Michaels Mercer Raceway
Barbara tops Satterlee, earns $3,000 at Mercer
By Jason Shank
DirtonDirt.com correspondent
Keith Barbara earned $3,000 at Mercer Raceway Park. (stivasonphotos.com)
MERCER, Pa. (March 31) — Polesitter Keith Barbara of South Park, Pa., led all 25 laps of Saturday night’s Chiller Thriller at Mercer Raceway Park for a $3,000 victory in the season opener for the UFO Race Championship Tour.
Barbara shrugged off numerous challenges from Gregg Satterlee of Rochester Mills, Pa., and successfully navigated lapped traffic for his third win in his last six starts dating back to the 2011 season. | Slideshow
“I knew Satterlee, (Ben) Miley, (Dennis) Lunger ... all those guys were going to be tough; they’re all good here,” Barbara said. “I could hear (Satterlee) back there, he definitely drives a little harder than I do. I didn’t think we were going to be able to get through lapped traffic the way we did tonight but it seemed to work out in our favor.”
Barbara was never seriously challenged for the race lead but Satterlee stayed with the race winner for a majority of the event. The leaders caught lapped traffic seven laps into the event with Satterlee closing to within one car length of Barbara before Satterlee jumped the cushion in turn two, breaking his momentum and springing Barbara to the win.
Satterlee settled for the runner-up finish while Russ King of Bristolville, Ohio, finished third in front of Mike Knight of Ripley, N.Y., and Jared Miley of South Park, Pa.
Notes: Barbara drives a MasterSbilt Race Car by Huey powered by a Domhoff Race Engine and sponsored by Frobesfield Garage, Ran Group, Triangle Benefit Servies, JNJ Media, Potoka Trucking Bud’s Place and Brian’s Painting. ... Barbara’s most recent UFO victory came Sept. 17 when the tour visited Pittsburgh's Pennsylvania Motor Speedway for the $7,000-to-win Pittsburgher. ... Barbara was the runner-up in the 2011 UFO Tour standings.
Chiller Thriller: (1) Keith Barbara, (2) Gregg Satterlee, (3) Russ King, (4) Mike Knight, (5) Jared Miley, (6) Chad Valone, (7) John Garvin Jr., (8) Ron Delano, (9) Ken Schaltenbrand, (10) Dennis Lunger Jr., (11) Tom Decker, (12) Jon Hodgekiss (complete finish unavailable). Heat race winners (among 31 cars): Barbara, Garvin, Satterlee, Krummert. Consolation winner: Valone.
