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News from Thunder Mountain Speedway
Media Contact: Brett Deyo – thundermtnspeedway@gmail.com or 845.728.2781
For Immediate Release/July 6, 2014
God Bless America: High-Flying Mike Mahaney Thrills Thunder Mountain Crowd, Bests Point Leader Brent Wilcox For $1,776 ‘Red, White & Blue Special’ Modified Win; Spoonhower (Chance & Shayne), Deinhardt, Tuttle, Garland, Votra & Forward Also Earn Independence Day Weekend Checkered Flags
CENTER LISLE, NY – A high-flying Mike Mahaney won Saturday night’s ‘Red, White & Blue Special’ big-block/small-block Modified main event at Thunder Mountain Speedway in thrilling fashion.
Mahaney, the 25-year-old second-generation driver from King Ferry, N.Y., rode the extreme outside of the three-eighths-mile clay oval to the front, securing the lead with just one circuit remaining in the 30-lap feature from current point leader Brent Wilcox, to earn his third checkered of the year at Thunder Mountain and a $1,776 payday.
Mahaney also received a guaranteed starting position in the year-end ‘King of the Mountain’ special on Sunday, Sept. 14 for his triumph. The feature had the near-capacity crowd on its feet in the final circuits.
“This place is so much fun to race,” Mahaney said after exiting his Olum’s-sponsored No. 21. “How about the track tonight? You could run top, bottom, wherever you needed to. Go home and tell your friends about the racing you saw here tonight.”
The night’s race program, which included a fireworks display, was sponsored by Greene’s ACE Home Center of Whitney Point, N.Y.
Steve Cummings led from the outset of the main event, launching off the pole position. The race’s big mover early on was Wilcox. From seventh starting spot, Wilcox raced into third at lap five, second at lap six and used the extreme low line to take command on the seventh circuit.
With green-flag conditions over the next 10 laps, Wilcox’s Tom Coar and Chris Clark No. 27 pulled out to a full straightaway edge.
A caution on lap 17 regrouped the field and brought ninth-starter Mahaney into contention. At that point, he sat third behind Wilcox and Cummings.
Mahaney’s Charlie Davis-owned car slid past Cummings for the runner-up spot on lap 18. Following a yellow on the 20th lap, a battle royal began for the lead. Methodically, Wilcox worked the inside lane while Mahaney wheeled the top. Lap after lap, the pair raced side-by-side.
Mahaney attempted a high-low maneuver, which Wilcox repelled, moments before a caution slowed the pace at lap 25.
When racing resumed, so did the wheel-to-wheel race for the lead. Wilcox’s No. 27 remained steady on the bottom as Mahaney built momentum.
A tense moment occurred on the 28th lap as Wilcox and Mahaney squeezed three-wide past a slower car on the backstretch. Mahaney split the middle and led at the line by a nose when the race’s final caution flew at lap 29.
“That was incredible racing,” Mahaney said of his race with Wilcox. “Brent Wilcox raced me with so much respect. He gave me room and raced me clean. He is so good here on the bottom, I knew I had to make the outside work.
“I was running as hard as I could out there every lap. I knew I had to hit it right and not make any mistakes.”
Mahaney held off Wilcox on the one-lap shootout to take the checkered first by a car-length. Wilcox, of Binghamton, N.Y., fell one position shy of his fourth 2014 win on the Mountain.
Brian Malcolm of Lake Ariel, Pa., was a steady third, followed by 17th-starter Chris Stull, who was making his first start of the season in the Modified division, and Ryan Jordan, the Dryden, N.Y., rookie who was shuffled back in the early laps before recovering for fifth.
Chris Jordan appeared poised to break into the win column in the Sportsman 20-lap main event. However, the right-front tire on Jordan’s No. 22J went down with two laps remaining.
On the final lap, entering turn three, Jordan’s car pushed up the speedway. An opportunistic Chance Spoonhower of Berkshire, N.Y., darted low and beat Jordan to the line for his second win of the year and first since May 10. Jordan was a disappointed runner-up. Billy Spoonhower, ninth-starter Butch Green and Colton Wilson trailed.
Shayne Spoonhower of Berkshire, N.Y., took advantage of Scott George’s misfortune on lap one and drove on to the win in the 12-lap Rookie Sportsman event.
For the fifth time this season, Steven Deinhardt of Deposit, N.Y., was the Street Stock victor. Deinhardt, racing forward from sixth starting spot, took over the lead on lap nine after an extended side-by-side race with Rich Sharpsteen. In the final laps, Sharpsteen closed on Deinhardt, but settled for second, followed by Brenton Miller, Daryl Krebs and Earl Zimmer.
Jason Tuttle of Newark Valley, N.Y., convincingly won his first IMCA-style Modified main in the 15-lap feature. He took over the lead in the early stages from Matt Jones and was never seriously challenged.
Kevin Garland of Ulster, Pa., was at the right place at the right time in Pure Stock competition. When final-lap contact sent leader Bubba Peters spinning and rival Buck Mills Jr. to the pit area, third-running Garland assumed the lead and won his first feature of the season in the 15-lap event. Point leader Michael Morse chased him to the finish.
Marathon, N.Y.’s Pat Votra dominated the 12-lap Empire Sport Truck main. Doug O’Hara, in his second start this season, chased Votra across the line.
The 15-lap Four Cylinder feature ended in dramatic fashion: with a virtual photo finish. After a review by track officials, Isaiah Forward of Bouckville, N.Y., was declared the victor by the slimmest of margins over Trevor Dudley. Forward chased down Dudley in the final laps after Dudley’s No. 2D had taken the lead in a three-wide scramble down the frontstretch on lap seven.
On the last lap, Forward, on the inside, and Dudley, working the outside, raced side-by-side to the checkered.
THUNDER THOUGHTS: The fireworks extravaganza drew a sizable crowd to the Mountain on Independence Day weekend for a quickly run show. The Modified feature was completed at 9:37 p.m. By 11 p.m., all events and the fireworks were in the books….
New York Modified veteran Dale Welty made his first Saturday appearance of the season at Thunder Mountain. Welty, of Montour Falls, N.Y., had raced into the top 10 only to be eliminated in a late tangle. Jim Mahaney also joined the field in Jim Shear’s No. 77x….
Chris Stull’s brand-new Modified, hastily labeled with the letter ‘X’ for Saturday’s program, proved potent as he marched from 17th to grab fourth at the finish….
Mahaney’s victory was his fifth of the season overall. He owns three at Thunder Mountain and one each at I-88 (N.Y.) Speedway, his Friday home, and Utica-Rome (N.Y.), where he competes on Sundays….
Heat winners were Mike Clapperton, Nick Rochinski and Ryan Jordan (Modified); Kevin Jordan and Chris Jordan (Sportsman); Scott George (Rookie Sportsman); Rich Sharpsteen and Brenton Miller (Street Stock); Matt Jones (IMCA-style Modified); Bubba Peters (Pure Stock); Pat Votra (Empire Sport Truck); and Mark Wheeler and Rick Sinsabaugh (Four Cylinder).
Two days of racing are set for Thunder Mountain Speedway July 12-13.
A complete program takes place Saturday (July 12) with Modifieds, Sportsman, Rookie Sportsman, Street Stocks, IMCA-style Modifieds, Pure Stocks, Empire Sport Trucks and Four Cylinders in action. Residents of Whitney Point with photo ID will be admitted into the grandstands for $5 through the Community Night.
Gates open at 4 p.m. with hot laps at 6:30 p.m. and racing at 7 p.m. Adult grandstand admission is $10. Seniors (65 and over) and students (ages 10-17) pay $8. Kids nine and under are FREE. Pit admission is $30, with no license required.
On Sunday (July 13), MjH Oilfield in conjunction with the Decker family presents the Wade Decker Memorial event: $5,000 to win/$250 to start for Modifieds (50 laps), $1,250 to win/$100 to start for Sportsman (40 laps) and $1,000 to win/$120 to start for Street Stocks (30 laps) plus numerous bonuses, incentives and giveaways.
Gates open at 4 p.m., with hot laps at 6:30 p.m. and racing at 7 p.m. Adult grandstand admission is $20. Seniors (65 and over) pay $18 and Students (ages 10-17) pay $15. Kids 9 and under are FREE. Pit admission is $35 with no license required. There is a rain date for Sunday’s event of Monday, July 14.
For rules, general information and a complete schedule, visit www.thundermtnspeedway.com. The speedway office number is 607.657.8202. On race day, call 607.849.7899. The speedway e-mail is thundermtnspeedway@gmail.com. “Like” Thunder Mountain Speedway on Facebook or follow @thundermtnspeed on Twitter.
Thunder Mountain Speedway is located at 91 Hunts Corners Road Center Lisle, NY 13797, approximately 25 miles north of Binghamton. The three-eighths-mile clay oval features hillside concrete seating, free parking and camping, a variety of concession items and novelties, a family environment and more.
JULY 5, 2014 GREENE’S ACE HOME CENTER QUICK RESULTS SUMMARY
Modified Feature Finish (30 Laps): MIKE MAHANEY ($1,776), Brent Wilcox, Brian Malcolm, Chris Stull, Ryan Jordan, Billy Spoonhower, Byron Worthing, Ken Titus, Chad Cook, Brent Boyer, Mike Clapperton, Roy Shields, Steve Cummings, Jim Mahaney, Nick Rochinski, Dale Welty, Greg Birosh, Joe Eisenhauer.
Sportsman Feature Finish (20 Laps): CHANCE SPOONHOWER, Chris Jordan, Billy Spoonhower, Butch Green, Colton Wilson, Scott Conover, Larry Hillis, Kevin Jordan, Pat Jordan, Marshall Balzer.
Street Stock Feature Finish (20 Laps): STEVEN DEINHARDT, Rich Sharpsteen, Brenton Miller, Daryl Krebs, Earl Zimmer, Jason Beebe, Dan Force, Tom Savercool, Ricky Davis Sr., Harold Walburn.
Did Not Start: Bob Mills, John Hoover.
Rookie Sportsman Feature Finish (12 Laps): SHAYNE SPOONHOWER, Todd Hayward, Josh Underwood, Cole Price, Scott George.
Did Not Start: Tyler Keener.
IMCA-Style Modified Feature Finish (15 Laps): JASON TUTTLE, Matt Jones, Craig Ward, Kenny Wynn, Chance Spoonhower.
Pure Stock Feature Finish (12 Laps): KEVIN GARLAND, Michael Morse, Bubba Peters, Roger Walburn, Levi Davis, Chris Bennett, Mitch Quail Jr., Buck Mills Jr.
Did Not Start: Dustin Keener.
Empire Sport Truck Feature Finish (12 Laps): PAT VOTRA, Doug O’Hara, Bob Crandall, Brandon Clapperton, Steve Argus, Mike Votra.
Four Cylinder Feature Finish (15 Laps): ISAIAH FORWAD, Trevor Dudley, Rick Sinsabaugh, Mark Wheeler, Gabe Forward, Guy Raymond Jr., Mike Taylor, Chris Taylor, Ryan Wood, Bernie Shay, Ray Oakley Sr., Mackenzie Gibson.
Did Not Start: Matt Gibson.
