By RICH VLECK
BATAVIA, NY – Another clear night for racing produced a group of drivers making repeat visits to Victory Lane to kick off the month of August.
In the Crate Late Model feature, Jeremy Wonderling felt he had a better car than leader JJ Mazur, but when he found himself still running second with two laps remaining, he knew it was go time.
Wonderling, of Scio, made a move underneath Mazur on lap 19 to get out in front for his second win of the season at Genesee Speedway. “Mr. Excitement”, who is running for the “Double Down Series” with Outlaw Speedway, knew he had to do what it took to get the win.
“There were two or three times where I had (Mazur) set up for a pass and the caution would come out. With two to go, a got underneath him and ¾ of the way down the backstretch didn’t see him and figured I was clear, but then I felt him, so I hope he isn’t too mad,” admitted Wonderling. “It looks like it was in the back though so I guess I was in front of him.”
It was the second consecutive appearance where Wonderling went to Victory Lane. JJ Mazur’s second place finish will help him in the points heading down the stretch of the season. A career run was turned in by rookie Billy DuBois, who ran up to finish a strong third. Zack Carley and TJ Downs completed the top five.
Things got intense down the stretch of the Sportsman feature, with the top two in points battling it out for the win. Kyle Inman took the lead on lap seven from Jim Harbison, while Andrew Smith snuck by for second a lap later. In the second half of the race, when Inman got slowed by a lapped car, Smith hit the leader in the rear bumper, but the green would remain out. On the final lap, Smith drove in hard to turn three, banged along the side of the No. 20k, and outdueled him to the line win by a few feet. It was the third win in a row for the Lockport driver, who was poignant in Victory Lane about his mission to will his way to a championship. After Inman was Matt Steffenhagen for a close third while Sarah Johnson rallied to finish in fourth. Jim Harbison rounded out the top five.
Dave DuBois continued his hot streak in the 360 Late Model Division, winning his second feature in-a-row and third in the last four events. DuBois, of Corfu, started in fourth and got caught up in an opening lap incident, damaging the side of his No. 012 but not slowing his speed. The defending champion stalked early leader Rich Hale until lap seven when he moved to the inside to take the lead for good. After Hale pulled pit side with terminal mechanical issues, John Zimmerman moved in to second and began to reel in the leader, but on a restart with five laps remaining DuBois was flawless to win his fourth feature of the season. Zimmerman would hold off Tommy Kemp for second while Tom Baker and Wally Wade rounded out the top five.
The final feature of the night saw Byron Dewitt notch his fifth win of the year in the Street Stocks to grow his point lead. Dewitt, of LeRoy, took the lead from Bill Taylor on a lap 7 restart with a maneuver to the inside and then held off the late pursuits of Bill Kowsky for his second straight victory. In Victory Lane, Dewitt was surprised to learn Kowsky has closed as much as he did in the waning laps. Early leader Bill Taylor finished third while Jesse Qutermous drove up to fourth. Mike Jackson brought it home in fifth.
Brad Shepard won his third Mini Stock feature of the year, this time in convincing fashion, pulling away by more than a straightaway for the victory. Shepard, of LeRoy, took the lead on lap four from Bobby Dickinson and even though he had set up his No. 1p to run the bottom, found the top side to his liking and never looked back. Point leader Dante Mancuso worked hard down the stretch to get up to second while Chris Leone finished in third. Teenagers Eddie Kowalczyk and Cole Susice rounded out the top five.
The Bandit feature ran green-to-checkered and did not disappoint with a spirited battle for the lead throughout with Adam Jackson holding off his brother Marcus and point leader Jessica Traxler for the first win of the year. Jackson, of LeRoy, took the lead on the opening circuit and hit his marks throughout the 12-lap event to become the seventh different winner in the division this year. After the race, Jackson admitted he had no idea how small his lead was, especially that his brother closed to within a half car length at the finish line. Behind the Jacksons were Traxler, Olivia Coniber and Jessica Schleede.
Coming up next Saturday is a six-class program featuring the second and final appearance of the season by the NY6A Micro Sprints. Racing gets underway at 6:00 P.M. For more information, visit www.Genesee-Speedway.com.
Genesee Speedway Results: 8/5/2017-
Select Collision Night
MHL Performance Crate Late Model Feature (20 Laps)- JEREMY WONDERLING, JJ Mazur, Billy DuBois, Zack Carley, TJ Downs, Jon Rivers, Bill Holmes, Beamer Guzzardi, Doug Ricotta, Val Stephens, Jason Tingue, Josh Pangrazio, Carl Shetler, Jimmy Johnson, Kyle Murray, David Pangrazio.
Lap Leaders- Mazur 1-18, Wonderling 19-20.
Heat Winners- Wonderling, Guzzardi.
Cornerstone Eye Associates Sportsman Feature (20 Laps)- ANDREW SMITH, Kyle Inman, Matt Steffenhagen, Sarah Johnson, Jim Harbison, Tony Muscato, Ray Bliss, Greg Mrzywka, Ray Smith, Tim Downs, Zachary George, Shane O’Grady, Cameron Tuttle, Ray Bliss Jr, TJ Newton, Dan Michaud, Chuck Kuhn, Mark Loveland, Jeff Sonnenburg, Greg Martin.
Lap Leader- Harbison 1-7, Inman 8-19, A. Smith 20.
Heat Winners- Johnson, Steffenhagen, Martin.
Ken’s Charcoal Pits BBQ 360 Late Model Feature (20 Laps)- DAVE DUBOIS, John Zimmerman, Tommy Kemp, Tom Baker, Wally Wade, Carl Shetler, Austin Kotarski, Shawn Hazlitt, Rich Hale, Tommy Butler, Brian Kotarski.
Lap Leaders- Hale 1-6, DuBois 7-20.
Heat Winners- DuBois, Baker.
Yasses Trucking & Construction Street Stock Feature (20 Laps)- BYRON DEWITT, Bill Kowsky, Bill Taylor, Jesse Qutermous, Mike Jackson, Butch Zimmerman, Tommy Cooper, David Liles, Jason Babbitt, Ryan Allen, Morgan Dewitt, Dustin Goss, Bill Tice.
Lap Leaders- Taylor 1-6, Dewitt 7-20.
Heat Winners- Taylor, Kowsky.
Pellegrino Auto Sales Mini Stock Feature (15 Laps)- BRAD SHEPARD, Dante Mancuso, Chris Leone, Eddie Kowalczyk, Cole Susice, Ryan Allen, Lee Hicks, Eric Weis, Ashley Blech, Steven Krawczyk, Chuck Cala, Gary Hopkins, Mike Jackson, Jenn Galbo, Tony Hermanson, Tony Kulesza, Bobby Dickinson, Chad Dickinson, Doug Brown, Jim Wenzel, Don Newton Jr. (DQ), Cole Hicks (DNS).
Lap Leaders- C. Dickinson 1, B. Dickinson 2-3, Shepard 4-15.
Heat Winners- Allen, B. Dickinson,
DML Sealing Bandits (12 Laps)- ADAM JACKSON, Marcus Jackson, Jessica Traxler, Olivia Coniber, Jessica Schleede, Bailey Logsdon, Allison Dewitt, Trinity Reynolds, Ally Rider.
Lap Leaders- A. Jackson 1-12.
Heat Winner- Traxler.
