Jimmy Phelps Finally Gets Victory At Brewerton Speedway

Story By: DAVE MEDLER / BREWERTON SPEEDWAY – BREWERTON, NY – Coming into Friday night Jimmy Phelps was the Brewerton Speedway Tracey Road Equipment DIRTcar Big Block Modified points leader with his consistent finishes. One thing evaded him, a trip to victory lane in 2018.

Phelps, from Baldwinsville, NY, started the 35-lap feature in 11th position and worked to the front of the field with his car working anywhere on the speedway. Phelps took over second with 10-laps to go and then set his sights on race-long leader Tim Kerr. On lap 27 Phelps caught Kerr and then made the winning pass on lap 29 for the popular win with fans.

Other winners on A-Verdi Storage Containers night were, Tony Finch II & Brent Joy (SUNY Canton DIRTcar Sportsman) Steve Poirier (Lucas Oil Empire Super Sprints Speedweek).

Willy Decker and Tim Kerr led the Big Block Modified feature to the green with Kerr leading the opening lap by a half-a-car over Decker.

With 5 laps showing on the scoring tower Kerr led by a few cars lengths while behind him, Decker and Pat Ward were in a close fight for second and third with Max McLaughlin showing in fourth and Jim Witko, fifth.

On lap 10 Kerr was still showing the way out front as Ward started closing in on him. Decker, McLaughlin and Jim Witko were in a battle of their own for third through fifth.

With 15 laps showing on the scoring tower, Kerr drove out to a ten-car length lead. Ward, Decker, Jimmy Phelps and McLaughlin were slugging it out for second through fifth.

At the halfway point Kerr and Ward still occupied the top-two positions with Jimmy Phelps closing quickly on the top-two.

With 10 laps to go Kerr maintained the lead by a few car lengths with Phelps and Ward running side-by-side for second and third. Impressive rookie Ron Davis III and Decker raced for fourth and fifth.

On lap 27 Phelps reeled in Kerr as he looked for a way by. Just 2 laps later Phelps drove by Kerr into the lead. Kerr would fight back, but Phelps was too quick as he cruised first under the checkers by 1.136 second over Kerr. Ron Davis III, Pat Ward and Tom Sears Jr. finished third through fifth.

In the first 25-lap Sportsman feature Tony Finch II took advantage of his starting spot as he bolted out to the early lead setting a quick pace.

With 5 laps complete Finch opened a ten-car length lead with Will Shields moving into second. Rick Rogala, Chris Hulsizer and Zach Sobotka raced for third through fifth.

By lap 10, Shields cut Finch’s lead down to a couple cars with Rogala, Sobotka and Hulsizer still in the top-five.

With 10 laps to go all attention was on Finch and Shields as they were in a tight fight for the lead as the final laps started clicking off. Rogala, Alan Fink who started 13th and Sobotka raced for top-finishing spots.

On lap 19 a quick caution would tighten the field up for a dash to the checkers.

Over the final laps Will Shields would throw everything he had at Tony Finch II but Finch hit his marks winning by 0.512 of a second at the finish. Alan Fink, Rick Rogala and Chris Mackey finished third through fifth.

In the second 25-lap Sportsman feature Jim Spano would lead the opening lap until, what could be considered the move of the night, one lap later when Brent Joy went three-wide down the back straight to take the top-spot just before a quick yellow.

With 5 laps complete, Joy held a slim advantage as division points leader Kevin Root moved into second while Joe Sobotka, Mike Fowler and Willy Decker Jr. were in a tight fight for third through fifth.

On lap 10 Joy started to see his lead shrink with Root starting to close the gap. Fowler, Decker and Stephen Denton were using every inch of the speedway in the top-five.

With 10 laps to go, Joy and Root had separated themselves from the rest of the field as the final laps started clicking off the lap counter. Fowler, Denton and Decker still showed in the top-five with strong runs.

Over the final laps Kevin Root threw everything he had at Brent Joy, but there was no stopping Joy as he was the first under the checkers for his first ever Brewerton Speedway win. Mike Fowler, Scott Prentice and Willy Decker Jr. finished second through fifth.

Forty cars signed into the Brewerton Speedway pits for night three of the Lucas Oil Empire Super Sprints Speedweek.

In the 25-lap A-Main Jason Barney would lead the opening lap with Steve Poirier using a power move off the top-groove of the speedway to show the way one lap later.

Poirier and Barney were in a two-car breakaway, racing for the lead by lap 5 with Chuck Hebing, Shawn Donath and Scott Kreutter waging their own battle for third through fifth.

With 10 laps complete Poirier, Hebing and Barney were almost three-wide thrilling the fans in the race for the lead with Danny Varin and Donath waiting for any mistakes by the top three.

After a yellow on lap 11, Hebing would take the lead with Poirier retaking the lead with a high-speed slide job on lap 15.

Over the frantic final laps, the front of the field would battle in and out of lapped traffic with Steve Poirier picking the narrow 0.855 of a second win over Chuck Hebing. Larry Wight had a strong run coming from mid-pack to finish third. Jason Barney and Danny Varin finished fourth and fifth.

This coming Friday, July 13 Pro Edge Property Maintenance will present a night of racing thrills on the “D-Shaped Dirt Demon” featuring the Tracey Road Equipment DIRTcar Modifieds, SUNY Canton DIRTcar Sportsman, JB Logging and Firewood 4-Cylinders and the STARS Mod Lites will run a pair of features. The Syracuse Microd & Quarter Midget Club will have their cars on display in the midway.

Have you always wanted to race on the Brewerton Speedway? Friday, July 13th will be your chance in the One-on-One Spectator races. All you need is a valid driver’s license, insured street legal vehicle and a helmet. Once you buy a general admission ticket go to the track office to sign up.

Adult grandstand admission is $12 with everyone 18 years old and younger free. Pit admission is $27 Member, $30 Non-Member. Grandstands open at 5:30 pm with racing at 7:30 pm.

A-Verdi Storage Containers Night July 6 Results.

(Tracey Road Equipment DIRTcar Big Block Modifieds 35 Laps) – JIMMY PHELPS, Tim Kerr, Ron Davis III, Pat Ward, Tom Sears Jr., Chad Phelps, Max McLaughlin, Larry Wight, Willy Decker, Tyler Trump, Gary Tomkins, Tim Sears Jr., Chris Hile, Rob Bellinger, Jim Witko, Katelyn Hile, Roy Bresnahan, Andrew Ferguson, Tim Harris.

(SUNY Canton DIRTcar Sportsman #1 – 25 Laps) – TONY FINCH II, Will Shields, Alan Fink, Rick Rogala, Chris Mackey, Rich Townsend, Dylan Zacharias, Zach Sobotka, Chris Hulsizer, Billy Clark Jr., Amy Holland, Mark Yorker, Tyler Thompson, Tyler Murray, Jake Petit, Joey Buonagurio, Tom Mackey, John Strickler, Joe Kline.

(SUNY Canton DIRTcar Sportsman #2 – 25 Laps) – BRENT JOY, Kevin Root, Mike Fowler, Scott Prentice, Willy Decker Jr., Stephen Denton, Chris Cunningham, Corey Barker, Joe Sobotka, Jeff Taylor, Mike Stanton Jr., Earl Rudy, Nick Krause, Darren Smith, Tye-Scott Rood, Colby Herzog, Jim Spano, Chris Bonoffski, Brian Evenden.

(Lucas Oil Empire Super Sprints 25 Laps) – STEVE POIRIER, Chuck Hebing, Larry Wight, Jason Barney, Danny Varin, Shawn Donath, Jeff Cook, Coleman Gulick, Mike Mahaney, Scott Kreutter, Billy VanInwegen, Mark Smith, Matt Billings, Paulie Colagiovanni, Dave Axton, Jordan Poirier, Matt Tanner, Tommy Wickham, Jeff Trombley, Jonathan Preston, Chad Miller, Denny Peebles, Scott Holcomb, Brett Wright, Dan Douville, Kelly Hebing.