Challenger Raceway

Doar joins Mars driving backup car at Challenger

October 11, 2008, 5:46 am

By Dustin Jarrett

DirtonDirt.com correspondent

Billy Drake won Thursday's feature. (Todd Battin)

KENT, Pa. (Oct. 10) — National standout Jimmy Mars of Menomonie, Wis., made his first trip to Challenger Raceway for the Unified Force Championship-sanctioned Ultimate, and he brought along a fellow Wisconsin driver to pilot his backup car at the weekend's races, which are highlighted by a $22,000-to-win main event. Former WISSOTA champion Pat Doar of New Richmond, Wis., was making his first competitive start in the Mars Car, a backup No. 28 machine. | Heat race recaps | Friday's slideshow | Saturday preview

"Me driving this car, it all started as a joke," said Doar, among 75 entries at Challenger. "We got more serious about and decided to make the trip out here.

"I guess we’ll see how we do this weekend and go from there. If we do well, I figure I’ll probably run it again. If not, he may not let me do it anymore," Doar cracked.

Mars apparently has his own No. 28 in pretty good shape. He was leading Thursday's preliminary feature when mechanical woes struck. "This is my first ever time here; (it's) kind of a cool place," he said with a smile. "We were leading last night and broke a fuel pump. It’s ready to go now, though. We should be good."

Dohm under the weather

Tim Dohm of Cross Lanes, W.Va. isn't quite his best at Challenger. He's been battling flu-like symptoms, but he's still optimistic about The Ultimate.

"I feel a lot better (Friday) than I did (Thursday)," Dohm said before Friday’s preliminary races. "I felt like someone just beat me with a club yesterday." Unfortunately, Dohm apparently spread his bug to his son Zach, who's competing in the Semi-Late division at Challenger.

Satterlee goes to backup

Gregg Satterlee of Rochester, Mills., Pa., who finished fifth in last year's Ultimate, switched to a backup car on Friday after getting upside down on the seventh laps of Thursday's tuneup feature. "It’s mostly cosmetic damage," said Gregg’s father, Dave Satterlee, "but this other car is just as good."

Dave Satterlee, who survived a heart-stopping head-on impact with the turn-three wall at Challenger more than 10 years ago, was able to remain light-hearted about Thursday’s big cushion and ultra-fast track conditions. "That was a young fella’s race track last night," he joked. "Definitely not for me."

Drake grabs prelim

Picking up where he left off after winning last year's Ultimate, Billy Drake of Bloomington, Ill., picked up $3,000 for the tuneup feature Thursday at Challenger. Drake overtook Dick Barton of Ashville, N.Y., on the 34th lap and led the rest of the UFO-sanctioned 41-lapper.

Jimmy Mars led every over Jared Hawkins and Drake, but Hawkins was knocked out with suspension damage on the third lap. The 10th-starting Barton moved up to challenge Drake for second while Mars held the point, and Drake ended up falling back to fourth behind Barton and Chub Frank.

Mars broke a fuel pump on the 21st lap, handing the lead to Barton. Drake regained second from Frank on the 23rd lap and a lap-27 caution bunched the field. In the ensuing laps, Drake and Barton waged a side-by-side duel with Drake slipping ahead on lap 34 as Bartonn's car twitched off turn four. Barton stayed close a few more laps before Drake eased away the final five circuits for the victory over Barton, Jason Covert, Frank and Mike Knight.

Friday's feature: (1) Billy Drake, (2) Dick Barton, (3) Jason Covert, (4) Chub Frank, (5) Mike Knight, (6) Alex Ferree, (7) Dave Hess Jr., (8) Keith Barbara, (9) Shawn McGarvey, (10) Steve Everhart, (11) Robbie Blair, (12) Rodney Sweitzer, (13) Doug Horton, (14) Jimmy Mars, (15) Pat Doar, (16) Jackie Boggs, (17) Jim Yoder, (18) Russell King, (19) Josh Richards, (20) Jeremy Miller, (21) Steve Francis, (22) Sam Stile, (23) Gregg Satterlee, (24) Todd Andrews, (25) Jared Hawkins, (26) Dan Stone. Heat race winners: Drake, Stone, Mars, Richards, Frank, Covert, Francis, Ferree. Consolation winners: Everhart, Yoder, Hess, King.

Odds and ends

Only two drivers from Thursday’s action failed to return Friday: Doug Horton of Bruceton Mill, W.Va., and John Mollick of Toronto, Ohio, a heat winner in last year's Ultimate. Horton's No. 46 suffered damage Thursday and couldn't be quickly repaired. ... Greg Hauger of Uniontown, Pa., and Bernie Whiteford of Hastings, Pa., ran in UFO's Super Late Model action Thursday but dropped down to Semi-Lates for the remainder of the weekend. ... The entire weekend carries a $145,000 purse with $22,000 going to the main event winner and each starter earning at least $1,500.

Challenger Raceway roster

Driver (car no.), hometown
Jared Miley (H1), South Park, Pa.
Tom Decker Jr. (43), Bellwood, Pa.
Billy Drake (9), Bloomington, Ill.
Boom Briggs (99B), Bear Lake, Pa.
Mel Minnick Jr. (75), Uniontown, Pa.
Darrell Dick (94), Fishertown, Pa.
Gregg Satterlee (22), Rochester Mills, Pa.
Steve Casebolt (C9), Richmond, Ind.
Dave Blazavich (18), Indiana, Pa.
Dan Stone (21D), Thompson, Pa.
Greg Oakes (22s), Franklinville, N.Y.
Matt Dobnak (D42), West Mifflin, Pa.
Steve Everhart (15E), Holidaysburg, Pa.
Brian Ruhlman (49), Clarklake, Mich.
Mike Knight (9K), Ripley, N.Y.
Denton Boyer (56X), Punxsutawney, Pa.
Jack Thornton (27J), Lewiston, Pa.
Austin Hubbard (11), Seaford, Del.
Jeremy Miller (24), Gettysburg, Pa.
Rodney Sweitzer (84), Stoystown, Pa.
Darrell Bossard (22B), Centerville, Pa.
Jimmy Mars (28), Menomonie, Wis.
Jim Lepro (6), Midway, Pa.
Jim Yoder (27Y), Selinsgrove, Pa.
Davey Johnson (1J), Latrobe, Pa.
Jeff Rine (2), Danville, Pa.
Rick Eckert (24), York, Pa.
Josh Richards (25), Shinnston, W.Va.
Gary Lyle (10), Hyde Park, Pa.
Mike Blose (5), Dayton, Pa.
Clate Copeman (28C), Greensburg, Pa.
Sam Stile (2s), Charleroi, Pa.
Steve Baker (0), Fairmont, W.Va.
Corey Conley (14), Wellsburg, W.Va.
George LaBarbera (26G), Sugar Grove, Pa.
David Scott (3), Garland, Pa.
Chub Frank (1*), Bear Lake, Pa.
Jared Hawkins (37), Fairmont, W.Va.
Chad Valone (2V), Warren, Pa.
Greg Fetters (39), Bedford, Pa.
Matt Lux (21), Franklin, Pa.
Shawn McGarvey (8H), Coalport, Pa.
Chris Hackett (33), Erie, Pa.
Mickey Wright (M1), Albion, Pa.
Todd Andrews (42), Eldred, Pa.
Greg Hauger (T2), Uniontown, Pa.
Jake Shady (55H), Beech Creek, Pa.
Dave Hess Jr. (44), Waterford, Pa.
Jason Covert (43), York Haven, Pa.
Dan Maxim (00), Erie, Pa.
Jason DuPont (no7), Cyclone, Pa.
Jim Kurpakus (72), Leechburg, Pa.
Steve Francis (19), Ashland, KY
Rob Blair (w11), Titusville, Pa.
Jackie Boggs (4B), Grayson, KY
Jeep Van Wormer (55), Pinconning, MI
Doug Eck (03), Corry, Pa.
Bob Close (04), Eldred, Pa.
Bobby Stokes (27), Milton, Pa.
Alex Ferree (4), Saxonburg, Pa.
Kirk Bradley (5K), Great Valley, N.Y.
Mike Johnson (2J), Imperial, Pa.
D.J. Miller (81M), Hookstown, Pa.
Dave Satterlee (79), Rochester Mills, Pa.
Rich Gardner (1), Waterford, Pa.
Keith Barbara (17), South Park, Pa.
Tim Dohm (6T), Cross Lanes, W.Va.
Pat Doar (28X), New Richmond, Wis.