SMITH WINS AGAIN WHILE MILLS CLINCHES 4-CYLINDER STOCK TITLE AT AFTON SPEEDWAY
AFTON - Jeremy Smith of Whitney Point scored his second straight DIRT 358 Modified feature win at Afton Speedway Friday to continue his charge towards a possible track championship. Smith edged points leader Jeff Rudalavage by a few car-lengths to close to within ten points of first place. Rudalavage unofficially holds a 954-944 lead with one race remaining.
Butch Klinger (Walton) won an exciting Sportsman main event, Denny Decker of Deposit shook the monkey of his back to grab the Pro Stock checkered flag, Willet�s Buck Mills posted the Pure Stock win and Shawn Mills of Windsor wrapped up the 2002 track champion by winning the 4-Cylinder Stock feature.
Skip French surged into the lead at the start of the 30-lap 358 Modified feature and led the first 11 laps with Don Hart, Jr. his closest pursuer. By lap four, Smith had charged from his ninth starting position into third place before overtaking Hart on lap nine. Three laps later, Smith powered past French for a lead that he would not surrender.
Rudalavage moved into second place on lap 16 from his seventh starting spot, but he was still a full straightaway behind until the first caution flag flew on lap 25 with Tony Pepicelli, French and Hart completing the top five.
On the restart, Smith was again able to open some daylight between himself and Rudalavage as the two battled over the final laps. At the checkered flag, Smith took win number five with Rudalavage, Pepicelli, Arnie Slade and Hart rounding out the top five.
The Sportsman 20-lap main event saw early yellow flag fever and continuing contact between Rodney Hart and points leader Chad Cook, which eventually saw both cars sent to the pits because of rough riding with two laps remaining. Cook muscled past Hart entering Turn One and bumped him high before Hart retaliated in turn three by turning Cook around. Hart immediately went to the pits and Cook argued his case at the flaggers� stand. With a tow truck ready to drag the 2J off the track, Cook pulled away and went to the pits.
While this entire scenario was unfolding during the race, Klinger was posting a flag-to-flag win after taking the lead from his outside pole position with Hart, Steve Anderson and Cook in tow. Klinger kept a comfortable advantage over Hart on the restarts with French finally entering the picture in the waning laps. Steve Anderson was also posting a solid top five run all evening long.
Klinger was on cruise control as French and Anderson moved into the second and third spots on lap 18, but the caution flag one lap later for the Hart-Cook incident brought the field together for a two-lap dash.
On the lap 19 restart, Klinger retook a slight advantage as French tried to apply pressure. A slight bobble by French got Klinger some daylight, but the Rockdale Rocket mounted a great last lap rally. He got underneath the leader coming out of Turn Four with the checkered flag in the air. Klinger was able to hold off French by less than a car-length for his first feature win of the 2002 season. Anderson took third place with Bill Papula and David Crandall completing the top five.
For the second straight week, Decker inherited the lead under caution when the leader went to the pits with a flat tire. This time, it was Todd Hurlburt�s misfortune that put the No. 20 in front. Decker kept the tires up on his mount and drove a solid race to record his second Afton win of 2002. The only other victory lane appearance came back on May 31.
Brian Steigerwald ran consistent race and did offer his pressure to Decker, but he forced to settle for second place, several cars-length behind the winner as he had to hold off hard-charging Harold Humphrey. Pat Nolan and Mike Decker finished fourth and fifth respectively.
Humphrey and Nolan actually got together and spun on lap two and were forced to comeback through the field to post top five finishes. Humphrey actually closed the gap between points leader James Cornell and himself to 42 points and kept his slim title hopes alive. This occurred because Cornell, running third, ran hard into turn three trying to pass then second place runner Neil Palladino on lap six. Cornell spun his car and became tangled up with Nolan. There was enough damage to force the J3 to the pits for the night and Cornell wound up 13th.
Paul Harrington led the first two laps in the 15-lap Pure Stock main before Buck Mills charged to the point on lap three. Two laps later, Shaun Walker moved into the runner-up spot and began to track down Mills. The race got interesting when Craig Decker got a flat tire on lap 10 and brought the caution flag. Harrington gave up third place after he quickly went to pit road before returning.
On the restart, Mills was able to maintain his lead, but Walker did make a couple of valiant attempts to move in front over the final laps, but he could not close the deal.
Mills took his seventh checkered flag of the season with Walker, Kurt Decker, Harrington and Dennis Valentine rounding out the top five. Mills holds a 32-point lead over Walker with one race to go.
In the 15-lap 4-Cylinder Stock feature, Jim Money was again hooked up and he led the first nine laps until the caution flag flew on lap 10 with Shawn Mills on his back bumper.
On the restart, Mills took the lead with Money hanging tough. Money had one last chance on lap 13 with the final restart of the night, but Mills pulled away as the Money machine slid high and Turn Two. That bobble allowed Jamie Banta to complete a pass for the second spot.
As Mills posted celebrated as tenth win of the season and the 2002 track championship, Banta took runner-up honors with Money, Ken Hotaling and Dave Jaindl were next in order.
It was also a special night at Afton Speedway as both Harry Uhl, Jr. and George Lewis were remembered in a special tribute prior to the start of the five feature card. The pole position was left open during the pace laps of each feature in their memories. Topping off the night was seeing Roger Lewis compete in the 358 Modified feature in his father�s car while Harry Uhl, Sr. took the green flag at the start of the Pure Stock feature in the familiar No. 55 before pulling into the infield off the backstretch. It was great to see the Lewis and U.S. Express (Uhl-Stark) team members at the track. Afton Speedway staff and fans offer their deepest sympathies to both families.
The exciting climax to the 2002 Afton Speedway season will take place this Friday night with a full slate of racing in the 358 Modifieds, Sportsman, Pro Stock, Pure Stock and 4-Cylinder Stock Divisions. Four more track champions will be crowned on this special evening so make plans to be part of the action when the green flag flies at 7:30.
For more information, call the track office at 607-639-1966 or log on to the official Afton Speedway website at www.aftonspeedway.50megs.com. Afton Speedway is located on the Afton Fairgrounds, Route 41, off of Exit 7 of Interstate 88.
DIRT 358 MODIFIED FEATURE RESULTS (30 laps): JEREMY SMITH, Jeff Rudalavage, Tony Pepicelli, Arnie Slade, Don Hart, Jr., Skip French, J.R. Hurlburt, Brian Malcolm, Rich Price, Joel Thomas, Steve Walsh, Russell Hendrickson, Jr., Duane Hiller, Heath Carney, Jim Introne. DNS-Adam Smith, Mitch Gibbs. Heat winners: J. Smith, Malcolm.
SPORTSMAN FEATURE RESULTS (20 laps): BUTCH KLINGER, Tim French, Steve Anderson, Bill Papula, David Crandall, Jeremy Pitcher, Darren Keyser, Craig Pope, Rodney Hart, Chad Cook, Olin Renwick, Ray Menard. Heat winners: Anderson, Klinger.
PRO STOCK FEATURE RESULTS (20 laps): DENNY DECKER, Brian Steigerwald, Harold Humphrey, Pat Nolan, Mike Decker, Neil Palladino, Todd Hurlburt, Ralph Finnegan, Wade Decker, Scott Chapman, Jason Schlafer, Jason Youngs, James Cornell. DNS-Chad Hyzer, Winnie Winchester. Heat winners: Humphrey, Hurlburt.
PURE STOCK FEATURE RESULTS (15 laps): BUCK MILLS, Shaun Walker, Paul Harrington, Dennis Valentine, Kurt Decker, Craig Decker, Ralph Jennings, Robert Krascovic, Bob Mills. Heat winners: Jennings, Buck Mills.
4-CYLINDER STOCK FEATURE RESULTS (15 laps): SHAWN MILLS, Jamie Banta, Jim Money, Ken Hotaling, Dave Jaindl, Rich Powell, George Crippen, Ralph Cuozzo, Jr., Scott Johnson, Jack Hill, Ron Cummings, Ken Carson, Randy Gardner, Brandon Clapperton, Skip Pickwick. DNS-George Bennett, Ron McMullen. Heat winners: Money, Jaindl.