By Jim Balentine
(Mercer,Pa)
On a hot humid summer night, Michaels Mercer Raceway presented by Sunbelt Rentals was able to complete their fifth race of 2024. Standing in victory lane was Josh Frantz who won the SCDRA $2500 to win King’s forest products mini stock feature; pat Lane picked up his second career win at Mercer in the Al Priester memorial $1000 to win Top Shelf trucking DIRT 602 crate sportsman; and Jeremy Kornbau picked up his 11th career 305 sprint victory. 77 school backpacks with school supplies were given away for all children.
Jeremy Kornbau from the pole position took off and was never threatened in the 15 lap IMCA racesaver 305 sprint feature leading green to checkered for his 11th career when at the speedway. Two time winner this season Vivian Jones finished a solid second, Aaron Marano with his best finish of his career in third, Jared Rosencrance fourth, and Mike Mathieson 5th. Kornbau would say, “it’s great to be back at Mercer again we were here the for the chiller thriller, and then we rained out the next week so I had to remember a little bit but I’ve been here Before! Track was real fast. It reminded me when they put the red dirt on and you could pretty much go anywhere and had a little character too so it’s great to be back!”
The richest mini stock race in Mercer history feature the SCDRA Northeast series in a $2500 to win special sponsored by Mercer Mercantile which brought 23 cars some from as far as away as Gettysburg Pennsylvania. 20 cars were able to compete in the 30 lap affair and was a matter of attrition. Dorset, Ohio’s Jacob Wheeler after winning a heat race for the $100,000 to win show at Kokomo Indiana started on the pole and was out to a five second lead at one point over Chad Smith and Josh Frantz who would swap 2nd and 3rd place. Frantz who has won the previous 2 $2500 SCDRA northeast series races in 2025 at Selinsgrove and Georgetown would take over the lead on lap 13 after Wheeler would suffer a mechanical breakdown and go pitside. Mercer regular Andy Thompson would suffer a flat tire on lap 14 and have to go to the pits to change it and was able to come back out before the next green flag lap however On lap 18 a red flag for a core for Tiana Anderson would halt the action and she was ok. On the restart while Frantz and Smith were leading the field, Thompson would move up quickly and be in third by lap 20. Jeff Erb would also move through the pack going from 14th at one point to fourth by lap 24. As attrition was taken its toll Frantz would not give up the lead and would defeat Smith by .446 for his third SCDRA Northeast race paying $2500 and has won $7500 in three sanctioned events this season. Smith would be second, Thompson third, Erb fourth and Robbie Carroll from 11th to 5th. Zack said “ I won last year’s last race here with this car. That was the last time… tracks definitely been different. I’ve ever been here twice, but I didn’t wanna run too hard down there in three but I didn’t have to when 44 (wheeler) broke I just stayed consistent and then the cautions helped me with the heat in my car to get it cooled back down. I see my front end plugged full of mud. The competition is so tough and I’ve had so much fun racing this series. This is 3 in a row for me and I’ve had a great year!”
The Al Priester memorial for the top shelf trucking dirt 602 crate sportsman paying $1000 to the winner would have Pat Lane dominate the event leading flag to flag in convincing fashion for the entire 25 laps. The story was behind him as Gage Priester attempting to win his father’s race, Caden Petry, Tommy Kristyak, and Jordan Ehrenberg would all battle for 2nd position throughout the race. Kristyak would try to get to the inside of Priester but would not be able to pass.As Lane opened up a 5 second lead Petry would get around Kristyak for 3rd then a grinding crash between Ehrenberg and Brian Schaffer where Ehrenberg landed on the side of Schaffer would bring out the red flag. When the race resumed Lane would again open up his lead and then on the final turn Petry would get around Priester for the checkered flag for 2nd. Anthony Antus would finish 4th and Ryan Riffe 5th. I saw Priester and quite a few behind there so I wasn’t sure how far ahead I was!! Al was one of the nicest guys I’ve ever met he come in and help us it means a lot to the win this so it’s a good one!”
Next week will be the Rick and Bob Ryder memorial for the BRP modified tour along with our regular three divisions of IMCA racesaver 305 sprints, top shelf trucking dirt 602 crate sportsman and King’s forest products SCDRA mini stocks
Racesaver 305 Sprints 7 Entries A Feature 1 15 Laps | 00:03:48.798 1. 27K-Jeremy Kornbau[2]; 2. 20M-Vivian Jones[4]; 3. 34M-Aaron Marano[3]; 4. 25-Jarrett Rosencrance[7]; 5. 72-Mike Mathieson[6]; 6. 71-Joe Coggin[1]; 7. 30-Jazlyn Boyles[5] Heat 1 8 Laps | 00:09:26.239 1. 27K-Jeremy Kornbau[2]; 2. 20M-Vivian Jones[4]; 3. 71-Joe Coggin[6]; 4. 34M-Aaron Marano[7]; 5. 30-Jazlyn Boyles[5]; 6. 72-Mike Mathieson[1]; 7. 25-Jarrett Rosencrance[3] Mini Stocks King’s Forest Products 23 Entries A Feature 1 30 Laps | 00:29:23.313 1. 114-Josh Frantz[3]; 2. 13S-Chaz Smith[2]; 3. 5-Andy Thompson[7]; 4. 777J-Jeff Erb[9]; 5. 69-Robbie Carroll[13]; 6. 40C-Joe Campbell[12]; 7. 92-Chris Anderson[10]; 8. 45-Andrew Thompson[17]; 9. C4-CJ LaVair[14]; 10. 77-Tyler Gill[16]; 11. 38-Randy Ealy[5]; 12. 15-Tiana Anderson[6]; 13. 158-Camden Frantz[8]; 14. 55-Josh Eakman[11]; 15. 60-Dillon Thorne[15]; 16. 48-Jordan Wheeler[20]; 17. 44-Jacob Wheeler[1]; 18. H15-AJ Hoffner[4]; 19. 54-Tim Callahan[19]; 20. F6-Zachery Lennox[21]; 21. (DNS) 12-Carl Ealy; 22. (DNS) 58R-Ryan Lippert; 23. (DNS) 916-Sam Regitz Heat 1 8 Laps 1. 44-Jacob Wheeler[1]; 2. 114-Josh Frantz[3]; 3. 38-Randy Ealy[5]; 4. 55-Josh Eakman[10]; 5. 777J-Jeff Erb[6]; 6. 5-Andy Thompson[8]; 7. 69-Robbie Carroll[7]; 8. 45-Andrew Thompson[12]; 9. 60-Dillon Thorne[11]; 10. 54-Tim Callahan[4]; 11. 48-Jordan Wheeler[2]; 12. 916-Sam Regitz[9] Heat 2 8 Laps | 00:04:42.000 1. 13S-Chaz Smith[1]; 2. H15-AJ Hoffner[2]; 3. 15-Tiana Anderson[3]; 4. 158-Camden Frantz[7]; 5. 92-Chris Anderson[4]; 6. F6-Zachery Lennox[8]; 7. 40C-Joe Campbell[9]; 8. C4-CJ LaVair[10]; 9. 58R-Ryan Lippert[6]; 10. 77-Tyler Gill[11]; 11. 12-Carl Ealy[5] Qualifying 1 | 00:01:02.000 1. 92-Chris Anderson, 00:20.434[19]; 2. (DNS) 60-Dillon Thorne; 3. (DNS) 55-Josh Eakman; 4. (DNS) 916-Sam Regitz; 5. (DNS) 48-Jordan Wheeler; 6. (DNS) 114-Josh Frantz; 7. (DNS) 54-Tim Callahan; 8. (DNS) H15-AJ Hoffner; 9. (DNS) 38-Randy Ealy; 10. (DNS) 40C-Joe Campbell; 11. (DNS) 5-Andy Thompson; 12. (DNS) 777J-Jeff Erb; 13. (DNS) 69-Robbie Carroll; 14. (DNS) 15-Tiana Anderson; 15. (DNS) 13S-Chaz Smith; 16. (DNS) 77-Tyler Gill; 17. (DNS) 158-Camden Frantz; 18. (DNS) F6-Zachery Lennox; 19. (DNS) 12-Carl Ealy; 20. (DNS) 58R-Ryan Lippert; 21. (DNS) C4-CJ LaVair; 22. (DNS) 44-Jacob Wheeler; 23. (DNS) 45-Andrew Thompson DIRT 602 Crate Sportsman Top Shelf Trucking 14 Entries A Feature 1 25 Laps | 00:21:59.863 1. 12L-Patrick Lane[1]; 2. 7P-Caden Petry[6]; 3. 71-Gage Priester[3]; 4. 29A-Anthony Antus[14]; 5. 1X-Ryan Riffe[5] ; 6. 1-Jim Bryce[12]; 7. 10S-Trevn Schaffer[2]; 8. 56M-Jacob McElravy[7]; 9. JD57-Jordan Ehrenberg[8]; 10. 77-Tommy Kristyak[4]; 11. 41-Brian Schaffer[10]; 12. 119-Joe Gibson[9]; 13. (DNS) 51R-Thomas Rodgers; 14. (DNS) 113-Don Cornelius Heat 1 8 Laps 1. 7P-Caden Petry[1]; 2. 1X-Ryan Riffe[5]; 3. 10S-Trevn Schaffer[4]; 4. 56M-Jacob McElravy[6]; 5. 119-Joe Gibson[2]; 6. 51R-Thomas Rodgers[7]; 7. 113-Don Cornelius[3] Heat 2 8 Laps | 00:10:43.574 1. 71-Gage Priester[1]; 2. 12L-Patrick Lane[3]; 3. 77-Tommy Kristyak[4]; 4. JD57-Jordan Ehrenberg[2]; 5. 41-Brian Schaffer[6]; 6. 1-Jim Bryce[5]; 7. 29A-Anthony Antus[7]
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