The only action that had taken place at Mahoning Valley Speedway on the initial day for opening day was certainly opposite of frost free, causing the April 8th events to be cancelled. A week later Mother Nature cooperated giving gorgeous weather for the opening day festivities.        With the front row already decided in each division for the main event, which was based upon time trials that were taken two weeks prior, heat qualifications began promptly at 6pm. Running smoothly, each division was set for the feature with the exception of the Modifieds which required a consi. Taking only the top 3, which would complete the 20 car field, Jared Nace, Chaz Surman, and Tony Hanbury were unable to qualify and would not see the green flag drop for the Frost Free 100. Intermission set in, spectators rushed to obtain food, drinks, snacks and goodies. While the sunset in the west, the Easter basket prizes were given out, along with the weekly drawings.     The 11 car Factory Stock field took to the staging area for their 20 lap main event. Randy Ahrner Sr. and Brian Hughes shared the front row. The green flag flew Ahrner took the lead while heavy pressure was being supplied by Hughes and Steigerwalt. The field spread out while Ahrner, Hughes and Steigerwalt battled for the lead. On lap 12, transponders indicated Hughes crossed the line ahead of Ahrner, but did not have the ability to muscle past Ahrner. All 20 laps were completed without a caution. Ahrner took the win, while Steigerwalt, Hughes, Knappenberger, and Knauss finished out the top 5.     While Victory Lane photos were finishing up, the Street Stocks awaited patiently in the staging area. Allen Schlenker and Mike Quinn started 1 and 2 respectively. The green flag had come out while Schlenker and Quinn provided a battle for each other, Quinn lead lap 1 by a nose. Schlenker maintained his position while the remainder of the field continued to battle for position. What appeared to be an all green flag race, soon ended when the caution flag flew on lap 15 for a spinning Dave Laubach in turn one. The field doubled up for the green and completed just one more lap before the caution came out again for Todd Geist who hit the wall hard coming out of turn 2. After the track was cleaned up, the field restarted, and again the caution flag flew for pole sitter Allen Schlenker who ended up with a flat left front tire. Once again, the green had come out, Mike Quinn still remained the leader with pressure being applied by Shawn Sitarchyk, but Quinn would have to wait yet another restart before claiming the checkered flag. On lap 24, rookie to the division, Josh Sherer had made heavy contact with the backstretch wall, causing the caution flag to fly one more time for the street stocks. The green had come out again, Quinn crossed the line first, while Shawn Sitarchyk, Bill Hanura, Todd Ahrner and Mark Deysher finished out the top 5.     The Late Models were next on the track. Paul Koehler, driving the familiar black and orange 00k shared the front row with Todd Stehle, who is no stranger to the racing circuit. When the green came out, Koehler was quick to take the lead, while the other 14 cars battled for position. The action continued until lap 9, when the first caution came out when Tony Volpe and Francis Gross got tangled while racing for position. The green came out, Koehler jumped into the lead, but the group of cars did not make it a full complete lap before the yellow had come out again. This time it was an 8 car pile up in turn 3, that ended the evening for Todd Stehle and Joe Curli. Also involved, but able to return to racing, included the Arthofer, Radocha, Sweeney, Zatsko, Wallace, and Bollinger. Todd Geist, whom also had some rear damage, ducked into the pits and was quick to return. The green came out, once again Koehler jumped into the lead, no one challenge Koehler, when yet again the caution flag flew on lap 15 for a spinning Mike Radocha in turn 2. Action continued for 8 more laps, red flag conditions were the result of Mike Sweeney and Todd Geist tangling coming out of turn 3 causing Sweeney to slam head on into the turn 4 wall with such impact that resulted the engine to burst into flames. Safety crews were quick to get to the car, extinguish the flames, and get Mike out of the car. Appearing to be extremely shaken up, Sweeney did manage to walk away under his own power.  Racing had resumed, but only for one lap,  the final caution had come out for a spinning Pat Hargan. The remaining six laps went caution free and Paul Koehler Jr. picked up his first win for the 2006 season. Lorin Arthofer, Francis Gross, Tony Volpe, and Mike Radocha finished out the top 5.     The much anticipated 100 lap Frost Free Modified event was up next. Dover, New Jersey's Don Wagner and Glenn Correll shared the front row. When the green had come out Don Wagner took the lead, Rusty Smith was right on his tail applying heavy pressure, finally going to the outside Smith had taken over the lead, at the same time Brian Romig and Amanda Sesely got together in turn 1 bringing out the first caution. Racing had resumed, Smith maintained the top position,  Glenn Correll found an outside line that had taken him from 5fifth place and challenging the leader in less than 5 laps. The battle was interrupted on lap 20, when Tommy Flanagan brought out the caution after spinning in turn 2. The green had come out again, but only for a short period of time,  lap 27 for Earl Paules, and again on lap 30 for Rod Snyder Jr who stopped on the backstretch with a flat tire. Smith, still in command, brought the field around for 17 more laps, as the caution flag came out for Kory Rabenold who was stopped in between turns 1 and 2 with a flat tire. Smith brought the field around once again, this time for a stretch of 14 laps, caution flag flew once again this time for Earl Paules who has collected Dave Correll. Two laps later Glenn Correll who was running within the top 5 all night was collected when Wes Swartout got loose coming out of turn two, also involved was the 95m of John Markovic. Correll's evening was ended due to the significant damage to his car. When the green flag came out, Smith found himself a handful, with an extremely fast Brian Defebo on his tail, Smith was saved by the caution flag on lap 66, as last weeks mountain speedway winner, Pete Brittain, took a spin in turn 4. The green had come out Smith held off Defebo and pulled away by half of a car length. On lap 70, the caution had come out once again, this time for your leader who got loose in turn 1 and was unable to recover, giving the lead over to Defebo. The next 30 laps Defebo ran a perfect line around the track holding off ROC regular Zane Zeiner and young gun Kory Rabenold, who raced side by side behind Defebo trying to find a way past him. The yellow had come out twice during the stretch, on lap 84 for Roger Heffelfinger Jr who had spun on the backstretch, and on lap 93 for Rusty Smith who spun in turn 4. When racing had resumed, Kory Rabenold gave Defebo everything he had, but came up short in the end. Berwick's (Pennsylvania) Brian Defebo took the checkered, while Rabenold, Zeiner, Beers, and Graver Jr finished the top 5.     The 4 Cylinder Pro-Stocks were scheduled next. Barry Christman and Tj Gursky shared the front row of the 14 car field. When the green came out Christman jumped to the lead while for the next 13 laps Gursky, Schlenker, Miller and Baer raced for position. On lap 13 the caution flag flew for a spinning Chris Kuronya. During the caution Tj Gursky had stopped in turn 3, having car troubles, he retired for the evening. On the restart and again on lap 17 the caution came out for a spinning Jeff Delong. While Christman maintained the lead, he had a hard charging Todd Baer behind him, last lap 19 was about to go in the books, Baer getting together with Christman causted a melee on the front stretch. Christman regained his position, as officials felt Baer was rough riding the leader. When the green had come one one last time Christman was receiving heavy pressure by Kevin Rex. As they rounded the 4th turn Rex jumped under Christman to take the win. Christman finished respectively 2nd, while Miller, Graver Sr., and Rooney completed the top 5.     The final division to take to the track was the 4 Cylinder division. Jeff Bartron and Jon Smith shared the front row. The 16 car field took the green flag and completed one lap before the yellow had come out for a spinning Steve Longacre. As the green came out Bartron took the lead this time with Jason Zatsko on his heels. As approaching lapped cars, Bartron went high, while Zatsko went low, cutting through the brim of the race track and found himself in the rear quarter panel of Dan Beigley, who spun around once contacted. Once the field was situated and back under green, the caution flag was soon to follow for a spinning Lou Szoke. That was the final time the yellow had come out. Jeff Bartron claimed his first victory of the 2006 season, while Garris Jr, Freundt, Zatsko, and Smith finished out the top 5. THE END