Danny Johnson Takes 358 Show At Afton July 25

Afton, NY - Danny Johnson of

Rochester, NY continued his domination

of the Sunoco Race Fuels DIRT 358

Modified tour winning the inaugural

show last Tuesday night at Afton

Speedway.

Forty Four competitors tried to make

the thirty car qualifying field for the one-

hundred lap main event. The top four

cars out of five qualifying heats earned a

spot, as well as the top four cars out of

each of the two consolation events. Two

guaranteed starters were added to make

up the thirty car field.

Dale Planck, of Homer, NY drew the

pole position during the top ten qualifiers

re-draw. Afton speedway regular Jeff

Rudalavage of Olyphant, PA drew the

outside pole.

Planck took the early lead at the start,

as with A.J. Slideways Alan Johnson of

Phelps, NY moving into second, as

Rudalavage ran into early problems with

his Parts Plus machine.

The first caution of the event came

out for Dana Wagner of Trout Creek,

NY, tightening the field back together.

Johnson got the advantage on the start

and took over the lead from Planck, as

Afton regulars Mitch Gibbs, of North

Norwich, and J.R. Hurlburt, of Otego,

battled side by side for third and fourth.

Pete Bicknell in the Pillbury

Doughboy number one took over the

fourth spot from Gibbs and lap 18, as 358

Modified Tour points leader Danny

Johnson made his way up through the

field from his thirteenth starting position.

Danny Johnson broke into the top

five on lap twenty, taking his Sweeteners

Plus 27j by Gibbs as the caution flag

came out for a four car pile-up near the

back of the field.

Hurlburt took over the second spot

from Planck as the green flag flew, with

Bicknell, D. Johnson and Gibbs doing

battle for the fourth spot. Bicknell and D.

Johnson made the move by Hurlburt on

lap 27 to take over the second and third

spots, respectively, as the caution flag fell

once again on lap 28 for Watertowns

Tim McCreadie.

Alan Johnson held the lead at the

restart, with brother Danny, Hurlburt and

Bicknell all charging for the second spot.

Lap thirty marked the turning point in the

race as Danny Johnson took over the lead

from brother Alan.

The lead pack remained with the

brothers Johnson leading the way,

followed by Planck, Bicknell, and

Hurlburt as the lead pack entered lapped

traffic on lap 35. Hurlburt seemed to get

faster as the race went on, and made the

pass to get by Alan Johnson for second

on lap 45.

Danny Johnson increased his lead

through lap traffic, putting three cars

between himself and second place runner

Hurlburt. Once Hurlburt broke free of

the lap traffic, he reeled in the

Sweeteners Plus machine of Johnson and

closed up the gap by lap seventy.

Hurlburt looked inside and outside of

Danny Johnson, but couldnt seem to get

his 6h machine around him, as Planck,

Alan Johnson and Bicknell diced for

third, fourth and fifth positions a few car

lengths back.

Hurlburt looked to have the fastest

car on the track, as he put the pressure on

Johnson. Hurlburts night came to a

disappointing end, as a right front wheel

bearing let loose on lap 81. Hurlburt

retired to the pits on lap 84, unable to

return to racing action.

Danny Johnson went on to pick up

the win of the 100 lap event, with Planck,

Alan Johnson, Gibbs, and Bicknell

completing the top five.

Butch Klinger, of Walton, NY took

the lead at the start of the 20 lap Pro

Stock feature, and lead flag to flag to pick

up the win.

Rookie driver James Cornell, of

Harpursville, ran an impressive run

chasing Klinger from the second spot,

until his car seemed to go away a bit on

lap 13. Cornell finished fifth.

Jamie Banta, of Unadilla, lead all

fifteen laos of the Four Cylinder Stock

feature to pick up his fourth win of the

season at the Afton Action Attraction.

Banta took the lead at the start from

his outside pole starting position, with

North Blenheim Dennis Vroman giving

chase. Vroman ran second most of the

race, but was unable to mount a serious

challenge on the banta 00 machine.

Vroman finished second, with Ralph

Jennings jr, Scott Johnson and Ralph

Cuozzo jr completing the top five.

SUPER DIRT SERIES 358 MODIFIED

TOUR RESULTS : Danny Johnson, Dale

Planck, Alan Johnson, Mitch Gibbs, Pete

Bicknell, Steve Payne, Vic Coffey, Keith

Hoffman, Tim Hindley, Tim Burnett,

Steve Hulsizer, Todd Burley, Pat Jordan,

Gary Smith, Billy Wilcox, Jeremy Smith,

Mike Clapperton, Dana Wagner, Henry

Sherman, Dan Miller, Rick Richner,

Steve Walsh, J.R. Hurlburt, Jeff

Rudalavage, Brett Hearn, Jerry Higby jr,

Ryan Baye, Tim McCreadie, Walt

Mitchell, Kevin Fetterly.

PRO STOCK RESULTS : Butch

Klinger, Harold Humphrey, Denny

Smith, Pat Nolan, James Cornell, Todd

Hurlburt, Winnie Winchester, Jason

Youngs, Jason Schlafer, Bob Zimmerman

jr, Gus Gould, Pete Christiansen, Bob

Zimmerman sr, Erik Knudson, Charles

Holcomb, Aaron Hacker.

FOUR CYLINDER STOCK : Jamie

Banta, Dennis Vroman, Ralph Jennings

jr, Scott Johnson, Ralph Cuozzo jr, Ralph

Cuozzo sr, Skip Pickwick, Cyrus Budine,

Harold Humphrey, Leonard Miller, Ron

Cummings, Bob Dedrick.