Big wins for Gustafson, Schenk, Horvatits, and Hanbury as the Shootout at the Bullring approaches

Big wins for Gustafson, Schenk, Horvatits, and Hanbury as the Shootout at the Bullring approaches…

Story By: Dan Turner /Wyoming County Intl. Speedway

Photos By: Paula Thompson/Wyoming County Intl. Speedway

As the 2018 whines down, everyone thought turn to one of biggest racing weekend in the Northeast. Known as the Shootout at the Bullring. It’s a 2 day event this year with racing starting Friday night Oct 12th and more racing Saturday Oct 13th. To cap off the fall weekend is the 100 lap Jim Pierce Memorial race. Why is this race so important? Well first it’s a tribute to a great Driver, Mechanic and family man. Jim Pierce was a SST Modified driver that was well respected and a great wheel man. Was always helping others no matter what class you ran, Mod, Super stock, 4 cylinder. It also helps that it’s a significant payday for the winner of $2600. (26 being Jim’s racing number). Details of the racing itinerary and camping info can be found on the tracks web site www.wcisbullring.com

With the Shoot just a few weeks away, many drivers and crews were on hand to try and get some good note and set up for the big race that caps off racing for 2018 at the Wyoming County Intl. Speedway. It was a full house in the garage area with nearly 70 cars signed in to race. And for those that came to watch most definitely got their money’s worth with fantastic racing and some flared emotions on the speedway.
4-Cylinders
I was told by an older gentleman in the midway area, “it’s a great night of racing, when you have 4 to 8 cars all with a very capable of winning in any given class, “ and he was right. The smallest of cars are the 4 cylinders, but they are far from the smallest in excitement. 1/3 of the cars in this division have won feature in 2018. Sickles and Sass where the two guys pacing this field to green. It would take no time for the non-regular, but 3x winner in 2018, Jacob Gusafson to jump out front from his third starting spot. Most thought the race was for the seconf position, but we were all wrong as the 2x winner of Greg Moldts would find his way to the front and the #26 The Shadow Jimmie Pierce Jr would come from last starting spot to battle with Moldts and then start running down Gusafson. Jacob had to put together 25 almost perfect laps to keep the Pierce and Moldts behind. That’s exactly what he did. “She’s a lil banged up, Thanks Jody, but it’s mostly cosmetic, it’s still a rocket” said Gustafson.

Super 6’s got a bit of good news on this night. With all the effort by local teams and participation from other track‘s teams, Super 6 will be a weekly class at the Blacktop Bullring in 2019. Great to give new drivers and crews a great entry level class and they have a whole winter to get a car and get it prepared for 2019. More invaders were on hand than WCIS regulars. Parthemer and last week’s winner Barrett Schenk brought this highly competitive field to green for their 20 main event. Schenk wasted no time in showing why he is a track champion and that last week’s win was no fluke. Hallett in the #36 had a valiant effort to no avail as his right rear tire was going bad for the midpoint in the race, but would hang on for second as new comer or first time to Wyoming this season, Brandon Allen would put his #89 in third at the conclusion of the Super 6 feature.

SST Super Stocks, this is where the emotion and tempers flared tonight. Mike Chenaille and Scott Gleed would bring this field to green for their 50 lap event. Both Chenaille and Gleed have had terrible luck. Gleed, all year in the features as he has won some heats. Chenaille was had bad luck in the second half of the season. Both looking to turn it around and close out 2018 strong. Gleed and Chenaille would battle for the lead and it was not long before the Stealth missle of Joe Horvatits would take control of the race. Thru a few cautions and restarts, Horvatits was dominating. His closest competition was the 17x of Meyers the 2018 track champion and the 14 of Dan Majchrzak.

Early in this feature there seemed to be some bad blood between Majchrzak and Meyers from the previous week. Last week these two came together in a heat race cutting down a tire on the 17x and the 14 bent a rear axle. Both would make repairs and run the balance of the night. That brings us to tonight where you have two very good drivers that was not going to cut any slack to the other. Early in the 50 lap main these two were racing hard and they made contact with each other entering turn 3. Both cars heading for the concrete wall that always wins. Majchrzak hit the hall a ton and the right side of the car climbed the wall doing significant damage to the Majchrzak machine. Meyer on the other hand had significant damage to his right side. What appeared to be mostly cosmetic, as Meyers went pit side and was checked over by his crew. Meyers would return and get a very respectful second for the night.

SST Modifieds
Lots of action on the speedway for the Modifieds. As I stated earlier, a bunch of invaders came to the track to shake down their cars in preparation of the BIG Shootout at the Bullring October 12th -13th. Twenty six cars on hand and that calculates into tons of action on a 1/3 mile speedway. After the redraw, Bro Bradshaw would be on the pole with last week’s winner Alan Bookmiller to his outside. Then it looked like the who’s who of Modified drivers, Rusty Smith, Tony Hanbury, TJ Potrzebowski, John Barbar, Patti Pruitt and our weekly runners. Rick Knapp Jr,(2018 WCIS Champion), Dan Majchrzak, the Bradshaw Brothers and the Dennie Girls. A great start for all and it would not last as the first a a handful of cautions would slow the field. The first was the #66 of Geoff Sharkey, seems the fuel cap came off and he was spilling fuel on the track. Back to green and bookmiller had the lead with Bradshaw second and the charging Rusty Smith on his way to the front.

Hanbury, Potrzebowski and Majchrzak and Knapp were bidding their time and making their way to the front. The surface of the Bullring is not overly abusive to tires, but these seasoned racers were not going to waste the tires in the first half of the race. They all knew they needed some tire in the last 10 -15 laps if they wanted a shot at the win. About 20 laps in it was Smith , Hanbury and Potrzebowski in the top three positions and as the restart happened it seemed Smiths car when wide forcing Hanbury up in the marbles. Hanbury gathered it up and we stayed green, a few laps later Hanbury passed Smith and coming down the front straight Hanbury repaid the favor as he break checked Smith allowing Potrzebowski to blow by both cars.

That was short lived as both Hanbury and Smith would get back by the Potrzebowski #72. Then it seemed every 20 or so laps we would draw a caution and that would tighten the field back up and add to what could be a lot more drama. Lap 25 the Billy Kosachook would spin his #19 machine. Lap 32 the Timmy Lewis car would come to a stop in the infield just off the racing surface in turns 1 and 2. Lap 55 saw the 6j machine of Carrie Bolton loose the handle and spin her ride off turn 2 and slide thru the grass on the back straight away. The last caution flew on lap 85 with Jen Dennie looping her #22 ride off turn four. This left us with a 15 lap shoot out, sort of a look into the future and see who was best prepared for the 100 laps tonight as well as the Jim Pierce Memorial race in a few weeks.

Hanbury was on point, Smith at the ready and local runners Knapp and Majchrzak representing WCIS well. Also representing the speedway wall was the fact our four lady racers were all running together and in the top ten. Cassie Logsdon, 7th, Beth Dennie 8th, her sister Jen 9th and Carrie Bolton rounding out the top ten. So the 15 lap shoot out. The questions were answered soon as the green fell for the last 15 circuits or 5 miles. It looks as if the top ten or so had played it just about perfect. Hanbury jumped out front, smuith in second followed by Knap, Majchrzak and Potrzebowski. Winner circle interviews were as expected, “Well Rusty ran me up in the loose stuff cause he knew we were a rocket on restarts, so after a few laps and the tires were cleaned off we got back around him and repaid the favor” Smith said “ Tony has run into us before and this is twice I let him gather it up and we raced on, next time I won’t be so nice”. So with the Writing on the wall it will be interesting at the very least to see if this power struggle of two very talented drivers carries thru to the Shootout at the Bullring October.
Order your pictures and Video of the Sept 1st race and you decide who was right and wrong at www.mmsportsphotos.com or www.racingfanchaser88.com

The new 2018 Shootout at the Bullring format will be as follows:

Friday, October 12th, 2018 –
WCIS Super Stocks (50), 6 Cylinders (25), 4 Cylinder Dash-4-Cash (20)
SST Modified Pit Stop Challenge during intermission
– 4 person crew/driver in-car
– 2 right sides
– $100 bonus to winning crew + 2 new air tire changing guns
Entertainment/Camp Fires to Follow

Saturday, October 13th, 2018 –
SST Modified Jim Pierce Memorial 100 (100), NYSS Sandra Vogler Memorial 51, 4 Cylinders (30), Vintage Racecars (15)
SST Modified Race is $2,600 to Win!

Sunday, October 14th, 2018 –
Rain date for either days events

4 Cylinders Heats: O.Bradshaw, J.Gustafson
1) J.Gustafson,
2) J.Pierce Jr,
3) G.Moldts,
4) O.Bradshaw,
5) J.Klamut,
6) S.Sickles,
7) K.Ricketson,
8) J.Sass,
9) M.Hurlburt,
10) K.Kocher,
1) M.Virts,
12) K.Landcastle,
13) D.Heimes (DNS)

Super 6 Heats: J.Parthemer, B.Hallett
1) B.Schenk,
2) B.Hallett,
3) B.Allen,
4) J.Parthemer,
5) R.Cassidy,
6) F.Kline,
7) A.Cocilova,
8) T.Faro,
9) A.Knoepfler,
10) C.Parsons

Super Stocks Heats: D.Majchrzak, J.Horvatits
1) J.Horvatits,
2) Z.Meyers,
3) P.Flye,
4) S.Gleed,
5) E.Hastreiter,
6) C.Hicks,
7) K.Lanni,
8) F.Kline,
9) K.Skoney,
10) D.Majchrzak,
11) M.Chenaille,
12) B.Raycroft, \
13) E.Stone (DNS)

SST Modifieds Heats: A.Bookmiller, R.Smith, P.Pruitt
1) T.Hanbury,
2) R.Smith,
3) R.Knapp Jr,
4) D.Majchrzak,
5) Tj.Potrobowski,
6) T.Bradshaw,
7) C.Logsdon,
8) B.Dennie,
9) J.Dennie,
10) C.Bolton,
11) T.Lewis,
12) Z.Kosachook,
13) A.Bookmiller,
14) P.Pruitt,
15) B.Bradshaw,
16) S.Fuchs,
17) J.Barber,
18) N.Michielsen,
19) B.Kosachook,
20) B.Kosachook Sr,
21) G.Sharkey,
22) D.Kluth,
23) J.Matzen,
24) T.Alloco,
25) J.Whithey,
26) G.Noe (DNS)