BOB FELMLEE FLIES TO WILD SPRINT WIN
by Brian Spaid
July 8, 2007 Franklin, Pennsylvania) Hot and sunny conditions prevailed on Sunday at Tri-City Speedway as Bob Felmlee (4 Your Car Connection Super Sprints) captured the feature win on Buyer's Fair/Pennzoil and Scout Night at the Venango County half-mile oval.
In another stellar Super Sprint feature, Felmlee of Franklin beat point leader Rod George to the line by 0.086 seconds for his second win of the season. George actually passed Felmlee off turn two on the final circuit, but Felmlee made a daring move under George in turns three and four, then held off George bringing the crowd to a wild frenzy. Felmlee piloted his World of Wheels/ Carmate Trailers/Lutz Auto Body Maxim to his 29th career win at Tri-City.
"Rod's dominated here this year, and I wanted to win this one," said the defending track champion. "I set up that lapped car to pass him in the middle groove, and then I saw Rod ride by me on the outside. I decided to drive it hard into three and see what happened."
Starting on the pole position, Felmlee jumped into an immediate lead. George passed Todd Bauer for second on the second circuit and set his sights on Felmlee. The outside cushion was superb on this hot and humid night, and Felmee used it to perfection opening a huge lead that George could not close. When Felmlee entered lapped traffic, George started to bridge the gap.
Behind them, Bauer and Rob Eyler dueled amidst the lapped cars for third until lap 13 when Eyler collided with Sammy Strawser on the frontstretch causing both cars to spin and crash.
On the ensuing restart, Felmlee dashed away from George. The race appeared to be over until the final circuits. George started to close on Felmlee, and they entered more lapped traffic. Taking the white flag, Felmlee tried to setup a pass on the lapped car of Paul Kish. Instead, George streaked by Felmlee off the outside of turn two. Using a daring pass on the inside, Felmlee drove hard into turn three, raced under George and Kish, then drifted high holding off George's last ditch pass to the inside to take the win. Bauer finished third over Jody Keegan and Andy McKisson, who recovered from an early 360-degree spin to race back to fifth.
Tri-City Speedway will be back in action on Sunday, July 15 with a five-star show featuring the BRP/Hoosier Racing Tire Modified Tour 2007 in the 15th annual Kodiak Memorial paying $1300-to-win the 30-lap event. It will be the fourth round of the Schwab's Ford Big Block Modified Challenge Series involving Lernerville Speedway and Tri-City Speedway. The 4 Your Car Connection Super Sprints, RPM Auto Sales/Shawgo Real Estate E Mods, E.F. Rogers Plumbing & Heating Pro Stocks, and Klapec Auto Body Thundercars will round out the show on Atkinson Fire Safety Equipment Night. Gates open at 4pm and racing starts at 6pm. Adult grandstand admission will be a family friendly $11.
July 22 - Super Sprints, DIRTcar Big Block Modifieds, E Mods, Pro Stocks, Thundercars and Lowry Auto Wrecking Compact Car Demo Derby (Joy Employee Fund Night)
July 29 - Speedway Closed - No Races
August 5 - Super Sprints, DIRTcar Big Block Modifieds, E Mods, Pro Stocks and Thundercars (Coors Brewing Bonus Bucks Night)
Heat 1) Rod George
Heat 2) Andy McKisson
A-main (20 laps) 1 Bob Felmlee 6, 2 Rod George 4, 3 Todd Bauer 45, 4 Jody Keegan 49, 5 Andy McKisson 0, 6 John Schuyler 3t, 7 Brent Covell 81, 8 Rob Eyler 5e, 9 Gale Ruth Jr 5jr, 10 Russ Sansosti, 11 Cole Duncan 22, 12 Scott Rodgers, 13 Paul Kish, 14 Sammy Strawser. 410w