TONY ROSS DOMINATES MODIFIED FIELD AND MOTHER NATURE AT AFTON SPEEDWAY
AFTON — Mother Nature did her best to wash out the racing program at Afton Speedway, but Pat Jordan and the rest of the track crew and drivers would not let that happen. Even after a shower just before the first heat rolled on the speedway could stop forced the plug to be pulled. The five-star program did start one hour late, but some great feature action allowed the entire show to be completed before the 11 p.m. curfew.
Tony Ross of Edmeston proved he was the man Friday night as he dominated the DIRT 358 Modified field all night long. Other feature winners included Deposit’s Chad Cook in the Sportsman, Denny Decker of Afton won the Pro Stocks, Buck Mills of Willet took the Pure Stock checkered flag and George Crippen was the second Edmeston driver in victory lane after scoring the 4-Cylinder Stock win.
Ross was in total command from the drop of the green flag in the 30-lap Modified caution-free main event. He quickly pulled away from the rest of the field from his outside pole position.
“The car is always fast here, it’s the driver that’s the problem,” joked Ross after his second win of the season of the 3/8-mile clay.
While Ross was holding a one-half lap lead over George Suprick, who ran second the entire 30 laps, the battle for third place was where the excitement was.
George Hoffmier Jr., Don Hart Jr., Skip French and Arnie Slade all exchanged positions three through six for the first half of the race. By lap 16, Mitch Gibbs and Jeff Rudalavage joined the fray as Slade began to slip back and French went to the pits with mechanical problems.
Within the final laps, Rudalavage continued his forward progression to grab third place. Hoffmier Jr. took the checkered flag in fourth place with Hart Jr. rounding out the top five. Positions six through ten went to Gibbs, Aaron Excell, J.R. Hurlburt, Slade and Jeremy Smith.
Front row starter Steve Anderson led the first five laps of the 20-lap Sportsman feature but Cook quickly moved into the runner-up spot with Rodney Hart solidly in third.
On a lap 6 restart, Cook got the jump on Anderson and moved to the point for the remainder of the main event. Anderson stayed close behind until Hart slid into the runner-up spot on lap 16.
One lap later, Cook began pulling away as Anderson jumped back into the number two spot.
At the checkered flag, Cook notched his fourth feature win of the season at Afton, retained his points lead in the division and he earned a spot in the July 3 Kevin Fleming Memorial Syracuse Sportman Firecracker race at the New York State Fairgrounds.
Anderson would come home second with Hart third, Tim French fourth and Butch Klinger rounding out the top five. French actually spun in turn three in the middle of the main and was forced to come from the back of the pack.
Decker started tenth for the 20-lap DIRT Pro Stock feature, but he was in front at the end of the first lap after a couple of caution flags before the opening lap was complete and moved a couple of the cars to the back of the pack. As Decker moved to the point, sixth place starter James Cornell grabbed the runner-up spot. Those two drivers waged a great battled with Cornell able to get a tire to the rear quarter-panel of the Decker rocket, but he was never able to get enough bite on the inside of the turns to complete the pass.
While Decker and Cornell were busy running 1-2, Jason Schlafer was running solid in the number three spot from lap 2 with Mike Decker and Jason Youngs completing the top five. Unfortunately, something broke in the Schlafer machine on lap 17 as Mike Decker inherited the third position as Harold Humphrey and Randy Metcalf moved into the top five.
At the completion of 20 laps, Denny Decker retained his points lead with his first feature win of the season. Cornell, Mike Decker, Humphrey and Metcalf rounded out the top five.
Bob Mills had things going his way in the 15-lap Pure Stock feature as the pole sitter grabbed the lead from the drop of the green flag and appeared to be in control while three-time feature winner Buck Mills quickly moved into second by lap 3 from his fifth starting spot.
Smoke began to show from the lead machine and the car came to a stop in turn one on lap 9, which allowed Buck Mills to slide into the top spot.
Butch Green was making a smooth run in the 35 car as he was in cruising in third place with Darl Ellis and Shaun Walker completing the top five.
On the lap 10 restart, Mills pulled away from Kurt Decker, who had moved to the runner-spot. Walker continued to march forward as he was second when the final checkered flag fell on Buck Mills’ fourth feature win of the season. Green held the third position with Decker and Ellis rounding out the top five.
Crippen was another driver whose car was hooked up all night long as he shot from his fourth starting position to the front before the first lap was completed. Crippen led all 15 laps for his first feature win to go with four previous top-5 finishes.
Skip Pickwick had a solid second place run going until he broke on lap 11 and faded to 11th place. Jim Money took over the runner-up position while Ralph Cuozzo, Jr. moved into third place. Cuozzo, Jr. was caught on lap 14 by points leader Shawn Mills.
Money would finish in second place with Mills, Cuozzo, Jr. and Dave Jaindl completing the top five.
This Friday night, it will be a full night of racing with the 358 Modifieds, Sportsman, Pro Stocks, Pure Stock and 4-Cylinder Stock along with a special appearance by the Midstate Vintage Stock Car Racing Club. Gate open at 5 p.m. with the green flag to fly at 7:30.
Promoters Pat and Janet Jordan also announced that Afton Speedway will now host round two the Don’s Automotive Mall North-South Super Stock Series on June 11 instead of the STAR Series. This Tuesday night special will also see the B&D Exhaust Pure Stock North-South Series compete along with the 4-Cylinder Stocks. All the racing action for this special show will begin at seven o’clock.
Afton Speedway is off Exit 7 of I-88 on the Afton Fairgrounds. For more information, call the track office at 607-639-1966.
358 MODIFIED FEATURE (30 laps): Tony Ross, George Suprick, Jeff Rudalavage, George Hoffmier, Jr., Don Hart, Jr., Mitch Gibbs, Aaron Excell, J.R. Hurlburt, Arnie Slade, Jeremy Smith, Mike Clapperton, Mike Schane, Jim Potts, Steve Walsh, Pete Lyon, John Lutes, Duane Hilliard, Skip French, Adam Smith.
Heat winners: Ross, Suprick.
SPORTSMAN FEATURE (20 laps): Chad Cook, Steve Anderson, Rodney Hart, Tim French, Butch Klinger, Craig Pope, Pat O’Hanlon, Olin Renwick, Ed Bennett, Chad O’Hara. DNS-James Crist.
Heat winner: Cook, French.
PRO STOCK FEATURE (20 laps): Denny Decker, James Cornell, Mike Decker, Harold Humphrey, Randy Metcalf, Neil Palladino, Todd Hurlburt, Pat Nolan, Steve Cummings, Wade Decker, Skip Peabody, Brian Steigerwald, Chad Hyzer, Jason Schlafer, Jason Youngs. DNS-Aaron Hacker, Scott Chapman.
Heat winners: Cornell, Schlafer, Cummings.
PURE STOCK FEATURE (15 laps): Buck Mills, Shaun Walker, Butch Green, Kurt Decker, Darl Ellis, Dennis Valentine, Paul Harrington, Bob Mills. DNS-John Cooper.
Heat winners: Bob Mills, Buck Mills.
4-CYLINDER STOCK FEATURE (15 laps): George Crippen, Jim Money, Shawn Mills, Ralph Cuozzo, Jr., Dave Jaindl, Bob Doolittle, Joe Bunt, Ron Cummings, Ed Leslie, Scott Johnson, Skip Pickwick, Ken Carson, Jamie Banta, Ken Hotaling (black flag).
Heat winners: Grippen, Money.