Tim Sears Jr. Takes Home 100-Lap DIRTcar 358-Modified Series Event Friday At Brewerton
Story By: DAVE MEDLER / BREWERTON SPEEDWAY – BREWERTON, NY – Friday night at the Brewerton Speedway there was a strong field of invaders against Brewerton and Fulton Speedway Modified regulars that squared off in the DIRTcar 358 Modified Series on the “D-Shaped Dirt Demon.”
The MDA 100 presented by Gillee’s CITGO Lubricants slug-fest came down to two Brewerton Speedway heavyweights, Larry Wight and Tim Sears Jr. The winning pass came on lap-65 when Sears would get by Wight in turn two and then complete the winning move with a slide job exiting turn-four. The win wasn’t easy when it looked like Sears would cruise to the win, Wight ran down Sears with 10 laps to with the margin of victory being 0.831 of a second at the checkers.
An excited Sears related in victory lane that even though he has many feature wins, Friday’s victory was by far his most exciting and biggest of his career.
Other winners on the night were, Mark Yorker and Zach Sobotka (SUNY Canton DIRTcar Sportsman) Justin Williams (STARS Mod Lites) Quinn Wallis (JB Logging & Firewood 4-Cylinders).
Tim Sears Jr. and Gary Lindberg would lead the 30-car starting field down to starter Dave Farney’s green flag and would see Sears leading the opening lap before Larry Wight flying around on the top-side would drive into the lead one lap later.
With the speedway hammer down fast, Wight would be putting cars down a lap in quick fashion when the lap counter only read lap 10.
The first caution of the race would come on lap 16 when Ryan Bartlett would come in contact with the front straight wall, slowing the pace.
When the race went back to green Wight once again bolted out to the lead that would see him have a 10-car length advantage over Sears at lap 30. Behind the top-two Lindberg, Rocky Warner and Mat Williamson were in a tight fight for third through fifth.
At the halfway point Wight was on cruise control out front as he had his car working on the top, middle or bottom of the speedway, once again putting cars down laps as Sears was able to keep Wight within sight in second. Behind the top-two Warner, Williamson and Rob Bellinger were putting on a show in a race for top-five positions.
The yellow flag would wave on lap 58 when Canadian Mike Bowman slowed to a stop with smoke coming out from under the hood.
With yellow flag laps counting until lap 75 the race would go back to green on lap 64 and would see Sears pull slightly ahead exiting turn two and then would complete the pass for the lead with a slide job exiting turn four on lap 65.
Sears would hold a narrow three-car length advantage over Wight with 25 laps to go as they were both clicking off fast laps that late in the going. Lindberg, Warner and now rookie Ron Davis III were battling for a third-place podium finish.
Just when it looked like Sears would cruise to the victory, Wight had other ideas as he reeled in Sears setting up a dash to the checkers and the $4,000 prize.
Wight threw everything he had at Sears even pulling even more than once. Sears never flinched knowing the top groove of the speedway was the fast way around and would go under the checkers 0.831 of a second over Wight. Gary Lindberg, Ron Davis III and Mat Williamson finished third through fifth.
The first 25-lap SUNY Canton DIRTcar Sportsman feature would see Joey Buonagurio and Chris Bonoffski swap the lead back and forth in the opening laps with racing two and three wide behind them in the battle for positions.
On lap 5 you could have thrown a blanket over the top five of Buonagurio, Mark Yorker, Willy Decker Jr. and Mike Fowler with Yorker taking the lead one circuit later.
By lap 10 Yorker was on cruise control out front with Bonoffski running alone in second followed by Buonagurio, Rich Townsend and Fowler showing in the top five.
With no yellows to slow the field down Yorker opened a full straightaway lead with 10 laps remaining as Bonoffski and Townsend ran inches apart, even making contact battling for second and third.
Over the remaining distance there was no slowing down Mark Yorker as he cruised under the checkers almost 4 seconds ahead for his second win of the year at the speedway. Chris Bonoffski, Rich Townsend, Willy Decker and Mike Fowler finished second through fifth.
In the second 25-lap Sportsman feature Joe Kline would lead the opening lap with Tyler Murray grabbing the top spot on a lap 2 restart.
Murray would open a 10-car length advantage until a caution on lap 12 erased his lead and then he would lose the lead to Jeff Taylor on a lap 14 restart.
The win would come down to a battle royal between Taylor and Zach Sobotka. Lap after lap Sobotka running the low line could pull almost even with Taylor but couldn’t find a way by until the final lap. On the white flag lap exiting turn four Sobotka pulled even with Taylor and the drag race was on that would see Sobotka beat Taylor by a mere 0.030 of a second at the checkers. Chris Mackey, Kevin Root and Tyler Murray would finish third through fifth.
There doesn’t seem to be any slowing down Justin Williams in the STARS Mod Lites. In the 20 lap feature Williams took the lead on lap 2 and never looked back taking his 7th feature win in 9 starts. Mike Mullen, Zack Babcock, Tucker Halliday and Dave Brown finished second through fifth.
In the competitive 15 lap JB Logging & Firewood 4-Cylinder feature Nate Powers would lead the opening 3 laps until Ray Bechler drove into the lead with Bechler breaking on lap 7 while in the top spot.
Chuck Powelczyk would lead until lap 9 when Quinn Wallis would drive under Powelczyk to make the winning pass and then go on to his second straight victory. Evan Wright, Chuck Powelczyk, Jack Taskey and Nate Powers finished second through fifth.
This Friday, August 3 Regional Truck & Trailer will present a night of fast, family affordable racing featuring the Tracey Road Equipment DIRTcar Big Block Modifieds, SUNY Canton DIRTcar Sportsman, STARS Mod Lites, JB Logging & Firewood 4-Cylinders plus the Billy Whittaker Cars & Trux RUSH Late Models will be making their second appearance of the year.
Adult grandstand admission is $15 with everyone 18 years old and younger free. Pit is $27 Member and $30 Non-Member. Grandstands open at 5:30 pm with racing at 7:30 pm.
Any questions you have about the 2018 season or for marketing opportunities please contact Cory Reed (315) 668-6906 or cory@brewertonspeedway.com . For all the latest news go to www.brewertonspeedway.com
-Facebook page www.facebook.com/BrewertonSpeedway .
July 27 Gillee’s CITGO Lubricants & Gillee’s NAPA Night Results
(DIRTcar 358 Modified Series MDA 100) – TIM SEARS JR., Larry Wight, Gary Lindberg, Ron Davis III, Mat Williamson, Jimmy Phelps, Rob Bellinger, Chad Brachmann, Rocky Warner, Pat Ward, Jordan McCreadie, Erick Rudolph, Glenn Forward, Billy Whittaker, Todd Root, Tyler Meeks, Jeremy Wilder, Joe Shields, Chris Cunningham, Billy Dunn, Lance Willix, Mike Bowman, Tom Sears Jr., Mike Bowman, Bobby Herrington, Rick Richner, Tyler Trump, Matt Farnham, Roy Bresnahan, Ryan Bartlett.
(SUNY Canton DIRTcar Sportsman #1-25Laps) – MARK YORKER, Chris Bonoffski, Rich Townsend, Willy Decker, Mike Fowler, Amy Holland, Will Shields, Nick Krause, Joey Buonagurio, Billy Clark Jr., Stephen Denton, Joe Sobotka, Jim Spano, Chris Corbett, Joe Abbass, Colby Herzog, Bailey Groves, Jake Petit,
(SUNY Canton DIRTcar Sportsman #2-25 Laps) – ZACH SOBOTKA, Jeff Taylor, Chris Mackey, Kevin Root, Tyler Murray, Chris Cunningham, Brent Joy, Tony Finch II, Corey Barker, Scott Prentice, Richie Riggs, Rick Rogala, John Strickler, Alan Fink, Mike Stanton Jr., Tye-Scott Rood, Joe Kline, DNS – Tyler Corcoran.
(STARS Mod Lites 20 Laps) – JUSTIN WILLIAMS, Mike Mullen, Zack Babcock, Tucker Halliday, Dave Brown, Tom Perkins, Hunter Lawton, Kelly Skinner, Shawn Hort, Jim Dunham, DNS – Sam Usborne.
(JB Logging & Firewood 4-Cylinders 15 Laps) – QUINN WALLIS, Evan Wright, Chuck Powelczyk, Jack Taskey, Nate Powers, Jerry Curcie Jr., Sabrina Jeffries, Damien Bechler, Stephanie Seeley, Clayton Koch, Dylan Curcie, Ray Bechler, Sam Curcie, Ken Pitsley.
