Afton Motorsports Park Race Report
Home Track Pride; Smith Defends his turf with dominating Afton Action 50 Win
Bob Hilbert Sportswear Short Track Super Series Powered By Sunoco Racing Halmar International North Region Race #4 Modified Winner Jeremy Smith
Halmar International Crate Sportsman North Region Race #1 Winner Dale Welty
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Click on image for larger version.Afton, NY — When a traveling series comes to a drivers home track, the drivers who call that track their home always want to step up their performance on that particular night. On Thursday night at the Afton Motorsports Park, home track racer Jeremy Smith showed the traveling Bob Hilbert Sportswear Short Track Super Series powered by Sunoco Race Fuels racers what Afton Motorsports Park is all about with a dominating performance in the 50 lap Modified feature with a flag to flag win. In the companion Crate Sportsman 25 lapper Dale Welty continued his remarkable year with another win notched in his belt as he led all laps to record the win.
"This is a big win not only for me personally, but also for my team as they work their tails off all week long to not only get my cars ready, but also the cars for Billy Decker who is my teammate" said the Triangle, NY driver. "That is why I switched to racing here weekly and at Thunder Mountain weekly because we have struggled in the past on American Racer tires. Racing both tracks all year this year I have learned how to read both tracks and where to run when the tracks look a certain way. It feels good to win in front of my home town fans and win at my home track, I really appreciate their support."
By luck of the draw Jeremy Smith and Damon Decker paced the Modified 24 car starting field to start their 50 lap feature. Smith jumped out to the lead with Decker hot on his back bumper and they were followed by Rick Laubach, Billy Decker, and Craig Hanson.
With a track grooming session taking place before the feature, which widened out the racing surface considerably many drivers jumped to the outer portions of the racing surface in an attempt to get to the front.
Laubach moved to the outside groove on lap two and started to make some forward advancement as he pulled along side Damon Decker for second. Seeing this in front of him Ryan Godown moved to the outside groove on lap four. On lap seven Laubach rim rode his way around Damon Decker for second and Godown drove around Hanson for fifth.
On a lap 11 restart Godown made the big move going from fifth to third. Laubach pressured Smith for the lead but Jeremy kept running his smooth line around the entire track and this allowed him to open up his lead to five car lengths.
Godown who was working the top knew he had to find another groove as Laubach blocked his path. The Ringoes, NJ driver moved to the bottom and found success as he got past Laubach for second on lap 16. Once in second Godown moved back to the top groove and tried to reel in the high flying Smith for the lead.
On a lap 25 restart the running order would be shuffled with the top two remaining the same in Smith and Godown. Damon Decker had an excellent restart and moved back into third with Anthony Perrego now making some noise as he moved from sixth to fourth on the restart.
Just past the halfway point three veteran drivers who started deep in the field were making their way to the front. Duane Howard who started 19th, Matt Sheppard who started 21st and Danny Johnson who was wheeling the Mike Trautschold owned car and started 24th were coming through the field. By lap 30 Howard was in seventh, Sheppard was in ninth and Johnson was hot on his tail in tenth.
Yellow flag fever struck the race as three cautions periods occurred on lap 35. The second of the yellows was especially tough as the cars who were racing in positions seventh through tenth all got jammed up in turn two. Mitch Gibbs and Jerry Higbie, Jr. got their bumpers hooked and left Nick Nye and Matt Sheppard no where to go, everyone except Sheppard continued. The third yellow saw the great race of Damon Decker end as he clipped an inside track marking uke tire in turn one and spun out to bring out the yellow.
On the restart Godown got a little bit closer by running the outside of Smith for the lead. But now Godown had to worry about Perrego who was in third who was lurking at the bottom of the track.
The lap 43 restart saw the race become even more interesting as Godown got alongside Smith exiting turn two with Perrego trying to get under Smith for the lead. Smith kept his lead to complete lap 44 and entering turn one Godown switched up his game plan and dove low going into turn one.
Godown was able to draw even once again with Smith in the middle of turns one and two with Perrego now looking to the outside of Smith. Smith found some terrific bite exiting turn two to get the lead back and drop down into the bottom groove to protect his lead.
With a great battle for the lead taking place an outstanding race for fifth was taking place between Laubach, JR Hurlburt, Mike Gular, and Howard. These four drivers were exchanging positions every lap in a crowd pleasing battle.
The final yellow of the race came out on lap 46 as Laubach suffered a flat tire, he pitted and returned.
The single file restart saw Smith ready for his challengers and he shot out to a good sized lead when the race returned to green flag conditions. Godown stayed in second with Perrego in third and Billy Decker in fourth. The race for fifth was getting wilder as Howard hugged the bottom with Hurlburt on the outside and Gular trying to go through the center of them.
Smith in for the very popular win worth $5,300 with Godown in second, Perrego in third and getting the highest finishing Accord Speedway regular bonus. Billy Decker in fourth and Hurlburt in fifth with Howard in sixth, Gular in seventh, Higbie rebounded from that lap 35 incident to finish eighth. Danny Johnson faded at the end to finish ninth but claimed the $400 Hard Charger Award and Brett Tonkin came back from a flat tire on lap 35 to finish tenth.
Qualifying events saw Nye, Smith, and Gibbs win the heat races while Howard won the consi.
The 25 lap Crate Sportsman feature was brought to the green by the front row of Dale Welty and Dustin Jordan. Welty racing in an unsponsored car used the great bite in the racing surface to grab the lead over Jordan, Ben Bushaw, Tommy Collins, Jr., and Damon Decker.
Two yellow flags slowed the action on lap six and on the restart Collins made a great move to go from fourth to second. Once in second, Collins set sail after leader Welty in an attempt to grab the lead.
On a lap 11 restart Welty and Collins took off from the field and left Jordan to battle with Gary Smith who now moved into fourth after starting eighth, Decker was running fifth.
Fifteenth place starting Kyle Rohner was now making his presence felt as he moved into sixth on lap 13.
The good run of Decker ended as he brought out the yellow with a flat tire on lap 21.
The final four laps were anti climatic as Welty held a comfortable lead to claim the $1,050 win over Collins, Jordan, Smith, and Rohner.
Qualifying events saw Collins, Decker, Jordan, and Aaron Shelton win the heats while Donnie Lawson and Hunter Lapp win the consi's.
Notes – the event was postponed from Wednesday night to Thursday night due to rainy weather that dropped nearly four inches of rain on the facility from Monday morning until late Wednesday afternoon. Thunder Mountain Speedway promoter Karl Spoonhower, Sr. and his son, Karl, Jr. helped get the track into racing condition by helping Afton promoter Ronnie Ford during the day. Turning back the clock to yesteryear all cars did the final ironing in of the racing surface. Multiple track grooming sessions during the quickly paced racing program made the track more raceable the longer the evening wore on. Plenty of bonus money was available to the Modified drivers with Superior Remodeling putting up a $200 Halfway Bonus, Upstate Auto put up a $100 bonus to the highest finishing Accord Speedway regular, Speed Sport Showcase and Land - Hoe Maintenance both put up $200 a piece for the Hard Charger Award, while NYSSCA ( New York State Stock Car Association ) put up $100 to the highest finishing Modified member and $50 to the highest finishing Crate Sportsman member. Andy Bachetti suffered throughout another very rough evening of racing at Afton and refused a STSS Provisional to get into the feature, which saw him load up and leave quickly after not qualifying through the consi.
Afton Motorsports Park is off on Friday July 27th and will return to action on Friday night August 3rd. The show will consist of ZMK Construction Modifieds, Butler Auto Sales Crate Sportsman, The Trophy Guy IMCA Modifieds, Rinker Insurance Agency Street Stocks, and Four Cylinder Trucks. The Chambers & O'Hara Open Sportsman will have the night off, however they are welcomed to come and compete with the Modifieds on this night only. Originally the CRSA Sprints were on the schedule for this date, but their portion of the show has been dropped from the schedule.
For the Friday August 3rd show pits open at 4 pm, grandstands open at 4:30 pm, hot laps are at 6:15 pm, and the first heat goes green at 7 pm sharp. Admission prices are $30 for the pits where no membership / track license is required. Grandstands are $12, seniors age 62 and older are $10, youth aged 9 to 14 are $5 and 8 and under are free with a paid adult admission.
More information on the racing action at Afton Motorsports Park can be found by exploring the website or by calling 607-639-DIRT or 607-624-3772.
Afton Motorsports Park is fast, fun and furious – come check us out!
Coming Events
Friday July 27th – No racing due to racing during the week.
Friday August 3rd – 7 pm – Modifieds, Crate Sportsman, IMCA Modifieds, Street Stocks, and Four Cylinder Trucks. Open Sportsman have the night off and CRSA Sprints have been dropped from the program.
Friday August 10th – 7 pm – Big Six weekly racing divisions.
Friday August 17th – No racing due to Delaware County Fair in Walton, NY.
Results
Bob Hilbert Sportswear Short Track Super Series Powered By Sunoco Racing Halmar International North Region Race #4 Modified Finish
Jeremy Smith, Ryan Godown, Anthony Perrego, Billy Decker, JR Hurlburt, Duane Howard, Mike Gular, Jerry Higbie, Jr., Danny Johnson, Brett Tonkin, Mike Mahaney, Darwin R. Greene, Rick Laubach, Nick Nye, Mitch Gibbs, Damon Decker, Craig Hanson, Matt Sheppard, Scott Ferrier, Rusty Smith, Jimmy Horton, III, Mat Williamson, Brian Krummel, Danny Creeden. DNS; Kenny Titus. DNQ'S; Andy Bachetti, Colton Wilson, Bob Stahl
Halmar International Crate Sportsman North Region Race #1 Finish
Dale Welty, Tommy Collins, Jr., Dustin Jordan, Gary Smith, Kyle Rohner, Pat Jordan, Ryan Macartney, Bobby Flood, Ben Bushaw, Daniel Morgiewicz, Jimmy Zacharias, Will Eastman, Corey Cormier, Aaron Shelton, Fred Christ, Blaine Klinger, Matt Shultz, Hunter Lapp, Travis Green, Charlie Loiodice, Damon Decker, Jim Housworth, Kamdin Maby, AJ Miller, Donnie Lawson, Randy Brokaw. DNQ'S; Michael Grover, Chance Spoonhower, Rob Loucks, Craig Monroe, Shayne Spoonhower, Alex Van Pelt, Kinser Hill, Jacob Dgien, Connor Otten, Shane Henion. Michael Murphy
