Chad Homan Pulls Late-Race Move to Win while Cameron Tuttle Stays Hot at Genesee
Rich Vleck, BATAVIA, NY, (August 28, 2021)- Chad Homan lost the lead in the Late Model Feature on a lap five restart when he selected the inferior bottle line for the restart. After struggling to get back by Bill Holmes throughout the feature and seemingly being out of options, Homan went for it all and ended up pulling off one of the best moves of the season.
On a hot and steamy night at the Genesee Speedway, Chad Homan, of Macedon, rim rode around the outside Bill Holmes on a lap 21 restart to reclaim the lead and set sail for his first win at Genesee in just his second start in Batavia in 2021.
“I put a hard tire on this car and kept trying to pass (Holmes) on the bottom but there just wasn’t the right move,” recalled Homan after the feature. “There was a restart that got called back and he had moved down to block my dive down so under that yellow I kept working the top to keep heat in the right rear tire and I noticed that the top might have some rubber. I knew it was going to surprise him and when I went in there was a little bit of a curb on the top (of turn 1) and I hit it just right which set my cart on the right path and it just took off.”
The 25-lap feature was mired by cautions, but it also gave Homan a number of looks at how to move by on the restarts. The Fulton Speedway point leader utilized his off-night from that track to visit Genesee in preparation for the Topless Nationals next month and found himself thrashing on his No. 91 to find speed.
“Whatever worked here in 2019 does not work now,” he declared. “We were off in the heat so we got on the phone with Lazer (Chassis) and made the most changes on the car I’ve made in six years and it worked.”
As Homan was running off to the win, Bill Holmes had his hands full to hold off a hard-charging Doug Ricotta for second. The runner-up finish was good enough to secure Holmes his first career Genesee Track Championship. Ricotta’s third-place effort was his second-straight podium finish. Dave DuBois and Paul Grigsby recorded solid top five finishes.
Cameron Tuttle had a dominant performance to capture his fifth Sportsman Feature win of 2021 and put himself in a strong position to repeat for the track championship next weekend. Tuttle, of Wilson, took the lead from Jim Harbison on the race’s only restart on lap 11 by using the bottom line and then got back to the top of the track and never looked back.
“We’re on a pretty good roll right now,” stated Tuttle in Victory Lane, reflecting on his second-straight Genesee win as well as his second win of the weekend. “The track had a lot of bite on the bottom and we were good down there.”
The race was filled with side-by-side racing throughout the event with Jim Harbison able to hold on for a strong second-place showing. Noah Walker ran up from sixth to finish in third, just in front of Dave Conant. Ray Bliss held off Phil Vigneri III to round out the top five.
Dan Schulz utilized a strong starting spot of fourth in the Street Stock Feature to jump out in front early and stay there as he led the final 19 laps to score his first feature win of the year. Schulz, from Newfane, became the eighth different winner in the division in 2021. Chuck Mogavero led the opening circuit from the outside pole but after a lap 2 restart Schulz was able to drive underneath the No. 21m and drive out in front. The race got off to a slow start with a few cautions, including Kenny Begnouche flipping his No. 44m down the backstretch. He was able to climb out of the car on his own. Once green flag laps were run, there was great racing throughout the pack but the unsponsored No. 66 was supreme and held a steady lead all the way to the end. Point leader Bill Taylor had a strong run coming from the eighth starting position to take the runner-up position on lap eight but as good as he was on the bottom, Schulz was even better. Taylor would hold off Brandon Sherwood for second, who he is battling with for the championship heading in to the championship race next week. John Zimmerman and Damian Long would drive up to round out the top five.
Rich Conte had not been able to touch his race car all week until Saturday Morning but he was able to be in position on a lap 12 restart to drive in front of Cole Susice and run off to his first Mini Stock Feature win of the year. Conte was not only happy to capture his first Genesee win since June of 2020, it was the first race he had finished in 2021 in his No. 717. The top line was the dominant groove early in the 15-lap feature, with Susice pacing the field in front of Don Whiteside and Conte. Coming to complete lap 11, Conte got underneath Whiteside and the two made contact down the frontstretch, when they became unhinged Whiteside barrel-rolled wildly off of turn 1 but was uninjured. On the ensuing restart, Conte came to life from the second spot and jumped in front of Susice and never looked back to become the eighth different driver to win in the division this season. Susice would hold off Andrew Gayton for second, while Brad Whiteside ran up to fourth to put himself in good position heading in to championship night. Bill Weller Jr. rounded out the top five.
Jake Bansmer used patience, along with a great run off the bottom of the track to drive up to the lead in front of Andrew Joy and go on to win his 11th Novice Sportsman Feature Win of the season, securing the division championship along the way. A night after his car got injured and put his ability to race tonight in jeopardy, Bansmer, of East Aurora, started in the fourth position but ran up to take the lead away on lap nine after Andrew Joy fought hard to hang in front but would have to settle for his fifth runner-up finish in the last six starts. Tyler Guzzardi won his heat and ran to a third-place finish.
Seth Johnson utilized a restart on lap eight to drive by Alexis Traxler and hold her off over the final five laps to win the Bandit Feature. Johnson, of Castile, had chased down Traxler from the seventh starting position before the race’s only caution then quickly took the lead on the restart for his third win of the year. Traxler was able to hold on to second, which helped her lock up the division title for 2021. Ian Paul drove up from the back of the pack to round out the podium.
The 2021 point season will round out next Saturday Night at Dale Valley Diecast presents Championship Night next Saturday, September 4. Start time will once again be 6:00 p.m. For more information, visit www.Genesee-Speedway.com.
Genesee Speedway Results: 8/28/2021-
Royal T Trucking Night
Cornerstone Eye Associates RUSH Late Model Feature (25 Laps)- CHAD HOMAN, Bill Holmes, Doug Ricotta, Dave DuBois, Paul Grigsby, Jon Rivers, Brian Kotarski, Billy DuBois, Bill Button, Jimmy Johnson, David Stolzenberg, Austin Hauser, Beamer Guzzardi, TJ Downs, Mark Sundt (DNS).
Lap Leaders- Homan 1-4, Holmes 5-20, Homan 21-25.
Heat Winners- Ricotta, Hauser.
Stirling Lubricants DIRTcar Sportsman Feature (25 Laps)- CAMERON TUTTLE, Jim Harbison, Noah Walker, Dave Conant, Ray Bliss, Phil Vigneri III, Tim Nies, Byron Dewitt, Brandon Michaud, Kyle Richner, Jessica Kriegisch, Tony Velez, Michael McCarthy, Greg Mrzywka, Larry Vick.
Lap Leader- Harbison 1-10, Tuttle 11-25.
Heat Winners- Harbison, Walker.
Yasses Trucking & Construction Street Stock Feature (20 Laps)- DAN SCHULZ, Bill Taylor, Brandon Sherwood, John Zimmerman, Damian Long, Tommy Kemp, Chuck Mogavero, Shawn Hazlett, Ted Mascho, Zach Walsh, Dale Rissinger Jr., Mike Kelly, Bobby Lippa Jr., Joe Chamberlain, Phil Schepis, Jacob Vick, Steve Austin, Kenny Begnouche.
Lap Leaders- Mogavero 1, Schulz 2-20.
Heat Winners- Taylor, Long.
Pellegrino Auto Sales Mini Stock Feature (15 Laps)- RICH CONTE, Cole Susice, Andrew Gayton, Brad Whiteside, Bill Weller Jr., James Gayton, Brian Johnson, Ashley Harbison, Olivia Coniber, Andy Schumaker, Matt Tracey, Robert Knapp II, Don Whiteside, Gary Hopkins, Thomas Lodwick (DNS).
Lap Leaders- Susice 1-12, Conte 13-15.
Heat Winners- Susice, Weller Jr.
Champion Racing Oil Novice Sportsman Feature (15 Laps)- JAKE BANSMER, Andrew Joy, Tyler Guzzardi, Allison Dewitt, Nate Rhiner, John Livingston Jr., Bailey Logsdon, Jericho Gurney.
Lap Leaders- Joy 1-8, Bansmer 9-15.
Heat Winner- Guzzardi.
DML Sealing Bandits (12 Laps)- SETH JOHNSON, Alexis Traxler, Ian Paul, Nick Lipome, Morgan Coniber, Jonathan Logsdon, Grayson Harding, Joey Swick.
Lap Leaders- Traxler 1-7, Johnson 8-12.