ZANE ZEINER AND GENE SHARPSTEEN RULE AT TIOGA MOTORSPORTS PARK

by Carol Houssock

 

 

(Owego, NY)            Stock cars returned to Tioga Motorsports Park for just the 2^nd time in this abbreviated final season.  Under perfect conditions the many fans and race teams in attendance celebrated what is, and always has been, a special day with some great racing at the legendary ½-mile oval.  Zane Zeiner extended his lead in the Race of Champions Central Division by winning the 75-lap Modified race.  Other winners were Gene Sharpsteen (SST-Modifieds), RJ Zacharias (Street Stocks), Rich Petrucco (Legends) and Dan Kurzejewski (4-Cylinders).  The track will remain quiet until its final weekend of racing, coming up on August 27^th and 28^th.

 

Caution flags plagued the 75-lap Race of Champions Central Division race, but Zane Zeiner remains undefeated at the historic track this year.  Brian Defebo and Jim Willis drew the top 2 starting spots and Defebo led the field.  Tony Hanbury’s spin on the opening lap was just the start of his troubles this day, and the early caution unfortunately set up the theme for this event.  Defebo was superb on the many restarts and, during one early green flag run, pulled away from then 2^nd place runner Rusty Smith, Zeiner and Matt Hirschman.  Zeiner, however, got the best of him on lap 29 and dove underneath coming off turn 2 to take the lead.  Defebo lost several spots in that exchange.  It was then Zeiner’s turn to pull away, leaving Bill Chandler, Smith and Lee Sherwood to battle it out for 2^nd.  More caution flags slowed the field again but, at lap 38, single file restarts prevailed and Zeiner has some breathing room on the restarts.  During each he was able to pull away from Chandler, who faced intense challenges by Smith in the latter stages of this one.  Chandler’s car was glued to the low groove, making an inside pass virtually impossible.  The final 2 cautions came out when Daryl Lewis spun off turn 4, the latter of which set up a green/white/checkered finish.  Zeiner was not to be denied this one.  He also won the track’s other ROC event, held in May.  The win was an emotional one for Zeiner, given the track is running its final season.  Chandler finished a solid 2^nd, followed by Smith, TJ Potrzebowski and Lee Sherwood.  Hirschman, Potrzebowski and Jeff Frisbie won the 3 qualifying races.  Hanbury, who ended up dropping out of the event with a mechanical problem, won the Hoosier Racing Tire Hard Luck Award, while Bobby Osgood won the Hoosier Racing Tire Hard Charger Award for advancing the most positions in the event.  

 

In SST-Modified action Gene Sharpsteen led all 75 laps but it has to rank as one of his toughest fought victories.  The veteran driver held off repeated challenges throughout, plus he had to survive 11 restarts in winning the 75-lap North/South Shootout Qualifier.  By luck of the draw Sharpsteen and Pete Brittain brought the field to the green but the race was slowed three times before 5 laps were run.  While lapping Jim House, Earl Paules and Brian Bowen got together and Sharpsteen had Rick Zacharias lined up beside him for the restart.  More cautions, for spins, slowed the action again.  But on lap 21 Chris Lord and John Markovic hit the front stretch wall, while Bud Ellis and Bowen slid through the front stretch infield.  As the cars slid together Ellis went up on top of Bowen momentarily and both skidded toward the pace car.  Everyone was ok but it was a scary moment with vision impaired by all the dirt the pair kicked up.  Following that clean up the field did run 20 laps without incident and it was Kent who ran 2^nd, hotly pursued by Brittain.  Kent’s car started to smoke but it was tire-related and he opted to stay out on the track.  While exiting turn 2 he slid up a bit and Brittain got around him and brought Tony Hanbury along for the ride.  Kent was then 4^th.  The final caution came out with 3 laps remaining, giving Brittain one last shot at Sharpsteen.  The Waverly, NY driver was up to that final challenge and he took the popular win over Brittain, Hanbury, Kent and Zacharias.  Paules, Wayne Lent, Bowen and Chuck Frisbee won the 4 heat races.      

 

The Street Stocks ran a rare caution-free 30-lap feature.  Bob Ziegler drew the pole, with heat winner RJ Zacharias lined up alongside him.  Ziegler took command and led the field off turn 2 and down the back straightaway.  From the early going it was a 6-car lead draft, which shook out to 4 at the halfway point.  Zacharias looked high and low for the opportunity and he found it on the 16^th lap.  He got around Ziegler and began to pull away, leaving Ziegler to battle it out with Paul Frantz for 2^nd.  With no cautions to bunch up the field, Zacharias had virtually no threats over the final few laps.  He cruised to the checkered flag, with Frantz, Ziegler, Robert Fink and heat winner Matt Visingard all posting top-5 finishes.  

 

Heat winners Bill Fitzsimmons and Rich Petrucco drew the 2 best starting positions for the 20-lap Legends feature.  Fitzsimmons led the first 2 laps and Petrucco’s solo spin brought out the first of 3 caution flags.  When racing resumed Petrucco was on a tear through the field, passing Art and Matt Priscott then running 3-wide with Rob Brierton and Justin Petcosky.  At the halfway point Petrucco was up to 2^nd and making a bid for the race lead.  He got it on the 12^th lap and held on for the win, over Fitzsimmons, Daren Scherer, Todd McCollum and Petcosky.

 

The 10-lap 4-Cylinder feature was a fun one to watch, as Dan Kurzejewski and Joe Snell swapped the lead 4 times.  The pair joined Cody Marshall and Jared Hill for the feature with Snell taking the early lead.  When Kurzejewski got the lead for the 2^nd time it was for good and the heat winner went on for the win. 

 

Tioga’s next, and final, events are set for Saturday and Sunday, August 27 and 28.  Several divisions will be in competition for the track’s finale.  For all the latest news and information log on the track’s website: www.tiogamotorsportspark.com.  Asphalt Racing At Its Finest – Gotta Love It!

 

Results:

 

Sunoco ROC Modifieds (75 Laps)  ZANE ZEINER, Bill Chandler, Rusty Smith, TJ Potrzebowski, Lee Sherwood, Matt Hirschman, Jeff Frisbie, Bobby Osgood, Eric Beers, Earl Paules, Jim Willis, Daren Scherer, Bobby Jones, Ryan Russo, Ben Reynolds, Andy Walko, Pete Brittain, Daryl Lewis, Scott Lesher, Wes Swartout, Brian Defebo, Tommy Kinsella, John Markovic, Tony Hanbury, Justin Ely, Ken Canestrari, Gordie Smith

SST Modifieds (75 Laps)  GENE SHARPSTEEN, Pete Brittain, Tony Hanbury, George Kent, Rick Zacharias, Wayne Lent, Chuck Frisbee, Cody Gregg, Zane Zeiner, Rwyan Pennick, Phil Slater, Bud Ellis, Charlie Sharpsteen, Richard Thomas, Richie Vanderpool, Tim Gullo, Dean Rypkema, Jim Willis, John Markovic, Brian Bowen, Earl Paules, Chris Lord, Ricky Knapp, Bobby Wilson, Tony Jilson, Brad Confer, Jim House, John Whitmore, Tom Zacharias (DNS: Jason Trinchere)

Street Stocks (30 Laps)  RJ ZACHARIAS, Paul Frantz, Bob Ziegler, Robert Fink, Matt Visingard, Chuck Lohmeyer, Derrick Tarbox, Mike Nichols, Bobby Lippa, Jr., Henry Brown, JR Roth, Rodney Gruber, Danny Cascioli, John Maynard, Lee Sharpsteen, Matt Held, Todd Fenton

Legends (20 Laps)  RICH PETRUCCO, Bill Fitzsimmons, Daren Scherer, Todd McCollum, Justin Petcosky, Matt Priscott, Rob Brierton, Zach Truesdail, Jimmy Kostarelos, Art Priscott (DNS: Brian Terrell)

4-Cylinders (10 Laps)  DAN KURZEJEWSKI, Joe Snell, Cody Marshall, Jared Hill (DNS: Scott Bostwick)