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By DINO OBERTO
(Lehighton, PA 8-5-23) Two months ago when Edison NJ’s Zach Lenardo won his career first 602 Crate Modified feature at Mahoning Valley Speedway he was the benefactor of then leader Nick Baer misfortune of being bumped out of the front spot with six laps to go and inheriting the lead. He went on to claim the victory from there.
Fast forward 90 days and Lenardo was again behind Bear only this time he proved himself not by luck but talent. Lenardo started third and was quickly tucked in behind Bear at the outset while never letting the leader get any type of distance on him.
Matter of fact Lenardo was able to pull even with Baer by the seventh tour and two laps later take over the lead but the next time by it went right back to the No. 41. Not about to give in Lenardo returned the favor on Baer on the ensuing circuit and was then able to pull away after solidifying the lead. He was on cruise control the rest of the way, going unchallenged on his way to a solid second win.
“It was fantastic to get this win and I was just so focused. We worked on the car all week to get ready for tonight. We knew it would be tough with the competition we have in this class but all the hard work and hours paid off,” said the 16-year old Lenardo.
Although this is only his second time in Victory Lane with a stock car, winning is nothing new for Lenardo who comes out of Quarter Midgets with a boatload of victories. The close action between him and Baer carried him back to those days.
“That really brought me back to how we raced in Quarter Midgets battling like that back and forth almost every lap. You have to have respect and we do but there’s a limit too,” he noted.
“In the heat race we put an older tire (left rear) on and it really didn’t work out and then for the feature we changed it and it really settled down for us and it stuck great to the track,” he continued.
“This 602 class is so tough and there’s a lot of good drivers and when you have that you need to keep on your game. This was great too to win again here at Mahoning Valley, it’s where I started my stock car career and this is my home track.”
Baer was able to hold on for second tough in the closing laps a trio of cars came upon him with Bobby Jones racing side-by-side with Brody George and tucked in closely with them was Greyson Ahner.
Mark Hudson swept the night with the Late Models from his heat and onto the feature, leading every lap of the night in the process.
It was the second time winning this year for Hudson who bested Brian Romig Jr. Both drivers are now tied for the lead in the point standings.
Austin Santee picked his first Street Stock win in 12 years in the make-up July 15 feature. Santee was able to lead up until one lap to go when Cody Geist made a bold move for the top spot inside of Turn 3 and took the checkers first.
However, his pass was made to far inside the designated race area parameters and he was relegated back to second spot, giving Santee the victory, his first since September 17, 2011.
In the regular feature Randy Ahner Jr., was just way too good over the rest of the pack en route to his first win of the season. Ahner Jr., unseated Todd Ahner for the lead after 10 laps complete and then dusted the field with no one in his sight by the time he reached the checkers over Eric Kocher.
There has now been 11 different winners in 12 races thus far with the Street Stocks.
Race #3 of the Evergreen Raceway/Mahoning Valley Speedway Dual Track Series for the 4 Cylinder Stocks/Hobby Stocks took place and in a performance that proves why he is a title contender, Mahoning point leader Cody Boehm won the 40-lap affair over Corey Edelman.
Boehm snagged the lead from early pace setter Scott Adams and then pulled way out ahead to a four-plus second lead before seeing that wiped away due to a caution. On the restart Edelman was alongside and try as me may on that and two more re-go’s, Boehm would not relinquish his spot. Edelman settled for second with Jake Kibler third.
What a birthday present Joe Steigerwalt got from his two kids as Gabrielle Steigerwalt led every lap of the Futures main and won for the third time. Meanwhile her younger brother and point leader Adam passed Caz Takacs at the line making it a one-two finish for the siblings.
Josh Patterson passed Tyler Wagner midway through the ECTQM main and won for the first time with the TQ Midget club at Mahoning. Likewise with Jay Smith who also won for the first time with Modified Micro Stocks.
602 Crate Modified feature finish (25 laps): 1. Zach Lenardo, 2. Nick Baer, 3. Bobby Jones, 4. Brody George, 5. Greyson Ahner, 6. Avery Arthofer, 7. Branden Sullivan, 8. Nick Schaeffer, 9. Deegen Underwood, 10. Makayla Kohler, 11. Paul French Jr.
Late Model feature finish (25 laps): 1. Mark Hudson, 2. Brian Romig Jr., 3. Seth VanFossen, 4. Brooks Smith
Make-up Street Stock feature finish from 7/15 (30 laps): 1. Austin Santee, 2. Cody Geist, 3. TJ Gursky, 4. Randy Ahner Jr., 5. Eric Kocher, 6. Jillian Snyder, 7. Mark Deysher, 8. Jacob Boehm, 9. Jamie Smith, 10. Todd Ahner, 11. Randy Green, 12. Geary Rinehimer Jr., 13. Josh Kuronya, 14. Denis Buss
Regular Street Stock feature finish (30 laps): 1. R. Ahner Jr., 2. Kocher, 3. T. Ahner. 4. Deysher, 5. Geist, 6. Bennett, 7. Gursky, 8. Snyder, 9. Boehm, 10. Santee, 11. Green, 12. Smith, 13. Rinehimer Jr., 14. Kuronya
DTS Hobby Stock feature finish (40 laps): 1. Cody Boehm, 2. Corey Edelman, 3. Jake Kibler, 4. Parker Ahner, 5. Michael Wambold, 6. Travis Solomon, 7. Scott Adams, 8. Micah Adams, 9. Maggie Yeakel, 10. BJ Wambold, 11. Jared Frye, 12. Lyndsay Buss, 13. Don Bauder, 14. James Tout, 15. Jacob Boehm, 16. Nick Schaffer, 17. Mallory Kutz, 18. Shayne Geist, 19. Dave Imler Jr.
Futures feature finish (15 laps): 1. Gabrielle Steigerwalt, 2. Adam Steigerwalt, 3. Chaz Takacs, 4. Sarabeth Mesko, 5. Michael Klotz, 6. Adam Heckman, 7. Al Gildner, 8. Rodney Breiner, 9. Zoe Kuchera
ECTQM feature finish (20 laps): 1. Josh Paterson, 2. Tyler Wagner, 3. Don Zirinski, 4. Jeff Kot, 5. Lexi Przplynski, 6. Richie Coy, 7. Ozzy Carlino, 8. Dave Williams, 9. Graham Hughes, 10. Mark Czervinski, 11. Ken Hirt
Modified Micro Stock feature finish (12 laps): 1. Jay Smith, 2. Tom Ervin, 3. Tyler Wagner, 4. Richie Przybylinski, 5. Mike Haskins, 6. Jim Van Dine
