CENTER LISLE, NY…..The Bob Hilbert Sportswear Short Track Super Series fueled by Sunoco Race Fuels made its appearance Tuesday night for ‘Lightning On The Mountain’ at Thunder Mountain Speedway, part of the Hurlock Auto & Speed North Region.
In the Modified portion, Matt Sheppard took the early lead from Anthony Perrego and opened up a gap over Perrego and Rusty Smith. Former track champion Billy Decker spun on lap 2 and collected Tyler Dippel, with both sustaining damage. When action rseumed, Smith passed Perrego for second as Mike Mahaney moved into the top five. Alan Barker was also on a charge, moving from his 17th starting spot into 5th on lap 16. A multi car incident on lap 19 brought out a red flag, as Billy VanInwegen, Brett Tonkin, Nick Nye, Kailee Dimorier, and Nick Nye were all caught up in a turn four crash.
At the haflway point of the race, Mahaney moved into second and Andy Bachetti made his presence known, moving into the 4th spot at lap 25. The leaders hit lapped traffic on lap 30, and as Sheppard handled the traffic, Mahaney came under fire from Barker, Smith, and Bachetti in a great race for the rest of the top five spots. A lap 40 yellow for Brett Haas bunched the field once again with Mahaney, Barker, Smith and Bachetti as the top five behind the leader. On the restart, Barker and Smith moved into second and third, with Bachetti also moving past Mahaney on lap 44 to take fourth. Barker could not run down Sheppard in the closing laps, with Sheppard taking the win, followed by Barker, Smith, Bachetti, and Perrego.
In the companion race for the Precision Hydraulic & Oil 602 Crate Sportsman, Randy Brokaw took the top spot with Kreg Crooker and Brian Calabrese moving into second and third. Crooker took the lead at lap 9 as Rusty Smith moved into second, driving the Kinser Hill entry, leaving Brokaw to battle with Tom Collins Jr for third as Calabrese fell back out of the top five. Alan Fink moved into the top five and was battling with Collins Jr and Brokaw, but Fink and Brokaw hooked bumpers and got stuck together on lap 21, bringing out the caution. Crooker held off Smith in the final run to the finish for the win, with Collins Jr, Dale Welty, and Hunter Lapp rounding out the top five.
Racing continues at Thunder Mountain with a Labor Day weekend doubleheader. The action starts on Saturday, September 3rd with Championship Night for all divisions starting at 7pm. Sunday, September 4th will be the annual Wade Decker Memorial event for Modifieds paying $5,000 to win plus DIRTcar Crate Sportsman, 600cc Modifieds, and the Wheeler Excavating Street Stocks. For more information, visit www.thundermtnspeedway.net .