Published: September 1, 2019
Teddy Gibala continued his storybook season, winning the Martella's Pharmacies Late Model event on “Stoney’s Beer Night at the Races” at Jennerstown Speedway Complex on Saturday night. Also celebrating in Stoney's Victory Lane on August 31st were Anthony Aiello (Stoystown Auto Wreckers Modifieds), Casey Fleegle (Tunstall Auto & Truck Repair Street Stocks), Dale Kimberly (Farmers Union Co-Op Chargers) and Andrew Pluta (Somerset Trust Company Fast 'n Furious 4-Cylinders). In the final round of the Ron’s Collision Center Enduro Series for 2019, Josh Dunmyer started in the 22nd position, and won the One Stop Auto Sales and Service 75-lap race.
The 30-lap Martella's Pharmacies Late Model feature race started with Todd Price taking the early lead. The two-time Champion of the former Pro-Truck division started from the pole position with his new race car. Price held off recent feature winner Mike “Hollywood” Hemminger, who started in the second spot, after winning his heat race. Fourth position starter, Joe Maruca, was battling with Hemminger for the runner up position, in the early stages of the race. The fight for second allowed Price to pull away by several car-lengths, in the quest for his second career Late Model win, and first at his home track, Jennerstown. Soon, the second place tussle involved four cars, as Garry Wiltrout and Teddy Gibala joined the scramble. Wiltrout, the defending Champion started in seventh place, and Gibala was the sixth place starter. By lap eight, Wiltrout and Gibala had both advanced around Hemminger and Maruca, and were closing on Price’s rear bumper. On lap nine, Gibala made his move to take the lead from Price, and Gibala immediately started to run away from the field. Price fended off the threats of Wiltrout for another half dozen laps, until the veterans swapped second and third positions on lap 17. Then, after leading the opening stanza of the event, Price spun and hit the outside wall in turn three, after contact with fourth-place driver Maruca. Price returned to competition after a pit stop. Wiltrout, a winner in 2019, was in great position to challenge Gibala for the lead, as late race restarts erased Gibala’s interval, and lined the pair up side-by-side after caution flag incidents. Each time the green flag waved, Wiltrout’s Ford was able to keep pace with Gibala for a lap or two of wheel-to-wheel action, but Gibala never officially surrendered the lead. When the checkered flag waved, Gibala, of Coulter, PA, extended his lead in the point standings by earning his seventh trophy of 2019 – more than twice as many victories as any other competitor. Gibala admitted, while standing in Stoney’s Victory Lane that, in spite of his dominance of the 2019 season, restarts are challenging for his E.H. Schwab Metal Spinning/Beer Is Good/Port City Racing Chevrolet. Wiltrout, although unable to capitalize on the restart opportunities, placed second, and Zane Ferrell, also a winner this season, drove a smart conservative race to earn third position. Bryan Shipp, seeking his first win of the year, dominated his heat race for a prelim victory earlier in the night, and advanced from ninth starting spot to finish fourth in the feature. Impressive rookie, Jarred Barclay climbed from the eleventh position at the start, to claim fifth place at the finish.
The defending Champion of the Stoystown Auto Wreckers Modified division was also a rookie, when he earned the title in 2018. Anthony Aiello, of White Oak, PA dominated the Mods last year, compiling double-digits in the “win column” en route to earning more points than any of his veteran competitors during 2018. In 2019, Aiello recently climbed back on top of the point standings after trailing early in his sophomore season. On the final Saturday of August, Aiello started the 20-lap feature from the pole position and buried the field, leading every lap for a convincing win – his third of the year. Looking like the untouchable dominator he was throughout last year, Aiello pulled away from Tom Golik at the start. Veteran Golik is still seeking his first win of 2019. “Racin’ Jason” Busch started in fifth position and claimed second place on lap three, holding the runner-up position until very late in the event. The division’s leading winner, R.J. Dallape, passed Busch with three laps to go after starting seventh. At the finish line, Aiello enjoyed a comfortable margin of victory ahead of Dallape, Busch, and eighth place starter Adam Kostlenik. Kostelnik, Aiello’s close friend off-track, had won the last two consecutive events. Golik placed fifth. Aiello and Dallape also won the heat races.
Three different drivers led during the 20-lap Tunstall Auto & Truck Repair Street Stock feature event. Veteran Mel Wilt, looking for his first checkered flag of 2019, started from the pole position. A four car fight for top positions, included several moments of “three wide” racing and multi-car contact during the first four laps. Jeremy Shaffer, a winner in 2019, took the lead from Wilt, but spun from the top position two laps later. The other drivers involved in the multi-car battle made impressive moves to avoid disaster, as Shaffer hit the wall. Shaffer would return to action following a pit stop. After the restart, Casey Fleegle was the driver in front of the pack, and Aaron Van Fleet passed heat race winner Wilt for second place. Fleegle, the leading winner in the division this year, opened up an advantage of five car lengths over Van Fleet, the point standings leader. Van Fleet had scored consecutive wins in the previous weeks, but could never challenge Fleegle for the lead. Fleegle earned his sixth win of the year, after starting in sixth place and also winning his heat race earlier in the night. Eighth place starter, Van Fleet, and Wilt finished second and third. Rookie Greg Burbidge had his most impressive night of racing, earning a fourth place finish. Zac Todaro, a winner in 2019, placed fifth after an incident early in the race. Fleegle has notched Jennerstown victories in three different divisions in his career.
The Farmers Union Co-Op Chargers’ 15-lap feature was led entirely by defending Champ Dale Kimberly. Although Kimberly is also the leading winner of 2019, he was challenged in the closing laps. Early on, Kimberly raced out to a comfortable lead. But, the previous week’s winner, Kelly Shaulis, advanced from the eighth starting spot to Kimberly’s rear bumper, with a few laps to go. The two most veteran drivers in the division raced nose-to-tail, in a fan pleasing Ford vs. Chevy duel. After also winning the heat races to start the night, Kimberly and Shaulis would cross the finish line in that order - scoring Kimberly’s seventh triumph of the year. Veteran Steve Singo had a terrific run in a new race car, finishing in third place after only a few starts in 2019. The winner’s teammate Chase Payton placed fourth and recent dirt-track convert Steven Brown finished fifth.
The 15-lap Somerset Trust Company Fast 'n Furious 4-Cylinder feature ended with great drama. Steve Settle, the 2014 Champion, making his third start of the year, grabbed the lead and built a huge interval over the field at the start. Andrew Pluta took second place from defending Champ Evan Nibert on lap nine, but no one was close to leader Settle. With two laps to go, a caution flag erased Settle’s lead. An exciting position shuffle throughout the top five spots, led to a thrilling the sprint to the checkered flag. Pluta increased his division leading win total to seven victories in 2019, after starting the race in tenth position and crossing the finish line first. Seventh place starter, Brent Bickerstaff maintained the points lead by finishing second. Nibert, Settle, and rookie Michael Saler completed the top five. Bickerstaff and rookie Michael Strouse won the heat races.
The Ron’s Collision Center Enduro Series came to a close for 2019, and the final round of competition was noteworthy. The One Stop Auto Sales and Service 75-lap contest was won by Josh Dunmyer, who started last to collect the trophy. The son of Hall of Famer Jeff Dunmyer, took the lead in the middle stages of the lengthy grind, and cruised to his second straight Enduro win. James Gottschalk, Jr., a former winner, placed second with Jeff Barclay finishing in third place. Lance Shawley and Ray Henry completed the top five.
Five division racing continues Saturday, September 7th, with gates opening at 4pm and racing action starting at 6pm. For more information visit www.jennerstown.org
