RPW Column: Tyler Boniface Tops Orange County’s 358-Modified Field Saturday: Hilfiger Wins Sportsman

Column By: MIKE TRAVERSE / RPW – MIDDLETOWN, NY – With this season’s previous H. O. Penn 358 OCFS Small Block Modified winners Craig Mitchell and Anthony Perrego at other racing events, it was left wide open for a new 2021 winner to emerge.

On Saturday night, it was Tyler Boniface who topped the 30 car field, holding off a late challenge from invading racer Billy Dunn to take the victory.

It was Jimmy Spellmon and Joe Bonetti leading the field to the green flag with Bonetti grabbing the top spot. Boniface moved into 2nd on lap 2 and started to chase Bonetti. The first 11 laps went caution free. On the lap 12 restart, Boniface powered past Bonetti to take command of the race. Dunn, making the long tow from Watertown, NY, moved up steadily from his 9th starting spot, He took 5th on lap 14. After a lap 15 restart, he moved past Bonetti to take 2nd and took up the chase of Boniface.

Dunn made a bid on the inside of Boniface on the 20th lap, but Tyler held his ground. With 5 to go, Boniface had a bit of a cushion, but lapped traffic was becoming a factor. With 2 to go, Dunn had a good run on Boniface, but again Billy came up short. One final bid on the final lap did not pay off as Boniface took the checkers by close to a half second over Dunn, who made it an exciting race. Danny Creeden had his 3rd straight top 5 in as many races and his 2nd podium finish, taking 3rd. Tanner VanDoren raced from 12th to finish 4th and Billy VanInwegen finished 5th. Bonetti finished 6th with Corey Cormier 7th, Roger Henion Jr 8th, Richard Smith 9th and Gary Edwards Jr 10th.

“The track was in excellent condition, the track crew has done a great job this year,” said the happy winner in Victory Lane. “I saw him (Dunn) 2 or 3 times under me, so I knew that I needed to stay low to keep him behind me. I was concerned the last couple of laps with the traffic, but it all worked out.

Earlier heat races were won by Bonetti, Dunn and Bob McGannon.

The win was the 3rd for Boniface in the 358 Small Blocks at OCFS, taking single wins in 2018 and 2019 before Saturday’s win.

2019 OCFS Sportsman Champion Grant Hilfiger narrowly avoided disaster on a 13th lap restart and even with some damage, he took the win Saturday night in Arkel Motors Sportsman division. He outraced Joe Bonetti and Jeff Hulseapple for the victory.

It was Everett Haubrich and Troy Arnold that made up the front row of the feature lineup with Arnold moving out front. Joe Conklin took up the chase, moving into 2nd with Josh Allen 3rd. Hilfiger was on the move quickly, racing from 8th to 4th by lap 3. Grant took 3rd lap 8 and moved to 2nd on lap 9.

After a caution on lap 13, Arnold and Hilfiger made contact on the restart, and a pileup on the backstretch ensued bringing out the red flag. Grant was able to maintain take the lead, but had some damage. Bonetti had moved up well through the pack from 15th and was now in 2nd, pursuing Hilfiger. Hulseapple was also moving up from 12th into the top 5 before the lap 13 mayhem. The final laps ran out with Hilfiger winning by a one second margin over Bonetti. Hulseapple posted his 3rd podium finish in 4 races with his 3rd place finish and Jeff has been no worse than 4th this season. Conklin finished 4th and Tighe Sherlock had a great run from 18th to finish 5th. Spots 6-10 were taken by Bobby Flood, Mike DuBois, Charlie Loiodice, John Bockhorn and Jake Bedell.

“This is our 7th race of the season, we went to South Carolina and we won at Selingsgrove, but it’s always special to win here. All my guys are here tonight,” Hilfiger said. “We got into a jingle last week and we took the car over to Hig Fab. Those guys always treat me good. I have the best sponsors you could ask for. I’m just happy to be here in Victory Lane.”

It was a very tough feature race for point leader Joey Bruning. He got caught up in one of the lap 13 incidents and came back out with a heavily damaged car. He finished 22nd.

Heat races were won by Allen, Hilfiger, Bedell and Conklin with Bockhorn and Aidan Elliott winning the consis.

The win for Grant is his 9th in the Sportsman division, all coming since 2019.

Car owner Pat Giuliano had a huge thrill last October when Tanner VanDoren gave him his first victory as a car owner during the Eastern States Weekend. But there had to be just this most special feeling for Pat Saturday night as he watched his son Michael race to his first ever win in the Precision Hydraulic and Oil Rookie Sportsman division.

Michael Giuliano took the lead on lap 2 and prevailed on many restarts and cruised to victory in the feature. Dylan Madsen recovered from an early race penalty to take 2nd with Bob Jashembowski 3rd.

Alyssa Fogel and Nick Giardini made up row one at the start and Fogel led the first lap before caution waved. Giuliano took the lead with Isabella Van Orden in 2nd. A lap 5 incident involving Jashembowski, Giardini and Madsen resulted in the decision to put Madsen at the tail end of the field. As Giuliano raced away at the front, Madsen and Jashembowski quickly tried to get back into contention.

Giuliano had built up too much of a cushion and he ran out the final laps with ease, finishing 1.3 seconds ahead of Madsen with Jashembowski recovering as well to take 3rd. Brett Weslowski finished 4th and Tyler Banks 5th.

Van Orden was possibly in line for a podium finish, but a flat left front tire hampered her efforts the last few laps, but she held on for 6th. Kasey Hufcut was 7th, Giardini was 8th, Matt Rigatti was 9th and Fred Pavia 10th.

“I just want to say thank you to everybody that got me here. I couldn’t have done it without you. Thank you to Jerry Higbie and all his guys that do a really good job. I started racing in 2016 and I’m just glad to finally make it to Victory Lane,” said Michael. “I’m very happy. I thank my Dad. I hope to one day to do for my kids what he has done for me.”

The roar of the Big Blocks will return to OCFS next Saturday, May 1st as the United Rentals DIRTcar Modified Division will be racing in the Joe Falanga Memorial Race which will have a winner’s purse of $4,000. The Arkel Motors Sportsman and the NAPA North East Parts Group Street Stocks will also be in action.