RUDALAVAGE, PERREGO AND HARRINGTON MAKE FIRST TRIP INTO VICTORY LANE
AT THE NEW AFTON SPEEDWAY IN 2003
AFTON, NY - DIRT 358-Modified driver Jeff Rudualavage, Tom Perrego and Paul Harrington all started the Memorial Day weekend in style with their first trips to the Hawkins Homes-Delaware Sports Center Victory Lane at The New Afton Speedway Friday night. It was especially good for both Perrego of Newburgh and Harrington, from nearby Sidney Center, as they proved to be successful "bounty-hunters" in the DIRT Sportsman and Pure Stock ranks respectively. Pete Gulick of Binghamton scored his second Pro Stock win of the season while Cooperstown's Ken Hotaling became a three-time winner in the 4-Cylinder Stocks.
Rudalavage was dominant in the DIRT 358-Modified 30-lap feature as the Olyphant, Pa. driver started third, but used a lap two restart to grab the top spot. Outside polesitter Rich Price led the first lap, but was no match for Rudalavage on the restart and slid back to third place as Bob Hamm, Jr. gave chase with Mitch Gibbs and Aaron Excell settling into the top five. During the first extended green flag run, Rudalavage continued to pull away from the rest of the field with Hamm nearly a straightaway behind. Gibbs powered his way into the third spot on lap eight with Excell and Tony Ross in tow.
The field tightened up for the lap 16 restart, but Rudalavage flexed his muscle and pulled away. One lap later Gibbs blasted by Hamm and tried to track down the leader with Jeremy Smith climbing into fourth with Ross close behind. Rudalavage showed more patience as he worked through the lapped traffic. The only time Gibbs really got close was on lap 24 and lap 26 restarts, but Rudalavage would again pull away.
At the checkered flag, Rudalavage had completed the comeback from a tough first three weeks of misfortune with Gibbs well behind in second. Hamm completed a great run in third, Smith posted his third top-5 finish (four counting his May 16 win) with Ross in fifth.
Smith moves into first place in the points standings while Ross will now sit out a one-week suspension handed out by track management. He is eligible to return to action June 6.
In the 20-lap DIRT Sportsman main, Steve Anderson brought the field to the green flag, but it was outside front-row mate Tim Mayne who grabbed the lead. Anderson settled into the second spot with Perrego, Rick Amo and Jessica Zemken in hot pursuit. A lap 4 restart saw the top three remain the same, but Zemken moved into fourth and Butch Klinger took command of fifth place. Klinger was moving forward, but he would have some problems and eventually slid back to 11th place.
Perrego found his opening on lap 13 and squeezed past Mayne for the lead with Anderson dropping Mayne to third one lap later. Zemken had plenty of contenders for her fourth place position as Tim French challenged on laps 10 and 11 before Arnie Slade took up the pursuit on lap 12. Jamie Christian, who started eighth, became the fifth-place runner on lap 15.
The final restart came on lap 17 with Perrego pulling away, but Christian was the man on the move. He moved into fourth on the restart and Slade dropped Zemken out of the top 5 on lap 18. Christian passed Mayne for third on the same lap and the points leader charged into second place at the white flag.
There was not enough time for Christian to mount a serious threat for the lead as Perrego took the checkered flag and the $25 bounty on three-time winner Christian, who was half a straightaway behind. Anderson, Mayne and Slade rounded out the top five.
Todd Hurlburt took the lead from his pole position and led the first three laps of the 20-lap Pro Stock feature. Gulick charged from his fifth starting position into second on lap two with Harold Humphrey, Denny Smith and Mark Effner close behind.
Gulick surged into the lead on a lap 4 restart and pulled away, leaving Hurlburt, Humphrey, Smith and Effner battling for second place. The top four cars soon spread out, but the battle for fifth would change hands twice. Wade Decker took over the fifth spot on lap eight and he would stay there until Kenny Hammond moved by on lap 18.
The field tightened up one final time for a lap 19 restart, Gulick bolted away for the win as Humphrey out dueled Hurlburt for the runner-up spot on the final lap. Smith and Hammond completed the top five.
In the 20-lap Pure Stock feature, Harrington was the dominant car from the green flag to the checkers as he claimed the $25 bounty on three-time winner Buck Mill with his first win of the season. Harrington grabbed the lead from his outside pole position and led every lap.
Brother Bob Stilson ran his best race of the season and held the second spot until the only caution period of the race. Mills overtook Stilson on the lap 8 restart, but his mount was not in top form and he could not stay with Harrington. Mills had to settled for second with Stilson, Charlie Holcomb and Dana Camenga rounding out the top five.
Jack Hill led the first lap of the 15-lap 4-Cylinder Stock feature before relinquishing the point to Ken Carson, Jr. on lap two, but Carson's stay out front would also be short-lived.
Hotaling was charging from his ninth starting spot with Harold Humphrey, who started in seventh, in tow. This duo moved around Carson on lap 3 and remained 1-2 for the remainder of the caution-free main.
Hotaling came across the line several car-lengths in front of runner-up Humphrey. Carson motored home in third place with Skip Pickwick and George Crippen completing the top five.
Dick Ackerman was on hand Friday and he had his Midstate Vintage Stock Car Club mount on display. The Midstate Vintage Stock Car Club will be coming to The New Afton Speedway on June 6.
This week, it will be a full slate of DIRT 358-Modified, DIRT Sportsman, Pro Stock, Pure Stock and 4-Cylinder Stock action at The New Afton Speedway. The gates will open at 5 p.m. with the first green flag to fly at 7:30 p.m.
If you have any questions, you may call the speedway office at 607-657-8018; the track at 607-639-1966 or you may log on to The New Afton Speedway website at www.thenewaftonspeedway.com. The New Afton Speedway is located on the Afton Fairgrounds off of Interstate 88, Exit 7, on Route 41.
FEATURE RESULTS FROM MAY 23, 2003
DIRT 358 MODIFIEDS (30 laps): 1. JEFF RUDALAVAGE; 2. Mitch Gibbs; 3. Bob Hamm, Jr.; 4. Jeremy Smith; 5. Tony Ross; 6. J.R. Hurlburt; 7. Willy Decker; 8. Rich Price; 9. Kevin Jordan; 10. J.R.Crouse; 11. Colin Jackson; 12. John Lutes, Jr.; 13. Steve Walsh; 14. Darrin Schuler; 15. Ben Bushaw; 16. Marc Johnson; 17. Dan Vauter; 18. Chris Ostrowsky; 19. Steve Davis; 20. Aaron Excell; 21. Dave Barrows; 22. Adam Smith; 23. Scott Brady; 24. Wayne Jelley; 25. Jeremy Markle; 26. Russell Hendrickson.
Heat winners: Jordan, Rudalavage, Ross. Consolation: Brady.
DIRT SPORTSMAN (20 laps): 1. TOM PERREGO; 2. Jamie Christian; 3. Steve Anderson; 4. Tim Mayne; 5. Arnie Slade; 6. Jessica Zemken; 7. Tim French; 8. Rick Amo; 9. Shaun Walker; 10. Darren Keyser; 11. Butch Klinger; 12. Jeremy Shaw; 13. Bill Van Inwengen; 14. Mike Wilmont; 15. Wayne Northrop; 16. Bill Price; 17. Craig Pope. DNS-Paul Carey.
Heat winners: Anderson, Perrego.
PRO STOCKS (20 laps): 1. PETE GULICK; 2. Harold Humphrey; 3. Todd Hurlburt; 4. Denny Smith; 5. Kenny Hammond; 6. Wade Decker; 7. Pat Nolan; 8. Mark Effner; 9. Chad Hyzer; 10. Randy Newell; 11. Chris Palmer; 12. Aaron Hacker; 13. A.J. Bigsby. DNS-Bob Mills.
Heat winners: Gulick, Hurlburt.
PURE STOCKS (15 laps): 1. PAUL HARRINGTON; 2. Buck Mills; 3. Brother Bob Stilson; 4. Charlie Holcomb; 5. Dana Camenga; 6. Robert Krascovic; 7. Robert Schultz. DNS-Brandon Clapperton.
4-CYLINDER STOCKS (15 laps): 1. KEN HOTALING; 2. Harold Humphrey; 3. Ken Carson; 4. Skip Pickwick; 5. George Crippen; 6. Ron Nolan; 7. Jeff Leslie; 8. Tim Clapper; 9. Jack Hill; 10. Ron Cumming; 11. Kevin Davenport.