Brady Fultz Fast at Black Rock

Rich Vleck, DUNDEE, NY, (May 11, 2012)- On a night when multiple lines around the Black Rock Speedway were not just usable but productive Brady Fultz put his No. 70 on the top of the track and drove away from a sportsman field for his first win of the year.
 
“Of course (it was good), it’s a Troyer”, said Fultz after being told in Victory Lane that the car looked good in the 20-lap feature. “The car was good last week but we just ran out of laps, but it was really strong tonight.”

Fultz, the Dundee native that was the 2007 Champion, started 12th on the grid but quick jumped up into second on the lap 2 before taking the lead from Fran Hilton on lap 3.  Hilton would take the lead back briefly but on a lap four restart Fultz would rocket back around the veteran on the outside and would set sail on the rest of the field.

A caution with five laps remaining erased a full straightaway lead for Fultz but the final two restarts would not be much of a problem as he opened up his advantage over second-place running Rob Humphreys, who would be disqualified upon post-race inspection.

With Humphreys being removed from the finishing order, Ross Vleck was able to record a runner-up finish, his best career finish at Black Rock.  Donnie Lawson rallied from a first lap incident to place third while week one winner Chris Daughrety and polesitter Fran Hilton rounded out the top five.

John Waters stayed perfect for 2012 with his second win at BRS in as many tries in the late model feature.  Waters, of Whitesville, chased down early leader Quinn Sutherland without the aid of a caution, taking the lead from the No. 36 on lap 14 just before the only caution flag of the event waved.

“(Quinn) had a really good car, and I started to cut it down a little bit in lapped traffic,” noted Waters in Victory Lane.  “I’m not sure if I would have got him without the lapped cars, he was running really well.”

Waters stalked Sutherland for about a half-dozen laps before taking the finally pouncing on the leader.  Sutherland was able to hold on for a solid runner-up finish while Jason Knowles withstood the charges of his dad and brother to finish in third.  Bruce Miller would run up from deep in the pack to cross in fourth, just ahead of Larry Knowles.
 
After coming up just short of the win on opening night, defending street stock champion Chris Fisher got back in to Victory Lane with an impressive performance in his No. 37.
 
Fisher, of Bluff Point, took the lead from youngster Dylan Cecce on lap eight and then held command over a hard-charging Larry Fenton Jr. to pick up the win.  Fenton’s runner-up showing was his best finish since the end of 2010 while week one winner Bob Buono was a solid third.  Jake Karlnoski was fourth and Cecce, who spun out on lap eight, rallied to round out the top five.

Sportsman Feature (20 Laps)- BRADY FULTZ, Ross Vleck, Donnie Lawson, Chris Daughrety, Fran Hilton, Karl Comfort, Loren Lincoln, Randy McCulloch, Trevor Sutherland, Jim LaRock, Serenity Sutherland, Gary Hotelling, Josh Keesey, Scott Waters, Josh Butler, Chad Dailey, Dale Welty, Brent Ayers, Chis Silvers, Ray Bliss Jr., Rob Humphreys (DQ).

Lap Leader- Hilton 1-2, Fultz 3, Hilton 4, Fultz 5-20.

Heat Winners- Humphreys, Hilton, Lawson.

Late Model Feature (20 Laps)- JOHN WATERS, Quinn Sutherland, Jason Knowles, Bruce Miller, Larry Knowles, Brian Knowles, Jared Hill, Buck Payne, Mikey Wonderling, Steve LaBarron, Wally Wade, Sparky Hills, Carl Cleveland, Bill Miller.

Lap Leaders- Sutherland 1-14, Waters 15-20.

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Bobby Breen Blasts Black Rock to Score Spring Sprint Nationals

Rich Vleck, DUNDEE, NY, (May 4, 2012)- Bobby Breen is strong at just about any track he competes at, but no facility has been friendlier to him over the years than the Black Rock Speedway as he scored his fourth career win on the track he began his sprint car career at eight years ago.

Breen, 23, of Savannah, NY, made his weekend trip home from college in Ohio pay off as he scored the win in the Insinger Race Fuels Spring Sprint Nationals, an event featuring the top names of the Patriot Sprint Tour and United Racing Company.  Breen was strong all night, but another driver’s misfortune also made the trip to Victory Lane easier.

“Dobbers” won his qualifying heat in convincing fashion, driving from fourth to the lead in just two laps.  After redrawing the fifth starting spot, he quickly drove up to second behind Suprick and began to stalk him in lapped traffic.  On the restart following the race’s first yellow flag on lap 11, Breen made a run to the outside of Suprick but the veteran did not plan to give up the lead that easily.

“I thought I had him on the slide job,” recalled Breen about his bid to the inside of Suprick when he dove to the lead in turns one and two before Suprick crossed him back up and returned the favor in the next set of corners. “I guess there was a little more moisture coming out of turn two, but we were so strong in lapped traffic.  The car was awesome.”

Despite not being able to hold the lead, Breen continued to pressure Suprick until the duo reached lapped traffic once again.  On lap 18 of the 25 lap feature, Breen was setting up a bid for the lead when Suprick stabbed the brakes to avoid a lapped car also running the high groove. Suprick’s No. 87 washed up, hitting the turn three berm just enough to send his ride flipping.  It was a spectacular moment in the race but regardless of the flip Breen likely would have exited the series of corners as the leader.

Under the red flag for Suprick, Breen checked the readjusted leaderboard to see that Jared Zimbardi, the defending PST Champion and most recent winner at Black Rock, was in second and was also moving up swiftly through the field; it was no time to relax for the driver of the No. 9.

On what would be the final restart on lap 19, Breen was solid and put a safe distance between himself and Zimbardi.  He reached the tail of the field again with two laps remaining, calling to mind three races in 2010 where he lost the lead on the final lap, but he was steady this time around and would hang on for his seventh career PST Win.

Last year Breen ran just two races as he was focusing on college in Ohio.  This year he has already made as many starts and sees the $10,000 PST America Championship as a real possibility, as he has now taken over the point lead.  The ability to pull off such a feat though is not possible a lot of hours on the road, or the work on the car back home.  Bobby was appreciative in Victory Lane for his crew, particularly of his older brother Blake, as it was his car that Bobby was driving on Friday Night. 

Jared Zimbardi would hang on for second, a welcomed result for the defending champion after a horrid start to the 2012 season.  Zimbardi was able to utilize multiple grooves to hold off Bryan Howland for the runner-up spot, as the four-time champion would cross in third.

Scott Kreutter had an impressive run up through the pack from 13th to finish in fourth with a rim-riding performance.  Justin Barger was solid again as he would round out the top five in his No. 5.

Don Adamczyk’s first start of the year resulted in an Original Pizza Logs Four Laps of Fame Dash win and a sixth place finish, ahead of Ryan Bohlke, who made his first appearance at Black Rock.  Charlie Donk would charge up nine spots to finish eighth.  Steve Collins was in the top five most of the night but would finish in ninth.  Josh Weller won B-Main one and round out the top 10 just ahead of Chuck Hebing, who barely beat Weller in his heat to send him to the B-Main.

An impressive 39 cars helped to fill the pits on a beautiful summer-like evening in the Finger Lakes.  A number of drivers were running a sprint at Black Rock for the first time and varying results were seen. 

Chris Daughrety had only been in his sportsman once before at Black Rock, but it did not seem to matter on Friday Night as he took the lead on lap four and held off a hard-charging Brady Fultz for a surprise victory.
 
Daughrety ran down polesitter and defending track champion Donnie Lawson just after the races first restart and held a steady line just off the bottom of the track. Brady Fultz then began to set up a pass for the lead while in lapped traffic, but another caution flag on lap 14 would change the complexion of the race.

On the restart, Daughrety would get a clean jump but Fultz would start to run him down once again.  Fultz set up a crossover coming to the white flag, but would have the door shut on him in the final set of corners as Daughrety found a way to capture the Checkered Flag.

“I think a lot of it was that last caution cooling those tires and allowing me to stay ahead,” admitted Daugherty in Victory Lane.

Fultz seemed to perhaps have the strongest car of the race, but would have to settle for second.  Ross Vleck would get under Donnie Lawson on the final lap for third, while Ray Bliss Jr. would round out the top five.

Jeremy Wonderling drove to the front early in the late model feature and appeared to be the class of the field, but when a caution flag flew on lap 12, John Waters put his car to the top of the track and used the rim to rocket into the lead and stay there as he stayed perfect in his No. 11 for 2012 with a win in Black Rock’s first feature.

Waters, of Whitesville, checked out over the final eight laps to continue his streak of impressive results in Dundee. As he was holding command over the field, a mad dash was on for second with Brian Knowles claiming that spot over Dusty Waters, Jeremy Wonderilng and Jason Knowles.

A total of 125 cars helped to fill the pits for the first full race night of the year.  Black Rock is back in action next Friday night with a full card plus spectator 1-on-1 races.  For more information, visit www.BlackRockSpeedway.com.

Black Rock Speedway Results: 5/4/2012-
Insinger Spring Sprint Nationals Night

PST/ URC Insinger Spring Sprint Nationals A-Main (25 Laps)- 1. Bobby Breen (9), 2. Jared Zimbardi (35), 3. Bryan Howland (51), 4. Scott Kreutter (52), 5. Justin Barger (5), 6. Don Adamczyk (21), 7. Ryan Bohlke (18), 8. Charlie Donk (99), 9. Steve Collins (67), 10. Josh Weller (63), 11. Chuck Hebing (45), 12. Tim Kelly (12), 13. Robbie Stillwaggon (89), 14. Tommy Wickham (75), 15. Kevin Ward Jr. (13), 16. Jeff Cook (10), 17. Ed Aiken (7), 18. Tracy Potter (11), 19. Paul Habeck (25H), 20. Todd Hoddick (49), 21. Randy West (56), 22. Troy Betts (22), 23. George Suprick (87), 24. Chad Trout (7c), 25. Sammy Reakes IV (1).

Lap Leaders- Suprick 1-17, Breen 18-25.

PST Provisional Starter- Hoddick.

Did Not Qualify: Derek Jonathan (81), Art Liedl (2L), Joey Biasi (B1), Davie Franek (28F), Steve Hutchinson Jr. (2), Clint Ide (3), Brandan Warner (10B), Bruce DeWick (31B), Andy Best (88B), Kevin Darling (9D), Jonathan Swason (17J), Dan Mazy (X), J.R. Berry (47), Tim Hogue (39).

Sportsman Feature (20 Laps)- CHRIS DAUGHERTY, Brady Fultz, Ross Vleck, Donnie Lawson, Ray Bliss Jr., Rob Humphries, Karl Comfort, Loren Lincoln, Nicole Hoag, Randy McCulloch, Chris Silvers, Brent Ayers, Jim LaRock, Joe Cook Jr., Serenity Sutherland, Gary Hotelling, Scott Waters, Brandon Butler, Chad Dailey, Trevor Sutherland, Fran Hilton, Dale Welty (DNS).

Lap Leader- Lawson 1-3, Daughrety 4-20.

Heat Winners- Hilton, Fultz, Humphries

Late Model Feature (20 Laps)- JOHN WATERS, Brian Knowles, Dusty Waters, Jeremy Wonderling, Jason Knowles, Mikey Wondering, Quinn Sutherland, Jared Hill, Buck Payne, Steve LaBarron, Sparky Hills, Chris Peacock, Bruce Miller, Bill Miller, Carl Cleveland.
 
Lap Leaders- J. Knowles 1-5, J. Wonderling 6-12, J. Waters 13-20.

Heat Winners- J. Waters, Sutherland, D. Waters.

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