Aug 5, 2011 11:16 PM EDT
Ray Bliss and Mikey Wonderling Each Score Their Second Black Rock Wins of 2011
Rich Vleck, DUNDEE, NY (August 5, 2011)- Ray Bliss Jr. almost thought that he was going around on the opening lap of the sportsman feature, but fortunately enough for him he kept his No. 12 pointed in the right direction and darted to the front for his second win of the year at Black Rock.
The Warsaw, NY driver known as “Zeke the Streak” stayed on his recent hot streak as he took the lead from Steve Swarthout on a lap seven restart and stretched it out the rest of the way, holding off Randy McCulloch on the final restart of the event on lap 17.
The win was Bliss’ second in three events at Black Rock; add that to his pair of wins in the last two races at Raceway 5 and the racing gods have definitely been favorable to the veteran aboard Ray Smith’s No. 12 as of late.
McCulloch started in seventh but moved his way up to his second runner-up finish of the year due in large part to his excellence on the first two restarts of the event. Swarthout would score his best finish of the year with a third place finish. Donnie Lawson and Brady Fultz, the top two in points, would round out the top five.
Mikey Wonderling won the thrilling late model feature event, his second win of the season and his first since opening night. In the process, the Scio, NY driver put himself squarely into the discussion for the division championship.
Wonderling started in fourth and quickly moved into second, but like in the heat race he would have to work hard to get by Carl Cleveland for the top spot. After the races only caution on lap eight, Cleveland would command the field, but an overheating problem would help Wonderling to dive to the inside on lap 11 to take over the lead. Despite having the lead, it would be far from easy for him to hang on.
Defending champion and race winner Jason Knowles started peaking to the inside of Wonderling in the closing laps, but was never able to complete the pass and off the final corner came up just inches short of taking the lead, which allowed Wonderling to drive back around the outside with momentum and score the win.
Heat winner Jared Hill would cross the line in third despite contact in the only caution of the event. Buck Paine and Quinn Sutherland would complete the top five finishers.
Mike Smith scored his seventh win in a row and his 10th in the last 11 IMCA Modified Feature events, but this was one of his toughest to claim in his impressive stretch.
Smith, of Arkport, took the lead from Phil Yaw on a lap eight restart, but Yaw would regroup and chase the No. 96 back down during the second half of the event. Yaw peaked to the inside on lap 15, but his No. 98 pushed hard in turn one and lost a lot of ground on the leader; but it was still not over.
When the last caution of the event occurred on lap 19, Yaw had one final chance to claim his first win in the division. He put his car to the inside of Smith in turns 3 and 4, but could not get the car pointed square down the straightaway before he put the power back to the ground and spun around his No. 98. It would enable Smith to score the win while Josh Sawyer jumped up to claim second. Dave Yehl would take home third.
Chris Fisher scored his fifth win of the season in the street stock division, leading all 20 laps but having to hold off Bob Buono almost that entire way in order to earn a trip to Victory Lane.
Fisher started on the outside pole and quickly jumped out in front, but Buono was quick as well and would stalk the No. 37 from lap five on. Jared Hill and Nate Peckahm would throw their names into the mix, but at the end it was the top two in points that would be left to sort it out for the win. Coming to the final lap, Fisher built and additional car-length lead over Buono, which would be the cushion he needed to build his point lead.
Nate Peckham would make his return to BRS a quality one with a third-place showing. Andy Fisk and Rich McIntyre completed the top five.
Ray Speicher scored his third win of the season in the 4-cylinder division, leading all 20 laps and holding off Brandon Morseman over the second half of the event to claim the checkered flag.
Speicher used the top of the track while out front but Moresman along with Dylan Cecce tried what they could on the bottom of track, but they could not just get the momentum off the corners to take over the lead. They would finish second and third, respectively.
Zach Teed increased his division-leading win in the bandit division, scoring his fifth win of the season to kick off the night of action. The defending junior division champion moved by Lance Irwin on the third lap, yet had to drive back around the most recent winner in the division to on a lap 5 restart to close in on the 2011 point leader, currently held by Allison Teed, who finished just ahead of Irwin in second.
To conclude the night of action, Ronnie Hill, the winner of the 2010 Big One Enduro, scored the win in the Klein Steel Retail Enduro. Also on the night, Scott Tillinghast won the special Faster Pastor event, holding off Richard Hack down the stretch.
Next week it is the always-popular NASCAR Night at BRS with the $4,000-to-win A-Verdi Sprint Championship plus features only for the six weekly divisions and NASCAR Match Races. For more information, visit www.BlackRockSpeedway.com.
Black Rock Speedway Results: 8/5/2011-
Regular Season Night #13
Sponsored by Machuga Pit Gravel & Stone and Ranch Grocery
Hoselton Auto Mall Crate Sportsman Feature (20 Laps)- RAY BLISS JR., Randy McCulloch, Steve Swarthout, Donnie Lawson, Brady Fultz, Fran Hilton, Trevor Sutherland, Chris Silvers, Brent Ayers, Joe Cook Jr., Tyler Siri, Serenity Sutherland, Russell Morseman III, Loren Lincoln, Chad Dailey, Scott Boudinot
Lap Leader- Swarthout 1-6, Bliss 7-20.
Heat Winners- Bliss, T. Sutherland.
Late Model Feature (20 Laps)- MIKEY WONDERLING, Jason Knowles, Jared Hill, Buck Paine, Quinn Sutherland, Larry Knowles, Carl Cleveland, Steve LeBarron, Bob Babbitt, Brandon Smith, Chad LeBarron, Dave DuBois, J.J. Mazur, Chris Peacock, Dusty Waters.
Lap Leaders- Cleveland 1-10, Wonderling 11-20.
Heat Winners- Wonderling, Hill.
Street Stock Feature (20 Laps)- CHRIS FISHER, Bob Buono, Nate Peckham, Andy Fisk, Rich McIntyre, Jeremy Perkins, Jeff Elliott, Bubba Burnell, Nate Daggett, Frank Guererri Jr., Jared Hill, Larry Fenton Jr., John Kuleszo, Joe Knapp, Todd Hayward, Erica Bell, Tim Hettis, Scott Sebring (DNS), Jake Karlnoski (DNS), Dan Reeves (DNS).
Lap Leaders- Fisher 1-20.
Heat Winners- Buono, Fisher, Hettis.
IMCA Modified Feature (20 Laps)- MIKE SMITH, Josh Sawyer, Dave Yehl, Rich McNeal Jr., Bruce Tinsley, Rich Karlnoski, Mike VanDyke, Phil Yaw, Kevin VanAmburg, Pete Neff.
Lap Leaders- Karlnoski 1-3, Yaw 4-7, Smith 8-20.
Heat Winner-Yaw.
Signs Plus of Kanona/ Watkins Glen NAPA 4-Cylinder Feature (20 Laps)- RAY SPEICHER, Brandon Morseman, Dylan Cecce, Val Stephens, Del Cummings, Rick Horton, Billy Cagle, Mike Ziarno, Jay Smart, Chris Ayers, Dean Laughlin Sr., Tom Mahoney, Brian Thompson, Ray Cornish, Scott Bradley, Jeff Moore, Ryan Nichols (DNS), John Agnew (DNS), Bobby Teed (DNS).
Lap Leaders- Speicher 1-20.
Heat Winners- Morseman, Nichols, Speicher.
Home Necessities Bandits (10 Laps)- ZACH TEED, Allison Teed, Lance Irwin, Joey Giardina, Lisa Cornish, Trista Teed, Dean Laughlin Jr., Joey Rodbourn.
Lap Leaders- Irwin 1-2, Z. Teed 3-10.
Klein Steel Retail Enduro Series Top Three (30 Laps)- RONNIE HILL, Joe Boylan, Nate Peckham.
Lap Leader- Turner 1-4, Hill 5-30.
