Jun 1, 2008 4 min read

SMITHTON – Tommy Beck, who won more than any other driver in 2007, earned his first NASCAR Pizza Hut Super Late Model feature victory of 2008 Friday at Motordrome Speedway. Defending Charger Champion Mike Lemley also scored his first win of the season, while George Nicola (Modifieds), Jonathan Hileman (Subway Street Stocks), and Ed Dinneen (American Flyers) returned to victory lane.

After Neil Brown, Tommy Beck, and Bobby Henry won heat races for the NASCAR Pizza Hut Super Late Models, Paul Urso started on the pole position for the 40-lap feature. Urso, who led several laps one week prior, maintained an advantage of a few car-lengths over veteran Mark Poole for 25-laps. On lap 26, eleventh starting Beck took the runner-up position from Poole, while Henry and Richard Mitchell advanced into the top five after starting ninth and tenth.

Urso’s quest for a first career win was setback on lap 28, when Beck took the lead, and opened up a comfortable interval. Despite lapped traffic, Urso was unable to keep pace with Beck, and the points leader – aboard his Bentz Motorsports/Stan’s Transmissions Chevrolet Impala – cruised to victory.

Beck now has three second place finishes, one third place, and a win as a brand new father, and he dedicated the victory to his new baby in the hospital, during an emotional victory lane interview. Urso claimed a career-best second place finish, while Mitchell passed his teammate Poole for third in the final turn. Defending champ and previous week’s winner, Henry, trailed Poole in the top five rundown.

The Modified division’s 20-lap feature was led by Chris Brink for the first four laps, after Brink took the green flag from the third starting spot. In a heated battle for top positions early, Bobby Shipp, the fifth-place starter, led lap five before George Nicola reached the point position on lap six. The next lap, a collision in the top five sent the two championship points leaders for a spin in turn four.

Tom Frank and previous week’s winner Adam Kostelnik tangled while racing for third, collecting Brink, Bryan Shipp, Lonnie Hoffman, and Jim Nicola. When racing resumed, Nicola held his distance over Shipp and notched his second win of the year after starting seventh.

Tenth-starting Rick Huffman, who became a serious player in the Modified ranks last season, had a career high third place finish behind heat winner Shipp. Harry Opfer finished fourth while Frank battled back into the top five. Kostelnik won the other heat race.

Jonathan Hileman has taken three checkered flags in his Subway Street Stock career, and those victories have come in a dominant, consecutive, streak.

Andrew Kostelnik led the first lap of the feature, then Bill Henry toured at the front of the field for four circuits. Sixth-starting heat race winner Joe Nicola grabbed the lead on lap six, but then spun in turn two. Nicola continued without stopping, and avoided a caution flag, but forced Henry to spike the brakes and lose several spots as well.

Nicola’s miscue handed the lead to Hileman, who started seventh. Hileman set sail from the field, and cemented his division points lead with the hat-trick feature win. Tony Manganello turned in his best Motordrome performance with a second place finish ahead of heat winner Shawn Phillips, who placed third after starting eighth. Nicola recovered to place fourth with Henry driving home fifth.

In one of the most dramatic finishes on the year, the defending Champion of the Charger division earned his first win of 2008, by taking the lead on the final lap.

Matt Gardner started on row one, and looked to turn his hard-luck season around, after leading 14 laps. But fifth-starting Mike Lemley had the fans on their feet, as he crossed the finish line with only a front bumper ahead of Gardner on the 15th and final lap.

Gardner’s teammate, points leader Jimmy Stokes advanced from eleventh starting position to finish third, with dirt track convert A.J. Poljak finishing fourth in his second pavement race. Denny Keller finished fifth, after Stokes won the heat race.

Veterans dominated the American Flyers feature, as Larry Vance was in command for much of the event, surrendering the lead to Ed Dinneen.

Both drivers helped to pioneer the division several seasons ago, and Dinneen added another trophy to his collection as the all-time leading winner. In the closing laps, Jeff Halfhill, and Paul Rosa, got by Vance for second and third place finishes. Vance crossed the line fourth ahead of young Ron Eiford, III.

Friday night is Fan Appreciation Night with general admission ticket prices just $5, plus a fireworks display after the races.