Johnny Appleseed Classic

Noonan Wins Johnny Appleseed Classic in Photo Finish

All Races Completed As Fast Paced Program Thwarts Mother Nature

ROSSBURG, Ohio (May 28, 2017) – With thunderstorms surrounding Eldora Speedway and more storms bearing down on the facility from all directions, race officials and teams pushed Sunday’s three-division Johnny Appleseed Classic by Miller Lite through to completion at 8:45 p.m.

Casey Noonan, of Sylvania, edged fellow buckeye Rusty Schlenk in a photo finish to capture the Sunoco American Late Model Series (ALMS) headliner, while Fairmont, West Virginia’s Jacob Hawkins captured his second DIRTcar UMP Modified win of the season and Gary Rahe, Jr. captured his first career Eldora checkered flag by winning the Eldora Stock feature race.

“Feels good to get back up here again,” Noonan said after collecting his second career Eldora win. It was his first since winning in 2007.

Mooresville, North Carolina’s Nick Hoffman, who captured the season opener at Eldora in April, led the first 23 laps of the 25-lap main event, building a seven second lead when Bryant Dickinson spun in turn four to bring out the event’s only caution flag.

On the restart, Hoffman chose the high-side, while Noonan lined up on the bottom for the double-file restart. When the green lights flashed, Hoffman slipped high in turns one and two, allowing Noonan to shoot to the lead, while Schlenk who restarted on the outside of row two also muscled around Hoffman.

“Hoffman had us covered for sure,” Noonan said. “I was glad to see him take the outside on the restart because we were starting to run pretty good on the bottom the last few laps before the caution.”

As the top-three took the white flag, Hoffman’s machine slowed with a flat tire while Schlenk continued to chase Noonan. With Noonan running the bottom groove, Schlenk ran the cushion and powered off turn four for a drag race to the finish.

Noonan held on by mere feet as Eldora officials reviewed the video tape to verify the winner.

“I was expecting Hoffman to come back at me, but it was Rusty. I had to look at the scoreboard as we went past to see who won that one, it was that close,” Noonan said.

Kent Robinson, of Bloomington, Indiana, made a late charge from 8th-place to finish in third, while Hawkins, who pulled double-duty running in both the Late Model and Modified divisions, and Andrew Reaume complete the top-five. Tyler Erb (Texas), Nick Latham (Kentucky), Jeff Babcock, Jerry Bowersock and Hoffman rounded out the top ten.

Dustin Nobbe (15.359 seconds) was the Sunoco ALMS fast-qualifier. Heat race winners were Hoffman and Reaume.

Hawkins took the lead of the Modified A-Feature from Canadian ace Joel Dick on lap-8 and then had to survive a lap-13 restart battle with Jeff Koz of Lima. Koz, the defending track champion but still in search of his first career Modified win at Eldora, pulled alongside of Hawkins on the restart but the Mountain State driver was up to the challenge and pulled away in the closing laps to his fifth career Eldora win.

“This is the only place in the country that I get goose bumps every time I pull onto the track. This place means a lot and it is special to win here,” Hawkins said. “I like the high-momentum tracks and I like to run the high-side and it helps when your car is handling and my guys do a great job.”

Koz finished in the runner up position, while Jonathan Taylor (Pennsylvania), Jerry Bowersock and Dylan Woodling (Indiana) completed the top-five. Rounding out the top ten were Josh Morton, Dick, “Weasel” Phlipot, Brian Gray and Josh Rice (Kentucky).

DIRTcar UMP Modified heat winners were Joel Dick, Jonathan Taylor and Jacob Hawkins.

Rahe (Indiana), took the lead from Jordan Conover on lap-five and led the remaining distance to pick up his first career win on the high-banked half-mile oval.

“I am speechless right now,” an emotional Rahe said from victory lane. “I need to thank the Lord first of all, my family, RBR Motorsports, my family and all my buddies. This is a dream come true to the fullest.”

Completing the top-ten in the 15-lap Stock Car finale were Conover, Brandon Archey, Earnie Woodard (Kentucky), Donnie Jeschke, Rob Trent, Frank Paladino, Casey Barr, Jeremy Creech and Red Harvey.

Ed Hounshell, Earnie Woodard and Donnie Jeschke won the Eldora Stock Car heat races.

Next up on the Eldora schedule is the 23rd running of the Dirt Late Model Dream presented by Ferris Mowers. The $100,000 to-win event begins on Thursday, June 8th with a complete show featuring multi-car time trials, Heat Races, B-Features and the Twin 25-lap Feature events paying $5,000 to-win. Friday, June 9th will be another complete show featuring a Twin 25-lap features paying $10,000 to-win. The weekend concludes on Saturday, June 10th with the traditional six Heat Race format, B-Features, $1,000-to-win Scrambles and the 100-lap main event paying $100,000-to-win.