VARIN TOPS SYRACUSE MILE IN HARRELL TRUCKING MACHINE
SYRACUSE, NY...Bobby Varin, from Sharon Springs, NY, drove the C. Harrell Trucking number 35 modified to victory last Sunday night under the lights at the Syracuse mile. Varin earned $6,000 for his 50-lap victory. In sportsman action Alton Palmer earned the 20-lap victory in the Mr. DIRT Hoosier Tire-Sunoco Races Fuels Championship event. Bubba Tanner survived a last lap crash, that collected all of the lead cars, in the Hoosier Tire Mr. DIRT Pro-Stock 10-lap feature event to come home the winner.
The 50-lap Advance Auto Parts Super DIRT Series race saw Brett Hearn blast into the lead from his pole starting position. Quickly on Hearn s tail was defending race event champion, Billy Decker. This duo pulled away to a half mile advantage in only 11 circuits, when the yellow fell for Pat Ward coasting to a stop in the fourth turn. Hearn maintained his three car advantage over Decker until lap 32, when the power plant on the Hearn owned Budweiser Racing Special went sour, forcing Hearn into the pits.
Decker now assumed the lead followed five cars back by Frank Cozze and further back the teammates of Vic Coffey and Danny Johnson. On lap 28 the yellow flew again when Scott prentice slowed on the speedway. Frank Cozze s great run came to an end on lap 38 when his car overheated and came to a stop in the fourth turn. This moved Vic Coffey into second followed by Danny Johnson, Bobby Varin and Steve Paine.
The green flag fell on lap 40, but just two laps latter Gary Tomkins, who was nursing a flat left front tire, was forced to stop on the track. The restart saw a penalty imposed on Danny Johnson for jumping Coffey on the start. On lap 47 the yellow flew when leader Decker had a left rear tire explode, forcing him to the pits. This placed Johnson in the lead, until starter Dave Farney show Johnson back two spots for the previous jump. This left Bobby Varin in the lead. The restart saw what many believed to be another jump by Doug Hoffman, who had charged towards the front of the field from the back of the pack. In a post race discussion of facts this penalty was reversed. At the finish it was Varin taking the checkers followed by Coffey, Johnson, Hoffman and Paine.
The 20-lap sportsman feature saw a battle at the front of the field between James Spano of Auburn, NY, Kevin Wills from Niagara Falls, and Alton Palmer of Howe s Cave, NY. Palmer was able to take the lead on a lap seven. Spano was running a close second followed five cars back by Wills. In the closing laps Spano made a charge to pass Palmer but just could not complete the pass. Palmer took the win followed by Spano, Wills, Steve Hall and Chris Shultz.
The sportsman race was slowed by three cautions, the first two coming on the first lap. Chris Ridsdale made contact going into the first turn and almost flipped his mount. The restart saw the front end of John Bellinger s car collapse after contact with another car and coast to a stop on the front stretch. The final yellow came on lap 12 for Lance Dusett. The Pro-Stock feature was filled with thrills, especially the final lap. Pole sitter Henry Tanner seemed to have control of the lead, but was hounded by Ken gates. These two raced side-by-side for most of the race. On lap four the yellow flew when one car made contact with the inside wall in turns three and four. The remainder of the race ran caution free until turn three on the final lap. Gates was still challenging Tanner when these two made contact, resulting in a massive pile up. Bubba Tanner, running sixth was able miss the accident and come around for the yellow-checkered finish. Rounding out the top five were Tom Cannizzaro, Bob Novczski, Scott Goversten and Dave Schulz. Twelve cars were involved in the accident in turn three. A number of drivers were shaken and looked at by medial people on site and released.
The next event at the mile will be the running of the 50th annual New York State Fair Race on Labor Day afternoon, starting at 1 p.m.. The Advance Auto Parts Super DIRT Series now heads to Canada July 11-13 and the annual Quebec tour, adding Cornwall Motor Speedway on July 11.
FIRECRACKER SPECTACULAR NIGHT SUMMARY ANTIQUE MODIFIEDS
HEAT (50'S/60'S): T, Traynor, S. Reakes III, C. Morden, P. Sonneberg.
HEAT (70'S): C. Brougham, E. Smith, A. Amell, P. Claussen.
FETAURE (50'S/60'S-10-laps): TOM TRAYNOR, Sammy Reakes III, Casey Morden, Pat Sonnenberg, Brad Litzenburger, Denis Bouthillier, Ron Hadden, Gordie Wood.
FEATURE (70'S-10-laps): CHRIS BROUGHAM, Eric Smith, Randy McGlynn, Ally Amell, Phil Claussen, Jim Doer, John McNamee, Scott Gates, John Powers.
HOOSIER TIRE MR. DIRT PRO-STOCK
HEAT 1: H. Tanner, F. Twing, S. Goversten, J. Miller, L. Whyte.
HEAT 2: T. Kuck, T. Cannizzaro, S. Fremouw, M. Schultz, J. Patrick.
HEAT 3: J. Burton, B. Tanner, W. Ellison, J. Ortiz, B. Pascual.
HEAT 4: K. Gates, B. Novczski, J. Jones, D. Shulz, T.J. Fitzgibbons.
CONSI: T. Teal, J. Harriden, B. Lutz, B. Hallett, K. Smith, K. Jordan, M. Loney.
ADDED: J. Palner.
FEATURE (10-laps): BUBBA TANNER, Tom Cannizzaro, Bob Novczski, Scott Goversten, Dave Schulz, Wayne Ellison, Les Whyte, Bill Hallett, Jody Harriden, Jon Miller, Ted Teal, Mark Loney, T.J. Fitzgibbons, Bobby Lutz, Jeff Patrick, Joe Palmer, Henry Tanner, Ken Gates, Tom Kuck, Frank Twing, Jim Burton, Jipper Ortiz, Mark Schultz, Kevin Jordan, Scott Fremouw, Jeff Jones, Kevin Smith, Bill Pascual.
HOOSIER TIRE/SUNOCO RACE FUELS MR. DIRT SPORTSMAN
HEAT 1: J. Spano, J. Bennett, T. Ferino, R. Chrsyler, J. McAuliffe, M. Sheppard.
HEAT 2: K. Wills, S. Hall, Ji. Johnson, R. Fenical, R. Swarthout, V. Vitale.
HEAT 3: K. Comfort, A. Palmer, H. Albrecht, C. Shultz, C. Brachmann, P. Vigneri.
CONSI: L. Dusett, J. Bellinger, B. Gathen, C. Ridsdale, S. Jablonka, R. Odasz, C. Mitchell.
ADDED: B. Hackel, M. Ballestero.
FEATURE (20-laps): ALTON PALMER, James Spano, Kevin Wills, StevHall, Chris Shultz, Randy Chrysler, Karl Comfort, John McAuliffe, Rick Fenical, Matt Sheppard, Mike Ballestero, Chad Brachmann, Brian Gathen, Bob Hackel, Joe Bennett, Ryan Odasz, Rich Swarthout, Lance Dusett, Howie Albrecht, Craig Mitchell, Stan Jablonka, Tony Ferino, John Bellinger, Jimmy Johnson, Vince Vitale, Phil Vigneri, Chris Ridsdale.
ADVANCE AUTO PARTS SUPER DIRT SERIES
HEAT 1: T. Fuller, G. Tomkins, T. Milton, F. Cozze, J. Horton, A. Johnson (DQ).
HEAT 2: D. Johnson, K. Tremont, B. Varin, B. Decker, S. Bottcher, J. Chester.
HEAT 3: C. Hebing, S. Paine, B. Hearn, V. Coffey, R. Smoker, M. Forrette.
CONSI: P. Ward, B. Christmann, E. Marshall, J. Phelps, B. Weaver, R. Johnson, S. Prentice, S. Ridley.
ADDED: J. Johnson, T. McCreadie, D. Hoffman, A. Johnson.
FEATURE (50-laps): BOBBY VARIN, Vic Coffey, Danny Johnson, Doug Hoffman, Steve Paine, Jimmy Horton, Eddie Marshall, Bud Christmann, Ron Smoker, Jimmy Chester, Billy Decker, Chuck Hebing, Kenny Tremont, Steve Bottcher, Ronnie Johnson, Gary Tomkins,Scott Ridley, Frank Cozze, Tim Fuller, Scott Prentice, Brett Hearn, Jimmy Phelps, Todd Milton, Alan Johnson, Maynard Forrette, Pat Ward, Brian Weaver, Tim McCreadie, Jack Johnson.