Oct 27, 2014 08:42 AM EDT
Saturday October 25 Results
STEBBINS WINS EMPIRE 100, ALAN JOHNSON DOMINATES MODIFIED FEATURE, BEARDSLEY, ISABELL, AND WALKER GRAB WINS AS WELL AT THE DUTCH HOAG NATIONAL OPEN WEEKEND
DUNDEE, NY…..Saturday afternoon the Yates County Speedway played host to day two of the Dutch Hoag National Open Weekend. The Empire 100 for the Race of Champions Street Stocks headlined the day. The thrilling 100 lap feature provided excellent 3 and 4 wide racing with Kurt Stebbins prevailing as the winner. The Big Block/ Small Block Modifieds were on the card as well and Alan Johnson picked up the win in the caution free 40 lap feature. Jeff Isabell was the winner of the Mod Lite feature, while Sean Beardsley won the Late Model feature, and Tyler Walker was the winner of the NY6A Micro Sprint feature.
The annual Empire 100 for the Race of Champions Street Stocks again provided excellent racing, and a great car count. 56 Street Stocks signed into the pits and attempted to qualify for the Empire 100 paying $2,000 to win. 6 heats, 3 consi’s, and one last chance non qualifiers race set the starting grid for the big feature.
Ted Morseman and Chuck Winslow brought the field to the green flag, where it was Morseman jumping out front. Winslow moved back to second in the opening laps, with Jon Carpenter quickly coming up to challenge.
As the top 3 cars battled for the lead, eventual race winner Kurt Stebbins began to enter the picture moving up to fourth in just 10 laps from his tenth starting spot. Brett Marlatt then soon began working up through the field as well following Stebbins to the front. Marlatt then quickly moved up to second in the running order and began challenging Morseman for the lead.
By the quarter mark of the race, Marlatt took the top spot away from Morseman, while Gene Balmer entered the picture in his 38b machine. Morseman, Balmer, and Stebbins all battled for second through fourth for a number of laps.
As the race continued and approached the half way mark, the top five drivers continued to swap back and fourth for position as they all chased down the quick 99 machine of Marlatt. Jon Carpenter, who had faded in the early stages of the event then moved back into the picture working back into the top 5 on lap 40. In the closing laps of the first 50 lap segment, Stebbins again went to work on the high side and was able to sneak by and reclaim the lead one lap shy of the halfway stop.
As the race picked back up following the brief break, the top 5 saw Stebbins, Marlatt, Balmer, Butch Green, and Morseman. Throughout the next ten laps, Stebbins stayed well in command of the event with Marlatt and Balmer a few car lengths back. The fourth place running Butch Green was a quiet mover after starting the event in 18th.
Throughout much of the second half of the race, the trend continued with Stebbins, Marlatt, and Balmer all going at it for the race lead. Stebbins continued to maintain the top spot up until the pressure proved to be too much on lap 77 when Marlatt officially reclaimed the lead.
Marlatt was unable to hold onto the top spot for long, as Balmer quickly passed Stebbins for second and then moved on to take the lead form Maraltt on lap 81, and held it until lap 83. Stebbins found the inside groove to his liking in the next few laps when he took the lead back, shuffling Balmer back into second.
Stebbins then held onto the race lead until lap 91, when again it was Balmer flying by on the outside for the race lead. At the same time, early race leader Ted Morseman began working back up through the pack after suffering a flat tire. The next 6 laps saw Stebbins and Balmer swapping the lead a number of times, until the final caution came out on 97.
On the ensuing restart, Balmer was the leader but Stebbins quickly grabbed the spot in turn one. Despite numerous attempts in the last 3 laps, nobody was able to get by Stebbins who held on for the big Empire 100 win over Morseman, Balmer and RoC point leader Gene Sharpsteen, with Carpenter completing the top 5.
The Modifieds were on the card for a 40 lap feature, which impressively went caution free. Ray Bliss and Alan Johnson brought the field to the green where Johnson quickly took the top spot on the high side. As Bliss fell back to second, Johnson quickly pulled away from the field opening up a half straightaway advantage.
Johnson caught the tail end of the field just 10 laps into the event putting a lap on the 3x of Fran Hilton. Tyler Siri and Steve Paine quickly moved in to take the second and third positions away from Bliss. As the two battled for position, Johnson now opened up well over a straightaway lead with impressive moves splitting a number of lapped cars.
Great battling took place for second through fifth all race long, but all the attention was set on Johnson who continued to lap slower cars. In the closing laps Johnson lapped all the cars up to seventh place. Johnson picked up the win with Paine, Bobby Varin, Siri and Joe Dgien completing the top 5. The win for Johnson marked his 40th consecutive year with at least one feature win. Johnson is also now a guaranteed starter for the 45th running of the Southern Tier 100 at Five Mile Point Speedway.
The Mod Lites were back for the second day of the National Open Weekend. This time Jeff Isabell picked up the 20 lap feature win. The Go Nuclear Late Models Series took place in their season ending 25 lap feature, where Sean Beardsley cruised to the victory. The NY6A Microsprint feature win went to Tyler Walker.
An impressive 130 cars total competed on Saturday at Yates County for the second night of the Dutch Hoag National Open Weekend, and the final event at the track in 2014. Along with the $2,000 to win, the Street Stocks raced for over $3,500 in lap money thanks to the efforts of Steve Ovens, Jon Stuart, Clint Miller and company.
MODIFIED FEATURE: Alan Johnson, Steve Paine, Bobby Varin, Tyler Siri, Joe Dgien, Derrick Podsiadlo, Brady Fultz, Ron Cartright Jr, Billy VanPelt, Ray Bliss, Stacy Jackson, Mike Clapperton, Ricky Newton, Aj Potrzebowski, Tim Sears Jr, Travis Smith, Donnie Lawson, Mike Ward, Brett Buono, Bill Bleach, Fran Hilton, Elmo Reckner, Byron Worthing, Ray Smith
EMPIRE 100 STREET STOCK FINISH: Kurt Stebbins, Ted Mrorseman, Gene Balmer, Gene Sharpsteen, Jon Carpenter, Tom Juhl, Rich Sharpsteen II, Rich Sharpsteen III, Brett Marlatt, Jared Hill, Jake Karlnoski, Earl Zimmer, Butch Green, Bob Babbitt, Eric Boynton, Daryl Krebs, Tyler Yeagle, Jason Butler, Jeremy Potrzebowski, Tim Gullo, Nate Daggett, Mike Jackson, Quinn Sutherland, Kenny Begnouche, Dylan Cecce, Josh Parker, Chuck Winslow
LATE MODELS: Sean Beardsley, Dustin Waters, Alan Fink, Jason Knowles, Charlie Sandercock, Dale Caswell, Brian Knowles, Johnny Hill, Brett Beldon, Aj Kingsley, Steve LaBarron, Kevin Cook, Greg Belyea, Harry Halliday, Kyle Sopaz, Phil Potts, Andy Mayhew, Rick Miller, Alan Chapman, Phil Potts
NY6A MICRO SPRINTS: Tyler Walker, Brian Gould, Cheyenna Ling, Bill Nichols, Jacob Lewczyk, Kevin Woody, Bob Johnson, Dylan Westbrook, Kristen Dombroski, John Smith, Hank Stanhope, Dylan Zacharias
TUSA MOD LITES: Jeff Isabell, Derek Wagner, Sterlin Miller, Doug Williams, Doug Jones, Joe Isabell, Jim Bogett, John Behron, Dave Brown, Allen Fink, Justin Williams
