Story By: JEREMY PERRY / MCKEAN COUNTY RACEWAY – SMETHPORT, PA – The roar of engines and the thrill of competition returned to the Fairgrounds at McKean County Raceway on Friday night, as the track came alive after a three-week hiatus on Friday nights.
The occasion was special, as drivers and fans gathered to pay tribute to a beloved member of the racing community in the Todd Button Memorial, featuring the Rush Pro Mods vying for a lucrative $2,400 prize. The electric atmosphere was palpable as the racing family came together to honor one of their own, making for an unforgettable night.
Twenty-two Kane Stebbins Construction Rush Pro Mod drivers gathered to compete for the top prize of $2,400 in the 2nd annual Todd Button Memorial. The evening was filled with emotion from the start, as the field of drivers performed a 3-wide salute with a missing man formation to honor the late Todd Button. A fire truck even paced the field, adding to the solemn yet exciting atmosphere. As the green flag waved, Steve Dixon of Smethport, PA, and Jeremy Wonderling put on a thrilling show, racing side by side for the first 8 laps. Dixon eventually took control, with Wonderling slipping back slightly, allowing Zain Harvey to snatch 2nd place. However, the caution flag flew on lap 11 when Nick Arnold spun, restacking the field. On the restart, JD Chamberlain got a great jump, passing Wonderling’s 15 machine, but Wonderling contacted Chamberlain’s back bumper, sending him sideways and collecting several other cars, including Tyler Oakes, John Woodward Jr, and Josh Canfield. After a few restarts, the field finally settled in for some green flag laps. But disaster struck Harvey on lap 27, as he jumped the cushion in turns 1 and 2, losing significant ground and getting shuffled back to 9th. Despite the setback, Harvey rebounded to finish 7th. The hard charger award went to Slow Ride David Scott, who started 15th and worked his way up to a 3rd-place finish. However, Dixon proved too dominant, pulling away at the end to claim the feature win and his second consecutive Todd Button Memorial victory.
In the Costa’s Supermarket Pure Stock division, Bruno Mowery and Zach Hamer led the pack to the green flag, starting from the front row. Hamer initially took the lead, but his time at the front was short-lived as he spun on his own in turns 3 and 4, bringing out the caution after just one lap. Mowery assumed the top spot on the restart, with Joe Skinner hot on his heels. Mowery maintained control until lap 4, when Skinner boldly moved to the inside, taking the lead. From there, the field stretched out, and the race remained caution-free, allowing Skinner to cruise to his second consecutive victory at MCR.
A bounty had been placed on Trever Putt’s head in the Nittany MiniMart Mini Stock division, courtesy of the Cobb Boys, in memory of Mackenzie Kulesza and Maddie Goulding. Putt had dominated the division, winning three features in a row and five out of six. However, on this night, Preston Cobb of Coudersport, PA, had other plans. Starting third, Cobb went three-wide on lap one, passing Chris Leone and Dylan Strade to take the lead. Despite cautions for Shaine Putt and Ryan Burke, Cobb maintained his position, while Trever Putt struggled to gain ground, only reaching fourth by the halfway point. A late restart gave Putt one last chance, and he managed to pass Leone and Strade, but time ran out, and Cobb claimed the bounty, returning to victory lane for the first time since opening night on May 31st.
In the Beaver Trucking & Excavating Sharp Mini Late Models, Josh Outman and Rob Eaton led the field to the green flag, starting from the front row. Eaton, hailing from Smethport, PA, quickly took command, leading the first four laps before Outman made his move, snatching the top spot. However, Outman’s triumph was short-lived, as he brought out the caution shortly after, forcing him to restart at the rear of the field and handing the lead back to Eaton. The final caution on lap 11 set up a four-lap dash to the finish, but Eaton proved unstoppable, hitting his marks and cruising to a convincing win. Just like Cobb, Rob Eaton picked up his first win since opening night on May 31st.
The Troups Creek Heating Kids Mini Stock class was next, and Khloe Griffin once again showcased her prowess, dominating the 12-lap feature from start to finish. Griffin earned her an impressive fifth feature win of the season at MCR in a race that went green to checkered without a single caution. Her consistent performance solidified her position to win a championship with only a few races remaining.
The McKan Trucking & PV Paving Rush Late Models capped off the night’s racing action, with Brad Mesler and Chuck LaFluer leading the pack to the green flag. Jeremy Wonderling, hailing from Wellsville, NY, wasted no time making his move, snatching second place from Mesler on the first lap. A caution on lap two for Paul Grigsby reset the field, and on the ensuing restart, Wonderling chose the outside lane and executed a bold power move in turns 3 and 4, catapulting him to the lead over LaFluer. Despite strong runs from Dusty Waters and Bill Holmes, who navigated through traffic to finish second and third, respectively, Wonderling proved unbeatable, securing his fifth feature win in seven attempts at the fairgrounds.
Mark your calendars for next Friday night, as the racing action returns to McKean County Raceway with an exciting Super Six program, accompanied by the Classics on Dirt! The green flag drops at 7:00 pm. For the latest updates, results, and points standings, visit our Facebook page, McKean County Raceway, or check out our website at McKeanCounty-Raceway.com We look forward to seeing you there!
Todd Button Memorial Rush Pro Mods feature (30 laps) – STEVE DIXON, Jeremy Wonderling, David Scott, Josh Wilcox, JD Chamberlain, Steve Watson, Zain Harvey, John Woodward Jr, Vaugh Nystrom, Nick Arnold, Josh Canfield, Critter Hemphill, Tim Schram, Cody Rickard, Anthony Schoonover, Ryan Sanders, Tyler Oakes, Nathan Hill, Tim Peterson, Caleb Heitzenrater, Dustin Goss, Ryan Snyder
Heat race winners – Steve Dixon, Zain Harvey, John Woodward Jr, and JD Chamberlain
Costa’s Supermarket Pure Stocks feature (15 laps) – JOE SKINNER, Bruno Mowery, Mike Parmenter, Ryan Sullivan, Zach Hamer, Carter Guilford, Kyle Corah, Barry Burritt, Ryan Johnson, Matt Grigsby – DNS
Heat race winners – Mike Parmenter & Bruno Mowery
Nittany MiniMart Mini Stocks feature (15 laps) – PRESTON COBB, Trever Putt, Dylan Strade, Ridge Cobb, Chris Leone, DJ Williams, Holden Heineman, Brayden Williams, Ken Zimmerman, Bill Weatherly, Shain Putt, Ken Weatherly, Kevin Bacon, Ryan Burke, Brad Whiteside, Jeff Wynes
Heat race winners – Jeff Wynes & DJ Williams
Beaver Trucking & Excavating Sharp Mini Late Models feature (15 laps) – ROB EATON, Terry Mealy, Brad Mesler, Josh Outman, Chris Whyte, Jesse Isadore, Carson Wonderling, CJ Sherwood, Bob Swanson, Donovan Sevrey, Travis Asel, Rick Isadore-DNS
Heat race winners – Terry Mealy & Josh Outman
Troups Creek Heating Kids Mini Stock feature (12 laps) – KHLOE GRIFFIN, Jake Skinner, Addi Chamberlain, Brodie Dobson – DNS
Heat race winner – Khloe Griffin
McKan Trucking & PV Paving Rush Late Models feature (20 laps) – JEREMY WONDERLING, Dusty Waters, Bill Holmes, Chuck LaFluer, Brad Mesler, Paul Grigsby, Jacob Wilber, Jacob Tubbs, Kassie Norman, Michael Samick, Steve LaBarron, Ian Travis, Clayton Tarabori, Brady Wonderling, Steve Dixon – DNS
Heat race winners – Clayton Tarabori & Jeremy Wonderling