Hurlburt, Howe & Shea Grab Off Thunder Mountain Wins

Center Lisle, New York-Defending modified champion J. R. Hurlburt got his first win of the year in the thirty lap feature, Don Hart Jr. got win number two in the Sportsman and Jamie Shea continues his winning ways as grabbed off his third in a row and seventh of the year in the twenty lap Street Stock last Saturday night at the Thunder Mountain Speedway on a night where dodging the mist was the operative mode. Other winners on the evening were Scott Allen in the Four Cylinder Modifieds ending Steve Hill s win streak at two as did Rick Angle in the Four Cylinder Stocks ending Rich Powell s two victory string, Steve Boyd won the Mini-Sprints and Mike Wilbur made it three different winners in three weeks in the Pure Stocks.

&= nbsp; Butch Cerullo looked like for the most part to be a first time winner in the Modified headliner as he led the first twenty-one laps fending off challenges early from Mike Clapperton and later on Hurlburt for a number of laps. Cerullo ran a consistent groove throughout the race as Clapperton tried the inside a number of times but Cerullo was equal to the task and led the green flag laps during the midpoint of the race. A yellow on lap nineteen tightened the field up and gave Hurlburt an opportunity. Finally on lap twenty-two Hurlburt dove low on turn one and got inside Cerullo and took the lead. Cerullo didn t give up however and came back after Hurlburt but couldn t muster enough to get by and had to settle for second as he held of a persistent Clapperton for second. Opening night winner Mike Colsten in fourth and Rick Wilk followed them in fifth. Last week s winner Doug Worthing got involved in an early race jingle and wound up far back in the field.

&= nbsp; The twenty lap Sportsman go got off to an auspicious start with caution flags in the first two laps each involving numerous cars. When the dust settled, rookie Sportsman competitor Billy Spoonhower had powered to the front and was opening up a sizable gap between him and the rest of the field. Once point leader Don Hart Jr., freed himself of the pack, he gave chase after Spoonhower who s lead had now grown into ten car lengths. Lap after lap Hart closed and just after the halfway point Hart powered by for the lead. Once in front Hart said see-ya and last week s winner Chad Cook, who was involved in one of those early skirmishes, was out to play catch-up. Cook trapped Spoonhower behind a lapped machine with five to go but Hart was long gone and Cook had to be content with second. Spoonhower came home third followed by Kevin Jordan in fourth and Tim French in fifth.

&= nbsp; Plenty of yellow flags plagued the twenty lap Street Stock go, but the outcome was the same as it s been for the past two weeks. Jamie Shea in front at the end. Rick Davis led the first two that saw three yellows. Ron Latwinski and finally Shea on lap four that saw no less than four yellows succeeded Davis. Once the race settled down, Shea was able to pull comfortably in front while the heavy-duty racing was going on behind him between Charlie Fulton, Ken Hammond, Ed McKiernan, Larry Hillis and Chris Piasecki. When the checkers mercifully flew, Shea was able to grab off win number three at Thunder Mountain followed by Piasecki in second, Hillis in third, Hammond in fourth and the Virgil Vigilante Jeremy Clark in fifth.

&= nbsp; Three weeks, three winners in the Pure Stocks. This week it was Mike Wilbur. Taking advantage of his pole starting spot, Wilbur was able to take the lead on lap one. Upstart Doug Stack got by Wilbur to lead laps two and three but on lap four Wilbur went back by and the rest was history. Stack stayed close but didn t get another shot at the top spot and came home second. Pennsylvania invader, Randy Percival came from fifteenth to take tome third followed by Sean O connor in fourth and last week s winner Mike Foote in fifth.

&= nbsp; Next week will be the Spring Championship event for all classes with double points awarded. Gates will open at 4:00 with the first heat scheduled at 6:30. Come join us for a great evening of enjoyment at Thunder Mountain.

&= nbsp; The whole complexion of the fifteen lap Four Cylinder Modified happened on a lap two skirmish that involved two-time winner Steve Hill. Hill wound up with a right front tire and had to go the pits. In the process, according to the scorers, lost a lap. He came through the field and with no yellow flags to help, did pass leader George Howe on lap seven to get his lap back. The rest of the race while Howe dueled with Scott Allen and Curt Pierce for the lead; Hill was desperately trying to make up ground. It was to no avail however as Allen wound getting his first win of the year, followed by Howe in second, Curt Pierce in third, Cliff Pierce in fourth and Hill having to settle for fifth.

&= nbsp; A strong running Bruce Brown led the first ten laps of the fifteen laps of the Mini Sprint feature before a high flying Steve Boyd took over. Once in front Boyd took command and Brown had to shake a surprising Rick Wust for the second spot in a race that saw only one yellow flag. Boyd came home a winner for the first time in 2001, followed by Brown in second, Wust in third, Darl Ellis for fourth and Ryan Lund in fifth. Neither point leader Don Harvey or strong runner Lance O dell were in the field.

&= nbsp; Dan Talada led the first three laps of the Four Cylinder Stock feature that was slowed by two yellow flag periods in the first three laps. Just after the last yellow, Rick Angle took command and led to the finish despite some exciting moments with Talada. Jeff Wilcox Jr. Had a strong run to grab off third while Leonard Miller and John Wilcox completed the top five spots. The top two point men, Rich Powell and Stan Mathews both had troubles early and weren t around at the finish.

&= nbsp; MODIFIED FINISH: J. R. Hurlburt, Butch Cerullo, Mike Clapperton, Mike Colsten, Rick Wilk, Mike Nagel, Steve Babicek, George Kostelansky, Dave Zona, Tom McGurrin, Carl Nagel, Dick Sundgren, Jimmy Wrench, Paul Jensen, Chris Weaver, Scott Frack, Mike Paine, Pat Lynch, Marty Bunker, Buddy Altemose, Bob Hamm, Dan Morden, Dave Jenkins, Doug Worthing, Sean Collins.

&= nbsp; SPORTSMAN FINISH: Don Hart Jr., Chad Cook, Billy Spoonhower, Kevin Jordan, Tim French, Bob Hamm, Ken Titus, Chris Ostrowski, Rick Wilk, Dennis Latwinski, Tom Sienko. Steve Anderson, Brian Decker, Brian Paine. DNS-Tony Pease, Tony Vyziak

&= nbsp; STREET STOCK FINISH: Jamie Shea, Chris Piasecki, Larry Hillis, Ken Hammond, Jeremy Clark, Ed McKiernan, Dave Button, Dwayne Robbins, Doug Nelson, Harold Humphrey, Dan Howe, Ron Latwinski, Charlie Fulton, Rick Davis, Matt Roberts, Brian MacRabie, Guy Park, J. T. McKiernan, Chris Jordan.

&= nbsp; FOUR CYLINDER MODIFIED FINISH: Scott Allen, George Howe, Curt Pierce, Cliff Pierce, Steve Hill, Kala Bush, Andy Carr, Calvin Pierce, Chris Berg, Chet Carr, Alan Bush. DNS-Roger Dewitt, Anna Howe, Ben Bushall.

&= nbsp; MINI SPRINT FEATURE: Steve Boyd, Bruce Brown, Rick Wust, Darl Ellis, Ryan Lund, Cory Sparks, Phil Peworchik, Rick Christopher, Brian Howland, Garry Moore, Aric Copeland> DNS-Steve Klock, Bob Brown, Matt Priscott.

&= nbsp; FOUR CYLINDER STOCK FINISH: Rick Angle, Dan Talada, Jeff Wilcox Jr., Leonard Miller, John Wilcox, Fred Newton, Jeff Wilcox, Jay Hayward, Todd Smith, John Coish, Randy Gardner, Jerry Wilcox, Steve Harrington, Ed Dyson, Rich Powell, Stanley Mathews.