Tommy Meier - Tommy wins the big block race; 5th in 358's!

Tommy wins the big block race; 5th in 358's!

04/27/09

By FRANK CATIZONE

MIDDLETOWN – Tommy Meier applauded the efforts of the Rotundo family following his victory in the Modified 30-lap feature last Saturday night at the Orange County Fair Speedway.

Meier, a veteran of many seasons at OCFS, knows how important a well maintained track is for competitive racing. Since the season opener on April 18, Vinny Rotundo and his sons have worked diligently getting the surface in order.

“No one can prepare this track like Vinny,’’ said Meier. “We need a good racing surface to be able to advance from the rear of the field. I started seventh tonight, but I was able to race on both the inside and outside. Also, there’s hardly any dust.’’

Dominick Rotundo said his father turned the whole track over last Thursday and then worked on the surface throughout the day. A lot of water and calcium were utilized to get the track ready.

“My dad didn’t get home until 7 p.m. Thursday night,’’ said Dominick Rotundo. “He had the grader out for 12 hours.’’
Meier said the racing surface was also watered during intermission.

“That made all the difference,’’ said Meier. “They (track maintenance) didn’t get a chance to put down any water during the opener because we didn’t have any intermission. They (track management) wanted to get the races in because it started to rain.’’

A well groomed track provided for some intense features. Meier led the way with his ninth career Modified victory and first since July 1, 2006 at OCFS.

“This wouldn’t have been possible without all the help I get each week,’’ said Meier. “I can’t do this alone. This is a team effort and all the members in my crew are equally responsible for the win.’’

Meier, after starting seventh in the 25-car field, powered ahead of early race leader Rich Eurich with an outside pass down the homestretch on the 11th lap. The race was never in doubt from there as he raced well ahead of his competitors.

Eurich held on to place second with Cliff Ehrman, Tim Hindley, Mitch Gibbs, Mike Storms, Chuck McKee, Jerry Higbie, Chris Shultz and Clinton Mills rounding out the top 10. Hindley, who blew an engine during the opener, was racing in Joe Sarvis’ No. 94 358 Modified.

Chuck McKee ushered in the 358 Modifed campaign with an impressive victory in the 27-lap opener. It was the first of five racing dates slated at the track in 2009.

McKee, after starting outside pole, blasted past Shultz at the drop of the green and led the entire distance to capture his seventh career victory and ended a two-year drought. The “Middletown Missile’s’’ last OCFS small block win came on June 2, 2007.

“That’s the first time I sat in this car this season,’’ said McKee. “We were fast in our heat and the starting position really helped.
“You need to be able to race on the outside here to have any chance at winning. The outside was much better this week than during the opener. We’ll just have to see what happens and how it will be coming from the back. Hopefully, the surface will continue getting better.’’

McKee had some anxious moments through lapped traffic as the race progressed, especially from Damian Reynolds.
“I gave him a shot and then went underneath him,’’ said McKee. “These guys have to start getting over when the leaders are coming by.’’

McKee did feel a little heat through the lapped traffic as Van Horn tried getting around him to both the inside and outside lines. But McKee held his ground and was able to maintain his edge.

“I was able to race either lane,’’ said McKee. “We had no tire wear to speak of and the car was great for the first time out. Hopefully, this is just the start of better things to come this season.’’

The most interesting racing came behind McKee as at least three other drivers were battling for second. Van Horn , who moved into the spot on the fifth lap, had reigning track champion Jerry Higbie, Chris Shultz and a late-charging Tommy Meier to deal with.

Higbie, after numerous attempts, used a last-lap pass to finish second. Van Horn, Shultz, Meier, Storms, Craig Mitchell, John Leito, Billy Eggers Jr. and Neal Harris followed.

It certainly seemed like Lady Luck was riding with defending champion Mike Ruggiero once again as he sailed well ahead of his competition in the Sportsman feature.

But Ruggiero, after starting outside pole by virtue of his victory in the second qualifying race, wasn’t so fortunate this time around. The Walden driver’s car produced sparks and then broke with just three laps remaining.

That paved the way for Rich Coons to inherit the lead as he captured the 20-lap main. Coons started on the pole after winning the first heat event.

The race was stopped just before the midway point when Jimmy Spellmon and Jake Schlagel were imvolved in an accident on the homestretch. Spellmon smacked hard into the wall and his car received extensive damage. Schlagel’s car was also done for the evening. Neither driver was injured.

Ruggiero, who led from the drop of the green, resumed his lead and built another big cushion before dropping out with mechanical problems. Eddie Burgess, Bobby Hentschel, Matt Hitchcock and Bill Johnston followed Coons across the finish line.
Scott Kehr, the winningest full fender driver in OCFS history, registered his first victory of the 2009 racing campaign in the Pro Stock 20-lap feature.

Kehr slipped past Tom Vigh Jr. while racing down the backstretch on the 18th lap and then went on to finish ahead of Bobby Shade, Vigh, Tim McCarthy and Tom Cilurso.

Vigh was the early-race leader and he raced in first place for eight laps. McCarthy gained the edge on the ninth lap before defending champion Mike Dutka grabbed the top position just before the midway point.

Dutka raced well ahead of the field and was easily en route to his first victory of the season. But Dutka’s bid went up in a cloud of smoke as his engine expired with 15 laps completed. Dutka quickly climbed out of his Pro Stock as there was a fire under the hood. Track safety extinguished the flames.

Vigh inherited the lead for the second time because of Dutka’s misfortune, but was unable to stay in front as Kehr snuck past him.

The combined Pure Stock 15-lap feature was captured by Veteran Division driver Emerson Cargain Jr.

The event went non-stop following George Alkema Jr.’s tremendous crash in the second turn on the race’s initial lap.

Alkema Jr. climbed the inside retaining wall in the second turn, flipped and landed outside of the racing surface in the drive-in section. His car knocked down some fencing and also hit an electric pole. He wasn’t injured.

Kyle Pepin placed second to Cargain and was awarded his first Amateur Division feature win of the season. There were only three Veteran Division drivers in competition as the Pure Stock drivers raced together for the second straight week.

Modified Feature Finish, 30 Laps: Tommy Meier, Rich Eurich, Cliff Ehrman, Tim Hindley, Mitch Gibbs, Mike Storms, Chuck McKee, Jerry Higbie, Chris Shultz, Clinton Mills, David Van Horn Jr., Bob McGannon, Craig Mitchell, Steve Dodd, Gary Edwards Jr., Bill Wilson, Danny Creeden, Rick Mill, Ric Hill, Kirk Horton, Jeff Heotzler Sr., Jeremy Markle, Tom Hindley, Chris Whitehead, Mike Kolka. Did Not Start: Bruce Kline. Did Not Qualify: Donnie Wilson, Jesse Kline, Justin Gozzi.

Heat 1: Ehrman, McGannon, Kolka, Shultz, B. Kline, Edwards, Creeden, Heotzler, Dodd, Markle. Heat 2: Eurich, Gibbs, Storms, B. Wilson, McKee, Mils, Hill, J. Kline, Gozzi. Heat 3: Meier, Tim Hindley, Van Horn, Mitchell, Tom Hindley, Whitehead, Mill, D. Wilson, Horton. Consolation: Mills, Creeden, Mill, Heotzler, Hill, Horton, Dodd, Markle, Gozzi.

358 Modified Feature Finish, 25 Laps: Chuck McKee, Jerry Higbie, David Van Horn Jr., Chris Shultz,Tommy Meier, Mike Storms, Craig Mitchell, John Leito, Billy Eggers, Neal Harris, Jamie Yannone, Jeremy Markle, Danny Creeden, Chris Kervatt, Damian Reynolds, Frank Cristiano, Kirk Horton, Tim Bayles, Tom Hindley, Cory Zeigler, Jerry Wildrick, Bill Lowden.

Heat `1: Shultz, Harris, Tom Hindley, Creeden, Wildrick, Yannone. Heat 2: Chuck McKee, Kirk Horton, Craig Mitchell, Cory Ziegler, John Leito, Frank Cristiano, Bill Lowden. Heat 3: Van Horn, Higbie, Storms, Meier, Markle, Bayles.

Sportsman Feature Finish, 20 Laps: Rich Coons, Eddie Burgess, Bobby Hentschel, Matt Hitchcock, Bill Johnston, Erik Holmgren, Frank Venezia, Mike Barrett, Anthony Perrego, John Aumick, Frank Doty, Doc Young, John D Odendahl, Mark Sasso, John Corry, Joe Wilgus, Mike Ruggiero, Danny Spellmon, Tyler Odendahl, Matt Janiak, Joe Conklin, Jimmy Spellmon, Jake Schlagel.

Heat 1: Coons, Johnston, Holmgren, Burgess, Hitchcock, Corry, Conklin, Sasso, John Alimurat, Mike Van Tassel. Heat 2: Ruggiero, Hentschel, J D Odendahl, J. Spellmon, Venezia, Aumick, Tim Paul, Wilgus, D. Spellmon. Heat 3: Doty, T. Odendahl, Barrett, Young, Bobby Hassenmeyer, Matt Janiak, Perrego, Kyle Cicio, Schlagel, Burt Irwin Jr. Consolation: Conklin, Perrego, Schlagel, Sasso, D. Spellmon, Wilgus, Irwin, Alimurat, Paul.

Pro Stock Feature Finish, 20 laps: Scott Kehr, Bobby Shade, Tom Vigh Jr., Tim McCarthy, Tom Cilurso, Troy Arnold, Bill Pascual, Joe Allen, James Devitt, Jim Smith, Steve Galgano, Steve Shortway, Terry Arnold, John Velde, Mike Dutka. Heat 1: McCarthy, Dutka, Pascual, Allen, Galgano, Arnold, Velde, Shade. Heat 2: Shortway, Vigh, Kehr, Cilurso, Arnold, Devitt, Smith.

Pure Stock Veteran Feature Finish, 15 Laps: Emerson Cargain Sr., Marty Van Neiuwland, John Dore.

Pure Stock Amateur Finish, 15 Laps: Kyle Pepin, Matt Burke, Stephen Kammer, Charles Donald, Frank Thissen, John Miracle, Dave Van Sise, Stan Vishinski Jr., Matt Monroe, Joe Paino, Tom Talamini Sr., Sam Burlum, Kenny Reed, Tom Shortway, Mike Consales, George Alkema Jr.