Bowser and Holden Beat the Weather at Tri-City Raceway Park
(Franklin, PA August 7, 2022): Carl Bowser (Shawgo Real Estate 410 Sprint Cars) and Jimmy Holden (Donovan & Bauer Auto Group 358 Modifieds) picked up feature wins before thunderstorms claimed the remainder of the racing card Sunday at Tri-City Raceway Park.
Under threatening skies, the twenty-five lap Shawgo real Estate 410 Sprint Car feature started with Carl Bowser and Jack Sodeman, Jr. leading the field to the green flag. Bowser took the lead at the start, before the first and only caution period of the race came on lap one for Vivian Jones.
Back to racing, Bowser regained the top spot while fourth starting A.J. Flick moved into second on lap two. Bowser built up a comfortable lead as the green flag laps continued. However, just past halfway, with race traffic looming, Flick began to close in.
In the closing laps, Flick made several challenges, even pulling alongside the leader on a couple of occasions. But Bowser turned back each challenge to score the feature win. It was his first win in almost two years, and his fourth career win at the track.
Flick settled for a close second. Logan McCandless turned in his best finish of the season in third, making his first podium at Tri-City. Leyton Wagner matched his season’s best finish at the track, a fourth, and point leader Jack Sodeman, Jr. completed the top five.
Brandon Matus, defending divisional champion, Bob Felmlee, Jeremy Weaver, Brent Matus, and Brandon Spithaler filled the top ten.
The pair of heat races for the Shawgo Real Estate 410 Sprint Cars belonged to Flick and Sodeman. There was no B Main.
Sodeman saw his point lead shrink to fifteen over Flick with just four races remaining on the docket for that class.
The Donovan & Bauer Auto Group 358 Modifieds were the first feature to hit the track, and the fans probably needed a scorecard to keep track of the driver changes.
Hayden Holden was driving his father’s 28H, and he started from the pole, alongside of Lonny Riggs in his familiar orange 58. Holden took the lead at the start of the twenty lapper. Kyle Fink moved into second, ahead of Riggs, but Fink was aboard Tom Holden’s 60H.
The youngest member of the Holden family was impressive in his first start at the track, building a comfortable margin before getting out of shape on lap five.
That bunched the leaders as green flag racing continued, with a host of competitors behind.
Jimmy Holden moved into second two laps later. Jimmy was driving a new number 7S owned by former racer Mike Stine. That move left Jimmy in the awkward position of running second to his own car now being driven by his son!
On lap eleven, Jimmy passed his son, Hayden, for the lead. Fink moved up to second on lap 13, with ninth starting Kevin Hoffman grabbing third one lap later. Greg Martin took over fourth on lap sixteen.
It looked as though Jimmy Holden would lead the rest of the way to notch another win. However, Austin Eyler struck the wall when the checkered flag was in Jimmy Holden’s view. The resulting caution sent the race into overtime.
Under track rules, the final two laps must be run under the green. So, with nineteen laps complete, Jimmy Holden led the way, with Martin being the benefactor on the restart. He took second as the white flag waived on lap twenty. But, again, the caution was displayed to the leader instead of the checkered flag due to a spin by Makayla Guidace in turn four.
The now 22 lap race restarted, with Jimmy Holden prevailing. This time, he was able to race to his second win of the season and fourth at the track. Ironically, it was the second time this year that a driver scored feature wins in two different cars. Holden’s victories came in the familiar 28H and the Stine 7S. Jeremiah Shingledecker had multiple wins in his own 37MD and one in the Hoffman 00.
The Empire State driver, Martin, was second once again. His previous start at Tri-City this season yielded the same result.
Hoffman settled for third, and left the track as the new points leader by nine over Jimmy Holden. Holden did not benefit point-wise from his victory, as those points went to the 7S. Instead, Hayden’s points for finishing fifth on the night were credited to Jimmy’s number 28H. Fourth place was Riggs.
Positions six through ten went to Guidace, Fink, Jolene Smith, Jeremy Beichner, and Eyler.
Taking the heat race wins in the Donovan & Bauer Auto Group 358 Modifieds were Martin and Fink. There was no B Main.
Tyler Dietz and Tyler Wyant won their heats in the Hovis Auto & Truck Supply Pro Stocks before the rains came.
Likewise taking the victories in the preliminaries for the 4 Your Car Connection Mini Stocks were Todd Hanlon and Levi Maskal.
The abbreviated program necessitated some schedule changes. The 4 Your Car Connection Mini Stock feature will be made up at 5:30 on Sunday, August 14. The RUSH Modifieds will be added to that card as well, making for a five-division, six-feature extravaganza. That program will also include the fan and racer favorite autograph night!
Tri-City Raceway Park will close out the month of August with another Sunday Thunder event on August 28. The Hovis Auto & Truck Supply Pro Stock make-up feature will be added to that program.
Remember that, sandwiched in between will be the return of the World of Outlaws Late Model Series. That’s right, the most powerful Late Models on the planet will be at Tri-City Raceway Park on August 21! Rookie of the Year contender Max Blair, from nearby Centerville, will be back where he cut his racing teeth, competing in the e-Mod and Crate Late Model classes before moving into the Super Late Models on a regional and national basis. Joining Blair and company will be the 4 Your Car Connection Mini Stocks.
Then, get ready for the season-ending spectacular to be held over the Labor Day weekend. The activity will start with a practice session on Friday, September 2, with free grandstand admission. Racing will begin on Saturday, September 3, for the Shawgo Real Estate LLC 410 Sprints, the Donovan & Bauer Auto Group 358 Modifieds, the Hovis Auto & Truck Supply Pro Stocks, the 4 Your Car Connection Mini Stocks, and the Junior Sprints. All five classes will return for the finale on Sunday, September 4, along with the RUSH Sprint Cars. Camping will be free throughout the weekend, and there will be fireworks and a bonfire to celebrate the end of the summer.
Further information about Tri-City Raceway Park can be obtained by calling the track office at 724-967-4601, or by e-mailing the office at tricityracewaypark2020@gmail.com. Or, you can check the web at Tri-CityRacewayPark.com, or the Facebook page at Tri City Raceway Park. Tri-City Raceway Park is located just a few miles north of Franklin, PA, at 3430 State Route 417 in Oakland Township.
Shawgo Real Estate LLC 410 Sprints: Carl Bowser, A.J. Flick, Logan McCandless, Leyton Wagner, Jack Sodeman, Jr., Brandon Matus, Bob Felmlee, Jeremy Weaver, Brent Matus, Brandon Spithaler.
Donovan & Bauer Auto Group 358 Modifieds: Jimmy Holden, Greg Martin, Kevin Hoffman, Lonny Riggs, Hayden Holden, Makayla Guidace, Kyle Fink, Jolene Smith, Jeremy Beichner, Austin Eyler.
Hovis Auto & Truck Supply Pro Stock Feature Lineup: Doug Iorio, II, Joey Zambotti, Bobby Whitling, Tyler Dietz, Josh Seippel, Tyler Wyant, Pat Fielding, Aaron Smith, Charlie McMillen, Matt Bernard, Quinten Boozel, Hunter Exley.
4 Your Car Connection Mini Stock Feature Lineup: Bodey McClintock, Matt Urey, Thomas Warren, D.J. Macrae, Levi Maskal, Todd Hanlon, Dillon Thorne, Dalton Speer, Adam Aley, Tyler Ellenberger, Chad Greeley, Ben Aley, Paul Marsh, Jr., Kevin Wice.