July 15, 2005

DOUG FULLER WINS MODIFIED FEATURE AT THUNDER ALLEY

EVANS MILLS, NY...When Doug Fuller was asked how long it's been since he visited victory lane at Caprara's Thunder Alley Speedpark, he responded, "Well, I know it's been a long time.probably since it was dirt back in the late 80's." His long dry spell came to an end Friday night as he held off Bob Bennett to win the 30-lap DIRT Modified feature event. 

Fuller took the early lead in the contest over Bennett while Frankie Caprara and Ryan Bartlett worked their way up through the field. While trying to pass Jason Potter, Caprara and Bartlett went three wide off turn two, but contact sent Potter into the backstretch wall and collapsed the rear end of the Bartlett car. Caprara was able to hang onto third and drive away, eventually taking the lead from Fuller on lap 11. Six laps later, Caprara's car gave off a puff of smoke and stopped in turn four, handing the lead back to Fuller, who held off Bennett for the win. Mike Prentice, Jordan Bennett, and Tim O'Brien rounded out the top five.

The 12-lap Street Stock feature event saw as many as six cars battling for the win early leader Mike Cousins. Keith Doxtater was able to get a run at Cousins off a restart and made the winning move coming through the second turn. Doxtater held off Cousins over the final laps to post his first win of the 2005 season. Dave Mannise, Dave Pope, and Ron Hawker rounded out the top five.

In Thundercar competition, Jim Quinn led wire to wire in the 12-lap 4 Cylinder Domestic feature, but failed a post race inspection, giving the win to Josh Verne, who held off Steve Malbeouf and Dan Way. Jack Jones took the lead at the start of the 12-lap 4 Cylinder Foreign feature and went wire to wire to claim the win over Bob Martin and Jiggs Jones. The 6/8 Cylinder feature saw a caution fly on lap 11 of 12, setting up a one lap shootout between Rush Walts and James Hall. They ran side by side on the final lap, with Hall leading going into turn three. Walts went to the outside and won the drag race to the line by half a car length for the 6 Cylinder win, while Kevin Smith was the winner of the 8 Cylinder class, outrunning Brian Palmer. The Truck 12-lap feature saw Mike Durham battle Rush Walts side by side for several laps before Durham was able to pull away and claim the win over Walts and Nelson Bice.

Racing action continues at Thunder Alley next Friday night with the Bub Durham Memorial races for DIRT Modfiieds, Sportsman, Street Stocks, Thundercars, and Trucks. Racing gets underway at 7:30 p.m.

RACE SUMMARY-CAPRARA'S THUNDER ALLEY SPEEDPARK
FRIDAY, JULY 15, 2005

DIRT MODIFIED FEATURE (30 LAPS) - DOUG FULLER (358), Bob Bennett, Miek Prentice (358), Jordan Bennett (358), Tim O'Brien, John Ramsey (358), Adam Roberts (358), Cricket Mandigo (358), Jason Potter (358), Lance Willix, Justin Mason (358), Frankie Caprara, Tyler Bartlett, Ryan Bartlett.

STREET STOCK FEATURE (12 LAPS) - KEITH DOXTATER, Mike Cousins, Dave Mannise, Dave Pope, Ron Hawker, Dana Aikens, Dave Fetterly, Rick DeGroff, Clint Middlemiss, Brian Hardy.

4 CYL DOMESTIC THUNDERCAR - JOSH VERNE, Steve Malboeuf, Dan Way, Jock Symonds, Mike Trapp, Eric Shaw, Randy Bowman, Bob Teft, Jake McConnell, Jim Mitchell, BJ Stevens, Rick Petire, Christopher Bright, Dave Travis, Robert Scott, Jim Quinn.

4 CYL. FOREIGN THUNDERCAR - JACK JONES, Bob Martin, Jiggs Jones, Sid Harmer, Mike Durham, Mike Stewart, Tim Verne, Mike Parker, Richard Finley, Alan Harris, JR Durham, OJ White (DNS).

6 CYL. THUNDERCAR - RUSH WALTS, James Hall, Sid Harmer, Verne Harris, Dale Snyder, Johnny LaFaver.

8 CYL. THUNDERCAR - KEVIN SMITH, Brian Palmer, John Kenny.

TRUCKS - MIKE DURHAM, Rush Walts, Nelson Bice II, Leland Whitton, Kris Bice II, Kelvin Bice Jr., Kevin Bice, David Blair.



Bob Sergeant picks up first CNYMS win at Thunder Alley
By Rich Vleck

Bobby Sergeant had led seven laps in two out of the previous Central New York Mini Sprint tour events but each time surrendered the lead to come home the runner-up. But on a warm Friday night at Thunder Alley Speedpark, Sergeant would get out front early and stay that way for the full 20-laps.

"This is just fantastic," Sergeant said in victory lane after his first career win. "I wasn't going to let anybody by me on this one. I just kept telling myself if I kept hitting my marks we were going to get this one."

Sergeant almost did let someone by however on lap 17 when Don Harvey Jr. caught the No. 15M in lapped traffic and pulled a slide-job for the lead. The lead would last less than a second though as the Snap-On Tools No. 44 hit the u-tire in turn four, spinning Harvey out of the lead with his left front tire detracted from the car.

"I thought I had it in the bag," said Harvey after the race. "I knew I could catch Bobby in the lapped traffic and just got a little to low and clipped it."

Harvey's misfortune place Mike Kiser, current points leader and winner of the last two CNYMS races in the runner-up position. Unlike five days earlier, when Kiser got around Sergeant for the race lead at Cayuga County, he was not able to pull it off this time.

"I could catch Bobby entering the corner but coming off he was just fast," said the Cooperstown Comet out of Milford. "This stock motor doesn't have what some others have but I'll take what we got."

Chris VanBuren finished third for his best career Central New York Mini Sprint finish. Daniel LamPron was solid in fourth and Pat Kuerner rounded out the top five.

Shaun Gosselin finished one better than last year's event at Thunder Alley, finishing sixth, Bill Jaycox, Art Kiser, Duby Woodruff and Jeff Collins completed the top-10.

Bobby Sergeant also picked up the win heat one, his fourth of the year, showing early how strong he was at the super-tacky 1/3rd mile. Mike Kiser was set to pick up his third-straight heat win but hit the u-tire to narrow allow Don Harvey to get back by to pick up the win in heat two.

The next Central New York Mini Sprint race will take place Sunday, July 24 at the Utica-Rome Speedway for the fourth round of the Pro Tire and Service/ Parts Plus Super Series. For addition information on the ninth CNYMS of 2005, check out Hot Wings: Sprint Car News and Talk on Oval1.com, available Tuesday, June 19, or log onto CNYMS.com.

Central New York Mini Sprint Results:

Race 9: Thunder Alley Speedpark: Evans Mills, NY-

Heat Results (8 Laps, top-four redraw)-

1- Sergeant, Lampron, Fink, VanBuren, J. Kiser, Jaycox, Montgomery, Collins.
2- Harvey, M. Kiser, Kuerner, Woodruff, A. Kiser, Pravia, Gosselin, Sehn.

A-Main (20 Laps)- BOBBY SERGEANT, Mike Kiser, Chris VanBuren, Daniel Lampron, Pat Kuerner, Shaun Gosselin, Bill Jaycox, Art Kiser, Duby Woodruff, Jeff Collins, Jerry Sehn, Don Harvey Jr., Jamie Kiser, Matthew Pravia, Jared Fink, Shea Montgomery.