VICTORY IN AMERICAN RACER CUP 45 WORTH $5,000. TRACK CHAMPION KYLE ROHNER DEFENDS HOME TURF WITH GRIT SERIES SPORTSMAN VICTORY.
Story By: REED MILLER / AMERICAN RACER CUP MEDIA
Photos By: GEORGE STEIGERWALT / RACERSGUIDE.COM
KIRKWOOD, NY.- October 11, 2016- Brett Tonkin picked the right time for his first ever Five Mile Point Speedway victory on Friday night over a stellar field of 60 Modified drivers. The victory in the 45 lap American Racer Cup Modified netted Tonkin over $5,200 in the STAR Series race. Modified teams from six states and Canada made for an amazing mix of talent. Defending race winner and back to back FMP Modified Track Champion Shaun Walker won the Champions Dash worth $2,000.
New Jersey drivers Billy Pauch, Jr. and Willie Osmun led the 25 car starting field to the start of the 45 lap American Racer Cup Modified feature. Pauch led the first three circuits but Osmun took command after a lap 3 restart. Duane Howard ran in third place and began to battle with Pauch during the early going as Osmun opened up his race lead. Racing throughout the field was two and three wide as a number of heavy hitters had started deep in the field.
Track Champion and Champions Dash winner Shaun Walker was on the move early as he quickly advanced to fifth place from his twelfth starting position. H.J. Bunting, III from Delaware International Speedway also advanced to sixth early from eleventh. Multiple early race cautions slowed the pace and on lap 10 two back to back cautions sent several drivers pit side for repairs.
When racing resumed Osmun look impressive as he again left Pauch and Howard to battle for second place. The caution would fly again on lap 14 as P.J. Goodwin slowed. Goodwin was able to restart at the back of the field. When the green dropped again Howard made his way past Pauch for second place as Tonkin and Walker ran in fourth and fifth. On lap 19 Pauch slowed with a flat tire bringing out the caution flag. On the restart Osmun pulled away from Howard as the top positions remained unchanged.
Great charges were being made by American Racer Cup overall Champion Andy Bachetti, Brian Malcolm, Rusty Smith, Dan Creeden and P.J. Goodwin as they had all started deep in the field.
Bachetti saw his great run derailed when he and Cory Costa got together on lap 26. Costa was done for the event and Bachetti pulled off one lap later. Osmun again looked smooth out front as Howard tried to keep pace with Tonkin and Walker maintaining their spots and Anthony Perrego in fifth.
The complexity of the race would begin to change dramatically as the final caution of the race flew on lap 40 for a slowing Joey Grammes. On the restart Osmun had a tire going down and Howard immediately took advantage. Osmun tried to keep his momentum but quickly dropped through the field.
Howard looked to be on his way to the victory when he too had a tire go down on lap 43 as the green remained out. Tonkin motored around as Walker tried to chase him down over the final two circuits. At the finish Tonkin was able to hold off Walker for the huge victory. Walker finished second with Perrego, Creeden and Malcolm finishing in the top five. Rusty Smith, P.J. Goodwin, Randy Green, Pauch and Osmun rounded out the top ten finishers. Creeden started 21st and drove to fourth, Malcolm came from 20th to fifth. Smith started last to claim his sixth place finish and Goodwin drove from 23rd to seventh.
Shaun Walker led wire to wire to win the American Racer Cup 15 lap Champions Dash. The victory was worth $2,000. Overall American Racer Cup Champion Andy Bachetti finished second followed by Dan Creeden, Duane Howard and Billy Pauch, Jr.
The GRIT Crate Sportsman program saw 45 teams on hand to qualify for the 25 lap feature event. Billy Osmun, III raced out to the lead at the start of the feature event in his first ever appearance to the quarter mile oval. Track Champion Kyle Rohner quickly began to make his way through the field from his sixth starting position during the early going.
A couple of early race cautions scattered the field but the teams did a great job as the race went green from lap 3 to 18. On lap 5 Rohner used his home track knowledge to work past Osmun for the race lead. Rohner opened up his lead over Osmun as Mike Decker ran in third place.
The lap 18 caution unfortunately would see Osmun’s great run end when the lapped car of Josh Mudge spun collecting him. When racing continued Rohner left no doubt why he was the 2016 FMP Track Champion as pulled away from Decker. At the finish Rohner would capture the victory with Decker, Pat Jordan, Jacob Dgien and Corey Cormier credited with top five finishes.
COUNTER POINTS…A whopping 170 race teams filled the backstretch pit area among the four divisions in competition on Friday night of the American Racer Cup Weekend…Teams came from CT, DE, NJ, NY, PA, MA and Canada…The Four Cylinder and Factory Stock features were postponed due to the Town of Kirkwood curfew…Racing was run non-stop with victory lanes being held at the completion of racing at the end of the evening…The racing was hard and there were numerous caution flag periods throughout the evening as teams were looking for their way into the feature events in all classes. 60 Modifieds, 45 Sportsman, 20 Factory Stocks and 45 Four Cylinders were on hand…
GARY’S U-PULL IT/INSINGER PERFORMANCE/LIAS TIRE/AMERICAN RACER CUP MODIFIED OFFICIAL FEATURE FINISH (45): BRETT TONKIN ($5,000), Shaun Walker, Anthony Perrego, Dan Creeden, Brian Malcolm, Rusty Smith, P.J. Goodwin, Randy Green, Billy Pauch Jr., Willi Osmun, Duane Hoard, Tyler Siri, Joey Grammes, Andy Bachetti, Cory Costa, H.J. Bunting, Mike Clapperton, Kevin Hartnett, Brad Szulewski, Steve Babicek, Mike Colsten, Danny Tyler, Jerry HIgbie Jr., Ryan Godown, Dan Hineline.
LIAS TIRE/INSINGER PERFORMANCE/AMERICAN RACER CUP MODIFIED CHAMPIONS DASH: SHAUN WALKER ($2,000).
GARY’S U-PULL IT/INSINGER PERFORMANCE/LIAST TIRE/GRIT SPORTSMAN OFFICIAL FEATURE FINISH (25): KYLE ROHNER, Mike Decker, Pat Jordan Jacob Dgien, Corey Cormier, Brett Graham, Dale Welty, Donnie Lawson, Brandon Grosso, Dustin Jordan, Lem Atkins, Mike Austin, Tanner Harpell, Randy Fox, Andrew Smith, Gregg Turner, Brad Cicio, Nick Branning, Billy Osmun III, Josh Mudge, Casey Pavlick, Tyler Johnson. 31, 93 DQ Tech Infraction.
Four Cylinder and Factory Stock features held-over due to curfew features to be made up on Sunday, October 23rd. Lineups posted below.
FACTORY STOCK FEATURE LINEUP FROM 10/7 (race to be run on 10/23 -no new cars can be added as the field is set): Kevin Garland, Charlie Towner, Jason Rinker, Buck Bills Jr., Jeremy Williams, Kevin Skelly, Chuck Culbertson, Bobby Hall Jr., Jason Neyra, Grayson Albansese, Ralph Cuozzo, 11 L, Josh Towner, Jason Travis, Todd Sutliff, Chris Groover, Stan Mathews, Buck Mills Sr., Justin Hall.
FOUR CYLINDER FEATURE LINEUP FROM 10/7 (race to be run on 10/23 – no new cars can be added as the field is set): Brandon Clapperton, Nick Kennedy, Chuck Powelczyk, Andy Brigham, Dave Schafer, Burt Reynolds, Nick Griest, Tim Bush, Klem Underwood, Dennis Kessler, Rob Loucks, Sam Curcie, Bob Crandall, Travis Hayes, Frank Kennedy, Dave Simms, Kyle Rogers, Sheldon Whitman, Josh Wilder, Chris Bonofski, Dave Bainbridge, Clint Kadaronak, Frank Smith, Rick Lunn, Don Doster, Randy Lane, James Shields.
