Worthing Takes Second At Thunder Mountain
Center Lisle, New York.....Doug Worthing became the first two-time points paying feature winner as he blasted by Paul Jensen on lap twenty-one of thirty after surviving a nine car skirmish on lap seven and went on to hold off a persistant Mike Colsten for his second feature in three weeks at the Thunder Mountain Speedway in Center Lisle last Saturday night.
A couple of Modified rookies, Brian Payne and Dave Zona led the first four laps before the veteran Jensen took over the top spot on lap five. Three multi-car mishaps plagued the first portion of the race and the last one on lap seven claimed both Worthing and Colsten. Both went to the pits and made repairs and rejoined the field in the rear.
Meanwhile up front, Jensen pretty much had things his own way as the rookies were having their collective hands full trying to fend off Jeff Bronson and Rick Wilk and both Worthing and Colsten made their way from the back. Worthing has just caught and passed Jensen as the last yellow of the race flew for Rick Whitney hitting the first turn fence. On the restart it was no contest as Worthing pulled away. A couple of lapslater Colsten moved into second but couldn't get close enough to mount a challenge on Worthing and hand to settle for second. Wilk got by Jensen with less than two to go for third while Jensen claimed fourth and J. R. Hurlburt drove a strange ride into the fifth spot.
Jamie Shea finally shook the Thunder Mountain gremlins as he led all twnty laps to claim the caution filled feature event. Poine leader Scott Conover provided the pressure for most of the distance and even got along side once but Shea was equal to the task to hold on for that elusive win number one. Three early race yellows took it's toll on the starting field of eighteen cars to nine running at the finish. P. J. Goodwin came back from a lap one encounter with Conover and Charlie Fulton and a track liner tire to claim third while Gary Roberts and Billy Spoonhower claimed the rest of the top five spots.
Larry Hillis passed Chris Stull on lap thirteen and went on to win the fifteen lap Pure Stock feature which was only marred by one yellow flag. Pole sitter Toby Baker led the first five laps before getting loose off turn two lap six and before he got straightened up he encountered point leader John Payne and allowed the lead to slip away to Stull. Hillis closed in on Stull as the laps wound down and tracked him down as the twin flags were shown. The two made contact and Hillis emerged the victor with Stull having to settle for second. Baker came back to get third while invader Bill Morse took home fourth and Mike Austin rounded out the top five.
Elmira's Joe Bush opened up a comfortable lead on the field in the fifteen lap Four Cylinder Stock feature before being caught by point leader Harold Humphrey. Humphrey paseed Bush on a laeleven restart and went on to a comfortable victory over Bush. Roger West came home third followed by Jeff McKinney and Rich Powell and Rick Phillips. During a post race inspection West was declared illegal.
Don Harvey let Ryan Lund lead the first two laps of the fifteen lap Mini Sprint feature before he took over from his ninth starting spot on lap three.The race was red flagged on lap three when Rick Christopher's machine dug in on turn one and flipped a couple of times. Christopher was shaken but othwerwise uninjured. When the race resumed it was all Harvey as he trounced the field lapping all the way to third place Steve Boyle at the checkers, Lance O'dell was a dozen car lengths back in second while Boyle came home third. Fourth went to Garry Moore while fifth went to Lund.
The first feature on the card was the fifteen lap Four Cylinder Modified go. Cliff Pierce led the early going before Scott Allen came to the fore front at the halfway point. Five time winner Lee Dewitt was mired in traffic as Allen began toopen up a lead followed by Mike Payne. Allen opened up a five car length margin as the checkers flew. Payne just nipped Dewitt for second while Pierce held on for fourth and the consistant George Howe came fifth.
Next week will be the last regular show leading up to the big fourth of July weekend events. All the regular classes, Modifieds, Street Stocks, Pure Stocks, Four Cylinder Stocks, Four Cylinder Modifieds and Mini Sprints will be in action. Gates will open at 4:00p.m. with racing scheduled to start at 6:30.
MODIFIED FINISH: Doug Worthing, Mike Colsten, Rick Wilk, Paul Jensen, J. R. Hurlburt, Jeff Bronson, George Kostelansky, Dave Zona, Dave Jenkins, Mike Nagel, Brian Payne, Carl Nagel, Mike Frost, Tom McGurrin, Dick Sundgren, Brian Weaver, Tom Sienko, Rick Whitney, Ed Hawley, Jimmy Wrench, Randy Decker, Bobby Puckett, Chris Weaver, Larry Dilello, George Hoffmier Jr.
STREET STOCK FINISH: Jamie Shea, Scott Conover, P. J. Goodwin, Gary Roberts, Billy Spoonhower, Charlie Fulton, Mike Wilbur, Max Moshier Jr., Bill Rampe, Barry Stephens, Wade Decker, Mark Wainwright, Chris Piasecki, Mike Decker, Bret Spoor, Tracy Gregory.
PURE STOCK FINISH: Larry Hillis, Chris Stull, Toby Baker, Bill Morse, Mike Austin, John Dale Howey, John Payne, Darl Ellis, Larry Rozelle, Nate Evans, Shannon Hollenbeck, Roger Salai, Mike Wilbur, Don Moshier.
FOUR CYLINDER STOCK FINISH: Harold Humphrey, Joe Bush, Rich Powell, Jeff McKinney, Rick Phillips, Nate Stevens, Jeff Lee, Jerry Wilcox, Jeff Wilcox, Jeff Wilcox Jr., John Wilcox, Billy Spoonhower, Richard Wolford.
MINI SPRINT FINISH: Don Harvey, Lance O'dell, Steve Boyle, Garry Moore, Ryan Lund, Frank Rummenknapp, Jeremy Vunk, Eric Copeland, Steve Diffendorf, Bruice Gould, Rick Christopher, Steve Klock.
FOUR CYLINDER MODIFIED FINISH: Scott Allen, Mike Payne, Lee Dewitt, Cliff Pierce, George Howe, Buzz Barton Jr., Greg Martindale, Bruce Detro, Dick Case, Bruce Knaak, Alan Bush, Karen Dewitt, Chet Carr, Kala Bush, Calvin Pierce, Curt Pierce, Mark Reynolds.