SpeedSTR
08-11-2008, 09:10 PM
"Nitro" Nick Pecko of Vandling, PA became the first, Weikel Racewear SpeedSTR series 2 time winner this past weekend at the Woodhull Raceway in Woodhull, NY. The Tobias STR tour is in it's inaugural season and the series has been highly competitive. Before this past weekend's race at Vern Wasson's Woodhull Raceway there had been 6 SpeedSTR events and 6 different winners.
The feature event got started with Mooresville, NC hot shoe Willy Evernham starting on the pole, but it was Doug Rose of Temple, PA jumping out to the early race lead in his Flurer Tool and Machine #95. Rose would lead a strong field of STR's for the first 5 circuits until the reigning 2007 Slingshot by Tobias National Champion, Billy VanInwegen Jr. would get by Rose with Pecko following through. VanInwegen and Pecko would battle wheel to wheel in the middle and top groove of the high banked Woodhull oval as Rose made it three wide for several laps fighting on the bottom. By lap 10 Pecko had solidified the race lead as VanInwegen and Rose continued to battle for that number 2 spot. On a lap 14 restart Pecko would push high and Billy V. would pull along side of the #42 NEP Wireless machine of Pecko as Rich Tobias in his familiar #17 would take over the third spot from Rose from his 7th place starting position. As Pecko and VanInwegen ran wheel to wheel Tobias stuck his STR on the bottom and would help the 2 youngsters sort it out by taking over the number 2 position as Pecko secured the number 1 spot. While the action was heated for the top 3 positions the guys and young lady were fighting for spots 4 through 8. Slide jobs were of a premium. Veteran Woodhull Raceway modified hot shoe, Billy VanPelt driving the Gary Hieber owned Bucks County International #6 worked the high side most of the race as Willy Evernham in his #9 patiently worked the bottom as Rose was looking over both shoulders in the middle. Evernham went for the number four position with a full head of steam on the last lap only to get turned around as Nascar/ARCA standout Erin Crocker would get by and bring her self-owned #19 home fifth as Rose secured the fourth position.
Notes: Ray Evernham was very strong during the feature event, battling with good friend Rich Tobias, but got caught up in a mid race mishap with Paul Lotier Jr. Lotier who was making his third SpeedSTR series start was very impressive in qualifying coming home third and was looking good in the feature until the mishap.
Baldwinsville, NY's Jeff Gallup driving his family owned #9 had his best finish yet in the STR series, with a solid 6th place run.
Ray Evernham took the STR series competitors, families, sponsors, and crewmembers to Watkins Glenn on Sunday and provided them with an exciting garage and pit road tour where they had an opportunity to have conversations with Steve Letart, Glenn Wood, Buzzy Reutimann, Tommy Baldwin, Andy Petree, and Brett Bodine.
Fragola dash 1 winner: Rich Tobias
Simpson dash 2 winner: Willy Evernham
Weikel Racewear Feature Results:
1. Nick Pecko (NEP/Napa 42, Vandling, PA), 2. Rich Tobias (Tobias 17, Hershey, PA) 3. Billy Van Inwegen Jr. (Future Racing 23, Sparrow Bush, NY), 4. Doug Rose (Amrose Motorsports 95, Temple, PA), 5. Erin Crocker (Erin Crocker 19, Wilbraham, MA), 6. Jeff Gallup (Gallup Racing 9, Baldwinsville, NY), 7. Andy Burkhart (Burkhart Bros. 87, Temple, PA), 8. Billy VanPelt (Bucks County International 6, NY) 9. Willy Evernham (Evernham 9E, Mooresville, NC), 10. Ray Evernham (Evernham 98, Charlotte, NC), 11. Paul Lotier Jr. (Lotier 7L, Lebanon, PA), 12. Steve Hicks (Hicks Motorsports USA1, Doylestown, PA), 13. Ken Jones (Jones Racing 8, Princeton, NJ)
Updated Points after Woodhull Raceway event:
Nick Pecko 923
Billy VanInwegen 812
Doug Rose 798
Steve Hicks 767
Willy Evernham 755
Andy Burkhart 539
Ray Evernham 529
Jeff Gallup 526
Rich Tobias 495
Erin Crocker 378
Ken Jones 372
Gary Hieber 329
Billy VanPelt 240
Paul Lotier Jr. 234
Billy Pauch 175
Craig VonDohren 158
Kevin Albert 152
Jim Scherer 105
Dave Pecko 100
Kyle Hieber 99
Matt Gerber 95
Tracey Miller 74
Check us out on the Web at www.SpeedSTR.biz
The feature event got started with Mooresville, NC hot shoe Willy Evernham starting on the pole, but it was Doug Rose of Temple, PA jumping out to the early race lead in his Flurer Tool and Machine #95. Rose would lead a strong field of STR's for the first 5 circuits until the reigning 2007 Slingshot by Tobias National Champion, Billy VanInwegen Jr. would get by Rose with Pecko following through. VanInwegen and Pecko would battle wheel to wheel in the middle and top groove of the high banked Woodhull oval as Rose made it three wide for several laps fighting on the bottom. By lap 10 Pecko had solidified the race lead as VanInwegen and Rose continued to battle for that number 2 spot. On a lap 14 restart Pecko would push high and Billy V. would pull along side of the #42 NEP Wireless machine of Pecko as Rich Tobias in his familiar #17 would take over the third spot from Rose from his 7th place starting position. As Pecko and VanInwegen ran wheel to wheel Tobias stuck his STR on the bottom and would help the 2 youngsters sort it out by taking over the number 2 position as Pecko secured the number 1 spot. While the action was heated for the top 3 positions the guys and young lady were fighting for spots 4 through 8. Slide jobs were of a premium. Veteran Woodhull Raceway modified hot shoe, Billy VanPelt driving the Gary Hieber owned Bucks County International #6 worked the high side most of the race as Willy Evernham in his #9 patiently worked the bottom as Rose was looking over both shoulders in the middle. Evernham went for the number four position with a full head of steam on the last lap only to get turned around as Nascar/ARCA standout Erin Crocker would get by and bring her self-owned #19 home fifth as Rose secured the fourth position.
Notes: Ray Evernham was very strong during the feature event, battling with good friend Rich Tobias, but got caught up in a mid race mishap with Paul Lotier Jr. Lotier who was making his third SpeedSTR series start was very impressive in qualifying coming home third and was looking good in the feature until the mishap.
Baldwinsville, NY's Jeff Gallup driving his family owned #9 had his best finish yet in the STR series, with a solid 6th place run.
Ray Evernham took the STR series competitors, families, sponsors, and crewmembers to Watkins Glenn on Sunday and provided them with an exciting garage and pit road tour where they had an opportunity to have conversations with Steve Letart, Glenn Wood, Buzzy Reutimann, Tommy Baldwin, Andy Petree, and Brett Bodine.
Fragola dash 1 winner: Rich Tobias
Simpson dash 2 winner: Willy Evernham
Weikel Racewear Feature Results:
1. Nick Pecko (NEP/Napa 42, Vandling, PA), 2. Rich Tobias (Tobias 17, Hershey, PA) 3. Billy Van Inwegen Jr. (Future Racing 23, Sparrow Bush, NY), 4. Doug Rose (Amrose Motorsports 95, Temple, PA), 5. Erin Crocker (Erin Crocker 19, Wilbraham, MA), 6. Jeff Gallup (Gallup Racing 9, Baldwinsville, NY), 7. Andy Burkhart (Burkhart Bros. 87, Temple, PA), 8. Billy VanPelt (Bucks County International 6, NY) 9. Willy Evernham (Evernham 9E, Mooresville, NC), 10. Ray Evernham (Evernham 98, Charlotte, NC), 11. Paul Lotier Jr. (Lotier 7L, Lebanon, PA), 12. Steve Hicks (Hicks Motorsports USA1, Doylestown, PA), 13. Ken Jones (Jones Racing 8, Princeton, NJ)
Updated Points after Woodhull Raceway event:
Nick Pecko 923
Billy VanInwegen 812
Doug Rose 798
Steve Hicks 767
Willy Evernham 755
Andy Burkhart 539
Ray Evernham 529
Jeff Gallup 526
Rich Tobias 495
Erin Crocker 378
Ken Jones 372
Gary Hieber 329
Billy VanPelt 240
Paul Lotier Jr. 234
Billy Pauch 175
Craig VonDohren 158
Kevin Albert 152
Jim Scherer 105
Dave Pecko 100
Kyle Hieber 99
Matt Gerber 95
Tracey Miller 74
Check us out on the Web at www.SpeedSTR.biz