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Weaver
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
RE: Southern
Tier Open
CONTACT: Andrew
Harpell – fivemilepoint1@aol.com (775-5555)
BRIAN WEAVER WINS FIRST SOUTHERN TIER
OPEN SATURDAY AT FIVE MILE POINT
KIRKWOOD, NY…The 59th season of racing at Five Mile Point Speedway got
off to a tremendous start as a large crowd and 160 race teams took part in the
2009 lid lifter. When it was all said
and done 2008 Five Mile Point Speedway Modified Track Champion Brian Weaver had
recorded his first Southern Tier Open victory.
His previous best finish in this event was a third in 2007.
Kevin Bates and Bobby Trapper
led the starting field down for the 16th running of the Modified
Southern Tier Open. Trapper took the
lead from his outside starting position as Bates immediately had to contend
with pressure from Jeff Rudalavage. Two-time race winner Rich Ricci, Jr. was on
the move quickly from his fifth starting slot as he pulled ahead of Rudalavage for third place on the sixth circuit. The first caution of the race occurred on lap
12 for a spinning Rudalavage. Bates had gotten loose in turn four and Rudalavage spun while taking evasive action.
When racing resumed Ricci
powered around Trapper and in to the lead.
Trapper stayed close as now Pat Ward joined the battle for the lead with
Weaver up to forth from his eighth place starting spot. On lap 17 Trapper spun while running in
second place resulting in a caution.
Ward quickly made his bid for the lead as he moved to the outside of
Ricci. The two ran side by side for
several laps until Ward appeared to push in turn 1. He again had a problem exiting turn four and
slowed brining out the yellow. For Ward
the problem was a broken rear brake caliper ending his evening. This moved Weaver up to second place for the
lap 21 restart. Bates continued to run
in second as Billy VanPelt and Mike Bowman were
making charges toward the front.
The next ten laps would find
Weaver racing side by side with Ricci for the point and eventually he would
make the winning pass on lap 31. Weaver
would go on for the popular victory with Ricci settling for the runner-up
slot. Bates, VanPelt
and Bowman completed the top five.
Bowman making his first Five Mile Point start came from the fifteenth
starting spot for fifth. Trapper made an
impressive rally from the back on lap 17 to finish sixth. Joey Grammes, Danny
Tyler, Brent Wilcox and Rudalvage rounded out the top
ten. Eighteen of the original
twenty-three starters finished the race.
Grant Hilfiger took the lead
on lap 7 of the 20 lap Sportsman feature event and went on to record his first
ever Five Mile Point
The 20 lap Pure Stock feature
event was a thriller as the top four drivers came across the finish line all
within striking distance of the win. At
the stripe Ed McKernan held off Mike Codington by
less than a foot for the victory.
Codington held the lead from lap 9 until being passed at the
finish. Charlie Gilbert wound up
finishing in third with Butch Green and Jonathon Carpenter completing the top
five.
Mark Andrus, from
This Saturday, April 25th
will see free grandstand admission to the practice day with a donation of a
canned good or non-perishable item to benefit CHOW. The open practice will begin at 1 p.m. Racing resumes at the speedway on Saturday,
May 2nd for Little League Night and the first Modified and IMCA
Modified point races.
For more information please
phone the speedway offices at 607-775-5555 or log on to www.fivemilepointspeedway.net
for more.