Robbie Blair Wins Fun Fest 77 Lap Event at Stateline Speedway
By Glenn Slocum



Busti, NY: The weather was perfect for the final day of Fun Fest at Stateline Speedway. Chip and Dave Turner Enterprises, Sunoco Race Fuels and Bush Beer sponsored the weekend. Nate Lester won the Spectator event after surviving several yellows. After trouble getting the Outlaw Cadet race started Mike Moore to control and led every lap for his second win of the season. Robbie Blair passed Rich Gardner on the fourth lap of the Dash to set the starting positions for the 77 Lap $5000 to Win Super Late Model Feature event. Todd Andrews finished third in the dash. Robbie Blair and Rich Gardner swapped the race lead during early restarts with Blair coming out on top on lap four. Blair never relinquished the lead to win the event by ten car lengths over Gardner. Pete Volpe spun on lap two then came back through the field to handily win the Budweiser Super Sportsman event. Ryan Scott won the Super Challenger feature. Dave Hess Jr. won the E-Mod feature.

Robbie Blair and Rich Gardner were on the front row for 77 Lap Super Late Model Fun Fest feature event. Blair and Gardner raced side by side through the first lap with Gardner the leader at the line. John Lobb slowed to a stop high in the exit of turn two for the first caution. Blair was the leader after the restart then the yellow flew for Jason Morell, Rod Philips, Todd Roncaglione and Andy Boozel in turn four. Gardner was the leader after the restart then Dave Hess Jr. spun for the third yellow with three laps complete. Gardner was first for the restart followed by Blair, Todd Andrews, Chris Hackett, Bruce Hordusky and Moose Dunnewold. Blair took the lead back on the restart so Gardner settled into second with Andrews third and Hackett fourth. Blair began lapping cars with fifteen laps complete as the race stayed Green. Gardner remained second five car lengths behind Blair. Armbruster lost a tire on lap twenty-three ending a twenty lap green flag stint. The top five for the restart were Blair, Gardner, Andrews, Hackett and Lyon. Sixth through tenth were Paul Briggs, Dick Barton, Bruce Hordusky, Bill Cunningham and Randy Lobb. Briggs moved into the fourth spot on the restart sending Hackett to fifth. Barton moved into the sixth spot sending Lyon to seventh. Thirty-two laps were completed when Doug Eck spun to stop at the exit of turn two for the fifth yellow. Briggs passed Andrews for third on the restart then Lyon followed sending Andrews back to the fifth spot. Blair had a ten car length lead at the half way mark with Gardner second followed by Briggs, Lyon and Andrews. Barton was sixth then Hackett and Hordusky. David Scott pulled into pits with forty-four laps complete. With twenty-laps remaining Blair lead by fifteen car lengths over Gardner who led Briggs by twenty-car lengths. Lyon was fourth followed by Andrews and Barton. The race stayed green for the reminder with Blair doing a masterful job in traffic not allowing Gardner to gain. Blair won with a ten car length lead over Gardner. Rookie Paul Briggs was second and Dave Lyon fourth.

Rodney Thoms and John Kelsey were on the front row for the Spectator feature with Brian Bush and Chris Couchenour in row two. Kelsey led the first lap with Thoms second and Couchenour third. Couchenour had troubles negotiating turn four on the second lap for the first yellow. Kelsey, Thoms, Tom Norland and Bush were the leaders for the restart. Thoms beat Kelsey around to lead lap three then lost it to Kelsey on the next lap. Matt Lozowski and Nate Lester moved into the top five on lap seven. A car sitting in the pit entrance brought out the second yellow with seven laps complete. Kelsey, Norland and Thoms were the top three with Lester fourth and Don Standley fifth. Jeff Fellows stopped high in turn one during the restart for the third yellow. Lozowski pulled into the pits during the caution. Couchenour and Bill Baker Jr. were sent to the rear of the field because of a incident during the caution. The green came out briefly then Baker spun in four ruining the restart. Jeff Harvey, Wade Watson and Couchenour tangled during the next restart for the fifth caution. Norland went into the pits during the yellow giving up his top five spot. The next restart was successful and Lester became the new leader with Kelsey second Charles Silleman third. The yellow appeared once more with eleven complete after Dan Surrena was collected by Barrett Brown in turn four. Couchenour moved into third after the restart and was testing Kelsey for the second spot when the yellow flew once more for Baker in turn four. Baker, David McClanahan, Harvey and Watson brought out the yellow on the restart. Lester hung on to the lead to win the event with Couchenour who started from the rear of the field twice in the second spot.

Nathan Short got sideways on the start of the Outlaw Cadet feature causing several cars to spin including Scott Lewis, Brian Zimmerly, Ron Seeley and Rick Loomis. Mike Moore and Short were on the front row for the restart with Louis DeDionisio third. Lewis and Chuck Parker could not get through turn one on the restart and the yellow had appeared twice before a lap was completed. Mike Moore led the the first lap with Short second and DeDionisio third. Moore had a ten car length lead with eight complete and Mike Knight had moved by DeDionisio for third. Moore took the half way flags with a straight away advantage over Short and Knight, DeDionisio was still fourth with Seeley fifth. Knight moved along side Short for the second spot with tree laps remaining then completed the pass with two to go. Moore complete the run on challenged to win his second of the year. Knight was second with Short third.

Chad Carlson used his pole starting spot to lead the first lap then a spin by Bryan Ester brought out the yellow on lap two. Pete Volpe spun on the restart lap collecting Bob Hazzard for the second yellow. Carlson remained the leader with Pat McGuire second and Aaron Robinson third. Jake Eller was the next to fall victim to the slick surface with a spin coming out of turn four collecting Volpe for yellow number three. Kelly Frederes jumped wheels with another racer then rolled over hard on the front stretch for the fourth caution. Pat McGuire and Carlson tangled on the restart resulting in steering problem for Pat McGuire and a flat for Carlson. Don McGuire was the new leader with Volpe back up to second and Bobby Rohrer third. Volpe used the restart to become the new leader then a spin by Eller brought out the yellow with five laps complete. Two more laps were completed then Tim Nocero spun in turn four. Volpe led by three car lengths at the half way point. Volpe had extended his lead with five remaining in the event. Don McGuire’s car started smoking heavily as Volpe took the checkers for the fifth time. Don McGuire held on for second.

Brett Van Guilder brought out the Super Challengers. Van Guilder and Jay Seekings had problems in turn two and the yellow appeared right after the green. Ryan Scott and Keith Golden were the new leaders. Dominic DePancean and Shawn Seekings collided on the back stretch but the lap was counted with Scott the leader. The race finally settled down to green flag racing for several laps until John Angeletti brought out the yellow after hitting the wall in turn two. Scott led the remainder of the event for his fifth win, Golden finished in the runner up spot with Bob Belson third.

The green flew for the E-Mod feature and the leaders immediately had trouble with Dale Applebee, Mike Hess and Billy Uhl leaving with flats. The lineup was realigned with K.C. Decker first and Tommy Fox second for the restart and original leaders Applebee and Mike Hess starting in the rear. The race was delayed at this point because of the setting sun making it difficult for the racers to see down the back stretch. Decker led the first lap with Dave Hess Jr. second and Quincy Turner third. Chad Silleman spun binging out the yellow with two laps complete. Tommy Fox spun with help during the restart causing the third yellow. Dave Hess Jr. used the restart to gain the front spot sending Decker to second with Turner third. Don Nocero moved into the top thee on lap five. Herm Hilyer slowed on the speedway for the fourth caution with seven laps complete. Dave Hess remained the leader on the restart and just after the half way mark Shawn McArdle spun in turn two for caution five. The race remained green for six laps until a spin by Joe Watson collected Mike Hess in turn four. The top four remained the same for the restart. Scott Pangrazio had troubles on the white flag lap for the seventh caution. Applebee was in the fifth spot for the restart after going to the rear at the initial start. Watson spun collecting Mike Moon on the restart. Dave Hess Jr. won the last lap dash for his sixth win.

Feature: Nate Lester, Chris Couchenour, John Kelsey, Don Standley, Walter Johnson, Wade Watson, Bill Baker Jr., Skip Joslin, Charlie Silleman

Feature: Dan Osborne, Tom Bean, Stan Davis Jr.

Feature: Mike Moore, Mike Knight, Nathan Short, Louis DeDionisio, Ron Seeley, Dave Tolon, Paul Norman, Brian Zimmerly, Scott Lewis, Bill Dunn

Feature: Pete Volpe, Don McGuire, Bobby Rohrer, Aaron Robinson, John Boardman, Tim Nocero, Jim Leonard, Pat McGuire, Richard Digirolamo, Brent Crandall

Feature: Ryan Scott, Kevin Golden, Bob Belson, Don Kennedy, Jason Black, Mike Genco, Sam Courson, Ben Burgess Jr., Bryon Johnson, Chris Bowman

E-Mod:

Feature: Dave Hess Jr., K.C. Decker, Quincy Turner, Dan Nocero, Dale Applebee, Mike Boyd, Chris Sutton, Tom Hagberg, Keith Bidwell, Billy Uhl

Feature: Robbie Blair, Rich Gardner, Paul Briggs, Dave Lyon, Dick Barton, Todd Andrews, Chris Hackett, Dave Hess Jr., Miles Stitzinger, Bruce Hordusky, Bill Cunningham, Randy Lobb, Moose Dunnewold, John Lobb, Mickey Wright, John Lacki, Steve Halpainy, Wendell Pinckney, Dave Scott, Doug Eck, Dan Armbruster, Mike Coyle, Rod Philips, Andy Boozel, Jason Morell, Todd Roncaglione