Aug 23, 2013 10:22 PM EDT
Brady Fultz Snags Sportsman Feature, Donnie Lawson Claims Title
Rich Vleck, DUNDEE, NY, (August 23, 2013)- Donnie Lawson saw Brady Fultz’s No. 70 moving up the leaderboard and even though he was pretty sure he just needed to finish in the top three to claim the Sportsman Track Championship, he still was unsure in the closing laps.
Brady Fultz and Donnie Lawson, who together have captured four of the five sportsman track championships, battled it out for the 2013 title on Friday Night, with Fultz stealing the win on the final lap but Lawson hanging on to the championship by a mere three points.
A caution flag with three laps remaining bunched up the field and allowed Fultz, who started 10th, to close in on Lawson, who started on the pole and head led the entire way. On the restart, Fultz wound up his car on the top and then made a daring crossover maneuver to switch to the bottom lane underneath Lawson entering turn one. The move did not go as planned as Fultz slammed in to the Lawson, who was driving Scott Waters’ No. 53 on the night in an effort to use a fresher race car. Fultz backed out of the mess, allowed Lawson to correct himself, and then passed him cleanly off the final corner.
“We were just having fun,” said Fultz in Victory Lane. “I didn’t mean to get in to him but I tried the bottom. He blocked the top because he knows that’s where I go but when I went down there it just didn’t stick and we made a little contact. We kept going and I figured I needed to get back to the top to keep the momentum up and we just got him coming off of turn four.
The win for Fultz was his fourth in the last five races, while Lawson’s runner-up finish was his best finish since July. Ricky Newton drove up to third, while veterans Fran Hilton and Dale Welty rounded out the top five.
John Waters got off to a slow start in 2013 in defense of his Late Model Track Championship, but finished as hot as ever as he scored his fourth win in the last five starts on Friday to secure his second consecutive title.
Waters took the lead on a lap five restart from Jason Knowles and never looked back, making the 4/10-mile in to a perfect oval. As he was driving away, it was Bruce Miller rallying from being sent to the back on lap five to finish second in the race, as well as in the point standings. Jared Hill completed the podium positions.
Less than a month ago, Phil Yaw had never won an IMCA-sanctioned event, on Friday Night, he won for the third time in four races and claimed the track championship in the process.
Yaw, of Watkins Glen, dominated the IMCA Modified Feature to give him a chance at winning the track title; when Rich Karlnoski, who entered the night as the point leader, finished third, it meant that Yaw won the title by a single point.
Todd Stone battled with Yaw early on for the lead and threatened to steal the win and the title from Yaw, but as the race went on, the lead grew for Yaw. Stone was able to hang on to second in front of Karlnoski, providing the deciding point in the standings.
Chuck Winslow was yet another driver that stayed hot in August, as he dominated the street stock feature for his third win of the month. Winslow, of Elmira, took the lead from Dave Matwiejow on the second lap and never looked back. Matwiejow held off some feisty competitors for second but without the aid of a caution flag could not reel Winslow back in. Dylan Cecce drove by defending track champion Chris Fisher in the final laps for third.
Despite being involved in an opening lap crash and having to pull in to the pits prematurely, Jeremy Potzrebowski was able to still claim the street stock track championship. Potzrebowski secured the title earlier in the night by virtue of winning his qualifier.
James Kreidler III entered the night with the RWD 4-Cylinder Track Championship already sewn up, but he celebrated it in style with his fourth win in a row and eighth overall for 2013.
The Dundee local took the lead from Rick Horton on lap 9 of a feature marred by caution flags and then stretched his advantage out to nearly a half track. Horton would finish second for the fifth time in the last six races while Chris Mashewske was third for the second time in a row.
Jeremy Trank scored his third win of the year in the FWD 4-Cylinder division and in the process claimed the track championship as he passed Craig Mahrt for the lead coming to halfway and never looked back.
Brandon Mathews led for much of the bandit feature, but on the final lap, Matt Mashewske reeled in the leader and made a sweet pass around the outside to claim his third win of the season. The win locked up the runner-up position in the standings for Mashewske, behind only Allison Teed, who kept her nose clean to finish in fourth and secure her first track championship in the division.
The racing surface at the Black Rock Speedway will now sit dormant for the next two months before getting back in to action in a big way with Dutch Hoag’s National Open on Saturday, October 26. For more information, visit www.BlackRockSpeedway.com.
Black Rock Speedway Results: 8/23/2013-
Knapp & Schlappi Lumber, Jim’s RV and Greg’s Auto Night
Hoselton Auto Mall Crate Sportsman Feature (20 Laps)- BRADY FULTZ, Donnie Lawson, Ricky Newton, Fran Hilton, Dale Welty, Loren Lincoln, Chris Fisher, Casey Pavlick, Brian Swarthout, Brent Ayers, Chris Silvers, Scott Waters, Bob Buono, Brandon Rauscher, Ryan Davids, Eric Bell, John Agnew, Lance Keesey, Chris Daugherty.
Lap Leaders- Lawson 1-19, Fultz 20.
Heat Winners- Lawson, Daugherty.
2013 Division Championship- Donnie Lawson
Late Model Feature (20 Laps)- JOHN WATERS, Bruce Miller, Jared Hill, Brian Knowles, Carl Cleveland, Jason Knowles, Quinn Sutherland, Barry Payne, Steve LaBarron, Sparky Hills, Brandon Smith, Steve Kent.
Lap Leaders- Hills 1-2, J. Knowles 3-4, Waters 5-20.
Heat Winners- Miller, Waters.
2013 Division Championship- John Waters.
Street Stock Feature (20 Laps)- CHUCK WINSLOW, Dave Matwiejow, Dylan Cecce, Chris Fisher, Nate Daggett, Greg Crooker, Rich Sharpsteen II, Jake Karlnoski, Gene Balmer, Jeremy Perkins, Jeremy Potzrebowski, Frank Guererri Jr. (DNS).
Lap Leaders- Matwiejow 1, Winslow 2-20.
Heat Winners- Potzrebowski, Balmer.
2013 Division Championship- Jeremy Potzrebowski
IMCA Modified Feature (20 Laps)- PHIL YAW, Todd Stone, Rich Karlnoski, Logan Terry, Bruce Tinsley, Matt Jones, Scott Sebring, Rich Howard Jr.
Lap Leaders- Sebring 1, Yaw 2-20.
Heat Winner- Stone.
2013 Division Championship- Phil Yaw.
Signs Plus of Kanona/ Watkins Glen NAPA 4-Cylinder Feature (20 Laps)- JAMES KREIDLER III, Rick Horton, Chris Mashewske, Brad Rathbun, Brian Grant, Scott Bradley, Chad Ayers, Erica Bell, Chris McCann, Bruce Kinner, Del Cummings, Jerry Nichols, Mike Ziarno, Chris Percy, Brandon Mathews, Chris Force, Jayson Smart.
Lap Leaders- Bradley 1-2, Rathbun 3-4, Horton 5-8, Kreidler 9-20.
Heat Winners- Kreidler, Smart.
2013 Division Championship- James Kreidler III
Front Wheel Drive 4 Cylinder Feature (12 Laps)- JEREMY TRANK, Craig Mahrt, Adam DelGrosso, Brad Dove, Bob Potter.
Lap Leaders- Mahrt 1-5, Trank 6-12.
Heat Winner- Trank.
2013 Division Championship-Jeremy Trank.
Home Necessities Bandits (10 Laps)- MATT MASHEWSKE, Brandon Mathews, Trista Teed, Allison Teed, Desiree Force.
Lap Leaders- Mathews 1-9, Mashewske 10.
2013 Division Championship- Allison Teed
