PAINE CLINCHES SIXTH TITLE; PRUDEN BREAKS MATHEWS CHOKE HOLD ON STREET STOCK OPENS
by Chris Marquart
DUNDEE, NY -- Six in a row.
The domination of Steve Paine has been evident in the last five seasons at Black Rock Speedway. Coming into the 2003 Campaign, Paine led the career wins list with 55 checkered flags to his credit and an unprecedented five consecutive track titles.
With one points-paying week left in 2003, Paine has 12 wins to his credit and has locked up Track Title No. 6
"It's pretty amazing, sometimes," Paine said with a quiet smile.
Paine took the lead from Dave DuBois with a strong move off the fourth turn and from there, the field was fighting for scraps. Yellow flew only three times - twice on the first lap, which hindered the chances of fast cars in the field of making a move.
Gil Tegg powered to second after a battle with DuBois, but the battle allowed Paine to get away and enter lapped traffic; Paine’s TEO works just as well in lapped traffic as it does in open track.
"You can drive this car harder," Paine said. "It's got more side bite and more forward drive. It helped a lot. It is fast and it is really easy to drive in traffic. It's real maneuverable."
At the half way point, Steve Swarthout slowed on the back stretch. This jumbled the field and gave Tegg a run at Paine and allowed a resurgent Alex Hoag a chance to pick up a few more spots.
Hoag was collected in a first-lap mess in the mouth of turn one; a wreck that sidelined Brian Swarthout and last week’s winner, Chuck Graham. The pile-up broke Hoag’s right rear spring, however, the car showed little ill effect.
"I don't know what happened on that restart. I got turned and the guys did a good job patching this up so I could muscle to the front," Hoag said. "The car was hooked up where ever I put it. They did their homework all week."
Hoag parked the car on the high side of the first and second turns and ran low in through three and four, and took third from DuBois. Hoag than ran down Gil Tegg over three laps. With five to go, Hoag was second, but he was also a half-lap behind Paine.
"There was really nothing stopping us tonight," Hoag said. "I knew we were fast when we reeled Gilly in that fast. He's usually fast, and we reeled him in over three laps. The car could just bite right down into the track. It was perfect. It was good on top of one and two and it ran right around the hub in turns three and four."
Paine said he saw the wreck happening and checked up. Avoiding the wreck moved him from twelfth to eighth in the order.
----Naples Valley Auto Parts Feature Results----
DIRT 358-Modifieds (25 laps): Steve Paine, Alex Hoag, Gil Tegg, Bobby Parrow, Stacy Jackson, Dave DuBois, Bill Deming, Jim Mahaney, Mike Jackson, Aaron Jacobus, Ron White, Bill Williams, Tim Sebring, Steve Swarthout, Allen Willoughby, Don Slover, Brian Swarthout, Chuck Graham, Mike Schultz.
Lap leaders: B.Parrow 1; D.DuBois 2-6; S.Paine 7-20.
Heat winners: D.DuBois, B.Parrow.
Street Stocks (20 laps): Chuck Pruden, Rich Talado, Dave Mannise, Bobby Boynton, Brian Austin, Nate Peckham, Kevin Morrison, Gene Galligan, Blane Smith, Tim Burnell, Don Jones, Larry Fenton Jr., Dan Mathews, George Parker, Jeff Smith, Jess Pruden, Jess Snell, Bill Shea, Kenny Peoples Jr., Darryl Barrett, Justin Wright, Jason Whipple, Mike Welch, Geoff McNally.
Lap leaders: B.Boynton 1-3; J.Smith 4; C.Pruden 5; G.Parker 6; C.Pruden 7-20.
Heat winners:J.Smith, N.Peckham, D.Mathews.
PPG Super Stocks (20 laps): Quinn Sutherland, Donnie Smith, Carl Cleveland, Brandon Smith, Sparky Hills, Andy Krall, John Sutryk Bill Miller, Ed Mills, Stevie Brace, Steve Brace, Nate Daggett, Chris McCann, Rob Conklin, Bobby Teed.
Lap leaders: C.McCann 1; R.Conklin 2-4; Q.Sutherland 5-6; S.Brace 7-12; Q.Sutherland 13-20.
Heat winners: Q.Sutherland, A.Krall.