JEFF RUDALAVAGE CLAIMS TURNING STONE CASINO 358 MODIFIED SUPER DIRT SERIES QUALIFIER
AT AFTON SPEEDWAY
It was a big night for Jeff Rudalavage at Afton Speedway Friday as the Olyphant, PA driver won the 30-lap Turning Stone Casino 358 Modified Super DIRT Series Qualifier and moved into first place in the chase for the track championship.
Other feature winners on a sunny, but windy night included Chad Cook (Deposit) in the Sportsman Modifieds, Harold Humphrey (Norwich) in the Pro Stocks, Kurt Decker (Afton) in Pure Stocks and Shawn Mills (Windsor) in the 4-Cylinder Stocks.
Polesitter Mike Schane grabbed the lead as the green flag flew on the 358-modified feature and he led the first five circuits as Mitch Gibbs began charging towards the front from his sixth starting spot. Gibbs slid inside Schane between turns three and four on lap five to grab the the top spot before the caution flag flew on lap six.
On the restart, Gibbs was on the point with Schane, Mike Clapperton, defending track champion Arnie Slade and Rudalavage completing the top five. The top three stayed the same until Rudalavage moved past Slade on lap 15 and Clapperton by lap 17.
On the lap 18 restart, Rudalavage moved into the runner-up spot and battled with Gibbs until he moved underneath Gibbs in turn four and took the lead on lap 26.
Rudalavage took the checkered flag with Gibbs a few car-lengths back. Schane, Mike Clapperton and J.R. Hurlburt rounded out the top five.
Rudalavage now leads the points standings with 246 points after his first win of the season while Jeremy Smith sits six points behind in second place.
The Sportsman put on a great 20-lap main event that went flag-to-flag without a caution.
Rodney Hart (Afton) started on the pole and led for 13 circuits while Butch Klinger and Cook were in a heated battle for second place. Cook grabbed second on lap seven and started setting his sights on the leader.
By lap 11, Cook was all over the back bumper of Hart and the Deposit hotshoe grabbed the point in turn four when Hart developed a push in his mount and went high in turn four. One lap later, Klinger and Tim French got past Hart. The order remained Cook, Klinger, French and Hart until the checkered flag with Chad O'Hara rounding out the top five. It was the third win of the season for Cook.
Humphrey started fifth in the 20-lap Pro Stock feature, but he moved quickly into second place during the first lap, but he took the top spot on the very next circuit.
By lap 8, Humphrey had a two-car length advantage as Denny Decker and two-time feature winner James Cornell moved into the fray. A caution flag bunched the field once and another yelloer with three laps to go helped Cornell move past Decker into the second spot.
On the final restart, Cornell stayed tight to Humphrey's back bumper, but Humphrey held him off for his second win of the season. Decker held off Wade Decker for third with Todd Hurlburt completing the top five.
Humphrey and Cornell are deadlocked in the points race with 252 points with Denny Decker four back with 248 and Wade Decker at 246.
The bounty was on three-time Pure Stock winner Buck Mills when the 15-lap main event took the green flag. Scott Chapman held the advantage for one lap before giving way to Decker and Shawn Walker for the remaining 14 circuits.
Decker led for six laps under Walker got inside position in turn four to nose his ay in front on lap 8. That lead was shortlived as Decker used the same move on the next lap to retake the point.
Walker looked inside and outside over the final six laps, but Decker never gave him an opening and recorded his first victory of the 2002 season at Afton. Decker also claimed the bounty as Mills got as close as third place with Chapman and Owen Beavers completing the top five.
Scott Johnson grabbed the lead in the 15-lap 4-Cylinder Stock feature from the outside pole and led the first four circuits before seeing Mills take the point on a lap five restart.
While Mills was in control and cruising to a fifth feature win, Tim Clapper was making a strong run in second place until he faded to eight in the final five laps.
Jamie Banta, Jim Money, Dave Jaindl and Leonard Miller settled into the top five over the final three laps after a restart.
This Friday will be Spring Championship Night with double points in all classes. All the action begins at 7:30 and Maines Driver Training Institute will sponsor the great five division card on the Afton Fairgrounds clay oval.
Afton Speedway is located on Route 41, just off Exit 7 of Interstate 88
TURNING STONE CASINO 358 MODIFIED SUPER DIRT SERIES QUALIFIER FINISH: JEFF RUDALAVAGE, Mitch Gibbs, Mike Schane, Mike Clapperton, J.R. Hurlburt, Jeremy Smith, Aaron Excell, Tony Pepicelli, Arnie Slade, George Hoffmier Jr., Don Hart, George Suprick, Skip French, Steve Walsh, Daniel Fassett, Jim Potts, Russell Hendrickson, Pete Lyons, Tony Ross, Adam Smith.
Heat winners: Schane, Gibbs, Clapperton
SPORTSMAN FINISH: CHAD COOK, Butch Klinger, Tim French, Rodney Hart, Chad O'Hara, Steve Anderson, Steve Davis, Craig Pope, Olin Renwick. DNS-Rob Carey.
Heat winners: Anderson, Cook.
PRO STOCK FINISH: HAROLD HUMPHREY, James Cornell, Denny Decker, Wade Decker, Todd Hurlburt, Steve Cuummings, Neil Palladino, Jason Schlafer, Brian MacRabie, Aaron Hacker, Jason Youngs, Car 15, Pat Nolan, Ralph Finnegan, Chad Hyzer.
Heat winners: D. Decker, W. Decker.
PURE STOCK FINISH: KURT DECKER, Shawn Walker, Buck Mills, Scott Chapman, Owen Beavers, Rob White, Andy Graves, Butch Green, Dan Janus, Chris White, Paul Harrington, Dennis Valentine, Bob Mills, Joline Daniels.
Heat winners: Decker, Walker.
4-CYLINDER STOCKS FINISH: SHAWN MILLS, Jamie Banta, Jim Money, Dave Jaindl, Leonard Miller, Ron Cummings, Joe Bunt, Tim Clapper, Ralph Cuozzo Jr. Ed Leslie, Skip Pickwick, Scott Johnson, Jack Hill, Mitch Holburn, George Crippen, Ken Carson. DNS-Ken Hotalind, Bob Doolittle.
Heat winners: Mills, Pickwick, Crippen.