Post by wvmp1 on Aug 17, 2009 17:14:17 GMT -5
Reiley Wrangles WVMP Jr. Slingshot National Tour Win
Eight junior slingshots made the trek to Wyalusing Valley Motorsports Park on Sunday for a National Tour event, putting on a great show for the WVMP fans on a very hot, humid afternoon.
WVMP Jr. Slingshot point leader Shelby Ogozaly had her day end short after engine problems in practice. This left 7 young racers to battle for the win. Matt Reiley and Kenney Johnson led the field to the green, but they were a bit anxious at first with the first start not to the head flaggers liking. The field relined and made a 2nd attempt, but 3rd place starter Matt Gaughan clipped an infield tire causing his car to spin. Front end damage sidelined his machine for the remainder of the event. The third try was a charm though as Matt Reiley grabbed the lead in a race that would go the rest of the distance without a caution. Kenney Johnson pressured Reiley for the lead until Colin White slipped past for 2nd on lap 12. White made several bids at the lead, with Johnson right there in the mix. Just a few car lengths back, Aaron Gerhart and TJ Lilly battled for 4th while keeping the leaders within striking distance. Reiley's weak spot was turn four, as White was able to close right up on him and peak inside entering turn one multiple times, but each time Reiley was able to use the outside momentum off turn 2 to thwart his attempts. At the checkers, it was Reiley, White, Johnson, Gerhart, Lilly, and Raidline. The top 5 were nearly nose to tail, putting on a great show for the appreciative WVMP fans.
The day's events began with 4 makeup kart features from July 16th's partial rainout. In novice blue, Skylar Middendorf led wire to wire, holding off Alex Shaffer and Jared Zionkowski in the process. Hayden Baumunk and Dom Rogers completed the top 5. Nick “The Funkinator” Funk earned his first ever Jr. Gold win in a close battle over Brianna Baumunk and Collin Hadlock respectively. Matt Roberts returned to Sportsman victory lane with a win over Burt Maynard. Rodney McConnell, Kevin Rorick, and Dale Anderson filled out the top 5. The final makeup feature saw Mike Ely take the heavies win over Paul Crambo, Bob Coveney, and Brad Sites.
Mitch Maynard and Kara Chapman led the Rookie Purple drivers to the green, with Chapman jumping out front. 3rd Place starter Ryan Funk wasted no time getting to 2nd with Maynard settling into 3rd. Chapman tiptoed through lapped traffic and took the win virtually unchallenged. Funk captured 2nd, and Maynard held on for his best finish to date. Kamdin Maby and Seth Anderson also took top 5's.
Casey Steinhoff took a thriller in the Novice Blue feature. Steinhoff led the first 4 circuits, only to lose the lead to Jared Zionkowski on lap 5. The top 4 ran nose to tail through the event. A late race caution saw Steinhoff time the restart perfectly, allowing him to power past Zionkowski into turn one. Zionkowski dropped to third, only to regain second a lap later. He quickly closed the gap on Steinhoff, falling just short after a hard charge to the checkers in what was quite possibly the most exciting event of the day.
Nick Funk wasted no time returning to Jr. Gold victory lane, sweeping the day's features in the division. Baumunk once again settled for second and Hadlock for third in another close race.
SportsKIDS saw another new winner, with Derek Frederick taking his first ever kart win. The Wyalusing, PA driver did it in fine fashion, coming from the rear after spinning on lap 6 to squeeze past Nick Funk for the lead on lap 13. Brianna Baumunk took 2nd, ahead of Funk, Keith Lamphere, and Collin Hadlock.
Dawn Roberts and Brianna Baumunk put on a great show for the lead in Sportswomen, with Heather Hadlock holding an equally entertaining battle for 3rd. At the checkers it was Roberts, Baumunk, Hadlock, and Baldwin.
A record 13 Sportsman signed in to do battle. Rob Funk, making only his 2nd start of the season, came from last place to capture a popular win. Point leader Burt Maynard continued to show his consistency, taking 2nd ahead of Rodney McConnell, Matt Roberts, and Curtis Fassett.
Matt Roberts overcame heat race mechanical woes to take the animal heavy win. Derek Chapman was 2nd, ahead of Bob Coveney and Rich Powell.
Jason Tiffany made it 3 for 3 in Mediums in 2009, taking the win over Dalton Maynard, Steve Casey, Paul Crambo, and Tyler Chapman in what at times resembled a high speed wrestling match back in the pack.
Paul Crambo led the first 10 laps of the heavies feature in a great battle Brock Moore. On lap 10, Ely worked his way into 2nd, then into the lead on lap 11. Crambo, Moore, Eddie Sites, and Chris Shaffer crossed the line with top 5's. One of the cars had lost a weight during the event, but it was unclear which machine had lost it. Since the weight had slid into the tires in turn two, the race resumed to it's completion. Loss of a weight during a race results in that driver being penalized to last place. The weight in question had a number on it matching the Moore machine. Upon crossing the scales, Moore's machine also came up 1 pound light, which is also cause to be penalized to last. Further examination found where the weight tab had broken off the frame, leaving no doubt that it came from the Moore machine. Multiple incidents and rule infractions initiated by the driver have resulted in disciplinary action being taken against him by the speedway. This moved the Bob Coveney machine into the top 5.
The senior Slingshots put on another great show, with Rich Howard Jr. fending off constant pressure from Ed Reiley. Paul Quear took third, with Jr. Slingshot point leader Shelby Ogozaly taking 4th in her first Sr. Slingshot start. Ron Shaffer, got a top 5 in his first ever start in a race car, doing a fantastic job running right there with the pack.
Kurt Bittner blasted into the lead from the outside of the front row until teammate and point leader Jordan Tittle made his way by on lap 7. Bittner held on for 2nd, with Bob Maynard charging from his 10th place start after problems in his heat race to capture 3rd. John Zionkowski managed a 4th place finish after his car suffered heavy damage in a Thursday night special at 5 Mile Point on 8/6. Larry Hoagland rounded out the top 5.
With just 5 races remaining to decide the 2009 champions, nerves are beginning to show. 2009 has been the most competitive season to date in many divisions. Of the 13 divisions at WVMP, 9 of the point leaders have a lead of 26 points or less. 3 are separated by 11 or less, and several divisions have more than 2 drivers still in the hunt.
This week the Briggs & Stratton Sr. Slingshot Tour Mid-Atlantic Region drivers will invade WVMP, along with a regular show for all other divisions presented by 95.3fm “The Bridge/100.3fm “Wiggle 100”. There's still plenty of racing action left in 2009, so come on out and enjoy some fast family fun! For more information, visit www.wvmpracing.com.