Busti, NY (July 1, 2019): The halfway point of the 2019 regular season was reached with a full night of racing plus Autograph Night at Stateline Speedway. All cars in the pit were brought onto the track at intermission and the fans were allowed the rare treat of being allowed to mingle with the drivers and crews on the front straight while interviews with several drivers were taking place. When racing resumed, Dave Hess Jr made his second trip to the Dave Warren Auto Group Victory Lane. Darrell Bossard was in Victory Lane for the first time this season after the Close Racing Supply RUSH Late Model feature, as was Greg Johnson in the Outlaw E-Mods, Dave Shagla in the Penn-Ohio ProStocks, and Adam Ashcroft in the Chris Whyte’s Spray Foam Options RUSH ProMods. Casey Burch was victorious for the second straight week in the Challenger feature to cap off the night. 

The first feature on the card was the Close Racing Supply RUSH Late Models with Kyle Zimmerman and Scott Gurdak on the front row. Gary Troyer and Darrell Bossard were in row two. The action started immediately when Dale McDonald spun when the field got to the first turn. The next start was better with Kyle Zimmerman taking the lead at green and Gurdak, Bossard, fifth starting Max Blair, and Jason Genco giving chase. Bossard took second at lap three and Blair had third at five complete. At lap six, Bossard got by Zimmerman and had the lead, which he would never relinquish. Caution appeared just after the lead changed hands when Josh Beckstrom spun in turn two. Both Genco and Ward Schell got by Gurdak with twelve laps in the books as Brandon Porter looped in turn four. On the restart, eight competitors piled up in turn two. As the race completed thirteen laps, Zimmerman and Blair were side by side for second behind Bossard. At fourteen laps, Blair was solidly in second. The final caution was with three to go when Paul Norman spun in turn four, eliminating the .806 second lead Bossard enjoyed and putting Blair right on his rear bumper. Over the final laps, Bossard pulled away from the field, winning by .986 seconds over Blair, Zimmerman, Genco, and Gurdak. 

The Penn-Ohio ProStocks were next, with Jason Black and Douglas Eck at the head of the field coming to Spanky Hall’s green flags. Eck spun in front of the field at turn two and was hit hard by last week’s winner and points leader, Shane Applebee,and eventually involving Gary Fisher, Victor Redeye, and Steve Yokum. Redeye and Yokum retired pitside with Redeye able to rejoin the fray. At this green, Black led to turn two but it was two-time winner John Boardman leading at the line. Bill Reeves got by Black for second at lap two and Shagla came to fourth, then Jason Covey to fifth, with Covey then getting by Shagla. Donald Blood slowed the action when he spun in turn two. When five laps were complete, Boardman led Black with Bill Reeves and Shagla nearly even for third, with Covey fifth. Shagla had advanced to third at seven laps when caution again fell, this time for Dylan Greene and Blood who had spun at turn four. At halfway, Boardman was still leading with Shagla now second, Covey third, Black fourth, and Reeves fifth. At lap nine it was a three-way fight for the lead as the cars entered the backstretch with both Shagla and Covey trying to get by Boardman. At the end of nine, Boardman was hanging on, while Shagla and Covey were side by side for second. After a lap ten caution for Gary Fisher who spun on turn four, Boardman and Shagla were side by side for the lead, with Shagla winning the battle at the line. Vic Earl spun in turn four and needed towed from the scene.  With two to go, Shagla had a half car-length lead over Boardman, extending it to a full length at the white flag. At the finish it was Shagla, Boardman, Reeves (who dropped a driveshaft just past the finish line), Black, and Wesley McCray. 

The Outlaw E-Mods had 21 cars take the green with the veteran Al Brewer on the pole and Josh Ferry to his right. When the leaders got to turn one Ferry got sideways and the rest of the field “accordioned,” with points leader Dennis Lunger colliding hard with Ferry, but Ferry able to keep moving without losing spots. Six more racers were involved before it was done. Lunger went to the pit under the caution, but was able to rejoin prior to the race restarting. The next try at green saw Ron Seeley, Dan Sasso, and Joel Lamphere all spin in turn one. When the race finally was a lap old it was Brewer leading Ferry, Ryan Scott, Randy Hall, and Greg Johnson. At two laps Lunger spun with Hall now up to third. At lap four, Johnson spun into the infield off turn four but kept going, only losing one spot, to Cale Crocker, last week’s winner. At five laps it was Brewer leading Hall, Ferry, Crocker, and Johnson. Deven Dudenhoeffer spinning at turn four, while Butch Southwell and Brian Stino were doing the same at turns one and two, was the next yellow flag. Ryan Scott came into the top five at lap seven with Johnson now fourth and Hall second. Caution flew at lap eight for Mike McGee. At the halfway point it was Brewer, Hall, Ferry, Scott, and Johnson. At twelve complete, Johnson was fourth and third a lap later. Another yellow flew at lap fourteen for Tim Rockwell, who had spun in four. With four to go Sasso and Seeley spun in turn one, then Zach Johnson spun in turn four with two to go. All the while Greg Johnson was inching toward the lead, getting by Brewer just before the final caution when time expired with two to go. The top five were Johnson, Brewer, Hall, Scott, and Ferry. 

Chad Valone and Al Brewer brought the 23-car field of Dave Warren Auto Group Super Late Models to green, with Brewer getting sideways at turn two, bunching up the field with several cars getting involved, including Easton Hedman, Jake Finnerty, Andy Boozel, John Lobb, and Ryan Scott. At the restart, Valone rocketed into the lead with Dave Hess second, then Wyatt Scott, Al Brewer, and Dutch Davies. Using the inside route at lap eight, then switching to the low side,Hess was working hard to get by Valone when Doug Eck and David Scott wound up stopped at the wall in turn four. Under the caution, Wyatt Scott pitted with a flat right rear tire. Valone led Hess, Blair, Brewer, and Davies back to green with three-wide racing coming off turn two. At ten laps, Hess was the leader with Valone and Blair still side by side for second. Blair had the position at eleven, getting next to Hess with four to go. Hess then roared away to lead by two lengths with three to go, but Blair came back to run side by side again through turns one and two before pulling away for the final run to the checkers. The top five were Hess, defending champion and May 18th winner Blair, June 8 winner Ryan Scott, early leader Valone, and Davies. 

Former champion Justin Carlson was the pole-sitter for the Chris Whyte’s Spray Foam Options RUSH ProMod feature with Adam Ashcroft outside. Ashcroft took the early lead over Carlson, Dennis Lunger, Matt Harvey, and past champion Chad Carlson, with Lunger coming to second at lap five when Mike Johnstone spun in turn four. Under caution Harvey headed pitside with a flat left front tire. At ten laps, Ashcroft was still leading with Chad Carlson now second, Justin Carlson third, Lunger fourth, and C J Irons fifth. The race ran smooth the rest of the distance with the final order being Ashcroft for his first win in a ProMod, Chad Carlson, Lunger, Justin Carlson, and Scott Gurdak.  

The race night concluded with the Challengers feature. Tommy LaBarbera and Chris Horton started on the front row with Horton leading Charles Sullivan, LaBarbera, Tyler Walters, and Casey Burch at the end of the first lap.  Eighth-starting Burch was up to third at lap two, with ninth-starting William Van Guilder fourth at lap three. Lap five saw Burch second. The order at halfway was Horton, Burch, Sullivan, Van Guilder, and Walters. At seven complete Burch had a half car-length lead over Horton with Sullivan coming to second at lap eight. With two to go, Walters and points leader Rick Feely were side by side for fifth with Feely eventually getting the spot. The top five were Burch for the second week in a row, Sullivan, Horton, Van Guilder, and Feely. 

Dave Warren Auto Group Victory Lane:

Dave Warren Auto Group Super Late Models:

Heat 1: Chris Hackett, Greg Oakes, Chad Valone, Dutch Davies, John Lobb, Andy Boozel, Breyton Santee, Michael Smith

Heat 2: Max Blair, Darrell Bossard, Matt Urban, Wyatt Scott, Bump Hedman, Wendell Pinckney, Jake Finnerty, Steve Kania

Heat 3: Doug Eck, David Scott, Dave Hess Jr, Al Brewer, Ryan Scott, Easton Hedman, Cody Egner

Feature: Dave Hess, Max Blair, Ryan Scott, Chad Valone, Dutch Davies, Greg Oakes, Chris Hackett, Jacob Finnerty, Darrell Bossard, Andy Boozel, Al Brewer, Breyton Santee, Cody Egner, Wendell Pinckney, Bump Hedman, Wyatt Scott, Easton Hedman, David Scott, Doug Eck, Michael Smith, Matt Urban, John Lobb, Steve Kania

Close Racing Supply RUSH Late Models:

Heat 1: Scott Gurdak, Ward Schell, Darrell Bossard, Jason Genco, Jeff Hoffman, Paul Norman, Brandon Porter, Austin Hauser, Josh Beckstrom

Heat 2: Jason Genco, Matthew Sipes, Gary Troyer, Brian Larson, Scott Dellahoy Jr, Chad Clement, Steve Hauser, Dale McDonald 

Heat 3: Max Blair, Kyle Zimmerman, Chad Schauers, David Parker, John Woodward Jr, Andy Proper, J C Lechner, Breyton Santee

Feature: Darrell Bossard, Max Blair, Kyle Zimmerman, Jason Genco, Scott Gurdak, Ward Schell, Chad Schauers, Scott Dellahoy Jr, Breyton Santee, Jeff Hoffman, Austin Hauser, Brian Larson, Gary Troyer, John Woodward Jr, Ed Coast, Chad Clement, Josh Beckstrom, Andy Proper, David Parker, J C Lechner, Paul Norman, Brandon Porter, Steve Houser, Matt Sipes , Dale McDonald

Outlaw E-Mods: 

Heat 1: Cale Crocker, Josh Ferry, Michael McGee, Steve Rex, Dan Sasso, Michael Eschrich, Brian Stino 

Heat 2: Dennis Lunger, Randy Hall, Justin Carlson, Dave Lamphere, Tim Rockwell, Butch Southwell, Joel Lamphere

Heat 3: Gary Johnson, Ryan Scott, Al Brewer, Zack Johnson, Ron Seeley, Mark Thrasher, Deven Dudenhoeffer 

Feature: Greg Johnson, Alan Brewer, Randy Hall, Ryan Scott, Josh Ferry, Cale Crocker, Butch Southwell, Steve Rex, Dave Lamphere, Tim Rockwell, Brian Stino, Zach Johnson, Mark Thrasher, Ron Seeley , Dan Sasso, Mike Eschrich, Mike McGee, Deven Dudenhoeffer, Dennis Lunger, Justin Carlson (DNS), Joel Lamphere (DNS)

Penn-Ohio ProStocks:

Heat 1: John Boardman, Jason Black, Donald Blood, Steve Yokum, Anthony Marotto, Kyle Couchenour 

Heat 2: Shane Applebee, Gary Fisher, Bill Reeves, Dennis Asel, Paul Nelson, Victor Redeye

Heat 3: Dave Shagla, Douglas Eck, Kreg Schreckengost, Jason Covey, Dylan Greene, Victor Earl (DNS)

Feature: Dave Shagla, John Boardman, Bill Reeves, Jason Black, Wesley McCray, Tony Marotto, Kyle Couchenour, Jeremy Perry, Dennis Asel, Kreg Schreckengost, Paul Nelson, Dylan Greene, Victor Redeye, Jason Covey, Gary Fisher, Steve Yokum, Vic Earl, Donald Blood, Douglas Eck, Shane Applebee

Chris Whyte’s Spray Foam Options RUSH ProMods:

Heat 1: Dennis Lunger, Adam Ashcroft, Chad Carlson, Scott Gurdak, Jarrod Silvis, Brian Mohawk

Heats 2: Stu Rickard, Justin Carlson, Matt Harvey, C J Irons, Michael Johnstone

Feature: Adam Ashcroft, Chad Carlson, Dennis Lunger, Justin Carlson, Scott Gurdak, C J Irons, Stu Rickard, Brian Mohawk, Jarrod Silvis, Michael Johnstone, Matt Harvey 

Challengers:

Heat 1: Chris Horton, William Van Guilder, Brandon Hall, Rick Feely, Jasmine Markham, Morgan Curry

Heat 2: Charles, Sullivan, Tommy LaBarbera, Rachel Moller, Donald May Jr, Charles Silva, Holden Heineman

Heat 3: Tyler Walters, Casey Burch, William Van Guilder, John Mease, Andrew Schumaker, Patrick Oyler, Austin Schnars 

Feature: Casey Burch, Charles Sullivan, Chris Horton, William Van Guilder, Rick Feely, Holden Heineman, Tyler Walters, John Mease, Brandon Hall, Patrick Oyler, Tommy LaBarbera, Jasmine Markham, Donald May Jr, Austin Schnars, Rachel Moller, Morgan Curry, Andrew Schumaker, Charles Silvis, William Van Guilder (DNS)