WALL TOWNSHIP – Steven Reed, of Freehold, won his first race of the season in a 40-lap modified main dedicated to late car owner Tom Skinner at Wall Township Speedway Saturday night.
Reed came from seventh starting spot to take over the lead from Justin Gumley on lap 22. The Oval Speed Unlimited RTS-Chevrolet No. 55 pilot gave 32-time feature winner Harry Reed an early Father’s Day gift by staying a head of John Blewett III and Rich Mongeau the rest of the way.
A moment of silence was held before the feature start for Skinner, of Hammonton, who died from stroke complications June 11. Skinner, 76, owned the No. 659 modified and sportsman cars that Parker Bohn drove to WTS championships 1965-68 and 1973. He served as mentor to Bohn’s son, Eddie, in the 1970s and ’80s, allowed grandson Danny to drive the 659 RMP Modified Affordable Division car May 27, and ran the Hoosier tire outlet with the Bohns since the 1970s.
An earlier moment of silence was held for longtime WTS security guard George W. Garo. Garo, 77, of Howell, was killed in a June 15 traffic accident.
Charlie Kremer III, of Toms River, outlasted poleman Billy Weichert to win his first sporstman main of the year. June 10 winner Chas Okerson took second .305 seconds behind after 25 laps.
Jerry Stanzione, of Keansburg, saw his fortunes make a winning rebound in the WTS Truck feature. Stanzione, who dropped out of the last truck race with an electrical fire, kept his Eddie’s Valve Grinding Chevy Silverado No. 12 ahead all 20 laps. Last feature winner, teammate Karl Schlectweg, exited with front bodywork damage after an opening lap collision.
Steve Weber, of Raritan, won the last of the Value Towing Factory Stock features-only program. WTS officials will exempt the top 15 points-earning drivers from a 10-lap consolation race. The consi, to debut June 24, will determine the last nine of 24 feature starters.
John Turnure, of Mullica, made his racing return complete by winning his eight-lap street stock heat and leading the entire 20-lap feature.
The 1988 No. 88 Chevy Malibu driver, who was away from WTS several years, headed divisional champion Bill Vanderveen by 1.64 sec.
Defending INEX Legends Cars titlist Bryan Gardella, of Brick, also swept his heat and feature.
The Ford Focus Midget Northeast Tour is to make their debut on WTS’s high-banked and paved one-third mile oval 7 p.m. Saturday. The American Three Quarter Midget Racing Association is to also join the NASCAR Dodge Weekly Racing Series modifieds, sportsmen, street and factory stocks, trucks and Legends Cars. Call (732) 681-6400 for details.