BICKNELL BOBBLES AND RECOVERS TO WIN $7,500 SUBWAY 75; DAVID Van HORN WINS FLEMING MEMORIAL
SYRACUSE, NY...The cars and stars from DIRT Motorsports took to the mile at the New York State Fairgrounds mile last Wednesday. Pete Bicknell, from St. Catharines, Ontario, Canada, showed the way in his Beachy Motorsports number 1B, winning the Subway Sandwiches 75-lap feature run. David VanHorn, from New Jersey, took top honors in the Sportsman 20-lap Special. The Mid-State Vintage race cars were on hand with Erin Doc Smith winning the 10-lap 50's-60's feature. Brad Litzenburger was the top finishing 50's car. In the 70's feature Ally Amell won the 10-lap main. Each feature winner was awarded a six foot Subway sandwich in victory lane.
Alan Johnson redrew the pole and was the early leader in the 75-lap main. Jimmy Horton hung onto the rear bumper of Johnson's Spirit of America modified. As the front duo turned laps in the low 31 second range. Kenny Tremont ran in third some ten cars back of the leaders with Bicknell in fourth and Ron Smoker in fifth.
On lap nine the yellow flew when Ryan Baye's number 2 came to a stop on the high side of the fourth turn. On lap 17 the yellow flew for a second time when Ron Smoker made contact with the third turn wall. Ron emerged uninjured but out of the race.
Pete Bicknell took third from Tremont on lap 22 with a low move through the first turn. On lap 27 Horton had to pull his number 901 modified into the pits leaving Bicknell in second, closing on Johnson.
Bicknell and Johnson raced side-by-side across the finish line on lap 32. Bicknell then used the same move on Johnson that had earlier worked on Tremont as the pair sailed down the front chute on the next lap. His pass held and he began to pull away from Johnson.
All eyes had turned to Tim Hindley who seemed to capture the show. Hindley blew by Tremont and then set sights on Johnson. On lap 41, he dropped low in turn three and passes Johnson. Hindley then set on closing the five second gap Bicknell had developed. In just three laps Hindley had closed to just two seconds. On lap 50, Richie Tobias passed Johnson for third, but was nearly 11 seconds behind the two front cars.
Photo by Ace LaneThe yellow flew on lap 58 when Todd Burley exploded a right rear tire on the front stretch. Burley coasted around to turn two where he stopped.
On lap 62, Bicknell lost the handle on his car and drifted very high in the second turn, allowing Hindley to blow by for the lead. Hindley built up a full second lead. Then on lap 68, Hindley slowed as he ran short on gasoline. He pulled his car into the pits and out of the race. This placed Bicknell back in the lead.
On lap 71 the yellow flew for the final time when Billy Pauch, driving the 12T, slowed with a flat right rear tire on the front straight. This set up a dash to the checkers with Bicknell taking the win. Alan Johnson came home a close second followed by Billy Decker, Richie Tobias and Kenny Tremont. Pat Ward, who finished 14, exploded a tire just as he crossed the finish line sending the back of the field scrambling to avoid contact.
The race averaged 90.653 miles per hour. Brett Hearn was the JE Pistons Fast Timer with a lap of 30.478 or 118.118 mph. Heat wins went to Billy Decker, Matt Sheppard and Johnson. No consolation was run. The back of the starting field was set reverting back to the top ten from time trials.
In sportsman action the 20-lap feature ran green-to-checkers and averaged 103.927 miles per hour. David VanHorn took the lead from his pole starting spot. He then established a five second lead over Sam Wescott and John McAuliffe. With just three laps remaining McAuliffe passed Wescott for second, but he was not able to close the gap built by VanHorn.Photo by Ace Lane
VanHorn took the win followed by McAuliffe, Wescott, Skip Travis and G.R. Smith. VanHorn set fast time, 33.409 seconds, 107.755 mph. Heat wins went to Travis and McAuliffe.
The 50's-60's Mid-State feature went green-to-checkers with Erin Doc Smith taking the victory over a closing Pat Sonnenberg. In the second Mid-State feature the yellow flew twice. The first yellow was for wall contact in the second turn by Scot Gates. The second yellow flew when John McNamee hit the third turn wall. Alley Amell took the win.
SYRACUSE NOTES: A sportsman car, coming off the track hit the car of Tim McCreadie, as the McCreadie-Finch crew worked on their car over the wall. The car was not damaged badly but was not able to make the time trials. Due to this situation McCreadie was able to time later, following the Mid-State Vintage heats...A complete program of fireworks ended the exciting night of racing at the mile...The next race at the mile takes place on Labor Day when the Sportsman and Modifieds return. Tickets are available through the NYS Fair Box Office or at selected DIRT speedways. Race time on Labor Day will begin at 1 p.m. sharp.
SUBWAY SANDWICHES FIRECRACKER INDEPENDENCE DAY SPECIAL SUMMARY
MID-STATE VINTAGE CARS
50's-60's HEAT: D. Smith, P. Sonnenberg, D. Ackerman, J. Hilimire, J. Ackerman.
50's-60's FEATURE (10-laps): DOC SMITH, Pat Sonnenberg, BRAD LITZENBURGER, Jim Hilimire, Dick Ackerman, Leon Litzenburger, Jeff Gilbert, Richard Applebee, John Mason, Jeff Ackerman, Terry Ferguson, Joey Edgbert, Don Nichols.
70's HEAT: A. Amell, J. McNamee, C. McNamee, J. Grimaldi, B. Williams Sr.
70's FEATURE (10-laps): ALLY AMELL, Joel Grimaldi, Lowery Siemens, Clay McNamee, Gary Byerly, Bob Williams Sr., Al Harju, John McNamee, Mike McGlauglin, Scot Gates.
SPORTSMAN
TIME TRIALS: Dave VanHorn Jr. 33.409 (107.755 mph), Sam Wescott 33.723, Bill Haley 33.901, John McAuliffe 33.970, Skip Travis 34.001, G.R. Smith 34.083, Randy Chrysler 34.086, Bill Kinney 34.090, Kevin Wills 34.228, Paul Carey 34.271, Mike Button 34.351, Stan Jablonka 34.402, Eldon Payne Jr. 34.579, Dick Park Jr. 34.627, Scott George 34.740, Joe Sarvis 34.954, Gary Gallerie 35.035, Bill Osta 35.211, Lance Willix 35.307, Kory Gurney 35.741, Paul Benz 35.790, Mark Cammuso 36.076, Don Burke 36.744. HEAT 1: S. Travis, B. Haley, R. Chrysler, K. Wills, M. Button, S. George, E. Payne Jr., G. Gallerie, L. Willix. HEAT 2: J. McAuliffe, G.R. Smith, P. Carey, S. Jablonka, B. Osta, D. Park Jr., M. Cammuso, B. Kinney, B. Grim.
SUBWAY SANDWICHES 20-lap KEVIN FLEMING MEMORIAL FEATURE: DAVID VanHORN, John McAuliffe, Sam Wescott, Skip Travis, G.R. Smith, Stan Jablonka, Scott George, Eldon Payne Jr., Randy Chrysler, Paul Carey, Kevin Wills, Bill Osta, Dick Park Jr., Bill Haley,
Gary Gallerie, Kory Gurney, Mike Button, Lance Willix, Paul Benz, Mark Cammuso, Don Burke.
MODIFIED
TIME TRIALS : Brett Hearn 30.478 (118.118 mph), Ron Smoker 30.490, Billy Decker 30.529, Matt Sheppard 30.556, Alan Johnson 30.754, Pete Bicknell 30.815, Eddie Marshall 30.890, Kenny Tremont 30.917, Jimmy Horton 30. 923, Tim McCreadie 30.948, Gary Tomkins 31.031, Pat Ward 31.033, Tim Fuller 31.058, Richie Toby Tobias 31.061, Danny Johnson 31.109, Tim Hindley 31.142, Jerry Higbie 31.164, Chris Shultz 31.309, Chuck Hebing 31.423, Billy Pauch 31.452, Matt Quinn 31.479, Alton Palmer 31.602, Frankie Caprara 31.668, Steve Paine 31.685, Brian Swartzlander 31.704, Ryan Baye 31.767, Vic Coffey 31.770, Maynard Forrette 31.792, Chuck Bower 31.870, Jason Goff 32.102, Todd Burley 32.406, Joe Puzzella 33.570, Charlie Humes 35.179, Oscar Boria 36.829.
HEAT 1: B. Decker, J. Horton, P. Bicknell, T. Fuller, T. Hindley, A. Palmer.
HEAT 2: M. Sheppard, E. Marshall, R. Tobias, G. Tomkins, J. Higbie, B. Pauch.
HEAT 3: A. Johnson, K. Tremont, D. Johnson, T. McCreadie, P. Ward, M. Quinn.
MODIFIED SUBWAY 75-lap FEATURE: PETE BICKNELL, Alan Johnson, Billy Decker, Richie Tobias, Kenny Tremont, Eddie Marshall, Danny Johnson, Brett Hearn, Tim Fuller, Matt Sheppard, Tim McCreadie, Gary Tomkins, Jerry Higbie, Pat Ward, Frankie Caprara Jr., Brian
Swartzlander, Steve Paine, Todd Burley, Billy Pauch, Alton Palmer, Tim Hindley, Vic Coffey, Maynard Forrette, Ryan Baye, Jimmy Horton, Chris Shultz, Chuck Hebing, Ron Smoker, Jason Goff, Chuck Bower, Matt Quinn.