Turned Around: Defending Champion Brent Wilcox Wins First Modified Event Of 2015 At Thunder Mountain Speedway; Kevin Jordan (Sportsman), Pat Jordan (Crate), Wayne Ross (Rookie), Shane Wolf Jr. (Street Stock), Mike Mahaney (XCel 600) & Dylan Robinson (Four Cylinder) Also Visit Victory Lane

Turned Around: Defending Champion Brent Wilcox Wins First Modified Event Of 2015 At Thunder Mountain Speedway; Kevin Jordan (Sportsman), Pat Jordan (Crate), Wayne Ross (Rookie), Shane Wolf Jr. (Street Stock), Mike Mahaney (XCel 600) & Dylan Robinson (Four Cylinder) Also Visit Victory Lane

CENTER LISLE, NY – It hasn’t been the best start to 2015 for defending track champion Brent Wilcox.

Until Saturday night.

Wilcox, of Binghamton, N.Y., recovered from a rare DNF in the previous Thunder Mountain Speedway event to win his first of the season on Fan Appreciation Night. Wilcox pocketed $1,500 for his efforts in the 30-lap big-block/small-block Modified event, taking the victory in convincing fashion with the Coar-Clark Motorsports No. 27.

“We finally turned it around tonight,” the soft-spoken Wilcox said. “Now, we’ve got to keep it rolling.”

Wilcox became the fifth Thunder Mountain Modified winner in as many events contested this season.

At the start of the main, first-year track regular Mike Nagel Jr. shot into the lead. Wilcox, who started fourth, arrived in second place by the completion of the first lap and pressured Nagel for the race’s first third.

Ultimately, he worked the inside of Nagel entering turn three on the 11th tour of the three-eighths-mile, banked oval.

Once in front, Wilcox opened a commanding lead with his Waymart Building Center-sponsored Bicknell mount.

As Wilcox led, Chad Cook was slicing through traffic from his ninth starting position in Mike Costello’s No. 222. Cook arrived in third on the 17th lap and took over the runner-up spot on lap 26. However, time ran out before the Deposit, N.Y., driver could mount a challenge on Wilcox.

Chris Stull of Virgil, N.Y., ran a steady race to finish third, followed by Berkshire, N.Y., driver Billy Spoonhower and Mike Mahaney of King Ferry, N.Y.

Nagel’s best outing of the ’15 campaign ended two laps from the finish with a flat tire.

For the second event in a row and third time this season, Speedsville, N.Y.’s Kevin Jordan drove to victory in the 20-lap Open Sportsman event. Jordan pocketed $700 for his efforts. Jordan surged to the lead on the 11th lap, working inside Eric Leet, Billy Spoonhower and Geordie Decker, who led the race’s first half before suspension issues prompted his left-rear tire to go down.

Leet pressured Jordan in the final laps but settled for second, followed by Spoonhower, a charging Kenny Hammond (who pitted early in the event) and Ricky Ross Jr.

Kevin’s brother, Pat Jordan, also of Speedsville, N.Y., won the Crate 602 Sportsman feature. Jordan started seventh and took over the lead on lap eight. Jordan faced a serious challenge in the waning laps from Brian Mady, who worked the inside lane to perfection. Jordan wasn’t to be denied, winning by a half car-length over Mady, Daryl Krebs, Josh Underwood and Randy Gates.

For the first time Wayne Ross visited Thunder Mountain Victory Lane following an eventful 15-lap Rookie Sportsman main. Ross took over the top spot late in the distance after a lead-swapping battle with rapidly improving Kailee DiMorier.

Shane Wolf Jr. of Susquehanna, Pa., made his decision to make Thunder Mountain his Saturday stomping grounds pay off with his first $500 Barrett’s Race Cars & Components 20-lap Street Stock triumph of 2015. Wolf drove to the front from ninth position on the starting grid to outduel John Cooper Jr. for the triumph. Wolf was able to take advantage of three- and four-wide racing during the opening laps of the feature to attain a lead he would not relinquish.

Jonathan Carpenter, Shawn Boynton and Donald Russell finished third through fifth, respectively.

King Ferry, N.Y., Modified standout Mike Mahaney continued his dominance of the XCel 600 Modified division in the Southern Tier. Mahaney climbed from 11th spot to chase Will Eastman in the final laps. Eastman relinquished the top spot four laps from the finish to Mahaney who took the checkered first. Eastman, Joe McCabe, Eric Boyd and Nick Chase followed Mahaney across the line.

Dylan Robinson of Harpursville, N.Y., remains undefeated in the FWD Four Cylinder division. Robinson’s fifth victory of the season featured the most challenges. Nick Kennedy, lap after lap, worked the low line on Robinson but fell just shy of unseating his good friend in the 15-lap main event. Mike Robinson, Todd Stanton and Collin Davey rounded out the top-five.

Racing resumes next Saturday, June 13, with a full program of Modifieds, Open Sportsman, Crate 602 Sportsman, Rookie Sportsman, Street Stocks, XCel 600 Modifieds and FWD Four Cylinders. The SRP Sprints also make their first appearance of the season.

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 is thundermtnspeedway@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: Pit parking was at a premium for Saturday’s program with 114 race cars on hand for competition. In addition to the track’s weekly classes, 11 lawn mower racers from the Southern Tier Mower Sports organization raced on a temporary frontstretch course prior to intermission….

During busy fan appreciation festivities, approximately 90 race cars were brought to the frontstretch while their drivers met with the large crowd on hand….

In an unusual twist, the track lights went down during the Open Sportsman feature. The cause was quickly identified as a fuse that caught fire. The issue was corrected and racing resumed with a minimal delay….

The 21-car Street Stock field was by far the largest in the Southern Tier over the weekend. The XCel 600 Modifieds, a first-year division at Thunder Mountain, grew to 22 entrants….

Heat winners included Mike Nagel Jr., Ryan Jordan and Chad Cook (Modified); Kevin Jordan and Kenny Hammond (Sportsman); Brian Mady, Pat Jordan and Adam Hilton (Crate 602 Sportsman); Kailee DiMorier and Cody Bishop (Rookie Sportsman); Donald Russell, Shawn Boynton and Matt Spencer (Street Stock); Mike Mahaney, Will Eastman and Doug Windhausen (XCel 600 Modified); and Nick Kennedy (Four Cylinder)….

JUNE 6, 2015 RACE SUMMARY

Modified Feature Finish (30 Laps): BRENT WILCOX, Chad Cook, Chris Stull, Billy Spoonhower, Mike Mahaney, Nick Rochinski, Brian Malcolm, Chance Spoonhower, Ken Titus, Colton Wilson, Matt Latwinski, Byron Worthing, Mike Nagel Jr., Butch Green, Steve Wren Jr., Marshall Balzer, Ryan Jordan, Mike Wilbur.

Sportsman Feature Finish (20 Laps): KEVIN JORDAN, Eric Leet, Billy Spoonhower, Kenny Hammond, Ricky Ross Jr., Marc Goodwin, Chris Jordan, Nick Mady, Dan Burman, Tommy Eiklor, A.J. Lord, Geordie Decker, Jake Fowlston, Larry Hillis.

Crate 602 Sportsman Feature Finish (20 Laps): PAT JORDAN, Brian Mady, Daryl Krebs, Josh Underwood, Randy Gates, Shayne Spoonhower, Jimmy Morton, Jerry Voorhis, Todd Hayward, Dustin Jordan, Dan Pease, Isaiah Forward, Adam Hilton, T.J. Frost, Eric Boynton, Rich Powell, Geoff Powell.

Rookie Sportsman Feature Finish (15 Laps): WAYNE ROSS, Coty Bishop, Rudy Roth, Kailee DiMorier, Richie Seeley, Shawn Davis, Tyler Keener, Kenny Benjamin, Dayton Coney, Cole Price, Zach Balzer.

Did Not Start: Kinser Hill.

Street Stock Feature Finish (20 Laps): SHANE WOLF JR., John Cooper Jr., Jonathan Carpenter, Shawn Boynton, Donald Russell, Dan Force, Earl Zimmer, Gene Sharpsteen, Kevin Garland, Levi Davis, Rick Sinsabaugh, Richard Hurlburt, Trevor Dudley, Jason Beebe, Rich Sharpsteen, Cyrus Homer, Mike Schrader, Matt Spencer, Brett Barrett, Pat Votra, Quinn Shay.

XCel 600 Modified Feature Finish (20 Laps): MIKE MAHANEY, Will Eastman, Joe McCabe, Eric Boyd, Nick Chase, Tom Shiner, Doug Windhausen, A.J. Miller, Matthew Colwell, Dylan McCrone, Dana Davis, Bailey Boyd, Rob Compton, Charlie Tibbitts, Wyatt Harrar, Brian Mady, JaMike Sowle, Keith Tesiero Jr.

Did Not Start: Jamie Frantz, Luke Harrar, Dakota Andersen, Kamdin Maby.

FWD Four Cylinder Feature Finish (15 Laps): DYLAN ROBINSON, Nick Kennedy, Mike Robinson, Todd Stanton, Collin Davey, Brian Nornhold, Gabe Forward, Willy Turner, Keith Potter.