Jun 10, 2011 10:56 PM EDT
Donnie Lawson Declared Winner at Black Rock
Rich Vleck, DUNDEE, NY, (June 10, 2011)- Tyler Siri appeared to have broken through for his first career win, but upon post race inspection the win would be given to Donnie Lawson. The technical infraction would mire what was otherwise a great feature.
Siri, of Beaver Dams, drove underneath leader John Juhl down the front stretch on a lap 17 restart and then held off a hard-charging Donnie Lawson in the closing circuits.
The driver of the 5* started in fourth and was part of a four-car freight train that paced the field for the first 14 laps of action. This spots in this lead pack were hotly-contest, with Siri riding behind Juhl for much of that green flag session that ended with 14 laps completed.
As the field was coming to complete lap 16, Brady Fultz looked to the inside of Randy McCulloch for third in turn four when McCulloch’s No. 21 came around and collected Fultz’s No. 70. The ensuing restart would be where the top spot changed hands.
“(Juhl) was running real strong so I needed that run off the bottom to get by him,” stated Siri in Victory Lane when asked about the final restart.
After moving by Juhl, Point Leader and Defending Champion Donnie Lawson also moved by the No. 2p to take second place away. Lawson set his sights on Siri, who was leaving the bottom line slightly open for Lawson to capitalize in his final groove. As hard as Lawson would try, Siri would hold on for the apparent win.
The former 4-cylinder competitor nearly won a feature event last season in his rookie year but had a mechanical issue while leading, this time around all the parts would hold, as would his driving talent which never wavered down the stretch.
Lawson would cross for second while John Juhl holding Fran Hilton off at the line for what became second. Ray Bliss and Chris Silvers completed the top five.
Billy Van Pelt has won plenty of races at Black Rock in the past, but never before in a Tobias SpeedSTR, which made its debut Friday night.
Van Pelt took the lead from Tyler Potts on lap seven and never looked back as he smoothly hit his marks to claim the win over Kyle Hieber and Richie Tobias Jr.
Mike Smith put on another clinic in the IMCA Modified Feature, winning by over a half-track in the 20-lap event for his fifth win of the season and second in a row.
Smith took the lead on lap two from Mark Griffin, who fell into solid four-car pack that battled the entire event for second. Pete Neff would conquer his handling demons and run up to second, with Dave Yehl crossing in third. Griffin and Phil Yaw completed that pack, and the top five.
Nate Daggett dominated the first half of the race, but when the caution flew on lap 10 his car did not come up to speed on the restart and Chris Fisher darted into the lead and never looked back to score his fourth win of the season, and his second in a row.
Fisher, from Bluff Point, started eighth and was part of a large pack that battled it out for second before the only caution period of the event at the halfway point. Bob Buono took over second late in the event and despite staying close to Fisher would be the runner-up. Tim Hettis inherited third when Nate Peckham cut down a left-rear tire coming to the white flag. Rounding out the top-five.
In what was perhaps the race of the night, Dylan Cecce outdueled Rick Horton to claim the caution-free 4-cylinder feature for his fifth win of the year and third in a row.
Horton charged up from 12th to take the lead just five laps into the event, bringing Cecce with him. Cecce pressed the No. 4 of Horton for the next dozen laps without success, until on lap 18 when he used the high line to take the lead. Horton made one final bid off the final corner as the two made slight contact, but Cecce would prevail in a very clean battle.
Scott Bradley and Brandon Morseman were 3rd and 4th, respectively, while Ray Speicher rallied to finish in fifth after spinning on the first lap and kept going to keep the race action flowing.
Zach Teed bided his time in the bandit feature to cleanly move underneath his cousin Allison Teed coming off of turn four to complete lap eight and would hang on to win his fourth win of the season.
Teed, of Reading Center, started third and ran second for the first half of the race, steadily finding the best spot on the track. Allison Teed would hang on for seoncd with Lance Irwin a solid third place.
To round out the night of action, Zach Keeney lead all 30 laps of the Klein Steel Retail Enduro Series event but it was far from easy for the driver of the No. 10, who had to withstand numerous challenges from Joe Boylan in order to claim the win and the qualifier for the November “Big One” Enduro.
Keeney and Boylan were locked in a tight battle when they came upon their final set of lapped cars. Keeney was able to scott on by while Boylan was taken out by a lapped car with two laps remaining to knock him out of contention. Boylan would fade to third after Clay Weaver and Jeremiah Clonch ran up to second and third place, respectively.
Racing action returns next Friday Night with the Midstate Vintage Stockcar Club added to the Fab 5 Card. In addition to kids 16 and under being admitted free as they are every week, seniors 62 years and older will also be admitted free for this event. For more information, visit www.BlackRockSpeeedway.com.
Black Rock Speedway Results: 6/10/2011-
Regular Season Night #6
Hoselton Auto Mall Crate Sportsman Feature (20 Laps)- DONNIE LAWSON, John Juhl, Fran Hilton, Ray Bliss Jr., Chris Silvers, Brandon Butler, Brent Ayers, Chris Comstock, Jim LaRock, Brady Fultz, Steve Swarthout, Serenity Sutherland, Randy McCulloch, Trevor Sutherland, Russell Morseman III, Loren Lincoln, Sean Sommers.
Lap Leader- Butler 1-5, Juhl 6-16, Siri 17-20.
Heat Winners- Siri, Moresman, Lincoln.
Tobias SpeedSTR Feature (20 Laps)- BILLY Van PELT, Kyle Hieber, Richie Tobias, Tyler Potts, Gary Hieber, Paul Lotier Jr., Freddie Rahmer, Brandon Rahmer, Brittany Wixon, Scott Munroe, Matt Janisch.
Lap Leaders- Potts 1-7, Van Pelt 8-20.
Heat Winners- Tobias, G. Hieber.
IMCA Modified Feature (20 Laps)- MIKE SMITH, Pete Neff, Dave Yehl, Mark Griffin, Phil Yaw, Rich McNeal Jr., Mike VanDyke, Steve Sinn, Kevin VanAmburg, Bruce Tinsley, Rich Karlnoski.
Lap Leaders- Griffin 1, Smith 2-20.
Heat Winner- Smith, Yehl.
Street Stock Feature (20 Laps)- CHRIS FISHER, Bob Buono, Tim Hettis, Rich McIntyre, Chuck Winslow, Erica Bell, Don Reeves, Chris Lopez, Nate Peckham, Les McCann, Nate Peckham, Scott Sebring, Larry Fenton Jr., Joe Knapp, Harold Fenton.
Lap Leaders- Hettis 1, Daggett 2-10, Fisher 11-20
Heat Winners- Sebring, Peckham.
Signs Plus of Kanona/ Watkins Glen NAPA 4-Cylinder Feature (20 Laps)- DYLAN CECCE, Rich Horton, Scott Bradley, Brandon Morseman, Ray Speicher, Val Stephens, Ray Cornish, Les Irwin, Billy Cagle, Brian Thompson, Derrick Puryear, Dave Matwiejow, Chad Ayers, Mike Ziarno, Bobby Teed, Del Cummings (DNS).
Lap Leaders- Cornish 1-5, Horton 6-17, Cecce 18-20.
Heat Winners- Bradley, Speicher.
Home Necessities Bandits (10 Laps)- ZACH TEED, Allison Teed, Lance Irwin, Lisa Cornish, Joey Giardina, Trista Teed, Lewis Sharpsteen, Joey Rodbourn, Brandon Matthews.
Lap Leaders- A. Teed 1-7, Z. Teed 8-10.
Klein Steel Retail Enduro Top Three (30 Laps)- ZACH KEENEY, Clay Weaver, Jeremiah Clonch, Joe Boylan.
Lap Leaders- Keeney 1-30.
