Rocky Dominates For Big King Of Dirt Win At Utica-Rome

Story By: JOHN TIFF / UTICA-ROME SPEEDWAY – VERNON, NY – Mother Nature forced Utica-Rome Speedway officials run a fast-paced show to attempt to get the full show in on Community Car Wash and Bill Herrig Auto Parts night.

Rocky Warner dominated the King of Dirt Sportsman Series event. The Gates-Cole Auto Insurance Modifieds and the King of Dirt Pro Stock Series event were both lost when heavy rain moved in.

The Gates-Cole Auto Insurance Modifieds feature event will be made up on June 25, making a double header event for the Modifieds. The King of Dirt Pro Stock Series makeup date will be announced.

Cody Bleau and Nick Krause led the 30 car King of Dirt Sportsman Series field down to the green flag to begin the 30-lap event and it was third place starter Connor Cleveland that led at the conclusion of lap one. Cleveland would lead Krause in the early stage of the event, but ninth place starter Rocky Warner was charging towards the front. By lap four, Warner was up to third when the yellow flag flew for the disabled car of defending track champion Matt Janczuk.

The restart saw a four-car pileup, and then on the ensuing restart, Warner started chasing the top two cars of Cleveland and Krause. Lap six saw Warner make his move as he passed both of the top two cars to the lead. Warner then steadily pulled away as the remainder of the feature went caution free. At the halfway point, it was Warner leading Cleveland, Krause, Jeremy Pitts, and Michael Sabia.

Warner continued his mastery of lapped traffic as he continued to lead the remainder of the event with Cleveland trying to keep pace. Pitts made a lap 27 pass to grab third from Krause and when the checkered flag flew, it was Warner over Cleveland, Pitts, Krause, and Sabia.

Exciting racing action returns to Utica-Rome Speedway on Sunday June 25 when Wilber-Duck Chevrolet presents the 2nd Annual Mike Martin Memorial $1,000 to win for the Broedel Energy Sportsman and double 30 lap features for the Gates-Cole Auto Insurance Modifieds plus Pro Stocks and Novice Sportsman. Gates will open at 3:30 p.m. with racing at 6 p.m. For more information, log on to www.uticaromespeedway.com or call (315) 829-4557.

COMMUNITY CAR WAS/BILL HERRIG AUTO PARTS RACE SUMMARY

KING OF DIRT SPORTSMAN FEATURE FINISH (30 LAPS)–ROCKY WARNER, Connor Cleveland, Jeremy Pitts, Nick Krause, Michael Sabia, Chris Mackey, AJ Filbeck, Chad Edwards, Dave Marcuccilli, David Schilling, Kevin Chaffee, Brian Calabrese, Andrew Buff, Scott Duell, Mark Effner, Brian Pessolano, Kyle Inman, Stephen Denton, Jason Rood, Kyle Kiehn, Charlie Tibbitts, Jack Lehner, Cody Bleau, Chris Lynch, Justin Smith, Matt Janczuk, Kyle DeMetro, Brent Joy, AJ Miller, and Jeff Watson.

DNQ-Dave Moyer, Nathan Peckham, Tyler Thompson, George Dyer, Jeff Taylor, Robert Bublack Jr., and Rob Maxon.