Jimmy Zacharias and ‘Old Faithful’ Do It Again At Chemung”

Jimmy Zacharias Notches Another Win At Chemung”

Story By: CAROL HOUSSOCK / CHEMING SPEEDWAY MEDIA          Photos By:MOJO PHOTOS/ RACERSGUIDE.COM 

Chemung, NY.- July 16, 2016- It was hot but an otherwise nearly perfect night at Chemung Speedrome.  Fans witnessed some of the most exciting and competitive racing this season, with lots of passing and just six cautions in the five feature events.  Trophies and bragging rights went home Friday night with Jimmy Zacharias (Sunoco Modifieds), Tim Gullo (Super Stocks), JP Harbst and Kyle Lingerfelt (4 Cylinder RWD/FWD), Chuck Lohmeyer (INEX Legends) and Garrett Zacharias and Bryce Bailey (Bandoleros Outlaw/Bandit).

Jimmy Zacharias has relied on what he named ‘Old Faithful’ the past two weeks.  His decision to run the white #71 was the right one for the second week in a row, and gave him his fourth consecutive win in the Sunoco Modified division.

Zack Knowlden and Connor Sellars got things going by winning their heat races.  Sellars used his momentum on the outside to overtake Knowlden on the opening lap and led the way over him, TJ Potrzebowski and a battle for fourth between Zack Curren and Charlie Sharpsteen.  Zacharias made his strength obvious early on as he was up to third by the third lap.

While Sellars drove away, Potrzebowski was in defensive mode trying to hold off Zacharias.  That battle ended and by lap fourteen Zacharias started to reel in Sellars.  Their pace was so fast that they were looking at lap traffic by lap 20.  That’s when things changed up front.  Zacharias used his track experience and emerged from the lap cars in the lead.  Sellars held on to second, ahead of Potrzebowski and Curren.

The only caution came when Chris Clemens spun coming off turn four with eleven laps remaining.  Zacharias prevailed on the restart, which was not a good one for Sellars who lost three positions.  Over the final five laps Curren was on a tear but it was too little too late.  Zacharias scored the win over Potrzebowski, Curren, Kent and Sellars.  “I bided my time out there, I could have raced those guys differently but they race me clean and I did the same to them,” he said as he leaned against Old Faithful after the race.

The Super Stocks put on a super, caution-free 25-lap feature.  Tim Gullo and Nick Robinson won the two heat races to set the field for the main event.  Frank Chapman got the better of Robinson at the drop of the green and led early.  Tony Jilson, driving a Sharpsteen #34, passed Chapman and led the fourth lap.  Gullo and Mike Nichols were with the leader duo, creating a four-car breakaway.  Gullo waited for the right moment then passed Jilson, becoming the new leader on lap seven.  Nichols also passed Jilson and looked high and low for a way around Gullo.

He found it, and became the new leader on the eleventh lap.  As the laps clicked off, the top four chased down the four cars running at the back of the pack.  How they maneuvered around those cars set up some exciting moves, where Gullo’s dirt track experience came into play.  Gullo took over, then Nichols reclaimed the lead.  On the final lap Gullo found an inside opening in turn two, held the low line, avoided the lap cars, and pulled off the win over Nichols, Jilson, Chapman and Randy Davenport.

“That was a tough one but a lot of fun,” Gullo told the crowd.  That was Gullo’s second 2016 win at Chemung, including an earlier victory in the NYSS series.

Since coming on board a few weeks ago, JP Harbst has made his presence known in the 4 Cylinder division.  He and Jordan Mathews, both of whom run FWD machines, won the two heats and started beside each other on the front row for the 20-lap feature.  Harbst led the field off turn two as Mathews and Kyle Lingerfelt were in chase mode.  Behind them Monica Green and Zack Bennett ran together for fourth and fifth.

At the halfway point Bennett was running fourth but the leaders were some distance ahead and closing in on lap traffic.  Mathews emerged from the lap traffic with the lead, dropping Harbst to second.  The only caution flag came out when Bennett spun in turn two.  Four laps remained and Mathews had Harbst lined up beside him for the restart.  Mathews led off turn two but Harbst got to the inside between turns one and two and reclaimed the lead on the 18th lap.  From then Harbst held on and scored a career-first feature win.  Mathews, Lingerfelt, Bennett and Green posted top five finishes.  Lingerfelt was the highest of the FWD contingent.

Chuck Lohmeyer’s first INEX Legends win was a long time coming.  His second took a little over a month, and he did so in a sweep.  Point leader Alexandria Smith and Kevin Youngs won the other two heats that set the field.  Max Evans and Kevin Youngs had front row starting positions for the 20-lap feature and Youngs took the early lead.  Lohmeyer, who started third, was running second while Keith Youngs had was right behind him in third.

It was a great race up front and it was interrupted, by not over, when the only caution flag flew on the 15th lap.  Alex Bowen and Pat Judson got together in turn two and Kevin Youngs got a piece of the action.

That ended, for a while, his position in the top five.  Keith Youngs faltered a bit on the restart as Lohmeyer, Matt Evans and Smith all got around him.  All trio pulled away from Youngs.  Right behind him Kyle Youngs and Jimmy Zacharias were engaged in a spirited tussle for fifth.  Kyle did a great job defending his position.  Back up front Lohmeyer maintained the top spot but Evans gave it everything he had.  On this night he had to settle for second, as Lohmeyer got him by a few feet at the checkered.  Smith finished third, followed by Keith Youngs and Kyle Youngs.

“That late caution brought us back together, so when I got through turn one I focused on turn two – one corner at a time,” Lohmeyer said from victory lane.

Smokey and the Bandit is now in reruns at Chemung.  The big hit, starring Bandolero drivers Garrett Zacharias as Smokey and Bryce Bailey as the Bandit, played out again.  Bailey and Teddy Bowen won the qualifying races that set the lineup for the 10-lap feature.  DJ Shaw and Connor McCarthy got together in turn two on the opening lap, so caution reset the field.  On the second attempt Bailey led the way over Bowen.  Shea Bailey, Dominick Wood and McCarthy got together, which brought out the red for Wood.  He was transported to a local hospital.

Another three-car incident took place on the restart.  Five laps remained and Zacharias got by Bailey for the lead.  Bowen was also on the move and up to second with two to go.  Zacharias held on for his eighth win, this time over Bowen, Bailey, Joey Bernatavitz and Shea Bailey.  Garrett Zacharias (Outlaw) and Bryce Bailey (highest Bandit) shared another winning moment

This Friday, July 22nd Chemung presents a regular show of NASCAR Sunoco Modifieds, Super Stocks (double points) and 4 Cylinders, along with INEX Legends and Bandoleros.  Pits open at 4 PM, grandstand gates open at 5:30 and practice begins at 6.  First race starts at 7 PM.  Admission is $13 for adults, $11 for seniors 65+, $5 for kids 6-12, and free for kids 5 and under.  Fans who bring their adult or senior grandstand ticket stub from July 15th will receive $3 off their admission price.

Of note: 

·         Jimmy Zacharias, Tim Gullo and JP Harbst took home the Winner Winner Chicken Dinner bonus for free wings at Buffalo Wild Wings in Horseheads, NY.

·         Dominick Wood was treated and released from Guthrie Hospital with a possible knee injury.

For more information, log on to www.chemungspeedrome.net or “like” us on Facebook.  Chemung Speedrome and NASCAR, Asphalt Racing at its Finest!

Results:

Sunoco Modifieds (40 Laps):   JIMMY ZACHARIAS, TJ Potrzebowski, Zack Curren, Jesse Kent, Connor Sellars, TJ Zacharias,  Zack Knowlden, Charlie Sharpsteen, Gene Sharpsteen, Nick Morich, Chris Clemens, Cody Jackson, Joe Lane, Paul Johnson

Heats:  Knowlden, Sellars

Super Stocks (25 Laps):  TIM GULLO, Mike Nichols, Tony Jilson, Frank Chapman, Randy Davenport, Chad Lane, Nick Robinson, Chris Pozzi, Terry Potrzebowski

Heats:  Gullo, Robinson

4 Cylinders (20 Laps)  JP HARBST, Jordan Mathews, Kyle Lingerfelt (FWD winner), Zack Bennett, Monica Green, Ben Perry, Ricky Lane, Jason Peck, James Peck, Triston Kline, Zack Jaynes

Heats:  Mathews, Harbst

INEX Legends (20 Laps):  CHUCK LOHMEYER, Matt Evans, Alexandria Smith, Keith Youngs, Kyle Youngs, Jimmy Zacharias, Gary Ham, Kevin Wilkins, Kevin Youngs, Pat Judson, Alex Bowen, Daniel Carter, Max Evans, Anthony Riforgiato, David French, Charlie Lohmeyer, Jamie Mullen, Timothy Bowen, Mike Bollen, Jimmer Ulrich, Tony Hanbury

Heats:  Chuck Lohmeyer, Smith, Kevin Youngs

Bandoleros (10 Laps):  GARRETT ZACHARIAS, Teddy Bowen, Bryce Bailey (Bandit winner), Joey Bernatavitz, Shea Bailey, Joshua Duke, Mike Roth, Seth Zacharias, Nathan Musso, DJ Shaw, Dominick Wood, Connor McCarthy

Heats:  B. Bailey, Bowen