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By DINO OBERTO
Edge of Traction Photo
(Butler Township, Pa. 6-18-23) The Tour Type Modifieds headlined the Father’s Day action at Evergreen Raceway with twin 25’s and for the most part it was no surprise when Matt Hirschman scored the first feature. But for the second race a rarity took place when Hirschman was sidelined on an opening lap incident. Blake Barney, although being caught in the same melee, was able to continue and would not only do so but go on to win as well.
In the first feature Earl Paules and defending track champion Roger Coss would share the front row and as the race began both would run a close one-two with Barney also in tow.
The trio remained in that order while fifth row starters Brian DeFebo and Hirschman and made haste in working their way towards the lead group.
On lap nine the only caution waved when Daren Scherer, who was running fourth, lost his air cleaner. After things got sorted out the front three of Paules, Coss and Barney picked up their battle but into fourth and fifth respectively were DeFebo and Hirschman.
And, from there the man on the move would be Hirschman as be began picking off one after another. DeFebo was first, then it was Barney on lap 17 for third. The next time around the same fate befell to Coss but things didn’t go as quick when he was behind Paules.
Paules was maintaining a good defensive line over Hirschman but the No. 60 was not going to lay down for sure. With five laps to go he would come off the second corner and begin to make his pass on Paules. By the time they reached the latter two turns he was planted well inside and took the lead for good as they completed the circuit and he was headed to his second straight Evergreen win from there.
“We didn’t have a lot of time to fool around that’s for sure,” said Hirschman.
“A few laps got wasted with the first caution but after that we just put it all together and from that point on there really wasn’t any time to spare and we all raced clean and here we are. We made a lot of good moves.”
Paules held on for second with Coss, Barney and DeFebo rounding out the top five.
Hirschman pulled the number 12 pill for the invert for the second feature which put Tommy Flanagan and Tommy Catanzaro on the front row.
However, the field just about made it to Turn 1 when suddenly they began to stack up and as many as eight cars where collected in the jumble. Of those where Hirschman who pitted but never returned due to front end damage. Barney was in the mix but was the first to drive away and would tag the back of the pack for the restart.
As things got back underway Flanagan led the first few laps before Jacob Kerstetter took control on lap three.
Barney had used the early tours to work into third and then second by lap four. He then stayed on the tail of Kerstetter and turning up the pressure he got his nose inside of the leader on the back straight during the fifth go-around. His race winning pass was then completed at the conclusion of the same lap and from then on he put his No. 14 into cruise control for his first Tour Type Modified win at Evergreen and second here since a Sport Mod victory in 2016.
“That was more of an attrition race then anything with that big wreck on the start. I just tried to keep patient and let the guys come to me and they did,” said Barney.
“I was giving my dad hell in the first race for the car but this was amazing in the second feature and to do this for him on Father’s Day means the world to me.”
Aside from Barney’s win in 2016, the last time the No. 14 was a winning car at Evergreen in a Tour Type Modified came 30 years ago with Hall of Fame driver Tony Siscone behind the wheel for owner Dick Barney.
Paul Hartwig Jr., was second and interestingly when Barney won here seven years ago he was runner-up then too.
A week ago Dan Pawlicki watched his teammate, Mitch Hawk take the win with the Street Stocks. So using a very similar set-up Pawlicki was able to replicate that same performance and score a long overdue win.
Pawlicki impressively led the entire 30 lap distance and in doing so returned to Victory Lane for the first time since September 29, 2013.
Tommy Flanagan charged from seventh to second but had nothing for Pawlicki afterwards. Point leader Mike Pollack was third.
In Race #2 of the Evergreen Raceway/Mahoning Valley Speedway Duel Track Series for the 4-Cylinder Stocks there was no denying the strong running Micah Adams who collected a rousing win in the 40 lap contest.
Adams passed his dad, Scott, on lap six and then gradually began to pull away from the field. And not only was M. Adams distancing himself but when a caution waved with two laps remaining he had been lapping cars inside the top-10.
It was his second win in four races. Runner-up was track point leader Jimmy Ayre who has a pair of firsts and seconds to date. S. Adams was third.
Chub Jensen took the checkers in the Rotten and Forgotten feature which was his second win this season over Tommy Dawson and Tom Jensen.
1st Modified feature finish (25 laps): 1. Matt Hirschman, 2. Earl Paules, 3. Roger Coss, 4. Blake Barney, 5. Brian DeFebo, 6. Nick Baer, 7. Paul Hartwig Jr., 8. Joey Merlino, 9. Jacob Kerstetter, 10. Wayne Szerencsits, 11. Tommy Catanzaro, 12. Tommy Flanagan, 13. Darren Scherer
2nd Modified feature finish (25 laps): 1. Barney, 2. Hartwig Jr., 3. Coss, 4. DeFebo, 5. Baer, 6. Merlino, 7. Kerstetter, 8. Catanzaro, 9. Szerencsits, 10. Flanagan, 11. Paules, 12. Hirschman, 13. Scherer
Street Stock feature finish (30 laps): 1. Dan Pawlicki, 2. Tommy Flanagan, 3. Mike Pollack, 4. Ken Erney Jr., 5. Bobby Kibler Jr., 6. Gordie Buchman, 7. Tucker Muffley, 8. Mitch Hawk, 9. Jonny Bennett, 10. Jason Harman, 11. Amber Knecht, 12. Brandon Oltra, 13. Abe Romanik, 14. Brandon Christman, 15. Larry Labatch
4 Cylinder Stock feature finish (40 laps): 1. Micah Adams, 2. Jimmy Ayre, 3. Scott Adams, 4. Michael Wambold, 5. Tony Hilliard, 6. Travis Solomon, 7. Ryan Berger, 8. Larry Spencer III, 9. Jake Kibler, 10. Jared Frye, 11. Brian Romig Jr., 12. BJ Wambold, 13. Lyndsay Buss, 14. Brooklyn Peters, 15. Jay Skupski, 16. Ralph Borger Jr., 17. Dave Kerr, 18. Dave Imler jr., 19. Cody Boehm 20. Maggie Yeakel DNQ: Adam Heckman, Doug DeHaven, Josh Oswald, Nicholas Kerstetter, Mallory Kutz
Rotten and Forgotten feature finish (25 laps): 1. Chub Jensen, 2. Tommy Dawson, 3. Dan Jensen, 4. Sam Jensen, 5. Tom Jensen, 6. Jon Jensen, 7. Hunter Sterner, 8. Anthony Napilotano
