Ron Ford Scores First Win in Years at Afton Raceway

Afton, NY..8/8/97

Ron Ford of Afton NY, scored his first feature win in a number of years in the 30 lap modified feature on Parts Plus night at the Afton Raceway. Dan Yankowski of New Berlin NY, scored his second win of the season in the 20 lap Sportsman feature, breaking Jim Gabriel Jr's hold on victory lane. Herm Slack of Whitney Point NY, continued his hot streak in the 20 lap Street Stock feature, posting his second straight win. Rich Rought of Afton NY, continued his strangle hold on victory lane in the 15 lap 4 Cylinder feature as he scored his ninth win of the year. Jim Howard of Cortland NY, scored his first ever win in the 15 lap Pure Stock feature.

Mark Gray took the early lead in the 30 lap Modified feature, moving from the outside pole to grab the lead into turn one. Gray survived two early cautions on laps 1 and 4, but would succumb to a lap 8 restart, giving up the lead to Ron Ford. On the restart both ford and Tim French would move around Gray dropping him to third. Ford would move to a two car length lead by lap 10 over, Mitch Gibbs, Joel Batzel, French and Jeremy Smith. Gibbs would keep the pressure on Ford, but cautions would prevent Gibbs from making a move until lap 19, when Gibbs got by Ford for the lead. Gibbs' lead would be short lived as he pitted on lap 20 when mechanical ills ended his night. The top five on lap 20 were Ford first, Batzel second, Jerry Northrup third, Paul Jensen fourth, and Mike Clapperton fifth. This quintet would wage a torrid battle over the final 10 circuits, with Ford never relinquishing the lead. Northrup would get by the Batzel car on lap 21, with Jensen following suit on lap 25. Batzel's car was smoking heavily and would drop from the top five on lap 27. This moved Clapperton and Rob Green into fourth and fifth. Ford would hold off many challenges by Northrup and Jensen to score his first victory in three or four years at the Afton oval. Rounding out the top five were Northrup second, Jensen third, Clapperton fourth and Green fifth.

Jim Becker would grab the lead on lap one of the 20 lap Sportsman feature, only to give way to Don Hart Jr on a lap 2 restart. Hart would lead until lap 6 when Wink Hinkley took over. Hart would get out of shape on the homestretch and slip to seventh on lap 7, moving Dan Yankowski to second. Yankowski would challenge Hinkley finally getting by on lap 9. At the half way mark it was Yankowski followed by Hinkley, Bill Walters, Dan Ballard, and Tim Ross. With point leader Jim Gabriel Jr mired deep in the pack, Yankowski began to open up the lead, hopefully closing up the point spread between he and Gabriel. The top five would remain the same, with hard racing going on all around the track. The red flag would fly on lap 15 when Hart flipped and caught fire in turn three, The flip was a hard one, but the fire was minor, and Hart would emerge from the car shaken but all right. On the restart Yankowski would again take command, with Hinkley in second. Gabriel was now in sixth and the fans were expecting a late race charge, but Gabriel got out of shape in turn two on lap 19 and slipped to eighth. Yankowski went on to score his second win of the season and closed to within five points of Gabriel. Rounding out the top five were Hinkley second, Walters third, Ballard fourth and Steve Anderson with a late pass on Ross for fifth.

Herm Slack has been on a hot streak in the Street Stock division and Parts Plus night would be no exception. John Walker took the early lead with Bill Harris, Denny Smith and Slack in pursuit. Smith would move to second on lap 5 and then move in on Walker for the lead, taking over on lap 7. Walker would hold off Slack for second through the half way mark. At lap 10 the top five were Smith, Walker, Slack, Butch Klinger and Jim Becker. Slack would take second from Walker on lap 11 and would set out in pursuit of Smith. These two hooked up in a terrific battle with Smith holding off Slack until lap 18. Slack dove low in turn two and grabbed the lead down the back stretch, going on to score his sixth win of the season and second in a row. Rounding out the top five were Smith second, Walker third, Klinger fourth and Arnie Slade in fifth.

Brain Stigerwald took the lead at the start of the 15 lap 4 Cylinder feature, but gave way to Randy Mertz on lap 2. Mertz would lead until a lap 6 restart, when Rich Rought would take over the lead and never look back. The red flew on lap 7 when a three car tangle in turn three saw Stigerwald get on his roof. Stigerwald climbed from the car OK, but was done for the night. At the half way mark the top five were, Rought, Mertz, Dave Burnett, Dennis Kirk and Jamie Hurlburt. Kirk was the man on the move as he found an outside groove that worked to perfection, and charged from fourth to second by lap 14. Kirk closed on Rought but ran out of laps and had to settle for second. Rought took the checker for his ninth win of the year and his second straight. Rounding out the top five were, Kirk second, Burnett third, Mertz fourth and Earl Krom fifth.

Bill Willsey grabbed the lead on lap 1 of the 15 lap Pure Stock feature and ran away and hid from the field for the first four laps. A caution on lap five put the filed on Willsey's bumper with David Dickey and Dan Howe second and third. Dickey would take the lead on the restart, with Willsey slipping to fourth by lap 6. At the half way mark the top five were Dickey, Howe, Larry Williams, Rob Carey and Jim Howard. Howard was the man on the move, as he came from fifth to second by lap 9 and took the lead on lap 10. Bill Cook moved into the top five on lap 11, but Howard had his car working to perfection and began to stretch the lead. Dickey maintained second holding off Howe, and Cook moved around Williams for fourth. At the Checker it was Howard with his first ever Afton win, followed by Dickey second, Howe third, Cook fourth and Williams fifth.

This Friday night is Quality Hardwoods night with a full five star card of racing action featuring the Modifieds, Sportsman, Street Stocks, 4 Cylinders and Pure Stocks, plus Outlaw Big Wheel races and Kids Night. There will also be alive WIYN broadcast of the nights events. Gates open at 5:00 PM and the racing starts at 7:30 PM. Afton Raceway is located on the Afton Fairgrounds exit 7 off route 88 Afton NY. For more information call the info hotline weekdays at 607-722-6751 or the track on race days at 607-639-1966.

Official Finish:

Modifieds: Ron Ford, Jerry Northrup, Paul Jensen, Mike Clapperton, Rob Green, Joel Batzel, Jeremy Smith, Rich Tiffany, Mark Schoonover, John Guernsey, Hank Goransen III, John Kollar, Pete Nowicki Jr, George Lewis, Gary Smith, Tim French, Mark Gray, Wayne Ramsey, Bob Trapper, Mitch Gibbs, Rich Price, Earl Walrath, Ed Richer, Mike Janicelli, JR Hurlburt

Sportsman: Dan Yankowski, Wink Hinkley, Bill Walters, Dan Ballard, Steve Anderson, Tim Ross, Cookie Morris, Jim Gabriel Jr, Greg Hoke, Aaron Excell, Rich Ives, Craig Pritchard, Cris Koren, Aaron Jacobs, Rich Stier, Tim Mayne, Don Hart Jr, Aaron Cross, Tony Ross, Jason Becker

Street Stocks: Herm Slack, Denny Smith, John Walker, Butch Klinger, Arnie Slade, Bill Harris, Brian Belden, Steve Hewitt, Skip French, Mark Aldrich, Barry Stephens, Shawn Ellsworth, Paul Miller, Jim Becker, Gary Card

4 Cylinders: Rich Rought, Dennis Kirk, Dave Burnett, Randy Mertz, Earl Krom, Jamie Hurlburt, Gene Brainard, Ralph Cuozzo, Jamie Procter, Ralph Jennings Jr, Duane Spoor, Al Barrett, Ernie Cawley, Jamie Banta, Ed Haber, Dennis Vroman, Pete Christiansen, Brian Stigerwald, Kenny Hotaling, Bob Dedrick, Jay Johnson, Jesse Howe, Tony Kamburelis, DNS-Tim Perry Sr

Pure Stocks: Jim Howard, David Dickey, Dan Howe, Bill Cook, Larry Williams, Neil Palladino, Glen Forward, Scott Chapman, Rob Carey, Joe Bona, Bill Willsey, Stan Clark, Shawn MacCumber, Bill Craw, Todd Hurlburt