Max Blair and the fans win as Stateline Speedway celebrates 60 years of racing!

July 22, 2016

Busti, NY (July 21, 2016): Stateline Speedway Presented by Lite House Auto celebrated 60 years of racing with a 60-lap, $10,060 to win feature for the Overhead Door of Jamestown Super Late Models. A near-capacity crowd watched as time trials set heat race line-ups, then four heats and two “B” Mains determined the starting lineup for the 60-lap “A” main event. Max Blair set fast time with a lap at 16.931 seconds. Kids from the stands drew for the starting positions for the “Dash” with Dave Hess Jr winning the draw and starting on the pole for the dash, Max Blair staring outside front row, Robbie Blair drew the number three starting spot, and Chub Frank, son of original track owner Jerry Frank, started from the fourth spot on the grid. As a result of the “Dash” Dave Hess Jr and Rob Blair started from the front row, but it was third starting Max Blair taking the lead on lap six then going on to his biggest win ever at Stateline. Rob Blair followed his son to the checkers in a race that went green to checkers with no caution period, a rarity in racing.

In the two support divisions Kirk Bradley was victorious for the first time at Stateline in the Sugar Grover Beverage Outlaw E-Mods, leading at twenty laps after starting from the outside front row. Dave Shagla Jr went to Victory Lane for the fifth time this season in the Fox’s Pizza Den Street Stock finale, taking over at the front on the eighth of twenty circuits.

The first feature of the night was the Sugar Grove Beverage E-Mods with John Schenker and Kirk Bradley starting from the front row for the twenty lap event. Bradley grabbed the immediate lead with Schenker second and Matt Lux coming to third over Kyle Bedell and David Scott at the end of two. Scott was fourth at three complete. At the halfway point Bradley’s half straight lead evaporated when Troy Johnson and Ryan Scott collided on turn four coming to a stop, both sideways on the track, bringing yellow over the event. The top five for the green were Bradley, Lux, Schenker, Scott, and Troy Carr. Mike McGee spun in turn three as the field was completing lap eleven, collecting Kurt Thorpe, son of one of the original track owners, Marv Thorpe. At green, Bradley again led with Lux on the inside and Scott on the outside, fighting for the runner up spot. Lux had the position at the end of fourteen. The lapped car of Bryon Johnson lost power on the fourth turn as the cars came to the white flag, setting up a one lap dash to the cash, $700 in this case. Bradley went on to his first-ever Stateline feature win with Lux second with Scott coming up short of second by half a car length, 0.53 seconds. Schenker Jr was fourth with Butch Southwell completing the top five.

The Fox’s Pizza Street Stocks had Mark Ramsey and Guy Adams on the front row with Ramsey taking the immediate lead with Dave Shagla Jr coming to second, and Gary Fisher third at the end of one lap. Ramsey, a feature winner early in the season, led Shagla, a four-time winner, through five complete when Brad Church spun in turn two. One lap after green it was three wide for the lead among Ramsey, Shagla, and Brandon Groters. By eight complete Shagla was leading over Ramsey, Groters, Gary Fisher, and Fuzzy Fields. With fourteen complete Guy Adams and Scott Delahoy spun in turn three with Tyler Dynys spinning to avoid contact. Bill Reeves, a winner twice this season, spun in turn two with eleven complete. A lap after green the yellow was thrown and Fuzzy Fields was penalized for cutting though the infield on the previous start. Tony Marotto spun sideways in turn one, yet again slowing the event with seven laps still to race. With four to go Scott Delahoy and Guy Adams got together in turn three for the next yellow. Five cars piled up in turn three after this green. Two more cars spun with one lap to go for the eighth caution of the event. At this restart, single file for the final lap, Shagla pulled away, winning his fifth feature of the season, this one worth $500. Twelfth starting Fuzzy Fields took second away from Groters on the final lap. Chris Couchenour wound up fourth with Ramsey fifth.

Dave Hess Jr and Rob Blair, both second-generation drivers, and both many time feature winners, brought the twenty-five car field to green after the traditional four-wide salute to the fans. Hess led lap one, opening a five length lead with third starting Max Blair coming to second, Rob Blair third, and Doug Eck fourth. Young Blair closed to Hess’s rear bumper by five laps and alongside the leader on the back straight of lap six and holding the lead at the stripe. Blair then started opening a lead and catching the rear of the field at lap ten with Hess second, Rob Blair third, Eck fourth, and Frank fifth. Rob Blair tried getting by Hess on lap twelve but Hess held on with the two side by side at fourteen. At fifteen laps Chris Hackett was fifth. At twenty complete young Blair had a quarter lap lead over Hess in heavy traffic. At 22 complete Rob Blair and Hess were again side by side at the line and continued with Blair gaining the spot at 24 laps. At halfway Rob Blair was closing the gap to his son with Hess still third, and Eck and Hackett side by side for fourth. At 34 Eck was firmly in fourth again but Hackett wasn't done yet, again getting alongside at 36 laps. Hackett tried inside and outside for several laps to no avail. With ten to go the senior Blair was closing in on his son, about six lengths at ten to go. At seven to go Rob was one length back. With five to go Max was again pulling away but again into traffic. On the final lap Max lengthened his lead, winning the all green 60 lap event to collect the $10,060 winner’s purse. Hess was third with Eck fourth and Hackett fifth.

Fox’s Pizza Street Stocks:

Heat 1: Chad Ramsey, Brandon Groters, Guy Adams, Kyle Weilacher, Bill Best, Brian Mohawk, Tyler Dynys, Deven Dudenhoeffer, Brent Crandall

Heat 2: Bob McMillen, Critter Hemphill, Brian Rhenberger, Brad Church, Mike Moore, Pat Fielding, Scott Delahoy, Jason Black, Paul Nelson

Heat 3: Gary Fisher, Dave Shagla, Chris Couchenour, Fuzzy Fields,Tony Marotto, Bill Reeves, Bill Applebee, Dana Maybee, Bob Leonard

B-Main: Bill Applebee, Tyler Dynys, Scott Delahoy, Jason Black, Paul Nelson, Deven Dudenhoeffer, Dana Maybee, Bob Leonard, Brent Crandall

Feature: Dave Shagla Jr, Fuzzy Fields, Brandon Groters, Chris Couchenour, Mark Ramsey, Bob McMillen, Bill Best, Gary Fisher, Brad Church, Kyle Weilacher, Bill Reeves, Critter Hemphill. Mike Moore, Deven Dudenhoeffer, Tony Marotto, TylerDynys, Paul Nelson, Scott Delahoy, Dana Maybee, Brian Mohawk, Bill Applebee, Jason Black, Guy Adams, Brian Rhenberger, Pat Fielding

Sugar Grove Beverage E-Mods:

Heat 1: David Scott, John Schenker, Troy Carr, Mike McGee, Ryan Scott, David Lamphere

Heat 2: Ron Seeley, Matt Lux,Butch Southwell. Troy Johnson, Steve Rex, Bill Silvis

Heat 3: Kirk Bradley, Kyle Bedell, Kurt Thorpe, John Boyd, Bryon Johnson, Al Crocker

Feature: Kirk Bradley, Matt Lux, David Scott, John Schenker, Butch Southwell, Ron Seeley, Kyle Bedell, Ryan Scott, Michael McGee, Bill Silvis, Troy Johnson, Steve Rex, Al Crocker, Troy Carr, John Boyd, Bryon Johnson, Kurt Thorpe, David Lamphere

Overhead Door of Jamestown Super Late Models:

Time Trials: Max Blair (16.931), Dave Hess Jr (16.961),Matt Lux (16.965), Jake Finnerty (16.989), Chub Frank (17.012), Chad Valone (17.027), Chris Hackett (17.039), Greg Oakes (17.044), Corey Conley (17.053), Rob Blair (17.056), Bump Hedman (17.143), David Scott (17.191, John Lobb (17.278), Doug Eck (17.323), Mike Pegher (17.340), Darrell Bossard (17.355), Jared Mikey (17.393), Brent Rhebergen (17.444), Rich Gardner (17.534), Jason DuPont (17.542), Boom Briggs (17.601), Dutch Davies (17.620), Ward Schell (17.625), John Volpe (17.631), Joe Martin (17.658), John Lacki (17.770), Steve Kania (17.910), Damian Bidwell (18.026), Bob Dorman (18.143), Ryan Scott (18.148), Chad Ruhlman (18.150), Charles Powell Jr (18.170), Andy Boozel (18.250), Dylan Yoder (18.346), Kyle Scott (18.398), Gregg Satterlee (18.539), John Weaver (18.613), Joe Layfield (19.246)

Heat 1: Dave Hess Jr, Doug Eck, John Lobb, Mike Pegher, Brent Rhebergen, Gregg Satterlee, Joe Martin, Steve Kania, Chad Ruhlman, Joe Layfield

Heat 2: Max Blair, Chad Valone, Darrell Bossard, Corey Conley, Rich Gardner, Boom Briggs, Ward Schell, Damian Bidwell, Bob Dorman, Dylan Yoder

Heat 3: Rob Blair, Bump Hedman, David Scott, Jason DuPont, Dutch Davies, John Volpe, Charles Powell, Ryan Scott

Heat 4: Chub Frank, Chris Hackett, Jared Miley, Jake Finnerty, Greg Oakes, Matt Lux, John Lacki, Andy Boozel. John Weaver, Kyle Scott

B-Main 1: Rich Gardner, Boom Briggs, Brent Rhebergen, Ward Schell, Steve Kania, Damian Bidwell, Joe Martin, Gregg Satterlee, Bob Dorman, Dylan Yoder, Joe Layfield, Chad Ruhlman

B-Main 2: Dutch Davies, Greg Oakes, John Volpe, Matt Lux, Charles Powell Jr, Andy Boozel, John Weaver, Kyle Scott, John Lacki, Ryan Scott

Dash: Dave Hess Jr, Rob Blair, Max Blair, Chub Frank,

Feature: Max Blair, Rob Blair, Dave Hess Jr, Doug Eck, Chris Hackett, Jared Miley, Chub Frank, Bump Hedman, Corey Conley, Rich Gardner, Darrell Bossard, John Lobb, Chad Valone, Jake Finnerty, Greg Oakes, John Volpe, Matt Lux, Brent Rhebergen, Ward Schell, Mike Pegher, David Scott, Jason DuPont, Dutch Davies, Bob Dorman, Boom Briggs