Brian White Continues Open Sportsman Dominance, Isaiah Forward $1,000 Crate 602 Sportsman Victor
Story By:BRETT DEYO / BD MOTORSPORTS MEDIA Photos By: MOJO PHOTOS / RACERSGUIDE.COM
CENTER LISLE, NY –July 17, 2016- Danny Creeden is on a roll at Thunder Mountain Speedway. The Wurtsboro, N.Y., driver won for the second consecutive week and fourth time this season in the big-block/small-block Modified division at the Center Lisle three-eighths-mile clay oval. Creeden earned $1,200 after surging forward from 11th position on the starting grid.
“We’ve got a great car right now,” Creeden said after exiting his Hig Fab Chassis No. 16X. “The first few weeks were a little rough up here. Since then, everybody’s settled in and there is some great racing. Hats off to the Spoonhowers for their work on the track: there was a bottom, top and middle tonight. I used all three grooves coming through the field.”
Creeden went on to say the win on Saturday night was the 50th of his career.
From the outside pole, first-year Thunder Mountain regular Barry White of Mertztown, Pa., took the lead at the start of the 30-lap main. White, in his strongest effort of the season, led the opening eight circuits.
Meanwhile, former track champion Brent Wilcox was moving toward the front from fifth on the grid.
Wilcox put his No. 27 into the lead on lap nine.
Creeden, meanwhile, cracked the top-three by the ninth tour and one circuit later emerged in second.
As Wilcox occupied the inside lane, Creeden went to the top. By lap 13, he swept past Wilcox for a lead he wouldn’t relinquish.
As Creeden led, Chad Cook was on a mission with Mike Costello’s No. 222. Cook, who originally started 10th, drove hard on the outside lane and took over second on the 21st lap. Cook, of Deposit, N.Y., chased Creeden across the line for a runner-up finish.
Binghamton, N.Y.’s Wilcox placed third, a bright spot in a trying 2016 season thus far. Jeremy Smith of Triangle, N.Y., continued his run of consistency in fourth and a rim-riding Alan Barker of Norwich, N.Y., filled out the front-five finishers. Barker nosed out White at the stripe for fifth.
Brian White of Owego, N.Y., continued his dominance of the Open Sportsman division with another victory in the 20-lap feature. White made quick work of the field from eighth starting position for a $700 payday. White said the win was another step toward his hopes of winning the American Racer Cup program for Sportsman in 2016.
Chance Spoonhower bounced back from his recent bad luck for second, with Kevin Jordan making a late climb to third after starting 12th. Chris Jordan and Eddie White finished fourth and fifth, respectively.
An increased $1,000 winner’s share was up for grabs in the 20-lap Crate 602 Sportsman division and Bouckville, N.Y., teenager Isaiah Forward registered his second victory of the season. Forward, a former Four Cylinder champion, swept past early race leader Gregg Turner and was never headed, leading the remainder of the distance.
Forward recovered from an uncharacteristic DNF in the most recent event on July 2.
“I’ve been waiting two weeks to get back in the car,” Forward said. “I wanted to redeem myself.”
Shayne Spoonhower utilized the extreme outside lane to climb from 11th starting position for a runner-up effort. Tom Collins was third, followed by Brian Mady and Gregg Turner in his strongest run of the year.
Landon Cummings of Norwich, N.Y., won for the first time in his career in the Rookie Sportsman 15-lap main. Cummings led from start-to-finish in an event that spun off caution-free. Nick Soules was a solid second, with Connor Spoonhower, Ryan Alsdorf and Dan Allen in tow.
Port Byron, N.Y., talent Trevor Dudley “put together 20 good laps” to win his first $500 Street Stock main of the season. In doing so, sophomore talent Dudley held off two of the division’s best – Shane Wolf Jr. and Jonathan Carpenter – to take the win. Dudley held a comfortable lead for much of the distance, but a late caution regrouped the field.
Dudley ran error-free to the finish. Wolf, using the outside lane, edged Carpenter for second at the line. Carpenter had recovered from a backstretch skirmish on the opening lap of the main. Mike Wilbur and Doug Stack Jr. completed the front five.
In a borrowed ride, Oneonta, N.Y., driver Will Eastman scored the 20-lap XCel 600 Modified victory. Due to heath issues, Eastman’s car owner – Jim Loux – exited the sport. John Burnside, who purchased Eastman’s championship-winning car from a year ago, turned over the seat to Eastman and he swept the weekend in the Southern Tier, winning on Friday at I-88 Speedway in Afton, N.Y., and Thunder Mountain on Saturday.
Eastman bested young gun Kamdin Maby, Tom Shiner, Joe McCabe and Justin Shiner.
After several top-five finishes, Rich Gardiner of Chenango Forks, N.Y., finally broke through to score a FWD Four Cylinder 15-lap triumph. Gardiner emerged from a spirited battle for the lead with Michael Robinson and Clint Kadarondak to cross the stripe first. Robinson ultimately headed to the pit area with mechanical issues, leaving Gardiner to win over Kadarondak, Eric Rowley, Dave Jenkins and Keith Beach.
THUNDER THOUGHTS: A very healthy mid-summer car count consisted of 23 Modifieds, 16 Open Sportsman, 25 Crate 602 Sportsman, seven Rookie Sportsman, 18 Street Stocks, 19 XCel 600 Modifieds and 12 FWD Four Cylinders….
It was ‘Fan Appreciation Night’ at the speedway with competitors bringing their cars onto the homestretch at intermission. Race fans filled the straightaway meeting their favorite drivers, collecting photos, autographs, giveaways and more….
Nick Rochinski returned to the Modified division after several weeks away with engine issues. Chris Wood and P.J. Goodwin both earned top-10 finishes in their first Thunder Mountain Mod starts of the season….
Regional asphalt Modified standout Jimmy Zacharias made his debut on dirt, driving Gregg Turner’s No. 00X in the Rookie Sportsman division….
Racing resumes at Thunder Mountain next Saturday, July 23 with a full program of Modifieds, Open Sportsman, Crate 602 Sportsman, Rookie Sportsman, XCel 600 Modifieds, Street Stocks and FWD Four Cylinders. The Empire Lightning Sprint 1000cc Mini-Sprints return for action.
Pit gates will open at 4 p.m. Hot laps begin at 6:20 p.m. with racing at 7 p.m.
Adult grandstand admission is $12. Seniors (ages 65 and over) and Students (ages 10-17) pay $10. Kids 9 and under are FREE. Pit admission is $30, with no license required.
For Thunder Mountain Speedway general information and a complete schedule, visit www.thundermtnspeedway.com. The speedway office number is 607.657.8202. On race day, call 607.849.7899. The speedway e-mail is thundermtnspeedway@gmail.com. “Like” Thunder Mountain Speedway on Facebook or follow @thundermtnspeed on Twitter.
Thunder Mountain Speedway is located at 91 Hunts Corners Road Center Lisle, NY 13797, approximately 25 miles north of Binghamton. The three-eighths-mile clay oval features hillside concrete seating, free parking and camping, a variety of concession items and novelties, a family environment and more.
THUNDER MOUNTAIN SPEEDWAY JULY 16, 2016 RACE RESULTS SUMMARY
Modified Feature Finish (30 laps): DANNY CREEDEN, Chad Cook, Brent Wilcox, Jeremy Smith, Alan Barker, Barry White, Colton Wilson, Brian Malcolm, Chris Wood, P.J. Goodwin, Tyler Siri, Nick Rochinski, Jeff Sheeley, Nick Mady, Randy Brokaw, Nick Nye, Byron Worthing, Darren Schuler, Sam Allen, Ryan Jordan, Arnie Slade, Billy Spoonhower, Bob Hamm Jr.
Open Sportsman Feature Finish (20 laps): BRIAN WHITE, Chance Spoonhower, Kevin Jordan, Chris Jordan, Eddie White, Tommy Eiklor, Dayton Coney, Larry Mekic, Greg Morgan, Dan Burman, Carl Bittenbender, Daniel Burman, Larry Hillis, Jason Tuttle, Cole Price, Thomas Ferguson.
Crate 602 Sportsman Feature Finish (20 laps): ISAIAH FORWARD, Shayne Spoonhower, Tom Collins, Brian Mady, Gregg Turner, Allen James, Pat Jordan, Kinser Hill, Lanson Albanese, Daryl Krebs, Dustin Jordan, Geordie Decker, Brenton Miller, Mike Nagel Jr., Matt Brewer, Pat Parker, T.J. Frost, Kailee DiMorier, Hilary Ward, Kimberlee Morgan, James McIntyre, Tyler Keener, Bob Stahl.
Did Not Start: A.J. Williams, Cole Price
Rookie Sportsman Feature Finish (15 laps): LANDON CUMMINGS, Nick Soules, Connor Spoonhower, Ryan Alsdorf, Dan Allen, Bill Reidenbach, Denny Greenier, Jimmy Zacharias.
Street Stock Feature Finish (20 laps): TREVOR DUDLEY, Shane Wolf Jr., Jonathan Carpenter, Mike Wilbur, Doug Stack Jr., Matt Spencer, K.J. Yager, Dan Searles, Dan Babcock, Dan Force, Jeff Wilcox, Rick Sinsabaugh, Jack Holcomb Jr., Damon Decker, Earl Zimmer, Norm Whittemore, Dan Mazzarese, Eric Boynton.
XCel 600 Modified Feature Finish (20 laps): WILL EASTMAN, Kamdin Maby, Tom Shiner, Joe McCabe, Justin Shiner, Doug Windhausen, Nick Chase, Eric Boyd, Bailey Boyd, Rich Green, Damon Henry, Abby Price, Dusty Decker, Jamie Frantz, Jacob Waibel, Dakota Andersen, Chris Jordan, Dana Davis.
Did Not Start: Chris Kithcart.
FWD Four Cylinder Feature Finish (15 laps): RICH GARDINER, Clint Kadarondak, Eric Rowley, Dave Jenkins, Keith Beach, Chris Taylor, Guy Raymond Jr., Caleb Lacey, Mike Taylor, Cameron Searles, Michael Robinson, Zach Hayward.
