Change Up: Chad Cook Makes First Thunder Mountain Start With Back-Up Car A Winning One, Annexes First Checkered Of the Season; Hillis, George, Deinhardt, Morse, O’Hara & Forward Also Visit Victory Lane
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CENTER LISLE, NY – A change of rides made all the difference for Chad Cook on Saturday night at Thunder Mountain Speedway.
Cook, hopping into his Mike Costello-owned No. 222 back-up car, won his first big-block/small-block Modified main of the year in convincing fashion. The Deposit, N.Y., driver earned $1,200 for his efforts in the 30-lap main event at the three-eighths-mile clay oval.
“This car has been sitting in the garage all year,” Cook said. “We’ve been struggling, so we figured we’d get it out and run it. Maybe we should have done brought this car out weeks ago.”
Cook started from fifth position in the 19-car field. Avoiding a pair of early skirmishes, Cook had climbed to second on lap four, trailing race-long leader and pole starter Greg Birosh. On a fifth-lap restart, Cook used the outside lane to take the top spot.
“I figured I had a good shot up there,” Cook said of the outside lane. “He (Birosh) held a good line. He raced me clean. I was able to get it going up there and pull away.”
As Cook distanced himself for the field, all eyes were on point leader Brent Wilcox. Relegated to dead last by an opening-lap spin, Wilcox’s No. 27 was slicing through traffic.
At lap 19, Wilcox completed a three-wide pass of Steve Cummings and his teammate Brian Malcolm to attain third. Four laps later, the Binghamton, N.Y., driver slipped past Birosh for second. However, Cook had built a lead of more than a straightaway. Wilcox’s charge ended in the runner-up spot.
Malcolm, of Lake Ariel, Pa., placed third after starting 10th on the grid. Birosh, of Horseheads, N.Y., registered his best finish of the season in fourth and Bob Henry Jr. of Clay, N.Y., finished fifth after starting 16th. Henry was making his debut at the Mountain in 2014.
For the second time this season, Larry Hillis of Vestal, N.Y., earned a Sportsman victory. Hillis led from start-to-finish in the 20-lap main for a $700 payday. It was far from an easy victory. A rim-riding Kevin Jordan engaged in a side-by-side battle with Hillis during the race’s final four laps, pulling even with Hillis on the 18th lap, before settling for second.
Billy Spoonhower, Chance Spoonhower and a returning Eric Leet completed the front five.
Scott George of New Milford, Pa., registered his first win ever in the 12-lap Rookie Sportsman main. Completing repairs from a grinding crash the previous week, George led the event from green-to-checkered. Todd Hayward finished second, approximately a half-straightaway back.
Steven Deinhardt of Deposit, N.Y., throttled from 14th starting position to win the 20-lap Street Stock main event, his sixth of the season. Deinhardt used the extreme outside of the track to slice through the field, arriving at the lead in just six laps’ time without the aid of a caution.
Daryl Krebs made a late advance to finish second, followed by Tom Savercool, Earl Zimmer and Jonathan Carpenter.
Michael Morse of Newark Valley, N.Y., cleared Bubba Peters on the topside of the track prior to the midway point and drove on to win the 15-lap Pure Stock main. Peters edged Kevin Garland at the line for second.
Doug O’Hara of Sherburne, N.Y., annexed the 12-lap Empire Sport Truck main event in convincing fashion over Pat Votra.
One week after winning in a photo finish, Isaiah Forward of Bouckville, N.Y., left no question of the outcome this week. He took the triumph in the 15-lap Four Cylinder main by a comfortable margin over Trevor Dudley.
THUNDER THOUGHTS: The Modified field continues to grow as the season progresses, with 19 cars in the pit area Saturday. Among the newcomers were Bob Henry Jr., Mike Nagel Jr., Marc Goodwin and John Kuleszo, while Connecticut invader Dan Humes made his second Saturday visit of the season….
Three-time Modified winner Mike Mahaney was collected in a first-lap, first-turn crash. He returned to the track four laps down and limped to a 14th-place finish….
Ryan Stone, a full-fender veteran and newcomer Chuck Forkey Jr. bolstered the Street Stock field to a region-best 15….
Heat winners were Mike Clapperton, Chad Cook and Ken Titus (Modified); Butch Green and Larry Hillis (Sportsman); Scott George (Rookie Sportsman); Daryl Krebs and Jason Beebe (Street Stock); Bubba Peters (Pure Stock); Doug O’Hara (Empire Sport Truck); Trevor Dudley and Isaiah Forward (Four Cylinder)
Racing resumes on Saturday (July 19) with a complete program of Modifieds, Sportsman, Rookie Sportsman, Street Stocks, IMCA-style Modifieds, Pure Stocks, Empire Sport Trucks and Four Cylinders. Residents of Chenango Forks will be admitted for $5 to the grandstands with photo ID.
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.
JULY 12, 2014 QUICK RESULTS SUMMARY
Modified Feature Finish (30 Laps): CHAD COOK, Brent Wilcox, Brian Malcolm, Greg Birosh, Bob Henry Jr., Steve Cummings, Brent Boyer, Mike Clapperton, Mike Nagel Jr., Chris Stull, Ken Titus, Dan Humes, Roy Shields, Mike Mahaney, Marc Goodwin, John Kuleszo, Ryan Jordan, Byron Worthing, Billy Spoonhower.
Sportsman Feature Finish (20 Laps): LARRY HILLIS, Kevin Jordan, Billy Spoonhower, Chance Spoonhower, Eric Leet, Chris Jordan, Butch Green, Mike Decker, Marshall Balzer, Scott Conover, Pat Jordan, Colton Wilson.
Rookie Sportsman Feature Finish (12 Laps): SCOTT GEORGE, Todd Hayward, Shayne Spoonhower, Josh Underwood, Cole Price, Tyler Keener.
Street Stock Feature Finish (20 Laps): STEVEN DEINHARDT, Daryl Krebs, Tom Savercool, Earl Zimmer, Jonathan Carpenter, Bob Mills, Ryan Stone, Rich Sharpsteen, Jason Beebe, Harold Walburn, John Hoover, Brenton Miller, Dan Force, Ricky Davis Sr., Chuck Forkey Jr.
Newcomer Bonus ($50 Bonus): Ryan Stone
Pure Stock Feature Finish (15 Laps): MICHAEL MORSE, Bubba Peters, Kevin Garland, Mitch Quail Jr., Levi Davis, Chris Bennett, Jacob Hoffmeier.
Empire Sport Truck Feature Finish (12 Laps): DOUG O’HARA, Pat Votra, Bob Crandall, Brandon Clapperton, Steve Argus.
Four Cylinder Feature Finish (15 Laps): ISAIAH FORWARD, Trevor Dudley, Mark Wheeler, Jimmy Fudd, Mike Taylor, Chris Taylor, Guy Raymond Jr., Mackenzie Gibson, Rick Sinsabaugh, Thomas Ferguson, Quinn Shay, Ray Oakley Sr.
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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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