News from Thunder Mountain Speedway
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Thunder Mountain Speedway
For Immediate Release/September 15, 2014
Traveling Man: Invader Andy Bachetti Charges To $5,000-Plus MjH Oilfield Wade Decker Memorial Triumph Sunday At Thunder Mountain Speedway; Travis Smith (Sportsman), Steven Deinhardt (Street Stock) & Richie Hitzler (XCel 600 Modified) Also Win Before Large Crowd With 117 Cars On Hand!
CENTER LISLE, NY – A determined Andy Bachetti earned Sunday night’s MjH Oilfield Wade Decker Memorial triumph at Thunder Mountain Speedway.
Bachetti, who at one point snagged the lead only to have the move nixed by a caution and later lost several positions in a turn-two bobble, charged to the front in the final circuits of the 50-lap big-block/small-block Modified event at the three-eighths-mile oval located just outside of Whitney Point, N.Y.
In just his second career Thunder Mountain start, the Sheffield, Mass., driver pocketed more than $5,000 for his efforts in the Sunday special.
“This one’s for our whole team: we’ve had an up-and-down year, but they’ve stuck behind me,” said a smiling Bachetti, 38 years old, following the triumph. “I never had the opportunity to meet Wade Decker, but you can tell he must have been one heck of a guy with all the cars and people here tonight. I have to thank the Deckers for all they did to put this show together.”
Twice postponed by rain (July 13 and Aug. 31), the third attempt at the Wade Decker Memorial took place on a picture-perfect evening for racing: 117 race cars filled the pits and a large crowd took in the 2014 Thunder Mountain Speedway season finale.
Bachetti started the main from third position, but it was King Ferry, N.Y., driver Mike Mahaney who capitalized on his pole starting berth to take command at the outset. Mahaney earned the pole via his $1,000 Dash for Cash victory earlier in the night, which set the top-four starting positions for the main.
Bachetti’s No. 34 shot into second following an opening-lap yellow. During a green-flag stretch from laps 2-15, Bachetti turned up the wick, challenging Mahaney who encountered heavy lapped traffic in his Olum’s-sponsored No. 21. Bachetti had edged in front of Mahaney briefly on the 15th circuit. However, scoring reverted back to the last completed lap and Mahaney maintained the top spot for the restart.
When racing resumed, Bachetti’s car momentarily jumped the cushion in turn two, allowing Anthony Perrego and Nick Rochinski to take over second and third, respectively.
Mahaney led at halfway, lap 25, to collect a $500 bonus while Bachetti began to race back toward the front.
On a 26th-lap restart, Bachetti overtook Rochinski for third. Lap-after-lap Perrego’s New York Truck Parts No. 55 and Bachetti battled for the runner-up spot. On lap 37, Bachetti completed the pass.
Then, he began his pursuit of race-leading Mahaney, who encountered lapped traffic.
With slower cars running double-file in the path of the leaders, Bachetti obtained a lead he would not relinquish on the 43rd lap, charging to the victory.
“We started hitting more of these tracks running the Short Track Super Series,” said Bachetti, who first competed at Thunder Mountain in the track’s May 20 midweek special. “The more you’re in the saddle and you’re out there racing, the better you get. That’s helping us right now.”
Mahaney settled for a runner-up payday that included lap money, the halfway bonus and $1,000 for winning the Dash for Cash. Thunder Mountain track champion Brent Wilcox of Binghamton, N.Y., climbed from 14th starting position to finish third, clearing fourth-place Perrego of Montgomery, N.Y., with three laps remaining.
Mahaney settled for a runner-up payday that included lap money, the halfway bonus and $1,000 for winning the Dash for Cash. Thunder Mountain track champion Brent Wilcox of Binghamton, N.Y., climbed from 14th starting position to finish third, clearing fourth-place Perrego of Montgomery, N.Y., with three laps remaining.
Danny Johnson of Rochester, N.Y., completed the front five driving the Chris Gennarelli-owned No. 86.
Completing the top-10 were 15th-starter Danny Creeden of Wurtsboro, N.Y.; Nick Rochinski of Dickson City, Pa., who ran as high as third; Grandview (Pa.) Speedway champion Jeff Strunk of Boyertown, Pa., in his Thunder Mountain debut driving for Brad Grammes; track regular Ken Titus of Kirkwood, N.Y., in the Don Stark-owned No. 9s; and Hard Charger Ryan Jordan of Dryden, N.Y., advancing from 22nd on the grid.
Heat winners for the 33 Modifieds on hand were Mahaney, Perrego, Bachetti and Johnson. Bob Henry Jr. annexed the consolation.
Second-year racer Travis Smith annexed the most prolific victory of his career in the 40-lap Sportsman portion of the Wade Decker Memorial. Smith, of Binghamton, N.Y., climbed from 12th starting position into second, behind race-long leader Kevin Jordan, on the 16th lap.
Unfortunately for Jordan, his effort ended with transmission and engine issues on lap 21 – moments after he collected the $250 Halfway Award – and his No. 22 was pushed to the pit area.
Smith then inherited the top spot and paced the remainder of the distance. Smith was making just his second start of the season at Thunder Mountain.
“Now, I wish I ran here all year because I love this place,” he exclaimed. “This is an honor to win the Wade Decker race. I have to thank the Deckers for all they did to put this race together and Karl Spoonhower for an awesome race track.”
Smith collected $1,250 plus lap money and other perks for his victory.
Track regular Colton Wilson of Dryden, N.Y., chased Smith to the finish. Skyline (N.Y.) Raceway champion Nick Nye of Groton, N.Y., was third after starting ninth, followed by Kenny Hammond of Berkshire, N.Y., who charged through traffic after involvement in an early melee and Chance Spoonhower of Berkshire, N.Y.
Sportsman heat winners were Lee Dewitt, Larry Hillis, Wilson and Charlie Hendrickson Jr. Brandon Walters was the consolation victor. There were 34 Sportsman in the pit area.
Capping a dream season at Thunder Mountain Speedway, Steven Deinhardt of Deposit, N.Y., earned $1,150-plus in the 30-lap Cartrette Logging Street Stock main event. The division’s dominant force and track champion for the ’14 season, Deinhardt survived an early battle with Scott Smith and fended off Rich Sharpsteen for the Wade Decker Memorial trophy.
For Deinhardt, the win meant much more than “just the money.”
“I really wanted to win this one,” he said. “I’m good friends with the Deckers. This is a big win for me.”
Sharpsteen finished second, followed by Jonathan Carpenter, John Cooper Jr. and Doug Stack Jr.
Winning Street Stock heats were Ted Morseman, Cooper, Dave Matweijow, Doug Stack Jr. and Daryl Krebs. Toby Lehr won the consolation.
Richie Hitzler of Lebanon, Pa., annexed the 20-lap XCel 600 Modified event. Hitzler, the leader of a four-car tussle in the final laps, bested Kamdin Maby, Aaron Bowes, Will Eastman and Ian Williamson to the line.
XCel 600 Modified heat winners were Eastman and Bowes.
WADE DECKER NOTES: The Decker family went above and beyond for the special event with fireworks, tee-shirt cannons, mammoth trophies, event apparel, champagne and confetti for feature winners and more. Wade Decker’s No. 1W Modified and Street Stock were used to pace the feature fields….
Andy Bachetti’s winning effort capped a week on the road. He attended the Short Track Super Series Fueled By VP event Tuesday at Penn Can (Pa.) Speedway, stayed in the area for Friday’s I-88 (N.Y.) Speedway show, was headed to Grandview (Pa.) Speedway Saturday for the rained-out Freedom 76 and returned to Thunder Mountain on Sunday. He was headed back to his Massachusetts home on Monday morning….
Ryan Jordan’s Modified Hard Charger Award was worth $500 cash and a certificate for four Integra shocks….
Thousands in lap money were distributed to competitors in the Street Stock, Sportsman and Modified divisions….
The event concluded the 2014 season for Thunder Mountain Speedway. Look for news on the ’15 campaign and the Awards Banquet in the coming weeks….
For off-season general information on Thunder Mountain Speedway, visit www.thundermtnspeedway.com. The speedway office number is 607.657.8202. On race day, call 607.849.7899. The speedway e-mail is thundermtnspeedway@gmail.com. “Like” Thunder Mountain Speedway on Facebook or follow @thundermtnspeed on Twitter.
Thunder Mountain Speedway is located at 91 Hunts Corners Road Center Lisle, NY 13797, approximately 25 miles north of Binghamton. The three-eighths-mile clay oval features hillside concrete seating, free parking and camping, a variety of concession items and novelties, a family environment and more.
MjH OILFIELD WADE DECKER MEMORIAL RACE SUMMARY – SEPT. 14, 2014
Modified Feature Finish (50 laps): ANDY BACHETTI ($5,000-plus), Mike Mahaney, Brent Wilcox, Anthony Perrego, Danny Johnson, Danny Creeden, Nick Rochinski, Jeff Strunk, Ken Titus, Ryan Jordan, Mike Colsten, Brett Tonkin, Alan Barker, Chuck Bower, Gary Tomkins, Jerry Higbie Jr., Chris Stull, Darwin Greene, Bobby Varin, Billy Spoonhower, Mike Decker, Billy Decker, Don Hart Jr., Byron Worthing, Randy Chrysler, Bob Henry Jr., Ray Bliss Jr., Brian Malcolm.
Did Not Qualify: Greg Birosh, Roy Shields, Darren Schuler, Joe Eisenhauer, John Morse.
Modified Dash for Cash (8 laps): MIKE MAHANEY ($1,000), Anthony Perrego, Andy Bachetti, Danny Johnson.
Sportsman Feature Finish (40 laps): TRAVIS SMITH ($1,250-plus), Colton Wilson, Nick Nye, Kenny Hammond, Chance Spoonhower, Eric Leet, Brandon Walters, Lee Dewitt, Jim LaRock, Larry Hillis, Geordie Decker, Lanson Albanese, Mike Buchanon, Ryan Olsommer, Rob Compton, Fran Hilton, Shayne Spoonhower, Chad Miller, Chris Jordan, Kevin Jordan, Tyler Ward, Alec Gennarelli, Charlie Hendrickson Jr., Marshall Balzer, Brad Szulewski, Randy Green, Ray Bliss Jr., Aaron Shelton.
Did Not Qualify: Steve Adrulonis, Todd Titus, Cole Price, Dave Doig Jr., Tommy Eiklor.
Cartrette Logging Street Stock Feature Finish (30 laps): STEVEN DEINHARDT ($1,000-plus), Rich Sharpsteen, Jonathan Carpenter, John Cooper Jr., Doug Stack Jr., Matt Bauman, Jake Slack, Dave Matweijow, Scott Smith, Kurt Decker, Earl Zimmer, Ted Morseman, Daryl Krebs, Jason Rhodes, Shane Wolf Jr., Butch Green, Gene Sharpsteen, Glenn Vancise, Bob Buono, Doug Stack, Kevin Garland, Jack Holcomb, Ricky Davis Sr., Michael Morse, Rich Sharpsteen II, Toby Lehr.
Did Not Qualify: Eric Boynton, Kevin Garland, Kane Stebbins, Kevin Boynton, Dominic Fuller, Kyle Stark, Harold Walburn, Dan Hoffman, Mark Allmat.
XCel 600 Modified Feature (20 laps): RICHIE HITZLER, Kamdin Maby, Aaron Bowes, Will Eastman, Ian Williamson, Michael Burrows, Doug Windhausen, Jamie Frantz, Abbey Price, A.J. Miller, Bud Leizaer, Matt Colwell, Jon Josko, Shawn Schibilia, Damon Decker.
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Brett Deyo
Promotions, Public Relations & MarketingThunder Mountain Speedway
91 Hunts Corners Road Center Lisle, NY 13797
Cell: 845.728.2781
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