Stateline Speedway
Stateline Saturdays April thru Sept.  Gates Open 5:30 pm. Racing at 7:00 pm.
Kortwright Road, Busti NY      Track Phone : (716)664-2326

Lance Yonge Wins Bob North Auto Crushers ESS Event
 Armbruster Wins Super Late Model Feature at Stateline

By Glenn Slocum

          Rain threatened but by race time the sky had cleared for the first Empire Super Sprint Bob North Auto Crushers sponsored event of the season on the Stateline-Eriez Racing circuit. Lance Yonge won the event from his outside front row spot. The event was marred by a double tumble by Tom Taber and Ryan Coniam. Dan Armbruster won the Super Late Model event just prior to rain bringing a halt to the evenings racing action.

        Bill Bailey dominated the ESS B-main. Bailey lead for start to finish with pole sitter Erin Crocker second and current ESS points leader Brian Dumigan third.

         The American Racer Dash was won by Dave Hess Jr. with Wally Fox second and Scott Gurdak third.

           Twenty-four sprint cars reported for the Empire Super Sprint Tour 2002 A-Main. Bobby Kerrick and Lance Yonge brought the field to the green. After just one lap Tom Taber was fighting a loose race car and clipped Ryan Coniam, both tumbled in turn one and the red flag brought the field to a stop while officials and rescue crews raced to the scene of the accident. The drivers were okay but both racecars were severely damaged. Kerrick moved out to a large lead on the restart with Yonge second and Kyle Drum third.  Mike Woodring was charging and had moved from his fourteenth starting position to fifth by lap seven.  Woodring moved to fourth on lap nine as the leaders worked through lap traffic.  At the half way Woodring’s charge slowed as Kerrick lead Yonge through traffic. With five to go Yonge passed Kerrick for the lead and Woodring resumed his charge to move into third past Rob Dietrick. The yellow was shown with two to go when Bobby Podolak stopped on the speedway. Yonge held on for his first win of the season with Kerrick second and Woodring third.

         Thirty Super Late Models were started in their feature event.  Wally Fox led lap one with Scott Johnson second and Scott Gurdak third. Steve Halpainy stopped in the infield just off the front straight on lap two for the first caution of the event. Rod Maloy went to the pits on this caution but joined the field as the green was thrown. Chad Valone, John Watson, Mark Boozel and Halpainy tangled on the restart for the second yellow. Moose Dunnewold spun for the third yellow and Dan Armbruster moved into third over Gurdak. Johnson tried Fox on the high side on the restart and after two laps passed Fox for the lead. Armbruster was trying to get by Fox as     Dunnewold, Chad Valone, Halpainy and George LaBarbera collided for the fourth yellow of the event on lap five. Only twenty-five cars were able to make the lap five restart. Armbruster passed Fox on the restart and got under Johnson to challenge for the lead. Johnson and Armbruster raced side by side for the next two laps when Ryan Scott slowed bringing out caution number five on lap nine. Johnson was able to hold off Armbruster on the restart but Bob Craig had problems in turn one for caution six. Johnson’s car was showing smoke on the restart and Armbruster move by to lead the event on lap ten. Johnson stopped next to the fence on turn one and the yellow cam on for the seventh time. Chris Hackett was now in second with early leader Fox in third and Matt Lux in fourth. Chad Ruhlman took fifth over Bryan Emory on the restart as Armbruster began to pull away from the field.  Ruhlman moved by Fox for third on lap sixteen. Ruhlman continued has charge and passed Hackett for second on lap nineteen. Time ran out for Ruhlman as Armbruster won the event while Hackett finished third.

Results:

Spectators:

Heat 1: Dan Shellhouse, Joe McMurty, Merle Burlingham
Heat 2: Steve Keith, Victor Earl Sr., Bill Baker Jr.
Feature 1: -- Cancelled --

E-Mods:

Heat 1: Dale Applebee, Shane Applebee, Kevin Decker

Heat 2: Shawn Uhler, Tink Mealy, Mark Grabowsk

Feature: --Cancelled --

Cadets

Heat 1: Mark Hall, Bill Dunn, Aaron Robinson

Heat 2: Chris Blose, Dustin Eckman, Phil Knight

Heat 3: Jeff VanArsdale, Todd Church, Jeff Campbell

Feature 1: --Canceled--

Limited Late Models:

Heat 1: --Canceled--

Heat 2: --Canceled--

Heat 3: --Canceled--

Feature: --Canceled--

Budweiser Super Sportsmen:

Heat 1: Joe Buccola Jr., Dave Cummings, J.R. Nocero

Heat 2: Randy Parmenter, Pete Volpe, Don McGuire

Feature: --Canceled--

American Racer Dash: Dave Hess Jr., Wally Fox, Scott Gurdak

Late Models:

Heat 1: Dave Hess Jr., Scott Johnson, Bryan Emory

Heat 2: Scott Gurdak, Cris Hackett, Dan Armbruster

Heat 3: Wally Fox, Ron Olson, Ted Kosinski

Feature: Dan Armbruster, Chad Ruhlman, Chris Hackett, Wally Fox, John Lobb, Dave Hess Jr., Scott Gurdak, Matt Lux, Randy Lobb, Bryan Emory

Empire Super Sprints:

Heat 1: Tom Taber, Mike Stetler, Randy Years

Heat 2: Rob Dietrick, Tim Kelly, Kyle Drum

Heat 3: Mike Woodring, Bill Bailey, Lance Yonge

B-Main: Bill Bailey, Erin Crocker, Brian Dumigan

A-Main: Lance Yonge, Bubby Kerrick, Mike Woodring, Kyle Drum, Mike Stelter, Rob Dietrick, Alain Bergeron, Tim Kelly, Brian Dumigan, Randy Years