For the second time in the Martella's Pharmacies Late Model division of racing in 2020, home track favorite Barry Awtey celebrated in Stoney's Beer Victory Lane. Other winners on Armed Forces Appreciation Night presented by Pro Disposal, Saturday night, September 19th, were Tom Golik (Stoystown Auto Wreckers Modifieds), Casey Fleegle (Ron's Collision Center Street Stocks), rookie Kyle Burkholder (Farmers Union Co-Op Chargers), and Evan Nibert (Somerset Trust Co. Fast 'n Furious 4-Cylinders). The divisional Champions of the Jennerstown Speedway were crowned, as the racing season concluded, and earning 2020 titles were: Albert Francis (Martella's Pharmacies Late Models); Anthony Aiello (Stoystown Auto Wreckers Modifieds); Casey Fleegle (Ron's Collision Center Street Stocks); Dale Kimberly (Farmers Union Co-Op Chargers); and Jeff Vasos (Somerset Trust Co. Fast 'n Furious 4-Cylinders).
After Garry Wiltrout, Teddy Gibala, and Albert Francis won the preliminary heat races, the Martella's Pharmacies Late Model division’s 30-lap feature race began with championship contender Barry Awtey taking the lead. Starting the race from the pole position, Awtey entered the final race eight points behind in the championship standings. Francis, leading the championship points chase, started the race in tenth place. The most recent race winner, Gibala, also in championship contention, started in twelfth position, trailing by nine points in the standings. Before lap one was completed, a nine car crash was triggered, when multicar contact caused recent winner Joe Maruca to spin in turn one. All three drivers atop the point standings avoided damage, and all drivers involved were uninjured. On the restart, Awtey ran off from all challengers, leading by a comfortable margin. By lap four, Gibala advanced to fourth place, with Francis racing in sixth position. Second-year Late Model competitor Jarred Barclay has looked poised for his first victory, in recent weeks. A former winner in the Modified division, Barclay held the runner-up spot until the midpoint of the race. Gibala, the leading winner of 2019, grabbed the second position from Barclay on lap 15. Four laps later, Francis passed Barclay for third spot, placing all three title contenders in the top three of the running order. Although Gibala advanced ten positions, he was never able to gain on leader Awtey. Gibala, a former Street Stock Champion, won twice in 2020 and remained a threat for the division crown all season. But, Awtey’s lead was insurmountable and Gibala closed out his season with a second place run. Awtey, a five time Jennerstown Champion, did everything he could on the final night of action to try and earn more points toward the title. Awtey led every lap of the feature race, pulling away from the competition, and scoring his second victory of the year. Awtey is the all-time leading winner at Jennerstown, steering the Wheeler Family Show Cattle/Stoystown Auto Wreckers/Pizza Hut Chevrolet. The official top five finishers in the race were: Awtey, defending Champion Gibala, Francis, Barclay, and Maruca who recovered from the early collision. The 2020 Jennerstown Speedway Champion is Albert Francis, of Painesville, Ohio. The youngest Champion in recent history, Francis won all but one heat race during the season, and led all others in the feature win column, scoring three victories in his first full year of Jennerstown competition. Francis’ Rack Hunter/Habco Tools/Francis Engineering Chevrolet was strong all year, and ended the season four points ahead of Awtey and seven points ahead of Gibala.
Adam Kostelnik spun from the front row, at the start of the Stoystown Auto Wreckers Modifieds’ 20-lap feature race, collecting multi-time winner R.J. Dallape. Kostelnik, one of the all-time leading Modified winners in the region, was finished for the night. Rookie John Fama led the first official lap, but recent winner Tom Golik grabbed the lead on the second circuit. Golik, the most veteran driver in the field, stretched out his lead, running far away from Fama in the early stages. Anthony Aiello started in tenth position, and climbed to fourth spot by the midpoint of the race. Aiello and “Racin’ Jason” Busch had a spirited battle for third place, for the remainder of the event. Golik, who donated metal military art to armred forces service members in attendance earlier in the night, dominated the race. A former dirt track Champion, Golik notched his second victory of 2020, driving unchallenged to the checkered flag. Fama enjoyed a career best second place finish, to close out his freshman year of Jennerston racing. Busch held on to third position, with Aiello finishing fourth. Rookie, and former dirt track Late Model ace, Doug Glessner placed fifth. Fama and Golik won the heat races earlier in the night. Aiello secured the 2020 Modified Championship – defending his reign, on the strength of four wins this season. The former Street Stock Champ and Charger winner has now earned three consecutive Modified titles.
With the Championship title on the line, the Ron's Collision Center Street Stocks' 20-lap feature race started with points leader Casey Fleegle grabbing the lead from the pole starting spot. Former Champ Josh Coughenour grabbed second spot early, after launching from the fifth position. Coughenour began reeling in leader Fleegle, as championship contender Aaron Van Fleet advanced from the twelfth starting spot. Although Coughenour stayed on leader Fleegle’s rear bumper and made the event exciting, Fleegle never surrendered the top spot. Van Fleet climbed into third position on lap five, needing to finish ahead of Fleegle to defend his title of Street Stock Champ. When the checkered flag was displayed, the top five finishers were: Fleegle, Coughenour, three-time winner Van Fleet, veteran Scott Mitchell, and rookie Jeff Barclay. Fleegle and Van Fleet won the heat races. Fleegle, who has won in 4-Cylinders, Chargers, and Street Stocks, earned the title of 2020 Champion by a slim margin of ten points over Van Fleet. Fleegle also posted a division leading win total of six trophes during the season.
Rookie Kyle Burkholder took the lead at the start of the Farmers Union Co-Op Chargers' 15-lap feature race. A former dirt track ace, Burkholder started from the second position, and impressively defended his lead from the early race challenges of Dale Kimberly. Kimberly started from the pole position as the leading race winner of 2019 and 2020. Having already clinched the title of 2020 Champion, Kimberly made repeated inside-lane challenges for the top spot. A restart with six laps to go placed the lead duo side-by-side. Burkholder never surrendered the lead, as the previous week's winner Steven Singo began to challenge Kimberly for second place. When the checkered flag waved, Burkholder earned his first victory on a paved race track, as a freshman – joining his Grandfather Bob Arsenberger as a Jennerstown winner. Kimberly finished second, with Singo placing third. Teenage rookie Will Hemminger finished fourth and veteran Bob Mostoller earned fifth place. Kimberly and Gaynor won the heats. Kimberly, a six time winner this year, retains the title of Champion, just as he did in 2018 and 2019, earning the most points for three straight years.
Former Champion Steve Settle led the first two laps of the Somerset Trust Co. Fast 'n Furious 4-Cylinders' 15-lap feature race. A multi-division Jennerstown winner, Settle lost the lead on a restart before the halfway point of the race, to another former Champion - Evan Nibert. Nibert then ran away from Jeff Vasos, who grabbed second place from Settle. Vasos secured the title of 2020 Champion before the race began, but was not able to keep pace with leader Nibert. With nearly a straightaway advantage over all challengers, Nibert increased his division leading win total to four, again parking in Stoney’s Victory Lane. Vasos, a rookie and now Champion, finished in second place in the race, ahead of Settle. The ever-improving Lance Shawley finished fourth and popular Kurtis Frampton earned a top five finish. Nibert and previous week's feature winner Michael Saler won the heats. Vasos finished the year 57 points ahead of all others in the standings.
The next event hosted by Jennerstown Speedway will be the annual awards banquet, with a date and venue to be announced in the near future.
