Marion Center Speedway continued its 49^TH season of being owned and operated by the Potts family Saturday night, May 9 with a double point night for all six divisions for their Mother’s Day Special.    There were some surprise endings on the track known as “The Thrill on the Hill.”  Here’s what happened Saturday night at the quarter-mile clay oval on top of the hill, off Route 119 between Indiana and Punxsutawney:

The Lias Super Late Model division feature was led onto the track by pole sitter, Wally Fox.  Right beside Fox was Clate Copeman in the outside lane.  When the green flag dropped the cars took off and stayed running close together with Fox from Cooperstown in front.  Just before the halfway flags were displayed, Copeman made his move to take the lead from Fox.  The Fox was now being the chaser instead of the chased.  Copeman was able to maintain the lead over Fox as well as Mike Blose who had worked his way up from fifth to challenge Copeman for the lead.  Copeman from Greensburg crossed under the checkers first with Mike Blose close behind him in second place.  Third place went to John Garvin from Sarver who had worked to stay in the front of the pack pushing Fox back to fourth place.  Fifth place was taken by Jerry Redden from Mahaffey and sixth was Ken Schaltenbrand from Sarver.  Rounding out the top ten in order were Shawn Claar of Imler, Billy Eash from Johnstown, Andrew Gordon from DuBois and Doug Glessner from Boswell. The rest of the Lias Tire Super Late Model field finished with Joe Petyak followed by Dane Laraway, John Wayne Weaver, Bob Sheesley, Dave Blazavich and John Oaks.  In the heat races for the Lias Super Lates, the winners were Mike Blose of New Bethlehem and Clate Copeman.

In the R. D. Shaffer Well Services Steel Block Limited Late Model feature there was no doubt about who was in control of the lead on the track.  Cheyenne Reed from Punxsutawney started on the outside pole position and immediately took the lead for the rest of the twenty lap feature.  Frank Brocious of Dayton started in the front row with Reed but Reed took the lead at the drop of the green.  Then Tom Shaffer also from Punxsutawney briefly came up to challenge Reed but lost his second place status to George Dixon, Jr. from Hesson.  Dixon moved up from fifth to challenge Reed for the lead but Reed was not giving up the front spot in the race.  At the checkers in was Cheyenne Reed in the Integra Racing Shocks Winner’s Circle with George Dixon, Jr. in second followed by Greg Beach from Chicora in third.  Frank Brocious took fourth and Steve Scaife, Jr. of Phillipsburg was fifth.  Rounding our your top ten R. D. Shaffer Well Services Steel Block Limited Late Model in order were Tom Shaffer, Tom Jobe, Mike Williams, Paul Ivory and Mike Butterworth.  The R. D. Shaffer Well Services Limited Late Model heat race was won by George Dixon, Jr.

In the Huey Brothers, Inc Crate Late Models running in the Crate American Racer Series (CARS) feature Andrew Satterlee dominated the race once again with back to back victories in the division.  Satterlee started in the second row behind pole sitter, Corey Neal of Trade City.  Neal maintained the lead for the first half of the race but then spun in turn four leaving an open invitation for Satterlee to take the front spot.  Satterlee led the second half of the race putting a good cushion between himself and the rest of the field with Wendell Pinekney from Albion being the closest challenger to Satterlee and finishing in second place.  Dave Blazavich from Marion Center, playing a double role as a driver of both a Crate Late Model and a Super Late Model, moved from fifth to third at the finish.  Rich Logan, Jr. from Latrobe was fourth and Corey Neal took fifth.  Brian Benton from Duncansville finished sixth followed by Jeremy Adamik of Leechburg and Stephanie Ivory from Irvona in eighth.  The “Rochester Mills Rocket” also won the heat race for the Huey Bros., Inc. Crate Late Models giving Satterlee a clean sweep of the night too.

Ray Hickok, Jr. form Commodore went to the Integra Racing Shocks Winner’s Circle with his victory in the W. G. Satterlee & Sons Street Stock division.  Hickok had started on the outside pole and was staying in the front of the pack running second to Gary Furman, Jr. who had started on the pole and trying to stay in front of Hickok and Joey Zambotti from Kittanning.  Zambotti took the lead from Furman near the halfway point of the race and was keeping the front position despite the efforts of Hickok and the others.  But bad luck struck the Zambotti run and ended his lead with only a few laps to go.  The caution charged to Zambotti sent him to the end of the line handing Ray Hickok, Jr. the lead and victory trip to the Integra Racing Shocks Winner’s Circle.  Second place went to last weeks feature winner, Jeff Sweeney of Marion Center and Bill Phillips of Blandburg was third.  Fourth place went to Tony Brown of Reynoldsville and Furman of New Alexander was fifth.  Zambotti finished sixth with Ray Reynolds of Fallen Timber next and then Rich Waltman from Coolspring.  Tim Bish and Brett Bingaman didn’t finish the feature.  The Satterlee Street Stock heat race was won by Ray Hickok, Jr. as well.

In the Willow Farm Campground Strictly Stock feature the tide changed for the other Hickok racing Saturday night-Ray Hickok, Jr. took over the lead when the leader lost it, but Chris Hickok was the leader when he lost it to Nick Fulmer.  Fulmer was in the right place at the right time to take the lead from Chris Hickok who had been running well in the front since his start on the outside pole.  But then disaster struck the Commodore native and his car would no longer be the one to beat.  Fulmer had been following Hickok around the track and took the lead position with the demise of the Hickok car.  Fulmer from Marion Center had no problem keeping the lead to the checkered flags for the second half of the race.  Gary Stitt from Deckers Point worked his way up from ninth place at the start to take second place in the feature and Rich Waltman, Jr. of Coolspring started and ended in third place.  Jim Hamilton from Coalport was fourth and Jim Decker from Clyde was fifth Rounding out the top ten in order were Ryan Caldwell, Larry Brewer, Andy Komlosky, Jr., Duke Davidson and then Chris Hickok.  The Willow Farm Campground Strictly Stock heat races were won by Chris Hickok and Nick Erskine from Mahaffey. 

The Butler Auto Supplies Front Wheel Drive 6-Cylinders (with 4 cylinders too) grew from its start of two cars to five competing Saturday night.  Dan Lawrey from Central City took the feature by storm.  Lawrey started on the pole and never let off the gas to cruise into the Integra Racing Shocks Winner’s Circle.  Lawrey had to hold off last week feature winner, Robert Lydic of Commodore and a new contender, Brandon Pease of Derry.  Pease nudged Lydic out of second place to take that spot and put Lydic third this week.  Fourth place went to Tanner Lansbury of Marion Center and Shawn Wulfert of Punxsutawney was fifth.  Lawrey also won the Butler Auto Supplies Front Wheel Drive 6 Cylinder heat race.  We hope to see this exciting division of racing continue to build up throughout the season as it’s a great way to get started in racing or a lower budget way to fill your need for speed.

Next Saturday night Marion Center Speedway will honor our fellow race fans that are in the military with Armed Forces Day.  Armed Forces Day will allow those with a military ID into the stands with a $10 admission fee.  The Marion Center Speedway Kid’s Club is back once again with a Drawing for awarding the feature winner the checkered flag and picture taken with driver on the track. There are lots of activities planned for a fun time for the Kid’s Club members this season.  Kid’s can also plan ahead to participate in the Kid’s Bike Races with the first bake race scheduled for next Saturday, May 16.  There’s a whole lot more information and news relating to the upcoming season on the website:  marioncenterspeedway.net, or you can follow us on facebook, or catch up on twitter or the blog with what’s happening like the upcoming Independence Day Celebration at Marion Center Speedway this season with a Demolition Derby and Fireworks plus a flea market and car show!  Stay tuned in for more news on the Fourth of July activities at Marion center Speedway.  You can also make sure you don’t make that unnecessary drive up to the top of the hill if we’re rained out by downloading an app for your phone from “Rainedout.com” and receive up to the minute messages if the track should cancel for the night.  Plus there’s the new Race Day Hotline phone number 724-397-2108 to call on race days only for a recorded message of the status of the races for the day.

Thanks to our sponsors for the season which include those picking up division sponsorships like Lias Tire, Willow Farm Campground, W. G. Satterlee & Sons, and our newest additions R. D. Shaffer Well Services, Huey Bros, Inc., and Butler Auto Supplies.  Also thanks to Rich’s Garage at 724-388-6462 for all their help to get things going for the season and Integra Racing Shocks, Colonial Motor Mart and others. 

MCS is looking forward to the rest of the  2015 Racing Season, the 49th racing season at MCS under the continued direction the the Potts Family.  Hope to see you at "The Thrill On The Hill" Marion Center Speedway, “The Little Track With The BIG Attitude.”