STEWART FRIESEN WINS FEATURE NUMBER NINE.

 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

RE:  Saturday, August 28 results

Contact Information: fivemilepoint1@aol.com (775-5555)

 

STEWART FRIESEN WINS NINTH MODIFIED FEATURE VICTORY OF THE SEASON AT FIVE MILE POINT SPEEDWAY.

 

KIRKWOOD, NYIn what many observers described as possibly the best Modified feature ever run at Five Mile Point Speedway Stewart Friesen out battled Joey Colsten for his ninth feature win of the season.  The victory keeps Friesen alive in the $100,000 American Racer East Coast Modified Cup title chase.

 

The 30 lap Modified feature was one for the ages.  The feature event say five different race leaders and a whopping fifteen lead changes, several of those coming over just the final two laps.  Brent Boyer was the early race leader as he emerged from his third starting position to take over quickly.  Boyer had the top dialed in as he charged out front.  Kenny Titus quickly hustled from his seventh starting position and ran side by side for several laps with race leader Boyer.  Titus was scored the leader on lap 3 but Boyer was back out front on lap 5.  Titus re-established himself as the race leader on lap 6 only to see Boyer take the point back on lap 9.  The theme continued out front as Titus re-captured the lead on lap 10 only to see Glenn Knapp power around the outside for the outside on lap 11. 

 

The battle for fourth through tenth saw a number of drivers battling two, three and four wide for position.  Nick Rochinski ran steady in the top five as Joey Colsten began to re-emerge himself as a threat.  Colsten started fourth but jumped the cushion at the start of the race falling back to the tenth spot.  Rochinski, Colsten, Kevin Bates, Frank Yankowski, Stewart Friesen and Brian Weaver put on a tremendous battle for position during the first half of the race.

 

Boyer saw his great run come to an end with a right rear flat tire.  Boyer had been throwing the car in to the cushion and it ultimately would send him to the pits.  At the midway point Knapp continued to lead with Titus, J. Colsten, Rochinski and Bates in the top five.  Joey Colsten moved in to second on lap 16 and began to battle with Knapp for the race lead. Knapp was using the outside of the quarter mile but changed his line allowing Colsten to dart past on lap 23.  Colsten immediately went to the top as Friesen moved into second on lap 24.  The two hooked up in a tremendous battle over the final five laps exchanging the lead on several laps.  Friesen would move past for the final time on lap 29 and go on for his ninth win of the season.  Colsten finished second with Bates rallying to finish third.  Knapp had a solid fourth place finish with Titus coming home in fifth. 

 

In victory lane Friesen commented, “That was a lot of fun, he (Colsten) ran a great race and I am glad that we were able to come out on top.”  Colsten commented, “This was like a win running with the hottest driver in the northeast and passing him for the lead.  We came up a little short but learned a lot.”  Colsten in only his second season of Modified racing had dropped out three races in a row prior while running in the top five.  If Friesen wins the Season Championship this Saturday night and Grandview drivers Duane Howard and Craig VonDohren finish outside of the top three at their track he will win the overall American Racer East Coast Modified title worth $10,000.

 

The Sportsman division had another strong outing in their 20 lap feature event.  Only one caution would slow the race and the outcome will make for a remarkably close point race entering the Season Championship this Saturday.  Nick Petrilak took the lead on lap 11 from Charlie Hendrickson and would hold back a late race charge from Jeff Crambo for the victory.  For Petrilak it was his sixth victory of the season giving him the most wins in the class for 2010.  Crambo would wind up second with Justin Holland, Mike Loney and P.J. Goodwin completing the top five.  Despite having only one feature win in 2010 Justin Holland leads the points by one over Chris Wood.  Here are the top five entering the championship this Saturday (Holland 940, Wood 939, Loney 936, Petrilak 914, Crambo 878).

 

Mike Wilmot was behind the wheel of a different IMCA Modified on Saturday night and the combination worked in the 20 lap feature event.  Wilmot took the lead from Patti Simpson on lap 10 and would go on for his first victory of the season.  Scott Bennett rallied from his tenth starting spot to take second with Simpson having a great run to come home third.  Gary Roberts and Shawn Bruce completed the top five finishers.  Entering the championship this weekend here are the top five in the point race (Mike Smith 669, Scott Bennett 658, Gary Roberts 629, Howard Jones 608, Brad Weaver 597).

 

The “Kirkwood Comet” Cody Decker returned to his early season form with his victory in the 20 lap Street Stock feature event.  Decker took the lead from Charlie Gilbert on lap 2 and would lead the remainder of the way.  For Decker it was his seventh victory of the season.  Shane Wolf, Jr., Gilbert, Tyler Yeagle and Nick Nye completed the top five.  Gilbert has clinched the 2010 Track Championship entering this Saturday’s event.

 

Travis Hayes collected his first Lightning Cat Expert feature of the season on Saturday night.  Duane Kinne added to his Lightning Cat Novice win total with victory number seven of the season.  Tucker Harpell won the final Kiddie Cat event of the 2010 season.   Jason Colwell won the Best of Class division of the Kiddie Cats.

 

 

MODIFIED OFFICIAL FEATURE FINISH (30):  STEWART FRIESEN, Joey Colsten, Kevin Bates, Glenn Knapp, Ken Titus, Nick Rochinski, Bobby Puckett, Brian Weaver, Jim Gabriel Jr., Frank Yankowski, Mike Colsten, Shaun Walker, Brent Wilcox, Brian Malcolm, Carl Nagel, J.R. Hurlburt, Joe Krisovich, Tom Oleski, Gary Griffin, Brent Boyer, George Hildebrandt, Brian Puckett, Eric Palmer, Darrin Schuler, Barry White.

 

SPORTSMAN OFFICIAL FEATURE FINISH (20):  NICK PETRILAK, Jeff Crambo, Justin Holland, Mike Loney, P.J. Goodwin, Chris Wood, Charlie Hendrickson Jr., Jamie Batzel, Jeff Bronson, A.J. Lord, Mike Nagel Jr., Carl Heater, Bryan Batzel, Paul Strohl, Jack Admundsen, Brian Decker, Jerry Tonti.  DNS – Adam McGeorge.

 

STREET STOCK OFFICIAL FEATURE FINISH (20):  CODY DECKER, Shane Wolf Jr., Charlie Gilbert, Tyler Yeagle, Nick Nye, Darl Ellis, Randy Marsh, Todd Sutliff, Rob Snow, Joe Warren, Chad Sidoni, Josh Stilson, Brian Titus, Dave Stalker, Shane Wolf Sr., Mike Codington, Dave Mutz.  DNS – Harry Marvin Sr.

 

IMCA MODIFIED OFFICIAL FEATURE FINISH (20): MIKE WILMOT, Scott Bennett, Patti Simpson, Gary Roberts, Shawn Bruce, Howard Jones, Mike Smith, Charlie Gilbert, Brad Weaver, Mike Stoddard, Gary Dence, Tyler Stoddard, K.C. Cole, Jason Tuttle, Mike Owen.

 

LIGHTNING CAT EXPERT OFFICIAL FEATURE FINISH (15):  TRAVIS HAYES, Dennis Keesler, Jeff Hayes, Dave Bainbridge, Gary Kinne, Dave Simms.

 

LIGHTNING CAT NOVICE OFFICIAL FEATURE FINISH (12):  DUANE KINNE, Troy Kress, Tanner Harpell, Jerry Tunney, Dave Desmond, Jason Colwell, Jason Hewett, Mike McDaniels, Anthony Seward.

 

KIDDIE CAT OFFICIAL FEATURE FINISH:  TUCKER HARPELL, Tim Vandemark, Tommy Rought, Best of Class - Jason Colwell.