One of the most successful race car drivers of the last 20 years, Bobby Santos, III, from Franklin, Massachusetts, etched his name into the record books of the Jennerstown Speedway Compex, by winning the Must See Sprint Car Series event on Saturday night.  Also celebrating in Stoney’s Beer Victory Lane were J.J. Pack and Kevin Kromer (Super Cup Stock Car Series), Garry Wiltrout (Martella's Pharmacies Late Models), “Racin’ Jason” Busch (Stoystown Auto Wreckers Modifieds), Casey Fleegle (Tunstall Auto & Truck Repair Street Stocks) Dale Kimberly (Farmers Union Co-Op Chargers), and Evan Nibert (Somerset Trust Company Fast 'n Furious 4-Cylinders).

Drivers from five states and Canada competed in the annual visit of winged Sprint Cars to Jennerstown Speedway, sanctioned by the nationally televised “Must See Sprint Car Series.”  Brian Gerster, of Fishers, Indiana, set a new Sprint Car track record in qualifying, with a lap time of 15.198 seconds, which equates to an average speed 123.6 miles per hour.  Michigan resident Jason Blonde led the first seven laps of the feature event, before Bobby Santos, III grabbed the lead.  Santos, who has won in every form of open-wheel short track racing, is also a former NASCAR Modified Champion.  After starting the 30-lap race in fourth position, Santos drove to his first Must See Series win of 2019, and his first ever visit to Stoney’s Victory Lane at Jennerstown Speedway.  Canadian Ryan Litt placed second after starting fifth, with Gerster finishing third, Ohio’s Charlie Schultz earning fourth place, and 2018 event winner Jimmy McCune finishing fifth.   Adam Biltz, Santos, and Litt won the heat races.

The nationally televised Super Cup Stock Car Series was also in action, for the second time this year at Jennerstown.   Virginia’s J.J. Pack, a former Series Champion, won the first of two 50-lap races for the tour, after taking the lead late in the event from fastest qualifier Ben Ebling, of North Carolina.  Local favorite Lauren Butler finished third, as a rookie on the tour.  In the second 50-lap race, Kevin Kromer outran Pack for his sixth win of the year.  Kromer, from eastern PA, won both races in July at Jennerstown.  Behind second place finisher, Pack, at the finish line was former Jennerstown Street Stock Champ Butler.   Butler finished in the “top 3” of all four Super Cup events at her home track, in her first season with the series.

The defending Champion of the Martella's Pharmacies Late Models, Garry Wiltrout, of Somerset, PA, dominated the 30-lap feature race.  After Wiltrout and point standings leader Teddy Gibala won heat races earlier in the night, the pair started at the front for the feature race.  On lap one, pole sitter and seven time winner, Gibala, wrestled the lead away from another 2019 winner, Mike “Hollywood” Hemminger, who started second.  Wiltrout, who launched from third position, was immediately in second place.  A brief side by side duel for the lead ensued, and Wiltrout was ahead of the field on lap six.  Wiltrout then ran away from all challengers earning his second win of the year, in convincing fashion.   He admitted in victory lane that his R&R Motorsports Team had done some experimenting during 2019, and went back to the 2018 setup notebook.  It was the fastest run for the Stone & Company/Franjo Construction/Meegan Ford all year.  Gibala, a seven time winner this season, finished a distant second, with previous week’s winner Barry Awtey advancing from the tenth starting spot to a third place finish.  Hemminger held on to claim fourth position, with fellow 2019 winner Zane Ferrell finishing fifth.

Fans are describing the 20-lap Stoystown Auto Wreckers Modified feature event as “the race of the year.”  Defending Champion Anthony Aiello started from the pole position, with the leading winner of 2019, R.J. Dallape along side.  Three time winner, Aiello, grabbed the lead from four time winner, Dallape, as two-time winner Adam Kostelnik joined the battle at the front of the pack.  While the lead trio battled close together, “Racin’ Jason” Busch was advancing from the tenth position on the starting grid.  Busch, the previous week’s winner, took third place from Dallape on lap eleven.  With five laps to go, Busch was in second place closing on leader Aiello.  In heavy lapped traffic for the final two laps, the lead duo thrilled the crowd with a memorable duel. In turn three on the final lap, Busch made a daring low-side pass, and grabbed the top spot in turn four, headed for the checkered flag.  Aiello led 19 of 20 laps, with Busch stealing the victory – his second consecutive – after gaining nine positions without the assistance of a caution flag.   The top five finishers were:  Busch, Aiello, Kostelnik, Dallape, and Mike Carlson.

Casey Fleegle increased his division-leading win total in the Tunstall Auto & Truck Repair Street Stocks, by dominating the 20-lap feature.  A winner in three divisions of Jennerstown racing during his career, Fleegle has collected seven trophies in 2019.   Leading every lap without a challenge, Fleegle defeated two-time winner Zac Todaro, who placed second.  Four time winner Aaron Van Fleet placed third, as the point standings leader, after starting sixth.  A winner in 2018, Angie Kimberly finished fourth, with 2019 winner Jeremy Shaffer claiming fifth place.

Defending Champion of the Farmers Union Co-Op Chargers, Dale Kimberly made some bold moves early in the 15-lap feature.  Popular veteran Steve Singo led the first three laps, seeking his first win of the year.   Racing three-wide in the opening laps, Kimberly stormed from the seventh starting spot into second on lap two, and made the winning pass on lap four.  Kimberly notched his ninth win of the season, with ease.  Singo placed second with 2019 winner Chase Payton third, followed by Steven Brown and Scott Mitchell fourth and fifth.

Evan Nibert started fourth and cruised to his fourth victory of the year in the Somerset Trust Company Fast 'n Furious 4-Cylinder 15-lap feature.  The defending Champion led every lap, running away from current points leader and former Champ Brent Bickerstaff, who placed second.  The leading winner of 2019, Andrew Pluta, earned a third place finish.  Former Champ Steve Settle finished fourth, and rookie Michael Saylor placed fifth.

Saturday night, September 21st, the 2019 season comes to a close, with the final presentation of “Five Division Racing” at 6pm.  The highlight of the night will be an increased purse event for the Late Models, as the annual “Bill Awtey Tribute Race” serves as the grand finale for the year.  All five division Champions will be crowned, as well. For more information visit www.jennerstown.org