Story By: DAVE MEDLER / BREWERTON SPEEDWAY – BREWERTON, NY – The Modified feature Friday night at the Brewerton Speedway had twists and turns involving drivers in the top-five in points having issues, a rookie leading laps and a popular winner when the checkers waved.
Ron Davis III would take the lead early in the 35-lap Tracey Road Equipment DIRTcar Modified feature and would have to hold off challenges from the speedway best enroute to his feature triumph on the ‘D-Shaped Dirt Demon.’
Other winners on Thompson & Johnson Equipment night were, Rich Townsend (Sportsman) Justin Williams (Mod Lites) Chuck Powelczak (4-Cylinders).
Tim Harris would lead the opening lap and Torrey Stoughtenger would drive into the lead on lap 2 just before the caution lights would be turned on to slow the field in the Modified main.
The reason for the yellow was for points leader Billy Decker rolling to a stop on the speedway. His crew tried to quickly get him back in the feature but could not, ending his feature run.
When the race went back green, Tyler Trump would blast into the lead before another yellow when Tim Sears Jr. fourth in points, slowed with a flat. Sears’ crew quickly changed the tire and got him back on the speedway.
On lap 10 the front of the field saw a close battle in the top-five between Trump, Ron Davis III, Tom Sears, Chris Hile and Larry Wight with Davis driving into the lead.
With 15 laps showing on the scoring tower, Davis still showed the way out front with Hile, Trump and Wight right in Davis’s tire tracks.
On lap 20 Davis led by a half a straightaway, his biggest lead of the race, but would see it vanish when the yellow would wave, slowing the race pace.
With 10 laps remaining, Davis and Hile were in a two-car breakaway out front with Trump, Wight and Jimmy Phelps locked in their own battle for third through fifth just before the caution of the race.
On the restart Hile threw a perfect slider on Davis in one and two with Davis returning the favor on the other end of the speedway to maintain the lead.
On lap 28 Wight moved into second for his shot at Davis and the win, but Ron Davis III ran the top of the speedway like he was on rails the entire race and into victory lane. Larry Wight, Chris Hile, Jimmy Phelps, and Mike Maresca finished second through fifth.
In the 25-lap DOT Foods DIRTcar Sportsman feature Riley Rogala would lead until Rich Townsend took over the lead on lap 6.
On lap 10 with two- and three-wide racing all over the speedway, Townsend held a five-car length lead over Rogala while JJ Courcy, Dale Caswell and Earl Rudy raced hard for third through fifth.
With 10 laps remaining, Townsend still was quick out front as Courcy, Rogala, Caswell and Zach Sobotka who started 14th battled in the top-five spots.
A yellow on lap 19 erased the lead Townsend had and would give the field a shot to steal away the win from the leader.
When the green came back out for the final laps Rich Townsend ran the bottom all the way to victory lane. Dale Caswell, JJ Courcy, Zach Sobotka, and Riley Rogala finished second through fifth.
Clayton Brewer would grab the lead at the drop of the green in the 20-lap AmeriCU Credit Union Mod Lite feature and would build a half a straightaway lead by lap 5 leaving Sam Usborne, Roger Olschewske, Kyle Demo and Justin Williams to fight for second through fifth.
A caution just before halfway erased a 4 second lead Brewer had built up. Mike Mullen took advantage of the yellow, taking the lead on lap 12.
The most serious incident of the night came on lap 13 in a three-car tangle in turns one and two with Travis Hewitt rolling over. Hewitt climbed out of his car uninjured.
With 5 laps to go Williams would use a power move on the topside of the speedway to drive into the lead. Once out-front Justin Williams cruised to the win. Mike Mullen, Clayton Brewer, Tom Mackey, and Hunter Lawton finished second through fifth.
Quinn Wallis got the lead on lap 1 of the 15-lap Fleet Repair 4-Cylinder feature and opened what seemed like an insurmountable lead for anyone to catch him without yellows to tighten the field up. Amazingly without any yellows, Chuck Powelczyk ran down Wallis and was first under the checkers. Jamie Radley, Damian Bechler and Brian Evenden finished third through fifth.
This Friday, June 11 Stirling Lubricants/Champion Racing Oil presents a night of fast, family affordable racing.
Racing on the ‘D-Shaped Dirt Demon’ will feature the Tracey Road Equipment DIRTcar Big Block Modifieds, DOT Foods DIRTcar Sportsman, AmeriCU Credit Union Mod Lites and the Fleet Repairs 4-Cylinders.
Each week, the three top finishing 358-Modifieds will receive $300, $200 and $100 respectively in addition to their base purse in the Modified feature.
Adult grandstand admission is $15 with everyone 18 years old and younger admitted free. Pit admission is $35. Grandstands open at 5:30 pm with racing at 7:30 pm.
Thompson & Johnson Equipment Night June 4 Results
(Tracey Road Equipment DIRTcar Big Block Modifieds 35 Laps) – RON DAVIS III, Larry Wight, Chris Hile, Jimmy Phelps, Mike Maresca, Tom Sears, Tyler Trump, Tim Sears Jr., Ben Bushaw, Joe August, Pat Ward, Chad Phelps, Roy Bresnahan, Nick Krause, Jeff Taylor, Torrey Stoughtenger, Austin Murphy, Tim Harris, Jim Witko, Bob Henry Jr, Andrew Ferguson, Kevin Root, Billy Decker.
(DIRTcar 358 Modified Bonus $300 $200 $100) – Ben Bushaw, Nick Krause, Austin Murphy.
(DOT Foods DIRTcar Sportsman 25 Laps) – RICH TOWNSEND, Dale Caswell, JJ Courcy, Zach Sobotka, Riley Rogala, Tyler Murray, Ryan Dolbear, Alan Fink, Earl Rudy, Joe Sobotka, Quinn Wallis, Zach Payne, Amy Holland, Bailey Groves, Chris Mackey, Tony Finch II, Max Hill, Nick Stadelmann, Dan Keyes, Colby Herzog, Tim Devendorf, Jeff Prentice, Mark Yorker, Robert Gage, DNS Matt Kitts.
(Thompson & Johnson $100 Hard Charger) – Zach Sobotka.
(NAPA Auto Parts Chase Elliott Award) – Earl Rudy.
(AmeriCU Credit Union Mod Lites 20 Laps) – JUSTIN WILLIAMS, Mike Mullen, Clayton Brewer, Tom Mackey, Hunter Lawton, Joe Garafolo, Tucker Halliday, Sam Usborne, Roger Olschewske, Kyle Demo, Brad Harris, Kelly Skinner, Billy Applebee, JJ Courcy, Darik Van Epps, Travis Hewitt, Joel Moller.
(Fleet Repair 4-Cylinders 15 Laps) – CHUCK POWELCZYK, Quinn Wallis, Jamie Radley, Damian Bechler, Brian Evenden, Clayton Koch, Sam Curcie, Sophia DeNova, David DeNova, Ray Bechler.