Danny Creeden & Brett Tonkin Split Modified Main Events Saturday At Afton Motorsports Park

Story By: DAWN MAYNARD / AFTON MOTORSPORTS PARK – AFTON, NY – Thirty-three Modified race teams were on hand in the pit area, for the twin twenty lap features. Several new teams made their first appearances at the fast track.

The racing throughout the evening found the outside groove the place to be. The first twenty lap event showed Tyler Yeagle and Brian as the green flew Tyler Yeagle chose the top side and Brian Puckett stayed low. Yeagle grabbed the early lead, but a quick caution ended that. On the restart Puckett took control with Tyler right on his bumper on the outside. Cautions plagued the event early on, with on lap eight had two in the same lap. That meant a single file restart would be coming up. Coming from the eleventh starting spot was Danny Creeden using that outside groove. Brian Puckett would maintain the lead until the next caution came out on lap eleven. Creeden is now in the fifth position. Also using the outside once again, was Brandon Loucks, who was in sixth position. On the single file restart as they were half way through the race. Puckett and Shaun Walker brought the cars to the green. Danny Creeden was now in third, setting his sights
on the top spot. Still using the top side he passed the Walker number twenty-one to move into second. Danny and Brian raced hard for the top spot. On the final lap Dan Creeden made his move coming off the third turn to grab the win. Brian Puckett, Shaun Walker, Brandon Loucks and Tyler Yeagle rounded out the top five.

The second twenty lap feature would be run next. The top five went pit side to get weighted. The rest of the field made a pit stop in turn two. The top five would join them, with Danny Creeden drawing a chip that would set up the next feature. In the bag to draw for the event, there were four chips. They were numbered 4,6,8 and 10. Whatever chip was drawn would mean that those cars would be inverted. Danny drew chip number six that would put Brett Tonkin and Tyler Yeagle on the front row. As the green flag dropped Tonkin grabbed the lead with Yeagle right on his rear bumper. Unfortunately the yellow came out as Jim Introne Jr., had a flat right rear tire. Jim went pit side and made the tire change coming back at the rear of the field. When the race restarted Brett gained the lead with Tyler hoping to steal it away. Behind the top two Shaun Walker and Brandon Loucks were battling for position. On lap nine Dennis Clapperton brought out the yellow flag as he spun. Clapperton was able to continue joining the rear of the field. The first feature winner Danny Creeden went pit side as sparks showed. It appeared that a flat tire would be the reason for the pit stop. Danny returned just as the green flag dropped on the restart. The battle on the outside had Shaun Walker and Randy Green trying to make moves. As the laps were coming to a close Brett Tonkin opened up a lead over the Shaun Walker machine. The white flag came up and Brandon Loucks was now in third. Still using the outside, Loucks was hoping to gather in the top two. That would not happen as Brett Tonkin went on to capture the second twenty lap event. Following Brett was Shaun Walker, Brandon Loucks, Brian Puckett, and Randy Green.

The Crate Sportsman feature event came to the track with Jim Cummings and Dustin Harris leading the field for the start. Jim Cummings grabbed the lead, with Dustin Harris in tow. They raced side by side for many laps. The outside groove again was hot and the drivers were using it. Dustin Harris managed to make the move to get around the Cummings seventy-one. On lap seventeen Jim Cummings spun in turn two. He went pit side, but was able to rejoin the field. On the restart Dustin took control with six laps left in the feature. On the outside, newcomer Dominic Roselli was in the third position. Brian Durbin was in second and Dominic was hoping to overtake that position. With the laps winding down, Dominic now made his move into second. Following him was Travis Green and Todd Titus. They now raced nose to tail as the white flag flew. It was the very first feature win of the season for Dustin Harris. Finishing in second was Dominic Roselli, third was Travis Green, fourth was Todd Titus and in fifth was Brian Durbin.

The popular Front Wheel Drive division made their way onto the track. The front row consisted of Andy Bolles and Rich Wagner. At the start of the race they battled hard for the top spot. Andy got loose in turn three and the Robert Burch machine spun as we completed the first lap. Rich did lead the first lap, but on the restart Collin Mills would be on the front row with Wagner. Collin would gain the lead on the restart. They were racing three wide hoping to gain positions. At the halfway point Collin now had his dad Shawn Mills on his bumper. They raced hard until lap eight when Rich Wagner lost his right rear wheel bringing out the caution. It has been a really tough season for the Wagner racing team. Losing that wheel would end his night. On the restart Collin stayed up front with Shawn battling with Bryant Beach. At the end of the fifteen lap event it was Collin Mills grabbing his sixth feature win. Coming in second was Shawn Mills, third to Bryant Beach, fourth and fifth to Andy Bolles and Robert Burch.

The IMCA Modifieds were now on the track with qualifying race winner Tyler Belcher and Gary Roberts taking the green. They battled hard early in the feature with Gary taking the lead. Behind him Eddie Sites was now making his way to the front. Using the outside groove he worked into second place. A caution came out on lap four as debris was found in turn two. On the restart Eddie and Gary battled for the top spot. Sites managed to steal it away. Coming from the fourth starting position Jake Maynard was now working to take away third. Behind Jake the rookie driver Owen Clark was finding the outside to his liking. He had gotten into fifth place,hoping to move up more. The final caution came out the another rookie driver David Stalker. This tightened up the field as Eddie Sites had opened a sizable lead. When the white flag came out Eddie Sites again opened up a lead over Gary Roberts. When the checkered flag came out Eddie recorded win number two. Gary Roberts finished in second, Jake Maynard was third, Owen Clark had an awesome run coming in fourth and fifth went to Tyler Stoddard.

The Limited Sportsman made their way onto the track with Jason Shedd and Derrick Shaffer in the front row. Shedd grabbed the lead with Shaffer machine looking to steal it away. Only two cautions happened during the fifteen laps. Johnny Williams took the lead on the first restart. He and Devon Green battled during the feature. Behind the top two the racing was heating up as newcomer Connor Brokop, Blake Sarpriacone and Dylan Nichols all were looking for the third position. As the laps wound down Johnny Williams had control of the event and went on to grab his second feature win of the season. Devon Green who has a feature this season finished in second. Newcomers Connor Brokop and Blake Sarpriacone brought home third and fourth respectively. Rounding out the top five was seven time feature winner Dylan Nichols. This win was emotional as in his first feature Johnny dedicated it to his sister who is battling breast cancer.

The final event of the evening was the 600cc modifieds. Chris Carman and Ryan David-Kadaronak made up the front row. The start found Carman in the lead, but was called back. The next restart the racing was three wide behind the Carman machine. It now found Ryan Jordan in the lead with Ryan David-Kadaronak second. Talan Oliver who started in fourth and Aiden Miller who was in sixth at the start were now battling for the third and fourth positions. Once out front Ryan Jordan opened up a huge lead. As the laps ticked off Talan Oliver made his move into the third position. Aiden Miller got around the Chris Carman machine, for fourth. When the white flag flew Ryan Jordan out front went on to grab his tenth feature event. Ryan David-Kadaronak who is the only other driver to win a feature this season finished in second. Talan Oliver, Aiden Miller and Chris Carman finished third through fifth.

The Mirabito Energy Southern Tier Spectacular went off without a hitch. Over twenty bicycles were given away along with several gift baskets. Each feature winner was given an extra $100, sponsored by Fight Dirty, a Breast Cancer Awareness group. The fans got to see some of the greatest outside racing of the season. Next Saturday’s racing will be sponsored by NYSSCA, featuring a Hall of Fame Induction. Special prize money will be handed out for first and second place. Old Timers night and Spectator Racing will be on the docket with the rest of the weekly racing divisions. It will also find the return of the Factory Stocks.

ZMK Construction Modified Feature #1 – DANNY CREEDEN, Brian Puckett, Shaun Walker, Brandon Loucks, Tyler Yeagle, Brett Tonkin, Ken Titus, JR Hurlburt, Randy Green, Jerry Higbie, Cody Higbie, Seth Zacharias, Brad Alger, Nick Mady, Daniel Morgiewicz, Justin Holland, Doug Polhaumus, Dennis Clapperton, Brian Mady, Jeremy Hamilton, Bobby Puckett, Darwin R. Greene, Alissa Cody, Jim Introne Jr, Billy Fiske, Geoff Quackenbush, Dom Roselli
Invert: 6 cars

ZMK Construction Modified Feature #2 – BRETT TONKIN, Shaun Walker, Brandon Loucks, Briakn Puckett, Randy Green, Ken Titus, Cody Higbie, Jerry Higbie, Justin Holland, Darwin Greene, Doug Polhaumus, JR Hurlburt, Brad Alger, Dennis Clapperton, Bobby Puckett, Brian Mady, Seth Zacharias, Jeremy Hamilton, Alissa Cody, Nick Mady (-2 for jumping start), Danny Creeden (-1 for jumping start), Geoff Quackenbush, Jim Introne Jr, Tyler Yeagle, Billy Fiske, Dom Roselle (DNS).
DNQ – Tyler Ward, Jason Andrews, Leonard Miller, Joe Eisenhauer, James Christ, Derek Cornish
Heat Race Winners – Tyler Yeagle, JR Hurlburt, Ken Titus, Danny Creeden
Fight Dirty Breast Cancer Awareness Winners – Brandon Loucks, Brett Tonkin

Pit Stop Auto Crate Sportsman Feature – DUSTIN HARRIS, Dominick Roselli, Travis Green, Todd Titus, Brian Durbin, Jared Green, Dale Welty, Dave Rosa, Gary Smith, Matt Brewer, Rocky Rothwell, Brandon Christ, Jim Cummings, Mike Travis, Scot Torbitt, Joey Mennite, Darrell Quackenbush, Bill Davey Jr, Kyle Smith, Ed Owens, Joe Buchanan.
Heat Race Winners – Jim Cummings, Dominick Roselli, Jared Green
Fight Dirty Breast Cancer Awareness Winner – Dustin Harris

Big E’s Shed Sleddin’ & Sales Limited Sportsman Feature – JOHNNY WILLIAMS, Devon Green, Connor Brokop, Blake Sarpriacone, Dylan Nichols, Zack Welch, Derrick Shaffer, Buck Brown, Jason Shedd, Jerry Roys, Dave Stanton, Paul Conklin, Tom Davey, Derek Roe
Heat Race Winners – Devon Green, Derrick Shaffer
Fight Dirty Breast Cancer Awareness Winner – Johnny Williams

Rinker Insurance Agency 600cc Modified Feature – RYAN JORDAN, Ryan David-Kadarona, Talan Oliver, Aiden Miller, Chris Carman, John Hoover, Darwin Greene Jr, Harold Oliver, Brenton Payne, Max Oliver, Aubrey Davis, Phil Burns.
Heat Race Winners – Darwin Greene Jr, Ryan David-Kadaronak
Fight Dirty Breast Cancer Awareness Winner – Ryan Jordan

Carquest of Unadilla FWD 4 Cylinder Feature – COLLIN MILLS, Shawn Mills, Bryant Beach, Andy Bolles, Robert Burch, Kamrin Krause, John Maynard, Randy Lane, John Mason, Rich Wagner, Jim Backowski, Eric Rowley
Heat Race Winners – Collin Mills, Andy Bolles
Fight Dirty Breast Cancer Awareness Winner – Collin Mills

IMCA Modified Feature – EDDIE SITES, Gary Roberts, Jake Maynard, Owen Clark, Tyler Stoddard, Jacob McConnell, Tyler Belcher, JT Roe, Dave Stalker
Heat Race Winner – Tyler Belcher
Fight Dirty Breast Cancer Awareness Winner – Eddie Sites