Two Modified Titles To Be Decided Sunday At Five Mile Point

Story By: ANDREW HARPELL / FIVE MILE POINT SPEEDWAY – KIRKWOOD, NY – The Five Mile Point Speedway Modified teams have one massive day on Sunday, September 17th that will determine two titles.

The 2017 Modified Track Championship and Modified Summer Slam Title will be decided in two races being contested on one day. Racing gets underway at 5 p.m. on a day that will pay tribute to Steve Kellogg, a longtime race official, racing columnist and friend of racing.

The 2017 season has been challenging for Five Mile Point Speedway as numerous rained out events and attempts to reschedule have resulted in a huge Sunday afternoon in Kirkwood that will settle the score of two Modified titles. The Modified Track Championship comes down to a held over feature event from back on July 1st. The race was rained out and rescheduled on three other occasions only to be washed out again. The 30 lap feature will award regular track points and will decide the 2017 Track Championship between current point leader Kevin Bates and second place driver Tyler Siri.

Bates, from Lake Ariel, PA has raced to three feature wins this season to put him on top of the Modified point standings. Siri, from Corning, NY has yet to record a victory this season but did lead the points for a good portion of the season. Entering the Sunday championship event, Bates leads Siri by 15 points. Bates has to finish sixth or better to lock up his first ever Five Mile Point Speedway Track Championship on Sunday. The Modified 30 lap Track Championship event will be held early in the racing program prior to new qualifying and an additional 31 lap Modified feature to determine the Sunday Modified Summer Slam Championship.

The Modified Summer Slam Series finale will be decided with a special 31 lap feature event that will pay a minimum of $2,500 to win. The race will honor the memory of longtime northeast race official Steve Kellogg. Kellogg, a true friend of short track racing passed away at his residence on April 9th the same day of the first Sunday Summer Slam Modified event at Five Mile Point Speedway. Kellogg, worked as an official and chief flagger for years at both asphalt and dirt short track facilities throughout the northeast. He also was an anchor on the Race of Champions Tour for many years. Kellogg also served as a media representative by hosting a long running radio show and as a columnist for Area Auto Racing News based out of Trenton, New Jersey. Bonus lap money and incentives are being posted for the Modified event and the leader of each of the 31 laps of the Modified feature will receive a case of Coors Lite. Well over a thousand dollars in additional lap money and bonuses have been posted including a $200 Hard Charger Award being posted by longtime friend Lin Hough. This award will be posted in all four divisions (Modifieds, GRIT Sportsman, FWD Four Cylinders and Xcel 600 Modifieds).

On the track Nick Rochinski leads Mike Colsten in the Modified Sunday Summer Slam point race. Rochinski has a 9 point lead over Colsten entering Sunday’s finale. Rochinski has two Modified feature wins during the season but did not pick up a Summer Slam win. For Colsten, his only victory of the season was the April 9th Sunday Summer Slam opener. Currently the top eight drivers in the Modified Summer Slam points have a mathematical chance of winning the overall title on Sunday. The Modified Summer Slam program in its second season has been an exciting program with fantastic racing. Last year Modified “Rookie of the Year” Brad Szulewski entered the final Modified Sunday Summer Slam event in seventh place in the point standings. His victory in the finale vaulted him to a Co-Championship with Anthony Perrego. With eight drivers still eligible to win the title anything can happen in the finale.

Once again, Shakelton NAPA Auto & Truck Parts and Tonarlo’s Restaurant are continuing their support of the fourth and final Modified Sunday Summer Slam event. With point fund money, the Shakelton Loyalty Bonus Program and other contingencies well over $20,000 will be on the line in the 31lap finale.

Joining the Modifieds will be the GRIT Crate Sportsman in a 25 lap feature event that will pay $1,000 to win, the Xcel 600 Modified North Regional Tour and Front Wheel Drive Four Cylinders. Pit gates open at 2 p.m. with grandstand gates opening at 3 p.m. Practice begins at 4 p.m. with the first race scheduled to hit the speedway at 5 p.m.

For additional information please phone 607-775-5555 or log on to www.5milepointspeedway.com. You may also email the speedway directly at fivemilepoint1@aol.com. Five Mile Point Speedway – “The Home Speedway of the Southern Tier” where kids 12 and younger are admitted FREE to every race event!

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TOP 20 MODIFIED SUMMER SLAM POINTS ENTERING SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 17TH – 31 LAP STEVE KELLOGG REMEMBERED FINALE: Nick Rochiski (112), Mike Colsten (103), Brad Szulewski (97), Rusty Smith (90), Brian Malcolm (87), Mike Butler (86), Randy Fox (86), Kevin Bates (82), Steve Davis (70), Joey Colsten (70), P.J. Goodwin (64), Glenn Knapp (56), Tyler Siri (56), Brian Weaver (56), Aleia Geisler (54), Anthony Perrego (40), Dan Creeden (39), Joey Grammes (38), Richard Smith (37).

The final point race awards 60 points to the race winner and 20 for last place. This means that Kevin Bates, currently in 8th place still has a mathematical chance of winning the Modified Sunday Summer Slam Championship. All drivers below 8th place have been eliminated from title contention.

MODIFIED SUNDAY SUMMER SLAM LOYALTY PROGRAM PERFECT ATTENDANCE – MODIFIED DRIVERS ELIGIBLE FOR SHAKELTON NAPA AUTO & TRUCK PARTS $500 WINNERS BONUS AND TONARLO’S RESTAURANT $250 WINNERS BONUS: Mike Colsten (1 slam win), Nick Rochinski, Brad Szulewski, Rusty Smith, Brian Malcolm, Mike Butler, Randy Fox, Kevin Bates, Joey Colsten, P.J. Goodwin, Glenn Knapp, Tyler Siri, Brian Weaver, Aleia Geisler.