Tyler Siri No A Two-Time Winner Of Heath Memorial At Five Mile Point

Story By: ANDREW HARPELL / FIVE MILE POINT SPEEDWAY – KIRKWOOD, NY – Tyler Siri became a two-time winner of the Heath Memorial on Saturday at Five Mile Point Speedway. The Modified victory in the 54th running of the event was worth $2,000. Joe Guastella led all 20 laps in the Crate Sportsman feature event on the way to collecting his first ever win.

Twenty-three Modified teams took the green for the start of the 30 lap Heath Memorial on Saturday. A pair of second year Five Mile Point Speedway Modified drivers led the field down for the green. Dan Solomon and Aleia Geisler set the pace for the start with Solomon taking command early. Lap 2 was eventful as three cautions occurred on the same circuit. Fortunately, the race then went caution free until lap 13. Only Brian White was sidelined from the three early race cautions.

When things settled down on lap 3 Solomon continued to set the pace as Tyler Siri began his charge from sixth starting spot and moved in to the runner-up slot. On lap 5 Siri made a bid on Solomon as the two ran side by side for the full circuit. Siri made the pass stick on lap 6. Solomon continued to run in second at this point with Glenn Knapp, Mike Colsten and Brian Puckett in tow. Colsten had started eighth and was using the high side of the quarter mile to advance. At this point Brian Malcolm had already progressed up to seventh from his twelfth starting slot and Brian Weaver was eighth after starting in fourteenth. Rusty Smith entered the evening as the point leader and started fourteenth. He too was using the extreme outside of the quarter mile in his march forward.

As the race approached the halfway mark Siri had opened up a sizeable lead with Solomon continuing his strong drive as Mike Colsten and he battled lap after lap. Knapp was running in fourth with Malcolm now up to fifth at the midway point of the race. The caution flew again on lap 24 with Colsten now up to second Malcolm, Nick Rochinski and Solomon making up the top five. On the restart Siri was able to pull away again as Colsten and Malcolm engaged in a great race for second place. On lap 26 Malcolm had secured second place and tried to chase down Siri for the race lead. A potential battle for the win never came as Siri mastered the quarter mile over the final laps.

At the finish it was Siri capturing his second Heath Memorial victory and first of the season at the speedway. Malcolm backed up his June 9th victory with his solid second place finish. Rochinski had another solid run from tenth to third place at the stripe. Weaver rallied four fourth with Colsten fading to fifth late. Knapp, Brian Puckett, Rusty Smith, Shaun Walker and Donnie Elliott rounded out the top ten.

Joe Guastella led from wire to wire in the 20 lap Crate Sportsman feature event on Saturday. For Guastella it was his first victory at the speedway. Twenty teams took the green of the 20 lap feature event and the race was slowed by only two cautions, both coming on lap 2. Multi-time winner Alex Yankowski put on a show as he sliced through the field from his 19th starting slot. Yankowski pulled this off despite the lack of yellow flag restarts to catch the field. Yankowski worked past Todd Titus on lap 17 but Guastella had opened up a straightaway lead as he ran a flawless race. The final three laps did get interesting as Guastella appeared to change his race line as he approached his first win. This did allow Yankowski do chase him down but not seriously challenge on the last lap. Guastella was an emotional winner in victory lane. Yankowski was followed by Titus, who had a solid run for third. Kyle Pierce and Tom Collins Jr. completed the top five finishers.

Defending Street Stock Track Champion Doug Polhamus led wire to wire to win the 20 lap Street Stock feature event. The race was caution free. Ray Lindquist entered the night as the point leader and finished second. Tyler Yeagle, Shane Wolf and Steve Polhamus completed the top five.

Bailey Boyd continued his tear in the Xcel 600 Modified division by winning the 20 lap feature event on Saturday. Boyd took the lead on lap 9 from his dad Eric Boyd on his way to the win. Bailey was followed at the finish by Eric Boyd and Mike Wilcha. For Wilcha this was another strong run toward the front. Damon Henry and Tyler Bartik rounded out the top five. The race was slowed by only one caution.

Tucker Harpell won his third Heath Memorial and second in the Lightning Cat Expert division on Saturday. Harpell started fourth and took the lead on lap leading all 15 circuits on the way to the victory. Nick Kennedy, Bob Kress, Dave Simms and Jake Maynard completed the top five.

Charlie Gilbert was the Factory Stock race winner on Saturday after taking the lead from Andy Brigham early on in the 20 lapper. Fifteen teams were on hand for the division as it continues to grow weekly. Ryan Brockner, the 2016 Track Champion finished second with Steve Simpson, Andy Brigham and Gregg Turner completing the top five.

The Lightning Cat Novice feature was won by Walter Decker and Kaden Ayre was a repeat winner in the Xcel Junior Modified feature.

COUNTER POINTS…As part of the tradition of the annual running of the Heath Memorial the Former Racer’s Reunion was held on Saturday…Dozens of former stars from the past returned on Saturday to be part of the big night…The Beagell Brothers – Don, Gary and Roger were presented with one of the “retired billboards” that line turn 3 at the speedway…The Glenn Knapp family was also honored with of those honorary boards to commemorate their years of dedication to the speedway…Once again the speedway was in outstanding condition despite temperatures in the low 90’s….The track had plenty of bite with no tire wear once again…

Racing continues this Saturday with Montrose (PA) Community Night and Youth Night. All kids 17 years old and younger will be admitted Free of charge and all Montrose residents showing photo i.d. at the ticket booth will be admitted in to the grandstand free as well. Racing gets underway at 6:30 p.m. with a complete program of on track action that includes the Big Block/Small Block Modifieds.

54TH HEATH MEMORIAL MODIFIED OFFICIAL FEATURE FINISH (30): TYLER SIRI ($2,000), Brian Malcolm, Nick Rochinski, Brian Weaver, Mike Colsten, Glenn Knapp, Brian Puckett, Rusty Smith, Shaun Walker, Donnie Elliott, Joey Colsten, Barry White, Alan Kellogg, Dan Solomon, P.J. Goodwin, Kory Fleming, Dave Doig Jr., Joe Krum, Kevin Smith, Aleia Geisler, Travis Smith, Brad Shaffer, Brian White.

CRATE SPORTSMAN OFFICIAL FEATURE FINISH (20): JOE GUASTELLA, Alex Yankowski, Todd Titus, Kyle Pierce, Tom Collins Jr., Pat Jordan, Randy Fox, Matt Cole, Blaine Klinger, Devon Zona, Tyler Peet, Tanner Harpell, Mark Goodwin, Tom Hampton, Tim Howell, D.J. Hunt, Brandon Fritsch, Russell Benke, Mary Peck, Leo McGurrin.

STREET STOCK OFFICIAL FEATURE FINISH (20): DOUG POLHAMUS, Ray Lindquist, Tyler Yeagle, Shane Wolf Jr., Steve Polhamus, Buck Mills Sr., Jeff Emanuel, Keith Beach, Steve Stalker.

XCEL 600 MODIFIED OFFICIAL FEATURE FINISH (20): BAILEY BOYD, Eric Boyd, Mike Wilcha, Damon Henry, Tyler Bartik, Rich Christman, Tyler Smith, Hunter Deihl, Adam Mudge, Dakota Anderson, Ray Gradwell, Robert Martin, James Randall, Grant Schibilia, Shawna Schibilia, Dominick Amato, Nolan Smith, Jessica Michel. DNS – John Ayre, Chelsie Beebe.

LIGHTNING CAT EXPERT OFFICIAL FEATURE (15): TUCKER HARPELL, Nick Kennedy, Bob Kress, Dave Simms, Jake Maynard, Caleb Lacy, Jimmy DiFulvio, Kenny Underwood, Brian Salmini, Dave Bainbridge, Josh Wilder, Jason Colwell Sr., Harry Marvin III, 7k, Chuck Chrysler, Mat Mather.

FACTORY STOCK OFFICIAL FEATURE FINISH (15): CHARLIE GILBERT, Ryan Brockner, Steve Simpson, Andy Brigham, Gregg Turner, Josh Wilbur, Charlie Towner, Chuck Culbertson, Matt Millard, Justin Slezak, Tom Groover, Steve Mower, Jason Neyra. DNS – Josh Towner, Sheldon Whitman.

LIGHTNING CAT NOVICE OFFICIAL FEATURE FINISH (12): WALTER DECKER, Steve Lunn, Randy Lane, John Maynard, Mike Stark, Jason Colwell Jr., Bethany Bertram, Edwin King Jr., Bryant Beach, Anthony Zecchino, Ashley Slater, Cory Brown.

XCEL JUNIOR MODIFIEDS OFFICIAL FEATURE FINISH (10 INNER LOOP): KADEN AYRE, Aubrey Ayre.