Get your New T-Shirts at Super Dirt Week! The tent in the infield will have the BRP swag... Check it out on Manufacturer's Row!

 Courtesy www.skylineracewayny.com/ - photo by Ted's Racing Photos

Skyline Raceway’s 25th anniversary celebration continued on Saturday night with Championship Night as the season long point races were decided.   In Sportsman action, Jim “Rocky” Rothwell clinched the 2012 Sportsman division championship with his sixth victory of the season.     J.J. Courcy earned his second win of the season in IMCA Modified action as Kevan Cook’s seventh place finish was enough to earn him the 2012 track championship.   Brenton Miller wrapped up the 2012 Street Stock championship with his eight win of the season.  Derrick Symonds won his first career Junkyard Dogs feature with Buck Mills Jr. having already clinched the 2012 championship.  Timothy VanDermark wan his third Junkyard Pups feature of the season while Phil Burns earned his second consecutive track championship with a runner-up finish.

The 25 lap Sportsman division feature saw Ken Hammond lead the opening circuits before Kevin Jordan charged from his seventh starting position to take over the race lead.   Jordan soon found himself under heavy pressure from Rothwell, who had charged from sixth to challenge for the lead.  The two veteran drivers put on a show for the Skyline fans as the locked up in a battle for the lead.  The battle raged for many laps as Jordan was able to hold off Rothwell.  Rothwell was finally able to make the winning pass on the 17th circuit.  Rothwell would lead the remainder of the distance to score the win.  Tom Collins Jr. also worked past Jordan late in the event to finish second.  The reason for Jordan’s slipping back in the field became apparent as Kevin was able to nurse his car home third with a rapidly deflating right rear tire.  Early leader Ken Hammond finished fourth with Jim LaRock completing the top five finishers.

For the second straight week, JJ Courcy drove to victory in the 20 lap IMCA Modified feature.  Courcy drove past early leader Bumps Scutt on the third lap and led the rest of the way to score the win.  Scutt challenged Courcy all the way but could not find a way past and settled for a runner-up finish.  Mike Wilbur scored a season best third place finis ahead of Mike Smith and Chris Fleming.  Kevan Cook’s seventh place finish earned him the 2012 track championship by a narrow margin over Smith.

In Street Stock action, Brenton Miller capped off a championship season with his eighth feature win of the season.  In an emotional victory lane, Miller dedicated his championship  season to his late father, who passed away just prior to the start of the 2012 racing season.  Miller took the lead from Jake Fowlston just prior to the halfway point and led the rest of the event to score the win over Fowlston.  Rich Green finished third ahead of Lou Gordonier and Scott Smith.

Courtesy www.modifiedtourinc.com

Skip Moore has been waiting a long time to get to victory lane, a long 9 years if you can believe that as his last win was at Tri City Speedway on May 18, 2003.  “We had all those problems on Saturday night at Sharon and didn’t run time trials, or the heat race as we were having MSD electrical failure and also spark plug failure.  Besides that we had to replace the transmission three times and were having some engine problems.  Then Sunday night our troubles continued as we broke a transmission line before the heat race and had to replace it, but we went out and won the heat and the feature.  So it turned out to be a really great night.  I want to thank my sponsors Muscle Lubricants,R & R Construction, McCool’s Signs and Graphics; Slippery Rock Sportswear, Nichols-Hepp Racing Engines, GME Steering, #1 Speed Center and Moore’s Auto Body,”said Moore.  Moore was not going to be denied on Sunday evening as he led from green to checker to pick up his second win of his career and his first Modified Tour feature event.

The seventh leg of the Modified Tour racing series was held at Eriez Speedway on Sunday night of Labor Day weekend and leading the field to the drop of the green flag by virtue of the handicapped system used by the Modified Tour, Skip Moore and Shawn Fleeger started on the pole for the event.  At the drop of the green flag, Moore gained the advantage over Fleeger and led the group of cars through the first turn.  Coming down the back stretch, Chris Haines worked his way into second with Mike Turner running third.  The trio raced this way through lap four when Kevin Hoffman started getting into the mix and passed Turner for third.  Moore was using the high side of the speedway to his advantage while Haines was applying the pressure from the bottom of the speedway.

A caution on lap 14 for Shawn Fleeger who spun in turn three grouped the field back together.  On the ensuing restart, Haines got the jump on Moore but a caution for Brad Rapp who spun in the second turn brought the group back together with Moore still the leader.  On the next restart, Moore was not to be denied the lead and got the jump over Haines.  Moore continued his charge at the front, but a caution with two laps to go for a slowing Ricky Richner who had a flat tire brought the field together for the final two laps.

On the restart, Moore and Haines were side by side coming off the turn and made slight contact about the flag stand.  The contact was just enough for Haines to slide high in turn one allowing Jeremiah Shingledecker who started in the seventh position to get by for second.  Moore held on the final two laps to pick up the feature win over Shingledecker, Haines, Rex King, Jr and Brian Weaver.  Rounding out the top ten were Eric Gabany, Kevin Hoffman, Brad Rapp, Rex King, Sr and Mike Turner.  Heat races were won by Brad Rapp, Dave Murdick and Skip Moore.

By Mike Leone - Sharon Speedway, Hartford Ohio

September 1, 2012

(Hartford, OH)…Despite thunderstorms from mid-afternoon through the night not far from Sharon Speedway, somehow it remained dry over Hartford, Ohio all but a few sprinkles during the Modified feature and a brief shower during the Stock Car feature to allow the 27th annual Russ King Memorial presented by King Bros. to be completed.

Celebrating in the Hovis Auto & Truck Supply victory lane were Steve Feder -Governor Insurance Agency BRP DIRTcar Big-Block Modified Tour, Andy Buckley-Summit Racing Equipment E-Mods, Tim Burns-Gibson Insurance Agency Stock Cars, Larry Root-HTMA/Precise Racing Products Econo Mods, and Jamie Wrightsman-Deforest Used Parts Mini Stocks.

Steve Feder has been so close to victory on multiple occasions at Lernerville Speedway, but just hasn’t been able to seal the deal. On Saturday night, Feder made just his third start of the season at Sharon, but made it count with an impressive performance passing Mike Turner then holding off a big charge by Rex King for his first career win. The 35-lap BRP Tour victory was worth $2,000 as he became the 14th different winner of the Russ King Memorial.

“I’m ecstatic,” expressed the 29-year-old Butler, Pa. racer. “This is just amazing- it’s been a long time coming. I couldn’t ask for anything more to be part of the group of guys that have won this race. I just wanted it to stay green because I didn’t think they could catch me and those restarts always scare me. I got a little nervous there that one time. That tire in turn two comes up on you quick. I knew he (King) was coming fast and was going to be the guy right there. I saw him on the board. I just had to keep on the bottom.”

With the BRP Tour’s handicap lineup system, Turner took off in the early lead with Chris Haines following. Feder started fourth and passed Eric Gabany for third on the opening lap then raced by Haines for second on lap three. Feder had the bottom working for him as he pulled alongside of Turner on lap six, but Turner had the momentum off the top to keep leading.

Meanwhile behind the battle for the lead, Joe Kubiniec was on the move. The New Yorker started sixth and passed Gabany for fourth on lap four and then drove under and by Haines for third on lap seven. Ninth and 10th starting Brad Rapp and Jeremiah Shingledecker moved into the top five on laps 9 and 10 respectively with passes of Haines.

Back up front, Feder continued to pressure Turner and finally made the winning pass stick off turn four on lap 11. As the race continued caution-free, Feder caught lapped traffic on lap 13 and then pulled away from the field. By lap 14, the battle was on for second. Rapp got by Kubiniec and then disposed of Turner for second on the 16th circuit. Kubiniec followed one lap later to reclaim third.