Story By: JOE GRABIANOWSKI / DIRTCAR – CONCORD, NC – David Rogers turned dreams into reality during the World Short Track Championship Saturday at the Dirt Track At Charlotte with a $4,000 VP Racing Fuels Sportsman Modified Feature win.
“It’s incredible,” said Rogers, of Lafargeville, NY. “It really is. This is something I’ve dreamed of and here we are doing it. This time of year is hard for me to race because I am getting ready for snowplow season. We made the decision last minute on Sunday night to come down. Man, I am so glad we did.”
Albany-Saratoga Speedway and Glen Ridge Motorsports Park hotshoe Andrew Buff finished second from 11th while The Travelin’ Man Mike Fowler in the #410 claimed the final step on the podium after starting ninth.
“I was digging on the bottom real hard,” Rogers said. “I was driving it in real hard. I was killing the motor coming off, but I kept gaining ground diving down there. I just caught them a little at a time. They kept drifting out and I’d get in there. Finally, when I got out by myself I could run hard and it was just good.”
Sportsman All-Star Feature:
Zach Payne prevented a David Rogers sweep with a big lead and a fast car.
A caution with 4 laps to go gave the field a shot, but Payne was hooked up.
Like Rogers, this was the biggest stage he’s ever won on.
“This is probably the best win ever,” Payne said. “This place is huge and they put on a great show for us. This is probably bigger than anything I’ve done at home and I am glad to be here.”
Feature (30 Laps): 1. 1-David Rogers[7]; 2. 92-Andrew Buff[11]; 3. 410-Mike Fowler[9]; 4. 33R-Travis Bruno[8]; 5. 20X-Kevin Ridley[3]; 6. 7Z-Zachary Payne[10]; 7. 42-Robert Tucker[4]; 8. 5-Brock Pinkerous[1]; 9. 6-Robert Bublak[5]; 10. 00-Beau Reeves[6]; 11. 29T-Tanner Forbes[15]; 12. 96-Robert Maxon[2]; 13. 1R-Ricky Thompson[13]; 14. 37-Darryl Mitchell[12]; 15. 60X-Kinser Hill[16]; 16. 47-Walter Cook[14]
All Star Feature (20 Laps): 1. 7Z-Zachary Payne[6]; 2. 1-David Rogers[3]; 3. 410-Mike Fowler[14]; 4. 5-Brock Pinkerous[5]; 5. 6-Robert Bublak[4]; 6. 33R-Travis Bruno[8]; 7. 92-Andrew Buff[10]; 8. 29T-Tanner Forbes[13]; 9. 00-Beau Reeves[15]; 10. 42-Robert Tucker[2]; 11. 37-Darryl Mitchell[9]; 12. 1R-Ricky Thompson[12]; 13. 20X-Kevin Ridley[7]; 14. 47-Walter Cook[1]; 15. 96-Robert Maxon[11]; 16. 60X-Kinser Hill[16].