TRACKS: Tornabene and Goewey get first career victories at Lebanon Valley
26 July 1999
WEST LEBANON, NY- Jody Tornabene took the win in the 30-lap modified feature. K.C. Goewey won the 20-lap sportsman main. Bob Duzlak was the winner in the 20-lap sportsman feature and Jeff Carr was victorious in the 15-lap IMCA race. Vermeer Sales and JD Handling Associates brought us the night's racing action. Only one caution flag marred the 30-lap modified feature Saturday night. It happened at the start of the race when several of the cars starting towards the front of the pack made contact. The rest of the field was forced to check up to avoid the incident. Kenny Tremont and Donnie Corellis both sustained heavy damage to the racers. Corellis would return for one more lap and then retire from the event. Tremont brought out his backup racecar but did not return to the track before losing a lap. Tremont's finishing position was protested after the race and we await rule clarification from DIRT headquarters. Pownal, Vermont driver, Jody Tornabene took command of this race from his front row starting position. Early action saw J.R. Heffner sneak under Guy Sheldon for sixth on lap eight. Without any caution flags the top four cars were able to pull away from the pack and had quite an advantage by lap 12. John Hewitt was making a charge in the middle portion of the race; he sat sixth by lap 12. Todd Wilkinson had a top five run ruined when he pulled pitside on lap 17. Meanwhile at the front of the field Mike Ricci was trying to get around the second place car on Jason Goff. Ricci would make the pass for second on lap 23 and started to reel in the front running Tornabene. Hewitt was quietly working his way towards another top five finish. He had taken over fourth position on lap 19 and he would take third by lap 25. Tim Dwyer was another driver looking to add to his top five performances in 1999, he would wind up in the fifth spot by races end. Mike Ricci had caught Tornabene in the final stages of the race and looked to make the pass for the win several times. Tornabene held off every attempt that he made and was able to cross the finish line first for career win number one in the modified division. Mike Ricci was second, Hewitt third, Rich Ricci fourth and Dwyer was fifth. Thirty-six cars attempted to make the field for the modified feature Saturday night. One notable driver that did not make the modified feature was Chris Moore. He had a hard crash in turn four in his heat race and the car was too damaged to complete the evening's program. K.C. Goewey used his front row starting spot for all that it was worth by leading all 20 laps of the sportsman feature. Goewey had a commanding lead throughout the race and was never seriously challenged. Chris Kokosa was not a factor in the race after an early race spin put him a lap down. Stan Jablonka ran a very strong race in the second position, but could never run down the leader. Art Collins and George Marcus waged a classic battle for the third spot throughout the final ten laps on the feature. Collins would gain the advantage at the end of the event. Sparky Lowe would come home with the fifth position at the checkered flag. Scott Govertsen led the early portion of the 20-lap street stock main. He was followed closely by current point leader, Jim Lagenback. Robbie Speed and Butch Irwin were two drivers that were eliminated by early caution flags. The most serious accident occurred on lap eight when Dave Sanchez clipped the frontstretch wall right at the flag stand, fortunately everyone was okay. Bob Duzlak took command of the race just before the halfway point. Govertsen and Lagenback waged a war for the second position. Lagenback would take control of second on lap 13 and set his sights on the leader. Lagenback began to challenge for the lead on lap 17. Several times Lagenback was able to put his racer under Duzlak's but could never make the pass stick and he had to settle for second. Govertsen came home third with Bobby Blackburn fourth and Tom Bortle fifth. Six caution flags slowed the pace of the 15-lap IMCA modified feature. Jeff Carr took command of the race after the second caution on lap one. Carr would remain in the lead for the rest of the event and take home the victory. Current point leader, Brian Wilbur tried to reel in the front-running Carr in the later stages of the races, but he would have to settle for second. Jim Rajczi was involved in several of the early incidents; he recovered to finish third. Rajczi and fourth place finisher, Anthony Markou had a good battle the last five laps with Rajczi coming out on top. Polesitter, Kevin Huff managed a fifth place finish at the checkered flag. Next week Lebanon Valley will celebrate their 47th anniversary. The modifieds will run Twin 20's on Saturday night. VERMEER / J.D. HANDLING NIGHT MODIFIED SUMMARY (30 Laps) -Jody Tornabene, Mike Ricci, John Hewitt, Rich Ricci Jr, Tim Dwyer, Jason Goff, Guy Sheldon, J.R. Heffner, Ronnie Johnson, Dickie Larkin, Dave Leckonby, Chip Mitchell, Rob Pitcher, Maynard Forrette, Eddie Marshall, Mike King, Russ Reckner, Russ Blair, Ron Blake, Al Narzynski, Chris Kokosa, Kenny Tremont (position under protest), Jeff Lutes, Kenny Martin, Chris Soltis, Todd Wilkinson, Brian Berger, Jeremy Matthies, Donnie Corellis SPORTSMAN SUMMARY (20 Laps)-K.C. Goewey, Stan Jablonka, Art Collins, George Marcus, Sparky Lowe, Wayne Jelley, Hawley Smith, Mike Boomhower, Ed Riiska, Lee Gagliardi, Bobby Knipe, Jay Casey, Roy Bridge, Lorne Browe, Mike Visconti, Frank Harper, Ernie Palmer, John Hotchkiss, J.R. Delvechio, John Alberti, Mike Mason, Chris Kokosa, Jason Tompkins, Dave Sanchez IMCA MODIFIED SUMMARY (15 Laps)-Jeff Carr, Brian Wilbur, Jim Rajczi, Anthony Markou, Kevin Buff, Dan Galullo, Tom Faxon, Bill Lander, Craig Simmons, Bob Banks, John Murray, Rich Colesanti, Lou Gancarz, Paul LaRochelle, Don Denue STREET STOCK SUMMARY (20 Laps)-Bob Duzlak, Jim Langenback, Scott Govertsen, Bobby Blackburn, Tom Bortle, Dave Tiedman, Jay Resch, Chris Morris, Al Blackburn, Ray Hall, Bob Miller, Joe Duncan, Rob Yetman, Dave Kokindo, Danny Sanchez, Mike Halachick, Wayne Oliver, Robbie Speed, Butch Irwin, Rick Fosby ROOKIE STREET STOCK SUMMARY (8 Laps)-Earl Mellan, Rob Reilly, Phil Moffitt, Henry Warner, E.J. LeGeyt, Steve Kastner, Brian Keough, John Denue, Don Collins, Walt Clark, Chris Claus, Joe Humet, Eric Wood, Don Shepard, Dan Burl, Wayne Hall PURE STOCK "A" SUMMARY (8 Laps)-Dave Gambacorta, Ron Tritchler, Brian Tator, Spencer Cushing, Fran Marchand, Brian Sandstedt, Rich Douglass, Ray Pierre Jr, Nathan Harvey, Lee Gallant, Rich. Schumann, Dave Fachini, Tom Currier, Elton Goodspeed PURE STOCK "B" SUMMARY (8 Laps)-Bill Hughes, Phil Wood, Dave Colwell, Tom Meltz Jr, Guy Hughes, William Fuchs, Kevin Denue, Tony Lopresti, Bruce Moffitt, Joe Mottoshiski, Ramon Perry, William Hammell, Joe Hallenbeck, Sid Smith PURE STOCK "C" SUMMARY (8 Laps)-Tony Gale, George Miles Jr, Bob Palmer, Mark Houston, Peter De Figlio, Wally Engel, Jacob Coons, Jim Hankey, Ryan Crellin, Steve Hatch, Charlie Woodard, Rich Kratt, Jonathan Coon MODIFIED TOP 15 POINTS AS OF 7-24 (Unofficial awaiting decision on Tremont's finishing position) 1 Kenny Tremont Jr 115 800 2 Tim Dwyer 1A 659 3 J.R. Heffner 74 625 4 Donnie Corellis 57 601 5 John Hewitt 24 592 6 Mike Ricci 5 541 7 Rich Ricci Jr 55R 538 8 Dave Leckonby 1 537 9 Ronnie Johnson 21 512 10 Jason Goff 73 508 11 Guy Sheldon S 508 12 Dickie Larkin 99 499 13 Todd Wilkinson 47 485 14 Eddie Marshall 98 480 15 Jody Tornabene 2J 476
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