STARS Racing Series -- Reports and Results
30 June 1997
Beckley, WV - Mike Bolzano of Parkersburg, WV scored his first STARS Racing Series win of 1997 with his victory in the $10,000-to-win "18th Annual USA 100" at Beckley Motor Speedway. Bolzano took the lead 91 laps into the event when Donnie Moran slowed with a flat tire and held off the determined challenge of Rod Conley to put the Rocket/Draime/Eddie's Auto Parts Camaro into Victory Lane. Steve Francis finished in third following a spin, and Rick Eckert took fourth after also spinning earlier. Fifth place went Mike Johnson who had started the race in 21st spot.Tim Hitt took the lead at the drop of the green with Moran, Steve Lucas, Eckert and Francis hot on his trail. Moran looked both high and low before he was able to take the lead on lap 19 and then Lucas was able to get around Hitt for second. Hitt quickly came back and reclaimed the second spot just one lap later. Bart Hartman had moved up quickly and now was in fifth place. Francis was the next to appropriate second and Hartman followed him through into third.
On lap 40 Bolzano moved into fourth as he passed Eckert and then took advantage of Francis and Moran getting together while battling for the lead on lap 47 to nip under Francis and take second.
There was a mandatory caution at lap 50 for fuel and the action resumed even hotter than before the break. Francis again worked his way past Bolzano to challenge Moran for the lead, but on lap 62 he lost control and spun the car in turn one. Bolzano now was back in second and challenging Moran yet again. Eckert moved up to join the fray, but after a lap 83 spin caused by contact with another car on a restart he found himself back in the pack. Conley was the next to move into the turbulent third spot, and then when Moran slowed with a tire going down Bolzano surged into the lead with Conley right behind him. With clean track and no one to block him Bolzano showed the field his heels as he ran off to a two car length margin over Conley at the checkers.
RACE RESULT pos st car Driver laps Money reason out ---------------------------------------------------------- 1. 8 E1 Mike Bolzano 100 $10000 Running 2. 15 71R Rod Conley 100 $5000 " 3. 6 15 Steve Francis 100 $3100 " 4. 3 24 Rick Eckert 100 $2200 " 5. 21 2J Mike Johnson 100 $1540 " 6. 2 68 Tim Hitt 100 $1700 " 7. 5 100 C.S. Fitzgerald 100 $1400 " 8. 23 77 Barry Bragdon 100 $1240 " 9. 9 32 Scott Hartley 100 $1100 " 10. 20 10C Kenny Compton Jr 100 $1040 " 11. 1 99 Donnie Moran 100 $1000 " 12. 17 90 Ernie Davis 100 $800 " 13. 22 15P Jeremy Peck 100 $740 " 14. 10 31 Denny Chamberlain 100 $650 " 15. 18 36K Keith Bills 100 $600 " 16. 7 71 Delmas Conley 98 $550 " 17. 4 5L Steve Lucas 94 $600 Handling 18. 14 75 Bart Hartman 83 $500 Handling 19. 12 11 Joe Meadows 81 $500 Handling 20. 19 16 Paul Davis 81 $540 Handling 21. 16 00H Chuck Harper 70 $500 Handling 22. 11 1H Wayne Hughes 52 $500 Steering 23. 13 36 Eslie Bills 48 $500 Handling 24. 24 39 Henry Hornsby Jr 16 $540 AccidentMineral Wells, WV - Bart Hartman of Zanesville, OH felt the "excitement" as he dominated the the STARS Racing Series "Pennzoil 75" at West Virginia Motor Speedway. Hartman picked up his second win of the 1997 STARS season as he drove the Masterbuilt/BAH Racing Engines/Hartman's Truck Center Pontiac Grand Prix to victory and a $10,000 payday. Steve Francis finished in second with Steve Shaver third. Mike Bolzano and Tim Hitt rounded out the top five.
On the first lap of the race front row starters Delmas Conley and Todd Andrews battled for the lead, with Conley eventually winning the battle. Behind them the fifth starting Hartman was blasting his way towards the front and by the second lap he had moved past Andrews and was riding in second. Hartman's charge was slowed when the caution came out on lap 3 as C.S. Fitzgerald blew his engine. On the ensuing restart both Andrews and Bolzano flew by Hartman to regain second and third while Francis moved up into fourth. Hartman was not wasting time and on lap 5 he moved into third and then after running side-by-side with Andrews for almost a lap he appropriated second on lap 8. Hartman quickly caught Conley and on lap ten he moved to the inside in turn four and blasted into the lead. From that point on he steadily open a huge gap between himself and the rest of the snarling pack.
There was plenty of action in the pack as Conley, Andrews, Bolzano and Francis where fighting it out for second place. Shaver entered the fray on lap 26 as Francis finally achieved second spot. Following the mandatory fuel stop at lap 40, Hartman quickly regained his large lead and cruised to the win by 12 car lengths.
RACE RESULTS pos st Car Driver Laps Money Reason out ------------------------------------------------------------------ 1. 5 75 Bart Hartman 75 $10000 Running 2. 8 15 Steve Francis 75 $5000 " 3. 7 30 Steve Shaver 75 $3000 " 4. 4 E1 Mike Bolzano 75 $2000 " 5. 9 68 Tim Hitt 75 $1500 " 6. 13 24 Rick Eckert 75 $1400 " 7. 2 42 Todd Andrews 75 $1300 " 8. 1 71 Delmas Conley 75 $1200 " 9. 12 34 Jeff Wood 75 $1100 " 10. 11 10C Kenny Compton Jr 75 $1000 " 11. 16 11 Joe Meadows 75 $900 " 12. 3 2 Steve Lucas 75 $800 " 13. 20 17 Randy Boggs 74 $750 " 14. 19 10B Larry Bond 73 $700 " 15. 18 21M Jason Minnite 73 $600 " 16. 21 12 Cortney Clewell 72 $600 " 17. 23 25 Mike Benedum 71 $550 " 18. 15 2J Mike Johnson 49 $500 Handling 19. 22 77 Barry Bragdon 37 $500 Engine 20. 17 A10 Andy Bond 32 $500 Handling 21. 10 71R Rod Conley 17 $500 Ignition 22. 14 44 Jeff Burdette 16 $500 Handling 23. 6 100 C.S. Fitzgerald 3 $500 Engine
John Kaiser -- The Autochannel