Mike Mahaney Wins Hard Fought Battle, Takes I-88 Speedway Opening Night Victory
Story By:STEPHEN CLAPPERTON /I-88 SPEEDWAY MEDIA Photos By: OTTO GRAHAM /RACERSGUIDE.COM
Afton NY.- April 18, 2016- The 2016 season began on Friday night at I-88 Speedway with Mike Mahaney taking the win in the Modified division, Charlie Hendrickson Jr. winning the Open Sportsmen main event and Matt Robert making the move up from the IMCA Modified division to take home the first Crate Sportsmen trophy. Shane Wolf Jr. picked up the win in the Street Stock feature with Kamdin Maby taking his first I-88 Speedway Xcel Modified feature win while James Cornell brought home the win in the IMCA Modified feature. Ralph Cuozzo Jr. won the EST truck feature in the final event of the evening.
Defending track champion Mike Mahaney drew the pole and took the early lead at the start of the thirty lap Greg Page Construction Modified feature at I-88 Speedway. The race didn’t start out in Mahaney’s favor as front row starting partner Mitch Gibbs took the lead from Mahaney using the outside groove. Gibbs, of Norwich, would relinquish the lead for good on the eighth lap. Mahaney, of King Ferry, had to deal with heavy lapped traffic through the latter stages of the race allowing Andy Bachetti to advance from his twelve starting position to catch the leader as the race was winding down.
Mahaney admitted to some tense moments while negotiated the two and three wide lapped traffic in front of him as he caught a glimpse of Bachetti’s green machine late in the race. Bachetti, of Sheffield MA charged through the field and slipped past the second place Gibbs on lap fifteen and began to reel in the leader. Bachetti did get a run on the Mahaney but was unable to make the pass for the win. Bachetti crossed the line second with Gibbs third, Cortland’s Nick Nye fourth and Mike Clapperton, of Masonville, fifth.
“The whole night started out a little shaky,” said Mahaney in a post-race interview. “We couldn’t make it out for warm ups because we had an issue with the fuel pickup.”
When asked about the start of the race when Gibbs took the lead, Mahaney had this to say, “Racing with Mitch was really tough. He got off to a good lead. I was just waiting for the car to come in and I was thankful it did.”
Edmeston’s Dwayne Jackson took the lead at the start of the Chambers and O’Hara Sportsmen feature. Winning a three wide drag race into turn one, Jackson led Butch Klinger of Walton and Smyrna’s Duane Knapp as they completed the first of twenty laps.
Klinger used the inside groove to pressure the leader through the early laps of the race pulling next to the leader on number of occasions while sixth starting Charlie Hendrickson Jr., of Bethel, began to pick his way to the front.
On lap ten Klinger was able to capitalize on lapped traffic and slipped past a boxed in Jackson coming off turn two to take the lead. Hendrickson followed Klinger past Jackson setting up the battle for the lead.
The first caution of the race waved on lap thirteen when two lapped cars came together in front of the leaders. Klinger took evasive measures and missed the spinning car to maintain his lead. After another caution Hendrickson got a run on the outside of Klinger and took over the top spot coming off turn two on lap sixteen.
Hendrickson went on to take the win with Klinger second, Speedsville’s Kevin Jordan third, Cortland’s Nick Nye fourth and Travis Smith, of Harpursville fifth.
“Outside comes in,” said Hendrickson after the race when asked about the pass for the lead.
“Inside, outside. We had a little hesitation in the heat race and it wasn’t looking too good. I think we figured it out.” Said Hendrickson in victory lane.
Matt Roberts an A.J. Miller started in the front row of the inaugural Williams Tire and Auto Crate Sportsmen feature with Roberts taking the early lead. Fourth starting Pat Jordan, of Richford, pulled into second passing Miller, of Fultonville, for second coming off turn four on lap three.
Roberts opened a half straightaway lead by lap five but lapped traffic became an issue for the Nineveh driver on the eighth circuit. Roberts was able to negotiate through the lapped traffic and by lap 15 had opened a full straightaway advantage over Jordan.
At the finish it was Roberts taking the win in the caution free event. Jordan finished second with Dustin Jordan, of Speedsville finishing third, Miller fourth and Norwich’s Harold Humphrey fifth.
Harpursville’s James Cornell slipped past teammate Gary Smith on lap three and went on to win the Vernooy’s Automotive Excellence IMCA Modified feature. The win was Cornell’s 100th career win in six different divisions. Second starting Will Ward, of Cobleskill was the early leader but gave up the spot to Harpursville’s Smith.
After a pre-race inspection Shane Wolf’s car was deemed to be non-compliant to I-88 Speedway NuLook Collision Street Stock rules due to a tube frame chassis. After consulting with the other competitors in the division it was decided by the racers that Wolf would be allowed to compete but would receive no points for the evening’s events.
Wolf, of Susquehanna PA, would start on the outside of the front row and take the lead at the start of the race. Candor’s Jon Carpenter held down second place with fifth starting Dustin Harris, of Oneonta making an early race move into third.
Harris would slip past Carpenter and begin to pressure Wolf for the lead during the early laps of the race. Wolf started to open a lead until he encountered lapped traffic allowing Harris to challenge for the top spot, but Harris was unable to pass the leader and cruised to a second place finish. Carpenter finished third with Ray Lindquist, of Windsor fourth and Matt Bowman, also of Windsor, fifth.
“First off, I gotta thank my competitors because they are the reason we were allowed to stay here and run tonight. A big shout out to all them guys. They are a class act. I really gotta give a thanks to them” said Wolf after the race.
Susquehanna PA’s Kamdin Maby led all 15 laps of the MR Graphix Xcel Modified feature in taking his first win at I-88 Speedway. Eric Boyd of Kirkwood finished second with A.J. Miller third, Binghamton’s Steven Sherwood fourth and defending track champion Will Eastman, of Oneonta, fifth.
Unadilla’s Ralph Cuozzo Jr. outdueled Bob Crandall to take the Butler Auto Sales EST Truck feature. Crandall, of Unadilla, finished second, with Afton’s Rob Loucks third, rookie Colby Hendrickson, of Harpursville fourth and Sidney’s Brandon Clapperton crossed the line in fifth.
RANDOM NOTES:
After a late start, the first green dropped at 7:15, with the final heat getting the checkers at 8:22. Aided by the caution free Crate Sportsmen and Xcel Modified features the program was done well before the curfew.
Defending Xcel Modified champion Will Eastman’s car wasn’t ready so he borrowed a ride for the night.
Utica-Rome Sportsmen competitor A.J. Digsby took advantage of the two week grace period for drivers on Hoosier tires to give I-88 Speedway a try.
Nick Nye and A.J. Miller, and Ralph Cuozzo Jr. all did double duty on the evening with Nye competing in the Modifieds and Open Sportsmen, Miller running a Crate Sportsmen and Xcel Modified and Cuozzo running a Street Stock and a truck.
Phil Recchio made the haul from Sussex, New Jersey.
There were a number of outsiders in the pits for the night’s races as their regular speedways hadn’t opened. Jim Becker, a Glen Ridge regular, Dillon Groover, Cory Costa and Jeremy Smith were some of the Modified drivers who made the haul for the night. Groover posted the fast time in his heat race.
