Mark McKeon
07-27-2008, 01:19 PM
Brent Marks Invades and Conquers at Whip City Speedway,
Boudreau, Nocella, Dance, Phillips, Viets and Charland Win
By Mark McKeon
WESTFIELD, MA Before Saturday night, Brent Marks had never laid eyes on Whip City Speedway, so the young hot shoe can be forgiven for having a little trouble locating victory lane. He needed to find the spot after a stunning upset victory in the 1200cc Mini Sprint feature, a race which had more twists and turns than Lombard Street. Wheeling the Henchcraft house car No. 1 and utilizing the services of Rick Hench as crew chief, Marks built on a less than inspiring performance in the heat and speedily set sail in the feature.
“After the heat, we tightened up the car quite a bit,” Marks said. “The track was getting looser all night and after the changes, we had a perfect set up for the feature. It let me drive wherever I needed to and it was fast.”
The green to checkers event had four lead changes. Jon Walts led the first two laps, then Mark Dupuis took over and appeared to be headed for a win until fate intervened on lap 15 of the 20 lap event. Dupuis attempted to pass the slowing car of Josh Walts on the outside, just as Walts went high to head for the pits. The ensuing kerfuffle allowed Marc Guerard and Brent Marks get by and relegated Dupuis to third, with Jon Moore inches off his back bumper. On the last lap, master traffic runner Guerard made a rare and uncharacteristic bobble and was trapped behind a lapped car, allowing Marks, who had started eighth, to grab the lead.
Marks, a 17 year old resident of Myerstown, PA who will be starting his senior year of high school in the fall, is a member in good standing of the Pennsylvania Pygmy Posse. He has numerous 600cc Micro Sprint wins to his credit and was the overall points champ of the Florida Winternationals in both 2007 and 2008, but this was only his second start in a full sized, upright Mini Sprint. In his maiden voyage on Friday with the Central New York Mini Sprints at Albany-Saratoga Speedway, Marks won his heat and was running second in the feature until he was sidelined by a sheered bolt in the steering arm.
In 270cc Mini Sprint action, Brian Boudreau claimed his second win of the year, driving the steed owned by John Richmond. Boudreau, who started eighth, took the lead from Dylan Menditto in a race where getting a good restart was a major factor.
Anthony Nocella garnered up his third 600cc Mini Sprint feature victory of the year, and his fourth heat race win. Nocella was as untouchable as Elliott Ness, leading every lap in both events.
The band played on for Peter Dance, as he picked up his second 750cc feature win of the season and won his heat as well. The high school student dedicated the win to his mother, who will be undergoing back surgery this week.
Kristen Phillips made it look easy in her third 750 Sportsman feature win of the year, by leading every lap. She held off Jack Fogarty on the initial start and two early race restarts, and a late race charge by Lowbed Johnson, last week’s feature winner. Phillips broomed the night by also winning the Sportsman heat.
The inevitable finally happened in the Modified Lite feature, as Ryan Charland picked up his first feature win of the year, to go with his 3 previous podium finishes. Charland, who is running a limited schedule, has competed in just 5 events this season but has never finished worse than fourth. This victory came in a spirited race, which saw 5 lead changes and which was slowed by only one caution flag.
Scott Viets and Tony Montesi put on a great display of driving in the Quad 4 Midget feature. Starting sixth and seventh respectively, they finished first and second. Scott Viets dedicated the win to the memory of SK Modified driver Jay Miller who died suddenly recently and to his father, Modified Hall of Fame driver Ray Miller.
270cc Mini Sprints: BRIAN BOUDREAU, Dylan Menditto, Todd Bertrand, Brayton Round III, Kevin Tefft, Mark Irving, Grant Sabo, Phil Bessette, Frank Russo, Zach Aszklar, Brian Hurd, Shayne Prucker, Seth Carlson.
600cc: ANTHONY NOCELLA, Sam Christie, Ryan Bigelow, Ricci Hirth, Brian Gray, Rich Crooker, Arthur Marrero, Jim DeCambra, Paul Bigelow, Jay Coppo, Mat Seymour, Greg Smith, Like Greenwood, Chris Lennox.
750cc: PETER DANCE, Michael Parolo, Mark Dupuis, Mike King, Joe Platt, Jay Haviland, Kyle Spencer, John Virgilio, Paul Rose, Dan Schaubert, Walt Feldman, Rob Walendy, Bill Adamsky.
750 Sportsmen: KRISTEN PHILLIPS, Lowbed Johnson, Jack Fogarty, John Missale, John Marangio, Don Nappi, Robby Spino, Charlie Pease, Nikki Oullette, Adam Miller.
1200cc: BRENT MARKS, Marc Guerard, Jon Moore, Mark Dupuis, Jon Walts, R.J. Tufano, Denny Lamke, Bib Dance, Rick E. Racer, Pat Potter, Josh Walts, Jamie Beaudry, Robert Head.
Quad 4 Midget: SCOTT VIETS, Tony Montesi. R. J. Tufano, Bethany Viets, Dan Douville, Kelly Ferrell, Vince Jacobs.
Modified Lite: RYAN CHARLAND, Bob Poloski, Joe Anselmo, Brian Peterson Brett Crowther, Ryan Nicewicz, John Durst, Tony Montesi, Rick Ashlaw, William Carter, Wayne Abair.
4 Cyl Street Stocks: ED BANACH, Jamie Beaudry, Dan D’Addario, Kyle Wayner, Stephanie Banach, Keara Ludiker, Fred Cheney, Joey Tanguay.
250 Youth Sprints: L.J. LOMBARDO, Jim Santa Maria, Wayne Ibitz, Alex Curley, Tyler Jackson, Matt Bergstrom.
Novice Karts: JAKE HIGGINSON, Corey Lemelin, Ryan Fujimoto, Dylan Irish.
Turquoise: CULLEN PIKE, Ryan Irish, Kyle Smith, Alex Blanco, Kate Lafreniere, Kaitlyn Brice, Jeffery Champagne, Michael Langevin, Alex Adamsky, Mike Hauser, Kevin Ridz.
Junior: JOSH WOOD, Makayla Lucia, Kara Franqueza, Dylan Dexter, Justin Walts, Dylan Campbell, Anna Coons, Elliott Daly, R. J. Curry.
Lites: RICHARD BLACKNER, Steve Rockwood, Scott Kalber, Will Coons, Dylan Campbell, Josh Dexter.
Heavies: JUSTIN DUBE, Jake Sapowsky, Bill Tack, Matt Rzewnicki, Shef Robotham, Eric Jorgensen.
2 Stroke ERNIE WHIDDEN, Roger Angers.
Boudreau, Nocella, Dance, Phillips, Viets and Charland Win
By Mark McKeon
WESTFIELD, MA Before Saturday night, Brent Marks had never laid eyes on Whip City Speedway, so the young hot shoe can be forgiven for having a little trouble locating victory lane. He needed to find the spot after a stunning upset victory in the 1200cc Mini Sprint feature, a race which had more twists and turns than Lombard Street. Wheeling the Henchcraft house car No. 1 and utilizing the services of Rick Hench as crew chief, Marks built on a less than inspiring performance in the heat and speedily set sail in the feature.
“After the heat, we tightened up the car quite a bit,” Marks said. “The track was getting looser all night and after the changes, we had a perfect set up for the feature. It let me drive wherever I needed to and it was fast.”
The green to checkers event had four lead changes. Jon Walts led the first two laps, then Mark Dupuis took over and appeared to be headed for a win until fate intervened on lap 15 of the 20 lap event. Dupuis attempted to pass the slowing car of Josh Walts on the outside, just as Walts went high to head for the pits. The ensuing kerfuffle allowed Marc Guerard and Brent Marks get by and relegated Dupuis to third, with Jon Moore inches off his back bumper. On the last lap, master traffic runner Guerard made a rare and uncharacteristic bobble and was trapped behind a lapped car, allowing Marks, who had started eighth, to grab the lead.
Marks, a 17 year old resident of Myerstown, PA who will be starting his senior year of high school in the fall, is a member in good standing of the Pennsylvania Pygmy Posse. He has numerous 600cc Micro Sprint wins to his credit and was the overall points champ of the Florida Winternationals in both 2007 and 2008, but this was only his second start in a full sized, upright Mini Sprint. In his maiden voyage on Friday with the Central New York Mini Sprints at Albany-Saratoga Speedway, Marks won his heat and was running second in the feature until he was sidelined by a sheered bolt in the steering arm.
In 270cc Mini Sprint action, Brian Boudreau claimed his second win of the year, driving the steed owned by John Richmond. Boudreau, who started eighth, took the lead from Dylan Menditto in a race where getting a good restart was a major factor.
Anthony Nocella garnered up his third 600cc Mini Sprint feature victory of the year, and his fourth heat race win. Nocella was as untouchable as Elliott Ness, leading every lap in both events.
The band played on for Peter Dance, as he picked up his second 750cc feature win of the season and won his heat as well. The high school student dedicated the win to his mother, who will be undergoing back surgery this week.
Kristen Phillips made it look easy in her third 750 Sportsman feature win of the year, by leading every lap. She held off Jack Fogarty on the initial start and two early race restarts, and a late race charge by Lowbed Johnson, last week’s feature winner. Phillips broomed the night by also winning the Sportsman heat.
The inevitable finally happened in the Modified Lite feature, as Ryan Charland picked up his first feature win of the year, to go with his 3 previous podium finishes. Charland, who is running a limited schedule, has competed in just 5 events this season but has never finished worse than fourth. This victory came in a spirited race, which saw 5 lead changes and which was slowed by only one caution flag.
Scott Viets and Tony Montesi put on a great display of driving in the Quad 4 Midget feature. Starting sixth and seventh respectively, they finished first and second. Scott Viets dedicated the win to the memory of SK Modified driver Jay Miller who died suddenly recently and to his father, Modified Hall of Fame driver Ray Miller.
270cc Mini Sprints: BRIAN BOUDREAU, Dylan Menditto, Todd Bertrand, Brayton Round III, Kevin Tefft, Mark Irving, Grant Sabo, Phil Bessette, Frank Russo, Zach Aszklar, Brian Hurd, Shayne Prucker, Seth Carlson.
600cc: ANTHONY NOCELLA, Sam Christie, Ryan Bigelow, Ricci Hirth, Brian Gray, Rich Crooker, Arthur Marrero, Jim DeCambra, Paul Bigelow, Jay Coppo, Mat Seymour, Greg Smith, Like Greenwood, Chris Lennox.
750cc: PETER DANCE, Michael Parolo, Mark Dupuis, Mike King, Joe Platt, Jay Haviland, Kyle Spencer, John Virgilio, Paul Rose, Dan Schaubert, Walt Feldman, Rob Walendy, Bill Adamsky.
750 Sportsmen: KRISTEN PHILLIPS, Lowbed Johnson, Jack Fogarty, John Missale, John Marangio, Don Nappi, Robby Spino, Charlie Pease, Nikki Oullette, Adam Miller.
1200cc: BRENT MARKS, Marc Guerard, Jon Moore, Mark Dupuis, Jon Walts, R.J. Tufano, Denny Lamke, Bib Dance, Rick E. Racer, Pat Potter, Josh Walts, Jamie Beaudry, Robert Head.
Quad 4 Midget: SCOTT VIETS, Tony Montesi. R. J. Tufano, Bethany Viets, Dan Douville, Kelly Ferrell, Vince Jacobs.
Modified Lite: RYAN CHARLAND, Bob Poloski, Joe Anselmo, Brian Peterson Brett Crowther, Ryan Nicewicz, John Durst, Tony Montesi, Rick Ashlaw, William Carter, Wayne Abair.
4 Cyl Street Stocks: ED BANACH, Jamie Beaudry, Dan D’Addario, Kyle Wayner, Stephanie Banach, Keara Ludiker, Fred Cheney, Joey Tanguay.
250 Youth Sprints: L.J. LOMBARDO, Jim Santa Maria, Wayne Ibitz, Alex Curley, Tyler Jackson, Matt Bergstrom.
Novice Karts: JAKE HIGGINSON, Corey Lemelin, Ryan Fujimoto, Dylan Irish.
Turquoise: CULLEN PIKE, Ryan Irish, Kyle Smith, Alex Blanco, Kate Lafreniere, Kaitlyn Brice, Jeffery Champagne, Michael Langevin, Alex Adamsky, Mike Hauser, Kevin Ridz.
Junior: JOSH WOOD, Makayla Lucia, Kara Franqueza, Dylan Dexter, Justin Walts, Dylan Campbell, Anna Coons, Elliott Daly, R. J. Curry.
Lites: RICHARD BLACKNER, Steve Rockwood, Scott Kalber, Will Coons, Dylan Campbell, Josh Dexter.
Heavies: JUSTIN DUBE, Jake Sapowsky, Bill Tack, Matt Rzewnicki, Shef Robotham, Eric Jorgensen.
2 Stroke ERNIE WHIDDEN, Roger Angers.