Brian Rievley Wins The
100th Sunoco Super Series Event At Mansfield Motorsports
Speedway
Mansfield, OH (June 29, 2003)
– 1998 Sunoco Super Series Champion Brian Rievley returned to victory lane
Saturday night in the Mansfield 100 before a packed house at Mansfield
Motorsports Speedway. The victory was the third career Sunoco Super Series
victory for Rievley, and his first since April 24th, 1999. The
victory came in the Sunoco Super Series 100th event since its
beginning in 1997.
“Man I’ve been waiting a long
time to get back to victory lane,” remarked a very excited Rievley. “I
came back this year after taking off from racing for almost three years,
this is what I missed the most, it feels great to win the Sunoco Super
Series 100th event! I didn’t think I could get back around
Junior Hanley after he passed me, but we just hung in there and waited
until the right time to take back first place! This is an awesome race
track and what a great crowd to race in front of!”
Rievley took the early lead at
the drop of the green flag from his outside pole starting position with
Andy Ponstein and Jeff Lane also getting around pole sitter Greg Taylor at
the start of the race. Rievley pulled out to a 20-car length lead while
Ponstein and Lane battled for the second position.
A yellow flag on lap 24 for a
spin by Jack Smith tighten up the field and brought a charging Junior
Hanley into the fight. Hanley had been making steady progress from his
tenth place starting position using the outside groove. Hanley made quick
work of Lane and Ponstein to close right behind Rievley. Hanley made the
move around Rievley to take the lead on lap 38.
A yellow on lap 58 which
resulted in a red flag situation on lap 63 when a leaking rear end was
discovered on Terry Fisher Jr.’s car shut down the track for a massive
cleanup. The field attempted to take the green when the yellow flew
immediately because of a broken transmission on Eddie Van Meter’s car. The
track was oiled down again from the broken transmission, which created
another red flag situation for another massive cleanup. Both these
situations set-up a great finish for the Mansfield 100.
After the long delay to clean
the fluids off the track, the cars took the green again and found a track
that was very challenging and kept the lead pack of nineteen cars, all on
the lead lap, battling for positions all the way until the finish. Two
more yellows, including one for fourth place contender Jeff Lane who spun
trying to make a move for second under Rievley and Ponstein, also kept the
field tightened and set up a great finish.
With the laps winding down and
tight battles taking place through out the field, the capacity crowd was
treated to some exciting racing over the last 25 laps of the Mansfield
100. Rievley raced hard with Hanley for several laps, as Hanley’s tires
seem to be going away. Rievley dove underneath Hanley coming out of turn
four and made the final pass to take the lead on lap 93. Rievley got the
win with Ponstein passing Hanley for second. Hanley hung on to get third,
while Michigan driver Fred Campbell got fourth with Ohio’s Dave Jackson
getting fifth.
For the second straight race,
Jeff lane was the Yockey Motorsports Marketing Fast Qualifier. Chuck
Barnes Jr. was the Hubler Automotive Group / Blake Carburetion Rookie Of
The Race, Barnes had to make repairs to his car for the race after
sustaining rear end damage in a spin in practice. For the third time in
five series events this season Bobby Murany was the Lane Automotive/ISKY
Racing Cams Hardcharger Award winner. Murany finished seventh after
starting eighteenth. Rievley’s pass for the lead on lap 93 earned him the
Sweet Manufacturing “Sweet” Move Of The Race Award. Rievley’s Crew Chief
and dad, Bill Rievley, was the Gladiator GarageWorks Crew Chief Of the
Race. Junior Hanley claimed the Cometic Gasket Halfway Leader Award.
Goodyear Performance Awards went to Hanley and Murany. Barry DeSalve Jr.,
the first series racer from Pennsylvania, received the EMF Corp Hard Luck
Award after his early exit from the race on lap 10.
There will be two Sunoco Super
Series events this week. On Friday, July 4th the series will
visit Angola Motor Speedway for the traditional Hargus Mullins Memorial
Firecracker 100. Then the series will visit Plymouth Speedway on Sunday,
July 6th.
