New winners at WVMP

This past Saturday was a great day for racing. As the daytime turned into night it showed many new winners entering the record books at the track. The day began with the final three make-up races from July 24 in the mediums, jr. slingshots and all star slingshots. That is where the first new winner found the checkered flag. The other two makeup races were won by repeat winners.

Mediums were up first for their feature. Bradley Sites captured not only the make-up feature, but went on to win the regular events in the mediums and heavies go kart classes. Bradley and Kayla Wilkins battled hard in all the features with Kayla Wilkins coming in second in two of the events. The racing in each of the feature events was tight and exciting for the fans to watch.

Jr. Slingshot have become one of the fans' favorites. These youngsters race their hearts out each time they come to the track. The makeup feature and the regular feature event went to the current point leader Jared Zionkowski. This is Zionkowski's rookie season in the division. He is finding the fast way around the oval, passing his competitors clean. All the youngsters including Skylar Middendorf, Alex Shaffer, Derek Frederick, Kamdin Maby and Leo McGurrin along with Zionkowski are friends after they come off the track. This is sportsmanship like none other; most racers won't even talk to each other, but not these kids. Maybe the older racers should take notice of how these upcoming drivers react with each other.

Sr. Slingshots had their feature event; it was Collin Hadlock who captured his first win of his career in a slingshot. Over the winter months the Hadlock family purchased the former Paul Quear machine. As the season began they struggled with mechanical problems. Hadlock got valuable track time, but they still had to get the bugs worked out of the car. Hadlock picked up his first win with veteran driver Steve Croker doing everything in his power to get by. Croker, who has recorded several feature wins, finished in second. Shelby Ogozaly, Bill Reidenbach and Bob Boughton rounded out the top five.

Sportskid was the first feature of the regular program. The battle between Alex Shaffer and Keith Lamphere had the fans on their feet cheering. These two drivers raced side by side swapping the lead back and forth. They raced each other hard without touching each others' kart for most of the race. This allowed Brianna Baumunk and Jaye Winemiller to close in on the top two. When the checkered flag dropped it was Lamphere who recorded his fourth feature event. The finish was so close it had to be determined by the scorer's tower. Shaffer finished in second, third went to Baumunk, with Winemiller and Derek Frederick rounding out the top five. There was another sportsmanship gesture as Shaffer came over and congratulated Lamphere on a great run and posed for pictures with their karts.

Rookie Purple has become another of the fans' favorites. Seth Anderson picked up another feature win, but not without a strong charge by Mitchell Maynard. Both of these drivers have the ones all the other racers are trying to beat. Tough break for newcomer Doug Newbigging, as a hard crash into the tires in turn one left his kart heavily damaged. Newbigging was not injured in the crash, but his kart did suffered damage, not allowing him to start the feature.

Novice Blue found three and four wide racing by the eight competitors will all of them hoping to capture the checkered flag. Ryan Funk was the early leader, until Skylar Middendorf took over the lead. Coming from within the field Jared Zionkowski and Kara Chapman worked their way to the front. Dominic Rogers battled hard with Chapman hoping to keep the third position. In the closing laps, the Middendorf and Zionkowski machines raced side by side, with Zionkowski keeping Middendorf right in the racing groove. On the final lap Zionkowski made a move to the inside; Middendorf was able to pick up the victory at the line by inches. The fans got to see a great race between two drivers and friends.

Clones were up next with Tyler Chapman recording another feature win. He was closely chased by Scott Lamphere and Eddie Sites. This would be the 10th win of the season for Chapman in this division. Back behind the wheel was Rodney McConnell after a week off from competition.

Only two Animal Heavies were at the track. Wayne Miller and Bob Coveney battled for the top honors. Coveney's No. 43 has been having some mechanical issues. He was able to start and finish the entire feature. It was Miller who captured the win with Coveney finishing the race in second.

Sportswoman found Brianna Baumunk capturing win No. 12. Krissy Baldwin lead the event early until Baumunk took the lead away. Baldwin managed to hang on to finish in second with Tammy Patak in third. Jaye Winemiller was not able to start the feature event in the No. 28.

Jr. Gold found Nick Funk, Keith Lamphere and John Noe battling for the checkered flag. Brianna Baumunk did not compete in this week's racing in this division. These drivers raced had with Funk finding his way back to victory lane.

Lamphere and Noe finished in second and third, respectively.

Driver changes were the highlight of the Sportsmen feature event. Rodney McConnell was behind the wheel of the 777, Dalton Maynard piloted the 57, JW Lamphere drove the 4, and Jeff Winemiller took a spin in the 28. Once again the racing action was tight and most of the machines were nose to tail for most of the event. At times they were three and four wide looking to gain position. McConnell and Brock Moore battled for the top honors. McConnell was the 2009 track champion in this division. He still knew the fast way around the track, making the move for the lead. He kept Moore behind him to record his first feature win of the 2010 season.

Sr. Slingshots recorded another first time feature winner. Bill Reidenbach held off a strong charge from Collin Hadlock to pick up his first win. A crash early in the event took out top runner Steve Croker, Jacob Hendershot and Bob Boughton. Hendershot was driving the Ron Shaffer-owned No. 21, shaking it down for a future racing event. Hendershot will be driving the 21 for the remainder of the season. It was a very emotional victory lane celebration as Reidenbach and BJ, his child, celebrated along with all the crew members and friends. Newcomer to the Sr. Slingshot Dustin Fassett recorded a third-place finish in only his second time out in the No. 63.

The 600 Micros was up next with some excitement that allowed another first-time winner to visit victory lane. John Zionkowski had been leading the event. Brian Sherwood was in pursuit to take away the top spot. Sherwood attempted to pass the Zionkowski machine and they touched with Zionkowski spinning. Sherwood was sent to the rear along with Zionkowski. This allowed Kyle Pierce to take over the lead, holding off the hard-charging Jeffrey Crispell and veteran driver Dave Mooers. Pierce kept both of these drivers behind him to record his first victory.

The 270 Micros was the final feature event of the evening. This race also had a new winner enter the record books. Austin Bishop, who is a rookie in this division, held off Jacob Hendershot. Bishop and Hendershot raced nose to tail throughout the race, each giving the other enough room to race and keeping the fans cheering for more. Bishop has only competed at WVMP a couple of times this season. It appears that he did his homework and learned enough to bring home the checkered flag.

WVMP is closed this weekend in observance of the Labor Day holiday. Next Saturday will be "Sayonara to Summer 50." It will be a regular show with the 600 Micros running a special 50-lap event paying $500 to the winner.

Information about that race can be found on the Web site at www.wvmpracing.com. As the season begins to wind down, be sure to take advantage of the "Family Fun Pass." This allows a family of four grandstand admission along with four hotdogs, four French fries and four drinks, for just $20. It's a great way to spend Saturday night with your family and see some great racing action. Remember racing resumes on Saturday, Sept. 11, at the NIGHTMARE OF THE NORTHERN TIER, WVMP.

JIMMY ZACHARIAS TAKES NASCAR SUNOCO MODIFIED WIN AND TRACK TITLE AT CHEMUNG

Friday afternoon Jimmy Zacharias posted on his Facebook page that he was going to win Chemung Speedrome's NASCAR Sunoco Modified race and win the 2010 track championship. Hours later he posted that he had just celebrated both accomplishments in victory lane. Brittany Jack picked up her second feature win in the Street Stock division; it was win No. 5 for Gene Purvis in the 4 Cylinders; and Mike Alcaro smoked the INEX Legends field and scored his 13th feature win. Others who can boast of their track championships include repeat winners Mike Nichols (Street Stocks), Justin Petcosky (INEX Legends) and Gene Purvis (4 Cylinders). A big crowd turned out for the season finale and to give proper thanks to track manager Jody Buckley.

Three drivers entered the final 40-lap NASCAR Sunoco Modified feature separated by just 12 points. Zacharias led JR Kent by nine and Bobby Osgood was just three more points back in third. When the green flag dropped Zacharias helped launch Kent to the top spot down the front stretch and the pair ran together with Osgood third. The first caution flag came out on the seventh lap when Zack Curren and Curtis Cowles got together in turn four. That put Kent and Zacharias in row one with Osgood lined up behind Kent. While Osgood and Zacharias fought each other for second, Kent remained on top.

By the 10th lap Zacharias had claimed second and he started to close the gap between himself and Kent. Curren spun with 17 laps complete and bunched up the field once again for the restart. That was all Zacharias needed, as he powered his way around Kent and took the lead on the 18th lap. Kent's fabulous season ended when the rear of his No. 16 broke on the 22nd lap and he was out. Zacharias proved he had the car to beat once again, and his big lead turned into another dominant run when he began to lap the slower cars.

He sailed below the checkered flag knowing that he had just done what he set out to do. His third feature win of the year sent him home with the hardware, but the NASCAR championship sent him home with a whole lot more. Osgood's second-place finish, and Kent's troubles, enabled him to finish the year second in points. This was an awesome accomplishment for Osgood, who ended the year just 16 points away from the leader despite missing a race. Rusty Smith picked up another third-place finish in the race, followed by TJ Potrzebowski and Larry Jaynes. Zacharias and Kent won the two heat races.

Nichols and Jeff Goodwin both wanted the 2010 Street Stock championship, but Nichols started their feature with a 27-point advantage. Both won their respective heat races. Both wanted the limelight, but neither bothered to ask Jack how she felt about all that. By the end of the 25-lap feature, she had earned the respect of her competitors and the appreciation of fans by scoring her second feature win this year. Jack started fourth but maneuvered around Bill Frisbie Sr., John Lane and Terry Ostrander and she led the opening lap. Nichols and Goodwin went three-wide with John Lane, but Nichols claimed second and he started to reel in Jack. Lap after lap Nichols looked high, then looked low, but he never mustered up what he needed to overtake that stout No. 6 of Jack. While that battle went on, fans also watched Terry Potrzebowski chase down and run with Goodwin for third. At the end of the caution-free race, Jack put another entry in the Speedrome history book with her second win. Ironically, it was Nichols she held off on Aug. 6 when she got her career-first win. This one was a nearly identical performance.

"The car was perfect. I knew he was there and I knew if I could clear the lap car we were good," she said from victory lane. Nichols finished second and locked up the title, while others in the top five included Goodwin, Potrzebowski and Ostrander.

Petcosky did exactly what he had to do to win another INEX Legends championship. In qualifying, he, Richie Vanderpool and Joe DeGracia won their respective heat races. But the crowd also saw Mike Alcaro's car put out a plume of smoke and get towed to the pits during his heat. When the 22 cars lined up for their 25-lap feature Alcaro was there, starting in the 11th row. Cody Frantz dove to the inside and went from fourth to first on the opening lap. AJ Griffin was right with him and took over the lead on the sixth lap. As the pair entered turn four, Griffin got loose and spun, taking hits from Chris Young and Ravin Schrantz. Frantz reclaimed the top spot when the race resumed, but Richie Vanderpool got around him, bringing Petcosky with him. Petcosky found the inside lane coming off turn four and he took the lead on lap 10. Fans were also observing Alcaro's No. 8 working the traffic and he was battling for second with Vanderpool by the 15th lap. Once he overtook Vanderpool, he set his sights on Petcosky's No. 77. They battled for several laps, but Alcaro passed Petcosky and went on to score his 13th win, giving new meaning to the term "smoking the field." Petcosky's second-place finish sealed the deal for the track championship. Vanderpool finished the race in third and the season in second. Frantz and Kevin Nowack rounded out the top five in the race.

The night started out OK for the three members of the Haner family who competed in the 4 Cylinder division, as Phil Haner won their heat race. When the green flag flew for their 20-lap feature Haner made a nice move coming off turn two and he led the way. Archie Haner followed suit while Gene Purvis took on a battle with Frank Morich for third. Purvis settled that score when he got to the inside of Morich off turn two on the sixth lap and he was up to third. The first caution came out when the lead duo, Phil and Archie Haner, got together. Phil Haner joined Nick Haner, who had already retired from the race, in the pits. Purvis, third at the time, became the new leader when racing resumed, and that was a gift he did not return. But the issues weren't over for the Haners, as Archie Haner's brakes failed in turn four and he went into the foam blocks. Purvis then had Milton Price lined up beside him for the restart, but he stayed focused on the big picture. Purvis, on this night, won both the battle and the war when he scored his fifth feature win and another track championship. Price finished the race second, followed by Morich, Paul Burns Jr., and Ryan Purvis.

Jimmy Zacharias, Brittany Jack and Gene Purvis were somewhat surprised to learn that their season-ending races were ROC qualifiers. They will now represent Chemung Speedrome at the 60th Race of Champions weekend in Oswego Sept. 24 and 25.

According to track owner Bob Stapleton Chemung will continue to run on Friday nights in 2011 under NASCAR sanctioning. He urged everyone to watch the track's Web site, www.chemungspeedrome.net, for all of the off-season news. For this season, however, many will forever be grateful to Jody and Lisa for their efforts.

SHANGRI-LA II SEPTEMBER SCHEDULE INCLUDES "LABOR DAY UNDER FIRE" SATURDAY, SEPT. 4; POINT SEASON ENDS WITH "9/11 MEMORIAL NIGHT" SATURDAY, SEPT. 11

Shangri-La II Motor Speedway will come back from an open weekend at the end of August with two important September racing events. On Saturday night, Sept. 4, "Labor Day Under Fire" will provide fans their second opportunity of the summer to see a complete ASA Member Track stock car racing program at the Concrete Castle and a jet car drag racing exhibition at sister track SkyView Drags for a single price. One week later, the "9/11 Memorial Night" on Sept. 11 will end the point season for the weekly classes, crowning the 2010 Modified, ASA Late Model, Sportsman Modified, and Street Stock champions.

Shangri-La II will close the 2010 season with the second annual Fall Brawl, a two-day event set for the first weekend in October.

In addition to the four weekly divisions, "Labor Day Under Fire" will showcase the INEX Legends. As was the case in July, the two tracks will coordinate their schedules for the night so fans can take a short walk up the hill to see the fire and fury of the jet cars during the intermission of the Shangri-La II race program.

"Our oval track fans enjoyed the variety in July, and we know some of the drag racing spectators took the opportunity to see the stock car features, so everybody got an entertainment bonus," said Shangri-La II track manager Amy Stilson. "The last time we presented this combination was also our first time under the lights at Shangri-La II, and we've upgraded the system since that time, so it will be even brighter on top of the ridge," she added.

"Labor Day Under Fire" carries a 6 p.m. green flag at Shangri-La II, with pit gates opening at 3 p.m. and practice at 4:30. For more information, visit shangrila-2.com or call (607) 330-2622.

EDDIE WHITE USES OUTSIDE CUSHION FOR 7TH WIN AT THUNDER MOUNTAIN

The exciting racing action continued on Friday, Aug. 27, at the 3/8 mile oval called Thunder Mountain Speedway. Winners included: Eddie White (Modified Sportsman), Rich Talada (Hurricane Street Stocks), Brad Weaver (IMCA Modifieds), Grayson Albanese (Road Bandits) and Joe Sack (Road Warriors).

Bret Welch and Randy Brokaw brought the Modified Sportsman field of cars to the green flag for their 25-lap feature event. Welch would jump out into the early race lead but would be slowed by a caution on lap seven for Tom Collins losing a tire and it getting caught under the front bumper of the Larry Hillis machine off turn four. When the field went back green, Welch would lead until lap 13 before getting passed by 7th place starter Jim LaRock on the inside. Ryan Olsommor would bring out the caution on lap 16 when he slowed in turn two. LaRock would rebound from that caution and open up a comfortable margin between himself and second place until being slowed by another that was brought out by John Morse and Nicky White on lap 22. The restart with two laps remaining found Eddie White, who started eighth on the bumper of LaRock and in hot pursuit. As the field took the white flag, Eddie White blasted the outside cushion coming out of turn four and got beside LaRock. LaRock and White would drag race to the checkered flag and a photo finish that was won by White by inches. LaRock would finish second with Billy Spoonhower, Kenny Hammond and Bret Welch completing the top five finishers. Richie Hillis and Randy Brokaw won the eight-lap heat races held for the division.

Rich Talada entered the evening's events with a one-point lead over Earl Zimmer in the Hurricane Street Stocks. Talada won the 20-lap feature event from his seventh-place starting position after taking the lead in a close battle with Earl Zimmer with just three laps to go. Zimmer would finish second with John Cooper Jr., Randy Marsh and Rich Powell completing the top five finishers. The red flag came out during the race on lap eight when T.J. Anderson spun in turn two and collected Norm Whittemore and Ricky Marsh who made hard contact. The drivers was not seriously injured, but both went to a local medical facility for further observation. Whittemore had pain in his ribs and Marsh was treated for pain in his back following the accident. Jason Beebe, Norm Whittemore and Nick Nye won the heat races held for the division.

Brad Weaver loved his first trip to victory lane at Thunder Mountain Speedway that he decided to visit it for a second time. Weaver won the 20-lap feature event from his fourth starting position after passing Tyler Stoddard, who led the entire feature event with just five laps remaining. Tyler Stoddard, Chris Fleming, Mike Wilbur Sr. and Dave Barrows completed the top five finishers. Fleming and Howard Jones won the heat races for the division.

Grayson Albanese won the 15-lap feature event for the Road Bandits division. Shawn Casey, Keith Potter, Dan Wood and Ken Potter rounded out the top five finishers. Casey and Albanese won the six-lap heat races held for the division.

Joe Sack was the winner of the 15-lap feature event for the Road Warriors over Ken Winn and Harold Walburn. Ken Winn won the six-lap heat race held for the division.

The racing action continues on Friday, Sept. 4, for the Modified Sportsman, Hurricane Street Stocks, IMCA Modifieds, Road Bandits and Road Warriors. Gates open at 5 p.m., practice at 6:45 p.m. and racing starts at 7:30 p.m. For more information, visit www.thundermountainspeed.com. Thunder Mountain Speedway - Feel the Rumble, Hear the Roar!