ARCA Trucks: John Toth takes Tri-City ARCA Trucks
21 September 1999
Posted By Terry
Callahan
Motorsports Editor, The Auto Channel
Franklin, PA - Northfield, Ohio driver John Toth became
the
ninth different winner after 14 events in the new ARCA Lincoln Welders
Truck Series Saturday night at Tri-City Speedway taking home the top
honors in the 50 lap main event.
"This feels great, just like I thought it would," said Toth in victory lane. "This is, by far, the most competitive series weve ever completed in and its only going to get tougher, so were sure happy to sneak a win in. The truck handled beautifully tonight and the track was in perfect shape. We were lucky enough to get ourselves in a position to win this thing and it worked out for us in the end. We sure love running the dirt, especially here at Tri-City. This place is first class thats for sure and wed sure like to come back. Sounds like we gave them a heck of a race so maybe thatll help."
Apparent winner Aaron Hulings was scored at the tail end of the lead lap after making contact with race leader Troy Marciniak 3 laps from the finish on the mile clay oval. Marciniak, who led three different occasions for 36 laps, spun in the incident and ended up 10th in the final running order. Toth, in his Perma Tech Spray on Bedliners Ford, chased the leaders in third for most of the way before capitalizing on the aforementioned skirmish. Canadian driver Cliff Hodgkinson finished second in his DBM Racing Products-Krans Transport Ford ahead of Gregg Vasko in his Slack Overhead Doors Ford who finished a strong third. Point leader Bill Withers steered his Withers Foreign Auto-Mannings USA Ford home in fourth with Larry Smith completing the top five.
Tully Esterline led the first two laps in his Spangler Candy Chevy S-10 from his outside front row starting position before John Kasmierski raced his Mississippi BBQ Sauce Chevy to the front to lead the 3rd circuit. Kasmierskis lead was short lived however when Marciniak maneuvered his A&A Manufacturing Chevy to the point on the fourth round and led the next 17 laps before Hulings wrestled the top spot away on lap 21. But like Kasmierski, Hulings lead didnt last long as Marciniak charged back into the top-spot a lap later and showed the way up through the 30th lap before Hulings reassumed control to lead the next 7 circuits. But just when Hulings was getting ready to distance himself from the field, the 5-time ARCA Truck winner spun his Ford Ranger completely around before regaining control handing the lead back to Marciniak who by now thought he was headed for his first career ARCA Truck win. With laps winding down, Hulings again caught the leader and began applying immediate pressure before the two trucks ultimately tangled while Toth reaped the benefits.
Hulings was strong right from the start with his eighth Hoosier Tire Pole award of the season and Johnny Witham and Marciniak were heat race winners. Marciniak also won the Cloyes Gears & Products Halfway Leader award and Hodgkinson garnered the Ed & Company Hard Charger award for advancing the most positions, from 11th to second. Bob Stoner was the recipient of the Hawk Best Brake of the Race honors. The final ARCA Lincoln Welders Truck Series event of the inaugural season will be this Saturday, September 25th at Toledo Speedway in conjunction with the newly revived Budweiser Glass City 200 late model classic where the first-ever ARCA Truck champion will be crowned.
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