Jimmy Phelps Takes Brewerton Checkers and Championship

Jimmy Phelps Wins Brewerton Speedway Modified Feature And Championship; Ron Davis III And Jeff Sykes Also Champions 

Story By: DAVE MEDLER / BREWERTON SPEEDWAY MEDIA

Photos By: JAY FISH / RACERSGUIDE.COM
   
BREWERTON, NY – September 3, 2016 – A huge crowd and an overflow  pits set up a winning night for everyone Friday at the Brewerton Speedway. Three track championships and the final round of the A-Verdi Storage Containers 360 Sprint Car Series hit the speedway to do battle for the regular season finale presented by Schneider Packaging Equipment Company and  McDonald’s Restaurants®.

Feature winners were, Jimmy Phelps (Modifieds) Ron Davis III (Sportsman) Joe Isabell (Mod Lites) Bobby Varin (A-Verdi Storage Containers 360 Sprint Car Series Finale). Track Champions, Jimmy Phelps (Modifieds) Ron Davis III (Sportsman) Jeff Sykes (Mod Lites).

In the Tracey Road Equipment DIRTcar Modifieds the formula was simple for Jimmy Phelps and Larry Wight to decide who would be track champion with only a single point between them. Strap in for the 35 lap feature and who ever finished higher would take home the title.

Jimmy Phelps went out and took the feature and the championship. The key to the race was a lap 25 restart when Phelps moved into second and set his sights on race long leader Tom Sears Jr. It would take Phelps just 2 laps to drive by Sears and into the lead. Once out front Phelps was able to outrun Sears to the checkers for the win and the championship. Ryan Bartlett, Matt Hulsizer and Pat Ward finished third through fifth. Ryan Phelps, Larry Wight from 19th, Mike Bowman, Vic Coffey and Rob Bellinger completed the top ten.

After parking his J&B Installations/HBR/JRI Shocks/No.98H/TEO in victory lane celebrating with family and crew, Jimmy Phelps talked about his win and the championship.

“We kicked the season off with a win and have been good for a good part of the season and just haven’t made it back to victory lane. We had a little bit of a dry spell. I can’t thank everyone at HBR, Al (Heinke), Mohawk, J&B Installations,JRI Shocks enough. This championship is theirs.”

“We had three or four races where anyone else literally would’ve just put it in the trailer. They (crew) just thrashed and got me back on the track and back into the mix. If it wasn’t for how good those guys are we wouldn’t be here.”

In the SUNY Canton Sportsman it came down to Ron Davis III, Tony Finch II and Glenn Forward to decide the 2016 Track Champion.

Early in the 25 lap feature disaster almost struck  the driver’s going for the title when leader Joe Sobotka spun in front of the pack in turn four.  Sobotka’s spin stacked up the field in a chain reaction that involved Davis, Finch and Forward. All three were able to continue with no major damage.

When the feature went back green Ricky Yelle would lead until he clipped a uke tire in one and two ending his shot at the win. Corey Barker would lead from lap 6 until lap 15 when Todd Root took over the top spot.

After working his way from the back of the field, Ron Davis III would have a close side by side battle late in the race with Root. Davis would grab the lead on lap 22 and go onto the win and the championship. Tyler Trump, Earl Rudy and Corey Barker finished third through fifth.

Davis talked about his impressive win and title to go along with his Fulton championship after exiting his potent Scott Jeffery’s Performance Plus Shock Service/No.32R.

“I knew the car was tight in the beginning of the race, but I knew it would come around so I tried not to burn off the tires because it was slick tonight. Todd (Root) has been trying to get that win all year, I hated to take it away from him but I really wanted it. We were pretty equal and raced side by side for what felt like forever. Once I figured out slow was fast I drove right by him. We got a really good slick track setup right now. This car has been cracked, it has been welded, it’s just a fast car.”

In the 20 lap Firehouse Subs Mod Lite feature Joe Isabell took over the lead on lap 6 from Sam Usborne and led the rest of the way. The win wasn’t easy as he had to hold off challenges from teammate Justin Williams for his fifth win of the year. Josh Kinney, Casey Sykes and Joe Garafolo finished third through fifth.

With his sixth place finish Jeff Sykes won the track championship over Jim Bogett.

“Bogett let me go, I think he was sandbagging a little bit,” Jeff Sykes said with a laugh beating Bogett for the title. “Early in the season we had a couple wins. In July we really struggled. A broken shock was our only DNF here. We did our homework the last four races. Second, second, first, second (Finishes) tonight we struggled a little bit. Just couldn’t get the car to turn since the mid season. DJ worked his butt off, he worked on it all summer, night and day and finally got one.”

Thirty-six sprint cars signed in the pits for the final round of the A-Verdi Storage Containers Brewerton & Fulton Speedways 360 Sprint series. It would take four heats, dash and B-Main to set the 24 car A-Main feature lineup.

In the 25 lap A-Main Tim Axton would lead the opening 3 laps before Danny Varin would take over the top spot. Varin would have to hold off challenges from Chuck Hebing until Hebing got tangled up with a lapped car on lap 12 ending his chances for the win. Varin would lead the rest of the way for the popular win.

The race for second on back was a barn burner that went right down to the checkers. Sam Reakes IV nipped Mark Smith at the line for second with Smith third. Jason Barney and Steve Poirier rounded out the top five. Barney didn’t go to the scales after the A-Main and was put to the back of the finishing order. Poirier would move up to fourth and Shawn Donath fifth.

Friday, September 16 the Brewerton Speedway will swing back into action with the ‘Duel at the Demon II’ featuring the cars and stars of the  Modified Super DIRTcar Series in a 100 lap night of speed plus the DIRTcar Sportsman Championship Series. Adult admission will be $25/ 14 years old and under $10. Grandstands will open at 5:30 with racing at 7:30.

Any questions you might have please contact Cory Reed at (315) 668-6906 or cory@brewertonspeedway.com . For all the latest news log on to www.brewertonspeedway.com – www.facebook.com/BrewertonSpeedway .

September 2 – Schneider Packaging Equipment Co. & McDonald’s Restaurants Night Results

(Tracey Road Equipment DIRTcar Modifieds 35 Laps) – JIMMY PHELPS,  Tom Sears Jr., Ryan Bartlett, Matt Hulsizer, Pat Ward, Ryan Phelps, Larry Wight, Mike Bowman, Vic Coffey, Rob Bellinger, Max McLaughlin, Tim Sears Jr., Tim Kerr, Chris Hile, Joe August Jr., Mike Maresca, Chuck Bower, Chad Phelps, Jeff Blackburn, Andrew Ferguson, Tim Schneider Jr., Vinnie Vitale.

(2106 Track Champion) – Jimmy Phelps.

(SUNY Canton Sportsman 25 Laps) – RON DAVIS III, Todd Root, Tyler Trump, Earl Rudy, Corey Barker, Stephen Denton, Brent Joy, Alan Fink, Tony Finch II, Will Shields, Jack Meeks, Nick Krause, Billy Clark Jr., Jeff Stevenson, Tony Komuda, Zach Sobotka, Ricky Yelle, Dylan Zacharias, Chris Cunningham, JJ Courcy, Glenn Forward, Rich Townsend, Joe Sobotka, Richie Riggs.

(2016 Track Champion) – Ron Davis III

(Firehouse Subs Mod Lites 20 Laps) – JOE ISABELL, Justin Williams, Josh Kinney, Casey Sykes, Joe Garafolo, Jeff Sykes, Mike Mullen, Brian Meyers, Jim Bogett, Nick Graziano, Lowell Zehr, Dave Brown, Kelly Skinner, Sam Usborne, Tucker Halliday, Keith Stevenson.

(2016 Track Champion) – Jeff Sykes

(A-Verdi Storage Containers 360 Sprint Car Series Spectacular 20 Laps) – DANNY VARIN, Sammy ReakesIV, Mark Smith, Steve Poirier, Shawn Donath, Tim Axton, Paul Kinney, Bryan Howland, Tommy Wickham, Pete Richardson, Jared Hortsman, Jeff Cook, Jordan Thomas, Joe Trenca, Parker Evans, George SuprickIII , Brandon Kidd, Dave Axton, Matt Tanner, Chuck Hebing, Chad Miller, Paul Colagiovanni, Larry Wight, Jason Barney.