Story By: JEREMY PERRY / MCKEAN COUNTY RACEWAY – SMETHPORT, PA – The sweltering afternoon sun in Smethport, PA ignited a fiery evening of racing at the McKean County Raceway, where the only strike came from the lightning-fast speeds of nearly 70 cars battling it out on the pristine 1/3-mile oval.
As the stormy skies flashed with electricity, the real fireworks exploded on the track, with wheel-to-wheel action and heart-stopping duels that left fans on the edge of their seats.
Zain Harvey and Derek Austin led the pack to the green flag in the Kane Stebbins Construction Rush Pro Mod division, setting the stage for a thrilling contest. The action heated up on lap eight when Tyler Oakes and Josh Wilcox closed in on Harvey’s bumper. The intensity escalated on lap thirteen when the yellow flag waved for Tim Peterson, bunching the field together. On the restart, Harvey opted for the inside lane, allowing Oakes to take the high side. The two drivers engaged in a fierce side-by-side battle for a lap before Oakes seized the lead. Undeterred, Harvey launched a slide job on Oakes, who countered with a crossover move to regain the top spot. The lead swapped hands again on the very next lap, with Harvey reclaiming the lead in a back-and-forth duel. Wilcox, lurking in third, waited for an opportunity to strike, but unfortunately, he and Oakes tangled on lap seventeen, bringing out the final caution. With a clear path to the finish, Harvey cruised to victory, unchallenged in the final three laps.
Mitch Stiles took control of the race early in the Costa’s Super Market Pure Stock class, but his lead was short-lived as Mitch Stiles slipped underneath him in turns 3 and 4, taking the lead. Parmenter then went high up the track in turns 1 and 2, allowing Jake Wilbur to snatch third place. A yellow flag waved on lap 10 after Ashley Kilhoffer spun, leaving a trail of oil in turns 1 and 2 before exiting the track. After the field regrouped for the final time, Mitch Stiles held off the pack to secure his first win of the season at MCR.
Shaine Putt and Holden Heineman led the pack to the green flag in the Nittany MiniMart Mini Stock division on Friday night. Heineman took the early lead, but Preston Cobb, starting fifth, quickly proved to be a force to be reckoned with. Cobb snatched second place from Putt on lap two and set his sights on Heineman. After a thrilling side-by-side battle for four laps, Cobb seized the lead on lap eleven. Heineman’s night took a turn for the worse three laps later, as his car erupted in smoke, forcing him to pit with just two laps remaining. Cobb cruised to victory, securing his third feature win of the season and his second consecutive triumph.
Jason Genco and Chuck LaFleur occupied the front row in the McKan Trucking and PV Paving Rush Late Models division, with LaFleur taking the lead on the opening lap. By lap three, Genco was hot on LaFleur’s heels, poised to strike. The opportunity arose on lap seven when LaFleur attempted to navigate around a lapped car, allowing Genco to slip past on the inside. The race was subsequently marred by three single-car spin-induced cautions, which triggered a series of position swaps between Paul Grigsby, Damian Bidwell, and LaFleur on each restart. Meanwhile, Genco capitalized on the chaos, steadily increasing his lead to secure his first feature win in his first start in the class in 2024 at MCR.
Khloe Griffin and Jake Skinner faced off in the Troups Creek Heating Kids Mini Stock class in a two-car duel. Griffin seized the lead from the start, but Skinner refused to back down, keeping the pressure on Griffin throughout the entire 12-lap feature event. Despite Skinner’s best efforts, Griffin maintained her grip on the top spot, fending off Skinner’s challenges to emerge victorious and claim the checkered flag.
Chris Whyte and Josh Outman occupied the front row in the Beaver Trucking Excavating Sharp Mini Late Models, but their battle for the lead was short-lived. Contact between the two down the backstretch handed the top spot to Terry Mealy early on. Whyte’s pursuit of Mealy ended in a spin in turn one, triggering a fierce collision between Jesse Isadore and Rob Eaton. This incident proved to be the final caution of the night. Outman then set his sights on Mealy, relentlessly stalking the leader from lap seven onward. In a daring move reminiscent of Randy ‘Macho Man’ Savage’s signature elbow drop, Outman moved Mealy on lap 12, shoving him out of the way to seize the lead. Mealy maintained control of his car, but Outman took the lead, leading the remaining laps to secure the feature win.
The championship chase is heating up at MCR, with only two points races remaining! This Friday night, the Super Six show takes center stage at the fairgrounds, featuring all divisions in action.
Costa’s Super Market Pure Stocks feature (15 laps) – MITCH STILES, Jake Wilber, Dustin Skinner, Mike Parmenter, Ryan Sullivan, Barry Burritt, Ryan Johnson, Ashley Kilhoffer, Carter Guilford
Heat race winners – Mitch Stiles & Carter Guilford
Nittany Mini Mart Mini Stock feature (15 laps) – PRESTON COBB, Shaine Putt, Kurt Babcock, Ryan Burke, Joe Gillespie, Sherman Gage, Bill Weatherly, Billie Huffman, Ken Weatherly, Ridge Cobb, Holden Heineman, Trever Putt, Billy Williams
Heat race winners – Shaine Putt & Holden Heineman
McKan Trucking & PV Paving Rush Late Models feature (20 laps) – JASON GENCO, Paul Grigsby, Damian Bidwell, Chuck LaFluer, Bill Holmes, Brady Wonderling, Jacob Wilbur, TJ Downs, DJ Krug, Steve Labarron, Kassandra Norman, Michael Samick, Ian Travis, John Haggerty,
Heat race winners – TJ Downs & Paul Grigsby
Troups Creek Heating Kids Mini Stocks (12 laps) – KHLOE GRIFFIN, Jake Skinner
Heat race winner – Khloe Griffin
Beaver Trucking and Excavating Sharp Mini Late Models (15 laps) – JOSH OUTMAN, Terry Mealy, Travis Asel, Carson Wonderling, Chris Whyte, CJ Sherwood, Jesse Isadore, Rob Eaton, Rick Isadore – DNS
Heat race winners – Rob Eaton & Josh Outman
Kane Stebbins Construction Rush Pro Mod feature (20 laps) – ZAIN HARVEY, Vaugh Nystrom, Steve Watson, Josh Canfield, JD Chamberlain, Critter Hemphill, Tyler Oakes, Tim Peterson, Tim Schram, Derek Austin, Josh Wilcox, Brad Curran, Jeremy Wonderling
Heat race winners – Josh Wilcox & JD Chamberlain