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Story By: CHRIS MOORE / SHORT TRACK SUPER SERIES – BROOKFIELD, NY – Finally. After years of trying, Michael Ballestero claimed his first career points-paying Bob Hilbert Sportswear Short Track Super Series (STSS) Fueled By Sunoco triumph.
The Saratoga Springs, N.Y., native has two prior STSS victories to his name, both coming at All-Tech Raceway in Lake City, Fla., during the annual ‘Sunshine Swing.’
Despite several close calls from defending race winner Blaine Klinger, Ballestero withstood the advances to claim the $1,500 top prize in the ‘Fast Cars and Freedom’ event on Memorial Day Weekend.
The event was contested before a large crowd at historic Brookfield Speedway Sunday night.
“It was tough, I didn’t want to give up the bottom,” Ballestero explained. “I saw (Klinger) up there on the outside, but I just had to give it all I could and hope it stuck on the bottom.”
Ballestero and Klinger made up the front row following the Beyea Custom Headers Redraw for Round No. 2 of the Madsen Overhead Doors North Region.
The lead duo stayed side-by-side for the first two laps of the race before Ballestero finally emerged with the lead.
That would be the case on nearly every restart, with Klinger coming up just short of a run to slip by Ballestero.
At one point, Ballestero and Klinger crossed the line just .011 seconds apart, with Ballestero just in front before the yellow flag came out, keeping him in the top spot.
In the end, Ballestero prevailed with South New Berlin, N.Y.’s Payton Talbot slipping by Klinger for the runner-up spot with just seven laps remaining.
“I wish we could’ve had one more double-file restart,” Talbot reasoned, after the final restart was a single file one with less than five laps to go and Talbot in second.
“I would’ve thrown everything at him.”
Walton, N.Y.’s Klinger rounded out the podium.
“The one time I got by him the yellow came out,” Klinger explained. “I used up my tires having to race so hard up on the outside.
“I appreciate Talbot and Ballestero though for racing me clean.”
Lake Ariel, Pa.’s Tyler Peet continued his recent hot streak with a fourth-place run and Middletown, N.Y.’s Jared LaBagh rounded out the top five.
Finishing sixth through 10th, respectively, were Lysander, N.Y.’s David Hackett Jr.; Middleburgh, N.Y.’s Connor Prokop; Sauquoit, N.Y.’s Stephen Denton; Amsterdam, N.Y.’s Harry Shaffer; and Monitor Falls, N.Y.’s Dale Welty.
Twenty-five STSS Crate 602 Sportsman signed in for competition with 24 taking the green flag in the ‘Fast Cars and Freedom.’
Matthew Richardson, Dylan Madsen, and Klinger were the three heat race winners.
Waverly, N.Y.’s Gene Sharpsteen made a late-race pass to get by West Winfield, N.Y.’s Kenny Gates to claim the White’s Welding Pro/Street Stock 20-lap feature win.
Sharpsteen used a high to low maneuver off the fourth turn to get underneath Gates and take the top spot away for good.
Gates settled for second with Kurt Decker, Gus Gould, and Ken Griffin rounding out the top five.
Jeff Weeks held on for an exciting victory in the Anderson Towing & Recovery Four Cylinder division.
Weeks and Kamrin Krause traded the lead back-and-forth multiple times in the late stages with Weeks coming out on top.
Hayleigh Gates won the Single Cam portion of the event.
Jaden Pierce (Abrams Press All-Star Slingshots) and Addisyn Roger (Abrams Press Junior Slingshots) both went on dominant drives for their respective victories.
The STSS Modifieds return on Thursday, May 30 with the ‘Adirondack Invasion’ at Airborne Park Speedway in Plattsburgh, N.Y. Round No. 2 of the River Valley Builders North Region and Round No. 6 of the Ollie’s Overall Championship is a 70-lap affair paying $7,070 to the winner. The Sportsman, Renegades, and Mini Stocks are all on the card as well under Airborne Park Speedway rules and procedures.
Short Track Super Series Crate 602 Sportsman
Feature (25 Laps): 1. 27-Michael Ballestero[1]; 2. 14T-Payton Talbot[4]; 3. 9K-Blaine Klinger[2]; 4. 12T-Tyler Peet[6]; 5. 38L-Jared LaBagh[3]; 6. 82H-David Hackett[13]; 7. 12P-Connor Prokop[11]; 8. 44C-Stephen Denton[20]; 9. 1H-Harry Shaffer[22]; 10. 123-Dale Welty[16]; 11. 40D-Butchie Irwin[10]; 12. 21K-Josh Akshar[14]; 13. 66-Don Bellen[18]; 14. 03-Joshua Jock[8]; 15. 262-Matthew Richardson[9]; 16. 44-Gordon Smith[5]; 17. 26B-Maddy Broedel[17]; 18. 12-George Schweigart[23]; 19. 89-Dylan Madsen[7]; 20. 01-Dylan Nichols[21]; 21. 11-Nick Zielinski[15]; 22. 314-Clayton Dumond[12]; 23. 52-Ron Proctor[25]; 24. 55-Jonny Feagles[19]; 25. (DNS) 71W-Jason Shedd
American Racer/Lias Tire Bonus (FREE Tire Certificate): David Hackett (sixth)
Beyea Custom Headers Redraw Bonus ($25): Matthew Richardson (Redrew ninth)
Dale Smith Bonuses ($100 each): Michael Ballestero (winner); Jared LaBagh (fifth); Dale Welty (10th)
Fastline Performance Bonuses ($100 Certificates): Payton Talbot (second) & Josh Akshar (12th)
Fastline Performance ‘Hot Lap Hero ($50): Payton Talbot (16.843)
Henry’s Exhaust Power Position ($50 Certificate): Butchie Irwin (11th)
Heat #1 (8 Laps): 1. 262-Matthew Richardson[1]; 2. 38L-Jared LaBagh[2]; 3. 14T-Payton Talbot[3]; 4. 40D-Butchie Irwin[4]; 5. 82H-David Hackett[5]; 6. 123-Dale Welty[6]; 7. 55-Jonny Feagles[7]; 8. 1H-Harry Shaffer[8]; 9. 52-Ron Proctor[9]
Heat #2 (8 Laps): 1. 89-Dylan Madsen[1]; 2. 12T-Tyler Peet[3]; 3. 27-Michael Ballestero[2]; 4. 12P-Connor Prokop[4]; 5. 21K-Josh Akshar[6]; 6. 26B-Maddy Broedel[8]; 7. 44C-Stephen Denton[5]; 8. 12-George Schweigart[7]
Heat #3 (8 Laps): 1. 9K-Blaine Klinger[2]; 2. 03-Joshua Jock[1]; 3. 44-Gordon Smith[4]; 4. 314-Clayton Dumond[3]; 5. 11-Nick Zielinski[7]; 6. 66-Don Bellen[6]; 7. 01-Dylan Nichols[5]; 8. 71W-Jason Shedd[8]
Penske Racing Shocks Hot Lap Group 1: 1. 14T-Payton Talbot, 00:16.843[1]; 2. 38L-Jared LaBagh, 00:17.130[9]; 3. 262-Matthew Richardson, 00:17.166[3]; 4. 40D-Butchie Irwin, 00:17.246[8]; 5. 82H-David Hackett, 00:17.275[4]; 6. 123-Dale Welty, 00:17.340[2]; 7. 55-Jonny Feagles, 00:17.473[5]; 8. 1H-Harry Shaffer, 00:17.781[7]; 9. 52-Ron Proctor, 00:18.222[6]
Penske Racing Shocks Hot Lap Group 2: 1. 12T-Tyler Peet, 00:17.094[7]; 2. 27-Michael Ballestero, 00:17.257[5]; 3. 89-Dylan Madsen, 00:17.384[3]; 4. 12P-Connor Prokop, 00:17.457[4]; 5. 44C-Stephen Denton, 00:17.655[8]; 6. 21K-Josh Akshar, 00:18.053[6]; 7. 12-George Schweigart, 00:18.269[1]; 8. 26B-Maddy Broedel, 00:18.937[2]
Penske Racing Shocks Hot Lap Group 3: 1. 314-Clayton Dumond, 00:17.263[4]; 2. 9K-Blaine Klinger, 00:17.525[8]; 3. 03-Joshua Jock, 00:17.828[1]; 4. 44-Gordon Smith, 00:17.891[7]; 5. 01-Dylan Nichols, 00:18.006[5]; 6. 66-Don Bellen, 00:18.132[6]; 7. 11-Nick Zielinski, 00:18.202[2]; 8. 71W-Jason Shedd, 00:18.774[3]
Abrams Press All Star Slingshots
Feature (15 Laps): 1. 74-Jaden Pierce[2]; 2. 20R-Julia Renwick[4]; 3. 54-Sullivan Dickey[6]; 4. 42-Kevin Loveless[5]; 5. 115-Paul Holic[3]; 6. 56-Ayden Goodier[1]; 7. 7J-Nicholas Jenkins[7]
Heat 1 (6 Laps): 1. 56-Ayden Goodier[2]; 2. 74-Jaden Pierce[4]; 3. 115-Paul Holic[3]; 4. 20R-Julia Renwick[7]; 5. 42-Kevin Loveless[5]; 6. 54-Sullivan Dickey[6]; 7. 7J-Nicholas Jenkins[1]
Hot Laps: 1. 54-Sullivan Dickey, 00:20.156[6]; 2. 115-Paul Holic, 00:21.485[3]; 3. 20R-Julia Renwick, 00:21.579[7]; 4. (DNS) 7J-Nicholas Jenkins; 5. (DNS) 56-Ayden Goodier; 6. (DNS) 74-Jaden Pierce; 7. (DNS) 42-Kevin Loveless
Anderson Towing & Recovery Four Cylinders
Feature (15 Laps): 1. 8WD-Jeff Weeks[7]; 2. 9D-Kamrin Krause[2]; 3. 13D-Kyle Simmons[1]; 4. 31D-Jeff Connolly[5]; 5. 42S-Hayleigh Gates[9]; 6. 18WD-Austin Weeks[4]; 7. 19TD-Kayla Gould[11]; 8. 35S-Hank Wedgren[6]; 9. 7D-Robert Burch[3]; 10. 666D-Rudy King Jr[12]; 11. 11AS-Hank Wedgren Jr[8]; 12. (DNS) 12KD-Zack Cummings
Heat 1 (6 Laps): 1. 13D-Kyle Simmons[1]; 2. 7D-Robert Burch[3]; 3. 31D-Jeff Connolly[6]; 4. 8WD-Jeff Weeks[5]; 5. 42S-Hayleigh Gates[4]; 6. 19TD-Kayla Gould[2]
Heat 2 (6 Laps): 1. 9D-Kamrin Krause[3]; 2. 18WD-Austin Weeks[2]; 3. 35S-Hank Wedgren[5]; 4. 11AS-Hank Wedgren Jr[1]; 5. 12KD-Zack Cummings[4]; 6. 666D-Rudy King Jr[6]
Hot Laps: 1. 8WD-Jeff Weeks[12]; 2. 9D-Kamrin Krause[7]; 3. 13D-Kyle Simmons[8]; 4. 31D-Jeff Connolly[2]; 5. 42S-Hayleigh Gates[4]; 6. 18WD-Austin Weeks[11]; 7. 19TD-Kayla Gould[5]; 8. 35S-Hank Wedgren[9]; 9. 7D-Robert Burch[1]; 10. 666D-Rudy King Jr[6]; 11. 11AS-Hank Wedgren Jr[10]; 12. (DNS) 12KD-Zack Cummings
Abrams Press Junior Slingshots
Feature (15 Laps): 1. 28RS-Addisyn Roger[3]; 2. 27-Blake Banek[2]; 3. 22F-Parker Fowler[1]
Heat 1 (5 Laps): 1. 22F-Parker Fowler[1]; 2. 27-Blake Banek[2]; 3. 28RS-Addisyn Roger[3]
Hot Laps: 1. 22F-Parker Fowler, 00:21.451[1]; 2. 28RS-Addisyn Roger, 00:21.953[3]; 3. 27-Blake Banek, 00:22.016[2]
White’s Welding Pro/Street Stocks
Feature (20 Laps): 1. 7-Gene Sharpsteen[6]; 2. 35-Ken Gates[1]; 3. 893K-Kurt Decker[3]; 4. 28G-Gus Gould[7]; 5. 25Y-Ken Griffin[5]; 6. 13-George Cushman[2]; 7. 14K-Mike Keith[9]; 8. 14L-Mark Lester[11]; 9. 44R-Ray Richer[8]; 10. 11C-Chris White[10]; 11. 89-Damon Decker[4]; 12. (DNS) 81-Bret Belden
Heat 1 (8 Laps): 1. 893K-Kurt Decker[3]; 2. 7-Gene Sharpsteen[4]; 3. 25Y-Ken Griffin[2]; 4. 28G-Gus Gould[6]; 5. 14K-Mike Keith[1]; 6. 14L-Mark Lester[5]
Heat 2 (8 Laps): 1. 89-Damon Decker[4]; 2. 35-Ken Gates[6]; 3. 13-George Cushman[5]; 4. 44R-Ray Richer[2]; 5. 11C-Chris White[3]; 6. (DNS) 81-Bret Belden
Hot Laps: 1. 89-Damon Decker, 00:18.786[8]; 2. 7-Gene Sharpsteen, 00:19.051[7]; 3. 35-Ken Gates, 00:19.246[12]; 4. 893K-Kurt Decker, 00:19.266[5]; 5. 81-Bret Belden, 00:19.413[2]; 6. 13-George Cushman, 00:19.922[10]; 7. 28G-Gus Gould, 00:20.115[11]; 8. 25Y-Ken Griffin, 00:20.509[3]; 9. 14K-Mike Keith, 00:20.728[1]; 10. 44R-Ray Richer, 00:21.001[4]; 11. 14L-Mark Lester, 00:21.168[9]; 12. (DNS) 11C-Chris White