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Written by Chris Moore
VERNON, NY – A Slosek shocker.
After getting behind the wheel of a Modified for the first time in late June, West Winfield, N.Y.’s Jeremy Slosek stole the show for his first-ever 3 Bastards Brewing Modified victory at Utica-Rome Speedway.
The driver of the BDR Speed No. 16s started from the outside of the front row and inherited the lead after Rocky Warner experienced mechanical issues, capitalizing on the opportunity for his first career win.
Slosek was victorious in just his eighth Modified start.
“I didn’t see any sparks, but I saw smoke (from Warner’s car),” Slosek explained. “The next time I saw the scoreboard, I was back on top… I couldn’t believe it.”
“I can’t thank Danny (Varin) and Mason (Olmstead) enough for all their help,” Slosek continued. “They’ve brought so much experience and knowledge… this is the best the car has ever been.”
Slosek started on the outside of the front row alongside Fultonville, N.Y.’s JaMike Sowle for the held over feature from August 4 on Clinton Collision/Wilcox Construction/International Wire night.
Sowle quickly raced out the early lead, while Slosek filed into second and Genoa, N.Y.’s Pat Ward were the top three when the yellow flag flew just one lap into the race.
The caution would be the only one of the 30-lap affair.
On the restart, Ward took the second spot away, shuffling Slosek back to third with East Greenbush, N.Y.’s Bobby Hackel IV and Covington Township, Pa.’s Alex Yankowski rounding out the top five.
With the top five settled in, Slosek began to challenge Ward to take back the runner-up position. Slosek made the move at the completion of lap 10 and set his sights on Sowle up front.
While Slosek was chasing Sowle, Johnstown, N.Y.’s Rocky Warner began to make his charge to the front.
Warner slid by Yankowski for fifth on lap 12, then by Hackel one lap later for fourth.
At the halfway mark, the top three had changed completely. Slosek and Warner, both rolling the inside groove, were moving forward.
Slosek slid underneath Sowle for the lead and Warner drove by Ward for third as the field took the halfway sign from speedway flagger Nick Squires.
Three laps later, Warner again used the bottom groove to drive underneath Sowle and snag the runner-up spot. With Slosek rolling the bottom, Warner changed grooves, moving to the outside and driving around Slosek for the lead.
With 11 laps to go, it was Warner, Slosek, Sowle, Yankowski, and Ward making up the top five.
Warner appeared well on his way to a victory, setting sail with the top spot.
However, with five laps to go, sparks began to fly from the Jason Simmons Racing No. 98.
Warner’s unfortunate season would continue, as he would retire from the event, five laps from his first Utica-Rome Speedway win since 2021.
Slosek inherited a lead he would never relinquish again the final five laps, racing to an upset win with the 3 Bastards Brewing Modifieds.
Yankowski charged to second in the late stages and Sowle rounded out the top three. Bobby Hackel IV and Pat Ward were the remainder of the top five.
Finishing sixth through 10th, respectively, were Unadilla, N.Y.’s Billy Decker; Sheffield, Mass. native Andy Bachetti; Canandaigua, N.Y.’s Alex Payne; Roscoe, N.Y.’s Michael Trautschold; and Vernon, N.Y.’s Willy Decker.
Despite not being in attendance, Savannah, N.Y.’s Matt Sheppard was declared the 3 Bastards Brewing Modified Champion of Utica-Rome Speedway after his dominant campaign.
In the Empire Super Sprint 360 Sprint Car A-Main, Matt Farnham came home with a dramatic $2,000 victory.
Danny Varin and Paulie Colagiovanni battled hard for the lead in the latter half of the race, before Colagiovanni slipped off the turn four embankment and flipped into the trees surrounding the speedway.
Colagiovanni walked away unharmed.
Varin appeared on his way to a victory from there, before running out of fuel on the final lap. Farnham inherited the lead and the victory.
Jordan Thomas, Shawn Donath, Varin, and Jeff Cook were the top five.
Durhamville, N.Y.’s Matt Janczuk battled hard for his eighth straight victory with the Worthington Industries Crate 602 Sportsman to end the season.
Janczuk raced by Allan Hodge and Mike Richmond just past the halfway point of the race to take the lead for the victory.
The win rewarded Janczuk the 2023 Worthington Industries Crate 602 Sportsman Championship.
Blaine Klinger raced to second, with Richmond, Payton Talbot, and Hodge rounding out the top five.
St. Johnsville, N.Y.’s Johnny Feagles concluded the 2023 Fastline Performance Limited Sportsman with his second consecutive victory of the season. Feagles battled from the fifth starting position to get around Tyler Bobar for the victory.
Bobar came home second and Josh Coonradt, making just his second start in a Crate 602 Sportsman, rounded out the top three.
Despite being caught up in a wreck in the early going, New Berlin, N.Y.’s Zack Welch had built up enough of a lead to have clinched the Fastline Performance Limited Sportsman Championship before the race began.
On the inner oval, Dan Slosek won his second straight Senior Services Inc. All-Star Slingshot feature and Chase Spoor did the same with the Junior Slingshots.
The Winged Champ Racing Series also joined the Friday night affair, with Jeremy Tuttle topping the pro Winged Series and Steven Hulbert winning the Semi-Pro portion of the event.
Matt Chavis meanwhile topped the 20-lap Heavy Tire Predator feature event.
That concludes the 2023 racing season at Utica-Rome Speedway. Stay tuned to the speedway website and the Utica-Rome Speedway Facebook page for updates throughout the offseason. Monster Trucks will be on hand this coming weekend.
Utica-Rome’s sister track – Fonda (N.Y.) Speedway – concludes their 2023 season next weekend, Thurs.-Sat. Sept. 14-16, with the Fonda 200. The three-day weekend culminates with the 200-lap, $53,000-to-win main event on Saturday night. Go to www.thefondaspeedway.com for full details.
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.
‘CLINTON COLLISION/WILCOX CONSTRUCTION/INTERNATIONAL WIRE CHAMPIONSHIP NIGHT’ RESULTS SUMMARY – UTICA-ROME SPEEDWAY FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 8, 2023
3 Bastards Brewing Modified Feature Finish (30 laps): JEREMY SLOSEK, Alex Yankowski, JaMike Sowle, Bobby Hackel IV, Pat Ward, Billy Decker, Andy Bachetti, Alex Payne, Michael Trautschold, Willy Decker, Alan Barker, Ron Holmes, Randy Shantel, Jim Becker, Kreg Crooker, Tim Mayne, Rocky Warner, Andy Graves, Ed Downing, Joel Thomas.
2023 3 Bastards Brewing Modified Champion: MATT SHEPPARD
Empire Super Sprint Feature Finish (25 laps): MATT FARNHAM, Jordan Thomas, Shawn Donath, Danny Varin, Jeff Cook, Logan Crisafulli, Billy VanInwegen Jr., Sammy Reakes IV, Matt Tanner, Bobby Hackel IV, Trevor Years, Keith Granholm, Lacey Hanson, Paulie Colagiovanni, Dylan Swiernik, Dalton Rombough, Kyle Dutcher, Jason Barney, Jordan Poirier, Steve Glover.
Did Not Start: Jonathan Preston, Cory Sparks
Worthington Industries Crate 602 Sportsman Feature Finish (25 laps): MATT JANCZUK, Blaine Klinger, Mike Richmond, Payton Talbot, Allan Hodge, Jeremy Slosek, Stephen Denton, Jordan Millard, Seth Martin, Alex Hughes, Jim Rothwell, J.J. Courcy, David Hackett, Rusty Smith, E.J. Gallup, Jim Nagle, Josh Amodio, Ed Downing, Ed Lukas, Matthew Richardson, Blake Sarpriacone, Mike Kalkbrenner, Kadon Hohensheldt, David Dickey, Brent Cross, Gordon Smith, Michelle Courcy, Willy Decker Jr.
2023 Worthington Industries Crate 602 Sportsman Champion: MATT JANCZUK
Fastline Performance Limited Sportsman (20 laps): JOHNNY FEAGLES, Tyler Bobar, Josh Coonradt, Carson Rothwell, Eric Jensen, Nick Zielinski, Dylan Nichols, Dennis Wischman, Lance Hill, Andrew MacFadden, Ernie Staelens, Matt Bukovan, Maddy Broedel, Brad Poppleton, Bobby Newman, Kennedy Payne, Zack Welch, Connor Prokop.
2023 Fastline Performance Limited Sportsman Champion: ZACK WELCH
Senior Services Inc. All-Star Slingshots Feature Finish (20 laps): DAN SLOSEK, Brayden Ketchum, Ayden Goodier, Nicholas Jenkins, Tadd Granger, Paul Holic, Kevin Loveless.
Junior Slingshot Feature Finish (15 laps): CHASE SPOOR, Jayden Wust, Preston Trautschold, Sullivan Dickey, Logan Carter, Brody Janczuk, Ayna Sarpriacone.
Winged Champ Kart Feature Finish (20 laps): JEREMY TUTTLE, Matt Chavis, Ryan Pepicelli, Ronnie Smith, Michael Scott, David Herrick II, Steven Hulbert (Semi-Pro), Terry Carroll, Nick Noble, Ashleigh Herrick, Michael Deats, Ayden Deats, Toad, Matt Rogers, Jake White.
Heavy Tire Predator Feature Finish (20 laps): MATT CHAVIS, James Normoyle, Tomek Kowalczyk, Michael Banks, David Herrick II, David Humphrey, Billy Richardson, Ryan Pepicelli, Eva Rakoske, Brandon Colgan, Logan Hatch, Mikey Lang, Jordan Banks.
Did Not Start: Matt Rogers
