Jul 13, 2015 08:56 PM EDT
Tyler Siri ‘Crushes’ Field For 2nd Victory of 2015 At Black Rock Speedway
DUNDEE, NY – For Immediate Release – July 13th, 2015 –
Tyler Siri has had an up and down season so far in 2015 at Black Rock Speedway. But when the Superior Crushing, Commonwealth Equipment car is fast- it is an absolute rocket ship. Friday night was no different.
Siri has had a few poor finishes recently that helped his handicap and allowed the 5* ride to roll away from the third position on the starting grid. ‘Hollywood’ Daryl Hilkert in his Extreme Renovations #4 went away from the pole and took the early lead. Hilkert would have his best run of the season with a top five and leading the opening 10 laps of the 30-lap feature event.
Several early cautions found trouble for point leader Steve Paine as hard contact from the Chris Ostrowsky #29 sent Paine to the infield in Turn 4. Then on lap 10 a pileup of 4 cars found Paine piled into the side of Lee Bills’ #56, again in Turn 4.
One driver that took advantage of the early yellow flags was Alan Johnson who headed pit side to make adjustments to his Friendly Ford 14J on Lap 2. Those adjustments would pay off, as ‘AJ Slideways’ was able to rocket through the field coming from the back.
On the lap 10 restart, Siri was able to power by Hilkert on the cushion and take the lead as the field completed lap #11. Johnson would begin clawing to the front but would have to deal with the fast Larry Kennison owned 9x driven by Dale Welty. Welty, pulling double duty in the Crate Sportsman and Modifieds, had one of his most competitive runs of the year to break into third at the checkered flag.
Siri dominated out front while Hilkert continued to hold off Johnson for second. The final yellow flag came out for Marcus Dinkins’ #17 that came to a halt at the pit entrance on lap 26.
On the restart Siri was the rabbit to break away in the lead and Johnson was able to clear the Hilkert 4 car to take over the runner up spot. Johnson would close in within a few car lengths but could pursue no further. Siri picked up win #2 on the year, Johnson came home second, Welty in for third at the line, Hilkert fourth and Donnie Lawson the top five.
“The car’s been great. We gave it away last week so we learned some things and applied it for tonight,” said Siri in Champion Power Equipment Victory Lane.
“It was good on the top and on the bottom, we have a good motor so I thought if we could just keep it going on the top we would be okay.”
The win had added meaning for Siri and his crew chief Josh who puts in numerous hours at the shop at Siri Headquarters.
“This win’s for his mom and dad that passed away, we want to dedicate this win to them.”
The Crate Sportsman feature event saw the #4 of Josh Keesey dominate the feature event from the outside pole starting position. Keesey would lead from green to checkered to take his second victory of 2015.
However, a post race inspection by the Black Rock Speedway tech team led by Mark Wallenbeck found an infraction with the valve springs on Keesey’s #4. Further inspection at a third party speed shop confirmed on Saturday that the valve spring tested was not conforming to Crate Sportsman rules at Black Rock Speedway.
The win, points and money earned will all be vacated and all finishing positions will move up one spot for the purposes of points and handicap only. The updated top five will now consist of Brent Ayers, Jacob Dgien, Russell Morseman, Casey Pavlick and Steve Gray.
In the MRC Street Stocks it was opening night winner Tracy Dunn and Corning, NY pilot LaVerne Knickerbocker that led the field to ‘The Rooster’s’ green flag as Knickerbocker took the early lead and dominated the first 18 laps of the event.
Lap 2 saw a rivalry renewed between Kurt Stebbins’ #26 and Jake Karlnoski in the 55x machine. The pair got hooked together in Turn 2 and brought out the yellow flag. These two drivers had a similar incident in recent weeks that has seen the tension level rise in the street stock division. Problems would not leave the Karlnoski car as he would find himself spun in Turn 2 on lap 11.
While Knickerbocker pulled to a near straightaway advantage, the battle was intense within the top five drivers. Chuck Winslow, Gene Balmer, Nate Daggett, Bob Buono, CJ Guererri, Jared Hill and Dennis Cummings were thrashing for position around the ‘Fast Four-Tenths-Mile’.
Lap 14 brought out the caution flag again as Winslow broke coming out of turn 4 which scattered the field behind him. Hill and Cummings had to take evasive action to miss the 61 car as Knickerbocker saw his lead evaporate once again. This gave the second spot to Balmer who has had a season filled with bad racing luck. Balmer missed three weeks earlier in the year due to a flip that badly damaged his #38 owned by the Winslow team.
As the field retook the green, Knickerbocker continued to lead but something was amiss in the #187. On lap 18 the Auto Value machine came up slow with a flat right rear tire- drawing the yellow. This gave Balmer the lead and gave the CJ1 of Guererri one more opportunity to get his first win of 2015.
Balmer took the green flag and was able to make the Gene Balmer’s Used Cars #38 just wide enough to keep Guererri in position #2. The Gene Machine would cruise away to complete the comeback story to take his first win of the season. Guererri would have to settle for second, Hill third, Buono fourth and Cummings with another great run for fifth.
“I was sitting there in second just waiting for something to happen,” said Balmer about chasing Knickerbocker for the win.
“I tried to get him on the inside and then tried a few times on the high side and couldn’t keep up.”
For Balmer and crew, this one meant a lot with the early season struggles.
“We finally got one, this has been a long time coming. We’ve been upside down; we’ve crashed it, totaled it and made it back. I have to thank Chuck Winslow and his family for putting it together every week and my wife and family for always supporting my racing efforts.”
Keith Lamphere brought home victory #3 on the 2015 season as he made a late pass on Dundee, NY’s Rich Karlnoski in the 55x machine to take the win. Lamphere, Jason Benjamin and Karlnoski are all locked in a three car battle for the M&M Auto Sales & Service IMCA Modified points title, while Lamphere currently leads the Regional IMCA point standings.
Brad Smith and Rodney Morgan led the field to the green and Smith took off to the point. Karlnoski started third and didn’t wait long as he grabbed the lead from Smith on lap 2. Smith would reclaim the lead on laps 3 and 4 before Karlnoski set up Smith on lap 5 to retake the top spot. The racing in the IMCA division was incredible on Friday night.
Karlnoski looked to have the dominant car but the point leader, Lamphere, was slowly reeling Karlnoski in. With the parallel flags in the air from Scott Hixson, Lamphere took the Lamphere Truck Parts #98k to the cushion and blasted past Karlnoski to take the lead for the remaining two circuits. Finishing second was Karlnoski, Harry Ely continues to run well to finish third, Benjamin fourth and Ken Buck the top five.
“The car was fast, we made some changes from last week,” said the point leader in SuperGen Products Victory Lane.
“Tonight will help us here in points as well as in the region so that is nice.”
By far the best race of the night was last on the schedule as the NAPA Know How 4 Cylinder division saw a last lap, last corner pass for the win. A trio of drivers including Rich Sharpsteen, Jeremy Trank and Jayson Smart put on a show that the fans in attendance will not soon forget.
Teammates Del Cummings and Scott Bradley led the charge to the green flag for the 20-lap feature go. Bradley, defending 4 Cylinder track champion, put on an early clinic in his #23 by leading laps 1 to 11.
As the field got the halfway signal at lap 10, Trank began to reel in the Bradley 23 for the lead. On lap 12 Trank took the lead as Bradley went pit side with a flat tire. Trank, who had to rebuild the right side of his Coach & Equipment, Certified Enterprises #15k, was well out in front and hungry for his second win of 2015. But closing in with 5 laps to go was the pair of Sharpsteen and Smart.
With 3 laps to go it was Trank in the middle groove, Smart down low and Sharpsteen working the cushion for the lead. Exiting Turn 4 with two to go the trio went three-wide with Trank still edging out the lead at the start/finish line. Just one lap later, they again went three-wide for the lead in a feature that only lasted eight minutes to complete 20 laps.
Going into turns 3 and 4 for the final time, it was still a battle with Sharpsteen up high, Trank in the middle and Smart down low. Sharpsteen kept his momentum up on the high side and out-dragged Trank to career win #99 over his Backyard Motorsports teammate, Smart, Erica Bell and Joe Povoski.
“That was the most fun, something we talk about doing all winter,” said Sharpsteen after picking up win #99.
“It was hold it to the floor, steer it and hope for the best. I knew if I could get the car rotated in and make it real wide, they’d have to drive through me to beat me. With Jeremy being second I knew that wasn’t going to happen.”
The win was special for Sharpsteen as he dedicated the win to his mother, stepfather as they have been caring for Sharpsteen’s stepbrother who has been sick.
“This one right here is for my mom, stepdad and Justin that’s still in the hospital. We will get him home and everything else will fall into place.”
Jeff Daugherty added another way to win in the Creekside Entertainment Bandit feature Friday night as he took a car with a flat tire to victory lane- barely holding off Brandon Kinner for the win.
Daugherty, Kinner and Billy Bowers led early in the event but Bowers would fall out due to a flat tire of his own. With just 3 laps to go Daugherty began showing smoke and the handling on the Daugherty Auto Sales & Service, Comfort Zone Heating & Air Conditioning #22 went away in a bad way.
Coming to take the white flag, Daugherty was dead sideways in Turn 4 as the Elmira, NY nearly looped his Mustang trying to hold on. Kinner closed in on Daugherty on the last lap but didn’t have enough time to overtake him for the win. Daugherty’s flat right rear lasted literally just long enough to capture win #9 on his dominant season in 2015. Kinner was second, Cody Hicks third, ShiAnn Labar fourth and Pixie Kinner the top five.
“Something broke in the rear end after we made contact battling for the lead,” recalled Daugherty in Champion Power Equipment Victory Lane.
“It was tough because I could feel the car walking out on me. I could hear the rear-end squealing as I drove around the track. We’re glad it held on.”
Next week on the ‘Fast Four-Tenths-Mile’ Black Rock Speedway will be a weekly racing program consisting of Modifieds, Crate Sportsman, IMCA Modifieds, Street Stocks, 4 Cylinders and Bandits. Pits open at 4PM, Grandstands at 5PM with the first green flag waving promptly at 7PM.
For more information including weekly recaps, driver profiles, results, points and information on the $100,000 Contingency Connection Rewards Program race over to www.blackrockspeedway.com or visit Black Rock Speedway on Facebook at www.facebook.com/BlackRockSpeedway
Black Rock Speedway is proud to partner with the Contingency Connection in 2015 to offer their race competitors over $100,000 in prizes. Drivers lucky enough to be awarded Contingency Connection books will save thousands of dollars on the parts, pieces and products that they use each week and every winter.
Dgien Trucking Night Friday July 10th, 2015 Results:
Modifieds, 17 cars (30 Laps): TYLER SIRI (2), Alan Johnson, Dale Welty, Daryl Hilkert, Donnie Lawson, Brady Fultz, Mike Jackson, Steve Paine, Fran Hilton, Stacey Jackson, Lee Bills, Ron Cartwright Jr, Marcus Dinkins, Derrick Podsiadlo, Cory Costa, Chris Ostrowsky, Joe Dgien
Lap Leaders: Hilkert 1-10, Siri 11-30
Heats: Tyler Siri, Marcus Dinkins
Crate Sportsman, 20 cars (25 Laps): JOSH KEESEY (*Post Race Tech DQ*), Brent Ayers, Jacob Dgien, Russell Morseman, Casey Pavlick, Steve Gray, Chris Silvers, Jordan Siri, Doug Smith, Dale Welty, Chris Fisher, Zach Cary, Jason Scales, Eric Bell, Mike Buchanan, Mike Butler, Loren Lincoln, Chris Mashewske, Zach Ziegenhagen DNF: John Agnew DQ: Josh Keesey
Lap Leaders: Keesey 1-25
Heats: Brent Ayers, Josh Keesey, Russell Morseman
Morseman Racing Chassis Street Stocks, 17 cars (20 Laps): GENE BALMER (1), CJ Guererri, Jared Hill, Bob Buono, Dennis Cummings, Tracy Dunn, Ralph Champion, Chuck Winslow, John Burritt, Patrick Votra, Nate Daggett, Allison Teed, LaVerne Knickerbocker, Kurt Stebbins, Bill Miller, Jake Karlnoski, Jeremy Potrzebowski
Lap Leaders: Knickerbocker 1-18, Balmer 19-20
Heats: Jake Karlnoski, LaVerne Knickerbocker
M&M Auto Sales & Service IMCA Modifieds, 12 cars (20 Laps): KEITH LAMPHERE (3), Rich Karlnoski, Harry Ely, Jason Benjamin, Ken Buck, Nicole Spalding, Brad Smith, Brandon Mathews, Tim Sebring, Rodney Morgan, Todd Stone, Sparky Hills
Lap Leaders: Brad Smith 1, Karlnoski 2, Smith 3-4, Karlnoski 5-17, Lamphere 18-20
Heats: Rich Karlnoski, Rodney Morgan
NAPA Know How 4 Cylinders, 17 cars (20 Laps): RICH SHARPSTEEN (4), Jeremy Trank, Jayson Smart, Erica Bell, Joe Povoski, Del Cummings, Zach Teed, Chad Ayers, David Whetham, Jarod Brown, Joe Burtsall, David Kinner, Desi Force, Amy Buck, Scott Bradley, Jeff Moore DNS: Chris Davis
Lap Leaders: Scott Bradley 1-11, Trank 12-19, Sharpsteen 20
Heats: Rich Sharpsteen, Joe Povoski
Creekside Entertainment Bandits, 7 cars (10 Laps): JEFF DAUGHERTY (9), Brandon Kinner, Cody Hicks, ShiAnn Labar, Pixie Kinner, Billy Bowers, DNS: Polly Anna Dean
