Franklin, PA — A sizzling Sunday night of dirt-slinging drama unfolded at Tri-City Raceway Park as the Oil Region Labor Day Classic lived up to its name—and then some! From emotional first-time winners to hard-fought title showdowns and an unforgettable tribute race, the evening was a showcase of heart, horsepower, and high-stakes racing across four action-packed divisions. While the racing season isn’t over at Tri-City, the night marked the finale for the prestigious BRP Modified Tour, and it went out in spectacular fashion.
In the Shawgo Real Estate Pro Stocks, the spotlight shined on the annual Penn-Ohio Championship Series’ "Ray’s Race," honoring the late Ray Virgile—a true pillar of the Pro Stock division. With 20 cars taking the green, it was Brett Hutira who made his intentions known early, blasting to the lead out of turn two and showing no signs of letting it go. Hutira was picture-perfect through 12 laps until the first of four cautions slowed the action, with Tyler Wyant’s 7B car breaking and ending his night. A restart incident involving Brett McDonald didn't faze Hutira, who continued his march up front until lap 17, when a multi-car tangle involving McDonald, Charlie McMillen, and Pat Fielding brought out another yellow. The second attempt to log lap 18 was halted again when Jackson Humanic and Brandon Conner collided in turn one, sidelining both drivers. But nothing would stop Hutira on this night—he was simply on a mission. He led every single lap to score his first career Tri-City Raceway Park victory and third career Penn-Ohio Series win, making it all the more special by winning the race held in Ray’s honor.
“Man, this is great,” Hutira said in victory lane. “I had never even seen this place until Friday evening, and to think we came away with a huge win here is awesome. It means a lot to win Ray’s Race—he meant so much to the sport and was a big-time supporter of this class.”
Josh Seippel, Rod Laskey, Bobby Whitling, and Tim Bish completed the top five in a stout field.
The 21st Century Energy Group Big Block Modifieds brought the thunder as they wrapped up their season—and the BRP Modified Tour's—with a white-knuckle, caution-plagued 35-lap brawl that left fans and drivers alike gasping. With only 13 points separating the top two in the standings, Rex King Jr. and Garrett Krummert, the championship tension was thick. The opening lap saw a turn-one pileup involving Rob Eyler, Brayden Eyler, Krummert, and Kevin Green—all able to continue after repairs, but Krummert found himself playing catch-up for the second straight race.
Kyle Fink grabbed the lead early, but heartbreak hit on lap five when something broke on his 17M, ending his night. That opened the door for Erick Rudolph, who surged to the front and looked like the man to beat. After an 11-lap green flag run, the caution waved again on lap 14 for Brandon Richey and Mike Kinney, but the bigger story came moments later when Krummert slowed to a stop—his championship hopes dashed with mechanical failure.
From there, the feature turned into a war of attrition. Cautions flew fast and furious—flat tires for Ayden Cipriano, Tyler Willard, and Brad Rapp; mechanical heartbreak for Jeremiah Shingledecker; a six-car tangle triggered by Dave Murdick; and finally, a crushing blow to race leader Rudolph, who broke while leading on lap 34. The lead then went to Jim Rasey, but not for long—his right rear expired, leaving the door wide open for Colten Walters, who seized the moment. With two laps to go, Walters powered to the front and never looked back, capturing his first career Tri-City win, first BRP Mod Tour victory, and a sweet $2,500 payday.
In a tearful and emotional victory lane, Walters said, “Wow, we finally did it. This means so much. All of our hard work paid off tonight. I always race with a necklace my late grandfather gave me—I touched it before the restart and asked him to help get me through those last laps. I know he was with me.”
Tyler Willard finished second, followed by Kyle Richner, Ayden Cipriano, and Rodney Beltz. Rex King Jr. finished sixth—just enough to clinch the 2025 BRP Modified Tour Championship. “It means a lot to win this,” said King Jr. “It’s been a great season, and the battle with Garrett was a fun one. There’s a ton of talent on this tour—it’s an honor to earn this championship again.”
Brad Rapp, Justin Shea, Jeff Walters, and Shawn Kozar rounded out the top ten. Heat race victories went to Rudolph, King Jr., and Rasey, while the Bicknell Racing Chassis giveaway went to Dave Murdick as part of the perfect-attendance award for 18 dedicated BRP drivers.
The winning continued for a familiar name in the Complete Car Care Center RUSH Sprint Cars, as Blaze Myers put an exclamation point on his already record-setting season. Starting on the outside of the front row, Myers rocketed to the front on the opening lap and never looked back, leading all 15 laps and adding his 11th Tri-City win of the year and 16th overall.
“I don’t even know what else to say at this point,” Myers said. “It’s been an unbelievable season. Huge thanks to Ted and Cal Hull for trusting me with this ride. I never imagined we’d be this dominant at a place like this with the kind of talent we have in the RUSH Series.”
Zach Morrow brought home a solid second-place finish, followed by Joe Buccola, Cooper Macormac, and Wyatt Long.
Closing out the night in style, the Clarion County Community Bank RUSH Stock Cars rolled out for a 20-lap feature with a little extra cash on the line, thanks to Kramer’s Garage, which added $400 to the winner’s purse to make it $1,000 to win. The front row featured two familiar rivals—William Baker and Cameron Kramer—and when the green flag dropped, the gloves came off.
Baker jumped to the early lead, but a full restart was needed after Kaden Michael spun in turn one. On the next green, Baker and Kramer drag-raced into turn one with Baker again pulling ahead. A second caution for Michael, followed by a debris caution, briefly slowed the action, but once the race went green, it stayed that way for 19 straight laps. Kramer threw everything he had at the leader, but Baker stayed locked in and drove a flawless race to secure his third feature win of the season.
“Man, this was fun,” Baker grinned in victory lane. “I knew Kramer was there the whole time, but I just held my line and hit my marks. Big thanks to Kramer’s Garage for putting up the extra money—it really means a lot for all of us racing out here.”
Cameron Kramer settled for second once again, followed by Billy Myers, Raidden Wilson, and Cole Laskey, who notched a season-best fifth-place finish.
Shawo Real Estate Pro Stocks, Penn - Ohio Series, Ray's Race 20 Lap Feature Results:
- (4) Brett Hutira, 2. (84S) Josh Seippel, 3. (1R) Rod Laskey, 4. (7W) Bobby Whitling, 5. (11B) Tim Bish, 6. (29) Curt J Bish, 7. (07) Jake Whitling, 8. (J19) Jason Fosnaught, 9. (20J) Hayden Fosnaught, 10. (23) Pat Fielding, 11. (11Y) Nathan Yeaney, 12. (7B) Tyler Wyant, 13. (8C) Russ Coyne, 14. (25) Brett McDonald, 15. (61M) Charlie Mcmillen, 16. (17) Jackson Humanic, 17. (55C) Brandon Conner, 18. (965) Andy Buckley, 19. (23HJR) Curtis L Bish, 20. (5B) Jason Black
Ray's Race Dash Results:
- (17) Jackson Humanic, 2. (84S) Josh Seippel, 3. (23) Pat Fielding, 4. (7B) Tyler Wyant, 5. (29) Curt J Bish, 6. (61M) Charlie Mcmillen, 7. (7W) Bobby Whitling
Heat Race Winners: (17) Jackson Humanic, (7W) Bobby Whitling and (1R) Rod Laskey
21st Century Energy Group Big Block Modifieds BRP Tour 35 Lap Feature Results:
- (18) Colten Walters 2. (777) Tyler Willard, 3. (26) Kyle Richner, 4. (5C) Ayden Cipriano, 5. (64) Rodney Beltz, 6. (165) Rex King Jr. 7. (11R) Brad Rapp, 8. (14S) Justin Shea, 9. (18W) Jeff Walters, 10. (3K) Shawn Kozar, 11. (25) Erick Rudolph, 12. (32) Jim Rasey, 13. (61) Dave Murdick, 14. (5A) Austin Eyler, 15. (13) Rick Regalski, 16. (9) Cameron Miller, 17. (37MD) Jeremiah Shingledecker, 18. (60) Thomas Holden, 19. (74) Kevin Green, 20. (20P) Mike Kinney, 21. (18R) Brandon Ritchey, 22. (29) Garrett Krummert, 23. (005) Brayden Eyler, 24. (17M) Kyle Fink, 25. (X) Jeremy Paup, 26. (10) Steve Slater, DNS (71B) Steve Barr
Heat Race Winners: (25) Erick Rudolph, (165) Rex King Jr. and (32) Jim Rasey
Complete Car Care Center RUSH Sprint Car 15 Lap Feature Results:
1.(41) Blaze Myers, 2. (68) Zach Morrow, 3. (5B) Joe Buccola, 4. (7) Cooper Macormac, 5. (63L) Wyatt Long, 6. (21) Grayson Bayle, 7. (213) Lucas Roessner, 8. (1T) Ricky Tucker III, 9. (58) Logan Lockhart, 10. (17M) CJ McClintock, 11. (16) Jayden Shiffer, 12. (23) Charlie Utsinger, 13. (58H) Mike Hover, 14. (21N) Samantha Priest, 15. (54) Devon Deeter
Heat Race Winners: (41) Blaze Myers & (213) Lucas Roessner
Clarion County Community Bank RUSH Stock cars 20 Lap Feature Results:
- (620) Willam Baker, 2. (854) Cameron Kramer, 3. (43M) Billy Myers Sr. 4. (77) Raidden Wilson, 5. (2C) Cole Laskey, 6. (15) Darr Diegelman, 7. (22) Jim Buchanan, 8. (17) Blaze Harrison, 9. (17X) Kaden Michael, 10. (22S) Michael Smiley
Heat Race Winners: (854) Cameron Kramer & (17X) Kaden Michael
Hooiser Tire Winners
21st Century Energy Group Modifieds - Tyler Willard
Shawgo Real Estate Pro Stocks - Curt J Bish
Complete Car Care Center RUSH Sprint Cars - Lucas Roessner
Clarion County Community Bank RUSH Stock Cars - Billy Myers Sr.
Upcoming Race
September 13 - Applefest Races: $2,500 to win Penn Ohio Pro-Stock Tour Race, $750 to win RUSH STOCKS, $800 to win RUSH Modifieds, $600 to win Mini Stocks
THE MARSH HEATING & COOLING WINNER CHALLENGE
The race to the top of the Marsh Heating & Cooling Heat Race Winner Challenge has been decided with Blaze Myers capturing title with eight heat race
wins and with only one race night remaining no one can catch him.
This season, 32 drivers have managed to grab multiple heat race wins, Erick Rudolph is second with seven while Raidden Wilson is third with six but
has one more race remaining and can tie Rudolph for second.
There was a log jam for fourth, Logan McCandless, Jeremy Weaver, Matt Farnham, Zach Morrow, Rex King Jr. and Brad Rapp, all with five heat wins.
Four-time heat race winners include Russ Coyne and Gale Ruth Jr. and Cameron Kramer.
With three wins, Zach Wilson, Ricky Tucker III, Jon Lee Bobby Whitling and Brandon Matus.
There are also 15 drivers who’ve picked up two wins, and an impressive 40 others who’ve made their way to heat
race victory lane at least once — talk about depth in the field!
?? Perfect Attendance Challenge – Tri-City Raceway Park ??
Drivers, your dedication could pay off in a big way!
For the 2025 season, any driver who attends every scheduled race in their class will be rewarded with:
? FREE Registration for the 2026 Season
? FREE Season Pass for 2026
Here's a look at the Drivers who haven't missed a race this season:
410 Sprints: Andy Cavanaugh, Brandon Matus, and Brent Matus
Super Late Models: Ryan Scott, Chevy Scott, Darrel Bossard, Josh Ferry and Brian Huchko.
Big Block Modifieds: Brad Rapp, Jim Rasey and Tom Holden.
RUSH Sprints: Ricky Tucker III, Grayson Bayle, Samantha Priest, Charlie Utsinger, Devon Deeter and Wyatt Long
Pro-Stocks: Jake Whitling, Matt Bernard, Russ Coyne, Pat Fielding and Josh Seippel
RUSH Stocks: Darr Diegelman, Jim Buchanan, Raidden Wilson, William Baker and Cameron Kramer
Race Day Information at Tri City Raceway Park
Pit gates will open at 3:00 PM, with general admission gates opening at 4:00 PM. Racing action is scheduled to begin at 7:00 PM. Pit passes are available
for $35, while general admission is priced at $20 for attendees aged 17 and older. Seniors (62+) and military personnel can enter for $15, and kids 11-16
are also $15, with children 10 and under admitted free.
Race Schedule
Fridays: Racing begins at 7:00 PM
Sundays: Racing starts at 6:30 PM
Tri City Raceway Park - Marketing Partners:
Hovis Auto & Truck Supply, 21st Century Energy Group, Flea Flicker LLC, Shawgo Real Estate, Compete Car Care Center, Clarion County Community Bank,
Marsh Heating and Cooling, Erie Beer, Big Dog RC, Shambaugh Towing, Wabtec, Constable Refuse Garbage Company, First Rate Reality, McCandless Ford,
KEI Klapec Express Trucking Company, Heffren Septic Systems, UCIP United Community Independence Program, Schaeffer's Oil, MAD Tree Service,
BKI Bert Klapec INC, Hards Fabrication & Welding INC, Vape Shop & Game Room, Gates & Burns Reality, Sunbelt Rentals Meadville, Tionesta Builders Supply,
McCandless Trailer Sales, Allegheny Toyota, Close Racing Supply, Friedhaber's Appliances, Log Cabin Restaurant, Bernards Electrical Services & Troubleshooting,
Oil Creek Family Campground, Landscaping Connections, PJ'S Excavating & Concrete, Bish Heating and Cooling, Blue Ox Timber, Mad Mac BBQ,
Top Gun Settlements, Top Notch Tree & Stump Service, Wet Hose
Tri City Raceway Park is proudly owned by Josh & Kyrsten Shiffer and is located at: 3430 State Route 417, Franklin, Pennsylvania. Whether you're a seasoned racing fan or new to the sport, Tri City Raceway Park offers thrilling races and a vibrant atmosphere for all ages. Bring your family and friends and enjoy an exciting night of racing action! We look forward to seeing you at the track!
- administrator on Sep 08, 2025
- Article Date: 9/2/2025 by Mike Ackelson