RPW Column: Andy Bachetti Led Them All To Take Bryan Goewey Memorial At Lebanon Valley

Column By: BOBBY CHALMERS / RPW – WEST LEBANON, NY – Saturday at Lebanon Valley Speedway was a night honoring the memory of driver #44, Bryan Goewey who tragically passed away a few years back.

The DIRTcar Big Block Modified feature was a 44-lap affair in memory of someone that put a lot into the Valley, both as a driver and a supporter.

When the checkered flag fell, it was driver #4, Andy Bachetti, whose name was inscribed on the big $5,000 check for winning the second annual event.

“This is just a special night,” Bachetti said. “I think Bryan would have liked this race tonight.”

Being the second winner of Goewey’s Memorial event (Brian Berger won the first in 2022), Bachetti understood the impact that Bryan had on Lebanon Valley.

“He was a big part of racing here at the Valley,” he said. “Bryan sponsored us back in the day, and did so for a lot of guys. This is simply an honor to win this race in his memory.”

Thanks to a redraw for starting position, Bachetti drew the number one spot and led every lap in a race that only saw two cautions.

“Being able to start up front absolutely meant everything,” he said. “The race track was pretty decent tonight. Tommy (Corellis) and Howard (Commander) did a good job with the surface but without my crew, this race car doesn’t run like it did tonight.”

There wasn’t much that didn’t go Bachetti’s way in the extra-distance feature. The Sheffield, MA driver was never really challenged for the top spot and only had to encounter lap cars on occasion due to the long green flag runs.”

“This race car’s pretty awesome,” he said. “It’s been here for a few years now. It’s an older car but it just suits my driving style and our setup here at the Valley.”

JR Heffner, who drew the inside front row starting spot for the feature, had another solid performance to bring the A. Colarusso #74H home in the runner-up spot with Keith Flach completing the podium in third.

Brett Haas drove forward in the race from his seventh starting spot to come home in fourth and Kyle Armstrong completed the top five.

Ray Hall Jr., welcome back to Lebanon Valley victory lane.

Six years to the day after his last victory, the Southern Berkshire County driver parked his #72 back in the winner’s circle, taking the 24-lap DIRTcar 358-Modified feature event win.

“It’s been a while,” Hall said. “It’s been a little bit since we’ve been able to get a win so this one feels go good.”

Hall was able to get around leader Brian Sandstedt on lap four after a great battle and once he did, the #72 was set on kill, holding off every challenge that came his way.

“I love the track when it’s like it was tonight,” he said. “You have to search around to find the bite.”

On the final restart with just a handful of laps left to go in the feature, Hall did something a little unorthodox compared to what every other leader at the Valley would have done.

He took the inside line.

“I know the inside isn’t the usual restart spot for the leader here,” he said. “However, I was so good on the bottom. I couldn’t take a chance of letting Kevin (Petrucci) get to the inside of me after leading as many laps as we had.”

Second across the line was Brian Peterson, but it was all for naught. In what would be a great drive for the #82 team, Peterson was disqualified in post-race inspection.

“This one is painful,” Peterson said. “After an exciting drive from 10th, we were informed that one of our suspension parts was not legal.”

This is a pill that’s hard to swallow for Peterson.

“Our car has gone through LVS tech as well as Malta tech and nothing was mentioned regarding the part,” he said. “The team and I will take our lumps as professionals and will be back next week to do it all over again.”

That moves Jason Herrington into second with LJ Lombardo, Andy Bachetti and Kevin Petrucci rounding out the top five.

Sandstedt was having his best race of the year on Saturday but as he and Joey Coppola were racing hard just three laps from the finish, the two came together midway down the backstretch. Both cars spun with Sandstedt receiving extensive front end damage to his #12.

He was credited with a 15th place finish while Coppola came home in 16th.

There was a first time winner in the Sportsman feature event as Brady Cordova took his #4 to victory lane on Saturday night.

Cordova grabbed the top spot from leader Karl Barnes after a spirited battle at the halfway point of the 20-lap feature and then set it on cruise control as the youngster etched his name in the Valley record books.

“This feels amazing,” Cordova said. “I’ve been fighting for this for so long and tonight was the night we got it.”

Once the #4 Bicknell was able to get out into clean air, it seemed as though Cordova could run the line he wanted and it paid off.

“I just was able to drive the car, slowed the car and let it roll in,” he said. “Then it just rolled right off nice and it seemed to work.”

Winner of the George Marcus Memorial a few weeks back, Gary O’Brien, came home in the second spot with Ricky Davis bringing the #21 to the line in third.

Kevin Ward, who rebounded from a late-race spin, finished fourth and Chris Lynch had another solid night to round out the top five.

At the beginning of the year, Zach Sorrentino stated he wanted to win as many races as he could in 2023. Every driver would say that.

Now, after Saturday night, he’s got three in his back pocket and it’s still the month of July.

Sorrentino took the lead from Steven Larochelle after the #178 slipped off of turn two on the sixth circuit. That’s when Sorrentino grabbed hold of a position he’d never relinquish the rest of the way.

“This is just amazing,” Sorrentino said. “I’m so excited for what we’re doing right now. This team is really clicking and it’s now time to go get that championship.”

The #54S seemed to find something on the Valley surface on Saturday night, driving to the front after starting in the eighth spot. Zach Sorrentino was on rails.

“The track was awesome,” he said. “I have to give a big shoutout to Lebanon Valley for that because they’ve been working hard at it this year.”

The guy behind the wheel did pretty good too as it seemed like he was able to read the surface better than anyone on this night.

“I figured out there was enough bite to keep the left side tires down in turns one and two,” he said. “Obviously we were able to do something that didn’t let others get around us but the track was super smooth tonight.”

With the way most race tracks change over the course of a night, teams must keep up with the setup of their cars if they want a chance to win and Team 54 Motorsports is no exception, especially on Saturday.

“It seemed like the track changed a bit after the Modified hot laps,” he said. “My crew chief Scott (Carlotto) threw a set up in the car to tighten it up and that allowed me to hook the left sides and it was just good the rest of the way.”

Point leader Chad Jeseo followed Sorrentino across the line to bring his #25 home in second with Larochelle, Tommy Dean and Shawn Perez completing the top five.

Scott Zehnacker crossed the line first in the Limited Sportsman feature but had the win stripped away in post race technical inspection. That gave the victory to Alex Palmer-Sawyer with last week’s winner, Anthony Maxon finishing second.

Owen Lewis, Craig Coons and Harold Robitaille finished third through fifth, respectively.

Dave Striebel Jr. took home the win the Street Stock main event with Chris Stalker in second, Dave Striebel Sr. in third, Mike Bussino fourth and Bob Gibson in fifth.

Jon Sheppard (Dual Cam) and Tim Meltz (Single Cam) were the two Four-Cylinder winners on the night.

MODIFIED FEATURE RESULTS (30 LAPS) POS DRIVER NAME 1) Andy Bachetti** 2) J.R. Heffner* 3) Keith Flach 4) Brett Haas* 5) Kyle Armstrong 6) Marc Johnson* 7) Kenny Tremont Jr. 8) Ryan Darcy 9) John Virgilio* 10) Kolby Schroder 11) Eddie Marshall* 12) Mike King 13) Kyle Sheldon 14) Brett Hearn 15) Matt Pupello* 16) Timothy Davis 17) Olden Dwyer 18) Ryan Charland 19) Brandon Lane 20) Brian Berger 21) L.J Lombardo 22) Wayne Jelley 23) Kenny Aanonsen JR.

358 MODIFIED FEATURE RESULTS (24 LAPS) POS DRIVER NAME 1) Ray Hall JR.* 2) Jason Herrington 3) L.J Lombardo* 4) Andy Bachetti** 5) Kevin Petrucci* 6) Lorne Browe* 7) Montgomery Tremont 8) Jeff Watson 9) Peter Carlotto 10) Ryan Charland 11) Kim Lavoy 12) Donny Travaglin 13) Ryan Heath 14) Jeffrey Reis 15) Brian Sandstedt 16) Joey Coppola* 17) Ryan Larkin 18) Olden Dwyer* 19) Brian Petrerson

SPORTSMAN FEATURE RESULTS (20 LAPS) POS DRIVER NAME 1) Brady Cordova* 2) Gary O’Brien* 3) Ricky Davis 4) Kevin Ward** 5) Chris Lynch 6) Karl Barnes 7) Kevin Ames 8) Rob Maxon* 9) Shane Powell 10) Tim Hartman*** 11) Jim VanZandt 12) Matt Burke

PRO STOCKS FEATURE RESULTS (20 LAPS) POS DRIVER NAME 1) Zach Sorrentino*** 2) Chad Jeseo* 3) Steven LaRochelle 4) Tom Dean* 5) Shawn Perez 6) Bruno Cyr 7) Frank Twing** 8) Fred Lee 9) Brian Keough 10) Justin Chaput 11) Dave Stickles** 12) Phil Defliglio 13) Justin Chaput 14) Mike Dianda 15) Katrina Foster

LIMITED SPORTSMAN FEATURE RESULTS (15 LAPS) POS DRIVER NAME 1) Alex Palmer-Sawyer* 2) Anthony Maxon*** 3) Owen Lewis 4) Craig Coons* 5) Harold Rabitalle* 6) John Santolin 7) Allyson Papp 8) Kent Clark 9) Ira Doull 10) Brian Walsh* 11) Mike Arnold 12) Mike Engwer 13) Scott Zehnacker

STREET STOCK FEATURE RESULTS (20 LAPS) POS DRIVER NAME 1) Dave Striebel JR.** 2) Chris Stalker*** 3) David Striebel 4) Mike Bussino 5) Bob Gibson 6) Ray Royals 7) Kerri Vandenburg 8) Jeff Meltz SR.* 9) Lou Gancarz 10) Franklin Smith 11) Peter Huntoon 12) Josh Bussino

4 CYLINDER DUAL CAM FEATURE RESULTS (15 LAPS) POS DRIVER NAME 1) Jon Shepard** 2) Bradley Batho*** 3) James Guertin 4) Jason Peck 5) Mike Duncan

4 CYLINDER SINGLE CAM FEATURE RESULTS (15 LAPS) POS DRIVER NAME 1) Tim Meltz***** 2) Joe Wolfe 3) Joey Batho** 4) Dylan Macleod