SJDR - Skyline Race Results

Skyline
Race Results
www.penncan.com

09/18/06

TOMMY JUHL CLOSES OUT SKYLINE SEASON WITH TURBO BLUE FINALE FEATURE WIN

(Blodgett Mills, NY) The annual Turbo Blue Finale at the Skyline Raceway
closed out the 2006 racing season at the popular Blodgett Mills, NY fast
clay oval. Auburn, NY's Tommy Juhl ran his feature win total for the
season to eight as he drove his John Juhl Construction sponsored entry to
victory in the 30 lap Sportsman division feature event. Westfield, PA's
Sean Lias continued his late season hot streak in the IMCA Modifieds as
the newly crowned track champion drove to his fifth consecutive feature
win. "Hollywood" Howard Jones won his fifth Pure Stock feature while Nate
DeGraw won his third Four Cylinder Stock feature of the season. Tim
Gwardwak topped the Junkyard Dogs feature for his first Skyline win of
the season with Brandon Neilson closing out the Junkyard Pups season with
his eleventh win of 2006.
With the feature line-ups set via luck of the draw, P.J. Goodwin and Alan
Barker paced the 24 car Sportsman field to the green flag with Barker
immediately jumping out to the early lead with Goodwin in hot pursuit.
Early on, the man on the move was Rodney Hart, who was able to work past
Goodwin on the seventh lap and set off in pursuit of race leader Barker.
Some hard racing in the middle stages of the event saw Barker able to
hang onto his advantage, but coming under heavy pressure from Hart as the
two raced for the lead. Meanwhile, behind them, eventual winner Juhl had
settled into third spot and was looking to close ground on the top two.
As Hart continued to work on Barker for the top spot, the race for the
lead got a bit too close on the 20th lap as the top two cars made
contact, with the ensuing tangle dropping both from contention after the
two veterans put on a show for the Skyline fans.
This would prove to be the only break Tommy Juhl would need as Juhl
suddenly found himself sitting in the lead with only ten laps left to
run. Dan Clark had advanced from his tenth starting position to challenge
Juhl for the lead over the closing laps, but could not find a way past as
Juhl was able to drive on to record the $750 victory by a narrow margin
over Clark. Newly crowned track champion Jim LaRock earned a third place
finish with P.J. Goodwin and Kevin Jordan rounding out the to five
finishers in the very competitive feature event.
Over the last month of the season, Sean Lias has been on a roll at
Skyline as he closed out the season on Saturday night with his fifth
consecutive feature win. Lias, who earned the 2006 IMCA Northeast Region
championship in addition to his Skyline track title, started fifth in
Saturday night's feature event. As Tommy Paige took advantage of his
front row starting position to grab the early lead, Lias methodically
picked his way to the front, moving into second position behind Paige as
the corded flags wee displayed to signify the halfway point of the race.
By the time Lias got to second, Paige had built up a commanding lead over
Lias as Sean would need a caution flag to close the distance and have a
chance to challenge Paige for the top spot. That caution flag came on lap
22, which closed up the field for a three laps shootout. Lias was able to
get a good restart and move into a challenging position as he was able to
get alongside Paige as the two veterans of IMCA Modified competition went
at it for the lead. Lias was able to complete the pass as the parallel
sticks were displayed signifying two laps to go. Paige would make a last
ditch effort to retake the lead off the final turn, but came up just
short as Lias took the checkered flag by a narrow margin over Paige.
Invader Mike Stolarcyk III drove to a third place finish with Jason
Rhoades and Mike Stoddard completing the top five finishing order.
"Hollywood" Howard Jones topped the 25 lap Pure Stock feature to run his
win total to five during the 2006 racing season at Skyline. The Groton,
NY based fan favorite made what would prove to be the winning pass at the
halfway point as he was able to slip past then race leader Clayton Ingram
to take over the top spot. Jones led the rest of the way to pick up the
win. Kurt Decker was also able to work past Ingram in the closing stages
to record a runner-up finish with Ingram finishing a solid third. Rich
Sharpsteen finished fourth with 2006 track champion Gary Stage finishing
fifth.
In Four Cylinder Stock action, Marathon, NY's Nate DeGraw drove to his
third victory of the 2006 season. DeGraw was able to work his way past
early race leader Daron Hurlbert to take over the top spot on the twelfth
lap. Hurlbert did not give up as he continued to work on DeGraw all the
way to the finish of the event, but could not find a way past and settled
for a solid runner-up finish. Kyle Hackett, Scott Rothwell, and Russell
Erwin rounded out the top five finishing order.
Tim Gwardwak turned in a dominating performance to earn his first
Junkyard Dogs feature win of the season at Skyline. Gwardwak started
fourth and had the lead by the time the first lap was in the record
books. Tim would lead all 15 laps to pick up the victory. Larry Rowley
turned in a strong drive to finish second with Rick Frisco, Matt
Pagliaro, and Steve Simpson completing the top five finishing order.
Brandon Neilson finished out the Junkyard pups season with a feature win
as he was able to drive past division champion James Neff for the top
spot on the seventh lap. Neff chased Neilson the remainder of the event,
but Neilson was too strong and went on to score the win over Neff.
Invader Ken Keogh finished third with Nick Grist and Katie Smith rounding
out the top five finishers.
During intermission, all of the track champions were recognized for their
accomplishments during the 2006 racing season. Jim LaRock (Sportsman),
Sean Lias (IMCA Modifieds), Gary Stage (Pure Stocks), Mitch Hurlbert
(Four Cylinders), Jason Russell (Dogs), and James Neff (Pups) were
presented with handsome trophies commemorating their accomplishments and
point fund monies were also distributed.
With the 2006 season now complete, Skyline Raceway management would like
to thank all of the race teams and fans for supporting the speedway
during the 2006 racing season. Work is already underway on what is
shaping up to be a very exciting 2007 racing season. Continue to watch
this publication as news for the 2007 season will be announced as plans
are finalized. As always, the most up to date information is available on
the speedway's official website at www.skylineracewayny.com.

BEN BUSHAW BAGS SATURDAY NIGHT FEATURE AT SKYLINE
-Jim LaRock secures Sportsman championship with third place run

(Blodgett Mills, NY) Saturday night at the Skyline Raceway it was the
final night of the point season as the season long championship chase
boiled down to one race with the 2006 track championships on the line.
In the 25 lap Sportsman division feature, Homer, NY's Ben Bushaw drove to
his third victory of the 2006 season. Bushaw started fourth on the field
an patiently made his way to the front of the field, making what would
prove to be the winning pass on a lap ten restart. On that restart,
Bushaw was able to drive past early race leader Tim Howell to take over
the top spot.
Once out front, Bushaw had to hold off championship contenders Jim LaRock
and Tom Juhl, who had locked up in their own battle behind Bushaw for the
runner-up position. With LaRock and Juhl racing for second, this allowed
Bushaw to open up a bit of an advantage. Ben was able to hang onto the
top spot for the remainder of the event, driving under the checkered flag
for his third victory of the 2006 season. Juhl was able to work past
LaRock on the final lap to finish second with LaRock scoring third. Dan
Clark finished fourth with Tom Collins Jr. coming home with a solid fifth
place finish in his first Skyline appearance of 2006.
With his third place finish, Jim LaRock clinched his second consecutive
Skyline Raceway Sportsman division championship. The Seneca Falls NY
veteran took the title by a narrow margin over Tommy Juhl with less than
15 points separating them in the final rundown.
In IMCA Modified action, Sean Lias closed out a championship season with
his fifth consecutive feature win and eighth overall in 2006. With the
championship clinched the previous week, the Westfield, Pa. driver was
free to go out and race hard for the feature win. Joe Miles grabbed the
early lead and set the pace for the first half of the event as Lias moved
into a challenging position behind Miles. Sean made his move lust past
the halfway point as he powered past Miles to take over the top spot.
Once out front, Sean led the remainder of the event to secure the victory
inn a race that was run off without a caution flag. Miles finished second
behind Lias with newcomer JJ Coursey finishing third. Kevin Fleming and
Dwayne Bird rounded out the top five finishers.
The situation was much the same in the Pure Stock class as Ithaca, NY's
Gary Stage had wrapped up the championship the previous week, leaving him
free to race hard for the feature win. Some hard racing early on saw
Stage take his #11s pitside on the fifth circuit with a flat tire.
Stage's crew was able to get the tire changed and the longtime veteran
driver was able to drive his way back through the pack as a series of
caution flags kept the pack bunched tight. Just two laps from the end of
the 20 lap feature, Stage's run back through the field was complete as he
worked past race leader Rich Sharpsteen to take over the top spot. Gary
led the final two laps, holding off a last lap charge by Jim Howard to
take the win. Howard finished second trailed by Sharpsteen, Clayton
Ingram, and Howard Jones.
In Four Cylinder Stock action, Daron Hurlbert came into Saturday night
with a mathematical chance of wresting championship from his brother,
Mitch, who had sat atop the standings for most of the season. Daron did
what he had to do to make a run at the championship as he went out and
drove to victory, his fourth of the season. It would prove to be not
enough, however, as Mitch drove to a third place finish to secure the
championship. Still, the brothers celebrated their season together on the
front stretch with Daron as the feature winner and Mitch the 2006
champion. Daron Hurlbert took the win in the 20 lap feature, holding off
a challenge from Glenn Erwin to pick up the win. Mitch Hurlbert finished
third with Russell Erwin and Bill Fink completing the top five running
order.
In Junkyard Dog action, Jason Russell picked up his eighth win of the
season, holding off a determined challenge from Steve Faatz over the
closing laps. Ray Congdon drove to a third place finish, good enough the
earn him the 2006 Junkyard Dog championship by only a couple of points
over Russell. Chad Howard and Leonard Oralls completed the top five
finishing order.
Brandon Neilson closed out the point season in the Junkyard Pups class by
earning his tenth victory of 2006. Neilson drove past Katie Smith on the
fourth lap and led the remainder of the distance to pick up the win.
Jimmy Neff recovered from an early race flat tire to finish third, good
enough to earn the 2006 Junkyard Pups championship. Leon Brockway and
Cody Bishop rounded out the top five finishers.
This Saturday night is the season finale at the Skyline Raceway as Turbo
Blue presents a huge night of racing action. Some big money will be on
the line in the Sportsman division with $750 going to the race winner.
The IMCA Modifieds will also be running for an increased purse while the
Pure Stocks will see their feature run "Triple Crown" style, meaning that
all of the top three finishers are paid the winner's share of the purse
while the fourth place car is paid for second and so on down the line.
The Four Cylinder Stocks, Junkyard Dogs, and Junkyard Pups will also be
in action in special events as well. All of the information regarding
this very special event can be found on the track's official website at
www.skylineracewayny.com.

TOMMY JUHL TAKES A SUNDAY DRIVE TO VICTORY AT SKYLINE

With the remains of Tropical Storm Ernesto wiping out the racing action
on Saturday night, Skyline Raceway officials avoided three successive
weekends without racing action of the fast clay oval by scheduling a
Sunday afternoon rain date to get this week's show in the books. Despite
some intermittent drizzle throughout the program, the entire racing card
was completed, including the first ever mini van Enduro ever run at
Skyline.
In Sportsman action, Auburn, NY's Tommy Juhl drove to his seventh feature
win of the season in the 25 lap Sportsman division main event. Juhl
started sixth on the field and quickly made his way toward the front of
the field as former Late Model star Dan Clark took over the top spot with
Juhl in hot pursuit for the top spot. The two veteran drivers did some
close racing as Juhl repeatedly challenged Clark in every corner, but
Clark was able to keep Juhl at bay for many laps.
Juhl finally found the opening he was looking for exiting the fourth turn
to complete lap number 18. Exiting the turn, Clark pushed up the track
ever so slightly, but it was enough to open the door on the inside groove
as Juhl was able to drop underneath Clark exiting the turn and complete
the pass as the two raced off into the first turn.
Once out front, Juhl would go on to lead the final seven laps to pick up
the victory. Ben Bushaw also worked past Clark in the closing laps to
earn a runner-up finish while Clark crossed the line in third. Current
point leader Jim LaRock finished fourth with Greg Carner rounding out the
top five finishers.
Westfield, Pa.'s Sean Lias clinched the 2006 Skyline Raceway IMCA
Modified Championship and also the IMCA Northeast Regional Championship
as he drove to his sixth feature win of the season in the 20 lap IMCA
Modified feature. It was a hard fought win for Lias, as he and newcomer
Scott Bennett locked up in a torrid battle for victory. The two veterans
of the IMCA Modified class put on a show for the Skyline fans as they
spent pretty much the entire second half of the feature event locked in a
side by side battle for the top spot, swapping the lead back and forth
several times. In the end, Lias was finally able to get ahead of Bennett
and drove on to victory with Bennett crossing the line second just behind
Lias. Jason Rhodes, Tom Hulbert, and Kevin Cole completed the top five
finishing order.
Though one week remains in the point season for the Pure Stocks, the
championship has already been determined as Ithica, NY's Gary Stage
clinched the title in style as he drove to his seventh victory of the
season. Stage made the winning move on the 17th circuit as he was able to
grab the top spot away from Rich Sharpsteen. Stage led the final three
circuits to earn the victory over Sharpsteen, Scott Alexander, Bill
Frisbie, and newcomer Josh Parker.
Nate DeGraw overcame an early race spin to pick up his second victory of
the season in the Four Cylinder Stock division. DeGraw spun on the sixth
lap and had to restart at the tail of the field, but quickly blasted his
way back to the front. It would take DeGraw until the final lap to work
past race leader Daron Hurlbert for the top spot. Though he would lead
only one lap, it was the one that counted for DeGraw as he took the win.
Daron Hurlbert ran second after leading a good portion of the event.
Russell Erwin, Kyle Hackett, and newcomer Claude Hutchings were third
through fifth respectively.
Ray Comgdon picked up his fourth win of 2006 in the Junkyard Dogs feature
event. Congdon passed Steve Faatz for the top spot then held off a late
challenge from invader Steve Sawyer to pick up the victory. Behind
Congdon and Sawyer, Steve Faatz, Earl Zimmer, and Dan Moore rounded out
the top five finishing order.
The Junkyard pups saw track officials declare the race a tie after some
late race action between Jimmy Neff and Brandon Neilson as they battled
for the victory. Exiting the fourth turn on the final lap, the leaders
wee confronted with a slowing lapped car and the two got together several
times as each tried to beat the other to the checkered flag with the race
being declared a tie and both credited for the feature win. Behind the
battle for the top spot, Jason Scutt, Nick Collyer, and Randy Knight
finished third through fifth.
Four Cylinder Stock driver Russell Erwin claimed the $500 top prize in
Skyline's first ever mini van Enduro. Erwin survived a frightening moment
as he pulled into victory lane as his badly overheated van caught fire,
forcing him to make a quick exit from the vehicle. Look for the mini van
Enduro to return to the Skyline schedule in 2007.
Racing continues this Saturday night as it is Championship Night at the
Skyline Raceway. The Sportsman, IMCA Modifieds, Pure Stocks, Four
Cylinder Stocks, Junkyard Dogs, and Junkyard pups will all be in action
in a big night of racing action of the smooth, fast Skyline oval. With
the exception of the IMCA Modified class whose points end this week per
IMCA rules, all of the other divisions will be taking part in their final
point races with the champions to be crowned. The huge night of racing
action gets underway at 6:30 PM. For more information, log onto the
speedway's official website at www.skylineracewayny.com.

MOTHER NATURE PUTS A DAMPER ON RACING SATURDAY NIGHT AT SKYLINE RACEWAY

(Blodgett Mills, NY).Mother Nature was the only winner last Saturday
night at the Skyline Raceway as racing action at the fast 1/3 mile was
rained out. Predicted afternoon showers turned into a heavy, steady rain
which forced Skyline officials to pull the plug on Saturday night's
scheduled racing card.
The much anticipated first ever 50 lap Mini-Van Enduro slated for
Saturday night was also postponed by the inclement weather. Despite
cancellation of the program early, there were a good number of mini van
entries signed in by the time the rains came and wshed out the show.
Several teams left their vans at the tack rather than take them back
home. The vans will now take to the track this Saturday night, September
2nd. With an extra week to get ready. Look for a couple of more vans to
show up and join in the festivities.
September 2nd will also feature a full night of racing action in all six
of Skyline's regular racing divisions. The Sportsman, IMCA Modifieds,
Pure Stocks, Four Cylinder Stocks, Junkyard Dogs, and Junkyard Pups will
all be in action in a complete racing show which will be topped off by
the 50 lap mini-van enduro. The chase for the IMCA Modified point
championship will be decided as this will be the final night of points in
that class as the following week finds the IMCA Nationals out in Iowa and
IMCA rules bar any point races at any other sanctioned track in the
nation.
While the IMCA Modifieds will end their point season on September 2nd,
all other classes will have their championships determined a week later
on September 9th as it will be Season Championship Night at Skyline. The
Sportsman, Pure Stock, Four Cylinder Stock Junkyard Dogs, and Junkyard
Pups titles will be determined on this night.
The 2006 season concludes with the running of the annual Turbo Blue
finale on Saturday, September 16th. By moving the Turbo Blue event back a
week, it allows the track to make up one of the dates lost to rain the
past couple of weeks. It also eliminates a schedule conflict with a track
down the road, making it possible for those teams that want to take part
in the Turbo Blue event to do so without missing a race at their home
track.
For the first time, the IMCA Modifieds will also be a part of the Turbo
Blue event as in tears past they have not been able to run due to a
conflict with the IMCA Nationals. By moving the event back a week, this
conflict is eliminated and thus the IMCA Modifieds will be on the card
for the Turbo Blue finale which will now feature all six of Skyline's
regular divisions.
Racing continues this Saturday night with a big six division racing card.
With only two races remaining in the point season, every race is now
critical n the chase of the 2006 track championships. The Sportsman, IMCA
Modifieds, Pure Stocks, Four Cylinder Stocks, Junkyard Dogs, and Junkyard
pups will all be in action in a big night of racing action of the smooth,
fast Skyline oval. Racing gets underway at 6::30 PM. For more
information, log onto the speedway's official website at
www.skylineracewayny.com.

TOMMY JUHL, SEAN LIAS, DARYL ELLIS Jr., GLEN ERWIN, JASON RUSSELL, JIMMY
NEFF, AND BRANDON NEILSON SHARE SKYLINE VICTORY LANE

(Blodgett Mills, NY) Despite a picture perfect summer evening for racing,
last Saturday night's racing card at the Skyline Raceway went on with
heavy hearts as a longtime member of the Skyline racing family passed
away during the week. Saturday night's racing card was run in memory of
the Jones Racing Team's crew chief, Bruce "Hoppy" Brotherton, who passed
away at his Groton, NY home this past week. All of the feature winners
received trophies commemorating "Hoppy" courtesy of the Jones Racing
Team. Skyline Raceway officials along with the Jones Racing team put
together a touching memorial to their fallen friend during intermission,
a touching farewell to a man that has been a part of the speedway for
many years.
For the firth time in 2006, Auburn, NY's Tommy Juhl drove his John Juhl
Construction sponsored Bicknell machine to victory in the 25 lap
Sportsman feature. Juhl took the green flag from the eighth starting
position as Chad O'Hara led the initial lap of the feature before
surrendering the top spot to Dan Clark on the second circuit. It took
Juhl only five laps to move into a contending position behind Clark as
the race for the lead heated up as Clark tried to hold off Juhl's charge.
Juhl would make what would prove to be the winning pass on a lap sever
restart following a caution flag for a minor spin. Juhl got the drop on
Clark on the restart to power his way into the lead that he would hold
for the remainder of the 20 lap distance. With Juhl now solidly in the
race lead, the battle for second heated up as current point leader Jim
LaRock drove up to challenge Clark for second.
LaRock was able to slip past Juhl on the ninth circuit and set off in
pursuit of Juhl. The second half of the event featured a two car battle
for the lead as LaRock went to work on Juhl for the lead. The two
veterans of Sportsman action at Skyline put on a show for the Skyline
fans as LaRock looked high and low on Juhl for the lead, but Juhl was up
to the challenge as he never gave LaRock an opening. The battle raged all
the way to the checkered flag with Juhl driving a perfect line, keeping
LaRock behind him all the way. Juhl took the checkered flag first to
pocket the $600 winner's share of the purse. LaRock finished second to
hold onto the point lead while Dan Clark drove to a third place finish.
Jim Smith and Ben Bushaw completed the top five running order.
The IMCA Modified division also featured an exciting battle for the
victory that lasted nearly the entire race as Westfield, Pa.'s Sean Lias
earned his fourth feature win of the 2006 season. For the majority of the
event the battle for the top spot featured a two car duel as Lias had to
hold off a very determined Tommy Paige to pick up the win. Lias found the
outside groove of the speedway to his liking as he ran the top side of
the speedway. In nearly every turn, Paige looked to the low side of Lias
exiting the turns, but Lias had the mementum up top and was able to hang
onto his lead. At the checkered flag it was Lias winning by less than a
car length over Paige. Joe Miles drove to a third place finish with Duane
Bird fourth. Jeff Witt finished fifth in his first IMCA Modified start.
Daryl Ellis Jr. drove to his first career feature win in the 20 lap Pure
Stock feature event. Ellis took over the top spot from Bill Frisbie on
the 13 lap and led the remainder of the event to pick up the victory.
Howard Jones also worked past Frisbie to finish second with Frisbie
crossing the line in third. Kevin Clark finished fourth with point leader
Gary Stage recovering from an early race incident to finish fifth and
retain his point lead.
Russell Erwin earned his first Skyline Raceway victory in the 20 lap Four
Cylinder Stock feature event, following in the footsteps of brother
Glenn, who won the previous week. Erwin took the lead from Bill Fink with
a nice outside pass exiting the fourth turn on the 16th lap. Ewrin led
the final four laps to pick up the win over Fink. Point leader Mitch
Hurlbert finished third ahead of Nate DeGraw and Russell Erwin.
Jason Russell dominated the Junkyard Dog feature to pick up his sixth
victory of the season. Russell took the lead on the second lap and led
the remainder of the distance to score the victory. Ray Congdon tried to
make a late run at Russell, but fell just short and finished second.
Steve Faatz, Blake Burnette, and Rick Scutt rounded out the top five
finishing order.
The Junkyard Pups feature rained out the previous week opened the night's
racing card with Jimmy Neff driving to his fifth victory of the season.
Neff drove past early race leader Zack Tracy on the fifth lap to take the
lead, going on to secure the victory over Tracy. Katie Smith finished
third ahead of newcomer Randy Knight and Tracy Haven.
In the regularly scheduled Junkyard Pups feature, Brandon Neilson was
awarded the victory. Neilson actually crossed the line second behind
Jimmy Neff, but officials ruled that Neff did not leave Neilson
sufficient racing room on the outside groove and awarded the victory to
Neilson, his seventh of the season. Neff was placed second behind
Neilson. Zack Tracy finished third while Justin Rowley earned his first
top five finish with a fourth place run. Randy Knight rounded out the top
five finishing order.
Racing continues this Saturday night with a big six division racing card.
The Sportsman, IMCA Modifieds, Pure Stocks, Four Cylinder Stocks, and
Junkyard Dogs will all be in action in a big night of racing action of
the smooth, fast Skyline oval. Racing gets underway at 6::30 PM. For more
information, log onto the speedway's official website at
www.skylineracewayny.com.

TIM HOWELL WINS AT SKYLINE WHEN LEADERS TANGLE ON THE FINAL LAP

(Blodgett Mills, NY).Tim Howell found himself in the right place at the
right time on Saturday night at the Skyline Raceway. Tim was running
third when the leader and second place car tangled on the final lap of
the 25 lap Sportsman feature. This was the third win of 2006 for the
Moscow, pa. based driver. Kevan Cook drove to his first victory of the
season in IMCA Modified action with Gary Stage picking up victory number
five in the Pure Stocks. Glen Erwin picked up his first ever Skyline
feature win as he drove to victory in the Four Cylinder Stock ranks and
Blake Burnette won his third of the season in Junkyard Dogs action. The
Junkyard Pups feature was postponed by rain until this coming week.
The 25 lap Sportsman feature came to the green flag with Steve Orzalek
and Jim Smith pacing the field. At the drop of the green flag, Smith made
his move around the outside of Orzalek to take over the lead. Orzalek
began to fade back into the pack a bit as eventual winner Howell moved to
the runner-up position behind Smith. Smith was able to move away from
Howell a bit to establish himself as the race leader while Howell was
locked in a battle for second with Jim Rothwell.
After pressuring Howell for several alps, Rothwell was able to work past
on lap 17 and set off in pursuit of Smith for the lead. Rothwell was able
to quickly close the gap on Smith and began to pressure Smith for the top
spot. They would continue to race hard as the field took the white flag.
Disaster would strike the leaders entering the third turn on the final
lap. Rothwell made a move to the bottom side of the track to try to get
underneath Smith. With a drizzle falling throughout the race, the track
off the racing groove the cars were running on every lap the groove had
slickened up a bit. This caused Rothwell to push up the track,
unfortunately just enough to make contact with Smith, sending both cars
into a spin and bringing out the caution flag.
The race restarted with one lap remaining with Howell now shown as the
race leader. Tim was able to run off the final lap of the event without
incident to claim his third victory of 2006. Ben Bushaw tried to make a
run at Howell over the final lap but settled for a second place finish
ahead of Jim LaRock. Chad O'Hara finished fourth with Greg Morgan
finishing fifth in only his second start of the season at Skyline.
In IMCA Modified action, Constantia, NY's Kevan Cook picked up his first
victory of the 2006 season, pulling off a late race pass to pick up the
win. Joe Miles jumped to the lead at the drop of the green flag and
appeared to be on his way to victory. Joe would lead the first 18 laps of
the 20 lap feature. Cook moved to a challenging position behind Miles,
then took the lead with a move to the inside of Mikes in the first turn
to take over the top spot. Cook would go on to lead the final two laps to
score the victory with Miles earning the runner-up finish. Sean Lias
finished third ahead of Tommy Paige and Mike Smith.
Gary Stage drove to his fifth win of 2006 in the 20 lap Pure Stock
feature. The veteran driver from Ithica, NY charged from his tenth
starting position to take over the lead just prior to the halfway point
of the event when he slipped past Rich Sharpsteen for the top spot. Stage
led the final ten laps to earn the victory. Scott Alexander slipped past
Sharpsteen late to take the second spot while Sharpsteen held on for a
third place finish. Kevin Clark led the first six laps of the feature and
came home with a fourth place finish while Daryl Ellis Jr. finished a
solid fifth.
Glen Erwin scored his first ever Skyline Raceway feature win in the 20
lap Four Cylinder Stock feature. The Pennville, NY driver took over the
top spot on the 12th circuit when Mitch Hurlbert and Nate DeGraw tangled
while racing for the lead. Once out front, Erwin led the final seven laps
to earn the victory. Rich Rainville drove to a runner-up finish, his best
Skyline run of 2006. Daron Hurlbert finished third with newcomer Jeff
Herbert and Jim Money completing the top five finishing order.
Blake Burnette picked up his third win of the 2006 season in Junkyard Dog
action. Burnette passed early race leader Dan Moore on the second lap and
led the remainder of the feature to earn the victory. Jason Russell tried
to challenge Burnette over the closing laps but could not chase down
Burnette and settled for a runner-up finish. Dan Moore held on for a
third place finish ahead of Jason Bennett and Steve Faatz.
The Mid-State Antique Stock Car Club was on hand with their authentically
restored racing machines from days gone by. Jim Chase drove to victory in
the club's 15 lap feature event, besting Tom Witter, Chris Hilmire,
Richard Ackerman, and Jeff Ackerman. Fourth finishing Richard Ackerman
was the top finishing car in the 1950's class. In addition to the cars
that raced on the track, Rich Parry had his beautifully restored Jack
Johnson #37 Falcon on display behind the grandstand along with a restored
Ben Stevens #3x.
The Junkyard Pups feature was postponed by rain and will be the first
event on this Saturday night's racing card. Seven big features will be
presented as the Junkyard Pups will complete their rained out feature
plus run a full show including a second big feature race. The Sportsman,
IMCA Modifieds, Pure Stocks, Four Cylinder Stocks, and Junkyard Dogs will
all be in action as well. Racing gets underway at ^:30 PM. For more
information, log onto the speedway's official website at
www.skylineracewayny.com.

TOMMY JUHL TOPS SKYLINE SPORTSMAN FIELD
Rich Talalda and Katie Smith are first time winners

(Blodgett Mills, NY) Auburn, NY's Tommy Juhl continued his winning ways
at the Skyline Raceway as he drove to victory in the 25 lap Sportsman
feature, his third victory of 2006. Rich Talalda scored his first career
IMCA Modified victory while Gary Stage picked up victory number four in
the Pure Stock feature. Scott Rothwell won the Four Cylinder Stock
feature, his second trip to victory lane in 2006 and Ray Congdon won his
fourth Junkyard Dog feature. Katie Smith became only the second female
driver to win at Skyline as she drove to victory in the Junkyard Pups
feature.
Jim Sherman took advantage of an outside pole starting position to lead
the first two laps of the 25 lap Sportsman feature before Jim "Rocky"
Rothwell worked his way past Sherman to take over the top spot. Eventual
winner Tommy Juhl was making tracks through the field early on as he
charged from his ninth starting position to third behind Rothwell and
Sherman in only four laps. It took only one lap for Juhl to work past
Sherman and set his sights on Rothwell for the top spot.
The battle was now on for the lead as Juhl was applying heavy pressure to
Rothwell for the top spot. Juhl looked high and low trying to find a way
past Rothwell, but the crafty veteran was up to the challenge as he kept
Juhl behind him for several laps. Juhl made what would be the winning
move on the 12th lap as he was able to get underneath Rothwell and
wrestle the lead away. Once out front, Juhl would lead the remainder of
the way to pick up the win, but he had to work for it as Rothwell was all
over the rear bumper of Juhl's mount. The two veterans battled all the
way to the checkered flag with Juhl taking the win by a narrow margin
over Rothwell. Jim LaRock charged from deep in the field at the start to
finish third with Jim Sherman hanging on to finish fourth with former
Late Model standout Dan Clark crossing the line in fifth.
In IMCA Modified action, Chemung, NY's Rich Talada drove to his first
career open wheel victory. After narrowly missing his first win a week
ago, this time around Talada was not to be denied as he led all 20 laps
of the IMCA Modified feature to pick up the win. Though he led all the
way, Talada still had to work for the win as Tommy Paige made a late run.
On the final lap, Paige was able to get underneath Talada, but Rich had
enough speed up top to beat Paige off the turn and sprint on for the win.
Paige settled for a strong runner-up finish with current point leader
Sean Lias finishing third. Joe Miles and Kevan Cook completed the top
five finishing order.
Gary Stage also had to work for his Pure Stock victory as the Ithica, NY
veteran earned his fourth victory of the 2006 campaign. Stage started
fifth and took over the top spot on the second lap as he drove around
Kevin Clark to take over the top spot. Stage led the rest of the way, but
over the second half of the race he had plenty of company in the person
of "Hollywood" Howard Jones. Jones was all over Stage's rear bumper over
the closing laps, but Stage never opened the door for Jones. The two
veterans raced each other hard and clean in an exhibition of Pue Stock
racing at its best as they never so much as touched as they fought for
the win. Stage held off Jones for the win with Jones settling for a
strong runner-up finish with Kevin Boynton third. Daryl Ellis made a
surprise appearance and came home with a fourth place finish ahead of Dan
Mazzarese.
In Four Cylinder Stock action, Moravia, NY's Scott Rothwell picked up his
second victory of the 2006 season. Rothwell, the winner on the opening
night of the 2006 season, earned his win as Russell Erwin made a big move
up the outside of Rothwell on the final lap, but Scott was able to just
nose Erwin out at the finish line to earn the win. Erwin took home a
strong second place finish with Bill Fink third. Newcomer Rich Rainville
drove to a fourth place finish with veteran Jim Money fifth.
Ray Congdon utilized some last lap heroics to pick up the victory in the
Junkyard Dogs feature. Congdon went from third to first on the final lap
as he made a big move on the high side of the track to drive past both
Blake Burnette and Jason Russell to win his fourth feature of the season.
Burnette held off Russell to finish second with Russell third. Steve
Faatz and Dan Moore were fourth and fifth.
Katie Smith became only the second female driver to win a feature at
Skyline as she drove to victory in the Junkyard Pups feature, besting a
strong running Zack Tracy to pick up the win. Brandon Neilson, James
Neff, and Tom Cook completed the top five running order.
Skyline Raceway action continues this Saturday night as it will be
Christmas In July as Santa Claus will be on hand with gifts for all of
the children. There will be plenty of action on track with a full six
division show of Sportsman, IMCA Modifieds, Pure Stocks, Four Cylinder
Stocks, Junkyard Dogs, and Junkyard Pups. As an added attraction,
nationally known stunt man "Tricky" Ricky Travelstead will perform some
death defying stunts for the Skyline fans. Racing gets underway promptly
at 6:30 PM. For more information, log onto the speedway's official
website at www.skylineracewayny.com.

TIM HOWEEL RETURNS TO SKYLINE WITH SECOND VICTORY

(Blodgett Mills, NY) After missing the previous week's racing action at
Skyline due to a minor injury suffered at work, Tim Howell returned in a
big way as the Moscow, Pa. driver earned his second Sportsman victory of
the season. Howell's victory netted him the $600 top prize posted weekly
at Skyline for the Sportsman division winner. . Westfield, Pa.'s Sean
Lias won his fourth IMCA Modified feature with "Hollywood" Howard Jones
also running his win total to four in the Pure Stock ranks. Current point
leader Mitch Hurlbert won his third Four Cylinder Stock feature of the
season while Jason Russell won his fifth Junkyard Dogs feature of the
season. Brandon Neilson bagged the Junkyard Pups feature, sixth win in
2006.
Tim Howell and Sean O'Connor paced the Sportsman field to the green flag
with Howell grabbing the top spot as the green flag waved. The second
generation driver would go on to lead all 25 laps, but it was far from an
easy win for Howell. Dan Clark worked past O'Connor for second and set
his sight on Howell. This battle would continue all the way to the
checkered flag as Clark was all over Howell the entire distance. With
Howell choosing to run a lane up from the bottom, Clark was able to get
his nose underneath Howell in nearly every turn. Though he was able to
pull alongside several times, each time Howell was able to hold him back.
This battle raged all the way to the checkered flag as Clark made a last
ditch bid on the final lap, but Howell was able to hold him off to record
his second win of 2006. In victory lane, Howell was quick to recognize
and thank Clark for racing him clean. "He raced me hard, but he never
touched me." stated Howell. "That was fun.". Clark finished second with
Ben Bushaw, Tommy Juhl, and Jim LaRock completing the top five.
In the 20 lap IMCA Modified feature, eventual winner Sean Lias had to
work for his fourth win of the season. Rich Talada grabbed the lead at
the drop of the green flag and appeared to be on his way to victory, but
Lias had other ideas. Sean was able to run Talada down, and after several
laps of side by side racing was able to take over the top spot on lap 17.
Lias led the final three circuits to pick up the win by a narrow margin
over Talada. Tommy Paige finished third ahead of newcomer Carmen Vona and
Pete Neff.
"Hollywood" Howard Jones made a big move at the drop of the green flag
for the 20 lap Pure Stock feature. Jones took the green flag from sixth
starting position, but made a big move right off the start to snag the
lead on the first lap. Jones would go on to lead all 20 laps of the
feature, but Rich Sharpsteen and Gary Stage made him work for the win as
they challenged Howard. Sharpsteen took several looks underneath Jones,
but could not complete the pass and Jones sprinted on to victory.
Sharpsteen held off Stage for second while Gary scored a third place
finish despite a smoking motor over the closing laps. Shawn Alexander and
Scott White rounded out the top five finishers.
Current Four Cylinder Stock point leader Mitch Hurlbert drove to his
third win of 2006 in that division's 15 lap feature. Hulbert grabbed the
lead from Bill Fink on the third lap and led the remainder of the event
to earn the victory. Glenn Erwin overcame an early race incident to
charge back to a runner-up finish ahead of Gary Johnson, Scott Rothwell,
and Daron Hurlbert.
Jason Russell picked up the victory in the Junkyard Dogs feature. After
some tough luck the past few weeks, Russell was handicapped to the pole
position. Jason took full advantage of the up front start to lead the
entire distance to pick up the win. Russell outdistanced Steve Faatz to
pick up the victory, Faatz finished second trailed by Glenn Beebe, Ray
Congdon, and Jamie Ayres.
Brandon Neilson waited until the seventh lap of the Junkyard Pups feature
to make what would prove to be the winning pass as he drove around Katie
Smith to take over the lead. Neilson led the remainder of the way to
score the win with Smith second. James Neff, Zack Tracy, and Leon
Brockway made up the remainder of the top ten.
Racing continues this Saturday night at the Skyline Raceway with a full
six division racing card. The Sportsman, IMCA Modifieds, Pure Stocks,
Four Cylinder Stocks, Junkyard Dogs, and Junkyard Pups will all be in
action. Racing gets underway promptly at 6:30 PM. For more information,
log onto the speedway's official website at www.skylineracewayny.com.

TOMMY JUHL RETURNS TO SKYLINE VICTORY LANE

(Blodgett Mills, NY) Auburn, NY's Tommy Juhl drove to victory in the 25
lap Sportsman division main event on Saturday night at the Skyline
Raceway, his second truimph of the 2006 campaign. Syracuse's Joe Miles
finally got his first career feature win after a decade of trying in IMCA
Modified action while Scott White earned his first win since 1993 in Pure
Stock action. Current Four Cylinder Stock point leader Mitch Hurlbert won
his second feature of the season as did Ray Congdon in the Junkyard Dogs.
Jimmy Neff picked up his firth win of the season in Junkyard Pups action.
Dan Clark jumped to the lead as the green flag waved over the Sportsman
field to start the 25 lap feature event with Sean O'Connor in hot
pursuit. Eventual winner Tommy Juhl wasted little time in making his way
forward from his fifth starting position as he drove past O'Connor on the
fourth lap and set his sights on Clark for the top spot.
Juhl would make the winning move on a lap six restart as he was able to
power around Clark for the top spot. As the race neared the halfway
point, Clark had began to fade back into the pack as Ben Bushaw advanced
to the runner-up position and was beginning to pressure Juhl for the top
spot. Lady Luck would not be riding with Bushaw on this night, however,
as he slowed with mechanical problems on lap 20 and retired from the
event a lap later. Bushaw's misfortune turned the runner-up position over
to Sean O'Connor. Over the closing laps, O'Connor tried to make a run at
Juhl, but Tommy was too strong and held on for his second win of the
season by about five lengths over O'Connor. Jim Rothewell finished third
trailed by current point leader Jim LaRock with Dan Clark rounding out
the top five finishing order.
For ten years, Joe Miles has been looking for his first trip to victory
lane, and on Saturday night he finally broke the ice as he drove to his
first career IMCA Modified win. The Syracuse, NY resident led all 20 laps
to pick up the win, but along the way he had to hold off several
different challengers. Polesetter Pete Neff kept the pressure on Miles
for a good part of the feature, as Neff spent most of the race running
second and looking for a way past Miles. Late in the event, Tommy Paige
slipped past Neff for second and tried to make a late run at Miles.
Exiting the fourth turn on the final lap, Paige tried to get to the
outside of Miles, but came up just short at the finish line as Miles
earned the win by a narrow margin over Paige. Pete Neff finished third
ahead of Sean Lias and Kevan Cook.
In pure Stock action, Scott White drove to his first victory in nearly 13
years as his last trip to victory lane at Skyline came back in 1993.
White started fourteenth on the field, but worked his way to the front,
taking over the top spot on the third lap when a multi-car crash in the
first turn involved a good portion of the field. White was the first car
to make it through the melee unscathed, putting him at the lead of the
field. For the restart. White Would spend the majority of the event
battling with Bill Frisbee for the top spot. Frisbee tried White high and
low, but Scott was up to every challenge and held on to earn a popular
victory. Frisbee's string of consistent finishes continued as he came
away with a runner=up result while Rich Sharpsteen and Howard Jones
recovered from the lap three incident to finish third and fourth
respectively. Bill Crew completed the top five running order.
In Four Cylinder Stock action, current point leader Mitch Hurlbert padded
his point lead with his second feature win of the season. Gary Johnson
led the first lap of the feature before Hurlbert made what would prove to
be the winning pass. Mitch led the remainder of the event to pick up the
win. Previous week's winner Bill Fink finished a strong second with Gary
Johnson, Daron Hurlbert, and Scott Rothwell completing the top five
finishers.
A new twist in the Junkyard Dog class this week had them running their
feature in a clockwise direction around the track. The change in
direction proved to be no problem for Ray Congdon, as he raced to his
second consecutive feature win. James Millard finished a strong second in
only his second appearance of the season. Jamie Ayers had his best run of
the season finishing third with Rick Scutt and Dan Moore completing the
top five.
James Neff won his fifth Junkyard Pup feature of the season, making him
the division's most prolific winner to date. Neff passed Katie Smith for
the lead on lap six and led the remainder of the way to score the win.
Smith faded late in the going with Zack Tracy picking up a season's best
second place finish ahead of Brandon Neilson, Leon Brockway, and Katie
Smith.
Racing continues this Saturday night at the Skyline Raceway with a full
six division racing card. The Sportsman, IMCA Modifieds, Pure Stocks,
Four Cylinder Stocks, Junkyard Dogs, and Junkyard Pups will all be in
action. Racing gets underway promptly at 6:30 PM. For more information,
log onto the speedway's official website at www.skylineracewayny.com.

CHAD O'HARA SOCRES FIRST CAREER FEATURE WIN IN SKYLINE SPORTSMAN

(Blodgett Mills, NY) It was a night for first time winners last Saturday
night at the Skyline Raceway as three of the six feature winners were
first time victors. Chad O'Hara topped the Sportsman field for his first
win in only his second start since bringing out a new Bicknell car. Bill
Fink was also a first time winner as he topped the Four Cylinder Stock
main as was Ray Congdon in the Junkyard Dogs. Mike Smith made it feature
win number four on the season in IMCA Modified action while Rich
Sharpsteen won his second Pure Stock feature in a row. Brandon Neilson
won his fifth Junkyard Pup feature of the season.
The 25 lap Sportsman feature came to the line with Chad O'Hara and Tom
Juhl pacing the field to the green flag. At the start, O'Hara utilized
the preferred inside groove to take his as yet unlettered Bicknell
machine to the lead with Tommy Juhl quickly moving up to challenge for
the top spot. The race's only caution flag would be displayed on lap two
as Steve Orzelck got pinched low and made contact with an infield marker
tire, folding up his front end and knocking him out of the race.
Racing resumed with O'Hara executing a perfect restart and dropping in
ahead of Juhl once again. Juhl pressured O'Hara for many laps, looking
low and high, but Chad was driving a perfect line and never opened the
door for Juhl. This entertaining battle at the head of the field lasted
for nearly the entire race as O'Hara was able to hang onto the top spot.
With just two laps remaining, Juhl made a move on O'Hara to try to make
the pass. This allowed Jim LaRock to slip alongside Juhl and take over
the runner-up position. The side by side battle between Juhl and LaRock
allowed O'Hara to open up enough of an advantage to go on and take the
win without a further challenge, the first checkered flag ever for the
Lodi, NY resident. LaRock protected his point lead with a runner-up
finish with Juhl finishing third. Ben Bushaw and Jim Rothwell completed
the top five running order.
In IMCA Modified feature action, Arkport, NY's Mike Smith drove to his
fourth feature win of 2006. Joe Miles jumped out to the early lead in the
IMCA Modified feature, setting the pace for the first four laps before
Sean Lias worked past to take over the top spot. Eventual winner Smith
was on his way to the front, charging from his sixth starting position.
Smith worked past Mikes for second on the fifth lap, then took over the
top spot from Lias on a lap eight restart. Smith would lead the remainder
of the way to pick up the win, but it was not an easy win as Lias
pressured Smith all the way to the checkered flag. Lias was never able to
find a way past as Smith chalked up the win by a narrow margin over Lias.
Kevan Cook drove to a third place finish with Joe Miles and Rich Talada
rounding out the top five finishing order.
For the second straight week, Rich Sharpsteen picked up the Pure Stock
feature win as he drove the Vancise Motorsports #83t to victory.
Sharpsteen started sixth and wasted little time in making his way to the
front of the field as he showed atop the score sheets by the time the
second lap was in the books. Sharpsteen would lead the remainder of the
event to pick up his second consecutive win, but there was plenty of
action behind him. Over the closing laps, Bill Frisbee, Gary Stage, and
Howard Jones were locked in a three way battle for second. Frisbee took
the white flag running second, but on the final lap, Jones made a move
underneath Frisbee to take over the second spot. This opened the door for
Stage, who also slipped underneath Frisbee for third, taking the spot by
a nose at the finish line. Frisbee crossed the line in fourth with Scott
Alexander finishing fifth.
Bill Fink led all 15 laps of the Four Cylinder Stock feature to earn his
first career feature win. Fink started on pole and grabbed the lead at
the drop of the green flag. Bill led all 15 laps enroute to his first
feature win. Scott Rothwell was able to keep Fink in sight, but could not
mount a challenge and finished second ahead of Mitch Hurlbert, Daron
Hurlbert, and Gary Johnson.
Virgil, NY's Ray Congdon earned his first ever feature win in the
Junkyard Dogs feature event. Congdon passed early race leader Dan Moore
on the second lap then held off a strong challenge from Scott Brown Jr.
to pick up the win. Brown pressured Congdon al the way before settling
for a runner-up finish with Moore crossing the line third. Steve Faatz
and Glenn Beebe rounded out the top five finishers.
In Junkyard Pups action, Brandon Neilson drove his #00 Honda to victory,
his fifth win of 2006. Scott Edwards led the first two laps, but could
not hold off Neilson as Brandon drove past Edwards and drove on to
victory. Leon Brockway finished second in only his second start of 2006
with Zack Tracy finishing third. Katie Smith and James Neff were fourth
and fifth respectively.
Racing continues this Saturday night at the Skyline Raceway with a full
six division racing card. The Sportsman, IMCA Modifieds, Pure Stocks,
Four Cylinder Stocks, Junkyard Dogs, and Junkyard Pups will all be in
action. There will also be a big fireworks display as part of the
Independence Day Weekend celebration. Racing gets underway promptly at
6:30 PM. For more information, log onto the speedway's official website
at www.skylineracewayny.com.

JIM "ROCKY" ROTHWELL ROCKS TO SKYLINE VICTORY

(Blodgett Mills, NY). Jim "Rocky" Rothwell earned his second victory of
the 2006 season last Saturday night at the Skyline Raceway as the South
Plymouth, NY veteran drove to victory in the 25 lap Sportsman division
feature. Tommy Paige picked up his second win of the season in the IMCA
Modified feature while Rich Sharpsteen topped the Pure Stock filed for
his first win of the season. Daron Hurlbert topped the Four Cylinder
Stock feature while Scott Brown came out on top of a rugged Junkyard Dogs
feature. James Neff won his fourth Junkyard Pups feature of the season.
Dan Clark jumped out to the early lead in the 25 lap Sportsman feature as
he drove around the outside of polesetter Jim Sherman to take over the
top spot. Clark would lead the early stages of the event as Rothwell
worked his way forward from his fifth starting position to move into a
challenging position behind Clark on the sixth lap of the event. The two
veterans would spent the next several laps fighting for the top spot as
Rothwell was able to pull alongside on a couple of occasions, but each
time Clark was albe to hold off the challenge.
As the race crossed the halfway point, Clark still held the advantage,
but was under heavy pressure from Rothwell. Just a lap later Jim made
what would prove to be the winning move as he cut to the inside of Clark
and powered past into the lead. Once out front, Rothwell was able to move
away from what turned out to be a heated battle for second place
involving some of Skyline's top Sportsman talent as second through fifth
place were locked in a very tight battle that raged all the way to the
finish between Clark, Jim LaRock, Ben Bushaw, and Tommy Juhl. The four
veteran drivers put on a show for the Skyline fans as they bettled in
tight formation all the way to the finish.
The battle for second allowed Rothwell to open up a bit of an advantage
and cruise on to take the win. Jim LaRock recovered from a lap six spin
to come back to claim the runner-up position while Ben Bushaw crossed the
line in third. Tom Juhl and Dan Clark rounded out the top five finishing
order.
Dan Clark and Tom Juhl won Sportsman heat races.
In the 20 lap IMCA Modified feature, Tommy Paige drove to his second
feature event win of 2006. Paige picked up the lead on the 12th circuit
when then leader Kevan Cook spun out of the top spot while battling Paige
for the lead. This would prove to be the only break Paige would need as
he led the final eight laps of the event, holding off a late race
challenge from current IMCA Eastern Regional points leader Mike Smith.
Smith rebounded from involvement in an early race incident to finish
second with Sean Lias third. Joe Miles ran fourth while Cook rebounded
from his misfortune to salvage a fifth place finish.
Tommy Paige and Joe Miles won the IMCA Modified heat races.
Waverly, NY's Rich Sharpsteen turned in a dominating performance to pick
up the win in the 20 lap Pure Stock feature event. Sharpsteen has picked
up the ride in the potent Vancise Motorsports #83T and has shown plenty
of speed since taking over the new ride. Rick started third on the field,
but had the lead by the time the first lap was completed. He world go on
to lead the entire 20 lap distance, holding off a late challenge from
Gary Stage to pick up his first win of 2006. Stage finished second with
Scott Alexander third. Sid Greene and Bill Crew rounded out the top five
finishing order.
Gary Stage and Scott Alexander split the Pure Stock heat races.
In Four Cylinder Stock action, Marathon, NY's Daron Hurlbert drove to his
third feature win of the season. Hurlbert chased down early race leader
Bump Scutt, making the winning pass on lap seven. Hurlbert then led the
remainder of the event to pick up the win over Nate DeGraw. Mitch
Hurlbert finished third with Scott Johnson fourth. Former track champion
Jim Money made his return to Four Cylinder action and picked up a fifth
place finish his first night out.
Four Cylinder heat race winners were Bill Fink and Mitch Hurlbert.
Scott Brown Jr. picked up the win in the Junkyard Dogs feature as he was
able to rebound from involvement in a first lap crash that involved seven
cars on the backstretch. Despite obvious front end damage, Brown was able
to charge back through the field, taking the lead from Jason Russell on
the eighth lap. Brown led the remainder of the distance to earn his first
victory of the season. Travis Young drove to his best finish of 2006 in
second place ahead of Mike Pease, Will Marks, and Ray Congdon.
Jason Russell and Ray Congdon won the Junkyard Dog heat races.
James Neff picked up his fourth win of the season in Junkyard Pup action.
Katie Smith led the first five laps before Neff was able to make the
winning pass on lap six. Once out dront, Neff was able to drive to
victory without a challenge. Brandon Neilson worked past Smith late for
second while Smith hung on for a third place finish. Zack Tracy and
Patrice Ray completed the top five running order.
James Neff and Brandon Neilson split the Junkyard Pups heat races.
Jason Russell won the first Appliance Race of the season, keeping all
three appliances securely attached to his vehicle over the three lap
distance.
Racing continues this Saturday night at the Skyline Raceway with a full
six division racing card. The Sportsman, IMCA Modifieds, Pure Stocks,
Four Cylinder Stocks, Junkyard Dogs, and Junkyard Pups will all be in
action. Racing gets underway promptly at 6:30 PM. For more information,
log onto the speedway's official website at www.skylineracewayny.com.

JIM LAROCK'S LAST LAP PASS NETS SKYLINE RACEWAY VICTORY

(Blodgett Mills, NY) Jim LaRock earned his second Sportsman victory on
the season last Saturday night at the Skyline Raceway. LaRock's win came
in dramatic fashion as he swept around the high side of Dan Clark to pick
up a hard earned victory. Sean Lias drove to his second IMCA Modified
feature win while Gary Stage won his third Pure Stock feature. Mitch
Hulbert won his second straight Four Cylinder Stock feature, while Nick
Stark won his first career feature in the Junkyard Dogs. Brandon Neilson
won the Junkyard Pups feature event.
Dan Clark and Jim Sherman paced the Sportsman field to the green flag
with Clark grabbing the top spot. LaRock quickly worked his way from the
fifth starting position to advance to second behind Clark as the field
completed the third lap. Clark would continue o lead the event, but he
quickly found himself under heavy pressure from LaRock for the top spot.
The two veteran drivers would proceed to put on a show for the Skyline
fans as LaRock was all over Clark's rear bumper, but Dan was not wavering
from his line and continued to hang onto the top spot. Lap after lap,
LaRock would try to get underneath Clark, but Dan was not giving up the
inside line. They would run this way for many laps, racing hard but with
absolutely no contact between them as they fought for the lead and the
win.
With Clark still occupying the low groove as the white flag was
displayed, LaRock made the move to the outside, drawing alongside Clark
entering the first turn. LaRock was able to maintain the outside position
out of the second turn and ran into turn three virtually dead even with
Clark. Exiting the fourth turn, LaRock got a big run off the high side
and was able to gain a slight advantage on Clark exiting the turn. LaRock
was able to maintain his advantage as the two drag raced out of the turn
and to the finish line with LaRock taking the win by less than a car
length over Clark. Tom Juhl debuted a brand new Bicknell 2006x machine
and drove the new car to a third place finish in its maiden voyage on the
Skyline clay. Ben Bushaw placed fourth with newcomer Ryan Olsommer making
the long tow from Waymart, Pa. To finish fifth.\
Westfield, Pa.'s Sean Lais drove to victory in the 20 lap IMCA Modified
feature event, his second triumph of the 2006 campaign. Lias started
seventh but drove his way quickly to the front of the field, taking the
top spot from Pete Neff on the fourth circuit. Once out front, Lias
dominated the remainder of the event to pick up the win. Neff hung on to
finish second, his best run to date in 2006. Joe Miles placed third ahead
of Kevan Cook while Mike Smith recovered from an early race spin to
finish fifth.
Gary Stage continued his winning ways in the 20 lap Pure Stock feature as
the Ithica, NY based driver charged from deep in the field to pick up the
win. With Stage starting back in 14th position, Nick Robinson led the
early stages of the event while Gary Stage worked his way to the front.
It took only eight laps for Stage to make his way toward the front and
take the top spot from Robinson. Butch Green was also on the move as he
advanced to second behind Stage. Over the closing laps Green would close
right to Stage's rear bumper, but could not find a way past. As the
checkered flag waved it was Stage taking the win over Green. Bill Frisbee
drove to a third place finish with Mike Morris fourth and "Hollywood"
Howard Jones fifth.
The Four Cylinder Stocks ran off their 15 lap feature event without a
caution flag with Mitch Hulbert picking up his second straight feature
win. Scott Johnson led the first ten laps before Hulbert was able to work
his way past and into the lead. Mitch would lead the rest of the way to
pick up the win over Johnson. Biff Fink finished third ahead of newcomer
Glenn Erwn while Darren Hulbert completed the top five finishing order.
Second generation driver Nick Stark, son of longtime area racer Dick
Stark, earned his first ever feature win as he drove to victory in the 12
lap Junkyard Dogs feature event. The event saw a wild finish as Matt
Pagliaro led until the final turn of the final alp, but got crossed up in
front of the field. As the field scrambled to take evasive action, Stark
made a bold move right up the middle of the track to take over the lead
and sprint on to earn his first ever feature win. Scott Brown Jr.
rebounded from a mid-race flat tire to finish second while Jason Russell
came back from a late spin to finish third. Pagliaro recovered to cross
the line in fourth with Rick Scott completing the top five finishers.
Brandon Neilson came home the winner of the Junkyard pups feature event.
Neilson passed early race leader Jimmy Neff on the sixth lap and drove on
to victory. Neff finished second with Bob Jones crossing the line third.
Mike Whittaker and Katie Smith completed the top five finishing order.
With temperatures dipping into the forties, Skyline Raceway management
ran off a fast paced show that saw the final checkered flag waving just
past 9:30 P.M.
Racing action continues each and every Saturday night throughout the
summer at the Skyline Raceway. Featuring six divisions of racing weekly,
the Sportsman, IMCA Modifieds, Pure Stocks, Four Cylinder Stocks,
Junkyard Dogs, and Junkyard Pups make up the weekly show at Skyline
Raceway. All of the racing action gets underway at 6:30 PM each week. For
more information, log onto the speedway's official website at
www.skylineracewayny.com.

RAIN HALTS RACING ACTION AT SKYLINE

Skyline Raceway's scheduled Saturday night racing card fell to Mother
Nature as persistent rain forced speedway officials to pull the plug on
the scheduled Saturday night racing card. Several rainy days late in the
week coupled with even more rain on Saturday made it impossible to go
racing on Saturday night.
Skyline will try again this Saturday night, June 10th when all six of
Skyline's regular racing divisions will be in action. The Sportsman, IMCA
Modifieds, Pure Stocks, Four Cylinder Stocks, Junkyard Dogs, and Junkyard
Pups will all see action in a full slate of heat races leading up to five
big feature races.
Thus far in 2006, the Sportsman division has been very competitive with
several different feature winners through the first quarter of the racing
season. Only Ben Bushaw has been able to win more than once as the up and
coming youngster has scored a pair of wins already. Tommy Juhl, Jim
Rothwell, Jim LaRock, and Tim Howell have also tasted victory thus far in
2006. Look for the battle for the 2006 championship to go right down to
the wire as right now there is no dominant driver in the class.
Come on out to the Skyline Raceway this Saturday night too see if one of
the above winners can make it to victory lane again or if there will be
another breakthrough winner this week.
Racing action gets underway promptly at 6:30 PM each and every Saturday
night throughout the summer months. For more information. Log onto the
Speedway's official website at www.skylineracewayny.com.

TIM HOWELL AND DALE CASWELL ARE FIRST TIME WINNERS AS SKYLINE RACEWAY
BEATS THE RAIN

Despite an ominous weather forecast, racing went on as scheduled last
Saturday night at the Skyline Speedway. With other tracks canceling
early, many Southern Tier area race teams made the tow North to Skyline,
jamming the pit area to capacity. The night featured first time winners
in both of the open wheel divisions as Tim Howell scored a hard fought
victory in the Sportsman division while longtime North Country IMCA
Modified standout Dale Caswell picked up his first ever Skyline victory.
Gary Stage earned his second win of the 2006 campaign in Pure Stock
action whole Darren Hurlburt won his second consecutive Four Cylinder
Stock feature. Jason Russell earned his third Junkyard Dog triumph of the
season while Brandon Neilson made it win number two in the Junkyard Pups
division.
After suffering through mechanical problems the first two weeks of the
season, Tim Howell was handicapped to the pole position for the 25 lap
Sportsman division feature. The second year driver from Moscow, Pa.
powered past outside polesetter Chad O'Hara at the drop of the green flag
to take over the top spot. Sean O'Connor advanced past O'Hara also on a
lap two restart following a spin by newcomer Skip Pickwick.
Following that first caution, Howell continued to hold the top spot over
O'Connor, but a new challenger was making his way toward the head of the
field. By lap ten, Tommy Juhl had driven from his seventh starting
position to third behind Howell and O'Connor. Juhl slipped past O'Connor
for second and set his sights on Howell as the race neared the halfway
point. With racing continuing under the powers of the green flag,
defending champion Jim Rothwell made his move into the top three as well,
taking the third spot from O'Connor on lap 14.
The long green flag period ended on the 16th circuit as contact between
Ben Bushaw and Jim LaRock resulted in the two locking bumpers, forcing
the green flag and sending the track crew into action to extricate the
two interlocked bumpers. The caution flag erased Howell lead as the race
would restart with Tommy Juhl and Jim Rothwell now sitting right on the
rear bumper of Howell's Bicknell mount. Just two lap later the caution
flag waved again as Skip Pickwick found himself in trouble again.
On this restart, Juhl made his move on Howell as he set the youngster up.
Juhl blasted high into the turn then dove across the track underneath
Howell, grabbing the top spot momentarily. Juhl's pass was negated,
however, by a crash back in the pack as newcomer Jeremy Consla made hard
contact with the outside wall. Since the lap was not scored, Juhl's pass
was negated and Howell reassumed the top spot. The ensuing restart saw
Howell get a better restart and was able to hold onto the lead.
With this being the final restart of the event, the final seven laps was
a dash to the checkered flag. Over those seven laps, Juhl put Howell to
the test as he worked both high and low to try to find a way past Howell.
The youngster proved to be up the the challenge as he never opened the
door despite the pressure. Howell drove under the checkered flag to
record his first career Sportsman division win while Juhl settled for a
hard fought runner-up finish. Jim Rothwell, Chad O'Hara, and Jim Smith
completed the top five running order. Teammates Dan Clark and Steve
Babicek were sixth and seventh with Sportsman division rookie Rich Green
finishing eighth in his first Skyline start. Jim LaRock rebounded from
the earlier incident to finish ninth with Jim Sherman completing the top
ten running order.
In IMCA Modified action, West Monroe, NY's Dale Caswell drove to his
first Skyline Raceway feature win. Though a frequent winner at other
speedways Skyline has never been kind to Caswell, as his best finish
prior to his Saturday night win was an eighth place. Caswell came out on
top of the three way duel between himself, Tommy Paige, and Sean Lias to
take the win. Caswell led the middle stages of the event, but surrendered
the top spot to Paige on the 15th circuit. Undaunted, Caswell came back
on Paige as the two raced side by side down the front stretch to complete
the 19th lap with Caswell scored just ahead of Paige as they took the
white flag. This would prove to be critical as before they could get back
to the checkered flag, officials wee forced to throw the caution flag for
a large piece of metal debris on the speedway. With Caswell scored as the
leader on the last completed lap, he restarted as the leader. Dale
executed a perfect restart and was able to hold Paige off over the final
lap to secure the win. Paige finished second trailed by Lias, Kevan Cook,
and Mike Smith.
In Pure Stock action, Gary Stage earned his second win of the 2006
campaign, besting a huge 34 car field in the pits. Stage too over the top
spot from early race leader Scott White on the second lap of the event.
Stage would lead the remainder of the 20 lap event to earn the win. Over
the closing stages of the event, Bill Frisbee made a run at Stage.
Frisbee, making his return to dirt track racing at Skyline this year
after spending the past several season on the asphalt, was able to
pressure Stage for the win over the closing laps despite considerable
left front suspension damage . Stage took the win trailed by Frisbee with
newcomer Mahlon Shoemaker finishing third in his first Skyline Raceway
start of the season. Howard Jones ran fourth while "chargin" Charlie
Gilbert completed the top five.
For the second straight week, the Four Cylinder Stock feature came down
to a battle between the Marathon, NY based Hurlburt Brothers. For the
second straight week, Darren Hurlburt came out on top of the battle s he
held off brother Mitch to pick up the win, his second of the season.
Scott "Bones" Johnson drove to a third place finish with Gary Johnson
finishing fourth. Bump Scott came away with a fifth place finish in his
first start of the 2006 season.
Jason Russell topped the Junkyard Dogs feature for the third time this
season, picking up the win over newcomer Frisco. Scott Brown Jr. drove to
a third place finish trailed by Dan Moore and Steve Faatz.
Brandon Neilson picked up the win in the Junkyard Pups feature, holding
off a late challenge from Bobby Edwards to pick up the win. Ryan Oakley,
Paul Hewlett, and Jason Scutt rounded out the top five finishers.
Memorial Day Weekend finds two big nights of racing action at Skyline. On
Sautrday night, all six of the track's regular divisions will be in
action with the Sportsman, IMCA Modifieds, Pure Stocks, Four Cylinder
Stocks, Junkyard Dogs and Junkyard Pups all in action. Race time is 6:30
PM with pit and grandstand gates opening at 4:30 PM. On Sunday, the IMCA
Modified will take center stage for their annual Empire State Series
event. A huge field of IMCA Modified are expected to be on hand for this
very special event. All of Skyline's regular divisions will also be in
action. For more information, log onto the speedway's official website at
www.skylineracewayny.com.

SKYLINE RACEWAY BEATS RAIN -
BEN BUSHAW, SEAN LIAS, HOWARD JONES, DARREN HURLBERT, BLAKE BURNETTE AND
JIMMY NEFF VISIT VICTORY LANE

Despite an ominous weather forecast and some afternoon showers that
threatened to derail the scheduled Saturday night racing card, racing
went on as scheduled at the Skyline Raceway. With the threat of rain
increasing as the evening went on, speedway officials ran off a quick,
efficient show. As a result, the entire racing card was completed by 9:20
P.M. That turned out to be a blessing as by 9:35 a steady rain began to
fall, but by that time all of the racing was in the books.
Homer, NY's Ben Bushaw drove to his first win of the 2006 season in the
evening's 25 lap Sportsman division feature. Tim Howell and Jim Sherman
paced the field to the green flag with Howell grabbing the lead as the
two sprinted off into the first turn. Eventual winner Bushaw started
fifth, but made a big move right off the start to settle in behind
Howell. Howell continued to hold sway with Bushaw deployed right on his
rear bumper for the first seven laps of the event.
The race's only caution flag came on the seventh lap for a piece of
debris in the fourth turn. Once that was picked up, the race's only
restart would prove to be the pivotal moment of the event. Bushaw made
his move from the outside groove on the restart, driving around Howell
and beating him down into the first turn to take over the top spot.
Though Bushaw would lead the remainder of the event to pick up the $600
victory, he would still have to work to preserve the victory.
Behind the leaders, the man on the move was the winner of the feature the
previous week at Skyline in the person of Jim LaRock. Problems in his
heat race found LaRock starting scratch on the field. The Seneca Falls,
NY veteran charged from the rear of the field to work his way into
contention, running third behind Bushaw and Howell at the halfway point.
LaRock was putting heavy pressure on Howell's rear bumper, but the second
year driver from Moscow, Pa. Was up to the challenge as he kept LaRock at
bay for several laps.
LaRock was finally able to slip post Howell into the runner-up position
on the 22nd lap. LaRock closed the gap on Bushaw over the closing laps,
but was not able to find a way past the Bushaw, but his strong drive from
the rear of the field netted LaRock a runner-up finish ahead of Howell,
whose third place finish was his best run to date in 2006. Jim Sherman
held on to finish fourth despite a broken shock sustained in an early
race incident while defending track champion Jim Rothwell completed the
top five running order. Sean O'Connor, Tom Juhl, Dan Clark, Chad O'Hara,
and John Juhl were sixth through tenth respectively.
Coming into Saturday night's IMCA Modified feature, a $150 bounty was
placed on the head of Mike Smith. Smith was riding a seven race win
streak at Skyline dating back to the 2005 racing season as the Arkport,
NY driver has been dominant recently. Any drive that could beat Smith
while Smith was still running would collect an extra $150 for his
efforts.
"Candyman" Tom Paige and Pete Neff paced the field to the green flag with
Paige grabbing the lead at the drop of the green flag. It took only a lap
for misfortune to strike Smith as Mike got caught up in a first lap
jingle with Neff and Dwayne Burd. This dropped Smith to the rear of the
pack for the restart.
Racing resumed with Paige leading Kevan Cook and Sean Lias. Lias made the
move past Cook on the sixth lap to move to the runner-up position behind
Paige. The two veterans of the IMCA Modified ward put on a show for the
Skyline fans as Lias was pressuring Paige for several laps. A caution
flag on the eighth lap for a minor spin bunched the filed and on the
restart, Lias took advantage of the restart to take over the top spot.
The Westfield, Pa. native drove around the outside of Page to take over
he top spot. Lias would lead the remainder of the way to pick up the win
and collect the $150 bounty with Paige hot on his heels all the way to
the checkered flag. Smith rebounded to finish third with Pete Neff and
Joe Miles completing the top five running order.
"Hollywood" Howard Jones drove to his first win of the season in the 20
lap Pure Stock feature event. After suffering misfortunes the first two
weeks of the season, Jones was handicapped to the pole for the feature
event. The popular Groton, NY driver took full advantage of the up front
start as he grabbed the lead at the drop of the green flag and proceeded
to lead all 20 laps of the feature event. Gary Stage tried to make a late
run at Jones, but ran out of laps before he could mount a challenge and
Jones flashed under the checkered flag for his first win of the 2006
campaign ahead of Stage, Scott White, Rich Talada, and Nick Robinson.
In Four Cylinder Stock action, Marathon, NY's Darren Hurlbert drove to
his first career feature win in the 15 lap main event. Darren had to
fight off the challenges of his brother Mitch to claim the win, as Mitch
put heavy pressure on his brother over the closing stages of the event.
Despite the pressure, Darren never wavered from his line and held on for
his first ever win. Mitch Hurlbert finished second and joined his brother
in victory lane for a family victory celebration as they swept the top
two spots. Kyle Hackett drove to a third place finish ahead of Scott
Johnson and Bill Fink.
Blake Burnette of Truxton, NY picked up his first feature win of the 2006
campaign in Junkyard Dog action. Burnette held off a challenge from two
time winner Jason Russell to secure the victory. Russell trailed Burnette
across the line to finish second with Ray Congdon third. Defending
Junkyard Dog champion Chad Brown finished fourth with Mike Pease
completing the top five running order.
Jimmy Neff waited until the final turn of the final lap to take the lead
and the win in the Junkyard Pup feature. Katie Smith led the majority of
the event, grabbing the lead early. Smith managed to hold Neff off for
most of the way, but Jimmy found an opening on the final lap to slip past
and claim his second win of the season. Smith finished second while Nick
Barbarito completed the top three.
Racing continues this Saturday night with another six division show
featuring the Sportsman, IMCA Modified, Pure Stocks, Four Cylinder
Stocks, Junkyard Dogs, and Junkyard Pups. Racing gets underway at 6:30 PM
sharp. For more information, log onto the speedway's official website at
www.skylineracewayny.com.

JIM LAROCK, SEAN LIAS, JASON RHODES, SCOTT JOHNSON, CHAD BROWN, BOBBY
EDWARDS AND TOM MARTOCCI SCORE SATURDAY NIGHT WINS AT SKYLINE

(Blodgett Mills, NY) The final night of the regular point season saw some
familiar faces grace the Skyline Raceway victory lane as Seneca Falls, NY
native Jim LaRock drove to victory in the 25 lap Sportsman division
feature while Westfield, Pa.'s Sean Lias topped the 20 lap IMCA Modified
feature. Jason Rhodes made his first Skyline Raceway start of the season
and came away victorious in the Pure Stock feature while Scott Johnson
came out on top of a hotly contested Four Cylinder Stock event. Chad
Brown won the Junkyard Dogs feature in a photo finish while Bobby Edwards
drove to his tenth Junkyard Pup feature win.
Sportsman division rookie Tim Howell and Bruce Evans Jr. paced the
Sportsman field to the green flag, but the first attempt to start the
race was short circuited when several cars made contact on the
backstretch. All were able to continue on with the exception of newcomer
Steve Kyzer as the New Jersey driver suffered front suspension damage and
was unable to continue on.
Racing restarted with Howell jumping out into the lead with Evans
dropping in behind Ben Bushaw worked past Evans into the runner-up
position, but the top spots would be shuffled on lap ten as Howell got
out of shape exiting the fourth turn and spun. This would prove
disastrous to point leader Tommy Juhl, who was left with no place go and
made heavy contact with the Howell machine, knocking Juhl out of the
event and pretty much ending his championship hopes.
The ensuing restart saw front row starters Evans and Bushaw make contact,
resulting in both pushing up the track. This opened the door for eventual
winner Jim LaRock, who dived to the bottom and took over the top spot
while Evans recovered and dropped in behind LaRock. A long green flag run
would see LaRock begin to move away from Evans as Bruce was beginning to
feel the pressure from behind as Jim Rothwell had charged up to third and
was working on Evans for the runner-up spot.
With the race being run under green flag conditions the remainder of the
distance, LaRock was able to open up enough of an advantage to pick up
the win by a comfortable margin. Rothwell was able to slip past Evans on
the 23rd circuit to take over the runner-up position while Evans hung on
for a third place finish. Kevin Jordan picked up a fourth place finish in
his first Skyline appearance of the season while Ben Bushaw hung on to
finish a solid fifth.
With his second place finish, Jim "Rocky" Rothwell took over the point
lead with only next week's Turbo Blue Finale still on the schedule. With
that event awarding only show-up points for all teams participating,
Rothwell will lock up the 2005 Skyline Raceway Sportsman track
championship just by showing up to race next Saturday night.
In IMCA Modified action, Sean Lias picked up a hard fought feature win as
he and Tommy Page battled for many laps as the two IMCA Modified veterans
put on a show for the Skyline fans. Page made a big move from his fourth
starting position to take over the top spot on the first lap, but Lias
followed right behind to move into the runner-up position. The decisive
moment in this race would come following the race's only caution flag on
lap seven. On this restart, Lias was able to drive around the outside of
Page to take over the top spot. Page would pressure Lias the rest of the
way, but could not find a way back past Lias. Lias flashed under the
checkered flag as the race winner and also took over the point lead in
the IMCA Modified division and can wrap up the 2005 championship just by
showing up on Saturday night. Page earned a solid runner-up finish over
newcomer Brian Rhodes, who finished third. Fourth and fifth went to Mike
Stoddard and Kevin Cole.
In Pure Stock action, Newark Valley, NY's Jason Rhodes drove to victory
in his 2005 season debut at Skyline. Wheeling the Sisenstein owned #8x,
Rhodes drove from his tenth starting position to pick up the feature win.
Rhodes picked up the lead on the eight lap when a three way race for the
lead involving Marshall Balzer, Bobby Boynton, and Sid Greene got a bit
too tight in the first turn as contact between the three leaders opened
the door for Rhodes, who was able to dodge the spinning cars and emerge
with the lead. Rhodes would lead the final twelve laps to come away with
the feature win over Ty Hurlbert. Rich Talada drove to a third place
finish in his first start of 2005 while Sid Greene rebounded from the lap
eight incident to finish fourth. Jesse Rawson completed the top five
running order. Despite being knocked out of the race in the lap eight
incident, Marshall Balzer can still clinch the 2005 Pure Stock
championship simply by showing up for the season finale.
Scott "Bones" Johnson drove to victory in the 15 lap Four Cylinder Stock
feature. Johnson drove past early race leader Daron Hurlbert to take over
the top spot on the third lap. Over the closing stages, Johnson had to
deal with the challenges of Mitch Hurlbert. Hurlbert pressured Johnson
over the closing laps but could not find a way past. While Johnson picked
up the win, Hurlbert put himself in position for the 2005 championship as
he knew going in that he had to finish one position behind Johnson to
maintain his advantage and win the championship by showing up for the
Turbo Blue finale. Nate DeGraw finished third ahead of Kyle Hackett and
Daron Hurlbert.
Chad Brown picked up a hard earned victory in the Junkyard Dogs feature,
using some last lap heroics to just nose out Blake Burnett to pick up the
win. Burnett had led the entire event until the final turn of the final
lap. Burnett pushed up the track just enough to open the bottom groove
for Brown, who cut hard to inside to get underneath Burnett . Brown had
just enough momentum off the bottom to edge Burnett at the line in a
photo finish. With the win, Brown clinched the 2005 junkyard Dogs
championship. Burnett finished second with Ralph Robinson taking a third
place finish. Larry Rowley and Rick Scott rounded out the top five
finishing order.
Bobby Edwards drove to his tenth win of the season in the Junkyard Pups
feature. Edwards passed early leader Jim Toolan on the sixth lap and led
the final two laps to pick up the win. Toolan finished second wile James
Neff finished third in a borrowed ride to pick up the 2005 Junkyard Pups
championship. Mike Whittaker rounded out the finishers in his car that
was renumbered with a "Red Cross". Whittaker used the car as a fundraiser
for Hurricane Katrina relief, allowing fans to sign the car in exchange
for a donation. Whittaker's efforts raised over $300 for the relief fund.
The 600cc Modifieds were on hand for their only appearance of the season
at Skyline. Kunkletown, Pa.'s Tom Martocci picked up the win in the 15
lap feature. Barry McDale finished second ahead of Nick Mady, Dave
Kindburg, and Craig Beringer.
The 2005 season wraps up at Skyline this Saturday night with the annual
Turbo Blue Finale. The Sportsman, IMCA Modifieds, Four Cylinder Stocks,
Pure Stocks, and Junkyard Dogs will be in action. With no other speedways
running the Sportsman class on this night, a big field of ivaders are
expected to challenge the Skyline regulars.