Delano Jr. and Sisson Score First Knob Wins of 2008 Season; Points Races Tighten For Final Week Showdown By Judy Gower
MARKLEYSBURG, PA Sep 02, 2008 - Two point champions were crowned, and the remaining three will be determined in what is shaping up to be a shootout at the “OK Corral” next Saturday night September 6th at Roaring Knob Motorsports Complex.
Ron Delano, Jr. scored the feature win in the Victory Chevrolet Super Late Models for his first of the year, while Garry Sisson also garnered his first win in the Commonwealth Marketing Group Late Models. Repeat winners were Vic Vandergrift (Brooks Auto Group Modifieds), Todd Dennis (GNH Trucking Street Stocks) and Mark Peck, Jr. (Ft. Necessity Garage Chargers).
The evening’s feature events started off with Nick Cramer taking the lead at the outset of the 15-lap Modified main. Cramer was passed by Be Thorn on lap three, who held the point and was the man to beat, until Fairmont WV’s Vic Vandergrift finally got by on lap 11. Once in front, Vandergrift led the final four laps to score his fifth feature win of the season, and the victory netted him enough points to be crowned the 2008 Modified Division Champion. Thorn held off a charging Nolan Dalton at the end to claim second, Dalton settled for third with Dennis Perigo fourth and Bobby Bennett rounded out the20top five. Completing the top ten were Nick Cramer, Todd Daughenbaugh, Kevin Putnam, Ray Johnson and Mike Murphy. Vandergrift and Perigo were the heat race winners.
Stoystown’s Ron Delano, Jr started up front for the 25-lap Super Late Model main, and from the outset made it clear he was there to win. Delano rocketed past Scott Spade and set sail for the checkers while the competition behind settled in for the chase. Ninth starting Gary Dalton had taken second by lap six but aside from a late race challenge from Dalton, the stellar Delano never faltered, and he went on to take the checkers for his first win at the track since 2005. Dalton rode home second with Bob Hershman, Billy Holbert and LC Powers completing the top five. Rounding out the top ten were Dan Swartzlander, Jeff Ferguson, Spade, Todd Lewis and newly crowned 2008 Point Champion, Bob Gordon. Swartzlander and Dalton were the heat winners.
Cody Hardesty took off with the lead in the 20-lap Late Model feature with
Uniontown’s Garry Sisson in hot pursuit. Sisson chipped away at Hardesty and
assumed the front spot by the completion of the second circuit. Once in front,
Sisson took control, but couldn’t shake Hardesty who pressured him throughout the event. Not to be denied, Sisson held firm to the finish, netting him his first feature win in 2008, and etching him in the record books as the All-Time leading feature winner in the division, with eleven. Hardesty hung on for second in front of Chuck Bloom, Greg Hauger and Mason Zeigler. Mike Lewis, Jim Kutas, Wayne Jordan, Freddie Zeigler and Derek Doll rounded out the top ten. Jordan and Freddie Zeigler were the heat victors. Going into the final points race, Kutas’ lead is just a mere two points over Hardesty.
After an invert eight was drawn for the Street Stocks, Jim Byers used his front row starting spot to grab the lead as the green dropped. Byers led the first six laps before Jim Bendishaw Jr. replaced him in the leader spot. Bendishaw led for the next five laps when Newell’s Todd Dennis wrestled it away on lap 12. Dennis held on the final four exciting laps to grab his third win this season over Byers, Mike Duritsky, Bendishaw and Bob Nelson. Willie Porter, Marshall Coleman, Chris Lucy, Bob Newman and Josh Bendishaw filled out the top ten. Heat wins went to Duritsky and Bendishaw Jr. Bob Nelson holds a slim 13 point lead over Byers going into the final show next week.
Marty Spade Jr. started on the pole for the Chargers 12-lap feature leading many to assume the race would be a runaway. The Farmington hot shoe shot into the lead immediately being challenged by Kyle Burkholder. Meanwhile fifth starting Mark Peck caught and then replaced Burkholder for second and began to track down Spade. While the field was mixing it up, a caution appeared, putting Peck on Spade’s back bumper for the restart. Peck stayed on him but couldn't find enough power to pass until the last lap when a lapped car caused Marty to check up. That was all it took, as Peck blew by on the inside and led the only lap that counted, the final one. It was Peck’s fourth win of the year making him the All-Time feature winner in the class with 16. Spade was a disappointed second over Kenny Burkholder, Bob Miller and Ryan Newman. Completing the top ten were Kyle Burkholder, Brad Jenkins, Bob Matthews, Bus Matthews and Joey Hollowood. Kenny Burkholder and Peck were heat winners. Peck narrowed Spade’s point lead to just 10 with one week to go.
Saturday, September 6 is the season finale, the Ed & Scott Nicholson Memorial, “King of the Knob”. The Super Late Models will go 51-laps for $5500 to win in the UFo Championship sanctioned event. Also on the card will be features only for the Commonwealth Marketing Group Late Models, Brooks Auto Group Modifieds, GNH Trucking Street Stocks and Ft. Necessity Garage Chargers. The Pit Gates open at 3 PM with Grandstands at 4 PM. Hot laps will be at 5 PM, with racing at 6 PM sharp.
