BILL FOLEY
There certainly wasn’t a full moon on Friday night at the Brewerton Speedway, but it was indeed a ‘full moon’ night.
However, it certainly was everything a fan could have hoped for.
With the Empire Super Sprints in town you really want to start on time, but track maintenance meant a 7:40 p.m. start instead of 7 which might have helped get the huge line that stretched halfway down the driveway toward Route 11 in their seats.
When the action ended there were Danny Varin, Jimmy Phelps, Ryan Dolbear and Chris Bonoffski with feature wins.
Phelps started back around 12th and didn’t get the lead until he passed Ron Davis III with three laps to go.
Jimmy talked to Dirt Track Digest, saying, “It was one of those weird nights out there. It was like a Small Block track and the Big Blocks had to do a lot of battling to get where you got. We really weren’t being held up. I mean they (Small Blocks) were really just good as we were and it seemed like we kind of didn’t find that bottom until and we needed to kind of get some separation between some cars. The car was really good on the bottom once we got down there and we were able to use our horsepower on the back stretch to make up a lot of ground.”
He was running around eighth at the halfway point and explained, “About halfway I didn’t know if we were gonna get a top ten. We were sitting midpack and then started moving. It might have been the yellows on the right time. I don’t know if we just caught a couple of breaks. We seemed to be able to grab a car here and there. It just didn’t seem like it was happening.Then as the closer we got to the front there was more separation and once we found that bottom. Nobody really seemed like they could hold the bottom so it was just clear sailing from that point. The car just came out of nowhere and really was good.”
Ronnie Davis III Second
Ronnie told DTD, “I think I started 13th and the key here is to save your equipment until the end. I’ve been trying to beat that into my head for two or three years now. I knew it was a Sprint car night so there wasn’t gonna be much left of the track anyways. You just have to keep it smooth and don’t burn off the tires.”
Continuing, Davis explained, “Jimmy just had a lot better car than I did at the end of the race.”
Of his battle with the Small Block of Nick Krause, Davis showed tremendous respect, saying, “What can you say about Nick. He gave me a heck of a battle. I mean, he kept it together. I kept trying to pressure him and showed him a nose, but he was holding his own right in the middle. I don’t know if he caught the berm or what happened and I just saw his front end go up in the air. I didn’t hit him. It was too bad as he had a good run going. “
Small Block runners Andrew Ferguson and Chris Mackey finished third and fifth (see the other DTD Small Block story).
Chris Hile had yet another fourth place Big Block finish.
He passed Mackey on the final lap for the final finishing position.
Talking to DTD, he said, “It can be tough when this place gets real wise and slippery like that. You know everybody is kinda fighting for the same lane either on the bottom or on the top. We kind of found a little home in the middle and just start roilling pretty good. Jimmy just got through the traffic better than me. And Ronnie as well. They both had good runs.”
Continuing he noted, “That is the name of the game here. You just got to have a little luck, get a position. It seemed every restart we would restart on the bottom. But we were rolling better from the middle to the top. So it was just one of those deals. We’ll take it. Another fourth. I seem to be stuck there. We’ve got some speed, the car’s good, we just kind of have to have a little luck.
At least we rolled it back into the trailer in one piece.
Varin Wins First of Year
Jonathan Preston grabbed the lead on the 11th lap and appeared headed in the right direction.
However, Danny Varin closed in and the duo put on a crowd pleasing side-by-side race in the non-stop 25 lap feature.
Varin was followed by Preston and Larry Wight.
While Danny was celebrating and getting victory photos taken, a very disappointed Preston was talking with Adam Buchanan.
Pit Notes
Sprint heats were won by Jeff Cook, Matt Tanner, Larry Wight and Jason Barney while Bucky Hayes, Brandon Carvey and Kyle Devendorf won Sportsman prelims. Taking the Mod qualifiers were the Small Blocks of Alan Fink, Nick Krause and Max Hill. Hill and Hile ended up in a photo finish….
In the B main Chad Phelps was on the pole for the Sprints, but the rear end kicked around entering turn one and he ended up on his side. Damage to fuel cell and some suspension parts initial determination…
Chris Hile was supposed to start on the pole of the Sprint feature and explained, “We were really excited to start up front. So we had a technical malfunction and the gears got put in upside down. You know it’s unfortunate, but things happen.”
At the Weedsport All Star show he was third quick but was DQ’d for not immediately reporting to the scales. He said, “This one kind of hit me a little harder here. I was so excited to start up on the pole. I’ve got a lot of laps at this place and I was really excited to be in the french air and try to give it a show with these guys…
33 Sprints, 30 Modifieds, 21 Sportsman and double digit Four Cylinders…
Ryan Dolbear, Zach Sobotka and Riley Rogala one-two-three in Sportsman main…
Alan Fink was a season best sixth in his Small Block…
Steady run by Dylan Zacharias in 7th for the BB…
Amy Holland consistent in her first year with a 358 chalked up eighth for another top ten….
Rare night as Larry Wight was 15th and Tim Sears Jr. 13th…
Adam Roberts ran second in his heat and looked the best he has all year…
Nick Krause who appeared to have a shot in winning this thing ended up a disappointing and out of the spotlight 27th.
All 30 Modifieds started the main event.
PHOTOS By Bill Foley