TODD BURLEY FINALLY GRABS A SUSQUEHANNA WIN
Upcoming Events: Sunday, September 1st (7:00) 2nd Annual Coors Sprint Series York County Nationals
$7,500 to Win for 410 Sprints & Twin 20’s for Super Late Models plus Enduro
Newberrytown, PA: Todd Burley of Spencerport, NY was three times a bride’s maid, but Friday night he became the sixth different winner at Susquehanna Speedway this season in nine feature events. Under cloudy skies and rainfall in the area, Burley rode the high cushion to pass his fellow Bashore Trucking teammate and on to victory in the A.T.&T. Wireless / Impact Cellular sponsored evening.
“The track was the best it was all year for us,” said Burley in victory lane. “With our tire choice I think we had the advantage tonight.” Starting tenth, Burley didn’t really get moving until early race leader Jeff Ebersole spun on lap 4 taking four cars with him that were running ahead of Burley. Teammate, Todd Bashore was the race leader on lap 2 and was holding off the challenges from Kevin Hirthler.
Meanwhile Bob Ebersole, Burley and newly crowned track champion, Jamie Mills were hooked up in a battle of their own. Finally, Burley broke through picking off Ebersole on lap 11 and Hirthler on Lap 13 and set his sights on Bashore. Two restarts occurred over the next eight laps giving Burley a chance to plan his strategy, but Bashore was a formidable foe.
The two Todds fought side by side for 8 laps switching lanes high and low. Burley saw an opening on the inside on lap 20 going into turn one and moved past, but then went into turn three on the outside and Bashore went high then low and retook the lead down the front straight away. Burley then caught the outside cushion in turns one and two and slingshot out front to stay.
Multi winners Mills and Rick Laubach had now worked their way into contention. The exciting Mills throwing rooster tails against the wall in turns one and two got a bit too high and allowed Hirthler and Laubach to sneak under him. Laubach then moved by Hirthler as the trio closed on Bashore. Randy Mohn brought out the final caution on Lap 25 and on the restart all three swept by Bashore in a big move.
Laubach ran out of time to reel in Burley, but Mills recaptured third from Hirthler with two to go and Bashore settled for a season best fifth place finish. Bob Ebersole also with a season best finished sixth was followed by Larry Solomon, Tom Umbenhauer, Ray Swinehart, and Brian Johnson rounding out the top ten.
In the only appearance for the Street Stocks it was former track champion, Scott Thunberg taking the checker after a great race with Troy Miller and the A.T.&T. Wireless car, Bob Scott. Scott led for the first five laps, but not without all former speedway regulars and winners Miller, Thunberg, Mike Arnold and Greg Updegraff breathing down his back.
Thunberg got Miller on lap 3, but Miller got him back two laps later and then took the lead in another two laps. Thunberg followed, however Scott grabbed it back. With five to go Thunberg moved by Scott for second and raced Miller for the lead. Making his move on lap 12 the blue and orange #12 took the lead and drove home to victory followed by Miller, Scott, Updegrafff and Arnold. Coming off his big 40-lap win at Silver Spring last weekend, Thunberg said, “This is the first time I’ve ever won back-to-back. These two wins mark a special time in my career.”
John Stoll made a big move on the start and got by four cars as he moved into third following Mike Buckley and Ed Hollenbach in the 4-cylinder main event. Stoll toke over second on lap 3 and grabbed the lead from Buckley on lap 6. Stoll went on to his second win of the season followed by Buckley. Two-time winner Ron Buck came on to take third and capture the season point championship. Hollenbach held on for fourth with Barry Hawbacker taking fifth.
James Gross led a 25-car field of enduros around for the initial circuit. Fifteen year old Tom Slanker then took the lead as he has done before waiting for the big guns to catch up. Matt Newcomer moved into second on lap 8, but two-time winner and points leader, Karl Windish was hot on his heels. Windish, who started 16th, grabbed second on lap 11 and began chasing Slanker. Tom was into the lapped traffic when on lap 19, Slanker and Windish with a lapped car between ran three abreast for the lead.
Windish was trying to wrap up the track title, but just as the week before his car began to slow with mechanical problems. Coming to a rest on the homestretch, Windish posted his second straight DNF. This let the door open for Darrin Williams who charges home for a 2nd place finish and win bragging rights for the season track title. Slanker shocked everyone and cruised to the victory capping off an impressive rookie season. The rest of the top five went to Ronald Vance, Greg Miller and Ray Repp.
A special enduro race has been added to next Sunday’s season finale. The encore event will pay $200 to win and will fill the time between the Super Late Model Twin 20’s that will follow the Coors York County Nationals for the 410 Sprints.
The 2nd annual sprint race will pay $7,500 to win the 32-lap affair that will be unaffected by the other divisions. It’s the largest sprint event of the weekend in central PA. Gates will open on September 1st at 4:30 PM and sprint time trials will be at 7:00 PM with the first heat for Late Models at 7:30 pm. For more information call the speedway or check out the website at www.susquehannaspeedway.com.
Summary:
Final Modified Points: Mills (852), Laubach (703), Hirthler (625), Burley (606), Swinehart (600), Strunk (580), Fortna (574), Strickler (533), Albert (525), Umbenhauer (515), Hager (512), Readinger (480), Johnson (465), Solomon (457), Erb (396)
Street Stock Feature: (15 Laps) 1- Scott Thunberg; 2- Troy Miller; 3- Bob Scott; 4- Greg Updegraff; 5- Mike Arnold; 6- Bruce Nichols; 7- Kyle Saylor; 8- Wally Michalak; 9- Robert Scott; 10- Alex Frey; 11- Ken Drawbaugh; 12- Justin Rhoads; 13- Randy Christine; 14- Kevin Wirt; DNS- Randy Conley
4-Cylinder Stock Feature: (12 Laps) 1- John Stoll; 2- Mike Buckley; 3- Ron Buck; 4- Ed Hollenbach; 5- Barry Hawbacker; 6- Michael Haag; 7- Sam Smith; 8- Wes Irwin; 9- Zach Beck; 10- Matt Sowers
Enduro: (30 Laps) 1- Tom Slanker; 2- Darrin Williams; 3- Ronald Vance; 4- Greg Miller; 5- Ray Repp; 6- Matt Smith; 7- Mike Mixell; 8- Art Swartz; 9- Matt Newcomer; 10- Justin Ehrhart; 11- Rickey Hippensteel; 12- Anthony Tumas
Top 24 - 358 Modifieds
Pos. Driver Car #
1 Todd Burley 5
2 Rich Laubach 16
3 Jamie Mills 1W
4 Kevin Hirthler 117
5 Todd Bashore 4
6 Bob Ebersole 27
7 Larry Solomon 517
8 Tom Umbenhauer 88
9 Ray Swinehart 33
10 Brian Johnson 30
11 Gary Hager 44
12 Danny Erb 44
13 Gene Weidman 03
14 Tracy Readinger 2T
15 Randy Mohn 505
16 Shane Wilson
17 Jeff Graby 77
18 Randy Fortna 4$
19 Scott Gilbert 69z
20 John Tschudy 2
21 Scott Albert 10
22 Brian Rebein 55
23 Jeff Ebersole 72
24 Al Shavwer 15