Frantz Named "Most
Improved" and Takes 4th in
Mountain Speedway Sport Modified
Points
(11/10/2012)- Hazleton, Pa- Under the thirteenth season of
operation with Hazleton’s Joe Callavini at the helm,
Mountain Speedway held its annual awards banquet Saturday
evening at Genetti’s Inn & Suites in Hazleton, PA.
The event was dedicated to Mountain Speedway family
members, Tyson Wanamaker, Bruce Miglino and Robert Sones,
who had passed away since the end of last season.
Hundreds filled the banquet hall, including crew and
friends and family members of racers that competed at the
1/3-mile asphalt oval in St. Johns, PA during the 2012
racing season. Along with the presentation of special
awards, the end of the year celebration was held to
recognize the top points finishers each of the track’s
divisions.
Speedway Announcers Gene Ostrowski and Larry Spencer III
were the emcees for the ceremony and spoke about the
competitive 2012 season and announce that everything is a go
for what will hopefully be a successful 2013 run. They
continued by thanking the drivers, families and crewmembers
for not only supporting the speedway, but also for
supporting short track racing in general.
The evening was highlighted when Nick Pecko of Vandling,
PA was crowned as the Modified champion. In a fierce points
battle with Todd Baer and Dave Brigati Pecko drove to 14 top
ten finishes in an equal number of starts. With 12 top five
finishes and three feature wins, he headed into the final
event of the season with a small margin in the standings.
Pecko remained cool in the season ending King of the
Mountain event and a solid third place run helped him net
his first open wheel asphalt Modified championship.
The remaining divisional champions were honored as well,
including Dave Brigati of Calverton, NY, who notched his
second straight Sport Modified title. Brigati thanked
everyone that helped him through out the season and promised
that once again he would call Mountain Speedway his home
next season. In 14 starts this year, Brigati finished in the
top five every single time. He also netted six feature wins
along the way, which was almost half of the features that he
started.
Kyle Harvell of New York, NY scored his first championship
in the Late Model division. Following his first career
feature win last year, Harvell came into this season as one
of the championship hopefuls. Although he made 13 starts in
14 attempts, Harvell’s 13 top tens and 12 top fives, mixed
with four wins steered him to the crown.
In a dominating season, Chip Wanamaker of Walnutport, PA
grabbed his first career Street Stock title. Wanamaker
thanked everyone that helped him throughout his career,
including his family. In 15 starts this season, Wanamaker
had just one finish outside the top five and his eight
victories would not deny him of the title.
Rich Paciotti of Kunkletown, PA clinched his first career
Factory Stock title over teammates Mark Martini and Dan
Pawlicki and Noah Fassman of Nescopeck, PA notched the Four
Cylinder championship as a true rookie. Scott Hubler of
Coplay, PA won his third career Legends championship and TJ
Kapish of Mountaintop, PA claimed his third straight
6/8-Cylinder enduro championship. Tony Rispin won his second
straight 4-Cylinder enduro title and Nick Harnage of
Calverton, NY took top honors in the Bandolero division.
Sponsored by Tyler Jett Motorsports Marketing, mantle clocks
were presented to the drivers present who ran the fastest
feature lap of the season. The winners were Bobby Jones
(Modified), Dave Brigati (Sport Modified), Austin Kochenash
(Late Model), Chris Burge (Street Stock), (tie) Matt
Schlenker and Matt Mattern, Jr. (Factory Stock) and Frank
Hughes (Four Cylinder).
Sponsored by the Green family, Rookie of the Year winners
were Brandon Oltra (Modified), Cam Ayers (Sport Modified),
Stone Phillips (Late Model), Charlie Castiglione (Street
Stock), Stephanie Moyer (Factory Stock) and Noah Fassman
(Four Cylinder).
The Himmer Graphics Hard Chargers of the season were Nick
Pecko (Modified), Jason Hearne (Sport Modified), Brad Brown
(Late Model), Chip Wanamaker (Street Stock), Mark Martini
(Factory Stock) and Eric Banashefski (Four Cylinder).
Sponsored by “The Gas Man”, Jerry Brighthaupt, the Most
Improved Driver awards were presented to Paul Frantz (Sport
Modified), Tony Hilliard (Street Stock), Dan Pawlicki
(Factory Stock) and Larry Spencer III (Four Cylinder).
Cassagrande/Matter Racing presented a special “Fan of the
Year” award to Michael Berta. Berta rarely missed an event
this season at the track and enjoys keeping himself up to
date with all of the racers in every single division.
Ostrowski closed out the awards presentation by thanking
the racers and the Callavini family for their continued
support of short track racing in Northeast Pennsylvania Then
YMI, a popular band from the Hazleton area took the stage to
entertain the crowd with a variety of music.
Sport Modified- 1. DAVE BRIGATI 2. Jason Hearne 3. Tommy
Wanick III 4. Paul Frantz 5. Nick Pecko 6. Cam Ayers 7. Todd
Baer 8. Scott Adams 9. Anthony Sesely 10. Pat Verwys
RUSS
FRANTZ INDUCTED INTO DORNEY PARK HALL OF FAME
(11/6/2012)- Russ Frantz has achieved another milestone in his amazing career. On Sunday, November 4th, he was inducted into the Dorney Park Hall of Fame.
Russ went to Dorney to watch. "I watched the races one night, and said I can do that". So, he bought a car and went racing. He started his career at the now defunct speedway in 1978 driving a powder blue 1955 Chevy carrying #08. During his first night out, he spun and hit the wall. After the races, his wife Diane asked;" Now, was that fun?" Russ replied;"Believe it or not, yes it was."
He raced his own equipment in his first two seasons at Dorney Park with limited success. However, he caught the eye of car owner Tom Snyder, better known as "Sneeze". The two paired up for the 1980 season, and on June 14th Russ made his first trip to victory lane. A second feature win and third in the point standings earned him the Most Improved Driver award. The duo rebuilt their 1956 Chevy over the winter and led off the '81 season with a feature win. A constant threat to win, Russ was considered a favorite to win the championship. When the season was over, he finished with two feature wins and second in the championship to friend John Markovic. Russ and Sneeze were determined to win a championship. They had built a new car, a 1969 Camaro. Unfortunately, the first time out with it at Evergreen, Russ demolished the car. They rebuilt it again, and brought it out for the 1982 Dorney season. One win and fourth place points finish was all they could acquire. 1983 started out on a high note. Russ won opening day for the second time, and again showed he was a threat for the championship. Five more wins over the course of the year, including the always popular 40 Lap race, was tops at the speedway which also tied the single season record. A week of bad luck though forced the team to settle for third in the championship standings.
After the 1983 season, Sneeze retired from racing. Russ then built his own car, a new Camaro for the 1984 season. It took just three races for him to find victory lane with his own car. This time he put the whole year together winning his first career championship. For the second consecutive year, he won six features leaving him one win behind the all time record. As an added bonus, he was awarded Most Popular Driver as well. 1985 looked to be a carbon copy of 1984 as Russ won Opening Day for the third time. May 18th was a day that remains history. Russ won for the second time that season, which put him at the top of the all time feature win list in the Late Model division. He passed Red Protivnak who held the record for almost twenty years. Russ had two more wins during the season. With two weeks left, he sold the car after a "discussion with promoter Jerry Fried" where he was told not to come to the final two races. He still finished third in the point standings.
For his success, he was honored by being placed into the Dorney Park Hall of Fame at the America on Wheels Museum. "I was shocked"; Russ said after the ceremony. "I thought maybe some day it would happen. This is great." FRANTZ DRIVES TO KING OF THE MOUNTAIN TOP 5
(October 6, 2012)- Paul Frantz and the Frantz Racing team entered the final day of racing with one goal, win. "This is our last shot this year. We were able to come up with the funds for the tires we need. I just hope everything works out"; Paul said before the day started.
Double points, extra money, and extra laps made up the 13th Annual King of the Mountain. Seventeen Sport Modifieds were on hand for the day. Time trials were used for qualifying with the top eight cars doing a redraw. Paul was the fifth car out for qualifying and was on the pole for quite some time being the first car to time under 14 seconds. At the end, he was seventh quickest. During the redraw, Paul stated, "I wasn't sure we would be out here for this. I never time good with this car. We already made a change for the feature, and I think we have something for them tonight." He picked fifth starting position.
At the drop of the green for the 100 lap race, Paul quickly moved up to fourth position passing Scott Brannick. A quick caution on lap three had the Associated Chiropractic/S & D Bodyline #10 restart fourth. Paul moved up to third, but got a little out of shape exiting turn two and fell back to fifth. A restart on lap five found Paul on the inside, and when the green waved he moved to the inside of fourth place Todd Baer. The two raced side by side until lap seven when they made contact battling for the position causing Paul to spin in turns three and four.
After a quick trip to the pits to check the car, Paul restarted seventeenth. Frantz moved back into the top ten by lap eighteen. Another caution at lap thirty-three, saw many of the front runners heading pit-side for tires. Paul was now sixth and content to ride, but another caution on lap forty saw more front runners head to the pits leaving Paul in the second position. Paul ran behind race leader Eric Mauriello trying a couple of times to take the race lead, but was unsuccessful. The caution waved again on lap fifty-seven, and on the restart Paul made a bid for the lead. He got under Mauriello down the front stretch as the green flag waved. The pair raced door to door until lap fifty-nine when Frantz got a little out of shape in turn two and then was hit from behind by Jason Hearne causing him to get even more out of shape. He kept the car pointed in the right direction, but fell back to the fifth position. The caution waved again on lap sixty-four and again on lap sixty-five. Paul had fallen back to seventh at that point due to the wear of the tires. The caution waved again on lap seventy-four when Paul spun coming out of turn two. Under the caution, Paul made his trip to the pits for new right side tires.
He restarted fourteenth. By lap eighty-two, he was back in the top ten. The caution flew when the leaders tangled racing for the lead. On the lap eighty-three restart, Paul again took the outside. He quickly moved by Nick Pecko for seventh, then Tom Wannick for sixth. He had the momentum going for fifth around Eric Mauriello when the caution waved again on lap eighty-nine. Paul was poised to gain more positions over the final eleven laps, but was unable to make any passes until the final lap when he edged Mauriello at the stripe for the fifth position.
During the post race interview, Paul said, "We didn't need that last caution. It put a heat cycle on the tires, and it took until about five to go for the car to start going again. Man, we were coming. I never had a car go on the outside like that before. I thought we had something for those guys tonight. I'm not saying we would have won, but we would have been there without that caution."
With the great run Paul had, and the unfortunate luck for Nick Pecko, Paul ended the year fourth in the final point standings. "Fourth is good considering we missed pole day. It hurt us too not being able to put tires on every week like we needed to. We showed it tonight, when we have the tires, we are a top runner. We ran with and passed some quality cars;" Frantz said.
The team is very thankful to all the sponsors. Associated Chiropractic, Haines Exxon, D. E. Cressman Insurance, S & D Bodyline, Nathan Shive of MetLife, Fensty's Detailing Solutions, Morgantini Racing Engines, Himmer Graphics, RPJ Motorsports, Dave and Lori Loch, Neil and Susan Pritchard, Hoffman Speed Supplies, and Heather Frantz Close to my Heart Stamping. "All their support is greatly appreciated more than I could ever show", Paul said.
Paul is also grateful for all the help he received at the track and in the shop all year. "Steve and Kendall Foulk, Martini Racing, Todd Baer, Kevin Hoffman, Scott Adams, Jay and Tyler Wilson, Bob Menschner, Don "Chowder" Bauder, Kerry Stefanyak, Barry Batz, Jim Remaley, and without a doubt Dad. At some point or another, they all gave me help to get through the night or the car to the track."
FRANTZ DRIVES TO TENTH TOP FIVE FINISH
(September 23, 2012)- Paul Frantz and the Frantz Racing Team entered this Sunday's Mountain Speedway event with high hopes of a good showing. "We finally are able to put three new tires on for today. It's the first time since the beginning of August we can do that"; Paul said before the day started.
After missing out of a qualifying spot in the heat race, Paul started the Associated Chiropractic/D.E. Cressman #10 seventh for the feature. Tom Wanick III started on the pole, but got turned into the outside wall before the field even got the starting line. Fortunately no one else was involved, but Wanick's day ended. Paul restarted sixth, and moved by Jason Hearne for fifth. The second and final caution came out on lap four when Todd Baer got turned around in turn two. Paul used the inside line to his advantage for the restart moving up to third. Just prior to the halfway mark, Hearne got passed Frantz for third. Two laps later, Todd Baer made the pass on Frantz for fourth. Paul ran fifth but closed in on fourth place running Kevin Orlando, and with thirteen laps left Paul made an inside pass to regain the fourth position. He closed in a little on Baer, but had to settle for a fourth place finish.
"The car was tight all the way through the corner. The left rear tire grew more than I expected it to. I'm happy with this run though. The car was finally competitive again. I really have to thank Dan Cressman for his help this week. Without his help, we wouldn't have gotten that third tire we desperately needed"; Frantz said after the feature.
FRANTZ HOLDS ON FOR SIXTH PLACE FINISH
(September 10, 2012)- Sunday afternoon racing is back again at Mountain Speedway. Paul Frantz entered the days events sitting fifth in the point standings, hoping to gain more, and looking for his first win of the season.
Time trials were used for qualifying. Paul was the first to go out where he timed seventh out of the eight cars. "It hurt a little by missing practice. Church ran a little long this morning. I think we'll be ok for the feature"; Paul said after qualifying.
Paul started the Associated Chiropractic/Aamco Transmissions #10 seventh. By lap two, he was up to fifth and closing on fourth place. At around lap ten, things started to change. The car started getting loose for Frantz. Paul was holding fifth until lap 21 when he was spun in turn one. Under the caution, he pit for a different left rear tire in hopes that would improve the handling of the car. On the restart, the field got bunched up. Second place on back all stopped on the front stretch including Frantz who was now facing the wrong way. Again, Frantz went pit side. Fortunately, the car only received some sheet metal damage, and Paul was able to continue. He restarted fourth and was trying to stay there. Point leader Dave Brigati moved by Paul on the outside then Nick Pecko made a move to the outside of him. The pair raced side by side for seven laps where Pecko got the position with five laps remaining. Frantz had to settle for a sixth place finish.
"We really needed a new left rear tire,too. I had no bite in the center of the corners. I really have to thank Nick Pecko. It goes to show you can race when people want to. We ran side by side all those laps and never touched. It's a bummer to lose the spot, but that was fun racing with him. You can swallow losing a spot like that, not like when you get spun out"; Frantz said after the race.
With two races left, the Frantz Racing Team is looking for any additional sponsorship help. "We will accept and greatly appreciate any help we can get. Tires are a big expense and that's all we need right now to be a front running car"; Paul stated.
FRANTZ GETS NINTH TOP FIVE OF THE SEASON
(Septmeber 1, 2012)- With the 2012 season nearing it's end, Paul Frantz and the Frantz Racing Team are still looking for their first win of the season. "I really thought we would have had a win by now. The way we ran in just a few races last year had us hoping for a great year"; Paul said before the racing began.
Paul finished third in his heat race which would have him starting sixth in the seven car field for Saturday's 40 Lap Sport Modified race. At the drop of the green, Paul moved the Associated Chiropractic/MetLIfe #10 into the fifth position. He tried to stay with the leaders, but fell back from as the race went on. A caution on lap seven brought the field back together. Paul tried to move to the inside of Nick Pecko for fourth, but was unable to make the move stick. The red flag flew on lap twenty-four when young driver Cam Ayres crashed hard into the backstretch wall. Thankfully, he walked away without injury. Under the caution, Paul headed pit side for an adjustment. Paul again tried to make an inside move on Nick Pecko, but again Pekco held Paul off. The final sixteen laps ran caution free.
Point leader Dave Brigati was the winner over Jason Hearne, Tom Wanick, Nick Pecko, and Paul rounded out the top five.
"It hurt not having new tires again. Dad made some changes and the car was better than it has been the last few weeks. Hopefully, we can get some new tires for next week, and we might have something for these guys"; Paul said after the night ended.
FRANTZ SCORES ANOTHER TOP FIVE
(August 19, 2012)- After a last minute decision to race, Paul Frantz held on for his seventh top five finish of the season. Frantz decided late Saturday to race after driving all night long from Myrtle Beach. "We took our first family vacation in quite some time. I wasn't in a rush to get home, but we left at 11 last night and made good time"; Frantz said.
Paul was only able to run one practice session due to arriving late to the track. He made an adjustment before the heat race where he finished second to point leader Dave Brigati.
Frantz started the Cressman Insurance/Morgantini Racing Engines car on the pole. His time there was very short. He lost the lead exiting turn two to Jason Hearne. Fighting an ill handling car, Frantz fell back to fifth by lap three. The race was slowed by three cautions. Frantz took advantage of the last caution to pit for an adjustment. He returned to the track in fifth place where he remained over the final fifteen laps.
"I tried starting with stickers on the right side tonight. That was the first time I've done that. The car was super tight for the first five laps or so. It go better, but just not enough to catch the top four. I really have to thank Mark Martini and his crew again as well as Steve and Kendall Foulk for there help tonight"; Paul said after the race.
DISAPPOINTING NIGHT FOR FRANTZ
(August 4, 2012)- Paul Frantz and the Frantz Racing Team entered the double point evening with high hopes. Coming off his fifth straight top five finish, Paul was feeling good about contending for the win.
Time Trial qualifying set the field of nine cars for the 75 Lap Cone Race event. Paul timed a discouraging eighth quickest. "The car was really loose. I made a small change, and the car didn't like it"; Frantz said following his two laps.
When the green flag flew, Paul held eighth in the Haines Exxon/Fentsy's Detailing Solutions #10. He moved up to seventh on lap three and rode there until the first caution waved on lap forty-nine. Unfortunately for Frantz, he was put a lap down just one lap prior to the caution. Fighting an ill-handling car, Paul took advantage of the caution to head to the pits for adjustments. Paul restarted ninth, and moved back to eighth on the restart. He stayed there until lap sixty-six when the final yellow flew for Pat Verwys. Paul again pit for adjustments. He restarted eighth, and moved to seventh on the restart. That's where he stayed over the last eight laps.
Frantz stated after the race:"The car was just really tight all night long. We made some changes this week to see if we could get the car better. Obviously, they didn't work. I have to thank Mark Martini and his crew and Steve and Kendall Foulke for helping me tonight. Without their help, I would have had to get out of the car and do all the changes during the race".
FRANTZ SCORES FIFTH STRAIGHT TOP FIVE
(July 21, 2012)- The second half of the 2012 season started this week for the Frantz Racing Team at Mountain Speedway. Coming off his second consecutive third place finish, Paul Frantz was hungry a win. "The car has been pretty good the last two races. Hopefully we can keep it going tonight"; Paul stated before the night started.
Paul started second in his heat race, but fell back to fourth after a couple of laps. Not one to give up, he made a move to the inside of Jason Hearne. The pair raced side by side for a few laps until lap seven when the two made contact entering turn one. Paul was forced to pit with a broken steering rack.
Jason Hearne's car owner, Jim Wolf, was more then kind enough to loan Paul a spare rack to get the car back together for the feature. Paul started the Associated Chiropractic/Himmer Graphics #10 in sixth place along side friend Scott Adams. Paul quickly moved to fifth on the start and stayed there until the first caution on lap 27. On the restart, Paul tried to get by Todd Baer for fourth. The two raced hard with Baer keeping the spot. The final caution waved on lap 36 when Baer spun coming out of turn two, moving Frantz up to fourth. When the raced resumed, the front four were single file, and Baer made a charge on the outside. Paul fell back to fifth, but was moved up to fourth at race end after officials determined Baer jumped the last restart.
"The car wasn't the greatest to start. It pushed real bad coming out of the corners. It got better, but just not enough to really challenge for the win. Todd(Baer) and I touched on the one restart, and it knocked the toe out. That hurt the handling a bit"; Paul said after the race.
The fourth finish moved Paul up to fifth in points. "I really have to thank everybody that helped me out tonight. Scott Adams helped me all night. He and Mike Sweeney did a lot to make sure I got out for the feature. Todd Baer was a very big help as well. I also have to thank Jim Wolf for letting me use his spare rack."
FRANTZ SCORES SIXTH TOP 5 OF THE SEASON
(July 7, 2012)- Coming off a season best third place finish, Paul Frantz and the Frantz Racing Team were very optimistic heading into Saturday night's 50 Lap Cone Race at Mountain Speedway. As has been an unusual norm this year, again Paul went with a heavy heart. This week was the loss of Jim Haines, Sr. "Pop" Haines started Haines Exxon and his son Jim, Jr. sponsors the #10 car. "It is tough losing Pop. He was a great guy. Always smiling, upbeat, and willing to talk about anything"; Frantz said before the nights event.
Speedway officials pushed the evenings times back due to the high heat. A heavy thunderstorm hit just prior to practice. Fortunately, the skies cleared and power came back at the track to allow racing to go on.
Paul started second along side Scott Adams for the heat race. When the field crossed the line to complete lap one Paul had the Haines Exxon/Himmer Graphics car in front as the caution waved. He was able to stay in front for all ten laps, and win his second consecutive heat race.
"The car was good. We'll see what we can do in the feature" Paul said after exiting the car.
Frantz started third in the feature, and quickly fell back to seventh. He rode there until the first caution on lap twenty-one. Under the caution, Paul headed to the pits for tires along with points leader Dave Brigati and Jason Hearne. Trouble in the pits only allowed for the two right side tires to be changed, and Paul just made it back on the track for the restart. Another quick caution waved allowing Paul to catch the field. On the restart, Paul slowly started moving toward the front of the field. By the time the caution waved on lap thirty-seven, Paul was back to fifth position. He took fourth from Scott Adams on the restart and tried to close on the top three. One last caution flew with one lap remaining. Paul restarted fourth outside Nick Pecko. As the field crossed the line, Paul edged Pecko for third by .002 seconds, matching his best finish of the season.
Afterwards Paul stated:"The car was too tight getting in the corners. We had an impact hang up and my guys couldn't get the new left rear on. That hurt. We might have had something for Dave(Brigati). I'm proud of my guys though. I really have to thank them for all their help tonight."
FRANTZ SCORES SEASON BEST FINISH
(June 23, 2012)- Paul Frantz and the Frantz Racing Team once again headed to Mountain Speedway with heavy hearts. Fellow racer and long time friend Bill Teel passed away a little more than a week ago. "Bill was a guy everybody liked. He was more than the man who sold me my house. I knew him for thirty years. We're going to try to win one for him", Paul said before the evening stated.
The day got off to a good start. Paul started on the pole and won his heat race holding off defending track champion Dave Brigati. "Not bad considering how old the tires were. Hopefully we can finish like this for the feature, too", Frantz said afterward.
Paul started the Associated Chiropractic/Aamco Transmissions #10 from the pole. Unfortunately, he didn't lead a lap. Outside pole sitter Scott Adams grabbed the lead form Paul on the start, and then he was passed a lap later by Dave Brigati for second. Paul ran third until lap eight when Nick Pecko took the spot away. Adams, Pecko, and Frantz raced hard for the second spot. On lap twenty-one, Pecko got a little high in turns three and four allowing Frantz to move back into third. A restart on lap twenty-seven allowed Paul to get under Scott Adams for second, and Pecko followed for third. Pecko tried inside and out to pass Frantz and finally made the pass with five laps to go.
After the race a disappointed Frantz said,"I really wanted this one tonight. I know you should be happy with third, but I really wanted to win tonight for Bill. The car was a little tight for the first few laps. That hurt on the start."
FRANTZ SCORES FOURTH TOP FIVE
(June 10, 2012)- Paul Frantz and the Frantz Racing Team entered this past Saturday night's event with mixed feelings. "We only have enough money to buy one tire. Hopefully that will be enough to get us a good finish tonight"; Frantz said before the evening started.
Paul started second in his heat race, but fell back to third on the first lap. He ran behind leaders Scott Adams and Jason Hearne until lap five. Not wanting to push the ill handling car too hard, Paul held on to finish third.
For the feature, Paul started the Associated Chiropractic/S & D Bodyline #10 third. At the drop of the green, he quickly moved to second behind leader Scott Adams. He stayed there until lap six, when point leader and eventual winner, Jason Hearne moved by. Over the next three laps, Paul dropped back to fifth after being passed by Dave Brigati and Nick Pecko. A few cautions bunched the field back together, but Paul was unable to regain any positions.
"We needed a right front tire, too. I just couldn't get into the corners like I needed to. Then around half way, the carburetor started loading up going through the corners. Fifth is great considering we only had one new tire. The bad thing is all the guys we are chasing for points finished ahead of us"; stated Frantz
Frantz off to fast start at Mountain Speedway By Randy Kane
(11/10/2012)- Hazleton, Pa- Under the thirteenth season of
operation with Hazleton’s Joe Callavini at the helm,
Mountain Speedway held its annual awards banquet Saturday
evening at Genetti’s Inn & Suites in Hazleton, PA.
The event was dedicated to Mountain Speedway family
members, Tyson Wanamaker, Bruce Miglino and Robert Sones,
who had passed away since the end of last season.
Hundreds filled the banquet hall, including crew and
friends and family members of racers that competed at the
1/3-mile asphalt oval in St. Johns, PA during the 2012
racing season. Along with the presentation of special
awards, the end of the year celebration was held to
recognize the top points finishers each of the track’s
divisions.
Speedway Announcers Gene Ostrowski and Larry Spencer III
were the emcees for the ceremony and spoke about the
competitive 2012 season and announce that everything is a go
for what will hopefully be a successful 2013 run. They
continued by thanking the drivers, families and crewmembers
for not only supporting the speedway, but also for
supporting short track racing in general.
The evening was highlighted when Nick Pecko of Vandling,
PA was crowned as the Modified champion. In a fierce points
battle with Todd Baer and Dave Brigati Pecko drove to 14 top
ten finishes in an equal number of starts. With 12 top five
finishes and three feature wins, he headed into the final
event of the season with a small margin in the standings.
Pecko remained cool in the season ending King of the
Mountain event and a solid third place run helped him net
his first open wheel asphalt Modified championship.
The remaining divisional champions were honored as well,
including Dave Brigati of Calverton, NY, who notched his
second straight Sport Modified title. Brigati thanked
everyone that helped him through out the season and promised
that once again he would call Mountain Speedway his home
next season. In 14 starts this year, Brigati finished in the
top five every single time. He also netted six feature wins
along the way, which was almost half of the features that he
started.
Kyle Harvell of New York, NY scored his first championship
in the Late Model division. Following his first career
feature win last year, Harvell came into this season as one
of the championship hopefuls. Although he made 13 starts in
14 attempts, Harvell’s 13 top tens and 12 top fives, mixed
with four wins steered him to the crown.
In a dominating season, Chip Wanamaker of Walnutport, PA
grabbed his first career Street Stock title. Wanamaker
thanked everyone that helped him throughout his career,
including his family. In 15 starts this season, Wanamaker
had just one finish outside the top five and his eight
victories would not deny him of the title.
Rich Paciotti of Kunkletown, PA clinched his first career
Factory Stock title over teammates Mark Martini and Dan
Pawlicki and Noah Fassman of Nescopeck, PA notched the Four
Cylinder championship as a true rookie. Scott Hubler of
Coplay, PA won his third career Legends championship and TJ
Kapish of Mountaintop, PA claimed his third straight
6/8-Cylinder enduro championship. Tony Rispin won his second
straight 4-Cylinder enduro title and Nick Harnage of
Calverton, NY took top honors in the Bandolero division.
Sponsored by Tyler Jett Motorsports Marketing, mantle clocks
were presented to the drivers present who ran the fastest
feature lap of the season. The winners were Bobby Jones
(Modified), Dave Brigati (Sport Modified), Austin Kochenash
(Late Model), Chris Burge (Street Stock), (tie) Matt
Schlenker and Matt Mattern, Jr. (Factory Stock) and Frank
Hughes (Four Cylinder).
Sponsored by the Green family, Rookie of the Year winners
were Brandon Oltra (Modified), Cam Ayers (Sport Modified),
Stone Phillips (Late Model), Charlie Castiglione (Street
Stock), Stephanie Moyer (Factory Stock) and Noah Fassman
(Four Cylinder).
The Himmer Graphics Hard Chargers of the season were Nick
Pecko (Modified), Jason Hearne (Sport Modified), Brad Brown
(Late Model), Chip Wanamaker (Street Stock), Mark Martini
(Factory Stock) and Eric Banashefski (Four Cylinder).
Sponsored by “The Gas Man”, Jerry Brighthaupt, the Most
Improved Driver awards were presented to Paul Frantz (Sport
Modified), Tony Hilliard (Street Stock), Dan Pawlicki
(Factory Stock) and Larry Spencer III (Four Cylinder).
Cassagrande/Matter Racing presented a special “Fan of the
Year” award to Michael Berta. Berta rarely missed an event
this season at the track and enjoys keeping himself up to
date with all of the racers in every single division.
Ostrowski closed out the awards presentation by thanking
the racers and the Callavini family for their continued
support of short track racing in Northeast Pennsylvania Then
YMI, a popular band from the Hazleton area took the stage to
entertain the crowd with a variety of music.
Sport Modified- 1. DAVE BRIGATI 2. Jason Hearne 3. Tommy
Wanick III 4. Paul Frantz 5. Nick Pecko 6. Cam Ayers 7. Todd
Baer 8. Scott Adams 9. Anthony Sesely 10. Pat Verwys
RUSS
FRANTZ INDUCTED INTO DORNEY PARK HALL OF FAME(11/6/2012)- Russ Frantz has achieved another milestone in his amazing career. On Sunday, November 4th, he was inducted into the Dorney Park Hall of Fame.
Russ went to Dorney to watch. "I watched the races one night, and said I can do that". So, he bought a car and went racing. He started his career at the now defunct speedway in 1978 driving a powder blue 1955 Chevy carrying #08. During his first night out, he spun and hit the wall. After the races, his wife Diane asked;" Now, was that fun?" Russ replied;"Believe it or not, yes it was."
He raced his own equipment in his first two seasons at Dorney Park with limited success. However, he caught the eye of car owner Tom Snyder, better known as "Sneeze". The two paired up for the 1980 season, and on June 14th Russ made his first trip to victory lane. A second feature win and third in the point standings earned him the Most Improved Driver award. The duo rebuilt their 1956 Chevy over the winter and led off the '81 season with a feature win. A constant threat to win, Russ was considered a favorite to win the championship. When the season was over, he finished with two feature wins and second in the championship to friend John Markovic. Russ and Sneeze were determined to win a championship. They had built a new car, a 1969 Camaro. Unfortunately, the first time out with it at Evergreen, Russ demolished the car. They rebuilt it again, and brought it out for the 1982 Dorney season. One win and fourth place points finish was all they could acquire. 1983 started out on a high note. Russ won opening day for the second time, and again showed he was a threat for the championship. Five more wins over the course of the year, including the always popular 40 Lap race, was tops at the speedway which also tied the single season record. A week of bad luck though forced the team to settle for third in the championship standings.
After the 1983 season, Sneeze retired from racing. Russ then built his own car, a new Camaro for the 1984 season. It took just three races for him to find victory lane with his own car. This time he put the whole year together winning his first career championship. For the second consecutive year, he won six features leaving him one win behind the all time record. As an added bonus, he was awarded Most Popular Driver as well. 1985 looked to be a carbon copy of 1984 as Russ won Opening Day for the third time. May 18th was a day that remains history. Russ won for the second time that season, which put him at the top of the all time feature win list in the Late Model division. He passed Red Protivnak who held the record for almost twenty years. Russ had two more wins during the season. With two weeks left, he sold the car after a "discussion with promoter Jerry Fried" where he was told not to come to the final two races. He still finished third in the point standings.
For his success, he was honored by being placed into the Dorney Park Hall of Fame at the America on Wheels Museum. "I was shocked"; Russ said after the ceremony. "I thought maybe some day it would happen. This is great." FRANTZ DRIVES TO KING OF THE MOUNTAIN TOP 5
(October 6, 2012)- Paul Frantz and the Frantz Racing team entered the final day of racing with one goal, win. "This is our last shot this year. We were able to come up with the funds for the tires we need. I just hope everything works out"; Paul said before the day started.
Double points, extra money, and extra laps made up the 13th Annual King of the Mountain. Seventeen Sport Modifieds were on hand for the day. Time trials were used for qualifying with the top eight cars doing a redraw. Paul was the fifth car out for qualifying and was on the pole for quite some time being the first car to time under 14 seconds. At the end, he was seventh quickest. During the redraw, Paul stated, "I wasn't sure we would be out here for this. I never time good with this car. We already made a change for the feature, and I think we have something for them tonight." He picked fifth starting position.
At the drop of the green for the 100 lap race, Paul quickly moved up to fourth position passing Scott Brannick. A quick caution on lap three had the Associated Chiropractic/S & D Bodyline #10 restart fourth. Paul moved up to third, but got a little out of shape exiting turn two and fell back to fifth. A restart on lap five found Paul on the inside, and when the green waved he moved to the inside of fourth place Todd Baer. The two raced side by side until lap seven when they made contact battling for the position causing Paul to spin in turns three and four.
After a quick trip to the pits to check the car, Paul restarted seventeenth. Frantz moved back into the top ten by lap eighteen. Another caution at lap thirty-three, saw many of the front runners heading pit-side for tires. Paul was now sixth and content to ride, but another caution on lap forty saw more front runners head to the pits leaving Paul in the second position. Paul ran behind race leader Eric Mauriello trying a couple of times to take the race lead, but was unsuccessful. The caution waved again on lap fifty-seven, and on the restart Paul made a bid for the lead. He got under Mauriello down the front stretch as the green flag waved. The pair raced door to door until lap fifty-nine when Frantz got a little out of shape in turn two and then was hit from behind by Jason Hearne causing him to get even more out of shape. He kept the car pointed in the right direction, but fell back to the fifth position. The caution waved again on lap sixty-four and again on lap sixty-five. Paul had fallen back to seventh at that point due to the wear of the tires. The caution waved again on lap seventy-four when Paul spun coming out of turn two. Under the caution, Paul made his trip to the pits for new right side tires.
He restarted fourteenth. By lap eighty-two, he was back in the top ten. The caution flew when the leaders tangled racing for the lead. On the lap eighty-three restart, Paul again took the outside. He quickly moved by Nick Pecko for seventh, then Tom Wannick for sixth. He had the momentum going for fifth around Eric Mauriello when the caution waved again on lap eighty-nine. Paul was poised to gain more positions over the final eleven laps, but was unable to make any passes until the final lap when he edged Mauriello at the stripe for the fifth position.
During the post race interview, Paul said, "We didn't need that last caution. It put a heat cycle on the tires, and it took until about five to go for the car to start going again. Man, we were coming. I never had a car go on the outside like that before. I thought we had something for those guys tonight. I'm not saying we would have won, but we would have been there without that caution."
With the great run Paul had, and the unfortunate luck for Nick Pecko, Paul ended the year fourth in the final point standings. "Fourth is good considering we missed pole day. It hurt us too not being able to put tires on every week like we needed to. We showed it tonight, when we have the tires, we are a top runner. We ran with and passed some quality cars;" Frantz said.
The team is very thankful to all the sponsors. Associated Chiropractic, Haines Exxon, D. E. Cressman Insurance, S & D Bodyline, Nathan Shive of MetLife, Fensty's Detailing Solutions, Morgantini Racing Engines, Himmer Graphics, RPJ Motorsports, Dave and Lori Loch, Neil and Susan Pritchard, Hoffman Speed Supplies, and Heather Frantz Close to my Heart Stamping. "All their support is greatly appreciated more than I could ever show", Paul said.
Paul is also grateful for all the help he received at the track and in the shop all year. "Steve and Kendall Foulk, Martini Racing, Todd Baer, Kevin Hoffman, Scott Adams, Jay and Tyler Wilson, Bob Menschner, Don "Chowder" Bauder, Kerry Stefanyak, Barry Batz, Jim Remaley, and without a doubt Dad. At some point or another, they all gave me help to get through the night or the car to the track."
FRANTZ DRIVES TO TENTH TOP FIVE FINISH
(September 23, 2012)- Paul Frantz and the Frantz Racing Team entered this Sunday's Mountain Speedway event with high hopes of a good showing. "We finally are able to put three new tires on for today. It's the first time since the beginning of August we can do that"; Paul said before the day started.
After missing out of a qualifying spot in the heat race, Paul started the Associated Chiropractic/D.E. Cressman #10 seventh for the feature. Tom Wanick III started on the pole, but got turned into the outside wall before the field even got the starting line. Fortunately no one else was involved, but Wanick's day ended. Paul restarted sixth, and moved by Jason Hearne for fifth. The second and final caution came out on lap four when Todd Baer got turned around in turn two. Paul used the inside line to his advantage for the restart moving up to third. Just prior to the halfway mark, Hearne got passed Frantz for third. Two laps later, Todd Baer made the pass on Frantz for fourth. Paul ran fifth but closed in on fourth place running Kevin Orlando, and with thirteen laps left Paul made an inside pass to regain the fourth position. He closed in a little on Baer, but had to settle for a fourth place finish.
"The car was tight all the way through the corner. The left rear tire grew more than I expected it to. I'm happy with this run though. The car was finally competitive again. I really have to thank Dan Cressman for his help this week. Without his help, we wouldn't have gotten that third tire we desperately needed"; Frantz said after the feature.
FRANTZ HOLDS ON FOR SIXTH PLACE FINISH
(September 10, 2012)- Sunday afternoon racing is back again at Mountain Speedway. Paul Frantz entered the days events sitting fifth in the point standings, hoping to gain more, and looking for his first win of the season.
Time trials were used for qualifying. Paul was the first to go out where he timed seventh out of the eight cars. "It hurt a little by missing practice. Church ran a little long this morning. I think we'll be ok for the feature"; Paul said after qualifying.
Paul started the Associated Chiropractic/Aamco Transmissions #10 seventh. By lap two, he was up to fifth and closing on fourth place. At around lap ten, things started to change. The car started getting loose for Frantz. Paul was holding fifth until lap 21 when he was spun in turn one. Under the caution, he pit for a different left rear tire in hopes that would improve the handling of the car. On the restart, the field got bunched up. Second place on back all stopped on the front stretch including Frantz who was now facing the wrong way. Again, Frantz went pit side. Fortunately, the car only received some sheet metal damage, and Paul was able to continue. He restarted fourth and was trying to stay there. Point leader Dave Brigati moved by Paul on the outside then Nick Pecko made a move to the outside of him. The pair raced side by side for seven laps where Pecko got the position with five laps remaining. Frantz had to settle for a sixth place finish.
"We really needed a new left rear tire,too. I had no bite in the center of the corners. I really have to thank Nick Pecko. It goes to show you can race when people want to. We ran side by side all those laps and never touched. It's a bummer to lose the spot, but that was fun racing with him. You can swallow losing a spot like that, not like when you get spun out"; Frantz said after the race.
With two races left, the Frantz Racing Team is looking for any additional sponsorship help. "We will accept and greatly appreciate any help we can get. Tires are a big expense and that's all we need right now to be a front running car"; Paul stated.
FRANTZ GETS NINTH TOP FIVE OF THE SEASON
(Septmeber 1, 2012)- With the 2012 season nearing it's end, Paul Frantz and the Frantz Racing Team are still looking for their first win of the season. "I really thought we would have had a win by now. The way we ran in just a few races last year had us hoping for a great year"; Paul said before the racing began.
Paul finished third in his heat race which would have him starting sixth in the seven car field for Saturday's 40 Lap Sport Modified race. At the drop of the green, Paul moved the Associated Chiropractic/MetLIfe #10 into the fifth position. He tried to stay with the leaders, but fell back from as the race went on. A caution on lap seven brought the field back together. Paul tried to move to the inside of Nick Pecko for fourth, but was unable to make the move stick. The red flag flew on lap twenty-four when young driver Cam Ayres crashed hard into the backstretch wall. Thankfully, he walked away without injury. Under the caution, Paul headed pit side for an adjustment. Paul again tried to make an inside move on Nick Pecko, but again Pekco held Paul off. The final sixteen laps ran caution free.
Point leader Dave Brigati was the winner over Jason Hearne, Tom Wanick, Nick Pecko, and Paul rounded out the top five.
"It hurt not having new tires again. Dad made some changes and the car was better than it has been the last few weeks. Hopefully, we can get some new tires for next week, and we might have something for these guys"; Paul said after the night ended.
FRANTZ SCORES ANOTHER TOP FIVE
(August 19, 2012)- After a last minute decision to race, Paul Frantz held on for his seventh top five finish of the season. Frantz decided late Saturday to race after driving all night long from Myrtle Beach. "We took our first family vacation in quite some time. I wasn't in a rush to get home, but we left at 11 last night and made good time"; Frantz said.
Paul was only able to run one practice session due to arriving late to the track. He made an adjustment before the heat race where he finished second to point leader Dave Brigati.
Frantz started the Cressman Insurance/Morgantini Racing Engines car on the pole. His time there was very short. He lost the lead exiting turn two to Jason Hearne. Fighting an ill handling car, Frantz fell back to fifth by lap three. The race was slowed by three cautions. Frantz took advantage of the last caution to pit for an adjustment. He returned to the track in fifth place where he remained over the final fifteen laps.
"I tried starting with stickers on the right side tonight. That was the first time I've done that. The car was super tight for the first five laps or so. It go better, but just not enough to catch the top four. I really have to thank Mark Martini and his crew again as well as Steve and Kendall Foulk for there help tonight"; Paul said after the race.
DISAPPOINTING NIGHT FOR FRANTZ
(August 4, 2012)- Paul Frantz and the Frantz Racing Team entered the double point evening with high hopes. Coming off his fifth straight top five finish, Paul was feeling good about contending for the win.
Time Trial qualifying set the field of nine cars for the 75 Lap Cone Race event. Paul timed a discouraging eighth quickest. "The car was really loose. I made a small change, and the car didn't like it"; Frantz said following his two laps.
When the green flag flew, Paul held eighth in the Haines Exxon/Fentsy's Detailing Solutions #10. He moved up to seventh on lap three and rode there until the first caution waved on lap forty-nine. Unfortunately for Frantz, he was put a lap down just one lap prior to the caution. Fighting an ill-handling car, Paul took advantage of the caution to head to the pits for adjustments. Paul restarted ninth, and moved back to eighth on the restart. He stayed there until lap sixty-six when the final yellow flew for Pat Verwys. Paul again pit for adjustments. He restarted eighth, and moved to seventh on the restart. That's where he stayed over the last eight laps.
Frantz stated after the race:"The car was just really tight all night long. We made some changes this week to see if we could get the car better. Obviously, they didn't work. I have to thank Mark Martini and his crew and Steve and Kendall Foulke for helping me tonight. Without their help, I would have had to get out of the car and do all the changes during the race".
FRANTZ SCORES FIFTH STRAIGHT TOP FIVE
(July 21, 2012)- The second half of the 2012 season started this week for the Frantz Racing Team at Mountain Speedway. Coming off his second consecutive third place finish, Paul Frantz was hungry a win. "The car has been pretty good the last two races. Hopefully we can keep it going tonight"; Paul stated before the night started.
Paul started second in his heat race, but fell back to fourth after a couple of laps. Not one to give up, he made a move to the inside of Jason Hearne. The pair raced side by side for a few laps until lap seven when the two made contact entering turn one. Paul was forced to pit with a broken steering rack.
Jason Hearne's car owner, Jim Wolf, was more then kind enough to loan Paul a spare rack to get the car back together for the feature. Paul started the Associated Chiropractic/Himmer Graphics #10 in sixth place along side friend Scott Adams. Paul quickly moved to fifth on the start and stayed there until the first caution on lap 27. On the restart, Paul tried to get by Todd Baer for fourth. The two raced hard with Baer keeping the spot. The final caution waved on lap 36 when Baer spun coming out of turn two, moving Frantz up to fourth. When the raced resumed, the front four were single file, and Baer made a charge on the outside. Paul fell back to fifth, but was moved up to fourth at race end after officials determined Baer jumped the last restart.
"The car wasn't the greatest to start. It pushed real bad coming out of the corners. It got better, but just not enough to really challenge for the win. Todd(Baer) and I touched on the one restart, and it knocked the toe out. That hurt the handling a bit"; Paul said after the race.
The fourth finish moved Paul up to fifth in points. "I really have to thank everybody that helped me out tonight. Scott Adams helped me all night. He and Mike Sweeney did a lot to make sure I got out for the feature. Todd Baer was a very big help as well. I also have to thank Jim Wolf for letting me use his spare rack."
FRANTZ SCORES SIXTH TOP 5 OF THE SEASON
(July 7, 2012)- Coming off a season best third place finish, Paul Frantz and the Frantz Racing Team were very optimistic heading into Saturday night's 50 Lap Cone Race at Mountain Speedway. As has been an unusual norm this year, again Paul went with a heavy heart. This week was the loss of Jim Haines, Sr. "Pop" Haines started Haines Exxon and his son Jim, Jr. sponsors the #10 car. "It is tough losing Pop. He was a great guy. Always smiling, upbeat, and willing to talk about anything"; Frantz said before the nights event.
Speedway officials pushed the evenings times back due to the high heat. A heavy thunderstorm hit just prior to practice. Fortunately, the skies cleared and power came back at the track to allow racing to go on.
Paul started second along side Scott Adams for the heat race. When the field crossed the line to complete lap one Paul had the Haines Exxon/Himmer Graphics car in front as the caution waved. He was able to stay in front for all ten laps, and win his second consecutive heat race.
"The car was good. We'll see what we can do in the feature" Paul said after exiting the car.
Frantz started third in the feature, and quickly fell back to seventh. He rode there until the first caution on lap twenty-one. Under the caution, Paul headed to the pits for tires along with points leader Dave Brigati and Jason Hearne. Trouble in the pits only allowed for the two right side tires to be changed, and Paul just made it back on the track for the restart. Another quick caution waved allowing Paul to catch the field. On the restart, Paul slowly started moving toward the front of the field. By the time the caution waved on lap thirty-seven, Paul was back to fifth position. He took fourth from Scott Adams on the restart and tried to close on the top three. One last caution flew with one lap remaining. Paul restarted fourth outside Nick Pecko. As the field crossed the line, Paul edged Pecko for third by .002 seconds, matching his best finish of the season.
Afterwards Paul stated:"The car was too tight getting in the corners. We had an impact hang up and my guys couldn't get the new left rear on. That hurt. We might have had something for Dave(Brigati). I'm proud of my guys though. I really have to thank them for all their help tonight."
FRANTZ SCORES SEASON BEST FINISH
(June 23, 2012)- Paul Frantz and the Frantz Racing Team once again headed to Mountain Speedway with heavy hearts. Fellow racer and long time friend Bill Teel passed away a little more than a week ago. "Bill was a guy everybody liked. He was more than the man who sold me my house. I knew him for thirty years. We're going to try to win one for him", Paul said before the evening stated.
The day got off to a good start. Paul started on the pole and won his heat race holding off defending track champion Dave Brigati. "Not bad considering how old the tires were. Hopefully we can finish like this for the feature, too", Frantz said afterward.
Paul started the Associated Chiropractic/Aamco Transmissions #10 from the pole. Unfortunately, he didn't lead a lap. Outside pole sitter Scott Adams grabbed the lead form Paul on the start, and then he was passed a lap later by Dave Brigati for second. Paul ran third until lap eight when Nick Pecko took the spot away. Adams, Pecko, and Frantz raced hard for the second spot. On lap twenty-one, Pecko got a little high in turns three and four allowing Frantz to move back into third. A restart on lap twenty-seven allowed Paul to get under Scott Adams for second, and Pecko followed for third. Pecko tried inside and out to pass Frantz and finally made the pass with five laps to go.
After the race a disappointed Frantz said,"I really wanted this one tonight. I know you should be happy with third, but I really wanted to win tonight for Bill. The car was a little tight for the first few laps. That hurt on the start."
FRANTZ SCORES FOURTH TOP FIVE
(June 10, 2012)- Paul Frantz and the Frantz Racing Team entered this past Saturday night's event with mixed feelings. "We only have enough money to buy one tire. Hopefully that will be enough to get us a good finish tonight"; Frantz said before the evening started.
Paul started second in his heat race, but fell back to third on the first lap. He ran behind leaders Scott Adams and Jason Hearne until lap five. Not wanting to push the ill handling car too hard, Paul held on to finish third.
For the feature, Paul started the Associated Chiropractic/S & D Bodyline #10 third. At the drop of the green, he quickly moved to second behind leader Scott Adams. He stayed there until lap six, when point leader and eventual winner, Jason Hearne moved by. Over the next three laps, Paul dropped back to fifth after being passed by Dave Brigati and Nick Pecko. A few cautions bunched the field back together, but Paul was unable to regain any positions.
"We needed a right front tire, too. I just couldn't get into the corners like I needed to. Then around half way, the carburetor started loading up going through the corners. Fifth is great considering we only had one new tire. The bad thing is all the guys we are chasing for points finished ahead of us"; stated Frantz
Frantz off to fast start at Mountain Speedway By Randy Kane
Second-generation asphalt Modified driver Paul Frantz was not
sure what the new season would bring, racing on a shoestring
budget out of his wallet, mainly. Looking at the overall costs
for new tires, racing fuel, maintenance from week-to-week and
hauling his ride back and forth, from the race shop to Mountain
Speedway, all rolled into one, just keeping the family-funded
No. 10 Associated Chiropractic entry on the track might be a
tough deal to pull off, the 34-year-old veteran of 13-years
behind the wheel thought, as the year got started in the middle
of April.
Frantz started his racing career in July 2000, after watching
his father, Russ, race for many years at Grandview Speedway,
Mountain, Dorney Park and so many other local tracks. In just
his fifth career start with a Factory Stock, Paul was a feature
winner. In 2001, Frantz was crowned as the speedway champ,
aboard a Factory Stock at Mountain Speedway. In 2002, Frantz,
again, took the championship hardware home, after winning 11
features out of 21 events.
In
2003, Frantz got a ride in a Street Stock and drove steadily in that
class until, roughly, 2009, when he got hooked up with a
Sportsman/Modified ride at Mountain Speedway, near Hazleton.
Frantz,
eventually, purchased his own Sportsman/Modified team for 2011 and
he picked off his first career win in that division at Mountain. For
2012 though things just weren't as rosy, due to lack of funds to go
racing like he wanted to. The Scheidys driver made a decision to go
racing and take it race-to-race and see how the chips might fall.
On
Opening Day, Frantz hauled his Kornfiends Market No. 10 mount to
Mountain, where the father of two young children started deep in the
feature field. The veteran driver wasn't sure if he'd even be there,
after picking up his engine at noon the day before and not getting
everything finished up until around 8 p.m. the night prior to the
season opener.
In the
opener, Frantz, who works as a mechanic helper for the Parkland
School District, drove it hard early on and climbed into the top 5
around halfway. A tangle sent Frantz nearly into the outside fence
and the yellow was displayed while Frantz headed to the pits to
check for damages. Frantz rejoined things, starting from
twelfth-place. Frantz came back through heavy traffic and drove it
into fifth-place as another caution appeared.
On the
restart, Frantz advanced to fourth-place. With a handful of laps to
go Frantz had the car tighten up on him in the turns and he lost a
position. The popular racer, eventually, finished up in fifth-place,
which was gratifying.
In the
second week, Frantz decided to go race on old tires. Frantz could
not afford to purchase new rubber and the team figured they'd buy
fuel and race. In that race, Frantz looked impressive aboard the D.E.
Cressman Insurance No. 10 machine. Frantz started from 13th-place
and was only up to 11th by Lap 16. Frantz, eventually, advanced up
to eighth-place and by Lap 22, the seasoned speedster was up to
fifth-place. Frantz quickly moved up to third on a restart, but fell
back to fifth at the checkered. The final 15 laps, Frantz noted, he
was just hanging on with all he had left.
After
two top-5 runs, Frantz was filled with confidence for week No. 3 at
Mountain. First off, a fuel problem showed up during hot laps. The
problem was corrected, but the car was ill handling in the heat
race. In the feature, Frantz started eighth and advanced to
sixth-place after 15 circuits. Getting a good restart, Frantz moved
up to fifth and, making a move for fourth-place, Frantz made
contact, as another car fighting for that same position spun out. On
the restart, Frantz was spun out and restarted in seventh-place. The
racer got real loose and Frantz could only get to sixth-place at the
checkered.
(May 27, 2012)- After a disappointing finish two weeks ago, Paul Frantz and the Frantz Racing Team were looking forward to get back to the track. They entered the day with heavy hearts. Crew member and good friend Shaun Burd's mother passed away Friday morning. "'We're going to try to win for Jeanne": Frantz stated.
Paul started the Associated Chiropractic/Nathan Shive Met Life #10 sixth. The first fourteen laps went caution free while the top seven cars ran nose to tail looking for ways to pass. Paul remained sixth on the restart and just prior to the restart fifth place Jim Bojohnny was forced to pit. Green flag racing resumed and again the top six raced nose to tail, until point leader Jason Hearne spun going into turns one and two. Unfortunately while under caution, the previous race winner Nick Pecko was forced to pit with an overheating issue. That allowed Frantz to move to third for the restart. Paul got out of shape trying to avoid second place running Tommy Wanick. While he regained control of the car, Jason Hearne and Nick Pecko were able to move back by dropping Frantz back to fifth where he would finish.
"The track was really slick. It was one lane. I thought we had a shot at getting second, but I didn't want to get into Tommy and wreck us both", Paul said.
FRANTZ HOLDS ON FOR TOP TEN
(May 13, 2012)- Paul Frantz and the Frantz Racing team headed to Mountain Speedway with high hopes. After two top fives to start the season, they were convinced they could do it again.
The day started rough. As Paul started the car to go out for practice, the engine wasn't running correctly, and fuel started coming out the top of the carburetor. Paul, along with the help of Todd Baer, found the problem and were able to get if fixed for the second practice session. Paul was pleased turning the quickest lap in that session.
Fighting an ill-handling car, Paul finished fifth in his heat race. "The right rear is totally gone. It had no bite. We'll be ok for the feature"; Frantz stated.
Paul started the Associated Chiropractic/Haines Exxon #10 eighth and slowly started moving up. The first caution came on lap fifteen and Frantz was up to sixth. On the restart, he moved up to fifth and started making a move on fourth place runner Scott Adams. Frantz looked to the inside just as Adams started getting loose. The two made contact causing Adams to spin. Paul kept the fourth position on the restart and ran there until lap thirty-seven when contact with Todd Baer sent Paul spinning into the infield.
Paul restarted seventh, but was only able to advance one position and end up sixth. "The tires grew more than I expected. The car got really really loose. Todd got into me. That's all a part of it. We wanted a top five, but the car is in one piece"; a disappointed Frantz stated.
FRANTZ SCORES SECOND TOP 5 OF THE YEAR
(April 29, 2012) For the second week in a row, Paul Frantz and the Frantz Racing team was not sure if they were making the trip to Mountain Speedway. A late decision to go without new tires turned out to be a good one. "We decided Friday night to just buy fuel and go race", Paul said before racing started.
Changes were made to the car after practice and qualifying. They worked. Paul started the Associated Chiropractic/D. E. Cressman Insurance car #10 thirteenth in the fourteen car field. At the start, Paul laid back and had to go very high in the first turn after another car got in the infield kicking up dirt. No caution was waved so Frantz found himself quite a distance behind the field.
The first sixteen laps went caution free, and Paul had worked his way to eleventh and closing in on the top ten. During the lap sixteen caution, a few of the front runners pit. Paul would restart eighth and from there went toward the front. At the next caution on lap twenty-two, Paul was up to fifth. He took advantage of the double file restart and moved up to third. With the race winding down, Paul did everything he could to stay third, but fell to fifth by race end.
"I never thought we would have finished this well with old tires. I was just holding on for everything I had the last fifteen laps", Frantz stated after exiting the car.
FRANTZ STARTS 2012 WITH TOP 5
(April 15, 2012)- The 2012 season is under way at Mountain Speedway. Paul Frantz started deep in the field and drove to his first top 5 of the season.
Paul missed Pole Day on the 14th so he was forced to start thirteenth in the fourteen car field. He didn't waste time moving toward the front. Following former modified champ Rusty Smith, the pair closed in on the top 5 just before half way. Paul tried an outside pass on Smith, but the two made contact when Smith had to take action to avoid another car. The contact sent Frantz toward the wall, but he was able to avoid contact with it.
Paul took the Associated Chiropractic/Kornfiends Market #10 to the pits to check for damage. The crew sent him back out, and he restarted twelfth. Again, he made a charge toward the front. A caution at lap 20 saw a few of the front runners pit leaving Frantz in the fifth position.
Paul overtook Jim Bojohnny for fourth on the restart, but couldn't make any more advances. After exiting the car he stated,"The car was great after a few laps. With about thirteen to go, it got tight going into the corners. That hurt. I think we had something for Jason (Hearne the race winner) up till then."
For Franz, the finish is very gratifying. He didn't know until 8:00 pm the night before if he was going to Opening Day. "I picked up the motor just before noon Friday. We finished the car at 8 o'clock last night", Frantz said.
FRANTZ GEARING UP FOR 2012
As
2011 comes to a close, Paul
Frantz and his crew are still
busy as ever, taking the car
apart and getting it ready for
the 2012 season. The car is
stripped down to its bare
chassis and has been send out
for blasting. Everyone at Frantz
Racing would like to wish you a
safe and happy holiday season!
Please keep up to date with
Frantz Racing.
FRANTZ ENDS SEASON WITH TOP FIVE
(9/4/2011)- Coming off his first career Sport Modified victory, Paul Frantz and the Frantz Racing Team were very optimistic about having another good run. Only ten cars came to Mountain Speedway for the first Sunday afternoon show of the fall, but they did not disappoint the fans.
Paul started the Associated Chiropractic/Haines Exxon #10 ninth. From the start of the race, the action was fierce. The ten car field ran side by side until the first caution on lap eight. Frantz had moved up to sixth at that point, but was poised to get more. Early race leader Pat Verwys had to pit under the caution moving Frantz up to fifth for the restart. Once the green flag flew, Paul wasted little time charging to the front. He moved by Nick Pecko for fourth, and set his sights on third. Just prior to the halfway point, Paul made the pass under Chip Wannamaker for third. The caution flew again on lap twenty-one, giving Frantz a shot at the leaders.
The last nineteen laps ran caution free. Paul was not able to advance any further front and settled for a third place finish behind point leader Dave Brigati and Jason Hearne. "The car was just a little to tight getting in the corners and a little free in the center. I'm happy with this run though. It's a good way to end our season:" stated Frantz after exiting the car.
Next for the Frantz Racing Team is to start rebuilding for next season. Paul said: "Our plan was to run five to six races this year, and that's what we did. In the six starts, we got one win, two top fives, and five top tens." Hopes are this will attract some additional sponsorship to make a run for the title in 2012. The team website will also be redesigned.
The team would like to thank all the sponsors for their help to make this partial season a success; Associated Chiropractic Dr. Joe Perelli, Haines Exxon, Brian's Auto Body, S & D Bodyline, Morgantini Racing Engines, Himmer Graphics, Tyler Jett Motorsports Marketing, Amsoil Products, Neil & Susan Pritchard, Dave & Lori Loch, Don "Chowder" Bauder, Paul's parents Russ and Diane, as well as Paul's wife Heather.
Paul is asking for all who want to see a good race, visit Mountain Speedway over the next few weeks. Next at Mountain is Sunday September 11th at 2:00 pm for the ninth running of the Mark Corbisiero 77 lap Street Stock race. For more information visit www.frantzracing10.com.
Paul Frantz Earns First Career Sport Modified Victory at Mountain Speedway
