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KIRKWOOD, NY…Les Gillette made the move from the Street Stock class to the Sportsman division at the end of the 2006 race season. On Saturday Gillette showed a smooth transition as he recorded his first Sportsman feature win at Five Mile Point Speedway on “Pack the Track Night”
Other winners on the night included Joe Cole in the IMCA Modified feature event, Denny Decker in the Trackside Products Pro Stock feature, Jeff VanSteinberg in the CRSA Sprint car main, Harry Marvin, III in the Pure Stocks, Brian Backus in the Lightning Cats, Mark Cardew in the Figure 8’s and Sandi Brown in the Leauge of Their Own.
The 20 lap Sportsman Modified feature event found a pair of rookies setting the pace for the drop of the green flag. Jerry Tonti and Les Gillette finished one and two in the final 2006 Street Stock point chase and on Saturday the two brought the field down for the drop of the green in the Sportsman feature. Gillette took advantage of the lightning fast outside groove to immediately take the point. Gillette known for his preferred outside line on the quarter mile opened up an early advantage as a number of fantastic battles developed behind. Last weeks winner Butch Klinger was flying as he advanced from his eighth place starting spot up to second in only five laps.
Out front Gillette continued to lead but Klinger was on the move as he closed the gap. Brad Grim motored into third place on lap 8 after he started back in tenth. The top three hooked up in a battle that had the fans on their feet as they raced three wide for several circuits prior to a caution on lap 14. When racing continued Gillette and Klinger began to open their lead over Grim as he now had to contend with Grant Hilfiger as the battle for third took shape. Brian Puckett was again a man on a mission as he worked his way up from his nineteenth starting slot to break into the top five on lap 16. For Puckett he would once again run out of time as the remaining laps went caution free. At the finish Gillette edged out Klinger by a half of car length for the win. Klinger wound up second with Grim, Hilfiger and Puckett completing the top five. Tonti had his best finish in the division with a sixth place slot. Mike Marold, Jamie Batzel, Rick Raisner and Dan Creedan completed the top ten. In victory lane Gillette was asked about his outside driving style and he commented, “We earned a reputation in the Street Stock class for running the high side here, the track was super fast and it was just fun racing with Butch for the win.” “We’re glad to get this first victory.”
At Five Mile Point Speedway the Cole family is known as some of the biggest supporters of the quarter mile over the last six decades. On Saturday night cousins Joe and KC Cole had their own personal race in the 20 lap IMCA Modified Feature event. Joe Cole took the early lead as KC Cole moved into second on lap 1. A great race ensued between the two for a number of laps as they ran side by side for the lead. Joe was scored the race leader for the first three circuits with KC having the edge on laps four and five. On lap 6 it was Joe Coles turn as he recaptured the lead, one he would not relinquish. Tom Eiklor began to pressure KC for second place and Gary Roberts found the outside of the speedway to his liking as he made his way up from the fifth starting spot. As the laps wound down Roberts worked in to second place and began to challenge Joe Cole for the lead. At the finish Cole was able to hold off Roberts for his first victory of the season. Roberts wound up second with KC Cole, James Cornell and Eiklor completing the top five.
The Pure Stock feature event was once again a relatively quiet event for the first 19 circuits. The fourth turn on the final lap again proved to be a spot that tends to create a lot of excitement in the Pure Stock class. Three weeks ago Charlie Gilbert led the feature until the last turn only to have contact from Harry Marvin, III send them both spinning. This Saturday Marvin bounced back as he led the entire distance in the feature event. Again it was Gilbert having last turn last lap woes as he spun on his own while running in second place. This scrambled the field as came down for the checkered flag. Out front Marvin was dominant as he took the lead on lap 1 coming up from fifth place and he never looked back. When Gilbert spun in turn four on the last lap Marvin was well ahead of the field to record his first victory of the season. The scrambled that ensued shuffled the field at the finish. Glen Robinson came across the line second but was placed back to sixth due to a jumped start on the previous restart. Steve Polhamus drove through the scramble and wound up in second place with a damaged race car. Corey Bond, Josh French and Joe Rafferty Jr. rounded out the top five. Gilbert would ultimately be scored with a tenth place finish.
Jason Rhodes and Denny Decker had a great race for the victory in the 20 lap Trackside Products Pro Stock Tour event. Rhodes led laps 1-4 with Decker taking the lead on lap 5. Rhodes re-capture the lead for circuits 7-9 with Decker moving back out front for the 10th circuit. The lap 11 race lead was credited to Rhodes but Decker had enough as he moved past on lap 12 for final pass for the lead. Decker would go on to edge out Rhodes at the stripe. Chris Piasecki finished third with Neil Palladino and Pat Nolan completing the top five.
Jeff VanSteinberg took advantage of lapped traffic as he made a last lap pass of Jeremy Quick in the 20 lap CRSA Sprint Car main event. VanSteinberg was very fast on the outer reaches of the quarter mile but Quick ran a steady race out front to keep him in check for the fist 19 laps. As the leaders raced down the backstretch on the last lap Quick went low around a lap car and this opened up the outside for VanSteinberg as he went by for the lead. At the finish it would VanSteinberg, Quick, Chuck Alessi, Warren Alexson and Jamie Russell in the top five.
Brian Backus led all 12 laps in the Lightning Cat feature event for the victory. Mark Cardew led the entire distance in the 99.1 the Whale Figure 8 feature and Sandi Brown recorded her first ever League of Their Own victory.
Counter Points…The eight division racing program was completed just after 9 p.m. despite two rain delays on a cool drizzly night at the speedway…The CRSA Sprint Car feature was twice interrupted by passing showers but the drivers put on a good show despite the persistent precipitation…The move up to Sportsman didn’t slow down former Street Stock top guns Jerry Tonti and Les Gillette…Tonti the final Track Champion in the Street Stock class looked strong on Saturday…Of course Gillette went on for the impressive victory…Last season the two finished one and two in points and combined for 7 feature wins…The quarter mile racing surface was excellent once again as the outside was super fast…Light rain kept the speedway surface tacky and fast for the second straight week…Rain has interrupted three race nights of the five race nights held in 2007…The Sportsman class continues to put on a fantastic show every Saturday night…Three and four wide racing was once again the norm…
MILLER LITE OFFICIAL SPORTSMAN FEATURE RESULTS: LES GILLETTE, Butch Klinger, Brad Grim, Grant Hilfiger, Brian Puckett, Jerry Tonti, Mike Marold, Jamie Batzel, Rick Raisner, Dan Creedan, Robbie Fairweather, Nick Rochinski, Rich Wallace, Denny Smith, Dan Pompey, Jason Griffith, Harry Cook Jr., Byron Pitcher, Frank Yankowski, Danny Varin, Bob Ferguson, Eric Stephens Jr.
MILLER LITE OFFICIAL IMCA MODIFIED FEATURE RESULTS: JOE COLE, Gary Roberts, KC Cole, James Cornell, Tom Eiklor, Mike Stolarcyk III, Tyler Stoddard, Jeremy Shaw, Mike Stoddard, Brad Weaver, John Rohacevich.
MILLER LITE OFFICIAL TRACKSIDE PRODUCTS PRO STOCK FEATURE RESULTS: DENNY DECKER, Jason Rhodes, Chris Piasecki, Neil Palladino, Pat Nolan, Doug Polhamus, Carl Heater, Chris Strohl, Dave Luff, David Brown, Mike Decker, James Millard, K.J. Yager, Rich Post, Frank Payne.
MILLER LITE OFFICIAL CRSA SPRINT CAR FEATURE RESULTS: JEFF VANSTEINBERG, Jeremy Quick, Chuck Alessi, Warren Alexson, Jamie Russell, Kyle Dutcher, Tyler Rice, Matt Dematrazek, Anthony Brennaon, Billy Jaycox, Marshall Gregg, Matthew Stewart.
MILLER LITE OFFICIAL PURE STOCK FEATURE RESULTS: HARRY MARVIN III, Steve Polhamus, Corey Bond, Josh French, Joe Rafferty Jr., Glen Robinson, Eugene VanAlstyne, Nick Austin, Rob Loucks, Charlie Gilbert, David Conklin, Chuck Culbertson, Shannon Butts, Mike Codington, Doug Stack, Rick Seeley, Jason Bond, Brian Mills.
MILLER LITE OFFICIAL LIGHTNING CAT FEATURE RESULTS: BRIAN BACKUS, Gary Kinne, Klem Underwood, Andy Brigham, Leo Shew, Jeremy Hale, Dave Simms, Chris Wheeler, Josh Mudge, Travis Hayes, Barry Wallace, Phillip Clapper.
OFFICIAL 99.1 THE WHALE FIGURE 8 FEATURE RESULTS: MARK CARDEW, Jim Watson.
OFFICIAL A LEAGUE OF THEIR OWN FEATURE RESULTS: SANDI BROWN, Ann Tonti, Margarita Olin.
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