Bachetti Goes 3 for 4 in June Events at Afton Fairgrounds
Story By:STEPHAN CLAPPERTON /I-88 SPEEDWAY MEDIA Photos By:RACERSGUIDE.COM PHOTO STAFF
Afton NY.- June 26- 2016-Andy Bachetti continued his June hot streak in the Greg Page Construction Modifieds on Algonkin Motel and NYSCCA Night at I-88 Speedway. The Sheffield MA driver garnered his third win in four races for the month, his only non-winning night coming on June 10th when he finished second to Cortland’s Nick Nye.
Starting seventh in the 21 car starting field Bachetti broke into the top four on the fourth lap of the 30 lap feature, while pole sitter Steve Babicek and front row partner Kurt Decker battled for the lead. Decker, of Afton would slip by Babicek coming off turn four on lap three to take over the lead.
Bachetti would pass third running Alan Barker, of Norwich and Binghamton’s Babicek on lap four to take over second.
It took six laps before Bachetti could catch and pass Decker coming off turn two. Despite dealing with heavy lapped traffic Bachetti would go on to take the win with Barker crossing the line second, Decker third, Mike Mahaney of King Ferry fourth and Carbondale PA’s Brett Tonkin fifth.
“It’s never easy. It’s a real thinking game. This year we went back to the basics and it’s really starting to pan out for us,” said Bachetti after the race.
“The beginning of this year has been a little bit of a struggle. We’re starting to get a handle on this car. It’s been a lot of fun this year. Andy (Bachetti) is very tough. He got by me there early and I thought if I could stay to his back bumper and I looked and where did he go?” said Barker in a post-race interview.
Claude Hutchings Jr., of Saquoit picked up his second Chambers and O’Hara Sportsmen win of the season coming from the seventh starting position in the 13 car field. Hutchings took the lead from early race leader Lisa Williams, of Harpursville, on lap six and held off a late race challenger from current point leader Charlie Hendrickson Jr. over the last seven laps of the 20 lap race. Williams would cross the line in a season best third place with Speedsville’s Kevin Jordan fourth and Dwayne Jackson, of Edmeston, fifth.
Harpursville’s Travis Smith grabbed his first Williams Tire and Auto Crate Sportsmen feature win of the season. The veteran Sportsmen competitor made the move into the crate division on May 27 after engine issues with his Open Sportsmen engine required a change in power plants.
Smith had to catch early race leader Matt Brewer, of New Milford PA, who had pulled out to a half straightaway lead by the halfway point of the race after starting on the pole. Smith took the lead coming off turn two on lap 17 and went on to take the win. Brewer would cross the line second with Sherburne’s Allan Hodge third, Harold Humphrey, of Norwich, fourth and Nineveh’s Matt Roberts fifth.
IMCA Modified veteran Mike Stoddard returned to victory lane on mid-season championship night after taking the checkers in the 25 lap event. Starting on the outside of the front row Stoddard took the lead at the drop of the green and led every lap of the race. It was Stoddard’s first win of the season. Stamford’s Beau Ballard finished second with Matt Cole, of Binghamton third, Nineveh’s Gary Roberts fourth and Gary Smith of Harpursville fifth.
In the 20 lap Nu Look Collision Street Stock feature Candor’s Jon Carpenter picked up his second victory of the season. Starting fourth, Carpenter would take the lead from Oneonta’s Dustin Harris coming off turn two on lap 16.
The early laps of the race were dominated by a four car battle with Steve Polhamus, of Windsor, leading Carpenter, Harris and Windsor’s Matt Bowman. On lap 7 Harris used the bottom of the speedway to slip under Carpenter to take over second.
A three wide battle for the lead brought the leaders into turn three with Harris coming out of turn four as the leader, Polhamus second and Carpenter, running, the outside line, in third at the halfway point of the race.
One lap later Carpenter would take over second and begin to challenge for the lead before taking over on lap 16.
At the line it was Carpenter with the win, Harris second, Bowman third, Steve Polhamus fourth and Windsor’s Doug Polhamus fifth.
Inlet’s Paul Deruyter won his first I-88 Speedway feature taking the win in the MR Graphix Xcel Modified main event over Kirkwood’s Bailey Boyd, Kamdin Maby, of Susquehanna PA, Johnstown’s Kyle Fallis, and Kirkwood’s Eric Boyd.
Brandon Clapperton, of Sidney, took the lead from Unadilla’s Ralph Cuozzo on lap four and went on to take his fourth win of the season. Afton’s Rob Loucks finished second with Cuozzo third, Bob Crandall of Unadilla, fourth and Dustin Wilber, also of Unadilla, fifth.
Greg Page Construction Modifieds (30 Laps) Andy Bachetti, Alan Barker, Kurt Decker, Mike Mahaney, Brett Tonkin, Rusty Smith, Mitch Gibbs, Darwin Greene, Nick Nye, J.R. Hurlburt, Mike Clapperton, Steve Babicek, Alex Tonkin, Chris Bushnell, Ken Titus, Matt Latwinski, Jeff Sheely, Chris Ostrowsky, Kenny Sparks, Mike Trautschold, Paul Jensen
Chambers and O’Hara Sportsmen (20 Laps) Claude Hutchings Jr., Charlie Hendrickson Jr., Lisa Williams, Kevin Jordan, Dwayne Jackson, Dave Rosa, Aaron Shelton, Steve Andersen, Gary Card Jr., Skip Pickwick, Jeremy Vunk, Jim Gould, Butch Klinger
Williams Tire and Auto Crate Sportsmen (20 Laps) Travis Smith, Matt Brewer, Allan Hodge, Harold Humphrey, Matt Roberts, A.J. Miller, Russell Hendrickson Jr., A.J. Digsby, Brandon Kuhn, Matt Priscott, Art Priscott, Gary Card Jr., Matt Hynes
Vernooy’s Automotive Excellence IMCA Modifieds Mid-Season Championship (25 Laps) Mike Stoddard, Beau Ballard, Matt Cole, Gary Roberts, Gary Smith, James Cornell, Bill Ward, Tyler Stoddard, Steve Cummings, Tim Vandemark, Will Ward
Nu Look Collision Street Stocks (20 Laps) Jon Carpenter, Dustin Harris, Matt Bowman, Steve Polhamus, Doug Polhamus, Dan Babcock, Matt Thies, Ralph Cuozzo, DNS Dave Cronk
MR Graphix Xcel Modifieds Mid-Season Championship (20 Laps) Paul De
Ruyter, Bailey Boyd, Kamdin Maby, Kyle Fallis, Eric Boyd, A.J. Miller, Will Eastman, John Burnside, C.J. Jochum, John Burnside, Steven Sherwood, Lee Sherwood
Butler Auto Sales EST Trucks Mid-Season Championship (20 Laps) Brandon Clapperton, Rob Loucks, Ralph Cuozzo Jr., Bob Crandall, Dustin Wilber, Dylan Decker, Dan Laman, Steve Judd, Rob Northrup, Jim Fowlston, Jerry Lanfair, Doug O’Hara
