Skyline Speedway
April 13, 2012
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Garnes Garners Late Model feature at Skyline Speedway

by Scott Wolfe
STEWART, OH (April 13) - Friday the 13th was the ticket for three drivers as seventy two cars in three divisions packed the pits for the 2012 season opener at Billy Jarrell's Skyline Speedway in Stewart, Ohio. Defending champion Chris Garnes of Evans, WV brought home the win over early leader Freddie Carpenter in the AMRA Tru-Tech Late Models. In the OVSCA sprint car spectacular, Lockborne, Ohio Driver Cole Duncan blitzed the fast 410's for the win, and in the Malta Windows and Doors AMRA Modifieds Jess Hartman claimed the feature win.

Marshall Doll in the iconic Doll Brother's Special #87 and Corey Conley paced the potent AMRA Tru-Tech Late Model field to Todd Gorrell's unfurled green flag. Doll led he first lap, but Freddie Carpenter with Chris Garnes and Corey Conley in tow, all freight trained the WV invader. By lap ten, Carpenter had blitzed to a six car length lead over Conley. Lapped traffic became more of a factor as the race progressed, enabling Conley and Garnes to close the gap.

Masterfully, Fast Freddie had made ground on the bottom, but his progress slowed so he went topside, where he met with more backmarkers. Kevin Layne brought out the first caution on lap 20. When the race resumed, Carpenter led one more lap-- twenty overall-- but two-time defending champion Chris Garnes blasted to the highside and carried the momentum for the lap 21 pass coming out of four.

Doll finished strong with an impressive third, flanked by steady performances from Travis Brooker, Andy Bond and Ralph Withem.

Rounding out the top ten were Garnes, Carpenter, Conley, Doll, Brookover, Bond, Withem, Jeff Burdette, Dan Morrison, and Ronnie Mayle. Randy Armes and Ralph Withem shared hard charger honors by advancing five positions each.

At the start of the Ohio Valley Sprint Car Association main, pole sitter Jimmy Nier blasted into the lead over outside pt.-man Cole Duncan. Jimmy Stinson, the defending series champ nestled closely in third. Nier put on a masterful slide job of two lapped cars, separating himself from Duncan and Stinson for a short period.

By lap five Cole Duncan blasted around the backmarkers to challenge Nier. As the race tightened, Nick Forcum looped it on lap 12 and collected a spinning Chris Smith. When the race resumed Duncan gave chase and on lap 17 blitzed by Nier for the lead going into turn three. The race was slowed once again a lap later when Kory Crabtree did a 360 to bring out the caution.

This time Duncan would restart the field, pulling both Nier and Stinson by a few yards right out of the gate. Nier and Stinson diced it up for second with Andre Layfield moving into the mix and eventually taking third.

As the race wound to a close Dave Dickson moved into the mix and was one of the faster cars on the track at the time.

Layfield fended off Dickson for position as Duncan crossed the line for the win. Eric Martin won his first ever heat and continued a strong night with a sixth place finish. Crabtree mounted a charge from the tail up to seventh after his late race spin. Additionally, sprint car Rookie Ryan Broughton did a credible job in his first-ever start.

Rounding out the top ten were Cole Duncan, Jimmy Stinson, Jimmy Nier, Andre Layfield, Dave Dickson, Eric Martin, Kory Crabtree, Ryan Broughton, Bryce Dickson, and Brian Benson. The hard charger of the night was shared by Layfield and Dave Dickson. Chris Myers was the lone flip victim of the night. He was uninjured.

In the Malta Windows and Doors 20-lap mod main, Jeremy Berwanger and Rick Venham, Jr. sat poised on the point for the drop of the green. Both men throttled up for the start of the competitive modified feature. Just two laps into the event, Dusty Boley and Jarrod Willis tangled, leaving Willis with a flat tire.

Berwanger led the next eleven circuits before a hard-charging Jess Hartman put a heroic slide job on him for the lead on lap 12. Berwanger rode Hartman's tail to lap nineteen when the caution waved again, leaving a shootout to the finish.

Roy Roush and Kyle Bond had moved up the ladder with Roush taking third ahead of Venham and Mike McPherson. Venham, McPherson, and Conrad all fought hard for position back in the pack with young Kyle Bond making a solid top ten run.

Hartman held on for the win. Rounding out the top ten were Jess Hartman, Jeremy Berwanger, Roy Roush, Rick Venham, Mike McPherson, Vince Conrad, Kyle Bond, Doug Henry, Shane Roush, and Dusty Boley. Dusty Boley was the race hard charger, up from 17th to tenth.

Next Friday, April 20 Skyline will be back in action with another round of exciting AMRA Modifieds and Late Models and OVSCA sprint cars. For further information please visit www.skylinespeedway.net or call 304-539-4410 or the track phone at 740-662-4111.

The summary: April 13, 2012

AMRA Late Models (30)
Fast Time: Andy Bond 13:23
Heat One: Marshall Doll, Jeff Burdette, Andy Bond, Dan Morrison, Matt Kussmaul, Justin Powell, Josh Lawrence
Heat Two: Corey Conley, Travis Brookover, Kevin Layne, Bob Adams, Jr., Randy Armes, Geroge Klintworth, Corey Delancey
Heat Three: Freddie Carpenter, Ronnie Mayle, Mike Martin, Darin Roush, Tony Roush, Chris Parks, J.L. Weekly
Heat Four: Chris Garnes, Doug Dodd, Ralph Withem, Joey Harper, Larry Bond, Matthew Poorman, Larry Clark, James Joy
B-Main: Larry Bond, Randy Armes, Tony Roush, George Klintworth, Cory Delancey, Justin Powell, Matt Kussmaul, Chris Parks, Matthew Poorman, James Joy
Feature: Chris Garnes, Freddie Carpenter, Corey Conley , Marshall Doll, Travis Brookover, Andy Bond, Ralph Withem, Jeff Burdette, Dan Morrison, Ronnie Mayle, Mike Martin, Darin Roush, Randy Armes, Bob Adams, Jr., Kevin Layne, Doug Dodd, Joey Harper, Larry Bond

410 Sprint Cars (17)
Fast Time: Jimmy Stinson 11:49
Heat One: Jimmy Neir, Jimmy Stinson, Andre Layfield, Ryan Broughton, Nick Forcum, Greg Mitchell (DNS)
Heat Two: Cole Duncan, Kory Crabtree, Dave Dickson, Aaron Higgins, Brian Benson, Chris Smith
Heat Three: Eric Martin, Bryce Dickson, Bob Tucker, Chris Myers, Josh Davis (DNS)
Feature: Cole Duncan, Jimmy Stinson, Jimmy Nier, Andre Layfield, Dave Dickson, Eric Martin, Kory Crabtree, Ryan Broughton, Bryce Dickson, Brian Benson, Chris Myers, Bob Tucker, Aaron Higgins, Chris Smith, Nick Forcum

MALTA AMRA MODIFIEDS (24)
Heat One: Jeremy Berwanger, Jess Hartman, Mike McPherson, Shane Roush, Doug Henry, Nick Carr, Jeremy Roush, Curt Reck
Heat Two: Rick Venham, Kyle Bond, David Pryor, Brandon Barnhart, Jerrod Willis, Nathan Loney, Dusty Boley, Justin Sinnett
Heat Three: Roy Roush, Shawn Donahue, Robbie Evans, Vince Conrad, Jeremy Blake, Gary Gould, Wade Benjamin, Frankie Roush
B-Main: Nick Carr, Dusty Boley, Frankie Roush, Jeremy Roush, Gary Gould, Curt Reck, Wade Benjamin, Justin Sinnett, Nathan Loney (DNS)
Feature: Jess Hartman, Jeremy Berwanger, Roy Roush, Rick Venham, Mike McPherson, Vince Conrad, Kyle Bond, Doug Henry, Shane Roush, Dusty Boley, Frankie Roush, Nck Carr, David Pryor, Shawn Donahue, Robbie Evans, Brandon Barnhart, Jeremy Blake, Jarrod Willis

Mini-wedges will join the race card at the end of May once school is out for the summer in most areas.

Admission is $15 for adults, $12 senior citizens, kids 12 and under free, and pit passes $30.