NICK ROCHINSKI BECOMES FIRST SUNOCO MODIFIED REPEAT WINNER OF 2021 AT FIVE MILE POINT SPEEDWAY.
KIRKWOOD, NY…Nick Rochinski became the first Sunoco Modified feature winner of the season at Five Mile Point Speedway on Saturday. The victory in the 30 lap feature event was worth $1,200. Ray Leonard was the Insinger Performance Crate Sprotsman winner and Doug Polhamus emerged the winner of a phenomenal Street Stock main event.
Glenn Knapp and Brandon Fritsch led the twenty-two car Sunoco Modified starting field to Jim Olin’s green flag. The race got off to a rough start as the caution flew without a lap being filed. A chain reaction incident brought out the yellow as Corey Lowitt, Barry White and point leader Brett Tonkin were all part of the caution. On the restart another caution would fly before a lap was logged. This time Justin Andrews wound up facing the wrong way on the homestretch. When racing resumed the action was nothing short of spectacular. Knapp raced out to the lead as Brian Mady immediately hustled from third to second. Brad Szulewski Brian Puckett and Rochinski filled the top five during the early going. Rochinski was using the extreme outside of the speedway as he moved from ninth to fifth in only two laps.
The caution flew again on lap 6 for an “inadvertent yellow” as the field got crossed up but ultimately there was no incident. Both Randy Green and Art Bray pulled to the pits during the caution period. On the restart Mady utilized the outside line to vault past Knapp for the race lead. Szulewski continued to run in third at this point as Rochinski was up to fourth and Frank Yankowski had now broken into the top five. Once out front Mady opened up his lead over Knapp. By lap ten Yankowski had worked past both Szulewski and Rochinski and up to third place. Meanwhile back in the pack Brett Tonkin was making a charge from the rear of the field for the third time this season.
As the race was one third over Rochinski went back to the top of the speedway and wasted no time in using it to his advantage. Rochinski moved from fourth to second in two laps and now had race leader Mady in his sites. On lap 13 Rochinski powered around the outside of Mady and into the race lead. One lap later Yankowski advanced to third place as Justin Holland broke in to the top five. Once out front Rochinski grew his advantage quickly over the field. By the mid-way point Tonkin began to utilize the cushion and had charged all the back up to fifth from last. The final caution of the race flew on lap 19 as Aleia Geisler stalled in turn 1. Scott Landers was also collected in the incident as both had strong runs going. Both were able to continue.
On the restart Rochinski immediately opened up a sizeable lead over the pack. Mady and Yankowski hooked up for a great battle for second as Tonkin worked the outside moving past Knapp for fourth. On lap 25 Tonkin took over third and only lap later had advanced to second. By this point Rochinski had opened up an unsurmountable lead over Tonkin. Tonkin did close the gap over the final laps but Rochinski went on unchallenged. At the finish it was Rochinski, Tonkin, Mady, Yankowski and Holland breaking into the top five. Knapp finished sixth with Brian Malcolm advancing from thirteenth to seventh. Joey Colsten, Szulewski and Barry White rounded out the top ten finishers. Heat winners were Knapp, Colsten and Fritsch.
Ray Leonard became the sixth different winner in six regular season races in the Insinger Performance Crate Sportsman division. Matt Sobiech and Leonard led the field to the green in the 25 lap feature event. It was third place starter Matt Brewer though that took command on lap 1. Dominic Roselli hustled from fourth to second at the start as Leonard ran the outside of the speedway and began to dial in his line. There was great side by side action during the early going as Leonard used the outside to charge past both Roselli and Brewer for the race lead on lap 4. Gary Smith moved from fifth to third place during this exciting battle up front.
Once out front Leonard would not be denied. Brewer remained within striking distance throughout but was never able to mount another serious threat to regain the race lead. Leonard was impressive as he went on for win number one of the regular season and kept the different winner streak alive at six. Brewer wound up second with Gary Smith, Roselli and Blaine Klinger completing the top five. Bryce Bailey, Tighe Sherlock, Randy Brokaw, Dan Solomon and Sobiech completed the top ten. Heat winners were: Brewer, Sobiech and Leonard.
The 20 lap Street Stock feature event was an outstanding event with point leader Doug Polhamus taking the top honors. Teammates Nick Robinson and Gene Sharpsteen sat on the front row for the 20 lap feature event. Robinson raced out to the lead with Doug Stack, Sr. quickly making his way up to second place and Polhamus following his lead and taking third. Sharpsteen settled into fourth place as a tremendous battle immediately developed up front. Robinson and Stack battle lap after lap for the race lead as Polhamus waited for any error. As the race hit the halfway mark Polhmaus joined the battle and made it a three wide race for the lead. Stack dropped back to third as now Robinson and Polhamus switched lines for several laps with Robinson never relinquishing the lead. With only five laps to go Polhamus committed to the outside line and on lap 17 he was able to work past Robinson for the race lead. Polhamus would be followed across the line by Robinson, Stack, Sharpsteen and Doug Stack, Jr. For Polhamus it was win number four of the regular season. Heat winners were Stack Sr. and Polhamus.
Justin Slezak, the 2020 Factory Stock Track Champion led wire to wire in the 20 lap feature event for the S.W.A.T Exterminating Factory Stock class. He and Bob Mills had a great battle for the entire race as they ran one and two throughout. Todd Sutliff, Daniel Stevens and Billy Shoemaker completed the top five. Todd Koegel was unable to start. A great move by Slezak recently as his business (S.W.A.T Exterminating) stepped up to sponsor the division to add money from second finishing position back. Despite being the track champion and a contender to win every week their business wanted to support the teams down in the finishing order.
In the 600 Modified division Bob Hamm, Jr. rallied from a lap 1 jingle that saw him spun out in turn 1 and restart at the rear of the field. David Brown and Jason Sullivan had a fantastic early race battle between themselves for the race lead. Brown lead the early going with Sullivan trying all lines around him. Hamm quickly charged through the field to get up to third place and challenge the leaders. Just as Sullivan was making a move on Brown for the race lead, Brown’s car slowed and the two made contact. This allowed Hamm the opportunity to go around both for the race lead. The race remained green as Brown pulled to the infield but Sullivan had his momentum slowed and wasn’t able to challenge Hamm. Brown did come back out but was unable to finish. Hamm was followed across the line by Sullivan. James Randall had another strong run finishing third with Rich Powell and Eli Akshar completing the top five.
Dale Folejewski returned to victory lane in the 20 lap Futures Sportsman feature event. He started second and led all 20 laps. It was his second regular season victory of the season. Matthew Backus, Joe Buchanan, Adam Gilbert and Joshua Fedo completed the top five.
Kenny Underwood led all 15 laps in the Expert Front Wheel Drive Four Cylinder feature event on Saturday. Underwood started second and took the lead from Josh Wilder at the drop of the green. Underwood was followed by Wilder, Dave Simms, John Maynard and Gregg Slater. Point leader Andy Bolles had problems with his car and was in the borrowed ride normally piloted by Rich Wagner. He finished sixth.
Scott Beach darted out to the early race lead in the 12 lap Novice feature event. Beach was looking for his second win of the season. Beach led for the first six laps only to be sidelined with mechanical problems. Bethany Gilbert took command on lap 7 and never looked back beating last race winner Austin Slater. Lucas Plaisted, Zayne McPeak and Scott Beach completed the top five.
Racing continues this Saturday with the 57th running of the Heath Memorial. The race honors the memory of track builders Irving and Anna Heath.
SUNOCO RACE FUELS MODIFIED OFFICIAL FEATURE FINSH (30 LAPS): NICK ROCHINSKI ($1,200), Brett Tonkin, Brian Mady, Frank Yankowski, Justin Holland, Glenn Knapp, Brian Malcolm, Joey Colsten, Brad Szulewski, Barry White, Brian Puckett, Jason Andrews, Scott Landers, Bobby Puckett, Aleia Geisler, Gregg Turner, Jesse Kline, P.J. Goodwin, Brandon Fritsch, Corey Lowitt, Randy Green, Arthur Bray.
INSINGER PERFORMANCE CRATE SPORTSMAN OFFICIAL FEATURE FINISH (25 LAPS): RAY LEONARD, Matt Brewer, Gary Smith, Dominic Roselli, Blaine Klinger, Bryce Bailey, Tighe Sherlock, Randy Brokaw, Dan Solomon, Matt Sobiech, Alan Komar, Seth Zacharias, Tom Hampton, Jason Feinberg, Brian Durbin, Mike Mondak, John Cahill, Mackenzie Marsh, Jake Mele, Brad Weaver.
SWAT EXTERMINATING FACTORY STOCK OFFICIAL FEATURE FINISH (20 LAPS): JUSTIN SLEZAK, Bob Mills, Todd Sutliff, Daniel Stevens, Billy Shoemaker. DNS – Todd Koegel.
FRONT WHEEL DRIVE FOUR CYLINDER OFFICIAL FEATURE FINISH (15 LAPS): KENNY UNDERWOOD, Josh Wilder, Dave Simms, John Maynard, Gregg Slater, Andy Bolles, Mike Jenks, Bob Lovine, Brian Salmini, Doug Newbigging, Jake Lamphere, Jeff Hayes.
FRONT WHEEL DRIVE FOUR CYLINDER OFFICIAL FEATURE FINISH (12 LAPS): BETHANY GILBERT, Austin Slater, Lucas Plaisted, Zayne McPeak, Scott Beach.
STREET STOCK OFFICIAL FEATURE FINISH (20 LAPS): DOUG POLHAMUS, Nick Robinson, Doug Stack Sr., Gene Sharpsteen, Doug Stack Jr., Jacob Ingrham, Eric Boynton, Abe Romanik, Bobby Wagner, David Stalker, Logan Terry, Tyler Stoddard, Don Reeves.
FUTURE SPORTSMAN OFFICIAL FEATURE FINISH (20 LAPS): DALE FOLEJEWSKI, Matt Backus, Joe Buchanan, Adam Gilbert, Joshua Fedo, Amanda Scholtisek. DNS – Kyle Smith, Luke Powell.
600 MODIFIED OFFICIAL FEATURE FINISH (20 LAPS): BOB HAMM, Jason Sullivan, James Randall, Rich Powell, Eli Akshar, Chelsie Beebe, D.J. Generux, Dustin Jones, David Brown, Dominic Amato. DNS – Sheldon Whitman.