Connecticut Drivers Near The Front In Motor Mountain Masters At Jennerstown

(Press release from Jennerstown Speedway)

The second annual “Motor Mountain Masters” race at Jennerstown Speedway Complex for Martella’s Pharmacies Late Models attracted competitors from ten states, and Todd Stone, of Middlebury Vt, was the winner.  

For winning the 150-lap crown jewel event presented by Arsenberger Trucking and sponsored by Dale Oxygen, Stone was paid $10,000 for his night’s work.  Also celebrating in Stoney’s Beer Victory Lane were R.J. Dallape, who won the Stoystown Auto Wreckers Modified race – collecting $3,000 courtesy of StoystownAuto.com, and Dale Kimberly, winner of the Farmers Union Co-Op Chargers’ event. 

Four different drivers led laps during the second annual Motor Mountain Masters event, over the course of three separate segments of racing for the Martella’s Pharmacies Late Model division’s biggest race in over 25 years.   

Officially, six lead changes were recorded, and the first driver to move into position number one, was fastest qualifier Ray Christian.  The young Connecticut driver led the most laps, holding the top spot three different times in two different segments.  Josh Brock, of Corbin, KY, placed second in the 2018 running of the “Masters,” and he won segment two of three on Saturday.  Brock, is a former Champion of the CRA touring series, but immediately dropped back several positions in segment two. 

Todd Stone won the second segment, leaving 60 laps to decide the “Masters” winner in segment three.  Tenth place starter, Mike Hopkins, of Hermon, ME, grabbed the lead from Christian on lap 108 of 150, as Stone cruised in third place.  On lap 114, Stone took the second position from Christian and a memorable battle for the lead soon developed.  For several laps, leader Hopkins and Stone raced side by side, and more than once the duo rubbed fenders and nudged bumpers.  On lap 140, Stone claimed the lead, then masterfully worked lapped traffic to earn the Motor Mountain Master title and the red sportcoat, massive trophy, and $10,000 check. 

“This is the biggest race I’ve ever won.  For our team, winning against this field of drivers is like winning the Daytona 500,” Stone proclaimed, standing in Stoney’s Beer Victory Lane.  

Hopkins placed second, Christian finished third, with fellow Connecticut driver Cory Casagrande earning fourth place.  Brock claimed fifth place, and current Jennerstown Speedway point standings leader Teddy Gibala finished in sixth position.  Recent winner and former Jennerstown Champion Garry Wiltrout started 17^th and advanced to a seventh place finish at his home track.  

Ben Rowe, a former Champion of the PASS tour was eighth, among a field of 38 drivers.  The list of competitors included “top ten racers” from four different national touring series.  Race winner, Stone, as an example, competes on tour with the Granite State Pro Stock Series in the Northeast.  Another Granite State tour racer, Jimmy Renfrew was ninth, and Jennerstown’s own, Jarred Barclay was tenth.  Barclay, a rookie, earned the “Hard Charger Award” by passing the most cars, after starting 23^rd to land in the top ten.    Brock, Stone, Rowe, and North Carolina’s Matt Wallace won heat races.  Albert Francis won the “B-Main” race and Todd Price won the non-qualifiers race. 

Adam Kostelnik was the fastest qualifier for the Stoystown Auto Wreckers Modifieds’ 50-lap feature race.  Kostelnik also won a heat race, and led the most laps in the feature.  Pete Rech won the other heat race and took the feature race lead when the green flag waved.  Kostelnik grabbed the top spot from Rech on lap eight, and remained at the front of the field until a restart with eight laps to go.  The incident that caused the racing to be halted, was a serious collision between Rech and former Champion Chris Brink.  Both drivers walked away from the crash, but three-time winner Rech declared that his Modified is beyond repair.  With seven laps to go, sophomore driver R.J. Dallape passed Kostelnik for the lead.  That winning pass occurred just two laps before Kostelnik’s engine malfunctioned, sending him to the pits in a cloud of smoke.  Dallape held off defending Jennerstown Modified Champion Anthony Aiello for the biggest win of his young career.  The official top five finishers were:  Dallape, Aiello, “Racin’ Jason” Busch, who recovered from an earlier spin, Ohio invader Jeff Dunfee and Mike Carlson, who placed fifth after sitting out the early part of the 2019 season.    

MOTOR MOUNTAIN MASTERS 2019
Pos    Start    Driver    Hometown    Car
1    2    Todd Stone    Middlebury, VT    #1X
2    10    Mike Hopkins    Hermon, ME    #15H
3    1    Ray Christian    Uncasville, CT    #93CT
4    9    Cory Casagrande    Stafford Springs, CT    #7CT
5    3    Josh Brock    Corbin, KY    #17
6    7    Teddy Gibala    Coulter, PA    #3
7    17    Garry Wiltrout    Somerset, PA    #95
8    5    Ben Rowe    Turner, ME    #4
9    19    Jimmy Renfrew    Candia, NH    #00
10    23    Jarred Barclay    Somerset, PA    #92
11    4    Matt Wallace    Concord, NC    #6
12    14    Sammy Smith    Johnston, IA    #12
13    6    Jerick Johnson    Mooresville, NC    #76
14    8    Devin O’Connell    Madison, CT    #43
15    26    Dave Russell    , CT    #93DR
16    16    Bryan Shipp    Scottdale, PA    #40
17    28    Mike Parks    Walpole, NH    #93R
18    27    Jordan Miller    Mooresville, NC    #15J
19    25    Albert Francis    Painesville, OH    #33F
20    11    Weston Griffith    Crown Port, IN    #33G
21    24    Brandan Marhefka    Windber, PA    #13
22    13    Joey Doiron    Berwick, ME    #73
23    20    Barry Awtey    Jenners, PA    #75
24    22    Drake Troutman    Hyndman, PA    #7
25    12    Gary St. Amant    Delaware, OH    #7S
26    18    Mike Hemminger    Stoystown, PA    #72
27    15    Eldon King    Freedom, NY    #0
28    30    Sam Fullone    North Collins, NY    #48
29    21    Zane Ferrell    Ruffs Dale, PA    #14
30    29    Mike Sweeney    Nesquehoning, PA    #D11
B Feature
Pos    Start    Driver    Hometown    Car
1    1    Albert Francis    Painesville, OH    #33F
2    4    Dave Russell    , OH    #93DR
3    2    Jordan Miller    Mooresville, NC    #15J
4    3    Mike Parks    Walpole, NH    #93R
5    7    Mike Sweeney    Nesquehoning, PA    #D11
6    6    Sam Fullone    North Collins, NY    #48
7    5    Bobby Grubaugh    Columbus, OH    #5G
8    10    Todd Price    Bedford, PA    #66
9    13    Gregory Kelley    Connellsville, PA    #44K
10    9    Rick Boyer    Blairsville, PA    #5
11    11    Mark Smith    Meyersdale, PA    #44
12    8    John Komarinski    Greensburg, PA    #33
13    12    Chola Shay    Matamoras, PA    #2
Non Qualifier Race
Pos    Start    Driver    Hometown    Car
1    2    Todd Price    Bedford, PA    #66
2    1    Bobby Grubaugh    Columbus, OH    #5G
3    3    Gregory Kelley    Connellsville, PA    #44K
4    6    John Komarinski    Greensburg, PA    #33
5    5    Mark Smith    Meyersdale, PA    #44