.jpg)
Test & Tune
Lite House 30, Pat McGee 25 to highlight New Stateline Speedway Grand Opening
Successful Practice held Wednesday night.
Busti, NY (September 3, 2015): Saturday, September 5th will be remembered as the night Stateline Speedway Presented by Lite House Auto once again roars back to life as the storied speedway near the New York/ Pennsylvania border in Busti, NY.
After a troubled start to the 2015 season, the 60th in the track’s history, the speedplant was shuttered at the end of June with financial problems. In mid-August Jim Scott, Jean Scott, and Brian Horner agreed to operate the track for two events in September with the ultimate aim of purchasing the track.
Starting in mid-August the Scott's and Horner re-shaped the racing surface, essentially revitalizing the track with an all new surface and less banking. Wednesday night the track held a successful practice session on the new track for all classes with ‘hot lap’ sessions for all.
On Wednesday night an open practice was held with 46 racers signing into the pits, representing all seven Stateline divisions plus one RUSH Sportsman Modified. Among the classes that use transponders John Lacki’s Overhead Door of Jamestown Super Late Model was quickest on the clock, laying down a lap at 16.621. Greg Johnson, current points leader for the Sugar Grove Beverage E-Mods set quick time for that division with a lap of 17.894 seconds. The fastest Shults Auto Group RUSH Crate Late Model was Wyatt Scott at 17.554. The above drivers will be among the favorites to win opening night.
Saturday night will see racing for all divisions resume the season with two specials, one for the Super Late Models and one for the E-Mods.
The Overhead Door of Jamestown Super Late Models will compete in the “Lite House Auto ‘Get Our Feet Wet’ 30”. The name of the race is for the fact that the new management team will be “getting their feet wet” in the promotion of a race. $2000 will be waiting for the winner at the end of the extra five laps with the rest of the payout being the standard scale.
The Sugar Grove Beverage E-Mods will also race an extra five laps in the “Pat McGee Memorial”. Pat McGee, a native of Mayville, NY, was a fixture at Stateline since first putting a #30 Sportsman coupe racer on the track as an owner and part-time driver back in 1973. He shared driving duties that first two years with Pete Serdick. In 1976 he moved into the Late Models and sported a #93 on the side, driven by Keith Clark to a number of victories through 1979. Then it was Lars Huling at the controls and the number was ‘11’. Huling proceeded to win several features including the first event of the Franny Seamens era and the 1985 points championship. After taking time off from 1987-1997 McGee again owned cars, still with the number ‘11’ gracing the sides but now an E-Mod, with Dale Applebee driving from 1998-2006. Jamie Ehrhard drove the machine until 2009 then Pat’s son, Mike, took over driving duties of the ‘11’ car, scoring one feature win at the track, that coming in 2013. With one heat win but only one feature race top ten in the early season Mike is fifteenth in current points. The fourth generation of Pat’s family, great-grandchildren Braylon Little, age 6, and Kelcie Little, age 9, currently are beginning their careers at the “Little Track”, racing Karts, thanks to Pat’s love of racing and his help in getting them started.
Pat McGee passed away on July 11 of this year, aged 74 and still having a deep love for our sport. The race will run in his memory for 25-laps with $1000 going to the winner. Each position of the twenty-four car field will get an extra $50 with eleventh place, in honor of McGee’s car number, getting a $100 bonus courtesy of Applebee Motorsports.
All other classes will run regular length features for the standard purse.
Points will be awarded according to long-established Stateline custom. Currently Greg Oakes leads the Overhead Door of Jamestown Super Late Models by 148 markers over John Lobb. Both drivers had early season wins. John Volpe is currently third.
Jason Genco, with early season win, the final event in June, leads the Shults Auto Group RUSH Crate Late Models over three-time winner Damian “Half-Pint” Bidwell by 76-markers. Dave Shagla is third going into the final two events.
With two feature wins Greg Johnson leads Ron Seeley in the Sugar Grove Beverage E-Mod championship battle. His advantage is 120 points with another 34-points back to third running Butch Southwell.
Chris Ottaway has a narrow 15 point edge over defending champion Ryan Scott in the Limited Late Model standings. Bill Reeves is third.
Single winner Dan Nocero Jr leads Matt Kosinski and Michael Kosinski in the Sportsmen standings while Tony Marotto, winless thus far this season, holds a razor thin edge on one point over double winner Jason Covey in the Street Stock standings with Guy Adams in third.
Andy Proper has been dominating the Challenger division this season, winning four features while building up a 225-point margin over second running Thomas Cupp with Chris Horton third.
The New Stateline Speedway Presented by Lite House Auto is located south of Jamestown, NY on Kortright Rd in the town of Busti, NY races Saturday's in the summer with activities getting underway promptly at 7 PM. Tickets for regular Saturday events are $12 for adults, $10 for seniors (65 and over) and veterans, $8 for kids 6-15, with 5 and under always free. Pit admission is $30. Special events may have increased ticket pricing. The track is on the World Wide Web on Facebook, and Twitter @NEWstatelinespeedway. The all-purpose information number for the track is (716) 720-2403. Information can also be obtained by writing to statelinemotorsportsparkinc@gmail.com. Admission prices for the "Little Track" are $5 for general admission for adults, children 4 and under are free. Pit admission is $10. Driver registration is $15. Gates open at 8 AM, hot laps at 10 AM and heats start at 10:30 AM. Camping will be available (free but no hookups), however limited to the first 25 arrivals.
.png)
