News Director 
Story By: JEREMY PERRY / GENESEE SPEEDWAY – BATAVIA, NY – On Thursday night, the Big Block / Small Block Modifieds made their second and final visit to Genesee Speedway, capping off an exciting night at the fairgrounds.
As the checkered flag waved, it became clear that familiarity breeds success – five out of the six feature wins this season went to drivers who had already claimed victory at Genesee earlier in the year.
The Pinnacle of Power Modifieds was the main event, and Phil Vigneri seized the lead from the start, taking control on lap 1, while Andrew Smith quickly moved into second by passing David Flanigan on lap 2. Meanwhile, Erik Rudolph of Ransomville, NY, starting eighth, methodically worked his way up to 5th by lap 8. As Vigneri navigated lap traffic, a yellow flag on lap 11 for Andy Jankowiak’s incident reset the field. On the restart, Justin Wright surged to third, challenging the top two, but Rudolph soon followed suit, executing a precision slide job to claim third. Rudolph continued his charge, passing Smith for second on lap 19 and setting his sights on Vigneri. Capitalizing on Vigneri’s struggles in lap traffic, Rudolph pounced on lap 31, taking the lead and never relinquishing it. He dominated the final nine laps, securing a hard-fought victory. In Victory Lane, Rudolph humbly stated, “We’ll take them how we can get them. More importantly, there are a lot of big races coming up, and this is a good momentum builder for those. Vigneri, who led the majority of the race, was gracious in defeat, saying, “He’s (Rudolph) almost impossible to beat, and I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t a little heartbroken. I really wanted to win that one.” Andrew Smith rounded out the top three and was pleased with his finish, commenting, “To have a good finish and be on the podium with good guys feels really good.”
In the Star Graphics and Apparel Street Stock class, Dale Rissinger and Rich Conte led the field to the green flag, but Jesse Qutermous quickly made his move, passing Conte and setting his sights on Rissinger. A lap 4 caution reset the field, with Rissinger, Qutermous, Conte, Bryon DeWitt, and Damien Long making up the top five. Qutermous attempted to pass Rissinger on the low side but made contact with the infield tire, damaging his car and ending his night. On the subsequent restart, Bryon DeWitt of Pavilion, NY, seized the opportunity, passing Rissinger for the lead. DeWitt, who had been winless since June 6th, finally broke his slump, taking the checkered flag and securing the feature win, ending his drought in triumphant fashion.
In the Dan Kolb Family Automotive Bandit class, Addi Chamberlain and Paige Gayton of East Pembroke, NY, led the pack to the green flag, with Chamberlain initially taking the lead on lap 1. However, Gayton quickly regained control by the second lap and established a comfortable lead. A lap 5 caution, triggered by Carson Shetler’s spin, bunched the field together, but Gayton remained unfazed. She pulled away from the competition over the final five laps, securing her third feature win in just four weeks. This victory further solidifies Gayton’s points lead with only five races remaining in the season.
From Eldred, PA, Zain Harvey continued his impressive season, winning at every track he’s competed at this season, including Freedom Motorsports Park, Stateline Speedway, McKean County Raceway, and Bradford Speedway. His latest victory came Thursday night at the fairgrounds, where he started third and took the lead from Josh Wilcox on lap 12. A caution on lap 14 for Dennis Cummings’ spin allowed the field to close in, but Harvey’s dominance persisted. In the final laps, Woodward’s contact with Wilcox sent the latter spinning, but Harvey’s lead was unassailable. With this win, Harvey now has wins at five different tracks this season. The Rush Pro Mods will return to Genesee Speedway in late September for the Topless Nationals, a two-day show that promises to deliver more action.
Phil Vigneri III, of Elba, NY, continued his reign over the Stirling Lubricants Sportsman division at Genesee Speedway, securing his seventh feature win of the season. Vigneri quickly took the lead from Ray Bliss and John Venuto by lap 2 and remained unbeatable despite a caution on lap 3. Brett Senek, who won at Genesee Speedway last season in his only race at the track, started ninth and made a strong charge, but his bid to catch Vigneri was foiled when he was involved in a mid-race incident with Sam Hoxie and John Venuto. Brandon Machuad had his best run of the season, experimenting with different lines and ultimately finishing a strong second behind Vigneri. Despite a valiant effort, Machuad couldn’t catch the dominant Vigneri, who solidified his lead in the Sportsman division with the win.
The Detail Shop Mini Stocks closed out the night of racing at Genesee Speedway, with James Gayton of East Pembroke, NY again proving unbeatable. Gayton, who has been on a hot streak for the past two weeks, led the field to green alongside Racelyn Lippa and quickly pulled away. Lippa refused to back down, showcasing her best performance of the season and, at times, being the fastest car on the track. As she slowly closed in on Gayton, the two leaders encountered lap traffic, and Gayton seized the opportunity to expand his lead, navigating the traffic. A late-race caution involving Rocco Conte and Eric Brumsted set up a four-lap dash to the finish, but Gayton remained unphased, using his experience to hold off Lippa and secure his third consecutive feature win.
Racing action will return to Genesee Speedway on Saturday, August 17th, with an exciting Super Six program featuring a visit from the Classics on Dirt! Don’t miss this event, presented by East Coast Speed.
Pinnacle of Power Modifieds feature (40 laps) – ERICK RUDOLPH, Phil Vigneri III, Andrew Smith, Justin Wright, Brad Rouse, Kyle Richner, Tyler Willard, Jay Mallory, Will Shields, Dave Flannigan, Shannon Whaley, James Sweeting, Ricky Newton, Luke Carlerton, Brandon Michaud, Jessica Kriegisch, Dalton Slack, John Smith, Andy Jankowiak, Ray Bliss
Heat race winners – Andrew Smith & Justin Wright
Star Graphics and Apparel Street Stocks feature (20 laps) – BYRON DEWITT, Dale Rissinger, Damian Long, Rich Conte, Kenny Begnoche, Sherman Gage, Jeff Alminkinder, Mike Kelly, Jesse Qutermous, Caleb Wolcott, Trent Chamberlain – DNS
Heat race winners – Rich Conte & Byron DeWitt
Dan Kolb Family Automotive Bandits feature (10 laps) – PAIGE GAYTON, Brayden Davis, Lucas Newton, Carson Shetler, Addi Chamberlain
Rush Pro Mods feature (20 laps) – ZAIN HARVEY, JD Chamberlain, Nathan Hill, Tommy Kemp, Nick Arnold, Derek Austin, Dennis Cummings, Josh Wilcox, John Woodward, Tyler Oakes – DNS
Heat race winners – Josh Wilcox & Zain Harvey
Stirling Lubricants Sportsman feature (20 laps) – PHIL VIGNERI III, Brandon Michaud, Billy Bliech, Ricky Newton, Tyler Guzzardi, Ray Bliss, Tony Pangrazio, Brett Senek, Chris Hawkins, John Venuto, Joe Mickey, Gordy Hermanson, Noah Pangrazio, Tim Catalano, Sam Hoxie, Trevor Catalano, Henry Maier, Colby Adamzcak, Dillon Adamzcak, Greg Mrzywka
Heat race winners – Brett Senek, Phil Vigneri III, & John Venuto
The Detail Shop Mini Stocks feature – (15 laps) – JAMES GAYTON, Racelyn Lippa, Robert Knapp II, Seth Johnson, Mike Becker, Cody Wise, Jessica Petry, Rocco Conte, Eric Brumsted, Mike Dinehart, Chris Skobjak, Chris McGuire, Amber Lang, Bill Kapelke – DNS, Joey Swick – DNS
