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Lehighton, Pa. 9/16/2017Mahoning Valley Speedway Modified Division Point leader Kris Graver backed up his June TQ feature win with a second victory in the Matt Janisch Yuhas Chassis 48 after starting shotgun on the field in the caution free 25 lap barn burner of a feature. Buddy Sload would finish second followed by Jeff Kot. Heat Races were won by Graver and Sload. Graver was also the ACRO Rookie of the Race. Next up for the ATQMRA is a trip to Wall Stadium for the penultimate round on September 30th with the season finale taking place at the Waterford Speedbowl the weekend of October 21st.
The front row of Buddy Sload and Cole Mullen took the Bobby Stull Green Flag with Sload shooting into the lead. Sload would set sail and open a substantial lead on the pack as they diced for position. Janisch starting sixth methodically picked his way into second by lap five and set sail to run down Sload. As the laps wound down Janisch was able to close on Sload when he was negotiating lap traffic. Janisch in the Alan Mollot Lindblad Badger would take advantage of Sload’s tight condition and take the lead on lap 21. As has been the case many times in 2017 for the Janisch Mollot Combination his time in front was short lived as a right rear wheel failure sent Janisch to the infield a lap later.
When Janisch dropped from the lead his car driven by Kris Graver took over after riding the high side around the competition to sweep into the lead from his last starting position. Graver turned the fastest lap of the race at 9.200 seconds and won by over 2 ½ seconds over a fading Sload. Jeff Kot, 3rd in points, in the Behrent’s Performance Warehouse Badger would score another podium finish in third. Kot and Graver had a wild 5 lap battle for position that had fans on the edge of their seat. Point leader Ryan Tidman finished fourth with Mark Yoder fifth. Second in points Geoffrey Sutton was sixth followed across the line by Briggs Danner who was making his first TQ start in the Jansich 48x ten-inch car after spending the season racing the Ricky Harring Ironton Telephone SpeedSTR after moving up from Quarter Midget Competition. 2017 ACRO Rookie contenders Ronnie Mullen was followed across the line by Dave Gorbatuk who earned the Advance Suspension award with Rookie Jon Keller rounding out the top ten.
Graver’s second win of the season gives Janisch his sixth combined win in 2017 with the ATQMRA as both a car owner and driver. This is the fourth win for Janisch 48 two wins for Graver at Mahoning. Janisch won the pair of open races at Riverhead and Pocono International Raceway as well as a pair fo wins in the Mollot Badger at Wall.
Heat Races were won by Kris Graver and Buddy Sload. The first and second heat were separated by a considerable amount of time since light rain started to fall as the first heat finished. Mahoning Valley Management did a great job battling the light rain that was falling on and off all night.
Saturday night at Mahoning Valley word reached the teams of the untimely passing of Ted Christopher of Plainville, CT in a plane crash while on his way to a tour race at Riverhead Raceway. TC is familiar to everyone in the Three Quarter Midget world after racing with him during the Sammons Indoor series of races in the winter. Ted made a pair of starts with the ATQMRA in recent years once at Chemung Speedrome and last fall at Stafford Speedway. The ATQMRA wishes to extend their most sincere condolences to the family and friends of Ted Christopher on his untimely passing. ATQMRA Racer Kyle Taraska will have TC Commemorative Decals available at Wall on the 30th for $5.00 a piece with all proceeds going to the Christopher family.
Feature (25 Laps) 1. 48 Kris Graver 2. 36 Buddy Sload 3. 95 Jeff Kot4. 1B Ryan Tidman 5. 75 Mark Yoder 6. 461 Geoffey Sutton 7. 48X Briggs Danner 8. 39 Ronnie Mullen 9. 32 Dave Gorbatuk 10. 20 John Keller11. 51 Matt Janisch12. 73c Cole Mullen13. (DNS) 11 Dave Williams
Heat Race 1 (8Laps) 1. 48 Kris Graver2. 73c Cole Mullen3. 461 Geoffrey Sutton 4. 51 Matt Janisch 5. 75Mark Yoder 6. 20 John Keller 7. 39 Ron Mullen8. 11 Dave Williams
Heat Race 2(8Laps) 1. 36 Buddy Sload2. 95 Jeff Kot3. 48X Briggs Danner4. Ryan Tidman 5. Ronnie Mullen 6. Dave Gorbatuk
