Photo courtesy raceway7.com

Easler gets first win at Raceway 7

June 12, 2021

CONNEAUT, Ohio – At only fourteen years old and in his sixth-ever start in a full-size racecar, Ben Easler, a former Karting champion, drove into Victory Lane for the first-time ever in a Campbell’s Mini Storage RUSH Modified.

Also going to the Winner’s Circle were veterans Billy Henry (Evergreen Lake Park Campground RUSH Late Models), Joel Watson (Whelen Engineering UMP Modifieds), Jarett Young (Lakeview Ford Economods), and Zack Eller (Sunnyside Farms Transit Mini Stocks), all many-time winners at Raceway 7.

The first Feature of the evening was for the Sunnyside Farm Transit Mini Stocks with Alan Sousa and Steve Campbell on the front row. Sousa led Campbell, Andrew Smith, Zack Eller, and Alexis Vogt through lap one with caution thrown at the end of the lap for Austyn Richards, sitting just off the front straight. Before another lap was in, yellow was again over the event as Derrick Randolph, Vinny Curtis, Timothy Dragar, and Matt Daugherty had problems at the end of the back straight. By lap three Eller was leading Sousa, Smith, Brian McGarvie, and former champion Zach Downes. Smith slowed in turn two at lap five just as debris in turn three brought another caution period. At six laps Downes slowed, dropping all the way back to ninth, then retiring to the pit a lap later. McGarvie slipped up the track toward the retaining wall in turn two at eight laps and out of the top five. At eight laps it was Eller leading Sousa, Jessica Harvey, up from twelfth at the green, Vogt, and Chris Bugielski. Harvey, the defending class champion, was second at lap nine but was unable to get by Eller for the win. The top five were Eller, Harvey, McGarvie, Sousa, and Bugielski.

Branden Porter and Jarett Young brought the Lakeview Ford Economods to green but the field only made to turn two when Emily Stoyer came to a stop. At the end of one it was Jarett Young leading Porter, Garrett Calvert, Nate Young, and Kevin Vanderhoof. Yellow again in turn four at lap two for Porter. Nate Young was second behind his cousin Jarett at lap four laps with Zack Lenart third, Calvert fourth, and Casey Harmon fifth. Mitchell Wright spun at turn four with Dale Reiser getting set back two spots for rough driving for his part in the incident. Joe Dewoody spun at lap four as well. Nate Young, the defending champion, was challenging for the lead by lap seven when Tyler Dunmire spun in turn four. At halfway the order was Jarett Young, Nate Young, Calvert, and Lenart when Nate Young spun in turn one, with Lenart, Dewoody, Harmon, Stoyer, and Reiser all getting involved. With the track completely blocked during cleanup, the race was briefly red-flagged. The front five for the green were Jarett Young, Calvert, Wright, Vanderhoof, and Alex Siekkinen. Nate Young came back up to fifth at lap twelve when Dewoody spun in four, with Lenart getting involved. Nate Young got to third on the final lap. The top five were Jarett Young, Calvert, Nate Young, Wright, and Vanderhoof.

The Campbell’s Mini Storage RUSH Modifieds started with rookie Ben Easler on the pole and Justin Shea to his right. Yellow was quickly out as Tyler Clark spun in turn two. When lap one was in the books it showed Easler leading Shea, Jordan Ehrenberg Brandon Ritchey, and 2020 champion Rob Kristyak. Easler, son of former Mini Stock champion Jason Easler, was challenged at lap six by Shea with the two side by side at the line, Easler a half car-length ahead. Easler then turned up the wick, leading by two lengths at lap seven. At lap nine he had a .775 second advantage with Shea, Ritchey, Kole Holden, and Ehrenberg filling out the top five. The order was the same at halfway with Shea slightly closing the gap to .719 second. Yellow flew at that point for Kyle Martell, stopped in turn two. After refiring, he drove pitside. Yellow again at lap eleven for Dave Price and Cameron McFadden, stopped in the infield, and Jacob Jordan, stopped on the back straight. Greg Porter was fifth at lap fifteen. At sixteen, Shea was again starting to close the gap but slid high in turn two. At the finish the fourteen year old had his first win in a full size racecar over Shea, Ritchey, Holden, and Porter. Easler’s margin of victory was .347 second.

The Evergreen Lake Park Campground RUSH Late Models had Bud Watson and Billy Henry at the fore for the start with Henry leading Watson, Breyton Santee, Andy Boozel, and Cory Sines through lap one. At lap two Henry already had an impressive lead but yellow erased it when veteran Jim Rasey spun in turn two. Yellow again in lap five when Albert Bull, Rasey, and Jonathan Stoclwell spun in turns three and four. The order at halfway was Henry, Santee, Boozel, Sines, and Watson. At one lap past halfway Watson slowed to a stop at the pit entrance, his night done. Joe Long was up to fifth at eleven laps then fourth at twelve. The final order was Henry, Santee, Sines, Long, and Boozel.

The final feature of the evening was for the Whelen Engineering UMP Modifieds with Justin Sax and all-time leading Raceway 7 winner Joel Watson leading the charge. Watson led from the green over Sax, Jim Plance, former champion Mike Kinney, and another former champion Troy Johnson. Yellow flew for Kevin Smith, Dustin Demattia, and J J Bamdtzrieder at lap one. At this green it was Watson leading Sax, Kinney, Plance, and Johnson. At three laps yellow was out for Mark Titus, Jesse Gould, Plance, Brandon Grossman, and former champions Johnson and Kinney. At green it was now Watson, Sax, Josh McDonald, another former champion, Brent Rhebergen, and Travis Creech. McDonald was second at lap three and Demattia up to fifth. Watson had a 1.015 second lead at halfway and was pulling away to a 1.695 second lead at lap sixteen when Demattia spun in turn two with four laps left. At green it was now Watson, McDonald, Sax, Rhebergen, and Johnson, Gould spun with three laps left and headed pitside, then before another lap was complete, debris was spotted in turn four. At the finish it was Watson by .471 second over McDonald, Sax, The regent, and Johnson.

Next Friday will be another regular five start show of Evergreen Lake Park Campground RUSH Late Models, Whelen Engineering UMP Modifieds, Campbell Mini Storage Street Stocks, Lakeview Ford Economods, and Sunnyside Farm Transit Mini Stocks.

Sunnyside Farm Transit Mini Stocks
Heat 1: Chris Buglieski, Brian McGarvie, Steve Campbell, Zach Downeys, Timothy Dragar, Austyn Richards, Anastasia Vassen
Heat 2: Zoey Gill, Alan Sousa, Jessica Harvey, Jeremy Start, Derrick Randolph, Tristan Start, Vinny Curtis
Heat 3: Zack Eller, Alexis Vogt, Andrew Smith, Scott Gill, Mike Barr, Devin Haefke, Matt Daightery
Feature: Zack Eller, Jessica Harvey, Brian McGarvie, Alan Sousa, Chris Bugielski, Alexis Vogt, Derrick Randolph, Zoey Gill, Jeremy Start, Mike Barr, Devin Haefke, Scott Gill, Matt Daugherty, Anastasia Vassen, Tristian Start, Zach Downes, Andrew Smith, Steve Campbell, Timothy Dragar, Vinny Curtis, Austyn Richards

Lakeview Ford Economods
Heat 1: Mitchell Wright, Kevin Vanderhoof, Branden Porter, Joe Dewoody, Tyler Dunmire, Alex Brockway
Heat 2: Garrett Galvert, Jarett Young, Zack Lenart, Alex Siekkinen, Dale Reiser, Dan Moffitt
Heat 3: Nate Young, Casey Harmon, Emily Stoyer, Kyle Atkins, Bill Cunningham
Feature: Jarett Young, Garrett Calvert, Nate Young, Mitchell Wright, Kevin Vanderhoof, Alex Siekkinen, Casey Harmon, Zack Lenart, Dale Reiser, Emily Stoyer, Joe Dewoody, Tyler Dunmire, Brandon Porter, Kyle Adkins, Alex Brockway, Dan Moffitt (DNS), Billy Cunningham (DNS)

Campbell Mini Storage RUSH Modifieds
Heat 1: Rob Kristyak, Brandon Ritchey, Kyle Martell, Cole Edwards, Cameron McFadden, Tyler Clark
Heat 2: Ben Easler, Dave Price, Kole Holden, Preston Cope, Ayden Cipriano
Heat 3: Justin Shea, Jordan Ehrenberg, Greg Porter, Jacob Jordan, Doug Rutana
Feature: Ben Easler, Justin Shea, Brandon Ritchey, Kole Holden, Greg Porter, Preston Cope, Jordan Ehrenberg, Rob Kristyak, Kyle Martell, Ayden Cipriani, Cole Edwards, Doug Rutana, Jacob Jordan, Cameron McFadden, Dave Price, Tyler Clark

Evergreen Lake Park Campground RUSH Late Models
Heat 1: Cory Sines, Billy Henry, Breyton Santee, Joe Long, Albert Bull, Steve Hollabaugh, Konar Loney
Heat 2: Bud Watson, Bud Watson, Jim Rasey, Gary Youngs, Jonathan Stockdale, Tim Cole (DNS)
Feature: Billy Henry, Breyton Santee, Cory Sines, Joe Long, Andy Boozel, Steve Hollabaugh, Jim Rasey, Gary Young, Albert Bull, Konar Loney, Bud Watson, John Stockdale, Tim Cole

Whelen Engineering UMP Modifieds
Heat 1: Dustin Demattia, Troy Johnson, Mike Kinney, Travis Creech, Brandon Grossman, J J Bamdtzrieder
Heat 2: Joshua McDonald, Brent Rhebergen, Mark Titus, Jeff Johnson, Chuck Steinle, Kevin Smith
Heat 3: Joel Watson, Jim Plance, Justin Sax, Jesse Gould, Matt Alexander
Feature: Joel Watson, Josh McDonald, Justin Sax, Brent Rhebergen, Troy Johnson, Travis Creech, Chuck Steinle Jr, Jeff Johnson, Jim Plance, Mark Titus, Brandon Grossman, Dustin Demattia, Jesse Gould, Kevin Smith, Matt Alexander, J J Bamdtzrieder

         

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