Jennerstown, PA   (September 3, 2016):    Victorious during the five-division program were: Matt Sever (Martella’s Pharmacy Late Models), Chris Brink (Stoystown Auto Wreckers Modifieds), Adam Kostelnik (Riggs Industries Street Stocks), Stephen Shelpman (Farmers Union Co-op Chargers) and Andrew Pluta (Somerset Trust Company Fast ‘N Furious 4’s).

From his outside front row starting position, Bobby Henry took the early lead of the 30-lap Martella’s Pharmacy Late Model feature.  Charging through the field at the onset was Jeremiah Kuntz.  Kuntz was up to 3rd Place by the second lap and in the runner-up spot by Lap 4 with a pass of Teddy Gibala.  By Lap 8, the Top 4 cars were virtually nose-to-tail with Henry leading Kuntz, Matt Sever and points leader Barry Awtey.  A couple of laps later, Sever began to run side-by-side with Kuntz for the 2nd spot; finally take the position on Lap 11.  Sever then began to work on Henry for the top spot, eventually grabbing the lead on Lap 13.  On the next trip around the half-mile oval, Kuntz took 2nd Place away from Henry.  Henry battled back on the next lap to regain the 2nd position.  By Lap 20, Sever had a .86 second lead over Henry who was engaged in a tight battle with Kuntz, Garry Wiltrout in the 4th spot and Awtey in 5th.  On Lap 22, the Top 5 got shuffled a bit with Wiltrout taking over 2nd Place and Kuntz falling to 5th behind Henry and Awtey.  The leaders caught the tail of the field with five laps to go.  Sever made his way through the lapped cars and extended his lead while his closest pursuers navigated traffic.  Awtey got by Kuntz with three laps to go to move into 3rd Place.  In the caution-free event, Sever would beat Wiltrout to the line by 1.9 seconds to claim his second win in a row and fifth of the season.  Awtey, Kuntz and Henry rounded out the Top 5.  Sever and Awtey won their heat races.  Sever gained four points on Awtey in the championship hunt and now trails by 19 with one race remaining.

Chris Brink has been dominate in the Stoystown Auto Wreckers Modified division this season, having won nine features coming into Saturday’s action.  The chance to win #10 looked nearly impossible after the driveshaft in Brink’s car broke during practice.  Demonstrating the camaraderie of the sport, a couple of Brink’s fellow competitors supplied the parts necessary for Brink to race in the Saturday’s 25-lap main event.  Brink started the feature on the outside of the front row and quickly took command of the race.  Behind him, the 2nd through 7th Place runners ran in a tight pack in the early going; often swapping positions each trip around the track.  As things got sorted out, points leader Zane Ferrell found himself in the runner-up spot after getting by Jarred Barclay on Lap 11.  By the halfway point of the race, Brink had about a seven car length lead over Ferrell.  Tom Golik continued to show the strength and consistency that he has displayed this season.  On Lap 19, he worked to the outside of Pete Rech through Turns 3 and 4 to claim the 4th position.  On the last lap, Golik pressured Barclay for 3rd Place only to fall short as Brink beat Ferrell to the finish by over two and a half seconds.   Rech, making only his second start of the season, maintained the 5th spot in the final rundown.  Brink and Greg Staggers won the heat races.   With his tenth feature win of the season, Brink shaved three points off of Ferrell’s lead and now trails by 36 going into the final race of the season.

The battle for the Riggs Industries Street Stock championship has been tight all season with every position critical to those in the chase.  Andrew Kostelnik came into Saturday’s program with a one point advantage over Shawn Beam.  Kostelnik’s win in his heat race over Beam, who finished in 2nd Place, opened the gap to two points heading into the Street Stock’s 25-lap feature.   Angie Kimberly, a regular in the 4-cylinder division, has been subbing for an injured Lauren Butler in recent weeks.  Kimberly started on the pole position and led the first two laps.  As they came down to complete Lap 3, contact between Kimberly and Kelly Shaulis sent Kimberly’s ride grazing off of the outer frontstretch wall.  Jason Holder would lead the lap before Shaulis took the point position from him.  Adam Kostelnik, who earlier won his heat race, began challenging for the lead, going to the inside of Shaulis just before a spin by Jeremy Hill slowed the action with seven laps down.  Kostelnik would take over the lead on the restart while his brother, Andrew, battled Shaulis for a number of laps for the 2nd spot.  Meanwhile, Beam was trying to make his way closer to the front of the field as he battled Josh Coughenour for 4th Place.  On Lap 15, Coughenour pushed high exiting Turn 4 allowing Beam to sneak by and placed himself just one position behind Andrew Kostelnik.  But, two laps later, Andrew Kostelnik beat Shaulis to the line to take over the runner-up position.  A spin by Holder slowed the field with five laps remaining.  For the double-file restart, Adam chose the outer lane with his brother on the inside of the front row.   Although briefly side-by-side as they went back to green, Adam was able to clear Andrew by the exit of Turn 2.  Mel Wilt was able to charge by Coughenour on the restart and take over 5th Place.  Adam Kostelnik would finish six car lengths ahead of his brother, Andrew, to pick up his second victory this season and add to his total as the all-time wins leader in the Street Stock division at Jennerstown.  Beam held onto 3rd Place ahead of Shaulis and Wilt.   By finishing one position ahead of Beam in the feature, Andrew Kostelnik now leads Beam by four points in the standings.

Polesitter Justin Frampton was joined on the front row by Dale Kimberly in Saturday’s 15-lap Farmers Union Co-op Charger feature event.  Kimberly jumped to the early lead, but lost it by Turn 3 to points leader Stephen Shelpman.  In the early stages of the race, the driver charging through the field was Tanner Friedline.   After starting in the 10th spot, he had made his way up to 5th Place by the time the field had completed two laps.  By Lap 5, Shelpman had built up half of a straightaway lead over Jason Pritts who was engaged in a close contestants amongst the remainder of the Top 6 cars.  Frank Novak would displace Pritts for the 2nd spot on Lap 6.  The first caution of the race came out with seven laps completed when Emily Shaulis slowed on the track.  Shelpman maintained his lead on the restart as Friedline worked under Pritts going into Turn 1 to take over 3rd Place on Lap 9.  Angel Hill spun on the frontstretch a lap later to bring out the second yellow of the race.  Novak would run side-by-side with Shelpman on the restart before Shelpman was able to clear him by the middle of the backstretch.  Two lap later, Friedline charged by the outside of Novak exiting Turn 2 to take over the 2nd spot.  A couple of late cautions set up a two-lap shootout between Shelpman and Friedline.  Friedline tried to make the outer lane work to his advantage, but Shelpman held on to win by three car lengths over Friedline.  Novak finished in 3rd Place, with Port Vue’s Justin Shipley coming home in 4th and Scott Mitchell finishing in the 5th spot.  With a victory in his heat race and seventh feature win of the season, Shelpman clinched the 2016 Farmers Union Co-op Chargers championship.  He leads Mitchell by 63 points in standings.  Mitchell won the other Chargers heat race on Saturday.

Brent Bickerstaff went from 3rd to 1st on the first circuit of the 15-lap Somerset Trust Company Fast ‘N Furious 4’s feature.  On the second lap, contact between David Campbell and Patrick Parlock bunched up the field and collected other drivers including Steve Settle and points leader Casey Fleegle.  Only Parlock was able to continue in the event.  On the restart, Joe Laposky, who was running 5th, cut a tire and spun between Turns 1 and 2.  Andrew Pluta, who started 9th, gained the lead on the restart while Cindy Rhodes moved up to the 3rd spot behind Bickerstaff.  On Lap 4, Rhodes shot past Bickerstaff on the outside as they exited Turn 4 to move into 2nd Place.   Brian Noel would take 4th Place from Bickerstaff on Lap 8.  Paul Koffler III, who pitted during the first caution of the event, raced his way into the Top 5 with a pass of Angie Kimberly on Lap 11 just before the yellow came out once again for an incident between Turns 3 and 4.  Pluta had built up a six car length lead over Rhodes before the caution.  On the restart, Rhodes looked high in Turn 2, then tried the lowside of Pluta but could not get by the leader.   Pluta held off the challenge to cross the line five car lengths ahead of Rhodes to garner his second win of the season.  Noel, Koffler and Bickerstaff rounded out the Top 5.  Fleegle, Rhodes and Pluta won their respective heat races.   Fleegle, although he only completed one lap in Saturday’s race, still holds the points lead over Koffler by 46 markers.

Jennerstown Speedway Complex wraps up its 2016 season this Saturday, September 10th, with its Champions Night.     Saturday Night Thunder will feature the track’s regular five-division program.  Admission is only $10, $8 for senior citizens and free for children 12 and under.  Spectator gates open at 4PM.