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.