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 600Mods@xcelchassis.com

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© 2010 Xcel Chassis, LLC

Welcome to the official web-site of the 600 Modified Series and Xcel Chassis, LLC.  The 600 Modifieds are scaled down versions of Northeast Modifieds powered by 600cc 4-stroke motorcycle engines.  The Series is a spec division that promotes competitive and affordable, wheel-to-wheel racing.

08.30.10 |2010 SEASON WINDING DOWN WITH “BIG” MONEY SHOWS FOR XCEL CHASSIS 600 MODIFIED SERIES

You know the end of the year will soon be upon us when the “BIG” money shows starting to appear. Many teams look at these shows as a jump start to the 2011 season.

First on the list is tonight with the Carl McElroy Memorial sponsored by Xcel Chassis along with Joe Fanelli. In his quest to honor his friend, Joe has been able to secure a $500.00 payout to the night’s winner.

Sept. 5^th will be the next BIG show at Penn Can Speedway. Reed Miller and Al Wilcox have announced the sliding scale payout for all divisions. The first annual Northeast Small Car Classis is shaping up to have a great turnout. Remember the bigger the car count, the bigger the payout. Check out all the info at their website www.penncan.com

This year will be the inaugural Bill Hess Memorial 50 lapper held at Lindas Speedway. Bill Hess was not only a great photographer but one hell of a nice guy who never got the accolades he truly deserved.

Hot laps will be on Friday Sept. 24^th with a full card on Sat. Sept. 25^th with time trials deciding heat race line-ups along with a $1000.00 check waiting for someone in victory lane.  Lap sponsorships are now available for $15.00 per lap and will be applied to the final payout for the division. This is a great way to thank anyone and everyone from the 2010 season, anniversaries, birthdays or just to show your pride. Laps will be first come/first serve basis. If the lap you chose is already taken the nearest lap available will be chosen. You may reserve a lap by contacting JoAnne at joannemady@yahoo.com or calling 570-872-2229. Payment must be submitted by Sept. 18^th along with your name and a phone number you can be reached at along with what lap # and what you want it to say. The deadline date will be firm as we need time for the advertisers to do their job.

Checks and money orders can be made out to Xcel Chassis and mailed to the following address:  JoAnne Mady, 350  Rt.6, Milford, Pa  18337

Any questions, feel free to contact Doug Borger at 610-681-2689 or JoAnne Mady at 570-872-2229.

08.28.10 | KEVIN REX JR.  WINS  AT MAHONING VALLEY ON CARL MCELROY MEMORIAL NIGHT 

Lehighton’s native, Kevin Rex Jr. can rightly call Mahoning Valley Speedway his home away from home. A brand new #47 Xcel Chassis 600 modified made its debut on August 28^th with a trip to victory lane. This is Kevin’s 18^th career win at the super fast track and has won four out of the last five outings. Kevin talked about the cars during tech,

“The 600 mod is a great fit for this track. As you can tell by lap times, their right on the mark and the added bonus is you don’t have to sell your right arm to run every week.”

A record setting 24 cars signed in for the Carl McElroy Memorial night presented by Xcel Chassis and Joe Fanelli. A great tribute was held for a great man. “I want to thank Doug Borger for the help he gave me to honor my friend. Carl would have appreciated the support as much as I do and with so many people to thank, it goes to show the racing family always comes together.” Joe stated as he passed out trophies donated by Dan Lane along with payout.

 Aaron Bowes and Kevin Rex Sr. led the field to the green. Bowes would get the jump at the start and keep the lead until lap traffic came into play. Rex jr. had taken second by lap #5 and worked on Aaron for the next 2 laps before the leaders split two lap cars coming into turn four. Kevin would go low with Aaron having to go to the top side hoping to clear them before hitting the front stretch wall. Everybody kept their line and the dicing would begin. Chris Stockham took advantage of the four wide and followed Rex jr. thru the cars coming out of three and stayed on his bumper.

They have been two of the top competitors when the Xcel Chassis mods return to the asphalt and always put a great race on. This would be no different as Chris searched high and low for the line to get by Rex but couldn’t find it in time for Rex to take the win with a close time of +0.787.

Alec Bartholomew, driving the #38 sponsored AJB Plumbing power plant set the record for the fastest one lap time in Xcel Chassis asphalt history. What makes it a great achievement is this would be Alec’s first time at the historic track in a 600 mod.

Added bonuses were announced at the end of the night’s events.  The top ten finishers were given a $15.00 bonus provided by Don’s Automotive. BJ Scherff also claimed the 1^st non feature winner $25.00 bonus supplied by the #48G team of George Loux. Campbell Hall Supply, sponsors of Loux’s team, also donated to the last car on the lead lap won by Alec Bartholomew. Sentry Warranty picked three random positions to donate and the winners were the #82c of Cory Coons, the 45j of Justin Schraden and the #22 of Joe Fanelli.

This Labor Day weekend will be a busy one for the 600 mods. They start out Friday Sept.3^rd with a return trip to Lindas Speedway located in Jonestown, Pa and a quick turnaround to Penn Can Speedway, who is hosting the fist Northeast Small Car Classic, on Sunday August 5^th  with a great field of cars expected for the day. Check out all the updates on their website at www.xcelchassis.com.

FEATURE FINISH: KEVIN REX JR., Chris Stockham, George Loux, BJ Scherff, Richie Hitzler, Aaron Bowes, Kevin Rex Sr., Alec Bartholomew, Joe Fanelli, Cody Coons, Sean Weiss, Justin Schraden, Cory Coons, Mike Kelly, Travis Greth, Jeromy Guistwite, Ryan Suchon, Cody Kohler, Kyle Kocher, Eric Whitby, Tyler Bartik, Kasey Ernst, Nick Mady, Brian Mady

08.20.10 | TYLER BARTIK PULLS OUT WIN AT LINDAS SPEEDWAY

 
The action was hot and heavy at Lindas Speedway on Friday August 20^th for the Xcel Chassis 600 modifieds. Thirty nine cars rounded out the largest class of the night and gave the fans a show they would talk about all week.

Slatington native, Tyler Bartik, gave the biggest and best performance of the night earning him a trip to victory lane. Right after his post race interview, Tyler stated “I can’t say enough how everything seems to be coming together right now. My Uncle Jim is our extra set of eyes for the track and a great ear when it comes to getting the car set up. Winning at Lindas is a goal for all the drivers and we have one more race before the Bill Hess Memorial to finish dialing in the car.”

Chris Stockham, Eric Whitby, Brian Mady and George Loux scored heat race wins along with Nick Seaman and Corry Roth carrying over to the feature after winning the B-Mains.

Young guns Aaron Bowes and Justin Schraden set the pace for the 24 car field. A first lap caution would see the #37 of Ryan Suchon on the hook and the 12e of Eric Whitby pit side.

The game changer of the night came early on lap #3 when Schraden made contact with Bowes stacking up the front runners with them. Tyler Bartik, Scott Washburn and Brian Mady were able to clear the dust and found themselves in the top spots.

New this year to the series, the leader can chose to run top or bottom on restarts. Washburn would choose the bottom giving Bartik the line he needed. Sitting in the third position, Brian “BIG DADDY” Mady tried every line he could to get past Washburn and just couldn’t complete the pass. In tech Brian talked about his run, “I knew if I would have pushed the issue I could have gotten by Scotty and hoped to give Bartik a run but that’s not how I race. I can’t complain with the finishes I’ve had lately and we can just keep the ball rolling.”

Bartik took advantage of Washburn holding off Mady to close the night in victory lane for the #85 D&R Well Drilling, Alex’s Lemonade Stand Suzuki powered machine.

Starting the field in the 24^th and final spot, Richie Hitzler, rookie of the year contender, knew it would be a wild ride. “I knew I would need to keep my nose clean but race at the same time. These guys run you clean but race you hard so every time I come off the track it’s just more I’ve learned. I can’t believe I finished 6^th cause after that workout I had no idea where I ended up.” Moving up 18 positions not only earned him hard charger of the night but has set a new bar as having the record for most spots gained in one race.

Next on tap for the Xcel Chassis 600 mods will be their only trip back to asphalt at the beautiful Mahoning Valley Speedway. August 28^th will have Xcel Chassis along with Joe Fanelli honoring one of the good guys with a Carl McElroy Memorial race with an increased purse of $500.00 to the winner.

We are on the back stretch of the 2010 season with some big shows on tap. Sunday Sept. 5^th Penn Can Speedway will host the first annual Northeast Small Car Classic with a possible payout of $1200.00 depending on car count for all divisions. Lindas Speedway will host the first Xcel Chassis sponsored Bill Hess Memorial with a $1000.00 payout to the winner. Time Trials and a 50 lapper will determine who brings home the bacon 
 

FEATURE FINISH: TYLER BARTIK, Scott Washburn, Brian Mady, Ryan Kunkle, Mike Kelly, Richie Hitzler, George Loux, RJ Smith, Joe Fanelli, Corry Roth, Nick Seaman, Alec Bartholomew, John Lakatos, BJ Scherff, Shawn Light, Ray Horning, Jeromy Guistwite, Aaron Bowes, Justin Schraden, Chris Stockham, Ryan Higgs, Nick Mady, Ryan Suchon, Eric Whitby, Kasey Ernst, Mike Fry, Jon Horn, Josh Fox, Shawn Horning, Rod Adams, Pasco Tomaino, Joe Carter, Mike Burrows, Paul DeRuyter, Butch Getz, Sean Weiss, Scott Fry, Ian Detweiller, Jeromy Guistwite

08.19.10 | PENN CAN SPEEDWAY Announces Payoff for Northeast Small Car Nationals

A small car spectacular is staged as the inaugural Northeast Small Car Classis is set to push off on Sunday, September 5th.   Division in competition include the 600 Modifieds, 600 Winged Sprints, 270cc Sprints, and Mini/Sidewinder Sprints.  The host track Penn Can Speedway has announced a sliding scale payoff based upon car count.  Each division will be paid following the table:

08.18.10 | XCEL CHASSIS & JOE FANELLI HONOR CARL McELROY AT MAHONING VALLEY SPEEDWAY AUGUST 28TH w/ $500 PAYOUT

Impressions take an instance, friendships can be a lifetime. Carl McElroy did just that with Joe “Geezer” Fanelli when the two met in 1993. Joe owned a dwarf car and was in the running for the championship when motor problems looked to curtail his championship run. Carl Mcelroy offered his car to Joe for as long as he would need it and Joe was quick to take him up on his offer. He narrowly missed the Pennsylvania State Championship that year but gained a life long friend. “I had made a promise to myself back in 2002 when Carl passed away that one day I would honor not only his memory but the passion he had for racing, family and friends. He taught me a lot with his stories as we started traveling together and I learned how important Carl was not only to me but the racing community as a whole.” Joe stated as we sat and talked about his friend. During the 70’s and 80’s Carl owned sprint cars and fielded drivers such as the famous Kenyon Brothers along with Kenny Rodgers, son of Grandview Speedway owner, Bruce Rodgers. Staying with the “small cars” Carl would transition to the Dwarf car division. No matter the division, he was a great supporter of racing and wanted to give back what was afforded to him for so many years. Helping fellow racers and car owners, Carl quickly earned the respect and reputation of being one of the biggest supporters of racing as a whole. He preferred to do it quietly but with helping out so many people, it was hard to stop the word from getting out.

Finishing out the conversation Joe wanted to give credit to some people and to anyone he missed a big thank you. “ I have been running with the Xcel Chassis 600 modifieds for a few years now and feel this year is the right time to honor my friend and keep my promise. I spoke to Doug Borger, owner of the division, and after explaining why I wanted to do this, he was all for it, pointing me in the direction I need to go. This is one of the reasons I chose to do it now and I can proudly say the Xcel 600 mod is family and it’s all good. Doug and Gina Hoffman, owners of the beautiful Mahoning Valley Speedway ,have graciously accepted my offer of the increased payout to be added to the scheduled race on Aug. 28th. This race brings spectators far and wide since this will be the only asphalt show of the Xcel Chassis 2010 season. I can’t thank Doug Borger enough for letting me not only honor my friend but helping me keep my promise along with Carl for teaching me what’s important along the way.” Joe Fanelli has kept these lessons close to his heart and passes down the lessons along the way. Joe has become a popular driver and was voted drivers representative for the Xcel Chassis Modifieds. Catch Joe after any race and he can share many racing stories of old and young.

08.15.10 | TYLER BARTIK AND CODY COONS WEEKEND WINNERS FOR XCEL CHASSIS 600 MODIFIEDS

Starting off the weekend with a trip to victory lane, Tyler “lil buddy” Bartik hoped to keep the #85 D&R well drilling sponsored power plant on a roll. The Xcel Chassis 600 modifieds started a triple header weekend at Penn Can Speedway with a car count of thirty four.  Slatington, PA native Bartik is the first three peat winner so far this year. “My dad, Terry, is a big influence in my racing. He’s raced for a lot of years and he’s now passing it on to me. I can tell him how the car is handling and he knows exactly what I need” stated Tyler with pride. Newcomer Shawn Light won his first heat race with veterans Nick Mady and Tyler Bartik rounding out the three heats. Eric Whitby moved eleven positions to take the B-main.

Bartik would find the fast lap on lap one and by lap fourteen had hard charging Brian “ BIG DADDY” Mady on his rear bumper. The next three laps would see Mady’s front bumper poke under Bartik but would have to back off so as not to take the leader and him out of the race. Cody Coons, who started in the eighteenth position made the outside groove work in his favor challenging second place runner Brian  Mady on lap eighteen. Door to door for two laps set up Mady for the perfect slide job to keep Coons in the third position. Talking with Cody during tech, Brian let Cody know he was impressed with Cody’s run and how it would have been a tough battle if there had been more laps.

Cody would take the talk with Brian to heart heading into Skyline Speedway along with the momentum. “ I’ve run with Brian a couple of times this year and we’ve always had hard racing . He is probably the cleanest driver in our series and one of the toughest. I can concentrate on racing with him and not worry about being taken out. “Stated Cody before the night’s events. What Cody couldn’t predict was the night before scenario would be replayed in a few hours but with a different outcome.

Jeff Matejka, along with his son Nick Wagner, made the seventeen hour trip out from Wisconsin to make the most of the three day weekend.     “ We run this class at Mississippi Thunder Speedway and with having this weekend off decided to make the road trip. Nick’s birthday was Friday and this will be his first time in the car so to get him three days of racing in before we head back works out great.”

Even though it was our second trip to Skyline Brian Mady would be the only one to see the track for the second time. Twenty seven drivers were quick to take pointers and were eager to take to the track.

Cody Coons, Jeff Matejka and Brian Mady would be the night’s heat race winners. No B-Main would be run to accommodate the track for time reasons.

Unfortunately a red flag would come out on lap #2 for the poplar #22 of Joe “Geezer” Fanelli  as he gave the spectators quite a show. A chain reaction would have the #22 barrel-roll down the front stretch coming to a rest in turn one. Car owner Joe Groholski could only watch as Joe climbed out of the car and started walking down to the pits. When asked how he was Fanelli’s only reply was “ It’s all good but the car is not.” Back at the campsite the teams of Mike Kelly, George Loux and brothers Nick and Brian Mady swooped down and mechanically fixed the car. Next morning would see the body get back into shape with a swing of the hammer. Groholski had never been in that type of situation before and talked about it later that night. “ You just don’t know what to say. My main concern was that my driver was alright and the help we received after the wreck can be overwhelming but with that kind of support we would have been ready for Sunday’s race.”

Action was quick and heavy when the green flag waved with a battle for third by Chris Stockham ,Tyler Bartik and Ryan Higgs. Stockham would stumble coming out of turn four on lap #12 losing ground giving Bartik and Higgs enough time to catch the leaders . George Loux, Jeromy Guistwite and Jeff Matejka would make it three wide just in front of Stockham and turned it into a four wide battle coming into turn one. Guistwite would have to back off but got back into the battle before they left turn two. Jeff would win the battle taking 5^th place followed by Stockham Loux and Guistwite.

Coons had seen the nose of Brian’s car on the final restart but came out of turn one the leader. He knew he couldn’t give Brian the chance again and Brian knew he couldn’t overtake Cody so he kept the #2 car right on the bumper until lap #18 when the tires started to give way giving Cody his second win of the season. Tyler Bartik would cross the line third followed by Ryan Higgs.

“What a weekend . stated Cody in victory lane, swapping spots with Bartik and being in victory lane is awesome. Brian gets two second places in a row giving us an average finish of 4 is pretty cool. I want to give my mom and dad thumbs up for everything they do for me and my brother Corry. Now we pack up and head to Thunder Mountain Speedway tomorrow to finish out a three day weekend.”

Mother Nature would have other plans as rain forced Dick Stark to cancel the night’s events and reschedule them for August 22^nd. The Xcel Chassis 600 mods will see action on Aug. 20^th at Lindas Speedway before returning to upstate New York.

PENN CAN SPEEDWAY FEATURE FINISH:  TYLER BARTIK, Brian Mady, Cody Coons, Eric Whitby, Jeremy Guistwite, George Loux, Justin Schraden, Kasey Ernst, Ryan Kunkle, Mike Kelly, Ryan Suchon, Jeff Matejka, Scott Washburn, Mark Howanitz, Nick Seaman, Corry Roth, Shawn Light, Aaron Bowes, Joe Fannelli, Nick Mady, Gary Suchy Sr, Chris Stockham, Jaime Hess, Cory Coons, Sean Weiss, Jon Horn, Madison Brensinger, Molly Chamber, Derek Keller, Nick Wagner, Alec Bartholomew, RJ Smith, Richie Hitzler

SKYLINE SPEEDWAY FEATURE FINISH:  CODY COONS, Brian Mady, Tyler Bartik, Ryan Higgs, Jeff Matejka, Chris Stockham, George Loux, Jeromy Guistwite, Mike Kelly, Ryan Suchon, Corry Coons, Aaron Bowes, Justin Schraden, Mark Howanitz, Sean Weiss, Pasco Tomaino, Arielle Roldan, Nick Wagner, Gary Suchy sr., Craig Berringer, Jaime Hess, Alec Bartholomew, Eric Whitby, Richie Hitzler, Joe Fanelli, Madison Brensinger, Kasey Ernst  

07.30.10 | KASEY ERNST KEEPS COOL UNDER PRESSURE TO TAKE HOME 600 MODIFIED CAREER WIN

Keeping a cool head during the last seven laps earned Kasey Ernst his first Xcel Chassis 600 modified win. On lap 13 Kasey had dominated the top spot. Too eager on the restart put him two spots back giving Scotty Washburn the point. “I knew I had the car to win and jumping the restart I had to put my faith back in the car. Fighting Scotty those first 13 laps I knew I couldn’t lose ground. Me and my team have come so close so many times I just wanted to seal the deal. I’ve only raced with Washburn a few times but he ran me clean all night. I’ll have no problem running with Scotty again.” stated Kasey after tech was officially done. Thirty-eight cars made the 600 mods the biggest class at Lindas Speedway on July 30^th; drivers were ready to go after having two rainouts in a row.  Heat race winners Scott Washburn, Kasey Ernst, George Loux, and Ryan Higgs would set your top two rows with a heads up start. Joe “Geezer” Fanelli and BJ Scherff would set the rest of the field with wins in the b-main.

Patience is a virtue which sometimes drivers quickly forget. A first lap caution would send the #85 of Tyler Bartik pit side. Action heated up quickly as the #9 of Richie Hitzler and the #45j of Justin “Showtime” Schraden started making their way to the front. Just as Darlington is known for their stripe, turn two at Lindas shows her own wear and tear. With the speeds the mods reach, coming out of turn two has become the trickiest part of the track. “If you put another layer of vinyl on any one of these cars all thirty-eight would have reminisce of turn two. You’ve just got to be spot on because you know there is somebody behind you waiting to take your spot.” stated Eric Whitby as his car was being teched.

Starting from the nineteenth spot, Chris Stockham would have his hands full bringing the Parts Peddler #44 to the front. Making it through some close calls by lap thirteen he had made into the 6^th position; unfortunately thirteen would be an unlucky number for him. He would be penalized three spots for jumping the restart. Newcomer, Pasco Tomaino, started in the 23^rd position and with only his second time out garnered his first top ten of the year. Ryan Higgs and Eric Whitby ran door to door for the last 7 laps with Higgs edging out Whitby by half a car length. Their heated battle gave Kasey the cushion he needed to bring home the bacon. During tech Ryan Higgs would be disqualified for misconduct of a crew member.  Doug Borger, series owner, explained the penalty at night’s end. “The rules state that car drivers/ car owners are responsible for the actions of their crew. Unfortunately Ryan was disqualified due to the actions of one of his crew during tech. George Loux would move to a top 3 finish along with KYS motorsports teammates Eric Whitby and Justin Schraden into the top 5. Richie Hitzler, Rookie of the Year contender, scored a top ten making him the highest finishing rookie of the night and is currently leading the points for the Rookie of the Year.

The Xcel Chassis series will see a full weekend of racing august 13^th, 14^th, and 15^th. Penn Can Speedway will host the first night on Friday. Skyline Speedway will see action for the first time on Saturday with a return visit to Thunder Mountain Speedway on Sunday. You can check out all the happenings and race updates on our website: www.xcelchassis.com or look us up on Facebook under Xcel Modifieds.

FEATURE FINISH: KASEY ERNST, Eric Whitby, George Loux, Scott Washburn, Justin Schraden, RJ Smith, Brian Mady, Chris Stockham, Richie Hitzler, Pasco Tomaino, Jeromy Guistwite, Aaron Bowes, BJ Scherff, Joe Fanelli, Josh Fox, Kevin Gruber, Ian Detweiller, Rich Eisenger, Nick Seaman, Keith McIntyre, Ryan Kunkle, John Lakatos, Tyler Bartik, Ryan Higgs, Corry Roth, Shawn Light, Ray Horning, Shawn Horning, John Burrows, Kyle Gardner, Madison Brensinger, Jon Horn, Sean Weiss, Nick Mady, Ryan Suchon, Butch Getz, Joey Fahler, Mike Kelly,

07.24.10 | MOTHER NATURE SETS FIELD FOR XCEL CHASSIS 600 MODS AT FIVE MILE POINT SPEEDWAY

The biggest factor every race weekend might not be what you think. Predictions are made with the hardest prediction being Mother Nature. Drivers were not only checking track conditions but the cell phoneswere just as busy. Technology has come a long way as far as racing goes but if Mother Nature wants the checkered flag, she usually wins. Thirty one cars hoped to take the win home July 24th at Five Mile Point Speedway. The Kirkwood, NY facility has hosted the Xcel Chassis 600 mod series 4 previous times along with some of the closest finishes of the season with more of the same expected. Butch Getz was eager to hit the track looking to repeat his win from June 12th. Slowing on the front stretch race, during the third heat, with loss of power is definitely not how Getz wanted his night to go. He would make it off the track and back to his trailer to find the problem.

Meanwhile RJ Smith would start in the number one spot in heat one and looked to keep it there. “ It’s so nice to run in clean air, being the leader just puts you in a certain frame of mind knowing 10 guys need to get past you” stated RJ as he waited to flip the special T&A coin, this is my first time so Doug gave me the lowdown and heads up we go. Joe “Geezer” Fanelli is getting used to the top spot and is not ready to let it go as he stated after the heat, “When you have Brian “BIG DADDY” Mady behind you, the pedal to the metal is the only way to go.” Fanelli was able to keep Mady at bay taking the second heat race win.

Brian Horning, driver of the self owned #88, has his best run of his 600 mod career. He qualified for his first feature finishing fourth in the second heat. “Man it feels good, this is the first time I can watch the B-main and not be in it. Now I understand what they mean when you know you made the feature.” Tyler Bartik is no stranger to qualifying taking the third heat in convincing fashion. The car hooked to the track from the green flag and cruise control was engaged. The top nine from the B-main would advance to the 24 car field. Seventeen cars lined up with Rookie of the year contender, Richie Hitzler leading the pack. Starting in the pole position is always nerve racking but having the yellow stripe on your bumper makes it twofold. “There were a lot of good drivers in this B-Main and the last things you want to do is screw up and take cars with you, smiled Richie, but I kept it clean and took the B-Main.”

Butch Getz was definitely not in familiar territory. “The butterflies got stuck in the throttle body during the heat which sent me in the pits early. Starting last in the B-main makes it a tough night but the car is strong and ready to go.” stated Butch as he quickly strapped in. He would breathe a sigh of relief crossing the checkers in the eight spot making the feature.

Mother Nature had other plans as the rain started to fall just as the B-Main pulled off the track. After a brief wait, it was decided to call the night’s events. The Xcel Chassis Series makes their next appearance Oct. 30th. Doug Borger and Andrew Harpell agreed this would be the best time to run the rained out feature with a full show to follow. Lindas Speedway is next on the schedule July 30th. The popular track located in Jonestown, PA continues to draw the largest car count along with the spectators. Come see what the excitement is all about.

06.26.10 | TYLER BARTIK SHOWS THE WAY TO VICTORY AT THE CLYDE

June twenty sixth would be the last appearance of the xcel chassis 600 modified series at Lanco Speedway for the 2010 season. Lanco has earned the nickname Bristol like racing where brains and brawn come together. The slatington native Tyler Bartik stated that he wanted to give his sponsor D&R well drilling a good show. “ Lanco is one of the favorites on the circuit. We

talk about how we’d like to run here more often so a win here goes to not only me but my whole team”.

Thirty one cars were sweating it out not only from the weather but wondered if they would make it to the feature. RAACE Foundation sponsored 37 of Ryan Suchon set the tone by winning the first of three heats. Butch Getz set fast time of the night with a 11.9 dominating the second heat. Bartik would test the bottom of the track and find something he would use later on taking the third heat. Aaron “BoBo” Bowes put the number 64 in the big show along with nine drivers to set the twenty four car field.

On the pole for the first time was the cell phoned number 3 of Joey Fahler, with Nick Mady starting along side. Fahler stated “ After talking with Nick, I feel confident I can give the field a good start to a great race,like Nick said that’s what the pole sitters job is supposed to be”. Lap five would see four wide go into turn three and only three come out of turn four. Several cars were collected along with fast timer of the night Butch Getz. All the cars were able to pull away under their own power only to have Getz pull pit side four laps later. Taking the lead from lap one Mady didn’t realize the battles that were as hot as the weather. Eric Whitby frustrated with the year he’s had started in the fifth position and looked to finish in the top five holding off Jeremy Guistwite just enough not knowing where he finished until the final results were posted. “ Thank god for transponders because I wouldn’t want to have been the person to make that call. Tonight’s top four feels like a win so now that the KYS Motorsports team is pointed in the right direction it’s time to go with the flow”. Ryan Higgs tried to hold off Bartik by running the middle of the track forcing Bartik to choose the top or bottom. Making the right choice of going to the bottom changed the last six laps of the race. Bartik found that fine line between fast and faster catching Mady in two laps. He saw Mady was running the same line as Higgs was and knew he could make the stick on the bottom. As Bartik pulled away from Mady he hoped they wouldn’t find the same line. Bartik’s wishes came true with a convincing win for the second time this year making him the second repeat winner of the year.

This year the xcel chassis 600 modifieds have seen eleven different winners out of 13 races. Next weekend the fireworks will fly on July 3rd with a return trip to Five mile point Speedway located in Kirkwood, NY.

FEATURE FINISH

TYLER BARTIK, Nick Mady, Ryan Higgs, Eric Whitby, Jeromy Guisewite, Kasey Ernst,Aaron Bowes, Cody Coons, Justin Schraden, Cory Coons, John Lakatos, Joe Fanelli, Mike Kelly, Richie Hitzler, Ryan Suchon, Joey Fahler, Paul Deruyter, Chris Stockham, Sean Weiss, Butch Getz, Ryan Kunkle, Shaun Horning, Gary Suchy Jr, Corry Roth, Brian Horning, John Horn, Arielle Roldan, Hank Smith, Alec Bartholomew, Joe Carter, Ian Detweiler

06.19.10 | NICK MADY FIRST REPEAT WINNER, CODY COONS TAKES FIRST CAREER WIN ON DOUBLE HEADER WEEKEND

Everybody wondered how long the streak would last. For the first time in Xcel Chassis history there were ten different winners in ten races. Talk in the pits weren’t about points but more of who would carry the title of streak breaker. Nick Mady not only looked to break the streak and bring home a Mady Motorsports win since his brother Brian had won the opener at Linda’s. “Winning at Linda’s on Earman Fulk Memorial night along with having the fans come down on the track to greet thirty eight drivers and cars and to end in victory lane starts the weekend off right. Linda’s Speedway has always been a top notch track for us and having three year old Jenna Ebling come down to get her 600 modified sweatshirt and picture in victory lane is just awesome”. Starting off the night with wins in the heats were Nick Mady, Mike Kelly, Eric Whitby and Scott Washburn. Finishing out the two B-mains were Mike Fry and Gary Lerch.
 

Two previous winners made a powerful front row consisting of Nick Mady and the X11 of Mike Kelly. Patience wouldn’t be on the mind of the drivers with the first yellow caution flag waving on lap one jumbling the top ten qualifiers. After the restart Mady was able to hold off Kelly and put some distance between them with Chris Stockham mounting a challenge on Kelly. Lap #13 would see Kelly facing the wrong way and Stockham in the position to continue the challenge. Both were racing for the win but also the title of first repeat winner. Stockham put the nose just under the left rear of Mady coming into turns one and three for the next seven laps but just couldn’t make the stick. Mady crossed the checkers with a car length lead bringing Mady Motorsports their third win of the year.
 

A quick turnaround and resets of the car were on the agenda of 27 Xcel Chassis 600 modified series. “It’s always hard on teams to race back to back but this is our last trip to Trailways Speedway. We always have great racing here and the fans won’t be disappointed tonight.”Doug Borger stated before the night would get under way.
 

Cody Coons always wondered what it would be like in victory lane and tonight he would find out first hand. When Cody pulled into tech you could see the smile a mile away. “I really need to thank my dad and mom, Lennie and Leslie, for all the hard work and time they put into my racing. My dad always says the hard work will pay off and I understand what he means tonight. Finally I got my first win and on the night before Fathers Day am better than anything I could buy him.”
 

Cody’s win didn’t come without a hard fought battle from Joe “Geezer” Fanelli. This would also become a night of first for Fanelli. Winning the first heat race followed by heat winners Cody Coons and Kasey Ernst gave Joe his first chance to flip the unique coin of the series. Heads up was called and won giving Fanelli his first career pole. Liking the view from the top spot is not easy to give up and for 10 laps Fanelli did just that. Cody Coons had enough time to see Joe’s preferred line and coming into turn three he diamond cut turn four giving him the horse power to get past the Don’s Automotive #22 of Joe Fanelli. Ryan Higgs made quick time of the upfront battle to put himself in contention if the top two opened the door. With Fanelli busy holding off Higgs for the next five laps, Cody Coons was able to bring home the Dons-Ali Restaurant sponsored #82 home to the checkers.
 

“No matter who would have won tonight, we couldn’t have gone wrong. I really want to give the Coons team thumbs up and I already told Doug to take his time doing tech. This is my first time here and I want to enjoy it.” Joe Fanelli said with the all too familiar smile he carries thru out the pits.
 

The Xcel Chassis 600 modifieds return to Lanco Speedway for the last of the 2010 appearances this Saturday June 26th. The racing on the Bristol like track is always fast and furious so make your plans to include Lanco Speedway this weekend.

LINDAS FEATURE FINISH
NICK MADY, Chris Stockham, Kasey Ernst, Ritchie Hitzler, Jeromy Guistwite, Gary Suchy, Kyle Gardner, Scott Washburn, Eric Whitby, Joe Fanelli, Butch Getz, Ryan Suchon, Brian Mady, Mike Kelly, Mike Fry, Gary Lerch, Justin Schraden, Ryan Kunkle, RJ Smith, Ryan Higgs, Ian Detweiler, Tyler Bartik, Aaron Bowes, Alec Bartholomew, John Lakatos, Jon Horn, Corry Roth, Dave Ogin, Joe Fahler, Sean Weiss, Madison Bresinger, BJ Scherff, Jim Bernheisel, George Loux, Scott Fry, Josh Fox, Dave Ogin, Kermit Horning

TRAILWAYS FEATURE FINISH
Cody Coons, Joe Fanelli, Ryan Higgs, Tyler Bartik, Chris Stockham, Dave Baldwin jr., Kasey Ernst, Aaron Bowes, Brian Mady, Ritchie Hitzler, Jeromy Guistwite, Ryan Suchon, Dave Ogin, Justin Schraden, Mike Kelly, Cory Coons, George Loux, Nick Mady, Shaun Horning, Sean Weiss, John Lakatos, Madison Bresinger, Gary Suchy jr., Corry Roth, Alec Bartholomew , Eric Whitby, Dave Baldwin sr.

06.12.10 | Getz becomes 10th new winner of 2010 season. Scores big victory at File Mile Point Speedway

“It feels good to get the first win under the belt, now it’s time to be the first repeat winner. The first thing I heard pulling into tech was ‘the streak is still alive.” stated Butch as soon as air pressures were checked.

Weather was certainly a factor as only 32 cars signed in for the night’s events. ‘No one wants to travel with a threat of rain. I know the weather affected the lowest car count so far this season but playing with Mother Nature is always tricky.” responded Doug Borger when asked about the car count. Heavy showers had inundated the area but with inside drainage and a hard working track crew Five Mile Point Speedway and the Xcel chassis 600 mods were ready for action.

Aaron Bowes, Dave Baldwin jr. and Dave Ogin were your top heat race winners along with Jeromy Guistwite rounding out the winners claiming the B-Main. A combination of 32 laps with only tow caution during the heats and B-Main made a great scenario for the 24 car feature and twenty laps of racing.

Inverting the top three from the heats put Cody Coons and the Don’s Automotive sponsored #22 of Joe Fanelli on the point. “I’m right where I want to be. Don’s is sponsoring the night’s events and we want to give them and the fans something to write home about. This is my first year with Dons and Joe Groholski and you couldn’t ask for a better bunch of guys.’ stated Joe as he buckled in for the feature. Unfortunately the one and only caution of the twenty lap feature would jumble the front running order and send three cars pit side. On the restart, Kresgeville native, Butch Getz found himself in the cat bird seat along with Cody Coons and Aaron Bowes. Getz got a great restart with Coons and Bowes bring the cars out of two side by side. By this time, Dave Baldwin jr. worked the top side and five cars to garner third. Lap #6 had Baldwin chasing down Getz and Mike Kelly chasing down Bowes. Baldwin jr. had a lot of ground to make up as Getz worked a front stretch lead over the field. 5 laps are all it would take to Baldwin inching the nose under Getz to let him know he was there. Slide jobs by both front runners had the crowd on there feet to watch Badlwin, Getz along with the battle for third. Bowes was able to keep Kelly at bay coming out of the turns but Kelly fought back and put the nose under Bowes on every turn.

Meanwhile Baldwin was doing the same thing but decided to move up a groove and brought the #1 power plant door to door with Getz. Butch worked to hard to let the lead go and threw the car into turn #3 hoping the car would stick and give him the win. Kelly had just enough time to see the move Getz made on Baldwin and went for broke. Getz cross the line by a bumper and Kelly made the top three with the bonsai move in turn #4.

Mother Nature showed its ugly head for the final time cancelling victory lane for Butch Getz but that wouldn’t dampen his mood. “I’ve been racing for a lot of years and I can’t remember when I heard of a track or series going 10 for 10.  This shows why I got into the series because it’s not all about money. Every car that pulls in has a chance to win, I’m part of the streak but I gotta admit I want to be the one to break it.” He stated just before the skies would open again.

The Xcel chassis series returns to Linda's Speedway on June 18th, located in Jonestown, Pa, this Friday with a turnaround on Saturday to Trail-Way Speedway in Hanover, pa.

Doug Borger wanted to thank Lindas for including them in their Memorial race to Earman Fulk and a camera/autograph session for the 600 mods. Frisbees will also be thrown and the fan with the winning Frisbee will be invited down to victory lane and will receive a 600 mod sweatshirt. Check out all the latest at www.xcelchassis.com

FEATURE FINISH: BUTCH GETZ, Dave Baldwin jr., Mike Kelly, Aaron Bowes, Cody Coons, Chris Stockham, Joe Fanelli, Mike Keppler, Dave Ogin, Tyler Bartik, George Loux, Ryan Suchon, Jeromy Guistwite, Nick Mady, Brian Mady, Ryan Higgs, Nick Seaman, Kasey Ernst, Eric Whitby, Sean Weiss, Justin Schraden,  Josh Fox, Alec Bartholomew, Kevin Gruber, Kermit Horning, John Lakatos, Brian Horning, Jon Horn, Dave Baldwin sr., Loren Ward, Jeff  Hornblower

05.28.10 | TYLER BARTIK TAKES WIN AT LINDAS SPEEDWAY

Seven races into the season and the Xcel Chassis 600 mod series has yet to have a repeat winner. Slatington native, Tyler Bartik couldn’t seal the deal until May 28^th and Mike Kelly didn’t even know if he would be able to race May 29^th. As Bartik made his way to post race inspection, Mike Kelly made his way to his trailer getting the big guns out to get the car back together.

Forty cars pulled into Lindas on Friday night to start a double header weekend. Bartik, Nick Mady, Scott Washburn and Nick Seaman won top honors in the heat races with Eric Whitby and Cody Coons taking the B-Mains.  Threatening skies had everybody wondering if we could get the night in but Mother Nature held off and 24 mods hit the track ready and raring to go.

Bartik and Mady made the front row and set the pace to the green. Side by side coming out of two neither one wanted to give up clean air. Bartik would hug the bottom making Nick either let off or go to the top side. Mady would take the high side and lose just enough momentum giving Bartik the top spot. Bartik is familiar with running up front and wasn’t about to let it slip away. Mady was eager to be the first repeat winner and stayed with Bartik hoping to get the opening he needed. Scott Washburn and Ryan Suchon found themselves in their own battle for third, swapping lanes to see what better worked for them. Suchon knew he could keep with Bartik and Mady but hoped the gap wouldn’t be too big and run out of laps. Caution would play in the favor of both Bartik and Suchon giving them time to cool the tires and bring the field under one roof.

Battles started where they left off with Mady on the bumper of Bartik and Suchon staying close to capitalize on any mistake the front runners made. Bartik stayed mistake free thru the next closing laps to bring home the D&R Drilling sponsored #85 first victory of the 2010 season.

“This has been the most frustrating start to the season. We know the car is fast but a slight push towards the end of the races changed the car from right to left. Maybe we should go from left to right and we’ll be back in victory lane tomorrow. I really need to thank my dad and Uncle Jim for picking their brains to fix the problem. It’s a team effort and I couldn’t ask for any better” stated Tyler as he accepted congrats from his fellow drivers. Ryan Suchon, driver of the #37 RACCE foundation, celebrated his first third place finish of the 2010 season. Ryan exclaimed “Man, watching Bartik and Nick go at it made me want to join the fun. Lindas is always a great place and everybody wants to win here.

LINDAS FEATURE FINISH: TYLER BARTIK, Nick Mady, Ryan Suchon, Scott Washburn, Ryan Kunkle, Ryan Higgs, Brian Mady, Dave Ogin, Kasey Ernst, Justin Schraden, Joe Fanelli, Nick Seaman, Richie Hitzler, Jeromy Guistwite, Kyle Gardner, Alec Bartholomew, Chris Stockham, RJ Smith, Aaron Bowes, Josh Fox, Cody Coons, George Loux, Eric Whitby, Ian Detweiler, Cody Sites, Butch Getz, Sean Weiss, BJ Scherff, Cory Coons, Tim Horn, Ray Horning, Kevin Gruber, Joe Carter, Mike Kelly, Bob Sell jr., Shaun Horning, John Lakatos, Corry Roth, Jack Ammundsen, Tim Hornblower 

05.29.10 | MIKE KELLY TO VICTORY LANE AT LANCO SPEEDWAY

Thirty two cars were then loaded up and headed south to Lanco Speedway for the ever popular Memorial Day Open. One car wouldn’t be so quick to head out and had a long night ahead of them. Mike Kelly’s X11 was involved in an altercation with two other cars and a yuke tire looking black and blue from top to bottom. Having to be on the cradle is usually a sign the weekend is over but with some help from other teams and a port-a-power Mike Kelly pulled into Lanco hoping not to have a repeat of last night.

Nick Mady, Aaron Bowes and Dave Baldwin Jr., who are all previous 2010 winners, started the night off on the right foot with wins in the heats races. Tonight would be a big night to make the field since Lanco announced a seven race televised deal with Blue Ridge Cable Channel 11. Cody Coons wanted to see some air time for his new #82 and secured it with a B-Main win.

The preferred line would be the bottom but Ryan Higgs went straight to the top not wanting to waste much time from his 18^th starting position.  Eric Whitby tested the outside during hot laps and looked to get their as quick as he could. Both drivers worked their way up after battling Tyler Bartik and Justin Schraden for close to 5 laps.

Gary Suchy Jr., former sprint driver, and Butch Getz, former modified driver, made a powerful front row leading the field to a four wide appreciation lap to the fans.  On lap 5 Getz had too much power coming into turn one diving to the inside and having to get on the brakes. “I definitely took the car in to hard and it was hit the brakes or take another car out with me. Hitting the brakes was the only option cause either way I would be in the back”, Getz stated after the race.

Caution would definitely play in Mike Kelly’s favor bringing the field back to the point. Dave Baldwin jr. had worked the field putting himself in the top six from his 12^th starting position.  Suchy, Kelly, Aaron Bowes, Nick Mady and Chris Stockham would round out the top five. Suchy and Kelly quickly put the cars in top position and with good reason. Bowes, Mady and Stockham brought a three wide battle coming out of two to come in three. Bowes held off both cars to take third and let them finish the battle. Stockham and Mady ran door to door for the next couple of circuits with Mady edging Stockham by a coat of paint. Upfront the battle was hot and heavy between Suchy and Kelly. Racing side by side for over ten laps took a toll on tires. Kelly won the tire battle taking the lead on lap 17 and never looked back winning his first 2010 season race.

During his post race interview anyone could see the disbelief in his eyes.  “I can’t believe I’m even here in victory lane let alone racing. Last night I was ready to call it a weekend but my dad can give a really good pep talk and look where we are now. I want to thank Ken Loux and his team for the help and tools to get us up and running overnight. This just goes to show how an Xcel Chassis car is tore up on a Friday night and the next day you’re ready for the party to start.  Gary Suchy made me work for the top spot but that was the cleanest racing I’ve been involved with. It’s nice to know I can run with him and put a show on for the fans. I definitely don’t want a repeat of Friday but a repeat of tonight would be awesome.”

The Xcel Chassis series will head up north for a three race series.  June 4^th and 8^th will be appearances at Penn Can Speedway followed by June 12^th at Five Mile point Speedway. You can follow all the racing action on their website at  www.xcelchassis.com   

LANCO FEATURE FINISH: MIKE KELLY, Gary Suchy Jr., Aaron Bowes, Nick Mady, Chris Stockham, Ryan Kunkle, Kasey Ernst, Joe Fanelli, Ryan Higgs, Ryan Suchon, Justin Schraden, Dave Ogin, Cody Coons, Eric Whitby, Butch Getz, Shaun Horning, Alec Bartholomew, Tyler Bartik, Cory Coons, Corry Roth, Joe Fahler, Dave Baldwin Jr., Sean Weiss, Ray Horning, Cody Sites, Josh Fox, George Loux, Jack Ammundsen, Tim Horn, Joe Carter, Jeremy Guistwite, Brian Mady            

05.08.10 | BALDWINS MAKE IT A FATHER SON SWEEP AT PENN CAN SPEEDWAY 

Dave Baldwin Jr. has seen victory lane before but nothing beats watching Dad takes his first checkered flag. Two generations have been racing side by side for the last 4 years. Dave sr. decided to move to the sportsman division for the 2010 season. May 14^th gave me a whole new look at things, I never realized how fast Dave can be. Once he found his line he was gone.” stated Dave sr.  Dave jr. pulled his car into post race tech and could only stay a little so he could help his dad buckle up for his feature. Pointers were given and it was race time.

Dave sr. quickly put the #4 power plant to the front and would never look back. Alec Bartholomew, last week’s winner, stayed on the bumper of Baldwin until Lap #6 put him to the rear of the field with Kermit Horning taking the bridesmaid position. Bartholomew wouldn’t waste any time moving back to third only to have a chain problem coming out of turn three on the last lap.

With a total of 37 cars pulling into Penn Can Speedway, Xcel Chassis continues to have the biggest car count to date “ Every year the series continues to grow, Doug announced the sportsman division and I decided if I want to run with the big boys I would need to fine tune set ups and my driving. This win tonight goes to my kid.” Baldwin stated with a smile form ear to ear.

Twenty eight modifieds signed in for the nights events and tonight all cars would qualify. Doug Borger, series owner, stated at the beginning of the night “ We normally start 24 cars but Penn Can has plenty of room so tonight we decided to start everybody, alot of my guys travel 2 to 3 hours to race and to send 5 guys home didn’t make sense. I appreciate the car turn out and now all the drivers will be making important seat time.”

Tyler Bartik, Aaron Bowes ad Cody Coons made seat time count early as the heat race winners for the night. Points are given for the top five in the heat races so you want good position right of the bat. Tails seems to be the consensus for the year as the field would be inverted after the coin flip. Justin “Showtime” Schraden and Josh “sly” Fox would lead the field off of turn 4. Justin wanted the all important piece of real estate and got it for the first 4 laps before pulling to the infield ahead of 28 mighty modifieds putting Chris Stockham on the point. By lap eight Tyler Bartik made his presence known lining up next to Stockham on the restart. Bartik took the point on lap #10 but only to see the caution fly for his #85 machine. Lap #13 saw another player enter the filed as Nick Mady pulled to the front group on lap #15. As Baldwin found his line and pulled away from Mady and Stockham, his car would get quicker and he could put a cushion between the top three. Shake ups would continue until the white flag lap. Mady had just gotten under Stockham coming out of turn 4 and felt the left rear drop. Cody Coons and Josh Fox cleared Mady with some quick thinking and set their sights for the checkered flag. Dave Balwin jr. was the first one to cross the line in convincing fashion. Stockham, Coons, Fox and Mady would round out your top five.

“Whew, from what I’m hearing I am glad I was up front and didn’t realize all the shaking up that was going on. I can’t believe I’m the fifth different winner in as many races. I really want to congratulate my dad on his first career win and hope him as alot more. Have to say this is the best weekend we’ve had in a long time and I plan on enjoying it for at least two weeks then we head to Lindas Speedway.” Stated Dave Baldwin jr.

Tyler Bartik showed up to tech to give congrats to the top three but the frustration showed in his face. “We have a fast car and the #85 sponsored D&R Drilling machine is always in contention but we can’t seal the deal. We’re gonna take this off week end and regroup and come out stronger for the double header weekend.”

The Xcel Chassis 600 modifieds will have double duty on May 28^th pulling into Lindas Speedway Friday then straight to Lance Speedway for Saturday night racing at its best. 
 

Xcel 600 Modifieds: Dave Baldwin Jr, Chris Stockham, Cody Coons, Josh Fox, Nick Mady, Jeremy Guistwite, Eric Whitby, Nick Seaman, Butch Getz, Joe Fanelli, Kasey Ernest, Kevin Gruber, Ryan Suchon, Scott Washburn, Dave Ogin, Aaron Bowes, Mark Howanitz, Paul Deruyter, Cory Coons, Ray Horning, John Horn, John Lakatos, George Loux, Shaun Horning, Brian Mady, Tyler Bartik, Justin Schraden, Loren Ward 

Xcel 600 Sportsman: Dave Baldwin Sr, Kermit Horning, Brian Horning, Joey Fahler, Madison Brensinger, Arielle Roldan, Alec Bartholomew, Jeffrey Fox, Mike Peters

05.08.10 | Nick Mady and Alec Bartholomew win at Five Mile Point Speedway. 

There are good streaks and bad streaks just as you have good and bad years.  May 8^th put one streak to rest and a great start to 2010.  “With 36 cars pulling into Five Mile Point on an iffy weather night, the last thing you worry about is winning, we worry more about qualifying. As the saying goes, you got to be in it to win it. This is a tough series cause all the cars are stock and we’ve spent a lot of time on set up and weight transfer. Making it to victory lane puts it all in perspective.” Nick stated in his post race interview. The seven year veteran of the series hadn’t seen victory lane in over a year and a half. Ironically his last win was at this very track so it could be done but would it be done. Thirty six drivers were hoping for the same outcome as Mady was so now “It’s now or never”.

Heat race action was quick and heavy. Brian Mady dominated the first heat race with Nick Mady and George Loux rounding out heats two and three. Loux was thrilled with his heat race win. “It’s been a tough start for our team this year. We already missed qualifying for a race and once we make the feature, we just can’t seem to close the deal so maybe tonight might be the night.” as George made his way around the car getting it ready for the feature.

The 12e of Eric Whitby and Butch Getz, driver of the powerful 4jr, brought the field to the green and 20 laps of full field racing. Making waves early, Nick Mady put the power plant right on the bumper of his brother Brian and made the charge to the front on a lap 4 restart. Brian wouldn’t be able to clear Szulewski or Ernst but Nick took to the outside and made the stick to take the top spot.  Getz found himself fighting off Brian, giving Nick Mady the cushion he needed to find the best line for the car.  Meanwhile Kasey Ernst and Dave Baldwin jr. were creating their own battle running door to door. Brian Mady would take it to low going under Getz in turn three; throwing the chain bringing the Moyers Grove sponsored #2 to the infield. Last week’s feature winner Aaron Bowes and Chris Stockham both worked their way to the front but fighting for the same real estate put them both in a spin to bring out the final caution on lap #16. Don’s Automotive #22 of Joe Fanelli silently put the car in the top ten and was looking to move up the ladder. “The caution was not what we needed. The car was great on the long run and there wasn’t enough time for the car to come back” he stated as he climbed out of the car. Lining up single file put Mady on the point with Getz sticking like glue to his rear bumper. Coming into turn three less than half a car length separated the top two. Getz would put the car alongside Mady in the turns but lost too much momentum coming out of the turns. Mady would cross the checkers separated by only a car length with Getz. 

Climbing out of his car in tech, he looked 10 times lighter. “God does it feel like a ton was lifted off tonight. I don’t what was worse, wondering when your first win is gonna happen or when is the next one is going to be. This series has just gotten so tough every year, the frustration just got worse. I am so proud of the turnaround Mady Motorsports has done in 2010.  Brad French has come aboard this year and it gives Arielle a chance to concentrate on my car as he teams up with my brother Brian. It takes a total team effort and I can’t thank them enough.

The show wouldn’t end there as the 600 sportsman made their second appearance of the season. Kermit Horning won the inaugural race at Penn Can Speedway and looked for the repeat but the stars were not lined up for him. No stars were visible but the decked was stacked. Dave Baldwin Sr. would take the field to the line for the first caution free race of the year. Alec Bartholomew made the move to second by lap#2 going under Kermit in turn four and sliding up in front of him. The car made the stick and the pass with ease. Knowing the car would handle where ever he put it Alec then set his sights on Baldwin. Closing the gap by Lap 7, Baldwin drifted one lane up going into one giving just enough room for Alec to swing to the bottom and take the opening. Once out front, Alec never looked back and only after the race was finished did he realize the race went green to checkered. “You know, the car was so good I was concentrating on keeping my line that I never noticed.  My dad is always giving me advice and tonight he also gave me the car. What’s even better I can give Mom my first win for Mothers Day. I just hope I don’t have to wait till next year to give her another one.” He chuckled as he waited in tech to finish the night.

The Xcel Chassis 600 Modifieds and Sportsmans will see action next Friday May 14^th at the ever popular Penn Can Speedway located just off I-81 in Susquehanna, Pa. Double the excitement all in one night. Are we going to see our first repeat winner or will plans be spoiled. Come check it out and see for yourself. 

OFFICIAL MODIFIED FEATURE FINISH: NICK MADY, Butch Getz, Dave Baldwin Jr., Kasey Ernst, Brad Szulewski, Mike Kelly, Cody Coons, Justin Schraden, Dave Ogin, Ryan Higgs, Joe Fanelli, Ryan Suchon, Shawn Horning, Ray Horning, Chris Stockham, Loren Ward, Aaron Bowes, Sean Weis, Cory Coons, John Lakatos, Eric Whitby, Nick Seaman, Paul DeRuyter, George Loux, Josh Fox, Jeromy Guistwite, Brian Mady, Wayne Kocher.

OFFICIAL SPORTSMAN FEATURE FINISH: ALEC BARTHOLOMEW, Dave Baldwin Sr., Kermit Horning, Kyle Kocher, Madison Brensinger, Brian Horning, Arielle Roldan, Mike Crawn.

05.02.10 | B. Mady Takes Linda's & Bowes Scores First Career Win in 600 Mods @ TRAILWAYS

Starting a double header weekend with a win at the ever popular Lindas Speedway is just the momentum Brian " BIG DADDY" Mady needed, " It was an early night for me, at our season opener, being collected in the first caution. It definitely is not the way you want to start so maybe I’ll think of April 30^th as my season opener. I want to give a shout out to Doug Borger. I’m running a brand new car and we switched to Suzuki this year. Doug has been giving me set ups and it’s working for the whole team. Anybody can give him a call and he’ll point you in the right direction. 38 cars signed in to race tonight and just to qualify is tough."

Ian Detweiler started the night off winning the first of 4 heat races with Brian Mady, Eric Whitby and Nick Mady rounding out the heats. Two B-mains were needed with Joe Fanelli’s Dons Automotive sponsored #22 and Tyler Bartik’s #85 taking the B-main wins..With the 24 car field set Detweiler and Brian Mady set the pace to the green.

Spectators wouldn’t have to wait long as Mady and Detweiler led the field side by side coming out of turn two with Mady finding the clean air coming out of turn four. Eric Whitby and Nick Mady stayed side by side for the next two circuits giving the top two plenty of time to pull away. Detweiller wasn’t letting Mady off the hook staying on his bumper till the caution would bring the field together. When the dust settled Aaron Bowes put the # 64 in the top five along with Butch Getz and Ryan Kunkle. Ryan Kunkle always put the #77 in quick contention at Lindas starting in the 20^th spot and looked to gain more.

Unfortunately the next caution would see Detweiler turned around and both him and BJ Scherff restart at the rear. Brian Mady chose the outside line and looked to see who his neighbor would be only to see his brother Nick giving the thumbs up sign. At that point Brian knew it was get up and go time and stepped it into high gear. As Brian and Nick pulled away Bowes wanted to join the family and came door to door with Nick. Meanwhile Getz and Kunkle held a classic battle running side by side with Getz crossing the line giving him a fourth place finish. Aaron Bowes gave Nick a run for the money diving to the inside but lost momentum just enough giving the cushion Nick needed to give Mady Motorsports a one - two finish. 

As the crowd gathered around tech area, The Mady brothers were quick to give the high fives and to congratulate Bowes on his first trip to tech. "Holy Cow, exclaimed Aaron, this feels like a win tonight." Unbelievable was the word Brian "BIG DADDY" kept saying over and over. " What a way to start a weekend, the minute I saw my brother line up next to me I knew I had to keep it perfect. At that point it was my race to lose and winning at Linda’s is on the top of my list. Let’s hope I can add to the list tomorrow." stated Brian as the cars were returned to the trailer after deemed legal.

Still smiling from his first top three finish, Aaron " BoBo" Bowes couldn’t wait to strap into the "Dad’s Wallet" sponsored #64 but wondered if a repeat could happen. May 1^st is the first of two scheduled appearances by the Xcel Chassis mighty modifieds at Trailways Speedway. Twenty six cars made the quick turn around running the night before at Linda’s speedway. The biggest turnaround so far this year is Aaron Bowes. Many people have noticed how his driving as been with more and more confidence and it payed off big Saturday night. " Coming off of my first top three at Lindas and to pull into victory lane at one of the bigger tracks we run is so cool. We went from one extreme to the other with the track size difference but with my dad and families support this has been the biggest weekend so far." Bowes hopes to keep the momentum going thru the week.

Nick Mady and Brian Mady started off as they had finished the night before taking their heat wins along with Bowes but with a flip of the coin the top three from each heat got inverted putting the #00 of Jeromy Guistwite and the #85 of Tyler Bartik on the point.

The tempature shot up another 10 degrees before the modifieds hit turn four as Ryan Suchon took the lead by inches over Bartik and Eric Whitby. Nick Mady took the 77x machine to high coming into turn one and had to watch the freight train come thru putting him mid pack. Bowes was quick to claim the spot with Brad Szulewski right on his bumper putting himself in the top five early. Mid pack saw Kasey Ernst and Brian Mady work their way up in the next five laps. Caution would see Nick Mady along with KYS Motorsports teammates Whitby and Ryan Suchon make the tail end giving Bartik and Szulewski open air.

The next 10 laps saw the best racing to date. Szulewski had taken the lead on the lap before and chose the inside line for the restart. Lining up in the fourth spot was the powerful Kasey Ernst along side Bowes. Two sets of pairs made the next two laps hard to watch. Bartik would pull to the door of Szulewski but couldn’t keep the momentum coming off the turns. Ernst and Bowes were swapping real estate so much the rotor on Ernst’s was a red as a summer sun. Ernst would be pulled pit side on the last caution as a result. Lining up for the final restart put the spectators on their feet. Hoping it would stick Bowes laid it on the line making it three wide coming into turn one and leading on the back stretch. Brian Mady took full advantage showing Bartik the nose of his car as he pulled along side but couldn’t make the pass. Bartik wouldn’t let the door turn into a revolving one as he held off Mady for a third place finish. Szulewski tried everything in the book but Bowes was just to strong and crossed the checkers in his first Xcel Chassis 600 mod career win.

Pulling into tech wasn’t new to Aaron but the crowd around him was. Andy Bowes , car owner and father, was the first one to lift him in the air along with Char and Lexie. " I wish Petie and George were here to enjoy it. Everybody thinks they are crew members and laugh when I tell them there our dogs and mascots. I just can’t believe how this weekend turned out. When we pulled in today, I never thought we would be back in tech let alone after victory lane. I can’t thank my dad enough with all the work he does and I hopes he enjoys this as much as I do. Char does the video taping so I hope her hand was steady enough so I can watch it later."Bowes finished off as he prepped the car for tech.

Doug Borger was pleased with how the first double header weekend played out. " This year we made a few rule changes and the results have been instant. Starts are now between two cones placed in turn four. The leader can start anywhere in between those cones. If the start is jumped they are sent a row back. We had to enforce it a couple of times last night but the drivers are quick to learn it’s a no-no. The leader also has the option of choosing lanes on all restarts and know they make the decision quick or lose the spot. Consistent calls by the officials along with the radios makes the show go smoother. The drivers appreciate how strict we are cause no one wants to see their machine tore up. I want to thank Lindas and Trailways for being great host and I can tell you everybody looks forward to coming back. Next Saturday May 8^th we travel to New York and Five Mile Point Speedway. This will be the first appearance by the 600 Sportsman division along with the return of the modifieds. I expect the racing to get better and better as the season progresses and the new rules become old news."

LINDAS SPEEDWAY FEATURE FINISH

BRIAN MADY, Nick Mady, Aaron Bowes, Butch Getz, Ryan Kunkle, Nick Seaman, RJ Smith, Kasey Ernst, Tyler Bartik, Eric Whitby, Justin Schraden, Kyle Gardner, Ryan Suchon, Mike Kelly, Jeromy Guistwite, Ian Detweiler, Shannon Mosteller, Joe Fanelli, BJ Scherff, Joe Fahler, Brad Szulewski, Scott Washburn, Gary Suchy jr, Cody Coons, George Loux, Ray Horning, Bob Sell jr, Shaun Horning, Corry Roth, Jon Van Horn, Joe Carter, Sean Weiss, Dave Ogin, Richie Hitzler, Mike Fry, Tim Hornblower, Scott Fry, Jim Smith

TRAILWAYS SPEEDWAY RESULTS

AARON BOWES, Brad Szulewski, Tyler Bartik, Brian Mady, Ryan Kunkle, Nick Mady, Dave Baldwin jr, George Loux, Eric Whitby, Joe Fanelli, Ian Detweiler, Justin Schraden, Sean Weis, Shaun Horning, Mike Kelly, Ray Horning, Dave Ogin, Kasey Ernst, Jeromy Guistwite, Ryan Suchon, Gary Suchy, Bob Sell jr, Corry Roth, Lester Dise, Marty Duncan, Jim Smith

04.16.10 | BRAD SZULEWSKI HOLDS OFF 39 CAR FIELD FOR THE XCEL CHASSIS SEASON OPENER WIN 

The 2010 season started off in dramatic fashion at Penn Can Speedway on April 18^th for the Xcel Chassis 600 modifieds and the newly formed Sportsman division hitting the track for their first time ever. With a three way battle for the first win of the year it looks to be good side by side racing all year long. After a long winter of prepping the cars, it was time to go racing and Brad Szulewski was ready to go. The Shohola,Pa. native got the rust off taking the last transfer spot in heat #1 and went about making changes to bring the Autism Awareness# 14Z power plant to the front.

Ryan Suchon would bring the first heat race cross the line with Tyler Bartik and Chris Stockham rounding out the top three heat winners. You knew the racing would just get better watching Bartik race side by side with Nick Mady and Stockham holding off hard charging Butch Getz.

Braving the breezy weather, the spectators were ready to heat things up and so were the drivers. They didn’t have to wait long  seeing three wide going into turn one on the second lap put Bartik on the point with Mady and Stockham right on his bumper. By  lap #5, Szulewski was making noise moving thru the pack and  into the fifth place position.  Lap #10 saw both Mady and Stockham race hard thru the turn giving  Szulewski the opening to take second place. Both Stockham and Mady wouldn’t make that same mistake twice.  Bartik and Szulewski would be door handle to door handle as so would Stockham and Mady. Lap # 19 would be the game changer for the top three as Stockham would see his night end early jumping the turn #2 berm. With Stockham done Mady set his sights on the top two and wanted to join in the fun. Szulewski knew the only way to get around Bartik would be to take the outside line. He started to set the car coming out of turn #2 and planted the #14z hoping it  wouldn’t  head into the marbles and sure enough he took the lead just before the last caution flew setting up a classic battle with a single file restart . Going into turns one and two saw Szulewski on the point with Bartik and Mady wheel to wheel on Szulewski’s bumper. Bartik took the #85 machine to low going into three, pushing the car up and Mady taking advantage to bring home a second place finish with  Szulewski  taking the win in solid fashion.

“What awesome  racing that was, declared Brad has he climbed out of the car, taking congrats from Bartik and Mady. You couldn’t ask for a better scenario racing these two for over half the race and to bring the #14z Autism Awareness home to victory lane just puts the icing on the cake.  April is the month for Autism Awareness and what better way to bring attention to a great cause then victory lane”, stated Szulewski has he prepped the car for tech inspection.

Next on the card would be the Sportsman Division of the Xcel Chassis series.  Doug Borger wanted to create this class so younger drivers and anybody who never raced before had the opening they would need to jumpstart their racing ventures. Kermit Horning did just that taking the #19 Horning racing machine to his first victory lane. “ I  definitely could get used to being here at the end of the night, I can’t thank my wife Tracie enough for all the support. I also want to say thanks to Doug for seeing into the future and bringing the sportsman division alive. I know this will be a great stepping stone to the 600 modified division” as Kermit accepted a hug from his wife.

“This was the best season opener that the Xcel Chassis series has seen to date. This was the first year I held two private practices at Penn Can and Lindas Speedway and I could see the difference when the cars hit the track for the heat races. Those two practices gave my guys enough time to tweak set ups and the new comers the lap time they need before hitting the track for the first time. Our next race is at Lindas, which is a favorite with all the teams, and the action is always there. I think we are going to see the same side by side racing that we saw tonight”. Doug Borger stated after tech was done and all cars passed inspection.

Next on the card will be the ever popular Lindas Speedway April 30^th with a next day follow up May 1^st at Trailways Speedway. You can keep up with all the latest information right on their website at www.xcelchassis.com 

600 MODIFIED FEATURE FINISH 

BRAD SZULEWSKI, Nick Mady, Tyler Bartik, Dave Ogin, Ryan Suchon, Ian Detweiller, Mike Kelly, Bob Sell jr., Justin Schraden, Jeromy Guistwite, Joe Fanelli, Mark Howanitz, Ryan Higgs, George Loux, Ryan Kunkle, Chris Stockham, Eric Whitby, Aaron Bowes, Nick Seaman, Butch Getz, Brian Mady, Cody Coons, Josh Fox, John Lakatos, Ray Horning, Dave Baldwin jr., John Horn, Shaun Horning Marty Bunker, Wayne Kocher, Scott Washburn

600 SPORTSMAN FEATURE FINISH 

KERMIT HORNING, Dave Baldwin sr., Alec Bartholomew, Madison Bersinger, Gary Lerch, Kyle Kocher, Arielle Roldan, Brian Horning

03.09.10 | PRACTICE at Penn Can April 10th!!!!  Spring Meeting being held

The Hoosier Tires 600 Modified Series will kickoff it's 2010 season with it's annual Spring Meeting on Saturday, April 10th. The meeting will be held at Penn Can Speedway followed closely by unlimited practice sessions from 12:00 to 4:00pm.  The practice session is open to 600 Modified and 600 Sportsman teams only.  In addition, car inspections will be performed. Once your car has passed inspection, you will receive the 2010 sponsor sticker package. Pre ordered Membership cards will also be distributed on this day. If you haven't ordered them yet, please call Doug at 610-681-2689 for your Membership cards. 

Important information....

1. No cars will be inspected on race day at the track.  You must make prior arrangements with Xcel Chassis for inspection.  

2. No membership cards will be made at the Spring Meeting. You must order them in advance.

Doug Borger, Series President was quick to thank Penn Can Speedway for the practice date. "They (Penn Can) have been great to work with.  This is the first year the 600 Mods will have a closed practice day."  Teams will get track time to work the bugs out and get the elbows loose. Borger continued, "Penn Can is a great place to get your bearings before the start of the season.  It's got plenty of room out there if you need it. In the drivers meetings, I'm always preaching about good, hard, clean driving and how important it is to put on a good product. By getting new guys or inexperienced guys track time, it helps come race time."

02.19.10 | Xcel Chassis Ads More Cash to Payouts – Now Pays Heat Races/B-Mains

Despite tough competition for business’ marketing dollars, Xcel Chassis has secured sponsors to pay $20 to every 600 Modified Series heat race/B-Main winner in 2010.  This also applies to every 600 Sportsman Series event.

In addition to the added payouts, the 600 Modified Series is again paying $50.00 to start a feature and a minimum of $20.00 tow money to all non qualifiers.  Several $1,000 to win races are also planned for 2010.  Expect a press release before the season start announcing the details.

Doug Borger, Series President, commented that, “this is a big step for both 600 Mods and Sportsman teams. Our racing costs are relatively unchanged over the last few years, but the travel costs have been going up.” With gas projecting to return to 2008 levels, hotels, tolls, a burger and fries going up, every little bit helps.

Local businesses, despite struggling with less revenues, are seeing the value in the Xcel Chassis Series.  When everyone in racing is competing for financial support, they (companies) are increasing their support of the 600 Mod and Sportsman teams.

Borger continued, “dollar for dollar, I believe we have most affordable racing around. It’s gratifying to see low buck teams being able to compete for wins and championships in our Series.  You don’t find that in many other racing divisions in our area.”

01.21.10 | racing show season begins
 

Thanks to Rick McGeady for these great shots from the Motorsports show in Oaks, PA.

12.09.09 | Xcel Chassis 600 Modifieds Close Season with Eric Whitby Crowned 2009 Champion
　
On December 5th over 100 people attended the season ending banquet at the Polk Township firehouse. The first thing to catch the eye was the champion trophy towering over 6 feet high. Every year Doug Borger does something different than the run of the mill trophy." Our drivers work hard all year to get to this point and I want to show my appreciation. Coil springs make the bases of this years trophy with brake rotors being the platforms. Molded spark plugs make the center and everything is powder coated gold ." Doug stated as people gathered around the awards table.
 

Emmaus native, Eric Whitby, looked forward to the nights events. He talked about this season and the winter ahead. " We started off the year only running a part time schedule to concentrate on my son Justin and the 45J but after leading the points with five races in it’s hard to let go. Our season could have gone either way but the KYS Motorsports team decided we needed to take the chance. Billy and Pat always put me in top notch equipment and we work on our plans has we work on the cars. Some owners show up on race day, but I can always count on someone coming to the garage to lend a hand".
After a dinner fit for a king was enjoyed, it was time to get down to the business side. The top ten in points were then presented with their trophies and a check. The door prize table was overflowing with series sponsors donating items along with some of the great racing teams within the series.
 

Best appearing car went to a very deserving Jeromy Guistwite.. The Alpine Building Supply #04 always shines in the spotlight on and off the track. "My dad, Ed, and I feel it is very important to represent our sponsors along with series.
Joe Fanelli didn’t have the year he expected in 2008 and looked to turn it around. He not only turned things around but now his vision is even clearer. ‘Winning Most Improved Driver is a great honor. The competition only gets tougher year after year so even though I didn’t win the points, I bested my record from 2008." Doug Borger, also presented his version of helping Joe with his "vision" for the 2010 season. "Joe has a spoiler of shame on his back deck and it’s become the running joke of how you get on it but how to get off is the big question. I wanted to be the first for the 2010 season and I hope I am the first one off", has he presented Joe with his own special bifocal shield custom built by Doug.
 

Brian " BIG DADDY" Mady was presented a plaque thanking him for representing the drivers the last five years. He has decided to step down as he will be running a part time schedule next year.
 

Kasey Ernst was presented a new racing suit for winning The 2009 rookie of the Year Award. Kasey held off a class field of rookies this year and looks to mentor some drivers coming into the sportsman division..
All ears were turned to the nights biggest give away. Xcel Chassis and Doug Borger donated a frame and body kit worth over $3000.00 along with Kirky donating 2 full containment seats. Keizer Wheels and Valken Wheels also donated a full set of wheels.

Josh Fox would take home the Valken wheels as Nick Seaman wheeled home the Keizers. Kevin Gruber and Joe Fanelli both will feel safer in their new Kirky full containment seats. The team of Jeromy Guiswite took the big prize of the night. Asked what he was going to do with the frame and body kit, Ed kicked around some ideas, " This is such a great jump start to the season, We can’t thank Doug and Xcel enough for giving us such an awesome prize. We might put a car together for special shows with a special driver or maybe I might run the new sportsman division Doug is starting for this year. You have to keeping checking and we will make an announcement soon"
 

The night was a perfect ending to the 2009 season. Car counts were increased despite the economy. Rules were made stricter but enforced thru out the year. The 600 Sportsman division has officially been announced and already has drivers signed up to run the year. More information will follow as the winter progresses. Xcel Chassis will have cars and drivers at the ever popular Motorsports Show, which is coming back to Pennsylvania this year, and coming to Harrisburg for the Motorama show. Please check the website at www.xcelchassis.com for all the latest happenings.