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Photo: Rebecca Eisele Turn 4 Photos
Evans Mills, NY-It turned out to be a shortened show for the second week of the 2022 season at EMRP, but what racing there was turned out to be sizzling. The first feature of the night was the Sport Compact/Next Level Excavation Thunderstocks who put on a great show. With Mike
Durham in the #4 and Joey Pettinelli in the #28 battling side by side for much of the race, Chuck Powelczyk in the #17 Rabbit on a Mission managed to sneak by both of them in the later laps to take the win for the Sport Compacts. “The motor was junk; I don’t know how we did it” said
Powelczyk in victory lane. Justin Burns in the orange and black #11 took the top spot in the Thunderstock race after a spirited run with the other #11 in the field, Joe Orvis. There were several side-by-side battles of two and three wide throughout.
The visiting Small Block Supermodifieds from Oswego Speedway were up next. Mike Bruce in the #04 drew the #1 starting spot in the redraw for the feature and didn’t seem too happy about it. “When you’re in the top spot, there’s no place to go but down” Bruce said later. With
rain clouds forming off turn two, a first lap jingle between four cars put a momentary stop to the race. Things were looking quite bleak under menacing skies, but on the restart the SBS cars ripped off 29 laps of green flag racing that was as good of a race as has ever been seen at Evans Mills for the SBS cars. Mike Bruce held on for the win after the late yellow in the 30-lap feature, but it wasn’t easy. Noah Ratcliffe and Griffin Miller were right behind him waiting, with Ratcliffe pulling alongside on the outside several times. On a track where the SBS cars sometimes
struggle to pass, there was a lot of position swapping throughout the race. “These young guys are getting good!” said Bruce in victory lane. Ratcliffe and Miller completed the top three.
Just as the Excess Storage Late Models were about ready to get the green, enough rain drops fell that the cars were sent to the pits. The writing was on the wall at that point as the crowd scattered prior to the arrival of a significant thunderstorm, putting an end to the evening. Tony
Pettinelli in the #2NY car was likely disappointed the modifieds couldn’t race as he made a daring last lap pass in his heat race on the outside to win and looked to have the car hooked up. The Late Models, Caskinette Ford Sportsmen Modifieds, and INEX Legends will make up their
feature races later in the year.
Next week’s special Ted Appleton Memorial 50 lap race for the Sportsmen Modifieds has been postponed due tire shortages in the industry. The weekly classes, consisting of the Caskinette Ford Modifieds, Excess Storage Pro Late Models, Christman Fuel Service INEX Legends, Sport Compact and the Next Level Excavation Thunderstocks will be in action. Pit gates open at 3pm,
General Admission at 5pm and racing starts at 6:30. Pit pass $35, Adults $15, Military $13, Children 10-17 $10 and under 9 free with paid Adult!
