Ryan Bartlett Pilots Family Owned Racer to Brewerton Victory
Story By: DAVE MEDLER / BREWERTON SPEEDWAY MEDIA Photos By:JAY FISH / RACERSGUIDE.COM
BREWERTON, NY – July 16, 2016 – Ryan Bartlett from Watertown, NY and his family-owned team has raced in the Tracey Road Equipment DIRTcar Modifieds for many seasons at the Brewerton Speedway. He has had top-five runs, lead features late only to see it slip away at the finish.
All that changed for Ryan Bartlett Friday night. Bartlett took the lead on the first lap of the 35 lap feature holding off all challengers. He consistently ran the fastest laps of the race, winning by over four seconds when the checkered flag waved for his first ever Modified win at the speedway.
Other winners on Syracuse Haulers night were, Glenn Forward (Sportsman) Doug Williams (Mod Lites) and Ray Bechler (Four Cylinders).
Ryan Bartlett bolted out to the early lead in the 35 lap big block modified feature while behind him the racing was tight right at the drop of the green battling for position.
With 5 laps complete Bartlett held a couple car length advantage running the bottom of the speedway. Matt Hulsizer, Rich Scagliotta, Mike Bowman, Max McLaughlin and Ryan Phelps were in a tight fight for second through sixth.
At the 10 lap mark Bartlett and Hulsizer were in a two-car breakaway at the front of the field. Bowman, Scagliotta and Tom Sears Jr. showed in the top five on the scoring tower.
With 15 laps complete Bartlett opened the biggest lead of the race as Hulsizer chased the leader alone in second trying to find a way to narrow the gap.Tom Sears, Scagliotta, Larry Wight from 16th starting spot, Tim Sears Jr.and Chad Phelps were using every inch of the speedway racing for third through seventh.
Bartlett would open a full straightaway lead with 10 laps to go still running the bottom of the speedway. Hulsizer still ran in second but had Wight all over his back bumper as the final laps started clicking off the lap counter. Tom Sears and Chad Phelps showed in fourth and fifth.
Over the remaining laps Bartlett appeared to get quicker with no yellows as he cruised to the win by 4.378 seconds over the field. Larry Wight, Tom Sears, point leader Jimmy Phelps and Chad Phelps finished second through fifth.
After doing a victory lane roof dance on his DP Bartlett & Sons Plumbing/Heating/AC/No.93, Ryan Bartlett talked about his first ever Brewerton Speedway win.
“That doesn’t seem like it should be in the same sentence,” said Bartlett when the track announcer said his name and welcome to Brewerton Speedway victory lane.
“We haven’t won a modified race since 2006 (Thunder Alley Speedpark). It’s been a big monkey on our back for a long time. We could of ran some other tracks but we chose to come here and compete against the best competition and challenge ourselves week in week out. When you can beat those guys it feels pretty good.”
“I’ve got to thank my family, my uncle, my dad, my brother, without them none of this would be possible.”
Bartlett finished up talking about the engine that powered him to victory.
“We picked up this engine over the winter. It’s just been sitting on the floor for a few months. We finally put it in the last time here and it worked good tonight.”
Twenty-seven SUNY Canton Sportsman signed in the pits for the night’s racing.
In the 25 lap feature racing in the top five and throughout the field was tight the entire distance. Kyle Fink led from lap 2 until lap 17 when Glenn Forward used a power move on the top of the track exiting turn four on lap 18 to be scored the new leader. Once out front nobody seriously challenged Forward over the remaining laps for his second win of the year. Chris Cunningham, Tyler Trump, Kyle Fink and Dylan Zacharias finished second through fifth.
“This is what the team really needed, we have had a rough last few weeks,” Glenn Forward said in victory lane. “It’s cost us a lot of money. Had to take a step back and look at what we were going to do. Coming here we have had a lot of fun, had some bad finishes, some due to me, some due to other things. To come back and do this tonight is what we really needed.”
Doug Williams on July 1st became all-time feature win in the Firehouse Subs Mod Lites. He came back with a vengeance Friday night in the 20 lap feature for his second straight win.
Mike Mullen would lead the opening 10 laps of the feature before Jeremy Isabell took over the top spot. Isabell’s lead would only last two laps when Doug Williams used a power move on the top of the speedway to take the lead. Once out front Williams was not to be stopped for the win. Jeremy Isabell, Joe Isabell, Josh Kinney and Jim Bogett finished second through fifth.
“We stumbled onto something a couple weeks ago,” said Doug Williams in victory lane about how fast the car has been. “We were horrible in our heat race two weeks ago. We changed everything on the car, whatever we did, we left it.”
The JB Logging & Firewood Four Cylinders racers were racing in memory of a former competitor Russ Cusson who passed away in 2002.
In the 15 lap feature it was once again a battle from lap 5 to the finish between Chuck Powelczyk and Ray Bechler. Bechler would take the lead from Powelczyk on lap 10 and then outrun Powelczyk to the checkers for his fourth win of the year. Tim Dunn, Quinn Wallis and Nate Powers finished third through fifth.
This Friday, July 22, 911 Restoration of Syracuse will present a night of fast, affordable, family, fun racing. Adult admission is $12 with everyone 18 years old and younger free, pits are $27. Gates will open at 5:30 with racing at 7:30.
On the exciting race card will be the Tracey Road Equipment DIRTcar Big Block Modifieds, SUNY Canton Sportsman, Firehouse Subs Mod Lites, JB Logging & Firewood Four Cylinders plus One-On-One Spectator Races.
911 Restoration is putting up $50 to anyone who can beat Chris Rombough and his Subaru WRX in the One-On-One Spectator race. Rombough has not lost in two seasons at Brewerton and Fulton Speedways.
Any questions you might have and for marketing opportunities please contact Cory Reed at cory@brewertonspeedway.com(315) 668-6906. For all the latest news go to www.brewertonspeedway.com – www.facebook.com/BrewertonSpeedway.
July 15 Results
(Syracuse Haulers Feature Winner Bonuses) – Big Block Modified $400, Sportsman $200, Mod Lites $100, Four Cylinder $100.
(Tracey Road Equipment DIRTcar Modifieds 35 Laps) – RYAN BARTLETT, Larry Wight, Tom Sears Jr., Jimmy Phelps, Chad Phelps, Tim Sears Jr., Matt Hulsizer, Chris Hile, Rich Scagliotta, Chuck Bower, Mike Bowman, Billy Whittaker, Rob Bellinger, Max McLaughlin, Ryan Phelps, Pat Ward, Joe August Jr., Tim Kerr, Vic Coffey, Jeff Blackburn, Jim Witko Jr., DNS John West.
(Heat Winners) – Ryan Bartlett, Max McLaughlin, Rich Scagliotta.
(SUNY Canton Sportsman 25 Laps) – GLENN FORWARD, Chris Cunningham, Tyler Trump, Kyle Fink, Dylan Zacharias, Gregg Kimball, Stephen Denton, Tony Finch II, Billy Clark Jr., Zach Sobotka, Brent Joy, Corey Barker, Todd Root, Earl Rudy, Alan Fink, Jack Meeks, Rich Townsend, JJ Courcy, Nick Krause, Beth Bellinger, Mike Taylor, Mike Stanton Jr., Joe Sobotka, Ricky Yelle, Ron Davis III, Jordan Bennett, Will Shields.
(Heat Winners) – Ricky Yelle, Kyle Fink, Alan Fink.
(Firehouse Subs Mod Lites 20 Laps) – DOUG WILLIAMS, Jeremy Isabell, Joe Isabell, Josh Kinney, Jim Bogett, Jeff Sykes, Mike Mullen, Rick Demo, Casey Sykes, Lowell Zehr, Brian Meyers, Sam Usborne, Mike LaRose, Keith Stevenson, Tucker Halliday, Dave Brown, Kelly Skinner, Joe Garafolo, Chris Bonoffski.
(Heat Winners) – Joe Isabell, Doug Williams.
(JB Logging & Firewood Four Cylinders 15 Laps) – RAY BECHLER, Chuck Powelczyk, Tim Dunn, Quinn Wallis, Nate Powers, Stephanie Seeley, Mike Sherbeck, Sam Curcie, Evan Wright, Chris Bonoffski, Colby Herzog, Jake Petit.
(Heat Winners) – Ray Bechler, Chuck Powelczyk.
