Paine Wins Super DIRT Series Race At Black Rock

Sat, 25 Aug 2001 00:23:39 -0400

DUNDEE, N.Y - After two years of frustration, "The Hurricane" Steve Paine was
back in victory lane after the 100 lap Sunoco Super Dirt Series event at the
Black Rock Speedway. Steve Brace took the exciting win in the Regional
International Pro Trucks. In the NAPA 4 Cyl. Stocks, Eddie Mills and Jack
Ayres were the winners and Travis Berardo took the victory in the Black Rock
Bandits.
40 of the best 358 Modifieds and drivers filled the pits on Tuesday August
21st in search of glory, cash and valuable points toward the 358 Super Dirt
Series Championship, not to mention a guaranteed starting spot for the Sunoco
Race Fuels 358 race during Super Dirt week. Danny Johnson set the fast time
during time trials with a time of 15.849 seconds for a speed of 90.857-mph
driving the familiar Sweetners Plus Troyer 27J. He would start 11th on the
grid. Tim Sebring drew the pole position for the start and Pat Ward was on
the outside of the front row. Paine started third in the Terrell's Potato
Chips Teo. When the green flag flew to begin the 100-lap grind, Pat Ward in
the Gypsum Express Teo jumped out to the early lead. Tim Sebring in the
Suzuki Motorcycles Teo, and Steve Paine closely followed him. By the 10th
lap, the leaders were already in lapped traffic, and Steve Paine had moved
around Sebring for second. On lap 15 the yellow flew for a near disaster in
turn four, as Steve Mandell and Pete Bicknell got together in front of the
field. As the green flag came back out Pat Ward and Steve Paine were racing
side by side. Brett Hearn was now up to third after starting ninth in his
Brioschi, Madsen motorsports Teo, Tim Sebring was fourth and John Moravec was
fifth after starting scratch on the field. Moravec had motor problems in his
#1, and was driving Gil Tegg's back-up car. Charlie Donk was also on the
move and took over the fifth spot on lap 23. On lap 27 Paine took the lead
from Ward in turn two, and John Moravec went with him for second. By lap 32
the top five saw Paine in the lead with Moravec second, followed by Donk,
Hearn, and Gil Tegg. Yellow lights were on again on lap 38 as Tim Sebring's
mount suffered a flat right rear tire. At the 50-lap mark, Charlie Donk, Gil
Tegg, Brett Hearn, Alan Johnson, and Danny Johnson still in the lead with
John Moravec second, followed Paine. Lap 58 saw Charlie Donk take over the
second position, while Paine pulled away. Five laps later Gil Tegg got by
Donk for second. Another yellow flag came out on lap 71, and this bunched up
the field. On the re-start Tegg began to challenge Paine for the lead. On lap
77 Tegg went wide in turn 4 and dropped back several positions. On the next
yellow flag period on lap 80, Tegg went pitside, but returned without losing
a lap. The race was now hot for second place between Charlie Donk and Brett
Hearn. Hearn took second on lap 92, and set his sights on Paine. With five
laps remaining Paine was bottled up in lapped traffic, and Hearn was on the
move. But when the checkers flew it was Paine the winner by 0.640 sec. over
Hearn. Charlie Donk was third, and got the Syracuse spot, fourth was Alan
Johnson, and Danny Johnson filled out the top five, sixth through tenth were,
John Moravec, Pete Bicknell, Curt VanPelt, Matt Sheppard, and Stacy Jackson.
Quick time of the race was turned in on lap 35 by Steve Paine, he turned the
lap in 16.668 seconds. Heats were won by, Gil Tegg, Steve Paine, Brett Hearn,
and Tim Sebring. Consis were won by Ray Bliss Jr. and Jim LaRock.
Steve Brace appears to be on the verge of winning the championship in the
Regional Pro-Trucks, and he proved why on this night of racing. Tom Austin
grabbed the early lead in the 20 lap event, but by lap 11 Brace had the
Sunrise Express #19 in second place. The one thing Austin didn't want was a
yellow flag. It came out on lap 13 as Fred Buckley spun in turn 2. This put
Brace right on the back bumper of the 88A. As the laps clicked off, Brace
edged closer to Austin. Then in turn four with the checkers flying, Brace got
by Austin for the exciting win! Austin was second, third was Bob Buono,
fourth was Don Divens, and Keith Austin filled out the top five. Ron Divens,
and Tom Austin were heat winners.
In the NAPA 4 Cyl. Stock, Eddie Mills was the winner in the first of two
features. He had the night off from the Super-Stocks; so, he dusted off the 4
Cyl. And came out and took the win. Joe Povoski was second, third was Mike
Hughey, A Jay Potrzebowski got fourth, and Kenny Hunt was fifth.
In the second feature, Jack Ayres took the win over a fast closing Tim
Povoski. Third was Brian Conley, Scott Yaw was fourth and Terry Potrzebowski
filled up the top five. Heats were won by, A Jay Potrzebowski, Brian Conley,
Tim Povoski, and Alfie Clark.
In Black Rock Bandits racing, Travis Berardo jumped out to the early lead,
and ran away from the rest of the field to claim his second win of the
season. Josh Mills was second, third was Joe Kurtz, Jon Wallenbeck got
fourth, and Steven Ovens filled out the top five.
CORYN FARM SUPPLY/HAKES EQUIPMENT RACE SUMMARY: SUNOCO SUPER DIRT SERIES 358
MODIFIEDS: (100 LAPS); STEVE PAINE, Brett Hearn, Charlie Donk, Alan Johnson,
Danny Johnson, John Moravec, Pete Bicknell, Curt VanPelt, Matt Sheppard,
Stacy Jackson, Gil Tegg Jr., Bill Demming, Steve Gray, Bryon Turner, Alex
Hoag, Todd Henderson, Vic Coffey, Tim Sebring, Brian Swarthout, Lance
Dussett, Chuck Kennison, Derrick Podsiadlo, Vince Quenniville Jr., Steve
Mandell, Todd Burley, Roy Shields, Pat Ward, Jim LaRock, Scott Benedict, Ray
Bliss Jr.
REGIONAL INTERNATIONAL PRO-TRUCKS (20 LAPS); STEVE BRACE, Tom Austin, Bob
Buono, Don Divens, Keith Austin, Doug Buckley, Jim Roberts, Fred Buckley,
Matt Balmer, Rich Easling, Eddie Machuga, Ron Divens, Jeff Balmer.
NAPA 4 CYL. STOCKS RACE #1: (15 LAPS); EDDIE MILLS, Joe Povoski, Mike Hughey,
A Jay Potrzebowski, Kenny Hunt, Alfie Clark, Jake Clancey, Eddie Crawford,
Skip Dean, Ray Hyer, Jason White, John Burritt, Mike White, Craig Chisom,
Brian Grant, Bob Stewart, Zack Gardiner, Brett Buono, Joe Carlineo.
4 CYL. STOCK RACE #2(15 LAPS); JACK AYRES, Tim Povoski, Brian Conley, Scott
Yaw, Terry Potrzebowski, Karl Weichenthal, Bob Doolittle, Mike Jackson, Ryan
Davenport, Todd Stone, George Park Jr., Shawn Brace, Nicola Knickerbocker,
Serenity Sutherland, Mike Buchanan, Willy Grant Jr.
BLACK ROCK BANDITS: 10 LAPS): TRAVIS BERARDO, Josh Mills, Joe Kurtz, Jon
Wallenbeck, Steven Ovens, Nathan Daggett, Derek Mills, George Park Jr.,
Laverne Knickerbocker III, Adam Austin, Ray Speicher, Ben Gardiner, Kirsten
Dombroski, Josh Smith, Jamie Schuyler, Adam Chisom, Dustin Towner, Trevor
Sutherland, Frank Guererri Jr.

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