Jensen, McKernan And Spoonhower Take Thunder Mountain Features
Center Lisle, New York - ..Paul Jensen in the Modifieds, Billy Spoonhower in the Sportsman and Ed McKernan in the Super Stocks all notched their second wins of the 2001 racing last Saturday night at the Thunder Mountain Speedway. Other winners on the card were Steve Hill in the Four Cylinder Mods, Don Moshier for his career first in the Pure Stocks, Garry Moore in the Mini Sprints while Rich Powell and Chris Smith in the Four Cylinder Stocks in an eight feature night of racing that was concluded in less than four hours on Tioga County Waste Wood Recycling night.
The first order of business was the postponed fifteen-lap Four Cylinder Stock event. Point leader Rich Powell took the lead from Rick Angle on a lap three restart and never looked back cruising to his six-feature win of the year. Angle kept Powell in his sights while finishing second. Harold Humphrey followed them in third, Rich Talada in fourth and Dan Talada coming home in fifth.
Billy Spoonhower led wire to wire to grab off his second win of the year and his first while actually racing. His first win came earlier in the year when another driver was disqualified. The real race was for the second spot, which Bob Hamm finally took over on a lap ten restart with a bold three wide move going into turn one. Point leader Don Hart Jr. didn t get into the top three until the very last lap Ken Titus and Chad Cook rounded out the top five.
The twenty lap Super Stock feature got off to an auspicious start as on lap two Dan How got loose coming off turn two and collected point leader and multi-time feature winner Jamie Shea. Both cars restarted in the rear with Rick Davis having the point. Davis stayed there for the first five laps until Ed McKernan went by. Meanwhile Shea was working his way back toward the front. Shea got back to second by lap seven as McKernan started to open up a little bit of a lead. Shea tried many times to get McKernan on the inside but each time but each time McKernan was equal to the task. He led to the end with Shea having to settle for second. A strong running Rick Davis broke on the last lap giving third to Harold Humphrey while last week s winner Charlie Fulton came home fourth and J. T. McKernan took home the fifth spot.
Steve Babicek led the early going in the thirty laps Modified feature up until the second lap five restart when Jeff Bronson in the Billy Wyman car took over the top spot. Working their way through traffic at a rapid pace were both Doug Worthing and Paul Jensen. Jensen was using the high grove to his advantage as he moved into the top three by lap nine. And into second two laps later. Babicek went back into the lead on lap ten with Bronson in the middle and Jensen up high in a three-car dogfight for the lead.
Babicek would lead two laps before Jensen once again showed his might and took the lead on lap twelve. Once in front Jensen stretched out his lead as Worthing moved into second by the halfway mark. After getting to second, Worthing wasn t able to gain much ground on Jensen as the laps wound down. As the checkers flew Jensen was about a half dozen car lengths behind in second. Chris Weaver drove a steady race too much his best finish ever by getting third. Mike Colsten got by Babicek late in the race to get fourth while Babicek took home fifth.
Jamie Rosh led lap one of the fifteen-lap Pure Stock event before last week s hard luck driver Mike Austin took over on lap two. Austin stayed there until lap twelve surviving a number of multi-car jingles along the way and despite being challenged by Don Moshier. Moshier finally made a pass stick on lap thirteen as he passed Austin for the top spot. Once in front, Moshier stayed there for the last two circuits and grabbed off career win number one. Austin stayed put in second followed by three-time winner Bill Rampe in third, Mike Wilbur in fourth and John Dale Howey in fifth.
For the ninth time in eleven tries Steve Hill won the Four Cylinder Modified heat. He had the lead from his ninth starting spot after a couple of yellows got the fifteen lapper off to a rocky start. Once in front, Hill wasn t even seriously challenged as Scott Allen took home second, Ben Bushaw right behind Allen for third, Chris Berg had best career finish, fourth and likewise Anna Howe in fifth.
The fifteen lap Mini Sprint feature was all Gary Moore as he led start to finish from his third starting spot. It was his first career win. The race went caution free as Moore pulled into a five car length lead early and never let runner-up Rick Wust get closer than that for the duration. Bruce Brown was a comfortable third while point leader Steve Klock was fourth and Bruce Gould rounded out the top five spots.
The final feature of the evening was the regularly scheduled Four Cylinder Stock fifteen lapper. Jerry Wilcox led the first three laps of this hotly contested twenty-six-car feature. The next three were led by youngster Rich Talada before Liverpool invader Chris Smith take over on seven. Heavy duty side by side racing behind him continued as the rest of the field jockeyed for a front running spot. The first feature winner, Rich Powell moved into second on lap eight and set his sights on the fast moving Smith. but to no avail as Smith came by about ten car lengths. Powell came home second followed by Harold Humphrey in third, Rich Talada in fourth and Stanley Mathews in fifth.
Next week Thunder Mountain hosts a regular seven class show featuring the Modifieds, Sportsman, Super Stocks, Pure Stocks, Four Cylinder Stocks, Four Cylinder Modifieds and the Mini Sprints. Gates open at 4:00 p.m. while racing is slated to begin at 6:30.
MODIFIED FEATURE: Paul Jensen, Doug Worthing, Chris Weaver, Mike Colsten, Steve Babicek, Jimmy Wrench, George Kostelansky, J. R. Hurlburt, Tom McGurrin, Dick Sundgren, Sean Collins, Carl Nagel, Mike Nagel, Jeff Bronson, Don Hart Jr., Scott Frack, Brian Payne, Jeff Sheeley, Mike Frost, Pat Lynch, Ken Wierick, Rick Wilk, Denny Superko, Dave Jenkins.
1st FOUR CYLINDER STOCK FEATURE: Rich Powell, Rick Angle, Harold Humphrey, Rich Talada, Dan Talada, Shawn Mills, Jerry Wilcox, Stanley Mathews, Jay Hayward, Ryan Theetge, Jeff Wilcox Jr., Fred Newton, Frank Fink, John Coish, Mike Cochardo, John Wilcox, Kasey Hillar, Larry Rowley, Rich Ferrara, Rick Phillips.
2ND FOUR CYLINDER STOCK FEATURE: Chris Smith, Rich Powell, Harold Humphrey, Rich Talada, Stanley Mathews, Jerry Wilcox, Shawn Mills, Dan Talada, John Wilcox, Larry Colton, Frank Fink, Ryan Theetge, Jay Johnson, Jeff Wilcox Jr., Jeff Wilcox, Fred Newton, Mike Cochardo, Eric Eaton, Kasey Hilliar, Rick Phillips, Rick Angle, Jay Hayward, Rich Wolford, Larry Rowley, Randy Mathews, John Coish. DNS-Rich Ferrara
SPORTSMAN FEATURE: Billy Spoonhower, Bob Hamm, Don Hart Jr., Ken Titus, Chad Cook, Brian Decker, Steve Anderson, Brian Payne, Kevin Jordan, Anthony Reggie, Tony Vyziak, Tom Sienko, Tony Pease, Dennis Latwinski, Chris Ostrowski, Scott Allen, Rick Christopher. DNS-Rick Wilk.
SUPER STOCK FEATURE: Ed McKernan, Jamie Shea, Harold Humphrey, Charlie Fulton, J. T. McKernan, Larry Hillis, John Morse, Ray Taylor, Doug Nelson, Dwayne Robbins, Dan Howe, Dave Button, Rick Davis, Brian MacRabie, Mike Lester, Ron Latwinski, Ken Hammond, Matt Roberts, Kevin Clark. DNS-Mike West.
PURE STOCK FEATURE: Don Moshier, Mike Austin, Bill Rampe, Mike Wilbur, John Dale Howey, Larry Rozelle, Norm Whittemore, Rich Green, Bill Goodrich, Cory Bond, Phillip Snell, Jamie Rosh, Bill Davey, Max Moshier Jr., Geoff Powell, Buck Mills, Bret Welch, Dan Freelove. DNS-Dave Bellis, Ray Austin.
FOUR CYLINDER MODIFIEDS: Steve Hill, Scott Allen, Ben Bushaw, Chris Berg, Anna Howe, Chet Carr, Alan Bush, Pete Christiansen, Calvin Pierce, George Howe, Dennis Copp, Roger Dewitt, Dick Case, Andy Carr, Buzz Barton, Kala Bush, Mark Reynolds. DNS-Cliff Pierce.
MINI-SPRINTS- Garry Moore, Rick Wust, Bruce Brown, Steve Klock, Bruce Gould, Darl Ellis, Aric Copeland, Dave Kessinger, Otto Graham.