Mark McKeon
07-13-2008, 10:42 PM
Lowbed Rides High at Whip City Speedway
Russo Borrows Part, Wins First Mini Sprint Feature
DeCambra Edges Smith in a Barn Burner
By Mark McKeon
Mini Sprint veteran Lowbed Johnson- every inch as colorful as the name implies- took his first 750cc Sportsman feature of the year by getting the jump on rookie phenom Charlie Pease during the race’s only restart.
“Charlie is really fast and more than 30 years younger than me, so I knew I’d need to outfox him to get by him,” said Johnson who runs a trucking business that specializes in moving large machinery. “While we were racing, I tapped his bumper gently, just to let him know I was there and when we were coming down to the single file restart I put my front wheels under him a couple of times. As soon as we got going he expected me to go low, but instead I went around him on the outside. That was the most fun I ever had, where else but in the 750 Sportsman class could you have this much fun? This is a really competitive class, because you can pass on the outside, plus it’s affordable, too.”
After 5 years of racing 270cc and 600cc Mini Sprints, 23 year old welder Frank Russo picked up his first ever Mini Sprint win, in a race he almost wasn’t able to start. Russo won his heat race but the silencer on his 270 cc Mini Sprint broke and he didn’t have a spare. The day was saved by the crew of 250 Youth Mini Sprint feature winner Jim Santa Maria who loaned Russo the needed part. Russo went on to dominate the feature. “I know we won the heat, but for a while there I didn’t think we’d even be in the feature, and we wouldn’t have been if it wasn’t for the Santa Marias” a relieved Russo related.
The closest race of the action packed evening was the 600cc Mini Sprint feature which saw Jim DeCambra fend off the determined advances of Greg Smith for his first win of the season. It was another race that was slowed by only one caution flag and DeCambra and Smith ran side by side or nose to tail for most of the distance. DeCambra ran a high line and was faster going into the turns while Smith ran the bottom and was faster coming out, but not fast enough to close the sale.
In the Modified Lites, Brett Crowther picked up his second career win, ending an 18 month dry spell. “To tell you the truth I was lucky,” the 18 year old auto body technician said modestly. “The motor was strong and the car was handling great, the only thing that made it challenging was some of the lapped traffic late in the race.”
Teenager John Virgilio won his second 750cc feature of the year in high style, leading every lap in the non-stop event and holding off former track champ Kyle Spencer in the process. Virgilio had an equally dominate performance during his heat in which he also led every lap.
Jamie Beaudry now has a 2008 win in the 1200cc Mini Sprints to match his victory earlier this season in the 4 Cyl Street Stocks. Marc Guerard did a 360 degree spin while attempting to pass Beaudry off turn 4, continued without stopping and was gaining on Beaudry when the checkers flew.
Both Scott Viets and Tony Montesi were weary from running with the ARDC Midgets at Accord Speedway the night before, but they put on a fever pitched battle for the win in the Quad 4 Midgets. Viets prevailed.
270cc Mini Sprint: FRANK RUSSO, Scott Franqueza, Phil Bessette, Shayne Prucker, Kevin Tefft, Brian Boudreau, Brain Hurd, Bryan Russo, Brayton Round III, Kurt Conklin, Dylan Menditto, Kendall Segar, Robert Bahre, David Jackson, Kelly McCarthy Zach Aszklar, Ben Martelle.
600cc: JIM DECAMBRA, Greg Smith, Matt Seymour, Rich Crooker, Ricci Hirth, Ryan Bigelow, Jay Coppo, Luke Greenwood, Susan Lescynski, Arthur Marrero, Anthony Nocella, Lowbed Johnson, Gary Greenwood, Chris Lennox.
750cc: JOHN VIRGILIO, Kyle Spencer, Rob Walendy, Mark Dupuis, Rick Stone, Peter Dance, Mike King, Walt Feldman, Joe Platt, Michael Parolo, Gary Wood.
750 Sportsmen: LOWBED JOHNSON, Charlie Pease, Jack Fogarty, John Marangio, Darren Peterson, Robby Spino, Kristen Phillips.
1200cc: JAMIE BEAUDRY, Marc Guerard, John Casazza, Mark Dupuis, R.J. Tufano, Josh Walts, John Walts, Will Casazza, Bob Dance, Jon Moore.
Quad 4 Midget: SCOTT VIETS, Tony Montessi, Bethany Viets, Eli Deshaies, R.J Tufano.
Modified Lite: BRETT CROWTHER, Joseph Anselmo, Bob Poloski, Ryan Nicewicz, Brian Peterson, Rick Ashlaw, Wayne Abair, William Carter, Brian Hohenstein.
250 Youth Sprint: JIM SANTA MARIA, Tyler Chartrand, Wayne Ibitz, Kyle Abbott, Matt Bergstrom, Michelle Dumas.
4 Cyl Street Stock: DAN D’ADDARIO, Ed Banach, Kyle Wayner, Fred Cheney, Stephanie Banach, Jamie Beaudry, Mike Ciammella, Ted Nicklis, Joey Tanguay.
Novice Karts: COREY LEMELIN, Dylan Irish, Jake Higginson, E.J. Adametz, Richard Jacobs.
Turquoise: KYLE SMITH, Katie Lafreniere, Cullen Pike, Alex Blanco, Jeffery Champagne, Ryan Irish, Mike Hauser, Kaitlyn Brice, Michael Langevin, Kevin Ridz.
Junior: JOSH WOOD, Justin Walts, Dylan Dexter, Dylan Campbell, Makayla Lucia, Anna Coons, R.J. Currey, Elliot Daly, Kara Franqueza.
Lite: CHRIS TACK, Joshua Dexter, Ryan Bigelow, Will Coons, Steve Rockwood.
Heavy: JUSTIN DUBE, Gary Sokoloski, Steve Rockwood, Jake Sapowsky, Chris Tack, Gary Hublard, Scott Kalber, Joe Mikitarian, J.R. Furtado, Bill Tack.
2 Stroke: ERNIE WHIDDEN, Jim Brice, Roger Amgers, Jr., Jason Wood
Russo Borrows Part, Wins First Mini Sprint Feature
DeCambra Edges Smith in a Barn Burner
By Mark McKeon
Mini Sprint veteran Lowbed Johnson- every inch as colorful as the name implies- took his first 750cc Sportsman feature of the year by getting the jump on rookie phenom Charlie Pease during the race’s only restart.
“Charlie is really fast and more than 30 years younger than me, so I knew I’d need to outfox him to get by him,” said Johnson who runs a trucking business that specializes in moving large machinery. “While we were racing, I tapped his bumper gently, just to let him know I was there and when we were coming down to the single file restart I put my front wheels under him a couple of times. As soon as we got going he expected me to go low, but instead I went around him on the outside. That was the most fun I ever had, where else but in the 750 Sportsman class could you have this much fun? This is a really competitive class, because you can pass on the outside, plus it’s affordable, too.”
After 5 years of racing 270cc and 600cc Mini Sprints, 23 year old welder Frank Russo picked up his first ever Mini Sprint win, in a race he almost wasn’t able to start. Russo won his heat race but the silencer on his 270 cc Mini Sprint broke and he didn’t have a spare. The day was saved by the crew of 250 Youth Mini Sprint feature winner Jim Santa Maria who loaned Russo the needed part. Russo went on to dominate the feature. “I know we won the heat, but for a while there I didn’t think we’d even be in the feature, and we wouldn’t have been if it wasn’t for the Santa Marias” a relieved Russo related.
The closest race of the action packed evening was the 600cc Mini Sprint feature which saw Jim DeCambra fend off the determined advances of Greg Smith for his first win of the season. It was another race that was slowed by only one caution flag and DeCambra and Smith ran side by side or nose to tail for most of the distance. DeCambra ran a high line and was faster going into the turns while Smith ran the bottom and was faster coming out, but not fast enough to close the sale.
In the Modified Lites, Brett Crowther picked up his second career win, ending an 18 month dry spell. “To tell you the truth I was lucky,” the 18 year old auto body technician said modestly. “The motor was strong and the car was handling great, the only thing that made it challenging was some of the lapped traffic late in the race.”
Teenager John Virgilio won his second 750cc feature of the year in high style, leading every lap in the non-stop event and holding off former track champ Kyle Spencer in the process. Virgilio had an equally dominate performance during his heat in which he also led every lap.
Jamie Beaudry now has a 2008 win in the 1200cc Mini Sprints to match his victory earlier this season in the 4 Cyl Street Stocks. Marc Guerard did a 360 degree spin while attempting to pass Beaudry off turn 4, continued without stopping and was gaining on Beaudry when the checkers flew.
Both Scott Viets and Tony Montesi were weary from running with the ARDC Midgets at Accord Speedway the night before, but they put on a fever pitched battle for the win in the Quad 4 Midgets. Viets prevailed.
270cc Mini Sprint: FRANK RUSSO, Scott Franqueza, Phil Bessette, Shayne Prucker, Kevin Tefft, Brian Boudreau, Brain Hurd, Bryan Russo, Brayton Round III, Kurt Conklin, Dylan Menditto, Kendall Segar, Robert Bahre, David Jackson, Kelly McCarthy Zach Aszklar, Ben Martelle.
600cc: JIM DECAMBRA, Greg Smith, Matt Seymour, Rich Crooker, Ricci Hirth, Ryan Bigelow, Jay Coppo, Luke Greenwood, Susan Lescynski, Arthur Marrero, Anthony Nocella, Lowbed Johnson, Gary Greenwood, Chris Lennox.
750cc: JOHN VIRGILIO, Kyle Spencer, Rob Walendy, Mark Dupuis, Rick Stone, Peter Dance, Mike King, Walt Feldman, Joe Platt, Michael Parolo, Gary Wood.
750 Sportsmen: LOWBED JOHNSON, Charlie Pease, Jack Fogarty, John Marangio, Darren Peterson, Robby Spino, Kristen Phillips.
1200cc: JAMIE BEAUDRY, Marc Guerard, John Casazza, Mark Dupuis, R.J. Tufano, Josh Walts, John Walts, Will Casazza, Bob Dance, Jon Moore.
Quad 4 Midget: SCOTT VIETS, Tony Montessi, Bethany Viets, Eli Deshaies, R.J Tufano.
Modified Lite: BRETT CROWTHER, Joseph Anselmo, Bob Poloski, Ryan Nicewicz, Brian Peterson, Rick Ashlaw, Wayne Abair, William Carter, Brian Hohenstein.
250 Youth Sprint: JIM SANTA MARIA, Tyler Chartrand, Wayne Ibitz, Kyle Abbott, Matt Bergstrom, Michelle Dumas.
4 Cyl Street Stock: DAN D’ADDARIO, Ed Banach, Kyle Wayner, Fred Cheney, Stephanie Banach, Jamie Beaudry, Mike Ciammella, Ted Nicklis, Joey Tanguay.
Novice Karts: COREY LEMELIN, Dylan Irish, Jake Higginson, E.J. Adametz, Richard Jacobs.
Turquoise: KYLE SMITH, Katie Lafreniere, Cullen Pike, Alex Blanco, Jeffery Champagne, Ryan Irish, Mike Hauser, Kaitlyn Brice, Michael Langevin, Kevin Ridz.
Junior: JOSH WOOD, Justin Walts, Dylan Dexter, Dylan Campbell, Makayla Lucia, Anna Coons, R.J. Currey, Elliot Daly, Kara Franqueza.
Lite: CHRIS TACK, Joshua Dexter, Ryan Bigelow, Will Coons, Steve Rockwood.
Heavy: JUSTIN DUBE, Gary Sokoloski, Steve Rockwood, Jake Sapowsky, Chris Tack, Gary Hublard, Scott Kalber, Joe Mikitarian, J.R. Furtado, Bill Tack.
2 Stroke: ERNIE WHIDDEN, Jim Brice, Roger Amgers, Jr., Jason Wood