For Immediate Release
AUGUST 4, 2012
JIM LAMOREAUX, JIMMY ZACHARIAS, LEE SHARPSTEEN AND JEFF AMEIGH FIND VICTORY LANE ON A HOT SUMMER NIGHT AT SHANGRI-LA II
Tioga Center, NY
2009 Latemodel champion, Jim Lamoreaux led flag to flag in claiming his second Latemodel victory of the season holding off the constant pressure from second place finisher, Jerry Dineen. Jimmy Zacharias made his move around Tony Hanbury on the fifth lap of the twenty five lap Sportsman feature and cruised on to his sixth Sportsman win. Lee Sharpsteen started deep in the Street Stock field. The two time and defending champion drove with determination following a disqualification the preceding week, bypassed both Chris Zacharias and Gil Sharpsteen in turn three on lap sixteen and held on to win for the seventh time in ten events. Jeff Ameigh collected his fourth win in the Pudgies Pizza Four Cylinder Stocks, holding off Frank Morich.
Hazy, Hot, Humid. All good words to describe the conditions on Saturday night at the ASA member track, Shangri-La II Motorspeedway. Rivalry, Intensity, Short Fuses and Tired Equipment describe the beginning of the final one third of any racing season. When you combine all of the preceding ingredients, you can start to understand how and why the action unfolded the way it did on A Night of Thunder. The night ended before it began for Robert Fink, Brandon Ameigh and Dayton Cote as their cars experienced motor problems during hot laps. Charlie Sharpsteen, driving the car normally driven by Danielle Buchek, had motor failure during the third Street Stock heat. The third Street Stock heat was brought to an end on the final lap when the red flag came out following a scary crash in turn two. R.J. Zacharias entered turn one in second place. A split second later, he went head on into the turn two wall, bouncing off the wall and coasted through turn two while a fire ignited in the engine compartment. Safety crews were on the scene immediately putting out the fire. R.J. was talking with the safety workers, and complained of neck and back pain. The EMS crews removed the roof of the car and extricated the driver following all safety precautions. The driver was transported to a local hospital for evaluation. It appeared that the left front hub on the car broke as the driver entered turn one causing the single car incident. Jeff Ameigh and Frank Morich put on a good show for the fans in the Pudgies Pizza Four Cylinder Stocks. Ameigh carried the responsibility of keeping victory lane his family’s turf by himself. He did not disappoint as he claimed his fourth win by a carlength over Morich.
The Sportsman main event was paced to the green flag by two young lions. Tyler Rypkema and Zack Curren are both rookies and both in the top four in points. The race did not get off to a good start as a T.J. Zacharias ran out of racing room entering turn one, and found the outside wall, ending his night. The green flew for the second time with Tyler Rypkema grabbing the lead. Tony Hanbury made use of the outside line, and moved from his fourth starting spot to run second at the end of the first lap. Rypkema opened the bottom line in turn one on lap two, allowing Hanbury to take the lead bringing Curren along with him. Rypkema and Jody Buckley both went for the same spot on the track in turn four with the pair touching rear tires. Both cars spun, but were able to continue. Jimmy Zacharias started fifth, but dropped to sixth on the first lap. He then went to work, and moved by Hanbury to take the lead on lap five. Curren continued to run in third until he became the final caution of the event in a single car spin in turn three. Points leader, John Wilber claimed third on the restart and gave chase to Zacharias and Hanbury. The checkers flew over Jimmy Zacharias for the sixth time in 2012. Hanbury was second, Wilber finished third. Buckley and Rypkema finished fourth and fifth respectively.
Jim Lamoreaux lad flag to flag in the Latemodels, but had his hands full all race long from constant pressure from Jerry Dineen. Scott Nurmi ran a close third all race long. The lone caution came on lap twelve as Dineen spun exiting turn two from slight contact from Nurmi. The restart had the trio resume their challenges and crossed the line in the same order; Lamoreaux winning for the second time this year with Dineen second, Nurmi third and Brad Smales fourth. Following post-race technical inspection Scott Nurmi was disqualified for an illegal spacer between the carburetor and the intake.
The competition in the Street Stocks has been intense all season long, and Saturday night was no exception. Chris Conrad and Joe Snell were set to pace the field to the green flag, but a miscommunication with the visiting Trans-Am Daytona 500 Pace Car caused head flagger Gary Folk, Jr to call a no start when the pace car did not clear the track in turn four. As the field was reassembling, Conrad’s car developed a motor problem forcing him to the pits. The restart found Snell now accompanied by Bill Frisbee, Jr on the front row. Snell led the first three laps until he was bypassed by Chris Zacharias and Gil Sharpsteen. Snell fell to fourth one lap later when Jeff Goodwin moved up to third from his seventh starting spot. Zacharias would lead for four laps until Gil Sharpsteen got by on a lap eight restart. The caution came out when Jeff Goodwin spun in turn four, at the same time Dusty Snell and Brad Knapp got together in turn one. Knapp continued on while Dusty was done for the night. The cautions flew twice more on lap nine when Joe Snell and Derrick Tarbox had contact in turn three, then on the restart Brad Knapp and Guy Somers got together in turn one. Lee Sharpsteen started eleventh, and had made his way up to the third position by lap eight. Once the race finally went green on the third lap nine restart Sharpsteen was back in tenth. Lee went to work and put on a driving clinic moving up to third by lap fourteen when the final caution was brought out by Brad Knapp stopping on the backstretch. Lee Sharpsteen used a power move to the inside of turn three on the restart bypassing Gil Sharpsteen and Chris Zacharias. Sharpsteen would hold on for his seventh win of the year. Zacharias finished on Sharpsteen’s rear bumper for second. Gil Sharpsteen finished third with Goodwin finishing fourth and Terry Potrzebowski completing the top five after running as high as third in the middle third of the event.
Concrete Nuggets: Jimmy Zacharias is the All Time Wins Leader at Shangri-La II Motorspeedway with Twenty Five wins (Seven Modified and Eighteen Sportsman wins). Lee Sharpsteen leads all Street Stock competitors in wins collecting Twenty One wins competing in only three of the first four seasons the track has been in operation. The win by Jim Lamoreaux on Saturday night breaks a tie in the All Time Wins category in the Latemodel division. Lamoreaux and Travis Fisher were tied with nine wins apiece prior to the Lamoreaux victory. Brad Knapp was disqualified in the Street Stock division Saturday night for failure to follow the instructions of the officials. Knapp had been shown the black flag on lap fourteen and fifteen as the car was slowing on the track. The driver did not proceed to the pits, but slowed to a stop on the backstretch on lap sixteen. Once the caution came out, the car took off. The driver went to pit road, and was stopped where the officials informed him he would not be allowed back on track. The driver then sped through the pits in a manner which was of concern to officials and competitors alike. Reports back to the track by the Zacharias family on Saturday evening were that preliminary evaluations on R.J. Zacharias were there were no fractures, just a lot of discomfort. Good News, Indeed.
Up Next at Shangri-La II is Concrete Kicks Asphalt Night on Saturday August 11th. The four division program will feature the Latemodels, Sportsman, Street Stocks and Pudgies Pizza Four Cylinder Stocks. Pit Gates open at 4:30 pm. Grandstand Gates open and Hot Laps begin at 5:30 pm. Racing gets underway at 7:00 pm. Bring back your wristbands from Sunday afternoon’s program to the Shangri-La II Motorspeedway ticket window and receive a $2.00 discount off of your grandstand admission. Your paid admission is good for both Shangri-La II and Skyview Drags. There is always plenty of free camping.
Latemodel Finish (15 Laps) 1) Jim Lamoreaux, 2) Jerry Dineen, 3) Brad Smales DQ: Scott Nurmi Heat Winner: Jim Lamoreaux
Sportsman Finish (25 Laps) 1) Jimmy Zacharias, 2) Tony Hanbury, 3) John Wilber, 4) Jody Buckley, 5) Tyler Rypkema, 6) Zack Curren, 7) Tom Shiner,
Matt Clemens, 9) Chris Clemens, 10) T.J. Zacharias, 11) Mike Odwazny Heat Winners: Jimmy Zacharias, Zack Curren
Street Stock Finish ( 25 Laps) 1) Lee Sharpsteen, 2) Chris Zacharias, 3) Gil Sharpsteen, 4) Jeff Goodwin, 5) Terry Potrzebowski, 6) Jason Duke, Sr., 7) Bill Frisbee, Jr.,
J.R. Swansborough, 9) Joe Snell, 10) Jake Snell, 11) Guy Somers, 12) Dusty Snell, 13) Hank Buchanan, 14) Derrick Tarbox, 15) Bob Ripley, 16) Chris Conrad
DQ: Brad Knapp DNS: R.J.Zacharias, Robert Fink, Charlie Sharpsteen
Heat Winners: Lee Sharpsteen, Gil Sharpsteen, Jeff Goodwin
Pudgies Goodtime Pizza, Pasta and Subs 4 Cylinders (12 Laps) 1) Jeff Ameigh, 2) Frank Morich, 3) Gene Purvis
DNS: Dayton Cote, Brandon Ameigh Heat Winner : Jeff Ameigh
ASA and Shangri-La II Motorspeedway - Where Champions Are Born !!!