"Phenom-onal" 600cc Win For Bright; Edgar Takes 270cc Cash in Dream at the Green
by BARRY ANGSTADT
Millville, Pa. - April 5 - "The Phenom", Alex Bright, was certainly ecstatic over his fourth place finish in January's Chili Bowl Midget Nationals at the Quik Trip Center in Tulsa, Oklahoma. But the Collegeville, Pa. driver displayed just as much joyful emotion after his $2,500 victory in Saturday night's Dream at the Green 600cc Micro-Sprint race at the Greenwood Valley Action Track near Bloomsburg.
"The car owner had it set up too tight to do proper victory doughnuts," explained Bright after he attempted to celebrate by spinning his car around and around on the backstretch. "But it was great...almost perfect...for racing!"
Standing off to one side in victory lane, Bright's car owner, Rich Glosser, just smiled and said, "typical race driver...never satisfied."
Brandon Edgar, from Lehighton, Pa., captured the RTS Chassis 270cc Dream victory after some last lap excitement that featured not one, but a pair of restarts with one lap remaining.
In the 35-lap A-Main for the 600cc Micros, presented by American Racer Tires, Mike Koehler started from the pole position and darted to the early lead. Koehler, from Williamsport, was especially hooked up when he ran the high side, and he used that groove to keep Jay Hartman behind him as the race finally gained some rhythmn after several aborted attempts to complete the first lap.
Bright, who started third, made his presence known with six laps in the books. He roared off turn four, threading the needle between Koehler and runner-up Jay Hartman. Bright's momentum carried him under Koehler and into the lead, but a yellow flag wiped out his pass and put Koehler back in front.
Koehler was strong and opened up some daylight over Bright as the race entered its middle stages. As he caught the back of the field, though, and had to begin lapping cars, Koehler became a bit cautious.
On the 23rd trip around Gerry and Cindy Creveling's oval, Koehler chose the low groove and stayed behind a slower car. Bright quickly took advantage, pulling up to the leader's rear bumper in turns 3 & 4, then sweeping past Koehler on the high side to get control and grab the top spot.
"The car got tighter and tighter as the race went on," noted Koehler afterward. "Especially when I was in traffic, it just got tight and I was out of adjustments in the cockpit - I had everything dialed as far as I could go."
"Mike and I were very even for most of the race," stated Bright in the winner's circle. "Once I got by him - and I wasn't sure that I ever would - then I seemed to be faster. But he ran a great race."
Jay Hartman, Kyle Lick, and last year's 600cc Dream winner, Sean Stolz, battled furiously for third over the final ten circuits, with Hartman securing the position and Lick nipping Stolz for fourth at the stripe.
A terrific field of 66 cars entered the 600cc portion of the Dream, with Delaware's Matt Smith setting fast time of 11.139 seconds. Smith received $100 from Edge Chassis as the 600cc Quick Timer.
The six qualifying heat winners included Jay Hartman, Jeff Weaver, Greg Stevens, Richie Hartman, Mike Dicely, and Matt Smith. The D-Main went to Tyler Campbell, with Bobby Scherff winning the C and Luke Thomas claiming the B-Main victory.
Mike Koehler triumphed in the Nunzi's Advertising Specialties Dash, thereby earning the right to start t he A-Main from the pole position.
Billy Pauch, Jr. received a cash bonus for being the Vogel Designs 600cc Rookie of the Dream. Pauch recorded the best finish of all the first-time entrants, placing tenth in the A-Main.
James Morris, whose night began with a blown motor in warm-ups, climbed from 22nd starting spot to a sixth-place finish, earning the Devo Race Engines Hard Charger Award and a drum of racing fuel from H.B.Steele.
A stout field of 49 drivers entered the 270cc Dream on Saturday, with Temple University student Brandon Edgar picking up the $1,500 victory.
Edgar inherited the top spot after disaster struck race-long leader Tommy Kunsman Jr. with just eight tours remaining. Kunsman, who started on the pole, seemingly had his competitors covered and the big win within his sights. His Kunsman Paving No. 21k had other ideas, however, as the carburetor came off while he was negotiating lapped traffic with 27 trips complete. He coasted to a halt about halfway down the backstretch.
That put Edgar, who didn't even qualify for last year's Dream at the Green, on the inside of row one for the restart. He knew it wouldn't be a leisurely drive to victory lane, though, as multi-time Greenwood Valley track champ and last season's 270 Dream winner Ross Perchak was lined up alongside.
Edgar blasted to the lead as the green reappeared, and he actually put some distance between himself and Perchak as the laps clicked off, but a yellow flag, with half a lap to go, kept the drama alive. On the restart, Perchak got the jump on Edgar as they launched off turn four and headed for the green.
"I was not happy to see that yellow...I was so upset," said Edgar. "Then, when Ross got the jump on me on that restart, I thought 'oh well, that's that...we just lost the race.' But we got another chance and I wasn't going to mess it up. It all worked out; this is my biggest win in the Micros and it feels great. (Not qualifying) last year doesn't even matter anymore."
The "other chance" to which Edgar referred came when Brayden Winters flipped wildly in turn two, just after Perchak had taken the lead from Edgar. The yellow waved immediately, again, so Edgar was put back to the lead. And, since a lap had not been completed after the previous restart, the next attempt to finish the race was in single-file formation.
Edgar darted away from Perchak and the rest of his pursuers, leading the final revolution and notching the lucrative triumph. Perchak, Rob Pajauis, Austin Bishop, and Pete Skias made up the top five.
The Viper Chassis Fast Time Award for the 270's went to Nick Skias, who scorched the oval with a time of 11.460 seconds.
Heat race winners were Richie Hartman, Pajauis, Kunsman, Edgar, and Jesse Maurer. The C-Main victory was claimed by Nick Skias, while his dad, Pete, won the B-Main.
Kunsman registered the Ahner Furniture Dash victory.
United Racing Company Sprint Car pilot and former Micro-Sprint standout Randy West made his first start in the Dream event, and his sixth-place finish resulted in him being named the RTS Chassis 270 Rookie of the Dream.
Pete Skias started 21st in the 270cc A-Main and raced his way to a fifth-place finish, earning the Skeetz Built Motors Hard Charger bonus, along with a drum of racing fuel, courtesy of H.B. Steele.
RESULTS:
American Racer Tires 600cc Dream at the Green, 35 laps: 1.Alex Bright, 2.Mike Koehler, 3.Jay Hartman, 4.Kyle Lick, 5.Sean Stolz, 6.James Morris, 7.Eddie Strada, 8.Mike Rutherford, 9.Jeff Hartman, 10.Billy Pauch Jr., 11.Tommy Kunsman Jr., 12.John Zionkowski, 13.Robert Hocker, 14.Brandon Edgar, 15.Cale Reigle, 16.Chad Sandt, 17.Matt Smith, 18.Bruiser Lawton, 19.Shane Penny, 20.Jeff Weaver, 21.Kyle Rutledge, 22.John Gearhart, 23.Luke Thomas, 24.Richie Hartman, 25.Austin Bishop, 26.Jesse Maurer.
&n bsp;
RTS Chassis 270cc Dream at the Green, 35 laps: 1.Brandon Edgar, 2.Ross Perchak, 3.Rob Pajauis, 4.Austin Bishop, 5.Pete Skias, 6.Randy West, 7.Richie Hartman, 8.Brian Marriott, 9.Chad VanHorn, 10.Mike Rutherford, 11.Quinn Roberts, 12.Rusty Crone, 13.Tyler Ulrich, 14.Mason Peters, 15.Michael Boyer, 16.Brayden Winters, 17.Jeff Weaver, 18.Cody Hauck, 19.Robbie Watson, 20.Jared Zionkowski, 21.Tommy Kunsman Jr., 22.Ed Kenderdine, 23.John Vreeland, 24.Jesse Maurer, 25.Jarid Kunkle, 26.Jason Van Doren.
[END]
by BARRY ANGSTADT
Millville, Pa. - April 5 - "The Phenom", Alex Bright, was certainly ecstatic over his fourth place finish in January's Chili Bowl Midget Nationals at the Quik Trip Center in Tulsa, Oklahoma. But the Collegeville, Pa. driver displayed just as much joyful emotion after his $2,500 victory in Saturday night's Dream at the Green 600cc Micro-Sprint race at the Greenwood Valley Action Track near Bloomsburg.
"The car owner had it set up too tight to do proper victory doughnuts," explained Bright after he attempted to celebrate by spinning his car around and around on the backstretch. "But it was great...almost perfect...for racing!"
Standing off to one side in victory lane, Bright's car owner, Rich Glosser, just smiled and said, "typical race driver...never satisfied."
Brandon Edgar, from Lehighton, Pa., captured the RTS Chassis 270cc Dream victory after some last lap excitement that featured not one, but a pair of restarts with one lap remaining.
In the 35-lap A-Main for the 600cc Micros, presented by American Racer Tires, Mike Koehler started from the pole position and darted to the early lead. Koehler, from Williamsport, was especially hooked up when he ran the high side, and he used that groove to keep Jay Hartman behind him as the race finally gained some rhythmn after several aborted attempts to complete the first lap.
Bright, who started third, made his presence known with six laps in the books. He roared off turn four, threading the needle between Koehler and runner-up Jay Hartman. Bright's momentum carried him under Koehler and into the lead, but a yellow flag wiped out his pass and put Koehler back in front.
Koehler was strong and opened up some daylight over Bright as the race entered its middle stages. As he caught the back of the field, though, and had to begin lapping cars, Koehler became a bit cautious.
On the 23rd trip around Gerry and Cindy Creveling's oval, Koehler chose the low groove and stayed behind a slower car. Bright quickly took advantage, pulling up to the leader's rear bumper in turns 3 & 4, then sweeping past Koehler on the high side to get control and grab the top spot.
"The car got tighter and tighter as the race went on," noted Koehler afterward. "Especially when I was in traffic, it just got tight and I was out of adjustments in the cockpit - I had everything dialed as far as I could go."
"Mike and I were very even for most of the race," stated Bright in the winner's circle. "Once I got by him - and I wasn't sure that I ever would - then I seemed to be faster. But he ran a great race."
Jay Hartman, Kyle Lick, and last year's 600cc Dream winner, Sean Stolz, battled furiously for third over the final ten circuits, with Hartman securing the position and Lick nipping Stolz for fourth at the stripe.
A terrific field of 66 cars entered the 600cc portion of the Dream, with Delaware's Matt Smith setting fast time of 11.139 seconds. Smith received $100 from Edge Chassis as the 600cc Quick Timer.
The six qualifying heat winners included Jay Hartman, Jeff Weaver, Greg Stevens, Richie Hartman, Mike Dicely, and Matt Smith. The D-Main went to Tyler Campbell, with Bobby Scherff winning the C and Luke Thomas claiming the B-Main victory.
Mike Koehler triumphed in the Nunzi's Advertising Specialties Dash, thereby earning the right to start t he A-Main from the pole position.
Billy Pauch, Jr. received a cash bonus for being the Vogel Designs 600cc Rookie of the Dream. Pauch recorded the best finish of all the first-time entrants, placing tenth in the A-Main.
James Morris, whose night began with a blown motor in warm-ups, climbed from 22nd starting spot to a sixth-place finish, earning the Devo Race Engines Hard Charger Award and a drum of racing fuel from H.B.Steele.
A stout field of 49 drivers entered the 270cc Dream on Saturday, with Temple University student Brandon Edgar picking up the $1,500 victory.
Edgar inherited the top spot after disaster struck race-long leader Tommy Kunsman Jr. with just eight tours remaining. Kunsman, who started on the pole, seemingly had his competitors covered and the big win within his sights. His Kunsman Paving No. 21k had other ideas, however, as the carburetor came off while he was negotiating lapped traffic with 27 trips complete. He coasted to a halt about halfway down the backstretch.
That put Edgar, who didn't even qualify for last year's Dream at the Green, on the inside of row one for the restart. He knew it wouldn't be a leisurely drive to victory lane, though, as multi-time Greenwood Valley track champ and last season's 270 Dream winner Ross Perchak was lined up alongside.
Edgar blasted to the lead as the green reappeared, and he actually put some distance between himself and Perchak as the laps clicked off, but a yellow flag, with half a lap to go, kept the drama alive. On the restart, Perchak got the jump on Edgar as they launched off turn four and headed for the green.
"I was not happy to see that yellow...I was so upset," said Edgar. "Then, when Ross got the jump on me on that restart, I thought 'oh well, that's that...we just lost the race.' But we got another chance and I wasn't going to mess it up. It all worked out; this is my biggest win in the Micros and it feels great. (Not qualifying) last year doesn't even matter anymore."
The "other chance" to which Edgar referred came when Brayden Winters flipped wildly in turn two, just after Perchak had taken the lead from Edgar. The yellow waved immediately, again, so Edgar was put back to the lead. And, since a lap had not been completed after the previous restart, the next attempt to finish the race was in single-file formation.
Edgar darted away from Perchak and the rest of his pursuers, leading the final revolution and notching the lucrative triumph. Perchak, Rob Pajauis, Austin Bishop, and Pete Skias made up the top five.
The Viper Chassis Fast Time Award for the 270's went to Nick Skias, who scorched the oval with a time of 11.460 seconds.
Heat race winners were Richie Hartman, Pajauis, Kunsman, Edgar, and Jesse Maurer. The C-Main victory was claimed by Nick Skias, while his dad, Pete, won the B-Main.
Kunsman registered the Ahner Furniture Dash victory.
United Racing Company Sprint Car pilot and former Micro-Sprint standout Randy West made his first start in the Dream event, and his sixth-place finish resulted in him being named the RTS Chassis 270 Rookie of the Dream.
Pete Skias started 21st in the 270cc A-Main and raced his way to a fifth-place finish, earning the Skeetz Built Motors Hard Charger bonus, along with a drum of racing fuel, courtesy of H.B. Steele.
RESULTS:
American Racer Tires 600cc Dream at the Green, 35 laps: 1.Alex Bright, 2.Mike Koehler, 3.Jay Hartman, 4.Kyle Lick, 5.Sean Stolz, 6.James Morris, 7.Eddie Strada, 8.Mike Rutherford, 9.Jeff Hartman, 10.Billy Pauch Jr., 11.Tommy Kunsman Jr., 12.John Zionkowski, 13.Robert Hocker, 14.Brandon Edgar, 15.Cale Reigle, 16.Chad Sandt, 17.Matt Smith, 18.Bruiser Lawton, 19.Shane Penny, 20.Jeff Weaver, 21.Kyle Rutledge, 22.John Gearhart, 23.Luke Thomas, 24.Richie Hartman, 25.Austin Bishop, 26.Jesse Maurer.
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RTS Chassis 270cc Dream at the Green, 35 laps: 1.Brandon Edgar, 2.Ross Perchak, 3.Rob Pajauis, 4.Austin Bishop, 5.Pete Skias, 6.Randy West, 7.Richie Hartman, 8.Brian Marriott, 9.Chad VanHorn, 10.Mike Rutherford, 11.Quinn Roberts, 12.Rusty Crone, 13.Tyler Ulrich, 14.Mason Peters, 15.Michael Boyer, 16.Brayden Winters, 17.Jeff Weaver, 18.Cody Hauck, 19.Robbie Watson, 20.Jared Zionkowski, 21.Tommy Kunsman Jr., 22.Ed Kenderdine, 23.John Vreeland, 24.Jesse Maurer, 25.Jarid Kunkle, 26.Jason Van Doren.
[END]
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