177 Race Cars, Capacity Crowd Jam Thunder Mountain Speedway For ‘Sprint Car Saturday’ Special; Delaware’s Curt Michael Wins ESS 360 Sprint Main, Chad Cook Modified Victor
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177 Race Cars, Capacity Crowd Jam Thunder Mountain Speedway For ‘Sprint Car Saturday’ Special; Delaware’s Curt Michael Wins ESS 360 Sprint Main, Chad Cook Modified Victor; Other Winners Include Scott Goodrich (CRSA), Brandon Walters (Sportsman), Daryl Krebs (Crate), Clint Roehrs (Lightning Sprint), Larry Mekic (SRP), Coty Bishop (Rookie), Joe McCabe (XCel 600 Mod) & Steven Deinhardt (Street Stock)
CENTER LISLE, NY – Before a capacity crowd, Chad Cook drove to victory on Saturday night at Thunder Mountain Speedway.
Cook, of Deposit, N.Y., rolled the top line to the front of the field and cruised to the win in the 30-lap big-block/small-block Modified main at the Center Lisle, N.Y., facility. Forkey’s Construction presented ‘Sprint Car Saturday’ with 177 race cars signing in for competition. The grandstands were filled to the point of overflow, as well.
Ocean View, Del., driver Curt Michael, meanwhile, drove to the $2,000 victory in the Lucas Oil Empire Super Sprint (ESS) 360 Sprint Car event in spectacular fashion, muscling by Chuck Hebing with just two laps remaining in the 25-lap feature.
In the Modified main, Cook’s Mike Costello-owned No. 222 was on rails. He jumped to the top side of the speedway and was able to sweep past Ryan Jordan and Chris Stull, who had been battling for the lead. With Cook out front, all eyes turned toward the second-place battle between Jordan, Stull, and a rim-riding Nick Rochinski in the waning laps.
At the line, Cook earned the victory by a straightaway. The win for Cook was his fourth of the 2015 season.
Rochinski, the Dickson City, Pa., driver, returned after two weeks away due to engine issues and earned the runner-up spot as positions two, three, and four raced three-wide to the stripe.
Stull, of Virgil, N.Y., edged Jordan at the line, while Billy Spoonhower completed the front five. Point leader Mike Mahaney finished seventh and tops the standings entering Championship Night next Saturday (Sept. 12).
Michael, driving the Bill Gallagher-owned No. 5G, rode the extreme high lane to the front of the ESS headliner, clearing race-long leader Hebing on the 23rd lap. However, a flip in turn two involving Parker Evans negated the move, setting up a double-file restart for a green, white, checkered finish.
Hebing picked the outside for the restart. Michael drove hard into turn one, shoved Hebing up the track and drove on to a $2,000 payday in a rare New York State appearance for the United Racing Club (URC) multi-time champion. Hebing settled for a disappointing second, followed by New Jersey invader Robbie Stillwaggon, Quebec’s Steve Poirier and teenager Paulie Colagiovanni.
Scott Goodrich of Middletown, N.Y., dominated the 20-lap CRSA 305 Sprint Car event, his first-ever win on the Mountain. Goodrich, who had engine issues in his scheduled debut at the track a year earlier, was not to be denied this year. Goodrich’s most significant challenge came in the form of young Eddie Strada, who had driven into second only to spin midway through the main.
The former Modified regular at Orange County (N.Y.) Fair Speedway drove on to win over Thomas Radivoy, Dalton Herrick, the ’14 CRSA Thunder Mountain winner, Joe Kata III and Kyle Smith.
Sidney, N.Y.’s Brandon Walters, a regular at I-88 Speedway in Afton, N.Y., invaded Thunder Mountain and earned a $700 Open Sportsman payday. Walters drove from deep in the field to lead with just two circuits remaining in the 20-lap main, slipping beneath race-long leader Larry Hillis. At the finish, Hillis settled for second, with Kenny Hammond, Chris Jordan and Eric Leet in tow.
Daryl Krebs broke into the Crate 602 Sportsman win column for the first time in his career following the 20-lap main. Krebs, a graduate of the Street Stock ranks, fended off the challenges of both Pat Jordan and Brian Mady to take the checkered. Mady came out on top of a back-and-forth battle with Jordan to earn runner-up pay. Jordan, Shayne Spoonhower and Jon Miller completed the front five.
Binghamton, N.Y., driver Coty Bishop continued his dominance of the Rookie Sportsman division, taking the lead early in the 15-lap feature. He never looked back, leading Dayton Coney, Shawn Davis, James McIntyre and Mark Harmon across the line.
Clint Roehrs of New Paltz, N.Y., authored a thrilling drive to win the 20-lap Empire Lightning Sprint 1000cc main. Roehrs sliced through traffic, ultimately taking the top spot from Jerry Sehn in turns three and four less than five laps from the finish of a caution-free main. Sehn, Todd Lapp, Lou Torres and Shilo Boyce rounded out the top five.
Moscow, Pa., driver Larry Mekic used lapped traffic to take the lead and was never headed in a 20-lap SRP Sprint main that ran green-to-checkered. Mekic outdueled Bill Nichols – the most recent SRP Sprint winner on the Mountain – for the win. Bob Johnson, Jonathan Wescott and Gary Kratzer finished third through fifth, respectively.
Steven Deinhardt of Deposit, N.Y., outgunned divisional rookie Trevor Dudley in the early going of the 20-lap Barrett’s Race Cars & Components Street Stock feature and held off Rich Sharpsteen to take home a $500 payday. Shane Wolf Jr., early leader Dudley and Jack Holcomb Jr. completed the front five in a caution-plagued affair.
Joe McCabe of Binghamton, N.Y., drove to the outside of Brian Mady and powered to his second XCel 600 Modified score of the season on the Mountain. McCabe had chased Mady before making the upper lane work to his advantage. Mady, Kamdin Maby, Will Eastman and A.J. Miller chased McCabe to the checkered.
Two days of racing are planned for next weekend, Saturday–Sunday Sept. 12-13.
On Saturday (Sept. 12), points conclude for all divisions with Championship Night, headlined by Modifieds paying $1,500 to win, Open Sportsman, Crate 602 Sportsman, Rookie Sportsman, Street Stocks, XCel 600 Modifieds in a tour race paying $1,000 to win and Four Cylinders.
Sunday’s (Sept. 13) program, the MjH Oilfield Wade Decker Memorial, offers a $5,000 winner’s share to the Short Track Super Series Fueled By Hi-Tek Modifieds in a 50-lap main, plus the GRIT Series Crate 602 Sportsman, Street Stocks and XCel 600 Modifieds in a tour race, all paying $1,000 to the winner.
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: The standard pit area, a designated overflow lot and the infield were filled to capacity on Saturday for the second annual ‘Sprint Car Saturday’ special, with a total of 177 race cars taking part in the program….
An impressive fireworks display lit up the sky after the Modified feature took the checkered, thrilling the huge crowd….
All weekly Thunder Mountain divisions utilized a features-only format, in addition to the Empire Lightning Sprint 1000cc and SRP 600cc classes. Qualifying events were held solely for the ESS and CRSA groups….
Mike Mahaney drove both the Jim Shear-owned Modified and Doug Emery No. 33 Sprint Car. His Sprint Car effort, which began with an early feature charge, ended with a tangle in turn one….
Track conditions – despite the immense amount of racing – were pristine: smooth and racy with only minimal dust….
FORKEY’S CONSTRUCTION ‘SPRINT CAR SATURDAY’ RACE SUMMARY – SEPT. 5, 2015
Modified Feature Finish (30 laps): CHAD COOK, Nick Rochinski, Chris Stull, Ryan Jordan, Billy Spoonhower, Brent Wilcox, Mike Mahaney, Ken Titus, Brett Tonkin, Brian Malcolm, Butch Green, Colton Wilson, Mike Nagel Jr., Rusty Smith, Kevin Jordan, Jeff Sheely, Chance Spoonhower, Bob Henry Jr., Byron Worthing, Randy Brokaw, Kenny Hammond, Joe Eisenhauer.
Lucas Oil Empire Super Sprint (ESS) Feature Finish (25 laps): CURT MICHAEL, Chuck Hebing, Robbie Stillwaggon, Steve Poirier, Paulie Colagiovanni, Joe Trenca, Jason Barney, Thomas Radivoy, Tommy Wickham, Paul Kinney, Chad Miller, Cory Sparks, Jimmy Stitzel, Shawn Donath, Jeff Cook, George Suprick, Mike Stelter, Dylan Swiernik, Dave Axton, Parker Evans, Larry Kelleher, Mike Mahaney, Matt Tanner.
Did Not Qualify: Keith Prutzman, Pete Richardson.
CRSA 305 Sprint Car Feature Finish (20 laps): SCOTT GOODRICH, Thomas Radivoy, Dalton Herrick, Joe Kata, Kyle Smith, Josh Flint, Chad Miller, Brian Krummel, John Matrafailo, Mike Kiser, Kelly Hebing, Brent Jaycox, J.R. Hurlburt, Johnny Smith IV, Warren Alexson, Jeremy Quick, Cody Flach, Emily Van Inwegen, Josh Pieniazek, Eddie Strada, Dana Wagner, Michael Walsh, Matthew Jones.
Open Sportsman Feature Finish (20 laps): BRANDON WALTERS, Larry Hillis, Kenny Hammond, Chris Jordan, Eric Leet, Geordie Decker, Nicholas Mady, Shea Montgomery, Marc Goodwin, Kevin Jordan, Rob Compton, Daniel Burman, Tyler Keener, Dan Burman.
Crate 602 Sportsman Feature Finish (20 laps): DARYL KREBS, Brian Mady, Pat Jordan, Shayne Spoonhower, Jon Miller, Isaiah Forward, Greg Morgan, Todd Hayward, Shea Montgomery, Rich Powell, Dan Pease, Dustin Jordan, Lee Foland, Brandon Saddlemire, Kimberlee Morgan, Josh Szymanski, Kailee Dimorier, Marty Bunker, Ben Wheeler.
Rookie Sportsman Feature Finish (20 laps): COTY BISHOP, Dayton Coney, Shawn Davis, James McIntyre, Mark Harmon, Dan Allen, Thomas Ferguson, Devon Zona, Kinser Hill, Connor Spoonhower.
Empire Lightning Sprint Feature Finish (20 laps): CLINT ROEHRS, Jerry Sehn, Todd Lapp, Lou Torres, Shilo Boyce, Rick Stone, Nick DeNyse, Jason Shedd, Christian Wright, Mike Badgely, John Wright, Josh Chess.
SRP Sprint Feature Finish (20 laps): LARRY MEKIC, Bill Nichols, Bob Johnson, Jonathan Wescott, Gary Kratzer, Jordan Jandl, Lisa Kratzer, Kirsten Dombrowski, Josh Livingston, D.J. Forbes, Lawrence Joseph, John Kenyon.
Street Stock Feature Finish (20 Laps): STEVEN DEINHARDT, Rich Sharpsteen, Shane Wolf Jr., Trevor Dudley, Jack Holcomb Jr., John Cooper Jr., Jonathan Carpenter, Donald Russell, Buck Mills Jr., Mike Wilbur, Mike Chilson, Dan Force, Brett Barrett, John Cooper Sr., Rick Sinsabaugh, Earl Zimmer, Jerry Wilcox, Bob Mills, Levi Davis, Matt Spencer, Kevin Garland.
XCel 600 Modified Feature Finish (20 laps): JOE McCABE, Brian Mady, Kamdin Maby, Will Eastman, A.J. Miller, Dave Baldwin Jr., Eric Boyd, Doug Windhausen, Nick Chase, Bailey Boyd, Paul DeRuyter, Dakota Andersen, Chris Kithcart, Damon Henry, Jamie Frantz, Dusty Decker, Dana Davis.
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