Thunder Mountain Beats The Weather With 122 Race Cars On Hand: Mike Mahaney Wins Second Modified Event Of 2015; Hillis (Sportsman), Jordan (Crate), Roth (Rookie), Wolf (Street Stock), Mady (XCel 600) & O’Hara (Four Cylinder) Also Visit Victory Lane
CENTER LISLE, NY – Thunder Mountain Speedway beat the weather on Saturday night and no one was happier about it than Mike Mahaney.
Mahaney, of King Ferry, N.Y., drove to his second big-block/small-block Modified score of the 2015 season, piloting Jim Shear’s No. 77X to the $1,200 payday in convincing fashion. The 30-lap Modified main – and all other events – were completed by 10:30 p.m. despite persistent on-and-off rain showers throughout the night and a dire forecast.
“I’ve got to thank the track and everyone involved for pushing to get this one in tonight,” Mahaney said. “And especially all the fans for being here with this weather. I’m definitely glad we got this one in.”
Despite the weather, the track’s pit area was filled with 122 race cars ready for action on the banked, three-eighths-mile.
Mahaney, the current Modified point leader, rolled off the grid sixth in the main. At the outset, divisional rookie Butch Green fired off the outside pole into the lead with third-starter Billy Spoonhower in tow.
The lead pair battled hard while Mahaney worked forward. On lap six, he arrived in third spot.
Spoonhower had been pressuring Green for the lead when he spun entering turn one on lap 14 to draw the race’s first caution. Spoonhower’s misfortune moved Mahaney into the runner-up spot.
“I felt like I was gaining on them (Green and Spoonhower), but it would have taken a while,” Mahaney said. “When the 34 (Spoonhower) spun, that was the break I needed to get up there and run with Butch.”
Racing wheel-to-wheel for four laps without the slightest contact, Mahaney was able to edge in front of Green on the 18th lap for a lead he would never relinquish.
Green, the freshman from Newark Valley, N.Y., placed a career-best second in his Trackside Products-backed mount, fending off Lake Ariel, Pa., driver Brian Malcolm, who started eighth. Chad Cook of Deposit, N.Y., throttled from 14th to finish fourth and Nick Rochinski of Dickson City, Pa., completed the front five with a charge from 16th on the starting grid.
Larry Hillis of Vestal, N.Y., drove to his first $700 Open Sportsman victory of the season in a hotly contested 20-lap main. Hillis, who jumped into the lead on the second circuit, used the outside lane to fight off the inside advances of Eric Leet, running the final five laps side-by-side. Hillis, working the outside, beat Leet to the line by less than a car-length.
Point leader Leet settled for second, followed by Kenny Hammond, who closed quickly on the lead pair late in the main. Nick Mady and Kevin Jordan, recovering from an early spin, completed the front five.
Speedsville, N.Y.’s Pat Jordan continued his dominance of the Crate 602 Sportsman division with a triumph in the 20-lap feature. Jordan drove from sixth to take the lead from Shayne Spoonhower in traffic with five laps remaining. Buffalo, N.Y., driver Adam Hilton chased Jordan to the line, with Brian Mady, Spoonhower and Four Cylinder graduate Isaiah Forward in tow.
For the first time since Opening Night, Rudy Roth reached Rookie Sportsman Victory Lane. Roth topped the 15-lap feature for his second checkered of the season. Kailee DiMorier recovered from heavy contact early in the main to finish second. Kinser Hill, Dayton Coney and Shawn Davis finished third through fifth, respectively.
Susquehanna, Pa., driver Shane Wolf Jr. started 19th in the Barrett’s Race Cars & Components Street Stock feature after a heat-race tangle. After 20 laps, Wolf earned a $500 payday. Wolf cleared Earl Zimmer for the top spot on the eighth lap and controlled the remainder of the distance.
For Wolf, the victory was his second of the season on the Mountain.
Zimmer matched his strongest outing of the year in second, followed by Donald Russell, Shawn Boynton and Doug Stack Jr.
Milford, Pa., driver Brian Mady drove the Rowback Motorsports XCel 600 Modified to his first win of 2015 following a competitive 20-lap feature. Mady started third and took over the lead at the halfway point from Tommy Shiner, who had paced the first nine laps. Mady then fought off the advances of seventh-starter Will Eastman late in the distance.
Tim Frantz, Shiner and ninth-starter Doug Windhausen finished third, fourth and fifth, respectively.
Doug O’Hara of Bainbridge, N.Y., drove his No. 91 Truck to the Four Cylinder win in a rain-shortened event. O’Hara had just swept past both Gabe Forward and Dylan Robinson when precipitation intensified forcing the early conclusion of the event. Forward finished second and as the first car, collected a bounty of $100 by besting Robinson to the finish. Mike Robinson and Phil Burns completed the front five in the 18-car field.
Two big days of racing are ahead at Thunder Mountain Speedway next Saturday-Sunday June 27-28.
On Saturday (June 27), a full program is on tap to include Modifieds, Open Sportsman, Crate 602 Sportsman, Rookie Sportsman, Street Stocks, XCel 600 Modifieds (tour race), FWD Four Cylinders and the traveling 1000cc Empire Lightning Sprints.
For Saturday, gates open at 4 p.m., with hot laps at 6:20 p.m. and racing at 7 p.m.Adult grandstand admission is $12. Seniors (ages 65 and up) and Students (ages 10-17) pay $10. Kids 9 and under are FREE. Pit admission is $30, with no license required.
On Sunday (June 28), the highly anticipated Olum’s ‘Lightning on the Mountain’ presented by VP Racing Fuels and Town Mechanical takes place. Short Track Super Series Fueled By Hi-Tek Modifieds race 50 laps for $5,000 to win. Tobias SpeedSTRs $3,000 to win in a 30-lap event, XCel 600 Modifieds (tour race), Street Stocks ($700 to win) and FWD Four Cylinders complete the program.
Gates open at 3 p.m. Sunday, with a drivers’ meeting at 5:40 p.m. Hot laps will follow at 6 p.m., with the first heat race hitting the track shortly thereafter. Adult admission is $20, with Seniors (ages 65 and up) and Students (ages 10-17) paying $18. Kids 9 and under are free. Pit admission is $35, with no license required.
Camping is permitted on the speedway grounds, free of charge, during the two-day weekend.
For Thunder Mountain Speedway general information and a complete schedule, visitwww.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: Modified winner Mike Mahaney dedicated his victory to the matriarch of the Brady racing family, Darlene “Crow” Brady, who passed away on Sunday, June 7….
American Racer/Lias Tire giveaway free tires went to Chris Stull (ninth – Modified), Isaiah Forward (fifth – Crate 602 Sportsman) and Jason Beebe (16th – Street Stock)….
With other area tracks falling to rain, invaders peppered the fields in all the weekly divisions. Open Sportsman visitor Nick Nye came close to stealing a win. Nye had driven to second in the main and was challenging race winner Larry Hillis when a broken right-front shock tower ended his bid six laps from the finish….
Veteran Dale Welty joined the Modified field in preparation for the upcoming ‘Lightning on the Mountain’ special on Sunday, June 28….
Heat winners included Chris Stull, Butch Green and Ken Titus (Modified); Larry Hillis and Tommy Eiklor (Open Sportsman); Shayne Spoonhower and Isaiah Forward (Crate 602 Sportsman); Rudy Roth and Tyler Keener (Rookie Sportsman); Donald Russell Jr., Steven Deinhardt and Matt Spencer (Street Stock); Tommy Shiner and Brian Mady (XCel 600 Modified); and Dylan Robinson and Gabe Forward (FWD Four Cylinder)….
JUNE 20, 2015 RACE SUMMARY
Modified Feature Finish (30 Laps): MIKE MAHANEY, Butch Green, Brian Malcolm, Chad Cook, Nick Rochinski, Mike Nagel Jr., Brent Wilcox, Billy Spoonhower, Chris Stull, Dale Welty, Matt Latwinski, Mike Wilbur, Ken Titus, Chance Spoonhower, Ryan Jordan, Colton Wilson, Tom Collins Jr., Byron Worthing.
American Racer/Lias Tire Giveaway (FREE Tire): Chris Stull (ninth)
Open Sportsman Feature Finish (20 Laps): LARRY HILLIS, Eric Leet, Kenny Hammond, Nick Mady, Kevin Jordan, A.J. Lord, Dan Burman, Ricky Ross Jr., Chris Jordan, Geordie Decker, Tommy Eiklor, T.J. Frost, Jake Fowlston, Nick Nye, Marc Goodwin, Charlie Hendrickson Jr., Alan Barker.
Crate 602 Sportsman Feature Finish (20 Laps): PAT JORDAN, Adam Hilton, Brian Mady, Shayne Spoonhower, Isaiah Forward, Tyler Ward, Daryl Krebs, Dan Pease, Randy Gates, Josh Underwood, Todd Titus, Lanson Albanese, Nick Nye, Tony Komuda, Dustin Jordan, Hilary Ward, Jerry Voorhis.
American Racer/Lias Tire Giveaway (FREE Tire): Isaiah Forward (fifth)
Rookie Sportsman Feature Finish (15 Laps): RUDY ROTH, Kailee DiMorier, Kinser Hill, Dayton Coney, Shawn Davis, Zach Balzer, Coty Bishop, Kerri Cook, Thomas Ferguson, Tyler Keener, Cole Price.
Did Not Start: Wayne Ross.
Street Stock Feature Finish (20 Laps): SHANE WOLF JR., Earl Zimmer, Donald Russell, Shawn Boynton, Doug Stack, Jonathan Carpenter, Steven Deinhardt, Mike Chilson, Levi Davis, Buck Mills Jr., Rick Sinsabaugh, Dan Force, Rich Sharpsteen, Tyler Yeagle, Kevin Garland, Jason Beebe, Pat Votra, Cyrus Homer, Trevor Dudley, Quinn Shay, John Cooper Jr., Richard Hurlburt.
Did Not Start: Matt Spencer.
American Racer/Lias Tire Giveaway (FREE Tire): Jason Beebe (16th)
XCel 600 Modified Feature (20 Laps): BRIAN MADY, Will Eastman, Tim Frantz, Tom Shiner, Doug Windhausen, Eric Boyd, A.J. Miller, Dakota Andersen, Dana Davis, Kamdin Maby, Joe McCabe, Matthew Colwell, Charlie Tibbitts, Rob Compton, Damon Henry, Bailey Boyd.
Did Not Start: Mike Mahaney.
FWD Four Cylinder Feature Finish (15 Laps): DOUG O’HARA, Gabe Forward ($100 Bounty), Dylan Robinson, Mike Robinson, Phil Burns, Nick Kennedy, Brian Nornhold, Eric Rowley, Chris Taylor, Guy Raymond Jr., Keith Potter, C.J. Wheeland, Collin Davey, Lee Wagner, Chris Bonoffsk, Tim Vandemark, Justin VanDenburg, Rich Wagner.
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