DALE PLANCK DOMINATES TURNING STONE CASINO SERIES STOP AT THE NEW AFTON SPEEDWAY
AFTON, NY - If there are any doubts about how strong Dale Planck is during this remarkable comeback season, they should probably to put to rest after "The Natural" dominated the Turning Stone Casino 358-Modified Super DIRT Series event Wednesday night at The New Afton Speedway. The Cortland hot-shoe set the track record on the new 4/10-mile layout during time trials with a quick lap of 19.169-seconds, which translates into 75.121 miles per hour to post the top time among the 27 competitors who showed up for the 100-lap race sponsored for the evening by Mirabito Fuels Groups.
Both Planck and series point leader Tim Fulller (19.184, 75.063) avoided running heat races by virtue of posting the top-two speeds in time trials. Afton's defending track champion Jeff Rudalavage, along series regulars Brett Hearn and Randy Chrysler were heat race winners.
The only tough part of the night for Planck was that he drew the 11th starting position so it took a few laps to work his way to the front. The top-two from time trials and the top four finishers in each of the three heats re-drew in front the standing-room only crowd that packed the Afton Fairgrounds grandstands. Polesitter Mitch Gibbs grabbed the lead as starter Dick Sweet wave the green flag with Billy Decker, Rudalavage, Aaron Excell and Hearn in tow. One lap later, Hearn moved into fourth as Excell and Fuller battled for fifth place. By lap 11, Hearn had moved into the third spot with Planck fourth and Decker fifth as this trio tried to track down the very quick leaders.
Rudalavage took the lead from Gibbs on lap 15. The top five stayed the same until Gibbs broke a shock after a little contact between him and Gibbs entering Turn One and retired to the pits after a lap 35 restart from the third caution flag of the event. On the lap 35 restart, Rudalavage maintained his advantage, but Planck powered his way into second place with Hearn, Decker and Chad Brachmann rounding out the top five.
Misfortune hit Rudalavage on lap 45 as he pulled into the pits with a problem after bringing out the caution flag. He would lose a number of laps while in the pits before returning to the race and placing 11th. Planck bested Hearn on the restart and he left all competitors behind over the remaining laps. At the checkered flag, Planck completed his first-ever Super DIRT Series event winning run with a full straightaway lead over Hearn as Decker, Brachmann and Tom Fuller rounded out the top five.
By virtue of his third place finish, Decker earned the guaranteed starting spot for the Sunoco/A-Plus 150 race for the 358s at Super DIRT week as Planck and Hearn had previously earned spots.
In victory lane, Planck and the rest of the Lost Your Marbles (LYM) Motorsports team celebrated the latest chapter in Planck's great racing career.
After Rudalavage's caution period on lap 45, the race only slowed three more times. Caution flags on laps 85 and 96 were two of the periods. With caution laps counting after the midway point, the final restart came on lap 99, which meant 101 laps were actually run as series rules call for a green-white-checker finish.
The most serious moment of the night came when the red flag flew on lap 59 as Bob Hamm, Jr. bounced off the backstretch wall and into the path of Kevin Jordan. The high-speed contact blocked the track and destroyed both cars as safety crews rushed to the scene under the red flag. Both drivers were able to climb out of their cars. Jordan was more shaken up and, despite being alert and talking to medical personnel, it was deemed he should be transported to Sidney Hospital for a check-up. After the crowds had long departed, Jordan and his wife stopped back at the track to report to promoters Pat Jordan and Wally Smith that all the x-rays were negative. He was very sore and was bruised, but the results could have been much worse. There will be some downtime before Jordan does climb back in the car this season.
In the 25-lap Pure Stock feature, Buck Mills continued his winning ways by edging Dick Stark for his sixth win of the 2003 season at Afton. The heads-up start found Mills and Harry Marvin III on the front row by virtue of their heat wins. Mills would lead all 25 laps in a race slowed five times by caution, but just once over the final 18 laps.
Marvin broke on lap six as Howard Jones and Stark battled for second place. Stark took the second spot on the lap eight restart with Charlie Holcomb slipping past Jones for third.
The final caution on lap 18 bunched the field up one last time. Stark tried high and low, but Mills blocked all lanes and posted the one car-length victory. Holcomb, Jones and Brother Bob Stilson rounded out the top five.
FEATURE RESULTS FROM JULY 9, 2003
TURNING STONE CASINOS 358-MODIFIEDS SUPER DIRT SERIES (101 laps): 1. DALE PLANCK; 2. Brett Hearn; 3. Billy Decker; 4. Chad Brachmann; 5. Tim Fuller; 6. Alan Johnson; 7. Matt Sheppard; 8. Randy Chrysler; 9. Aaron Excell; 10. J.R. Hurlburt; 11. Jeff Rudalavage; 12. Colin Jackson; 13. Alex Hoag; 14. Russell Hendrickson, Jr.; 15. Chris Ostrowsky; 16. Kevin Jordan; 17. Jeremy Markle; 18. Jim Potts; 19. Bob Hamm, Jr.; 20. Jeremy Smith; 21. Steve Paine; 22. Tony Ross; 23. Mitch Gibbs; 24. Rich Price; 25. Steve Walsh; 26. Justin Haers; 27. Don Slover. Heat winners: Rudalavage, Hearn, Chrysler.
PURE STOCKS (25 laps): 1. BUCK MILLS; 2. Dick Stark; 3. Charlie Holcomb; 4. Howard Jones; 5. Brother Bob Stilson; 6. Harry Marvin III; 7. Robert Krajcovic; 8. Paul Harrington, Jr.; 9. Brandon Clapperton; 10. Gene Brainard; 11. John Cooper, Jr.; 12. Dana Camenga. Heat winners: Mills, Marvin.