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When racing resumed after a delay Cloce raced into the lead over Bob Weber, Dave Heitzhaus, Scott Wylie, and Zane Zeiner. Zeiner quickly moved into fourth on lap 11 and into third on lap 14.
After another delay in the race due to an accident on the backstretch Weber took advantage on the lap 27 restart by getting his cold tires to hook up to the surface first and he slipped under Cloce for the lead going into turn one.
Heitzhaus who raced Super Modifieds at Oswego for one season many years ago started slipping back through the field. This allowed Wylie to take fourth on lap 28 and Dave Macomber to move into fifth on lap 38.
The top five stayed pretty much nose to tail with Weber and Cloce the class of the field. While racing in heavy lap traffic on lap 81 the fifth place car of Macomber spun out bringing out the yellow and moving Jeff Brown into fifth.
The race was stopped for the third time when a multi car turn four wreck halted the action on lap 97. The race returned back to green flag conditions but only for a few laps more as the fourth red flag of the race came out on lap 105 for the flipped car of Francis Gross, III.
The final 20 laps were anti – climatic as the top five remained the same and a few more yellows were tossed in for good measure. Finally on lap 123 of the scheduled 125 lap’s race officials threw the checker due to the excessive wrecking and the race now nearing the two and half hour mark.
Weber in for the $4,000 win over Cloce, Zeiner, Wylie, and Brown.
Qualifying time trials set the field with David Rigan setting fast time with a lap of 18. 872. Notes: Mike Sweeney brought out the second to last caution while battling near the top five. He headed to the pits and the crew did what repairs that they could do to the car and he headed back on track. However, a broken rear end seal and heavy smoke brought him back to the pits. He was forced to sacrifice what could possibly been a top five finish when he retired from the event.
60TH SUNOCO RACE OF CHAMPIONS TJ TOYOTA LATE MODEL FINISH; Bob Weber, Tommy Cloce, Zane Zeiner, Scott Wylie, Jeff Brown, Rich Skora, Jim Lameroux, Dave Macomber, Will Thomas, Donnie Hartzell, Joe Beretta, Jason Zastko, Ray Bancroft, Ron Nurmi, Mike Sweeney, Dave Heitzhaus, Patrick Hargan, Francis Gross, III, Jerry Dineen, David Rigan, Sam Fullone, DJ King, Mike Fiebelkorn, Jr., Dave Whittaker, Cooter Beyer, George Skora, III, Travis Fisher, David Russell. DNS; Joe Burns, Austin Kochenash, Scott Nurmi. Sweeney Scores Another Top 5 at Sundance (9/19/10)- Kyle Harvell started on the pole and led the opening circuit of the 30-lap Late Model feature. Lorin Arthofer ran second with Craig Lutz, Glenn Logan, Jr. and Mike Sweeney in tow. Points leader Justin Onderko cracked the top five and got by Sweeney for fourth on lap nine. Just ahead, Lutz took the second spot from Arthofer. Onderko then moved by Arthofer to take third on lap 13. With Harvell still out front, Lutz reeled in the leader. With Onderko patiently riding in third, Lutz put the pressure on the leader for several laps before applying too much pressure. Harvell spun out in turn two and both drivers had to start from the rear of the field in the lap 24 incident. The change of events moved Onderko to the point. Untouchable over the closing laps, Onderko went on to take his second straight Late Model win of his career. Arthofer finished in the runner up spot, followed by Logan, Sweeney and Dave Macomber. Kyle Harvell and Craig Lutz were heat race winners. Late Model (30-laps) 1. Justin Onderko 2. Lorin Arthofer 3. Glenn Logan Jr 4. Mike Sweeney 5. Dave Macomber 6. Rick Smith 7. Kyle Harvell 8. Craig Lutz 9. Adam Cox Sweeney Stays Out of Trouble to Finish Second (9/5/2010)- Following a DNF in his last outing, Ricky Ross, Jr., the Sport Modified points leader at Sundance Vacations Speedway set out on a mission- to win. That mission was accomplished on Sunday when Ross, of Mountain Top, took the lead just past the halfway point and was unchallenged to take his third $1000 win of the season. Justin Onderko stayed out of trouble, held off his competition and drove away with his first career Late Model victory and Matt Schlenker of Walnutport endured the Factory Stock feature to snag his first career victory. Adam Cox started from the pole and was overtaken by Kyle Harvell before a lap was completed in the 30-lap Late Model feature. Justin Onderko climbed to second, followed by Cox, Craig Lutz and Mike Sweeney. Cox dropped back to the fifth spot when Sweeney overtook him after the first lap. Shortly after, Mike Coll got by Cox to crack the top five. With six laps on the board, Coll got by Sweeney and took the fourth spot and five laps later Onderko challenged Harvell for the top spot and took over the position. Coll eventually climbed to third and began to challenge Harvell for the runner up spot. Harvell did a great job fending off several advances from coll. However, to much of his dismay, Harvell found himself in a turn three spin cycle on lap 26. Both he and Coll were forced to the back of the field for the restart. Green flag racing resumed and following several quick caution periods, Onderko took the checkers for his fist career Late Model victory and first win at the speedway since 2004. Sweeney crossed the stripe in the second spot, followed by Harvell. Cox earned a career-best fourth place effort, followed by Lutz. Heat race victories went to Mike Coll and Kyle Harvell. Late Model (30-laps) 1. JUSTIN ONDERKO 2. Mike Sweeney 3. Kyle Harvell 4. Adam Cox 5. Craig Lutz 6. Lorin Arthofer 7. Rick Smith 8. Austin Kochenash 9. Mike Coll 10. Joe Polny 11. Frankie Althouse 12. John Loftus Hard Crash Forces a DNF for Sweeney (August 21, 2010)- After starting off the season as a victor in the Late Model division, Jerry Hildebrand of Wapwallopen reached victory lane once again this season. However, this time as a rookie driver in the Sport Modified division when he took the checkered flag Saturday night at Sundance Vacations Speedway. Zane Zeiner of Bath took the Late Model lead in the early laps and dominated the event to win his second straight feature in the division and Paul Morgan, Jr. of Mountaintop continued his Factory Stock hot streak by taking his sixth win of the season. Todd Geist started from the pole position and led the opening circuit of the 30-lap Late Model feature. Kyle Harvell held second with Geno Steigerwalt, Justin Onderko and Craig Lutz in tow. Following two quick cautions, Harvell grabbed the lead on lap three. However, it was short-lived, as tenth place starter Zane Zeiner took command on the following circuit. Harvell tucked into the second spot and Lorin Arthofer worked his way to third. Mike Sweeney held fourth and then everything broke loose on lap 12. Sweeney received a flat tire and slowed on the speedway. Sweeney was nearly stopped on the backstretch and just as the yellow flag flew, Steigerwalt motored out of turn two and collided with Sweeney. With nowhere to go, Adam Cox then plowed into Steigerwalt. The initial hit with Sweeney was very intense and the damage to both vehicles was severe. The red flag was displayed and the ambulance immediately headed on track. At one point Sweeney’s car caught fire and he exited the vehicle and rolled on the speedway. Likewise, Steigerwalt exited his car and laid on the track. Despite very torn up racecars, neither driver received serious injury. Green flag racing resumed after the extended red flag period and then the yellow waved again when Harvell spun in turn one. With the green back out, Joe Hoffman began to charge to the front and climbed to the second spot. Arthofer held third on lap 19 with Onderko and Lutz in his mirror. A quick yellow waved with two laps to go, which gave Hoffman the opportunity to have another shot at Zeiner. However, Hoffman’s car went up in smoke on the final lap and Zeiner drove away with his second straight victory over Arthofer, Onderko, Lutz and Harvell. Zane Zeiner and Justin Onderko were heat race winners. Late Model (30-laps) 1. ZANE ZEINER 2. Lorin Arthofer 3. Justin Onderko 4. Craig Lutz 5. Kyle Harvell 6. Francis Gross III 7. Joe Hoffman 8. Todd Geist 9. Adam Cox 10. Rick Smith 11. Joe Polny 12. Mike Sweeney 13. Geno Steigerwalt 14. Kevin Metzger Mike Sweeney Earns 3rd Place Finish in Double Points Main Event at Sundance (8/7/2010)- Double points, $900 to win and a 50-lap feature was the main focus for the Late Model division on Weis Markets Night last Saturday at Sundance Vacations Speedway. When it was all said and done, Zane Zeiner of Bath, PA led flag to flag and took top honors. Ricky Ross, Jr. of Mountaintop, PA endured many cautions to claim his second Sport Modified feature win of the season and Paul Morgan, Jr. of Mountaintop, PA earned his fifth Factory Stock victory of the year. Zane Zeiner started form the pole position in the 50-lap double points Late Model main event. He led the opening circuit with Kyle Harvell, Todd Geist, Justin Onderko and Mike Sweeney in tow. Sweeney overtook Geist for the fourth spot on lap two and on the following lap Onderko shot by Harvell to move into the runner up spot. Lorin Arthofer spun in turns three and four, which brought out a yellow flag on lap 10. Green flag racing resumed and several drivers began to make a charge toward the front, including Joe Hoffman and Jimmy Wismer. Hoffman wasted no time making his way into the top five and then ran down Sweeney for second on lap 13. He overtook Sweeney for the spot and set his sights on the leader. Meanwhile, Wismer moved into the fourth position. The worst pf eight cautions flew on lap 20 when Joe Polny bounced his ride off the front stretch wall. Green flag racing resumed with Zeiner out front over Hoffman, Sweeney, Wismer and Onderko. Hoffman gave Zeiner a run for his money over the closing laps but came up short in the end. Zeiner went on to claim his first victory of the season and dedicated the win to his crewmember Chase, who lost his brother the night before in an accident. Hoffman was content with his second straight runner up effort, followed by Wismer, Sweeney and Onderko. Heat race victories went to Todd Geist and Zane Zeiner. Late Model (50-laps) 1. ZANE ZEINER 2. Joe Hoffman 3. Jim Wismer Jr 4. Mike Sweeney 5. Justin Onderko 6. Craig Lutz 7. Kyle Harvell 8. Todd Geist 9. Geno Steigerwalt 10. Adam Cox 11. Glenn Logan Jr 12. Lorin Arthofer 13. Frank Katona 14. Joe Polny Mike Sweeney Earns Podium Finish at Sundance (July 24, 2010)- Unseasonably high temperatures didn’t stop the drivers and fans from coming out to support the 1/3-mile asphalt oval Saturday at Sundance Vacations Speedway. In a dominating performance, Mike Skarbowski of Upper Black Eddy emerged with his first career $1000 Sport Modified feature victory. Lorin Arthofer of Bethlehem went on to claim his second straight $800 prize and Paul Morgan, Jr. of Mountaintop extended his points lead with his fourth Factory Stock victory of the season. From the pole position, Adam Cox led a hungry pack of Late Model racers to the drop of the green flag in the 30-lap feature. Heading into turn three, the top four drivers raced four wide and side-by-side for the lead. The fist to back out was Kyle Harvell and Craig Lutz jumped into the lead. Jim Lamoreaux climbed to second and Justin Onderko held fourth. Lamoreaux wasted no time and took the lead from Lutz on lap one and then Onderko overtook Harvell for the second spot on lap four. Fighting tooth and nail for position behind Lamoreaux on lap seven, Onderko held second, followed by Joe Hoffman, Mike Sweeney and Harvell. The first yellow of the event waved on lap 13 when Onderko spun in turns three and four while racing door to door with the leader. The change of events moved Lorin Arthofer to the point. However, the caution waved again after the restart when Arthofer and Lamoreaux tangled on the backstretch. At one point Arthofer had only two wheels on the ground and the other two were on the Lamoreaux machine. Amazingly, both drivers continued following the incident. The change of events gave the lead to Hoffman, who was making his first start of the season. Hoffman led over Arthofer following the restart, but the second place driver made the race-winning pass on lap 22. Arthofer went on to take his second straight victory over Hoffman, Sweeney, Harvell and Lutz. Heat race victories went to Justin Onderko and Jim Lamoreaux. Late Models (30-laps) 1. LORIN ARTHOFER 2. Joe Hoffman 3. Mike Sweeney 4. Kyle Harvell 5. Craig Lutz 6. Jim Lamoreaux 7. Justin Onderko 8. Adam Cox 9. Todd Geist 10. Jerry Hildebrand 11. Frank Katona DNS: Zane Zeiner Mike Sweeney Rebounds From Flat Tire to Score 4th Place Finish (July 11, 2010)- Postponed from a weather threatened Saturday, drivers took to the 1/3-mile asphalt oval on Sunday at Sundance vacations Speedway. It was a day of firsts, as all of the feature winners went to victory lane for the very first time in their division. Without pitting for tires, Todd Baer of New Tripoli grabbed the $1250 prize after picking up his first career Sport Modified victory in the 75-lap contest. Following a handful of runner up finishes this season, Lorin Arthofer of Bethlehem went on to claim the $800 prize and his first feature win in a Late Model at the speedway and Eric Wink of Palm capitalized on a late race tangle to score his first career Factory Stock feature win. Geno Steigerwalt started on the pole in the 30-lap Late Model feature, but the yellow flag waved before a lap was complete when Travis Fisher, Justin Onderko and Kyle Harvell tangled in turns one and two. Green flag racing resumed and another caution flew when Joe Burns got into Austin Kochenash. With nowhere to go, Harvell drilled Kochenash in the turn one and two incident. Steigerwalt continued out front with Todd Geist in second, followed by Todd Stehle, Craig Lutz and Lorin Arthofer. The green flag waved once again and Mike Sweeney began to battle with Lutz for the fourth spot. Sweeney made contact with the other competitor and received a flat tire, which brought out the caution and forced him pit side on lap three. With the green back out, Fisher began to climb toward the front. He got by Stehle for fourth and the by Geist for third on lap four. However, Fisher’s day came to end during the next caution when he gave up his spot and retired with mechanical woes. Meanwhile, Arthofer worked his way into second, with Onderko and Harvell close behind. Arthofer jumped to the outside of Steigerwalt for the lead in turn one and Onderko attempted to take the lead with the three-wide maneuver on lap six. Arthofer came out as the leader and Onderko climbed to second. Despite pressure from Onderko over the closing laps, Arthofer went on to score his first career victory at the speedway over Onderko, Lutz, Sweeney and Steigerwalt. Austin Kochenash and Todd Stehle were heat race winners. Late Models (30-Laps) 1. LORIN ARTHOFER 2. Justin Onderko 3. Craig Lutz 4. Mike Sweeney 5. Geno Steigerwalt 6. Kyle Harvell 7. Adam Cox 8. Todd Geist 9. Mike Coll 10. Joe Burns 11. Todd Stehle 12. Frank Katona 13. Troy Bollinger 14. Travis Fisher 15. Austin Kochenash With Double Features on the Line, Sweeney Grabs Second Win of the Season and Nearly Snags His Third (June 26, 2010)- Due to being postponed from two weeks earlier, the Sport Modified and Late Model drivers ran double features on a hot and muggy Saturday evening at Sundance Vacations Speedway. In dominating fashion, Earl Paules of Palmerton stormed to the Sport Modified make up win and he followed it up later that night with another feature victory. Mike Coll of Long Island and Mike Sweeney of Nesquehoning split the Late Model main events and Brandon Oltra of Alden notched his first career Factory Stock victory. After a last lap pass, Bob Wink of Palm found victory in the Father’s Day Factory Stock race and Scott Hubler of Coplay scored his fifth straight PA Asphalt Legends feature win of the season. Todd Stehle started from the pole in the 30-lap make up Late Model feature and led the opening laps over Craig Lutz, Mike Coll, Mike Sweeney and Todd Geist. The yellow flag waved on the third lap when Jerry Hildebrand and Austin Kochenash got together in turn three. Green flag racing resumed and Coll took command. Sweeney followed for second, as did Justin Onderko and Lorin Arthofer. Sweeney nearly overtook the leader on several occasions and suddenly his car nearly shot into the turn three wall on lap 13. He fell victim to a flat tire. Coll remained out front over the closing laps and went on to pick up the $800 check, along with his second feature win of the season. Onderko, Arthofer, Stehle and Hildebrand completed the top five. Joe Burns and Jim Lamoreaux won the qualifiers on June 12. Geno Steigerwalt started from the pole and led the opening laps of the regular 20-lap Late Model feature. Why only 20-laps one might ask? Well, let’s just say that the caution flags flew often and at a lap 11 caution the drivers were told that the race was cut 10 laps short. Jerry Hildebrand grabbed the race lead from Steigerwalt on the second circuit and was closely followed by Mike Coll, Steigerwalt, Mike Sweeney and Kyle Harvell. Sweeney worked into the third spot and then overtook Coll for second on a lap six restart. Hildebrand held off several pass attempts by Sweeney until he sealed the deal on lap 10 and became the new race leader. Todd Geist tried the high groove and it was evident that his car didn’t like it, as he slipped up the track off of turn four and nailed the front stretch wall. The drivers were told under the lap 11 caution that the race would be cut to only 20-laps. Hildebrand did his best to overtake Sweeney over the remaining laps and with only one lap remaining, Hildebrand appeared to be the victim of a flat tire, as he was first overtaken by Onderko and then spun from contention on the final lap. Sweeny crossed the stripe to score the $800 prize and his second win in his last three races. Onderko finished in the second spot, followed by Harvell, who earned his best finish of the season. Jason Zastko and Craig Lutz completed the top five. Geno Steigerwalt and Lorin Arthofer were heat race winners. Late Model Make Up from 6/13 (30-laps) 1. MIKE COLL 2. Justin Onderko 3. Lorin Arthofer 4. Todd Stehle 5. Jerry Hildebrand 6. Austin Kochenash 7. Mike Sweeney 8. Craig Lutz 9. Adam Cox 10. Todd Geist 11. Geno Steigerwalt 12. Frankie Althouse 13. Joe Burns 14. Travis Fisher 15. Jim Lamoreaux Late Model (20-laps) 1. MIKE SWEENEY 2. Justin Onderko 3. Kyle Harvell 4. Jason Zastko 5. Craig Lutz 6. Frankie Althouse 7. Elliott Wohl 8. Geno Steigerwalt 9. Jerry Hildebrand 10. Todd Stehle 11. Mike Coll 12. Lorin Arthofer 13. Adam Cox 14. Austin Kochenash DQ: Todd Geist Mike Sweeney Ecstatic Over First Late Model Win of the Season at Sundance (May 30, 2010)- After going a lap down and finishing his first Sport Modified Feature two weeks ago, Brian Sones of Sandy Valley asked his father to put his engine back in his Street Stock. Dad declined and Brian, a former two-time victor in the Street Stocks set out Sunday with hopes of earning a top ten finish at Sundance Vacations Speedway. To the surprise of many, Sones not only earned his first top ten, but also went on to capture the checkered flag, picking up his first career Sport Modified main event win. After weeks of frustration and disappointment, Mike Sweeney of Nesquehoning threatened to cut up his Late Model if it wasn’t competitive in the feature. It appears that Sweeney’s car will remain intact because he notched his first feature win of the season. White Haven’s Jeff Searfoss held off Paul Morgan, Jr. and scored his first Factory Stock win in nearly 16 years and Scott Hubler of Coplay pulled the hat trick and scored his third consecutive Pennsylvania Asphalt Legends Series victory. Craig Lutz started from the pole position and led the Late Model field to the drop of the green flag for the 30-lap feature. Lutz lurched out to the early lead followed by Austin Kochenash, Kyle Harvell, Mike Sweeney and Joe Burns. Sweeney quickly disposed of Harvell and Kochenash and then the caution flew for a racing incident in turn three. Both Todd Geist and Lorin Arthofer headed pit side with damage. Green flag racing resumed and Sweeney quickly overtook Burns for the lead. However, another yellow flew when Jerry Hildebrand spun in turns one and two. Todd Stehle and Dave Macomber were also collected. With the green flag back in the air, Justin Onderko climbed to second, followed by Kochenash, Lutz and Arthofer. The final yellow of the afternoon flew when Mike Coll, who was obviously fighting a tight racecar, climbed the front stretch wall and rode it for at least half the straightaway. Amazingly, Coll hit the pits for a new right front tire and came back out on the speedway. Unsuccessful, Onderko tried all that he could over the closing laps to catch the leader. Sweeney went on to pick up not only his first feature win of the season, but also the $800 payday for his efforts. Onderko was forced to settle for second, followed by Kochenash, Arthofer and Macomber. Craig Lutz and Mike Sweeney were heat race winners. Late Model (30-Laps ) 1. MIKE SWEENEY 2. Justin Onderko 3. Austin Kochenash 4. Lorin Arthofer 5. Dave Macomber 6. Craig Lutz 7. Joe Burns 8. Mike Coll 9. Todd Stehle 10. Kyle Harvell 11. Jerry Hildebrand 12. Adam Cox 13. Todd Geist DNS: Geno Steigerwalt Sweeney Wins Heat Before Car Falls Off During Feature at Sundance (May 16, 2010)- Perfect racing conditions from Mother Nature set the stage for close door to door racing Sunday at Sundance Vacations Speedway. After taking the race lead from Paul Frantz early in the Sport Modified feature, Ricky Ross, Jr. of Mountaintop held off Nick Pecko to score his first feature win of the season. Jerry Hildebrand of Wapwallopen held off Lorin Arthofer to notch his first Late Model victory of year and Mountaintop’s Wayne Lowe visited victory lane for the fist time the season in Factory Stock competition. Ian Cumens of Lyndell took top honors in the ATQRMA main event and Scott Hubler of Coplay found victory lane in the P.A.L. Legend main. Jerry Hildebrand took the race lead from pole sitter Troy Bollinger before a single lap was scored in the 20-lap Late Model feature and Mike Sweeney followed through to take second. Lorin Arthofer overtook Sweeney for the runner up spot on lap four and began to reel in the leader. By that point in the race, Justin Onderko held fourth with Mike Coll in fifth. Sweeney’s car began to fall off a little bit and Onderko grabbed the third spot on lap six. The only yellow flag of the race flew on lap eight when Bollinger and Craig Lutz tangled on the front stretch. Lutz sustained a lot of sheet metal damage and was not able to continue. Despite heavy pressure from Arthofer following the restart, Hildebrand remained out front followed by Onderko. With Coll running in the fourth spot, Sweeny surrendered the fifth spot to Joe Burns on lap 13. After a slow start to the season, Hildebrand went on to pick up his first $800 feature win of the year, followed by Arthofer, Onderko, Coll and Burns. Heat race wins went to Justin Onderko and Mike Sweeney. Onderko picked up $50 because his finishing position was pulled in victory lane for the Sundance Vacations Contingency Program. Late Model (30-laps) 1. JERRY HILDEBRAND 2. Lorin Arthofer 3. Justin Onderko 4. Mike Coll 5. Joe Burns 6. Mike Sweeney 7. Kyle Harvell 8. Adam Cox 9. Todd Stehle 10. Troy Bollinger 11. Craig Lutz Top 5 Finish Boosts Confidence for Mike Sweeney (May 2, 2010) Kyle Harvell started from the pole position and was overtaken by Lorin Arthofer following the drop of the green flag in the 30-lap Late Model main event Sunday at Sundance Vacations Speedway. The first of four yellows waved when several cars slowed up in front of Jerry Hildebrand. Hildebrand made contact, suffered a flat tire and headed pit side. Green flag racing resumed and Mike Sweeney held second behind Arthofer. Dave Macomber worked his way into third, followed by Harvell and Joe Burns. Another yellow waved on lap three when Mike Coll and Craig Lutz tangled in turns three and four. With the green flag back out, Sweeney attempted to make an outside pass for the lead, which opened the door for Macomber. Macomber got by Sweeney and then set his sights on the leader. Macomber caught Arthofer and completed the pass on lap six. Meanwhile, Sweeney overtook second. Not many laps later, Arthofer regained the position back. Macomber began to distance himself from the racing behind him and crossed the stripe to grab the $800 prize and notch his first ever win at the speedway. Arthofer finished second, followed by Burns, Sweeney and Austin Kochenash. Dave Macomber and Austin Kochenash scored heat race wins and as long as he meets the program requirements, Arthofer won $50 when his finishing position was pulled in victory lane for the Sundance Vacations Contingency Program. Late Model (30-laps) 1. DAVE MACOMBER 2. Lorin Arthofer 3. Joe Burns 4. Mike Sweeney 5. Austin Kochenash 6. Justin Onderko 7. Mike Coll 8. Kyle Harvell 9. Todd Stehle 10. Adam Cox 11. Craig Lutz 12. Frank Katona 13. Jerry Hildebrand 14. Troy Bollinger Mike Sweeny Rebound with 8th Place Finish After Getting Wrecked Early (April 18, 2010) Mike Coll ran the quickest lap during Late Model time trials and rolled an eight for the redraw, which gave the pole position to Justin Onderko. Onderko decided to start at the tail end of the feature and that put Jerry Hildebrand at the point for the start of the 30-lap Late Model feature. Despite being wrecked early on and thanks for quick crew work, Mike Sweeney rebounded to finish in the 8th position. The green flag flew and Hildebrand led the first circuit with Travis Fisher, Lorin Arthofer, Coll and Dave Macomber in tow. However, the caution flag flew on lap four when Coll got into Arthofer as they race out of turn four. Several cars were collected in the incident, including Kyle Harvell, Craig Lutz, Mike Sweeney and Todd Stehle. Both Lutz and Harvell were for ced to retire from the event. Green flag racing resumed and Hildebrand was slow getting up to speed. That gave Fisher the opportunity to take command. He remained out front with near the halfway point with Macomber in second, followed by Hildebrand, Coll and Onderko. Two quick cautions followed and Coll capitalized on each of them to gain a position closer to Fisher. While battling for the lead in turns three and four with only five laps remaining, the pair of drivers tangled. Coll spun and had to restart from the rear of the field. Fisher on the other hand had cosmetic damage and continued as the leader. With four laps remaining, Coll quickly disposed of the drivers ahead of him and caught Fisher. They battled over the final lap with Stehle following from a close third. Coll nearly cleared Fisher, who tried to battle back on the outside. Fisher’s car slid up the track, which allowed Stehle to gain the advantage for the second spot behind Coll. The victory was the first for Coll at the speedway in nearly five years. Stehle finished second, followed by Fisher, Onderko and Austin Kochenash. Late Model (30-Laps) 1. MIKE COLL 2. Todd Stehle 3. Travis Fisher 4. Justin Onderko 5. Austin Kochenash 6. Jerry Hilderbrant 7. Joe Burns 8. Mike Sweeney 9. Geno Steigerwalt 10. Adam Cox 11. Dave Macomber 12. Lorin Arthofer 13. Craig Lutz 14. Kyle Harvell DNS: Troy Bollinger After Two Titles, Mike Sweeney Makes Some Changes By: Kyle Hardner Area Auto Racing News February 28, 2010
It's a sunny
Saturday afternoon, and Mike Sweeney is standing in Victory Lane.
His parents, Bernice and Vince, stand proudly on either side. Mike
is holding the checkered flag, a huge smile across his face. Behind
him, two crewmen hold up a banner proclaiming Sweeney as Sundance
Vacations Speedway's Late Model champion for two straight years.The picture, taken after Sundance's King of the Mountain 2009 season finale, shows the end result of an amazing two-year ride. It was in 2008 that Sweeney brought out a new car, a Late Model with a chassis built by Nate Correll and all the extras added by Sweeney and his crew.
For two years, that black Andy Jensen-powered No. D11 car has been Sundance's most consistent. In 2008, it led him to a first career title by 97 points over Ricky Ross Jr. Last year, it helped him become the fifth driver in track history to win back-to-back Late Model crowns (Bob Becker, Richie Jensen, Todd Geist and Paul Koehler Jr. are the others). He earned 11 top-five finishes in 12 races to top Jerry Hildebrand by 119 points.
So why are Sweeney and his team spending their winter evenings making major changes to a car that has a chance to make Sundance Late Model history this year? Easy answer: to go even faster.
"I'm proud of all my guys and what we've done," says Sweeney, 29, of Nesquehoning, Pa. "But even though we've won two championships - and it's tough to win a championship - I just haven't had the feel of the car. It's a very consistent car, but we need more speed."
Most of all, Sweeney wants to get back to Victory Lane on a more regular basis - and not just after a season-long points battle.
"Our win total hasn't been where I've wanted it to be," he says. "We won five races at Mahoning in 2005, then I broke my leg the next year, sat out half a year and still came back to win three races. In 2007 I switched to (Sundance) and won three times. But then we won twice in 2008 and just once last year. That's really bugged me. So we're cutting the car apart a little bit and trying some new things."
The fine line between big winner and track champion is one Sweeney has spent most of his nine-year career trying to balance. When he first started in Factory Stocks, then Street Stocks, he was a hard charger. His go-for-broke style even earned him the car number he uses today.
"When we first went to Sundance (with a Street Stock), there was another No. 11 car, and we had to come up with a different number," Sweeney explains. "I work for Radocha Excavating, and at the time the biggest bulldozer they had was a Caterpillar D11 model. So we put the 'D' in front of our number. It's always been an inside joke with me and (Mike) Radocha."
Once Sweeney moved to Late Models, he began to lift off the throttle a little more and became a more complete driver. Yet it's said to win a championship, you have to first lose one. Sweeney had that experience at Mahoning in 2005 when he narrowly lost the Late Model crown to his good friend and Nesquehoning neighbor Mike Radocha Jr. With that lesson learned, and with the new car at his disposal starting in '08, Sweeney took the final steps from contender to champion.
While his back-to-back Sundance titles have come by somewhat comfortable margins, Sweeney did have a bit of a scare with two races left last season, when a special Friday night makeup show, run quickly on a frigid night under the threat of rain, nearly spelled disaster. "I broke a spindle on the left front in warm-ups," he says. "That sent me into the wall with the right front and ripped apart every suspension piece on that side."
The car wasn't fixable by heat-race time, and sitting out wasn't an option. So he turned to his good friend and fellow Late Model racer Troy Bollinger, who let Sweeney borrow his car for the night. Sweeney finished that rain-shortened 21-lap race in seventh spot (his only non-top-five of the year), good enough to maintain his points lead, then wrap up the title with his own, repaired car at the King of the Mountain finale.
To earn an historic three-peat, Sweeney knows he and his team - which includes his mom and dad, his girlfriend Sarah Valentine, uncle Robbie Sweeney, crew chief Rick Foulk and crewmen Bruce and Eric - have to step up his program a bit. The 2010 Sundance Late Model field looks to be one of the toughest in recent memory. Two-time champ Todd Geist and Bollinger, a past Modified champ at Mahoning, have already announced plans to race Late Models full-time at Sundance for the first time in several years, and a few others are considering regular action at the third-of-a-mile asphalt oval as well.
Sweeney, who has been working two jobs this winter to enhance his racing budget, knows he'll be part of the mix. He and Bollinger have purchased pit spots next to one another. "Troy and I have been working together a bit this off-season," Sweeney says. "He was my crew chief for the (Sundance) NELMA 100 and (Wall) Turkey Derby last year. He acquired an older Howe car for this year and put a new rear clip on it. He's been at my garage and I've been at his to help out."
Sweeney has raced other cars in his career - an asphalt Modified part-time for Dale Troxell and even a one-time ride in a Super Sportsman at Big Diamond Raceway in 2008 - but Late Models remain his focus.
"The only real differences between a Modified and Late Model are the fenders on the Late Model and the (higher) cost of the tires in a Modified," he says. "With the Late Model, you're on scales and playing with setups every week. You have to know your equipment is capable of running that race and then some. When you come across the line for five-to-go, your equipment is there, you're up on the wheel, hopefully you're leading and nobody is gonna pass you."
Sweeney hopes he's the one leading more often than not this year. And if that leads him to a third consecutive Sundance Late Model crown, even better. 2009 NEWS Sweeney Finishes 7th in Turkey Derby XXXVI (November 27, 2009) Mike Sweeney didn't have the fastest car Friday at Wall Stadium on the Jersey Shore, but his crew went to work after time trials and Sweeney quickly motored toward the front runners. Held up by a car with a flat, Sweeney dropped to tenth. He began to work back towards the front and was spun out by another driver. Not giving up, he rejoined the race and had to check up for a car that was up against the wall. In doing so, the car behind Sweeney drove up on to his quarter panel, causing heavy damage. Despite the bad luck, he earned a respectable 7th place finish in Turkey Derby XXXVI. LATE MODEL STOCK CARS – 50 Laps – 1. WAYNE HELLIWELL, 2. Mike Coil, 3. Michael Bologna, 4. Dave MacOmbee, 5. Roger Oxee, 6. Greg Kleila, 7. Mike Sweeney, 8. Elliott Wohl, 9. Artie Pedersen, 10. Jimmy Blewett, 11. Travis Fisher, 12. Pete Ericksen, 13. Michael Mortimer, 14. Zane Zeiner, 15. Lorin Arthofer, 16. Rob Ormsbee, 17. Ken Matlach Fighting Illness, Sweeney Gets Caught up in NELMA Late Model Challenge Wreck
(October 25, 2009) Late Model drivers raced the clock during time trials prior to the start of the 100-lap main event and Kevin Metzger peeled off the quickest lap. A redraw followed and the invert put Jerry Hildebrand on the pole position for the show. Hildebrand set the early pace over Jarrod Hayes, Larry Fisher, Mike Coll and Kevin Metzger. The first of several yellows waved when Metzger spun in turns three and four. A successful restart was essential for the front-runners. Hildebrand got a good jump over Hayes. Meanwhile, Coll and L. Fisher rubbed fenders and doors as the duo battled for third. L. Fisher encountered a handling issue and headed pit side during the next caution. Travis Fisher overtook Hayes for the second spot on a lap 13 restart. Hayes began to fade and looped his machine in turn four on lap 37. The competition yellow flew on lap 50. The short period enabled drivers to re-fuel for the second 50-lap run. Hildebrand led at the break over T. Fisher, Coll, Dave Macomber and Mike Sweeney. Green flag racing resumed and T. Fisher wasted no time and took the top spot from Hildebrand. Meanwhile, Zane Zeiner came to life and charged toward the top five. It appeared that T. Fisher might run away with the race win but that was all about to change following a lap 80 caution that involved a multi-car tangle in turn one. The drivers involved were Sweeney, Francis Gross III, Scott Wylie, Metzger and Will Schneider. Green flag racing resumed and Zeiner shot by Hildebrand. He hounded T. Fisher for the race lead and got to the bottom of the leader with four laps remaining. In typical NELMA fashion, T. Fisher tried to hold his line and Zeiner in the process. The two finally tangled in three and four and as Hayes shot underneath and into the race lead, Hildebrand and Coll got a piece of the melee but continued to hold their positions. Uncontested, Hayes drove off to his second career NELMA Late Model Challenge Victory over Coll, Hildebrand, Mike Mortimer and Wylie. Coastal 181 sponsored the event and Hayes was presented with the first-ever Coastal 181 cup. Late Model (100-Laps) 1. JARROD HAYES 2. Mike Coll 3. Jerry Hildebrand 4. Michael Mortimer 5. Scott Wylie 6. Travis Fisher 7. Dave Macomber 8. Zane Zeiner 9. Kevin Metzger 10. William Schneider 11. Doug Renalds 12. RJ Oxee 13. Justin Onderko 14. Mike Sweeney 15. Francis Gross III 16. Larry Fisher 17.Tommy Spencer Jr 18. Johnny Electric 19. Geno Steigerwalt 20. Lorin Arthofer 21. Doug Kroata Mike Sweeney Earns 2009 Sundance Track Title! (October 10, 2009) Mike Sweeney hasn't been the fastest car every week this season, but consistency wins championships and Sweeney has been just that throughout the 2009 season. For the second straight season, Sweeney Racing will sit at the head table and be honored as champions at the 10th annual Sundance Vacations Speedway banquet in November. Joe Hoffman started from the pole and led the opening laps of the 50-lap Late Model feature over Zane Zeiner, Kevin Metzger, Travis Fisher and Jimmy Wismer. Zeiner started second and raced side-by-side with Hoffman before he overtook the leader on lap four. The caution flag flew on lap 15 when Metzger bounced off of the front stretch wall and shot across the track in front of Wismer and Mike Coll. Both drivers headed pit side for repairs and rejoined the field. Zeiner continued to be in command on lap 15, followed by Hoffman second and Fisher, Mike Sweeney and Tommy Spencer, Jr. Following a lap 16 restart, Hoffman worked the outside of the leader and retook the lead on lap 18. Will Schneider started deep in the field and had worked up to the sixth spot but a spin on lap 40 brought out the yellow and took him from contention. Fisher had overtaken Zeiner for second and Jerry Hildebrand held third, followed by Zeiner and Metzger by that point in the event. Green flag racing resumed and Fisher made a bid for the lead on lap 42. Hoffman slipped back to second and continued to regain the advantage until his car caught a piece of the front stretch wall on lap 45, resulting in a spin. Despite a hard charge out of turn four on the final lap, Fisher held off Hildebrand to take his first career King of the Mountain win. Zeiner finished in third, followed by Metzger and Sweeney. The fifth place effort for Sweeney earned him his second consecutive Late Model track title. Heat race wins went to Joe Hoffman, Zane Zeiner and Travis Fisher. Late Models (50-laps) 1. TRAVIS FISHER 2. Jerry Hildebrand 3. Zane Zeiner 4. Kevin Metzger 5. Mike Sweeney 6. Jim Wismer 7. Tommy Spencer Jr 8. Don Holland 9. Joe Hoffman 10. Kyle Harvell 11. Mike Coll 12. Austin Kochenash 13. Joseph Burns 14. Geno Steigerwalt 15. Bill Catania 16. Jennifer Kutz 17.William Schneider 18. Dave Macomber 19. Paul Monkoski Troy Bollinger Saves the Day for Sweeney Racing (October 2, 2009) Friday night at Sundance Vacations Speedway started out in a very bad way for Mike Sweeney, the points leader in the track’s Late Model division. Headed into the second to last race of the season, a left front spindle broke on Sweeney mount during the first round of practice. After breaking, the car shot into the turn three fence and sent Sweeney and crew scrambling for parts. Although they didn’t find all of the parts, plenty of crewmembers and racers jumped in to help Sweeney repair his #D11. That’s when Troy Bollinger stepped in. Bollinger, a friend and competitor of Sweeney’s offered him his car to use in the heat and feature. Sweeney said yes and salvaged a decent points day, thanks to Bollinger. Jerry Hildebrand overtook polesitter, Jennifer Kutz when the green flag waved in the 21-lap Late Model main event. Kevin Metzger shot into second, followed by Mike Sweeney, Zane Zeiner and Travis Fisher. Hildebrand began to check out from the field and the laps clicked off. Zeiner in the meantime had fought his way to second and Mike Coll cracked the top five. With rain beginning to move in, head flagger, Chris Walk, threw the yellow and checkered flags on lap 21, which made the race official. Hildebrand took his third win of the season over Zeiner, Fisher, Metzger and Coll. With the win, Hildebrand earned a guaranteed starting spot in the “Fall Brawl” at Shangri-La II Speedway. Heat race winners were Jerry Hildebrand and Kevin Metzger. Late Models (21-Laps) 1. JERRY HILDEBRAND 2. Zane Zeiner 3. Travis Fisher 4. Kevin Metzger 5. Mike Coll 6. Larry Fisher 7. Mike Sweeney 8. Joe Hoffman 9. Joseph Burns 10. Jennifer Kutz 11. Mitch Hawk 12. Todd Geist 13. William Schneider Sweeney Earns Top 10 Finish in Sunoco Race of Champions (September 12, 2009- By: JR Kennerup) Scott Wylie and Bob Weber brought the Late Model feature to green with Wylie grabbing the lead over Weber, Tommy Cloce, George Skora, III, and Todd Hoddick just before the yellow flew. On the restart Weber got the jump on Wylie to grab the lead and the top five running order stayed the same until the yellow came out on lap 19.
On the lap 20 restart Cloce glued himself to the rear bumper of Weber to take second from Wylie and at the same time Hoddick who was fifth was able to get past Skora for fourth. On a lap 33 restart Weber and Cloce raced side by side for three consecutive laps before Cloce got far enough ahead to grab the lead. Hoddick at the same time moved into third and Ron Nurmi moved into fifth.
The complexion of the race changed on lap 42 as Nurmi broke loose exiting turn two and got into the back stretch outside wall. Thomas was left no place to go and made contact with the right front and he was forced to pit with right front body and suspension damage. Thomas pitted for repairs and returned to the race on the lead lap. Back up front a three car battle for the lead emerged with Cloce, Weber, and Hoddick all racing hard for the lead. Thomas meanwhile was making his way back to the front after his pit stop. Thomas raced his way back into fifth on lap 89 and on lap 95 the car of Weber started to become loose and this allowed Hoddick to move into second. Two laps later Thomas powerfully moved into fourth and four laps later entered third. Weber continued to slip back through the field as Skora passed him for fourth on lap 107. The final yellow of the race came out on lap 108 and everyone knew the way Thomas, now in third was running that a 17 lap battle was going to take place for the win. Thomas made his move into second on lap 113 as the Hoddick machine got loose. Over the final 12 laps Thomas and Cloce pulled away from the rest of the field and many thought that Thomas would take a shot at the win. However with four laps to go the Thomas machine almost spun out exiting turn two and the advantage gained by his mistake allowed Cloce to go on and take the very popular win in a race sponsored by his sponsors.
Qualifying for the 22 car field saw Thomas set fast time in time trials with a quick lap of 18.811 and Travis Fisher won the heat race. 59TH SUNOCO RACE OF CHAMPIONS OFFICIAL TJ TOYOTA / WAITE TOYOTA LATE MODEL FINISH; Tommy Cloce, Will Thomas, Todd Hoddick, George Skora, III, Bob Weber, Chris Ross, Scott Wylie, Mike Fiebelkorn, Jr. Mike Sweeney, Jeremy Dineen, James Southard, Josh Lloyd, Andre Roggie, Patrick Hargan, Travis Fisher, Rich Skora, Scott Nurmi, David Macomber, Scott Nurmi, Brandon Kidd, Joe Berretta, Todd Geist. Sweeney Fights Race Car and Salvages Third Place Finish (September 6, 2009) Joe Burns Started from the pole position in the 30-lap Late Model feature and was quickly overtaken by Kyle Harvell for the race lead. Jerry Hildebrand moved into the second spot and Will Schneider and Mike Sweeney joined the top five. A quick yellow waved on the second lap when Bill Catania got into Austin Kochenash in turn one. The tow drivers rejoined the back of the field. Zane Zeiner grabbed the lead on the restart. Hildebrand grabbed second and Hoffman moved to third, followed by Harvell and Schneider.
A quick yellow flag flew on lap 21. Hildebrand attempted to get under Zeiner following the restart. Sideways, the pair rubbed fender and doors out of turn four. Hoffman had nowhere to go and tried going low. Unfortunately Hildebrand’s car finally spun and collected Hoffman. Both drivers involved retired from the event. Zeiner was flawless on the restart and led the final circuits to notch his fourth win of the season. Harvell, Sweeney, Burns and Paul Monkoski completed the top five. Heat race wins went to Jerry Hildebrand and Zane Zeiner. Late Models (30-laps) 1. ZANE ZEINER 2. Kyle Harvell 3. Mike Sweeney 4. Joseph Burns 5. Paul Monkoski 6. Austin Kochenash 7. William Schneider 8. Bill Catania 9. Jerry Hildebrand 10. Joe Hoffman 11. Jennifer Kutz 12. Geno Steigerwalt Sweeney Almost Gets the Win and Settles for Second (August 30, 2009) Kyle Harvell started on the pole and led the opening circuit of the 30-lap Late Model feature before the caution flew when Jerry Hildebrand and Jennifer Kutz tangled in turns three and four. Green flag racing resumed and sixth place starter, Joe Hoffman, overtook Harvell. Fifth place starter, Mike Sweeney, followed in second with Zane Zeiner in pursuit. Sweeney was unable to reel in the leader due to a long green flag run in the second half of the event. However, he did hold off Zane Zeiner to score the runner up finish. Hoffman, of Drums, cruised to his second win of the season over Sweeney, Zeiner, Harvell and Austin Kochenash. Late Models (30-laps) 1. JOE HOFFMAN 2. Mike Sweeney 3. Zane Zeiner 4. Kyle Harvell 5. Austin Kochenash 6. Geno Steigerwalt 7. William Schneider 8. Joseph Burns 9. Justin Onderko 10. Jason Zastko 11. Don Holland 12. Mitch Hawk 13. Todd Geist 14. Jerry Hilderbrand 15. Jennifer Kutz Sweeney Pulls Top 5 Finish out of Rough Night (August 1, 2009) Jennifer Kutz, a “Rookie of the Year” contender in the Late Model division led the Late Models to the drop of the green flag in the 30-lap feature before Kyle Harvell overtook her. Mitch Hawk worked into second and after a lap was complete Joe Hoffman moved behind Kutz to take fourth, followed by Joe Burns. Hoffman disposed of Hawk on the second lap and set his sights on the leader before completing the pass for the lead on lap four. Meanwhile, Zane Zeiner and Mike Sweeney cracked the top five. Zeiner quickly moved his way by Harvell on lap five and chased down Hoffman. He overtook the leader four circuits later. The caution waved on lap ten when Burns got into Kutz in turns three and four. Another caution followed after the restart, which involved Jerry Hildebrand and Harvell. Shortly after the yellow flew, Hildebrand slammed into the back of Sweeney, not realizing that the green flag wasn’t out. Both Sweeney and Hildebrand headed to the pits for repair. Still out front and looking for a record breaking three-peat in a Late Model (to match his previous three-peats in a Sport Modified and INEX Legends car), Zeiner went on to take the checkers over Hoffman, Hildebrand, Schneider and Sweeney.
Late Model (30-Laps) 1. ZANE ZEINER 2. Joe Hoffman 3. Jerry Hildebrand 4. William Schneider 5. Mike Sweeney 6. Joseph Burns 7. Mitch Hawk 8. Kyle Harvell 9. Jennifer Kutz
Sweeney Scores Podium Finish (August 1, 2009) Mitch Hawk paced the field of Late Models to the drop of the green flag in the double-points 50-lap feature event. Hawk lurched out from the gate with the race lead and held the top spot until lap six, when Jerry Hildebrand overtook him. Zane Zeiner raced into the second spot, dropping Hawk to third and Joe Hoffman and Mike Sweeney followed closely. The first of only two caution periods came when Jason Zastko spun in turn two on lap 12. Green flag racing resumed with Hildebrand leading over Zeiner, Hoffman, Sweeney and Hawk. Time and time again, Zeiner tried to find a line that would get him by Hildebrand. Hildebrand slid up the track a bit on lap 28 and Zeiner pounced on the opportunity and took command of the event. The yellow flag flew five laps later when Joe Burns spun after very intense racing with Hawk in turn one. Hoffman was running in the top five at the time and headed to the pits. He rejoined the field before green flag racing resumed. Zeiner, of Bath, PA was untouchable over the remaining laps and cruised to his second straight Late Model victory of the season over Hildebrand, Sweeney, Kevin Metzger and Hoffman. Heat race wins went to Mitch Hawk and Joe Hoffman. Late Model (50-Laps) 1. ZANE ZEINER 2. Jerry Hildebrand 3. Mike Sweeney 4. Kevin Metzger 5. Joe Hoffman 6. Mitch Hawk 7. Joseph Burns 8. Kyle Harvell 9. Jennifer Kutz 10. Jason Zastko Sweeney Fights Car to a Fourth Place Finish (July 18, 2009) Phil DeFranco led the Late Model field to the drop of the green flag in the 30-lap feature. Before a lap was complete, Zane Zeiner moved into second, followed by Joe Hoffman, Jerry Hildebrand and Mike Sweeney. Kyle Harvell spun in turn two with two laps complete, which lined Zeiner up alongside DeFranco. Zeiner took the race lead on the restart and DeFranco and Hildebrand tangled in turn two. Green flag racing resumed and as Zeiner began to pull away the rest of the field fought for position. Hoffman continued to hold second with Hildebrand, Sweeney and Mitch Hawk in his mirror. The caution flew on lap sixteen when DeFranco, Jennifer Kutz and Doug Bell collected in turn one. One quick caution followed and Zeiner, of Bath, PA, held off several attempts by Hoffman to score his first Late Model victory of the season. Hildebrand finished third with Sweeney and Hawk completing the top five. Joe Hoffman and Mike Sweeney were heat race winners. Late Model (30-Laps) 1. ZANE ZEINER 2. Joe Hoffman 3. Jerry Hilderbrand 4. Mike Sweeney 5. Mitch Hawk 6. Joseph Burns 7. William Schneider 8. Doug Bell 9. Frank Katona 10. Jennifer Kutz 11. Phil DeFranco 12. Kyle Harvell Sweeney Celebrates First Win of the Season on Independence Day (July 4, 2009) Despite being atop the points at Sundance Vacations Speedway, Mike Sweeney has not been happy with the 2009 season so far. That changed Saturday night when the crew found the right set up for Mike and the combination found victory lane for the first time this season. Will Schneider led the late model field to the drop of the green flag in the 30-lap feature. Mitch Hawk used his outside front row starting spot and powered into the race lead before a lap was complete. Hawk crossed the strip and led the first lap over Joe Hoffman, Mike Sweeney, Schneider and Jerry Hildebrand. Hoffman got by Hawk and took the race lead on lap two. Hildebrand attempted to get by Schneider and made contact, which sent Schneider into a spin on the backstretch. The lap five incident forced both drivers restarted at the rear of the field. Sweeney had moved into the runner-up spot by this point and overtook Hoffman for the race lead on the restart. Things didn’t get better for Hildebrand as the race went on. After winning the main event in his last outing, he was forced pit side with heavy damage on lap seven after collecting with Joe Burns in turns three and four. Sweeney, of Nesquehoning, PA was unchallenged over the closing laps and went on to score his first win of the season over Hoffman. After battling side-by-side with Hawk earlier in the event, Kyle Harvell finished third, followed by Kevin Metzger and Will Schneider. Joe Hoffman and Mike Sweeney won heat races. Late Model (30-laps) 1. MIKE SWEENEY 2. Joe Hoffman 3. Kyle Harvell 4. Kevin Metzger 5. William Schneider 6. Mitch Hawk 7. Jennifer Kutz 8. Rob Koller 9. Jerry Hildebrand 10. Joseph Burns Mike Sweeney Pulls Top Five in First Visit to the Jersey Shore (June 27, 2009) Mike Sweeney timed 3rd quickest in his first attempt at Wall Stadium in New Jersey. He held a top 5 spot for the first half of the race, yet felt that the car needed to be adjusted on at the halfway mark for him to be in contention for the win. The crew made the adjustments that Sweeney needed, but instead of making the car better it was worse. Sweeney did pull out a top five finish, as he held the fourth spot just before the checkered flag flew. The championship driver did note that his experience at Wall was a memorable one and that he had a blast racing at the Jersey Shore. Race Recap (By Jeff Gravatt)- Long Island speedster Kevin Metzger jumped to the lead at the outset of the Late Model 100-lapper and held his ground through the first half of the contest as Wismer spent most of this time patiently running second. Metzger continued to lead after a restart at the half way mark, while Wismer suffered a bad restart and slipped from contention. Wismer then continued his patient driving style as he remained in the top five. Then, as the race neared the 80 lap mark, Wismer began to climb through the top five. Mike Coll in the No. 61 slipped into the lead at the lap 80 mark after Metzger and Jarrod Hayes tangled in turn four and spun from the top two spots, but Wismer was right on Coll’s bumper. Wismer then sized up the leader before charging to the lead for good on a lap 82 restart. From that point on Wismer stretched an advantage to the finish, while Coll hung on for second and Dave McOmbee crossed the line third. Metzger and Mike Sweeney completed the top five. LATE MODELS – 100 Laps – 1. JIM WISMER, 2. Mike Coll, 3. Dave McOmbee, 4. Kevin Metzger, 5. Mike Sweeney, 6. Jarrod Hayes, 7. Elliott Wohl, 8. Pete Brittain, 9. Roger Oxee, 10. Travis Fisher, 11. Greg Kieila, 12. Steve Senerchia, 13. Ken Matlach, 14. Tony Volpe, 15. Paul Koehler Sweeney Has Solid Top Three Finish in Largest Field of the Season (June 6, 2009) Will Schneider brought the Late Model field to the drop of the green in the 30-lap feature but the yellow waved before a lap was complete when Jennifer Kutz spun in turns one and two. Paul Monkoski grabbed the race lead on the restart and Jerry Hildebrand moved into second. Larry Fisher ran third with Joe Hoffman close behind in fourth. Schneider got out of shape in turn two on the second lap and collected Hoffman, Zane Zeiner, Rob Koller and Phil DeFranco. Several drivers hit the pits for service and rejoined the field. Green flag racing resumed and Hildebrand overtook Monkoski for the race lead. Tony Volpe moved into the second spot with Mike Sweeney and Travis Fisher in tow. Zeiner began to make his charge back towards the front and he overtook Sweeney for third on lap 13. Five laps later he got by Volpe for second. Hildebrand, of Wapwallopen, PA, stayed up front and went on to take his second victory of the season over Zeiner, Sweeney, Larry Fisher and Dave Macomber. Joe Hoffman and Justin Onderko were heat race victors. Late Models (30-laps) 1. JERRY HILDEBRAND 2. Zane Zeiner 3. Mike Sweeney 4. Larry Fisher 5. Dave Macomber 6. Tony Volpe 7. Joe Hoffman 8. Mitch Hawk 9. William Schneider 10. Kyle Harvell 11. Jennifer Kutz 12. Rob Koller 13. Justin Onderko 14. Paul Monkoski 15. Travis Fisher 16. Phil DeFranco Sweeney Wins Heat Race and is Forced to Settle for Top Five Feature Finish (May 23, 2009) Jennifer Kutz started from the pole position and was overtaken by Justin Onderko for the race lead early on in the 30-lap Late Model feature. The first of two cautions waved with three laps complete when Mitch Hawk made contact with Kutz in turns one and two. Green flag racing resumed, and Travis Fisher overtook Onderko for the race lead on lap five. Due to a passing rainstorm, the yellow flag flew shortly after. With track drying complete, green flag racing resumed and Fisher had his hands full with his father, Larry, Joe Hoffman, Onderko and last season’s champion, Mike Sweeney. Hoffman began to work on L. Fisher for second and finally made his charge to the outside on lap twenty-four. Realizing that “it was time to go”, L. Fisher dove to the bottom of T. Fisher in turn three with hopes of grabbing the race lead. The three drivers battled three wide for moments and Hoffman shot out of turn four with the race lead. Hoffman, of Drums, went on to take his first victory of the season over T. Fisher, L. Fisher, Sweeney and Onderko. Travis Fisher and Mike Sweeney scored heat race wins. Sweeney Nearly Gets First Feature Win of the Season (May 9, 2009) Justin Onderko sat on the pole position for the 30-lap Late Model feature and was overtaken by Mike Sweeney after the green flag dropped. Onderko slipped into second, followed by Jerry Hildebrand, Joe Hoffman and Travis Fisher. A few quick cautions occurred, including one on lap eight, when Fisher made contact with Hildebrand while battling for the third spot. Both drivers were forced to restart from the tail end of the field. Both Hoffman, who pitted with car problems earlier in the event and Hildebrand, who restarted deep in the field, began to claw their way toward the leaders. Hoffman climbed to second and raced with Sweeney for the lead. Hildebrand patiently watched the duo battle and then made his move to the outside lane of the track and took the race lead with five laps remaining. Hildebrand drover off over the remaining laps and scored his first win at the track since 1998. Sweeny settled for second, followed by Hoffman, Fisher and Paul Monkoski. Heat race wins went to Jerry Hildebrand and Mike Sweeney. Sweeney Makes Great Drive to Finish in 3rd (April 26, 2009) Austin Kochenash led the Late Model field to the green flag in the 30-lap feature. After starting on the outside of the front row, Travis Fisher took the race lead and Mike Sweeney followed passed Kochenash for second. Kochenash dropped to third with Mike Coll and Ed Bauer in the top five. Sweeney began to pressure Fisher for the race lead and jumped to the outside line of the track. Just when he thought that he had the race lead, the second of four yellow flags waved when Will Schneider made hard contact with the front stretch wall. The dejected Sweeney had to restart from the second position. Slowly but surely, Jerry Hildebrand began to work toward the front from his eighth starting spot and moved by Kochenash for fourth on lap nine. He then raced side-by-side with Coll for third. With Fisher sill atop the field, Coll pressured Sweeney for second and the end result was a turn two tangle. Sweeney was forced to restart at the tail end of the field and Hildebrand moved into the second spot. Despite the great run by Hildebrand, Fisher held on to score his first late model feature win at the speedway. Sweeney made a great drive back toward the front, but ran out of time and settled for third. Kochenash finished an impressive fourth and after starting tenth, Paul Monkoski completed the top five. Sweeney Racing Welcomes Two More Sponsors for 2009! The 2009 season is right around the corner and Sweeney Racing is proud to announce that Tirpak Oil and also The Comfort Inn of West Hazleton, PA have teamed up with the championship Late Model team. The team and it's latest supporters recently inked the deal and Sweeney is excited about it. "Thanks to Jeaninne Motroni, the general manager of the Comfort Inn and with the added support from Tirpak Oil and all of the other Sweeney Racing supports, the upcoming season is looking great", he said. Tirpak Oil is owned by Greg Tirpak. Tirpak, his fiance Jess and his son David run the business and both Greg and David are crewmembers for the #D11 Late Model. Sweeney noted that his championship late model will be at Kemmer Graphics for lettering, which will force him to miss the first of three practice dates at Sundance Vacation Speedway. However, Sweeney and his team plan to be at the track for the second practice session. Short Track Drivers to Race Against Child Abuse Everywhere From the flat 1/3-mile asphalt oval at Sundance Vacations Speedway to the ¼-mile circle at Mahoning Valley Speedway and the 5/8-mile track in Oswego, NY, two close friends, Todd Baer of Palmerton and Mike Sweeney of Nesquehoning do battle in their stock cars. Although their primary goal is to win on the track, their ultimate accomplishment is to help prevent child sexual abuse, which is why the two drivers recently teamed up with the RAACE (Racing Against Child Abuse Everywhere) Foundation. Like a family, most short track racers tend to stick together, especially when they’re away from the race track. Family is important and each and every time a driver straps on his or her helmet to compete on the speedway, they keep their family in mind and hope for a great and safe race. Those family fundamentals are what helped propel RAACE, which is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that is dedicated to eliminating the epidemic of child sexual abuse by raising public awareness on the national level. The foundation was designed to promote awareness through the sport of auto racing and as the foundation’s popularity grew, so has the awareness of abuse. That’s where area “hot shoes” come in to play. Asphalt modified driver, Todd Baer, heard of the organization and recently jumped onboard. Baer feels that promoting child sexual abuse awareness isn’t only important, but he also thinks that the way the charity does it through racing is beneficial to both the parents and the children at the race track. “I think that this is great”, said Baer. “If this (the awareness program) only helps one child from being abused or helps educate one parent about child sexual abuse prevention, then it’s a winner” Mike Sweeney, an asphalt late model champion agrees. “I feel the same way”. What better way to promote the organization than through racing”, he said. Both drivers were the first of their class in asphalt racing to be signed through the organization and they both feel that it is important for more drivers across the nation to take a look at what information the foundation has to offer for race fans, both young in age and young at heart. Baer’s son, Nicholas is even involved with the organization. The 11-year-old races quarter midgets with the Keystone State Quarter Midget Club and his car carries the RAACE banner and colors. Neither driver knew what the horrific statistics were until they learned more about the charity. “I never realized that the statistics were so high- it’s crazy”, said Sweeney. Baer agreed and said, “We’ve already learned a lot from the organization and look forward to working with them and promoting them by advertising them on our race cars”. The statistics mentioned are true and are hardly believable. One in three girls and one in seven boys will be sexually abused. Still, the subject of child sexual abuse is generally unspoken of, yet it lurks in the shadows and haunts the minds of abused children that never spoke up. According to the RAACE website and Brad Brickel, the foundation’s outreach director, until every child is safe from sexual abuse, their race has no finish line. The RAACE Foundation was created in response to the knowledge that child sexual abuse is tragically destructive, very common and is totally preventable. Sadly, child sexual abuse is often referred to as a “silent epidemic”. The RAACE Foundation believes that the first step to prevention is awareness in the Race Against Abuse of Children Everywhere. The main goal of the foundation is, with the help of racers and fans, to educate adults so no other child has to suffer from sexual abuse. The foundation’s efforts will not cease until its ultimate goal has been fulfilled, which is to totally eliminate child sexual abuse everywhere. Both, Baer and Sweeney plan to pass out flyers at each track that they attend this season, Including Sundance Vacations Speedway in St. Johns, Pa. The track has plans of hosting at least one RAACE event this season. In an effort to help promote RAACE, the Lehigh Valley Grand Prix will help celebrate Child Abuse Awareness Month, which is in April. The go-kart facility in Allentown, Pa is hosting a celebrity indoor kart race on Thursday, April 16th from 5-10 PM. Todd Baer and Mike Sweeney will be in competition, as will Tony Hirschman, a five-time NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour driver. Tony’s son Matt, who finished a close second place in the tour points standings last season will also be in action, as will Jeff Strunk and Earl Paules. Many other popular racers are scheduled to compete as well. There will be a 28-car starting grid and two seats in a race car will be auctioned off to the highest bidder. The proceeds will go directly to the foundation and the two highest bidders will go directly into the main event to compete with his or her favorite short track stars. Aside from all of the race action, the Lehigh Valley’s best “Chili Cook-off” will take place and there will also be live music and prizes, plus fans will be able to receive autographs from their favorite driver or drivers that are in competition. For more information about the RAACE Foundation, please visit www.raace.org. The Lehigh Valley Grand Prix can be contacted at (610) 432-7223. Story also appeared on page 40 of Area Auto Racing News on March 24, 2009 Story also appears on the RAACE website (Click this LINK) Sweeney Racing Teams up With RAACE Mike Sweeney and his race team recently are proud to announce that they have recently teamed up with the RAACE Foundation. The foundation stands for Race Against Abuse of Children Everywhere. Sweeney is behind the organization 100% and looks forward to being the first asphalt late model driver to represent the organization. From the RAACE website, Until every child is safe from sexual abuse, our race has no finish line. That pretty much sums it up. The RAACE Foundation was created in response to the knowledge that child sexual abuse is tragically destructive, all too common, and totally preventable. Sadly, child sexual abuse is often referred to as a silent epidemic. Statistics indicate that 1 in 3 girls and 1 in 7 boys will be sexually abused. Yet the subject of child sexual abuse remains taboo and therefore thrives in the shadows of society. The RAACE Foundation is dedicated to changing that, because we believe that The First Step to Prevention is Awareness in the Race Against Abuse of Children Everywhere. Please support the foundation. You can view there website by clicking on the link below.