2007 Press Release

June 23rd, 2007
TJ ‘The Piranha’ Potrzebowski Grabs Chemung SST Modified Win #3 And Reclaims Point Lead” by Carol Houssock

(Chemung, NY) Hundreds of race fans packed Chemung Speedrome Saturday for Allstate’s Pack The Track Night. Conditions couldn’t have been better, with sunny skies, the thrill of exciting racing action, the awarding of prizes and cash, and the collection of funds for a former driver now battling cancer. Feature winners included TJ Potrzebowski (SST Modifieds), Mike Nichols (Super Stocks), Jim Chimileski (4 Cylinders), Justin Petcosky (INEX Legends), Dusty Snell (career first in Speedrome Juniors), and Eric Bostwick (Bandoleros). Adults who present their June 23rd grandstand ticket stub will receive $2 off their adult admission this Saturday night. Kids will want to be there as well for Kiddie Rides in the race cars.

“That was one of those races where you want to be out front,” TJ Potrzebowski said from victory lane. Potrzebowski was referring to the division’s sloppy and caution-filled 40-lap headline event. The Elmira, NY driver had just won his 3rd race of the year and reclaimed the point lead he lost the prior week. Dave Osgood, Tony Hanbury and John Wilber won their 10-lap qualifying races. Tom Shiner’s spin on the opening lap turned out to be an omen of things to come. The race was plagued by caution flags and, eventually, single-file restarts well before the halfway point. Jimmy Zacharias led this one early on but lost the lead and 2nd to Dave Osgood and Charlie Sharpsteen on a restart,. Rick Zacharias, JR Kent, Tony Hanbury and Potrzebowski were working the traffic and, with each restart, inching closer to the front. Hanbury, running 3rd at the time, spun on the 9th lap and John Wilber, also then in the top 5, spun on the restart. That brought Potrzebowski up to 4th and he set his sights Osgood, who was still first on the leader board. A lap 13 restart put TJ “The Piranha” behind Osgood and he capitalized on it and took over the top spot. Over the final laps Osgood, Hanbury and Wilber had their solid runs turn sour and ended up with finishes not indicative of their strength on this night. Rick Zacharias tried to stay with Potrzebowski over the final laps but Potrzebowski remained on top and took the checkered flag. R. Zacharias settled for 2nd, with Wayne Lent, Shiner and Kent all in the top 5.

Mike Nichols, point leader in the Super Stock division, was back to his winning ways and took the checkered flag in both his heat race and the 25-lap feature. Chad McDonald, who started on the pole, led the first 4 laps but when he went high coming off the 4th turn Nichols was right there to take the lead away. The race was slowed 4 times, but on each restart Nichols kept McDonald at bay. Chris Daugherty, who had won his heat, made it a 3-man race as the trio stayed together for the final 15 laps. The battle for 4th was also a good one, with Lee Sharpsteen, Chuck Lohmeyer and Derrick Tarbox running as another 3-man group for those positions. The final caution came with 6 laps remaining and Nichols never lost his focus, or his lead. He held on for his 4th feature win, this time over McDonald, Daugherty, Lohmeyer and Tarbox.

Jim Chimileski swept the 4 Cylinder action, winning both his heat and their 15-lap feature. Pole-sitter Ryan Purvis took the early lead but lost the grip coming off turn 4 and the car got sideways. As the cars scattered to avoid him, Joe Snell and point leader Jody Buckley drove hard into the front stretch wall coming off turn 4. Both drivers were ok but neither car could continue. That gave the lead to heat winner Joe Lane, who held it through the next half dozen laps and 4 caution periods. As fate would have it, the final caution came out when Lane’s son AJ spun in turn 2. The single-file restart gave Chimileski a final shot at the leader, and he made his race-winning pass when racing resumed. Chimileski scored his 2nd win this year, and was followed across the stripe by Gene Purvis, A Jay Potrzebowski, J. Lane and Phil Haner.

No one can say the INEX Legends put on a boring race at Chemung. Former track champion Justin Petcosky and Patrick Albor are in a tight championship battle. Tony Hanbury and Albor got things going by winning their respective heat races, giving Albor the point lead at the start of their 20-lap feature. Hanbury led the way first but lost the lead to Matt Priscott. The only caution came out when George Cushman spun, but Hanbury got around Priscott to reclaim the lead on the restart. Matt Kurzejewski and Petcosky were right there with the leader and Kurzejewski took over for 2 laps. Petcosky found the opening he needed and he led the way the final 6 laps to score his 4th feature win in 9 weeks. Hanbury, Kurzejewski, David Polenz and Brian Terrell all posted top-5 finishes.

A new face appeared in victory lane following the 12-lap Speedrome Juniors race. Dusty Snell started from the pole, led every lap, and held on for a career-first feature win. The race was slowed twice for cautions, the first when Fred Peters spun. He and James Lorows restarted at the rear of the field. Snell held off Zack Curren on the restart but behind them Jesse Kent and TJ Zacharias were putting on a show moving to the front. The final caution came with 4 laps remaining. Zacharias and Kent lined up behind Snell and the stage was set. Snell maintained his lead and took the checkered flag, earning a popular win. His older brother, Jake, is a former track champion in the division. Kent was 2nd, followed by Lorows, Zacharias and Curren.

The 10-lap Bandoleros feature produced the 2nd repeat winner this season. Andrew Bickford and Jason Duke, Jr. brought the field to the green but it was Eric Bostwick who powered his way around both and took the lead. It was a lead he never surrendered and for which he was never challenged. The battle in this one was for 2nd, and it was a great one between 2-time winner Ryan Polenz and point leader Matt Evans. At the stripe Bostwick had the win and Evans held on to 2nd by a wheel. Polenz finished 3rd, followed by Bickford and Mikayla Rypkema.

During intermission the race fans enjoyed a pit party and 4 kids won new bicycles donated by Jody Buckley (Buckley’s Automotive in Elmira, NY) and Chris Z’s Towing. A lucky fan from Lowman, NY won over $630 in the 50/50 drawing, and fans donated $1,565 for former racer Fred Quail. A fixture at the old Chemung Speedrome, Quail competed twice last year but is now battling lung cancer.

This Saturday the pits open at 4 PM, grandstand and practice at 5 PM, and the first race hits the track at 6:30 PM. Admission is $12 for adults, $5 for kids ages 6-14 and free for kids 5 and under. For the latest news log on to the track’s website www.chemungspeedrome.net. Chemung Speedrome and the Nascar Whelen All American Series – Short Track Racing At Its Best!

Results:

NASCAR SST Modifieds (40 Laps) TJ POTRZEBOWSKI, Rick Zacharias, Wayne Lent, Tom Shiner, JR Kent, Curtis Cowles, Mike Nickles, Dan Kurzejewski, Jimmy Zacharias, Dave Osgood, John Wilber, Tony Hanbury, Larry Jaynes, Jake Snell, Paul Johnson, Charlie Sharpsteen, Kevin VanValkenburgh, George Kent, Josh Philpott, Dan Mathews

Super Stocks (25 Laps) MIKE NICHOLS, Chad McDonald, Chris Daugherty, Chuck Lohmeyer, Derrick Tarbox, Brad Mosher, Lee Sharpsteen, Brittany Jack, Henry Brown, Tom Cundy, Jeff Goodwin

4 Cylinders (15 Laps) JIM CHIMILESKI, Gene Purvis, A Jay Potrzebowski, Joe Lane, Phil Haner, Bob Curren, AJ Lane, Ryan Purvis, Brian Ameigh, Archie Haner, Mike Nichols, Joe Snell, Jody Buckley, Ricky Peters (DNS: Charlie Garrison)

INEX Legends (20 Laps) JUSTIN PETCOSKY, Tony Hanbury, Matt Kurzejewski, David Polenz, Brian Terrell, Patrick Albor, Matt Priscott, Tom Mitteer II, Art Priscott, George Cushman, Chris Bohlman, Kyle Pierce, Shawn Benzeleski (DNS: Ben Moore)

Speedrome Juniors (12 Laps) DUSTY SNELL, Jesse Kent, James Lorows, TJ Zacharias, Zack Curren, Fred Peters, Randy Mathews, Matt Hallick

Bandoleros (10 Laps) ERIC BOSTWICK, Matt Evans, Ryan Polenz, Andrew Bickford, MiKayla Rypkema, Jason Duke, Jr