Story Created:
Sep 14, 2008 at 8:53 PM EST
Story Updated:
Sep 14, 2008 at 8:53 PM EST
VERNON, NY (WKTV) -
After a two day delay due to rain, the support division portion of the Dart Machinery New Yorker 200 was completed on Sunday, September 14 when Zielinski’s Asphalt LLC presented the Sportsman, SUNY Canton Street Stocks Series, and World Products IMCA Modified Empire State Series. Instead of competing on a cool fall evening as originally scheduled, the afternoon event saw conditions that were more summer like as a bright sunshine baked the crowd in 90 degree temperatures. The crowd was entertained by highly competitive racing action with Brad Alger, Rich Green, and Dale Caswell the big winners when the event came to a close. The action on Sunday was supposed to go off on Friday September 12 until Mother Nature intervened.
Pole sitter Brad Alger grabbed the early lead at the drop of the green of the 50 lap Sportsman main event as he hoped to cap o ff his championship season with a win on New Yorker Weekend. Russ Hefti, coming from the fifth spot, quickly jumped into the second spot at the completion of lap one and went after the rim riding Alger.
By lap five, Alger and Hefti were side by side for the lead with Alger still holding a slight edge over Hefti but a lap later Hefti was able to power by for the lead. Hefti seemingly had firm control of the race when on a lap 20 restart, Jeff Leslie got turned around in front of the field and Mike Button, unable to avoid him, made contact with Leslie and rolled over which brought out the red flag.
On the restart, Alger was able to speed back by the outside of Hefti to regain the lead and at the halfway point it was Alger, Hefti, Jason Rood, AJ Filbeck, and Mike Loney leading the way. Two minor cautions slowed the field in the remaining 25 laps allowing the field to close up on the rear bumper of Alger, but the 2008 Utica-Rome Speedway Sportsman champion was to strong as he claimed the $2,200 payday. Hefti held on for the runner up spot with Rood, Loney, and Filbeck chasing.
Dave Bruno and Larry Bezner led the SUNY Canton Street Stocks to the green flag in their 30 lap season finale with Bezner holding the early edge. As the field came around for the lap two, the two leaders made contact which scattered the field and relegated them to the rear of the field. Nate Peckham was the beneficiary off the mishap as gained the lead.
Peckham would hold off a handful of challengers in the early stages of the race with Dave Mannise, Ron Wadforth, Rick Breed, and Rich Green all taking shots at the front. On lap 11, Mannise would finally squeeze by Peckham for a turn leading the field around the
Vernon
half mile. When the crossed flags=2 0were shown to the field at the halfway point, it was Mannise leading with Peckham, Green, Breed, and 2008 Utica-Rome Speedway Pure Stock champion Chris Carr chasing.
Just past halfway, the bottom hugging Breed started to slip through the top three positions to grab the lead on lap 21 with Green slipping into second on lap 24. Three circuits went by with Green pursuing Breed for the lead when he finally passed the former DIRT Pro Stock champion for the lead on lap 27. Green raced to his first ever Utica-Rome Speedway win and a $1,000 payday while early leader Bezner recovered from his lap one mishap to finish in second. Breed, Wadforth, and Peckham filled out the rest of the top five at the checkered flag.
The scariest moment of the race came after the field took the ckeckers when Breed’s throttle stuck and he went over the turn one banking at full speed. After going over the banking, his car went end over end and showed a momentary burst of flames as it came to a rest. Breed would emerge from the carnage uninjured but shaken.
The World Products Empire State Series for the IMCA Modifieds took the track with JJ Courcy grabbing the advantage over pole sitter Lyle Smith. Courcy would pace the field for the first two circuits of the 15 lap A Main until fifth place starter charged by on lap three. Kevan Cook edged Caswell at the line to lap five but Caswell was again out front by the sixth lap. Caswell would remain the leader until the end with Gary Roberts, Cook, Aaron Jacobs, and Courcy rounding out the field.
ZEILINSKI’S ASPHALT RACE SUMMARY
SPORTSMAN FEATURE FINISH (50 LAPS)- BRAD ALGER, Russ Hefti, Jason Rood, Mike Loney, AJ Filbeck, Casey Williams, Greg Doust, Chris Hile, Steve Way, Matt Janczuk, Aaron Jacobs, Jack Miller, Randy Brokaw, Steve Yankowski, Jeremy Vunk, Craig Pope, Jim LaRock, Tom Juhl, Ben Wheeler, Bill Trexler Jr., Jeff Leslie, Mike Button, Steve Anderson, and Tim Nye.
SUNY CANTON STREET STOCK FEATURE FINISH (30 LAPS)- RICH GREEN, Larry Bezner, Ricky Breed, Ron Wadforth, Nate Peckham, Dave Mannise, Ron Hawker, Chris Carr, Russ Marsden, Ron Marsden, Dave Pope, Waylan Wilczek, Scott Wheelock, Nick Rizzo, Mike Schultz, Kelly Pope, Jim Thomas, Steve Burton, Phil Norman, Cale Hoffman, Daryl Krebs, Dave Bruno, Tim Janczuk, Andy Potter, Bill Mason, Steve Woodworth, John Eiss, Dan Hofmann Sr., Chuck Cushman, and Rob Thieme.
IMCA MODIFIED FEATURE FINISH (15 LAPS)- DALE CASWELL, Gary Roberts, Kevan Cook, Aaron Jacobs, JJ Courcy, Lyle Smith, Brian Evenden, Tony Finch, Brandon Carvey, Jim Walsh, Rich Riggs, and Chris Fleming.
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