WALL TOWNSHIP — With just 13 laps complete and 40 remaining, the "Hall of Fame 53" lap feature for Busch Beer Modifieds was stopped by rain at Wall Township Speedway on Sunday afternoon.
Truck Series and Legend Cars main events never did get onto the speedway before the rains came, during a racing card that was already rain-postponed from Saturday night due to wet weather.
Because of Sunday afternoon’s showers, racing will begin at 5 p.m. (instead of 6 p.m.) this Saturday evening, so that the final 40-laps of the Modified main event — along with the rain-postponed Legend Cars and Truck Series feature races — can be completed before the regularly scheduled six-division racing card is contested.
This will make a hectic racing weekend even busier, as Sunday afternoon (June 29) will feature the NASCAR Featherlite Modified Series in a 150-lap race, the Busch Beer Modifieds in a 50-lapper and the Pro Stocks in a 50-lapper. Sunday racing will begin at 1 p.m.
Before the rains came on Sunday afternoon Scott Riggleman of Farmingdale raced to his third Wall Township Speedway victory in the 50-lap main event for the visiting ARTS Truck Series. Riggleman started fourth, advanced to second by the sixth lap and then struggled with pole-sitter Shawn Emmons for the lead.
The fight for first between Emmons and Riggleman lasted for several laps with the duo racing side-by-side. Riggleman took the lead on lap ten, before losing it on lap 15 and then regaining it for good five laps later. At the checker flag it was Riggleman, Emmons and Rick Kopf, with Steve Doughty and Chris Varzal completing the top five.
Greg Gastelu of Jackson took the win in the 25-lap feature race for the Pro Stocks, streaking into the lead early after a battle with pole-sitter Rich Lovelace. Once out front, Gastelu was never challenged.
Kenny Reaves of Piscataway was second, with Mitch Brudy of Toms River, third, and Chas Okerson of Freehold, fourth. Fifth place-finishing Rob Williams of Farmingdale was in a battle with Reaves for second on the final lap, when he spun exiting the fourth turn and backed his car across the finish line to salvage a top five finish.
For most of the 25-lapper for Street Stocks, Dave Jennings of Howell hounded Dave Bragg for the lead. As the laps counted down, Ron Frees of Brick and Beachwood’s Bill Vanderveen joined the fight, making it a four-car battle for victory.
This war on wheels overheated with just two laps remaining, when the top trio went three-wide down the backstretch with Bragg spinning into the infield. Jennings kept his car straight and raced on to his first win of the season, while Frees recovered from a slide to finish second. Ken Matlach charged into third, while Vanderveen was fourth, and Eric Gerchak wrapped up the top five.