COME IN OUT OF THE COLD,  MOTORSPORTS EXPO 2017 KICKS OFF THE 2017 NEW YORK STATE RACING SEASON

After a long, cold off-season, the day that race fans wait for all winter long is upon us.  The first big event of the 2017 race season in New York State is the annual Motorsports Expo 2017 show.   The annual rite of spring serves as the first major event of the new racing season in New York State, and the 31st anniversary edition is shaping up to be another must-see event as the racing community comes together to start a new season. 

The31st anniversary edition of Motorsports Expo takes place in the Center of Progress Building on the New York State Fairgrounds,.  Motorsports Expo 2017 will open to the public on Saturday, March 11th with public hours from 10AM-8PM.  On Sunday, March 12th, the show hours are 11AM-4PM.  Set-up will take place on March 10th as vendors and participants will be getting everything ready for the official show opening on Saturday morning.

More than 200 race teams are expected to converge on Syracuse for the weekend, proudly displaying their new creations and allowing fans to get a close-up view of their equipment prior to taking to the various area speedways in the weeks following the show.   While the emphasis of the show is geared heavily toward short track oval racing both asphalt and dirt track , just about every form of Motorsports is represented at Motorsports Expo 2017.  

 Many area speedways and sanctioning bodies  all speedways and sanctioning bodies will be on hand with booths set up to promote their rapidly approaching racing season.     Most will have their 2017 season schedules finalized and will have schedule cards and other pertinent information ready to distribute to both race teams and fans,

 A large variety of  vendors selling racing related products will also be a part of  Motorsports Expo 2017.  Show vendors annually bring a wide variety of merchandise to the show with a great variety of products ranging from the latest must-have speed equipment for the race teams to souvenirs and apparel of every type imaginable for the race fans.

 Longtime Motorsports Expo Sponsor Ferris Mowers are offering a special deal for the 31st anniversary edition of Motorsports Expo.  Race fans are invited to stop in to one of the participating Central New York Ferris dealers and pick up a coupon good for half price admission into Motorsports Expo 2017.  With the coupon from your favorite Ferris dealer, fans can enjoy an entire day of Motorsports related entertainment for only $6.   A full list of participating dealers can be found at www.gaternews.com.  Longtime Motorsports Expo supporters 07 Racing Photos in Endwell, NY and Mitchell’s Speedway Press in Oswego will also be distributing half price tickets. 

As has become a tradition at Motorsports Expo, the Spalding Foundation for Injured Drivers will present their annual Charity Auction.  The auction features a great assortment of unique, one of a kind items donated by members of the racing community to be auctioned off to the highest bidder.  The event raises funds for the Spalding Foundation Injured Driver Fund, which provides financial assistance to drivers and other individuals injured in Motorsports related events.

 The Maplewood Suites Extended Stay Hotel of Liverpool, NY has  been selected as the Official Host Hotel for Motorsports Expo 2017.  The Maplewood Suites Extended Stay Hotel  is conveniently located at 400 Seventh North St. Liverpool, NY.  The location is also quite convenient to the New York State Fairgrounds, the site of Motorsports Expo 2017, with it being an easy 10 minute drive to the Fairgrounds.  The Maplewood Suites will be offering a very attractive room rate for those requiring lodging for Motorsports Expo 2017. They are offering rooms at a substantially discounted rate of $99 per night for those attending or participating in Motorsports Expo 2017. This represents a substantial savings from the hotel’s usual rates and is offered exclusively to those fans and participants in town for Motorsports Expo 2017.

 In order to obtain the special rate, reservations must be made by calling the hotel’s group sales office directly at 315-451-1511 and mentioning the code “MSEXPO“. The friendly staff there will be happy to assist in booking rooms at the quoted rate for Motorsports Expo 2017.  Please note that this code is not valid for online reservations, a telephone call to the group sales office is the only way to obtain this special rate.

Motorsports Expo and Trade Shows is made possible by loyal sponsors Ferris Industries, Bob Hilbert Sportswear, Area Auto Racing News, Mitchell’s Speedway Press, Sunoco Race Fuels by Insinger Performance, and Flag 2 Flag Racing Classifieds.

This years event is shaping up to be the biggest ever with the cars and stars from all kinds of racing on hand. Management is encouraged by all the early phone calls to date.  For those wishing to take part in Motorsports Expo, the necessary forms are now available online at www.gaternews.com.   Forms and information are also available by calling the show office at 315-378-8002 during regular business hours.
  
     

  
         

MAPLEWOOD SUITES EXTENDED STAY IS OFFICIAL HOST HOTEL FOR MOTORSPORTS EXPO 2017

   SYRACUSE, NY...The Maplewood Suites Extended Stay Hotel of Liverpool, NY has  been selected as the Official Host Hotel for Motorsports Expo 2017.   The Maplewood Suites Extended Sty Hotel features 137 suites, each fully equipped with a wet bar, cook top, refrigerator, and microwave.   The hotel also offers a State of the Art Fitness Center, Indoor heated pool, and free wireless internet in every room.  They also offer a complementary Hot Deluxe Continental Breakfast complete with Parfait Bar every morning.
  
   Motorsports Expo 2017, the largest racing themed exposition staged in New York State, is slated to run over the weekend of March 11th and 12th. The event will once again be held in the Center of Progress Building on the New York State Fairgrounds in Syracuse.  The Maplewood Suites Extended Stay Hotel  is conveniently located at 400 Seventh North St. Liverpool, NY.  The location is also quite convenient to the New York State Fairgrounds, the site of Motorsports Expo 2017, with it being an easy 10 minute drive to the Fairgrounds.  The Maplewood Suites will be offering a very attractive room rate for those requiring lodging for Motorsports Expo 2017. They are offering rooms at a substantially discounted rate of $99 per night for those attending or participating in Motorsports Expo 2017. This represents a substantial savings from the hotel’s usual rates and is offered exclusively to those fans and participants in town for Motorsports Expo 2017.

 In order to obtain the special rate, reservations must be made by calling the hotel’s group sales office directly at 315-451-1511 and mentioning the code “MSEXPO“. The friendly staff there will be happy to assist in booking rooms at the quoted rate for Motorsports Expo 2017.  Please note that this code is not valid for online reservations, a telephone call to the group sales office is the only way to obtain this special rate..  They are currently accepting reservations at the discount rate, so it is important to get your reservations finalized before the available block of rooms set aside at this very special rate are all sold out.  For the latest information on Motorsports Expo, log onto www.GaterNews.com and select the Motorsports Expo link or contact the show office at 315-378-8003 during regular business hours.

THE TRADITION CONTINUES, MOTORSPORTS EXPO 2017 RETURNS TO SYRACUSE MARCH 11-12th 2017

(Syracuse, NY)…Each and every spring, before the start of the hew racing season in the Empire State, the first major event on the New York State racing calendar is the annual Motorsports Expo and Trade Show.  Held in the Center of Progress Building on the New York State Fairgrounds, the Motorsports Expo and Trade Show brings the racing community together for a weekend get-together before heading off to the speedways for the start of the new racing season.

    Over its 31 year history,  Motorsports Expo has grown into the largest Motorsports themed exposition presented in New York State.  The much anticipated event is celebrating its 31st anniversary this season with what is shaping up to be the biggest and best show in the event’s history.   Motorsports Expo 2017 will open to the public on Saturday, March 11th with public hours from 10AM-8PM.  On Sunday, March 12th, the show hours are 11AM-4PM.  Set-up will take place on March 10th as vendors and participants will be getting everything ready for the official show opening on Saturday morning.

     More than 200 race teams are expected to converge on Syracuse for the weekend, proudly displaying their new creations and allowing fans to get a close-up view of their equipment prior to taking to the various area speedways in the weeks following the show.   While the emphasis of the show is geared heavily toward short track oval racing both asphalt and dirt track , just about every form of Motorsports is represented at Motorsports Expo 2017.  Several of the local Microd and Quarter Midget clubs take part, as some of the sport’s youngest drivers and their families spend the weekend proudly showing off their new rides.  For the nostalgia buffs, there will be several restored cars from back in the day, many with a lot of historical significance, on display.  Those who prefer to do their racing on two wheels are also represented with several racing motorcycles on display along with some great looking drag cars as well.  Pulling trucks and tractors, Monster Trucks, Mud Bog racers and many other different types of racing are represented as well, as there is truly something for everyone at Motorsports Expo 2017.

        Many area speedways and sanctioning bodies will be on hand with booths set up to promote their rapidly approaching racing season.   With the Expo taking place just before the season opens, Motorsports Expo 2017 represents a golden opportunity for speedways and sanctioning bodies to promote their upcoming events to a packed house of race fans.   Many will have their 2017 season schedules finalized and will have schedule cards and other pertinent information ready to distribute to both race teams and fans.   Motorsports Expo 2017 also represents a golden opportunity for racers,  fans and promoters to talk on a one to one basis in a relaxed atmosphere, something that is sometimes not possible during a busy race night.  With a building full of race-starved fans, speedways and sanctioning bodies have the chance to not only re-establish relationships with current fans, but cultivate some new ones as well.

     A variety of  vendors will also be a part of  Motorsports Expo 2017.  Show vendors annually bring a wide variety of merchandise to the show with a great variety of products ranging from the latest must-have speed equipment for the race teams to souvenirs and apparel of every type imaginable for the race fans. Vendor space is already being reserved with last year‘s participants being given the option to retain their same space from 2017.

Motorsports Expo and Trade Shows is made possible by loyal sponsors Ferris Industries, Bob Hilbert Sportswear, Area Auto Racing News, Mitchell’s Speedway Press, Sunoco Race Fuels by Insinger Performance, and Flag 2 Flag Racing Classifieds.  

   This years event is shaping up to be the biggest ever with the cars and stars from all kinds of racing on hand. Management is encouraged by all the early phone calls to date.  For those wishing to take part in Motorsports Expo, the necessary forms are now available online at www.gaternews.com.    Forms and information are also available by calling the show office at 315-457-0175 during regular business hours.
  
     

  
         

GARD CARD JR. AND ANDREW SMITH SPLIT SPORTSMAN FEATURES AT SKYLINE RACEWAY PARK
-Doug McCane scores first win in 15 years in IMCA Modified feature

   Gary Card Jr. drove to his first career open Sportsman feature win at the Skyline Raceway Park last Saturday night driving the family owned car that carried Alan Barker to the 2015 track championship.  Andrew Smith put an exclamation point on his 2016 Crate Sportsman Championship as he drove to his inth victory of the season.  Doug McCane scored his first feature win since the 2001 racing season as he took the IMCA Modified feature win.  Bob Mills clinched the 2016 Street Stock championship in style as he drove to victory in that division while brother Buck Mills Sr. made it a sweep of the full fendered classed for the Mills family with his first Stock Car win of the season.  Tom Bumphus II was a first time winner in the Four Cylinder division while Jason Thomas earned his first open Wheel win in the Rookie Sportsman feature. 

   The 25 lap Open Sportsman feature came to the green flag with Nate DeGraw and Ben Bushaw pacing the field.  Bushaw grabbed the early lead and led the first lap, but slipped high in the first turn, opening the door for Card to drive past into the race lead.  Once out front, Card paced the field the rest of the way.  Though he led the rest of the way, it was not an easy path to victory for Card as he had Bushaw challenging him lap after lap for the lead.    Ben kept the pressure on Card, but Gary never wavered from his line and managed to keep Bushaw at bay all the way to the checkered flag.  Card took the checkered flag for his first career open Sportsman win by a narrow margin over Bushaw.  Former track champion Jim Rothwell crossed the line third just ahead of Dan Yankowski with rookie Mike Dawson crossing the line in fifth.

   In the 602 Crate Sportsman division, newly crowned track champion Andrew Smith put an exclamation point on his championship season as he drove to his ninth in of the season.  Smith, who travels in excess of three hours each way from his Lockport, NY home to compete at Skyline Raceway Park,  drove past Chuck Miller on he first lap to take over the race lead.  Smith would go on to lead all 20 laps to score the win over Miller.  Randy Gates drove to a strong third place finish over Dale Welty.  Greg Doust slipped past Taylor Lamb late to finish fifth.

   In IMCA Modified action it was Doug McCane ending a 15 year victory lane drought as he drove into Skyline Raceway Park victory lane for the first time since the 2001 racing season.  McCane got the lead on a final lap restart when race leader Will Ward was penalized a position by track officials for a restart infraction.  Ward tried to drive back past McCane on the final lap, but Doug managed to hold him off to score the win.   Ward crossed the line second to maintain his advantage in the championship standings with one week remaining.  Dan Alvord drove to a third place finish over Brad Smith and Jeff Cardinale.

   In the Street Stock feature, Bob Mills cliched the 2016 track championship in style as he drove to victory, his fifth of the 2106 season.  Mills grabbed the lead early and led all 20 laps to score a convincing win over Tom Savercool.  Ray Lindquist finished third over Tony Paige and newcomer Brett Rowles, who earned a fifth place finish in his Skyline Raceway Park debut. 

   Buck Mills Sr. drove to his first Stock Car feature win of the season as he and veteran Dan Reeves battled tooth and nail lap after lap for the race lead.  Mills was able to hold off Reeves' challenges to drive into victory lane.  Reeves settled for a season's best runner-up finish with Levi Frink also claiming a season's best finish in third.  Mitch Hurlbert finished fourth with newcomer Dave Decker crossing the line fifth.

   The Four Cylinder Stock division also saw a new face in victory lane as Tom Bumphus II outdueled lee Wagner to collect his first ever feature win.  It was a hard fought win for Bumphus as Wagner pressured him all the way to the finish before settling for a runner-up finish.  Rookie Michael Brown claimed a solid third place result ahead of Art Palmer and Nick Kennedy.

   The Rookie Sportsman division saw Stock Car standout Jason Thomas pick up the ride in Chuck Miller's Sportsman car for the rookie division.  Thomas dominated the feature, leading every lap to pick up the win by a comfortable margin over Bob Garofolo.  Bob Haight, John Trappenhagen, and Zach Mills rounded out the top five finishing order.
   
   Racing continues this Saturday night at the Skyline Raceway Park.  It will be Championship Night with all of the track's regular divisions in action.  The Empire Sport Trucks will also be on hand for their final Skyline Raceway Park appearance of the season.  Racing begins at 6:30 PM sharp with gates opening at 4PM.  For the latest information, log onto www.skylineracewayny.com or contact the speedway office at 607-745-0275.

   
RACE SUMMARY:

OPEN SPORTSMAN: GARY CARD JR., Ben Bushaw, Jim Rothwell, Dan Yankowski, Mike Dawson, Nate DeGraw, Jim Money, Randy West DNS: Buck Mills Sr.

602 CRATE SPORTSMAN : ANDREW SMITH, Chuck Miller, Randy Gates, Dale Welty, Greg Doust, Taylor Lamb, Bob Mills, Lee Foland, Mike Dawson

IMCA MODIFIED: DOUG McCANE, Will Ward, Dan Alvord, Brad Smith, Jeff Cardinale, Chris Torbit , Jeff Austin, Ray McClure, Rodney Morgan, Bumps Scutt 

STREET STOCK: BOB MILLS, Tom Savercool, Ray Lindquist, Tony Paige, Brett Rowles, Bobby Wagner, DNS: Tyler Yeagle 

STOCK CAR:  BUCK MILLS SR., Dan Reeves, Levi Frink, Mitch hurlbert, Dave Decker, Jason Thomas, Bill Flask, Homer Cyrus, DNS: Eric Tepper

FOUR CYLINDER STOCK: TOM BUMPHUS II, Lee Wagner, Michael Brown, Art Palmer, Nick Kennedy, Sarah Gooch, Scott Brown Jr., Phil Burns, Rich Wagner DNS: Carl Chafee

ROOKIE SPORTSMAN: JASON THOMAS, Bob Garofolo, Bob Haight, John Trappenhagen, Zach Mills

JIM “ROCKY” ROTHWELL AND GLENN FORWARD ARE SATURDAY NIGHT SKYLINE RACEWAY PARK WINNERS

   Skyline Raceway Park's Saturday night racing care went off under picture perfect weather conditions with a nice crowd on hand to check out the start of the final full month of the racing season.  Former track champion Jim “Rocky” Rothwell returned to Skyline Raceway Park's victory lane for the fourth time in 2016.    Glenn Forward scored his first ever 602 Crate Sportsman feature win at SRP while Will Ward returned to victory lane in the STAR Series event for the IMCA Modifieds.  Tyler Yeagle won his third  consecutive Street Stock feature with STAR Series point leader Jeremy Williams earning his first Skyline win in the STAR Series event for the Stock Cars.   Richard Wagner scored the feature win in the Four Cylinder Stock division.. 

   Since making his return to Skyline Raceway Park a month ago, 38 year racing veteran Jim “Rocky” Rothwell has been on a roll.  On Saturday night, Jim once again drove into victory lane after earning a hard fought feature win.  Rothwell started fourth but made a big move on the opening lap to grab the lead away from polesetter Ben Bushaw.  Bushaw chased Rothwell for the first seven laps, but his race ended in a ball of fire and smoke from an apparent blown engine.  Track crews handled the situation quickly and Bushaw was not injured.

   When racing resumed it was Dan Yankowski closing in to challenge Rothwell.  Rothwell was able to open up a bit of a lead, but over the closing laps Yankowski had closed Rothwell's advantage and was pressuring him for the race lead.  Though he would pull to Rothwell's rear bumper on a couple of occasions, Yankowski was not able to find a way past and settled for a strong runner-up finish behind Rothwell.  Gary Card Jr. drove a solid race to come home with a third place finish ahead of current point leader Bill Leonard and rookie Mike Dawson.

   The WXM Auto Sales Crate Sportsman feature saw a new face in victory lane as Glenn Forward drove to his first Skyline Raceway Park victory.  Taylor Lamb grabbed the lead from his outside pole starting position and would set the early pace as behind him point leader Andrew Smith was working his way toward the front of the field.  Lamb and Smith put on a show for the Skyline fans as they battled for the race lead for several laps with Lamb able to hold off Smith's challenges..  The entire complexion of the race changed on the 12th circuit when the red flag was displayed for a multi-car accident on the backstretch that blocked the track.  Coming off the red flag, Smith's car failed to refire and he was pushed to the pits.  On the restart, eventual winner Forward was able to work past Lamb to take over the race lead.  Forward would lead the rest of the way to make his inaugural appearance in SRP's victory lane with Lamb chasing him all the way to finish second.  Greg Doust finished third with Rich Powell and Chuck Miller recovering from involvement in a pair of early incidents to finish fifth.

   The STAR Series IMCA Modified feature saw a strong field of 20 IMCA Modifieds taking the green flag for the 20 lap feature event.  Brad Smith grabbed the lead at the drop of the green flag and set the pace early, but soon found a challenger as Will Ward raced from his seventh starting position to run second behind Smith.  Smith would lead the first ten laps before Ward was able to slip past and into the race lead.  Rich Michael also worked past Smith and set his sights on Ward.  The closing stages of the feature event saw Michael repeatedly challenge to the low side of Ward, but Ward's momentum in the high groove allowed him to get off the turn just fast enough to keep Michael behind him.  Michael made a last ditch move on the final lap as he drove in hard on the bottom, but could not make the move stick and Ward drove on to victory by a narrow margin over Michael.  Gary Roberts drove past Brad Smith on the final lap to finish third with Smith fourth.  Matt Cole rounded out the top five finishers. 

   Tyler Yeagle continued his late season mastery of the Street Stock division as he drove to his third consecutive feature win.  Yeagle was able to drive past Bob Mills on the eighth lap to take over the race lead and would lead the rest of the way to earn the feature win.  Ray Lindquist finished second with current point leader Bob Mills third.  Matt Bowman finished fourth with Doug Polhamus rounding out the top five finishers. 

   In the Stock Car division,  current STAR Series point leader Jeremy Williams scored his first Skyline victory in dramatic fashion.  Williams made the winning pass just two laps from the finish as he was able to slip around Buck Mills Jr. to take over the race lead.   Jeremy ran off the final two laps without incident to secure the win with Mills crossing the line in second.  Jason Thomas, Dan Reeves, and Tim Parker completed the top five. 

   Rich Wagner made his return to victory lane in the Four Cylinder Stock feature event.  Wagner drove past early race leader Phil Burns on the fifth lap and led the final ten laps of the event to win.  Nick Kennedy finished second after a torrid battle for the position with Phil Burns.  Burns finished third with Michael Brown and Art Palmer fourth and fifth respectively.
   
   Racing continues this Saturday night at the Skyline Raceway Park.  All of the track's regular divisions will be in action.  Racing begins at 6:30 PM sharp with gates opening at 4PM.  For the latest information, log onto www.skylineracewayny.com or contact the speedway office at 607-745-0275.

   
RACE SUMMARY:

OPEN SPORTSMAN: JIM ROTHWELL, Dan Yankowski, Gary Card Jr., Bill Leonard, Mike Dawson, Jim Money, Ben Bushaw, Randy West, Buck Mills Sr., Nate DeGraw, DNS: Michael Owens

602 CRATE SPORTSMAN :  GLENN FORWARD, Taylor Lamb, Greg Doust, Rich Powell, Chuck Miller, Randy Gates, Dorian Wahden, Andrew Smith, Jordan Bennett, Lee Foland, Matt Trapenhagen, Scott Smith, Brandon Kuhn, Dale Welty, DNS: Jason Thomas DQ: Garrett Rushlow, Jamie Batzel

IMCA MODIFIED: WILL WARD, Rich Michael, Gary Roberts, Brad Smith, Matt Cole, Ray McClure, Tyler Stoddard, Keith Lamphere, Bruce Tinsley, Mike Stoddard, Dan Alvord, Kevin Griffin, Doug McCane, Kevin Smith, Gary Lamphere, Tom Hulburt, Brian Mills, Steve Reynolds, Bill Ward DQ: Jeff Cardinale 

STREET STOCK: TYLER YEAGLE, Ray Lindquist, Bob Mills, Matt Bowman, Doug Polhamus, Steve Polhamus, Jake Fowlston, Cody Neilson 

STOCK CAR:  JEREMY WILLIAMS, Buck Mills Jr., Jason Thomas, Dan Reeves, Tim Parker, Levi Frink, Cyrus Homer, Bill Flask DNS: Phil Locke

FOUR CYLINDER STOCK: RICH WAGNER, Nick Kennedy, Phil Burns, Michael Brown, Art Palmer, Carl Chaffee, Tom Bumphus II

Hey, at least Skyline didn't cancel at 9 AM because it MIGHT rain in the evening.

KEVIN JORDAN, ANDREW SMITH, AND BRAD SMITH ALL WIN AT SKYLINE RACEWAY PARK
-Ken Schrader finises third in IMCA Modified action.

   Skyline Raceway Park's annual Fan Appreciation night was a memorable night as former NASCAR Sprint Cup Driver Ken Schrader was on hand not only to take part in the meet and greet session, but also to compete in the IMCA Modified division.  The big night of racing was sponsored by Scott's Small Engine Repair owned by former Skyline Raceway compete tor Scott Allen.  In the open Sportsman division, Speedsville, NY's Kevin Jordan drove to his fourth SRP victory of the season.     In the WXM Auto Sales Crate Sportsman division, current point leader Andrew Smith ran his victory total to seven on the season as he drove to the $800 feature win.  Brad Smith won his first IMCA Modified feature of the season with Kenny Schrader diving to a third place finish.  With his first ever SRP feature event win, Shane Wolf jr, has now won Street Stock features at all of the Southern Tier dirt tracks.  Buck Mills Jr. returned to the Stock Car victory lane after a one week hiatus.  Kenny Underwood made a rare SRP appearance and drove away with the feature win, his first of the season.

   The WXM Auto Sales Crate Sportsman feature saw current point leader Andrew Smith drive to the $800 feature win, his seventh triumph of the season.  Dale Welty got the drop on outside polesetter Taylor Lamb at the drop of the green flag to take the early race lead.  A couple of early cautions kept the field bunched up, allowing Andrew Smith to quickly make his way from his sixth starting spot to move into a challenging position behind Welty.  The two veteran drivers put on a show for the Skyline fans as Smith was putting heavy pressure on Welty for the race lead, but Welty was able to maintain his advantage in the preferred outside groove.   Smith would drive past Welty to take over the race lead just past halfway, but Welty was able to return the favor two laps later.  This torrid pace would continue as Smith would retake the lead for good just six laps from the checkered flag with a big run down the backstretch.  Smith led the final laps to record the victory by a narrow margin over Welty, the seventh triumph of the season for the “Lockport Lazer”.  Welty drove to the runner-up finish ahead of Will Shields, who charged from 13th starting position to finish third.  Taylor Lamb and former track champion Brandon Kuhn completed the top five finishing order.   

   In the Open Sportsman division, it was Kevin Jordan racing to his fourth feature win of the season.  Jordan made a last minute decision to compete on Saturday night as he was the final car to arrive at the track, but it proved to be a good decision as Kevin parked his Conway Construction sponsored mount in victory lane.  Nate DeGraw led the opening laps of the event before giving way to impressive rookie driver Tyler Hart.  Hart would lead the event past the halfway point as Jordan was working his way into contention from his ninth starting position.  Jordan made the winning pass on lap 16 as he was able to get underneath Hart to take the lead.  Once out front, Jordan led the final nine laps to earn the feature win.  Randy Shantel worked past Hart Late to finish second with Hart turning in another impressive drive to finish third.  Danny Yankwski finished fourth with Jim Rothwell fifth.

   Brandon Smith turned in a strong performance to pick up his first IMCA Modified feature win of the season.  Smith and Keith Lamphere brought the field down to the green flag, and the two Keystone State drivers wound spend the entire 20 lap distance battling each other for the lead and the win.   Smith got to the lead first and drove a perfect race as he never made a mistake despite heavy pressure all the way from Lamphere.   Smith took the win by a narrow margin over Lmaphere with former NASCAR star Ken Schrader finishing third in a special guest appearance at Skyline Raceway Park.  Steve Cummings and Ray McClure completed the top five finishers.   
 
   Shane Wolf Jr. picked up a dramatic feature win in the Street Stock division as he was able to pull off a last lap pass Bob Mills to earn the feature win by about two feet at the line.  Mills led the majority of the race with Wolf challenging over the second half of the event.  Coming off the final turn, Wolf was able to get a run to the low side of the track to just nose out Mills at the finish line. Ray Lindqist finished a strong third ahead of Tom Savercool and former track champion Earl Zimmer.

   After having his eight race winning streak ended a week ago, Buck Mills Jr. returned to victory lane on Saturday night.  Mills drove past early race leader Bill Flask on the third lap to take over the lead and led the rest of the way to score the victory.  Jason Thomas made a late run at Mills, but came up just short and finished second ahead of early leader Bill Flask.  Dan Reeves finished fourth while Tim Parker finished fifth in his return after a big crash several weeks ago.

   The Four Cylinder Stock feature saw a new face in victory lane as Kenny Underwood  earned his first victory of the season in a rare Skyline appearance.  Wagner inherited the lead when race leader Rich Wagner pulled to the infield with motor issues just three laps from the finish.  Underwood led the final three laps to earn the win over Nick Kennedy.  Tom Bumphus II finished third with former track champion Cody Rowley fourth.  Nick Griest finished fifth in his first start of the season.        

   Racing continues this Saturday night at the Skyline Raceway Park.  All of the track's regular divisions will be in action, along with SRP Sprint Cars.     Racing begins at 6:30 PM sharp with gates opening at 4PM.  For the latest information, log onto www.skylineracewayny.com or contact the speedway office at 607-745-0275.

   The Mighty Modifieds return to Skyline Raceway Park this Sunday, July 17th for the first time in over twenty years.  The race will be a part of the STAR Series and should bring a stellar field of Modifieds to Skyline Raceway Park for this big event.  The GRIT Series Sportsman will also be on the cars along with the Empire State Series event for the IMCA Modifieds and a Four Cylinder Open.  Racing begins at 6:30 Pm for this very special event, one of the biggest in the history of the Speedway.

RACE SUMMARY:

OPEN SPORTSMAN:  KEVIN JORDAN, Randy Shantel, Tyler Hart,  Dan Yankowsi, Jim Rothwell, Larry Mekic Jr., Buck Mills Sr., Ben Bushaw, Jason Tuttle, Roy Shields, Dan Allen, Randy West, Bill Leonard, Jeff West, Mike Owens, Nate DeGraw, Cole Price

602 CRATE SPORTSMAN FINISH:  ANDREW SMITH, Dale Welty, Will Shields, Taylor Lamb, Brandon Kuhn, Randy Gates, Ray Smith, Garrett Rushlow, Amy Holland, Tom Collins Jr., Lanson Albanese, Scott Smith, Chuck Miller, Chris Rundell, TJ Frost, Lee Foland, Nick Nye, Greg Soust, Cody Brown,  Gary Card Jr., Matt Brewer, Brent Ayers, Mike Prentice, Tommy Paige, Jason Thomas

IMCA MODIFIED: BRAD SMITH, KEITH Lamphere, Ken Schrader, Steve Cummings, Ray McClure, Doug McCane, Taylor Velez, Don Alvord,  Jeff Cardinale,  Jeff Austin, Rich Keller, Bumps Scutt, Will Ward, Braandon Smith, Steve Reynolds

STREET STOCK: SHANE WOLF JR., Bob Mills, , Ray Lindquist, Tom Savercool, arl Zimmer, Dave Mazzerese, Rich Fife,  Cody Neilson, Chris Mashewske, Butch Green, Cyrus Homer, Dave Decker, Tony paige, Jason Thomas, Doug Stack Jr.

STOCK CAR: BUCK MILLS Jr., Jason Thomas, Bill Flask, Dan Reeves, Tim Parker, Levi Frink, Tony Paige, Buck Mills Sr., Grayson Albanese

FOUR CYLINDER STOCK: KENNY UNDERWOOD, Nick Kennedy, Tom Bumphus II, Eric Rowley, Nick Greist, Michael Brown, Mike Wilmot Jr., Cody Neilson, Jake Burk, Rich Wagner, Carl Chaffee, Phil Burns

I

Looking forward to making it up some this year.  Like the new location, Brothers 2 has supported local racing for a lot of years, glad the racing community is doing something to support them as well.