racersax
09-14-2008, 04:39 PM
SPEEDWAY BACK IN ACTION WITH WINNERS POLLARD, THOMAS, WILLS, AND ANDREAS
With the Speedway dark for the past two weeks, this week’s Airport competitors got down to the task of trying to improve their point totals before going into the final three weeks of the season. Two classes, the 125’s and the 600’s have the closest competition for Championships. The night’s races were billed as the Jim Borthwick Memorial Races and dedicated to the memory of former member and multi-champion, Jim Borthwick, Sr. Commemorating plaques went to the night's winners.
The 125 class had excitement written all over the 25 laps right from the start. Phil Durham and Lee Reinhardt occupied the front row as the green flag waved. Durham, Reinhardt and Brittany Whitesall sailed off toward turn 1 nearly bumper to bumper. Whitesall slipped past Reinhardt during the second circuit and set her sights on Durham. A couple of laps later, Jim Pollard who started 8th, joined the fray passing Reinhardt and taking over the third spot. Meanwhile, Whitesall disposed of Durham to claim #1. Pollard closed in on Whitesall’s #77 and pressured the front runner taking the spot away on lap 17. As the laps began to wind down, Durham found extra speed from his #32 machine and began to close on Pollard. On the 23rd circuit, Durham slipped by. However, on the next round, it was Pollard’s turn to regain the #1 spot and take the win as the two, along with Whitesall, Reinhardt and Braxton sped under Al Funari’s checkered flags. Note: Going into the night’s contest, Phil Durham held a 48 point lead over Shane Braxton who finished fifth.
Jeffrey Wills picked up his first Airport 250 Stock win coming from his 4th starting spot to take over and hold the #1 spot from lap 5. Jim Garrison III and Phil Durham were 1-2 at the green flag with Wills in for third. Alex Swift and Cameron Bellinger tangled in turn 2 for the first yellow flag display. On the restart, Wills put plenty of pressure on Garrison finally making the pass on the fifth circuit. Wills then opened up a comfortable lead grabbing his “no doubt about it” first win. Durham, Garrison, Elwell and Bellinger rounded out the top 5. No DNF’s were recorded in this class.
Jerry Allen held the pole for the 600 feature. Luke Thomas quickly moved into second followed by Bob DeVault and point leader Bryan Radcliff. Radcliff’s machine, however, developed mechanical problems and was a DNF on lap 10. Thomas took the lead from Allen on lap 4 and began to put distance on the field turning laps in the low 10 seconds. Several yellow flags slowed the procedure and bunched the field on the restarts. Thomas, however, had no trouble holding onto the lead on the restarts and putting his Thomas Family Farms racer in Victory Lane. Angelo Mercado powered his familiar #3 into the third spot behind DeVault while Stewart Carmichael skillfully worked his #9 machine from 14th to 4th. It should be noted that Bryan Radcliff held a 76 point lead over Luke Thomas at the start of the night’s event. With Radcliff’s DNF, the totals for next week will no doubt change a bit for this class.
The 270 feature had Ken Andreas picking up his 8th win of the season holding off all challengers wire to wire. His only close call came on lap 16. While making his way thru lapped traffic, a miscue by Stefanie Palmai squeezed the leader against the frontstretch wall. Andreas recovered quickly and cruised to another victory in his blue #90 machine. A fine performance was turned in by Drew Boyce putting the #35 in the runner-up spot at the checkers, but with no chance of catching the speedy Andreas. Bill Murphy who started alongside Andreas held on for third.
A new face smiled in the winner’s circle of the Junior class. Ricky Dieva went green to checker with Kelli Matherly in tow thru their 20 lapper. It was Ricky’s first win. Several yellow flags slowed the event. Tyler Tank performed a series of wild somersaults out of turn 4 on lap 18 bringing out the red flag and sidelining the #11 and with no personal injuries. Kelli Matherly finished second with 250cc power while Tim Colbert victoried with 125 power.
600cc finish: LUKE THOMAS, Bob DeVault, Angelo Mercado, Stewart Carmichael, Bill Thomas, Jerry Allen, Jack Conover, Jon Holmquist Jr., Bryant Davis, Jim Garrison, Ed Wilberg Sr. DNF: Cameron Bellinger, Lou Onimus, Katie Wills, Bryan Radcliff, Gregg Cable. DNS: Glenn Heverin, Michael Zebley.
270cc finish: KEN ANDREAS, Drew Boyce, Bill Murphy, Todd Elwell, Eddie Wagner, Dalton Keller, Sam LaMothe, Ryan Wozunk, Kelsey Johnson, Roland Saxton Jr., Jonathan Mandato, Earl Owens. DNF: Gage Green, Elbert Melvin, Kyle Melvin, Stefanie Palmai, Ron Weir, Robert Dungan. DNS: Evan Bowlsbey
250cc Stock: JEFFREY WILLS, Phil Durham, Jim Garrison III, Todd Elwell, Cameron Bellinger, Barry Pollard, Lew Schwander, Alex Swift, Ava Mercado, Rebecca LaMothe.
125cc finish: JIM POLLARD, Phil Durham, Brittany Whitesall, Lee Reinhardt, Shane Braxton, Brian Kostiak, Evan Krautwald, Heather Colbert, Hannah Schrom, Dana Watkins, Stephanie Wright, Mike Lucas, Justin DeLong. DNF: Corissa Matherly DNS: Steve Wright
Juniors finish: RICKY DIEVA, Kelli Matherly, Tim Colbert, Glenn Frye Jr., Tyler Castle, Zoe Matis, Nandi Palmai, Kyle Newkirk, Erin DeLong. DNF: Tyler Tank, Shelby Garrison. DNS: Joe Stewart
[END]
Sax Wyatt
With the Speedway dark for the past two weeks, this week’s Airport competitors got down to the task of trying to improve their point totals before going into the final three weeks of the season. Two classes, the 125’s and the 600’s have the closest competition for Championships. The night’s races were billed as the Jim Borthwick Memorial Races and dedicated to the memory of former member and multi-champion, Jim Borthwick, Sr. Commemorating plaques went to the night's winners.
The 125 class had excitement written all over the 25 laps right from the start. Phil Durham and Lee Reinhardt occupied the front row as the green flag waved. Durham, Reinhardt and Brittany Whitesall sailed off toward turn 1 nearly bumper to bumper. Whitesall slipped past Reinhardt during the second circuit and set her sights on Durham. A couple of laps later, Jim Pollard who started 8th, joined the fray passing Reinhardt and taking over the third spot. Meanwhile, Whitesall disposed of Durham to claim #1. Pollard closed in on Whitesall’s #77 and pressured the front runner taking the spot away on lap 17. As the laps began to wind down, Durham found extra speed from his #32 machine and began to close on Pollard. On the 23rd circuit, Durham slipped by. However, on the next round, it was Pollard’s turn to regain the #1 spot and take the win as the two, along with Whitesall, Reinhardt and Braxton sped under Al Funari’s checkered flags. Note: Going into the night’s contest, Phil Durham held a 48 point lead over Shane Braxton who finished fifth.
Jeffrey Wills picked up his first Airport 250 Stock win coming from his 4th starting spot to take over and hold the #1 spot from lap 5. Jim Garrison III and Phil Durham were 1-2 at the green flag with Wills in for third. Alex Swift and Cameron Bellinger tangled in turn 2 for the first yellow flag display. On the restart, Wills put plenty of pressure on Garrison finally making the pass on the fifth circuit. Wills then opened up a comfortable lead grabbing his “no doubt about it” first win. Durham, Garrison, Elwell and Bellinger rounded out the top 5. No DNF’s were recorded in this class.
Jerry Allen held the pole for the 600 feature. Luke Thomas quickly moved into second followed by Bob DeVault and point leader Bryan Radcliff. Radcliff’s machine, however, developed mechanical problems and was a DNF on lap 10. Thomas took the lead from Allen on lap 4 and began to put distance on the field turning laps in the low 10 seconds. Several yellow flags slowed the procedure and bunched the field on the restarts. Thomas, however, had no trouble holding onto the lead on the restarts and putting his Thomas Family Farms racer in Victory Lane. Angelo Mercado powered his familiar #3 into the third spot behind DeVault while Stewart Carmichael skillfully worked his #9 machine from 14th to 4th. It should be noted that Bryan Radcliff held a 76 point lead over Luke Thomas at the start of the night’s event. With Radcliff’s DNF, the totals for next week will no doubt change a bit for this class.
The 270 feature had Ken Andreas picking up his 8th win of the season holding off all challengers wire to wire. His only close call came on lap 16. While making his way thru lapped traffic, a miscue by Stefanie Palmai squeezed the leader against the frontstretch wall. Andreas recovered quickly and cruised to another victory in his blue #90 machine. A fine performance was turned in by Drew Boyce putting the #35 in the runner-up spot at the checkers, but with no chance of catching the speedy Andreas. Bill Murphy who started alongside Andreas held on for third.
A new face smiled in the winner’s circle of the Junior class. Ricky Dieva went green to checker with Kelli Matherly in tow thru their 20 lapper. It was Ricky’s first win. Several yellow flags slowed the event. Tyler Tank performed a series of wild somersaults out of turn 4 on lap 18 bringing out the red flag and sidelining the #11 and with no personal injuries. Kelli Matherly finished second with 250cc power while Tim Colbert victoried with 125 power.
600cc finish: LUKE THOMAS, Bob DeVault, Angelo Mercado, Stewart Carmichael, Bill Thomas, Jerry Allen, Jack Conover, Jon Holmquist Jr., Bryant Davis, Jim Garrison, Ed Wilberg Sr. DNF: Cameron Bellinger, Lou Onimus, Katie Wills, Bryan Radcliff, Gregg Cable. DNS: Glenn Heverin, Michael Zebley.
270cc finish: KEN ANDREAS, Drew Boyce, Bill Murphy, Todd Elwell, Eddie Wagner, Dalton Keller, Sam LaMothe, Ryan Wozunk, Kelsey Johnson, Roland Saxton Jr., Jonathan Mandato, Earl Owens. DNF: Gage Green, Elbert Melvin, Kyle Melvin, Stefanie Palmai, Ron Weir, Robert Dungan. DNS: Evan Bowlsbey
250cc Stock: JEFFREY WILLS, Phil Durham, Jim Garrison III, Todd Elwell, Cameron Bellinger, Barry Pollard, Lew Schwander, Alex Swift, Ava Mercado, Rebecca LaMothe.
125cc finish: JIM POLLARD, Phil Durham, Brittany Whitesall, Lee Reinhardt, Shane Braxton, Brian Kostiak, Evan Krautwald, Heather Colbert, Hannah Schrom, Dana Watkins, Stephanie Wright, Mike Lucas, Justin DeLong. DNF: Corissa Matherly DNS: Steve Wright
Juniors finish: RICKY DIEVA, Kelli Matherly, Tim Colbert, Glenn Frye Jr., Tyler Castle, Zoe Matis, Nandi Palmai, Kyle Newkirk, Erin DeLong. DNF: Tyler Tank, Shelby Garrison. DNS: Joe Stewart
[END]
Sax Wyatt