jmady
06-09-2011, 03:40 PM
ROOKIE ALEC BARTHOLOMEW TAKES FIRST XCEL CHASSIS 600 MOD WIN AT “CLASH AT THE CAN”
So close yet so far seemed to be the season for Alec Bartholomew until consistent top 5’s on the modified tour and at Lindas Speedway showed the youngster hard work pays off with a trip to victory lane as he was able to hold off 29 modifieds including his best friend.
Alec will not easily forget June 7th “Clash at the Can”, promoted by Brett Deyo along with Penn Can Speedway, and what it took to get there. “We were getting so close and either it was mechanical or the wrong place at the wrong time. I know my dad John was getting frustrated and so was I but he kept plugging away and taught me to do the same and here we sit. Now everything fell into place except I wish my mom Becca and brother Jake were here. I guess we need to get a video tape of the race.”
Three heats would set the 29 car field and with only a total of two cautions it was a quick set up with Brian Mady, Butch Getz and Ryan Higgs taking heat race wins.
Young guns Richie Hitzler, 2010 Rookie of the Year, and Alec Bartholomew, 2011 Rookie of the Year contender, and best friends set the pace for a wild night of racing. Door to door and side by side can’t be beat. Jeromy Guistwite, driving the X-Cell-R-AID sponsored #00, rejoined the tour for the second time this season. First time brought a win at Lanco and tonight would bring a top three. “It’s like coming home. I’ve raced with these guys for so many years and it just gets better and so does the racing. Guistwite would do battle with Chris Stockham, Kevin Rex jr. and Nick Mady to take third in the final laps.
Meanwhile the top three put on one of the best shows of the year with some good old fashioned back and forth racing. Bartholomew had the point by a bumper the first 6 circuits of the race over Ryan Higgs. Lap 7 would see the middle grove come into play for the Flurer’s Autobody sponsored #16 of Higgs and carried his momentum for the next 12 laps. Higgs gained a spot of real estate as Richie Hitzler, driving the family owned #9, set his sights on Bartholomew. Lap #16 would see Bartholomew and Hitzler get together with Hitzler backing off just enough so has not to see both their nights end in a bad way losing a bumper length of momentum. The side by side racing had given Higgs a comfortable margin by lap #18 only to have the yellow fly setting up a green, white checkered finish.
The veteran Higgs would get the jump he needed and Hitzler and Bartholomew picking up right where they had left off.
Hitzler made a bold move coming into turns one and two and had the point briefly before Alec pulled the same move in turns three and four. Just at that time Higgs lost a tire in the middle of the turn and Hitzler had to tap the brake just enough for Bartholomew to take his first checkered flags. Alec hadn’t even gotten out of his car in tech area before his dad, John, practically jumped in with him to congratulate his son with pride that was well deserved.
“It was cool running with Alec”, stated Richie during post race tech,” I had enough momentum to hold him off coming into three but when Higgs’ tire came off, I had to tap the brakes just enough and Alec was right there. Just like Alec’s time came in I figure getting this close we gotta be due soon.”
Ryan Higgs just looked at his car and shook his head. “I thought the tire would hang on for 1 more lap. I could feel the tire just as the last yellow came out. When I started into turn three it felt no different and then it was gone coming out of four”. The two most profound words of the night were the last two words Ryan said before leaving the track. “That’s Racing”
Alec Bartholomew and the Xcel Chassis 600 modified tour division will visit Five Mile Point Speedway this Saturday June 11th. Will Ryan Higgs have redemption or will Alec be our first repeat winner?
FEATURE FINISH
ALEC BARTHOLOMEW, Richie Hitzler, Jeromy Guistwite, Nick Mady, Butch Getz, Chris Stockham, Brian Mady, Pasco Tomaino, Cody Coons, Kevin Rex Jr., Aaron Bowes, Michael Burrows, Sean Weiss, Kevin Rex Sr., Ryan Higgs, Brad French, Arielle Rodin, Mark Howanitz, Kailee Dimorier, Jon Horn, Steven Sherwood, Madison Dimorier, Paul DeRuyter, Mike Keppler, Joe Fanelli, Ryan Mohr, Cory Coons
So close yet so far seemed to be the season for Alec Bartholomew until consistent top 5’s on the modified tour and at Lindas Speedway showed the youngster hard work pays off with a trip to victory lane as he was able to hold off 29 modifieds including his best friend.
Alec will not easily forget June 7th “Clash at the Can”, promoted by Brett Deyo along with Penn Can Speedway, and what it took to get there. “We were getting so close and either it was mechanical or the wrong place at the wrong time. I know my dad John was getting frustrated and so was I but he kept plugging away and taught me to do the same and here we sit. Now everything fell into place except I wish my mom Becca and brother Jake were here. I guess we need to get a video tape of the race.”
Three heats would set the 29 car field and with only a total of two cautions it was a quick set up with Brian Mady, Butch Getz and Ryan Higgs taking heat race wins.
Young guns Richie Hitzler, 2010 Rookie of the Year, and Alec Bartholomew, 2011 Rookie of the Year contender, and best friends set the pace for a wild night of racing. Door to door and side by side can’t be beat. Jeromy Guistwite, driving the X-Cell-R-AID sponsored #00, rejoined the tour for the second time this season. First time brought a win at Lanco and tonight would bring a top three. “It’s like coming home. I’ve raced with these guys for so many years and it just gets better and so does the racing. Guistwite would do battle with Chris Stockham, Kevin Rex jr. and Nick Mady to take third in the final laps.
Meanwhile the top three put on one of the best shows of the year with some good old fashioned back and forth racing. Bartholomew had the point by a bumper the first 6 circuits of the race over Ryan Higgs. Lap 7 would see the middle grove come into play for the Flurer’s Autobody sponsored #16 of Higgs and carried his momentum for the next 12 laps. Higgs gained a spot of real estate as Richie Hitzler, driving the family owned #9, set his sights on Bartholomew. Lap #16 would see Bartholomew and Hitzler get together with Hitzler backing off just enough so has not to see both their nights end in a bad way losing a bumper length of momentum. The side by side racing had given Higgs a comfortable margin by lap #18 only to have the yellow fly setting up a green, white checkered finish.
The veteran Higgs would get the jump he needed and Hitzler and Bartholomew picking up right where they had left off.
Hitzler made a bold move coming into turns one and two and had the point briefly before Alec pulled the same move in turns three and four. Just at that time Higgs lost a tire in the middle of the turn and Hitzler had to tap the brake just enough for Bartholomew to take his first checkered flags. Alec hadn’t even gotten out of his car in tech area before his dad, John, practically jumped in with him to congratulate his son with pride that was well deserved.
“It was cool running with Alec”, stated Richie during post race tech,” I had enough momentum to hold him off coming into three but when Higgs’ tire came off, I had to tap the brakes just enough and Alec was right there. Just like Alec’s time came in I figure getting this close we gotta be due soon.”
Ryan Higgs just looked at his car and shook his head. “I thought the tire would hang on for 1 more lap. I could feel the tire just as the last yellow came out. When I started into turn three it felt no different and then it was gone coming out of four”. The two most profound words of the night were the last two words Ryan said before leaving the track. “That’s Racing”
Alec Bartholomew and the Xcel Chassis 600 modified tour division will visit Five Mile Point Speedway this Saturday June 11th. Will Ryan Higgs have redemption or will Alec be our first repeat winner?
FEATURE FINISH
ALEC BARTHOLOMEW, Richie Hitzler, Jeromy Guistwite, Nick Mady, Butch Getz, Chris Stockham, Brian Mady, Pasco Tomaino, Cody Coons, Kevin Rex Jr., Aaron Bowes, Michael Burrows, Sean Weiss, Kevin Rex Sr., Ryan Higgs, Brad French, Arielle Rodin, Mark Howanitz, Kailee Dimorier, Jon Horn, Steven Sherwood, Madison Dimorier, Paul DeRuyter, Mike Keppler, Joe Fanelli, Ryan Mohr, Cory Coons