Magic Mike: Mahaney Scores Second Modified Win Within 24 Hours, Earns Thunder Mountain Speedway Triumph Saturday; Conover, Spoonhower, Zimmer, Ward, O’Hara, Walburn& Dudley Also Take Checkered Flags Before Large Crowd
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CENTER LISLE, NY – Mike Mahaney is firing on all cylinders.
The King Ferry, N.Y., driver recorded his second victory within a 24-hour timespan on Saturday night at Thunder Mountain Speedway. Mahaney, who on Friday drove to Victory Lane at I-88 Speedway in Afton, N.Y., roared to a commanding $1,200 big-block/small-block Modified triumph in the 30-lap main event, his second of the season at the Center Lisle, N.Y., facility.
The win came before one of the season’s largest crowds assembled in the track’s hillside concrete grandstands.
For the second consecutive week, a wide and racy three-eighths-mile Thunder Mountain oval greeted competitors and second-generation driver Mahaney took full advantage. He charged from his fifth starting position to the lead in a matter of four laps.
“The track was awesome tonight,” Mahaney, 24 years old, exclaimed after exiting his Olum’s-sponsored, Charlie Davis-owned No. 21. “It was like the old Thunder Mountain. It was smooth and wide with plenty of room to pass. You couldn’t ask for a better track surface to race on.”
Mahaney had driven to third, behind pole starter Billy Spoonhower and Brian Malcolm, when a fourth-lap yellow set up a double-file restart. Both Spoonhower and Malcolm slid up the track in the second turn. Mahaney shot to the inside to clear them both with a three-wide maneuver. He led at the stripe for lap five.
“Those two (Spoonhower and Malcolm) were battling with each other,” Mahaney said of his winning move. “They went up the track and it left me a lane on the bottom.”
With Mahaney out front, three-time ’14 winner Brent Wilcox was making tracks toward the front. Wilcox, who started 11th, climbed to third on lap 12. After an extended side-by-side battle with Spoonhower, the Binghamton, N.Y., driver pressed his No. 27 into second with seven laps remaining.
Time ran out, however, for Wilcox to catch Mahaney’s Troyer mount out front.
“This is pretty cool,” Mahaney asserted. “I had never won two (races) in a row before.”
Wilcox, Spoonhower (Berkshire, N.Y.), Lake Ariel, Pa.’s Malcolm and Chad Cook of Deposit, N.Y., rounded out the top five.
For the first time this season, Scott Conover of Brooktondale, N.Y., drove to Sportsman Victory Lane following the 20-lap main and earned the $700 winner’s share boosted by Howard Jones Logging & Firewood. Conover started second and led the entire distance, but fought hard for the win.
Billy Spoonhower pressured Conover for the race’s second half – pulling even with the leader on the 14th circuit – but had to settle for runner-up pay. Colton Wilson and Marshall Balzer finished third and fourth after starting sixth and seventh, respectively. Chance Spoonhower advanced from 10th to place fifth.
The Sportsman competitors spun off their 20-lap main event with just a single yellow, on lap 10, for a slowing car.
Shayne Spoonhower of Berkshire, N.Y., continued his dominance of the Rookie Sportsman division. Spoonhower shot the gap inside Scott George on lap two and was never challenged over the remainder of the 12-lap distance.
A thrilling, three-wide pass for the lead allowed Earl Zimmer of Newark Valley, N.Y., to earn his first 20-lap Street Stock main of the year. Zimmer had trailed race-long leader Rich Sharpsteen through the 16th circuit. As Sharpsteen struggled to clear the lapped car of John Hoover, Zimmer swept past both on the homestretch and raced to the triumph.
Sharpsteen, Daryl Krebs, Ricky Davis Sr. and Steven Deinhardt trailed.
A growing IMCA-style Modified field again competed for $350 as a top prize and Craig Ward of Owego, N.Y., was a first-time ’14 winner in the 15-lap main event. Ward thwarted the continuous advances of previous week’s winner Rich Green, who finished second. Jason Tuttle, Harry Ely and Kenny Winn completed the front five. There have been three IMCA-style Modified winners in as many events at the track this season.
Doug O’Hara of Sherburne, N.Y., joined the Empire Sport Truck field and drove straight to Victory Lane in the 12-lap main event. O’Hara edged Allan Hodge for the win.
A wild, 15-lap Pure Stock main fell to Newark Valley, N.Y.’s Roger Walburn, who won a feature for the first time in his career. Walburn emerged from a lap-six skirmish that sent leader Bubba Peters spinning with the top spot. He then held back Buck Mills Jr. in a paint-swapping battle during the final laps. Michael Morse slipped past Mills with two laps remaining to finish second.
For the second week in a row, Port Byron, N.Y., young gun Trevor Dudley was the Four Cylinder 15-lap winner. Dudley shot to the lead within two laps and outraced Isaiah Forward for the win. Forward finished second.
THUNDER THOUGHTS: Promoter Karl Spoonhower moved the inside implement tires deep into the infield for Saturday night’s racing, creating an even wider racing surface and fewer cautions during the night….
Dickson City, Pa., driver Nick Rochinski – who entered the night second in the point standings – lost an engine early in the Modified main event and failed to finish an event for the first time this year….
Bob Hamm Jr. (work commitments), Brent Boyer (family commitment) and Byron Worthing (engine issues) were among the missing in the light Modified field….
Former Afton Speedway promoter Pat Jordan hopped into the Chris Jordan Sportsman car several weeks ago after a seven-year absence from driving. Jordan got the itch and bought a car of his own. Jordan made his debut in a No. 25 Sportsman of his own….
Heat winners were Billy Spoonhower and Steve Cummings (Modified); Billy Spoonhower and Scott Conover (Sportsman); Shayne Spoonhower (Rookie Sportsman); Matt Jones and Jason Tuttle (IMCA-style Modified); Rich Sharpsteen and Earl Zimmer (Street Stock); Pat Votra (Empire Sport Truck); Michael Morse and Bubba Peters (Pure Stock); and Mark Wheeler and Trevor Dudley (Four Cylinder).
Racing resumes Saturday, June 28 with the ‘Street Stock Spectacular’ paying an increased $500 to win for 25 laps of racing. A complete program of Modifieds, Sportsman, Rookie Sportsman, IMCA-style Modifieds, Pure Stocks, Empire Sport Trucks and Four Cylinders is on the card, plus the second ’14 appearance of the SRP Sprints.
Residents of Marathon will receive reduced $5 grandstand admission with appropriate ID as part of the Community Night 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 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 21, 2014 QUICK RESULTS SUMMARY
Modified Feature Finish (30 Laps): MIKE MAHANEY ($1,200), Brent Wilcox, Billy Spoonhower, Brian Malcolm, Chad Cook, Mike Clapperton, Ken Titus, Ryan Jordan, Greg Birosh, Steve Cummings, Nick Rochinski.
Sportsman Feature Finish (20 Laps): SCOTT CONOVER ($700), Billy Spoonhower, Colton Wilson, Marshall Balzer, Chance Spoonhower, Larry Hillis, Chris Jordan, Butch Green, Eric Leet, Tyler Singleton, Pat Jordan, Wade Johnson, Geordie Decker, Kevin Jordan.
Newcomer Bonus ($50): Wade Johnson
Street Stock Feature Finish (20 Laps): EARL ZIMMER, Rich Sharpsteen, Daryl Krebs, Ricky Davis Sr., Steven Deinhardt, Jason Beebe, Jonathan Carpenter, Bob Mills, Brenton Miller, John Hoover, Dan Force, Tom Savercool.
Newcomer Bonus ($50 Bonus): Bob Mills
IMCA-Style Modified Feature Finish (15 Laps): CRAIG WARD ($350), Rich Green, Jason Tuttle, Harry Ely, Kenny Winn, Rob Compton, Nick Griest, Matt Jones, Tony Harris, Ryan Hyer.
Rookie Sportsman Feature Finish (12 Laps): SHAYNE SPOONHOWER, Scott George, Cole Price, Tyler Keener.
Empire Sport Truck Feature Finish (12 Laps): DOUG O’HARA, Allan Hodge, Brandon Clapperton, Bob Crandall, Chris Sherman, Craig Geariety.
Did Not Start: Pat Votra
Pure Stock Feature Finish (15 Laps): ROGER WALBURN, Michael Morse, Buck Mills Jr., Michael Schrader, Mitch Quail Jr., Kristina Whittemore, Bubba Peters, Kevin Garland, Dustin Keener, Kevin Ziangarra, Pat Votra.
Four Cylinder Feature Finish (15 Laps): TREVOR DUDLEY, Isaiah Forward, Mark Wheeler, Mike Taylor, Guy Raymond Jr., Chris Taylor, Mackenzie Gibson, Dave Jenkins, Rick Sinsabaugh, Brett Wheeler, Bernie Shay, Ken Evans, Jeff Cornell.
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Brett Deyo
Promotions, Public Relations & Marketing
Thunder Mountain Speedway
Thunder Mountain Speedway
91 Hunts Corners Road Center Lisle, NY 13797
Cell: 845.728.2781
"Thunder Mountain Speedway" on Facebook
@thundermtnspeed on Twitter
@thundermtnspeed on Twitter
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