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Written by Chris Moore
VERNON, NY – Back on top.
Stewart Friesen returned to Utica-Rome Speedway Victory Lane with the 3 Bastards Brewing Modifieds on Thursday night for his first win of the season at the speedway.
Dirt Track Digest and Broedel Energy presented the ‘Bill Shea Memorial’ honoring a former speedway promoter who passed away unexpectedly last fall.
Friesen – dawning a Bill Shea Tribute paint scheme – parked it in Victory Lane for a $4,000 victory in Round No. 2 of the F.X. Caprara Car Companies Thunder on the Thruway Series.
“When I first met Bill (Shea) we were competitors,” shared Friesen of his memories of Shea, a promoter, car owner and overall fan of auto racing. “He owned Willy’s (Decker) car, and they were our rivals back then.”
“We always ended the night drinking beers at the Tombstone (bar, formerly located in front of the speedway) after the races,” Friesen said with a laugh.
Friesen started from the sixth position following the post-heat race draw for starting position, while Middlesex, N.Y.’s Alan Johnson and Covington Township, Pa.’s Alex Yankowski fired off the front row.
Friesen raced his way into third, getting by Alan Barker, Jeremy Slosek, and Willy Decker in the race’s opening five laps before the first yellow with Yankowski leading.
The ensuing restart was a race-altering one, with several heavy hitters involved in a melee on the front straightaway.
Bobby Hackel IV got crossed up when the race went back to green, collecting the likes of Matt Sheppard, Alex Payne, Andy Bachetti, and JaMike Sowle, among others, ending each of their nights prematurely.
When the green came back out, Friesen resumed his charge to the front. Friesen and Vernon, N.Y.’s Willy Decker quickly raced by Johnson for second and third.
Friesen from there would leave Decker behind to lock in on the race leader, and his good friend, Alex Yankowski.
Friesen wasted no time getting to Yankowski, applying the pressure with still 20 laps to go. The Sprakers, N.Y., resident slid up in front of Yankowski as the field came to complete the 13th circuit and raced away with the win as the final 25 laps clicked off without incident.
“Alex (Yankowski) is a great young talent,” said Friesen of his competition. “We have a lot of respect for those guys, and they have a great race team.”
The win was the 64th of Friesen’s career at Utica-Rome Speedway, breaking his tie with Matt Sheppard atop the all-time win list at the ‘Home of Heroes.’
“We have it for now anyway,” Friesen laughed. “He (Sheppard) had some bad luck tonight, hope he and everyone involved is okay, you never want to see that.”
Yankowski settled for a runner-up finish.
“We had a really good car, just a lot of driver error tonight,” Yankowski said of his performance. “We’ll try to get better for tomorrow and see if we can beat the 44.”
Mooresville, N.C.’s Max McLaughlin charged from the 13th starting position to round out the podium, a much-needed stout run for his HBR No. 8H team.
Willy Decker took home fourth with his JSD Express No. 1x and Unadilla, N.Y.’s rounded out the top 5 from his 19th starting spot aboard the Jeremy Smith Racing No. 91 car.
Finishing sixth through 10th, respectively, were King Ferry, N.Y.’s Mike Mahaney in his George Huttig owned No. 35; Alan Johnson in the Mark Spoor Racing No. 14j; West Winfield, N.Y.’s Jeremy Slosek – making his first-ever Modified feature start – piloting the BDR Speed No. 16s; Genoa, N.Y.’s Pat Ward in the Beyea Custom Headers No. 42p; and Sprakers, N.Y.’s Jessica Friesen rounded out the top-10 in her One Zee Tees No. 1Z.
Thirty-four 3 Bastards Brewing Modifieds took part in the ‘Bill Shea Memorial’ in front of a robust crowd.
Sharon Springs, N.Y.’s Danny Varin clicked off another Empire Super Sprint 360 Sprint Car victory at Utica-Rome Speedway.
Varin started from the fourth position, quickly racing his way to the lead and setting sail with the win in dominant fashion.
Chuck Hebing and Jeff Cook rounded at the podium, while Jordan Poirier and Paulie Colagiovanni rounded out the top five.
Durhamville, N.Y.’s Matt Janczuk led all 25-laps of the Worthington Industries Crate 602 Sportsman feature to pick up the $1,500 victory.
Janczuk, after starting third, raced underneath the front in races first corner to take the lead. From there the all-time winningest Crate 602 Sportsman driver at the speedway set sail with the win.
Tanner Warner, Blaine Klinger, Dave Richer, who started 20th, and Payton Talbot rounded out the top five.
Rotterdam, N.Y.’s Nick Stone won a thrilling Next Generation Graphix Pro Stocks feature by a slim .057 seconds over Newport, N.Y.’s A.J. Walters.
Stone outgunned Ivan Joslin in the early going and led every lap from there, until Walters put the pressure on Stone in the late stages.
Walters would settle for second, while Ivan Joslin, Bret Belden, and Beau Ballard rounded out the top five.
Racing continues tonight at the ‘Home of Heroes’ with the continuation of Zielinski Asphalt and Parks Companies Night, which was cut short due to rain last Friday.
The 3 Bastards Brewing Modifieds, Worthington Industries Crate 602 Sportsman, and Next Generation Graphix Pro Stocks have all completed their heat races, while the Fastline Performance Limited Sportsman, and Fonda Fair Four Cylinders have full programs to run.
All gates open at 5 p.m., with hot laps slated for 6:45 p.m. and racing to follow at 7:30 p.m.
Grandstand admission is $18 (Adults), $16 (Seniors) and Kids 11 and under FREE in the grandstand.
Pit admission is $40 (ages 13 and up), $35 (NASCAR or Utica-Rome Members), $10 Kids (ages 6-12) and $2 Children ages 5 and under.
The entire event will be broadcast live on FloRacing (www.floracing.tv).
Utica-Rome Speedway is located at 5591 NY-5 (Seneca Turnpike) Vernon, NY 13476. The official website is www.uticaromespeedway.com and the speedway can be reached by phone at 315.953.4097. Like Utica-Rome Speedway on Facebook or follow us on Twitter @UR_Speedway.
‘DIRT TRACK DIGEST & BROEDEL ENERGY BILL SHEA MEMORIAL’ RESULTS SUMMARY – UTICA-ROME SPEEDWAY THURSDAY, JUNE 29, 2023
3 Bastards Brewing Modified Feature Finish (30 laps): STEWART FRIESEN, Alex Yankowski, Max McLaughlin, Willy Decker, Billy Decker, Mike Mahaney, Alan Johnson, Jeremy Slosek, Pat Ward, Jessica Friesen, Larry Wight, Erick Rudolph, Rocky Warner, Peter Britten, Ronnie Johnson, Alan Barker, Brian Calabrese, Cody Clark, Addison Bowman, Dave Constantino, Ajay Potrzebowski II, Bobby Hackel IV, Matt Sheppard, Andy Bachetti, Michael Trautschold, Justin Wright, Alex Payne, Randy Shantel, JaMike Sowle, Dave Camara.
Did Not Qualify: J.R. Hurlburt, Jim Walsh, Brad Poppleton, Ron Holmes.
Empire Super Sprint Feature Finish (25 laps): DANNY VARIN, Chuck Hebing, Jeff Cook, Jordan Poirier, Paulie Colagiovanni, Jason Barney, Dylan Swiernik, Matt Tanner, Billy VanInwegen, Mike Kiser, Shawn Donath, Davie Franek, Parker Evans, Jordan Thomas, Sammy Reakes IV, Dalton Rombaugh, Logan Crisafulli, Trevor Years, Chase Moran, Bobby Breen, Lacey Hanson, Matt Farnham, Jonathan Preston, Josh Pieniazek, Tyler Cartier.
Did Not Qualify: Keith Granholm, Dalton Herrick, Jason Barney, Zack Burd, Kelly Hebing.
Worthington Industries Crate 602 Sportsman Feature Finish (25 laps): MATT JANCZUK, Tanner Warner, Blaine Klinger, Dave Richer, Payton Talbot, Chip Constantino, Mike Fowler, Jim Nagle, Stephen Gray, Derrick McGrew Jr., Ed Lukas, Shawn Frost, Gordon Smith, Stephen Denton, Nick Zielinski, Allan Hodge, Travis Witbeck, Matt Richardson, David Hackett Jr., David Dickey, Jim Rothwell, Kreg Crooker, Alex Hughes, David Manchester, Bobby Heintz, Willy Decker Jr., Jeremy Slosek, Daryl Nutting, Ed Downing, Mike Richmond.
Worthington Industries Crate 602 Sportsman B-Main Finish (15 laps): HARRY SHAFFER, Tyler Bobar, Matt Perry, Jim Gould, Zach Falciani, Dalton Doyle.
Did Not Start: Brendan Gibbons, Josh Amodio, Behr Grover, Jason Reome, Teddy Clayton Jr., Seth Martin, Maddy Broedel, Zack Welch.
Next Generation Graphix Pro Stock Feature Finish (20 laps): NICK STONE, A.J. Walters, Ivan Joslin, Bret Belden, Beau Ballard, Andy Graves, Jim Normoyle, Ken Gates, Josh Coonradt, Devon Camenga, Jason Morrison, Tim Wood, Hunter Keith, Ken Griffin, Jerry Streeter, Chad Jeseo, Gus Gould, Ed Kotary, Luke Horning, Johnny Holmes.
Algonkin Motel Hard Luck Award: Alex Payne
