FRANKLIN, PA – The highly anticipated Grand Reopening of Tri-City Raceway Park saw three new faces visit Victory Lane before the near capacity crowd on Sunday, July 26th. Erick Rudolph (BRP Mod Tour), Eric Williams (410 Sprints) and Darin Gallagher (Outlaw Sprint Warriors) all captured their career first victories at the Venango County oval while Rich Michael, Jr. scored his career fourth Tri-City win as he claimed the UEMS E-Mod main event.
Eric Williams and Bob Howard led the 19 car Sprint car field to the green. Brad Howard flipped violently just past the flagstand and Daryl Stimeling was also collected in the incident. Howard was finished for the evening and Stimeling tagged the field on the restart. The event would go caution free as Williams was never seriously challenged for the lead and went on to score his first ever Tri-City Raceway Park victory in the McClung Auto Body sponsored HRE powered J&J Chassis. Brent Matus, Adam Kekich, Dan Kuriger and Bob Howard completed the top five. Carl Bowser, Brandon Matus, Stimeling, Scott Priester and A.J. Flick rounded out the top ten.
Sprint heat victors were Brandon Matus and Stimeling.
The 40 lap BRP Modified Tour ’15 feature event saw Chad Brachmann and Steve Feder pace the field to the green. Brachmann led the first four circuits, which were slowed twice; first for Garrett Krummert who stopped on the front stretch and on the next circuit when Kyle Fink, Dave Murdick and Tom Glenn got together entering turn one. Rudolph wrestled the top spot from Brachmann when the action resumed and like Williams went on to score his first every win at the speedway. Brachmann scored the runner-up spot with Rex King, Sr., Jimmy Weller, III and Justin Wright rounding out the top five. Jim Rasey, who started 24th, finished sixth with Brad Rapp, Kevin Bolland, Rich Richner and Feder completing the top ten.
Feder, King, Sr., Jeremiah Shingledecker and Rex King, Jr were the Modified Tour heat winners with Richner winning the B-Main.
Kari Gasser led the first lap of the 25 lap UEMS main event before New Yorker Rich Michael, Jr. took over. The event’s first caution flew on lap nine when John Boyd spun. The ensuing restart was then marred by a Paul Schreckengost spin. A caution with two circuits to go gave Brent Rhebergen one last opportunity to take the top spot but he was unable to do so. Michael, Jr. scored the fourth Tri-City victory of his career followed by Rhebergen, Joel Watson, Jonathan Taylor and Mike Potosky. Chad Ruhlman, piloting the Tim Engles owned #68, was sixth with Howard Fraley, Josh Ferry, Evan Taylor and Troy Johnson completing the top ten.
UEMS prelims were captured by Scott Stiffler, Rhebergen, J. Taylor and Michael, Jr.
The evening’s finale, the Outlaw Sprint Warrior main event, found another new winner in Victory Lane as Darin Gallagher capped off his weekend with his second win in two days. Gallagher led the 20 lap event wire-to-wire and defeated Jake Gomola, George Hobaugh, Rob Felix and Alex Paden.
Gallagher and Gomola captured the Outlaw Sprint Warrior prelims. Gallagher also picked up an additional $100.00 as he captured the Boonie’s Sport Bar (Titusville, PA) Dash for Cash that determined the top six starting spots in the A-Main.
Due to the closure of several speedways in the region Tri-City Speedway will has added a special racing program on Saturday, August 1st. Super Late Models, RUSH Pro-Late Models, E-Mods and Pro-Stocks will be on the racing card. Stateline Raceway (Busti, NY) rules will apply for this show. Gates will open at 5:00PM and racing will start at 7:00PM.
Sprint Feature Finish: Eric Williams, Brent Matus, Adam Kekich, Dan Kuriger, Bob Howard, Carl Bowser, Brandon Matus, Daryl Stimeling, Scott Priester, A.J. Flick, Zach Morrow, Mike Bauer, Dennis Wagner, Karl Baker, Paul Kish, Mike Flynn, Jim Morris, Brad Howard, Gale Ruth, Jr.
BRP Mod Tour Feature Finish: Erick Rudolph, Chad Brachmann, Rex King, Sr., Jimmy Weller, III, Justin Wright, Jim Rasey, Brad Rapp, Kevin Bolland, Rich Richner, Steve Feder, Kyle Fink, Jim Weller, Jr., Rex King, Jr., Rick Regalski, Shawn Fleeger, Dave Murdick, Brian Weaver, Jeremiah Shingledecker, Tom Winkle, Tom Glenn, Dillon Barr, Rodney Beltz, Mat Williamson, J.R. McGinley, Garrett Krummert, Eric Gabany