July 4, 2009
Race Results

Cory Stivason's Photos

Late Model	Limited Late Model	Street Stock	Strictly Stock	4-Cylinder
22 - Gregg Satterlee	82 - Bobby Watt	16M - Rusty Martz	13 - Brett Bingaman	63 - Larry Depp

                      Racing and Fireworks were on the agenda for Marion Center Speedway’s Independence Day celebration Saturday night at the quarter-mile clay oval between Indiana and Punxsutawney.  In addition to the regular five divisions racing each week towards the Butler Auto Supply Season Championships, there were fireworks by the Starefire Corp.

            The W. G. Satterlee & Sons Street Stocks were the first racers on the track.  After taking a first and third place in last week’s double features for the division, Jim Boyer of Indiana was starting in third position this week for the feature.  Boyer moved up on the leader, Tim Bish at the drop of the green and looked solid until Rusty Martz showed up.  Martz from Brookville came up from sixth on the start to take the lead for the fifth lap of the twenty-lap feature.  During the race Martz extended his lead at times and seemed really comfortable out front of the pack.  Behind the leader, Boyer and Tim Bish from Ringgold continued to battle but for second place, which was won by Boyer, leaving Bish in third.  Jeff Taylor of Corsica picked up fourth and Bill Phillips, Jr. from Blandburg was fifth.  Rounding out the top ten were Tim White, Nick Goss, Rick Henry, Randy Reitz and Jim Handyside, Jr.  The W. G. Satterlee & Sons Street Stock heat races were won by Jim Boyer and Nick Goss.

            Gregg Satterlee was back at the track for the Lias Tire Latemodels Saturday night and you couldn’t miss him out on the track he was the guy in front of everybody else in the twenty-car field.  With the luck of the draw, Gregg Satterlee from Rochester Mills got the pole position for the feature and with the skill he has developed over the last few seasons, he maintained the lead throughout the twenty-lap feature.  It wasn’t as easy as it sounds at times, but other times the young Satterlee was cruising around the track.  Clate Copeman from Greensburg was the second place car, which is where he started as well.  Sammy Stile who is a top contender and actually the man to beat right now for the Force Inc. Super Late Model Championship Challenge, started eighth and the man from Charleroi finished third.  Fourth place went to John Britsky last week’s feature winner, and Rod Phillips from Punxsutawney was fifth.  Sixth place went to Dane Laraway and he was followed by Bobby Stokes then Dwayne Taneyhill, Dave Blazavich and Jerry Redden.  Britsky, Redden and Rick Davis were the Lias Tire Latemodel heat race winners.

            Things got really fired up in the Pikel’s Universal Auto Repair Strictly Stock feature.  Justin Queen from Irvona was leading the race after passing pole sitter Denny Smith on lap five.  Queen was challenged throughout the race by Tim Laughard from Johnstown.  Queen and Laughard the two top cars continued a heated battle for the front position continually held by Queen until coming into turn four towards the checkered flag the two cars touched together as they were making their moves for the lead and weaving through slower traffic.  The first and second place cars took each other out of the competition on the final sprint to the finish line.  Laughard was charged with the caution but both ended up out of the competition.  The incident put third place car, Brett Bingaman in the lead position for a green-white-checker finish.  Bingaman got the win, Denny Smith from Glen Campbell was second and Ray Hickok, Jr. from Commodore was third.  Kevin Kilgore from Kittanning was fourth and Nate Smith from Glen Campbell was fifth.  The rest of the to ten included A. J. Flick, Bryant Small, Bobby Noel, Gregg Buterbaugh and Gary Furman, Jr.  The heats for the Pikel’s Universal Auto Repair Strictly Stocks were won by Gregg Buterbaugh and Gary Furman, Jr.

            As they say that all good things must come to end, so it was with the reign of Rod Phillips in the Hoosier Tire Mid-Atlantic Limited Latemodels.  After finishing second in his heat race, Phillips started sixth in the feature, but on the first lap there were problems that ended up with Phillips in the pits.  After the passing of several laps Phillips did return to the track but that run was also short lived until he was back in the pits once again.  Bobby Watt from Latrobe probably benefited from Phillips’ misfortune.  Watt started on the pole and was able to lead every lap despite any cautions that came out or the challenges of racers like Dave Buchanan, Cheyenne Reed and others that have recently fallen victim to Phillips’ reign of power on the track.  At the Checkered flag it was Bobby Watt the winner, Dave Buchanan from Cherry Tree second, Cheyenne Reed from Punxsutawney third, Scott Alvetro from Reynoldsville fourth and Scott Stein from Cherry Tree was fifth.  Joey Valenti from Clymer was sixth and also in the top ten were Tom Shaffer, Chris Clark, Jeff Compton and Andrew Satterlee.  The Hoosier Tire Mid-Atlantic Limited Latemodel heat race winners were Scott Alvetro and Chris Clark.

            The fifth race of the night was in the Q-102 Front Wheel Drive 4 Cylinder Rice Burners division.  Craig Decker from Cherry Tree brought the field of twenty-two cars onto the track for the feature, but he was overtaken by Shane Weaver from Marion Center after the first lap.  Weaver’s lead only lasted three laps until Larry Depp, Jr. from Punxsutawney took over for good.  Depp had won last week’s feature and wanted more of victory lane honors, which he got.  Bob Pease from Blairsville finished second with Johny Miller from Punxsutawney close behind in third.  Decker finished in fourth place and Tina Weaver from Marion Center was fifth.  Rounding out the top ten in order wee Tom Pavelko, Robert Lydic, Shane Weaver, Jackie Phillips and Jon Lee.  The Q-102 Front Wheel Drive 4 Cylinder heat race winners were Bob Pease, Chris Hickok and Craig Decker.

            Next Saturday Night will be Fan Appreciation Night at Marion Center Speedway with the full five divisions of racing and an appearance by Speedy the Clown.  Bring the Kids early to the track to get Speedy to paint their faces before the racing program begins.  Speedy will also be on hand throughout the evening for more fun and entertainment.    The 18’th will be the make-up date for the rained out Hoosier Tire Mid-Atlantic Limited Latemodel feature and all this is leading up to the Butler Auto Supply Season Championships in September.  Also be sure to check the web site for more exciting news and links to other race related sites like the Force Inc. Super Late Model Championship Challenge and Corey Stivason’s Photo Pages.  The Marion Center Volunteer Fire Department want to thank everyone for making their 50/50 sales soar this season with last night’s winner receiving over $900.  See you Saturday night at Marion Center Speedway-“the Thrill on the Hill.”

         By Don Peffer

Results