Track Set To Begin Last Full Month Of Racing With Four-Division Show Sunday
Story By: JOHN TIFF / UTICA-ROME SPEEDWAY MEDIA Photos By: OTTO GRAHAM / RACERSGUIDE.COM
VERNON, NY – August 4, 2016- The last full month of racing at the Utica-Rome Speedway is set to kick off this Sunday, August 7, when LaLonde Electric and Parry’s Maintenance/Oneida Lake Marina presents a night of fast affordable racing action.
On tap is a full program of NASCAR Whelen All-American Series racing featuring the Gates-Cole Insurance Modifieds, SUNY Canton 602 Sportsman, Broedel Energy Open Sportsman, and G&I Homes of Vernon Pro Stocks.
Matt Sheppard leads the way in the point standings in the Gates-Cole Insurance Modifieds over a very talented field of drivers. Larry Wight sits within striking distance of the leader Sheppard in second, just 10 points back. Danny Varin has made a surge recently to take over the third, just ahead of Pat Ward and Marc Johnson. Rounding out the top ten is Mike Mahaney, Rob Bellinger, Vic Coffey, Alan Johnson, Tim Fuller, and Matt Hulsizer. Sheppard also leads the way in Victory Lane appearances this season with four, Wight and Bellinger have two, and Varin and Ward have one win each.
In the SUNY Canton 602 Sportsman, Rocky Warner has fought his way back to the top of the standings as he has finally passed early season point leader Matt Janczuk to gain the top spot. Kyle Kiehn, Chris Mackey, Glenn Forward, Rocco Leone, Brent Joy, Jason Rood, JaMIke Sowle, and David Schilling make up the remainder of the top ten positions. Warner is dominating the in the wins’ category with five victories while Janczuk, Rood, Todd Root, and Brad Rouse have a single win.
Veteran driver Steve Way is being shown the current point leader in the Broedel Energy Open Sportsman, as he leads Claude Hutchings Jr., Jack Miller, Randy Shantel, Jeremy Vunk, Mark Effner, Craig Pope, Lucas Heintz, Heath Carney, and Tom Tophoven. Including his big win in the Short Track Super Series for Open Sportsman, Way now has two wins on the season but Hutchings leads the way in that statistic as he has collected three wins. Vunk also has two wins while Miller has one victory.
Pete Stefanski holds a narrow edge in the G&I Homes of Vernon Pro Stock standings as he has just an eight-point margin separating himself and second place point earner Mike Welch. Luke Horning sits in the third sport over Jim Normoyle and Chris Car. Filling out the rest of the top 10 is Bill Knapp, Gus Hollner, Frank Hyatt, Nick Stone, and Jerry Streeter. Stefanski and Horning have three wins each, while Welch has two and Normoyle has a single win.
Gates open at 3:30 p.m. with racing set to begin at 6 p.m. Adult grandstand admission is just $13 while children 16 and under are free.
For more information on the “Action Track of the East”, please log on to www.uticaromespeedway.com or call the speedway office at (315) 829-4557.
