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Baer Finishes 18th in Mahoning Valley Finale
(LEHIGHTON, PA 11-13-11) A day after bringing home the hardware from Mountain Speedway’s annual awards banquet, Todd Bar and the HB Motorsports team headed to the Mahoning Valley Speedway with the intent to win. Although the teams intentions were well, things didn’t work in their favor and they salvaged an 18th place finish in the team Modified.
   It took nearly two months since twice being rescheduled but the curtain finally came down on the 2011 season at Lehighton’s Mahoning Valley Speedway and judging but the filled grandstands and pit area it was well worth the wait.
   Bobby Jones of Palmerton picked up the win in the star-studded 100-lap Modified feature along with $3000 while newly crowned track champion Tyler Haydt from Kunkletown annexed a second title by winning the Modified Poker Series.
   Jones, the 2011 Mountain Speedway champion, started twelfth in a field of 27 and needed until lap 79 before taking the lead from John Markovic. He then had to fend off the relentless pursuit of Don Wagner in picking up the popular verdict.
   “I can’t believe this. I didn’t think we were close enough to being as fast as some of these guys today,” said Jones who was making only his second Mahoning start of the year.
   “Not being here with this car all year I really felt I was in trouble. We qualified tenth and I thought that was great for us. We decided to make an adjustment before the feature and it was the right choice, we got lucky.”
   A season high 32 Modifieds came out to do battle with Wagner setting fast time in time trials with a best lap of 9.851at 91.361 mph. A redraw of the top-12 saw prerace favorite Matt Hirschman snag the pole with Kevin Rex, Jr., alongside.
  At the outset Hirschman took quick control of the race while a bevy of two-wide action unfolded behind him. Tommy Flanagan held down second with Markovic third.
   Markovic looked very strong as he seized second by lap 13 and then zeroed in on Hirschman. He was all over the leader, finally moving to the helm at lap 29. Leading for the first time this season, the multi-time Mahoning champ was sailing ahead with the look of confidence as he kept all on comers at bay.
   By the halfway mark it was still in the hands of Markovic while second spot was hotly waged between the likes of Hirschman, Jones, Wagner, Haydt and Earl Paules.
   Over the next 25 caution free laps Markovic ran a blistering pace. Jones took sole control of the runner-up spot and stuck closely to the leader’s rear bumper.
   A lap 78 caution put the front pair side-by-side for the restart, however, Markovic wasn’t able to ignite the same fire as he used up his tires from the previous stretch run. Jones was still in good shape and overpowered him to become the new race leader.
   “He (Markovic) was tough and tried hard and I knew he wanted it bad but I also knew I was just as good as he was. I had to get a run on him on that restart or else the outcome may have been a bit different,” said Jones.
   Markovic held on for another ten laps but then gave way to Wagner.
   “There is no better person to lose to then Bobby Jones. He’s a great competitor. We had fun and it just wasn’t my night. I was too good to early. I needed just a little bit more race track,” said Markovic.
   Over the final 10 circuits Wagner did all he could to pass Jones but to no avail.
   “Bobby Jones is a good runner here and congratulations to him and his team. It was good clean racing and that’s the way it is here. It was a good cap to a good season,” said Wagner.
   “I did feel someone behind me toward the end I knew I just couldn’t relax. I knew early on that he (Wagner) was quick on the outside because he had gone past me earlier and made it look easy,” added Jones.
   “Winning the championship at Mountain this year and then to just come down here and enjoy ourselves and be around all these people that I missed all year and race with these guys who are all a bunch of good guys who always race hard and then to do as well as I did tonight and win it’s just awesome.”
   This was the 13th career Modified win at Mahoning for Jones, his last two coming in 100-lappers.
   Haydt was third and put together the winning poker hand over the special five race series with three Kings. He collected the $2500 top prize over Hirschman who had three Queens and Paules who ended with pair of Aces and Kings. Mike Carroll, Jr., earned the $1000 bonus for having to worst poker hand.
 
Modified Feature Finish, 100 Laps: 1. Bobby Jones , 2. Don Wagner, 3. Tyler Haydt, 4. John Markovic, 5. Chip Santee, 6. Eric Beers, 7. Lonnie Behler, 8. Brian Romig, 9. Matt Hirschman, 10. Billy Weichert, 11. Earl Paules, 12. Kevin Rex, Jr., 13. Mike Carroll, 14. Andy Szapacs, 15. Matt Higgins, 16. Tom Flanagan, 17. Chip Wanamaker, 18. Todd Baer, 19. John Bennett, 20. Terry Markovic, 21. Matt Wentz, 22. Roger Hefflefinger, Jr., 23. Joe Mooney, 24. Frankie Althouse, 25. Brian DeFebo, 26. Rick Reichenbach, 27. Brandon Ultra  Did not qualify: Keith Mullineaux,  Shawn Sitarchyk, Nick Shaw, Rick Kirkendall, John Udes
 
Mountain Speedway Crowns 2011 Division Champions
(11/12/2011)- Under the twelfth season of operation with Hazleton’s Joe Callavini at the helm, Mountain Speedway held its annual awards banquet Saturday evening at Genetti’s Inn & Suites in Hazleton, PA.
   With five top five finishes along with eleven top tens in thirteen starts, Todd Baer finished second in the overall Modified points standings. Even though he didn’t run all of the races, Baer scored four top five and eight top ten finishes in nine Sport Modified starts and finished fifth in the points standings this season.
Hundreds filled the banquet hall, including crew and friends and family members of racers that competed at the 1/3-mile asphalt oval in St. Johns, PA during the 2011 racing season.  Along with the presentation of special awards, the end of the year celebration was held to recognize the top points finishers each of the track’s divisions.
   Speedway Announcers Gene Ostrowski and Larry Spencer III were the emcees for the ceremony and spoke about the competitive 2011 season. They continued by thanking the drivers, families and crewmembers for not only supporting the speedway, but also for supporting short track racing in general.
   The evening was highlighted when Bobby Jones of Palmerton was crowned as the Modified champion. In a dominating performance this season, Jones soared to 13 top ten finishes in an equal number of starts. With 11 top five finishes and four feature wins, he headed into the final event of the season with a large enough lead to not even start the race and still win the crown.
   Jones thanked his sponsors and family before thanking his crewmember, many of which have been by his side through out his entire racing career.
   The remaining divisional champions were also honored, including Dave Brigati of Long Island, who scored his first Sport Modified track championship. Like Jones, Brigati thanked everyone that helped him through out the season and promised that once again he would call Mountain Speedway his home next season. In 11 starts this year, Brigati only had one finish outside the top five. He also netted three feature wins along the way.
  Ostrowski closed out the awards presentation by thanking the racers and the Callavini family for their continued support of short track racing in Northeast Pennsylvania Then A.D.D., a popular band from the Lehighton area took the stage to entertain the crowd with classic rock-n-roll tunes.
 
Modified- 1. BOBBY JONES 2. Todd Baer 3. Nick Pecko 4. Kyle Ebersole 5. Allen Creveling 6. Ken Vogel, Jr. 7. Tommy Wanick III 8. Brian DeFebo 9. Earl Paules 10. Barry Callavini
 
Sport Modified- 1. DAVE BRIGATI 2. Nick Pecko 3. Barry Callavini 4. Todd Geist 5. Todd Baer 6. Chip Wanamaker 7. Jason Hearne 8. Pat Verwys 9. Zane Zeiner 10. Rusty Smith
 
With a Win and a Sixth, Baer Has Exceptional King of the Mountain Weekend
(10/8/2011)- With double points and divisional championships on the line, plenty of racers and fans alike came out to Mountain Speedway on Saturday afternoon for the first day of the 12th annual “King of the Mountain” (KoTM) event. In a perfect ending to what he would call a disappointing season so far, Todd Baer of New Tripoli, PA held off Rusty Smith to score the $2,000 prize for his first Sport Modified win of the season. With the Late Model championship on the line, Craig Lutz of Miller Place, NY not only took the victory, but also his first career championship in the division. Paul Morgan, Jr. of Mountaintop, PA took his first Factory Stock victory of the season and Matt Janisch not only took the TQ Midget feature win, but he also clinched the championship at the speedway.
  Anthony Sesely timed the quickest in Sport Modified time trials and following the redraw, Barry Callavini led the field to the drop of the green flag in the 100-lap event.
  Callavini led the first lap over Jason Hearne, Dave Brigati, Rusty Smith and Todd Baer. Smith didn’t waste any time and took the third spot from Brigati on the first lap. He then climbed to the second spot and overtook Callavini for the lead on lap 16.
  The first yellow flag waved when Matt Kurzejewski got out of shape. While gathering his car back up he got into Anthony Sesely, who had nowhere to go. Sesely, a former King of the Mountain winner, was forced to retire from the event.
  With the green flag back out, Baer began to climb toward the front. First, he passed Callavini for third on lap 21 and then he overtook Hearne for the second spot on lap 31.
  Several of the front-runners pitted for fresh rubber following a Todd Geist spin on lap 48. Smith ducked into the pits, as did Baer, Zane Zeiner and Shawna Ingraham. The pit stops gave the lead to Mike Skarbowski. Callavini lined up in second, followed by Kurzejewski, Chas Okerson and Nick Pecko.
  Like a freight train, both Smith and Baer started to climb back to the front over the next twenty laps. With forty laps remaining and with Skarbowski still in command over Okerson, Smith held third with Baer in tow.
  Smith climbed to second and Baer followed through to third. Baer worked on Smith for the second spot and he finally completed the pass on lap 67. Six laps later Baer overtook the leader (Skarbowski), who did not pit for tires.
  Despite several yellows over the closing laps, Baer held off a late race charge by Smith to claim his first career KoTM event. Smith settled for second, followed by Callavini and Hearne. Brigati finished fifth, which helped him earn the 2011 Sport Modified track championship. Ingraham finished in the tenth position and was presented a trophy for being the highest finishing car using a “crate” engine.
 
Sport Modified (100-laps) 1. TODD BAER 2. Rusty Smith 3. Barry Callavini 4. Jason Hearne 5. Dave Brigati 6. Nick Pecko 7. Zane Zeiner 8. Todd Geist 9. Matt Kurzejewski 10. Shawna Ingraham 11. Brian Sones 12. Mike Skarbowski 13. Anderew Krause 14. Chas Okerson 15. Pat Verwys 16. Adam Lacicero 17.Anthony Sesely
 
Day #2
(10/9/2011)- In conjunction with Day two of the 12th annual “King of the Mountain” (KoTM) event at Mountain Speedway, a slew of race cars and fans headed to the track on Sunday to not only see who will claim the $5,000 Modified prize, but also to see who the 2011 track champions would be in the final points event of the season. When it was all said and done, Matt Hirschman of Northampton, PA rebounded from a spin earlier to claim the big money and his first KoTM victory since 2001
  With 34 Modifieds in the pit area, qualifying was important to the drivers, as the top 15 fastest time trailers were assured a spot in the big 150-lap show. Matt Hirschman timed fastest with what is believed to be a new track record at a time of 13.188 seconds. The top ten drivers redrew for starting spots, which put Chuck Hossfeld on the pole position.
  Hossfeld led the 29-car starting field to the drop of the green flag and led the opening circuit over Todd Baer, Earl Paules, Roger Coss and Justin Gumley. However, only one lap later, Baer took the top spot and Paules followed through to take second.
  Content to run to the finish, Paules didn’t put much pressure on the leader early on, but he did take the lead on a lap 22 restart following the first yellow flag. Hossfeld also got by Baer on the restart and grabbed second.
  With Paules still in command, the red flag waved on lap 30 when Travis Fisher and Brad Van Houten tangled in turn four following a restart. Several drivers pitted under the lap 30 caution periods, including Rusty Smith, Matt Higgins, Eddie Brunnhoelzl III and Kyle Ebersole.
  Green flag racing resumed and with 40 laps complete, Paules led over Hossfeld, Matt Hirschman, Zane Zeiner and Nick Pecko. However, the yellow flag waved six laps later when the leaders were racing in lapped traffic. A lapped car slid up the track and slowed up Hirschman, which caused many of the other front-runners to instantly check up, including Zeiner, John Fortin and Brian DeFebo. Hirschman was the only one of the three that was able to continue.
  With the green back out and Paules in command, the yellow struck once again, this time on lap 66 when Tommy Wanick III got into Hirschman and took him around in turn four. Despite the spin, Hirschman didn’t pit for tires.
  Paules continued out front following the restart, but a quick yellow slowed the action once again on lap 72. With a great restart, Hossfeld took the race lead. Paules dropped to second and was hounded by Pecko, followed by Ebersole and Gumley.
  It appeared that Hossfeld had the car to beat, but that all changed following a lap 91 yellow, which involved a spin by John Markovic. Several of the front-runners pitted for tires, including Hossfeld, Paules, Pecko and Gumley. Hossfeld got back on track first, but only to find his right rear wheel chasing him down the backstretch. Hossfeld did head back to the pits and retuned to the speedway.
  The pit stops moved Barry Callavini to the point for the restart and he led a lap before Bobby Jones on lap 92 overtook him. Jones then led two circuits before Paules overtook him. With 50 laps remaining, Paules was out front, with Pecko, Hirschman and Darren Scherer in tow. During the same lap and while racing three-wide for the fifth spot, Coss, Gumley and Callavini took things three-wide. The end result was a very tore up racecar for Coss, who found himself in the turn four fence.
  Green flag racing resumed and it became apparent that Hirschman was on a mission. He overtook the strong running Pecko for second on lap 112 and then slipped underneath Paules for the race lead in turns three and four 16 laps later.
  Despite three yellow flags after taking the lead, Hirschman remained out front and could not be denied his second career KoTM victory. Paules was forced to settle for second, followed by Jones, who won raced his way in through the consi and also clinched the Modified title two weeks prior. Pecko and Gumley completed the top five.
  Hirschman reminisced in victory lane about what he called his best career victory, his KoTM victory in 2001.
  “This win is huge and that first King of the Mountain victory in John Markovic’s back up car in 2001 is what first got me noticed and helped me land a lot of good rides since then”, noted Hirschman.
 
Modified (150-laps) 1. MATT HIRSCHMAN 2. Earl Paules 3. Bobby Jones 4. Nick Pecko 5. Justin Gumley 6. Todd Baer 7. Eddie Brunnhoelzl III 8. Allen Creveling 9. Barry Callavini 10. Andy Walko 11. Chuck Hossfeld 12. John Markovic 13. Daren Scherer 14. Rob McCormick 15. Jason Hearne 16. Roger Coss 17.Kyle Ebersole 18. Travis Fisher 19. Tommy Wanick III 20. Jim Storace 21. Matt Higgins 22.Zane Zeiner 23. John Fortin 24. Brian DeFebo 25. Brandon Oltra 26. Rusty Smith 27. Brad Van Houten 28. Ken Vogel, Jr. DNS: Shaun Carrig DNQ: Brian Sones, Terry Markovic, Dean Gulick, Randy Richard, Joe Mooney
Baer Jets From 15th to 4th at Mountain Speedway
(9/25, 2011)- After being rescheduled several times since July, Autograph and Camera Day took place for the “A Program” Sunday at Mountain Speedway. Fans received treats and autographs from many of the tracks stars before they had the opportunity so see some great asphalt racing action, which included victories by Matt Hirschman of Northampton, PA, who claimed top honors in the Modified division.
  Lenny Fischer led the Modified field to the drop of the green flag in the 40-lap feature. He led the opening circuit over Nick Pecko, Eddie Brunnhoelzl III and Allen Creveling.
  Matt Hirschman started eighth and moved into the fourth spot when he got by Creveling on the second lap. One lap later, Pecko made a pass for the lead on Fischer stick and he took command of the event.
  The first yellow flag waved when Barry Callavini, Matt Wentz, Kyle Ebersole and Creveling tangled in turn four. From the second spot, Hirschman lined up alongside Pecko for the restart. One lap later he climbed to the lead.
  The yellow waved again, this time on lap six, when Fisher made contact with Todd Baer. Several others had contact in the incident, including Earl Paules and Roger Coss.
  Green flag racing resumed and only eight laps in, Ebersole attempted to get underneath Pecko in turns three and four. Ebersole’s left front tire caught the apron of the track, which shot him up into Pecko.
  By this point in the event, Bobby Jones, who appeared to be driving a rocket, held the second spot behind Hirschman. Brunnhoelzl retained third, followed by Ken Vogel, Jr. and 20th place starter, Brad Van Houten.
  With the green still flag back in the air, Dave Brigati cracked the top five on lap 22 and then lost the position to Baer three laps later. 
  Despite many challenges for the lead, Jones was forced to settle for second, as Hirschman claimed his first win at the speedway in his first start of the season. Vogel finished third, followed by Baer and Brunnhoelzl.
  Dave Brigati, Bobby Jones and Matt Hirschman were heat race winners. Earl Paules won the consi.
 
Modified (40-laps) 1. MATT HIRSCHMAN 2. Bobby Jones 3. Ken Vogel Jr 4. Todd Baer 5. Eddie Brunnhoelzl III 6. Earl Paules 7. David Brigati 8. Nick Pecko 9. Lenny Fischer 10. Brad Van Houten 11. Allen Creveling 12. Tommy Wanick III 13. Jarred Nace 14. Pat Verwys 15. Kyle Ebersole 16. Joe Mooney 17.Barry Callavini 18. Roger Cross 19. Matt Wentz 20. Tom Casagrande DNS: Brian DeFebo
 
Todd Baer Nets Another Top 5 at Mountain Speedway
(September 11, 2011)- Ken Vogel, Jr. led the Modified starting grid to the drop of the green flag in the 40-lap event. He led the opening lap over Brian DeFebo, Nick Pecko, Allen Creveling and Todd Baer before the yellow flag flew when Lenny Fischer spun in turns three and four on the fifth lap.
  Green flag racing resumed and Pecko, who had just moved to second three laps earlier, took the race lead.
  Kyle Ebersole cracked the top five, as did Zane Zeiner in the early going and both tried to reel in the leaders. With 13 laps complete, Pecko continued to lead over Ebersole, Zeiner and DeFebo.
  The caution flag flew on lap 21 when Pecko looped his machine while coming off of turn four. The change of events moved Ebersole to the race lead and Zeiner to second.
  It appeared that Zeiner might have had something for the leader in the closing laps, but he was forced out of contention with mechanical failure on lap 34. Green flag racing resumed and Ebersole held off fifteenth place starter, Bobby Jones, to claim his third victory of the season. DeFebo, Barry Callavini and Baer completed the top five.
  Heat race victories went to Brian DeFebo and Ken Vogel, Jr.
 
Modified (40-laps) 1. KYLE EBERSOLE 2. Bobby Jones 3. Brian DeFebo 4. Barry Callavini 5. Todd Baer 6. Allen Creveling 7. Nick Pecko 8. Eddie Brunnhoelzl III 9. Ken Vogel Jr 10. Wayne Szerencsits 11. Tommy Wannick III 12. Jarred Nace 13. Tom Casagrande 14. Gary Wentz 15. Lenny Fischer 16. Zane Zeiner
 
Baer Encounters Rough Night at Mahoning
(LEHIGHTON, PA 9-10-11) Tyler Haydt took the lead away from a very impressive running Frankie Althouse just past the midway point and went on to score his fourth Mahoning Valley Speedway Modified win of the season. Earl Paules was second but had nothing for Haydt while Althouse held on for his best finish to date. In scoring the win the Kunkletown driver also padded his point lead with just three races remaining and has his eyes a possible track championship.
  For Haydt and everyone else, the night started out in question. Despite perfect racing weather, earlier in the day things were somewhat doubtful about running. Due to the recent flooding from Hurricane Lee, the track just two days before was water stricken.
  However, thanks to the untiring effort by promoters Doug and Gena Hoffman and the unselfish help from a multitude of racers and team members, everyone was determined to get the track surface in race ready condition. In the end the laboring paid off after plenty of water pumping and track sweeping. A drivers meeting confirmed that the track was deemed safe enough to compete on and thus the show went on. There were cones set up inside of turns three and four where some remnants of water were still evident.
  “You know, I don’t mind it, it was the same for everybody. It’s one of those things where you get guys like Earl (Paules) and guys who will really hang it out. There are guys who will tip-toe around too but you can really go fast if you want to,” said Haydt.
  “It is what it is and they made the best of what they had to work with and we raced on it and it seems that everyone’s happy and not much to complain about and we got another week in.”;
Rookies Althouse and Kevin Rex, Jr., shared the front row with Rex motoring his way to the opening lap lead. On the next go-around Althouse, running inside of Rex, powered his way to the front. It would be his first time leading in a Modified and was doing so with assertion.
Rex ran second until a lap 10 restart which is when fifth starting Haydt overtook him. He was then glued to Althouse’s rear bumper and although he would try several times to make a pass, Althouse stood his ground, each time showing the determination of a driver hunger for a win.
  On lap 18 the race was slowed due to debris and it would become the turning point as well. When the action resumed Haydt knew that would be his best shot at going for the lead and indeed he seized the opportunity and was able to make his way by.
Fourteenth starting Earl Paules had been in tow with Haydt and followed suit while Althouse slipped to third. The trio would run in that order the rest of the way.
  “I figured the only way I had a shot was on a restart where I could try and beat him to the line,” said Haydt, who now has 31 overall wins at Mahoning.
  “I ran behind him for about 10-12 laps, feeling him (Althouse) out and looking for a hole. He would have really had to have made a mistake for me to just drive by and get him. I certainly wasn’t going to just drive up on the top and drive around him. I wasn’t good enough even if the track would have been perfect to do that.”
  Tommy Flanagan and Chip Santee completed the top five. As for Paules it was his ninth top five finish in ten starts as nearly each time he has raced this year he has been a contender for the win.
  “He (Haydt) was better than I was tonight. I made a couple changes on my car to tighten it up and we got up to second which wasn’t bad,” said Paules.
  “I’m glad Doug (Hoffman) got this show in. It was the same track for everybody. The track conditions made it more even for everyone.”;
Both Haydt and Paules noted about the fine run turned in by Althouse.
 
Modified Feature Finish, 35 Laps: 1. Tyler Haydt, 2. Earl Paules, 3. Frankie Althouse, 4. Tom Flanagan, 5. Chip Santee, 6. John Markovic, 7. Brian Romig, 8. Terry Markovic, 9. Kevin Rex, Jr., 10. Rick Reichenbach, 11. Matt Higgins, 12. Rob Shultz, 13. Andy Szapacs, 14. Lonnie Behler 15. Don Wagner, 16. Todd Baer
 
Baer Scores Two Sport Modified Top 10 Finishes Labor Day Weekend
With double points on the line and in a race that was mainly dominated by Dave Brigati, Barry Callavini of Hazleton, PA pitted early and bided his time Saturday night in the 75-lap Sport Modified feature at Mountain Speedway. As his competition began to fall off, Callavini got up on the wheel and took the race lead with 12 laps remaining to notch his first victory of the season..
  Time trails and then a redraw set the field for the 75-lap Sport Modified main event. Dave Brigati set fast time and then proceeded to pull the pole position for the redraw.
  The green flag waved and Brigati led the opening circuit over Todd Baer, Jason Hearne, Barry Callavini and Scott Adams.
  A quick yellow waved when Geary Rinehimer looped his car in turns one and two. Hearne lined up in second following the restart but Baer retook the position once more green flag laps were logged.
  Nick Pecko climbed to the top five and then both he and Hearn pressured Baer for second. With Brigati still in command on lap 34, Hearne and Pecko got by Baer and moved into second and third respectively.
  The final caution flag of the evening waved when Baer spun in turns one and two. Callavini, who held second at the time, lined up alongside Brigati. Hearne, Todd Geist and Adams followed.
  With the green flag back in the air, Callavini rode the high side of the track and took the race lead. Hearne shot to second two laps after Callavini’s lap 63 pass and Pecko followed to third shortly after.
  Callavini had the field covered over the remaining circuits and he drove to his first Sport Modified win of the season over Hearne, Pecko, Brigati and Geist.
 
Sport Modifieds (75-laps) 1. BARRY CALLAVINI 2. Jason Hearne 3. Nick Pecko 4. Dave Brigati 5. Todd Geist 6. Chip Wanamaker 7. Todd Baer 8. Geary Rinehimer 9. Scott Adams 10. Pat Verwys 11. Brian Sones
 
The Labor Day weekend of racing continued on Sunday at Mountain Speedway and just like the previous evening, the crowd on hand witnessed some fierce battles on the racetrack. When it was all said and done, Dave Brigati of Calverton, NY brought home his third Sport Modified victory of the season.
Pat Verwys led the Sport Modified field to the drop of the green flag in the 40-lap main event. With one lap complete, Jason Hearne held the second spot, followed by Nick Pecko, chip Wanamaker and Dave Brigati.
  Pecko battled with Hearne for second in the early going and the two ran side by side for a number of laps, allowing Verwys to open up a comfortable gap. The pair got situated and the Brigati mounted a charge of his own and then climbed into second when he got underneath Hearne on lap seven.
  A single car spin involving Todd Geist brought out the yellow flag on lap eight and Verwys had company for the restart. Brigati lined up in second, followed by Hearne, Pecko and Wanamaker.
  Green flag racing resumed and Brigati took the lead and then Hearne followed through to take second. As the leaders toured the track nose to tail, the action behind then began to heat up, as Wanamaker, Pecko, Paul Frantz Todd Baer and Rusty Smith all battled for position.
  Brigati continued to lead over Hearne at the halfway mark, with Frantz, Smith and Wanamaker in tow.
  Since taking the lead, it was evident that Brigati was the class of the field and he drove away to take his third feature win of the season. Hearne finished a close second, followed by Frantz and Wanamaker. Smith got by both Baer and Wanamaker in the last two laps to take the spot.
  Heat race victories went to Chip Wanamaker and Pat Verwys.
 
Sport Modified (40-laps) 1. DAVE BRIGATI 2. Jason Hearne 3. Paul Frantz 4. Rusty Smith 5. Chip Wanamaker 6. Todd Baer 7. Todd Geist 8. Pat Verwys 9. Nick Pecko 10. Barry Callavini
 
Todd Baer Earns Another Top 5 at Mountain
(8/27/2011)- Despite a late afternoon passing shower, the drivers and track crew at Mountain Speedway dried out the racing surface and then completed a three division show in just over an hour and a half Saturday night. When it was all said and done, Bobby Jones of Palmerton. PA stood in victory lane as the Modified victor.
  With a scheduled distance of 50-laps, the Modified division drivers took to the track for time trials. One of the biggest surprises of the night was Factory Stock driver, Brandon Oltra, who was behind the wheel of Geary Rinehimer’s Sport Modified, ran the quickest time.
  Following the redraw, Nick Pecko start from the pole position and led the opening lap over Tommy Wanick III, Bobby Jones, Kyle Ebersole and Todd Baer.
  Jones shot by Wanick and into second on lap one and using an outside move, he then proceeded to overtake the leader on the backstretch. Meanwhile, Ebersole charged toward the front and overtook Pecko, who was running second, on lap four.
  Wanick spun to bring out the caution on lap 13 and another yellow flag flew two laps later when Oltra looped his machine in turn one.
  Green flag racing resumed and Jones continued to lead over Ebersole, Pecko, Baer and Wanick.
  Ebersole finally made several moves on the leader in the last ten laps of the event, but he spun in turns three and four with four laps remaining.
  Green flag racing resumed and although Ebersole climbed back to second, Jones went on to take the victory, which was his fourth of the season. Pecko finished third, followed by Baer and Wanick.
 
Modified (50-laps) 1. BOBBY JONES 2. Kyle Ebersole 3. Nick Pecko 4. Todd Baer 5. Tommy Wanick III 6. Brandon Oltra 7. Jarred Nace DNS: Brian DeFebo, Scott Adams, Brian Romig
 
Todd Baer Takes Hard Hit at Mahoning Valley Speedway
(LEHIGHTON, PA 8-20-11) Two of the best Tour-Type Modified drivers in the region waged a high-speed game of "can you top this?" Saturday night at Mahoning Valley Speedway. And when the checkered flag waved over the 100-lap feature, Earl Paules, Jr. took home the $3,000 first-place prize.
  Paules, of Palmerton, Pa., spent most of the race battling back and forth with Dover, N.J., ace Don Wagner. The two swapped the lead eight times in a spellbinding battle before Paules pulled ahead for good on a lap 91 restart. The win, worth $3,000, was Paules' fourth at Mahoning this year and his second in the Poker Series. He now has two Aces (wins) and two Kings (seconds) in his quest for the series title.
   "That's respectful driving," Paules said afterward. "You got to have that respect and Don (Wagner) has that. I'd lead for a while and he'd drive by me on the outside. I'd let him go because he was better than me. He seemed better than me the whole race, so the only time I could get him was on restarts."
  The 100-lapper began with pole starter Matt Wentz zooming into the lead. On lap three, third-starting Wagner moved past Wentz to take the top spot. Meanwhile, Paules, who had set fast time at 9.827 seconds (91.584 mph) earlier in the night, moved to third behind Wagner and Lonnie Behler after starting from seventh. The top 12 drivers from time trials redrew for feature spots.
  The first 21 laps ran caution-free until Wentz and John Bennett tangled in turn two, with Bennett hitting the wall. Under the caution, Behler pulled to the pits, giving Paules second and setting up the battle that dominated the rest of the event.
   Paules moved by Wagner on the lap-21 restart, then Wagner passed him back on lap 25. And so it went for the next 65 laps, Paules and Wagner running side-by-side and exchanging the lead. Making their battle even more exciting was the fact that track points leader Tyler Haydt and Poker Series standout Matt Hirschman ran side-by-side inches behind Paules and Wagner for most of the distance.
  The race's deciding moment came on lap 91 when a spin by Mike Carroll Jr. brought out the final caution flag. Paules outgunned Wagner on the double-file restart and stayed in front to the end. Haydt got by Wagner for second, with Hirschman and Brian DeFebo completing the front five.
  "During a red flag (on lap 43), I was yelling to Wagner that he was too fast, and if we ran side-by-side nobody could pass us," Paules said. "Then before that last caution I saw him wiggle a little there going into turn three, and it made me wonder if he was losing his tires a little bit."
  Said Wagner: "Earl is the best. We gave each other plenty of room and he was pushing harder at the end. I'm sure it was a good show." Wagner is a one-time 2011 Poker Series race winner.
  Runner-up Haydt had the best seat in the house for most of the Paules-Wagner tussle. "I'll tell you what, it was neat watching those guys," he said. "They kept it clean. It was good racing."
  The second-place finish gives Haydt three Kings in the Poker Series championship chase with two  series races left (a "Wild Card" 35-lapper this Saturday and a 100-lapper on Oct. 1). Haydt's run also helped him extend his track points lead over Bennett, who finished 23rd and last after the lap 21 wreck.
  With his fourth place tally Hirschman now has the best poker hand with four Queens.
 
Modified Feature Finish, 100 Laps: 1. Earl Paules, 2. Tyler Haydt, 3. Don Wagner, 4. Matt Hirschman, 5. Brian DeFebo, 6. John Markovic, 7. Rob Shultz 8. Brian Romig 9. Chip Santee, 10. Mike Carroll, 11. Bobby Jones, 12. Kevin Rex, Jr., 13. Andy Szapacs, 14. Matt Higgins, 15. Terry Markovic, 16. Anthony Sesely, 17. Matt Wentz, 18. Tom Flanagan, 19. Todd Baer, 20. Troy Bollinger, 21. Frankie Althouse, 22. Lonnie Behler, 23. John Bennett
Todd Baer Earns First Runner up Finish of the Season
(August 13, 2011)-Despite passing showers late in the afternoon, track workers and plenty of racers took to the track Saturday night at Mountain Speedway in an effort to dry the racing surface. The work was successful and the racing went off without a hitch. Kyle Ebersole of Hummelstown, PA drove to the front and then cruised to his second straight Modified victory. Steve Shultz of Drums notched his fourth Street Stock feature win of the season and Cody Roth of Kunkletown, PA steered clear of trouble to score his second FWD main event win of the year.
  Allen Creveling led the Modified field to the drop of the green flag in the 40-lap main event. Following two complete restarts without a lap scored on the board, Todd Baer overtook Creveling. Tommy Wanick III ran third, with Barry Callavini and Jim Bojohnny in tow.
  A red flag stalled the action when Dave Schneider got into Keith Bachman in turn one. Bachman then slid up the track and into Bojohnny, who then slammed the retaining fence. Ken Vogel, Jr. and E.J. Heim were also collected. Even though he took a hard hit, Bojohnny did not appear to be injured, as he climbed from his racecar under his own power.
  Green flag racing resumed and Nick Pecko cracked the top five, then got by Creveling for fourth on lap three. Two laps later he overtook Callavini for third and then Bobby Jones grabbed fourth.
  Kyle Ebersole started in fourteenth and cracked the top five in a hurry. Pecko overtook Wanick for the second spot on lap nine and set his sights on the leader.
  Meanwhile, Ebersole got by several drivers that were ahead of him and then reeled in Pecko. He completed the second place pass on lap 11.
  A quick caution for water on the speedway set up a lap 18 restart and Ebersole powered his way into the lead.
  Uncontested over the remaining caution-free 22 laps, Ebersole took his second straight victory over Baer, Jones, Pecko and Brian DeFebo.
  Heat race victories went to Allen Creveling, Todd Baer and Kyle Ebersole.
 
Modified (40-laps) 1. KYLE EBERSOLE 2. Todd Baer 3. Bobby Jones 4. Nick Pecko 5. Brian DeFebo 6. Tommy Wanick III 7. Barry Callavini 8. Allen Creveling 9. Chip Wanamaker 10. Jarred Nace 11. Wayne Szerencsits 12. E.J. Heim 13. Craig Doherty 14. Troy Bollinger 15. Tom Casagrande 16. Jim Bojonny 17.David Schneider 18. Keith Bachman 19. Ken Vogel Jr
 
Todd Baer Times Second at Mountain, but Ends with Crash
(July 30, 2011)- Using a cone racing format and with $2,000 on the line for the winner of the 75-Lap Modified main event Saturday at Mountain Speedway, Kyle Ebersole of Hummelstown stayed clear of trouble and then held off point leader Bobby Jones to score his first race of the season at the speedway.
  Time trials were held to set the field for the start of the 75-lap Modified main event and Kyle Ebersole ran the quickest lap, with an impressive 13.307. He redrew the pole and led the opening circuit of the event over Todd Baer, Mike Speeney, Rusty Smith and Ken Vogel, Jr.
  The red flag waved on lap three when Dan Speeney spun in turn one. In an attempt to avoid the incident, Dave Schneider also spun and faced oncoming traffic. With nowhere to go, Barry Callavini climbed up the front of Schneider’s car, which launched his machine into the retaining fence. Luckily, Callavini was not injured, but the damage was too severe for him to continue.
  Several yellow flags plagued the event in the early going, including an incident on lap 14, which involved some racing contact between Bobby Jones and M. Speeney. Schneider was also collected in the turn two tangle and all three drivers were forced to the rear of the field for the restart.
  A cone was placed in the middle of the start/finish line during each yellow and drivers had the choice to take the top or bottom lane for the restart. During this particular yellow, Nick Pecko chose the outside and moved from fifth to second behind Ebersole.
  Green flag racing resumed and Brian DeFebo joined the mix up front. He held third and then shot by Pecko for second. He then reeled in the leader and over took Ebersole for the top spot on lap 40.
  A quick yellow flag flew on lap 49 and the pits suddenly got busy. With the exception of DeFebo, Pecko and Allen Creveling, all of the other racers pitted. M. Speeney came out to restart fourth and Ebersole was fifth.
  Green flag racing resumed and the yellow flew again, this time on lap 51 when Pecko appeared to cut down a tired and rode nearly the entire length of the front stretch wall. He was unhurt but did retire from the race.
  With the green flag back out, M. Speeney quickly moved to second and then overtook DeFebo for the lead on lap 55. His lead however was short-lived, as he spun at the end of the backstretch on the following lap. Baer caught a piece of the incident and his car was towed back to the pits with fairly substantial damage. The change of events gave the lead back to Ebersole with Jones in second.
  Green flag racing resumed and Jones pressure Ebersole for a few laps. With Vogel running third, Rusty Smith moved to fourth and M. Speeney moved back into the top five.
  Ebersole continued in front over the closing laps and took his first victory of the season over Jones, Vogel, Smith and Speeney.
 
Modified (75-laps) 1. KYLE EBERSOLE 2. Bobby Jones 3. Ken Vogel Jr 4. Rusty Smith 5. Mike Speeney 6. Brian DeFebo 7. Allen Creveling 8. Keith Bachman 9. Tommy Wanick III 10. Todd Baer 11. Nick Pecko 12. David Schneider 13. Paul Frantz 14. Dan Speeney 15. Billy Weichert 16. Barry Callavini
 
Todd Baer Brings Home Top 10 With Damaged Car
 (July 16, 2011)- Despite being caught up in a wreck in the early going of the 40-lap Modified feature at Mountain Speedway, Todd Baer salvaged a top 10 finish on Saturday night.
  Like the old saying goes, “if the shoes fits, wear it” and the shoe definitely fits Berwick’s Brian DeFebo when it comes to racing at Mountain Speedway. With his third Modified victory of the season, the tracks most winningest driver held off Bobby Jones to score his 42nd Mountain Modified victory.
  Allen Creveling started on the pole and led the opening circuit of the 40-lap Modified main event over Jim Bojohnny, Tommy Wanick III, Todd Baer and Bobby Jones before the yellow flag waved on lap two when Wanick spun in the second turn.
  Green flag racing resumed and Baer, who had been running third, got by the leaders and took command of the event. Meanwhile, Brian DeFebo cracked the top five and got by Creveling for the third position on lap seven. He then proceeded to take second from Nick Pecko on the following lap. With Jones in tow, DeFebo snagged the lead from Baer on lap nine and Jones followed through to take second.
  The caution flew on lap 15 when Baer thought that he had cleared Roger Heffelfinger following a restart. The pair collected in turns one and two and Creveling slid into the mix. Although the rear of Baer’s car received heavy cosmetic damage, all of the drivers involved were able to continue.
  Green flag racing resumed and just past halfway, DeFebo continued to lead over Jones, Pecko, Wanick and Ken Vogel, Jr.
  Despite several hard runs on the leader during several restarts in the latter half of the event, DeFebo held off Jones to notch not only his third win of the season, but also his 42nd Modified victory at the speedway. Jones was forced to settle for second and Pecko, Vogel and Wanick completed the top five.
  Heat race wins went to Tommy Wanick III and Nick Pecko.
 
Modified (40-laps) 1. BRIAN DEFEBO 2. Bobby Jones 3. Nick Pecko 4. Ken Vogel Jr 5. Tommy Wanick III 6. Roger Heffelfinger Jr 7. Allen Creveling 8. Todd Baer 9. Jarred Nace 10. Jim Bojonny
 
Baer Scores Top 10 at Mahoning Valley
(July 9, 2011) Tyler Haydt has suddenly become the man to beat at Mahoning Valley Speedway as the 26-year old from Kunkletown, fresh off his 100-lap Modified win a week ago, raced to his second straight victory which in the process also padded his point lead.
  Haydt’s third win of the year came in a highly competitive feature that through most of the distance saw the front runners faceoff in a tight bunch with the likes of Chip Santee, Don Wagner, John Bennett, Zane Zeiner and Lonnie Haydt all racing under a blanket.
  Starting 12th Haydt had clawed his way into the top five by lap 11. Thanks to a caution at the same time and some reshuffling of positions of those who had been ahead of him, Haydt was racing in second by the 15th circuit and once again through the aid of a caution, this time on lap 21, he was able to get a jump over Don Wagner for the lead on that restart. The rest of the way it was a closely run duel with Haydt just nipping Wagner.
  “This was a typical race at Mahoning. You scrimped and scrapped for every spot, every inch you could get and try and put yourself in a position to make something happen,” said Haydt who is the only repeat winner with the Modifieds.
  “It is so awesome to be driving for (car owner) Bill Teel. Whatever we need or whatever we have to do he’s behind me 100%. It’s really a tribute to him for the success we’re having this year.”;
  Wagner drove a great race and never gave up trying to regain the lead. He remained glued to Haydt right down to the wire.
  “I can’t cry about second place. This is a tough little track. We ran a lot of laps on the outside early on running with Chip (Santee). I’m not saying I used my tires up but we were good but just not perfect. Tyler was fast. The kid is good and he’s a good race car driver,” said Wagner.
  “I really like to race with Donny (Wagner). We’ve always run good against each other,” added Haydt. “I knew he was behind me and he kept me honest and you need that in order to keep your car on the bottom. He let me know he was there and when I was behind him I let him know the same. We ran clean and that’s what counts. We’re really on top of things right now and want to keep it rolling.”
Behler held off Zeiner for third while early leader Santee completed the top five.
 
Modified Feature Finish, 35 Laps: 1. Tyler Haydt, 2. Don Wagner, 3. Lonnie Behler, 4. Zane Zeiner, 5. Chip Santee, 6. John Bennett, 7. Joe Mooney, 8. Todd Baer, 9. Rob Shultz, 10. Rick Reichenbach, 11. Kevin Rex, Jr., 12. Brian Romig 13. Frankie Althouse, 14. Matt Higgins, 15. Terry Markovic, 16. Tom Flanagan
Late Model Feature Finish, 25 Laps: 1. Paul Koehler, Jr. 2. Austin Kochenash, 3. Paul Skodacek, 4. Rick Wallace, 5. Beau Drobot, 6. Dave Wallace, 7. Glenn Slocum, 8. George Ramos, 9. Ed Bauer
 
Baer Scores Another Top 10 at Mountain
(July 2, 2011)- After winning one of two Modified heat races earlier in the evening, Dave Schneider started on the pole position for the 40-lap main event. He led the opening lap over fellow heat winner, Ken Vogel, Jr. Nick Pecko held third, followed by Kyle Ebersole and Bobby Jones.
Pecko got by Vogel for the second spot in the early going and then lost the spot to Jones, who clawed his way toward the front. Ebersole followed by Pecko and moved into third on the following lap.
With Schneider still in command over Jones, the caution flag flew on lap 12 when a flume of smoke poured from under the hood of Allen Creveling’s car. Green flag racing resumed and with a terrific restart, Jones took the lead.
Making his first start of the season, Roger Heffelfinger moved into fifth on lap 15 and then spun off of turn two, which brought out the second caution. Jones still had the lead at that point with Ebersole, Schneider, Pecko and Vogel in tow.
Despite several attempts by Ebersole to grab the race lead, Jones eventually put some distance on his competition and padded his points lead as he drove away with his third feature win of the season over Ebersole, Vogel, Pecko and Schneider.
Todd Baer had a solid effort in the feature and cam home in the seventh spot.
 
Modified (40-laps) 1. BOBBY JONES 2. Kyle Ebersole 3. Ken Vogel Jr 4. Nick Pecko 5. David Schneider 6. Tommy Wanick III 7. Todd Baer 8. Rodger Heffelfinger Jr 9. Jim Bojonny 10. Jarred Nace 11. Wayne Szerencsits 12. Allen Creveling
 
 
Baer’s Day Ends While Challenging for the Race Lead at Mountain Speedway
(June 25, 2011)- It would be an understatement to say that the Sport Modified feature Saturday night at Mountain Speedway was interesting. In fact, the race itself became a battle of the fittest, and when it was all said and done, while piloting a Sport Modified that is usually driven by his brother William, David Schneider of Northport, NY brought home his first career win in the division.
  Dean Ficarro led the Sport Modified field to the drop of the green flag in the 40-lap main before things heated up in a hurry. While fighting a loose condition, Ficarro got out of shape in turn two, which opened the door for several drivers to take the lead. Chip Wanamaker saw an opening, as did Todd Baer. The pair split Ficarro and when he finally spun out on the backstretch it collected not only the two drivers making a bid for the lead, but also Jim Bojohnny and Nick Pecko.
  The red flag was thrown for the incident after both Wanamaker and Baer sustained heavy damage. It took a little time for Baer to climb from his car and aside from being shaken up and limping, he didn’t appear to be seriously injured.
  Green flag racing resumed with Barry Callavini on the point over Paul Frantz, David Schneider, Dan Speeney and Mike Skarbowski. However, several cautions in the early going slowed the racing action, with the fifth one coming out for a Mike Kline spin on lap four.
  Two laps following the restart, Schneider made a quick move on Callavini and grabbed the race lead. Schneider maintained the lead over Callavini with a third of the race complete and Frantz, Todd Geist and Dave Brigati were in tow.
  A lap 15 tangle occurred when Callavini tried to get underneath Schneider for the lead in turn one. Several drivers behind the two were forced to check up, which caused Frantz and Pecko to collect near turn one. 
  Green flag racing resumed and Schneider had a mirror full of Brigati, who via helicopter, made an attempt to pull double duty between both Mountain Speedway and Riverhead Raceway on Long Island on the same day. 
  Brigati faded over the closing laps, which allowed eighth place starter Skarbowski to overtake him for second on lap 24. Despite efforts by Skarbowski to make the pass for the lead, Schneider held on to take not only his first career Sport Modified victory in his first start of the season, as he did it in style while driving his brother’s car. William Schneider, who usually pilots the ride, was away at a football camp.
  Skarbowski ended up with a second place effort, followed by Brigati, Pecko and Geist.
  Heat race victories went to Dave Brigati and Chip Wanamaker.
 
Sport Modified (40-laps) 1. David Schneider 2. Mike Skarbowski 3. Dave Brigati 4. Nick Pecko 5. Todd Geist 6. Barry Callavini 7. Pat Verwys 8. Paul Frantz 9. Jim Bojonny 10. Dan Speeney 11. Geary Rinehimer 12. Mike Kline 13. Dean Ficarro 14. Todd Baer 15. Chip Wanamaker DNS: Shawn Speeney
 
Baer Leads Laps and Settles for 6th at Mountain Speedway
(June 18, 2011)- While behind the wheel of a rocket on Saturday at Mountain Speedway, Bobby Jones of Palmerton, PA took the race lead on lap ten and then held off Rusty Smith to score his second Modified feature event win of the season. Following a great run in the early going, Todd Baer Salvaged a 6th place finish.
  Ken Vogel, Jr. started from the pole position and led the opening circuit of the 40-lap Modified main event over Todd Baer, David Schneider, Allen Creveling and Barry Callavini in the early going.
  From the ninth starting spot, Bobby Jones wasted no time and began to advance positions, as he cracked the top five on lap three. Meanwhile, Baer hounded Vogel for the race lead and finally took the top spot on lap four.
  Following a quick yellow on lap seven, Jones shot by the drivers in front of him before overtaking the second spot on lap nine.
  The caution flag flew on lap 10 when Andy Walko, Vogel and Mike Speeney had tandem spins in turns three and four. That set Jones up for a shot at the lead.
  With the green flag back out, Jones overtook Baer for the lead and then began to power away from the field. Schneider held third at that point in time, with Rusty Smith and Callavini in tow.
  Schneider grabbed the runner-up spot from Baer on lap 19 and shortly after the caution flew when Baer spun in turn two.
  Green flag racing resumed and several positions juggled and Kyle Ebersole joined the top five, along with Walko.
  Following a caution with five laps to go, Smith climbed to second but couldn’t beat Jones to the checkered flag. The victory marks the second of the season for Jones, who also sits atop the division’s points standings. Ebersole, Walko and Callavini completed the top five.
  Heat race victories went to Ken Vogel, Jr. and David Schneider.
 
Modified (40-laps) 1. BOBBY JONES 2. Rusty Smith 3. Kyle Ebersole 4. Andy Walko 5. Barry Callavini 6. Todd Baer 7. Mike Speeney 8. Nick Pecko 9. David Schneider 10. Ken Vogel Jr 11. Tommy Wanick III 12. Allen Creveling 13. Steve Shultz 14. Jim Bojonny 15. Brian DeFebo 16. Tom Casagrande
 
Great Run Ends With Top 10 Finish For Todd Baer
(June 11, 2011)- Following a pit stop in the early going of the Sport Modified feature Saturday night at Mountain Speedway, Zane Zeiner of Bath, PA drove back to the front of the field and took his second straight Sport Modified win in fashion.
  Todd Geist started from the pole and led the Sport Modifieds to the green flag in the 40-lap Sport Modified feature. He led the first circuit over Will Schneider, Chip Wanamaker, Todd Baer and Zane Zeiner.
  Wanamaker over took Schneider for the second spot and began to hound Geist for the lead. Meanwhile, Zeiner went to work and moved up to third. He grabbed second from Wanamaker and held the spot until the caution flag flew when Barry Callavini spun on the front stretch. Zeiner gave up his track position and pitted during the lap seven yellow.
  Green flag racing resumed and Zeiner began to climb back toward the top five. With Geist still in command, Wanamaker held second.
  While running in third at the time, Todd Baer got out of shape and lost the third position to Zeiner on lap 16. He then overtook Wanamaker for second on the following lap and then challenged Geist for the race lead, which he took on lap 18. With apparent mechanical issues shortly after, Wanamaker fell off the pace.
  With Zeiner still in command just past halfway, Geist continued to hold second, followed by Mike Skarbowski, Schneider and Nick Pecko until the caution waved when Barry Callavini and Schneider tangled just off of turn two. With nowhere to go, Baer became a victim of the incident and suffered the worst damage.
  Green flag racing resumed and Dave Brigati found himself in the fifth spot. He worked over the competition to move all the way to second by the time the checkers flew, but in the end it was Zeiner, who took his second straight Sport Modified victory. Brigati finished as the runner up, followed by Skarbowski, Pecko and Schneider.
  Heat race victories went to Will Schneider and Zane Zeiner.
 
Sport Modified (40-laps) 1. ZANE ZEINER 2. Dave Brigati 3. Mike Skarbowski 4. Nick Pecko 5. William Schneider 6. Paul Frantz 7. Todd Geist 8. Barry Callavini 9. Pat Verwys 10. Todd Baer 11. Chip Wanamaker 12. Geary Rinehimer 13. Dean Ficarro
 
Todd Baer Earns 4th in Modified at Mountain Speedway
(June 4, 2011)- It was definitely a fitting night for Brian DeFebo of Berwick at Mountain Speedway on Saturday night. In conjunction with the 4th annual Evergreen raceway reunion, the talented Modified racer and former two-time Thriller division champion during the Evergreen era notched his second feature win of the season.
  Todd Baer started on the pole position and led the opening circuit of the 40-lap Modified feature over Allen Creveling, Ken Vogel, Jr, Brian DeFebo and CJ Jones.
  DeFebo overtook Vogel for second on lap two and then shot by Creveling to move into the runner up spot on the following circuit. He then reeled in Baer, who had already led by a few car lengths.
  Despite pressure from DeFebo, who had tried to make inside and outside moves work, Baer continued to hold the top spot on lap 18. CJ Jones ran third, with Mike Speeney and Bobby Jones in tow.
  A battle for the fourth spot ensued between Jones and Speeney. Jones jumped to the outside and then he spun his machine in turn two, just when he appeared to take the spot.
  Green flag racing resumed and DeFebo got the edge over Baer to take the lead. Baer settled into second, followed by Jones, Speeney and David Schneider.
  Two yellow flags flew on lap 32. While battling to enter the top five, John Markovic spun in turns three and four and then several drivers in the top five tangled on the backstretch following the restart. CJ Jones had what appeared to be significant damage on his racecar, as did Schneider. Baer was also involved and was able to continue with limited damage.
  Speeney and B. Jones lined up behind DeFebo for the restart. With three laps remaining, Jones tried to get underneath of Speeney in turn one. However, the end result was contact and a spinning Speeney.
  Both drivers had to restart from the rear of the field and when it was all said and done, DeFebo crossed the strip to score his second feature win of the season over Creveling, Tommy Wanick III, Baer and Markovic.
  “It’s great to win one of these things on this Evergreen Reunion night” said DeFebo, a three-time Modified track champion. “We’ll be back to win some more this season”.
  DeFebo continued and invited all of the fans to his mother’s place of business for free drinks, Sophie’s Pit Stop in Berwick.
  Heat race victories went to Todd Baer and Ken Vogel, Jr.
 
Modified (40-laps) 1. BRIAN DEFEBO 2. Allen Creveling 3. Tommy Wanick III 4. Todd Baer 5. John Markovic 6. Wayne Kocher 7. Wayne Szerencsits 8. Bobby Jones 9. Mike Speeney 10. David Schneider 11. Ken Vogel Jr 12. CJ Jones 13. Tom Casagrande 14. Matt Clemens
 
Todd Baer Earns Two 4th Place Finishes at Mountain Speedway
(5/29/2011)- He’ll admit that it wasn’t easy and has definitely proved that it could be done. Zane Zeiner of Bath, PA not only drove to the regular Sport Modified feature win, but also to the Late Model victory Sunday at Mountain Speedway. Dave Brigati of Long Island notched his first win at the speedway in the make-up Sport Modified feature from two weeks ago and Joey Helburg took his first Factory Stock win at the track. Following post race tech inspection, Chris Young backed into the INEX Legends victory.
  Rain came following a crash involving race leaders Todd Baer and Dean Ficarro two weeks ago in the 40-lap Sport Modified feature. The race, which was six laps old, was first on the grid for the Sunday afternoon show. Barry Callavini restarted with the race lead and led over Nick Pecko, Chip Wanamaker, Mike Skarbowski and Dave Brigati.
  Wanamaker overtook Peck for second on lap 15 and then set his sights on the race leader. Another driver on a mission was Brigati, who overtook Pecko for third on lap 16.
  With Callavini still in command, Wanamaker attempted to take the lead. Callavini slammed the door on several occasions until Wanamaker took the top spot on lap 18. His lead however was short-lived, as Callavini retook command a lap later.
  The two battled fiercely and Wanamaker made contact with the leader on lap 24. Both drivers were forced to restart from the tail of the field and Brigati inherited the lead.
  Green flag racing resumed and Brigati held on to the top spot to notch his first Sport Modified victory at the speedway. With a strong showing, Skarbowski finished second. Will Schneider finished a career-best third, followed by Baer and Pecko.
  Dean Ficarro Started from the pole and then lost the lead to Will Schneider before a lap was scored in the regular 40-lap Sport Modified feature. Ficarro held second in the early going, followed by Barry Callavini, Zane Zeiner and Chip Wanamaker.
  It didn’t take long and Zeiner took the third position. He then overtook Callavini for the runner-up spot on lap number one before he started to reel in Schneider.
  The caution flag waved on lap eight when CJ Lacatvia and Mike Kline tangled on the front stretch. Both drivers climbed from their cars, which were towed back to the pit area.
  Green flag racing resumed and Zeiner shot by Schneider and into the lead. Meanwhile, Wanamaker cracked the top five and then took fourth from Pecko on lap 9. Dave Brigati, who started back in tenth followed through to take fifth.
  With Schneider, Wanamaker, Brigati and Todd Baer in tow, Zeiner continued to lead past halfway before the yellow flag waved when Callavini turned Dan Kurzejewski. Green flag racing resumed for three laps before another quick yellow flew.
  Schneider had problems getting up to speed on the restart and the field got jammed up behind him. Several cars tangled, the worst being Dan Speeney, who retired to the pit area.
  Green flag racing resumed and after being flawless on the restart, Zeiner took his first Sport Modified victory of the season over Brigati, Wanamaker, Baer and Mike Skarbowski.
 
Make up Sport Modified feature from 5/15 (40-laps)  1. DAVE BRIGATI 2. Mike Skarbowski 3. William Schneider 4. Todd Baer 5. Nick Pecko 6. Chip Wanamaker 7. Barry Callavini 8. Dean Ficarro 9. Todd Geist 10. Jimmy Blewett 11. CJ Lacatvia 12. Zane Zeiner
 
Sport Modified (40-laps) 1. ZANE ZEINER 2. Dave Brigati 3. Chip Wanamaker 4. Todd Baer 5. Mike Skarbowski 6. Nick Pecko 7. Barry Callavini 8. William Schneider 9. Paul Frantz 10. Shawn Speeney 11. Dean Ficarro 12. Dan Speeney 13. Dan Kurzejewski 14. Scott Adams 15. Todd Geist 16. CJ Lacatvia 17.Mike Kline
 
With the Lead, Problems During Rain Delay End in DNF for Baer at Mountain
(May 22, 2011)- Even with a quick rain delay during the Modified main event, Earl Paules of Palmerton, PA held off Rusty Smith of Oxford, NY to claim his first win of the season at Mountain Speedway on Sunday. For the second straight time this season, Steve Shultz of Drums, PA went on to claim victory in the Street Stock division and Harry O’Neill of Mountaintop, PA scored his second career FWD victory in only his second start of the season. Kevin Nowak of Long Island, NY drove to a division leading third INEX Legends victory of the year and Bruce Carman of Shaftsbury, VT drove to the Atlantic Coast Old Timers win in his 1948 Midget racecar.
  David Schneider started from the pole position and led the opening circuit of the 40-lap Modified feature over Todd Baer, CJ Jones, Allen Creveling and Rusty Smith.
  Baer grabbed the race lead on the third lap and CJ Jones moved into the second spot until several yellow flags slowed the even on lap eight. The worst of the lap eight yellows came when Nick Pecko spun in turn three. Several other were involved in the incident, including Kyle Ebersole, Ken Vogel, Jr., John Markovic, Jarrod Nace, Darren Scherer and Barry Callavini. Callavini needed assistance back to the pit area and was unable to continue.
  The track was cleaned up but green flag racing was delayed because of rain.
  Baer encountered mechanical problems under the rain delay and was not able to rejoin the field for the restart. Green flag racing resumed with CJ Jones in command. Rusty Smith, who had moved into third prior to the restart, held second, followed by Earl Paules and Schneider.
  Following a quick lap 15 yellow flag, Paules took the race lead and two circuits later Smith Disposed of CJ Jones for second. Meanwhile, Brian DeFebo and Jimmy Zacharias battled side by side for fourth.
  Jones fell from the top five when he was sup on lap 25 and with Paules still in command the yellow waved six laps later with DeFebo encountered mechanical problems and slowed on the backstretch.
  With the green back out, Paules held off several charges by Smith and went on to take the victory. Ebersole worked his way back to the front to finish third, followed by Bobby Jones and Zacharias.
  Earl Paules and David Schneider were heat race winners.
 
Modified (40-laps) 1. EARL PAULES 2. Rusty Smith 3. Kyle Ebersole 4. Bobby Jones 5. Jimmy Zacharias 6. Matt Hirschman 7. Daren Scherer 8. John Markovic 9. Allen Creveling 10. Nick Pecko 11. CJ Jones 12. Mike Speeney 13. Ken Vogel Jr 14. Jarred Nace 15. Brian DeFebo 16. David Schneider 17.Todd Baer 18. Barry Callavini 19. Matt Clemens
 
Good Run Goes South For Baer at Mountain
(5/8/2011)- On Checkered Flag Fan Club day and in a Mother’s Day classic, Brian DeFebo of Berwick took the checkered flag to post his first Modified victory at Mountain Speedway since 2008. Steve Shultz of Drums took the early Street Stock lead from Jeff McGrath and never looked back to clinch his first victory of the season and Eric Banashefski of Ashley claimed his first FWD win of the year. Kevin Nowak of Long Island notched his second INEX Legends win of the season.
  Barry Callavini started from the pole and led the opening circuit of the 40-lap Modified main event over David Schneider, Allen Creveling, Jimmy Zacharias and Brian DeFebo. Following a quick yellow flag on lap six, Zacharias overtook Schneider for second.
  Callavini held off Zacharias until lap 13. Zacharias maintained the lead at the mid point of the event over DeFebo, Todd Baer and Earl Paules, who had slowly crept toward the top five. Rusty Smith began to quietly make his way toward the front and sat just outside of the top five.
  The caution flag flew on lap 22 when Schneider spun in turn three. Several drivers took evasive action to avoid the spun machine and some were collected, such as Ken Vogel, Jr. and Kyle Ebersole.
  Green flag racing resumed and with a great restart, DeFebo took control of the event. Baer climbed to second before he lost the spot to Zacharias. Smith worked his way into third when he got by Baer on lap 29 and then He edged by Zacharias for second seven circuits later.
  Smith challenged DeFebo for the lead with three laps remaining and while racing side by side in turn three, DeFebo and Smith touched wheels, which sent Smith up to the wall, bringing out the caution flag.
  With the green flag back in the air, DeFebo held off Zacharias for his first victory in nearly two years at the speedway. Darren Scherer finished in the third spot, followed by Earl Paules and John Markovic.
  Heat race victories went to Barry Callavini, Brian DeFebo and CJ Jones.
 
Modified (40-laps) 1. BRIAN DEFEBO 2. Jimmy Zacharias 3. Daren Scherer 4. Earl Paules 5. John Markovic 6. Bobby Jones 7. Nick Pecko 8. CJ Jones 9. David Schneider 10. Allen Creveling 11. Todd Baer 12. Barry Callavini 13. Rusty Smith 14. Jarred Nace 15. Terry Markovic 16. Ken Vogel Jr 17.Kyle Ebersole 18. Jim Bojonny 19. Travis Ayres 20. TJ Zacharias
 
Todd Baer Steers to Top 5 Sport Modified Finish
(5/1/11)- Sunday was an emotional day for the family, friends and competitors of former Mountain Speedway Factory Stock champion, Mike Moyer, Jr. Moyer lost his life in March and many gathered together to host the 1st Annual Mike Moyer, Jr. Factory Stock Memorial at the speedway. In typical Factory Stock fashion, doors and fenders were rubbed and hot tempers filled the sir for some, but when it was all said and done, Matt Schlenker of Walnutport somehow pulled out the victory. Rusty Smith of Oxford, NY scored his second straight Sport Modified main event victory and Zane Zeiner of Bath notched a win in the Late Model feature. Scott Hubler of Coplay fended off the competition for his first INEX Legends victory of the season and Austin Fehr of Macungee drove his TQ Midget to victory at the speedway.
  Barry Callavini started on the pole and was quickly overtaken by Todd Baer in the 40-lap Sport Modified main event. Baer continued to lead and by lap eight Rusty Smith moved into second. Callavini held third, followed by Dave Brigati and Zane Zeiner.
  Smith hounded Baer and he finally surrendered the lead to Smith on lap 11. Two laps later Zeiner got by both Brigati and Callavini to take third.
  With Smith still in command, Kevin Orlando and Todd Geist brought out the caution when they tangled in turn four on lap 29. The top five remained the same as it had on lap 11, but that was all about to change.
  Green flag racing resumed and Zeiner overtook Baer for second. He then attempted to get by Smith over the closing laps with his last chance coming following a lap 39 yellow flag, which involved Will Schneider.
  Smith was flawless during the final lap and went on to pick up his second Sport Modified victory in his second start this season.
  Kevin Orlando and Barry Callavini were heat race winners.
 
Sport Modifieds (40-laps) 1. RUSTY SMITH 2. Zane Zeiner 3. Barry Callavini 4. Todd Baer 5. Nick Pecko 6. Todd Geist 7. Dave Brigati 8. Kevin Orlando 9. Dean Ficarro 10. Mike Kline 11. William Schneider 12. Chip Wanamaker
 
Todd Baer Earns 9th Place Modified Finish
(4/30/11)- Following time trials two weeks ago, racers and fans alike came to Mountain Speedway on Saturday to enjoy some decent weather and finally, racing! When it was all said and done, Bobby Jones of Palmerton went on to take his first ever opening day win in his Modified. Chip Wannamaker of Walnutport cruised to take the Street Stock victory and Harry O’Neill of Mountaintop notched his first career FWD victory.
  Kyle Ebersole turned the fastest lap during time trials for the opening day 40-lap Modified Main event. He started from the pole and led the opening lap over Todd Baer, Earl Paules, Bobby Jones and Nick Pecko.
  Jones moved to third when he overtook Paules on lap five. Ten laps later he overtook Baer and the lap 15 pass moved him to the second spot. Meanwhile, Rusty Smith, who started the race in the fourteenth spot, began to mount a charge toward the front.
  A quick yellow waved on lap 20 when David Schneider spun his machine on the backstretch. Ebersole held the lead for the restart, followed by Jones, Smith, Paules and Barry Callavini.
  Green flag racing resumed and it only took a few laps of outside racing for Jones to pull even with the leader. Jones completed the pass on lap 25.
  With three laps remaining, Smith finally found a way around Ebersole to take second. With only three laps remaining and with a five or six car length advantage, Jones took the $1500 victory over Smith, Ebersole, Paules and Pecko.
  “This awesome”, said Jones in victory lane. “This isn’t only our first opening day win, it’s our first opening day finish”!
  CJ Jones won the Modified consi.
 
Modified (40-Laps) 1. BOBBY JONES 2. Rusty Smith 3. Earl Paules 4. Kyle Ebersole 5. Nick Pecko 6. John Markovic 7. Ken Vogel Jr 8. Andy Walko 9. Todd Baer 10. Chip Wanamaker 11. David Schneider 12. Allen Creveling 13. CJ Jones 14. Brian DeFebo 15. Terry Markovic 16. Tommy Flanagan III 17.Jarred Nace 18. Danielle Buchek 19. Barry Callavini 20. Mike Sweeney 21. Jimmy Zacharias
 
Todd Baer Earns 7th Place Finish at Mountain Opener
(4/10/11)- Following Saturday’s time trials, both fans and drivers alike poured in to Mountain Speedway for the “B Program” Opening Weekend features. When it was all said and done, Rusty Smith of Oxford, NY cruised to the Sport Modified victory and Larry Fisher of Fern Glen, PA took his ill handling Late Model to victory lane. Matt Schlenker of Walnutport backed into the Factory Stock victory and Mike Alcaro of Newton, NJ brought home the first INEX Legends feature win of the season.
  Rusty Smith timed the fastest in time trials and sat on the pole for the 40-lap Sport Modified feature. He led the opening lap over Dave Brigati, Todd Baer, Chris Orlando and Nick Pecko before the caution flew on the second circuit when Dan Speeney and Scott Adams tangled in turn three.
  A cone was placed on the start finish line during the yellow and the drivers chose which land they wanted to restart in (inside or outside). Many drivers chose the preferred inside groove, but Orlando, who was riding in fourth before the caution, chose the outside and restarted in second.
  Smith wasted no time pulling away from the field and in the meantime, Zane Zeiner, who started the feature in eleventh, got by both Baer and Pecko to overtake the fourth spot. He then went on to overtake Orlando for third on lap seven and shot by Brigati for second on lap 20.
  Even though Zeiner had the fastest car in practice, Smith had a straightaway lead, which didn’t change much over the remaining caution free laps. Smith captured the win in dominating fashion over Zeiner, Brigati, Pecko and Orlando.
  Smith commented on his win from the pole by saying, “I did what I could and raced as fast as I could”. When asked about winning from the pole, his only comment was, “It was easy”.
 
Sport Modifieds (40-Laps) 1. RUSTY SMITH 2. Zane Zeiner 3. Dave Brigati 4. Nick Pecko 5. Kevin Orlando 6. Dan Speeney 7. Todd Baer 8. Barry Callavini 9. Todd Geist 10. Scott Adams 11. CJ Lacatvia 12. Dean Ficarro 13. William Schneider 14. Mike Kline
 
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