Ryan Susice Dominates Modified Shootout; Dale Schweikart takes Empire State Series checkers
Rich Vleck, DUNDEE, NY, (October 20, 2012)- Ryan Susice had two wins this season, but still he felt he had left a lot on the table this season, but that all changed with a dominating performance in the 25-Lap Big Block/Small Block Modified Shootout.
“This one is real special for us,” declared Susice. “This is a dream come true.”
Sucise, of Ransomville, started third on the grid after winning his heat race, but was a factor from the beginning, taking the lead from polesitter Dale Welty on lap four. But on a lap eight restart, Bob Henry Jr. drove around him on the outside and drove away; slowly but surely though, Sucise began to track him back down.
“We were waiting for the tire to come in,” added Susice. “The tire was coming in late in the race, so it was just a matter of hitting your marks because you had to be on the bottom in turns three and four.”
On lap 16, as Henry caught the tail end of the field, Sucise began to reel him back in, but would take back the lead in an instant when Henry got pinned behind a lapped car; two laps later, Henry and frontrunner Alan Barker got caught up in a jingle and totally changed the complexion of the event.
Alan Johnson, the winner of this event last year, would inherit second place and appeared to be poised to repeat but Susice got stronger as the race went along and would cruise to the win. “AJ Slideways” was pleased with his second-place effort, setting him up for November’s $6,000-to-win Empire Finale, an event that Susice, along with seventh-place Billy VanPelt now have guaranteed starting spots for.
Chris Hile, who charged early from 13th to 3rd lost that final podium spot late in the race when Brady Fultz soared around him on the outside, but the Syracuse, NY driver stayed steady on the bottom and got back by him to finish third. Fultz would settle for an impressive fourth place effort while Ray Bliss rounded out the top five.
Boyd MacTavish has perennially been a visitor to the Finger Lakes each October, but for the first time he got out in front and kept it up there, as he dominated the Crate Sportsman Feature.
MacTavish, of St. Catherines, Ontario, started in third but had the lead by the time the first lap was completed and never looked back in a race that was slowed heavily by cautions.
“I knew I wanted to get up to the front early so started up there helped for sure,” noted the MacTavish in Victory Lane in front of Jim Johnstone’s No. 21JJ.
The race was shortened to 26 laps, which did not make much of a difference for MacTavish, as he held a steady lead over fellow Ransomville regular Greg Martin, who would cross for second. Brad Rouse, another Niagara Frontier driver, drove up to finish third, while fellow Canadian George Bosse was fourth. Rounding out the top five was BRS regular Fran Hilton.
Dale Schweikart was the dominant force in the World Products IMCA Modified Empire State Series, leading the entire 25-lap feature for his second series race of the year.
Schweikart, of Linden, PA, took command from the pole position and never looked back, holding a healthy advantage over Dan Searles, who crossed in second. Series point leader Eddie Sites drove up to third while George Fultz held off a hard-charging Ryan Scott for fourth.
The long day of racing ended on a strange note as Chad Ayers and Jayson Smart, two BRS regulars who were going for their first wins, came together going in to the final set of corners. Smart took the lead on lap 18 but handed it back to Ayers coming to the white flag. Smart tried to get the top spot back but got in to the back of the No. 9A, which allowed Bill Werner to score the surprise victory. Jason Gleason, Russ Wassner, Cody Baker and James Werner completed the top five.
There still is one more race left on the BRS schedule this season, coming in two weeks for the Empire Finale featuring a $6,000-to-win Modified event and the $10,000-to-win Big One Enduro. For more information visit www.BlackRockSpeedway.com.
Black Rock Speedway Results: 10/20/2012-
Dutch Hoag National Open
Modified Feature (25 Laps)- RYAN SUSICE, Alan Johnson, Chris Hile, Brady Fultz, Ray Bliss, Joe August Jr., Billy Van Pelt, Chad Homan, Donnie Lawson, Alan Barker, Ken Titus, Fran Hilton, Chris Daugherty, Scott Boudinot, Ron White, Dale Welty, Joe Dgien, Bob Henry Jr., Ron Cartwright Jr., Mike Bills, Chris Daugherty, Eric Fisher, Dave DuBois, Mike O’Brien.
Lap Leaders- Welty 1-3, Susice 4-7, Henry 8-15, Susice 16-25.
Heat Winners- Bliss, Fultz, Susice, Fisher
Consolation Winners- Hilton, Boudinot
Did Not Qualify: Steve Babicek, Dave Allen, Zack VanNordstrand, Eldon Payne Jr., Jim LaRock, Terry Knoblock, Marcus Dinkins, Jim Johnson, Eric Williams, Chris Clark, Lee Bills, Lance Willix, Chris Ostrowsky, Brian Swarthout, Don Slover, Tommy Flannigan, Daryl Hilkert, Randy Brokaw, Greg Birosh, John Venuto, Ross Vleck, Jim Walsh.
Crate Sportsman Feature (26 Laps)- BOYD MacTAVISH, Greg Martin, Brad Rouse, George Bosse, Fran Hilton, Josh Nobriga, Earl Rudy, A.J. Lloyd, Rod Mullen, Phil Vigneri, Chris Daugherty, Ricky Newton, Ray Bliss, Donnie Lawson, Ross Vleck, Dale Welty, Chris Silvers, Loren Lincoln, Josh Livingston, Nicole Hoag, Rob Humphreys, Brett Buono, Bob Buono, Scott Waters.
Lap Leader- MacTavish 1-26.
Heat Winners- Martin, Humphreys, Daugherty, Vigneri.
Consolation Winners- Rudy, Bliss.
Did Not Qualify: Jason Simmons, Chris Hulsizer, Ben Wheeler, John Hargrave, Brent Ayers, Josh Livingston, Craig Gardner, Jim Spano, Rich Riggs, Frank Kline, Chris Brokway, Brandon Butler, Tim Schneider, Chris Mangerelli, Doug Smith, Jeff Hunter, Ryan Tracy.
World Products IMCA Modified Empire Series Feature (25 Laps)- DALE SCHWEIKART, Dan Searles, Eddie Sites, George Fultz, Ryan Scott, Harry Ely, Chris Fleming, JJ Courcy, Rich Karlnoski, Ray McClure, Scott Sebring, Tanner Harpell, Jason Tuttle, Nick Griest, Dave Yehl, Brad Sites, Rob Wilcox, Mike Stoddard, Tyler Stoddard, Jared Spaulding, Robert Compton, Shawn Bruce, Matt Roberts, Gary Roberts.
Lap Leaders- Schweikart 1-25.
Heat Winner-Spalding, Sites, Karlnoski, Fultz.
Consolation Winner: McClure
