RPW Column: Genesee Speedway Loses RUSH LM, DIRTCar Sportsman Features To Rain; Taylor Kicks Off Season Right In Street Stocks

Column By: MARTY CZEKALA / RPW – BATAVIA, NY – Mother nature played a factor in a majority of the racing action in Genesee Speedway’s annual Gene Dewitt Memorial, the season opener to 2021.

Under the 6th straight year of ownership from Jim and Pam Johnson, this was a night with a lot of excitement in the rare May cool air, not just the first event of 2021 but the first race with fans in the stands since last year.

Sunny to overcast skies overlooked the 1/3-mile clay-oval as heats finished on schedule. Still, midway through the Bandits feature, the skies opened up for a few minutes, enough to delay the program for the first time.

An adjustment to the schedule was made with the Yasses Trucking Street Stocks taking the green flag for 20 laps as more rain was on its way. Sherman Gage and Damian Long made up the front row as Long got the jump on the outside. Gage fell back from the start as Adam Depuy his way up to second before the first yellow came out on lap five for a right front issue on Robbie Knapp. During the yellow, though, Long had to come into the pits and fell out of the race. Three laps after the restart, reigning co-champion of the division Bill Taylor, made his way up to the runner-up spot. A lap later, Taylor closed in on Depuy before the second yellow flew from head flagger John Veach as Justin Neff spun in turn 4.

Depuy opened up the advantage to Taylor by about a car length and a half on the restart. Still, on lap 13, Taylor moved on the outside in turns three and four to get by Depuy and take the lead. A yellow flew a lap later for a second spin from Neff, but Taylor held serve on the final restart and did not look back to take the season opener and his first win at “The Place To Race” since 2019.

“We went all last season, we didn’t win a heat or feature, but somehow still tied for the championship. To come out and win a feature this year is pretty awesome,” Taylor told RPW.

On the race-winning pass, Taylor said, “I pushed up a little bit higher than I wanted to, but the car liked it up there. So I figured I was gonna run the high side coming out of [turn] two there… get around the high side and drove around on the outside, luckily gave me a lane. We had a really good clean race, and I was able to get out ahead of him on it.”

The other feature that was completed was the DML Bandits feature that resumed following Street Stocks and saw Alexis Traxler pick up her first win in the category.

The Stirling Lubricants DIRTCar Sportsman took to the track for pace laps and then it started pouring. Cars were called back to the pits and didn’t return, with the precipitation enough to lead to the official postponement about a half-hour later.

Per Genesee Speedway rules, due to the event being deemed official with the card being halfway through before the call-off, the remaining events (Sportsman, Mini Stocks, RUSH Late Models, Novice Sportsman) will be run at a later date. Novice Sportsman has been rescheduled to next Saturday at 5:30pm ET, while the rest are TBD.

For years, Genesee Speedway has continued honoring the late Gene Dewitt. He was known at local short tracks helping fellow drivers out, whether it was sponsoring the car or helping out as a crew member. The legacy continues as grandson Byron drives the historic #34 in the DIRTCar Sportsman division.

“Anybody in the racing community knew my grandfather was associated with Richie Evans. My grandfather and Richie together had 425 victories. Also, “Jumpin’” Jack Johnson, Mike Logsdon, one of the greatest dirt and asphalt drivers to come out of this area. To be a Dewitt and be associated with that is a true honor.”

92 cars signed into the pit booth Saturday night.

Next week, Genesee Speedway hosts the season opener for the Empire Super Sprints 2021 Tour, a $2000 to win, 25 lap event. It will be the first time the 360 Sprint Car tour takes to the Batavia clay since 2007. Two drivers took their sprint car out Saturday for hot laps to preview next week, Chuck Hebing, who won the last ESS race there, and Nick Frotto.

In addition to 360 Sprints, a full card of RUSH Late Models, DIRTCar and Novice Sportsman, and Street and Mini Stocks will be racing.

For full interviews with Bill Taylor and defending track champions Jimmy Johnson (RUSH LMs) and Cam Tuttle (Sportsman), plus Byron Dewitt, head to the RSN Trackside Facebook page.

RESULTS

Street Stocks
1 Bill Taylor (20L), 2. 57j Adam Depuy (1.063s), 3. 34q Jason Quigley (3.414s), 4. 0 John Zimmerman (3.472s), 5. 58 Carl Shetler (5.525s), 6. 87 Brandon Sherwood (6.065s), 7. 21s Sherman Gage (6.889s), 8. 09 Eric Stone (7.598s), 9. 84m Mike Kelly (8.250s), 10. 82 Phil Schepis (10.000s), 11. 13b Shawn Hazlett (10.245s), 12. 2z Dale Rissinger (11.087s), 13. 21 Chuck Mogavero (14.030s), 14. 33 Justin Neff (15.408s), 15. 2q Jesse Quetermous (-11L), 15. 89X, 16. 74d Dennis Cummings (-16L), 17. 00 Damian Long (-16L), 18. 93b Tom Baker (-16L), 19. 44m Daniel Brumsted (-16L), 20. 89k Robbie Knapp (-17L)
Fastest Lap: Bill Taylor 18.879
Lap Leaders – Long 1-4, Depuy 5-12, Taylor 13-20
Heat Winners: 57j Depuy, 00 Long, 74d Cummings

Bandits
Alexis Traxler (12L), 2. Jonathan Logsdon, 3. Chad Johnson, 4. Grayson Harding, 5. Joey Swick, 6. Morgan Coniber
Lap leaders: Traxler 1-3, Johnson 4-5, Traxler 6-12

RUSH Late Models
Heat Winners: 01 Doug Ricotta, 24 Paul Grisby

DIRTCar Sportsman
Heat Winners: 28 Moden 12v Vigneri, 81 Austin Susice

Mini Stocks
Heat Winners: 1 B. Whiteside, 10a Andy Gayton

Novice Sportsman
Heat Winner: 71 Jake Bansmer