2007 Press Release

August 25th, 2007
TJ Potrzebowski Cruises To 6th Chemung SST Modified Win

by Carol Houssock

(Chemung, NY) Mother nature caused the biggest cleanup at Chemung Speedrome Saturday night. Officials stopped the action five minutes before a fierce thunderstorm moved into the valley but, with the help of race teams, the track drying process worked and racing resumed an hour or so later. Feature winners included TJ Potrzebowski (SST Modifieds), Chris Daugherty and Mike Nichols (Super Stocks), Bob Curren (4 Cylinders), Justin Petcosky (INEX Legends), Jesse Kent (Speedrome Juniors) and Eric Bostwick (Bandoleros). Three point shows remain on the 2007 schedule, including this Saturday’s regular program beginning at 6:30 PM.

Charlie Sharpsteen, in the Larry Jaynes #01, won his heat race and started the 40-lap SST Modified feature from the pole with JR Kent beside him. As the field hit turn 1 Dean Rypkema and Tony Jilson got together and Jilson was done. Sharpsteen kept the lead on the restart while Chuck Lohmeyer took over 2nd. Jake Snell spun off turn 2, setting up a restart 5 laps into the race. TJ Potrzebowski, lined up behind Sharpsteen for the restart, passed Lohmeyer and got around Sharpsteen on the 7th lap. A lap later Snell spun again, and for this restart Kent and John Wilber were lined up behind the lead pair. Sharpsteen, in the outside lane, lost 2 spots while Kent and Tony Hanbury were on the move. Tim Gullo brought out the next caution when he spun in turn 4. Again Potrzebowski prevailed on the restart, keeping Kent and Hanbury behind him. Patti Pruett’s spin 2 two laps later set up the final restart with 27 laps remaining. At the halfway point Potrzebowski had a big lead, Kent battled Hanbury for 2nd and Wilber battled Phil Slater for 4th. Hanbury got around Kent then worked on closing the huge gap between him and the leader. Potrzebowski remained on the throttle and took the checkered flag, his 6th win of the year. Hanbury finished 2nd, followed by Kent, Slater and Wilber. Hanbury and Sharpsteen won the 2 qualifying races.

The Super Stock division addressed some unfinished business, running their 25-lap feature held over from June 2nd. Pole-sitter Lee Sharpsteen led the field off turn 2 and he held that lead for the first 3 laps. Chris Daugherty found the groove he needed and passed the leader as they worked lap 4. As the race reached the halfway point Daugherty had a comfortable lead but Sharpsteen and Rick Brown were running together for 2nd. Further back Mike Nichols, Jeff Goodwin and Tom Cundy were nose-to-tail for positions 4 through 6. Goodwin eventually prevailed but no one had anything for point leader Daugherty, who celebrated win #7 this year in a caution-free race. Sharpsteen, Brown, Goodwin and Cundy all posted top 5 finishes.

Terry Potrzebowski and heat winner Tom Cundy brought the Super Stock field to the green for their regularly scheduled 25-lap feature. The first 3 rows remained side-by-side for more than a lap, until Potrzebowski broke free and led the way. Early in this one point leader Chris Daugherty lost his motor and he retired. Mike Nichols, running 2nd to Potrzebowski, eventually got what he wanted – the lead on lap 9 – and he pulled away. Just past the halfway point Potrzebowski slowed and retired from the event, bringing Rick Brown up to 2nd and Cundy to 3rd. With 5 laps remaining the brake caliper on Jeff Goodwin’s car broke free and rolled up the track in turn 1 and he lost a couple positions. Nichols, who also won his heat, took the checkered flag with a 10 car-length lead at the stripe over Brown, Cundy, Goodwin and Lee Sharpsteen.

Bob Curren swept the 4 Cylinder action, winning both his heat race and the 15-lap feature. He started from the pole and led the opening lap but on lap 2 Carl Milks spun off turn 2 into the wet grass and put the race under caution. Phil Haner, who restarted beside Curren, prevailed on the restart and he led the next 4 laps but Curren stayed right with him. The lead went back to Curren as they worked lap 6 and he was able to put some distance between himself and Haner. Further back A Jay Potrzebowski and Gene Purvis had a battle going for 3rd. Purvis won that battle then worked on closing the gap between himself and Haner. Purvis took over 2nd but had little time to catch Curren, who had built up a nice lead. Curren celebrated win #2 this year over Purvis, Potrzebowski, Jody Buckley and Haner.

Former track champion and current INEX Legends point leader, Justin Petcosky, has been on a mission all year. His hopes for a 2nd track title remain alive and his sweep of the action Saturday night is proof. With a rare light field of cars on hand, Petcosky used his outside front row starting spot as a launch pad around pole-sitter Chris Bohlman. While Bohlman was trying to hold off Tom Mitteer II and Patrick Albor, Petcosky got further and further out front. The battle throughout most of this race was the one for position 2 through 4, as Petcosky was way out in front. Ben Moore and George Cushman got together coming off turn 4 and Moore tagged the outside wall at the start/finish line. That was the only caution period and it set up a green/white/checkered finish and Albor’s only shot at taking the lead. Petcosky would have no part of that, and he maintained the lead over those 2 laps and picked up his division-leading 6th feature win. Albor, who had won the last 2 weeks in a row, finished a strong 2nd. Bohlman, Mitteer and Kyle Pierce rounded out the top 5.

In Speedrome Juniors action Dusty Snell and James Lorows got together on the opening lap, giving the top spot to point leader Jesse Kent for the restart. He led and began to pull away, leaving behind a battle for 2nd involving Fred Peters, Zack Curren and Lorows. Over the final 6 laps Lorows got up to 3rd then 2nd but little time remained. Kent was unchallenged in this one, and he celebrated his 7th feature win in what has been a super year for the 3rd generation driver. Lorows crossed the stripe in 2nd, followed by Peters, Randy Mathews and TJ Zacharias.

Eric Bostwick got around pole-sitter Mikayla Rypkema to lead the way in the Bandolero feature. Three laps into the 10-lap feature Tylor Rypkema went hard into the turn 4 foam, putting the race under red until it was determined he was ok. Bostwick held off Andrew Bickford on that restart, and Matt Evans on a later restart, keeping the pair behind him as the race went on. Bostwick picked up his 4th win, over Bickford, Evans, Ryan Polenz and M. Rypkema.

This Saturday’s schedule includes a full program of Nascar SST Modifieds, Super Stocks, 4 Cylinders, INEX Legends, Speedrome Juniors and the Bandoleros. For the latest news and information go to the track’s website www.chemungspeedrome.net. Pits open at 4 PM, grandstand gates open at 5 PM, regular practice gets underway at 5, and racing begins at 6:30 PM. Admission is $12 for adults, $5 for kids ages 6-14, and always free to kids 5 and under. Chemung Speedrome and the Nascar Whelen All American Series – Short Track Racing At Its Best!

Results:
Nascar SST Modifieds (40 Laps) TJ POTRZEBOWSKI, Tony Hanbury, JR Kent, Phil Slater, John Wilber, Charlie Sharpsteen, Josh Philpott, Tim Gullo, Chuck Lohmeyer, Paul Johnson, Patti Pruitt, Dean Rypkema, Jake Snell, Tony Jilson

Super Stocks (from June 2nd, 25 Laps) CHRIS DAUGHERTY, Lee Sharpsteen, Henry Brown, Jeff Goodwin, Tom Cundy, Mike Nichols, Brittany Jack, Chad McDonald (DNS), Brad Mosher (DNS)

Super Stocks (25 Laps) MIKE NICHOLS, Henry Brown, Tom Cundy, Jeff Goodwin, Lee Sharpsteen, Brittany Jack, Dylan Terry, Terry Potrzebowski, Chris Daugherty, Bob Ziegler (DNS)

4 Cylinders (15 Laps) BOB CURREN, Gene Purvis, A Jay Potrzebowski, Jody Buckley, Phil Haner, Joe Snell, Ricky Peters, Ryan Purvis, Carl Milks, Randy Mathews, Sr. (DNS), Brittany Zacharias (DNS), AJ Lane (DNS), Mike Nichols (DNS)

INEX Legends (20 Laps) JUSTIN PETCOSKY, Patrick Albor, Chris Bohlman, Tom Mitteer II, Kyle Pierce, George Cushman, Ben Moore, Art Priscott, Brian Terrell, Brad Salatino (DNS)

Speedrome Juniors (12 Laps) JESSE KENT, James Lorows, Fred Peters, Randy Mathews, TJ Zacharias, Dusty Snell, Mike Ferris, Zack Curren

Bandoleros (10 Laps) ERIC BOSTWICK, Andrew Bickford, Matt Evans, Ryan Polenz, Mikayla Rypkema, Matt Hallick, Joey Shaw, Jr., Tylor Rypkema