HEBING WINS SECOND STRAIGHT DIRT MODIFIED FEATURE AT BREWERTON
Brewerton, NY…Last week Chuck Hebing got the monkey off his back and won his first ever Brewerton Modified feature. This week, the monkey left for good as Hebing made it two straight on Strathmore Paints night. Other winners included Tony Buffa, Bob Bradt, Roger West, Sr., and Lesa Angle.
Scott Prentice led the first four laps of the Modified feature until the 1J of Jim Gabriel Jr. developed motor problems and brought out the first yellow flag of the event. Tim Fuller trailed Prentice at this point, with Ryan Baye and Ron Holmes third and fourth in small block cars, and Jimmy Phelps fifth.
The race went back to green for just two laps before the 6pac of Jimmy Burke looped it in turn four slowing the pace for the second time. Prentice and Fuller were waging a war for the top spot and the battle continued on the restart.
As the scorers put lap 9 on their score sheets a major pileup in turn 2 involving some of the top runners resulted in Chuck Bower, Pat Ward, Jeremy Corcoran, and Tim McCreadie all going either to the pits or to the back of the pack. Prentice, Fuller, Baye, Phelps, and Bill Gill were now the top five cars.
Fuller worked hard on the 47 of Prentice, and on lap 11 he finally powered around Prentice and took over the lead. Hebing, meanwhile, was running in sixth and moving forward, along with Billy Decker in the New England Financial Services 91.
The third yellow flag came out on lap 17 when Jeremy Corcoran broke a break line on his C3. With the halfway point just one lap away, Fuller was still leading but now Hebing had moved from sixth to second and appeared to be the fastest car on the track.
Prior to the restart, the crowd gasped as Bob McCreadie pulled his Kinney Drugs 9 into the pits for a tire change. He made it back out before the green and remained on the lead lap. In a calculated risk, Fuller, who as the leader has first choice of whether he wants the inside or outside lane on the restart, gave the inside lane to Hebing.
When the green flag flew, Hebing took command off the bottom of the racetrack and was never again headed. Alan Johnson moved into third, but the two leaders got away and there were now more yellows to close the field.
Hebing coasted to his second feature win in a row, with Fuller, Johnson, Chuck Bower, and Decker rounding out the top five. Gill finished sixth with Jimmy Phelps, Bob McCreadie, Ryan Baye, and Pat Ward coming across seventh through tenth. The 45 of Hebing was the NGK Spark Plugs Halfway Leader, taking the lead just at the race’s midpoint.
Tod Simons jumped out front from the pole position in the Dwarf Car Feature, and led until a restart following a Shawn Hort spin in turn two on lap 7. When the green came back out, Troy Van Allen went to the outside of Simons and took over first place while Tony Buffa moved in to look for second.
Simons gave way to Buffa on lap 9, and a fierce battle for the lead began that lasted three laps before Buffa’s 2 car moved the 2x of Van Allen back one notch. Kenny Gamlen made it deuces wild in the top three as he had his 22x perking, while the 21 of Simons and the 7 of Pat Pontello stayed close as lap 15 went on the board.
Simons dropped out of the event with just a couple of laps left, spoiling his best run ever in the Dwarf Car division. Buffa literally walked away from Van Allen and Gamlen in the closing laps and sailed to victory in the 20-lap feature.
Van Allen finished second, with Gamlen, Pontello, and Eric Crawford following close behind. The NGK Spark Plugs Halfway Leader was the 2x of Van Allen.
The 4-Cylinder Feature event began with a multi-car melee that left the 17D of Dave Myrto and the 17 of Chuck Powelczyk on the hook. Several others received damage in what was actually a couple of separate incidents that happened simultaneously.
Mark Warner had his 19W on top when the green flew again. Jim LaLone was second with his 33 while Roger West had his 15 in third. The top three were in a battle for first throughout the race, with West making a daring three-wide move on lap 9 to take over the lead.
The race went caution-free after lap 2, and West was able to hold off all challenges and celebrate his first ever Brewerton Speedway victory. Darrick Van Epps was second followed by Rick Angle, Jim LaLone, and Russ Cusson.
Rookie Dustin Geers and Ken Klinkowsky set the pace in the IMCA Modified feature, but by the time they took the green and headed down the back straightway, the 35 of John Matyjasik shot underneath both of them to gain control on lap one.
Matyjasik, who like Geers is a rookie and past Open-Wheel Microd Champion, found the 10 of Bob Bradt on his back doorstep as they approached lap 3. Bradt, looking for his second victory of the season, passed the 35 of Matyjasik on the next lap to grab the lead.
The race’s first and only yellow flag was waved on lap 10 when the 12 of Jeff Cardinale spun in turn four. Geers took his Carson Ford-Mercury 94 to the pits with a flat tire at this point, while Cardinale was able to restart at the back of the field.
Carmen Vona was now right behind leader Bradt, and try as he might he could not find a way around. Sean Lias, looking for his fourth win in a row, got by Matyjasik for third just after the lap 10 restart but couldn’t solve the mystery that was the 7c of Vona to get up to second.
As flagger Chip Burdick gave the field the sign for two laps to go, Lias finally got by the 7c of Vona, but couldn’t overtake Bradt as the yellow 10 was just too strong and time was too short.
At the checkers, it was Bradt over Lias, Vona, Dane Keller, and Matyjasik. The NGK Spark Plugs Halfway Leader was the 10 of Bradt, and he celebrated his second win of the 2000 season at Brewerton.
The Jetettes Women’s Racing Series made their long awaited season debut at the speedway, having been rained out on their previous attempt. The A28 of Lesa Angle was the feature race winner, with Michelle Ackley, Diane Allen, Jean Amidon, and Jenny Dean rounding out the top five.
Brewerton’s next show is Friday, June 23rd. Carquest, Alltel, and Hoffman Hot Haus present family autograph night. In addition to the usual buffet of DIRT Modifieds, IMCA Modifieds, Dwarf Cars and 4-Cylinders, Alltel will have their NASCAR Busch Series Show car on display as well as their DIRT Sportsman driven by Clayt Brewer III, and their Alltel race simulator. Gates will open at 5:30 with racing set for 7:30. For more information contact the speedway office at (315) 668-6906 or see them online at www.brewertonspeedway.com.
DIRT MODIFIEDS: CHUCK HEBING, Tim Fuller, Alan Johnson, Chuck Bower, Billy Decker, Bill Gill, Jimmy Phelps, Bob McCreadie, Ryan Baye, Pat Ward, Scott Prentice, Ron Holmes, Steve Babicek, Tim Murphy Jr., Roy Shields, Mike Hulsizer, Ryan Bartlett, Jeremie Corcoran, Frank Doll, Tim McCreadie, Jim Burke, Jim Gabriel Jr.
IMCA MODIFIEDS: BOB BRADT, Sean Lias, Carmen Vona, Dane Keller, John Matyjasik, Les Hubbard, Ron O’Neil, Rob Keller, Bill Anderson Sr., Bill Anderson Jr., Dick Weiland, John Bell, Doug McKane, Johnny Hill, Jim House, John Conway, Colleen Finch, Mike Chilson, Ken Klinkowsky, Dustin Geers, Don Alvord, Jeff Cardinale, Jon Amidon, Kevin Battelle, Aaron Jacobs.
DWARF CARS: TONY BUFFA, Troy Van Allen, Ken Gamlen, Pat Pontello, Eric Crawford, Bob Magner, Ed Lawton, Darren Forbes, Scott Nash, David Orr, Barry Virts, Carl Crawford Jr., Wayne Younglove, Shawn Hort, Tod Simons, Lee Babcock, Bob McCarthy, Dave Reales, Brenda Rice, Kelly Skinner, Steve Miller, Kreig Heroth, Bob Bird, Nate Phelps.
4-CYLINDERS: ROGER WEST, Darrick Van Epps, Rick Angle, Jim LaLone, Russ Cusson, Brian Evenden, John West, Tim Koch, Jim Olin, Walt Van Epps, Mike Lewis, Kevan Cook, Brett Hubbard, Jason Amidon, Bob Whipple, Mark Warner, Keith Coit, Chris Bargabos, Chuck Powelczyk, Mike Humphrey, Mike Foote, Nicholas Barr, Joe Bribre, Dave Myrto, Harvey Calkins Jr., Todd Williamson.
JETETTES: LESA ANGLE, Michelle Ackley, Diane Allen, Jean Amidon, Jenny Dean, Jamie Bargabos, Peggy Schneider.