Craig Revelle – Finish Line Web Design

July 23, 2012

After a tough weekend last week, Alan Johnson and his Commercial Roofing team were looking for much better results as they returned to Brewerton Speedway on Friday night, Canandaigua Motorsports Park on Saturday night and Utica Rome Speedway on Sunday.

Johnson rolled of the starting grid at Brewerton from the seventh position, and quickly worked his way into the top five.  For the first half of the race, Alan was trying to find a line that worked, and once he finally found that spot, he drove his way to the front, taking the lead on lap 27.  A late race caution set up a shootout to the finish, but Johnson persevered and captured his second Brewerton win of 2012.

“We got passed early and I really didn’t think we had anything for them tonight”, said Johnson.  “I was searching for a line that would work, and finally hit on something and stuck with it in the second half of the race.  I really couldn’t ask for a better car tonight”.

After a great night at Brewerton, Johnson made his way to Canandaigua Motorsports Park on Saturday night.  He started the 35 lap feature from seventh place, and found his way into the top five at lap nine.  With half the distance complete, Johnson was progressing steadily, and was up to third place before 20 laps had been completed.  With three laps remaining Johnson used the outside of the track to power past the earlier leaders and went on to score his 116^th Canandaigua Motorsports Park Big Block feature win.

“We've been getting better slow but sure”, say Johnson.  “I really have to thank Kenny Saya (owner), he keeps these cars going.  I can't really remember the last time I won two straight anywhere, can't think back that far anymore.”

Looking to complete a full weekend sweep, Johnson traveled to Utica Rome Speedway on Sunday night.  He started the race from 11^th place and was on the move quickly, getting into the top five at lap end of lap three.  Johnson continued to move forward, and soon was entrenched into a three way battle for the lead.  Alan held the top spot briefly, before falling to second.  He held the second position through the end of the race

 BROCKVILLE- Courtesy www.brockvillespeedway.com

Brockville's Kyle Dingwall had already served notice that he had returned as a force in the Modified division at Brockville Ontario Speedway. Dingwall solidified that a little more on Saturday night scoring his second feature win of the season at the Beast of the East on Tackaberry Construction Night.

Thorold, Ontario (July 21) - By Jim Irvine

Semenuk’s Esso and Archer Truck Services teamed up to present Merrittville Speedway’s July 21st Event and with the support of a number of local businesses – added $ 2,000.00 to the posted purse – all 5 of the Thorold speed plant’s Lucas Oil Weekly Racing Series Divisions were winners.

Also winning was Rocco Conte in the 2nd Turn 4 Collision 4 Cylinder Triple Crown 20 lap special event. Just one week after Lucas Oil’s Nostalgia Night – 3 second generation drivers won their first events of 2012 with James Thompson, Gary Lindberg and Scott Wood all taking checkered flags in the Hoosier Stock, Original Pizza Logs Sportsman and Bobcat of Hamilton 358 Modified Divisions respectively.

Josh Sliter rounded out the Feature Winners after coming home first in the J&S Heating and Air Conditioning Modified Lite Division.

“I wouldn’t be able to do this without sponsors like Semenuk’s Esso,” thanked Rocco Conte in Victory Lane, “Rob Goulding got me into racing and has helped me so much with these Volkswagens … so a big thanks to him as well!”

Conte took control right from the start and after an initial challenge from Kyle Pelrine – opened up a couple car length lead. By lap 5 the gap had stretched until a caution slowed the field after Brandon Iuducianni slowed with a flat tire.

Prior to the caution, the battle for the runner up spot was quite a race between Pelrine, Garnet Wilson and Jay Pietz. On the ensuing restart however – Jason Coutu quickly landed in the runner up spot but unfortunately fell off the pace a couple laps later – another victim of a flat tire.

Past the halfway point, Conte opened up almost a straightaway lead on Pelrine and the field. Pietz would challenge Pelrine for second with 5 to go- taking the spot the next lap.

At the checkered flag – Conte, Pietz and Pelrine were followed by Garnet Wilson and Tony Kelly.

Jason Fontaine beat Kameron Kocarik at drop of the green flag in the 20 lap Hoosier Stock Feature. Just as James Thompson began to challenge the leader a red flag stopped the event on lap 2. Back in the pack a number of cars came together out of Turn 4 with a flare up in Charlie Lynch’s car the reason after contact with Kocarik and Rob Murray. Fontaine and Thompson were side by side on the restart until Fontaine took control one lap later.

Three and four wide racing behind the leaders for cars trying to sort out the top 5 with the youngster Thompson keeping pace with the veteran Fontaine. Thompson took control in Turn 2 of lap 8 with a yellow flag slowing the 17 year old one lap later.

Once again Thompson and Fontaine were side by side with Thompson eventually holding the advantage – driving away to a comfortable lead. Thompson would be slowed a for cautions with the Lucas Oil Live Leaderboard stuck on lap 18 after two incidents back to back delayed the action.

On the final restart, Thompson would have Ken Sargent behind him but in the two laps to the checkered – there was no denying the youngster from his first feature win.

FULTON, NY – July 21, 2012 (By Dave Medler) -

Coming into Saturday night, Dan Vauter accomplished one of his racing goals, a feature win at the Brewerton Speedway that happened back on June 29th. The second goal was a win at the Fulton Speedway. Saturday night, Vauter and his family owned and sponsored team out of Forest City, Pennsylvania got that coveted first ever feature win at the Fulton Speedway.

Vauter had a race long battle with Ryan Phelps and Chad Phelps, that lasted from the drop of the green to the checkers in the 35 lap Tracey Road Equipment Big Block Modified feature.

“It means everything, to get a win here and at Brewerton, is a dream come true,” Vauter said from victory lane with his dad who are the two that put in the hours every week in the garage so he can pursue his passion on weekends, driving a Big Block Modified.

Other winners on the Sunoco Fulton Ethanol Facility Night were, Jeremy Pitcher, SUNY Canton Sportsman, Alan Fink, NAPA Late Models, Corey Barker, E&V Energy Novice Sportsman and Mark Johnston, Parts Plus Four Cylinder Stocks.

Dan Vauter and Shane Donath led the 24 cars down to the green with Vauter grabbing the narrow early advantage in the 35 lap Modified feature. Matt Hulsizer, jumped into second from his starting spot to keep pace with Vauter.

With 5 laps complete, Vauter had a one-second lead over Ryan Phelps, as Hulsizer, Chris Hile and Chad Phelps raced for third through fifth just before a yellow for a slowing Pat Ward. Ward went to the pits and didn’t return.

After the restart, from lap 6 to lap 9, Phelps worked the top of the speedway and was able to work his way by Vauter to be scored the new leader. Two laps later, Vauter working the extreme bottom of the track was able to retake the lead. You could almost throw a blanket over Vauter, Ryan Phelps and Chad Phelps as they battled up front.

Laps 11,12, and 13, with Vauter on the bottom and Phelps on top, the two would swap the lead back and forth with Chad Phelps right there ready to pounce on any mistake.

At the halfway point, lap 18, the top three remained the same with Chris Hile and Matt Hulsizer trying to close in on the leaders.

The yellow would fly on the lap 22 when Larry Wight got a flat and headed pit side for a tire change.

With 10 laps to go, Vauter and Chad Phelps ran bumper to bumper on the bottom as Ryan Phelps still ran the cushion trying to carry his momentum to get around the top-two.

By Charlie Brown, Delmar, DE (7/10/12) –

Rich Vleck, DUNDEE, NY, (July 11, 2012)-

Heading into 2012, Matt Sheppard did not have great affinity for Black Rock Speedway, but after Wednesday Night, where he captured his second win in as many attempts this season at the 4/10-mile oval, he is starting to like it.

Sheppard, of Waterloo, NY, started in 11^thfor the 60-lap Honeoye Auto Parts RoC at the Rock Feature, but shot up through the pack, moving underneath Stewart Friesen on lap 22 and holding off Alan Johnson down the stretch for his first RoC Series win of the year.

“This car was good all night,” declared Sheppard in Victory Lane. “I didn’t know what to expect. A lot of guys were guessing on tires and stuff, but whatever we did tonight worked out perfectly.”

Utilizing the small block option for the night, redrawing the 11^thstarting spot put “Super Matt” in a spot where he could not waste time getting to the front.

“I went soft on the tires so I wanted to get there really quick so once I got up there I had to be a little easy on the tires, I couldn’t push it real hard.”

The feature started with pole sitter Stewart Friesen taking command of the field in the early stages. The soft tires showed their prowess early on as Larry Wight charged up from eighth to second by lap six while Sheppard went from 11^thto fourth by that point. During the next green flag stretch of 17 laps, he would drive his No. 9s quickly into second and then take the lead from Friesen just before a lap 23 caution.

Once out in front, Sheppard’s focus turned to preserving his tires and keeping Jimmy Phelps and Alan Johnson at bay. On lap 45, Johnson would take second, and on the next lap his brother Danny would draw the final caution with a flat tire, setting up a sprint to the finish

“I saw the board and knew Alan started back there with me so I figured he had to be good,” reflected Sheppard after the event.

AJ was utilizing a Big Block power plant in his No. 10J while using a much harder tire compound; components which began to show their strength down the stretch.

In the final 14 laps, “AJ Slideways” would try all he could to move by a driver he has seen grow into a star, but could not uncover the solution. In the final five laps, he began to build speed coming off of turn two but did not have enough room to cross underneath the leader and complete a pass.

“I had a great car, I just didn’t need that last caution,” said Johnson after the event was concluded. “The bottom was much better so there just wasn’t enough to get by on the top side.”