4/18/2015
Hagerstown Speedway
Satterlee dominates Salute To A Champion Rodney Franklin event at Hagerstown
HAGERSTOWN, MD. – In an event put together in the past several weeks, the “Salute to a Champion, Rodney Franklin”, Gregg Satterlee completely dominated the 33-lap event Saturday evening honoring Franklin, whose health if failing. Franklin was a big part of Hagerstown Speedway beginning in 1972 when he ran his first race and finished 13th. For years the family #33 and later, Creed and Linda Calton’s #01 cars made many laps around the speedway. Nicknamed “The Virginia Leadfoot”, he was a two time Late Model champion, 1997 and 98, winner of every major race held at the speedway and second in all time wins with 114.
Satterlee won his heat and started on the outside pole to lead every lap, picking up more than $12,000 including the $4,301 payout plus the rest in lap money donated by family and many friends. He never raced against Franklin but knew of him from when he was a youngster.
“This is awesome,” Satterlee said. “I don’t know him personally, but when my uncle used to come here and race, I came here as a little kid and remember the 01 car and his name, He was always one of the best cars here, so to win a memorial race for him means a lot. The track was in really good shape and the car was awesome. I couldn’t ask for a better night. I want to thank the Franklin family for putting on this race and all the sponsors. This is a tremendous payout and all the lap money.”
“The whole thing has been a family function, a family event,” Dave Stultz said. “We’re a tight knit family .We all wish Rodney could be here. Some of the other family members are with him tonight. I know we’ll have videos and tapes to show him tomorrow. He told me “I wish this would be a big event” and it has been. I said “Well Rodney, you want it big, it will be big.”
“Congratulations to Gregg on his win,” Franklin’s daughter Jamie said. “He was really hooked up tonight; it was great. The family of Rodney Franklin would like to express our deepest gratitude to Hagerstown Speedway, to Ernie and Keya Davis, for all the drivers and fans that came out tonight; it really meant a lot to our family. We thank you for your support and continued prayers and God bless you all. Also, thank to Devin (Friese) for his car, it looks awesome, it brought tears to all our eyes and dad a big smile. We loved it. It was nice seeing the #O1 out there.”
Friese had his car completely redone like the Calton race car that Franklin drove up until 2002 when he and Calton both quit. Franklin did race one more time, the 2003 Octoberfest in a second Friese race car.
Paul Cursey became the first repeat winner in the Malloy Ford Late Model Sportsman feature with a flag to flag win as did Chris Ebersole, who shook his season’s bad luck and added his name to the K-Lynn Management Pure Stock winners. Tom Caravello also led all the way to take the Mason Dixon Auto Auction win over previous week’s winner Gary Proctor. Bryan Green was the All American Outlaw winner.
In the 33 entries, Gary Stuhler set fast time of 19.735 seconds for the night which earned him $331 from TC Race Cars along with $33 from KRS Graphics for each heat and B Main winners.
Following parade laps behind the 01 racer, Stuhler took the green and powered into the first turns, but Satterlee charged around the top to speed off the second turn with the lead which he would not relinquish. He had stretched a lengthy lead and was past two rear cars by the 13th lap when a caution reset the field.
With Stuhler, Kenny Pettyjohn and Kyle Hardy chasing, Satterlee checked out and was more than seven seconds ahead by the 28th lap when seventh running Jamie Lathroum had a flat.
In the final five circuits, Satterlee again left the others behind as Hardy grabbed third on the 30th lap and set his sights on Stuhler while Satterlee drove on to score the triumph by 3.841 seconds over Stuhler, Hardy, Pettyjohn and Allen Brannon.
Stuhler, Satterlee, Pettyjohn and Hardy were the heat winners while Barry Miller and Mason Zeigler were the B main winners. Brian Tavenner came from 24th to 11th to be the Hard Charger and receive $133 from ARC Racing.
“I’m looking forward to coming here next week,’ Satterlee said. “This is pretty much my favorite race track and we usually run very well here. I’m looking forward to the Lucas Oil guys coming here next week and hopefully we have something for them.”
Paul Cursey started outside the front row in the four car invert of the Late Model Sportsman feature with polesitter Mike Walls into second. Second row starters Travis Stickley and Scott Palmer were next until Palmer took over the runner up spot on lap ten while Cursey had more than a five second lead and two lapped cars between them that was erased two laps later. Cursey held off Palmer in the closing laps to post his season second win by 1.16 seconds. Rodney Walls was third with ninth starter Chad Myers and Stickley next.
A three car invert put Chris Ebersole on the pole for the Pure Stock feature and he took the lead over three time winner Mike Corbin on the outside pole and Brian Miller. Two time winner Craig Parrill moved past Corbin on an 11th lap restart however Ebersole held a several length advantage until seeing the checkered in the special 20-lap event and won by .65 second. Corbin was third followed by Miller and Brian Luttrell.
Third starter Tom Caravello went three wide off the second turn to take the Hobby Stock lead over William Crook and Marshall McMullen. Crook spun when contact was made between the two as Gary Proctor took over second for the restart. Caravello continued to hold off Proctor and went on the claim the win by three lengths with Kenny Thomas third followed by Dylan Rutherford and Jeff Dillon.
Bryan Green took off from the front row in the All American Outlaw event with Kurt Zimmerman battling for the lead by lap four and taking the spot on the eighth lap. Zimmerman spun in the final turns as Green continued on to take the win over Randy Doty, Fred Cullen, Brad Alexander and Jim Minter.
Follow the speedway on Twitter and Facebook at Dirt Capitol LLC and also check out Ernie D’s Turn 5 on Facebook with information about events, driver’s interviews, race status and more. The latest news, results, photos, schedule or rule changes will also be found on the speedway’s website: www.hagerstownspeedway.com. Also check the website for any changes in weather conditions that may delay or cancel the program or contact the speedway office at 301-582-0640.
HAGERSTOWN SPEEDWAY/DIRT CAPITOL LLC RESULTS
Salute to a Champion Rodney Franklin: Hoosier Tire Mid Atlantic Late Models: 33 Laps, 33 Entries: 1. Gregg Satterlee, 2. Gary Stuhler, 3. Kyle Hardy, 4. Kenny Pettyjohn, 5. Allen Brannon, 6. Austin Hubbard, 7. Andy Anderson, 8. Dylan Yoder, 9. C.S. Fitzgerald, 10. Mason Zeigler, 11.Brian Tavenner (Hard Charger), 12.Roy Deese Jr., 13.Keith Jackson, 14.Ronnie DeHaven Jr., 15.Jason Miller, 16.Coleby Frye, 17.Brad Ritter, 18.Devin Friese, 19.Brad Omps, 20.Jerry Bard, 21.Dan Angelicchio, 22.Jamie Lathroum, 23.D.J. Myers, 24.Traver Feathers, 25.Justin Kann, 26.Earl Pearson Jr., 27.Glenn Elliott, 28.Linsdsay Barton, 29.Frankie Plessinger, 30.Nick Dickson, 31.Marvin Winters, 32.Barry Miller, 33.Matt Cosner
Malloy Ford Late Model Sportsman: 20 Laps, 23 Entries: 1. Paul Cursey, 2. Scott Palmer, 3. Rodney Walls, 4. Chad Myers, 5. Travis Stickley, 6. Justin Weaver, 7. Mike Walls, 8. Robbie Black, 9. Kyle Lee, 10. Bobby Beard, 11.Ryan Walls, 12.Sam Gallagher, 13.Larry Neiderer, 14.Chaz Walls, 15.Cody Kershner, 16.Jason Nace, 17.Joe Westerman Jr., 18.Elwood Sord, 19.Brayden Anderson, 20.Kenneth Yoder, 21.Garrett Walls, 22.Jeffrey King. DNS- Rick Hulson
K-Lynn Management Pure Stocks: 20 Laps, 16 Entries: 1. Chris Ebersole, 2. Craig Parrill, 3. Mike Corbin, 4. Brian Miller, 5. Brian Luttrell, 6. Keith Koontz, 7. Sean Dawson, 8. Nick Dibella, 9. Tony Stoneberger, 10.Wayne Hawbaker, 11.Dickie Tharp, 12.Frank Dibella, 13.Jeremy Mills, 14.Kevin Koontz, 15.Thomas Walls Jr., DNS – Jamie Zentmyer
Mason Dixon Auto Auction Hobby Stocks: 15 Laps, 14 Entries: 1. Tom Caravello, 2. Gary Proctor, 3. Kenny Thomas 4. Dylan Rutherford, 5. Jeff Dillon, 6.Jamie Mills, 7.Dwayne Snyder, 8.Ralph Hansberger, 9.Marshall McMullen, 10.Bryan Neff, 11.William Crook, 12.Davey Gross Jr., 13.Rodney Minor, DNS – Krazy Kenny Thomas
All American Outlaws: 15 Laps, 11 Entries: 1.Bryan Green, 2.Randy Doty, 3.Fred Cullum, 4.Brad Alexander, 5.Jim Minter
Article Credit: Danny Wilson
Submitted By: Josh Fries