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Written by Chris Moore
AFTON, NY – A clean sweep.
In dominant fashion, Blaine Klinger ruled the Opening Night of the American Racer Cup Short Track SuperNationals 14 at Afton Motorsports Park.
Klinger led all 30-laps of the Open vs. Crate 602 Sportsman Challenge to pick up the $2,000 payday after posting the $20 Gambler’s Fee.
With 128 race cars packing the Afton Motorsports Park pit area for Night No. 1 of the Short Track SuperNationals Klinger topped them all.
The Walton, N.Y., native also swept the American Racer Cup One-on-One Match Races – besting seven of the other competitors – to claim that $1,000 prize.
“This is unbelievable. All we’ve wanted to do is get one of those big checks, and now we got three in the same night,” Klinger explained following his impressive effort on the Afton Fairgrounds.
In total, Klinger added $3,050 to his bank account to kick off the “Working Man’s Race” weekend.
Klinger fired from the pole of the 30-lap Sportsman main, and despite several restarts and challenges, was up to the task each and every time.
Two New Jersey drivers were on the move at the drop of the green flag, as David Burns and Steve Davis had each quickly advanced into the final two podium positions.
Davis’s charge wasn’t done however, as he passed his fellow Garden State racer on lap seven and set his sights on Klinger up front.
After a lap-nine yellow, Davis restarted next to Klinger on the front row but couldn’t unseat the leader.
Lake Ariel, Pa., resident Tyler Peet forged an impressive charge during the race’s mid portion. Peet came from the 13th starting position and had made his way up to sixth before the yellow came out again on lap 17.
The final 13 laps spun off uninterrupted and Klinger pulled away from Davis to claim the win and cap a dream night.
Davis held on for the runner-up finish and Highland Lake, N.Y.’s
Dominic Roselli rounded out the podium finishers. Tyler Peet and South New Berlin, N.Y.’s Payton Talbot completed the top five.
The Bob Hilbert Sportswear Short Track Super Series (STSS) Fueled By Sunoco big-block/small-block Modifieds were on hand, taking time for today’s 50-lap, $5,500-to-win event. Thirty one Modifieds took to the track for hot laps.
Norwich, N.Y.’s Alan Barker (14.570 seconds) and Kauneonga Lake, N.Y.’s Justin Holland (14.745) set the quickest time in each of the timed sessions, locking themselves into the Saturday redraw.
Dalton Herrick was victorious in dramatic fashion in the final CRSA 305 Sprint Car finish of the season. Herrick used a last lap pass on the final lap of the 30-lap main to take the lead, the win, and the series championship.
Herrick caught leader Kyle Pierce in lap traffic and Mike Kiser closed in the pair with five laps to go, but the yellow flag came out before the trio could dice it up in lap traffic.
The race was reset with Pierce facing pressure from the duo behind him. Pierce protected the bottom and Kiser was unable to find a way by.
Herrick found the top to his liking in turns one and two, rolling around Kiser with three laps to go, and completing the pass for the win on the final lap.
Pierce held on for second, Kiser third, and Tomy Moreau and Chad Miller rounded out the top five.
Tyler Holcomb dominated the 20-lap Ted’s Body Shop Limited Sportsman feature. Ron Delease and Matthew Backus were the podium cars.
Jaden Wust won the Slingshot feature with a pass on a late-race restart in the 15-lap feature. Chase Schott and Mason Pittenger rounded out the top three.
The Short Track SuperNationals weekend concludes tomorrow night at Afton Motorsports Park. The STSS Modifieds battle for 50-laps and a $5,500 top prize in the 14th annual ‘Working Man’s Race’ – a non-points event for the STSS Modifieds.
The American Racer Cup Modified Match Races also take place, with the winner claiming a $2,000 prize. The STSS Crate 602 Sportsman join the program in the Championship Round of the Precision Hydraulic & Oil North Region. The 25-lap, $1,500-to-win affair determines the North Region champion. Also on the card: the Mohawk Valley Vintage Dirt Modified Series.
Afton Motorsports Park is located at 46 East Main Street Afton, NY 13730 and can be found on the web at www.aftonmotorsportspark.com or contacted by phone at 607.624.3772.
To learn more about the Short Track Super Series Fueled By Sunoco, visit www.shorttracksuperseries.com, e-mail bdmotorsportsmedia@gmail.com, check out ‘Short Track Super Series’ on Facebook or @ShortTrackSS on Twitter or Instagram.
The Short Track Super Series is presented by American Racer/Lias Tire, Sunoco Race Fuel, Insinger Performance, FloSports, Bob Hilbert Sportswear, Halmar International, River Valley Builders, Hurlock Auto & Speed, Velocita-USA, St. Lawrence Radiology, Design for Vision & Sunglass Central, Belmont’s Garage, Precision Hydraulic & Oil, Prime MAC Tools, F.X. Caprara Car Companies, Behrent’s Performance Warehouse, Beyea Custom Headers, Bicknell Racing Products, Dirt Track Digest, EIBACH, Elite Welder Testing & Training, Flach Performance Products, Henry’s Exhaust, Hig Fab, Penske Racing Shocks, Schultz Racing Fuel Cells, Spyder Filters, Superior Remodeling, Teo-Pro Car, VAHLCO, Wegner Automotive & Wilwood.
AMERICAN RACER CUP SHORT TRACK SUPERNATIONALS 14 NIGHT NO. 1 RESULTS SUMMARY – AFTON MOTORSPORTS PARK OCTOBER 7, 2022
Open vs. Crate 602 Sportsman Feature Finish (30 laps): BLAINE KLINGER, Steve Davis, Dominic Roselli, Tyler Peet, Payton Talbot, Tim Hartman, Gary Smith, Mike Nagel Jr, Todd Titus, Jimmy Wells, Blake Sarpriacone, Jeremy Hamilton, Mike Grover, Allan Hammond, John Williams, Jim Gould, Scott Torbitt, Tyler Ward, Marty Goodwin, Michael Ballestero, AJ Digsby, Dale Welty, Mike Schane, Chris Diamond, Ray Leonard.
Disqualified: David Burns
Did Not Qualify: Mike Ward, Dane Hedlund, Eric Winsor, Nathan Mohr, Eddie Owens, Rich Ricci III, Alan Komar, Trey Palmer, Fred Christ, Alissa Cody, Kadon Hohensheldt, Dave Stanton, Cody Clark, Randy Gates, Rich Coons, Josh Landers, Derek Cornish, Jared Miller, Tyler Lawrence, Allan Hodge, Kyler Pierce, Dave Rosa, Kurtis Hohensheldt
“Gambler’s Challenge” ($500): Blaine Klinger
Highest-Finishing NYSSCA Regular ($50): Blaine Klinger
American Racer Cup Sportsman One-on-One Match Races: BLAINE KLINGER over Cody Higbie, Payton Talbot, Dale Welty, Allan Hodge, Ray Leonard, Gary Smith
Short Track Super Series Modified Redraw Transfers: Alan Barker (14.570 seconds) & Justin Holland (14.745 seconds)
CRSA Sprint Car Feature Finish (30 laps): DALTON HERRICK, Kyle Pierce, Mike Kiser, Tomy Moreau, Chad Miller, Jordan Hutton, Ron Greek, Jerry Sehn, Nathan Pierce, Trevor Years, Mike Van Pelt, Ray Preston, Alex Adamsky, John Cunningham, Mark Taylor, Calvin Wheelock, Dana Wagner, Jeff Trombley, Aaron Shelton, Thomas Radivoy
Ted’s Body Shop Limited Sportsman Feature Finish (20 laps): TYLER HOLCOMB, Ron Delease, Matthew Backus, Dylan Nicholas, Eric Jensen, Lance Hill, Phil Arnold, Zack Welch, Stephen Windsor, Derrick Shaffer, Jr Stanton, Brandon Christ
Did Not Start: Aaron Clark
Dixie Saloon Bonuses ($100): Tyler Holcomb (first) & Ron Delease
(second)
Ted’s Body Shop Halfway Leader ($100): Tyler Holcomb
Slingshot Feature Finish (15 laps): JADEN WUST, Chase Schott, Mason Pittenger, Alex Boughton, Chad Goodier, Aubrey Romig, Dustin Sehn, Nicholas Jenkins, Jim Pollard, Bob Boughton, Kirsten Swartz, Andrew Turpin, Avery Decker, Julia Renwick, Ayna Sarpriacone
