By Brian Liskai
FRANKLIN, PA – – 7/18/10 – Tim Shaffer continued his hot
streak with the O’Reilly All Star Circuit of Champions Sunday night, July
18, at H&H Motorsports Tri City Speedway. Shaffer picked up his sixth All
Star win of the season aboard the Aaron Call and Janet Holbrook owned
machine.
Shaffer, the defending All Star champion, continues to pad his point lead
toward another $50,000 title. Sunday’s win also marked the sixth straight
top three finish for the Aliquippa, Pa. driver.
The Steel City Outlaw led all 30 laps holding off challenges from first
Stevie Smith and then Dale Blaney to post his first career win at Tri City
Speedway.
“This place has bit me a couple of times. This is awesome to win here… I
love it,” said Shaffer beside his VRP Shocks, Technique Roofing, Kistler
Engines backed #83. “James did a great job picking the right gear tonight.”
Shaffer jumped into the early lead from his pole-starting spot with Stevie
Smith giving chase. But before a lap could be completed Andy McKission and
Andy Priest got together and spun. On the restart, Shaffer again blasted
into the lead, but after a lap the caution would fly for a stalled Jared
Ridge. Shaffer’s Kistler Engine was just too strong as he again pulled away
on the restart, with Smith working to stay close. The action would slow on
lap 8 for Rob Eyler’s stalled machine. Shaffer again pulled away slightly
on the restart, setting a blistering pace, encountering lapped traffic at
the half-way mark.
Now it was three-time All Star champion and recent Brad Doty Classic winner
Dale Blaney on the move. With 10 laps to go, “The Low Rider” moved around
Smith and set his sights on Shaffer. But, Shaffer was just too strong on
this night, picking his way through the traffic and actually pulling away.
With three laps remaining, two-time All Star champion Greg Wilson took
third from Smith. That is the way they would take the checkered – Shaffer,
Blaney, Wilson, Smith and Lance Dewease.
Shaffer, who finished 7th the previous night at the King’s Royal at Eldora
Speedway, said his strong team from crew chief Brian Kemenah on down, is
the advantage he has on the rest of the field.
“These guys are awesome. They communicate great. We have a mixed group of
guys that go on the road with us at different times and it makes it
special,” added Shaffer. “We have a lot of races coming up and a lot of
work to do this week, but we’ll be ready.”
“We were okay…just not that great,” said Blaney beside his George Fisher
owned Ti22 backed #2. “I needed a yellow and all the lapped cars to fall
out to have a chance at Tim…that team is just so strong.”
For Wilson, it was another great finish as the Warnimont owned team has
really turned things around. The previous night at the King’s Royal, Wilson
charged from 18th to finish fifth at Eldora Speedway.
“It took us a little bit to get buy some guys. I think we killed our tires
a little bit. But it’s another good run for this team over the past two
weeks. I have to thank Floyd Green who’s been with me the whole time with
the 20 car. He’s stuck it out and we brought in A.J. Havens and my cousin
Jason’s been here. We’ve really turned things around the last couple of
weeks,” said Wilson beside his All Star Plumbing Heating and Air
Conditioning, DNC Hydraulics backed W20. “We’re getting so close to winning
one of these….it will come.”
Qualifying – Kistler Engines
1. 83-Tim Shaffer, 16.158; 2. 2L-Ed Lynch Jr., 16.370; 3. 27-Daryn Pittman,
16.408; 4. 89G-David Gravel, 16.540; 5. W20-Greg Wilson, 16.630; 6. 2-Dale
Blaney, 16.635; 7. 1Z-Stevie Smith, 16.702; 8. O4-Cap Henry, 16.796; 9.
4R-Rod George, 16.912; 10. 22-Cole Duncan, 16.992; 11. 55-Dave Blaney,
17.024; 12. 17-Tyler Walker, 17.040; 13. OX-Andy Mckission, 17.055; 14.
30C-Lance Dewease, 17.209; 15. 12-Jared Ridge, 17.215; 16. 11-Scott
Priester, 17.251; 17. 2+-Brian Smith, 17.331; 18. 21N -Andy Priest, 17.338;
19. O-Brandon Wimmer, 17.356; 20. 6-Bill Rose, 17.400; 21. 87-George
Suprick, 17.720; 22. 5A-Rob Eyler, 17.734; 23. 6F-Bob Felmlee, 17.753; 24.
45-Todd Bauer, 18.017; 25. D4-Danny Holtgraver, 18.040; 26. 33-Brent Matus,
18.262; 27. 24S-Brian Steinman, 18.686; 28. 5B-Chuck Brion, 18.803; 29.
13-Brandon Matus, 18.907; 30. 2M-Mark Ide, 19.687; 31. 1R-Gale Ruth Sr.,
19.747
Heat 1 – MSD Ignition (8 Laps – Top 6 Transfer)
1. O-Brandon Wimmer; 2. OX-Andy Mckission; 3. 5A-Rob Eyler; 4. 1Z-Stevie
Smith; 5. 11-Scott Priester; 6. 83-Tim Shaffer; 7. D4-Danny Holtgraver; 8.
22-Cole Duncan; 9. 89G-David Gravel; 10. 5B-Chuck Brion; 11. 1R-Gale Ruth
Sr.
Heat 2 – Kear’s Speed Shop (8 Laps – Top 6 Transfer)
1. 30C-Lance Dewease; 2. 2+-Brian Smith; 3. 6F-Bob Felmlee; 4. W20-Greg
Wilson; 5. 6-Bill Rose; 6. O4-Cap Henry; 7. 33-Brent Matus; 8. 13-Brandon
Matus; 9. 55-Dave Blaney; 10. 2L-Ed Lynch Jr.
Heat 3 – All Pro Heads (8 Laps – Top 6 Transfer)
1. 21N -Andy Priest; 2. 4R-Rod George; 3. 2-Dale Blaney; 4. 17-Tyler
Walker; 5. 12-Jared Ridge; 6. 27-Daryn Pittman; 7. 45-Todd Bauer; 8.
24S-Brian Steinman; 9. 2M-Mark Ide; 10. 87-George Suprick
Dash – Rubbn’ Repair (6 Laps – Top – Transfer)
1. W20-Greg Wilson; 2. O4-Cap Henry; 3. 1Z-Stevie Smith; 4. 30C-Lance
Dewease; 5. 17-Tyler Walker; 6. 83-Tim Shaffer
B-Main – University of Northwestern Ohio (12 Laps – Top 6 Transfer)
1. 22-Cole Duncan; 2. 89G-David Gravel; 3. D4-Danny Holtgraver; 4. 45-Todd
Bauer; 5. 87-George Suprick; 6. 33-Brent Matus; 7. 55-Dave Blaney; 8.
5B-Chuck Brion; 9. 24S-Brian Steinman; 10. 13-Brandon Matus; 11. 2M-Mark
Ide; 12. 2L-Ed Lynch Jr. ; 13. 1R-Gale Ruth Sr.
A-Main – O’Reilly Auto Parts (30 Laps) [#]-Starting Position
1. 83-Tim Shaffer[1]; 2. 2-Dale Blaney[4]; 3. W20-Greg Wilson[6]; 4.
1Z-Stevie Smith[3]; 5. 30C-Lance Dewease[10]; 6. 17-Tyler Walker[8]; 7.
27-Daryn Pittman[5]; 8. O4-Cap Henry[2]; 9. 4R-Rod George[7]; 10. 6F-Bob
Felmlee[21]; 11. O-Brandon Wimmer[17]; 12. 89G-David Gravel[11]; 13. 21N
-Andy Priest[16]; 14. 6-Bill Rose[18]; 15. 11-Scott Priester[14]; 16.
D4-Danny Holtgraver[23]; 17. 45-Todd Bauer[22]; 18. 22-Cole Duncan[12]; 19.
87-George Suprick[19]; 20. 2+-Brian Smith[15]; 21. 33-Brent Matus[24]; 22.
5A-Rob Eyler[20]; 23. OX-Andy Mckission[9]; 24. 12-Jared Ridge[13]