Bachetti Scores his fourth I-88 Victory
Story By: STEPHEN CLAPPERTON / I-88 SPEEDWAY Photos By: OTTO GRAHAM / RACERSGUIDE.COM
AFTON, NY- June 20, 2016- Andy Bachetti’s last lap pass of Mike Clapperton vaulted the Sheffield MA driver to his fourth Greg Page Construction Modified feature win of the season and into the lead in the race for the Modified track championship at I-88 Speedway.
Bachetti started ninth in the 19 car starting field before working his way into the top five by lap three. Second starting Chris Bushnell, of Cortland, took the early lead in the 30 lap race before surrendering the top spot to Masonville’s Clapperton on lap 7. With Clapperton out in front, Bachetti drove his way to second on the ninth lap.
Clapperton began to work through lapped traffic on lap 12 and at the halfway point held a five car length lead over Bachetti. Using the far outside line around the track, Clapperton was able to work through heavy lapped traffic with Bachetti following.
With the white flag in the air Bachetti got a run on Clapperton coming off turn four and took the lead down the front stretch. At the finish it was Bachetti taking the win in the caution free race, Clapperton second, Mike Mahaney, of King Ferry third, Carbondale’s Brett Tonkin fourth and Mitch Gibbs, of Norwich, fifth.
“He (Clapperton) had a great car tonight. I was just being patient and that’s what it was all about. We’ve had a good race car here this year,” said Bachetti after the race.
“I started on the outside and I went into the first corner and it stuck and I figured let’s see what happens up here for the rest of the night. The high side was getting too far up and the end, the car was getting too loose and I was having to go further and further around the track and then I just ran out of steam I guess,” said Clapperton in a post-race interview.
The race was the first of four races in the Greg Page Construction/Slade Automotive Fast Cash Summer Series. Bachetti and Clapperton picked up extra cash bonuses as a result of their top two finishes.
Speedville’s Kevin Jordan broke through to take his first I-88 Speedway win in the Chambers and O’Hara Sportsmen feature. Jordan, starting eleventh on the grid and took the lead from Afton’s Skip Pickwick on lap thirteen. Pickwick would come to a stop in turn three bringing out the first caution of the night.
Jordan went on to take the win with Claude Hutchings Jr., of Sauquoit, second, Delhi’s Dave Rosa third, Charlie Hendrickson Jr., of Bethel, fourth and Mountain Top PA’s Ricky Ross Jr., fifth.
In the heldover Williams Tire and Auto Crate Sportsmen feature Allan Hodge, of Sherburne, picked up his first career Sportsmen win after making the move up from the Truck division. Hodge took the lead from Delhi’s Matt Priscott on lap six and went on to take the win. Nick Nye, of Cortland, finished second with Dolgeville’s Cody Clark third, Dustin Jordan, of Speedsville fourth and Nineveh’s Matt Roberts fifth.
In the regular Williams Tire and Auto Crate Sportsmen feature A.J. Digsby cruised to his first I-88 Speedway feature win from his pole position start. Matt Roberts finished second with Cody Clark third, Norwich’s Harold Humphrey fourth and Richford’s Pat Jordan fifth.
Oneonta’s Dustin Harris took the lead at the start of the Nu Look Collision Street Stock feature and pulled away to a half straightway win over Downsville’s Dave Cronk. Jon Carpenter, of Candor finished third with Windsor’s Doug Polhamus fourth and Tom Savercool, of Lakewood, finished fifth.
After winning in Mike Stoddard’s car two weeks ago, Gary Roberts returned to victory lane in his own car in the Vernooy’s Automotive Excellence IMCA Modified feature. Roberts, of Nineveh, took the lead from Katelville’s Stoddard coming off turn four on lap 17. The caution would come out for debris putting Roberts in the lead for the restart.
The caution would come out again on lap 18 when Binghamton’s Matt Cole and Stoddard would lock bumpers in turn three. When the race went back to green, Roberts would take the win with Tyler Stoddard, of Katelville, second, Harpursville’s James Cornell third, Stamford’s Beau Ballard fourth and Tim Vandemark, of Walton, fifth.
Brandon Clapperton, of Sidney, passed Unadilla’s Ralph Cuozzo on lap 12 to take his third Butler Auto Sales EST Truck feature win of the season. Bristol CT’s Trey Palmer finished second with Cuozzo third, Unadilla’s Bob Crandall fourth and Jerry Lanfair, of Norwich, fifth.
Cheyenna Ling, of Memphis, led every lap of the 15 lap SRP Sprint feature in taking the win just as her engine blew.
I-88 Speedway Results from ZMK Construction Night, June 17, 2016
Greg Page Construction Modifieds (30 Laps) Andy Bachetti, Mike Clapperton, Mike Mahaney, Brett Tonkin, Mitch Gibbs, Nick Nye, Rusty Smith, Paul Jensen, Chris Bushnell, Alan Barker, Alex Tonkin, J.R. Hurlburt, Darwin Greene, Matt Latwinski, Kurt Decker, Ken Titus, Jeff Sheely, Kenny Sparks, Steve Babicek
Chambers and O’Hara Sportsmen (20 Laps) Kevin Jordan, Claude Hutchings Jr., Dave Rosa, Charlie Hendrickson Jr., Ricky Ross Jr., Butch Klinger, Dwayne Jackson, Jeremy Vunk, Aaron Shelton, Jim Gould, Steve Andersen, Lisa Williams, Gary Card Jr., Tim French Jr. Skip Pickwick, Dan Allen DNS Jim Christ, Tyler Hart, Pat O’Hanlon, Rudy Roth
Williams Tire and Auto Crate Sportsmen Make up from June 3 (20 Laps) Allan Hodge, Nick Nye, Cody Clark, Dustin Jordan, Matt Roberts, Harold Humphrey, Brandon Kuhn, Pat Jordan, A.J. Miller, Matt Priscott, Rob Barker, Russell Hendrickson Jr., A.J. Digsby, Art Priscott, Travis Smith, Matt Brewer, Gary Card Jr., Matt Hynes
Williams Tire And Auto Crate Sportsmen (20 Laps) A.J.Digsby, Matt Roberts, Cody Clark, Harold Humphrey, Pat Jordan, Travis Smith, Gary Card Jr., A.J. Miller, Nick Nye, Brandon Kuhn, Dustin Jordan, Matt Priscott, Russell Hendrickson Jr., Matt Hynes, Art Priscott, Rob Barker, Allan Hodge DNS Matt Brewer
Nu Look Collision Street Stocks (20 Laps) Dustin Harris, Dave Cronk, Jon Carpenter, Doug Polhamus, Tom Savercool, Matt Bowman, Steve Polhamus, Rob Nober, Matt Thies, Ralph Cuozzo Jr., Eric Boynton DNS Doug Stack Jr.
Vernooy’s Automotive Excellence IMCA Modifieds (20 Laps) Gary Roberts, Tyler Stoddard, James Cornell, Beau Ballard, Tim Vandemark, Gary Smith, Tom Velez, Will Ward, Bobby Collins, Mike Stoddard, Matt Cole, Jim Cummings, Kyle Leech DNS Ken Winn
Butler Auto Sales EST Trucks (15 Laps) Brandon Clapperton, Trey Palmer, Ralph Cuozzo Jr., Bob Crandall, Jerry Lanfair, Rob Loucks, James Fowlston, Joe Bunt, Dylan Decker DNS Rob Northrup
SRP Sprints (15 Laps) Cheyenna Ling, Anthony Buckler, Bill Nichols, Matt Padbury
