By Mike Leone
Mercer, PA…After two weeks of inclement weather, Mercer Raceway Park was able to complete the racing action Saturday night despite a very unfavorable forecast and scattered showers throughout the day. Celebrating in the Hoosier Tire Mid-Atlantic victory lane was Mike Lutz-Luxaire Heating & Cooling Sprint Cars.
Hometown racer Mike Lutz entered the 2010 season with only six career Mercer wins, but he and car owner Jim Chappel were bound and determined to go after the championship when new track owner Bill Altman announced Mercer would be the highest paying Sprint Car track in the area.
Lutz opened the 2010 campaign with a last lap pass of Jason Dolick and then returned to victory lane Saturday night with a wire-to-wire win in the 20-lap Luxaire Heating & Cooling feature to propel him into the point lead. The win was worth $1,500 plus a certificate for a new Goodyear rear tire valued at nearly $200. Lutz also received another Goodyear Tire certificate earlier in the night as a random draw.
“Man I gotta tell you, we had Hoosiers on the first two weeks because we were allowed to run them,” explained the 40-year-old racer. “I was afraid to put the Goodyears on because it was uncertain and all the other racers were saying they were loose, loose, loose. We bolted them on tonight and didn’t change one thing from what we were doing and that car was a rocket ship on them and I like ‘em!”
Lutz drew the pole position and was able to beat Rod George into turn one. Danny Holtgraver drove around Chris Shuttleworth for third on the opening lap before Eric Williams spun off turn four to bring out the caution with one lap completed. When racing resumed, Lutz took off and had a sizeable advantage until George began to close on lap five. Lutz began to work traffic on lap seven until action slowed when newcomer Francis Sesco spun with eight laps completed.
On the ensuing restart, Bob Felmlee advanced to fourth past Shuttleworth. Up front, Lutz continued unchallenged over George as the laps ticked off. The third and final caution was displayed for Eric Williams when he spun slowing action with 15 laps completed.
Lutz took off when green flag racing resumed, while George had to get by the lapped car of Brian Steinman. Meanwhile, Ed Lynch, Jr., who started 12th, drove by both Charlie Holben and Carl Bowser on the backstretch on lap 16 to move into the top five. With each consecutive lap, George slowly closed the gap on Lutz, but he ran out of time as cautions and lapped cars played to Lutz’s advantage in the Centerline Boring/Chappel Welding/Lutz Hauling-sponsored #8.
“I felt good in traffic and didn’t know how close Rod was,” stated Lutz. “The cautions came in handy with an open race track and I could when I wanted. Jim Chappel gives me an awesome race car. This is our third year together and I feel like we’re there right now.”
Holtgraver’s third was his best Mercer finish since April 4, 2009. Felmlee was fourth for the second straight race to go along with a third on opening night. Lynch completed the top five and earned the Goodyear hard charger certificate. Bowser was sixth and received one of the random Goodyear certificate drawings and Scott Priester was seventh in his season debut. Shuttleworth came in eighth ahead of Holben, who claimed a Goodyear certificate for being the last car on the lead lap. Steinman was 10th in his first start of 2010. Dan Kuriger received the other Goodyear random drawing certificate. Lutz and Holtgraver won the heats. All 10 racers that have competed in all three Mercer races in 2010 also received a Goodyear certificate.
Luxaire Heating & Cooling (410) Sprint Cars (20 laps, $1,500 to-win): 1. MIKE LUTZ (Chappel 8) 2. Rod George (4) 3. Danny Holtgraver (D4) 4. Bob Felmlee (6) 5. Ed Lynch, Jr. (2L) 6. Carl Bowser (10) 7. Scott Priester (11) 8. Chris Shuttleworth (11) 9. Charlie Holben (Dionise 15) 10. Brian Steinman (24s) 11. Chris Best (66) 12. Gale Ruth, Sr. (1R) 13. Eric Williams (7) 14. Joe McEwen (Paden 11W) 15. Francis Sesco (2s) 16. Dan Kuriger (08)-DNS 17. John McCracken, Jr. (79)-DNS.