Hirschman Rules the Mods; Romig and Aigeldinger Collide; Moser Pulls Off a Last-Lap Thriller at Mahoning Speedway October 18
By: GENEVIVE YAMELSKI
Leighton, PA (10/18/25) Kyle Strohl fired off from the front row and immediately took control of the race, showing the same calm confidence that carried him all season long. Matt Hirschman settled in right behind him, keeping the pressure on while the rest of the field sorted itself out. Behind them, Bobby Jones, Nick Baer, and Gunner Zeiner went door-to-door in a tight battle for position as the top two broke away. For more than 20 laps, the race stayed clean and intense before Lou Strohl’s spin in turn three brought out the first caution of the night. On the restart, Strohl got a strong launch, but Hirschman stayed glued to his bumper, working the outside line and searching for momentum. The field behind them stayed tight, with Kochenash, DeFebo, and Baer fighting fiercely for every inch of track. Things heated up when Mark Miller lost control on the backstretch, drawing another caution that bunched the field and set up the defining moment of the race. As the green flag waved again, Hirschman powered to the outside of Strohl and completed a bold, clean pass for the lead that had the fans on their feet. Once out front, Hirschman held steady through multiple cautions and restarts, including a wild moment when two cars spun nearly simultaneously in turns two and four. Strohl stayed close, giving it everything he had in the closing laps, but Hirschman’s smooth, consistent line carried him to the checkered flag and the Modified feature win.
Finishing second was Kyle Strohl, who still went home in victory as the 2025 Modified Track Champion. Nick Baer finishing third, followed by Lou Strohl and Gunner Zeiner rounding out the top five.
Before the late model race even found its rhythm, championship pressure was at an all-time high, and it showed when Brian Romig Jr., feeling the heat, lost his composure heading into turn three. He made heavy contact with Marc Aigeldinger, sending the title contender spinning. Under caution, Romig Jr. charged toward Aigeldinger’s car in frustration, earning an immediate disqualification from officials. The crowd erupted as the call was made, and the track crew cleared the way for the restart.Once the field regrouped and racing resumed, Geno Steigerwalt took command out front, holding off Brian Romig Sr. and Dennis Wenner. From there, it was all smooth sailing for Steigerwalt, who led every lap of the feature and never gave the field a chance to close in. Aigeldinger, despite being taken out early, regrouped and drove with patience and poise, bringing home a solid top-five finish, more than enough to secure the 2025 Late Model points championship.At the checkers, Steigerwalt claimed the win, followed by Romig Sr. in second, Wenner in third, Aigeldinger in fourth, and Ryan Rochelle rounding out the top five. After the race, Aigeldinger celebrated his hard-fought championship in true Mahoning fashion with beer showers from his crew and cheers echoing from the grandstands.
Cody Geist and Josh Kuronya led the street stock field to the start, with Geist quickly taking command by lap seven. Behind him, Jon Moser began his climb through the pack, threading his way past heavy traffic to position himself as a serious threat for the win.
As the laps ticked by, the battles intensified. Frankie Althouse and Brandon Christman ran hard inside the top five while Adam Steigerwalt and Jill Snyder stayed close behind. The race saw its first major shakeup when Kuronya’s car broke on lap 20, bringing out a caution and bunching the field back together. On the restart, Moser got the jump over Geist, but the two traded the lead back and forth in a thrilling stretch of side-by-side racing.Midway through the race, chaos erupted in turns three and four when multiple cars tangled, forcing another restart. The crowd got on their feet as the green flew again, with Moser and Geist battling door-to-door and Christman right in the mix. The closing laps were nothing short of electric as the top three raced nose-to-tail for the win.Coming to the checkered flag, Geist looked poised to take it but Moser had other plans. Charging off of turn four on the final lap, Moser pulled to the inside and edged ahead by inches at the line, leaving the fans in an uproar and disbelief over what they’d just witnessed. Moser claimed the hard-fought victory, followed by Geist in second, Christman in third, Althouse in fourth, and Snyder rounding out the top five.
The Hobby Stock feature at Mahoning Valley Speedway kicked off with James Tout jumping out front. Just two laps in, Travis Solomon got loose but saved it simultaneously while Arland Moyer Jr. spun down the front stretch, bringing out the first caution of the night. Cody Geist decided to pull off shortly after, while Shayne Geist, who was running near the front, suffered a flat tire that sent him to the pits.
Forced to restart from the back of the field, Geist wasted no time mounting his comeback. Lap after lap, he worked his way forward, making fast, aggressive moves through heavy traffic. Dave Kerr made a strong early run as well, hopping a tire after getting loose but saving it to stay in the mix. At the same time, Aaron Moyer was black-flagged after causing a caution on lap 21 when he tangled with another car, collecting Jake Kibler, who had been running solidly in the top three. When the race went back to green, Solomon led the field with Geist charging right behind him. Within just a few laps, Geist powered his way into the lead, with Jeremy Henry hot on his tail. Kibler regrouped and began climbing back through the pack, swapping positions with Moyer Jr. for fourth as the laps wound down. On the final restart, Geist got the jump and pulled away while Henry, Kerr, and Kibler fought hard just behind. Geist held strong to the checkered flag, capping off an incredible drive from the rear of the field to victory. A win that also secured him the 2025 Hobby Stock championship. At the finish, it was Geist taking the win, followed by Henry in second, Kibler in third, Kerr in fourth, and Solomon rounding out the top five. As Geist climbed out of his car in victory lane, the Mahoning crowd roared, celebrating both a hard-earned feature win and a championship drive that showed the heart of a racer.
Bobby Kibler Jr. wasted no time setting the tone for the Pro 4 feature, jumping out front early and holding the top spot from start to finish. Earning this year’s points championship, Kibler Jr. entered the night with nine wins and showed exactly why he’s been the top of the class all season long. Jason Finken moved up quickly into second after getting by Rob Derfler, while Tyler Stangle followed close behind in third as the front pack began to separate from the field. The first stretch ran smoothly until Kadie Pursell pulled to the infield on lap eight, ending her night early. Not long after, Derfler dove low under Stangle, making contact that brought out the caution on lap sixteen. Once racing resumed, Kibler Jr. hit his marks perfectly and stretched his lead back out with no trouble from behind. A late spin from Terry Peters in turns three and four didn’t faze the leaders, and the field stayed under green through the closing laps. Kibler Jr. remained calm and in control all the way to the checkered flag, claiming his 10th win of the season and officially securing the 2025 Pro 4 points championship. Finken finished a strong second, followed by Stangle in third, Peters in fourth, and Rich Pursell rounding out the top five.
Tyler Wagner wasted no time making his presence known in the TQ feature, charging toward the front just a couple laps into the race. Josh Patterson jumped out early to lead the opening circuits, but it didn’t take long before Wagner closed the gap and made it a two-car battle for the top spot. The rest of the field quickly settled into formation as lapped traffic started to come into play. Behind the leaders, Kyle Taraska held a solid third while Geo S. and Charlie S. kept things tight in the middle of the pack. The first caution came around lap eleven when Ken Hirt spun in turns one and two. The initial restart was waved off, but when the field came back to green, Wagner wasted no time making his move.
Once Wagner got out front, he set a steady pace and kept the pressure behind him at bay. Patterson stayed close in second, but Wagner never missed a mark through the final laps, showing calm control all the way to the finish. At the checkered, it was Wagner taking home the win, followed by Patterson in second, Geo S. in third, Taraska in fourth, and Charlie S. rounding out the top five.
Gary Hallman got a great start in the NAARA 20 lap showdown, but the hard-charging Mike Garris quickly turned up the pressure. Newcomer Rob Laskowski wasn’t far behind, with rookie Nick Simon holding his own. Hallman stuck to the bottom while Garris battled on the outside, the two running tight for several laps. Going into turn three, Garris gained the edge but brushed the front stretch wall, letting NY native Laskowski slip by for second. Garris quickly recovered, and Simon continued to close in. Laskowski then challenged Hallman for the lead in a clean, side-by-side fight to the finish. In the end, Hallman’s smooth and steady drive put him in victory lane. Laskowski finishing second, Garris third and Simon fourth.
Modified (75 Laps)
1. Matt Hirschman, 2. Kyle Strohl, 3. Nick Baer, 4. Lou Strohl, 5. Gunner Zeiner, 6. Austin Kochenash, 7. Brian Defebo, 8. Rod Snyder, 9. Mark Miller, 10. Bobby Jones, 11. Nick Schaeffer, 12. Zane Zeiner
Late Model (25 Laps)
1. Geno Steigerwalt, 2. Brian Romig Sr, 3. Dennis Wenner, 4. Marc Aigeldinger, 5. Ryan Rochelle, 6. Rich Cooper, 7. Seth Vanfossen, 8. Michael Delong, 9. Brian Romig Jr
Street Stock (50 Laps)
1. Jon Moser, 2. Cody Geist, 3. Brandon Christman, 4. Frankie Althouse, 5. Jill Snyder, 6. Jake Boehm, 7. Adam Steigerwalt, 8. Thomas Flanagan, 9. Jamie Smith, 10. Randy Green, 11. Logan Boyer, 12. Josh Kuronya, 13. TJ Kemmerer, 14. Geary Reinheimer, 15. Stacey Brown, 16. Chase Hoffman
Hobby Stock (40 Laps)
1. Shayne Geist, 2. Jeremy Henry, 3. Jake Kibler, 4. Dave Kerr, 5. Travis Solomon, 6. Sarabeth Mesko, 7. Arland Moyer Jr, 8. Aaron Moyer, 9. Cody Geist, 10. James Tout
Pro 4 (20 Laps)
1. Bobby Kibler Jr, 2. Jason Finken, 3. Tyler Stangle , 4. Terry Peters, 5. Rich Pursell, 6. Ron Pierson Jr, 7. Rob Derfler, 8. Kadie Pursell
TQ (20 Laps)
1. Tyler Wagner, 2. Josh Patterson, 3. Geo S, 4. Kyle Taraska, 5. Charlie S, 6. Jasper Ziegafuse, 7. Lexi Przybylinski, 8. Ken Hirt, 9. Ozzy Carlino, 10. Howard Boss
NAARA (20 Laps)
1. Gary Hallman, 2. Rob Laskowski, 3. Mike Garris, 4. Nick Simon
Blake Barney Controls the Night with Flag-to-Flag Win in Modifieds; Jon Moser celebrates birthday in victory lane; James Tout earns first career win.
BY: GENEVIVE YAMELSKI
Leighton, PA (10/3/25) Blake Barney led from start to finish to claim the Modified Feature victory Saturday night at Mahoning Valley Speedway. The 50-lap event saw plenty of action throughout the field, with several drivers battling handling issues and incidents along the way.
Barney jumped out to an early lead over Brian Defebo, while Lou Strohl quickly worked his way to the inside of Defebo with Bobby Jones following close behind. Nick Simon was shown the black flag early after being warned multiple times for not maintaining a competitive pace, while Jaden Brown brought out the first caution on lap 16 after getting loose on the backstretch.
By lap 20, Brown’s troubles continued as he got loose again in turn one, forcing a trip to the pits for his crew to check over the car. Two laps later, Jones, running third on the inside, got loose through turns one and two, kicking up smoke but managing to keep position as the race went back to green.
Jones’ night took a turn once more a few laps later when he spun again in turn three and pulled to the pits hoping to make the right adjustments to improve. On lap 27, Earl Paules checked up in turn two and got sideways, making contact with Brown, while Snyder narrowly avoided the incident from behind. Two laps later, Mark Miller went high coming off turn four and made hard contact with the front stretch wall near the flag stand, ending with the double wrecker to be pulled off the track.
As the laps wound down, Barney maintained command at the front while both Kyle and Lou Strohl battled for second and third. By lap 38, Jones had pulled off, and a brief scare came when Lou Strohl bumped tires with Baer, though both were able to continue without issue.
At the checkered flag, Barney crossed the line first, holding off a strong charge from Kyle Strohl, who finished just seconds behind. Nick Baer completed the podium in third, followed by Lou Strohl and Jacob Kerstetter. Jaden Brown, Rod Snyder, Earl Paules, and Brian Defebo rounded out the top nine.
Jon Moser turned his birthday into a celebration, driving a flawless race to score the Street Stock feature win in a thrilling 40-lap battle.
Moser got the jump off the start while Cody Geist charged to the inside of T.J. Gursky for second. Gursky held his line, all while Jill Snyder began slicing through traffic from her 6th starting position. The first caution came on lap 13 when Randy Ahner got loose and spun, bunching up the field for a restart. Moser kept command at the front while Snyder climbed to second and Adam Steigerwalt battled his way into the top three.
Trouble struck again on lap 19 when Brandon Christman got sideways and clipped Josh Kuronya, cutting a tire and forcing both to restart at the back. Despite the chaos, Moser stayed smooth out front, holding off a hungry Steigerwalt and a determined Geist. Another caution on lap 23 saw Chase Hoffman spin on the front stretch, and tempers flared a few laps later after more contact between Christman and Kuronya that left Kuronya with another flat.
As the laps wound down, Geist made a bold move past Steigerwalt for second, with Snyder right behind in third. Ahner, who had started last, worked his way methodically through the pack to fourth, along with gaining the championship for the poker series. When the checkered flag flew, it was Moser taking the win and the birthday spotlight. Snyder, Steigerwalt, Geist, and Ahner rounding out the top five.
The Hobby Stock division delivered one of the wildest races of the night as James Tout captured his first career win in a 35-lap thriller.
Dave Kerr took control early, jumping to the lead with Jake Kibler moving quickly into third and Travis Solomon fighting hard on the outside. The first caution came just before halfway when Solomon’s night ended early having him be pushed off the track, setting up a restart that reshuffled the top five.
On the restart, Kibler made a strong move to the inside of Terry Peters to take over second while Ryan Berger followed close behind. The intensity picked up around lap 23 when Kerr got loose, tightening the field once more and inviting Shayne Geist into the fight. Two more cautions came in quick succession after minor contact throughout the pack, with Kerr and Berger brushing wheels but keeping pace.
The race’s biggest moment came on lap 26 when sparks flew between Kibler, Kerr, and Berger, with Kibler's rear bumper grazing the wall in turn 3. Forcing both Kerr and Berger to the pits. Tout inherited the lead on the restart and never flinched. Geist made a last chance mad dash to the front, but Tout held strong through the final corner to take the checkered flag — sealing an emotional first career victory at Mahoning Valley. Geist, Arland Moyer Jr., Berger, and Kibler completed the top five.
Bobby Kibler Jr. put on a clinic in the 20-lap Pro 4 feature, storming to victory after an early battle and a flawless run to the finish.
After a complete restart with lots of commotion in the beginning. Jeremy Guerra led the opening laps with Kibler Jr. and Cody Kohler locked in close pursuit. By lap three, Kibler Jr. made a daring pass around the outside to take the top spot, setting the tone for the rest of the race. Kohler stayed within striking distance, keeping pressure on while Guerra held firm in second.
An early incident on lap two forced Jason Finken to the pits, ending his night early, but the rest of the field settled in for a smooth run. As the laps ticked away, Kibler showed pure consistency, keeping a steady pace and never allowing the field a chance to close back in.
Kibler Jr. crossed the line first to secure win number 8 of the year, followed by Guerra, Kohler, Rob Derfler, and Kadie Pursell rounding out the top five.
Modified (50 Laps)
1. Blake Barney, 2. Kyle Strohl, 3. Nick Baer, 4. Lou Strohl, 5. Jacob Kerstetter, 6. Jaden Brown, 7. Rod Snyder, 8. Earl Paules, 9. Brian Defebo, 10. Bobby Jones, 11. Mark Miller, 12. Nick Simon
Street Stock (40 Laps)
1. Jon Moser, 2. Jill Snyder, 3. Adam Steigerwalt, 4. Cody Geist, 5. Randy Ahner, 6. TJ Gursky, 7. Jamie Smith, 8. Josh Kuronya, 9. Chase Hoffman, 10. Brandon Christman
Hobby Stock (35 Laps)
1. James Tout, 2. Shayne Geist, 3. Arland Moyer Jr, 4. Ryan Berger, 5. Jake Kibler, 6. Jeremy Henry, 7. Terry Peters, 8. Dave Kerr, 9. Travis Solomon
Pro 4 (20 Laps)
1. Bobby Kibler Jr., 2. Jeremy Guerra, 3. Cody Kohler, 4. Rob Derfler, 5. Kadie Pursell, 6. Rich Pursell, 7. Jason Finken
Earl Paules breaks three year drought with first win since 2022; Althouse Powers to Victory, Dedicates Win to Late Pap on September 20
By: GENEVIVE YAMELSKI
Leighton, Pa (09/20/2025) The Modified Feature at Mahoning Valley Speedway was an action-packed 50-lap battle. The race began with Austin Kochenash on pole alongside Tyler Wagner. Current points leader Kyle Strohl kept the heat on Kochenash looking on both the inside and outside waiting for the perfect moment to try and take over the lead. Quickly it became clear the night would be full of drama though early on in the race, on lap 10 Tyler Wagner brought out the first caution, while at the same time officials noticed Bobby Jones had a possible fuel leak forcing him to pit. Just 5 laps later, Rod Snyder spun on the backstretch. As the cars stacked back up for another restart at the line, Strohl side by side with Kochenash. Earl Paules, bringing the heat starting fifth, swiftly moved his way up to third running with the front of the pack, beside him running was Jaden Brown. Kochenash, playing defense of Strohl for 40 laps, Strohl finally was able to surge to the outside and clear him. Although a short lived green flag racing as Mark Miller got sideways off of turn four bringing out two cautions back to back with only 7 laps to go. While attempting another restart, one lap was able to be completed before Jaden Brown grazed the wall, along with Jacob Kerstetter and Don Wagner being involved. Both Kerstetter and Wagner’s nights ended after being pulled off the track with wreckers. Speedy dry needing to be put down to clean up the oil from the wreck put a small delay in the final 5 laps of the show. But, once the track was ready, they went back to green but luck was not on Strohl's side as they went for a single file restart, him getting a flat sending him to the pits and having to start in the back of the pack. Paules, having laid his cards out perfectly, stacked up right behind him giving him the leading position for the final restart of the 50 lap showdown. Kochenash putting the pressure on, but Paules showed after all the years of driving he still had the technique to pull off the Doug Hoffman Poker Series #4 win. Paules not being in victory since 2022, the emotions were high in victory lane with the statement that even after just turning 60 years old, at his age it's still possible to pull off a win. Finishing behind him was Kochenash, Lou Strohl in third, Nick Baer fourth, and Brian DeFebo fifth.
Right from the green it was all about Frankie Althouse, who once again proved unstoppable in the 40-lap street stock main. Lining up on the outside of the front row, Althouse wasted no time surging past pole-sitter Brandon Christman and seizing control right from the drop of the green. An early caution slowed the pace when Jake Boehm dropped parts off of his car in turn three, but Althouse quickly got back to work and never let go of the top spot. Boehm’s night went from bad to worse as he pulled off with 15 laps to go, ending his run prematurely.From there, the race was all about the fight for second. Jon Moser and Randy Ahner battled hard through the middle stages, with Moser eventually grabbing the runner-up spot by just a few car lengths over Ahner. Jill Snyder had another strong outing, securing fourth, while Adam Steigerwalt rounded out the top five after a steady drive. Behind them, Christman and Cody Geist traded spots as the laps wound down. When the checkered flag waved, Althouse crossed the line with over a five-car-length cushion, securing his third win of the season. The victory carried heavy emotion, as he dedicated the win to his late pap, making it one of the most meaningful of his career. With speed, consistency, and heart on his side, Althouse continues to stand tall as one of the top contenders in the division.
Early drama in the hobby stock class for the opening laps, Terry Peters got sideways coming out of turn two and made contact with Sarabeth Mesko, forcing the field to scatter to avoid the wreck. Mesko’s night was cut short while Peters was sent to the rear for the restart. Just a few laps later, another caution flew when Nick Schaeffer spun on the frontstretch, keeping the field tight in the early going. Out front, it was Shayne Geist who took control and left the field in the distance. Despite multiple restarts and pressure from the pack, Geist held his ground and set the tone throughout the 35-lap feature. Attrition continued behind him, with Ryan Berger pulling off after running in the top three, and others shuffling in and out of contention as the race wore on. At the finish, Geist captured his seventh win of the season which is a new record for the amount of wins he has received in previous years. Even beating his father in his total number of wins in one season. Cody Boehm closed in but had to settle for second, with Travis Solomon taking third. Jake Kibler and James Tout completed the top five in a feature that kept the fans on their feet from start to finish.
The Late Models wasted no time delivering excitement, as Seth Vanfossen got the jump at the start and grabbed the early lead. Behind him, Michael Delong and Marc Algiedlinger traded spots in the opening laps, with Algiedlinger working his way to the inside lane to challenge for position. Just as the battle was heating up, Brian Romig Jr. came charging forward, storming into contention and stealing the show in the early going. That momentum was briefly slowed on lap three when Delong and Algiedlinger made contact, bringing out the first caution of the night. On the restart, Romig wasted no time taking command. Once he found the clean air out front, he settled into a smooth rhythm and controlled the rest of the race. Algiedlinger recovered from the early tangle and kept the pressure on, while Vanfossen held steady in the top three. Delong regrouped after the incident, and Rich Cooper joined the front pack to round out the top five contenders as the laps ticked away. At the finish, Romig proved unstoppable, claiming his third feature win of the season after two earlier triumphs. Algiedlinger, already a feature winner this year, battled back to secure second, while Vanfossen hung tough for third. Delong and Cooper capped off the top five in a feature that packed nearly a full night’s worth of drama into its first three laps before settling into a fast and hard-fought run to the checkered.
Fans were treated to the pro 4 feature which was filled with action as Bobby Kibler Jr. grabbed the lead on the opening lap and never looked back, while early troubles saw Rich Pursell pull off just two laps in and mid-race contact between Cody Kohler and Bob Kibler sent both to the rear. Despite the drama, Bobby stayed smooth out front, holding off a late charge from Jeremy Guerra to score his eighth win of the season, which he proudly dedicated to his dad for his birthday.
Modified (50 Laps)
1. Earl Paules, 2. Austin Kochenash, 3. Lou Strohl, 4. Nick Baer, 5. Brian Defebo, 6. Kyle Strohl, 7. Rod Snyder, 8. Mark Miller, 9. Jaden Brown, 10. Jacob Kerstetter, 11. Don Wagner, 12. Tyler Wagner, 13. Bobby Jones
Street Stock (40 Laps)
1. Frankie Althouse, 2. Jon Moser, 3. Randy Ahner, 4. Jill Snyder, 5. Adam Steigerwalt, 6. Brandon Christman, 7. Cody Geist, 8. Jamie Smith, 9. Jake Boehm
Hobby Stock (35 Laps)
1. Shayne Geist, 2. Cody Boehm, 3. Travis Solomon, 4. Jake Kibler, 5. James Tout, 6. John Petro, 7. Jeremy Henry, 8. Terry Peters, 9. Arland Moyer Jr, 10. Ryan Berger, 11. Nick Schaeffer, 12. Dave Kerr, 13. Sarabeth Mesko
Late Model (25 Laps)
1. Brian Romig Jr, 2. Marc Aigeldinger, 3. Seth Vanfossen, 4. Michael Delong, 5. Rich Cooper
Pro 4 (20 Laps)
1. Bobby Kibler Jr., 2. Jeremy Guerra, 3. Tyler Stangle, 4. Cody Kohler, 5. Bob Kibler, 6. Kadie Pursell, 7. Rich Pursell, DNS. Ron Pierson
Bobby Jones Thrives in Front of a Packed Crowd at Mahoning on August 23
Mahoning Valley Speedway has been through its fair share of challenges this season — from rainouts, internet trolls, and sore losers, to plenty of negativity on the web. But Saturday night, none of that mattered. A buzzing crowd, 86 race cars, and the annual Pizza Joint Fan Appreciation Night turned the quarter-mile into a celebration of short track racing at its finest.
With $8 admission, a packed grandstand, and a full night of stock car and TQ midget action, fans were treated to nonstop excitement.
Before the racing began, fans filled the track for an on-track Fan Fest, where drivers signed autographs, handed out gifts, and made memories with the crowd.
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Vintage TQ Midgets
The evening kicked off with the Vintage TQ Midgets. Brady Routzhan led the field to green, but it was Vinny Testanero storming from third to the front and dominating the quick 8-lap feature.
ECTQM / Pen-NY Midgets
The modern-day TQ Midgets brought open-wheel chaos. Polesitter Ozzy Carlino and Josh Patterson led the way before the action went three- and four-wide through the pack. Sprint Car regular Bobby Butler powered from fourth to second early, while Tyler Wagner rocketed from seventh to third. Wagner eventually chased down Patterson in lapped traffic, the two even making slight contact with two laps remaining. At the checkers, it was Patterson holding on for the win, Wagner second, and Jasper Ziegafuse charging from eighth to round out the podium.
602 Modifieds
The first of the Modified features went to Nick Baer in the Aqua Duck Water Transport No. 41. After polesitter Max Pfeifer set the pace early, Baer powered to the high side and never looked back. Behind him, teammates Jake Boehm and Jacob Kersetter battled for third late in the going. Baer’s win left fans asking — could he sweep the Modified double?
Street Stocks
Polesitter Thomas Flanagan led the opening laps before Brandon Christman and Jill Snyder stormed to the front. Snyder hounded Christman on the outside while Frankie Althouse (02) joined the fight late. Althouse got to Christman’s bumper with just a few laps remaining, but Christman held strong to score the win.
Late Models
The smooth-bodied Late Models rolled off next, and it was all Marc Aigelginger, leading wire-to-wire. The only drama came late, with Seth Vanfossen charging forward to apply pressure. Brian Romig, pulling double duty on the night, claimed third.
Hobby Stocks
A roaring field of Hobby Stocks delivered another thriller. James Tout led early before last year’s champ Travis Solomon and red-hot Shayne Geist went on the attack. Solomon’s night soured with a flat right rear, leaving Geist and Cody Boehm to settle it up front. Boehm hounded Geist to the stripe, but Geist prevailed by just .188 seconds for his fifth win of the season.
Mighty Modifieds
35-lap Mighty Modified feature — was pure short track insanity. Lou Strohl started on the pole with Kyle Strohl to his outside. The two tangled early, handing the lead to Nick Baer, who looked poised to sweep the night.
But as the laps clicked off, Bobby Jones, running a 602 crate engine, worked his way forward. By lap 17, Jones grabbed the lead just as Earl Paules and Brian DeFebo got caught in skirmishes behind him. From 14th on the grid, Jacob Kersetter was the story, slicing through the field and climbing into contention by halfway.
A flurry of cautions kept the field tight, setting up a dramatic double-file restart with six laps to go. Jones held strong, scoring the crowd-pleasing victory over Baer and the hard-charging Kersetter. Kyle Strohl rebounded for fourth.
Pro 4s
The Pro 4s closed the show, and it was all Bob Kibler, who led flag-to-flag in the 2024 car. His son Bobby Kibler chased him across the line in second, while Cody Kohler mounted a late rally but not enough to challenge. The win marked Bob Kibler’s first of the season.
Kyle Strohl Steals the Show in Doug Hoffman Modified Poker Series Race. Frankie Althouse brings home victory in the Street Stock Poker Race on August 2, 2025
By GENEVIVE YAMELSKI
(Leighton, Pa 8/2/25) The Modifieds brought the action once again in the Doug Hoffman Poker Series at Mahoning Valley Speedway. Brian DeFebo led the field to green, but Tyler Wagner quickly made his presence known, charging past on lap four. DeFebo didn’t back down, battling back with Earl Paules right there in the mix. Early on, there was tight action in the pack with side-by-side racing all over. By lap sixteen, Jacob Kerstetter was making moves, working the inside groove and climbing into the top five. Then came the yellow flag when Rod Snyder looped it in turn four. On the restart, DeFebo brought them back to green with Lou Strohl and Paules right on his bumper. Kerstetter kept climbing, moving up to fourth before another caution flew this time for a spin by Jaden Brown on lap twenty. The double-file restart gave fans exactly what they wanted – Kyle Strohl, who started eighth, began slicing through the field. By lap twenty five, he was up to second and in just two laps, he powered into the lead.
A late caution on lap thirty one after contact between Wagner and Brown reset the field and set the tone for a wild finish. When the green dropped again, Kyle wasted no time pulling away. Lou Strohl worked his way up to third, going door-to-door with Kerstetter in a fierce battle for second. Rod Snyder rallied after his earlier spin and found himself back in the top five by lap thirty six , while Nick Baer made his own late charge, getting around DeFebo for fifth. But on lap forty one, Tyler Wagner’s right rear gave out on the frontstretch, bringing out the final caution. One last restart, and Kyle Strohl was gone. Behind him, it was a dogfight with Kerstetter and Lou Strohl trading spots in an intense back-and-forth. In the end, it was Kyle Strohl taking the win, with Kerstetter grabbing second and Lou Strohl third, Rod Snyder fourth, and Nick Baer fifth.
Frankie Althouse led the Street Stock field to green from the pole and never gave up the top spot. Right from the start, the action kicked off behind him as point leader Cody Geist got shuffled high and eventually pulled off by lap ten, ending his night early. Brandon Christman, who started back in twelfth after winning the week prior, wasted no time slicing through the pack, cracking the top eight by lap eight and continuing his charge toward the front. By the halfway point, Jon Moser and Adam Steigerwalt were battling hard for third while a tight pack behind them including Rich Reichenbach, Christman, and Jill Snyder kept things intense.
The race began to settle in after lap twenty, but the top three stayed under a blanket. With ten laps to go, lap traffic came into play and Randy Ahner used it to close the gap on Althouse. He gave it everything he had in the closing laps, but Frankie stayed calm and consistent out front. When the checkers flew, it was Althouse going untouched for the win, with Ahner right on his bumper at the finish. Steigerwalt crossed the line third, followed by a hard-charging Moser and Christman rounding out the top five.
The starting lineup for the TQ division saw Kyle Taraska on the pole with Jasper Ziegafuse on the outside of him. Josh Patterson starting third, wasted no time grabbing the lead on lap 1, with Wagner hot on his heels and Ziegafuse settling into third. By lap seven, Wagner made the pass on Patterson, navigating through lap traffic to take control of the race. The first caution waved on lap twelve when Bill Force spun settling the field before two laps to go.
On the final restart, Wagner launched into the lead and held firm. A dramatic moment came on lap sixteen when Richie Tolerico spun out, flipping onto his roof in a scary moment, but the driver walked away from the incident. From there, Wagner paced the field to the finish, with Patterson rallying to secure second while Lexi Przybylinski put in a strong run to grab third. Taraska, despite falling back, still crossed in fourth, and Ziegafuse rounded out the top five.
After a quick shake-up in the lineup, it was James Tout and rookie JR Merkel, who brought the Hobby Stock field to green. But it didn’t take long for Shayne Geist to make his move charging to the outside and taking the lead by lap 7. Behind him, Travis Solomon was on the move, going door-to-door with Tout and Kerr in a tight battle up front. Things got heated early as BJ Wambold spun on lap 10 to bring out the first caution. Just four laps later, contact between Maggie Wambold and Jeremy Henry brought out another yellow, with Maggie’s right front ending up broken.
The next restart didn’t last long. BJ Wambold and James Tout made hard contact, sending both to the pits with Wambold being disqualified, and Tout being unable to make it back onto the track. From there, Geist led the rest of the way, holding off heavy pressure from Travis Solomon. Solomon threw everything he had at him in the closing laps, but Geist held strong to score the win, with Solomon, Dave Kerr, JR Merkel and Jeremy Henry rounding out the top five.
The Pro 4 feature may have only been twenty laps, but it brought the heat from start to finish. Bob Kibler jumped out front early, taking advantage of Jake Kibler getting loose off turn one and slipping back to fifth. Meanwhile, Cody Kohler, who started dead last, wasted no time carving through the field and charging into third. By lap fourteen, the battle up front hit a boiling point as Bobby Kibler Jr. got to the inside of Bob Kibler coming off turn four, taking the lead after several laps of bumper-to-bumper action. Just one lap later, contact between Jeremy Guerra and Ian Szalku brought out the caution, setting up a single-file restart. On the final restart, Bobby Kibler Jr. pulled away clean and never looked back, locking in his fifth win of the season with Jake Kibler and Kohler rounding out the podium.
In the Vintage Feature, Mallory Kutz led the field to green and never looked back. She pulled away early from Bud Routzahn and Mark Czerwinski, maintaining a steady gap throughout the eight lap dash. The field ran clean and finished in the exact order they started, with Kutz taking the win in dominant fashion.
Modified (50 Laps)
1. Kyle Strohl, 2. Jacob Kerstetter, 3. Lou Strohl, 4. Rod Snyder, 5. Nick Baer, 6. Brian Defebo, 7. Earl Paules, 8. Brian Romig Jr, 9. Thomas Flanagan, 10. Tommy Wanick, 11. Mark Miller, 12. Tyler Wager, 13. Nick Kerstetter, 14. Brian Romig SR, 15. Jaden Brown, DNS. Bj Wombold
Street Stock (40 Laps)
1. Frankie Althouse, 2. Randy Ahner, 3. Adam Steigerwalt, 4. Jon Moser, 5. Brandon Christman, 6. Jill Snyder, 7. Rick Reichenbach, 8. Jamie Smith, 9. Josh Kuronya, 10. Logan Boyer, 11. Dennis Buss, 12. Cody Geist
TQ (20 Laps)
1. Tyler Wagner, 2. Josh Patteron, 3. Lexi Przybylinski, 4. Kyle Taraska, 5. Jasper Ziegafuse, 6. Don Zrinski, 7. Ozzy Carlino, 8. Richie Tolerico, 9. Mark Czerwinski, 10. Mark Janisch, 11. Vinny Testanero, 12. Bill Force
Hobby Stock (35 Laps)
1. Shayne Geist, 2. Travis Solomon, 3. Dave Kerr, 4. Jr Merkal, 5. Jeremy Henry, 6. Josh Henry, 7. Arland Moyer Jr, 8. James Tout, 9. Maggie Wambold, DNS. Sarahbeth Mesko, DNS. Ryan Petro, DQ. Bj Wambold
Pro 4 (20 Laps)
1. Bobby Kibler, 2. Jake Kibler, 3. Cody Kohler, 4. Ron Pierson Jr, 5. Jeremy Guerra, 6. Ian Szalku, 7. Kadie Pursell, 8. Rich Pursell, 9. Bob Kibler
Antique TQ (8 Laps)
1. Mallory Kutz, 2. Bud Routzahn, 3. Mark Czerwinski
Brandon Christman dominates to win $1,000 Mike Krempasky Street Stock Memorial; Brain Romig Jr Rockets to Victory in Late Model Division on July 26
By GENEVIVE YAMELSKI
(Leighton, Pa 7/26/25) Brandon Christman delivered a dominant performance in the 50-lap Street Stock feature at Mahoning Valley Speedway, leading from the pole to capture the $1,000 victory in the Mike Krempasky Memorial. From the drop of the green, Christman showed speed and control, holding off a strong field that included Frankie Althouse, who kept the pressure on. Adam Steigerwalt completed the podium with a solid third-place run.
The race was packed with action, featuring 3 cautions that repeatedly reset the field with a cone race and tested the focus of every driver. A key moment came on lap 12 when a caution flew on the backstretch involving Cody Geist. Leading to a mid-race battle intensifying as Jacob Boehm, chooses the outside lane for the restart putting him second, attempted to challenge Christman but fell back as the inside groove proved to be dominant among the front runners.
Despite the restarts and constant pressure from behind, Christman remained calm and consistent, never relinquishing the top spot. TJ Gursky and Jill Snyder both had strong showings, finishing fourth and fifth, respectively, while several others including Boehm and Geist faced setbacks that shuffled the order. With precision and poise, Christman navigated every restart and challenge to seal a flag-to-flag win in one of the night’s most competitive features.
Brian Romig Jr. put on a show, charging to victory in the 25-lap Late Model feature. Starting 4th, Romig powered his way to the front by lap 14 with a daring inside pass for the lead. Despite pressure from Marc Aigeldinger, including a bump late in the race, Romig held strong and never looked back. He masterfully saved his No. 78 machine and led the rest of the way to secure a hard-fought win. Marc Aigeldinger and Geno Steigerwalt rounded out the podium after a tightly contested battle in the closing laps.
Bobby Jones claimed the win in a fast-paced 602 Modified feature after making an early pass for the lead and never looking back. The race kicked off with Nick Baer leading the field, but Jones wasted no time, working the outside line to complete the pass and begin pulling away. Behind them, Max Pfeifer held steady in third while Randy Ahner faced tough luck, pulling off the track early. Jones cruised to a commanding victory as Baer and Pfeifer rounded out the top three.
Shayne Geist captured an impressive victory in the Hobby Stock feature, making a bold move to the front after an intense three-wide battle with Sarabeth Mesko and Jeremy Henry. Geist patiently worked his way through the field before taking control of the race and navigating through lap traffic with precision. Once out front, he held a strong lead despite pressure from the pack. James Tout made a late push to secure second, while Travis Solomon battled his way into third with a consistent and determined drive. The race was filled with tight side-by-side action, but Geist’s smooth execution and racecraft earned him a well-deserved trip to Victory Lane.
Cody Kohler emerged victorious in a wild Pro 4 feature filled with intense battles and bold moves. The action kicked off right away as Bob Kibler made an aggressive outside move on lap one, creating a thrilling three-wide battle with Kohler and Jake Kibler. Kohler quickly surged ahead to take control of the race, but the field was briefly reset following a lap-three caution involving Reese Tiemeyer. As the laps wore on, Bobby Kibler mounted a strong charge, eventually going door-to-door with Jake Kibler in an exciting mid-race fight for position. Despite pressure from both Kibler drivers, Kohler held his ground, showcasing smooth, consistent driving to claim the win. Bobby Kibler Jr finishing second, with Bob Kibler close behind in third, capping off an action-packed Pro 4 showdown.
Street Stock (50 Laps)
1. Brandon Christman, 2. Frankie Althouse, 3. Adam Steigerwalt, 4. TJ Gursky, 5. Jill Snyder, 6. Rick Reichenbach, 7. Jon Moser, 8. Jacob Boehm, 9. Randy Ahner, 10. Cody Boehm, 11. Thomas Flanagan, 12. Jamie Smith, 13. Josh Kuronya, 14. Dennis Buss, 15. Johnny Bennett, 16. Geary Reinheimer, 17. Cody Geist
Late Model (25 Laps)
1. Brian Romig Jr, 2. Marc Aigeldinger, 3. Geno Steigerwalt, 4. Brandon Cook, 5. Mark Hudson, 6. Seth Vanfossen, 7. Michael Delong, 8. Brett Peters, 9. Terry Peters
602 Modified (20 Laps)
1. Bobby Jones, 2. Nick Baer, 3. Max Pfeifer, 4. Randy Ahner
Hobby Stock (25 Laps)
1. Shayne Geist, 2. James Tout, 3. Travis Solomon, 4. Jeremy Henry, 5. Maggie Wambold, 6. Ryan Petro, 7. Sarabeth Mesko, 8. Jr Merkal, 9. Al Gildner, 10. Arland Moyer Jr., 11. Alex Kosman
Pro 4 (20 Laps)
1. Cody Kohler, 2. Bobby Kibler Jr., 3. Bob Kibler, 4. Jake Kibler, 5. Jeremy Guerra, 6. Tyler Poole, 7. Jason Finken, 8. Kadie Pursell, 9. Rich Pursell, 10. Reese Tiemeyer, 11. Rob Derfler
Hard Charger Kyle Strohl wins Modified Doug Hoffman Poker Series #2 on July 19
By GENEVIVE YAMELSKI
(Lehighton, Pa 7/19/25) Modified Poker Series #2 race at Mahoning Valley Speedway, Rod Snyder was set to start on the pole but after having issues was unable to run the feature. Bumping everyone up one position, Lou Strohl starts the pace with Jacob Kerstetter on his outside. Kerstetter charges to the lead with Austin Kochenach following behind. Leading the first 30 laps, Kochenach makes a clean pass on the inside with Kerstetter keeping the racing side by side to try taking the lead back over. Coming all the way from the back of the field, Kyle Strohl powered his way from his tenth starting position, making a smooth pass on the outside of Kochenach on lap forty-three claiming an impressive victory. Kerstetter finishing third, Lou Strohl fourth and DeFebo fifth.
Randy Ahner claimed a hard-fought victory in the street stock division. After starting from the fourth row, Ahner steadily climbed through the field and made his move just past the halfway point, taking over the lead on lap eighteen and holding strong for the remaining circuits. Frankie Althouse, who started on the front row, maintained a consistent pace and finished second with Jon Moser rounded out the podium in third. The race saw multiple position changes and incidents, including a dramatic caution involving Adam Steigerwalt, who lost his right-side door while trying to avoid a spinner in turn two. Despite the chaos, Ahner remained composed and powered his way to the checkered flag gaining his third win this year.
As the green flag drops, Travis Soloman, who is starting outside in the first row of the hobby stock class, passes Sarabeth Mesko. Shayne Geist who started fifth makes a quick dash to the front, running second by lap three. With little cautions and some lap traffic, Soloman played defensive to secure his first win for the season. Geist finishing second, Kerr third, Petro fourth, and Tout fifth.
Jake and Bob Kibler were set to start on the front row but a first lap wreck between the two causing Bob Kibler to not finish the race and Jake Kibler being sent to the back, Bobby Kibler Jr and Cody Kohler were set to start the pace of the race. Kilber Jr leading with Kohler following in search of the ideal moment to take control. Kohler moves to the inside on lap 11, but they both get into lap traffic. Reese Tiemyer issues a caution, which keeps Kibler Jr. in the lead. Maintaining the lead with nine laps remaining and going on to win his fourth race of the season. Kohler finishing second, Guerra third, Jake Kibler fourth, Poole fifth.
Josh Patterson took home his second win in the TQ Feature at Mahoning Valley Speedway after a close twenty lap battle. Tyler Wagner finishing a strong second, with Jasper Ziegafuse completing the podium in third. Don Wagner and Lexi Przybylinski rounded out the top five.
Ian McGuire captures the win in the microstock class starting from the outside of the front row, McGuire quickly took command and held off a late charge from Alex Greenzweig to secure the victory. Eric Platt completing the top three.
Bill Fischer who started third made a mad dash on lap 6 passing Brady Routzhahn. Vinny Testanero claiming two positions finishing second. Brady Routzahn taking home third and Bud Routzahn fourth.
Modified (50 Laps)
1. Kyle Strohl 2. Austin Kochenash 3. Jacob Kerstetter 4. Lou Strohl 5. Brian DeFebo 6. Don Wagner 7. Jaden Brown 8. Tyler Wager 9. Nick Baer 10. Mark Miller DNS. Rod Snyder
Street Stock (40 Laps)
1. Randy Ahner 2. Frankie Althouse 3. Jon Moser 4. Jill Snyder 5. Cody Boehm 6. Brandon Christman 7. Cody Geist 8. Jake Boehm 9. Adam Steigerwalt 10. Mark Martini 11. Geary Reinheimer 12. Jamie Smith 13. Josh Kuronya 14. Logan Boyer 15. Jared Frye 16. Thomas Flanagan
Hobby Stock (35 Laps)
1. Travis Solomon 2. Shayne Geist 3. Dave Kerr 4. Ryan Petro 5. James Tout 6. Jeremy Henry 7. Jr Merkal 8. Sarabeth Mesko 9. Arland Moyer Jr 10. Maggie Wambold 11. Shawn Hoffman
Pro 4 (20 Laps)
1. Bobby Kibler Jr 2. Cody Kohler 3. Jeremy Guerra 4. Jake Kibler 5. Tyler Poole 6. Ron Pierson Jr 7. Rob Derfler 8. Kadie Pursell 9. Rich Pursell 10. Tyler Stangle 11. Reese Tiemeyer 12. Bob Kibler
TQ (20 Laps)
1. Josh Patteron 2. Tyler Wagner 3. Jasper Ziegafuse 4. Don Wagner 5. Lexi Przybylinski 6. Don Zrinski 7. Vinny Testanero 8. Richie Tolerico 9. Adam Huff 10. Ozzy Carlino DNS. Mark Janisch
Microstock (20 Laps)
1. Ian McGuire 2. Alex Greenzweig 3. Eric Platt 3. Walker Sutphin 4. Jim Vandine 5. Mike Haskins 6. Roger Snyder 7. Lydia Snyder
Vintage TQ (8 Laps)
1. Bill Fischer 2. Vinny Testanero 3. Bud Routzahn 4. Brady Routzahn
Nick Baer two for two in 602 Modified Feature at Mahoning Valley Speedway on July 12
By GENEVIVE YAMELSKI
(Lehighton, PA 7-12-25) Nick Baer remained unbeatable, even after a first-lap incident involving him and Jacob Kertestter heading for the green flag. From Newtripoli, PA, Baer led all 30 laps starting on the pole and never looked back, earning his second victory of the year. Ahner finishing second, Pfeifer third, Kohler fourth, and Kerstetter.
Randy Ahner's car was set up to win in a caution-free feature, leading every lap after he passed Cody Boehm in the street stock feature. Fankie Althouse and TJ Gursky, who both started in the third row, battled for second place, moving across the field to see whether either had what it took to find Ahner. Young blood Adam Steigerwalt following and Jon Moser rounding out the top five.
Side by side action in the hobby stocks by Shayne Geist and Travis Soloman, back and forth for the leading position came to a halt after both drivers spin on lap twenty-three. With both cars going to the back of the field, this put Ryan Petro from Tamaqua PA on the pole for the single file restart. Shawn Hoffman right on his bumper, ultimately ending with Petro parking his car in victory lane. James Tout taking home third, Henry fourth, and Wambold fifth.
A swift pass from Cody Kohler starting third taking the lead from Rob Derfler, with Bob Kibler and Bobby Kibler right behind, Kohler played refense to keep his position. A wreck on lap fourteen sending Kadie Pursell and Tyler Stangle into the wall causing the officials to throw out the red flag. Only six laps till checkered it was any man's race, Kohler showed out though and brought home his first pro 4 feature win of the year. Bob Kibler finishing second, Bobby Kibler third, Jake Kibler fourth and Tyler Poole fifth.
Rockaway, NY resident Tyler Wagner started in the front row and never left it. Taking the lead of the 20 lap TQ feature bringing home a win for the night. Jasper Ziegafuse finishing second and Patterson third.
The Microstocks hit the track for the first time this year and Kyle Costick proved to be the driver to beat. Starting first Costick won not only his heat but also the feature taking off away from the field. Tom Ervin finishing second, Peter Soldano third.
The Stage 1 feature race delivered an exciting 20-lap showdown with Dylan Hoch taking the checkered flag after a commanding performance. Jaden Brown gave chase but ultimately settled for a strong second-place, Tyler Hoch rounding out the podium.
602 Modified (30 Laps)
1. Nick Baer 2. Randy Ahner 3. Max Pfeifer 4. Makayla Kohler 5. Jacob Kertetter
Street Stock (30 Laps)
1. Randy Ahner 2. Frankie Althouse 3. TJ Gursky 4. Adam Steigerwalt 5. Jon Moser 6. Jill Snyder 7. Eric Kocher 8. Cody Boehm 9. Cody Geist 10. Brandon Christman 11. Josh Kuronya 12. Dennis Buss 13. Jacob Boehm 14. Jamie Smith 15. Thomas Flanagan
Hobby Stock (25 Laps)
1. Ryan Petro 2. Shawn Hoffman 3. James Tout 4. Jeremy Henry 5. Maggie Wambold 6. Jr Merkal 7. Sarahbeth Mesko 8. Shayne Geist 9. Travis Solomon 10. Ryan Berger 11. Dave Imler
Pro 4 (20 Laps)
1. Cody Kohler 2. Bob Kibler 3. Bobby Kibler 4. 5. Jake Kibler 6. Rob Derfler 7. Rich Pursell 8. Ron Pierson Jr 9. Reese Tiemeyer 10. Aidan Beucher 11. Kadie Pursell 12. Tyler Stangle
TQ (20 Laps)
1. Tyler Wagner 2. Jasper Ziegafuse 3. Josh Patteron 4. Kyle Taraska 5. Lexi Przybylinski 6. Don Zrinski 7. Ozzy Carlino 8. Mark Janisch 9. Vinny Testanero 10. Howard Boss 11. Richie Tolerico
Microstock (15 Laps)
1. Kyle Costick 2. Tom Ervin 3. Peter Soldano 4. Al Puntaseca 5. Eric Platt 6. Leo Kinney 7. Mike Haskins 8. JoShua Conklin 9. JohnPaul Herold 10. Tyler Wagner
Stage 1 (20 Laps)
1. Dylan Hoch 2. Jaden Brown 3. Tyler Hoch 4. Richie Keller 5. Carter Mullins 6. Brett Smith 7. Troy Kline 8. Kenzie Smith 9. Frankie Althouse 10. Jon Keller
Jaden Brown brings home Modified Poker Series Race #1 at Mahoning Valley Speedway on May 18
By GENEVIVE YAMELSKI
(Leighton, PA 5-17-25) After three weekends full of rain Mahoning Valley Speedway was finally able to bring cars back out onto the pavement for race #1 of the Doug Hoffman Poker Series and a family rivalry started on the front row, with Tyler Wagner and his uncle, Don Wagner who battled back and forth for the lead position. The first 13 laps race smooth before with only one caution which during the restart saw Jaden Brown move to third followed by his grandfather Earl Paules. Being it was a 50-lap race Brown, from Kunkletown, waited for the right time to save his tires and make his way through and with seven laps to go passing T. Wagner for the win. A win from Mahoning Valley Speedway wasn't something new to Brown. “Having the cones on the track moving the grove made things difficult so we had to make adjustments for the night but mostly left the car from how we ran for the Race of Champions at the season opener,” he explained.“We had to play it smart, and hope it all fell the right way. I have to thank all my family, crew, and sponsors for all the help they have given me.” Finishing out the top five was T. Wagner, Rod Snyder Jr,, Lou Strohl and Paules.
In the Late Model division Nick Ross of Mountain Top, showed his dominance taking home both the heat and feature win leading every lap with despite only two cautions. A hard battle for second between teammates Brandon Cook and Marc Aigeldinger ultimately ending with Aigeldinger runner-up over Cook, Brian Romig Jr,, Michael Delong and Seth Van Fossen.
The Street Stock Division was nothing short of excitement. Hard charging Josh Kuronya led early with Geary Rinehimer Jr., right behind waiting to make his move. But it would be Jacob Boehm instead who snuck in to take second position later leading to a caution coming out. Because there where cones out on the track due to seepage issues, Jim Thorpe’s Randy Ahner Jr., knew he had to play it smart to keep moving his way up to the front, ultimately taking over the lead on lap 25 after Boehm who got loose on the back stretch.
Rounding out the top five were Adam Steigerwalt, Brandon Christman, Cody Boehm and Jill Snyder.
Hobby Stock driver Shanye Geist played defense to Michael Wambold for 20 laps both pulling away from the rest of the field before Geist got caught in lapped traffic running the outside. Wambold made a bold move and darted to the inside, going three wide to take over the lead. Pulling away, Wambold took home his seventh career feature win. Travis Soloman finished second, Geist third, James Tout and Ken Reeder rounded out the top-5.
In the Pro 4s, Bobby Kibler Jr., of Lehighton showed no mercy to the rest of the field, setting his car up for success this year he came into to the evening as the point leader. Kibler started pole position, but Randy Schaffer put the pressure on him letting him know he is right behind him. The heat was on for third as Ian Szalku and Bob Kibler, Sr., battled it out leading to the first caution. Kibler Jr. and Kibler, Sr., then faced off going into lap six, but Jr., not giving up without a fight. Leading every lap on the 20-lap feature, the younger Kibler took home his second victory of the season. Schaffer made his way back into the mix finishing second with Cody Kohler third, Kibler Sr., fourth and Jake Kibler in the top five.
Modified (50 Laps)
1. Jaden Brown, 2. Tyler Wagner, 3. Rod Snyder Jr., 4. Lour Strohl, 5. Earl Paules, 6. Kyle Strohl, 7. Don Wagner, 8. Roger Coss, 9. Brian Romig Jr., 10. Nick Baer, 11. Mark Miller, 12. Mark Miller, 12. Brian Romig SR, 13. Jacob Kerstetter, 14. Cody Bohem, 15. John Bennett, 16. Terry Markovic, 17. Brian DeFebo
Late Model (25 Laps)
1. Nick Ross, 2. Marc Aigeldinger, 3. Brandon Cook, 4. Brian Romig Jr., 5. Michael Delong, 6. Seth Van Fossen
Street Stock (40 Laps)
1. Randy Ahner Jr, 2. Adam Steigerwalt, 3. Brandon Christman, 4. Cody Boehm, 5. Jill Snyder, 6. Cody Geist, 7. Jon Moser, 8. Randy Green, 9. Frankie Althouse, 10. Gary Reinhemer, 11. Josh Kuronya, 12. Jared Frye, 13. Jamie Smith, 14. Jacob Boehm
Hobby Stock (35 Laps)
1. Michael Wambold, 2. Travis Solomon, 3. Shayne Geist, 4. James Tout, 5. Ken Reeder, 6. Sarabeth Mesko, 7. Dave Imler, Jr., 8. Jr Merkel, 9. Jeremy Henry, 10. Al Gildner, 11. Arland Moyer Jr.
Pro 4 (20 Laps)
1. Bobby Kibler JR, 2. Randy Schaffer, 3. Cody Kohler, 4. Bob Kibler, 5. Jake Kibler, 6. Tyler Poole, 7. lan Szalku, 8. Robert Derfler, 9. Rich Pursell, 10. Kadie Pursell
April 19, 2025
From Worst to First
By Genevive Yamelski
Austin Beers from Northampton, PA was able to add another victory to his collection at the season opener ROC Bunny Hop 75 at Mahoning Valley Speedway in Lehighton, PA. Battling with mechanical issues leading to him having to scratch not only hot laps, but his heat race as well. Leaving him starting last in the 27 car count field, he made a mad dash to the front to pass Lou Strohl with only two laps to the checkered flag. Out of breath Beers states “I’ve got to thank all those guys. All of our guys, all the Blewett guys. We were kind of stumped on what the problem was. It ended up being the fuel pump, we think. What a hell of a race. “I have to thank Louie, he ran me really clean. That was really fun. Definitely fun coming through the pack there, I just had to bide my time. My dad did an amazing job being a spotter. He’s not great at it, but he’s getting there. He’s doing really good now, but it feels really good to get the win.”Beers goes on to say, “I just didn't really have enough drive. I was tight, which built free towards the end of the run. I couldn’t get the run around the tip and he was doing a good job of protecting the bottom out of two. I knew my opportunity would be out of four when he wouldn’t expect it. He got a little high, and this thing just gripped up enough to where I could motor on next to him and break his momentum.”Lou Strohl from Palmerton, PA had to think smart about his strategy to muscle his way to the front from his starting position of tenth. Waiting for the right time to come Strohl found himself taking over the pole position of the restart on lap fifty-five Strohl states “I was like fourteenth or fifteenth there after that first caution You know what, I kept my strategy. I knew the car count was really good. I just kept to my strategy and passed them where I could. Didn’t use the tires up. The clutch was slipping so hard. I couldn’t throttle up off of two or four. He could and that’s how he got me. You can only do so much. That’s racing and we were fast.”Rounding out the podium was Blake Barney from Jackson NJ keeping the momentum in the front of the pack most of the race. Even being front row for the restart on lap fifty-four, but Strohl charging first.“I mean, it’s always good to come out here and have a good top three finish, but I’m just a little disappointed. I felt like there was a lot of opportunities for me to win and it kind of falls on me a little bit.” Barney states in his post race interview.“I got that restart in the lead and I felt like he jumped it. I’m not mad at him, you know? He’s just trying to win the race, but seems like it was a little egregious and had a full car on me at the line, but it’s whatever. It’s my fault, I should have maybe went earlier too.” “From there, I was just trying to see what they were doing up front. They had a pretty good battle and it made for an exciting finish. I didn’t really want to mess that up and kind of just jump when they were weak, but that really didn’t happen for me. Kind of disappointed, but at the same time, any time you can come here with a stout field like this and finish top three, you can’t really be too mad about it.”Finishing out the top ten was Ron Silk, Daren Scherer, Hirshman, Brian DeFebo, Paulie Hartwig III, Jaden Brown and Don Wagner.
In an attempt to retain his title as track champion, Palmerton, PA Cody Geist won the season's first thirty-lap street stock race. With only one caution leading to a single file green, white, checker, Geist charges and brings home his first win for the season.
Adam Steigerwalt of Lehighton, PA, finishes second putting up a strong fight for his first divisional race after competing in the futures previously. Jamie Smith coming in fifth, Jill Snyder in fourth, and Jacob Boehm in third.
From Palmerton, PA Devin Schmidt showed no mercy to the 4-cylinder field starting on the pole and never looking back. After taking a few years off he led every lap and ended with a victory lane smoke show. Shayne Geist placing second, Berger third, Wambold fourth, and Solomon fifth.
Bobby Kibler JR from Slatington, PA wasted no time passing Szalku on the inside on the first lap of the pro 4 division. Holding his lane to defend off Schaffer to take home the win. With a close finish Schaffer in second, Kohler third, Kibler forth, and Szalku fifth.
The futures class competes in a tight 15-lap race to round out the evening. Merkel defending off Henry who shows no mercy to pass but doesn’t have quite enough to complete it. Ultimately ending with Merkel first, Henry second and Mesko third.
Modified (75 Laps)
1.Beers, 2.L.Strohl, 3.Barney, 4.Silk, 5.Schere, 6.Hirshman, 7.DeFebo, 8.Hartwig III, 9.Brown, 10.Wagner, 11.Blewett, 12.Paules, 13.Harman, 14.Finocchario, 15.Kochenash, 16.Kerstetter, 17.Flanagan, 18.Miller, 19Kohler, 20.Ely, 21.Coss, 22.Wagner, 23.Snyder, 24.Strohl, 25.Bennett, 26.Baer, 27.Richard
Street Stock (30 Laps)
1.C. Geist, 2.Steigerwalt, 3.Boehm, 4.Snyder, 5.Smith, 6.Flanagan, 7.Christman, 8.Kuronya, 9.Frye, 10.Moser, 11.Reinhemer, 12.Boehm, 13.Althouse
Hobby Stock (25 Laps)
1.Schmidt, 2.S. Geist, 3.Berger, 4.M. Wambold, 5.Solomon, 6.Edelman, 7.Kibler, 8.Connolly, 9.Tout, 10.Gildner, 11.Kerr, 12.Romig Jr, 13.Moyer Jr
Pro 4 (20 Laps)
1.Kibler Jr, 2.Schaffer, 3.Kohler, 4.Kibler, 5.Szalku, 6.Poole, 7.Derfler, 8.K. Pursell, 9.Boucher, 10.R. Pursell, 11.Stangle
Future (14 Laps)
1.Merkel, 2.Henry, 3Mesko
By: GENEVIVE YAMELSKI
Leighton, PA (10/18/25) Kyle Strohl fired off from the front row and immediately took control of the race, showing the same calm confidence that carried him all season long. Matt Hirschman settled in right behind him, keeping the pressure on while the rest of the field sorted itself out. Behind them, Bobby Jones, Nick Baer, and Gunner Zeiner went door-to-door in a tight battle for position as the top two broke away. For more than 20 laps, the race stayed clean and intense before Lou Strohl’s spin in turn three brought out the first caution of the night. On the restart, Strohl got a strong launch, but Hirschman stayed glued to his bumper, working the outside line and searching for momentum. The field behind them stayed tight, with Kochenash, DeFebo, and Baer fighting fiercely for every inch of track. Things heated up when Mark Miller lost control on the backstretch, drawing another caution that bunched the field and set up the defining moment of the race. As the green flag waved again, Hirschman powered to the outside of Strohl and completed a bold, clean pass for the lead that had the fans on their feet. Once out front, Hirschman held steady through multiple cautions and restarts, including a wild moment when two cars spun nearly simultaneously in turns two and four. Strohl stayed close, giving it everything he had in the closing laps, but Hirschman’s smooth, consistent line carried him to the checkered flag and the Modified feature win.
Finishing second was Kyle Strohl, who still went home in victory as the 2025 Modified Track Champion. Nick Baer finishing third, followed by Lou Strohl and Gunner Zeiner rounding out the top five.
Before the late model race even found its rhythm, championship pressure was at an all-time high, and it showed when Brian Romig Jr., feeling the heat, lost his composure heading into turn three. He made heavy contact with Marc Aigeldinger, sending the title contender spinning. Under caution, Romig Jr. charged toward Aigeldinger’s car in frustration, earning an immediate disqualification from officials. The crowd erupted as the call was made, and the track crew cleared the way for the restart.Once the field regrouped and racing resumed, Geno Steigerwalt took command out front, holding off Brian Romig Sr. and Dennis Wenner. From there, it was all smooth sailing for Steigerwalt, who led every lap of the feature and never gave the field a chance to close in. Aigeldinger, despite being taken out early, regrouped and drove with patience and poise, bringing home a solid top-five finish, more than enough to secure the 2025 Late Model points championship.At the checkers, Steigerwalt claimed the win, followed by Romig Sr. in second, Wenner in third, Aigeldinger in fourth, and Ryan Rochelle rounding out the top five. After the race, Aigeldinger celebrated his hard-fought championship in true Mahoning fashion with beer showers from his crew and cheers echoing from the grandstands.
Cody Geist and Josh Kuronya led the street stock field to the start, with Geist quickly taking command by lap seven. Behind him, Jon Moser began his climb through the pack, threading his way past heavy traffic to position himself as a serious threat for the win.
As the laps ticked by, the battles intensified. Frankie Althouse and Brandon Christman ran hard inside the top five while Adam Steigerwalt and Jill Snyder stayed close behind. The race saw its first major shakeup when Kuronya’s car broke on lap 20, bringing out a caution and bunching the field back together. On the restart, Moser got the jump over Geist, but the two traded the lead back and forth in a thrilling stretch of side-by-side racing.Midway through the race, chaos erupted in turns three and four when multiple cars tangled, forcing another restart. The crowd got on their feet as the green flew again, with Moser and Geist battling door-to-door and Christman right in the mix. The closing laps were nothing short of electric as the top three raced nose-to-tail for the win.Coming to the checkered flag, Geist looked poised to take it but Moser had other plans. Charging off of turn four on the final lap, Moser pulled to the inside and edged ahead by inches at the line, leaving the fans in an uproar and disbelief over what they’d just witnessed. Moser claimed the hard-fought victory, followed by Geist in second, Christman in third, Althouse in fourth, and Snyder rounding out the top five.
The Hobby Stock feature at Mahoning Valley Speedway kicked off with James Tout jumping out front. Just two laps in, Travis Solomon got loose but saved it simultaneously while Arland Moyer Jr. spun down the front stretch, bringing out the first caution of the night. Cody Geist decided to pull off shortly after, while Shayne Geist, who was running near the front, suffered a flat tire that sent him to the pits.
Forced to restart from the back of the field, Geist wasted no time mounting his comeback. Lap after lap, he worked his way forward, making fast, aggressive moves through heavy traffic. Dave Kerr made a strong early run as well, hopping a tire after getting loose but saving it to stay in the mix. At the same time, Aaron Moyer was black-flagged after causing a caution on lap 21 when he tangled with another car, collecting Jake Kibler, who had been running solidly in the top three. When the race went back to green, Solomon led the field with Geist charging right behind him. Within just a few laps, Geist powered his way into the lead, with Jeremy Henry hot on his tail. Kibler regrouped and began climbing back through the pack, swapping positions with Moyer Jr. for fourth as the laps wound down. On the final restart, Geist got the jump and pulled away while Henry, Kerr, and Kibler fought hard just behind. Geist held strong to the checkered flag, capping off an incredible drive from the rear of the field to victory. A win that also secured him the 2025 Hobby Stock championship. At the finish, it was Geist taking the win, followed by Henry in second, Kibler in third, Kerr in fourth, and Solomon rounding out the top five. As Geist climbed out of his car in victory lane, the Mahoning crowd roared, celebrating both a hard-earned feature win and a championship drive that showed the heart of a racer.
Bobby Kibler Jr. wasted no time setting the tone for the Pro 4 feature, jumping out front early and holding the top spot from start to finish. Earning this year’s points championship, Kibler Jr. entered the night with nine wins and showed exactly why he’s been the top of the class all season long. Jason Finken moved up quickly into second after getting by Rob Derfler, while Tyler Stangle followed close behind in third as the front pack began to separate from the field. The first stretch ran smoothly until Kadie Pursell pulled to the infield on lap eight, ending her night early. Not long after, Derfler dove low under Stangle, making contact that brought out the caution on lap sixteen. Once racing resumed, Kibler Jr. hit his marks perfectly and stretched his lead back out with no trouble from behind. A late spin from Terry Peters in turns three and four didn’t faze the leaders, and the field stayed under green through the closing laps. Kibler Jr. remained calm and in control all the way to the checkered flag, claiming his 10th win of the season and officially securing the 2025 Pro 4 points championship. Finken finished a strong second, followed by Stangle in third, Peters in fourth, and Rich Pursell rounding out the top five.
Tyler Wagner wasted no time making his presence known in the TQ feature, charging toward the front just a couple laps into the race. Josh Patterson jumped out early to lead the opening circuits, but it didn’t take long before Wagner closed the gap and made it a two-car battle for the top spot. The rest of the field quickly settled into formation as lapped traffic started to come into play. Behind the leaders, Kyle Taraska held a solid third while Geo S. and Charlie S. kept things tight in the middle of the pack. The first caution came around lap eleven when Ken Hirt spun in turns one and two. The initial restart was waved off, but when the field came back to green, Wagner wasted no time making his move.
Once Wagner got out front, he set a steady pace and kept the pressure behind him at bay. Patterson stayed close in second, but Wagner never missed a mark through the final laps, showing calm control all the way to the finish. At the checkered, it was Wagner taking home the win, followed by Patterson in second, Geo S. in third, Taraska in fourth, and Charlie S. rounding out the top five.
Gary Hallman got a great start in the NAARA 20 lap showdown, but the hard-charging Mike Garris quickly turned up the pressure. Newcomer Rob Laskowski wasn’t far behind, with rookie Nick Simon holding his own. Hallman stuck to the bottom while Garris battled on the outside, the two running tight for several laps. Going into turn three, Garris gained the edge but brushed the front stretch wall, letting NY native Laskowski slip by for second. Garris quickly recovered, and Simon continued to close in. Laskowski then challenged Hallman for the lead in a clean, side-by-side fight to the finish. In the end, Hallman’s smooth and steady drive put him in victory lane. Laskowski finishing second, Garris third and Simon fourth.
Modified (75 Laps)
1. Matt Hirschman, 2. Kyle Strohl, 3. Nick Baer, 4. Lou Strohl, 5. Gunner Zeiner, 6. Austin Kochenash, 7. Brian Defebo, 8. Rod Snyder, 9. Mark Miller, 10. Bobby Jones, 11. Nick Schaeffer, 12. Zane Zeiner
Late Model (25 Laps)
1. Geno Steigerwalt, 2. Brian Romig Sr, 3. Dennis Wenner, 4. Marc Aigeldinger, 5. Ryan Rochelle, 6. Rich Cooper, 7. Seth Vanfossen, 8. Michael Delong, 9. Brian Romig Jr
Street Stock (50 Laps)
1. Jon Moser, 2. Cody Geist, 3. Brandon Christman, 4. Frankie Althouse, 5. Jill Snyder, 6. Jake Boehm, 7. Adam Steigerwalt, 8. Thomas Flanagan, 9. Jamie Smith, 10. Randy Green, 11. Logan Boyer, 12. Josh Kuronya, 13. TJ Kemmerer, 14. Geary Reinheimer, 15. Stacey Brown, 16. Chase Hoffman
Hobby Stock (40 Laps)
1. Shayne Geist, 2. Jeremy Henry, 3. Jake Kibler, 4. Dave Kerr, 5. Travis Solomon, 6. Sarabeth Mesko, 7. Arland Moyer Jr, 8. Aaron Moyer, 9. Cody Geist, 10. James Tout
Pro 4 (20 Laps)
1. Bobby Kibler Jr, 2. Jason Finken, 3. Tyler Stangle , 4. Terry Peters, 5. Rich Pursell, 6. Ron Pierson Jr, 7. Rob Derfler, 8. Kadie Pursell
TQ (20 Laps)
1. Tyler Wagner, 2. Josh Patterson, 3. Geo S, 4. Kyle Taraska, 5. Charlie S, 6. Jasper Ziegafuse, 7. Lexi Przybylinski, 8. Ken Hirt, 9. Ozzy Carlino, 10. Howard Boss
NAARA (20 Laps)
1. Gary Hallman, 2. Rob Laskowski, 3. Mike Garris, 4. Nick Simon
Blake Barney Controls the Night with Flag-to-Flag Win in Modifieds; Jon Moser celebrates birthday in victory lane; James Tout earns first career win.
BY: GENEVIVE YAMELSKI
Leighton, PA (10/3/25) Blake Barney led from start to finish to claim the Modified Feature victory Saturday night at Mahoning Valley Speedway. The 50-lap event saw plenty of action throughout the field, with several drivers battling handling issues and incidents along the way.
Barney jumped out to an early lead over Brian Defebo, while Lou Strohl quickly worked his way to the inside of Defebo with Bobby Jones following close behind. Nick Simon was shown the black flag early after being warned multiple times for not maintaining a competitive pace, while Jaden Brown brought out the first caution on lap 16 after getting loose on the backstretch.
By lap 20, Brown’s troubles continued as he got loose again in turn one, forcing a trip to the pits for his crew to check over the car. Two laps later, Jones, running third on the inside, got loose through turns one and two, kicking up smoke but managing to keep position as the race went back to green.
Jones’ night took a turn once more a few laps later when he spun again in turn three and pulled to the pits hoping to make the right adjustments to improve. On lap 27, Earl Paules checked up in turn two and got sideways, making contact with Brown, while Snyder narrowly avoided the incident from behind. Two laps later, Mark Miller went high coming off turn four and made hard contact with the front stretch wall near the flag stand, ending with the double wrecker to be pulled off the track.
As the laps wound down, Barney maintained command at the front while both Kyle and Lou Strohl battled for second and third. By lap 38, Jones had pulled off, and a brief scare came when Lou Strohl bumped tires with Baer, though both were able to continue without issue.
At the checkered flag, Barney crossed the line first, holding off a strong charge from Kyle Strohl, who finished just seconds behind. Nick Baer completed the podium in third, followed by Lou Strohl and Jacob Kerstetter. Jaden Brown, Rod Snyder, Earl Paules, and Brian Defebo rounded out the top nine.
Jon Moser turned his birthday into a celebration, driving a flawless race to score the Street Stock feature win in a thrilling 40-lap battle.
Moser got the jump off the start while Cody Geist charged to the inside of T.J. Gursky for second. Gursky held his line, all while Jill Snyder began slicing through traffic from her 6th starting position. The first caution came on lap 13 when Randy Ahner got loose and spun, bunching up the field for a restart. Moser kept command at the front while Snyder climbed to second and Adam Steigerwalt battled his way into the top three.
Trouble struck again on lap 19 when Brandon Christman got sideways and clipped Josh Kuronya, cutting a tire and forcing both to restart at the back. Despite the chaos, Moser stayed smooth out front, holding off a hungry Steigerwalt and a determined Geist. Another caution on lap 23 saw Chase Hoffman spin on the front stretch, and tempers flared a few laps later after more contact between Christman and Kuronya that left Kuronya with another flat.
As the laps wound down, Geist made a bold move past Steigerwalt for second, with Snyder right behind in third. Ahner, who had started last, worked his way methodically through the pack to fourth, along with gaining the championship for the poker series. When the checkered flag flew, it was Moser taking the win and the birthday spotlight. Snyder, Steigerwalt, Geist, and Ahner rounding out the top five.
The Hobby Stock division delivered one of the wildest races of the night as James Tout captured his first career win in a 35-lap thriller.
Dave Kerr took control early, jumping to the lead with Jake Kibler moving quickly into third and Travis Solomon fighting hard on the outside. The first caution came just before halfway when Solomon’s night ended early having him be pushed off the track, setting up a restart that reshuffled the top five.
On the restart, Kibler made a strong move to the inside of Terry Peters to take over second while Ryan Berger followed close behind. The intensity picked up around lap 23 when Kerr got loose, tightening the field once more and inviting Shayne Geist into the fight. Two more cautions came in quick succession after minor contact throughout the pack, with Kerr and Berger brushing wheels but keeping pace.
The race’s biggest moment came on lap 26 when sparks flew between Kibler, Kerr, and Berger, with Kibler's rear bumper grazing the wall in turn 3. Forcing both Kerr and Berger to the pits. Tout inherited the lead on the restart and never flinched. Geist made a last chance mad dash to the front, but Tout held strong through the final corner to take the checkered flag — sealing an emotional first career victory at Mahoning Valley. Geist, Arland Moyer Jr., Berger, and Kibler completed the top five.
Bobby Kibler Jr. put on a clinic in the 20-lap Pro 4 feature, storming to victory after an early battle and a flawless run to the finish.
After a complete restart with lots of commotion in the beginning. Jeremy Guerra led the opening laps with Kibler Jr. and Cody Kohler locked in close pursuit. By lap three, Kibler Jr. made a daring pass around the outside to take the top spot, setting the tone for the rest of the race. Kohler stayed within striking distance, keeping pressure on while Guerra held firm in second.
An early incident on lap two forced Jason Finken to the pits, ending his night early, but the rest of the field settled in for a smooth run. As the laps ticked away, Kibler showed pure consistency, keeping a steady pace and never allowing the field a chance to close back in.
Kibler Jr. crossed the line first to secure win number 8 of the year, followed by Guerra, Kohler, Rob Derfler, and Kadie Pursell rounding out the top five.
Modified (50 Laps)
1. Blake Barney, 2. Kyle Strohl, 3. Nick Baer, 4. Lou Strohl, 5. Jacob Kerstetter, 6. Jaden Brown, 7. Rod Snyder, 8. Earl Paules, 9. Brian Defebo, 10. Bobby Jones, 11. Mark Miller, 12. Nick Simon
Street Stock (40 Laps)
1. Jon Moser, 2. Jill Snyder, 3. Adam Steigerwalt, 4. Cody Geist, 5. Randy Ahner, 6. TJ Gursky, 7. Jamie Smith, 8. Josh Kuronya, 9. Chase Hoffman, 10. Brandon Christman
Hobby Stock (35 Laps)
1. James Tout, 2. Shayne Geist, 3. Arland Moyer Jr, 4. Ryan Berger, 5. Jake Kibler, 6. Jeremy Henry, 7. Terry Peters, 8. Dave Kerr, 9. Travis Solomon
Pro 4 (20 Laps)
1. Bobby Kibler Jr., 2. Jeremy Guerra, 3. Cody Kohler, 4. Rob Derfler, 5. Kadie Pursell, 6. Rich Pursell, 7. Jason Finken
Earl Paules breaks three year drought with first win since 2022; Althouse Powers to Victory, Dedicates Win to Late Pap on September 20
By: GENEVIVE YAMELSKI
Leighton, Pa (09/20/2025) The Modified Feature at Mahoning Valley Speedway was an action-packed 50-lap battle. The race began with Austin Kochenash on pole alongside Tyler Wagner. Current points leader Kyle Strohl kept the heat on Kochenash looking on both the inside and outside waiting for the perfect moment to try and take over the lead. Quickly it became clear the night would be full of drama though early on in the race, on lap 10 Tyler Wagner brought out the first caution, while at the same time officials noticed Bobby Jones had a possible fuel leak forcing him to pit. Just 5 laps later, Rod Snyder spun on the backstretch. As the cars stacked back up for another restart at the line, Strohl side by side with Kochenash. Earl Paules, bringing the heat starting fifth, swiftly moved his way up to third running with the front of the pack, beside him running was Jaden Brown. Kochenash, playing defense of Strohl for 40 laps, Strohl finally was able to surge to the outside and clear him. Although a short lived green flag racing as Mark Miller got sideways off of turn four bringing out two cautions back to back with only 7 laps to go. While attempting another restart, one lap was able to be completed before Jaden Brown grazed the wall, along with Jacob Kerstetter and Don Wagner being involved. Both Kerstetter and Wagner’s nights ended after being pulled off the track with wreckers. Speedy dry needing to be put down to clean up the oil from the wreck put a small delay in the final 5 laps of the show. But, once the track was ready, they went back to green but luck was not on Strohl's side as they went for a single file restart, him getting a flat sending him to the pits and having to start in the back of the pack. Paules, having laid his cards out perfectly, stacked up right behind him giving him the leading position for the final restart of the 50 lap showdown. Kochenash putting the pressure on, but Paules showed after all the years of driving he still had the technique to pull off the Doug Hoffman Poker Series #4 win. Paules not being in victory since 2022, the emotions were high in victory lane with the statement that even after just turning 60 years old, at his age it's still possible to pull off a win. Finishing behind him was Kochenash, Lou Strohl in third, Nick Baer fourth, and Brian DeFebo fifth.
Right from the green it was all about Frankie Althouse, who once again proved unstoppable in the 40-lap street stock main. Lining up on the outside of the front row, Althouse wasted no time surging past pole-sitter Brandon Christman and seizing control right from the drop of the green. An early caution slowed the pace when Jake Boehm dropped parts off of his car in turn three, but Althouse quickly got back to work and never let go of the top spot. Boehm’s night went from bad to worse as he pulled off with 15 laps to go, ending his run prematurely.From there, the race was all about the fight for second. Jon Moser and Randy Ahner battled hard through the middle stages, with Moser eventually grabbing the runner-up spot by just a few car lengths over Ahner. Jill Snyder had another strong outing, securing fourth, while Adam Steigerwalt rounded out the top five after a steady drive. Behind them, Christman and Cody Geist traded spots as the laps wound down. When the checkered flag waved, Althouse crossed the line with over a five-car-length cushion, securing his third win of the season. The victory carried heavy emotion, as he dedicated the win to his late pap, making it one of the most meaningful of his career. With speed, consistency, and heart on his side, Althouse continues to stand tall as one of the top contenders in the division.
Early drama in the hobby stock class for the opening laps, Terry Peters got sideways coming out of turn two and made contact with Sarabeth Mesko, forcing the field to scatter to avoid the wreck. Mesko’s night was cut short while Peters was sent to the rear for the restart. Just a few laps later, another caution flew when Nick Schaeffer spun on the frontstretch, keeping the field tight in the early going. Out front, it was Shayne Geist who took control and left the field in the distance. Despite multiple restarts and pressure from the pack, Geist held his ground and set the tone throughout the 35-lap feature. Attrition continued behind him, with Ryan Berger pulling off after running in the top three, and others shuffling in and out of contention as the race wore on. At the finish, Geist captured his seventh win of the season which is a new record for the amount of wins he has received in previous years. Even beating his father in his total number of wins in one season. Cody Boehm closed in but had to settle for second, with Travis Solomon taking third. Jake Kibler and James Tout completed the top five in a feature that kept the fans on their feet from start to finish.
The Late Models wasted no time delivering excitement, as Seth Vanfossen got the jump at the start and grabbed the early lead. Behind him, Michael Delong and Marc Algiedlinger traded spots in the opening laps, with Algiedlinger working his way to the inside lane to challenge for position. Just as the battle was heating up, Brian Romig Jr. came charging forward, storming into contention and stealing the show in the early going. That momentum was briefly slowed on lap three when Delong and Algiedlinger made contact, bringing out the first caution of the night. On the restart, Romig wasted no time taking command. Once he found the clean air out front, he settled into a smooth rhythm and controlled the rest of the race. Algiedlinger recovered from the early tangle and kept the pressure on, while Vanfossen held steady in the top three. Delong regrouped after the incident, and Rich Cooper joined the front pack to round out the top five contenders as the laps ticked away. At the finish, Romig proved unstoppable, claiming his third feature win of the season after two earlier triumphs. Algiedlinger, already a feature winner this year, battled back to secure second, while Vanfossen hung tough for third. Delong and Cooper capped off the top five in a feature that packed nearly a full night’s worth of drama into its first three laps before settling into a fast and hard-fought run to the checkered.
Fans were treated to the pro 4 feature which was filled with action as Bobby Kibler Jr. grabbed the lead on the opening lap and never looked back, while early troubles saw Rich Pursell pull off just two laps in and mid-race contact between Cody Kohler and Bob Kibler sent both to the rear. Despite the drama, Bobby stayed smooth out front, holding off a late charge from Jeremy Guerra to score his eighth win of the season, which he proudly dedicated to his dad for his birthday.
Modified (50 Laps)
1. Earl Paules, 2. Austin Kochenash, 3. Lou Strohl, 4. Nick Baer, 5. Brian Defebo, 6. Kyle Strohl, 7. Rod Snyder, 8. Mark Miller, 9. Jaden Brown, 10. Jacob Kerstetter, 11. Don Wagner, 12. Tyler Wagner, 13. Bobby Jones
Street Stock (40 Laps)
1. Frankie Althouse, 2. Jon Moser, 3. Randy Ahner, 4. Jill Snyder, 5. Adam Steigerwalt, 6. Brandon Christman, 7. Cody Geist, 8. Jamie Smith, 9. Jake Boehm
Hobby Stock (35 Laps)
1. Shayne Geist, 2. Cody Boehm, 3. Travis Solomon, 4. Jake Kibler, 5. James Tout, 6. John Petro, 7. Jeremy Henry, 8. Terry Peters, 9. Arland Moyer Jr, 10. Ryan Berger, 11. Nick Schaeffer, 12. Dave Kerr, 13. Sarabeth Mesko
Late Model (25 Laps)
1. Brian Romig Jr, 2. Marc Aigeldinger, 3. Seth Vanfossen, 4. Michael Delong, 5. Rich Cooper
Pro 4 (20 Laps)
1. Bobby Kibler Jr., 2. Jeremy Guerra, 3. Tyler Stangle, 4. Cody Kohler, 5. Bob Kibler, 6. Kadie Pursell, 7. Rich Pursell, DNS. Ron Pierson
Bobby Jones Thrives in Front of a Packed Crowd at Mahoning on August 23
Mahoning Valley Speedway has been through its fair share of challenges this season — from rainouts, internet trolls, and sore losers, to plenty of negativity on the web. But Saturday night, none of that mattered. A buzzing crowd, 86 race cars, and the annual Pizza Joint Fan Appreciation Night turned the quarter-mile into a celebration of short track racing at its finest.
With $8 admission, a packed grandstand, and a full night of stock car and TQ midget action, fans were treated to nonstop excitement.
Before the racing began, fans filled the track for an on-track Fan Fest, where drivers signed autographs, handed out gifts, and made memories with the crowd.
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Vintage TQ Midgets
The evening kicked off with the Vintage TQ Midgets. Brady Routzhan led the field to green, but it was Vinny Testanero storming from third to the front and dominating the quick 8-lap feature.
ECTQM / Pen-NY Midgets
The modern-day TQ Midgets brought open-wheel chaos. Polesitter Ozzy Carlino and Josh Patterson led the way before the action went three- and four-wide through the pack. Sprint Car regular Bobby Butler powered from fourth to second early, while Tyler Wagner rocketed from seventh to third. Wagner eventually chased down Patterson in lapped traffic, the two even making slight contact with two laps remaining. At the checkers, it was Patterson holding on for the win, Wagner second, and Jasper Ziegafuse charging from eighth to round out the podium.
602 Modifieds
The first of the Modified features went to Nick Baer in the Aqua Duck Water Transport No. 41. After polesitter Max Pfeifer set the pace early, Baer powered to the high side and never looked back. Behind him, teammates Jake Boehm and Jacob Kersetter battled for third late in the going. Baer’s win left fans asking — could he sweep the Modified double?
Street Stocks
Polesitter Thomas Flanagan led the opening laps before Brandon Christman and Jill Snyder stormed to the front. Snyder hounded Christman on the outside while Frankie Althouse (02) joined the fight late. Althouse got to Christman’s bumper with just a few laps remaining, but Christman held strong to score the win.
Late Models
The smooth-bodied Late Models rolled off next, and it was all Marc Aigelginger, leading wire-to-wire. The only drama came late, with Seth Vanfossen charging forward to apply pressure. Brian Romig, pulling double duty on the night, claimed third.
Hobby Stocks
A roaring field of Hobby Stocks delivered another thriller. James Tout led early before last year’s champ Travis Solomon and red-hot Shayne Geist went on the attack. Solomon’s night soured with a flat right rear, leaving Geist and Cody Boehm to settle it up front. Boehm hounded Geist to the stripe, but Geist prevailed by just .188 seconds for his fifth win of the season.
Mighty Modifieds
35-lap Mighty Modified feature — was pure short track insanity. Lou Strohl started on the pole with Kyle Strohl to his outside. The two tangled early, handing the lead to Nick Baer, who looked poised to sweep the night.
But as the laps clicked off, Bobby Jones, running a 602 crate engine, worked his way forward. By lap 17, Jones grabbed the lead just as Earl Paules and Brian DeFebo got caught in skirmishes behind him. From 14th on the grid, Jacob Kersetter was the story, slicing through the field and climbing into contention by halfway.
A flurry of cautions kept the field tight, setting up a dramatic double-file restart with six laps to go. Jones held strong, scoring the crowd-pleasing victory over Baer and the hard-charging Kersetter. Kyle Strohl rebounded for fourth.
Pro 4s
The Pro 4s closed the show, and it was all Bob Kibler, who led flag-to-flag in the 2024 car. His son Bobby Kibler chased him across the line in second, while Cody Kohler mounted a late rally but not enough to challenge. The win marked Bob Kibler’s first of the season.
Kyle Strohl Steals the Show in Doug Hoffman Modified Poker Series Race. Frankie Althouse brings home victory in the Street Stock Poker Race on August 2, 2025
By GENEVIVE YAMELSKI
(Leighton, Pa 8/2/25) The Modifieds brought the action once again in the Doug Hoffman Poker Series at Mahoning Valley Speedway. Brian DeFebo led the field to green, but Tyler Wagner quickly made his presence known, charging past on lap four. DeFebo didn’t back down, battling back with Earl Paules right there in the mix. Early on, there was tight action in the pack with side-by-side racing all over. By lap sixteen, Jacob Kerstetter was making moves, working the inside groove and climbing into the top five. Then came the yellow flag when Rod Snyder looped it in turn four. On the restart, DeFebo brought them back to green with Lou Strohl and Paules right on his bumper. Kerstetter kept climbing, moving up to fourth before another caution flew this time for a spin by Jaden Brown on lap twenty. The double-file restart gave fans exactly what they wanted – Kyle Strohl, who started eighth, began slicing through the field. By lap twenty five, he was up to second and in just two laps, he powered into the lead.
A late caution on lap thirty one after contact between Wagner and Brown reset the field and set the tone for a wild finish. When the green dropped again, Kyle wasted no time pulling away. Lou Strohl worked his way up to third, going door-to-door with Kerstetter in a fierce battle for second. Rod Snyder rallied after his earlier spin and found himself back in the top five by lap thirty six , while Nick Baer made his own late charge, getting around DeFebo for fifth. But on lap forty one, Tyler Wagner’s right rear gave out on the frontstretch, bringing out the final caution. One last restart, and Kyle Strohl was gone. Behind him, it was a dogfight with Kerstetter and Lou Strohl trading spots in an intense back-and-forth. In the end, it was Kyle Strohl taking the win, with Kerstetter grabbing second and Lou Strohl third, Rod Snyder fourth, and Nick Baer fifth.
Frankie Althouse led the Street Stock field to green from the pole and never gave up the top spot. Right from the start, the action kicked off behind him as point leader Cody Geist got shuffled high and eventually pulled off by lap ten, ending his night early. Brandon Christman, who started back in twelfth after winning the week prior, wasted no time slicing through the pack, cracking the top eight by lap eight and continuing his charge toward the front. By the halfway point, Jon Moser and Adam Steigerwalt were battling hard for third while a tight pack behind them including Rich Reichenbach, Christman, and Jill Snyder kept things intense.
The race began to settle in after lap twenty, but the top three stayed under a blanket. With ten laps to go, lap traffic came into play and Randy Ahner used it to close the gap on Althouse. He gave it everything he had in the closing laps, but Frankie stayed calm and consistent out front. When the checkers flew, it was Althouse going untouched for the win, with Ahner right on his bumper at the finish. Steigerwalt crossed the line third, followed by a hard-charging Moser and Christman rounding out the top five.
The starting lineup for the TQ division saw Kyle Taraska on the pole with Jasper Ziegafuse on the outside of him. Josh Patterson starting third, wasted no time grabbing the lead on lap 1, with Wagner hot on his heels and Ziegafuse settling into third. By lap seven, Wagner made the pass on Patterson, navigating through lap traffic to take control of the race. The first caution waved on lap twelve when Bill Force spun settling the field before two laps to go.
On the final restart, Wagner launched into the lead and held firm. A dramatic moment came on lap sixteen when Richie Tolerico spun out, flipping onto his roof in a scary moment, but the driver walked away from the incident. From there, Wagner paced the field to the finish, with Patterson rallying to secure second while Lexi Przybylinski put in a strong run to grab third. Taraska, despite falling back, still crossed in fourth, and Ziegafuse rounded out the top five.
After a quick shake-up in the lineup, it was James Tout and rookie JR Merkel, who brought the Hobby Stock field to green. But it didn’t take long for Shayne Geist to make his move charging to the outside and taking the lead by lap 7. Behind him, Travis Solomon was on the move, going door-to-door with Tout and Kerr in a tight battle up front. Things got heated early as BJ Wambold spun on lap 10 to bring out the first caution. Just four laps later, contact between Maggie Wambold and Jeremy Henry brought out another yellow, with Maggie’s right front ending up broken.
The next restart didn’t last long. BJ Wambold and James Tout made hard contact, sending both to the pits with Wambold being disqualified, and Tout being unable to make it back onto the track. From there, Geist led the rest of the way, holding off heavy pressure from Travis Solomon. Solomon threw everything he had at him in the closing laps, but Geist held strong to score the win, with Solomon, Dave Kerr, JR Merkel and Jeremy Henry rounding out the top five.
The Pro 4 feature may have only been twenty laps, but it brought the heat from start to finish. Bob Kibler jumped out front early, taking advantage of Jake Kibler getting loose off turn one and slipping back to fifth. Meanwhile, Cody Kohler, who started dead last, wasted no time carving through the field and charging into third. By lap fourteen, the battle up front hit a boiling point as Bobby Kibler Jr. got to the inside of Bob Kibler coming off turn four, taking the lead after several laps of bumper-to-bumper action. Just one lap later, contact between Jeremy Guerra and Ian Szalku brought out the caution, setting up a single-file restart. On the final restart, Bobby Kibler Jr. pulled away clean and never looked back, locking in his fifth win of the season with Jake Kibler and Kohler rounding out the podium.
In the Vintage Feature, Mallory Kutz led the field to green and never looked back. She pulled away early from Bud Routzahn and Mark Czerwinski, maintaining a steady gap throughout the eight lap dash. The field ran clean and finished in the exact order they started, with Kutz taking the win in dominant fashion.
Modified (50 Laps)
1. Kyle Strohl, 2. Jacob Kerstetter, 3. Lou Strohl, 4. Rod Snyder, 5. Nick Baer, 6. Brian Defebo, 7. Earl Paules, 8. Brian Romig Jr, 9. Thomas Flanagan, 10. Tommy Wanick, 11. Mark Miller, 12. Tyler Wager, 13. Nick Kerstetter, 14. Brian Romig SR, 15. Jaden Brown, DNS. Bj Wombold
Street Stock (40 Laps)
1. Frankie Althouse, 2. Randy Ahner, 3. Adam Steigerwalt, 4. Jon Moser, 5. Brandon Christman, 6. Jill Snyder, 7. Rick Reichenbach, 8. Jamie Smith, 9. Josh Kuronya, 10. Logan Boyer, 11. Dennis Buss, 12. Cody Geist
TQ (20 Laps)
1. Tyler Wagner, 2. Josh Patteron, 3. Lexi Przybylinski, 4. Kyle Taraska, 5. Jasper Ziegafuse, 6. Don Zrinski, 7. Ozzy Carlino, 8. Richie Tolerico, 9. Mark Czerwinski, 10. Mark Janisch, 11. Vinny Testanero, 12. Bill Force
Hobby Stock (35 Laps)
1. Shayne Geist, 2. Travis Solomon, 3. Dave Kerr, 4. Jr Merkal, 5. Jeremy Henry, 6. Josh Henry, 7. Arland Moyer Jr, 8. James Tout, 9. Maggie Wambold, DNS. Sarahbeth Mesko, DNS. Ryan Petro, DQ. Bj Wambold
Pro 4 (20 Laps)
1. Bobby Kibler, 2. Jake Kibler, 3. Cody Kohler, 4. Ron Pierson Jr, 5. Jeremy Guerra, 6. Ian Szalku, 7. Kadie Pursell, 8. Rich Pursell, 9. Bob Kibler
Antique TQ (8 Laps)
1. Mallory Kutz, 2. Bud Routzahn, 3. Mark Czerwinski
Brandon Christman dominates to win $1,000 Mike Krempasky Street Stock Memorial; Brain Romig Jr Rockets to Victory in Late Model Division on July 26
By GENEVIVE YAMELSKI
(Leighton, Pa 7/26/25) Brandon Christman delivered a dominant performance in the 50-lap Street Stock feature at Mahoning Valley Speedway, leading from the pole to capture the $1,000 victory in the Mike Krempasky Memorial. From the drop of the green, Christman showed speed and control, holding off a strong field that included Frankie Althouse, who kept the pressure on. Adam Steigerwalt completed the podium with a solid third-place run.
The race was packed with action, featuring 3 cautions that repeatedly reset the field with a cone race and tested the focus of every driver. A key moment came on lap 12 when a caution flew on the backstretch involving Cody Geist. Leading to a mid-race battle intensifying as Jacob Boehm, chooses the outside lane for the restart putting him second, attempted to challenge Christman but fell back as the inside groove proved to be dominant among the front runners.
Despite the restarts and constant pressure from behind, Christman remained calm and consistent, never relinquishing the top spot. TJ Gursky and Jill Snyder both had strong showings, finishing fourth and fifth, respectively, while several others including Boehm and Geist faced setbacks that shuffled the order. With precision and poise, Christman navigated every restart and challenge to seal a flag-to-flag win in one of the night’s most competitive features.
Brian Romig Jr. put on a show, charging to victory in the 25-lap Late Model feature. Starting 4th, Romig powered his way to the front by lap 14 with a daring inside pass for the lead. Despite pressure from Marc Aigeldinger, including a bump late in the race, Romig held strong and never looked back. He masterfully saved his No. 78 machine and led the rest of the way to secure a hard-fought win. Marc Aigeldinger and Geno Steigerwalt rounded out the podium after a tightly contested battle in the closing laps.
Bobby Jones claimed the win in a fast-paced 602 Modified feature after making an early pass for the lead and never looking back. The race kicked off with Nick Baer leading the field, but Jones wasted no time, working the outside line to complete the pass and begin pulling away. Behind them, Max Pfeifer held steady in third while Randy Ahner faced tough luck, pulling off the track early. Jones cruised to a commanding victory as Baer and Pfeifer rounded out the top three.
Shayne Geist captured an impressive victory in the Hobby Stock feature, making a bold move to the front after an intense three-wide battle with Sarabeth Mesko and Jeremy Henry. Geist patiently worked his way through the field before taking control of the race and navigating through lap traffic with precision. Once out front, he held a strong lead despite pressure from the pack. James Tout made a late push to secure second, while Travis Solomon battled his way into third with a consistent and determined drive. The race was filled with tight side-by-side action, but Geist’s smooth execution and racecraft earned him a well-deserved trip to Victory Lane.
Cody Kohler emerged victorious in a wild Pro 4 feature filled with intense battles and bold moves. The action kicked off right away as Bob Kibler made an aggressive outside move on lap one, creating a thrilling three-wide battle with Kohler and Jake Kibler. Kohler quickly surged ahead to take control of the race, but the field was briefly reset following a lap-three caution involving Reese Tiemeyer. As the laps wore on, Bobby Kibler mounted a strong charge, eventually going door-to-door with Jake Kibler in an exciting mid-race fight for position. Despite pressure from both Kibler drivers, Kohler held his ground, showcasing smooth, consistent driving to claim the win. Bobby Kibler Jr finishing second, with Bob Kibler close behind in third, capping off an action-packed Pro 4 showdown.
Street Stock (50 Laps)
1. Brandon Christman, 2. Frankie Althouse, 3. Adam Steigerwalt, 4. TJ Gursky, 5. Jill Snyder, 6. Rick Reichenbach, 7. Jon Moser, 8. Jacob Boehm, 9. Randy Ahner, 10. Cody Boehm, 11. Thomas Flanagan, 12. Jamie Smith, 13. Josh Kuronya, 14. Dennis Buss, 15. Johnny Bennett, 16. Geary Reinheimer, 17. Cody Geist
Late Model (25 Laps)
1. Brian Romig Jr, 2. Marc Aigeldinger, 3. Geno Steigerwalt, 4. Brandon Cook, 5. Mark Hudson, 6. Seth Vanfossen, 7. Michael Delong, 8. Brett Peters, 9. Terry Peters
602 Modified (20 Laps)
1. Bobby Jones, 2. Nick Baer, 3. Max Pfeifer, 4. Randy Ahner
Hobby Stock (25 Laps)
1. Shayne Geist, 2. James Tout, 3. Travis Solomon, 4. Jeremy Henry, 5. Maggie Wambold, 6. Ryan Petro, 7. Sarabeth Mesko, 8. Jr Merkal, 9. Al Gildner, 10. Arland Moyer Jr., 11. Alex Kosman
Pro 4 (20 Laps)
1. Cody Kohler, 2. Bobby Kibler Jr., 3. Bob Kibler, 4. Jake Kibler, 5. Jeremy Guerra, 6. Tyler Poole, 7. Jason Finken, 8. Kadie Pursell, 9. Rich Pursell, 10. Reese Tiemeyer, 11. Rob Derfler
Hard Charger Kyle Strohl wins Modified Doug Hoffman Poker Series #2 on July 19
By GENEVIVE YAMELSKI
(Lehighton, Pa 7/19/25) Modified Poker Series #2 race at Mahoning Valley Speedway, Rod Snyder was set to start on the pole but after having issues was unable to run the feature. Bumping everyone up one position, Lou Strohl starts the pace with Jacob Kerstetter on his outside. Kerstetter charges to the lead with Austin Kochenach following behind. Leading the first 30 laps, Kochenach makes a clean pass on the inside with Kerstetter keeping the racing side by side to try taking the lead back over. Coming all the way from the back of the field, Kyle Strohl powered his way from his tenth starting position, making a smooth pass on the outside of Kochenach on lap forty-three claiming an impressive victory. Kerstetter finishing third, Lou Strohl fourth and DeFebo fifth.
Randy Ahner claimed a hard-fought victory in the street stock division. After starting from the fourth row, Ahner steadily climbed through the field and made his move just past the halfway point, taking over the lead on lap eighteen and holding strong for the remaining circuits. Frankie Althouse, who started on the front row, maintained a consistent pace and finished second with Jon Moser rounded out the podium in third. The race saw multiple position changes and incidents, including a dramatic caution involving Adam Steigerwalt, who lost his right-side door while trying to avoid a spinner in turn two. Despite the chaos, Ahner remained composed and powered his way to the checkered flag gaining his third win this year.
As the green flag drops, Travis Soloman, who is starting outside in the first row of the hobby stock class, passes Sarabeth Mesko. Shayne Geist who started fifth makes a quick dash to the front, running second by lap three. With little cautions and some lap traffic, Soloman played defensive to secure his first win for the season. Geist finishing second, Kerr third, Petro fourth, and Tout fifth.
Jake and Bob Kibler were set to start on the front row but a first lap wreck between the two causing Bob Kibler to not finish the race and Jake Kibler being sent to the back, Bobby Kibler Jr and Cody Kohler were set to start the pace of the race. Kilber Jr leading with Kohler following in search of the ideal moment to take control. Kohler moves to the inside on lap 11, but they both get into lap traffic. Reese Tiemyer issues a caution, which keeps Kibler Jr. in the lead. Maintaining the lead with nine laps remaining and going on to win his fourth race of the season. Kohler finishing second, Guerra third, Jake Kibler fourth, Poole fifth.
Josh Patterson took home his second win in the TQ Feature at Mahoning Valley Speedway after a close twenty lap battle. Tyler Wagner finishing a strong second, with Jasper Ziegafuse completing the podium in third. Don Wagner and Lexi Przybylinski rounded out the top five.
Ian McGuire captures the win in the microstock class starting from the outside of the front row, McGuire quickly took command and held off a late charge from Alex Greenzweig to secure the victory. Eric Platt completing the top three.
Bill Fischer who started third made a mad dash on lap 6 passing Brady Routzhahn. Vinny Testanero claiming two positions finishing second. Brady Routzahn taking home third and Bud Routzahn fourth.
Modified (50 Laps)
1. Kyle Strohl 2. Austin Kochenash 3. Jacob Kerstetter 4. Lou Strohl 5. Brian DeFebo 6. Don Wagner 7. Jaden Brown 8. Tyler Wager 9. Nick Baer 10. Mark Miller DNS. Rod Snyder
Street Stock (40 Laps)
1. Randy Ahner 2. Frankie Althouse 3. Jon Moser 4. Jill Snyder 5. Cody Boehm 6. Brandon Christman 7. Cody Geist 8. Jake Boehm 9. Adam Steigerwalt 10. Mark Martini 11. Geary Reinheimer 12. Jamie Smith 13. Josh Kuronya 14. Logan Boyer 15. Jared Frye 16. Thomas Flanagan
Hobby Stock (35 Laps)
1. Travis Solomon 2. Shayne Geist 3. Dave Kerr 4. Ryan Petro 5. James Tout 6. Jeremy Henry 7. Jr Merkal 8. Sarabeth Mesko 9. Arland Moyer Jr 10. Maggie Wambold 11. Shawn Hoffman
Pro 4 (20 Laps)
1. Bobby Kibler Jr 2. Cody Kohler 3. Jeremy Guerra 4. Jake Kibler 5. Tyler Poole 6. Ron Pierson Jr 7. Rob Derfler 8. Kadie Pursell 9. Rich Pursell 10. Tyler Stangle 11. Reese Tiemeyer 12. Bob Kibler
TQ (20 Laps)
1. Josh Patteron 2. Tyler Wagner 3. Jasper Ziegafuse 4. Don Wagner 5. Lexi Przybylinski 6. Don Zrinski 7. Vinny Testanero 8. Richie Tolerico 9. Adam Huff 10. Ozzy Carlino DNS. Mark Janisch
Microstock (20 Laps)
1. Ian McGuire 2. Alex Greenzweig 3. Eric Platt 3. Walker Sutphin 4. Jim Vandine 5. Mike Haskins 6. Roger Snyder 7. Lydia Snyder
Vintage TQ (8 Laps)
1. Bill Fischer 2. Vinny Testanero 3. Bud Routzahn 4. Brady Routzahn
Nick Baer two for two in 602 Modified Feature at Mahoning Valley Speedway on July 12
By GENEVIVE YAMELSKI
(Lehighton, PA 7-12-25) Nick Baer remained unbeatable, even after a first-lap incident involving him and Jacob Kertestter heading for the green flag. From Newtripoli, PA, Baer led all 30 laps starting on the pole and never looked back, earning his second victory of the year. Ahner finishing second, Pfeifer third, Kohler fourth, and Kerstetter.
Randy Ahner's car was set up to win in a caution-free feature, leading every lap after he passed Cody Boehm in the street stock feature. Fankie Althouse and TJ Gursky, who both started in the third row, battled for second place, moving across the field to see whether either had what it took to find Ahner. Young blood Adam Steigerwalt following and Jon Moser rounding out the top five.
Side by side action in the hobby stocks by Shayne Geist and Travis Soloman, back and forth for the leading position came to a halt after both drivers spin on lap twenty-three. With both cars going to the back of the field, this put Ryan Petro from Tamaqua PA on the pole for the single file restart. Shawn Hoffman right on his bumper, ultimately ending with Petro parking his car in victory lane. James Tout taking home third, Henry fourth, and Wambold fifth.
A swift pass from Cody Kohler starting third taking the lead from Rob Derfler, with Bob Kibler and Bobby Kibler right behind, Kohler played refense to keep his position. A wreck on lap fourteen sending Kadie Pursell and Tyler Stangle into the wall causing the officials to throw out the red flag. Only six laps till checkered it was any man's race, Kohler showed out though and brought home his first pro 4 feature win of the year. Bob Kibler finishing second, Bobby Kibler third, Jake Kibler fourth and Tyler Poole fifth.
Rockaway, NY resident Tyler Wagner started in the front row and never left it. Taking the lead of the 20 lap TQ feature bringing home a win for the night. Jasper Ziegafuse finishing second and Patterson third.
The Microstocks hit the track for the first time this year and Kyle Costick proved to be the driver to beat. Starting first Costick won not only his heat but also the feature taking off away from the field. Tom Ervin finishing second, Peter Soldano third.
The Stage 1 feature race delivered an exciting 20-lap showdown with Dylan Hoch taking the checkered flag after a commanding performance. Jaden Brown gave chase but ultimately settled for a strong second-place, Tyler Hoch rounding out the podium.
602 Modified (30 Laps)
1. Nick Baer 2. Randy Ahner 3. Max Pfeifer 4. Makayla Kohler 5. Jacob Kertetter
Street Stock (30 Laps)
1. Randy Ahner 2. Frankie Althouse 3. TJ Gursky 4. Adam Steigerwalt 5. Jon Moser 6. Jill Snyder 7. Eric Kocher 8. Cody Boehm 9. Cody Geist 10. Brandon Christman 11. Josh Kuronya 12. Dennis Buss 13. Jacob Boehm 14. Jamie Smith 15. Thomas Flanagan
Hobby Stock (25 Laps)
1. Ryan Petro 2. Shawn Hoffman 3. James Tout 4. Jeremy Henry 5. Maggie Wambold 6. Jr Merkal 7. Sarahbeth Mesko 8. Shayne Geist 9. Travis Solomon 10. Ryan Berger 11. Dave Imler
Pro 4 (20 Laps)
1. Cody Kohler 2. Bob Kibler 3. Bobby Kibler 4. 5. Jake Kibler 6. Rob Derfler 7. Rich Pursell 8. Ron Pierson Jr 9. Reese Tiemeyer 10. Aidan Beucher 11. Kadie Pursell 12. Tyler Stangle
TQ (20 Laps)
1. Tyler Wagner 2. Jasper Ziegafuse 3. Josh Patteron 4. Kyle Taraska 5. Lexi Przybylinski 6. Don Zrinski 7. Ozzy Carlino 8. Mark Janisch 9. Vinny Testanero 10. Howard Boss 11. Richie Tolerico
Microstock (15 Laps)
1. Kyle Costick 2. Tom Ervin 3. Peter Soldano 4. Al Puntaseca 5. Eric Platt 6. Leo Kinney 7. Mike Haskins 8. JoShua Conklin 9. JohnPaul Herold 10. Tyler Wagner
Stage 1 (20 Laps)
1. Dylan Hoch 2. Jaden Brown 3. Tyler Hoch 4. Richie Keller 5. Carter Mullins 6. Brett Smith 7. Troy Kline 8. Kenzie Smith 9. Frankie Althouse 10. Jon Keller
Jaden Brown brings home Modified Poker Series Race #1 at Mahoning Valley Speedway on May 18
By GENEVIVE YAMELSKI
(Leighton, PA 5-17-25) After three weekends full of rain Mahoning Valley Speedway was finally able to bring cars back out onto the pavement for race #1 of the Doug Hoffman Poker Series and a family rivalry started on the front row, with Tyler Wagner and his uncle, Don Wagner who battled back and forth for the lead position. The first 13 laps race smooth before with only one caution which during the restart saw Jaden Brown move to third followed by his grandfather Earl Paules. Being it was a 50-lap race Brown, from Kunkletown, waited for the right time to save his tires and make his way through and with seven laps to go passing T. Wagner for the win. A win from Mahoning Valley Speedway wasn't something new to Brown. “Having the cones on the track moving the grove made things difficult so we had to make adjustments for the night but mostly left the car from how we ran for the Race of Champions at the season opener,” he explained.“We had to play it smart, and hope it all fell the right way. I have to thank all my family, crew, and sponsors for all the help they have given me.” Finishing out the top five was T. Wagner, Rod Snyder Jr,, Lou Strohl and Paules.
In the Late Model division Nick Ross of Mountain Top, showed his dominance taking home both the heat and feature win leading every lap with despite only two cautions. A hard battle for second between teammates Brandon Cook and Marc Aigeldinger ultimately ending with Aigeldinger runner-up over Cook, Brian Romig Jr,, Michael Delong and Seth Van Fossen.
The Street Stock Division was nothing short of excitement. Hard charging Josh Kuronya led early with Geary Rinehimer Jr., right behind waiting to make his move. But it would be Jacob Boehm instead who snuck in to take second position later leading to a caution coming out. Because there where cones out on the track due to seepage issues, Jim Thorpe’s Randy Ahner Jr., knew he had to play it smart to keep moving his way up to the front, ultimately taking over the lead on lap 25 after Boehm who got loose on the back stretch.
Rounding out the top five were Adam Steigerwalt, Brandon Christman, Cody Boehm and Jill Snyder.
Hobby Stock driver Shanye Geist played defense to Michael Wambold for 20 laps both pulling away from the rest of the field before Geist got caught in lapped traffic running the outside. Wambold made a bold move and darted to the inside, going three wide to take over the lead. Pulling away, Wambold took home his seventh career feature win. Travis Soloman finished second, Geist third, James Tout and Ken Reeder rounded out the top-5.
In the Pro 4s, Bobby Kibler Jr., of Lehighton showed no mercy to the rest of the field, setting his car up for success this year he came into to the evening as the point leader. Kibler started pole position, but Randy Schaffer put the pressure on him letting him know he is right behind him. The heat was on for third as Ian Szalku and Bob Kibler, Sr., battled it out leading to the first caution. Kibler Jr. and Kibler, Sr., then faced off going into lap six, but Jr., not giving up without a fight. Leading every lap on the 20-lap feature, the younger Kibler took home his second victory of the season. Schaffer made his way back into the mix finishing second with Cody Kohler third, Kibler Sr., fourth and Jake Kibler in the top five.
Modified (50 Laps)
1. Jaden Brown, 2. Tyler Wagner, 3. Rod Snyder Jr., 4. Lour Strohl, 5. Earl Paules, 6. Kyle Strohl, 7. Don Wagner, 8. Roger Coss, 9. Brian Romig Jr., 10. Nick Baer, 11. Mark Miller, 12. Mark Miller, 12. Brian Romig SR, 13. Jacob Kerstetter, 14. Cody Bohem, 15. John Bennett, 16. Terry Markovic, 17. Brian DeFebo
Late Model (25 Laps)
1. Nick Ross, 2. Marc Aigeldinger, 3. Brandon Cook, 4. Brian Romig Jr., 5. Michael Delong, 6. Seth Van Fossen
Street Stock (40 Laps)
1. Randy Ahner Jr, 2. Adam Steigerwalt, 3. Brandon Christman, 4. Cody Boehm, 5. Jill Snyder, 6. Cody Geist, 7. Jon Moser, 8. Randy Green, 9. Frankie Althouse, 10. Gary Reinhemer, 11. Josh Kuronya, 12. Jared Frye, 13. Jamie Smith, 14. Jacob Boehm
Hobby Stock (35 Laps)
1. Michael Wambold, 2. Travis Solomon, 3. Shayne Geist, 4. James Tout, 5. Ken Reeder, 6. Sarabeth Mesko, 7. Dave Imler, Jr., 8. Jr Merkel, 9. Jeremy Henry, 10. Al Gildner, 11. Arland Moyer Jr.
Pro 4 (20 Laps)
1. Bobby Kibler JR, 2. Randy Schaffer, 3. Cody Kohler, 4. Bob Kibler, 5. Jake Kibler, 6. Tyler Poole, 7. lan Szalku, 8. Robert Derfler, 9. Rich Pursell, 10. Kadie Pursell
April 19, 2025
From Worst to First
By Genevive Yamelski
Austin Beers from Northampton, PA was able to add another victory to his collection at the season opener ROC Bunny Hop 75 at Mahoning Valley Speedway in Lehighton, PA. Battling with mechanical issues leading to him having to scratch not only hot laps, but his heat race as well. Leaving him starting last in the 27 car count field, he made a mad dash to the front to pass Lou Strohl with only two laps to the checkered flag. Out of breath Beers states “I’ve got to thank all those guys. All of our guys, all the Blewett guys. We were kind of stumped on what the problem was. It ended up being the fuel pump, we think. What a hell of a race. “I have to thank Louie, he ran me really clean. That was really fun. Definitely fun coming through the pack there, I just had to bide my time. My dad did an amazing job being a spotter. He’s not great at it, but he’s getting there. He’s doing really good now, but it feels really good to get the win.”Beers goes on to say, “I just didn't really have enough drive. I was tight, which built free towards the end of the run. I couldn’t get the run around the tip and he was doing a good job of protecting the bottom out of two. I knew my opportunity would be out of four when he wouldn’t expect it. He got a little high, and this thing just gripped up enough to where I could motor on next to him and break his momentum.”Lou Strohl from Palmerton, PA had to think smart about his strategy to muscle his way to the front from his starting position of tenth. Waiting for the right time to come Strohl found himself taking over the pole position of the restart on lap fifty-five Strohl states “I was like fourteenth or fifteenth there after that first caution You know what, I kept my strategy. I knew the car count was really good. I just kept to my strategy and passed them where I could. Didn’t use the tires up. The clutch was slipping so hard. I couldn’t throttle up off of two or four. He could and that’s how he got me. You can only do so much. That’s racing and we were fast.”Rounding out the podium was Blake Barney from Jackson NJ keeping the momentum in the front of the pack most of the race. Even being front row for the restart on lap fifty-four, but Strohl charging first.“I mean, it’s always good to come out here and have a good top three finish, but I’m just a little disappointed. I felt like there was a lot of opportunities for me to win and it kind of falls on me a little bit.” Barney states in his post race interview.“I got that restart in the lead and I felt like he jumped it. I’m not mad at him, you know? He’s just trying to win the race, but seems like it was a little egregious and had a full car on me at the line, but it’s whatever. It’s my fault, I should have maybe went earlier too.” “From there, I was just trying to see what they were doing up front. They had a pretty good battle and it made for an exciting finish. I didn’t really want to mess that up and kind of just jump when they were weak, but that really didn’t happen for me. Kind of disappointed, but at the same time, any time you can come here with a stout field like this and finish top three, you can’t really be too mad about it.”Finishing out the top ten was Ron Silk, Daren Scherer, Hirshman, Brian DeFebo, Paulie Hartwig III, Jaden Brown and Don Wagner.
In an attempt to retain his title as track champion, Palmerton, PA Cody Geist won the season's first thirty-lap street stock race. With only one caution leading to a single file green, white, checker, Geist charges and brings home his first win for the season.
Adam Steigerwalt of Lehighton, PA, finishes second putting up a strong fight for his first divisional race after competing in the futures previously. Jamie Smith coming in fifth, Jill Snyder in fourth, and Jacob Boehm in third.
From Palmerton, PA Devin Schmidt showed no mercy to the 4-cylinder field starting on the pole and never looking back. After taking a few years off he led every lap and ended with a victory lane smoke show. Shayne Geist placing second, Berger third, Wambold fourth, and Solomon fifth.
Bobby Kibler JR from Slatington, PA wasted no time passing Szalku on the inside on the first lap of the pro 4 division. Holding his lane to defend off Schaffer to take home the win. With a close finish Schaffer in second, Kohler third, Kibler forth, and Szalku fifth.
The futures class competes in a tight 15-lap race to round out the evening. Merkel defending off Henry who shows no mercy to pass but doesn’t have quite enough to complete it. Ultimately ending with Merkel first, Henry second and Mesko third.
Modified (75 Laps)
1.Beers, 2.L.Strohl, 3.Barney, 4.Silk, 5.Schere, 6.Hirshman, 7.DeFebo, 8.Hartwig III, 9.Brown, 10.Wagner, 11.Blewett, 12.Paules, 13.Harman, 14.Finocchario, 15.Kochenash, 16.Kerstetter, 17.Flanagan, 18.Miller, 19Kohler, 20.Ely, 21.Coss, 22.Wagner, 23.Snyder, 24.Strohl, 25.Bennett, 26.Baer, 27.Richard
Street Stock (30 Laps)
1.C. Geist, 2.Steigerwalt, 3.Boehm, 4.Snyder, 5.Smith, 6.Flanagan, 7.Christman, 8.Kuronya, 9.Frye, 10.Moser, 11.Reinhemer, 12.Boehm, 13.Althouse
Hobby Stock (25 Laps)
1.Schmidt, 2.S. Geist, 3.Berger, 4.M. Wambold, 5.Solomon, 6.Edelman, 7.Kibler, 8.Connolly, 9.Tout, 10.Gildner, 11.Kerr, 12.Romig Jr, 13.Moyer Jr
Pro 4 (20 Laps)
1.Kibler Jr, 2.Schaffer, 3.Kohler, 4.Kibler, 5.Szalku, 6.Poole, 7.Derfler, 8.K. Pursell, 9.Boucher, 10.R. Pursell, 11.Stangle
Future (14 Laps)
1.Merkel, 2.Henry, 3Mesko
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