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Wall Township, NJ – Growing up in the shadows of Wall Stadium, often riding his bike to the race track as a kid to watch, Wall, NJ’s Tyler Ferris lived out a dream on Saturday night by taking his first career NASCAR Modified win, one car owner Brien Hamer waited 20 years to achieve on a night presented by Extreme Marine Construction.
Meanwhile, in the O’Shea’s Auto Repair Factory Stock 51-lap feature, which saw the largest purse in Wall Stadium Factory Stock history paid out, 17-year-old high school senior Alex Rogers took home an astounding $7,368 when all was said and done. The race was held in memory of the late John Webber, with Rogers leading wire to wire.
Rogers’ win was worth $4,000 in purse money, $2,843 in lap money and $525 in the Short Track Stack challenge.
Ferris was impressive in his first career NASCAR Modified win, leading the contest from the start. Two early race cautions slowed the test, hurting the efforts of former champs Derek Hopkinson and later Steven Reed, among others.
Ferris fought off Brick, NJ’s Eddie McCarthy early in the race before McCarthy dropped from the event with mechanical trouble. Howell, NJ’s Jimmy Blewett then took up the chase before finishing second. Mayetta, NJ’s Tyler Truex was a fast-closing third late in the going, while Blake Barney of Jackson, NJ and Joey Merlino of Pine Hill, NJ were fourth and fifth.
With his fourth-place finish, Blake Barney broke the tie atop the NASCAR Modified point standings with Steven Reed with two races left.
“I have to thank my car owner Brien Hamer,” Ferris said. “I would not be here without him. My father, my mom and everyone who helps deserve this win.”
In the John Webber Memorial, held in memory of the former Street Stock winner turned Factory Stock owner who passed away last year, Rogers enjoyed a front-row starting spot by the luck of the draw after posting the fourth-fastest qualifying time.
A handful of caution flags slowed the first half of the race, with Rogers surviving every restart. Little Egg Harbor, NJ’s Patrick Force, Howell, NJ’s Brian Osborn and former champ Elliot Wohl of Beachwood, NJ were Rogers’ challengers through the early going.
After a lap 20 restart forced by a first-turn tangle and fluid spill, the rest of the 51-lap distance ran off without a hitch. Rogers still had his hands full as lapped traffic became a challenge, but he continued to fight off Force until his run ended with a cloud of smoke on lap 46.
Wohl then took over second and chased Rogers to the checkered flag. Freehold, NJ’s Jared Okerson, Osborn and Chris Lane of Waretown, NJ wrapped up the top five.
“I have to thank my dad and mother, my grandfather, my uncle, my entire family and my crew for this,” Rogers said. “The car was just perfect the entire day. I had a lot of great cars behind me and some tricky lapped traffic in front of me, but I never had to worry about my car.”
Edison, NJ’s Zach Lenardo raced to his second win of the year in the Accurate Tree Service Sportsman 25-lap feature, moving into contention on lap ten when Forked River, NJ’s Steve Whitt spun from the lead sending him to the back of the pack. Officials felt that second place running Billy Both contributed to Whitt’s spin and was sent to the rear of the field for his role in the incident.
Lenardo then chased new leader Quinn Trimmer before slipping into the lead with just a few laps remaining. Matthew Kovacs, Neil Rutt III and Ryan Kuhlthau were third through fifth.
Lenardo took over the point lead by just four points over Kevin Davison.
Jack Gerzabek of Springfield, PA was impressive in fighting off competition and lapped traffic to grab his first-ever Natural Design Co. Legend Car win. Lars Wilson chased Gerzabek for the majority of the 30-lapper, with Justin Emmons Jr., Thomas Schwarz and David Polenz rounding out the top five.
Kyle Bostick won a 15-lap exhibition race for the Sunday Series Microstocks.
Wall Stadium will return to action this Saturday night, September 26 with Youth Sports Night. All kids who wear their Sports Jersey to the track will receive $5 off their ticket price.
The NASCAR Modified cars return as they compete in a 40-lap main event with the Accurate Tree Service Sportsman, Surfside Collision 4 Cylinders and ATQMRA TQ Midgets also in action.
Pit Gates will open at 1pm, Practice will start at 3pm when the grandstand gates unlock, Qualifying is at 5:00pm with main events starting at 6:30pm. Adult (18+) admission is $25, Seniors & Military w/ID are $20, Kids (7-17) are $15 while Children 6 & Under are Free.
Wall Stadium is located on Route 34 in Wall Township, N.J., just one mile north of Garden State Parkway exit 98 and Interstate 195 exit 35B. Visit wall-stadium.com for info and updates. The speedway hotline number is 732-681-6400 and email address is wallstadiuminfo@gmail.com.
NASCAR Modified Feature (40 Laps): 1. 7-Tyler Ferris[1]; 2. 24-Jimmy Blewett[7]; 3. 56-Tyler Truex[9]; 4. 14-Blake Barney[8]; 5. 44-Joey Merlino[4]; 6. 55-Steven Reed[6]; 7. 17-Derek Hopkinson[5]; 8. 76-James Blewett[3]; 9. 74-Jonathan Laureigh[10]; 10. (DNF) 49-Dakota Kessler[11]; 11. (DNF) 20-Eddie McCarthy[2]
Accurate Tree Service Sportsman Feature (25 Laps): 1. 51-Zach Lenardo[7]; 2. 77-Quinn Trimmer[3]; 3. 17K-Matthew Kovacs[2]; 4. 66-Neil Rutt III[8]; 5. 51K-Ryan Kuhlthau[10]; 6. 48-Kevin Davison[12]; 7. 71-Peyton Arthofer[6]; 8. 17-Sean Vuksanic[4]; 9. 77A-Avery Arthofer[13]; 10. 18-Billy Both[5]; 11. 28-Ryder Tomaino[9]; 12. 88-Kenny Reaves[11]; 13. 52-Steve Whitt[1]; 14. 81-Chris Gall[15]; 15. 17T-Joey Torchia[14]
O’Shea’s Auto Repair Factory Stock John Webber Memorial Feature (51 Laps): 1. 4-Alex Rogers[1]; 2. 17-Elliott Wohl[5]; 3. 44-Jared Okerson[7]; 4. 15O-Brian Osborn[3]; 5. 88-Chris Lane[6]; 6. 28-Bob Anderton[11]; 7. 77-Rob Anderton[13]; 8. 09-Scott Riggleman[14]; 9. 27-Bryan O’Shea[12]; 10. 86-Kevin Flores[9]; 11. 15-Cody Critelli[18]; 12. 88X-John Bowers[22]; 13. 27H-Kaitlyn Hankins[19]; 14. 43-Lakota Ade[21]; 15. 13-Steve Davis[23]; 16. 89-Nancy Riggleman[26]; 17. 82-John Carpenter[10]; 18. 90-Brian Desarno[17]; 19. 18-Patrick Force[2]; 20. 49-Jared Okerson II[25]; 21. 25-Kristin OShea[20]; 22. (DNF) 31-James Hall IV[16]; 23. (DNF) 4M-Stephen Michel[4]; 24. (DNF) 5B-Nick Bilello[8]; 25. (DNF) 11-Ryan Bilello[15]; 26. (DNF) 52-Matea Castoral[27]; 27. (DNS) 06-Doug Bates
Natural Design Co. Legend Car Feature (30 Laps): 1. 2-Jack Gerzabek[1]; 2. 34-Lars Wilson[3]; 3. 28-Justin Emmons Jr[2]; 4. 1-Thomas Schwarz[5]; 5. 33-David Polenz[4]; 6. 4NJ-Jeff Stephens[7]; 7. 16-Chris Gall[6]; 8. 6-AJ Wright[8]; 9. 11-Cody Conrad[10]; 10. 82-Rob Furmato[11]; 11. 7-Kimberly Furmato[9]; 12. (DNS) 01-Shanon Schwarz
