ALAN JOHNSON WINS THIRD BREWERTON MODIFIED FEATURE OF THE YEAR
Brewerton, NY…Alan Johnson scored his third DIRT Modified feature victory in the Casey’s Truck Salvage World/Terrell’s Potato Chips night at Brewerton on Friday. Other feature winners included Sean Lias, Tony Buffa, and Darrick Van Epps.
The DIRT Modified feature had trouble getting started, as three straight multi-car incidents took place before lap 3 went up on the scoreboard. Out of all the cars involved in the jingles, only the 1J of Jimmy Gabriel could not continue in the race. Everyone else continued, though a few lost laps to the leaders.
When the drivers settled down to some green flag racing, Tim McCreadie had Alan Johnson putting pressure on him for the lead. Pat Ward moved past Steve Hulsizer for third on lap 7, and Hulsizer had problems on the next lap and pulled off the track for the balance of the race.
Moving through the field from the back was the 99B of Chuck Bower. Bower arrived at the track just in time to start the feature, after being in Nashville to attend his son’s graduation. He was a guaranteed starter because he was in the top five in track points, so he was allowed to start at the rear of the field.
By lap ten, it was McCreadie leading Johnson, Ward, Ryan Baye, and Bower. Behind them, Tim Murphy, was running sixth. Murphy had moved from 19th to as high as 5th simply by missing every one of the early race incidents. Sitting in seventh was Bob McCreadie, who made his return to Brewerton competition after a few weeks off due to illness.
Johnson drew alongside Tim McCreadie on lap 15, and with the crowd on its feet he made the pass and put his Mitsubishi 1 out front on the next lap. Mike Hulsizer would join his brother Steve on the DNF list on this lap as he pulled his 89 into the infield.
Steve Babicek had problems with his S1 and brought out a yellow on lap 15, and on the ensuring restart Matt Quinn in the Overbaugh Motorsports 20 was the victim of a chain reaction and spun into the turn three tire barrier. He was able to continue on in the race.
Johnson was the NGK Spark Plugs Halfway Leader, crossing the line first on lap 18. Bower briefly worked his way into second by lap 22, but a caution for debris on the track led to Bower being sent to the pits when officials discovered a loose quarter panel while he was circling the track under reduced speed. He did not lose a lap while the crew made hasty repairs, but he did have to go to the rear of the field.
By lap 25, the order was Johnson, Tim McCreadie, Bob McCreadie, Pat Ward, and Tim Fuller. Bob McCreadie passed his son Tim for second on the next lap, and set sail after Johnson. Despite a yellow for a slowing Chuck Hebing on lap 30, Johnson was able to easily outdistance everyone for the victory.
At the line it was Johnson over McCreadie, Ward, Fuller, and Bower. It was Johnson’s third win of the year on the 3/8-mile track.
Darren Forbes shot out to an early lead in the 20-lap ESDCA Dwarf Car Feature. Shawn Hort was running second with his 99 when Kreig Heroth and Matt Magner got together on the front straightaway and made a caution lap out of lap 3. Both were able to restart.
Troy Van Allen moved the 2x into second on the restart as some of the points leaders moved quickly through the field. Ken Gamlen also broke into the top five on this lap, and by lap five Van Allen and Gamlen were sitting first and second with Tony Buffa, Forbes, and Pat Pontello rounding out the top five.
Barry Virts and Scott Nash wound up in a knot in turn one on lap 6, and on the subsequent restart Pontello made a spectacular move on the bottom of the track to pass his way up to second. His feat would go for naught, however, as the 4 of Dan Boyce brought the yellow right back out by hitting an tire barrier in turn one.
The 7 of Pontello was determined to get up to the lead cars, however, and tried the same move on the next restart, this time only getting to third. By the time Nate Phelps helped shape the history of lap 10 by spinning in turn four, the top five were Buffa, Van Allen, Pontello, Gamlen, and the 76 of Oly Johnson as the position swapping continued at a furious pace.
Van Allen suffered a right rear flat tire on lap 13 and brought out another caution, and Pat Pontello tried to take advantage of the restart by snatching the lead from Buffa, but it only worked for a lap before Buffa powered back by for good.
Buffa went on to a relatively easy victory over Pontello, Gamlen, Forbes, and Bob Magner. The NGK Spark Plugs Halfway Leader was the 2 of Buffa.
The IMCA Modified Feature began with the 17c of Mike Chilson out dueling Kevin Battelle for the early lead. Ron O’Neil was charging early, moving to fourth by lap four and running second by lap 6. John Matyjasik’s 35 became disabled and the yellow was waved on lap 6, leaving Chilson with O’Neil, John Bell, Sean Lias, and Bill Anderson, Jr. as the top five cars.
Lias, was looking for his fifth win of the season, and he made short work of Chilson and Bell on the restart and moved into second behind new leader O’Neil. Chislon remained in third, with Bell and now Les Hubbard running fourth and fifth as the racing was fast and furious. Bob Bradt, also a four-time winner this season, began his own march toward the front, and worked his way into the third spot just past the race’s halfway point.
When Bill Anderson Sr. spun on the front straightway at lap 18, it closed the field but Lias was able to withstand the onslaught from behind and make it five wins on the season at Brewerton. O’Neil, Bradt, Dane Keller, and Chilson rounded out the top five. The NGK Spark Plugs Halfway Leader was Lias.
Darrick Van Epps grabbed the lead at the drop of the green for the 15-lap 4-Cylinder feature. Rick Angle, running strong early, briefly took command, but got clipped by a spinning Walt Van Epps on lap 3 and developed a flat tire, forcing him to the pits.
Darrick Van Epps would lead the rest of the distance, but Roger West moved into second on lap 6 and did his best to give chase. Van Epps was after his first win of the year, and left no doubt he would not be easily caught.
Joe Briere and Jason Amidon got caught up together lap 8, necessitating a yellow flag, but that didn’t stop Van Epps as he held West and the rest of the competition off for the remainder of the race en route to a well-deserved victory.
At the line Van Epps was smiling brightly with West, Jim LaLone, Brian Evenden, and Harvey Calkins, Jr. all putting in strong efforts to round out the top five. Van Epps was also the NGK Spark Plugs Halfway Leader.
The next race at Brewerton is Friday, August 4th. F.X. Caprara Car Companies and Trackside Pub will present a full night of competition for the DIRT Modifieds, IMCA Modifieds, ESDCA Dwarf Cars, and 4-Cylinders plus a demolition derby for trucks (full-size only – no small pickups). Gates open at 5:30, with race time scheduled for 7:30 sharp. For more information, contact the speedway office at (315) 668-6806, or see them online at www.brewertonspeedway.com.
DIRT MODIFIEDS: ALAN JOHNSON, Bob McCreadie, Pat Ward, Tim Fuller, Chuck Bower, Ryan Baye, Scott Prentice, Jeremy Corcoran, Jim Burke, Matt Quinn, Jimmy Phelps, Tim Vincent, Tim McCreadie, Chuck Hebing, Joel Thomas, Randy Storms, Tim Murphy Jr., Steve Babicek, Mike Hulsizer, Steve Hulsizer, Billy Decker, and Jim Gabriel Jr.
IMCA MODIFIEDS: SEAN LIAS, Ron O’Neill, Bob Bradt, Dane Keller, Mike Chilson, Les Hubbard, Carmen Vona, Tony Finch, John Bell, John Matyjasik, George Catanzano, Bill Anderson, Dick Weiland, Bill Anderson Jr., Colleen Finch, Jeff Cardinale, Jon Amidon, Dustin Geers, Kevin Fleming, Kevin Battelle, Rob Keller, Jim House, Don Alvord, and Doug McKane.
4-CYLINDERS: DARRICK VAN EPPS, Roger West, Jim LaLone, Brian Evenden, Harvey Calkins Jr., Mike Lewis, Nicholas Barr, Chris Bargabos, Mike Humphrey, Roy French, Joe Briere, Aaron Backus, Walt Van Epps, Jason Amidon, Todd Williamson, and Keith Coit.
ESDCA DWARF CARS: TONY BUFFA, Pat Pontello, Ken Gamlen, Darren Forbes, Bob Magner, Oly Johnson, Barry Virts, Scott Nash, Shawn Hort, Carl Crawford Jr., Ed Lawton, Rob Garafolo, Steve Miller, David Orr, Nate Phelps, Lee Babcock, Brenda Rice, Dave Reales, Kreig Heroth, Troy Van Allen, Matt Magner, Bob McCarthy, and Dan Boyce.