For Immediate Release/June 8, 2014
Brent Wilcox Is Back: Earns Third Thunder Mountain Modified Victory Of 2014, Extends Point Lead In Race For $5,000 Track Championship; Wilson, Spoonhower, Sharpsteen, Ely, Votra, Peters& Forward Take Checkered Flags On Fan Appreciation Night
CENTER LISLE, NY – Brent Wilcox has his confidence back.
Wilcox, of Binghamton, N.Y., opened the season with consecutive big-block/small-block Modified victories at Thunder Mountain Speedway on May 10 and 17. He hadn’t been back since – until Saturday. Wilcox, patiently working through traffic on the inside lane, slipped past race-long leader Brent Boyer with 10 laps remaining in the 30-lap main and charged to his third triumph of the season at the Center Lisle, N.Y., three-eighths-mile oval.
“I was starting to doubt myself,” the soft-spoken Wilcox admitted after collecting his $1,200 triumph. “It felt good to get one tonight.”
Wilcox was quick to surge forward from his sixth starting position to run third by the completion of the third lap, trailing race leader Brent Boyer and Nick Rochinski.
At lap nine, Wilcox found the real estate inside Rochinski’s No. 20R for second and began his pursuit of Bloomsburg, Pa.-based leader Boyer.
Lap after lap, Wilcox worked the low line on Boyer, whose No. 19 was maintaining momentum around the topside of the banked clay oval. Ultimately, on lap 20, Wilcox pressed his Waymart Building Center-backed No. 27 into a lead he would not relinquish.
He pulled away during the race’s final third driving the Morrison-powered Bicknell.
“My car was a little snug tonight,” Wilcox said. “It was a little tighter than I am comfortable with, but we could run around the bottom well. I knew if we stayed green, I had a good shot at him (Boyer). As his tires were getting hot, he was sliding out across the track.”
The victory for Wilcox extended his point lead in the chase for the $5,000 Modified championship in ’14.
Low-dollar racer Boyer – a former Sportsman standout at the Mountain during the previous Karl Spoonhower regime as promoter – enjoyed his strongest run in several years, placing second.
Rochinski, of Dickson City, Pa., finished third after running inside the top-three for the entire distance. Rookie Ryan Jordan of Dryden, N.Y., advanced to fourth after starting ninth and Chad Cook of Deposit, N.Y., thwarted the advances of Mike Mahaney of King Ferry, N.Y., for fifth.
Colton Wilson won for the second time this season in Sportsman competition following a rough-and-tumble 20-lap main event. The Dryden, N.Y., driver moved forward from sixth to take the lead with a three-wide, inside maneuver on the fifth lap when a slowing leader, Kevin Jordan, and Billy Spoonhower momentarily became entangled.
Wilson powered to the $700 payday courtesy of division sponsor Howard Jones Logging& Firewood.
“I found the outside about halfway through and I’m glad I did,” Wilson said. “The car really felt good out there. If I had stayed on the bottom, I think Butch (Green) would have had something for me there. Tonight was all about keeping our nose clean and we were able to do that.”
Butch Green recovered from an early spin for second, followed by Pat Jordan, making his first start in approximately seven years, Billy Spoonhower and Chance Spoonhower.
Shayne Spoonhower of Berkshire, N.Y., narrowly edged Scott George in the 12-lap Rookie Sportsman main.
One week after watching potential victory slip away on the final lap, Gene Sharpsteen of Waverly, N.Y., led the 20-lap Street Stock event to a comfortable victory in his No. 7. Brenton Miller, in his second Thunder Mountain start of the season, chased Sharpsteen across the stripe. Ricky Davis Sr. enjoyed a solid third-place result, followed by Jonathan Carpenter and Jason Beebe.
The IMCA-style Modifieds made their first ’14 appearance on the Mountain and Harry Ely of Wyalusing, Pa., drove a brand-new No. 57 to Victory Lane, earning $250 after a battle with Gary Smith, who settled for second spot in the competitive 12-lap event.
For the third straight week, Pat Votra of Marathon, N.Y., was the Empire Sport Truck winner in the 12-lap event. Votra reached the front of the field quickly and outraced Niagara Falls, Ont., invader Sam Pennacchio to the wire.
Bubba Peters of Sayre, Pa., became a back-to-back 15-lap Pure Stock winner, outracing Buck Mills Jr. to the stripe. Kevin Garland, Michael Morse and Kristina Whittemore followed.
Scott Forward of Bouckville, N.Y., was tabbed the driver of the No. 77 wheeled by Isaiah Forward to an undefeated streak in the Four Cylinder division and used lapped traffic to masterfully clear Kenny Underwood at the midway point of the 15-lap main event. Forward won over Underwood and point leader Isaiah Forward, who was driving a No. 7.
THUNDER THOUGHTS: Fan Appreciation Night at the speedway included a popular intermission meet-and-greet on the frontstretch, giveaways, driver autographs and more. Another large crowd took in the action on the Mountain….
Former Afton (N.Y.) Speedway promoter Pat Jordan climbed aboard the Chris Jordan No. 22J for the night. Pat is considering a return to the sport after a long absence….
Modifieds had the option of softer (33-38) American Racer tires on the rear of their cars and the result was additional side-by-side racing and prevalent passing in both qualifying and the main event. The Sportsman division will be permitted to run softer tires beginning next Saturday (June 14)….
Howard Jones Logging & Firewood announced a $100 bonus to the IMCA-style Modified winner if eight or more cars are in attendance starting next Saturday, June 14….
Heat winners were Ryan Jordan and Nick Rochinski (Modified); Butch Green and Chance Spoonhower (Sportsman); Scott George (Rookie Sportsman); Ricky Davis Sr. and Gene Sharpsteen (Street Stock); Jason Tuttle (IMCA-style Modified); Pat Votra (Empire Sport Truck); Bubba Peters and Roger Walburn (Pure Stock); and Kenny Underwood and Trevor Dudley (Four Cylinder);
Racing resumes next Saturday, June 14, with Dad’s Night Out: a salute to Father’s Day. The first 100 Dads through the gate receive a FREE Thunder Mountain promo item. Also, it is Norwich Community Night. Residents of Norwich with photo ID receive $5 admission.
Modifieds ($1,500-to-win with 21 cars), Sportsman, Rookie Sportsman, Street Stocks, IMCA-style Modifieds ($350 to win with eight cars or more), Empire Sport Trucks, Pure Stocks and Four Cylinders are on the program.
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 required.
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 Bing hamton. 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 7, 2014 QUICK RESULTS SUMMARY
Modified Feature Finish (30 Laps): BRENT WILCOX ($1,200), Brent Boyer, Nick Rochinski, Ryan Jordan, Chad Cook, Mike Mahaney, Brian Malcolm, Ken Titus, Bob Hamm Jr., Mike Clapperton, Byron Worthing, Steve Cummings, Billy Spoonhower, Greg Birosh.
Did Not Start: Joe Eisenhauer.
Sportsman Feature Finish (20 Laps): COLTON WILSON ($700), Butch Green, Pat Jordan, Billy Spoonhower, Chance Spoonhower, Geordie Decker, Marshall Balzer, Scott Conover, Larry Hillis, Tyler Singleton, Tom Tophoven, Eric Leet, Kevin Jordan.
Newcomer Bonus ($50): Pat Jordan
Rookie Sportsman Feature Finish (12 Laps): SHAYNE SPOONHOWER, Scott George, Ted Mills Jr.
IMCA-style Modifieds (12 Laps): HARRY ELY, Gary Smith, Jason Tuttle, Kenny Winn, Craig Ward, Matt Jones.
Street Stock Feature Finish (20 Laps): GENE SHARPSTEEN, Brenton Miller, Ricky Davis Sr., Jonathan Carpenter, Jason Beebe, Steven Deinhardt, Tom Savercool, Dan Force, Harold Walburn, Bobby Hall Jr., Eric Boynton, Jesse Velez, Mike Wilbur, Earl Zimmer, Rich Sharpsteen.
Newcomer Bonus ($50): Bobby Hall Jr.
Empire Sport Truck Feature Finish (12 Laps): PAT VOTRA, Sam Pennacchio, Tyler Vanderzanden, Brandon Clapperton, Bob Crandall, Chris Sherman.
Pure Stock Feature Finish (15 Laps): BUBBA PETERS, Buck Mills Jr., Kevin Garland, Michael Morse, Kristina Whittemore, Tyler Spickerman, Mitch Quail Jr., Levi Davis, Roger Walburn, Michael Schrader.
Four Cylinder Feature Finish (15 Laps): SCOTT FORWARD, Kenny Underwood, Isaiah Forward, Trevor Dudley, Chris Taylor, Matt Gibson, Ryan Wood, Mark Wheeler, Mike Taylor, Mackenzie Gibson, Rick Sinsabaugh, Sue Sinsabaugh, Jeff Cornell.
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