8.15.20 Genesee Speedway Results
Rich Vleck, BATAVIA, NY, (August 15, 2020)- On a night when storms and showers were present all around Genesee County and even put a 40-minute delay on action during the heat races, skies cleared enough to provide good racing on a great race surface for the seventh race of the season at Genesee Speedway.
Jimmy Johnson had a tough week after getting involved in a controversial last-lap incident of the Late Model Feature last Saturday and after getting his potent No. 39J together was able to get back in front of the pack and run away to get back in Victory Lane.
Johnson scored his fourth win of the season after passing Tim Schram on lap 10 and then checking out on the pack as the race ran uninterrupted to the checkered flag.
“This car likes winning and so do I,” declared Johnson in Victory Lane. “The car was great everywhere but there was bite down on the bottom of turn three where I could just set the car and it would stick.”
Johnson started in sixth place but quickly worked his way up to the third spot by lap two. JJ Mazur was between Johnson and leader Tim Schram and it was Mazur that first got to the leader. On lap seven, Mazur was making a pass on Schram for the lead when the caution flag reappeared, thwarting that pass. On the ensuing restart, Johnson was able to get underneath the defending champion for second and then set his sights on Schram, taking that spot away four laps later.
Once getting in front of the field, Johnson held a steady two to three second advantage over Mazur, including in lapped traffic where the No. 39J was for the final five laps. Mazur would settle for second while Dave DuBois drove up for a third place showing. Brian Kotarski came from 13th to finish in fourth while Paul Grigsby drove up to score a top five finish.
With five laps remaining in the Sportsman Feature Kyle Inman was sitting back in 8th place and seemingly out of the mix for the win, but a pair of cautions and an incredible race to the finish would see the four-time track champion get a thrilling victory.
After a lap one caution, the race ran green through to lap 20 with an incredible 3-car scramble for the lead. On lap 15, Conant ran up on a lapped car and saw Zach George and Cam Tuttle take a peak for the lead, as the trio went three-wide for the lead momentarily. When that caution flag flew on lap 20 Inman was back in eighth but a strong restart, along with a 5-car wreck a lap later would move the 20k up to third and give him new life for the win.
Inman, of Darien, passed Dave Conant coming the white flag and then cleared him on the backstretch to score his fourth win of the compressed season. Inman came to the final restart on lap 22 in third place but quickly moved to second underneath point leader Cam Tuttle and then applied pressure on “Cadillac” by running the bottom of the track. It was not so much a strategy as it was going where others were not.
“The car really wasn’t that great for most of the race,” admitted Inman after the race. “I found a little something on the top to get to third and figured that’s what I would come home in because the two guys in front were on the top but on the restart I tried the bottom and it just stuck.”
Conant would have to settle for a runner-up finish for the third race in the row while Tuttle crossed in third. Zach George would come home in fourth with Sarah Johnson rounding out the top five.
Tommy Kemp made his first race out in more than a month count as he got out in front of the Street Stock Feature and never allowed anyone to come close to him throughout the 20-lap feature en route to the victory. Kemp, of Castile, took the lead from polesitter Adam Depuy in the first set of corners and then hooked his car on the top of the track each lap with beautiful rotation to continue to build his distance to pick up his first win in over a calendar year. Depuy led a stout contingent of challengers to finish in second in just his second appearance at Genesee this season. John Zimmerman battled hard with Bill Taylor to win the battle for third while Jesse Qutermous moved up to fifth on the final lap when Josh Pangrazio broke.
Cole Susice put on a clinic in the Mini Stock Feature as he ran away and hid from the rest of the field to lead all 15 laps for his second win of the year. Susice, of Ransomville, had his car on a rail on the top of the track to drive away from Rich Conte, who was able to drive up to finish in second. Brandon Shepard ran solidly but crossed in third. Point leader Brad Whiteside was fourth while Andy Schumaker completed the top five.
Tyler Vinson’s ability to hold off Dylan Duhow in the first half of the race on a pair of occasions enabled him to pick up win the Novice Sportsman Feature. In just his second appearance in Batavia this season, Vinson was able to go back to Victory Lane for the second time in 2020. Duhow, the point leader, was able to get alongside Vinson’s No. 93 coming to a caution flag twice early in the race but came up just short and would fade over the second half of the race allowing Orval Harris, last week’s winner, to move up to second. Duhow would round out the podium.
Jake Bansmer and Brian Gregory put on a thrilling duel for the win in the Bandit Feature, with Bansmer narrowly escaping with his third win in-a-row. Bansmer, of East Aurora, led all 12 laps to win his sixth race in seven starts this season, but on multiple occasions Gregory pulled alongside the leader but was unable to complete the pass and would have to settle for second for the third race in-a-row. Greenley George won her own battle to round out the podium positions.
Racing will continue next Saturday, August 22 with six divisions in action at 6:00 p.m. For more information, visit www.Genesee-Speedway.com.
Genesee Speedway Results: 8/15/2020-
MHL Performance Night
Cornerstone Eye Associates RUSH Late Model Feature (25 Laps)- JIMMY JOHNSON, JJ Mazur, Dave DuBois, Brian Kotarski, Paul Grigsby, Doug Ricotta, Tim Schram, Billy DuBois, Austyn Fugle, TJ Downs, Greg Mrzywka, Mark Sundt, Brett Ritter, Bill Holmes, Austin Hauser, Bill Button (DNS).
Lap Leaders- Schram 1-9, Johnson 10-25.
Heat Winners- Johnson, Hauser.
Stirling Lubricants DIRTcar Sportsman Feature (25 Laps)- KYLE INMAN, Dave Conant, Cam Tuttle, Zach George, Sarah Johnson, Byron Dewitt, Kyle Richner, TJ Newton, Jordan Moden, Dan Kolb, Jim Harbison, Noah Walker, James Henry, AJ Custodi, Gordy Hermanson Jr, Ray Bliss, Clayton Cain, Dalton Martin, Garrison Krentz (DQ), Larry Vick (DNS).
Lap Leader-
Heat Winners- Harbison, Conant, Henry.
Yasses Trucking & Construction Street Stock Feature (20 Laps)- TOMMY KEMP, Adam Depuy, John Zimmerman, Bill Taylor, Jesse Qutermous, Damian Long, Brandon Sherwood, Dale Rissinger Jr., Dan Brumsted, Mike Kelly, Randy Gregory, Josh Pangrazio, Andy Eastman, Phil Schepis, Dan Schulz, Byron Dewitt.
Lap Leader- Kemp 1-20.
Heat Winners- Depuy, Sherwood.
Pellegrino Auto Sales Mini Stock Feature (15 Laps)- COLE SUSICE, Rich Conte, Brandon Shepard, Brad Whiteside, Andy Schumaker, Rocco Conte, Jessica Schleede, Larry Wise, Eric Brumsted, Chris Miller, Bailey Logsdon, Joe Bieber, Thomas Lodwick, James Gayton, Chris McGuire, Curtis Rung Jr, Olivia Coniber, Cody Wise, Robert Knapp, Dylan Strade, Jeff Wynes, Joe Kilby, Andy Gayton, Ashley Harbison (DNS), Cody Griffin (DNS), Chris Walton (DNS).
Lap Leader- Susice 1-15.
Heat Winners- Logsdon, C. Wise, Susice.
Novice Sportsman Feature (15 Laps)- TYLER VINSON, Orval Harris, Dylan Duhow, Corey Sawyer, Brandon Close, Michael McCarthy, Tim Nies, Jacob Vick, Ryan Harris (DNS).
Lap Leader- Vinson 1-15.
Heat Winner- Nies.
DML Sealing Bandits (12 Laps)- JAKE BANSMER, Brian Gregory, Greenley George, Tyler Guzzardi, Alexis Traxler.
Lap Leader- Bansmer 1-12.
Heat Winner- Bansmer.