CLEARFIELD, PA – Mike Altobelli Jr. of Saxton picked up quite possibly his biggest win ever on Saturday evening at Gamblers Raceway Park after Fogelman’s Trucking and R-Bar-Hyde Fire Company assisted Janney Flora in presenting the seventh annual Chili 100.
Dan Smeal of Houtzdale picked up the 50 lap street stock special while Chris Farrell of Clearfield won the four-cylinder portion.
Twenty-six late models lined up for the 100-lap grind with Doug Updyke and Matt Gaston on the front row. Gaston took the lead at the initial waving of Alan Luzier’s green flag with Harry Miller in second and Updyke in third. The race was slowed bya caution on lap three for a crash and restarted on lap nine.
The restart saw Gaston continuing to lead with Miller now in second and Bud Witmer third and Updyke was still fourth and Tom Decker Jr. rounding out the top five. Gaston led the event with Miller still in second and hounding the leader. Miller was still in second with Witmer and now Randall Paxton fourth.
Paxton started eighth and was looking for the lead by lap 46 when he moved to second. He took the lead on lap 54 from Gaston and was pulling away from the competition. While he was working his way through lapped traffic the crowd was watching Mike Altobelli Jr. who was coming for 17th on the field. He was eighth by the time Paxton took the lead, and he continued his charge to the front. By the 70th lap Altobelli relieved Tony Lombardi of the second spot and set his sights on Paxton.
Altobelli took the lead from Paxton with a moved on the inside off the third and fourth turns on lap 92. He was than able to pull away from the second place battle and took the win. Paxton, Gaston, Lombardi and Adam Nixon completed the top five. Qualifying wins went to Tom Decker Jr., Matt Gaston, Cody Schultz and Bud Witmer in the heats and the two 10-lap consolations went to Dave Shagla and Adam Nixon.
The street stock feature saw Rick Hemphill and Tim Krape lead the 24-car field to the start with Krape taking the lead and setting the pace for most of the race. Krape had Hemphill and Bob Rosman in hot pursuit several laps before Dan Smeal moved into second on lap 11.
Smeal was trying to find a land he could work to get past Krape, but catching the leader then passing him are two different matters, but on lap 32 Smeal used the inside line and found his way into the lead. On lap 40 Gary Little moved to second and began the haunt Smeal’s rear bumper but he could not get by the leader as Smeal held on for the $1,000 payday. Little, Krape, Denny Curry and Bill Henny completed the top five.
Heat wins went to Gary Little, Craig Bainey, Tim Krpae and Bob Rosman. The consolation races went to Gov Yearick and Lee Stewart.
The four-cylinder feature was led to the green by Bill Walker and Kirk Hess, with Hess taking the lead. Jason Joiner chased Hess for several laps before Jeremy Buck moved to second and Kevin Clark pulled to third. Silently Chris Farrell was lying in wait, watching the battle ahead of him unfold. As Farrell avoided the crashes he was able to take second on lap eight and with just two laps to go he was able to pull ahead of Hess and he held him off for the victory. Hess, John Myers, Clark and Tom Pavelko completed the top five. Kevin Clark, Jason Joiner and Jeremy Buck won the heat races.
PIT NOTES: The car count was 88 with 29 late models, 36 street stocks and 23 four cylinders in the pits…Three past winners were in the field trying to become the first to repeat.
SUMMARY
LATE MODELS: 1. Mike Altobelli Jr., Saxton; 2. Randall Paxton, Factoryville; 3. Matt Gaston, Rochester Mills; 4. Tony Lombardi, Warren, OH, 5. Adam Nixon, Grampian; 6. Luke Hoffner, Turbotville; 7. Dave Shagla, Sugargrove; 8. Cody Schultz, Hyde; 9. Chris Farrell, Clearfield; 10. Dave Conover, Royceford; 11. Jack Thornton, Lewistown; 12. Cgad Hollenbeck, Kingsley; 13. Mark Malcolm, Hatfield; 14. Lindsay Barton, Mifflintonw; 15. Bobby Stokes, Milton; 16. Bud Witmer, Dover; 17. Doug Updyke, DuBois; 18. Jr. Grebe, Gilbertsville; 19. Harry Miller, Jersey Shore; 20. Ron Kline, Salford; 21. John Brady, Clearfield; 22. Butch Braim, Jersey Shore; 23. Tom Decker, Jr., Bellwood; 24. Chris Wojnar, Boyertown; 25. Bill Davis, DuBois; 26. Danny Kienitz, Hyde.
STREET STOCKS: 1. Dan Smeal, Houtzdale; 2. Gary Little, Clearfield; 3. Tim Krape, Bellefonte; 4. Denny Curry, Clearfield; 5. Bill Henney, Huntingdon; 6. Bob Rosman, Sykesville; 7. Pat Carfley, Curwensville; 8. Fuzzy Fields, Brockport; 9. Rick Hemphill, Osceola Mills; 10. Arliss Rhinehart, Waterville; 11. Jason Peters, Clearfield; 12. Jamie Barber, Grampian; 13. Dan Gill, Clearfield; 14. Randy Reitz; 15. Lee Gunter, Winburne; 16. Craig Bainey, Morrisdale; 17. RayCharles, Vintondale; 18. Scott Dorman, Pleasant Gap; 19. Frank McVay, Boalsburg; 20. Lee Stewart, Strattonville; 21. Gov Yearick, State College; 22. Joe Kot, DuBois; 23. Scott White, Saxton; 24. RayBillotte, Mineral Springs.
FRONT WHEEL DRIVER FOUR CYLINDERSL: 1. Chris Farrell, Clearfield; 2. Kirk Hess, Woodland; 3. John Myers, Lock Haven; 4. Kevin Clark, Grassflat; 5. Tom Pavelko, Cherry Tree; 6. Tim Bish, Ringgold; 7. Larry Depp Jr., Punxsutawney; 8. Darren Lucas, Moshannon; 9. Phillip Courter, Mill Hall; 10. Bill Walker; 11. Jerry Walls, Reynoldsville; 12. Adam Nixon, Grampian; 13. Jason McCacley, Lock Haven; 14. Jason Joiner, Brookville; 15. Jeremy Buck; 16. Josh Westlake, Kittanning; 17. Aaron Wallace, Bigler; 18. Randy Wright, Glen Campbell; 19. Chad O’Brien, Shippenville; 20. Todd Ostrofsky, Munson; 21. Shawn Dinger, Brookville; 22. Cameron McQuown, Brookville; 23. Scott Martin, Marion Center.