ARDC: Tim Dietz Holds Off Stimely For ARDC Win At New Egypt

19 May 1998

New Egypt, N.J. - Tim Dietz of Spring Grove, Pa. powered past veteran Midget driver, Hank Rogers, Jr., on lap 13 then thwarted the charges of defending ARDC CARQUEST Champion, Ed Stimely, Jr., for the final four laps to win the 25 lap feature at New Egypt Speedway on Saturday night. Rogers started on the pole in the Craig Gudknecht owned No. 40 alongside of Bill Ertel and raced into the lead. But, ARDC Starter, Ron Grater, had to wave the red flag for a Duane Mausteller rollover in turn one. Mausteller was uninjured but his race night was over. Rogers jumped into the lead again on the restart and appeared to be adding another ARDC win to his racing resume...enter Tim Dietz, the Midget/Sprint driver, who became the new leader of the race in head Scorer, Connie Hellyer's, book on lap 14.. Dietz was working his way through lapped traffic on his way to Victory Lane when Billy Courtwright's No.94 came to a stop in turn four, bringing out the caution on lap 21. This set up a four lap sprint to the finish. Ed Stimely, Jr. worked his way through the field from the 12th starting position to second for this restart.

Tim Dietz and Ed Stimely, Jr. put on a fantastic show for the New Egypt stock car fans on Saturday night. Dietz talked about the final four lap dash. "I'll tell you what! We were pretty good up top. I figured if anyone was going to pass us, it was going to have to be on the bottom and it looked like Eddie sneaked on the inside of me getting into one. I knew I had to get a run on him and pinch him off going into three. With that caution with four to go, I lost the brakes and it kind of hurt me entering the turns. I was just holding on the last couple of laps." Stimely also reflected on the four lap battle with Dietz. "He had to do what he had to do and I don't blame him. If I was in his shoes, I would have raced the same way he did but I wish I would have had just a couple more laps."

Tim Dietz became the fourth different feature winner in four races with the ARDC CARQUEST Midget Series in 1998. Hank Rogers, Jr. finished third followed by Ray Bull in fourth and Bryan Kobylarz, who completed the top five. This week's Pennzoil product winner was Tom Martocci who finished 14th.

The ARDC CARQUEST Midgets begin a series of five consecutive asphalt races, beginning at Flemington Speedway in New Jersey on May 30 and, again, on June 20. The series also includes Evergreen Raceway in Pennsylvania on June 7, Langley Speedway in Virginia on June 27 and Oswego Speedway in New York on July 4.

RACE SUMMARY:

Mason Racing Ignitions Heat 1(10 laps) - 1. Ray Bull 2. Gary Mondschein 3. Billy Courtwright 4. Duane Mausteller 5. Mike Piersig 6. Don Trent 7. Fred Schell 8. Walt Stearly (DNF) 9. Jim Jackson (DNF)

Hank's Performance Heat 2 (10 laps) - 1. Tim Dietz 2. Ed Stimely Jr. 3. Bill Ertel 4. Mark Freeland 5. Shawn Burke 6. Tom Martocci 7. Mark Wakefoose 8. Fremont Dickerman 9. Dennis Schaeffer

Sander Engineering Heat 3 (10 laps) - 1. Hank Rogers Jr. 2. Bryan Kobylarz 3. Phil DiMario 4. Doug Borger 5. Mike Lapp 6. Randy Mausteller 7. Lew Blair 8. Craig Rochelle 9. Brian Suchy

Feature (25 laps) - 1. Tim Dietz 2. Ed Stimely Jr. 3. Hank Rogers Jr. 4. Ray Bull 5. Bryan Kobylarz 6. Phil DiMario 7. Mark Freeland 8. Don Trent 9. Randy Mausteller 10. Doug Borger 11. Mike Lapp 12. Maek Wakefoose 13. Denny Schaffer 14. Tom Martocci 15. Lew Blair 16. Fred Schell 17. Gary Mondschein 18. Shawn Burke 19. Fremont Dickerman 20. Brian Suchy 21. Billy Courtwright 22. Craig Rochelle 23. Bill Ertel 24. Duane Mausteller 25. Mike Piersig.