RPW Column: Joe Bonetti Gets Coveted First Win; Tied Atop OCFS’s Sportsman Point Standings

Column By: MIKE TRAVERSE / RPW – MIDDLETOWN, NY – Going into this past Saturday’s OCFS Arkel Motors Sportsman feature, Joe Bonetti already had his share of heartbreak in the late stages of races in 2021.

Even with many good finishes and several appearances on the podium, he was still looking for that first career Sportsman win. He had in recent weeks lost late race leads in the final two laps to Jeff Hulseapple and Brian Krummel.

But on Saturday night, it was finally time for Bonetti to be on the good end of the race result as he made a last lap pass of leader Jamie Yannone to get that win that had so far eluded him.

“I had been a bridesmaid so many times that it was great to finally get to Victory Lane,” Bonetti said in Victory Lane Saturday. “So many times, I was leading, leading, leading and then heartbreak. It sure does feel good to win one.”

After the points have been tabulated, Bonetti has pulled into a tie with Hulseapple for the OCFS Sportsman points lead. Jared LaBagh is right in the points battle mix, trailing the Bonetti/Hulseapple duo by 17 points. Jake Bedell in 4th and Bobby Flood in 5th are still within striking distance with the amount of racing left.

As a guest Tuesday on the OCFS podcast ‘Talkin’ Dirty’, Bonetti talked some with hosts Pat Reiser and Brett Hearn about getting that first win and his time in racing.

“I’ve been racing up here in Middletown for 5 or 6 years. I started as a kid in go karts at Oakland Valley. Moved to mini sprints at Accord Speedway. We got an open Sportsman and when Accord went to crates, we bought a crate and started racing at Middletown.”

Joe has been doubling up the past couple of seasons, running in the H.O. Penn Small Blocks.

“We started with the W16 package and that was a lot of fun. We purchased a spec head the last couple of weeks that we’re trying to get rolling. I think we are finally hitting on something there.”

And after finishing a close 2nd to Tanner VanDoren in the 2020 Sportsman points, Bonetti has had his eye on the point championship right from the start of the 2021 racing season.

“We had a rough night in one of the final races. In the heat race, I was on the outside and got stuffed into the wall. Tanner VanDoren is an excellent driver and hats off to him for winning the championship last year. We only finished 4 or 6 points behind him (the final tally was 4) and that night is the one that we look back on and kind of said that if this didn’t happen. The back clip was torn off. We limped in through the consi. Started dead last in the feature and finished 13th. A solid car that night, not taking anything away from him, would have been the difference maker.”

And Joe said even from the start of the season, he has been keeping track of the point scenarios while racing.

“In the beginning of the year when we didn’t click off a win, I was really focusing on the points, thinking even if I can’t get a win, I’d like to cap off the championship. But it was getting hectic. I’d be driving down the straightaway and I would be doing the math in my head instead of focusing on going into the corner and passing the car ahead of me, I would think he’s here and 2 + 2 +4 and that puts me here. It was become very, very stressful in my head.”

And even though they are both racing for the championship, both Bonetti and Hulseapple and the other drivers in the top five points have a lot of respect for each other.

“Jeff and I have a great relationship, I have nothing but respect for him and his guys, they are awesome. Jeff had a rough night and he was the first one down at my trailer after we won, congratulating me. Anthony Vitale and all those guys are aces. All these drivers, LaBagh, Bedell, Flood are class drivers. When you get near the front, and they are around you, it’s going to be clean racing.”

And with Bonetti racing with the #20, the hosts were intrigued with how that came to be.

“When I first raced a go kart at Oakland Valley, my dad bought me my first go kart. He was a big Tony Stewart fan when he was in the 20 and I was a big Brett Hearn fan so it just came together that way.”

But it’s really a dream come true for Joe to get that first win.

“I grew up here in the 1/2 covered grandstands, coming here every Saturday night. So for me to put my name on something here and my father and I to etch our name into history, it’s really cool.”

And with the speed that he’s shown throughout the season, it looks like plenty more wins will be coming his way. Congratulations, Joe Bonetti.

It looks like it will be a great battle amongst the top Sportsman runners with the championship likely not to be decided until the final race. Good luck to all the competitors.

Coming up this Thursday is race #5 for the Modifieds as they will be racing in the Revenge 50. After an impressive win this past Saturday, Matt Sheppard will be going after the Wicked Truck Worx Back-To-Back bonus. Sheppard with 2 wins and Stewart Friesen and Tommy Meier with single wins have locked themselves into the Final 8 format that will be part of the playoff to determine the 2021 Big Block champion. In the overall Modified points, Billy Decker is on top over Sheppard, Meier, Anthony Perrego and Bob McGannon. The veteran racer McGannon has been running very well this season, just missing out on a podium spot this past Saturday.

It is shaping up to be another stellar field for the Revenge 50. In addition to the drivers mentioned above, all of the top 16 in OCFS Big Block points will be in the field. Stewart Friesen, Mat Williamson, Keith Flach, Danny Creeden, LJ Lombardo, Mike Mahaney, Dillon Steuer and Mike Gular have confirmed that they will be racing.

There will be a Dash For Cash this Thursday, sponsored by Rob Sherlock Roofing. In a different twist, this dash will involve those who finish 4-6 in their heats. It’s going to be called the Working Man’s Dash For Cash. It will be a 10 lap race, lined up by a draw. It will be $2,000 to win. There will be money paid out through the top 5 and there’s a $250 Hard Charger award as well. Thanks to Rob Sherlock Roofing for his contributions to this Thursday’s event.

After Saturday’s Rapid Tire Spring Smashtacular, the next racing event at OCFS will be Saturday, June 26th. It will feature the H.O. Penn 358 Small Block Modifieds and the Arkel Motors Sportsman. And it will be Graduation Night for the Precision Hydraulic and Oil Rookie Sportsman as they will be having their final 2021 event.