Mr. Outside Mike Mahaney Rolls To Fourth Thunder Mountain Modified Victory With Late-Race Pass

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Mr. Outside Mike Mahaney Rolls To Fourth Thunder Mountain Modified Victory With Late-Race Pass; Other Victors Include Kevin Jordan (Sportsman), Adam Hilton (Crate), Kinser Hill (Rookie), Kevin Garland (Street Stock), Bailey Boyd (XCel Modified), Bill Nichols (SRP Sprint) & Dylan Robinson (Four Cylinder)

CENTER LISLE, NY – A commitment to the outside lane led Mike Mahaney to victory on Saturday night at Thunder Mountain Speedway.

Mahaney, of King Ferry, N.Y., rode the topside of the three-eighths-mile oval to his fourth victory of the 2015 season driving the Jim Shear-owned No. 77X Troyer. Mahaney, the current point leader with two events remaining, pocketed $1,200 for his efforts in the 30-lap big-block/small-block Modified feature.

“I ran as hard as I could the whole race,” exclaimed Mahaney, offering compliments to the track crew for the wide and racy surface provided in recent weeks. “My car really worked well on the top. There was a lot of bite out there tonight.”

Mahaney started seventh on the grid. Early on, he drove to second spot behind outside-pole starter Billy Spoonhower, who launched into the lead at the outset of the main.

Riding the extreme top of the banking, Mahaney pressured Spoonhower heavily during the mid-portions of the main. However, Spoonhower repelled each of the advances in search of his first ’15 checkered.

The race’s complexion changed inside the final five laps. Spoonhower, who had been occupying the low-to-middle lanes on the track began to slow. Mahaney, meanwhile, kept his momentum up and swept past the leader with just two laps remaining.

“I don’t know if I got quicker or he slowed down,” Mahaney said of Spoonhower. “I know I was giving it everything I had. I got a couple good runs on him and he raced me clean.”

Spoonhower, of Berkshire, N.Y., settled for second, followed by sixth-starter Brent Wilcox of Binghamton, N.Y., Brian Malcolm of Lake Ariel, Pa., who drove from 11th to finish fourth and Modified rookie Butch Green of Newark Valley, N.Y.

A last-lap pass landed Kevin Jordan in Open Sportsman Victory Lane for a $700 payday.

The Speedsville, N.Y., driver – who started fifth – pursued race-long leader Dan Burman heavily during the race’s second half. Jordan pulled even with Burman on multiple occasions but didn’t complete the winning pass until Sam Folk’s checkered flag was in the air.

Jordan dove to the inside of Burman entering turn three and was able to unseat the leader coming to the checkered, taking the win by less than a car-length. Burman finished second, with Nick Mady, point leader Eric Leet and Tommy Eiklor in tow.

Buffalo, N.Y.’s Adam Hilton went back-to-back in the Crate Sportsman division, netting a triumph in the 20-lap feature. Hilton, who started sixth, worked the outside lane to perfection driving to the lead. Hilton cleared divisional rookie Isaiah Forward on the 11th lap and pulled away.

Brian Mady, who started eighth, chased Hilton to the finish followed by Shayne Spoonhower, Forward and Kailee Dimorier.

Nichols, N.Y., driver Kinser Hill returned to the winner’s circle following the 15-lap Crate 602 Sportsman feature. Hill inherited the lead midway through the main when leaders Coty Bishop and Cole Price tangled. From that point on, he drove unchallenged to the win over Bishop, Dayton Coney, Price and championship leader Shawn Davis.

Ulster, Pa., driver Kevin Garland earned a $500 payday in the Barrett’s Race Cars & Components 20-lap Street Stock main, his first on the Mountain. Garland led the main from start-to-finish, thwarting the advances of Don Russell and Rich Sharpsteen in the waning laps. Russell, Sharpsteen, Steven Deinhardt and Doug Stack filled out the front five.

Bailey Boyd of Binghamton, N.Y., won for the first time in his young career, topping the 20-lap XCel 600 Modified headliner. Boyd felt heavy pressure from a trio of challengers during the main, ultimately fending off the previous week’s winner Jamie Frantz, who started sixth. Brian Mady, point leader Will Eastman and Joe McCabe completed the front five.

Bill Nichols of Binghamton, N.Y., wired the field in the 15-lap SRP 600cc Micro-Sprint main, his first in the division on the Mountain. Nichols led the entire distance, but felt heavy pressure through the entire distance from Larry Mekic. At the finish, Nichols led Mekic, Nate Hendrix, Cheyenna Ling and Adam Jones.

Dylan Robinson of Harpursville, N.Y., utilized a borrowed ride from his brother, Mike, to win the 15-lap FWD Four Cylinder main. Robinson emerged victorious from a back-and-forth battle with Nick Kennedy to score the triumph. Robinson, the point leader, led Kennedy, Gabe Forward, Keith Potter and invader Phil Burns across the line.

Next Saturday (Sept. 5), Forkey’s Construction presents ‘Sprint Car Saturday’ headlined by the Lucas Oil Empire Super Sprints (ESS) 360 Sprint Cars, CRSA 305 Sprint Cars, Empire Lightning Sprints and SRP 600cc Micro-Sprints plus features only for the Modifieds, Open Sportsman, Crate 602 Sportsman, Rookie Sportsman, Street Stocks and XCel 600 Modifieds.

Adult admission for the ‘Sprint Car Saturday’ is $20. Seniors (ages 65 and up) and Students (ages 10-17) pay $16. Kids nine and under are FREE. Pit admission is $32, with no license required.

Gates open at 3 p.m., with hot laps at 6:20 p.m. and racing at 7 p.m. Sprint Car heat in the motors will begin at 6 p.m., in advance of hot laps.

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 is thundermtnspeedway@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: A busy pit area was bustling with a total of 113 race cars on hand, including a strong 16-car field of Open Sportsman and 21 Street Stocks, a Southern Tier high. A picture-perfect night drew a sizeable late-season crowd to the Mountain….

Modified winner Mike Mahaney plans double-duty next Saturday (Sept. 5), driving both the Jim Shear Modified and Doug Emery No. 33 Sprint Car….

Ryan Jordan drove his Uncle Chris’ No. 22J Open Sportsman mount in the Modified event after the No. R21 was sidelined during hot laps for the night. He salvaged an eighth-place result….

Last-lap Open Sportsman winner Kevin Jordan was utilizing a fresh powerplant in his No. 22….

Qualifying heat winners included Brent Wilcox, Butch Green and Colton Wilson (Modified); Daniel Burman and Marc Goodwin (Open Sportsman); Isaiah Forward and Kailee Dimorier (Crate 602 Sportsman); Coty Bishop and Thomas Ferguson (Rookie Sportsman); Kevin Garland, John Cooper Jr. and Earl Zimmer (Street Stock); Dave Baldwin Jr., Jamie Frantz and Bailey Boyd (XCel 600 Modified); Cheyenna Ling (SRP Sprint); and Gabe Forward (Four Cylinder)….

AUGUST 29, 2015 RACE SUMMARY

Modified Feature Finish (30 Laps): MIKE MAHANEY, Billy Spoonhower, Brent Wilcox, Brian Malcolm, Butch Green, Byron Worthing, Chad Cook, Ryan Jordan, Chance Spoonhower, Ken Titus, Randy Brokaw, Joe Eisenhauer, Mike Nagel Jr., Bob Henry Jr., Jeff Sheely, Chris Stull, Colton Wilson.

Open Sportsman Feature Finish (20 Laps): KEVIN JORDAN, Dan Burman, Nick Mady, Eric Leet, Tommy Eiklor, Larry Hillis, Kenny Hammond, Marc Goodwin, Greg Morgan, Tyler Keener, Fran Hilton, Daniel Burman, Chris Jordan, Dave Coene, Rob Compton, Geordie Decker.

Crate 602 Sportsman Feature Finish (20 Laps): ADAM HILTON, Brian Mady, Shayne Spoonhower, Isaiah Forward, Kailee Dimorier, Cody Clark, Dustin Jordan, Dan Pease, Pat Jordan, Matt Brewer, Shea Montgomery, Hilary Ward, Daryl Krebs, Geoff Powell, David Doig Jr., Jon Miller.

Rookie Sportsman Feature Finish (15 Laps): KINSER HILL, Coty Bishop, Dayton Coney, Cole Price, Shawn Davis, Lee Foland, James McIntyre, Mark Harmon, Thomas Ferguson, Brandon Saddlemire.

Street Stock Feature Finish (20 Laps): KEVIN GARLAND, Don Russell, Rich Sharpsteen, Steven Deinhardt, Doug Stack, Matt Spencer, Jonathan Carpenter, Earl Zimmer, John Cooper Sr., John Cooper Jr., Bob Mills, Dan Babcock, Mike Wilbur, Rick Sinsabaugh, Trevor Dudley, Levi Davis, Brian Pope, Jerry Wilcox, Jeff Wilcox, Shane Wolf Jr.

Did Not Start: Jack Holcomb Jr.

XCel 600 Modified Feature Finish (20 Laps): BAILEY BOYD, Jamie Frantz, Brian Mady, Will Eastman, Joe McCabe, A.J. Miller, Tom Shiner, Nick Chase, Doug Windhausen, Dave Baldwin Jr., Dana Davis, Dylan McCrone, Kamdin Maby, Korey Inglin, Chris Kithcart, Eric Boyd, Jared Jordan, Damon Henry.

SRP Sprint Feature Finish (15 Laps): BILL NICHOLS, Larry Mekic, Nate Hendrix, Cheyenna Ling, Adam Jones, Bob Johnson, John Kenyon.

Four Cylinder Feature Finish (15 Laps): DYLAN ROBINSON, Nick Kennedy, Gabe Forward, Keith Potter, Phil Burns, Chris Taylor, Willy Turner, Guy Raymond Jr.

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