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Labor Day Junk-a-Thon

September 3, 2007

Petey and Ryan Score First Career
NEETS Wins, Katona Notches
Second TRUX Victory!

  Story By:
  Geno Ostrowski


  Lehighton, Pa- The NEETS Holiday Stock Car Series was back in action Monday at Mahoning Valley Speedway with the running of the Labor Day “Junk-a-Thon”. By the end of the afternoon, Richard Petey and Sam Ryan notched their first career NEETS victories and Frank Katona grabbed the TRUX win. Mariah Lawrence went to victory lane after the special ladies race.

  Mariah Lawrence brought the 6/8-cylinder field down to the drop of the green flag for the 100-lap event. After starting second, Richard Petey took command and held the point until lap ten, when Joe Jentile stormed to the front.

  ARCA/ReMax star, Kory Rabenold started the race but was sidelined after thirty laps with mechanical troubles.

  By mid race, Jentile continued to lead over Petey. Howie Bott retained the third spot, followed by point leader, Phil Lamonaco and T.J. Kapish.

  Jentile appeared to have the win in the bag, but with only ten laps remaining he ruptured a right front tire and headed pit side. Petey (Hackettstown, NJ) inherited the top spot and held on to win his fist career NEETS event.

  Lamonaco held on for second, ahead of Bott and Kapish. After a quick pit stop, Jentile returned to the race to finish fifth.

  Kayla Kovach drew the pole position for the Unique Golf four-cylinder division. Before completing a lap, Don Rogers jumped into the lead. Only six laps later, Sam Ryan made a bid for the lead. The two drivers swapped the to position three times over the next dozen of circuits until Duane Garrison grabbed the lead on lap twenty.

  Problems struck Garrison when Joe Grocholski engine expired. His car leaked oil all the way around the track, which caused havoc for many drivers including Garrison. Garrison was forced to retire after spinning out and getting struck by a lapped car.

  Rogers assumed the lead with Ryan in second. Bob Wohlegemuth was third, followed by Jon Saccomandi and Dave Bentley at the mid race mark.

  After leading many laps, Rogers was forced to pit for a flat tire on lap seventy-three. Ryan (White Haven, PA) assumed the top spot and cruised to his first career NEETS victory over Wohlegemuth, Rob Longo, Saccomandi and Brian Kunkel.

  The NEETS Custom Classic TRUX took to the track with Woot Lawrence and Richard Petey sharing the front row. Lawrence held the point from the onset, but Frank Katona shot by Petey and set his sights on the leader.

  Only eight laps in, Katona made an outside pass on Lawrence work and propelled into the lead.

  Despite efforts by Lawrence, Katona (Junedale, PA) picked up the victory over Lawrence, Petey, Jeff Gregor and Jake Oswald.

  To cap off the afternoon, NEETS held a special 20-lap ladies only race. Mariah Lawrence and Kerry Larangelo shared the front row. Lawrence grabbed the lead after the drop of the green with five laps complete, Sue Ryan worked around the leader and lurched into command of the show.

  Ryan held the point until lap seventeen, when Lawrence caught the leader in lapped traffic. Lawrence completed the pass and drove off to the win over Ryan. Kovach finished third, followed by Rogers and Sarah Snyder.

  The next NEETS Holiday Stock Car Series event, the popular Components Corporation “Fem-Duro” is slated for Sunday, September 30th. Female drivers will complete the first half of the tag team events before handing the reigns over to the male drivers. The Fem-Duro is a non-points show that will consist of 100-lap races for the 4 cylinders and also for the 6/8 cylinder cars. The NEETS TRUX will run a 50-lap show.

Labor Day Junk-a-Thon

Small Car - 100 Laps Big Car - 100 Laps
1 #81 - Sam Ryan 1 #43 - Richard Petey
2 #168 - Bob Wohlgemuth 2 #14 - Phil Lamonaco
3 #45 - Rob Logo 3 #75 - Howie Bott
4 #6 - John Saccomandi 4 #33 - T.J. Kapish
5 #19 - Brian Kunkel 5 #41 - Joe Jentile
6 #73 - Dave Bentey 6 # - Dean Woolford
7 #69 - Dennis Sizemore 7 # - Mariah Lawrenence
8 #131 - Ryan Nelson 8 # - Larry Carmen
9 #32 - Josh Mooney 9 #20K - Kory Stevens
10 #09X - Don Rogers 10 #5R11 - T.J. Stevens
11 #27V - Mike Ventura 11 #01 - Kory Rabenold
12 # - Nick Marcigliano 12 #266 - Bob Kulik
13 #17 - Art Kulik 13 #666 - Chuck Detweiler
14 # - Brian Flannery  
15 #12 - Clay Chilson Ladies Race - 20 Laps
16 #1X - Cory Student 1 # - Mariah Lawrence
17 #56K - Kayla Kovach 2 # - Sue Ryan
18 #11 - Jon Smith 3 #56K - Kayla Kovach
19 #666 - Duane Garrison 4 #09X - Rebecca Mudd
20 # - Paul Mercante 5 # - Sarah Snyder
21 #91 - Neil Kunkel 6 # - Lisa Rivella
22 # - Joe Grocholski 7 # - Kerry Larangelo
23 # - Dave Moore 8 #17 - Maria Barbieri
24 # - Sarah Snyder 9 # - Lara Heffron
25 #308 - Ken Harper 10 #57 - Tracy Berger-Carmen
26 # - Jared Ahner  
   
TRUX - 50 Laps  
1 #27 - Frank Katona  
2 #34 - Woot Lawrence  
3 #43 - Richard Petey  
4 #4X - Jeff Gregor  
5 #17DD - Jake Oswald  
6 # - Walter Hayes