feature: (Dave McNabb, Mike Fulton,) Shane Ball, Dan
Holmes, Gary Boring Jr, Jason Graham, (Jimbo Wheeler, Mark Martie DNS.) Consey
2 -- 2 advance to Feature: (Randy Bauknecht, Dave McConn,) Tim Skelton,
Doug Berghoff, JD Ramsey, Rob Parker, Josh Boulet, Rich Frohnapfel. FEATURE:
Ted Bier, Brad Ronshausen, Randy Bauknecht, John Snyder, Bob Nolan Sr,
Ty Glasgow, Dave McConn, Dave McNabb, Bobby Nolan Jr, Mike Fulton, Kacy
Campbell, Tink Wilson, Tim Martie, David Hittle, Kevin Dotson, Kevin
Smith, Todd Baier, JE Stalder, Rob Parker, (Mark Alfman disqualified.) STREET STOCKS Heat 1:
Ryan Twarog, Todd Brennon, Rob Ronshausen, Lou Ennis, Rob Melzer, Jody
Howell, Jim Beatty. Heat 2:
Glen Underwood, Gary Knollinger Jr, BJ Kuthy, Bill Carothers, Matt
Flesher, Jim Rayner, Scott Shipley, Max Porter, Craig Ronshausen. Heat 3:
Kevin Smith, Rick Conley, Michael Curry, Rick Jasper, Robin Lashley,
Mick Carpenter, Ron Beckett, Jason Jarrett. Consey
-- 3 advance to Feature: (Jim Rayner, Jody Howell, Jim Beatty,) Scott
Shipley, Max Porter, Jason Jarrett, Craig Ronshausen, Mick Carpenter,
(Ron Beckett DNS.) FEATURE:
Kevin Smith, Gary Knollinger Jr, BJ Kuthy, Rob Melzer, Jim Rayner, Matt
Flesher, Rick Jasper, Ryan Twarog, Michael Curry, Rick Conley, Todd
Brennon, Glen Underwood, Bill Carothers, Lou Ennis, Jody Howell, Bob
Ronshausen, Jim Beatty, Robin Lashley. FOUR-CYLINDER
HOBBY STOCKS Heat 1:
Terry Colletti, Randy Smart, Dale Beatty, Rick Angelo, Kathy Peckins,
Steve Lute, Terry McNutt. Heat 2:
Hank Geis, Ray Scott, Kelly McNutt, Bill Stutler, John McNutt, William
Peckins, Jack Grove, Charles Daugherty. FEATURE:
Hank Geis, Bill Stutler, Ray Scott, Kelly McNutt, John McNutt, Dale
Beatty, Rick Angelo, Jack Grove, Charles Daugherty, William Peckins,
Kathy Peckins, Randy Smart, Terry Colletti, Steve Lute, (Terry McNutt
DNS.) MINI-WEDGES FEATURE:
Ryan Dodd, Brendon Twarog, Rachel Robinette, Levi Flesher, Levi Parsons,
Kody Smith. |
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