Keith Barbara Racing - Keith Barbara Wins at Lernerville!!!

Keith Barbara Wins at Lernerville!!!

posted by Admin on 08/26/08 at 11:09 AM

Nobody can doubt Keith Barbara’s talent to wheel a Super Late Model around a race track, but nor can they deny that Barbara has had some terrible luck, especially with motors, over the past two seasons. Last night, however the Domhoff powerplant was flawless as Barbara passed six-time Track Champion Lynn Geisler and Two-time defending Track Champion Alex Ferree in the same lap to pick up his first Lernerville feature win in over five years! The win was an emotional one for Barbara as sponsor and friend Jason Shank mourns the loss of his sister Louise. Barbara’s first congratulations came from Shank via cell phone in Sheetz Victory Lane and Barbara dedicated the win to Jason and the Shank Family.

As the field came to the green, the table was set for Alex Ferree (who had the 2008 Track Championship clinched last week) to win the final feature of his second Championship season from the inside pole. Ferree (#4 of Saxonburg), led the first seven circuits, but saw the famed #1 Cochran Late Model of Lynn Geisler zoom past him on the high side of turn two on the lap eight restart. Three laps later, Barbara (#17 of South Park) zipped past Ferree on the low side of turn two for second. On the same lap, Barbara slid underneath leader Lynn Geisler in turns three & four to take control of the race on lap 11. A caution then slowed the race, but more than half of the field crossed the stripe and the lap counted. A handful of restarts tested the mettle of Barbara, but each time he rocketed off of turn four to a commanding lead as he cruised into Sheetz Victory Lane.

With Barbara at the helm, Ferree and Geisler (#1C of Cranberry Twp.) continued to duke it out for second, exchanging the positions several times as the laps ticked off. At the checkered flag, it was Ferree in second followed by Geisler in third. Two-time feature winner John Mollick (#4J of Toronto, OH) had a roller coaster night as he advanced from eighth to third early in the race, was involved in a mid-race caution, then came from the tail of the field to finish fourth. Dave Murdick (#1J of Slippery Rock) rounded out the top five, despite starting dead last on a loaded 23-car field. Early front runner Mike Blose (#5 of New Bethlehem) rolled into the pits on lap 12 with heavy smoke while running in the top five. Gregg Satterlee (#22 of Rochester Mills) continued his run of bad luck by dropping out of the race on lap two after contact with John Garvin (#J4 of Sarver). The following drivers endured and avoided the attrition of the 25-lap feature and rounded out the top ten; Todd Bachman, Kenny Schaltenbrand, Brian Swartzlander, Jim Kurpakas and Denton Boyer. Heat races were claimed by Brian Swartzlander, Mike Blose and Keith Barbara.