TWO WEEKLY FIVE MILE POINT SPEEDWAY MODIFIED DRIVERS BRING DIFFERENT RACING RESUMES TO SUNDAY’S BATTLE FOR SUMMMER SLAM MODIFIED POINT LEAD.
TWO WEEKLY FIVE MILE POINT SPEEDWAY MODIFIED DRIVERS BRING DIFFERENT RACING RESUMES TO SUNDAY’S BATTLE FOR SUMMMER SLAM MODIFIED POINT LEAD.
Story By: Andrew Harpell/FMP
Photos By: Jim Brown & Dave Dalesandro/RacersGuide.com
KIRKWOOD, NY…The second race of the Modified Summer Slam is this Sunday, July 16th at Five Mile Point Speedway. The 30 lap Modified feature event will pay a whopping $4,000 to the race winner. Every team on hand will certainly be looking for the top pay day but currently two weekly competitors Mike Colsten and Brad Szulewski lead the way in the Summer Slam points. Racing on Sunday begins at 6 p.m.
Entering this Sunday, Mike Colsten from Binghamton, NY leads the Modified Sunday Summer Slam point standings after his victory back on April 9th at the speedway. Colsten, is a multi-time Modified Track Champion and winner of over 100 features at the popular Kirkwood oval. The driver known over the years as “Mr. Ford Power” has always been a threat to win at not only Five Mile Point Speedway but any track he has competed at throughout the northeast.
This past Saturday Colsten finished fourth in the Modified feature and hopes to continue to rally entering this Sunday. Colsten commented on his 2017 season so far, “We got off to a great start with the opening day win and have been up and down since. This past Saturday we ran good early in the feature but the car went away late in the race.” The driver that started his racing career in 1969 added, “The track conditions at Five Mile have been outstanding all year long and the competition and quality of the field seems to get better every week. We will be ready for this Sunday.”
The driver that finished one spot ahead of Colsten this past Saturday is Brad Szulewski from Shohola, PA. His third place finish was his best since opening day when he chased Colsten across the line in the first Sunday Summer Slam event of the season. Szulewski, known as the “Shohola Slingshot” is the defending “Co-Champion” of the 2016 Modified Sunday Summer Slam program. He tied with Anthony Perrego for the title last season.
What is most impressive is that Szulewski pulled off the feat last season as a Modified rookie. While Colsten started racing in 1969, Szulewski is in only his second year of Modified racing and the 24 year old is looking to improve from last year’s “Co-Championship”. He commented on last year’s title, “We are always looking to improve which leaves us with the goal of trying to be the solo champion of this year’s Modified Summer Slam. Our opening day second place finish has put us in a great place to try and accomplish that goal but there is a long way to go.”
With this Sunday’s race paying $4,000 to win this would be the perfect time for Szulewski to get his first win of the season. “We won the Heath Memorial last year which was outstanding for us and we certainly would like to win this Sunday against the likes of Brett Hearn and the great weekly guys we race against”, said Szulewski. He added, “We were pleasantly surprised with our championship in the Summer Slam last year going against Danny Johnson, Anthony Perrego and all of the great competition. Now we need to carry our momentum from last Saturday moving forward in to the remainder of 2017.”
Following Colsten and Szulewski in the current Modified Summer Slam point standings are: Joey Grammes, Kevin Bates and Nick Rochinski. Grammes has several feature wins in past seasons at Five Mile Point Speedway but he is not a weekly campaigner. He will be ready for this Sunday as Grammes has a history of winning big events. This past Saturday, Bates became the first repeat Modified feature winner of the season at Five Mile Point Speedway. Bates has had one of the fastest weekly Modifieds at the speedway this season but has had some bad luck as well. Rochinski, who is currently fifth in the standings has one feature win this season at the Point.
The Modified race pays a whopping $4,000 for only 30 laps of feature action. It is sure to be an all-out battle for the top spot as this is one of the richest pay days per mile in the entire 2017 northeast racing campaign. Shakelton NAPA Auto & Truck Parts and Tonarlo’s Restaurant in Conklin have stepped up to help make the winners share the $4,000 amount for this Sunday.
Leading the list of Modified invaders this Sunday is Brett Hearn. The New Jersey driver is one the original “All-Time 50 Greatest Drivers” in speedway history as determined back in 2000. Hearn has one start at the speedway this season back on June 11th for the Super DIRTcar 67 lap event. He finished second in that race after a great battle for the lead with FMP weekly standout Tyler Siri. Matt Sheppard went on for the victory in that race for the second straight year.
The Fight Night Street Stock Series will be joined by the FWD Four Cylinders, Xcel Modifieds and Factory Stocks.
Grandstand admission is only $15 for adults, $12 for seniors, $5 for youth (ages 13 – 17) and kids 12 and younger will be admitted FREE! Racing begins at 6 p.m. Pit gates open at 3 p.m. this Sunday with grandstand gates opening at 4 p.m. Hot laps begin at 5 p.m.
For additional information please phone 607-775-5555 or log on to www.5milepointspeedway.com. You may also email the speedway directly at fivemilepoint1@aol.com. Five Mile Point Speedway – “The Home Speedway of the Southern Tier” where kids 12 and younger are admitted FREE to every race event!
