SIPES CLAIMS FIRST EVER, LUNGER DOUBLES UP, AS KNIGHT, HORTON, RAMSEY & CARD ALSO SCORE STATELINE WINS!

July 23, 2023 | by Marc Hoegerl

Busti, NY (July 22, 2023) by Marc Hoegerl: The evening started out giving tribute to one of Stateline’s all time staff members, Jay Pees. Jay passed away this week after an unexpected illness. Jay was the longtime PR and photographer at Stateline. He will be truly missed for all his passion, and hard work that he gave to the sport.

Matt Sipes would finally seal the deal in the RUSH Crate Late Models. “The Albion Assassin” Dennis Lunger outclassed a start studded field in the UMP Modifieds main. Ryan Card picked up another win in the Sharp Mini Late Models. Dennis Lunger showed he’s still the man to beat in the RUSH Pro Mods. Mike Knight, in rare appearance picked up a convincing win in the Super Lates. It was Chris Horton once again in the Challengers, and Tanner Ramsey would end the evening crossing the line first in the Pro Stocks.

Girard, PA’s, Will Pinckney would grab the lead at the drop of the green, in the RUSH Crate Late Models caution filled a-main. Pinckney would hold that point for the first 4 laps, until a determined Matt Sipes would take over the lead on lap 5. Sipes would coast the rest of the way to pick up his 1st ever Stateline RUSH Crate Late Models feature win. Sipes became the 36th different winner in a 133 ran Crate Late Models feature events, since the division surfaced at Stateline in 2010. Following the elated Sipes across the stripe, was July 8th winner David Parker finishing 2nd. Two-time winner in 23’ Jason Genco was 3rd, as Scott Gurdak and Will Pinckney would round out the top 5.

Dennis Lunger would show why he is one of the top wheelmen in the region, as the UMP Modifieds would take center stage. It would take Lunger only 4 laps to grab the lead from Troy Johnson, to go on to pick up his 2nd UMP Modifed feature win of the season, as well as his 12 career Stateline victory in the class. The race of the evening was for the bridesmaid position, between Troy Johnson, David Scott and Dave Hess Jr. When the smoke cleared it would be the divisions all time winner, Dave Hess Jr. taking 2nd, Troy Johnson 3rd, 3-time winner in 2023, David Scott was 4th as Cale Crocker rounded out the top 5.

It was all Springcreek, PA’s Ryan Card in the Sharp Mini Late Models. Card would grab the lead at the outset and never look back. Terry Mealy, Jesse Isadore, Steve Coons, and Oakley Terrill would complete the top 5.

“The Albion Assassin” Dennis Lunger would gun down his competition in the RUSH Pro Mods, leading the entire distance and holding off a late race challenge from 5 time winner, and points leader Steve Dixon. Lunger would stand in Stateline’s victory lane for the 44th time in RUSH Pro Mod competition. Dixon would settle for 2nd, Al Brewer in his 53rd year of competition was 3rd, Chad Ramsey in one of his best outings of the season was 4th, and 8th place stareter and former Crate Late Model standout, Damian Bidwell was 5th.

Regional standout Mike Knight would be a surprise visit to the Chautauqua County based oval, but when the night ended there would be no surpise, as Knight would grab the lead from Wyatt Scott on lap 3, to lead the remaining distance in Super Late Models main event. Darrell Bossard would not make it easy for Knight, as Bossard would stalk Knight the entire second half of the 25-lapper, with the 2 competitors running side-by side through the corners on many occasions. Hard to believe this would be Knight’s first Stateline Super Late Model win since September 11, 2010. Bossard in one of his best showings of 2023 would come home 2nd. Wyatt Scott in the Schreckengost #9x was 3rd. Two-time winner in 23’ Greg Oakes was 4th, as veteran David Scott would complete the top 5.

Multi-winner Chris Horton would have victory put in his lap, as race leader Rick Feely would go pitside on lap 5, giving the lead up to 2nd place runner Horton. Horton would lead the remaining 7 laps unscathed to pick up his 4th Stateline Challenger win of the season. Tommy Labarbera finally found the right set-up finishing 2nd, 3-time winner in 23’ John Mease was 3rd, June 10th winner Domingo Echevarria was 4th, as Holden Heineman would complete the top 5.

In the nightcap, youngster Tanner Ramsey would grab the point from Jason Black on the lap 8 restart, to bag Stateline Pro Stock win #2 of 2023, making it 2 in a row for the Ripley, NY native. Two-time winner in 23’ Jason Black would come home 2nd, Clymer’s, Shane Applebee was 3rd, multi-champ John Boardman was 4th and Gary Fisher Jr. would round out your top 5.

RUSH CRATE LATE MODELS (20 Entries)

Heat Race Winners: Andy Michael, Will Pinckney, Matt Sipes

Feature:1) Matt Sipes 2) David Parker 3) Jason Genco 4) Scott Gurdak 5) Will Pinckney 6) Andy Michael 7) Ward Schell 8. Chad Clement 9) Randy Hall 10) Ray Houser 11) Steve Blodgett 12) Khole Wanzer 13) Hunter Proctor 14) Gary Youngs 15) Shawn Little 16) Kassie Norman 17) Charlie Houser 18. Ronald Watson 19) Rick Karash 20) Steve Houser

Lap Leaders: Pinckney (1-4), Sipes (5-20)

UMP MODIFIEDS (21 Entries)

Heat Race Winners: Greg Johnson, Dennis Lunger, Troy Johnson

Feature:1) Dennis Lunger 2) Dave Hess Jr. 3) Troy Johnson 4) David Scott 5) Cale Crocker 6) Greg Johnson 7) Tim Peterson 8. Dan Sasso 9) Mike Eschrich 10) Tim Rockwell 11) Butch Southwell 12) Chris McDonald 13) Bryon Johnson 14) Dennis Asel 15) James Irwin 16) Tom Kosinski 17) Matt Kosinski 18. Dave Lanphere 19) Matt Haskins 20) Zach Johnson 21) Eric Reinwald

Lap Leaders: G. Johnson (1,2), T. Johnson (3), Lunger (4-20)

SHARP MINI LATE MODELS (9 Entries)

Heat Race Winners: Morgan Curry, Ryan Card

Feature:1) Ryan Card 2) Terry Mealy 3) Jesse Isadore 4) Steve Coons 5) Oakley Terrill 6) Morgan Curry 7) Treyton Whyte 8. Chris Whyte 9) Dale Hainse III

Lap Leaders: Card (1-12)

RUSH PRO MODS (17 Entries)

Heat Race Winners: Al Brewer, Tyler Sutton, Dennis Lunger

Feature:1) Dennis Lunger 2) Steve Dixon 3) Al Brewer 4) Chad Ramsey 5) Damian Bidwell 6) Brendan Warner 7) Tyler Oakes 8. Tyler Sutton 9) Derek Peterson 10) Nick Arnold 11) Chad Carlson 12) Cody Rickard 13) Will Silvis 14) John Cline 15) Ian Degolier 16) Vaughn Nystrom 17) Donald May Jr.

Lap Leaders: Lunger (1-20)

SUPER LATE MODELS (18 Entries)

Heat Race Winners:Darrell Bossard, Mike Knight, David Scott

Feature:1) Mike Knight 2) Darrell Bossard 3) Wyatt Scott 4) Greg Oakes 5) David Scott 6) Bump Headman 7) Dutch Davies 8. Michael Smith 9) Dave Hess Jr. 10) Bob Dorman 11) Ryan Scott 12) Jake Finnerty 13) Kyle Bedell 14) Kevin Smith 15) Anthony Marotto 16) Khole Wanzer 17) Justin Carlson 18. Jason Genco

Lap Leaders: W. Scott (1-3), Knight (4-25)

CHALLENGERS (24 Entries)

Heat Race Winners: Chris Horton, John Mease, Holden Heineman, Tommy Labarbera

Feature:1) Chris Horton 2) Tommy Labarbera 3) John Mease 4) Domingo Echevarria 5) Holden Heineman 6) Nicholas Freed 7) Dan Bittinger 8. Jess Harvey 9) James Wilburn 10) Vince Norton 11) Sam Baughman 12) Hailey Moore 13) Tyler Peardon 14) Jordan Richard 15) Kasey Markham 16) Cassandra Goodwill 17) Adam Britsky 18. Kayla York 19) Todd Hanlon 20) Rick Feely 21) AnnaleesaDiabo 22) Pat Hanlon 23) Pete Volpe 24) Chelsea Haskins

Lap Leaders: Feely (1-5), Horton (6-12)

PRO STOCKS (20 Entries)

Heat Race Winners: Matt Sampson, Jason Black, Shane Applebee

Feature: 1) Tanner Ramsey 2) Jason Black 3) Shane Applebee 4) John Boardman 5) Gary Fisher Jr. 6) Jason Covey 7) Matt Sampson 8. Douglas Eck 9) Michael Oakes 10) Donald Blood 11) Brent Marotto 12) Pat Passane 13) Mikael Beaver 14) John Cline 15) Dean Gibson Jr. 16) Andrew Hammond 17) Justin Pratt 18. Kevin Hill 19) Dale Sheets 20) George Ploss

Lap Leaders: Black (1-8., T. Ramsey (9-15)