Malcolm Makes A Statement: Brian Malcolm Keeps Title Hopes Alive With Commanding Thunder Mountain Modified Win; Nick Mady (Open Sportsman), Adam Hilton (Crate Sportsman), Shawn Davis (Rookie Sportsman), Matt Spencer (Street Stock – $1,000), Jamie Frantz (XCel 600 Modified) & Nick Kennedy (FWD Four Cylinder) Also Score
[xyz-ihs snippet=”Posts-Ad”]
Malcolm Makes A Statement: Brian Malcolm Keeps Title Hopes Alive With Commanding Thunder Mountain Modified Win; Nick Mady (Open Sportsman), Adam Hilton (Crate Sportsman), Shawn Davis (Rookie Sportsman), Matt Spencer (Street Stock – $1,000), Jamie Frantz (XCel 600 Modified) & Nick Kennedy (FWD Four Cylinder) Also Score
CENTER LISLE, NY – Brian Malcolm made a statement on Saturday night at Thunder Mountain Speedway.
Malcolm, of Lake Ariel, Pa., kept his championship hopes alive with a triumph in the 30-lap big-block/small-block Modified main event, his second of the season but first in a points-paying event at the Center Lisle facility. The score came in dominant fashion: Malcolm moved swiftly from his sixth starting position through traffic and was never seriously challenged once out front.
Malcolm earned $1,200 for his efforts. His prior 2015 victory came in June during the rich ‘Lightning on the Mountain’ Short Track Super Series Fueled By Hi-Tek special.
“Tom (Coar, car owner) told me before the race I had to get to the front quick if I could,” Malcolm said. “I saw they packed the top before our feature and there was a lot of bite out there. I rolled the outside the first lap and it stuck.”
Malcolm started outside row three in the main. By the completion of one lap, he had arrived in second behind pole starter Chance Spoonhower. After just four circuits, Malcolm’s Waymart Building Center No. 119 darted inside Spoonhower for the lead and began to pull away.
Behind the leader, an intense battle for second raged, at one point fanning out four-wide at the exit of turn two.
Ultimately, Mike Mahaney drove Jim Shear’s No. 77X to the runner-up spot on the 17th lap, with Chad Cook in tow. Cook, making a late-race surge, slipped past Mahaney following an extended side-by-side tussle, with five laps remaining.
By that point, Malcolm was more than a straightaway ahead. He cruised to the third-career score on the Mountain.
The win for Malcolm brought him to within 17 points of Mahaney’s lead in the chase for the $5,000 track championship. Three points-paying events remain on the ’15 schedule.
Cook, of Deposit, N.Y., settled for second in the Mike Costello-owned No. 222, with Mahaney, of King Ferry, N.Y., in third. Ryan Jordan of Dryden, N.Y., climbed from 14th starting position to finish fourth and Brent Wilcox of Binghamton, N.Y., was fifth from 12th.
Nick Mady of Milford, Pa., scored his second Open Sportsman triumph of the season in the 20-lap Open Sportsman main, earning $700. Mady using his trademark high groove, wheeled around Geordie Decker on the seventh circuit. He led the remainder of the distance.
Kenny Hammond, who at one point was shuffled to fourth, recovered by racing the outside lane to finish second, with Decker, Kevin Jordan and a returning Tommy Eiklor in tow.
Adam Hilton of Buffalo, N.Y., utilized a rare, front-row starting berth to top the Crate 602 Sportsman field. Hilton, shaking off a recent string of misfortune, led from start-to-finish in the 20-lap feature. With two laps remaining Shayne Spoonhower and Pat Jordan – who had been racing for second – spun to the infield, drawing the final yellow.
Hilton went on to win over newcomer Marty Bunker, who drove from eighth to finish second. Brian Mady, Dustin Jordan and Dan Pease placed third through fifth, respectively.
Shawn Davis of Berkshire, N.Y., earned his first-ever win in the Rookie Sportsman 15-lap main. Davis capitalized on a mid-race skirmish that handed him the lead and drove on without a significant challenge. Davis was leading the point standings enteringSaturday’s show but had not won a main. Dayton Coney, Kinser Hill, Cole Price and Kerri Cook completed the front five.
Matt Spencer picked the ideal night to win his first Barrett’s Race Cars & Components Street Stock feature in a year-and-a-half. Spencer, of Binghamton, N.Y., pocketed an increased $1,000 over a stout 21-car field. Spencer took the lead on lap three from freshman driver Trevor Dudley. However, it was anything but easy from that point on.
Spencer survived a final caution setting up a green, white, checkered finish, at one point racing three-wide with both Shane Wolf Jr. and Jonathan Carpenter, to reach Victory Lane for the first time since Opening Night 2014.
Wolf, from 11th, placed second, followed by Carpenter driving the Boynton No. 3L, Dudley and point leader Steven Deinhardt.
Jamie Frantz put his name on the board as a winner in XCel 600 Modified competition on the Mountain. Frantz started from the pole and led every lap of a fast-paced 20-lap main slowed just once – on lap 15 – by a caution flag. Eric Boyd, Bailey Boyd, Dana Davis and Tom Shiner finished second through fifth, respectively.
Nick Kennedy of Windsor, N.Y., broke into the Thunder Mountain win column in FWD Four Cylinder competition. Kennedy took over the lead on the fourth of 15 laps. Keith Potter, Guy Raymond Jr., Chris Taylor and Willy Turner trailed.
Racing resumes next Saturday, August 29, with a full program of Modifieds, Open Sportsman, Crate Sportsman, Rookie Sportsman, Street Stocks, XCel 600 Modifieds, FWD Four Cylinders and the visiting SRP 600cc Micro-Sprints.
Gates open at 4 p.m., with hot laps at 6:20 p.m. and racing at 7 p.m. Adult grandstand admission is $12. Seniors (ages 65 and up) 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 isthundermtnspeedway@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 THOUGHTS: “Wow” was the word of the night from fans and competitors alike regarding track conditions. The three-eighths-mile oval was smooth, tacky and wide with minimal dust creating some of the most competitive racing seen in the Southern Tier during the ’15 season….
Mike Mahaney turned his first laps in the Doug Emery-owned 360 Sprint Car in preparation for the upcoming ‘Sprint CarSaturday’ at Thunder Mountain on Sept. 5. Mahaney has been hired to wheel the No. 33 for some late-season Lucas Oil Empire Super Sprint (ESS) events….
Coty Bishop has a busy day. Bishop darted from his wedding and reception to Thunder Mountain to compete in the nightcap Rookie Sportsman main. Bishop had dropped his No. 7c at the track earlier in the day….
Both the Street Stock and XCel 600 Modified divisions enjoyed strong late-season car counts, checking in a 21 competitors in each division….
The entire program spun off rapidly with the Modified featured done by 9:40 p.m. and the final feature taking the checkered by10:33 p.m.…
Qualifying heat winners included Butch Green and Chance Spoonhower (Modified); Nick Mady and Kenny Hammond (Open Sportsman); Adam Hilton and Shayne Spoonhower (Crate 602 Sportsman); Thomas Ferguson and Tyler Keener (Rookie Sportsman); Steven Deinhardt, Trevor Dudley and Matt Spencer (Street Stock); Bailey Boyd, Jamie Frantz and Eric Boyd (XCel 600 Modified); and Nick Kennedy (Four Cylinder)….
AUGUST 22, 2015 RACE SUMMARY
Modified Feature Finish (30 Laps): BRIAN MALCOLM, Chad Cook, Mike Mahaney, Ryan Jordan, Brent Wilcox, Bob Henry Jr., Byron Worthing, Butch Green, Chance Spoonhower, Colton Wilson, Ken Titus, Randy Brokaw, Jeff Sheely, Mike Nagel Jr., Billy Spoonhower, Chris Stull.
Open Sportsman Feature Finish (20 Laps): NICHOLAS MADY, Kenny Hammond, Geordie Decker, Kevin Jordan, Tom Eiklor, Chris Jordan, Eric Leet, Dusty Jagger, Marc Goodwin, T.J. Frost, Dan Burman.
Did Not Start: Larry Hillis.
Crate 602 Sportsman Feature Finish (20 Laps): ADAM HILTON, Marty Bunker, Brian Mady, Dan Pease, Dustin Jordan, Daryl Krebs, Pat Jordan, Kailee Dimorier, Shea Montgomery, Shayne Spoonhower, Jon Miller, Hilary Ward, Isaiah Forward, Rich Powell.
Rookie Sportsman Feature Finish (15 Laps): SHAWN DAVIS, Dayton Coney, Kinser Hill, Cole Price, Kerri Cook, Brandon Saddlemire, James McIntyre, Thomas Ferguson, Coty Bishop, Tyler Keener, Lee Foland.
Did Not Start: Beth Brokaw.
Street Stock Feature Finish (20 Laps): MATT SPENCER ($1,000), Jonathan Carpenter, Shane Wolf Jr., Trevor Dudley, Steven Deinhardt, John Cooper Jr., Jack Holcomb, Rich Sharpsteen, Mike Wilbur Jr., Donald Russell, Earl Zimmer, Dan Babcock, Mike Chilson, Dan Force, Kevin Garland, Derek Peters, Rick Sinsabaugh, John Cooper Sr., Levi Davis, Jerry Wilcox, Bob Mills.
XCel 600 Modified Feature Finish (20 Laps): JAMIE FRANTZ, Eric Boyd, Bailey Boyd, Dana Davis, Tom Shiner, Brian Mady, Chris Kithcart, Will Eastman, Nick Chase, Logan Diehl, A.J. Miller, Joe McCabe, Dakota Anderson, Doug Windhausen, Jared Jordan, Wyatt Harrar, Damon Henry, Dusty Decker, Paul DeRuyter, Dakota Barlet.
Did Not Start: Kamdin Maby.
Four Cylinder Feature Finish (15 Laps): NICK KENNEDY, Keith Potter, Guy Raymond Jr., Chris Taylor, Willy Turner, McKenzie Gibson, Gabe Forward, Kyle Rogers.
[xyz-ihs snippet=”Posts-Ad”]
