Russell King Leads Big Block Return to Mercer Raceway Park
Submitted By: Lou Long, Modified Tour Board Member
The Prince of Bristolville, Russell King, captured his first BRP/Hoosier Modified Tour win of the season (second overall) on Hall’s Safety night at Mercer Raceway Park. His triumph marked the fourth straight victory for King Brothers Racing at the Park. Patriarch Rex King, Sr., still sidelined due to surgery, won the last three Big Block Modified races at the track.
Photos now added to our Photo Page
Russell King and Dave Murdick paced the field for the start of the event. At the drop of the green, Murdick led the pack into turn one, with King nipping at his heels. Tim Doran, Eric Gabany and Garrett Krummert rounded out the top five.
While Murdick and King battled for the lead, Krummert slipped by Gabany for fourth on the next circuit. Tommy Kristyak, second on the all-time Big Block win list at Mercer, bumped Gabany from the top five on the third lap.
Murdick, King, Doran, Krummert and Kristyak ran in that order until lap seven, when Mod Tour points leader, Brian Swartzlander, brought out the first yellow. Swartzlander retired from action at that point.
On the restart, King blasted past Murdick in turns one and two. Krummert overtook Doran for third, while Gary Smoker moved into the top five.
They maintained that order until lap 12, when the next caution flew for J.R. McGinley. On the restart, King jumped the cushion in turn one, but the defending Tour champion powered through the rough stuff to keep the lead over Murdick.
Another yellow for a tangle involving Krummert and Doran knocked them from the top five on the very next lap. Doran dropped out, but Krummert pitted for repairs and returned on the lead lap. Smoker was not as fortunate, though, as he lost a lap in the pits.
The final caution of flew on lap 14. King got the jump on the restart and led Murdick, Kristyak, Kevin Hoffman and Lonny Riggs into the first corner.
While King and Murdick ran one-two for the last 16 circuits, there was plenty of action behind them. Riggs moved into fourth on lap 15 and began to press Kristyak for third. He worked past the veteran on lap 21.
Meanwhile, King started to stretch his lead over Murdick as the leaders encountered lapped traffic. Riggs continued to hold third over Kristyak and Hoffman.
On the white flag lap, Hoffman overhauled Kristyak for fourth.
At the checkers, it was King, Murdick, Riggs, Hoffman and Kristyak. The next five were Tommy Mattocks, Eric Gabany, Jeremiah Shingledecker, Rex King, Jr., and race sponsor Rick Hall.
Heat race wins went to Frank Guidace, Gary Smoker, Eric Gabany and Tommy Kristyak.
Brian Swartzlander and Rexie King won the twin B Mains.
The Pit Stop Pub Dash pitted the top three points leaders in Modified Tour points against the top three drivers in track points. Gary Smoker claimed top honors for the home towners. Tour drivers Dave Murdick and Rexie King followed. Frank Guidace, Brian Swartzlander and Garrett Krummert completed the field.
It was a difficult night for three of the top five in Modified Tour points. Leader Swartzlander was an early drop-out from the feature. Kevin Bolland, who entered the race tied for second, and Joe Crawford, who was fourth at the start of the night, failed to finish their heat races and neither could start in their B Mains.
The fourth heat race had a lengthy red flag due to a crash by Dean Pearson in turn one. Pearson backed his mount into the guardrail and the car got caught in the Armco barrier. Track crews had a difficult time removing the car and then they had to repair the fence. Pearson reported that the damage to his car was severe and may require replacement of his chassis.
The next event for the BRP/Hoosier Race Tire Modified Tour ’08 will take place on Sunday, August 31, at the Eriez Speedway, Hamot, PA.
The BRP Modified Tour 08 would like to thank the following series sponsors: Bicknell Racing Products, Hoosier Race Tire, Sunoco Race Fuel, Bilstein Shocks, Ray’s Racing Collectibles, Approved Toilet Rental, Lowry Auto Body, Lake Erie Speed Specialties, Hall’s Safety Equipment, Engles Trucking, Big Daddy’s Speed Center, Priest Enterprises, King Brothers Feed and Supply, Oyler Action Photos, Finishline Fabrication, Wilkinson Awards, McCool’s Signs and Graphics, Hands on Concepts, Waldo’s Towing, Jim’s Supermarket, Pennewell Sandblasting and Painting, Hands on Concepts and Wedge Motorsports.
The Modified Tour Inc. racing series is a non-profit organization established to give the V-8 Modifieds in the Western Pennsylvania area a chance to compete with one another for a higher purse structure and for a point fund for the races that are run. Started in 1998 by Tim Engles, Lon and Pam Baker and Randy Myers the Modified Tour has had great success at bringing the local cars together at the area racetracks.
Modified Feature Finish: 1. 65 Russell King $1,300; 2. 61 Dave Murdick $870; 3. 58 Lonny Riggs $650; 4. 17H Kevin Hoffman $550; 5. 26Z Tommy Kristyak $500; 6. 69 Tommy Mattocks $420; 7. 3E Eric Gabany $400; 8. 37MD Jeremiah Shingledecker $380; 9. 165 Rex King, Jr. $360; 10. B4 Rick Hall $330; 11. 20D Del Rougeux, Jr. $320; 12. 67R Randy Brown $310; 13. 25B Steve Barr $300; 14. 29 Garrett Krummert $290; 15. 23D Chris Dye $280; 16. 66 J.R. McGinley $260; 17. 45 Steve Feder $240; 18. 516 Gary Smoker $230; 19. 74 Kevin Green (prov.) $220; 20. 1G Frank Guidace $200; 21. 12 Tim Doran $200; 22. 72 Mike Miller (prov.) $200; 23. 6 Carl Murdick $200; 24. 83 Brian Swartzlander $200; 25. 17M Skip Moore $200; 26. 333 Ron Eperthener $200.
DNQ: Mark Rossey $100; Joe Crawford $50; Brian Sadler $100; Rodney Beltz $50; Les Myers $100; Howard Duff $100; Mark Frankhouser $100; Randy Chronister $100; Shawn Kozar $100; Dean Pearson $50; Rick Ryder $100; Brad Rapp $50; Kevin Bolland $50; Mike Turner $100.
DNS: John Buchanan $50
