Apr 26, 2015 06:18 PM EDT
‘The Doctor’ Makes House Call As Modifieds Return To Black Rock Speedway
DUNDEE, NY – For Immediate Release – April 26th, 2015
A long offseason saw a lot of excitement with local race fans as first-year promoters of the Black Rock Speedway Mike Jackson and Sue Foster made the decision to bring back dirt Modifieds to the weekly fold. Near perfect track conditions and a hearty group of race fans battling the 30+ degree temperatures awaited the racing action presented by Superior Crushing, LLC.
19 small block and big block Modifieds entered for the opening night event and it was Rochester, NY’s ‘The Doctor’ Danny Johnson who made a rare Black Rock appearance and picked up the 30 lap feature win.
Penn Yan, NY’s Derrick Podsiadlo and Donnie Lawson led the field to Scott Hixson’s green flag to start the first weekly modified feature event since 2008. Podsiadlo took the early lead but a lap 1 caution flag would put Podsiadlo and Johnson side by side for the restart.
On the restart the two would drag race through turns one and two, but Johnson would pull off a slide job through turns three and four and take the lead as the field completed lap 2. Podsiadlo never gave up and would put on a thrilling battle with the driver of the 27J. It appeared that Podsiadlo was strong entering the corners but ‘The Doctor’ would have the power off the corner and could fend off all of Podsiadlo’s gains on corner entry.
Sprakers, NY driver Stewart Friesen who also made a rare Black Rock Speedway appearance had an impressive showing early in the feature event. Friesen started seventh and had worked his way into the fourth position with less than ten laps to go. The Superior Crushing, Best Line Superior Lubricants 51* was quickly moving through the field until a tire went down and ended Friesen’s night with only five laps to go.
With five laps to go Podsiadlo continued to mount a charge on Johnson but the driver of the Traction Grabber, CG Racing, Bicknell Racing Products 27J was too tough to tame on Opening Night of the 2015 season.
Johnson would take the $1,200 win, Podsiadlo came home with a well-earned second place finish, Lawson finished third, Nick Nye made a rare appearance to finish fourth and local driver Eric Fisher rounded out the top five finishers.
“This car’s just been awesome since we have had it and I’m so happy to get to race for a great team like Chris Gennarelli’s,” said Johnson in Champion Power Equipment Victory Lane.
2015 has been particularly successful for the Rochester driver as a Black Rock win follows up two wins in a row for the team at Kirkwood, NY’s Five Mile Point Speedway.
“This particular car has been really good for us going on its third year on both the chassis and the motor. We keep racing it and the car keeps winning races for us. I would race this car every night if I could.”
20 of the best Crate Sportsman in the area took to the fast four-tenths-mile on a chilly night at the speedway. Appropriately enough, the driver known as “The Iceman” would take the first Sportsman feature win of 2015. Middlesex, NY’s Steve Gray took home the win in convincing fashion after 25 laps.
Veteran competitors Ross Vleck and Dale Welty led the field to the green with Welty taking the early advantage running the bottom portion of the speedway. Gray started in the 12th position and quickly worked his way into the top five before halfway.
Welty, Vleck and 2014 track champion Casey Pavlick battled hard for position with Vleck taking the lead on lap 9.
Welty, Vleck and Gray would go three-wide through turns three and four with Welty leading lap 10 but Gray was not going to be denied. Gray took the Proctor Enterprises, City Hill Construction 29G around Welty off turn 2 and would take over the lead as the field completed lap 11.
Slower traffic would makes things interesting in the battle for second and third but Gray dominated the final 14 laps taking his first victory of 2015. Defending champion Pavlick started his title defense with a second place finish, Josh Keesey recovered from early troubles for third, Welty ended of fourth and Brett Buono finished a strong and consistent run for fifth.
Gene Balmer and LaVerne Knickerbocker would lead the field to Scott Hixson’s green flag for the Street Stocks and Balmer would jump out to the early lead. Knickerbocker and Balmer would battle hard for the lead with Knickerbocker taking the lead on lap 10 when Balmer got hung up with a lapped car.
Lap 16 would see Jeremy Potrzebowski bring out the caution and simultaneously Knickerbocker spun in front of the entire field in turn 1. The yellow flag flew before the leader spun which would palce the Corning, NY driver back in the lead.
However on the restart something was amiss in the Costa’s Auto Body 187 as Knickerbocker slowed on the backstretch causing the whole field to take evasive action and bringing out another caution. This handed the lead over to Gene Balmer and set up a wild finish to the checkered flag.
Balmer led laps 16 through 18 but on a restart coming to complete lap 19, Dunn was able to get under the Balmer #38 and take the lead for the final two circuits. Dunn would score his first career win in any form of racecar over close friend Jared Hill, Balmer had to settle for third, Jake Karlnoski came home fourth and veteran Bob Buono rounded out the top five.
The M&M Auto Sales and Service IMCA Modifieds got their 2015 season started off with a thriller as Keith Lamphere and defending track champion Rich Karlnoski battled for the win. Lamphere started on the outside of the front row for the original start and led the first five laps.
But it was Karlnoski who would work the bottom side of the speedway and take the lead on lap 6. He would hold that spot until a lap 19 restart when Lamphere would motor by in an event that saw yellow fever take over the second half of the event. Lamphere would pull away for the win, Karlnoski had to settle for second, Gary Roberts finished third, Jason Benjamin took fourth while Scott Sebring rounded out the top five.
The NAPA Know How 4 Cylinders took to the track for their first event of 2015 and it was Dundee, NY’s Rich Sharpsteen who made it two wins in a row for the Waneta Inn ‘Flyin’ X’. Sharpsteen won the previous week’s event at Woodhull Raceway and would continue his dominance of late by capitalizing on his front row starting position.
Desi Force from Penn Yan won her heat race event and would start on the inside of row 1 but spun the tires on the bottom side of the speedway and fell through the top ten. Force would recover for seventh. Defending track champion Scott Bradley did everything he could to catch Sharpsteen but could not reel him in.
Sharpsteen made it two in a row, Bradley settled for second, Rick Horton finished third, Chad Ayers fourth while Penn Yan’s Jayson Smart rounded out the top five.
The Creekside Entertainment Black Rock Bandits started off the night’s action with their 10 lap feature event. Young racer Jeff Daugherty made it two wins in a row, winning Friday night’s opener at Black Rock to back up his win just one week ago at the Woodhull Raceway.
Daugherty started from the pole position and battled early with Dundee, NY’s Billy Bowers. Bowers threw everything he had at Daugherty but as the race wore on Daugherty pulled away and cruised to win #1 of 2015. Bowers had to settle for second while lady racer Pixie Kinner rounded out the field in third.
Superior Crushing, LLC Opening Night 2015 Results:
MODIFIEDS (30 Laps): DANNY JOHNSON, Derrick Podsiadlo, Donnie Lawson, Nick Nye, Eric Fisher, Ray Bliss, Ron Cartwright, Brady Fultz, Tyler Siri, Alan Johnson, Scott Boudinot, Joe Dgien, Steve Paine, Cory Costa, Marcus Dinkins, Chris Ostrowsky, Stewart Friesen, Stacy Jackson, Fran Hilton
Lap Leaders: Podsiadlo 1, Johnson 2-30
Heat Winners: Lawson, Fisher, Johnson
CRATE SPORTSMAN (25 Laps): STEVE GRAY, Casey Pavlick, Josh Keesey, Dale Welty, Brett Buono, Chris Silvers, Chris Fisher, Jake Dgien, Ross Vleck, Tim Guild, Doug Smith, Doug Kline, Brent Ayers, Lance Irwin, James Oldfield, Zachary Ziegenhagen, Rob Humphreys, Ray Smith, Eric Bell, Frank Guererri Jr
Lap Leaders: Welty 1-8, Vleck 9, Welty 10, Gray 11-25
Heat Winners: Chris Fisher, Buono, Gray
STREET STOCKS (20 Laps): TRACY DUNN, Jared Hill, Gene Balmer, Jake Karlnoski, Bob Buono, CJ Guererri, Roger Kerrick, Bill Miller, LaVerne Knickerbocker, Brad Steinruck, Nate Daggett, Chuck Winslow, Jeremy Potrzebowski, Kane Stebbins, Rich Rider DNS: Kurt Stebbins, Tyler Arden
Lap Leaders: Balmer 1-9, Knickerbocker 10-15, Blmer 16-18, Balmer 19-20
Heat Winners: Knickerbocker, Nate Daggett
M&M AUTO SALES & SERVICE IMCA MODS (20 Laps): KEITH LAMPHERE, Rich Karlnoski, Gary Roberts, Jason Benjamin, Scott Sebring, Brad Sites, Bobby Maynard, Todd Stone, Sparky Hills, Rodney Morgan, Brandon Mathews, Eddie Sites, Brad Smith
Lap Leaders: Lamphere 1-5, Karlnoski 6-18, Lamphere 19-20
Heat Winners: Eddie Sites, Brad Sites
NAPA KNOW HOW 4 CYLINDERS (20 Laps): RICH SHARPSTEEN, Scott Bradley, Rick Horton, Chad Ayers, Jayson Smart, Dave Wetham, Jeremy Trank, Desi Force, Dan Smart, Del Cummings, Jarod Brown, Chris Percy, Jeffrey Moore DNS: Craig Mahrt
Lap Leaders: Sharpsteen 1-20
Heat Winners: Force, Sharpsteen
CREEKSIDE ENTERTAINMENT BANDITS (10 Laps): JEFF DAUGHERTY, Billy Bowers, Pixie Kinner
Lap leaders: Daugherty 1-10
