ELBRIDGE, N.Y. – Curt Michael has been a dominate force in 2008 with the United Racing Company. The driver from Ocean View, Del., captured his fifth consecutive series title and his sixth overall. On Saturday night he added to record books.
Michael took the win in the 25-lap Sprint Car Challenge event at the Rolling Wheels Raceway for the first time in his storied career.
The win paid him $3,000 and it was his fourth URC win for car owner Bill Gallagher during the 2008 racing season.
“I’ve always wanted to win this race and Bully Hill,” commented Michael. “Anytime you can win a race with 76-cars there, no matter what race it is it’s impressive. This is a great way to end the year.”
Michael, driving a Don Ott powered Maxim, won his heat race event and started the feature from the inside of the fourth row. He made steady moves in the race to make his way up through the field. By lap 10 he moved into second behind race leader, Trevor Lewis.
Over the course of the next 10 laps Lewis was able to pull away until he found himself in slower traffic. Michael took advantage of the slower traffic and closed in.
In the last corner on the final lap Lewis was forced to check up because of a spinning car allowing Michael to take his Valley Forge Inc. No. 5g underneath for the victory.
Lewis, of Upper Black Eddy, Pa., brought his No. 21 across the line in second. ASCS Patriot Region Champion, Bryan Howland, finished in third.
Empire Super Sprint driver, Doug Emery, of South Onondaga, N.Y., finished in fourth. Ed Aikin, of Lincoln University, Pa., completed the top five.
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SLIM LEAD: Brian McDonald, of Cornwall, Ont., took the lead as the race got underway. McDonald took full advantage of starting on the outside of the front row as he went to the top of turns one and two to take the lead from the pole-sitter Emery.
GOING TO THE TOP: McDonald’s lead was short lived as he had the top spot for just two laps when Lewis blasted by him on the high side of turns one and two.
MAKING MOVES: On the eighth circuit Lewis caught the tail of the field and began battling with the slower traffic. At one point he made a daring three wide move off of the fourth turn to put three cars a lap down. As Lewis battled traffic, Michael was making moves of his own to close in.
“I kept moving to try and find the shortest way around,” stated Michael. “I knew that it was going to pay off in lapped traffic. Our car was really good in the beginning and a lot of other guys weren’t as good. They were hanging off the corner and I could drive right off.”
CAUTION FEVER: Between laps 11 and 15 three cautions slowed the event. The most serious came on lap 15 as Kramer Williamson got off the top of the back straightaway and landed in the woods. On each of the restarts Lewis was able to hold off Michael for the lead.
CATCHING THE TAIL: Lewis remained the leader as the laps clicked off and he quickly caught the tail of the field one more time. This time he wasn’t able to successfully navigate the slower cars like he had earlier in the race allowing Michael to close in.
TO THE BOTTOM: On the final lap Lewis was still struggling to get through the slower cars and Michael was close behind. The pair raced into turn three with Lewis going to the top and Michael diving to the bottom of the speedway.
Lewis had to check up when Jeff VanDusen spun allowing Michael to get underneath him to score the win.
“He (Lewis) was the best car out there,” stated Michael. “I needed lapped traffic to get by him and those cautions were really angering me. When he (Lewis) rolled that top I knew with that cluster of cars up there he was going to get jammed up somewhere along the line. I just put it down in there and hoped for the best.”
DISSAPPOINTING OUTCOME: Lewis had to settle for a second place finish in his Don Ott powered Maxim after leading much of the event. He was disappointed that there was no caution on the final circuit due to the spinning car but thankful that he crossed the line in one piece.
“I ran into trouble there at the end with the lapped cars,” said Lewis. “I stuck my nose in there a few times to get through and they took it off. I’m really lucky to come away with second place tonight. I made contact with two lapped cars in that last turn. One guy spun out and another tried pushing me over the bank.
“It’s was my own fault, I shouldn’t have been in that situation.”
ONE MISTAKE: Although disappointed, it was still a strong finish for the 29-year-old Lewis who didn’t start racing until mid-June. His car was excellent the entire event but one small mistake cost him the victory.
“We had a super fast car all night long,” stated Lewis. “This was by far the best car I’ve had here. We just made one mistake tonight and it cost us the win. I probably shouldn’t have been such a nice guy in traffic.”
HAPPY THIRD: Howland, from nearby Auburn, N.Y., was pleased with the way things turned out. He came from the eighth starting position with his Jimmy D’s powered Maxim to finish in third against some very strong competition.
“We were in stout company tonight,” said Howland. “The two guys in front of me were the class of the field. I don’t mind looking at their tale tanks once in a while.”
QUALIFYING: Six 10 lap heats were held for the 76 cars in attendance with Michael, Williamson, Lewis, Bobby Breen, McDonald, and Steve Poirier each winning an event. Three B-Mains were run with Kenny Adams, Blake Breen and Brett Schoenly scoring victories.
Sprint Car Challenge at Rolling Wheels A-Main (25 laps): Curt Michael, Trevor Lewis, Bryan Howland, Doug Emery, Ed Aikin, Mark Bitner, Jason Barney, Alain Bergeron, Kenny Adams, Lance Yonge, Michael Parent, Blake Breen, Jeff VanDusen, Bubba Broderick , JJ Grasso, Brett Schoenly, Kyle Wilson, Dave Dykstra, Brian McDonald, Jared Zimbardi, Kramer Williamson, Steve Poirier, Robbie Stillwaggon, Josh Weller, Michael Carber, Jeff Cook, Bobby Breen
Heat 1 (10 laps): Curt Michael, Robbie Stillwaggon, Jeff Cook
Heat 2 (10 laps): Kramer Williamson, Doug Emery, Jeff VanDusen
Heat 3 (10 laps): Trevor Lewis, Jason Barney, Michael Carber
Heat 4 (10 laps): Bobby Breen, Mark Bitner, Michael Parent
Heat 5 (10 laps): Brian McDonald, Ed Aikin, Dave Dykstra
Heat 6 (10 laps): Steve Poirier, Bryan Howland, Kyle Wilson
B- Main 1 (10 laps): Kenny Adams, Jared Zimbardi
B- Main 2 (10 laps): Blake Breen, Alain Bergeron
B- Main 3 (10 laps): Brett Schoenly, Josh Weller
Provisonals – Lance Yonge, JJ Grasso, Bubba Broderick
Did Not Qualify – Jessica Zemken, Chuck Hebing, Bubby Kerrick, Lee Ladouceur, Kyle Pruitt, Rick Wilson, Bobby Podolak, Anthony Cain, Chris Coyle, Glenn Styres, Becca Anderson, Randy West, Midge Miller, Jeff Lutes, Ray Preston, April Wilson, Davey Sammons, Jason Clauss, Rory Janney, David Gravel, Don Adamczyk, Gary Gollub, Adam Gordon, Kyle Moffit, Tommy Wickham, Dave Wickham, Justin Barger, T.J. Newton, Robbie Shuttleworth, Ryan Hunsinger, Derek Jonathan, Jamie Bodo, Howard Singer, Daniel Lampron, Normand Beaudreault, Bruce DeWick, Tim Hogue, Tom Huppunen, Tim Zack Jr., Andy Noto, Tim Devendorf, Jami Russell, Tim Kelly, Mike Stelter, Nate
Snyder, Danny Massey, Chuck Palmucci, Keith Dempster