SCHULZ TOPS EMPIRE SPORTS NETWORK PRO-STOCK SERIES;
JOHNSON TOPS 50-LAP DIRT MODIFIED MAKEUP; PHELPS WINS SPORTSMAN RACE
ELBRIDGE, NY...It was a night of makeups at Rolling Wheels Raceway, highlighted by the delayed "Spring Fling" event originally scheduled for May 19. Alan Johnson, from Phelps, NY, took his Pillsbury "Spirit of America" number 1J to the 50-lap victory, his first win at Rolling Wheels raceway since April 27, 1997. Dave Schulz, from Somerset, NY, picked up the 20-lap win in the Empire Sports Network DIRT Pro-Stock Super DIRT Series race. In the Sportsman division, Ryan Phelps, from Fulton, NY, won the 20-lap special.
The 50-lap DIRT Modified "Spring Fling" saw Steve Paine take the lead at the drop of the green followed by Vic Coffey, Danny Johnson and A.J. Romano. Paine was able to build a four car advantage over Johnson as track favorites tim and Bob McCreadie and Billy Decker all dropped by the wayside early in the race.
On lap 14 the yellow flew when Tim Fuller came to a halt in the fourth turn. Paine was able to stave off Johnson on the restart, however Alan Johnson took third and pulled alongside of his younger brother Danny in a battle for second. On lap 18, Alan shot low exiting the second turn, polishing off Danny to grab second. One lap later Alan blasted under Paine to lead lap 20. Danny Johnson, dropping off the backstretch, and Coffey then both moved by Paine to drop the Waterloo native back to fourth.
On lap 23 the yellow flew for the final time in the race when Todd Burley came to a stop on the backstretch with a flat tire. He was able to limp around to the pits, have the tire serviced and return on the same lap.
Chuck Bower was now the car on the move. He passed Coffey for third and took off after Danny and Alan. On lap 29, Danny Johnson's J&J Shops number 27 crossed the start-finish line with the motor turned off. He quickly turned right off the track into the pits and out of the event.
Bower now sat second, some five second back of Alan Johnson. Coffey following a battle with Brett Hearn for third, saw his race end on lap 32 when he pulled his car pitside with a broken right rear suspension. Hearn slowly closed the gap on Bower. On the last lap Hearn dove low exiting the second turn to take second by inches at the finish line. Alan Johnson crossed the line some three seconds ahead of Hearn. Following Bower, in fourth, was Paine. Jimmy Phelps rounded out the top five finishers.
The 20-lap Pro-Stock Super DIRT Series event saw Tommy Barron and Dave Schulz bring the field of 29 starters down to take the green. Schulz immediately took the lead with Barron a close second. Series favorite Joey Ladouceur dropped into the infield before a single lap could be completed.
The yellow flew, on lap three, following a spin by Paul Rogers in the first turn. The next yellow saw Roger lose his hood on the track.
Barron was able to pass Schulz on the restart to led lap five and six before Schulz regained the front spot. Patrick Hobbs was in third followed by a distant Pete Stefanski in fourth. On lap 10, John Lazore looped out on the front stretch, but on the inside of the track, so no caution was thrown. Lazore returned to the race, on e lap down to the leaders.
On lap 15 the yellow did fly when Jim Hallett sailed off the third turn and came to a stop at the top of the track in the fourth turn. The restart had to be aborted as one car stopped on the back stretch, but immediately regained power. However the yellow had already been displayed.
Schulz sailed home the victor by just .685 seconds over Barron. Stefanski, who took third from Hobbs when Hobbs's car slowed trailing smoke on lap 18, finished in third. Jeremy Clark and Phil Retter rounded out the top five finishers. The next Empire Sports Network Pro-Stock Series race will be held at Cornwall Motor Speedway on Sunday, August 25.
The 20-lap Sportsman feature quickly came under yellow as on lap two, Terry Knoblach looped his number 109 in the third turn. The restart saw a scramble on the front stretch in which Ron Loveless was sent sideways through the infield kicking up a heavy dust storm. When all settled down it was Ryan Phelps in the lead followed closely by Donnie Wetmore Jr., Phil Vigneri and Bob Henry Jr..
Vigneri was able to take second from Wetmore Jr. when the later turned his car off the track on lap six with mechanical woes. By this time Phelps was holding nearly a half straight away lead over the Vigneri machine. Bob Henry Jr., in third, had his hands full with John Plumb's efforts to take the position. Eldon Payne Jr. was running in fifth. On lap 12 he was able to pass Plumb for fourth. Two laps later Payne Jr. took third from henry Jr. on the backstretch.
Lap 17 saw the yellow fly when Mark Potter looped his car in the fourth turn. This allowed the leaders to bunch together. Vigneri made valiant tries on the next two laps to pass Phelps for the lead. On the final lap Vigneri drifted high in the second turn, allowing Phelps to secure his victory. Vigneri came home in second followed by Payne Jr., Randy Chrysler and Plumb.
The next vent at Rolling Wheels raceway will be the running of the 32nd Annual Robert N. Petrocci Memorial on Labor Day, September 2, evening starting at 6 p.m. sharp. This event, follows the NYS Fair Labor Day Championships at Syracuse during the day. This year's first and second place finishers at the Fair, in both the modified and sportsman divisions, will be granted the front row starting spots for the Robert N. Petrocci Memorial at the Wheels. Besides Modified and Sportsman racing that evening a special 20-lap enduro race has been added to the race card.
PHELPS CEMENT PRODUCTS-RUMETCO SALES NIGHT SUMMARY
EMPIRE SPORTS NETWORK PRO-STOCKS
HEAT 1: T. Barron, J. Clark, J. Miller, R. Johnson (dq), R. Chrysler.
HEAT 2: D. Schulz, P. Retter, M. Jock, S. Govertsen, W. Adams.
HEAT 3: P. Stefanski, S. Devos, B. Hencke, J. McGuigan, J. Lazore.
HEAT 4: P. Hobbs, S. Kerwin, L. Jackson, J. Panattoni, J. Ladouceur.
CONSI: L. Burnett, B. Hallett, B. Bruno, J. Underwood, P. Rogers, F. Dennis, J. Swamp, R. Richter, R. Breed, R. Johnson, M. Smith.
FEATURE (20-laps): DAVE SCHULZ, Tommy Barron, Pete Stefanski, Jeremy Clark, Phil Retter, Jon Miller, Scott Kerwin, Roger Chrysler, Steve Devos, Scott Govertsen, Bob Bruno, John Panattoni, Robert Johnson, William Adams, Jim McGuigan, Fred Dennis, John Lazore, Paul Rogers, Patrick Hobbs, John Underwood, Bill Hallett, Mitch Jock, Ricky Breed, Ron Richter, Jody Swamp, Lee Burnett, Buddy Hencke, Louie Jackson, Joey Ladouceur.
SPORTSMAN
HEAT 1: D. Wetmore Jr., B. Henry Jr., J. Plumb, D. Wiesner, R. Chrysler.
HEAT 2: R. Phelps, P. Guererri, R. Bussey, R. Richardson, M. Cammuso.
HEAT 3: Ph. Vigneri, E. Richardson, C. Phelps, D. VanHorn Jr., F. Burnell.
FEATURE (20-laps): RYAN PHELPS, Phil Vigneri, Eldon Payne Jr., Randy Chrysler, John Plumb, Bob Henry Jr., Dan Wiesner, Chad Phelps, Ron Loveless, Bill Shantel Jr., Mark Potter, Terry Knoblach, Mark Cammuso, Mark Schulz, Rob Bussey, Don Burke, Paul Guererri, Donnie Wetmore Jr., Eric Richardson, Frank Burnell, Ryan Richardson, Dave VanHorn Jr.
MODIFIEDS
HEAT 1: V. Coffey, D. Johnson, T. Sears Jr., F. Cozze, C. Shultz.
HEAT 2: S. Paine, T. Fuller, J. Beyea, P. Bicknell, T. Burley.
HEAT 3: A.J. Romano, C. Bower, A. Johnson, J. Phelps, T.
McCreadie.
FEATURE (50-laps): ALAN JOHNSON, Brett Hearn, Chuck Bower, Steve Paine, Jimmy Phelps, Joe Beyea, Tom Sears Jr., Vince Vitale, Todd Burley, Pete Bicknell, Pat Ward, Vic Coffey, Danny Johnson, Frank Cozze, A.J. Romano, Tim Fuller, Chris Shultz, Billy Decker, Tim McCreadie, Bob McCreadie, Tim Harris.