2006 Press Release

August 6th, 2006
Rich Petrucco and Charlie Sharpsteen Grab First-Ever SST Mod Wins  by Carol Houssock

(Chemung, NY) It was a night packed with drama and some great racing. Rich Petrucco will represent Chemung at the North/South Shootout in Concord, NC after capturing his career-first SST Modified win. Charlie Sharpsteen garnered his first-ever asphalt win in the second SST Modified feature. Others winners included Chuck Lohmeyer (SST Super Stock), Brian Terrell (a pair of Legend wins), Jake Snell (Street Stock), Bob Curren (4 Cylinder), Jimmy Zacharias (Speedrome Junior) and Ryan Smith (USAC Ford Focus Midget).

This Saturday the track hosts the Chemung 150 that includes a 75-lap Central Division ROC Modified Tour race and a 75-lap SST Modified Tour race. The track’s other regular divisions will also be in action on what promises to be a jam-packed night of great racing action. Fans of asphalt modified racing won’t want to miss this one as the best in the business will battle it out at the beautiful 3/8-mile oval. Kids will also have a chance to win the free bicycles being donated this week by Bruce Daugherty from Rome, PA. Race time is 6 PM.

With qualifying completed the week prior, and all but 1 competitor on hand, the SST Modified feature hit the track. This one ensured the winner a guaranteed starting spot in the North/South Shootout this fall. Rich Petrucco and Gene Sharpsteen had front row starting spots, and Petrucco took off to lead the way. While running lap 3 Dan Mathews, Brian Bowen and Bobby Osgood got together and, on the restart, Paul Benard spun in the first turn. For the restart it was Al Chapman beside Petrucco and the pair pulled away from Sharpsteen and Josh Smith. Tom Zacharias brought out the 3rd caution for his spun off turn 2 and Petrucco got a good jump on Chapman. The battle for 3rd went on with some new players – Tony Hanbury, TJ Potrzebowski and John Wilber. Sharpsteen and Mathews got together coming off turn 2 with 18 laps in the book, and Petrucco again faced a challenge from Chapman. Two more cautions, for spins by Zacharias and Bowen, bunched the field together and put Hanbury and Potrzebowski right behind Petrucco. With 10 laps to go Petrucco had a comfortable lead, which he maintained over those final laps. An elated Rich Petrucco emerged from his car, having earned a career-first win. Last year’s Legends champ will represent Chemung in the fall race, an event he competed in last year. “Awesome,” he said from victory lane. Petrucco went on to thank everyone involved with his program this year. Hanbury was 2nd, followed by Potrzebowski, Chapman and Wilber. Qualifying heat win went to Hanbury, Bowen and Petrucco.

Charlie Sharpsteen and Bobby Osgood won the 2 heat races for the regularly scheduled 40-lap SST Modified feature. Sharpsteen led the way but when Josh Smith slowed on the backstretch it brought out the first caution. Two laps later Al Chapman tapped Osgood and turned him around. Both restarted at the rear. Over the next dozen laps Sharpsteen remained out front with Tom Zacharias and TJ Potrzebowski approaching. Potrzebowski passed Zacharias and was right on Sharpsteen’s bumper. Dan Mathews brought out the 3rd and 4th caution flags for two spins in turn 2. When racing resumed Potrzebowski got a run on Sharpsteen and took over the top spot. Not to be outdone, Sharpsteen fought back and reclaimed the lead a lap later. He had to survive 3 more restarts, but he was perfect on each of them. Potrzebowski tried to mount a challenge but the track’s 2004 champion had his act together and the field covered on this night. Over the final 12 laps Potrzebowski tried everything he could, but he also had to protect his spot with John Wilber right there contending. At the stripe Sharpsteen had his career-first SST Modified win at the track, and first-ever asphalt win. He joined an elated group of family and friends in victory lane, a place that had eluded him for years. Potrzebowski, Wilber, Rich Petrucco and Osgood all posted top-5 finishes.

Lee Sharpsteen’s problems continue at the Speedrome, despite winning his heat. The pole-sitter for the 25-lap SST Super Stock feature tried to come up to speed to take the green but his gas pedal broke and he had to restart at the rear following a pit stop. That put RJ Zacharias on the pole and brought Chad McDonald up to 2nd for the restart but it, too, was cut short when Bill Frisbie, Jr. and Henry Brown got together in turn 1. The 3rd attempt worked and Zacharias led the first 3 laps. Chris Daugherty, in his new car, took over the lead on the 4th lap but the race went under yellow on the next lap when Sharpsteen slowed and then retired from the race. A lap later Jeff Goodwin’s spin brought out another yellow and, on the restart, Chuck Lohmeyer was assessed a one position penalty for passing on the inside before turn 2. Daugherty led the way with Zacharias running 2nd. When Bob Ziegler spun with 7 laps remaining, Lohmeyer took his penalty. Over the remaining laps Lohmeyer got around Zacharias and was on Daugherty’s back bumper looking for an opening. He found what he needed with 2 laps remaining and he cruised to his 4th win of the season. Daugherty had to settle for 2nd, with Zacharias, Tom Cundy and Paul Johnson all in the top 5. Zacharias won their other heat race.

Post-race inspection changed the outcome of the 4 Cylinder feature and resulted in a career-first divisional win for Bob Curren. Jody Buckley and Jim Chimileski brought the field to Sam Folk’s green and Buckley held the lead on the opening lap. Jake Snell snagged the lead on the next lap and held it for 3 laps. The only caution came out when heat winners Snell and Tommy Gush, running 1 and 2 at the time, got together in turn 4. That gave the lead to Purvis, with Buckley 2nd and Curren 3rd. They stayed that way for the remainder of the race but Purvis and Buckley failed post-race inspection. Curren was declared the winner, over Gush, Snell, Dave Yehl and Chimileski.

The postponed 20-lap Legends feature got underway with Art and Matt Priscott in the front row. Art led the first lap but Matt made an inside move when Art went high in turn 4 and lap 2 belonged to the younger Priscott. He held that position but point leader Brian Terrell was on a tear and inching closer to the front. He caught the leader and made his race-winning pass on the 5th lap. While he drove away, the battle for 2nd remained intense, and M Priscott lost that spot to Zach Truesdail. As the laps went on Justin Petcosky worked the traffic and he eventually got up to 2nd. Terrell’s lead by then was too much to overcome in the caution-free race. He cruised to his 3rd win of the year, this time over Petcosky, Truesdail, Rob Brierton and Art Priscott.

Dave Polenz and Brian Terrell won the 2 heats for the regular Legends feature. Art Priscott and Ben Moore brought the 18-car field to the green and Art led the first 3 laps. Justin Petcosky, who had started 5th, made his was to 2nd and took the lead on lap 4. Terrell, who had won the first race of the night, was also on the move. By the time he got to 2nd Petcosky had built up a nice lead. Over the next 10 laps that lead got cut in half, and in half again. The caution flag came out when Matt Priscott and Addison Rogers got together in turn 4. On the restart Polenz, Rogers, Rob Brierton and Kyle Pierce had contact approaching turn 1 and the field was reset again. Terrell needed 5 laps to take the lead but did so on lap 19 and he picked up his 2nd win of the night and 4th this year. Petcosky was 2nd, followed by Zack Truesdail, Patrick Albor and Art Priscott.

Street Stock point leader Jake Snell posted his 6th win this year and padded his point lead in the process. Chuck Nichols, who won the prior week, led the first 2 laps before losing the lead to Brad Mosher for the next 2 laps. While running close Nichols reclaimed the lead on lap 5. While all this was going on Jake Snell was looking for an opening. He found one on lap 7, took the lead, and held it the rest of the way. Nichols finished 2nd with Mosher 3rd.

Jimmy Zacharias racked up his 6th win in the Speedrome Junior division. Still hobbling around with a broken foot, the injury has done nothing to erase his desire to win. Zack Curren led the field off turn 2 on the opening lap and he held on to lead that lap. Zacharias, however, went 3-wide and emerged as the leader on lap 2. Nick Robinson and Curren stayed with him until the only caution came out with 2 laps remaining. Zacharias held on and scored another win, this one over Robinson, Curren, Dusty Snell and James Laurel.

The visiting Ford Focus USAC Midgets were crowd-pleasing again this year. Their exciting 25-lap feature was a fast-paced game of leapfrog, with any one of a half dozen cars capable of pulling off the win. Jeff Abold led the first 10 laps but Mike Sboro made a nice pass to take over on lap 11. He held the lead, and held off repeated challenges to that spot. Ryan Smith, however, waited until the final lap and made a fan-appealing late pass and he won the eventual drag race down the front straightaway to take the checkers. Sboro, Nick Wean, Abold and Jon Seamens rounded out the top 5. Wean and Seamens won the 2 heats.

This Saturday the track is again holding open paid practice from 12 to 3 PM. The 7-division program, featuring the return of both the ROC Modified Tour and the SST Modified Tour, is set to get underway at 6 PM. Grandstand admission is $24 for adults, $5 for kids ages 6-14 and free for kids 5 and under. For more information consult the track’s website at http://www.chemungspeedrome.net/. Chemung Speedrome - short track racing at its best!

Results:

SST Modifieds (7/29 feature, 40 Laps) RICH PETRUCCO, Tony Hanbury, TJ Potrzebowski, Al Chapman, John Wilber, Charlie Sharpsteen, Dave Osgood, Brian Bowen, Josh Smith, Tom Zacharias, Dan Mathews, Larry Jaynes, Mike Nickles, Shane Courtright, Curtis Cowels, Gene Sharpsteen, Scott Stahl, Paul Benard (DNS: Daren Scherer)

SST Modifieds (40 Laps) CHARLIE SHARPSTEEN, TJ Potrzebowski, John Wilber, Rich Petrucco, Bobby Osgood, Tony Hanbury, Brian Bowen, Gene Sharpsteen, Josh Smith, Curtis Cowles, Larry Jaynes, Shane Courtright, Mike Nickles, Tom Zacharias, Dan Mathews, Al Chapman, Paul Benard (DNS: Scott Stahl)

SST Super Stocks (25 Laps) CHUCK LOHMEYER, Chris Daugherty, RJ Zacharias, Tom Cundy, Paul Johnson, Chad McDonald, Derrick Tarbox, Jim Frandsen, Henry Brown, Bob Ziegler, Jeff Goodwin, Dave Harbst, Bill Frisbie, Jr., Lee Sharpsteen

Legends (7/29 feature, 20 Laps) BRIAN TERRELL, Justin Petcosky, Zach Truesdail, Rob Brierton, Art Priscott, Matt Priscott, David Polenz, Jimmy Zacharias, Ben Moore, Cody Frantz, Dan Kurzejewski, Kyle Pierce (DNS: Jimmy Kostarelos, Daren Scherer, Randy Brunell, Beth Urso, Jim Mayran

Legends (20 Laps) BRIAN TERRELL, Justin Petcosky, Zach Truesdail, Patrick Albor, Art Priscott, Jimmy Zacharias, Brad Salatino, Rob Brierton, Ben Moore, Tom Mitteer II, David Polenz, Jeff Decker, Matt Priscott, Cody Frantz, Dan Kurzejewski, Kyle Pierce, Brian Chambers, Addison Rogers

Street Stocks (10 Laps) JAKE SNELL, Brad Mosher, Chuck Nichols

4 Cylinders (15 Laps) BOB CURREN, Tom Gush, Jake Snell, Dave Yehl, Jim Chimileski, Bernie Duggan, Sue Lane, A Jay Potrzebowski (DQ: Gene Purvis, Jody Buckley)

Speedrome Juniors (12 Laps) JIMMY ZACHARIAS, Nick Robinson, Zack Curren, Dusty Snell, James Laurel, Jesse Kent

USAC Ford Focus Midgets (25 Laps) RYAN SMITH, Mike Sboro, Nick Wean, Jeff Abold, Jon Seamens, PJ Sterigus, Aaron Wall, Sean Carmen, Ryan Osbourne, Jessie State, Dan Moore, Abby Martone, Jesse Hartman, Jeremy Tsihlis, Stephanie Stevens, Andy Barrows, Mike Hoffman, Ginny Quinones (DNS: Shaun Gosslin)