HEARN TOPS PETROCCI MEMORIAL AT THE WHEELS
ELBRIDGE, NY...By virtue of his victory at the New York State Fair Labor Day Championship, Brett Hearn was guaranteed the pole starting spot at the Robert N. Petrocci Memorial, Monday night, at Rolling Wheels Raceway. Hearn led all 100 laps to pick up an additional $6,000, making his total take for Labor Day a cool $13,500.
Also on hand were the DIRT Sportsman division where Niagara Frontier star Randy Chrysler took top honors. A special 20-lap Enduro was also run with Troy Reeves picking up the victory.
The start of the race saw Hearn hold off Tim Fuller, who started on the outside pole by virtue of his second place finish at Syracuse. Jamie Mills was running a strong third followed by Steve Paine and Billy Decker. Decker passed Mills for third on lap 12.
The first yellow came on lap 22 when Jack Johnson slide off the third turn and slowly re-entered the track via the fourth turn. The running order at the front of the field looked to remain the same. On lap 28, Alan Johnson joined the "front of the field guys", taking fifth from Decker.
On lap 32 the yellow flew a second time when Jim LaRock slowed to a stop exiting the second turn. Alan Johnson was now the fastest car on the track, taking second from Fuller on lap 52.
Hearn seemed to be able to maintain a 4 second plus lead over Johnson. In the closing laps Johnson pulled up to the rear bumper of the leader, crossing the finish line some .342 seconds ahead of Johnson.
Following Johnson across the finish line were Fuller, Decker and Chuck Bower. Hearn averaged just 87.654 mph in a race slowed only three times. Billy Decker set fast JE Pistons fast time award and Steve Paine took top honors in the Exiss Trailers dash.
The Sportsman 20-lapper saw Jim Spano take the lead over Chrysler and Chad Brachmann. The yellow flew at the conclusion of the first lap when Paul Guererri loped out in the second turn. Chrysler took only two lap before he took command of the race. Chad Brachmann was making his presents known, as he passed Spano to claim second.
The worst accident of the night came on a lap six restart as five cars were sent scurrying across the front stretch infield grass. Only one car was unable to return to the race.
On lap 11, Brachmann took the lead. As quickly as he came to the front, he dropped back even quicker. On lap 17 Brachmann pulled high on the backstretch with a flat tire to bring out a yellow. This gave the lead back to Chrysler. Chrysler came home in first followed by Justin Haers, Joe Beyea, James Spano and Steve Gray.
Rolling Wheels returns to action on September 21-23 with the Dynomax World Series of DIRT Track Stock Car Racing featuring all of DIRT's most popular divisions. For more information concerning this race call 315-834-6606 during the work week to get answers to your questions.
ROBERT N. PETROCCI MEMORIAL NIGHT SUMMARY
ENDURO
FEATURE (20-laps)-Top Five: TROY REEVES, Joe Reeves, Jim Cronin, Nathan Peckham, Nick Rizzo.
DIRT SPORTSMAN
HEAT 1: R. Chrysler, D. Allen, G. Doust, R. Richardson, W. Czymmek.
HEAT 2: J. Spano, J. Haers, C. Ostrowsky, J. Juhl, D. Wiesner.
HEAT 3: J. Beyea, T. Juhl, E. Payne Jr., J. Plumb, P. Guererri.
HEAT 4: C. Brachmann, K. Comfort, J. Bowman, R. Phelps, D. Haggen.
CONSI 1: B. Murphy, A. Fiorentino.
CONSI 2: S. Gray, M. Potter.
FEATURE (20-laps): RANDY CHRYSLER, Justin Haers, Joe Beyea, James Spano, Steve Gray, Karl Comfort, Greg Doust, Eldon Payne Jr., David Allen, Tom Juhl, Jim Bowman, John Plumb, Paul Guererri, John Juhl, Darryl Haggen, Dan Wiesner, Chad Brachmann, Ryan Richardson, Anthony Fiorentino, Brian Murphy, Mark Potter, Chris Ostrowsky, Wade Czymmek, Ryan Phelps.
DIRT MODIFIED
TIME TRIALS: Billy Decker 20.923, Steve Paine 21.041, Jimmy Chester 21.181, Alan Johnson 21.212, Bobby Varin 21.302, Doug Hoffman 21.339, Chuck Bower 21.350, Jimmy Horton 21.381, Butch Tittle 21.383, Jerry Higbie 21.417, Jim Gabriel Jr. 21.440, Tim Fuller 21.464, Pat Ward 21.470, Tim McCreadie 21.502, Jack Johnson 21.512, Tom Sears, Jr. 21.552, Bob McCreadie 21.560, Jamie Mills 21.580, Danny Johnson 21.590, Jim LaRock 21.689, AJ Romano 21.757, Frankie Caprara 21.765, Ray Bliss, Jr. 21.832, Vic Coffey 21.879, Jared Shultz 21.940, Kenny Tremont Jr. 22.053, Vince Vitale 22.154, Rick Miller 22.219, Scott Davis 22.245, Steve Gray 22.323, Tyke Morris 22.984, Oscar Boria 24.243, Brett Hearn NT
HEAT 1: C. Bower, T. Sears Jr., D. Johnson, J. Higbie, P. Ward.
HEAT 2: J. Horton, B. McCreadie, J. Gabriel Jr., T. McCreadie, J. LaRock.
HEAT 3: J. Mills, B. Tittle, A.J. Romano, V. Coffey, V. Vitale.
EXISS DASH: S. Paine, A. Johnson, B. Decker, D. Hoffman, B. Varin, J. Chester.
CONSI: J. Johnson, K. Tremont, F. Caprara, J. Shultz, R. Miller, S. Davis, T. Morris.
FEATURE (100-laps): BRETT HEARN, Alan Johnson, Tim Fuller, Billy Decker, Chuck Bower,,Tim McCreadie, Danny Johnson, Steve Paine, Jimmy Horton, A.J. Romano, Pat Ward, Vic Coffey, Butch Tittle, Jimmy Chester, Frank Caprara, Kenny Tremont Jr., Rick Miller, Tyke Morris, Vince Vitale, Scott Davis, Jamie Mills, Tom Sears Jr., Bob McCreadie, Jim LaRock, Doug Hoffman, Jim Gabriel Jr., Jared Shultz, Jack Johnson, Bobby Varin, Jerry Higbie.