Doubles Dominate Lampeter ST

Pennsylvania Short Track
Lampeter Firemen’s Fairgrounds

Story and Photos by Len and Ben Breech
LAMPETER, PA. APR. 14, 2012

Five riders scored double wins at the Lampeter Firemen’s Fairgrounds short track. Tyler Scott had competition from Logan McGrane before scoring wins in the 50cc Shaft and 50cc Chain Drive classes. Brandon Price again destroyed the 65cc and 85cc (7-11) classes. Chase Smith topped the 125cc Two-Stroke/150cc Four-Stroke final, and although he was the only Youth 100cc rider entered, he ran with the 85cc (12-15) and emerged first overall in that contest. Matt Trout took the 250cc and Open B finals. And, as is usual on a small, multipurpose track, Donnie Mullen scored wins in the Open A and 450cc Sportsman finals.

In the Vet (Over 30) contest at the Pennsylvania Short Track at the Lampeter Firemen’s Fairgrounds, Ace Phillips (18) came in first, while Donnie Mullen (71) placed third and Roy Miller (56) finished fourth.

Since Mullen became eligible for the Over 30 class this year, most people figured he’d add that class to his winnings as well. However, Ace Phillips stopped that plan on this night. Mullen grabbed the lead ahead of Phillips, Raun Wood, Roy Miller and Kevin Varnes. Entering turn three on the second lap, Phillips shot to the inside before Mullen could counter, causing him to check up slightly. This left an opening – which Wood filled, taking second. For the rest of the race, they ran nose to tail in the battle for the lead. Varnes took fourth from Miller on the fifth lap, and for the remainder of the race the brothers-in-law fought over fourth, which went to Varnes.

After four heats whittled down the large field of riders, the start of the Open A contest was a return to the status quo for this type of track: Mullen jumping into the lead and staying there. He took the lead from Sam Wiggins, Wood and Brandon Robinson. Wood and Robinson got by Wiggins on the sixth lap and battled for second to the end of the race, with Wood taking runner-up.

As if just staying on a bar stool wasn’t hard enough, these guys actually race them. At least there was no alcohol involved. (And who knows: Maybe next they’ll invent real "bench racing" ... maybe as a team sport...)

Wood jumped into the 450cc Sportsman lead, over Mullen, Dan Bromley, Robinson and Jeremy Higgins. Robinson and Higgins got by Bromley off turn two on the third lap. After starting deep in the pack, National Champion Jake Johnson began to work his way toward the front on an underpowered 250cc two-stroke, against the 450s. Wood drifted slightly high going into turn three on the sixth lap, letting Mullen into the lead. Johnson took fourth in the late laps.

After three starts in the 250cc B final left the front row rather thin, Matt Trout used that to his advantage by grabbing the lead, ahead of Colin Cunningham, Ken Kolsovsky and Cameron Smith, one of the group on the penalty line. Smith has shown promise so far this year, as he’s jumped from an 80 last season; he got by Kolsovsky off the second turn on the fourth lap and started pressuring Cunningham for second. He slipped under Cunningham off turn two on the final lap to take the runner-up spot.

In the Open B class, Trout jumped in front of Samantha Bergman, Jason Cunningham, Anthony Crabbe, Brian Nuse and Ben Ludlow. Bergman stayed close in the early laps, but Trout started pulling away to an eventual straightaway-long margin by the end. Nuse, Ludlow and Crabbe got into a tight battle for fourth, which finally went to Nuse.

Matt Trout (16A), Samantha Bergman (95) and Jason Cunningham (14X) finished one-two-three in the Open B contest.

For some reason, the 250cc riders had trouble staying upright on this night. The 250cc Sportsman class, which is open to A and B riders, had two crash-induced restarts before getting rolling officially. Roy Miller led all those starts, followed by his ever-present shadow Colton Smith, and then Robert Miller, Kevin Bills and Dalton Gauthier. Miller’s tight lines frustrated Smith into making some slight bobbles, letting Miller pull away. Gauthier and Bills got by a tiring Robert Miller around midway through the final.

Roy Miller (56) won the 250cc Sportsman final, followed by Colton Smith (41), Dalton Gauthier (14G) and Kevin Bills (13) .

Ray Jenkins was another rider who used tight, rail-hugging lines to hold off his competitors, in this case a faster Tom Majeski, with Dave Smith and Don Mullen Sr. close in the early going of the Senior (Over 45) final. The Jenkins-Majeski battle pulled them away from the others, as Majeski tried to find a way by Jenkins. Off the final turn, he made a desperate try, pulling alongside, but it was not enough to get by Jenkins at the line.

Ray Jenkins (25) was the winner and Tom Majeski (3A) the runner-up in the Senior (Over 45) class.

Tyler Rylee led Jason Cole, Chase Smith, Justin Schulz and Bronson Johnson at the start of the 125cc Two-Stroke/150cc Four-Stroke final. The first three were very close until Rylee fell in turn one on the seventh lap. Smith dived under Cole going into turn three on the same lap and came off turn four with the lead, which he held to the end.

Chase Smith (14) topped the 125cc Two-Stroke/150cc Four-Stroke final. Jason Cole (47C) came in third.

Lampeter Firemen’s Fairgrounds
Lampeter, Pennsylvania
Results: April 14, 2012

50 CHAIN: 1. Tyler Scott (KTM); 2. Logan McGrane (Cob); 3. Ethan Stroh (Con); 4. Triniti Erisain (KTM); 5. Dominick Cooper (KTM).

50 SHAFT: 1. Tyler Scott (Yam); 2. Logan McGrane (Yam); 3. Ethan Stroh (Yam); 4. Ethan Strickler (Hon); 5. Emily Tyeryar (Yam); 6. Brittney Thomas (Yam).

65 (7-11): 1. Brandon Price (KTM); 2. Doug Cook (Kaw); 3. Robert Wheatley (KTM); 4. Aaron Johnson (KTM); 5. Chris Brown (Kaw); 6. Ethan Stroh (KTM); 7. Matt Scibek (Kaw); 8. Damon Ream (Kaw).

85 (7-11): 1. Brandon Price (Suz); 2. Matt Scibek (Kaw); 3. Damon Ream (Yam); 4. Doug Cook (Hon); 5. Robert Wheatley (Hon).

85 (12-15): 1. Tyler Rylee (Kaw); 2. Tyler Johnson (Yam); 3. Harley Millisalk (Kaw).

100 YOUTH: 1. Chase Smith (Suz).

100 ADULT: 1. Cory Texter (Suz); 2. Matt Langrehr (Hon); 3. Justin Schulz (Hon); 4. Rob Miller (Yam); 5. Jason Cole (Suz).

125 2-STROKE/150 4-STROKE: 1. Chase Smith (Suz); 2. Justin Schulz (Hon); 3. Jason Cole (Suz); 4. Bronson Johnson (Yam); 5. Chris Thomas (KTM); 6. Tyler Rylee (Kaw); 7. Kareen Stanley (Yam).

250 B: 1. Matt Trout (Hon); 2. Cameron Smith (Hon); 3. Colin Cunningham (Suz); 4. Ken Kolsovsky (Kaw); 5. Dalton Gauthier (Hus); 6. Zach Mullen (Suz); 7. Kyle McGrane (Mai); 8. Tyler Mullen (Suz); 9. Anthony Crabbe (Suz); 10. Ryan Varnes (Suz).

250 SPORTSMAN: 1. Roy Miller (Suz); 2. Colton Smith (Kaw); 3. Dalton Gauthier (Hus); 4. Kevin Bills (Suz); 5. Robert Miller (Yam); 6. Ryan Varnes (Suz); 7. Darren Phillips Jr. (Kaw); 8. Scott Mullen (Suz); 9. Colin Cunningham (Hon); 10. Kyle McGrane (Hon).

450 SPORTSMAN: 1. Donnie Mullen (Hon); 2. Raun Wood (Hon); 3. Brandon Robinson (Hon); 4. Jake Johnson (Yam); 5. Jeremy Higgins (Yam); 6. Colton Smith (Kaw); 7. Dan Bromley (KTM); 8. Jason Isennock (Suz); 9. Sam Wiggins (Hon); 10. Cory Strickler (Kaw).

500 2-VALVE: 1. Jim Chapman (Yam); 2. Mike Cortese Jr. (Yam); 3. Greg Lerch (Yam); 4. Curtis Wise (Yam); 5. Leslie Cooper (Yam).

OPEN A: 1. Donnie Mullen (Hon); 2. Raun Wood (Hon); 3. Brandon Robinson (Hon); 4. Sam Wiggins (Hon); 5. Colton Smith (Kaw); 6. Jake Johnson (Yam); 7. Jason Isennock (Suz); 8. Kevin Bills (Suz); 9. Cory Strickler (Kaw); 10. Gary Jenkins (Hon).

OPEN B: 1. Matt Trout (Suz); 2. Samantha Bergman (Hon); 3. Jason Cunningham (Hon); 4. Brian Nuse (Hon); 5. Ben Ludlow (Hon); 6. Anthony Crabbe (Suz); 7. Mike Cortese Jr. (Hon).

VET 30+: 1. Ace Phillips (Hon); 2. Raun Wood (Hon); 3. Donnie Mullen (Hon); 4. Kevin Varnes (Yam); 5. Roy Miller (Suz); 6. Tom McGrane Jr. (Hon); 7. Steve Lerch (Hon); 8. Tom Majeski (Hon); 9. Rich Mellinger (Yam); 10. Don Mullen Sr. (Hon).

SR 45+: 1. Ray Jenkins (Hon); 2. Tom Majeski (Hon); 3. Dave Smith (Rtx); 4. Don Mullen Sr. (Hon); 5. Darren Phillips Sr. (Kaw); 6. Jim Chapman (Yam); 7. Bill Young (Hon); 8. Cliff Diem (Suz); 9. Harold Shaffer (Hon).

VINTAGE: 1. Matt Langrehr (Bul); 2. James Holbrook (Hon); 3. Harold Shaffer (Yam); 4. Cliff Diem (Hod); 5. Barry Miller (MV); 6. Brian Schwein (Car).