Walker Wins 2016 Modified Title; Perrego Is Summer Slam Series Champion
Story By: ANDREW HARPELL/ FIVE MILE POINT SPEEDWAY MEDIA
Photos By: DAVE DALESANDRO / RACERSGUIDE.COM
KIRKWOOD, NY -August 30, 2016- On Sunday Five Mile Point Speedway hosted one of the most significant days of racing in its storied 66 year history. The twice rained out 52nd edition of the Heath Memorial was held with a 40 lap $2,500 to win event.
The race also served as the Season Championship for Modifieds and the final round of the Sunday Summer Slam Series. Modified rookie Brad Szulewski bested a strong field of Modified talent for his first Modified win and he also became the 11th different Modified feature winner in 12 races this season at Five Mile Point Speedway.
With all the titles and importance on the Modified 40 lapper two championships were needing to be decided. Shaun Walker, the defending Modified Track Champion and back to back 2013 and 14 Modified Track Champion Mike Colsten took center stage in that title battle. The Sunday Summer Slam Series title was being contested by Danny Johnson, Jerry Higbie Jr, Anthony Perrego and a host of others entering the day.
Brad Szulewski made the move to weekly Modified racing at the beginning of the season after the speedway made the switch from his prior division the Open Sportsman to Crate Sportsman. Szulewski, although making a big jump in his racing efforts he was impressive from the first race of the season.
On Sunday, it all came together. Szulewski started on the outside front row and immediately jumped out to the race lead at the start. He made quick work of opening of a sizeable lead over the early circuits. New Jersey talent Mike Butler raced in to second place early from his fourth starting slot with P.J. Goodwin and Brian Puckett doing battle with Nick Petrilak in the top five during the early stages.
In the point battles Shaun Walker started one spot behind Mike Colsten ninth place and could drive a conservative race to hold his point lead. The top three in the Summer Slam Points Danny Johnson (14th), Jerry Higbie (13th) and Anthony Perrego (12th) started mid-pack but with as they tried to claim their title.
The first and only caution of the race flew on lap 12 when P.J. Goodwin wound up against the foam barriers in turn 3. Goodwin jumped the cushion and the car spun without damage. He rejoined at the rear of the field. This now put Butler to the inside of Szulewski for the restart. Szulewski had opened up a huge lead and had to rebuild. The young driver was not rattled though as he again drove away from the field. Tremendous three and four wide racing occurred throughout the field as the balance of laps would go caution free.
Kevin Bates started in the top five only to fall back early. The second half of the race Bates was fast as he began to move back forward. Perrego was the big mover as he was picking off cars lap after lap during the long green flag runs. Higbie, a former Heath Memorial race winner would see his Summer Slam title hopes evaporate when he dropped to the infield on lap 20. Out front Szulewski was in heavy lapped traffic but Butler was unable to close the gap.
Johnson was in a three wide battle with Brian Malcolm and Mike Colsten for a number of circuits as he tried to keep pace with Perrego as every position would be the difference in the Summer Slam Title. The final five laps saw Szulewski along with the top five in heavy lapped traffic. Perrego was able to take advantage of the lapped cars over the closing laps.
At the finish Szulewski would claim the title of the 52nd Heath Memorial Winner by almost a straightaway. Butler wound up second with Perrego charging late for third. Bates and Puckett rounded out the top five. Walker finished sixth which was enough to lock up his second straight Modified Track Championship. Perrego just edged out Johnson for the Summer Slam Title.
The IMCA Modified Track Championship was up for grabs with two feature events slated. The first was a held-over Empire State Series race rained out May 1st, snowed out on May 15th and rained out again on August 21st. The fourth time was the charm for this event as the season long two driver rivalry of Matt Cole and James Cornell would take center stage. Cole, the back to back defending Track Champion entered the day as the point leader. In race one Cornell took the lead from Cole on lap 10 and would win in commanding fashion to start his title hopes in the right direction. Cole finished second which maintained his point lead and title aspirations entering the regularly scheduled 20 lap feature.
In that event Tyler Stoddard led lap one but Cornell wasn’t wasting time as he took over the lead on lap 2. Stoddard ran in second as Cole kept both in his sites in the third slot. Cole knew if he could just keep his third place finish he would earn the title. Out front Cornell wanted the sweep and he would get just that. Cornell would go on for his second win of the day with Stoddard second and Cole finishing third. Cole became the IMCA Modified Track Champion for the third straight season.
The Xcel 600 Modifieds were on hand for their 20 lap Summer Slam Series finale. The series wound up only a two race mini-series due to rainouts. Ritchie Hitzler made it look easy as he led every lap on Sunday and won both of the two Summer Slam events to claim the title for that class. Eric Boyd, Byron Worthing, Will Eastman and Chris Kithcart rounded out the top five.
The fwd Four Cylinder feature event win went to Kenny Underwood. That 20 lap feature went caution free with Underwood locking up a guaranteed starting spot for the fall fwd Four Cylinder $1,000 to win event. Randy Fox capped off a dream weekend by winning the special Factory Stock event. Fox had to hold off the previous night’s winner Josh Towner for victory. Fox had won the Crate Sportsman Championship event the night prior and was randomly chosen in a drawing that won him a 2017 HFC HigFab Chassis.
52ND HEATH MEMORIAL MODIFIED OFFICIAL FEATURE FINISH (40): BRAD SZULEWSKI, Mike Butler, Anthony Perrego, Kevin Bates, Brian Puckett, Shaun Walker, Brian Malcolm, Danny Johnson, Kevin Hartnett, Nick Petrilak, Joey Colsten, Mike Colsten, Brandon Walters, Randy Green, P.J. Goodwin, Tyler Siri, Brett Graham, Mike Decker, Bob Hamm Jr., Lem Atkins, Jerry Higbie Jr., Brad Knapp, Larry Mekic, Glenn Knapp, Aleia, Geisler. 2016 TRACK CHAMPION – SHAUN WALKER – 2016 SUMMER SLAM SERIES CHAMPION: ANTHONY PERREGO.
HELDOVER IMCA MODIFIED EMPIRE STATE SERIES OFFICIAL FEATURE FINISH (20): JAMES CORNELL, Matt Cole, Will Ward, Tyler Stoddard, Brad Sites, Keith Lamphere, Gary Roberts, Brad Smith, Eddie Sites, Tom Velez, Bobby Maynard, 108.
REGULAR SCHEDULED IMCA MODIFIED OFFICIAL FEATURE FINISH (20): JAMES CORNELL, Tyler Stoddard, Matt Cole, Scott Bennett, Gary Lamphere, Mike Stoddard, Keith Lamphere, Will Ward, Joe Novak, K.C. Cole, Brendon Shepard. 2016 TRACK CHAMPION – MATT COLE.
FACTORY STOCK OFFICIAL FEATURE FINISH (15): RANDY FOX, Josh Towner, Charlie Towner, Chuck Culbertson, Jason Neyra, Ned Fitch, Rob Snow, Chris Groover, Kevin McDonald, Levi Frank.
LIGHTNING CAT NOVICE OFFICIAL FEATURE FINISH (20): KENNY UNDERWOOD, Tim Vandermark, Rich Wagner, Mat Mather, Travis Hayes, Chris Taylor, Andy Brigham, Mike Wilmot Jr., Frank Smith, Don Doster, Rick Lunn, Dave Simms, Jimmy DiFulvio, Kenny Stager, Bob Riley, Brian Salmini, Neil Blaisure, Dave Shafer.
XCEL 600 MODIFIED SUMMER SLAM SERIES OFFICIAL FEATURE FINISH (20): RITCHIE HITZLER, Eric Boyd, Byron Worthing, Will Eastman, Chris Kithcart, Steven Sherwood, Grant Schibilia, Damon Henry. DNS – John Burnside. SUMMER SLAM SERIES CHAMPION: RITCHIE HITZLER.
