DUNDEE, NY – For Immediate Release – May 9th, 2015
It was well documented that both Steve Paine and Alan Johnson needed great runs in the third week of competition at the ‘Fast Four-Tenths-Mile’ in Dundee to get back on track. Paine and Johnson found themselves 19th and 17th in points respectively coming into Free General Admission night- they would not leave the night in that position.
Paine and Johnson would find themselves on the front row for the 30-lap feature event based on the handicap and their poor recent finishes. The Waterloo, NY pilot of the Swarthout Recycling 7x blasted out in front of the field and took charge early over Johnson and Conklin, NY’s Chris Ostrowsky.
Johnson from Middlesex, NY wasn’t as good on restarts as Paine seemed to be as there was several late race restarts with less than 10 laps to go. ‘AJ Slideways’ would catch Paine on lap 14 as they entered Turn 1 and would try to take advantage of Paine catching slower traffic.
The race would go green from laps 1 to 17 until Brady Fultz had a right rear tire go down- continuing his hard luck streak in 2015. Paine would pull away on each of the following restarts on Laps 17, 18, 22 and 25.
With five laps to go Paine pulled away quickly on the restart from Johnson but he would not let Paine walk away easily. Johnson threw everything the Friendly Ford 14J had left in it but it was ‘The Hurricane’ taking victory #1 of 2015. Johnson had to settle for second, Chris Ostrowsky came home third, Joe Dgien fourth and Brian Swarthout without sail panels in his first race of the season rounded out the Top 5.
“We’ve had some bad luck recently, but my dad went to work on this car this week and got us going again,” said Paine to a roaring cheer as he exited the car in Champion Power Equipment Victory Lane.
“I gave it all I had out there, there isn’t any more left in it,” talking about trying to stay in front of Johnson.
Lance Irwin earned his first career win in the 25-lap Crate Sportsman feature event. Irwin runs a low budget operation with teammates Brent Ayers and Eric Bell as well as returning to the racetrack without father, Les, who passed away in the offseason.
“Man I just wish my dad was here to share this with us,” said Irwin while doing his very best to keep his emotions in check.
However a post-race technical inspection found that Irwin’s car was running a distributor that did not conform to the Crate Sportsman rulebook- disqualifying Irwin from the win, the points and any money earned. Fisher came home second followed by Doug Smith, Chris Silvers and Dale Welty the Top 5. Irwin’s winnings will transfer to the driver’s point fund while all drivers in the Sportsman division will move up one spot for the purposes of points.
Jason Benjamin picked up his first win of the season in the M&M Auto Sales & Service IMCA Modified division. A thrilling battle between Benjamin and Harry Ely would intensify as the two worked their way through slower traffic as they completed Lap 12. Benjamin was able to use the ‘pick and roll’ with a lap car, take the lead and never look back.
Point leaders Rich Karlnoski and Keith Lamphere had problems of the their own on this night but both were able to rebound for fourth place and third place respectively. Ken Buck was impressive with his second Top 5 finish in a row coming home fifth.
The IMCA Mods led off the night’s feature events and after two quick cautions to start the race, the rest of the race went off in much quicker fashion than in previous weeks. The IMCA competitors had a near-perfect track to race on and the battle for the lead had the fans cheering for either Benjamin or Ely with Benjamin taking his first win of the season.
Dresden, NY’s Nate Daggett pulled off a feat in Friday night’s Morseman Racing Chassis Street Stock feature that he has done before- win on Free General Admission night.
“I guess I just like to show off in front of the big crowd,” said Daggett in SuperGen Products Victory Lane.
Daggett’s poor start to the season put him on the pole for the 20-lap feature and Daggett left no doubt that he was the car to beat on this night. Chuck Winslow battled the back bumper of Daggett’s 3D for much of the race but the Lewis Electric, Sloan’s Lawn Care ride was up to the challenge every time.
It was a very special night in victory lane for Daggett as not only was a big crowd in attendance, but he dedicated the win to ‘Jeffy’ Searles who was a close friend of the family that passed away in the offseason.
“I want to dedicate tonight’s win to Jeffy Searles, who couldn’t be with us tonight. We know he’s watching high above and probably has a bigger smile on than we do.”
A special Memorial Race Night is planned for Friday June 19th in memory of Searles sponsored by the Douglas B. Miles Agency, Inc.
Winslow ended up with a fine second place finish, 2014 Empire 100 winner Kurt Stebbins got back on track for third, while Frank Chapman Jr in his first run of the season finished fourth and defending Woodhull Raceway track champion Brett Marlatt rounded out the Top 5.
Jeremy Trank locked down his first victory of the season Friday night and a victory that was also well earned in front of a packed house. Trank, out of the Back Yard Motorsports stables, started in position number four but would move up to second after a Lap 1 yellow saw Desi Force in the 94 machine take a wild ride off of Turn 3.
Force received contact from another competitor sending her over the bank in Turn 3. The 94 got a decent amount of airtime, clearing the concrete wall, and went through the chain link fence that protects the pit area from the racing surface. Force’s car made contact with a transporter parked next to the wall/fence but thankfully nobody was injured in the altercation. The young pilot out of Penn Yan, NY had some bumps and bruises but will return to action.
When the field returned to green Trank, Craig Mahrt, Rick Horton and Chad Ayers would put on a battle royal that was exciting to watch. As the laps wore on, the four-car battle became a two-car battle with Horton and Trank swapping paint several times off of Turn 4. Both drivers put the ‘rubbing is racing’ mantra on display but gave each other enough room to race clean.
In the end it was Trank who survived to take his first win of the year over Horton, Ayers, Del Cummings and David Whetham rounding out the Top 5.
“That was a lot of fun out there. Rubbing is racing and we gave each other enough respect to not just run each other over,” said Trank in victory lane.
Jeff Daugherty continued his dominance in the Creekside Entertainment Bandit division to start off the night’s racing activities. He did get more of a battle for the win than he has had all season though, as Dundee native Billy Bowers made a hard charge for the win.
Bowers started on the pole and led the opening two circuits. Daugherty took the lead on Lap 2 and never looked back. Bowers came home second while female pilot Pixie Kinner rounded out the field in third.
“I had to change my line a lot to get around here tonight. We had a fast car and the track was smooth,” said Daugherty after making it three wins in a row.
Next week Black Rock Speedway welcomes the Patriot Sprint Tour for their first of two stops to the ‘Fast Four-Tenths-Mile’ in Dundee, NY. Grandstand admission is set for $15 with Seniors and ages 12-17 paying $13 for admission. The Patriot Sprint Tour will be joined by a regular card of Modifieds, Sportsman, IMCA Modifieds, Street Stocks, 4 Cylinders and Bandits. Gates open at 5PM with opening ceremonies starting promptly at 7PM.
Full Results- Free General Admission Night 2015:
Modifieds 16 cars (30 Laps): STEVE PAINE (1), Alan Johnson, Chris Ostrowsky, Joe Dgien, Brian Swarthout, Stacey Jackson, Ron Cartwright Jr, Donnie Lawson, Derrick Podsiadlo, Eric Fisher, Brady Fultz, Tyler Siri, Marcus Dinkins, Corey Costa, Scott Boudinot, Daryl Hilkert
Lap Leaders: Paine 1-30
Heat Winners: Paine, Boudinot
Crate Sportsman 17 cars (25 Laps): LANCE IRWIN (DQ after Post Race Inspection), Chris Fisher, Doug Smith, Chris Silvers, Dale Welty, Casey Pavlick, Ross Vleck, Tim Guild, Jake Dgien, Steve Gray, Brent Ayers, Bill Laviolette, Zach Ziegenhagen, Mike Buchanan, Jordan Siri, Eric Bell, Josh Keesey
Lap Leaders: Irwin 1-25
Heat Winners: Smith, Fisher
M&M Auto Sales & Service IMCA Modifieds 14 Cars (20 Laps):
JASON BENJAMIN (1), Harry Ely, Keith Lamphere, Rich Karlnoski, Ken Buck, Sparky Hills, Scott Sebring, Logan Terry, Brandon Smith, Brandon Mathews, Tony Harris, Brad Smith, Todd Stone, Bruce Tinsley
Lap Leaders: Ely 1-12, Benjamin 13-20
Heat Winners: Ely, Benjamin
MRC Street Stocks 16 cars (20 Laps): NATE DAGGETT (1), Chuck Winslow, Kurt Stebbins, Frank Chapman Jr, Brett Marlatt, Tracy Dunn, Jared Hill, Roger Kerrick, Dennis Cummings, Bill Miller, Bob Buono, CJ Guererri, Gene Balmer, Ralph Champion, Harold Fenton, Jake Karlnoski
Lap Leaders: Daggett 1-20
Heat Winners: Balmer, Daggett
NAPA Know How 4 Cylinders 21 cars (20 Laps): JEREMY TRANK (1), Rick Horton, Chad Ayers, Del Cummings, David Whetham, Scott Bradley, Erica Bell, Rick Amidon, Chris Percy, Craig Mahrt (1st FWD across the line), Joe Birdsall, Shawn Gleason, Jayson Smart, Brad Dove, Dan Smart, Rich Sharpsteen, Adam DelGrosso, James Kreidler III, Jarod Brown, Desi Force, Casey Wagner
Lap Leaders: Mahrt 1, Trank 2-20
Heat Winners: Horton, Mahrt, Cummings
Creekside Entertainment Bandits (10 Laps): JEFF DAUGHERTY (3), Billy Bowers, Pixie Kinner
Lap Leaders: Bowers 1-2, Daugherty 2-10