LAND OF MURRAY: Last-Lap Pass Decides Sportsman Modifieds on OktoberFAST Night #5

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(Don Romeo Photo)

LAND OF MURRAY: Last-Lap Pass Decides Sportsman Modifieds on OktoberFAST Night #5

Canandaigua, NY – Oct 10, 2020 – Joe Grabianowski, DIRTCar Series PR

Zach Sobotka made a power move to start the race; but Tyler Murray made the ultimate move to end it.

Sealing the deal with a last-lap, last-corner slide job for the win, Murray from Hannibal, N.Y., led only one lap in Saturday’s 30-lap affair at Land of Legends Raceway; but it was the most important one.

His $1,000 victory on night five of DIRTcar OktoberFAST proved to be the most thrilling race of the week thus far in the Racing Electronics Sportsman Modified division.

Taking an unconventional route to victory lane, Murray fell back to second from pole position on the start while Sobotka stole the show with a daunting three-wide pass around the outside to go fourth-to-first on the opening lap. From there until the only stoppage of the race on lap 21, Sobotka was in a world of his own, building a massive 4.045-second at one point.

However, when the caution flew with nine laps remaining, the entire landscape of the race was changed. With Murray restarting on Sobotka’s tail, the No. 1M gave heavy chase to the No. 38S over the closing laps. It all culminated with an exciting final circuit on the Canandaigua, N.Y. half-mile.

Electing to take the outside lane which propelled him to the lead, Sobotka was the lone duck up high while Murray rolled the low line beneath him. Gaining ground down the backstretch, Murray continued to close while Sobotka left the door open entering turn three.

Heading into the final corner, Murray launched the slide job and cleared Sobotka’s nose as the duo raced out of turn four with the checkered flags waving. Sobotka gave it one last ditch effort, but it was to no avail, as Tyler Murray completed the miraculous comeback to win the fifth night of OktoberFAST in spectacular fashion.

“Zach was so fast that I honestly didn’t think we’d get back around him,” Murray candidly admitted in victory lane. “We got into lap traffic there, but then the caution came out and saved us. I started following him around the top and then started trying to diamond the corner off to get a good run going. I’m glad I didn’t’t have to touch him, that makes this even sweeter. When you surround yourself with the best of the best in the business, it makes it easier on you behind the wheel.

“We had a good car all night, but I just drove it too easy on the last lap,” Sobotka noted on his loss. “I just entered the corner wrong and he got under me. He drove a great race, but it definitely sucks losing it like that. I really didn’t want to see that caution come out.
Thomas Stevens Photo

After leading 29 and 1/2 laps, Zach Sobotka slipped back to finish in second with the most heartbreaking runner-up result of the week. Behind Murray and Sobotka’s last-lap duel was Alan Fink of Central Square, N.Y. in the third and final podium position.

Rounding out the top five in the Racing Electronics Sportsman Modified feature was Friday’s winner at Can-Am, Kevin Root in fourth, and SuperGen Products / Champion Power Equipment Hard Charger, Nick Guererri, with a stellar 18th-to-fifth run.

Closing out the top ten on Saturday night at Land of Legends Raceway was Dalton Martin, Matt Janczuk, Matt Guererri, Garrison Krentz, and Adam Pierson.

DIRTcar OktoberFAST reaches an end tomorrow – Sunday, October 11 – with the sixth and final night of the week taking the Super DIRTcar Series, DIRTcar Pro Stocks, and Racing Electronics Sportsman Modifieds to New York’s Weedsport Speedway. Fans can watch Every Lap LIVE from the comfort of home via the DIRTVision FAST PASS.

Land of Legends Raceway Quick Results – Oct. 10, 2020DIRTcar OktoberFAST presented by DirTVision (Event #4)Racing Electronics Sportsman Series ($5,585)
*Feature (30 laps): 1. 1m-TYLER MURRAY ($1,000), 2. 38-Zach Sobotka, 3. 8-Alan Fink, 4. 34-Kevin Root, 5. 25g-Nick Guererri, 6. 132-Dalton Martin, 7. 33x-Matt Janczuk, 8. 12g-Matt Guererri, 9. 56-Garrison Krentz, 10. 15-Adam Pierson, 11. 1s-Justin Stone, 12. 92-Andrew Buff, 13. 82s-Will Shields, 14. 5-Brian Krummel, 15. 19c-Brandon Carvey, 16. 5s-Tanner Siemons, 17. 7z-Zach Payne, 18. 64-Tyler Corcoran, 19. 08-Jack Speshock, 20. 22-Noah Walker, 21. 9r-Jonathan Reid, 22. 1f-A.J. Lloyd, 23. 6-Cody Manitta, 24. 20km-Matt Steffenhagen, 25. 7s-Torrey Stoughtenger, 26. 32-Ryan Shanahan, 27. 90-Nathan Peckham, 28. 19L-Joe Williams , 29. 35t-Cameron Tuttle, 30. 80x-Cody Wolfe.
Heats (8 laps  / 3 Qualify / Top-2 redraw)
#1: Sobotka, Krummel, Krentz, Pierson, Susice, Shanahan, Dolbear, Borkenhagen, Harris, Tresidder, Richner.
#2: Fink, Root, Reid, Corcoran, Steffenhagen, Hoxie, Heywood, Germinio, Grignon, Stevens, Gray.
#3: Stone, Speshock, Walker, Carvey, Cayea, George, Lafler, Bublak, Nies, Thurston, Nutting.
#4: M.Guererri, Manitta, Wolfe, Lloyd, Peckham, Tuttle, Custodi, Boisclair, Arquiett, Falter, Moden.
#5: Buff, Janczuk, Stoughtenger, Siemons, A.Payne, Dwyer, F.Guererri, Gosek, Buono, Green, LeGrow.
#6: Murray, D.Martin, N.Guererri, Williams, Shields, Z.Payne, B.Martin, Pavlick, Castell, Leone, Snyder.
Last Chance Showdowns (10 laps / 4 qualify)
#1: Corcoran, Pierson, Steffenhagen, Shanahan, Heywood, Hoxie, Dolbear, Grignon, Harris, Tresidder, Stevens, Germinio, Richner, Gray, Susice, Borkenhagen.
#2: Carvey, Lloyd, Peckham, Tuttle, Cayea, Custodi, Boisclair, George, Moden, Lafler, Thurston, LeGrow, Bublak, Nies(DNS), Arquiett(DNS), Nutting(DNS).
#3: Williams, Shields, Siemons, Z.Payne, Dwyer, F.Guererri, Buono, B.Martin, Snyder, A.Payne, Castell, Gosek, Green,  Pavlick(DNS), Leone(DNS), LeGrow(DNS).
Group Time Trials (3 laps / 66 cars)
#1: Zach Sobotka 19.446 sec. (92.446 mph), Brian Krummel, Ryan Shanahan, Adam Pierson, Austin Susice, Garrison Krentz, Kyle Richner(dsq), Derrick Borkenhagen, Ryan Dolbear, Brian Harris, R.J. Tresidder.
#2: Alan Fink 19.513 sec. (92.246 mph), Kevin Root, Jonathan Reid, Austin Germinio, Tyler Corcoran, Matt Steffenhagen, Kevin Stevens, Nick Heywood, Bentley Gray, Sam Hoxie, Dan Grignon.
#3: Justin Stone 19.345 sec. (93.047 mph), Jack Speshock, Zachary George, Noah Walker, Robert Bublak Jr., Brandon Carvey, Daryl Nutting, Tim Lafler, Chris Cayea, Tim Nies, Chris Thurston.
#4: Matt Guererri 19.476 sec. (92.421 mph), Cody Manitta, Nathan Peckham, Cody Wolfe, Andrew Lloyd, Cameron Tuttle, David Boisclair III, A.J. Custodi, Zach Arquiett, Tim Falter, Jordan Moden(-NT-).
#5: Andrew Buff 19.684 sec. (91.445 mph), Matt Janczuk, Alex Payne, Torrey Stoughtenger, Tanner Siemons, Tim Dwyer, Brett Buono, Frank Guererri Jr., Travis Green, Joe Gosek, Delbert LeGrow Sr.
#5: Tyler Murray 19.566 sec. (91.996 mph), Dalton Martin, Joe Williams, Brett Martin, Nick Guererri, Will Shields, Casey Pavlick, Zach Payne, Cory Castell, Rocco Leone, Greg Snyder(-NT-).
SuperGen Products with Champion Power Equipment Prizes ($920.20)
Fast Time Award $250: Justin Stone
2nd-Fast Time Award $100: Zach Sobotka
Last Chance Showdown (1st Non-Qualifier) $100: Nick Heywood
Hard Luck Award $250: Delbert LeGrow Sr.
Hard Charger Bonus $100: Nick Guererri
Leader Lap 19 Bonus $20.20: Zach Sobotka
Most Laps Led Without Winning $100: Zach Sobotka
DNQ: 00-Sam Hoxie, 00g-Joe Gosek, 02-David Boisclair III, 07-Brian Harris, 1a-Tim Dwyer, 2-Chris Thurston, 9-Bentley Gray, 10g-Austin Germinio, 10x-Cory Castell, 14-Zack Arquiett, 18-Chris Cayea, 18p-Casey Pavlick, 21r-R.J. Tresidder, 25-Derrick Borkenhagen, 26-Kyle Richner, 28-Jordan Moden, 29-Nick Heywood, 31-Tim Lafler, 31b-Ryan Dolbear, 38-Kevin Stevens, 42-Daryl Nutting, 42d-Dan Grignon, 54g-Greg Snyder, 64b-Brett Buono, 66-Brett Martin, t69-Travis Green, 70a-Alex Payne, 71-Tim Falter, 71L-Delbert LeGrow Sr., 75-A.J. Custodi, 81-Austin Susice, 86n-Tim Nies, 87-Rocco Leone, 113jr.-Frank Guererri Jr., 126-Zachary George, 997-Robert Bublak Jr.

OKTOBERFAST ’20 WINNERS
(M=Big-Block Modified/SB=358-Modified/S=Sportsman/P=Pro Stock)
#1 Albany-Saratoga (10/6): Anthony Perrego(M), Tim Hartman,Jr.(S), Nick Stone(P)
#2 Utica Rome (10/7): -rain/cancelled-
#3 Fulton (10/8): Jimmy Phelps(M), Jimmy Phelps(SB), Matt Janczuk(S)
#4 Can-Am (10/9): Anthony Perrego(M), Tim Fuller(SB), Kevin Root(S)
#5 Land of Legends (10/10): Matt Sheppard(M), Tyler Murray(S)
#6 Weedsport (10/11):  (M), (S), (P)

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