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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
STEWART FRIESEN USES LATE RACE PASS TO SCORE FOURTH WIN AT UTICA-ROME SPEEDWAY
VERNON , NY- Fans at the Utica-Rome Speedway were once again treated to another exciting evening of racing action as the winners in all events weren’t decided until the closing laps on Standard Insulation and Schachtler Construction night. Defending track champion made the late race pass of Bobby Varin to claim the $1,600 358-Modified event as he kept his hopes of repeating his championship alive.
Pole sitter Paul Jensen would rocket to the early lead of the 30 lap 358-Modified event, looking to end a miserable season at the Vernon oval. As Jensen set the early pace, Bobby Varin and Friesen had their goals set at winning the event as they both broke into the top five by lap six. Fifth place starter Ted Lamb took a shot at the front of the field as he was credited with leading laps five and six.
The caution flew on lap seven for current point leader Pat Ward, who had suffered a right front flat tire and on the restart, Jensen again edged ahead for the lead. Lamb suffered front end damage on lap nine when he and Paul Kinney battled for the same racing groove which ended Lamb’s chances at the win. Jensen would again set the pace as Varin moved into second and immediately looked to grabbing another position.
Varin hounded Jensen for the top spot until the caution flew on lap 17, and on the restart, Varin was able to make the move for the lead as he grabbed the top spot by lap 18. Varin set a blistering pace as he was running his fastest laps of the race. While Varin led, Friesen took over the runner up position with ten circuits to go. Friesen ran down Varin, and by lap 22, he was in his tire tracks. After several laps of side by side racing for the lead, Friesen went by on the outside of Varin to take the lead with five to go. Friesen would race off to grab his fourth win with Varin, Kinney, Jim Davis, and Mitch Gibbs trailing. Rounding out the top ten were Jensen, Willy Decker, Ward, Jamie Christian, and Elmo Reckner.
Russ Hefti, making his second visit in 2008 to the speedway, would methodically work his way through the Sportsman field after starting 14th on the grid to grab his first career win at the Vernon oval. Hefti made a lap 14 pass for the lead on Casey Williams stick, and despite several late race caution periods, he would hang on for the win. Tim Nye, Jeff Leslie, Matt Janczuk, and Jack Miller followed Hefti to the finish line.
Eleventh place starter Bret Belden patiently watched as Tom Denton and Jim Normoyle battled for the 20 lap Pro Stock feature win until, with three laps to go, Belden made his move. Using the extreme bottom of the track, Belden went by the top duo and went to grab his third win of the 2008 campaign. Denton , Normoyle, Rob Seavy, and Dan Ody would round out the top five.
In Pure Stock action, Tim Janczuk took over the lead when it mattered the most as he passed leader Rick Breed for the win on the final circuit for the win in the 15 lap event. Breed would settle for second with Chris Carr, Ron Hawker, and Russ Marsden in pursuit. Janczuk was the fifth leader of the hotly contested event, as Scott Wheelock, Jim Richmond, and Bill Mason all had turns leading the pack.
Brian Charland grabbed the win in the visiting ESDCA Mod Lite feature event as he battled with Gary Jeffries for the lead for nearly half of the event. Charland took the lead on lap six of the 20 lap A Main for Ken Gamlen to score his first ever Utica-Rome Speedway victory. Doug Williams, Rocco Leone, Frank Sobotka, and Lowell Zehr would chase Charland to the checkered.
“The Action Track of the East” will celebrate Labor Day Weekend in fine fashion this Sunday, August 31, with the return of the Empire Super Sprints on Gates-Cole Associates and Nye Ford night. A regular show of 358-Modifieds, Sportsman, Pro Stocks, and Pure Stocks will join in on the action and at the end of the evening, a huge fireworks display will cap off the weekend. Gates open at 2:30 p.m. with racing at 5 p.m. For more information, log on to www.uticaromespeedway.com or call the speedway office at (315) 829-4557.
STANDARD INSULATION AND SCHACHTLER CONSTRUCTION RACE SUMMARY
358-MODIFIED FEATURE FINISH (30 LAPS)- STEWART FRIESEN, Bobby Varin, Paul Kinney, Jim Davis, Mitch Gibbs, Paul Jensen, Willy Decker, Pat Ward, Jamie Christian, Elmo Reckner, Dave Rauscher, Brian Murphy, Dan Vauter, Danny Varin, Ken McGuire, Tim Mayne, Brian Charland, Gus Schmidt, Alan Barker, Ted Lamb, Jeff Kotary, and Ken Hotaling. DNS-John Ramsey.
SPORTSMAN FEATURE FINISH (20 LAPS)- RUSS HEFTI, Tim Nye, Jeff Leslie, Matt Janczuk, Jack Miller, Mike Button, Brad Alger, Jeremy Vunk, AJ Filbeck, Chris Daley, Steve Yankowski, Aaron Jacobs, Craig Pope, Roger West, Tyler Odendahl, Jim Rothwell, Casey Williams, Steve Way, Michael Teachout, John DeForest, John Fitzsimmons, and Jason Rood.
PRO STOCK FEATURE FINISH (20 LAPS)- BRET BELDEN, Tom Denton, Jim Normoyle, Rob Seavy, Dan Ody, Kenny Gates, Mark Effner, Chris Mackey, Ivan Joslin, Jack Terrell, Dick Parkhurst, John Roese, Dan Peo, Ed Ostrander, Dave Meeks, Rich Dauenhauer, Matt Shadic, Joe Palmer, Chuck Wentrick, Shawn Frost, and John Pietrowicz.
PURE STOCK FEATURE FINISH (15 LAPS)- TIM JANCZUK, Rick Breed, Chris Carr, Ron Hawker, Russ Marsden, Frank Hyatt, Chris Cunningham, Cale Hoffman, Jim Richmond, Waylan Wilczek, Stan Clark, Jim Thomas, Robert Thiemes, Andy Potter, Scott Wheelock, Bill Mason, Rick Trexler, Steve Burton, Phil Norman, and Keith Stevenson.
ESDCA MOD LITE FEATURE FINISH (20 LAPS)- RYAN CHARLAND, Doug Williams, Rocco Leone, Frank Sobotka, Lowell Zehr, Jason Broedel, Ken Gamlen, Tom Felicia, Brian Peterson, Ricky Donovan, Bob Charland, Michael Occipinti, Ricky Yelle, Rick Achlaw, Matt Virginia, Brett Crowthier, Gary Jeffries, Jeff Barker, and DJ Forbes.
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