Third Leg of Competition Sees Competitors Share $60,000
Worthington, OH-This past weekend in Bowling Green, Ohio, the third and final leg of the Pennzoil Cup Series came to an exciting close as 175 competitors in five NTPA divisions claimed points to determine the winners of the third year program. The $60,000 special series point race sponsored by Pennzoil took place on the National Tractor Pullers Association tour, which included three Pennzoil Cup Events: Tomah, Wis.; Chapel Hill, Tenn., and the aforementioned Bowling Green.
In the Unlimited Modified category in which drivers power multiple, supercharged engines on an 8,000 lb. entry, it was Lapeer, Michigan's Bob Jostock and his "Wild Child" taking home his first ever Pennzoil Cup Championship. Jostock is powered by five supercharged, methanol alcohol burning Hemi engines. Although two other competitors led during the first and second leg of the series, it was Jostock's consistency that propelled him to the crown. Jostock's 163 points just edged Kathy Archer of Marietta, Ohio in the "Black Widow" entry. Archer was one point behind Jostock, and won the final three of six competitive heats in the Pennzoil Cup battle. 2008 NTPA Grand National Champion, Bill Voreis and his "American Thunder" were third, while Norman, Oklahoma's Wayne Purser was fourth with "Uncle Sam" and Bruce Slagh of Zeeland, Mich. was fifth with "Show No Mercy."
In the Super Stock Diesel category, Brian Shramek from Williamsburg, Mo. took home his first Pennzoil Cup Championship with his Agco-Allis "Young Blood." Shramek led wire-to-wire in the cup standings, and ended up with a 19 point bulge over second place finisher, Jim Schaendorf of Dorr, Mich. In third place was last year's Pennzoil Cup Champion for the division, David Siefert of New Washington, Ohio and "Renegade." In fourth place were Neil and Loren Gettinger with "Up N Atom" and fifth was Hans Boxler, Jr. out of Varysburg, N.Y.
Another repeat Pennzoil Cup Champion was Jessie Petro of Camden, Ohio in the Two Wheel Drive division. Jessie won with his supercharged Minor Racing Engine powered "Buckeye Hauler" and the team's "2 Timin'" entry made the furthest leap in the standings of any competitor - from eighth position to third at the final heat in Bowling Green. Sandwiched in between the pair of TWDs was Jessie's father, Randy Petro's "Kathy's Komplaint" entry. All told, the Petros took home almost $10,000 of the coveted Pennzoil Cup award money. Fourth and fifth place were won by a pair of South Carolinians - Mike Rodgers and his "Dog House" Dodge was in fourth, while neighbor Jeffrey Bartley and "Lumberjack" were fifth. Both men live in Saluda, which also hosts an NTPA National event in August.
Jim and Paul Holman are brothers, teammates and champions of this year's Four Wheel Drive Truck Pennzoil Cup series. The 10-time NTPA Grand National Champions from Wauseon, Ohio have won the cup two out of the last three years. Their 1960 Chevrolet called "4 Play" is powered by a 650 cubic inch, fuel injected Steve Schmidt engine and scored the highest point total of any of the 174 other Pennzoil Cup participants by amassing 177 of a possible 180 points and five wins in six tries. Second in the standings was last year's champion Pete McKeeth and his "Jus Rutt'n'" Chevrolet out of Galesville, Wis. Rob Foster of Fairgrove, Mich. was third with his Syngenta sponsored "Simply Red" Chevrolet, while Larry Peterson of Baldwin, Wis. and Ron Newell of Leipsic, Ohio made it a clean Chevy brand sweep by placing fourth and fifth respectively.
In the "wildest ride in pulling" category, the 2,050 lb. Mini Modifieds, it was Adam Bauer taking home the top money in the Pennzoil Cup Series. His Bauer Built sponsored "Iron Toy" from Paton, Iowa was the class of the field from start to finish as he won four Pennzoil Cup heats in a row to cruise to a seven point margin over teammate Scott Walker's "Cowboy Up" entry. Bauer's four wins were second only to the Holman Brothers for the most wins in the series. Both Bauer Built machines feature the latest Bob Minor racing engine technology. Thornville, Ohio's Rick Peters was third with his ever-popular "Buckeye Special" powered by a Sassy Racing Hemi. In fourth position was the Pennzoil Platinum "Double Play" entry of Adam Koester, who won the previous two Pennzoil Cup Championships. Rounding out the top five was Phillip Fairbanks of Fitchburg, Mass. with "Original Rat Poison."
