Pittsburgh Pa. Motor Speedway
Rallying Johnson, Miley split PPMS twin features
IMPERIAL, Pa. (Aug. 15) — Pennsylvania drivers Davey Johnson and Jared Miley both rallied from mid-pack at Pittsburgh's Pennsylvania Motor Speedway on Saturday to grab victories in twin 31-lap features co-sanctioned by the Unified Force Race Championship and Northern Tier United Late Model Series.
Johnson, of Latrobe, rallied from 15th to earn $2,500 in the first feature while Miley, of South Park, came from 13th in the second feature for his $2,500 payday. The 1-2 positions were reversed in each feature with Johnson and Miley also notching runner-up finishes.
In the first feature, Tony Musolino took the lead from polesitter Boom Briggs on the fifth lap and stayed in command until tangling with a lapped car on the 14th lap. That handed the lead to Steve Baker, who brushed the wall on the 24th lap and lost the lead to the charging Johnson three laps later. Miley, who started 17th, dropped Baker to third in the closing laps while Al Atallah and Mike Johnson rounded out the top five.
With the top 14 finishers inverted for the second feature, polesitter Mel Minnick led the first seven laps with Brandon Burgoon going out front on the eighth lap. Miley was up to third after 12 laps and restarted behind Burgoon after the second and final caution on the 18th lap. Miley slipped under Burgoon to take command and cruised the rest of the way. Johnson dropped Burgoon to third on lap 26 while Tommy Beck and Baker rounded out the top five.
Notes: Missing from action was UFO regular and June 6 series winner John Flinner of Zelienople, Pa., whose 16-year-old daughter died four days earlier. ... All 32 entrants started the first feature while several drivers scratched from the second race. ... Keith Barbara of South Park, Pa., required medical attention after being involved in a wreck on a lap-15 restart in the first feature. He suffered a concussion and was kept at a nearby hospital overnight for observation. ... Next up for UFO competitors is the Sept. 12 King of the Knob, a $6,000-to-win event at Roaring Knob Motorsports Complex in Markleysburg, Pa. ... ULMS competitors run Sept. 25-26 at McKean County Raceway's Fall Classic weekend in East Smethport, Pa. The weekend finale pays $12,000 to the winner.
First feature: (1) Davey Johnson, (2) Jared Miley, (3) Steve Baker, (4) Al Atallah, (5) Mike Johnson, (6) Tommy Beck, (7) Brandon Burgoon, (8) John Mollick, (9) Boom Briggs, (10) Jim Stephans, (11) Ben Miley, (12) Brent Rhebergen, (13) Bob Close, (14) Mel Minnick, (15) Alex Ferree, (16) Tony Musolino, (17) Mark Banal, (18) Mike Basich, (19) Lou Bradich, (20) Jim Lepro, (21) Larry Marks, (22) Bobby Marietta, (23) Jason Dupont, (24) Dave Johnson, (25) Chuck Medved, (26) Kyle Lukon, (27) Keith Barbara, (28) Brandon Wearing, (29) Leo Stadelman, (30) Lynn Geisler, (31) Greg Hauger, (32) Josh Coffman. Heat race winners (among 32 cars): Briggs, Barbara, M. Johnson.
Second feature: (1) Jared Miley, (2) Davey Johnson, (3) Brandon Burgoon, (4) Tommy Beck, (5) Steve Baker, (6) Mike Johnson, (7) John Mollick, (8) Brent Rhebergen, (9) Alex Ferree, (10) Boom Briggs, (11) Bob Close, (12) Tony Musolino, (13) Jim Lepro, (14) Larry Marks, (15) Lou Bradich, (16) Mike Basich, (17) Chuck Medved, (18) Ben Miley, (19) Mel Minnick, (20) Jim Stephens, (21) Bobby Marrietta, (22) Mark Banal, (23) Al Atallah, (24) Dave Johnson, (25) Josh Coffman. Scratched: Jason Dupont, Kyle Lukon, Keith Barbara, Brandon Wearing, Leo Stadelman, Lynn Geisler, Greg Hauger.
