REED WINS MOD OPENER; PROPOSES MARRIAGE IN WALL WINNER’S CIRCLE SATURDAY
By
Wall Stadium
WALL TOWNSHIP, N.J. ~ Saturday night was an evening that Modified stock car driver Steven Reed and his girlfriend Katie Messina will never forget.
Returning to Wall Stadium after a season-long layoff, The Freehold speedster powered his family owned No. 55 to victory. During his winner’s circle interview, he grabbed the microphone, dropped to one knee and asked his girlfriend for her hand in marriage. She accepted!
“I dreamed of proposing this way and was going to wait until I got this win,” Reed said. “Nobody knew except me and my sister. She carried the ring and gave it to me when she got to the car.”
Reed’s drive in the season opening 40-lapper was nearly as perfect as his proposal. Starting on the pole by the luck of the draw, he rocketed to the lead and held off the advances of brother-in-law Chas Okerson of Freehold. Howell’s Ken Woolley, Jr. then fought his way into second by the 15th lap and wrestled for the top spot until the duo touched on a lap 21 restart. Reed then raced on to the win with Okerson second, defending champion Anthony Sesely of Matawan, third, Woolley, fourth and Lafayette’s Roger Coss, fifth.
The companion 30-lapper for the Sportsman cars offered battles for the lead from start to finish. Defending champion Kevin Eyres of Colts Neck was the top man most of the way holding off assaults from Charlie Kremer III of Toms River, Andrew Krause of Holmdel and others. Late in the race Howell’s Eric Mauriello scratched his way into second spot and eventually used a lap 26 restart to power into the lead in the outside lane. Mauriello then cruised to the win.
Eyres held on for second, while brothers Trevor and Zach Alspach, both of Willingboro, were third and fourth. Kremer crossed the line fifth.
Scott Riggleman of Manchester led from start to finish to take the opening night 25-lapper for the Factory Stocks. Jim Downey of Cliffwood Beach, Howell’s Steve West, Brick’s Ronnie Mullen and John Bowers of Pt. Pleasant completed the top five.
Derek Hopkinson of Toms River started his title defense on the right foot by winning the 25-lapper for the Legend Cars. Howell’s Robert French fought for the lead until the end, while Trevor Alspach, Rob Hyer of South Amboy and Eatontown’s Malcolm Campbell were third through fifth.
Defending Street Stock champion Howie Conk of Jackson also started the year off on the right foot with a main event win over Jerry Stanzione of Keansburg, Mike Tillett of Bayville, Holmdel’s Dominic Casola and Nick Shaw of Chatham.
Wall Stadium roars back into action this Saturday night (May 5) with Modified, Sportsman, Legend Cars, Street Stock and Factory Stock racing. Pit gates will open at 1:00 p.m., with a paid practice set for 2:30 p.m. Regular practice will start at 4:30 p.m., with a driver’s meeting set for 6:00 p.m. The first qualifying event takes the green flag at 7:00 p.m.
More action is then set for Sunday afternoon as the NEETS Enduro Series invades the third mile paved oval for Big Car and Small Car action.
Wall Stadium presents professional motorsports events on most Saturdays and Sundays during the summer months. The speedway is located on Route 34 in Wall Township, N.J., just one mile north of Garden State Parkway exit 98 and Interstate 195 exit 35B. The speedway hotline number is 732-681-6400, while CKMotorsports@aol.com is the track’s email address. More information is also available at www.wallspeedwayracing.com
MODIFIED FEATURE – 40 Laps – 1. STEVEN REED, FREEHOLD, 2. Chas Okerson, 3. Anthony Sesely, 4. Ken Woolley, Jr., 5. Roger Coss, 6. David Calabrese, 7. Shaun Carrig, 8. Adam LaCicero, 9. Christian LaCicero, 10. Shannon Mongeau, 11. Buddy Miller, 12. Harry Schaeffer
SPORTSMAN FEATURE – 30 Laps – 1. ERIC MAURIELLO, HOWELL, 2. Kevin Eyres, 3. Trevor Alspach, 4. Zach Alspach, 5. Charlie Kremer, 6. Elliott Wohl, 7. Robert Sutphin, 8. Joe Nappi, 9. Scott Branick, 10. Joe Cocca, 11. Andrew Krause, 12. Joe King, 13. Dave Bailey, 14. Shawna Ingraham, 15. Jonathan Mandato, 16. Dave Daniels, 17. Ken Van Wickle, 18. Kevin Davison, 19. Dan Roslin
FACTORY STOCK FEATURE – 25 Laps – 1. SCOTT RIGGLEMAN, MANCHESTER, 2. Jim Downey, 3. Steve West, 4. Ronnie Mullen, 5. John Bowers, 6. Robert St. Hilaire, 7. Tiffany Olejnik, 8. John Gasko, 9. Shannon Mongeau, 10. Andrew Krause, 11. Marty Van Druten, 12. Steve Michel, 13. Rob Hurley, 14. Bob Wyckoff, 15. Paul Hartwig, 16. Tom Nascone, 17. Ed Bischoff, 18. Josh Matthews, 19. Joe Stonevilla, 20. Troy Gant, 21. Steven Sertori, 22. Dean Woolford
LEGEND CARS FEATURE – 25 Laps – 1. DEREK HOPKINSON, TOMS RIVER, 2. Robert French, 3. Trevor Alspach, 4. Rob Hyer, 5. Malcolm Campbell, 6. Zach Alspach, 7. Ron Poley, 8. Eric Graham, 9. Jim Davison, 10. Rick Williams, 11. Mike Tash, 12. Steven Woytysiak, 13. Beth MacFarlane
STREET STOCK FEATURE – 15 Laps – 1. HOWIE CONK, JACKSON, 2. Jerry Stanzione, 3. Mike Tillett, 4. Dominic Casola, 5. Nick Shaw, 6. Bill Vanderveen, 7. Glen Conk, 8. Kurt Brechka
