Brian DeFebo added another feather in his already filled hat of career racing accomplishments, this one coming in a milestone achievement by scoring his 100th overall feature win, coming in Saturday night’s Modified main at Mahoning Valley Speedway.
Using a restart on lap 17 to get by Kyle Strohl for the lead, DeFebo then held the spot to the finish for the memorable making night.
“It’s awesome. Through my entire career my mother (car owner, Sophie Welsh) has always given me the best equipment. My team is as good as it gets and they work every day of the week on making the car run so good,” said a very overjoyed DeFebo from Victory Lane.
“We’re having so much fun down here. For years we had our struggles but for now it’s all about some great times.”
It was his second straight and class leading fourth victory of the season. He won his first career race in 1993 in a Thriller/Factory Stock car.
Despite having to settle for the runner-up spot, Strohl was pleased none-the-less. He was quite the worthy advocate too considering the car he ran was a lesser powered Sportsman Modified. His regular ride was not available due to a mechanical problem and with little options to race this night he turned to car owner Eric Beers who was fine with handing over the reins of his son Austin’s No. 19 into the capable hands of Strohl. Earlier in the night the same car had won the Sportsman feature.
Strohl started 10th and made use of a few early cautions as well as some fancy driving to pass cars and by lap nine was dueling alongside Nick Baer. Both were on the rear bumper of race leader Ron Haring Jr.
On the 13th tour Haring got loose in turn three and would spin from the lead. Strohl had just nipped Baer for second and was elevated to the leader position under the yellow. One lap after the restart DeFebo took the runner-up spot.
Strohl never wavered once the race resumed as his line of resistance was working perfectly in keeping DeFebo at bay. At one point he even set the fastest lap of the race and one of the quickest laps of the season.
However, when a caution put the front two side-by-side for a restart on lap 17, it was then that DeFebo was able to conclusively snatch the lead and drive off to the century mark victory.
“I have to go back to the Bill Teel Memorial race when I was set to start alongside Austin Beers. I went to his dad and said he has to start faster but Eric (Beers) said the car won’t go. I actually used that conversation to my advantage tonight when it came to the restart between Kyle (Strohl) and myself,” said DeFebo.
“He (Strohl) did an awesome job, starting in the back the way he did. I followed him up through and tried to get underneath him then I looked to the outside and he had me covered up there too.”
Bobby Jones, Gene Bowers and Baer rounded out the top five.
“It was an amazing piece I had to drive tonight and I can’t thank the Beers’ family enough for letting me run the car,” said Strohl, who along with Jones are keeping in check with DeFebo for the championship.
“There were a few times when Brian was looking on both sides of me and I thought this won’t last long but we put up a fight. The car just got tight near the end and the better man won. I’m proud to have been second to Brian on his 100th win.”
In the previous Late Model race Frankie Althouse came in as the point leader and also looked ready to pad that lead with a shot at winning the night’s 50-lap main. Unfortunately Althouse’s luck turned sour when he was caught up in an accident and suffered significant damage.
Mike Sweeney won that race and assumed the lead in the standings as well. Althouse and Company showed their resilience though, making all the repairs to be race ready in short order.
MVS PR The hard work paid off too as he picked up his third win and the reward also hurdled him back into the top point placing. Althouse was locked in a torrid battle for second with Matt Wentz until lap 12. After finally attaining the position he then set his sights on leader Kenny Hein, who was driving a superb race. Without the help of cautions as the race went nonstop, Althouse went side-by-side with Hein and raced his way past on lap 15. The rest of the way he remained perfect. Hein settled for a very respectable second with Wentz third. The Street Stock feature was in the hands of Todd Ahner just past midrace and it looked as though it would stay that way but on the final lap Randy Schlenker made a daring inside pass in the final two corners and won his first race in just four starts this year and netted his first Street Stock win at Mahoning Valley in 18 years. Austin Beers for a second time held off Earl Paules in a thrilling battle Sportsman Modifieds. Beers led from the outset and would have to contend with Paules virtually every lap on route to victory. In the 20-lap Pro 4 feature Jake Kibler bided his time behind Bobby Kibler Sr., in a very tight fight. Then on the white flag circuit J. Kibler waited no longer and executed a heart stopping pass which earned the veteran ace his 30th career Pro 4 win. When promoter Jack Carlino announced that he was tossing in an extra $150 to win the regular 20 lap Hobby Stock feature all drivers wanted to cash in. But none more than Trisha Connolly who after passing Lyndsay Buss two, showed that she would be the car to beat. Connolly was just too tough on this night and went on to notch her second win of 2018.
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