Story By: TOBY LAGRANGE / GLEN RIDGE MOTORSPORTS PARK – FULTONVILLE, NY – With unsettled weather all around the Mohawk Valley, the Glen Ridge Motorsports Park beat the odds and completed their third week of the season Sunday night. All events were completed in under two hours.
When all was said and done a pair of first-time winners would visit victory lane as well as some very familiar faces.
Defending and two-time Red Chair DIRTcar Sportsman track champion Andrew Buff picked up his second consecutive win of the season at The Ridge. The current Hoosier Racing Tire DIRTcar Sportsman Weekly Championship points leader took the lead early in the 30-lap event with his younger brother Justin holding down second.
The Buff duo would hold their positions until the end of the caution free event. Brian Calabrese came home in the third position with Cody Ochs fourth and Alan Fink fifth. Heat races were claimed by Justin and Andrew Buff.
Luke Horning continued his dominance over the Yurkewecz Auto Crushers DIRTcar Pro Stock division. Horning, who came into the weekend second in the Hoosier Racing Tire DIRTcar Pro Stock Weekly Championship series, held off a strong Andy Graves for the win. Graves finished second with Kenny Allen and Richard Spencer following. The first Street Stock across the line was Matt Wells. The heat race was claimed by Graves and Adam Tranka (Street Stock).
Second year Cherko Fusco Realty Limited Sportsman division pilot Dylan Grogan picked up the feature win in his first visit to The Ridge in the division. Grogan took the lead from points leader Mike Hill on lap four when the two-time feature winner had problems. Once out-front Grogan held off hard challenges from Butchie Irwin to take the win. Irwin finished second with Hill third and Lucas Duncan fourth. The heat race was claimed by Hill.
The night was also host to the Competition Carburetion Fast Time Awards. These awards paid $100 to the driver who posted the fastest lap in the Red Chair DIRTcar Sportsman, Yurkewecz Auto Crushers DIRTcar Pro Stock and Cherko Fusco Realty Limited Sportsman divisions. Each driver was also entered into the overall award to be awarded at seasons end.
Picking up the awards were Andrew Buff (13.637), Andy Graves (15.119) and Butchie Irwin (14.032).
Billy Hillman and Norman Lamphear led the DIRTcar Mini-Stock 15-lap feature event down to the green with Hillman taking the early lead over Lamphear and Gina Voris. The leading trio opened more than a straighaway advantage over four place Jay Ingersoll by lap five.
Meanwhile the race for the top spot was intense between Hillman, Lampher and Voris. With five laps to go Voris moved to the outside of Lamphear and took over the second position. Voris set her sights on race leader Hillman. In the end Hillman picked up the win over Voris, Lamphear, Ingersol and Bruce Liddle. Hillman was the first Dual Cam driver across the line with Ingersoll the top finishing Single Cam driver.
Adam Fusco and Kirsten Swartz led the Northeast Paving and Sealcoating All-Star Slingshot field to the green with Swartz taking the early lead. Fusco settled into second with Andrew Millard third and the rest of the field battling two, three and four wide behind them.
The caution flag would wave on lap four as Joe Melius spun in turn one. On the restart Swartz held the lead with Fusco, Brett Putnam, Tucker Jones and Nathaniel Boesse following. Defending track champion Danny Ballard moved into fifth on lap seven and began hounding Boesse for the fourth position.
With five laps to go Swartz, Fusco and Putnam had pulled away from the Ballard/Boesse battle. Ballard moved past Boesse for the fourth spot on lap 11. In the end Swartz would cruise home for the win over Fusco, Putnam, Ballard and Boesse. Heat race wins fell to Fusco and Swartz.
Corky Warner and Sloan Cherko led the field to the green in the 12-lap Northeast Paving and Sealcoating Junior Slingshot feature event. Cherko grabbed the early lead with Connor Crane following in second and E.J. Hatch third. Cherko, the defending track champion and Crane would pull away and by half way held a straightaway advantage over division rookie Hatch.
In the end Cherko would pull away for the win over Crane, Hatch, Warner and last weeks feature winner Avery Decker. Heat races were claimed by Warner and Cherko.
The Glen Ridge Motorsports Park returns to action this Sunday night with another DIRTcar Sunday Night program featuring all weekly divisions. The May 15th program will be VP Small Engine Fuels night. Pit Gates open at 3PM, Grandstands at 4PM, Hot Laps at 5:30 PM with racing set to start at 6PM.
Official Results
May 15th, 2022 Racing Results
DIRTcar 602 Sportsman: Andrew Buff, Justin Buff, Brian Calabrese, Cody Ochs, Alan Fink, Ricky Quick, Garrett Poland, Zach Buff, Griffen Mansmith.
Fast Lap Award Winner: Andrew Buff 13.637.
DIRTcar Pro-Stocks: Luke Horning, Andy Graves, Kenny Allen, Richard Spencer.
Fast Lap Award Winner: Andy Graves 15.119.
Limited Sportsman: Dylan Grogan, Butchie Irwin, Mike Hill, Lucas Duncan.
Fast Lap Award Winner: Butchie Irwin 14.032.
Street Stocks: Matt Wells, Adam Tranka.
DIRTcar Dual Cam Mini Stock: Billy Hillman, Gina Voris, Norman Lamphear, Jamie Warner, Ariana Shultz, Zach McSpirit.
DIRTcar Single Cam Mini Stock: Jay Ingersoll, Bruce Liddle, Blaze Post.
All-Star Slingshots: Kirsten Swartz, Adam Fusco, Brett Putnam, Danny Ballard, Nathaniel Boesse, Tucker Jones, Andrew Millard, Jim Pollard, Spencer Cherko, Joe Melius, Scott Sprague, Jim Gaige, Kolton Weiler, Nick Millard.
Junior Slingshots: Sloan Cherko, Connor Crane, Edward Hatch, Corky Warner, Avery Decker, Braxton Martin, Bodie Marks, Carson Hamlin, Colton White, Alex Viall, Izzy Pangman (DNS).