BATAVIA, NY – The first feature events in nearly a month were able to run under perfect weather conditions on Saturday and with a smooth yet slick surface, many multi-time winners used their strong starting spots to get to the front and stay there.
Chad Homan put on a clinic in the Late Model Feature, driving away from the drop of the green flag to lead all 25 laps and claim his fourth victory of the season in Batavia. Homan had built up an over 6-second lead when the event’s only caution showed on lap 17. Despite losing his advantage, his No. 91 was prolific on the restart and without a worry about lapped traffic he drove off to the finish.
Not only did Homan add to his win total, he moved with 10 points of the championship point lead with five races remaining, something the Penfield, NY driver did not realize after missing a race earlier in the season.
Zack Carley ran a solid race to finish second while Bill Taylor scored his best finish in his rookie season of Late Model racing, coming home in third. Billy DuBois held off Dave DuBois to round out the top five.
Adam Hilton took a major step towards a Sportsman Track Championship as he scored his third win of the season on Saturday. Hilton, of Newfane, outdueled polesitter Brandon Michaud on the initial restart for the top spot and then was unmatched on the ensuing restarts, something that he felt he had struggled with in the last few races.
Hilton felt that his key was to make his car as wide as possible, but little did he know that he amassed a multi-second lead on many occasions to pul away from Michaud, who would finish in second. Kyle Richner climbed up from his seventh starting position to place in third while Sam Hoxie had his season-best result in fourth. Ryan Barrett ran up to round out the top five.
John Zimmerman was passed by Byron Dewitt for the win in the heat race, but in the feature Zimmerman was able to get out in front and keep Dewitt at bay to win his second Street Stock Feature win of 2023. “The Z Man” didn’t feel he was as strong as Dewitt on restarts, but he was strong enough in his No. 0 to get his momentum back up over the final 3 restarts to close the gap on the point lead. As Dewitt finished second, Dale Rissinger fought hard to hold off Jesse Qutermous for third. Jon Alemkinder had his best finish of the season as he rounded out the top five.
Cole Susice has been a pilar of consistency all season, as his string of top 10 finishes has given him a sizeable point lead in the Mini Stock Division, but on Saturday Night he was able to get out in front and score his first feature victory at Genesee since 2020. Susice, of Ransomville, had a fierce battle with Eric Weis on the opening lap, with Susice being just .010 second ahead of Weis, the two made contact, which would put a slow leak in Weis’ right rear tire, but Susice was unfazed and stayed out in front to win the caution-free event. Robert Knapp won his heat race and ran to his third runner-up finish of the year with Chirs Leone close-in-tow in third. Eric Brumsted was fourth while James Gayton rounded out the lead lap cars in fifth.
Dillon Adamczak became the eighth different driver to win a Novice Sportsman Feature as he second appearance at Genesee in 2023 resulted in a trip to Victory Lane. Adamczak won the heat race then led all 15 laps to run away with the win. The only caution of the race halfway through the race bunched up the field but on the ensuing restart Adamczak ran his fasted lap of the race and took off from point leader Joe Mickey, who finished in second. Noah Pangrazio rounded out the podium.
Seth Johnson was unable to finish his heat race but did not waste time getting to the front of the pack in the feature, taking the lead on the lap two restart from Paige Gayton and ran off to win his seventh feature of the season and third in-a-row. Racelyn Lippa was able to score her second runner-up finish of the year while Paige Gayton rounded out the top three.
Added to the program on the night was the Classics on Dirt Vintage Stock Car Club. Mark Schenck led the opening six laps but got caught up in an incident to draw the first caution of the race and cut his front tire down in the process. That allowed Ed Lawrence to get out in front and drive off to win in his No. 9J which was a replica of John Birosh’s Syracuse car in 1986. Tim Harris won the Sportsman Division while Roger Williams scored the win in the Vintage Division.
Racing action returns rapidly at the next event will be this Thursday, August 10 for the Kyle Inman Memorial, featuring a $2,000-to-win event for the Sportsman which already has 37 cars pre entered for the event. Hot laps will start at 6:30 p.m. For more information visit www.Genesee-Speedway.com.
Genesee Speedway Results: 8/5/2023-
Pepsi Night
Cummings Trucking RUSH Late Model Feature (25 Laps)- CHAD HOMAN, Zack Carley, Bill Taylor, Dave DuBois, Billy DuBois, Doug Ricotta, JJ Mazur, Dave Stolzenberg, Jon Rivers, Jimmy Button.
Lap Leaders- Homan 1-25.
Heat Winners- DuBois, Homan.
Stirling Lubricants Sportsman Feature (25 Laps)- ADAM HILTON, Brandon Michaud, Kyle Richner, Damian Long, Ryan Barrett, Ray Bliss, Dave Conant, Dave DiPietro, Tony Pangrazio, Cam Tuttle, Jacob Bansmer, Greg Mrzywka, Gordy Hermanson Jr., Matt Smith, Phil Vigneri III, Daryl Barrett, Cliff Gregg, Chris Hawkins, Tyler Guzzardi.
Lap Leader- Hilton 1-25.
Heat Winners- Michaud, Hoxie.
Yasses Trucking and Construction Street Stock Feature (20 Laps)- JOHN ZIMMERMAN, Byron Dewitt, Dale Rissinger, Jesse Qutermous, Jon Almekinder, Jonathan Logsdon, Dan Brumsted, Jeff Almekinder, Cole Hirsch, Damian Long, Kenny Begnouche, Mike Kelly, Scott DeRock (DNS).
Lap Leaders- Zimmerman 1-20.
Heat Winners- Qutermous, Dewitt.
The Detail Shop Mini Stock Feature (15 Laps)- COLE SUSICE, Robert Knapp, Chris Leone, Eric Brumsted, James Gayton, Eric Weis, Jessica Petry, Mike Becker, Mike Dinehardt, Bill Kapelke, Brian Johnson, Dave Smith, Kevin Napier (DNS), Dylan Strade (DNS), Brent Wililams (DNS).
Lap Leaders- Susice 1-20.
Heat Winners- Johnson, Knapp.
Vigneri Racing Novice Sportsman Feature (15 Laps)- DILLON ADAMCZAK, Joe Mickey, Noah Pangrazio, Matt Radzio, Jason Rumsey, Paul Marshall.
Lap Leaders- Adamczak 1-15.
Heat Winner- Adamczak.
Kolb Family Automotive Bandit Feature (12 Laps)- SETH JOHNSON, Racelyn Lippa, Paige Gayton, Nick Lipome, Brayden Davis.
Lap Leaders- Gayton 1, Johnson 2-12.
Heat Winner- Davis.
Classics on Dirt Vintage Stock Car Club Feature (20 Laps)- ED LAWRENCE, Tim Harris, Tim Natalino, Tom Church, Casey Doll, Steve Longo, Roger Williams, Tim Sebring, Brent Williams, Roy Susice, Ron Wiltse, Tedd Scott, Mark Schenck, Phil Clausen, Tom Fletcher (DNS).
Lap Leaders- Scheck 1-6, Lawrence 7-20.
Division Winners- Lawrence (Modified), Harris (Sportsman), R. Williams (Vintage).
Heat Winners- Schenck, Harris.
