WHITE FENDS OFF GRIFFIN FOR FIVE MILE POINT MOD WIN
By BRETT DEYO
Barry White learned a lesson midway through Saturday night's Modified feature at Five Mile Point Speedway from an unlikely source. The man who finished second to him.
When Gary Griffin showed speed running the lower groove on the quarter-mile oval, it served as a signal to White. The veteran racer from Mertztown, Pa., changed his line and went on to win his second feature of 2005 at the 55-year-old facility, leading all but one circuit of the 30-lap main.
Starting second in his Lynn Redcay-owned Teo-Pro car, carrying a Curt Neiman-built aluminum head 9-to-1 engine on alcohol, White worked around Grant Hilfiger on an opening lap restart to grab the lead. Third-starter Griffin motored by Hilfiger on lap five, taking over the runner-up spot.
White and Griffin then took part in several double-file restarts after a series of jingles slowed the action. The most serious incident occurred on a lap-12 restart when contact between Hilfiger and Bobby Puckett, battling for fourth, sent the field scrambling. No less than six cars stacked up in turn one, bringing out the red.
"I was so happy to look over and see Gary there on those double-file restarts," said White, 47. "I can trust him. Gary and I can race together and I know he'll be clean." The race's deciding moment came on lap 13. White, who had been working the extreme outside groove, opened the door for Griffin exiting turn two. Griffin, after laps of sizing up an inside pass, nosed ahead to take the lead on the backstretch.
However, the caution flew before the lap was scored and White was placed back in front. And he wasn't about to make the same mistake twice. "That caution saved me," White admitted. "Gary had me clean. I watched the Sportsman feature and there was an outside groove. I stayed out there as long as I could, but Gary showed me the fast way around.
"The top went away and my car was getting loose, so I had to adjust my line." Only one caution slowed the event's second half, and White gradually opened up a comfortable lead in his Deka Batteries No. 131, cruising to the $1,000 victory.
"This is something I've never done before - win two races in one year," White said. "We've been struggling here since the last time we won (June 11), and to be honest, we didn't even scale the car this week. It just worked."
Griffin, of Archbald, Pa., finished second in his No. 52 Bicknell. "Barry was fast," said the soft-spoken Griffin. "It helps so much starting up front. My car was definitely better down low, but I couldn't do anything with him once he changed his line. "My car got loose the last five laps. I'm just happy to finish."
Dana Wagner put on the drive of the race after he got tagged and spun on the first lap. Slicing back through traffic, the Trout Creek, N.Y., driver drove by James Cornell on lap 23 to finish third in his No. 25W Troyer four-link. Cornell was fourth and Joel Batzel rallied for fifth. Grant Hilfiger, Barry White, Brian Weaver and J.R. Crouse won the heats for the 30 Modifieds in attendance. Jim Crawn topped the consolation.
Righting a streak of bad luck, Susquehanna, Pa.'s Brian Decker won the 25-lap Sportsman headliner. Running his Wally Fiehl-powered No. 9B Bicknell, Decker throttled around the outside of Archie Myers III on lap two, moving from fourth to first in a pair quick circuits around the tight oval.
Jesse Kline challenged Decker briefly following a bobble on lap 21, but Decker gradually pulled away to win his second feature at FMP this season, worth $500. Kline, of Bangor, Pa., settled for second, matching his career-best finish. Ricky Rutt, Eric Palmer and Archie Myers III filled out the front five.
He waited until the final lap to make his move, but Mike Stolarcyk III returned to Victory Lane in FMP Modified competition. Starting second, Stolarcyk and polesitter Joe Cole engaged in a crowd-pleasing battle for the entire 20-lap distance, with Stolarcyk running low and Cole high.
On the final lap, Cole's car broke loose in turn two, allowing the Whitney Point, N.Y., driver to power by on the inside for the lead, and his fourth win of '05. Cole settled for second but made hard contact with the wall after the checkered in turn one. Brian Rhodes, K.C. Cole and Gary Dence trailed.
Ending a two-year winless drought at FMP, Tunkhannock, Pa., native Jerry Tonti won a caution-marred, time shortened 18-lap Street Stock main. Tonti led the entire distance, despite a slew of restarts. Bill Trego and Dan Pompey rebounded from an incident on lap nine for second and third, respectively. Randy Tyler and Josh Jenkins rounded out the top five.
Using a back-up engine, Johnson City, N.Y.'s Mahlon Shoemaker scored a dominant victory in the 20-lap Pure Stock feature. The former track champion powered by Jonathan Carpenter on lap four and was never headed, racing to his fourth win of the season over Jeremy Shaw, Charlie Gilbert, Matt Spencer and Jamie Batzel.
Racing resumes at FMP on Thurs., Aug. 4 with a 50-lap, $2,000-to-win T3 All-Star Series event for the small-block Modifieds, plus a Hurricane Pure Stock Qualifier and Figure Eights. Race time is 7 p.m.
On Sat., Aug. 6, the Modifieds, Sportsman, FMP Modifieds and Street Stocks will be in competition along with the 600cc Modifieds and Kids Bicycle Races. The action starts at 6:30 p.m. For more information, visit the website at: (607) 775-5555 or visit the website: www.fivemilepointspeedway.net.
COUNTER POINTS:: Car counts were strong at 30 Modifieds, 19 Sportsman, 14 FMP Modifieds, 23 Street Stocks and 17 Pure Stocks....
The top two drivers in the Modified point standings entering the night endured uncharacteristically rough outings.
Brian Weaver got tagged by Dan Hineline and spun wildly on lap seven in turn one. Weaver's Randy Decker-led team actually got the Bicknell mount's damaged front suspension repaired and he rejoined on lap 12, only to pile into a spinning Russell Hendrickson Jr., ending his night.
Runner-up Jim Crawn headed pitside on lap two when contact with the wall chewed off the right-rear spindle bolts on his Tom and Terry Coar-owned Bicknell. Weaver and Crawn finished 23rd and 24th, respectively....
Making a rare FMP Mod start in preparation for the Aug. 4 T3 All-Star Series event was Dylan Dewert of Corning, N.Y. Dewert, who won the inaugural T3 event at Black Rock (N.Y.) Speedway on April 16, missed qualifying by one position in the consolation....
Dave Zona was on track for a top-five finish when the left-front spindle broke on lap 22. He was fourth at the time....
RACE SUMMARY
MODIFIED FEATURE FINISH:
BARRY WHITE, Gary Griffin, Dana Wagner, James Cornell, Joel Batzel, Darrin Schuler, Rich Keehle Jr., J.R. Crouse, Jeff Emanuel, Dan Hineline, Grant Hilfiger, George Hildebrant, Dave Zona, Chris Ostrowsky, Russell Hendrickson Jr., Junior Green, Bobby Puckett, Brian Malcolm, Butch Klinger, Eddie White, Glenn Knapp, Rick Holgate, Brian Weaver, Jim Crawn.
Did Not Qualify: Dylan Dewert, Tom Oleski, Brad Weaver, Ray Menard, Ralph Mele, Nick Barassi Jr.
SPORTSMAN MODIFIED CHALLENGE FEATURE FINISH:
BRIAN DECKER, Jesse Kline, Ricky Rutt, Eric Palmer, Archie Myers III, Brad Grim, Brian Puckett, Mike Mammana, Rob Harder, Jeremy Holt, Ken Eckert Jr., Mike Bent, Bruce Gould, Brian White, Rick Raisner, Jim Kleedorfer, Brett Graham, Jack Brink, Rich Wallace.
FMP MODIFIED FEATURE FINISH:
MIKE STOLARCYK III, Joe Cole, Brian Rhodes, K.C. Cole, Gary Dence, Mike Stoddard, Bob Chapman, Jay Conroy, Dan Harpell, Jeff Cleveland, Tom Pickerell, Larry Robbins, Tyler Stoddard.
Did Not Start: Walt McClenon.
STREET STOCK FEATURE FINISH:
JERRY TONTI, Bill Trego, Dan Pompey, Randy Tyler, Josh Jenkins, Les Gillette, Nick Petrilak, Darren Stout, Chris Strohl, Shane Wolf, Larry DiLello, Paul Strohl, Ken Taugher, Joe Krisovich, Chad Hyzer, Wade Decker, Joe Thomas, Darl Ellis, Brad Butcher, Ken Hineline, Mike Mills, Bob Teribury.
Did Not Start: Carl Heater.
PURE STOCK FEATURE FINISH:
MAHLON SHOEMAKER, Jeremy Shaw, Charlie Gilbert, Matt Spencer, Jamie Batzel, Eddie Felker, Chad Stone, Mike Codington, Joe Rafferty Jr., Darl Ellis Jr., Joe Cisney, Jonathan Carpenter, Jason Bond, Chris Wood, Sheppard Blodgett.
Did Not Start: Dennis Warren, Fred Velez.