Bachetti Notches his Sixth Win of the Season
Story By: STEPHAN CLAPPERTON / I-88 SPEEDWAY MEDIA Photos By:OTTO GRAHAM / RACERSGUIDE.COM
Afton NY- July 24, 2016- Andy Bachetti continued his dominant season at I-88 Speedway by picking up his sixth Greg Page Construction Modified win in eleven races on Butler Auto Sales Night. Bachetti, of Sheffield MA, took the lead when Edmeston’s Paul Jensen got caught behind a lapped car coming off turn four with two laps remaining in the race.
“We had a good night tonight. It’s all about the American Racer Cup and winning races” said a happy winner in Victory Lane.
Jeff Sheely, of Alplause, took the lead at the start of the 30 lap Modified feature from his pole position start. By the third lap Binghamton’s Ken Titus had moved into the lead with Sheely in second and Jensen in third.
Jensen would slip past Sheely on lap 5 before taking over the top spot on lap 7.
The first caution of the race would wave on lap 13 with Jensen leading, Brett Tonkin, of Carbondale PA second, Titus third, Alex Tonkin, also of Carbondale, fourth and Bachetti fifth.
When the race restarted Jensen pulled out to a half straightaway while the Tonkins and Bachetti raced for second. The caution came out on lap 20 for debris with Jensen leading, Alex Tonkin in second and Bachetti holding down third. Bachetti would take over second on the restart.
Jensen had opened a five car length advantage but it was gone when he encountered lapped traffic allowing Bachetti to take the lead and the win. Jensen crossed the line second with Oxford’s Rusty Smith third, Alex Tonkin fourth and Brett Tonkin fifth.
Sauquoit’s Claude Hutchings Jr. captured his third Chambers and O’Hara Open Sportsmen feature win in the last five races on Mid-Season Championship Night for the division. Starting eighth on the grid Hutchings took to the lead from Walton’s Aaron Shelton on the tenth lap.
Shelton started on the outside of the front row and took the lead at the start of the race before relinquishing the top spot on lap ten.
At the finish it was Hutchings taking the win with Walton’s Butch Klinger second, Shelton third, Pat O’Hanlon, of Delanson, fourth and Delhi’s Dave Rosa fifth.
Williams Tire and Auto Crate Sportsmen rookie Allan Hodge grabbed his second feature win of the season on Mid-Season Championship night for the division. Starting on the outside of the front row the Sherburne resident took the lead from pole-sitter Matt Priscott, of Delhi, at the drop of the green flag. Hodge went on to take the win in a race which was slowed by just one caution.
Nineveh’s Matt Roberts finished second with Oneonta’s Brad Alger crossing the line third in his first I-88 Speedway appearance of the season. Fultonville’s A.J. Miller and Harold Humphrey, of Norwich, completed the top five.
Binghamton’s Matt Cole won the 2015 Vernooy’s Automotive Excellence IMCA Modified track championship without winning a feature. His winless streak at the track dated back to September 2013 before coming to an end on Friday night. Cole, starting sixth in the 14 car field took the lead from Katellville’s Mike Stoddard on a lap three restart. Despite pressure from Stamford’s Beau Ballard throughout most of the remaining laps of the race, Cole held on to take the win with Ballard second, Harpursville’s James Cornell third, Will Ward, of Cobleskill fourth and Nineveh’s Gary Roberts fifth.
Defending Street Stock track champion Doug Polhamus returned to Victory Lane for the first time since May 13. Polhamus, of Windsor, waged a battle for the lead with Windsor’s Matt Bowman, also of Windsor through the early laps of the race. Bowman’s night would come to an end when he made contact with a car which had spun in front of the leaders in turn two. All drivers were okay, but Bowman’s night was done.
Polhamus held off a high riding Jon Carpenter through the remaining laps of the race to take the win. Carpenter, of Candor, finished second with Oneonta’s Dustin Harris third, Brett Barrett, of Binghamton fourth and Downsville’s Dave Cronk fifth.
Ralph Cuozzo Jr. won his third Butler Auto Sales EST Truck feature taking the lead from Vestal’s Doug O’Hara on a lap four restart. Cuozzo, of Unadilla, held off Bob Crandall, also of Unadilla, to take the win. Crandall finished second with Afton’s Rob Loucks third, O’Hara fourth and Rob Northrup, of Bainbridge, fifth.
John Moore, of New Lebanon NY took the Empire Lightning Sprint feature win.
I-88 Speedway Results from Butler Auto Sales Night, July 22, 2016
Greg Page Construction Modifieds (30 Laps) Andy Bachetti, Paul Jensen, Rusty Smith, Alex Tonkin, Brett Tonkin, Mike Mahaney, Mitch Gibbs, Darwin Greene, Ken Titus, Alan Barker, Mike Clapperton, Brian Malcolm, Nick Nye, Jeff Sheely, Chris Bushnell, Dom Roselli Jr., Steve Babicek, Kenny Sparks, Dom Roselli, J.R. Hurlburt, Joey Colsten, Kurt Decker, Chad O’Hara, Nick Rochinski
Chambers and O’Hara Sportsmen Mid-Season Championship (25 Laps) Claude Hutchings Jr., Butch Klinger, Aaron Shelton, Pat O’Hanlon, Dave Rosa, Rudy Roth, Dwayne Jackson, Jim Gould, Lisa Williams, Skip Pickwick, Charlie Hendrickson Jr
Williams Tire and Auto Crate Sportsmen Mid-Season Championship (25 Laps) Alan Hodge, Matt Roberts, Brad Alger, A.J. Miller, Harold Humphrey, Travis Smith, Matt Brewer, A.J. Digsby, Aaron Jacobs, Matt Priscott, Eric Williams, George Begg, Colby Hendrickson, Art Priscott
Vernooy’s Automotive Excellence IMCA Modifieds (20 Laps) Matt Cole, Beau Ballard, James Cornell, Will Ward, Gary Roberts, Tyler Stoddard, Gary Smith, Aaron Jacobs, Mike Stoddard, Eric Stumpf, Jordan Torbitt, Jesse Velez, Chris Shultis, Tim Vandemark
Nu Look Collision Street Stocks (20 Laps) Doug Polhamus, Jon Carpenter, Dustin Harris, Brett Barrett, Dave Cronk, Ralph Cuozzo, Ernie Staelens, Matt Thies, Rich Fife, Matt Bowman, Shawn Stalker DNS Steve Polhamus
Empire Lightning Sprints (20 Laps) John Moore, Justin Philips, Clint Roerhs, Lou Torres, Rick Stone, Don Belin, Jesse Pruchik, Jerry Sehn
Butler Auto Sales EST Trucks (15 Laps) Ralph Cuozzo Jr., Bob Crandall, Rob Loucks, Doug O’Hara, Rob Northrup, Trey Palmer, Jim Fowlston, Dustin Wilber, Jerry Lanfair, Steve Judd, Damon Decker, Brandon Clapperton, Dan Laman, Ben Beecher
