5/24/2019
Gibala Tops List of Upset Winners On Opening Night at Jennerstown Speedway
The 2019 racing season kicked off at Jennerstown Speedway Complex on Saturday, May 18th, with the annual “Armed Forces Appreciation Night, and thrilling action in all five divisions of competition. Celebrating in Stoney’s Beer Victory Lane were: Teddy Gibala (Martella's Pharmacies Late Models), Pete Rech (Stoystown Auto Wreckers Modifieds), Casey Fleegle (Tunstall Auto & Truck Repair Street Stocks), Kelly Shaulis (Farmers Union Co-Op Chargers), and Evan Nibert (Somerset Trust Company Fast 'n Furious 4-Cylinders).
Rookie Paul Fess, Jr. and former track Champion Barry Awtey started the 30 lap Martella's Pharmacies Late Model feature event from the front row. Awtey vaulted into the lead while Fess, whose father was inducted officially into the Jennerstown Speedway Hall of Fame earlier in the night, fell back to third place. Mike “Hollywood” Hemminger started in the fourth spot, but became the runner-up to Awtey on the first lap. The duo of local favorites separated themselves from the rest of the pack, pulling away in the early laps. Teddy Gibala started the race in sixth position, but advanced to third by lap four. Hemminger, a multiple feature winner in 2018, was forced to defend the second position from the advances of Gibala. A close battle became a door-to-door struggle for second place, as Awtey drove farther away from the Hemminger-Gibala tussle. On lap ten, Gibala took second position as Awtey enjoyed a comfortable lead. Seventh place starter, Bryan Shipp advanced into the fourth position behind Hemminger by lap 15, at the same time that Gibala began diminishing leader Awtey’s advantage. Gibala was noticeably strong when he drove to a second place finish in his heat race earlier in the night, and by lap 20 of the feature event, he was close enough to make a bid for the lead. With Awtey winning more races than any other driver at his home track of Jennerstown Speedway last year, many fans believed that starting from the front row would make “Opening Night” a convincing win for the veteran. But young Gibala displayed not only stellar speed, but great poise and determination. With just five laps to go, Gibala used the outside lane, to take the lead from Awtey, and standing crowd erupted. Gibala was then forced to maintain the top spot through late-race caution flag incidents - the second of which was for a spin by Awtey that collected Hemminger. For two side-by-side restarts, Gibala had to out-duel the Defending Champion, Garry Wiltrout, who started ninth. Wiltrout steadily advanced in the later portion of the race, to threaten for the win. But, Gibala, of Coulter, PA, maintained his lead in spite of the late race drama to claim the second victory of his Late Model career (after multiple wins in Street Stock racing, years prior). Close behind Gibala’s EH Schwab Co./Port City/Chevrolet, Wiltrout opened his Championship title defense with a second place finish. Joe Maruca started tenth, and finished third, with some impressive late race moves. None of the top three finishers started better than sixth place. Eighth starting Todd Price got faster as the race concluded, and earned a fourth place finish, while Shipp rounded out the top five after recovering from a spin. Awtey and Zane Ferrell won the heat races, but Ferrell dropped out of the feature with mechanical problems.
Defending Champion Anthony Aiello started from the pole position for the 20 lap Stoystown Auto Wreckers Modified feature race. Since Aiello dominated the win column in 2018, the “lucky” starting position led many fans to assume that the result would resemble most of last year’s victory lane celebrations. Although Aiello jumped in front of the pack, predictably, at the start, his regin over the field was brief. Pete Rech, a veteran and winner in dirt track racing and a multi-track winner in asphalt racing, stormed into the lead on lap four. Rech started in sixth position, after winning his heat race earlier in the night. Rech pulled away to a comfortable margin in the middle stages of the race. Popular “Racin’ Jason” Busch held the third position for much of the event, but was never close enough to threaten Aiello for second spot. Veteran Gary Scott started in fifth place for the feature, after he won an exciting heat race. Scott suffered a disappointing 2018, but showed great quickness in the first round of action this year, taking third fro Busch. In the closing laps, Aiello began to gain on leader Rech, but was not close enough to challenge for the win. The official top five finishers were: Rech, of the Pittsburgh suburb Castle-Shannon, PA, Aiello, Scott, Busch, and sophomore R.J. Dallape, who started twelfth and crossed the finish line fifth.
Multiple caution flags marred the 20-lap Tunstall Auto & Truck Repair Street Stock feature event, which began with Jeremy Shaffer and former Champ Andrew Kostelnik in the top spots. Shaffer was involved in a caution flag incident, and Kostelnik eventually retired with mechanical problems. Rookie Casey Fleegle officially grabbed the lead on lap one, after taking the initial green flag in fifth place. As a many time winner in 4-Cylinder racing, and a successful 2018 campaign in the Charger division, Fleegle had only started a few Street Stock races in his career. He not only led every lap, but ran far away from the competition. Aaron Van Fleet started third, and held the second position for the entire distance, but was never close to the rear bumper of Fleegle. Shaffer recovered from the early race incident to earn third place, and veteran Mike “Daredevil” Davis claimed fourth position. Mel Wilt finished fifth and Fleegle and Van Fleet won the heat races.
The leaders made contact late in the Farmers Union Co-Op Charger 15-lap feature event, during a thrilling duel. A three-car tangle before the first lap was completed damaged the cars of Riley Hemminger, Cody Gaynor, and heat race winner Steven Brown. Kelly Shaulis started his racing career in the 1990’s, and competed in every division that existed in that era. Returning after many years in “retirement,” he took the lead at the start of the Charger feature. Defending Champion Dale Kimberly was in pursuit, and in spite of having restart opportunities, he never led a lap. In the closing stages of the race, a door-to-door fight for the lead resulted in Shaulis and Kimberly getting together. Kimberly spun to the inside of turn four, while Shaulis held the lead. When the checkered flag waved, long time veterans held the top two spots. Shaulis earned his first win in years, while many time winner Scott Mitchell claimed second place, after starting seventh and winning his heat race. Kimberly recovered from the spin, passing several cars in only a few laps to finish third. Sophomore driver Dan Jackson finished fourth, and popular Justin Frampton finished fifth.
Only one defending Champion returned to Stoney’s Victory Lane on opening night, and it was Evan Nibert, following the Somerset Trust Company Fast 'n Furious 4-Cylinders’ 15-lap feature. Nibert started fourth, and drove to the win in spite of a broken hose that caused an overheating condition, and visible steam and water spewing, after the event. Nibert also won his heat race. Former winner David Campbell placed second after starting sixth and winning the other heat race. Former Champion Brent Bickerstaff started seventh and earned third place. Rookies Michael Strouse and Michael Saylor completed the top five in the finish order.
Saturday night, May 25th, Five Division Racing kicks off at 6pm, for the second round of action of 2019. Also, the first event in the Ron’s Collision Center Enduro Series will be held after the races! Gates open at 4pm. For more information, visit www.jennerstown.org
Article Credit: Mike Lysakowski
