Bachetti Outduals Mahaney for I-88 Victory
Story By: STEPHAN CLAPPERTON /I-88 SPEEDWAY MEDIA
Photos By:OTTO GRAHAM / RACERSGUIDE.COM
Afton NY.- April 24, 2016- Andy Bachetti grabbed the win in the Greg Page Construction Modified feature at I-88 Speedway on Friday might. Bachetti, of Sheffield MA started seventh in the 21 car starting lineup and broke into the top five by lap three. Opening night winner Mike Mahaney started on the pole by virtue of the draw and capitalized on the starting spot by taking the early lead. The first caution of the race came out on lap three and on the ensuing restart Norwich’s Alan Barker went high in turn two allowing Bachetti to slip under and move into third.
With Edmeston’s Paul Jensen running second, Bachetti dropped to the inside line in turns three and four and drove into second place on lap five. As Bachetti was working his way to the front Mahaney had pulled out to a five car length advantage. Jensen held on to third place, a half straightaway behind the leaders.
On lap ten Bachetti had caught Mahaney by using the outside line and lapped traffic began to factor into the race. Bachetti used the slower cars to his advantage and slipped under Mahaney to take the lead. Two laps later Mahaney returned the favor moving back into the top spot.
Staying in heavy lapped traffic Bachetti took to the outside coming off turn two and made a three wide pass to take the lead for good on lap 16. Mahaney, of King Ferry finished second with Norwich’s Mitch Gibbs third, Masonville’s Mike Clapperton fourth and Jensen fifth.
“Car was really good. Mother Nature helped the track, it was really smooth all the way around. It was fast,” said Bachetti after the race.
Aaron Shelton took the early lead at the start of the Chambers and O’Hara Open Sportsmen feature from the pole. Shelton, of Walton, held off second starting Claude Hutchings Jr. through the early laps of the race. After a lap two caution a three car battle for the lead developed between Shelton, Hutchings and Delanson’s Pat O’Hanlon, with Shelton maintaining the lead and O’Hanlon passing Sauquoit’s Hutchings to take over second. The caution would come out again after one lap was completed as Bainbridge’s Tyler Hart slowed on the speedway.
On lap 8 O’Hanlon worked under Shelton coming off turn two and held a half car length advantage at the line. By lap ten O’Hanlon had established the lead by one length over Shelton with Hutchings third, Walton’s Butch Klinger in fourth and Edmeston’s Jeremy Vunk fifth.
The caution would fly on lap twelve bunching the field for the restart with the top five unchanged. On the ensuing restart Delhi’s Dave Rosa broke into the top five while O’Hanlon began to pull away from the pack, opening a eight car length lead by lap 14.
At the finish it was O’Hanlon taking the win, Shelton crossed the line second with Hutching third, Rosa fourth and Klinger fifth.
“I had a real good race with that 391 (Shelton) for about ten laps. He ran a really good race and I was lucky to get by him,” said the winner after the race.
In the Williams Tire and Auto Crate Sportsmen division Nineveh’s Matt Roberts made it two for two in the inaugural season for the class. In a race that went flag to flag, Roberts started fourth on the grid and passed Fultonville’s A.J. Miller coming off turn two on lap 11. Miller started on the pole and led the first 11 laps before Roberts was able to work his way into the lead. Miller crossed the line second with Matt Brewer, of New Milford PA third, Harpursville’s Gary Card Jr. fourth and Harold Humphrey, of Norwich, fifth.
In the Nu Look Collision Street Stock division Deposit’s Steven Deinhardt cruised to the win in a rare I-88 Speedway appearance for the veteran driver. Deinhardt started outside the front row in his station wagon bodied ride and picked up the win in a race which went the distance caution free. Oneonta’s Dustin Harris finished second with Ray Lindquist, of Windsor third, Doug Polhamus, also of Windsor fourth and Afton’s Damon Decker fifth.
“It helps out when you start up front. We just wanted to come up and try it out. We’ll be stopping by during that Fight Night series,” said Deinhardt after the race.
Cobleskill’s Will Ward captured his first Vernooy’s Automotive Excellence IMCA Modified feature win of the year. Ward, starting on the pole held off an early race challenge from Walton’s Tim Vandemark. On lap five, Vandemark would go high in turn two allowing Katelville’s Tyler Stoddard and Gary Roberts, of Nineveh, to pass.
After a lap 9 caution bunched the field Ward maintained his lead over Stoddard, Roberts, Vandemark and defending track champion Matt Cole, of Binghamton. On the ensuing restart there was contact between Vandemark and Harpursville’s James Cornell sending Vandemark spinning.
The race restarted with Ward leading, Stoddard second, Roberts third, Harpursville’s Gary Smith fourth and Mike Stoddard fifth. After a lap 14 caution Mike Stoddard hit the front stretch wall on the restart bringing out the caution again. When the race restarted, Ward maintained the lead with Tyler Stoddard second and a three wide battle for third between Roberts, Cole and the now fifth running Cornell. Cole came out third with Cornell fourth and Roberts fifth.
At the finish it was Ward taking the win with Tyler Stoddard second, Cole third, Cornell fourth and Roberts fifth.
“This is brand new. We were late getting here tonight because the car wouldn’t start and it kept not starting so Mom, over in the pits would have to stand with me and rap the starter solenoid to get the thing with the hammer to get the thing started,” said Ward after the race.
In the Butler Auto Sales EST Truck feature defending track champion Rob Loucks slipped under race leader Doug O’Hara in turn one on the last lap to take the win. O’Hara started outside the front row and held off mid race challenges from Unadilla’s Ralph Cuozzo Jr. before Loucks, who started last in the 12 truck field, reeled in the leaders.
Loucks, of Afton was the winner with Vestal’s O’Hara finishing second, Cuozzo third, Unadilla’s Bob Crandall fourth and Jerry Lanfair, of Norwich fifth.
I-88 Speedway Results from April 22, 2016
Greg Page Construction Modifieds (30 Laps) Andy Bachetti, Mike Mahaney, Mitch Gibbs, Mike Clapperton, Paul Jensen, J.R. Hurlburt, Brett Tonkin, Mike Decker, Nick Nye, Rusty Smith, Don Hart Jr., Jeremy Smith, Brandon Walters, Ken Titus, Jeff Sheely, Chris Bushnell, Kenny Sparks, Darwin Greene, Alan Barker, Kurt Decker, Steve Babicek
Chambers and O’Hara Open Sportsmen (20 Laps) Pat O’Hanlon, Aaron Shelton, Claude Hutchings, Dave Rosa, Butch Klinger, Jeremy Vunk, Ricky Ross, Charlie Hendrickson Jr., Rudy Roth, Lisa Williams, Jim Gould, Gary Card Jr., Dwayne Jackson, Tim French Jr., Tyler Hart, Skip Pickwick, James Christ, Travis Smith
Williams Tire and Auto Crate Sportsmen (20 Laps) Matt Roberts, A.J. Miller, Matt Brewer, Gary Card Jr., Harold Humphrey, Allan Hodge, Matt Priscott, A.J. Digsby, Craig Monroe, Art Priscott DNS Russell Hendrickson Jr.
Nu Look Collision Street Stocks (20 Laps) Steven Deinhardt, Dustin Harris, Ray Lindquist, Doug Polhamus, Damon Decker, Matt Bowman, Dave Cronk, Doug Stack, Steve Polhamus, Rob Nober, Matt Thies, Jake Fowlston, Ralph Cuozzo Jr. DNS Jon Carpenter, Bob Mills
Vernooy’s Automotive Excellence IMCA Modifieds (20 Laps) Will Ward, Tyler Stoddard, Matt Cole, James Cornell, Gary Roberts, Gary Smith, Beau Ballard, Bill Ward, Brian Steigerwald, Tim Vandemark, Mike Stoddard, Bobby Collins
Butler Auto Sales EST Trucks (15 Laps) Rob Loucks, Doug O’Hara, Ralph Cuozzo Jr., Bob Crandall, Jerry Lanfair, Joe Bunt, Dustin Wilber, James Fowlston, Rob Northrup, Colby Hendrickson, Brandon Clapperton, Jamie Niles
SRP Sprints Cheyenna Ling won
