Max Blair Wins Third Mike “Duke” Duclon Memorial At Freedom Motorsports Park

Story By: PAUL SZMAL / FREEDOM MOTORSPORTS PARK – DELEVAN, NY – With Friday’s remainder of the first day of Fall Classic weekend run Saturday afternoon due to an area power outage the night before, racers and fans had a sort of ‘day/night doubleheader’ at Freedom Motorsports Park, as the evening show featured a return of the Zimmers Serivce Center United Late Model Series (ULMS) for the running of the Mike ‘Duke’ Duclon Memorial.

The Big Block/Small Block Modifieds had an Outlaw 200 Qualifier event, and the Street Stocks, Pure Stocks, Mini Stocks, and Bandits were also a part of the evening card, presented by Upstate Auto Group, Murphy Logging, and Previty Auto Wrecking.

The Zimmers Service Center ULMS ‘Duke’ Duclon Memorial started with Chub Frank grabbing the lead from Mike Maresca. Max Blair took second from Maresca on a lap 2 restart, then ran down Frank and passed him at the one third mark of the 30-lap distance to take the lead. Blair pulled away from Frank as Maresca fell into a battle with Boom Briggs and Greg Oakes. Blair was able to keep his advantage through lapped traffic over the final laps to take the win, his third Duclon Memorial title. Frank, Maresca, Briggs, and Oakes rounded out the top five.

Zimmers Service Center ULMS heats were won by Boom Briggs, Max Blair, and Chub Frank.

In the BB/SB Modified Outlaw 200 Qualifier, Michael Maresca outran Brad Rapp for the lead as Alan Johnson tucked into third. After an early restart, Chad Brachman moved into seocnd and chased after the race leader while Johnson passed Rapp one lap later. Brachman ran the outside while Maresca took the bottom as they battled for the top spot. On lap 24, Maresca’s car started to slip off the bottom, allowing Brachman the chance to dive under him and take the lead. Brachman would pull away to take the win and the guaranteed starting spot for the Outlaw 200, with Maresca second and Alan Johnson third. Gary Lindberg and Rich Rickner rounded out the top five.
BB/SB Modified heats were won by Ray Bliss Jr and Alan Johnson.

The MHL Performance Stree Stock feature saw Bill Taylor and Tom Kemp battle for the lead, with Taylor grabbing the advantage. Dennis Cummings started to challenge Kemp for second as Taylor pulled away at the front of the field. Cummings took second from Kemp and put pressure on the leader in the second half of the feature, finally taking the lead on lap 23 and getting the win. Bill Taylor was second, followed by Kemp, Levi Watson, and Randy Taylor.

MHL Performance Street Stock heats were won by Bill Taylor and Dennis Cummings.

In the Pure Stock division, MIke Parmenter, winner of the Friday portion of the weekend, battled hard with Josh Wilcox for the race lead, but the red flew after a three car crash between Addison Scott, Lee Bailey II, and Larry Mitchell. On the restart, Josh Wilcox was able to run down leader Parmenter to take the lead and the victory, followed at the line by Parmenter, Victor Earl, Daniel Giboo, and Andy Michael.

The Pure Stock heat was won by Josh WIlcox.

The Mini Stocks were going for a $400 to win payday courtesy of the Mancuso Brothers, Mancuso Limo, and Caesar’s Auto. Dante Mancuso took the lead but broke while leading on lap 6, handing the lead to Don Newton Jr. A lap 14 caution bunched the field back together for a restart with one lap to go, Newton held off Andrew Gayton to take the win, followed by William Weller Jr, Brad Whiteside, and Travis Babcock.

Mini Stock heats were won by Mike Brown, Don Newton Jr, and Dante Mancuso.

In the Bandit division feature, Chance Palmer got past Raven Burkett on lap 2 and pulled away to take the win, followed by Cody Atwater and Burkett, who dropped out around the halfway point. Chance Palmer won the Bandit heat.

The traditional ‘Big Dog’ Super Late Model vs. Modified Match Race was also part of the action, presented by Close Racing Supply. In the 8-lap event, Greg Oakes held off Chub Frank for the $500 payday, followed by Chad Brachman, Eldon Payne, Phil Vigneri, and Max Blair.

The final on-track event at Freedom Motorsports Park in 2019 will be the final Enduro of the season, scheduled for Sunday, September 29th at 1:00 p.m.

RACE SUMMARY-MURPHY LOGGING/UPSTATE AUTO GROUP/PREVITY AUTO WRECKING FALL CLASSIC-FREEDOM MOTORSPORTS PARK-SEPTEMBER 7, 2019

ZIMMERS SERVICE CENTER UNITED LATE MODEL SERIES ‘DUKE’ DUCLON MEMORIAL-MAX BLAIR, Chub Frank, Michael Maresca, Boom Briggs, Greg Oakes, Bryce Davis, Mike Wonderling, Brad Mesler, Nathan Hill, Kyle Bedell, Joel Watson, Doug Eck, Kyle Murray, Jason Dobson, Tim Schram, Zach Weich, Jeremy Wonderling, Dave DuBois, Andy Boozel.

BB/SB MODIFIED OUTLAW 200 QUALIFIER-CHAD BRACHMAN, Michael Maresca, Alan Johnson, Gary Lindberg, Rich Rickner, Brad Rapp, Phil Vigneri, Greg Martin, Eldon Payne, Andy Jankowiak, Scott Wood, Ray Bliss Jr, Tim Jones, Randy Shantel, Adam Hilton, John Smith, Brandon Michaud.

MHL PERFORMANCE STREET STOCKS-DENNIS CUMMINGS, Bill Taylor, Tom Kemp, Levi Watson, Randy Taylor, Tim Schram, Dustin Goss, Ray Gearhart, Andy Eastman, Bill Demick, Vic Redeye, Kevin Hill, Dan Schultz, Dana Maybee, Phil Schepis (DNS).

PURE STOCKS-JOSH WILCOX, Mike Parmenter, Victor Earl, Daniel Giboo, Andy Michael, Lee Bailey II, Addison Scott, Larry Mitchell, Blaze Harrison.

MANCUSO BROS/MANCUSO LIMO/CAESARS AUTO MINI STOCKS-DON NEWTON JR, Andrew Gayton, William Weller Jr, Brad Whiteside, Travis Babcock, Rich Conte, Leroy Buscomb, Anthony Schoonover, Larry Wise, Cody Wise, Rick Sperry, Oliver Laroucque, Tyler Pastorious, Mike Brown, Timothy Fisher, Chris Shelley, Dante Mancuso, Josh Canfield, Chris Rung, Joe Bieber, Richard Kline, James Gayton (DQ).

BANDITS-CHANCE PALMER, Cody Atwater, Raven Burkett.

Chub Frank Victorious In ULMS Late Model Feature At Freedom Motorsports Park

After an area power outage called the program to a halt on Friday night, teams and fans returned to Freedom Motorsports Park for the completion of day one activities of the 14th annual Fall Classic, sponsored by Upstate Auto Group, Murphy Logging, and Previty Auto Wrecking.

The Zimmers Service Center ULMS feature began with Boom Briggs holding the lead for the first couple of laps till Chub Frank took over. As Frank pulled away, Mike Wonderling battled with Briggs and Max Blair for position as Michael Maresca was on a charge from the back of the field, getting into the top five as the leaders worked through traffic in the second half of the race. The lone caution flew on lap 26 for Jason Dobson’s issues outside turns one and two, setting up a four lap dash to the finish. Frank again pulled away to take the win, followed by Wonderling and Blair, who got past Briggs for third. Maresca’s charge brought him from last to fifth at the checkers.

In the Clayson Construction Crate Late Models, the action picked up on lap 4 with John Waters taking the lead on the restart and pulling away from Chub Frank. The race ran smoothly until the Steve Dixson car (with a substitute driver) spun on the front stretch, collecting Paul Grigsby. A restart came on lap 15 with Waters maintaining the lead until Damion Bidwell had a scare that sent him spinning onto pit road four laps later. Frank made a run on the outside on the last restart but could not catch Waters, who claimed the win, followed by Frank, Dusty Waters, Bill Holmes, and Dave DuBois.

The Close Racing Supply Pro Mod feature, Dennis Lunger outdueled Adam Ashcroft for the lead with CJ Irons holding third. Jeremy Wonderling, who was substituting for Steve Dixon, had come from the rear of the field to 4th when the first caution flew for Justin Chaddock’s stopped car in turn two on lap 8. Lunger was able to maintain the lead on the restart and pulled away from Ashcroft to take the win. Wonderling advanced ot third at the checkers, followed by Critter Hemphill and CJ Irons.

In the MHL Performance Pure Stocks, Victor Earl led the first three corners, but spun out of the lead coming off turn four on the first lap, collecting Fred Ely. Tha left Josh Wilson on the point but he was involved in a restart incident with Andy Michael. Both of those drivers battled back to second and third and challenged leader Josh Wilson in the final laps, but Parmenter them off for the feature win. Wilson, Michael, Barry Burritt, and Daniel Giboo rounded out the top five.

The Mini Stocks were going for a $400 to win payday courtesy of the Mancuso Brothers, Mancuso Limo, and Caesar’s Auto. Richard Kline led the first lap, but slowed on a restart, handing the lead to Don Newton Jr. Brad Whiteside took the lead a lap after the next restart and held on through several more restarts, eventually taking the win over James Gayton, Brandon Shephard, Netwon, and Andy Shumaker.

Saturday night’s card will feature the Bob Duclon Memorial for the Zimmer Service Center ULMS Super Late Models, an Outlaw 200 Qualifier for the Big Block/Small Block Modifieds, plus MHL Performance Street Stocks, Pure Stocks, Mini Stocks, Bandits, and the ‘Big Dog’ Super Late Model vs. Modified Match Race. Race time is at 6:30 p.m.

RACE SUMMARY-MURPHY LOGGING/UPSTATE AUTO GROUP/PREVITY AUTO WRECKING FALL CLASSIC-FREEDOM MOTORSPORTS PARK-SEPTEMBER 6, 2019

ZIMMERS SERVICE CENTER UNITED LATE MODEL SERIES PRESENTED BY CLAYSON CONSTRUCTION-CHUB FRANK, Mike Wonderling, Max Blair, Boom Briggs, Michael Maresca, Greg Oakes, Bryce Davis, Doug Eck, Kyle Bedell, Zach Carley, Nate Hill, Jason Dobson, Jeremy Wonderling, Zach Weich, Dave Scott (DNS).

CLAYSON CONSTRUCTION CRATE LATE MODELS-JOHN WATERS, Chub Frank, Dusty Waters, Bill Holmes, Dave DuBois, Kyle Murray, John Woodward, Brad Mesler, Jeff Boozel, Jeremy Wonderling, Brian Knowles, Tim Schram, Damion Bidwell, Paul Grigsby, (sub driver in 65D), Steve Labarron (DNS), Bill DuBois (DNS), Alan Chapman (DNS), Chad Homan (DNS), Jon Rivers (DNS), Nick Snayouk (DNS), Sam Pennachio (DNS), Sean Bearsdley (DNS), Beamer Guzzzardi (DNS).

CLOSE RACING SUPPLY PRO MODS/ECONO MODS-DENNIS LUNGER, Adam Ashcroft, Jeremy Wonderling, Critter Hemphill, CJ Irons, Enic Ensell, Adam Peterson, Tim Peterson, Nick Mohawk, Brian Mohawk, Matt Putt, Brodie Hill, 9 (DNS).

MHL PERFORMANCE PURE STOCKS-MIKE PARMENTER, Josh Wilson, Andy Michael, Barry Burritt, Daniel Giboo, Lee Bailey II, Fred Ely, Blaze Harrison, Jake Mascho, Tim Eastman, Ted Mascho, Victor Earl (DQ), Dustin Skinner (DNS), Dana Maybee (DNS), Dustin Brown (DNS).

MANCUSO BROS/MANCUSO LIMO/CAESARS AUTO MINI STOCKS-BRAD WHITESIDE, James Gayton, Brandon Shephard, Don Newton Jr, Andy Shumaker, Travis Babcock, 17, Andrew Gayton, Curtis Runy, Larry Wise, Casey Burich, William Weller Jr, Anthony Schoonover, Joe Bieber, Jason Fries, Greg Rockwell, Tyler Oakes, Chris Shelley, Tyler Pastorious, Ryan Allen, Duane Poowers, Cody Wise, Richard Kline, Josh Canfield, Timothy Fisher.

BANDITS-JACOB TUBBS, Tierney White, Cody Atwater.