Smith Sneaks by Terrell for Win
by: Mike Mallett - 08/19/05
Afton, NY - Although leading a race isn’t a bad thing, sometimes it proves to be a disadvantage. You have no idea what’s going on behind on you or what line everyone else is running. So was the case on Friday night at The New Afton Speedway.
Craig Terrell, of Windsor, N.Y., led all but the final inches of the race as Jeremy Smith used the cushion to pick up the win in the 30 lap main event for his sixth win of the season.
“I wasn’t as good on the top in turn three as I was in one and two,” said Smith. “I went into the final corner a little slower to make sure I didn’t go in too high and slide up the speedway.”
Mike McCollum of Hawley, Pa., led the first circuit before handing the lead over to Terrell who got a great run on the restart. Terrell then opened up a several car length advantage while Tony Pepicelli and Smith worked their way into the top five.
On lap 4, the caution came out for John Siedlecky as he came to a stop in turn four. By that point, Smith was already up to fourth and waiting for the opportunity to move forward.
Smith passed J.R. Crouse just before the halfway point to put him in the third spot behind Terrell and Pepicelli.
With five laps remaining, Smith took his Express Mart ride to the wild side to work by Pepicelli and then on the final lap he was able to use that groove to pass Terrell at the finish line as the pair came off of turn four.
“I saw my crew on top of the trailer telling me to go high,” said Smith. “I wasn’t sure if there was anything up there but it ended up being really fast. I was able to get Tony (Pepicelli) up there and then I was fortunate to get by Craig (Terrell) on the last lap.”
With Smith taking the win, Terrell had his best Afton Speedway finish coming home second, Pepicelli wound up third, Nazareth, Pa.’s, J.R. Crouse finished fourth, and J.R. Hurlburt rebounded from an early race mishap to finish fifth.
In Sportsman action, Butch Klinger, of Walton, N.Y took the lead on lap six from Craig Pope. Klinger used the high road from there on out to capture his third win of 2005 at the speedway.
“We’ve been struggling a little bit,” said Klinger in Victory Lane. “We really needed this win to get us back on track. I really have to give credit to my guys because they work so hard every week to get this car ready to go.”
Klinger started seventh on the grid. By the third lap, Klinger was already in the runner-up spot looking to take the lead from Craig Pope. Pope did all he could to hold off Klinger but he proved to be too much. As the field restarted after a lap five caution for Harold Humphrey, Klinger used the top side of the speedway to his advantage to take the lead. Adam Smith moved into second as well but he was unable to run down Klinger in the closing laps giving Klinger the win and the points lead.
The Pro Stock 20 lap main event found a familiar face in victory lane. Wade Decker, of Afton, N.Y, captured his third win of the year. Decker started fourth and quickly found the bottom groove to his liking. He worked into the second spot on the initial green flag then stalked Joe Reeves. Reeves was able to fend him off for one lap as Decker passed him on the bottom of turn two on lap two. Now the leader, Decker led the remaining laps with teammate Chris Stull trying reel him in while trying to capture yet another feature win but it was to no avail.
In Pure Stock action, Jeremy Shaw, of Downsville, N.Y., took the honors for the first time in 2005 at The New Afton Speedway. Shaw inherited the lead on lap nine as the race leader Darl Ellis Sr. pulled pitside and Rob Loucks was involved in a turn two incident with the lapped car of Sean Witt. Shaw held on for the next 11 laps to claim the win and in so doing increased his point lead over Rob Loucks.
The 4 Cylinder Super Stock 15 lap feature was won by Oxford, N.Y., native Jim Money. Money led the entire distance to pick up his second win of the season.
In the 4 Cylinder Enduro feature, Gordie Finch, of Sidney Center, N.Y., held off new comer Bobby Edwards for his third win of the season. Finch started on the pole, thanks in part to a superb heat race run, giving him the clean run to the first spot and the win.
Coming up next Friday night at the speedway is a regular show for the Modifieds, Sportsman, Pro Stocks, Pure Stocks, 4 Cylinder SS, and the Enduro division. It is also Junior Officials Night. There are three regular point races remaining before the season comes to an end. The final Modified event is scheduled for Friday, September 30th. It will feature a 50 lap Modified feature as well as the Pro Stocks in a special $500 to win program.
The New Afton Speedway hosts racing every Friday night at 7:30pm from April through September with a weekly six division show that is highlighted by the mighty Big/Small Block Modifieds featuring sail panels. The Speedway is located just off Interstate 88 at exit 7. For more information about the upcoming events at The New Afton Speedway, call the speedway office at (607) 657-8018 or checkout our website at http://www.thenewaftonspeedway.net.
MODIFIED FEATURE (30 LAPS)
Jeremy Smith, Craig Terrell, Tony Pepicelli, J.R. Crouse, J.R. Hurlburt, Ricky Yetter, Jeff Sheely, Rich Price, Mike McCollum, Ed Harris, Dave Rosa, Steve Walsh, Duane Hiller, Bob Hamm Jr., Jim Corcoran, Bruce Evans Jr., Brian Corcoran, Dan Morden, Tom Shiner, John Siedlecky, Mike Ricci, Matt Smith
HEAT RACE WINNERS: Pepicelli, Crouse, Terrell
SPORTSMAN FEATURE (20 LAPS)
Butch Klinder, Adam Smith, Bob Mills, Craig Pope, Jeff Leslie, Matthew Latwinski, Kurt Decker, Skip Pickwick, Duane Knapp, Dustin Winn, James Christ, Eric Moon, Robert Krajcovic, Harold Humphrey
HEAT RACE WINNERS: Smith, Decker
PRO STOCK FEATURE (20 LAPS)
Wade Decker, Chris Stull, Brett Barrett, Paul Harrington, Dick Koch, Dennis Valentine, Fred Christ, Joe Reeves, Pate Nolan, Josh Humphrey
HEAT RACE WINNER: Stull
PURE STOCK FEATURE (15 LAPS)
Jeremy Shaw, Steve Polhamus, Mike Codington, Rich Talada, Dan Millard, Jamie Batzel, Rob Loucks, Kurt Decker, Darl Ellis Sr., Joe Buchek, Brian Mills, Jerry Whitmarsh, Tom Harrington, Brandon Clapperton, Chuck Culbertson, Jeff Witt, Jeff Perrego, Jerry Lobdell, Sean Witt
HEAT RACE WINNERS: Codington, J. Witt
4 CYLINDER SUPER STOCK FEATURE (15 LAPS)
Jim Money, Gary Card Jr., Mike Stringer, Ralph Cuozzo Jr., Kevin Fassett, Jamie Hurlburt, Terry Onyan DNS: Harold Humphrey, George Crippen
HEAT RACE WINNERS: Money
4 CYLINDER ENDURO FEATURE (12 LAPS)
Gordie Finch, Bobby Edwards, Gary Kinne, John Squires, Dan Slosek, Cale Brownell, Joey Hurlburt, Bill Craw, James Lee, Steven Gray, Dustin Wilber, Nate Youngs
HEAT RACE WINNERS: Edwards, Finch