Despite a forecast that called for a 60 percent chance of rain throughout the day and evening, Midvale Speedway officials decided to go forward with the program and a wise decision it turned out to be. The only drops of precipitation received throughout the day in the drought-stricken area took place before the noon hour. Federated Auto Parts and many other businesses and race teams put smiles on fans faces with Christmas in July giveaways.
Emerson Huffman and Jonathan Reitter started up front for the 30-lap, $750 to win McIntosh Oil Company Late Model feature event. When the green dropped, it didnt take long for sparks to fly. Exiting turn two on the first lap, Huffman slid high, opening the bottom lane. Driving to the bottom was Bubba Smith, while Bryant Smith drove to the topside. As they entered turn three, Huffman and Bryant Smith made contact. Both continued on but Smiths car wavered back and forth to the start of the frontstretch as the driver was catching up to the steering. With nowhere to go, Bob Schneider Jr. and others piled in. As Smiths car came across the frontstretch, it collected Larry Bakers ride. Bakers car went more than 100 feet on its left side wheels before coming back down on all four. Bryant Smith was done for the night, as was his dad, Randy, who had the closest of encounters with a track truck in the infield. Back to green, it was Reitter racing into the early lead with veteran Rich Dessecker taking the second spot. Reitter controlled the pace despite a tight middle, loose off condition. There were times that the yellow #28 was sideways for a portion of the straightaway but was still able to keep its distance. Green flag conditions were the case for the first 22 laps before Alex Rosenberry got some slight contact from point leader Rick Sibila. Rosenberry spun and Sibila was relegated to the tail. Over the final eight laps, the Mountain State Missile, of Weirton, W.Va., driver Jonathan Reitter, controlled the pace and claimed his first career Late Model feature victory. The former Legend car driver was followed in his Hoopers Rock Springs Parts & Service/Channel Fabricating #28 by Dessecker, who took his second straight runner-up finish. Rosenberry took the bronze position in his first Late Model feature start, while Bubba Smith and Mike Miller claimed top five finishes. Sibila, Schneider, Baker, Huffman, and Jesse Page had top tens. Bubba Smith won the fast heat, Randy Smith the slow heat, and Bryant Smith the pursuit. Sibila set fast time.
The Summit Racing Economy Modified 25-lap feature was one of the closest, competitive races in speedway history. When the green dropped, polesitter Todd Ripley and the outside row one starter, Ryan Tedesco, started a side-by-side battle that would last for the duration. Over the first six laps, the two would trade the lead a number of times, but it wasnt by car lengths, it was by inches. When the caution waved on lap seven, Tedesco was shown on the tracks replay system to have been the leader on the last completed lap, so he restarted on the pole when the green again dropped. The final 19 laps went caution free, with Tedesco running the lowside and Ripley flanking him on the outside lane. Much the same, the drivers swapped the position back-and-forth without the slightest contact. Behind them, Randy Smart, Doug Meyer, Lee McCreery, and Kevin McClintock were boxed in two more rows of two. When the checkered flag was thrown, the first six cars crossed the line much the way they started, in two wide formation, three rows deep. The thrilling race saw more lead changes at the line than any race most longtime fans could remember. In the end, it was Tedesco leading the most important lap, claiming the win in his first start this season with the Rosenberry Towing/Navigate #12 ride. Ripley finished just a couple of feet later, while Smart, Meyer, and McCreery were top five finishers. The rest of the top 10 were McClintock, Adam Stewart, Matthew Mills, Don Leggett, and Bill Westlake. Smart and Stewart were heat race winners, while Mills claimed the pursuit win for the first of his career. McClintock set fast time.
George Bowers and Bill Aubihl had a battle in the second heat that carried over into the Pure Stock feature. The two started up front together during the 20-lap grind and battled back-and-forth early. Aubihl led lap one, while Bowers took the next four. Then after a lap five restart, Aubihl assumed the point for three laps. His lead this time was short-lived as recent top contender in the division, Don Boron Jr. was on the move. Boron took over on lap eight and was followed by top qualifier Teddy Oliver. As the laps wound down, Boron controlled the position and raced to his third feature victory in the last month. The second year Pure Stock driver from East Sparta was followed in his Malavite Excavating/Bowlings Used Cars #82 by Oliver, Aubihl, Bill Shimko, and Mike Martin. Top 10 finishers included Vince Martin, Nick Harmon, Bob Passwaters Jr., Bowers, and Bob Passwaters Sr. Boron and Aubihl won the heats, while Aubihl also claimed the pursuit win.
Racing veteran Roger Linard led the first three laps in the big track Compact division. After winning the pursuit, Linard was looking for his first feature win in a number of years, but his hopes were dashed on lap four when Dennison driver Cliff Cox shot into the lead. The Dennison Yard/CUA Refinishing #37 claimed the win by 4.3 seconds over point leader Braden Swaney. Wes Ennis took third in the official rundown, while Bill Jane was fourth and Linard claimed fifth. Cox won the heat and Wes Ennis set fast time.
It was Chris Blooms night in the Stock Compact 1/5 mile division. Bloom took the lead on lap four from Howard Bartholow and never looked back. Kohlten Bryan, one of the point contenders with Dan Buckey, took second with Buckey right behind. When the cars reached their final destination, Blooms Count Electronics/Trenton Service #151 claimed the win followed by Bryan, Buckey, Neil Rolli in the former Blaine Salsberry machine, and Allen Clark. Bloom also won the heat and pursuit. Buckey set fast time.
During the course of the preliminary action, a large number of door prizes were given away to fans for Christmas In July night. Thanks to all those who donated items. More than 30 bikes were given away to the young race fans at intermission.
More information on upcoming events may be available at midvalespeedway.com.
Results For Midvale Speedway
McIntosh Oil Company Late Models
Top Qualifier - Rick Sibila 14.456
Heat #1 - Bubba Smith, Bryant Smith, Bob Schneider Jr., Rich Dessecker, Mike Miller
Heat #2 - Randy Smith, Jonathan Reitter, Rich Marcum, Emerson Huffman, Larry Baker
Pursuit - Bryant Smith, Rich Dessecker, Bob Schneider Jr., Mike Miller, Rick Sibila
Feature - Jonathan Reitter, Rich Dessecker, Alex Rosenberry, Bubba Smith, Mike Miller, Rick Sibila, Bob Schneider Jr., Larry Baker, Emerson Huffman, Jesse Page, Randy Smith, Bryant Smith
Summit Racing Economy Modifieds
Top Qualifier - Kevin McClintock 14.938
Heat #1 - Randy Smart, Bill Westlake, Kevin McClintock, Ryan Tedesco, Doug Meyer
Heat #2 - Adam Stewart, Lee McCreery, Matthew Mills, Don Leggett, Tom Ertle
Pursuit - Matthew Mills, Lee McCreery, Randy Smart, Doug Meyer, Kevin McClintock
Feature - Ryan Tedesco, Todd Ripley, Randy Smart, Doug Meyer, Lee McCreery, Kevin McClintock, Adam Stewart, Matthew Mills, Don Leggett, Bill Westlake, Tom Ertle
Midvale Speedway Pure Stocks
Top Qualifier - Teddy Oliver 16.521
Heat #1 - Don Boron Jr., Joe Linard, Teddy Oliver, Mike Martin, Bill Shimko
Heat #2 - Bill Aubihl, George Bowers, Bob Passwaters Jr., Nick Harmon
Pursuit - Bill Aubihl, Don Boron Jr., Mike Martin, Teddy Oliver, Joe Linard
Feature - Don Boron Jr., Teddy Oliver, Bill Aubihl, Bill Shimko, Mike Martin, Vince Martin, Nick Harmon, Bob Passwaters Jr., George Bowers, Bob Passwaters Sr., Joe Linard, Tom Earley
Midvale Speedway Compacts
Top Qualifier - Wes Ennis 18.248
Heat - Cliff Cox, Kyle Rector, Braden Swaney, Bill Jane, Wes Ennis
Pursuit - Roger Linard, Wes Ennis, Kyle Rector
Feature - Cliff Cox, Braden Swaney, Wes Ennis, Bill Jane, Roger Linard, Dustin DelVecchio, Donnie Leggett, III, Kyle Rector
Midvale Speedway Stock Compacts
Top Qualifier - Dan Buckey 16.557
Heat - Chris Bloom, Kohlten Bryan, Howard Bartholow, Allen Clark, Gary Murray
Pursuit - Chris Bloom, Kohlten Bryan, Dan Buckey, Howard Bartholow, Allen Clark
Feature - Chris Bloom, Kohlten Bryan, Dan Buckey, Neil Rolli, Allen Clark, Tim Frederick, Gary Murray, Howard Bartholow
