Sprint

ESS: Little Valley Speedway 2000-06-09

by Dean Reynolds LITTLE VALLEY, N.Y. - With a lap 16 pass of race long leader Kris Dow, Penn Yan, N.Y.'s Lance Yonge brought the Mal Lane owned sprinter home for his third win on the Empire Super Sprint Tour 2000. The victory came Friday night at ...

Edited: Apr 23, 2005, 8:54 PM

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by Dean Reynolds

LITTLE VALLEY, N.Y. - With a lap 16 pass of race long leader Kris Dow, Penn Yan, N.Y.'s Lance Yonge brought the Mal Lane owned sprinter home for his third win on the Empire Super Sprint Tour 2000. The victory came Friday night at the Little Valley Speedway which was a make up date from the rained out event back on May 19.

A lap 13 caution allowed Yonge to restart right on the back bumper of Dow, who was looking for her first ever ESS win. With the green light back on, it took Yonge two laps to swing around Dow for the lead and the win.

The big half-mile at the Cattaraugus County Fairgrounds was fast and smooth with the winged sprinters showcasing speeds over 120 m.p.h. down the long straits. A bright sunny sky and warm temps greeted the sprint field for the first time during the 2000 season.

"You bet I needed that caution." noted Yonge in victory lane after collecting his 17th career ESS win. "Krissy was fast and she was running a great line. I really don't think I could have gotten her if it stayed green. I think I would have needed lapped traffic to help."

Dow outraced her brother Steve at the drop of the green flag and immediately opened up a good sized lead on the field. Yonge followed from his third place start to take over second right on the first lap. But, early on, Yonge didn't have the line to close in on Dow who was looking to be the first female ESS A-Main winner ever.

Not even a lap four caution would slow down the Dow charge. Right on the restart she again took her #80 to a good sized lead as the crowd began to sense history might be in the making's. But, the lap 14 caution proved to be the turning point of the race.

"Just after that caution, my motor began to stumble. I just don't know why." said Dow. "I could come off the corners but then it would flatten out going down the straits but you sure don't need that here."

As the green came back out, Yonge was now right on the tail of Dow and just after the "five-to-go" sign, he took the Lane's Yamaha Stealth to the outside of Dow for the lead and what would be the win.

"My car was good, it's the best I felt here. For some reason I have never felt comfortable here, it's a different type of track and hard to get used to." said Yonge. "There might have been a little luck tonight, but I was going to make a shot at her in the end. We're happy, we have wins but we need to be more consistent to catch Mike (Woodring) for the point title."

Yonge won the event with Dow falling back in the final laps with the faltering powerplant. Canadian star Rick Wilson wound up second just ahead of Woodring who made a strong charge to come from his 13th place start to finish third. His hard earned effort aboard the Tom and Mary Wade owned sprint found him taking the Walt's Hobby Hard Charger bonus. Scott Holcomb passed Dow on the last lap to take fourth with Dow finally collecting fifth.

Rounding out the top ten were Dan Kaszubinski, Bubby Kerrick, the Vicomp Graphics #36 of Mike Stelter, Steve Dow and Bill Coffey. Taking the Brodix Cylinder Heads heat events were Wilson, Yonge and Holcomb with the Sixt Lumber/Walt's Hobby Dash won by Kaszubinski.

ESS NOTES: The make up event brought 21 sprints in the pits...Good to see Dick Spadaro and Rich Wood back in the ESS field as they made long trips from the East...Little Valley will hold two more events on the ESS Tour 2000. Friday, June 30 to kick off a four race weekend and also on Saturday, Sept. 23rd.

<pre> RESULTS:

Heat 1 - Rick Wilson, Steve Dow, Rob Dietrick, Ray Preston, Bob Podolak. Heat 2 - Lance Yonge, Dan Kaszubinski, Mike Woodring, Doug Emery, R.C. Faigle. Heat 3 - Scott Holcomb, Kris Dow, Bubby Kerrick, Bill Coffey, Mike Stelter. Sixt Lumber/Walt's Hobby Dash - Kaszubinski. A-Main - LANCE YONGE, Wilson, Woodring, Holcomb, K. Dow, Kaszubinski, Kerrick, Stelter, S. Dow, Coffey, Dietrick, Rich Wood, Preston, Emery, Faigle, Randy Years, Alain Bergeron, Don Sharp Jr., Dick Spadaro, Tim Zimbardi, Podolak. Lap Leaders - K. Dow 1-15, Yonge 16-20. Walt's Hobby Hard Charger - Woodring (10 pos.) $50. Vicomp Graphics Halfway - K. Dow $50. Winner's Bonuses - Car-Mate Dealers $50, Pro Shocks $100, Total Seal $50, Hank's Performance Products $50, Bicknell Racing Products $35, Behrent's Performance Warehouse $30. Other Bonuses: Weld Racing Hard Luck - K. Dow $75. Penske Shocks - Coffey $150. Design 500 - Sharp Jr., $100, K. Dow $50. Bailey Racing Products - Dietrick $35. Tire Comp. East - Wilson $75. Red's Speed Shop - Wilson $25. Griffin Thermal Products - Wilson $50. Thunder Mtn. Wings - Wilson $20. Total Seal - Coffey $30. Dave Ely Racing - S. Dow, Kaszubinski, K. Dow $10. Lauterborn Electric - Woodring $10.

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