Marion Center Speedway was back in action Saturday night after a rain delay prevented a few weeks of racing on the quarter-mile clay oval between Indiana and Punxsutawney, just in time for their Independence Day Blowout!  All the fun and excitement actually started on Thursday, July 2 with the first truck/tractor pull held at the track. It was a very successful event that will probably be seen again at the speedway.  Saturday night was a continuation of the day’s activities celebrating the Fourth of July with family fun entertainment like the Pet Parade, Kiddy Demo Derby and the real car Demolition Derby, a car cruise, Flea Market, and food vendors were on site too!  Then the evening brought the racing with a double feature for the W. G. Satterlee & Sons Street Stocks to make up a rained out feature back on May 30, and also running were the Willow Farm Campground Strictly Stocks and the Lias Tire Super Late Models were not only competing in the twenty-five lap feature, but also for the title of “King of the Hill.”  Sallack Well Services was one of the sponsors of the night with Marc Sallack on hand to present trophies, Specialty Tire and Lias   And if that wasn’t enough, R. D. Shaffer Well Services added bonus money to the purse for the Street Stocks and Strictly Stocks.  Marion Center Speedway would like to congratulate Kid’s Club member Carissa Nedrow who presented the checkered flag to the first feature winner of the night. Then the night ended with a spectacular Fireworks Display!  Here’s what happened on the track:

 

 

Doug Eck from Corry exploded around the track in final lap of the twenty-five lap feature to take the sweet taste of victory away from Mike Blose.  Blose from New Bethlehem started on the outside pole with Joe Petyak on the pole, and Blose took the lead immediately.  It looked like the reigning “King-of-the-Hill” was going to lead the entire feature from start to finish.  But in the final lap of the race, Doug Eck took a higher groove around the track that took him around Blose and into the Integra Racing Shocks Winner’s Circle.  Inside the Winner’s Circle, Eck was presented with a trophy from Marc Sallack of Sallack Well Services and a coupon for a free racing tire from Lias Tire and Specialty Tires of America.  Mike Blose was driving his own car but with Andrew Gordon’s number, 18 G, on the side of it, so Gordon would get the double points for the second place finish that Blose accomplished.  Rich Gardner of Waterford, the now current “King of the Hill,” finished third and Dave Blazavich raced his way up from starting eleventh to fourth place which earned him the “Hard Charger” award of a tire credit coupon from Lias Tire/Specialty Tires.  Billy Eash from Johnstown was the fifth place finisher who was randomly selected to receive a tire coupon too.  The official finish of the Lias Tire Late Model feature: 1) Doug Eck, 2) Mike Blose (driving for Andrew Gordon) 3) Rich Gardner, 4) Dave Blazavich, 5) Billy Eash, 6) Ken Schaltenbrand, 7) Shawn Claar, 8) Jerry Redden, 9) Joe Petyak, 10) Jason Witherite, 11) Tom Shaffer, 12) John Myers, 13) Bob Sheesley, 14) Bob McMillen, 15) Levi Sikora, 16) Doug Glessner, 17) Ryan Krouse, 18) Jeff Weakland, 19) Herman Bertolini, 20) Gabe Shaffer, 21) Jim Kurpakus, 22) John Oaks.  The Lias Tire Super Late Model heat race winners were Mike Blose, Ken Schaltenbrand and Doug Eck.

The Lias Tire Super Late Models also had a King of the Hill Competition where two cars at a time drag race-for two laps and the winner stays and the loser goes to the pits.  Sixteen competitors faced off against each other until the last two were left and they raced a five lap dash to determine the ‘King.’  The Independence Day King of the Hill is Rich Gardner from Waterford.  He defeated Ken Schaltenbrand in the final five lap dash to receive his throne and credit for a new tire from Lias Tire/Specialty Tires and the Indiana Lions Club who worked with MCS for the Fourth of July festivities.  The results of the King of Hill are: 1) Rich Gardner, 2) Ken Schaltenbrand, 3) Doug Eck, 4) Shawn Claar and 5) Mike Blose. 

The W. G. Satterlee & Sons Street Stocks had two features Saturday night, one was to make up for the rained out feature from May 30.  In the Make up feature which was held first, Joey Zambotti from Kittanning won his first career feature race.  Zambotti was running strong throughout the twenty-lap feature starting in ninth place and racing his way to the front. Then after sixteen of the twenty laps were completed, Zambotti was able to pass Tim Bish from Ringgold for the lead.  Bish had started on the front line and led every lap until he was overtaken by Zambotti.  Then Ray Hickok, Jr. also passed the former leader to take second away from Bish leaving Bish in third.  The results of the first of two W. G. Satterlee & Sons Street Stock features are: 1) Joey Zambotti, 2) Ray Hickok, Jr. 3) Tim Bish, 4) Jeff Sweeney, 5) Tony Brown, 6) Emory Rhinehart, 7) Matt Hugill, 8) Andy Burns, 9) Raymond Reynolds, 10) Brian Rhed, 11) Brett Bingaman, 12) Gary Furman, Jr., 13) Allan English 14) Tony Iarrapino.

The Second feature for the W. G. Satterlee & Sons Street Stock Division put Ray Hickok, Jr. in the Integra Racing Shocks Winner’s Circle where he received his coupon for a free racing tire from Lias Tire/ Specialty Tires and the $200 Bonus money from R. D. Shaffer Well Services and the trophy from Sallack Well Services.  Hickok took the entire twenty lap feature flag to flag in the lead the whole way to the Integra Racing Shocks Winner’s Circle.  Hickok and Zambotti traded places in the final results from the first feature with Zambotti taking second and once again leaving Tim Bish in third.  Here are the results of the second feature for the W. G. Satterlee & Sons Street Stocks:       1) Ray Hickok, Jr., 2) Joey Zambotti, 3) Tim Bish, 4) Jeff Sweeney, 5) Gary Furman, Jr., 6) Andy Burns, 7) Tony Brown, 8) Matt Hugill, 9) Brett Bingaman, 10) Allan English.  The heat races for the second feature were won by Tim Bish and Joey Zambotti.

The Willow Farm Campground Strictly Stock Feature was won by Chris Hickok of Commodore.  Chris Hickok bounced back and forth with lead with Jim Hamilton of Coalport at the beginning of the fifteen lap feature before securing the front position for good in the sixth lap.  Hickok was then able to hold off the other contenders like Nick Fulmer and Nick Erskine who finished second and third respectively to claim the victory and the $100 bonus money from R. D. Shaffer Well Services and the free tire coupon from Lias Tire/Specialty Tires plus the trophy by Sallack Well Services which was presented by Marion Center Speedway Kid’s Club member, Carissa Nedrow.  Here are the final placements at the end:  1) Chris Hickok, 2) Nick Fulmer, 3) Nick Erskine, 4) Ryan Caldwell, 5) Jim Hamilton, 6) Kenny Haight, 7) Gary Stitt, 8) Tyler Wagner, 9) Jim Challingsworth, 10) Brian Mills.  The Willow Farm Campground Strictly Stock heat races were won by Dalton Gustusson and Chris Hickok.

Next Saturday, July 11, the celebration continues with the Independence Day Blowout Finale…the Super Late Model and Crate Late Model Specials.  Both divisions will be racing 30 lap features with the top spot paying $1500 in the Lias Tire Super Late Models and $1000 to the winner of the Huey Brothers Inc. Crate Late Models.  The night will also include double features for the Butler Auto Supplies Front Wheel Drive 4/6 Cylinders to make up their rained May 30 feature and the W. G. Satterlee & Sons Street Stocks and the Willow Farm Campground Strictly Stocks will also be running.  Any FWD 4/6 Cylinder can participate in both features by tagging on the end of the rained out make up race.  July 11 will also be the next running of the Kid’s Bike Races.  Bring your own bike and Helmet to compete at intermission.  Then July 18 will be Fan Appreciation Night with all six divisions back in action and racing for double points.  July 25 is the ULMS Super Late Model Special paying $2000 to win.  The racing program will also include the Willow Farm Campground Strictly Socks and the Butler Auto Supplies Front Wheel Drive 4/6 Cylinders Plus the Dave & Belle Thrill on the Hill Dash.  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. 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 signing up for text messages or e-mails 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 days of events only for a recorded message of the status of the events for the day.

Thanks to our sponsors for the season which include those picking up division sponsorships like our newest additions R. D. Shaffer Well Services, Huey Bros, Inc., Butler Auto Supplies, Lias Tire, Willow Farm Campground and W. G. Satterlee & Sons,.  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. 

 

Marion Center Speedway 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.”