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Mercer Wins 3rd Annual Jeb Seagle Memorial Race
STANLEY, NC — July 3, 2010 — Fans and drivers at East Lincoln Speedway gathered the Saturday of this Fourth of July weekend to celebrate the memory of fallen Marine Jeb Seagle. The track featured 5 divisions of racing in the Third Annual Jeb Seagle Memorial Race, which included a 25 lap Limited Sportsman race that paid $700 to win. Track owners Ray Evernham and Bob Mack were on hand for the evening and World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series star Erin Crocker awarded three lucky fans with ride-a-longs in the East Lincoln Speedway two-seater sprint car. While it rained in Daytona, it was a cool summer evening at East Lincoln Speedway and fans were treated to another spectacular show.
The first of the five races of the evening was the Stock Four division feature. Driver Hank Kiefer led the field to the green flag, but a slow start bunched up the field behind him. The #18 of Dylan O’Daniel slid under Kiefer and made the race for first 3 wide heading into turn one. As Kiefer fell out of the mix it was Logan Sparks, Lee Oiler and O’Daniel racing for the first position. Further back in the pack, in a similar three car battle, Adam Vandiver, Calen Holden and Hank Kiefer were involved in a race for the fifth position. Racing for the lead, it would be Sparks making contact with O’Daniel on the backstretch. O’Daniel would suffer a flat right rear tire and be forced to pit. It is unknown whether the flat tire or the contact from Sparks came first. On the restart Kiefer drove his car deep into turn three and made contact with the #4 of Jeff Crump. Crump would spin and the damage he sustained sent him to the pits for the rest of the evening. On the restart it was the #18 of O’Daniel on the move as he picked up three spots, moving from sixth to third. After a caution for a spin by the #95 of Vandiver, O’Daniel would find himself in the second position, on the bumper of race leader Sparks. The two made contact on the backstretch. And after straightening their cars out for a short period of time, they found one another once again in turns 3 and 4. This time it would be O’Daniel getting the worst of the ordeal as his car was sent nose-first into the outside frontstretch wall. It has been a rough stretch for O’Daniel over the past several weeks. A late caution would set up a Green-White-Checkered finish. Last week’s winner Lee Oiler found himself racing side by side with Sparks for the two lap shootout. But coming off of turn four it was Sparks that carried the momentum off the high side as he took the victory pumping his fist out the window. It was an emotional win for Sparks as he said he could not find the words to describe how he felt in victory lane. Points leader Lee Oiler finished second. Calen Holden would finish third. Adam Vandiver would come back to cross the line fourth and an eventful evening for Hank Kiefer ended as he held on to the final position in the top five.
For the second week in a row, a strong field of cars showed up in the Micro Sprint division. While it was the #19 of Brian Robison leading the field to the start, it would be last week’s winner Justin Lineman with a run off the high side of turn two that would pull out to the early lead. Points leader Darren Hasty would race his way to the second position before the first, and only, caution flag of the night would fall. The yellow flag was for a spin by the #92 of Jake Ziegler, who had a strong top 5 run going before the incident. The race once again went green and Lineman would reclaim his strong lead over second. Lineman would go on to win his second race in a row after previously enduring a winless streak of over two years. Darren Hasty, Brian Robison, Pete White and Kyle Wilson would round out the rest of the top five.
The third race of the night would feature Randy Powell leading the Super Stock Four division to the green flag. Under a yellow for a Darryl Roark spin, Brad Williams, who was running third at the time, would take his car to the pits for a flat right rear tire. It was a tough break for Williams who had another strong run going after winning last week’s event. Points leader Jennings Herman battled Josh Cook for second until a spin by Jason Sitterly would set up the second Green-White-Checkered finish of the night. Coming across the finish line, it would be Herman on the inside edging out Cook for the second position as Powell went on to win. Fan favorite Gary “Peshi” Fiormanti would finish fourth and Jason Sitterly came home fifth in his Team Marines entry. On a separate note, last week’s disqualification of Jennings Herman in the Super Stock Four division has been overturned and Herman will be credited with a fifth place finish for last week’s effort.
There was no shorttage of excitement in the Renegade division. Fourteen cars lined up to take the green flag. On lap three it was the #8 of Jamie Major motoring by Brandon Atkinson on the outside of turn two to take the race lead. Major, Atkinson, and last week’s winner Mark Woody put on quite a show as all three cars battled for the race lead. It looked as if each of these cars were capable of taking home the win. The yellow flag would fly for a spin by Danny Garcia. On the restart Chris Stowe & Mark Woody got together damaging both cars. On a late race restart, Steve Newsome, Scottie Holden and Matt Arrowood found themselves in a three wide battle for second. Jamie Major would hold on to win. It seemed fitting that the Team Marines car would find victory lane on the weekend we celebrate America’s independence. Coming out of turn four, the second place car of Scottie Holden would spin and fall to the eighth position. Steve Newsome finished third as he was unable to find his way around Arrowood who finished second. Todd Bolin and Brian Toler would finish fourth and fifth respectively.
$700 was on the line as the Limited Sportsman cars lined up on the grid for the final race of the night. The race featured driver introductions and the fans collectively gave the command to start the engines. A special Marines pace car led the field around before the green flag. Last week’s winner and points leader Ronnie White was on the pole to start the race. The race would stay green despite early contact between Scott Freeman and Kris Dunlap. Later, contact between Keith Bowman and Jeff Graves would allow Matt Emmerling, who was filling in for Brandon White, to slip into the third position. Freeman, Dunlap and Emmerling battled for third. Emmerling got into the wall off of turn two and took his car to the pits and retired from the race. The race would stay green until an incident involving Mike Benfield and Chad Smith brought out the caution. Restarting fifth would be Lynn Mercer who had gained several positions since starting last. Mercer would pass Freeman for the third spot. One lap later he would find himself fighting for second with Graves. The yellow flag flew just after Mercer was able to clear Graves. However, because the field reverts to where they crossed the line the previous lap, Mercer would restart third. Mercer would reclaim the second spot from Graves. It didn’t take long for Mercer to find himself passing Ronnie White for the race lead. As Mercer took the white flag, the caution would come out for a Scott Freeman spin. Freeman had made his way back to third and was trying to pass Ronnie White for second when he spun in turn three. Due to the rules of the speedway, the race was not ended by the caution even though Mercer had taken the white flag. The race would restart with one to go and Ronnie White would have one last chance to try and win his second race in a row. In an incredible run from last to first, Mercer went on to take the checkered flag and the $700 prize. Ronnie White expanded his points lead as he finished second. Jeff Graves finished third. Keith Bowman moved into the second spot in the standings as he came home fourth and a heavily damaged Kris Dunlap nursed his car to the final spot in the top five.
Next week is the 2nd Annual Mid-Season Championships at East Lincoln Speedway. There will be a lot at stake as drivers will be racing for double points. Six divisions will take to the track as the Open Wheel Modified division will return to the speedway. Summer is in full swing and the action at the track is heating up as well. Look for another week of close and suspenseful racing at East Lincoln Speedway.
Box Scores: Top 5 Finishers, East Lincoln Speedway, July 3, 2010: Stock Four 1.) Logan Sparks, Statesville 2.) Lee Oiler, Mooresville 3.) Calen Holden, Mt. Holly 4.) Adam Vandiver, Stanley 5.) Hank Kiefer, Albemarle Mini Sprints 1.) Justin Lineman, Linwood 2.) Darren Hasty, Indian Trail 3.) Brian Robison, Charlotte 4.) Pete White, Cornelius 5.) Kyle Wilson, Cornelius Super Stock Four 1.)Randy Powell, Lincolnton 2.) Jennings Herman, Concord 3.) Josh Cook, Denver 4.) Gary “Peshi” Fiormante, Maiden 5.) Jason Sitterly Rengades 1.) Jamie Major, Alexis 2.) Matt Arrowood, Lincolnton 3.) Steve Newsome, Mt. Holly 4.) Todd Bolin, Gastonia 5.) Brian Toler, Stanley Limited Sportsman 1.) Lynn Mercer, Dallas 2.) Ronnie White, Charlotte 3.) Jeff Graves, Stanley 4.) Keith Bowman, McAdenville 5.) Kris Dunlap, Concord
