Wiltrout, Koffler and Aiello garner second wins of 2015.

Jennerstown, PA (July 18, 2015):  On Saturday, Jennerstown Speedway Complex hosted the “Emergency Responders Appreciation Night” which was presented by Somerset Trust Company.  Three drivers visited Victory Lane for the second time this season at the Laurel Highlands facility; Garry Wiltrout in the Martella’s Pharmacy Late Models, Anthony Aiello in the Riggs Industries Street Stocks and Paul Koffler in the Somerset Trust Fast ‘N Furious 4’s.  Other feature winners for the evening were Bryan Shipp (Modifieds) and Andrew Kostelnik (Chargers).

The Chargers started off the night’s feature events with their 15-lap contest.  Points leaders, Ron Eiford, Jr., started on the pole position and held off Jon Scott, who started on the outside of the front row, for the first two circuits.  Heat winner, Andrew Kostelnik in a car fielded by Minjock Racing, would take the runnerup position from Scott by the time the field completed the third lap.  For the next three laps, Kostelnik closed on the leader before taking the lead away from Eiford on Lap 7.  Kostelnik would pull away from Eiford over the last half of the event to take the victory.  Eiford would finish a distant 2nd ahead of Scott, Steve Singo, who returned to racing in Steve Long’s ride, and rookie Frank Novak.

For the 25-lap Riggs Industries Street Stock feature, another Eiford, Ron Eiford III, would lead the field to the green.  Current points leader and last week’s feature winner, Anthony Aiello, would take over 2nd place from opening night winner, Jerod Brougher, after a couple of laps were in the books.   By the time five laps were completed, Aiello, who started in the 3rd position, had raced his way to the top spot.  Over the remaining 20 laps, Aiello, who had earlier won the Street Stock heat race, held a comfortable lead over Eiford on his way to his second win in a row.  Brougher held onto 3rd place ahead of Scott Aiello, Anthony’s father and currently the points leader in the Street Stock division at Motordrome Speedway.  5th Place went to Will Ashton, who lives in Boston but was in town visiting relatives.  Will drove a car usually fielded by his father, Bill; a competitor in the Super Cup Stock Car Series.

Paul Koffler, Jr., winner of the first of two heat races for the Somerset Trust Fast ‘N Furious 4’s, started on the pole position for their 15-lap feature.  Ligonier’s Joe Laposky started to Koffler’s outside and held the second spot for one lap before last week’s winner, Steve Settle passed Laposky for the position by Lap 2.  Settle, the division’s defending champion, and Andrew Pluta, who had won the special 40-lap Hillybilly 500 the previous week, swapped the runnerup position for the next couple of laps before Pluta could secure the spot.   Pluta could not mount a challenge to take the lead] from Koffler, who led all 15 laps to claim his second feature win of the season.  Pluta held onto 2nd, ahead of Settle, Laposky and heat race winner, Evan Nibert.

West Mifflin’s Matt Sever paced the early stages the 40-lap Martella’s Pharmacy Late Models feature. Heat winner Jayme Beck from Jeannette would try to mount a challenge for the lead for the first few laps while trying to hold off 3rd Place runner, Garry Wiltrout.  Wiltrout, the 2004 Champion and multiple winner at Motordrome Speedway this season, made several attempts to take the 2nd spot, before finally clearing Beck as they completed Lap 8.  Despite the battle behind him, Sever, seeking his first 2015 victory, was not able to distance himself from his closest pursuers.  Slowly, Wiltrout reeled in the leader and sought taking the lead from Sever by running very low through the turns.  Just past the halfway mark, Wiltrout finally had the opening he needed and gained the top spot.  Sever was left to contend with Beck who, like Wiltrout earlier, tried to work under Sever for the position.  Running just behind the Top 3 was Barry Awtey, a 4-time and the defending champion, who had already won twice this year at Jennerstown.   He could not gain any positions as Beck and Sever raced side-by-side for 2nd Place.  Down the stretch, Sever was able to hold off Beck as Wiltrout led the final 19 laps to claim his second victory at Jennerstown this season.   The Top 3 drivers gained ground on Awtey, the points leader coming into the evening.  Finishing 5th was Mahaffey’s Jeremiah Kuntz.

Former dirt track racer Tom Golik started on the pole position for the 15-lap Modified feature event.  Scottdale’s Bryan Shipp would grab the lead from his outside front row starting position.  Shipp, a former Modified Champion in Western, PA, earned his first career Jennerstown win on July 4th.  He drove the remainder of the rest uncontested as Golik, seeking his first win on pavement, finished second ahead of Brad Milburn from Schellsburg.

Jennerstown Speedway Complex returns with five-division action this Saturday, July 25th, with our Fan Appreciation Night presented by the Somerset County Chamber of Commerce.  Admission is only $5.