Saturday, October 9, 2010

SUPER DIRT WEEK: Steiner & Warner Prevail At SDW In Final 'Futures' Events

Syracuse, NY – October 8, 2010 – By Kevin Kovac, DIRTcar Racing PR - Tony Steiner of Jamesville, N.Y. (Big-Block Modified) and Rocky Warner of Gloversville, N.Y. (Pro Stock) were victorious in the DIRTcar ‘Futures’ feature events that closed Friday’s Super DIRT Week XXXIX action at the New York State Fairgrounds.

Steiner’s triumph in the 8-lap Big-Block Modified race was a milestone for the 44-year-old driver, who is in his third season of competition in DIRTcar Northeast’s marquee division.

“Winning at Syracuse is awesome – especially when it’s your first total career win,” said the smiling Steiner, who had never before reached the checkered flag first in his four-year racing career. “I’m pretty excited. This has actually been my worst year of racing – we’ve had so many mechanical issues, took a nasty flip at Brewerton and had a bunch of other crashes – so this makes it all worthwhile.”

Steiner, who put his Bicknell car on the pole of the four-car sprint by registering the fastest lap in a late-morning qualifying session, was never challenged. He easily defeated Phil Vigneri of Elba, N.Y., by 4.942 seconds for the $750 top prize.

Racing with power supplied by an engine built specifically for the Syracuse Mile by Shawn and Brian Donath, Steiner felt fortunate to simply start the ‘Futures’ event. Earlier in the day the regular at New York’s Brewerton and Fulton speedways was nearly swept up in a multi-car crash during the third Big-Block heat race.

“Ted Lamb was right in front of me in the Triple 20 when he flipped,” said Steiner, who decided to start racing at the age of 40 because, he joked, he experienced a “mid-life crisis.” “I never saw him flipping. I don’t know how I missed him, but I’m sure glad I did because if I’d have torn the car up there I wouldn’t have been able to come in here and win this.”

The 12-lap Pro Stock ‘Futures’ feature, meanwhile, fell under Warner’s tight grasp after a hairy-raising early-race battle with fellow Capital District racer Jeremy Pitts of Clifton Park, N.Y. Warner started from the pole position with Pitts to his outside and they swapped the lead twice in the first four laps.

“We were busting chops before qualifying and talked about going into turn one (at the start) and banging bumpers, sparks flying, getting our pictures taken and stuff,” said Warner. “Then we go in the corner, I lost him, then all of a sudden he shoots right back around the outside and passed me when I come off two and hit the bump.

“I thought, Oh man, it’s gonna be tough to pass him back. Then (the next lap) he went back to the bottom where I was and I went where he was and passed him back. It was a blast.”

Warner’s $400 triumph continued his spectacular 2010 season. He won track championships at Glen Ridge Motorsports Park in Fultonville, N.Y., and Fonda (N.Y.) Speedway and copped the Thunder on the Thruway Series title.

“You come here as a kid and dream of winning a race here,” said Warner, a 29-year-old in his second season of Pro Stock competition. “To finally actually do something like that is a real thrill.”

Big-Block Modified ‘Futures’ Feature Finish (8 laps): TONY STEINER, Phil Vigneri, Lance Willix II, Brian Swarthout, Ted Lamb Jr. (DNS), Marc Johnson (DNS).


SUPER DIRT WEEK XXXIX 'FUTURES' TIME TRIALS @ NYS Fairgrounds, Oct. 8    
*Determined feature race starting positions.                                            
BIG-BLOCK MODIFIED                                        
            FAST              AVE               
            TIME               MPH            CAR#    DRIVER
1          31.346            114.847          13        Tony Steiner/Jamesville,NY
2          31.381            114.719          85        Ted Lamb Jr./Clay,NY
3          31.833            113.090          44v      Phil Vigneri/Elba,NY
4          31.967            112.616          16        Lance Willix II/Theresa,NY
5          32.657            110.237          3j         Marc Johnson/Guilderland,NY
6          33.448            107.630          14s      Brian Swarhout/Beaver Dams,NY

Pro Stock ‘Futures’ Feature Finish (12 laps): ROCKY WARNER, Jeremy Pitts, Scott Duell, Pete Broderson, Francois Adam, Chuck Towslee, Sheldon Martin, Bill Smith IV, Ron Nuzzaro Jr., Bernie Companion, Thunder Anderson, Paul Engwer, Milo Campbell, Walt Brownell.

SUPER DIRT WEEK XXXIX 'FUTURES' TIME TRIALS @ NYS Fairgrounds, Oct. 8    
*Determined feature race starting positions.                                            
PRO STOCK                                               
            FAST              AVE               
            TIME               MPH           CAR#     DRIVER
1          37.423            96.198            79        Rocky Warner/Gloversville,NY
2          37.688            95.521            27        Jeremy Pitts/Clifton Park,NY
3          38.455            93.616            114     Scott Duell/Green Island,NY
4          38.648            93.148            23        Chuck Towslee/Manchester, VT
5          38.814            92.750            92        Sheldon Martin/Scotia,NY
6          38.817            92.743            53b     Pete Broderson/Ballston Spa,NY
7          38.951            92.424            31x      Ron Nuzzaro Jr./Yonkers,NY
8          39.291            91.624            41        Bill Smith IV/Ballston Spa,NY
9          39.708            90.662            01        Francois Adam/St.Pie,QUE
10        41.026            87.749            87        Walt Brownell/Ballston Spa,NY
11        41.449            86.854            34        Paul Engwer/East Greenbush,NY
12          -NT-                 -----               30        Thunder Anderson/Hogansburg,NY
13          -NT-                 -----               83        Bernie Companion/Ballston Spa,NY
14          -NT-                 -----               143     Milo Campbell/Shaftsbury,VT

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