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Harry O’Neill Comes From Last To Score $1000 Win In Evergreen Raceway Enduro 150; Tony Hilliard Is Best On Roval

By DINO OBERTO

 

(Butler Township, PA 3-16-24) Harry O’Neill of Wapwallopen is well-known for his signature No. 126 which has been the trademark car number that has carried him to many a victory. However, there may be some consideration to that of 34 and for good reason.

At Saturday afternoon’s Gut-N-Go Enduro 150 at Evergreen Raceway presented by the Wire Guys of Hazle Township, O’Neill came from 34th and last, took the lead for the first time by lap 34, then held off a very determined TJ Kapish en route to a big $1000 payday. Oh, and one more thing, he started out the day with 34 career Evergreen wins.

The race was a distance of 150 laps and notwithstanding the stout field of cars, it came down to two drivers who battled back and forth as O’Neill and Kapish would take their fight right down to the finish. The race would see 10 lead changes between four drivers but in reality it was all about O’Neill and Kapish.

At the outset Mackenzie Adams jumped into the early lead before Mark Spencer assumed the top spot on lap seven.

Incredibly, O’Neill was already in the top-10 by this time and within the next 10 trips around the 1/3-mile oval he was shown third. Five laps later he was now runner-up and making the best of lapped traffic. He set-up his bid for the lead by getting inside of Spencer while navigating his way by slower traffic on lap 33. By the time the lap was completed, the lead was his.

At the same time Kapish – the Enduro winner here last month – was also on the charge as he too was picking off cars and heading towards the front in haste, making his way up to O’Neill by lap 51.

On laps 62 and 63 the race was halted for a safety concern and with Kapish stopped right alongside O’Neill. Once back underway Kapish used the restart to get ahead but it would be short lived as one lap later O’Neill was back in control.

Still, Kapish kept glued to O’Neill and at the 70 lap mark he once more moved to the lead but again it was not a long stay as O’Neill was returning the favor just three tours afterwards.

The red flag was displayed once more on lap 79 and just as he did prior, Kapish used the ensuing restart to get by O’Neill, yet just as before, it was a quick stint as they exchanged spots the next time around.

From this point O’Neill was slowly extending his lead, keeping Kapish a few cars lengths back. However, when things appeared to be well in hand, Kapish suddenly closed in on O’Neill and with just nine laps to go passed for the lead. But as luck would have his stay at the helm was again a brief one, only this time not coming at the hand of O’Neill but rather that of a lapped car.

Heading into turn one with eight to go, Kapish encountered a slower moving car, made contact and actually got up on two wheels, He then veered towards the wall and somehow kept from hitting it and continued on, but in second spot as O’Neill was able to dart below the situation. O’Neill then stayed the course and picked up the sweet $1000 victory.

“I had no idea TJ (Kapish) was there and I have to thank Jeff Ingler, he’s the one who made me come back out. I had sold everything and I was just done. But he just kept bugging me to let’s go out and do this and we just finished things up very late last night,” said O’Neill from Fairway Motors Victory Lane and recalling how he was passed with nine laps remaining.

“I really didn’t want to see that happen to him and wanted it to be a fair race. It would have been good to race each other right down to the wire when you saw how even we were.”

He and Kapish would be the only drivers to run the entire distance. Chris Olivari was third, three laps down. Jason Bentzoni notched fourth and Mike Green fifth, those two coming home at 145 laps.

O’Neill, although having to deal plenty with Kapish, did a splendid job of working traffic and proving himself the most worthy opponent.

“It was just laps and laps of seeing what other cars are doing and you kind of know where they’re going to be and a lot of patience,” he noted. 

“I couldn’t believe how fast this car was today. We were just here to have fun and the first couple laps I thought, hey we have something here and it just went wherever we wanted it to go,” 

The win puts O’Neill into a tie all-time for Small Car Enduro’s with Sam Ryan at 10 each.

“To be mentioned with Sam Ryan you are in good company,” said O’Neill.

The popular Evergreen Roval was put into use following the 150 and in the 25-lap contest there was no denying the key performance of Tony “Hitman” Hilliard of Drums who led from flag to flag.

Hilliard charged to the lead at the drop of the green and with each passing lap would pull further away from his counterparts. Never turning a wheel wrong through the twists and turns of the technically laid out course, Hilliard would beat runner-up Scott Adams by nearly the-and-a-half seconds.

It also marked the end of a decade long dry spell for Hilliard, winning for the first time since 2014.

 

Enduro feature finish (150-laps): 1. Harry O’Neill, 2. TJ Kapish, 3. Chris Olivari, 4. Jason Bentzoni, 5. Mike Green, 6. Jason Koch, 7. Paul Mercante, 8. Ray Kennedy, 9. Jake Oswald, 10. Mackenzie Adams, 11. Philip Levering, 12. Adam Kratzer, 13. Pete Verwys, 14. Eric Platt, 15. AJ Light, 16. David Olivari, 17. Victoria Burd, 18. Tyler Neiman, 19. Adam Snyder, 20. Scott Adams, 21. Mark Rittenhouse, Jr., 22. Tony Hilliard, 23. Chris McCarr, 24. Justin Riegel, 25. Jason Birch, 26. Adam Steigerwalt, 27. Allen Such, 28. Mark Spencer, 29. Blake Snyder, 30. Brandon Farver, 31. Daniel Baker, 32. Ethan Paul, 33. Larry Spencer III, 34. Mark Rittenhouse

 

Roval feature finish (25-laps): 1. Tony Hilliard, 2. Scott Adams, 3. Larry Spencer III, 4. Paul Mercante, 5. Ray Kennedy, 6. Jake Oswald, 7. Sean Burd, 8. Blake Snyder, 9. Mark Rittenhouse, Jr., 10. Tyler Niemen, 11. Chris McCarr

 

Fairway Chevrolet

Fairway Motors signs on as official Victory Lane sponsor at Evergreen Raceway

 

(Butler Township, PA 3-2-24) Evergreen is happy to welcome onboard Fairway Motors Inc., as the official Victory Lane sponsor.

Fairway Chevrolet and Fairway Subaru is located at 1101 N. Church St. (RT 309 North) in Hazle Township and has been serving the Hazleton and surrounding areas since 1960.

Their affiliation with Evergreen Raceway runs deep too, working with the 1/3-mile paved oval as a marketing partner dating back to 1988. And, not only has Fairway Motors been behind the speedway as proud sponsor but over the years many of the Company’s associates have competed here as well.

“It’s absolutely great to have Fairway joining us again in 2024 and as our Victory Lane sponsor,” stated track owner/promoter Jason Makarewicz.

“Jim Corazza (Fairway owner) and his whole staff have been so supportive of Evergreen for so many years now and we’ve enjoyed an amazing alliance that has grown well beyond a business relationship and we are so proud to show them off each time a driver wins a feature.” 

Founded in 1960, Fairway Motors opened as Chevrolet dealership in Freeland. With the growth of selling over 500 vehicles within two years’ time, they realized a bigger facility was needed and moved to their present location just outside of Hazleton. In 1984 they added Subaru to their lineup and are now one of the region’s top dealerships. 

The National Auto Dealership Association certified Fairway Chevrolet in recognition of their ethical and fair treatment of their customers. Fairway Chevrolet was also presented with Chevrolet’s “Genuine Leader” award for exceeding Chevy’s standards for sales and customer service. 

Along with Evergreen Raceway, Fairway Subaru is also a key sponsor of the Weatherly Hillclimb.

Evergreen Raceway has already begun racing this year with the recently held Enduro on February 24. Coming up Saturday afternoon, March 16, at 1:00 pm, will be another ‘Gut-N-Go’ Enduro, a 150-lap/$1000-to-win feature for 4/6-cylinder cars presented by The Wire Guys of Hazle Township, plus the popular JuiceBox Division. An 8-cylinder Outlaw Enduro will be held provided 10 or more cars are preregistered by Wednesday, March 13. Grandstand admission is only $5.

More Enduro action follows on Saturday, April 27. Prior to the Enduro an open practice will take place for all weekly and traveling classes. Sunday, April 28 a second open practice will be held in preparation for the Sunday, May 5, Opening Day.

Tour Type Modifieds, Street Stocks, Four Cylinder Stocks, Rotter-and-Forgotten, Juice Box Division and the touring East Coast TQ Midgets are on the Opening Day docket with race time beginning at 2:00 pm. 

Information about Fairway Motors can be found at https://www.fairwaymotors.com

For complete up to date news and information please log onto the official Evergreen Raceway website at https://www.evergreenracewaypark.com/ or on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/groups/evergreenraceway

Evergreen Raceway Opening Day set for May 5 with Tour Type Modifieds as headliner

 

(1-23-24) Evergreen Raceway will begin the 2024 season of weekly racing at the 1/3-mile paved oval on Sunday afternoon, May 5, featuring the Tour Type Modifieds headlining the stock car line-up along with Street Stocks, Four Cylinders, Rotten-and-Forgotten and the Novice classes.

Racing will get underway beginning at 2:00 pm. Pit gates will open at 10:00 am with hot laps starting at 12:30 pm. Front gates to welcome fans is set for noon.

            The raceway staff is in the process of putting the final touches on the 2024 schedule that will be ready for release shortly. Races will takes place on most weekends from the May 5 Season Opener and through the annual King of the Green slated for the weekends of October 12 and 19.

            Regular tracks classes will include Tour Type Modifieds, 602 Crate Modifieds, Late Models, Street Stocks, Four Cylinders, Rotten-and Forgotten and Novices. Sprinkled in throughout the season will be Bangers, a stock, front wheel drive 4-Cylinder car, the TQ Midgets of the American Three Quarter Midget Racing Association and Legends Cars. Plus the JuiceBox Division will be in action on a number of dates.   

            Also several weekends are dedicated to the popular Evergreen Drift. The Rusty Wallace Driving School has also inked Saturday, June 8, for their instructional stock car school.

            The Evergreen Raceway 2-Seater Ride-Along will be hitting the track this year which gives fans the golden opportunity to strap into a Late Model stock car and experience what if feels like to be in full race conditions.

            When the schedule does come out fans and race teams will take notice that along with the traditional Sunday afternoon programs, there will also be a few Friday and Saturday night shows taking place.

            Prior to Opening Day there will be a pair of Enduro’s run. First on Saturday afternoon, February 24, with a 4/6-Cylinder Enduro and an Outlaw 8-Cylinder Enduro plus the JuiceBox Division.

            On Saturday, April 27, another 4/6-Cylinder Enduro will be held which will follow and open practice for all regular track classes. The following Sunday afternoon, a second open practice will be run in advance of the May 5 opener.

The compete 2024 schedule will be released soon. For additional information please log onto the official Evergreen Raceway website at https://www.evergreenracewaypark.com/. Also on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/groups/evergreenraceway

Jerry Hildebrand earns second Evergreen Mod title at season finale on Sunday

By DINO OBERTO

 

(Butler Township, Pa. 11-5-23) Evergreen Raceway put the punctuation mark on the 2023 season with day #3 of the 22nd Annual King of the Green held Sunday afternoon and the highlight was a pair of twin-30 lap features for the Evergreen Mods that would determine this year’s champion.

Coming into the day four drivers, Jerry Hildebrand, Paulie Hartwig III, Steve Shultz and Jayden Harman all had a shot at the title. But with Hartwig not present it would come down to the other three to fight it out and indeed they did as it turned into a nail bitter in deciding the championship outcome.

In the opening feature Shultz out ran pole sitter Micah Adams at the initial start and then kept Harman at bay the rest of the way as the pair ran closely together.

Only two laps into the race Hildebrand gave everyone a scare when he almost spun and narrowly escaped being clipped by oncoming traffic. The problem turned out to be a flat tire which he was able to replace and return to the action.

However, with Shultz and Harman still running one-two it left Hildebrand hustling to gain spots and more importantly points.

Leading to the finish Shultz would earn his first victory with a Modified and more so head into the second main just one point behind Hildebrand who notched fourth. Harman’s runner-up had him still very much in the hunt at just 10 points out of first. 

“It feels great to win with a Modified and it was just a matter of getting more time under my belt. We don’t have it dialed in just yet but we’ll keep on trying things and make the best of it,” said Shultz after achieving his 36th career win.

“It was definetley hooked up on that (initial) start and from there we just continued to hit the marks and it worked out. We’ll have to come out and just find a good balance with the car and try to stay consistent in the next one. The end of that feature is what’s going to win the championship.”

Shultz couldn’t have been more right about that last statement. Picking the five pill as the invert, it would see Adams and Hildebrand on the front row for the finale. And, as soon as the green flag dropped Hildebrand blasted to the lead with Mike Pollack settling into second.

            Thanks to a nonstop race Hildebrand was able set a good pace, keep just enough ahead of Pollack and steadily cruise his way to the win and ultimately the championship.

“How about that, I get to come out and put a crown on my head for King of the Green and get the championship to boot, that’s pretty cool,” Hildebrand said.

“The track has changed a lot over the last couple weeks and I felt it would have been good on the high side because the Tour Modifieds where here yesterday and put down a lot of laps but that just wasn’t the case so it was big for us to start up front, it definitely helped.”

            As Hildebrand was focusing on leading and Pollack holding down second, there was a very torrid battle for third between Adams, Harman, Shultz and Lou Strohl. The group ran under a blanket for most of the distance until late in the going when Harman got by and went on the take third at the checkers followed by Strohl and Shultz. 

“I kept praying that it would stay green because my car was great on the long stints. We got to halfway and I thought good there are no cautions yet and let’s keep it going this way,” indicated Hildebrand.

“We did and it was a great race, a great day and I can’t thank the Ross gang enough for all they do for me. If it wasn’t for them I would be here.”

For Hildebrand, who has been racing at Evergreen since 1988, it was his second title in the last three years and also a repeat with a King of the Green win.

The Factory Stock cars where part of the action, running a 30-lap main which would also see a champion crowned.

For the race Jarrod Hayes made his first Evergreen start of the year and it would be well worth the trip from his Long Island home as he took the lead at the outset and never looked back. Hayes, a former track Late Model champ, was just too strong for anyone to keep pace with him as he cruised easily the whole way en route to his first Factory Stock win and third King of the Green verdict, the latter two with the Late Models.

Broc Brown was second while the third place finish by Brandon Cook gave him his record third consecutive class title. 

            The 4-Cylinder Stocks competed in a 2023 non-winners 25-lap feature and what a thriller it turned out to be.

            After winning his very first heat race, Robert McNulty would then start the race from the pole and wasted little time in taking the early lead but not by much as Maggie Yeakel and Johnny Bennett ran side-by-side directly behind him.

            Lap after lap the trio would stay that way with McNulty having to run just high and low enough in order to protect his lead as time and again Yeakel and Bennett each tried to work by him.

            With less than a lap and half to go McNulty led the charge down the back straight and as they began entry into turn three Yeakel nipped his left rear that almost sent him spinning. He instead made an amazing save while Bennett, who was safely on the outside of both, shot into the lead and would go on the take the checkers.  

            McNulty held on for a career best second with Dave Imler Jr., third, Harry O’Neill fourth and Yeakel fifth.

            The Rotten and Forgotten were part of the well-rounded program and as has been the case all season long the unique group of racers put on a great show.

            Despite leading all 35 laps, winner Dan Jensen would have to fend off champion Noah Jensen over most of the waning laps. It would be D. Jensen’s second win of the season and solidify him as runner-up in the final standings behind champ N. Jensen.

 

1st Evergreen Mod feature (30 laps): 1. Steve Shultz, 2. Jayden Harman, 3. Micah Adams, 4. Jerry Hildebrand, 5. Mike Pollack, 6. Lou Strohl, 7. Justin Teresak, 8. MacKenzie Adams, 9. Brian Rygielski, 10. Gunner Zeiner DNS: Evan Rygielski 

 

2st Evergreen Mod feature (30 laps): 1. Hildebrand, 2. Pollack, 3. Harman, 4. Strohl, 5. Shultz, 6. Micah Adams, 7. Tersak, 8. MacKenzie Adams, 9. Gunnar Zeiner, 10. Brian Rygielski DNS: Evan Rygielski

 

4-Cylinder Stock feature (25 laps): 1. Johnny Bennett, 2. Robert McNulty, 3. Dave Imler Jr., 4. Harry O’Neill, 5. Maggie Yeakel, 6. Michael Wambold, 7. Jarred Frye, 8. Payton Arthofer

 

Factory Stock feature finish (30 laps): 1. Jarrod Hayes, 2. Broc Brown, 3. Brandon Cook, 4. Blaine Barry, 5. Ryan Casagrande, 6. Scott Sipe DNS: Richard Carman

 

Rotten and Forgotten feature finish (35 laps): 1. Dan Jensen, 2, Noah Jensen, 3. Sam Jensen, 4. Tom Jensen, 5. Hunter Sterner, 6. Jon Jensen DNS: Tyler Huntsberger

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