Published: September 12, 2016
Champions crowned as Jennerstown closes their 2016 season.
Jennerstown, PA (September 10, 2016): Jubilation and heartbreak best describe Jennerstown Speedway Complex’s “Champions Night” on Saturday at the Somerset County race track. Barry Awtey claimed his fifth Late Model title at Jennerstown. Rookie Zane Ferrell took top honors in the Modifieds. In a championship that saw many twists and turns during the season, Shawn Beam endured to wear the Street Stock division crown. Paul Koffler III took the championship in the 4-cylinder class. Stephen Shelpman clinched the Charger title last week. A season high 79 cars took to the track for the season finale. Claiming victories during Saturday Night Thunder’s five-division program were: Barry Awtey (Martella’s Pharmacy Late Models), Chris Brink (Stoystown Auto Wreckers Modifieds), Shawn Beam (Riggs Industries Street Stocks), Stephen Shelpman (Farmers Union Co-op Chargers) and Steve Settle (Somerset Trust Company Fast ‘N Furious 4’s).
Going into Saturday’s competition, Barry Awtey had a 19-point advantage over Matt Sever in the Martella’s Pharmacy Late Model championship standings. Sever’s win during heat race, coupled with a 4th Place finish for Awtey, cut the margin to 16 before the night’s 30-lap feature event. With two points separating each feature finishing position, Sever would need to finish eight spots ahead of Awtey. Sever’s five victories versus Awtey’s three would break any tie in points. From the pole position, Bobby Henry jumped to the lead of the race with Teddy Gibala in tow. On Lap 4, Henry’s mount suddenly slowed momentarily on the backstretch. Jeremiah Kuntz passed both Henry and Gibala to grab the lead. Henry recovered, but fell back to 3rd Place in the running. Awtey, who started 9th, took 3rd Place from Henry on Lap 7 and two laps later displaced Gibala for the runner-up position. Sever began the race in the 10th spot and was in the Top 3 by Lap 12. By the halfway point, Kuntz held about a one second lead over Awtey as Sever began reeling in his friend and championship foe for 2nd Place. With five laps remaining, Awtey was right on the tail of Kuntz with Sever not far behind. On the next circuit, Awtey dove under Kuntz in Turn 3 to take over the lead. One lap later, Sever worked to the low side of Kuntz in Turn 4 to take over the 2nd spot. Awtey held off Sever down the stretch and won the race by four car lengths. Awtey’s fourth victory of the season propelled him to his fifth Late Model title at Jennerstown to go along with two championships in Limited Late Model competition. Garry Wiltrout finished 3rd with Kuntz coming home in 4th Place and Gibala taking the 5th spot. Henry won the other Late Model heat race.
Heat race victories by points leader Zane Ferrell and his closest championship pursuer, Chris Brink, left a 36-point gap between them heading into the evening’s Stoystown Auto Wreckers Modified main event. Tom Golik, from his 3rd starting spot, shot under polesitter Joe Ballough and into the lead by Turn 1 of the first lap. Pittsburgh’s Pete Rech jumped into the runner-up spot on Lap 1 after starting 5th. While Golik and Rech began to check out from the rest of the field, Brink was charging through the pack from his 10th starting position. On Lap 7, Brink took 3rd Place away from Bernie McQuillan although still some distance behind the lead duo. Gradually Brink closed the gap and worked to Rech’s outside through Turn 2 to jump into the runner-up position on Lap 11. At this point, Brink still trailed Golik by six car lengths. On Lap 17, Brink drove to the outside of Golik exiting Turn 2 and completed the pass for the lead by the time they exited Turn 4. Brink stretched out his lead in the closing laps and finished over a second ahead of Golik to pick up his eleventh win of the season. Rech held onto 3rd Place ahead of McQuillan. Ferrell ran a steady 5th Place during the race to secure the points championship in his rookie season.
In the tightest points battle at Jennerstown, Andrew Kostelnik came into Saturday’s action with a four-point lead over Shawn Beam in the Riggs Industries Street Stock title chase. Wins by both drivers in their heat races left the margin unchanged heading into their 25-lap feature. Aaron Van Fleet started on the pole and led the first lap although Dustin Gursky and Beam made it almost a three-wide battle at the completion of the first circuit. By Lap 3, Beam had the lead over Van Fleet, Josh Coughenour, Gursky, Andrew Kostelnik and Adam Kostelnik. Andrew Kostelnik moved into 3rd Place by working past Coughenour on the backstretch on Lap 8. By Lap 10, Van Fleet, the Kostelniks and AJ Poljak were running nose-to-tail for the remaining Top 5 positions behind Beam. One lap later, Andrew Kostelnik passed Van Fleet for 2nd Place. If he could hold onto that position, Kostelnik would win the Street Stock championship regardless of whether Beam won the race. By halfway, Beam had nearly a full straightaway lead over Kostelnik. While passing the lapped car of Jeremy Hill on the backstretch on Lap 16, Hill made contact with Kostelnik’s car; sending Kostelnik hard into the Turn 3 outer retaining wall. Kostelnik’s race… and hopes for a championship… came to a halt. Hill was disqualified for rough driving. On the double-file restart, Beam chose the outer lane and jumped into the lead at the drop of the green flag. Adam Kostelnik charged back through the field in the latter stages of the event, after being sent to the rear for a lap 16 incident, while Poljak and Anthony Aiello tried to chase down Beam. Beam held on for his seventh win of the year and was crowned as the Street Stock champion. Poljak, Aiello, Adam Kostelnik and Van Fleet rounded out the Top 5.
After a spin at the start of the Farmers Union Co-op Charger feature event, the second attempt to get the 15-lap affair underway saw Frank Novak take the initial lead with Steve Long in his tire tracks. By Lap 4, the gap between Novak and Long was five car lengths while the 3rd through 7th Place battle was a tight one between Dale Kimberly, Justin Shipley, Jason Pritts, Tanner Friedline and Shephen Shelpman, who locked up the Charger championship last week. On Lap 11, Long suddenly slowed with smoke pouring from his racecar; bringing out the caution flag. On the restart, Friedline got into the Novak machine, sending Novak into the outer wall on the frontstretch. Novak was done for the evening while Friedline was sent to the rear of the field on the next restart for his actions. This left Shipley in the top spot with Shelpman in 2nd Place. They would run side-by-side for most of the first lap back under green before Shelpman cleared Shipley on the exit of Turn 4. A caution for debris one lap later would slow the pace again. This time Shelpman got a good jump on Shipley on the double-file restart and held on to collect his eighth win of 2016. A photo-finish for 3rd Place saw Pritts take the position, just edging out Kimberly and Friedline. Shelpman and Novak won their heat races.
Paul Koffler III held a 13-point lead over Cindy Rhodes in the battle for the Somerset Trust Company Fast ‘N Furious 4’s championship. Both title challengers won their respective heat races; keeping the gap the same. Steve Settle won the other heat race for the 4-cylinder compacts. To win the title, Rhodes would have to finish seven positions ahead of Koffler in the feature. Outside polesitter Angie Kimberly darted out to the lead at the drop of the green of the 15-lap main event. But, before they crossed the line to complete the first lap, Settle was at the point. Andrew Pluta quickly asserted himself into the 2nd spot by passing Kimberly on Lap 3. One lap later, Koffler shuffled Kimberly back another position while Rhodes ran in the 5th position. On Lap 5, Rhodes got by Kimberly for 4th Place. With just one lap to go, Settle had a seven car length advantage over Pluta. However, a spin by Lance Shawley between Turns 3 and 4 brought out the yellow. On the double-file restart, Settle quickly distanced himself from Pluta, who then had to contend with Koffler. Koffler would work inside of Pluta entering Turn 2 and completed the pass for the runner-up position on the exit of Turn 4. Settle would go on to capture his second win of the year ahead of Koffler and Pluta. Rhodes withstood a late-race challenge from Brian Noel to finish in 4th Place.
LATE MODELS
Finish Driver
1. Barry Awtey
2. Matt Sever
3. Garry Wiltrout
4. Jeremiah Kuntz
5. Teddy Gibala
6. Bobby Henry
7. Rick Boyer
8. John Komarinski
9. Brian Shipp
10. Shawn Phillips
11. Gregory Kelley
12. Christopher Cossell
13. Todd Price
14. Jeremy Hill DQ
MODIFIEDS
Finish Driver
1. Chris Brink
2. Tom Golik
3. Pete Rech
4. Bernie McQuillan
5. Zane Ferrell
6. Jarred Barclay
7. Matt Smith
8. Carter Mook
9. Joe Ballough
10. Lou Botti
11. Gary Scott
12. Brad Milburn
13. John Gerula
14. Harry Opfer
15. Jeremy Hill DQ
STREET STOCKS
Finish Driver
1. Shawn Beam
2. AJ Poljak
3. Anthony Aiello
4. Adam Kostelnik
5. Aaron Van Fleet
6. Josh Coughenour
7. Dustin Gursky
8. Jerod Brougher
9. Kelly Shaulis
10. Mel Wilt
11. Mark Houser
12. Zac Todaro
13. Jason Holder
14. Steve Singo
15. Angie Kimberly
16. Andrew Kostelnik
17. Jeremy Hill DQ
CHARGERS
Finish Driver
1. Stephen Shelpman
2. Justin Shipley
3. Jason Pritts
4. Dale Kimberly
5. Tanner Friedline
6. Scott Mitchell
7. Emily Shaulis
8. Joe Ruskey
9. Jason Garchak
10. Justin Frampton
11. Angel Hill
12. Frank Novak
13. Steve Long
FAST ‘N FURIOUS 4’s
Finish Driver
1. Steve Settle
2. Paul Koffler III
3. Andrew Pluta
4. Cindy Rhodes
5. Brian Noel
6. David Campbell
7. Brent Bickerstaff
8. Joe Laposky
9. Angie Kimberly
10. Tom Obrocto, Jr
11. Eugene Zerfoss
12. Chris Ament
13. Lance Shawley
14. Mike Shaulis
15. Kristin Lakin
16. Patrick Parlock
17. Larry Dunmyer
18. Craig Hill
19. Dale Kimberly
20. Jeremy Hill DQ
