Thriller: Bob Hamm Jr. Holds Off Chad Cook By Mere Feet To Win A Fan-Pleasing Thunder Mountain Speedway Modified Feature Saturday; Balzer, Spoonhower, Green, Deinhardt, Mills, Votra & Dudley Also Visit Victory Lane
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CENTER LISLE, NY – Bob Hamm Jr. won his first big-block/small-block Modified main event of the season in dramatic fashion.
Hamm, of Windsor, N.Y., narrowly edged Chad Cook – by mere feet – to earn a $1,200 payday in Saturday night’s 30-lap headliner at Thunder Mountain Speedway. A wide, racy three-eighths-mile oval provided the closest finish of the season as Hamm’s No. 10x and Cook’s No. 2c raced under the checkered flag side-by-side.
Hamm has now won at both I-88 (N.Y.) and Thunder Mountain speedways this season.
“Starting up front helped,” Hamm said in Victory Lane. “But I had to stay there. Chad (Cook) definitely made me earn it. He passed me once and the caution came out. After that, I did what I had to do to keep him behind me.”
Hamm shot into the lead at the start of the main from his pole starting position. Steve Cummings chased Hamm for the for the first five laps before seventh-starter Nick Rochinski slid into second with his No. 20R Teo-Pro mount.
Cook, who started fifth but had been shuffled back to the second half of the top-10 in the opening laps, began to build momentum using the outside lane in Mike Costello’s No. 2c Bicknell. He drove into third at lap nine. Four laps later, he cleared Rochinski for second.
Hamm, Cook and Rochinski engaged in a crowd-pleasing battle for the lead. On lap 21, Cook actually powered around Hamm using the top lane in turns one and two. However, a caution negated the move.
The yellow handed the lead back to Hamm for a single-file restart and nine-lap dash to the finish.
Cook worked Hamm high and low, with Rochinski and an emerging Mike Mahaney, who had started 14th, in tow.
With the white flag flying, Cook drove to the outside of Hamm. The pair raced side-by-side through much of the final lap. At the checkered, Hamm took the win by mere feet over Cook.
“I was hanging on at the end,” Hamm said. “It felt like my tires sealed up on that last caution (on lap 21). I did what I had to do to win one tonight.”
Cook, of Deposit, N.Y., settled for second, ahead of Dickson City, Pa.’s Rochinski, Mahaney of King Ferry, N.Y., and eighth-starter Mike Clapperton of Sidney, N.Y.
Marshall Balzer of Candor, N.Y., won for the first time this season in the 20-lap Sportsman event, earning $700 thanks to Howard Jones Logging & Firewood. Balzer started fifth and inherited the lead on a second-lap restart skirmish. He held off the advances of veteran Larry Hillis for the remainder of the distance.
“Running the soft tires tonight made a big difference,” Balzer said. “The track was really good, and with these tires, you could move around on the track and pass.”
Ryan Olsommer drove his Crate 602-powered car from 10th to finish third, followed by Scott Conover in his strongest outing of the season and Butch Green.
Shayne Spoonhower of Berkshire, N.Y., bested a growing field in the 12-lap Rookie Sportsman main.
Rich Green of Maine, N.Y., won the 20-lap IMCA-style Modified main event in dominant fashion. Green led from start-to-finish to earn a $350 payday courtesy of Howard Jones Logging & Firewood. The previous week’s winner, Harry Ely, chased Green to the finish.
Patience was a virtue for Steve Deinhardt in the 20-lap Street Stock main. Deinhardt appeared poised to follow a three-car tussle involving Ricky Davis Sr., Earl Zimmer and Jonathan Carpenter to the finish. However, Zimmer and Davis tangled at the entrance of turn three with five laps remaining. Zimmer spun, collecting Carpenter.
Deinhardt then lined up third behind Davis and Rich Sharpsteen, whose left-front tire was deflated.
Deinhardt swept past Sharpsteen on the restart and set up a high-low switch on Davis to take command with two laps remaining. He drove to his third triumph of the year over Daryl Krebs, Davis, Tom Savercool and Mike Wilbur.
Pat Votra of Marathon, N.Y., dominated the 12-lap Empire Sport Truck main event over Brandon Clapperton.
For the first time since the May 10 Season Opener, Buck Mills Jr. returned to Victory Lane in Pure Stock competition. The Newark Valley, N.Y., driver rode the extreme outside of the speedway t o the lead at the midway point and cruised to the victory over Mike Morse and Roger Walburn.
Trevor Dudley of Port Byron, N.Y., fought off the advances of the season’s dominant driver – Isaiah Forward – to win his first 15-lap Four Cylinder main event of the season. The pair weaved through lapped traffic in the final circuits with Dudley’s triumph coming by less than a car-length.
THUNDER THOUGHTS: Despite a cool, damp day in the Southern Tier region, the Thunder Mountain pit area was buzzing on Saturday with returning and new faces. Penn Can (Pa.) Speedway regular Dan Pompey made his first Modified start of the season, while former track champion Paul Jensen, I-88 mainstay Brett Tonkin and Accord (N.Y.)/Orange County (N.Y.) driver Rob Rowe joined the Modified field….
Modified winner Bob Hamm Jr. was pleased he decided to race on Saturday night.
“I almost stayed home tonight,” he admitted. “My work schedule is so busy right now, I planned on taking the night off. The guys wanted to come out and race tonight and I’m glad they did.”….
Shaddow Land Auto Body of Brooktondale, N.Y., has signed on to sponsor the Street Stock division for the remainder of the season, offering $50 bonuses to the second- and third-place finishers every Saturday night….
Track conditions were nearly perfect for Saturday’s program. Multiple grooves provide plentiful passing for racers and dust was minimal for fans. Promoter Karl Spoonhower arrived at the speedway at 4:30 a.m. Saturday to work the surface….
Early arriving Dads received a complimentary Thunder Mountain water bottle in honor of Father’s Day. Norwich residents received reduced $5 grandstand admission….
Heat winners were Bob Hamm Jr. and Brian Malcolm (Modified); Billy Spoonhower and Kevin Jordan (Sportsman); Shayne Spoonhower (Ro okie Sportsman); Ricky Davis Sr. and Jonathan Carpenter (Street Stock); Rich Green (IMCA-style Modified); Kevin Garland and Buck Mills Jr. (Pure Stock); and Trevor Dudley and Gabe Forward (Four Cylinder)….
Racing resumes next Saturday, June 21, with the “School’s Out Special” program: all graduating high school seniors with proper ID will be admitted FREE. Modifieds, Sportsman, Rookie Sportsman, IMCA-style Modifieds, Street Stocks, Pure Stocks, Empire Sport Trucks and Four Cylinders are on the card.
Gates open at 4 p.m. with hot laps at 6:30 p.m. and racing at 7 p.m. Adult grandstand admission is $10. Seniors (65 and over) and students (ages 10-17) pay $8. Kids nine and under are FREE. Pit admission is $30, with no license requir ed.
For rules, general information and a complete schedule, 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.
JUNE 14, 2014 QUICK RESULTS SUMMARY
Modified Feature Finish (30 Laps): BOB HAMM JR. ($1,200), Chad Cook, Nick Rochinski, Mike Mahaney, Mike Clapperton, Brent Wilcox, Ryan Jordan, Steve Cummings, Paul Jensen, Brent Boyer, Dan Pompey, Ken Titus, Brian Malcolm, Brett Tonkin, Rob Rowe, Billy Spoonhower.
American Racer/Lias Tire Free Tire Certificate: Ryan Jordan
Free Pass (Track Regular): Brent Boyer
Free Pass (Track Regular): Brent Boyer
Sportsman Feature Finish (20 Laps): MARSHALL BALZER ($700), Larry Hillis, Ryan Olsommer, Scott Conover, Butch Green, Billy Spoonhower, Kevin Jo rdan, Colton Wilson, Harold Humphrey, Chris Jordan, Tyler Singleton, Don Agnew, Chance Spoonhower, Marc Goodwin, Tom Tophoven.
American Racer/Lias Tire $85 Certificate: Larry Hillis
Newcomer Bonus ($50): Don Agnew
Newcomer Bonus ($50): Don Agnew
Street Stock Feature Finish (20 Laps): STEVE DEINHARDT, Daryl Krebs, Rick Davis Sr., Tom Savercool, Mike Wilbur, Gene Sharpsteen, Earl Zimmer, Jason Beebe, Brenton Miller, Dan Force, Harol d Walburn, Zack Mills, Rich Sharpsteen, Jonathan Carpenter.
Newcomer Bonus ($50 Bonus): Zack Mills
IMCA-Style Modified Feature Finish (20 Laps): RICH GREEN ($350), Harry Ely, Jason Tuttle, Craig Ward, Ken Winn, Rob Compton, Tony Harris, Matt Jones.
Rookie Sportsman Feature Finish (12 Laps): SHAYNE SPOONHOWER, Rosalyn Trautschold, Ted Mills III, Cole Keener, Josh Underwood.
Empire Sport Truck Feature Finish (12 Laps): PAT VOTRA, Brandon Clapperton, Bob Crandall, Chris Sherman.
Pure Stock Feature Finish (15 Laps): BUCK MILLS JR., Mike Morse, Roger Walburn, Ted Mills Jr., Bubba Peters, Kevin Garland, Levi Davis, Tyler Spickerman, Mitch Quail Jr., Tyler Arden.
Four Cylinder Feature Finish (15 Laps): TREVOR DUDLEY, Isaiah Forward, Rich Wagner, Mark Wheeler, Chris Taylor, Guy Raymond Jr., Rick Sinsabaugh, Mike Taylor, Jeff Cornell, Bernie Shay, Chris Kocash, Angus Hines, Ryan Wood, Gabe Forward, Phil Burns, Mackenzie Gibson.
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Brett Deyo
Promotions, Public Relations & Marketing
Thunder Mountain Speedway
Thunder Mountain Speedway
91 Hunts Corners Road Center Lisle, NY 13 797
Cell: 845.728.2781
"Thunder Mountain Speedway" on Facebook
@thundermtnspeed on Twitter
@thundermtnspeed on Twitter
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