BOBBY VARIN WINS FINAL REGULAR SEASON MODIFIED FEATURE OF 2009 PAT WARD WINS SECOND CONSECUTIVE TITLE SEPTEMBER 6 VERNON, NY – Sunday night at Utica-Rome Speedway on Gates-Cole Insurance / Clinton Auto Night, Bobby Varin claimed his fourth win of the 2009 season on the final night of points. Varin started tenth on the gird to take the lead on lap 15 from early leader Todd Burley. Varin then held off a late race charge from Ronnie Johnson for the victory. The 30-lap win for Varin was worth $2,000 behind the wheel of the Dover Brake No. 00 and makes him an early favorite for next Saturday’s New Yorker 200. Jeff Kotary and Jamie Christian led the 26-car starting field down to the flags of Matt Burdick, with Todd Burley racing from third to lead the first lap. Bobby Varin was racing through the standings, entering the top five on lap 7. Just one lap later, Varin went from fifth to third as he was flying high around the top side of the track. Jamie Christian was holding second but Varin took the runnerup spot on lap 12 and set his sights on Burley. The pair began a thrilling duel for the race lead at this point of the race. At the halfway mark of the 30-lap affair, Varin took the lead with Burley, Ronnie Johnson, Jamie Christian, Pat Ward, Brad Alger, Ryan Odasz, Jeff Kotary, and Stewart Friesen right behind. Burley and Ronnie Johnson then were the battle of the race to watch. Both drivers performed several slidejobs to perfection through the turns. Neither were too happy with each other as some contact was made at times. Johnson pulled a final slidejob on lap 22 as he took over second. Varin held the lead the remainder of the distance, with Johnson not too far behind at the checkers for second. Burley held on for third, with Willy Decker charging from fifteenth to finish fourth. Completing the top ten, it was Ted Lamb Jr., Jamie Christian, Stewart Friesen, Ryan Odasz, Paul Kinney, and Paul Jensen. The win for Varin was the nineteenth of his career at the track. Pat Ward claimed his second straight Utica-Rome Modified Track Championship, which is worth $8,000. Ward just had to start the main event to claim the championship which was good insurance as he dropped out with a blown motor on lap 21. Following Ward in the season-long standings, it was Stewart Friesen, Bobby Varin, Willy Decker, Ronnie Johnson, Todd Burley, Paul Kinney, Jamie Christian, Danny Varin, and Brian Weaver. In the Sportsman division, Jason Rood started tenth and took the lead on lap 7 from early leader Mike Button. Rood held off the late race charge of Matt Janczuk to win his sixth feature of the 2009 season. Jack Miller led the opening circuit of the 20-lap event, while Button took command just one lap later. Janczuk started dead last on the field after arriving late to finish second. Billy Trexler Jr. was third, followed by Steve Way, and A.J. Filbeck. Jason Rood was crowned the 2009 Utica-Rome Speedway Sportsman Track Championship on the strength of six feature wins and sixteen top five finishes. Rood next week will attempt to qualify for the New Yorker 200 for the second time ever. Second in the final standings was Jeff Leslie, followed by Steve Way, Matt Janczuk, and Jeremy Vunk. Tom Denton convincingly won the 20-lap Pro Stock feature event and with it the 2009 Track Championship. Denton started sixth and took the lead on lap 5 from early leader A.J. Digsby. Following Denton across the finish line, it was Bill Knapp, Bret Belden, Mark Effner, and Ryan Lund. Denton’s track championship was the fourth of his career and first since the 2000 season. Behind Denton in the final points, it was Rocky Warner, Bret Belden, Bill Knapp, and Jim Normoyle. Rusty Marsden invaded Utica-Rome for his second Pure Stock feature win of the 2009 season. Marsden started ninth on the field and took the lead on lap five from early lead Bill Mason. Finishing second through fifth were Ron Hawker, Phil Norman, Chris Cunningham, and Jim Richmond. Ron Hawker won his first career Utica-Rome Pure Stock Track Championship. Hawker had eleven wins on the season and sixteen top five finishes. Finishing second through fifth in track points were Chris Carr, Frank Hyatt, Chris Cunningham, and Bill Mason. Jason Barney won the 25-lap SUNY Canton Empire Super Sprints A-Main. Barney led the entire 25-lap distance from the pole starting position. Chuck Hebing charged from deep in the field to finish second, followed by Dan Kaszubinski, Jeff Cook, and Cory Sparks. Next weekend is the 20th Annual New Yorker 200 Weekend at Utica-Rome Speedway. Friday night will feature championship races for the Sportsman, Pro Stocks, and Pure Stocks plus the Prelude to the New Yorker 200 for the sail-paneled Modifieds in a 30-lap, $3,000 to win affair. Saturday features nothing but the Modifieds with the New Yorker 200-lap event including all heats, consis, and the New Yorker 200. UTICA-ROME SPEEDWAY RACE SUMMARY GATES-COLE INSURANCE/CLINTON AUTO NIGHT RACE DATE: SEPTEMBER 6, 2009 Modifieds (30-Laps) 9 3 BOBBY VARIN, Ronnie Johnson, Todd Burley, Willy Decker, Ted Lamb Jr., Jamie Christian, Stewart Friesen, Ryan Odasz, Paul Kinney, Paul Jensen, Jeff Kotary, Dave Rauscher, Danny Varin, Brian Chew, Casey Williams, Heath Carney, Pat Ward, Brad Alger, Pete Taylor, Elmo Reckner, Alton Palmer, Brian Weaver, Alan Barker, Ron Holmes, Mike Ward, John Ramsey. DNS – Brian Murphy. 2009 Modified Track Champion – Pat Ward. Sportsman (20-Laps) – JASON ROOD, Matt Janczuk, Billy Trexler Jr., Steve Way, A.J. Filbeck, Mike Button, Jeff Leslie, John DeForest, Claude Hutchings Jr., Jason Memrick, Craig Pope, Rich Coons, Jack Miller, Jeremy Vunk, Steve Yankowski, Roger West, George Dyer. DNS – Aaron Jacobs. 2009 Sportsman Track Champion – Jason Rood. Pro Stocks (20-Laps) – TOM DENTON, Bill Knapp, Bret Belden, Mark Effner, Ryan Lund, Ed Ostrander, Dan Peo, Dave Moyer, Shawn Frost, Rocky Warner, Walt Brownell, Rob Seavy, Jim Normoyle, Jeff Pastorella, Chucky Dumblewski, A.J. Digsby. 2009 Pro Stock Track Champion – Tom Denton. Pure Stocks (15-Laps) – RUSTY MARSDEN, Ron Hawker, Phil Norman, Chris Cunningham, Jim Richmond, Ricky Breed, Bill Mason, Jim Thomas, Cale Hoffman, Stan Clark, Mike Kaszlauskas, Mike Harrison, Eric Staelens, Keith Stevenson, Frank Hyatt, Ron Marsden, Rob Thieme, John Davis Jr., Chuck Cushman, Chris Carr. 2009 Pure Stock Track Champion – Ron Hawker. Empire Super Sprints (25-Laps) – JASON BARNEY, Chuck Hebing, Dan Kaszubinski, Jeff Cook, Cory Sparks, Jessica Zemken, Lance Yonge, Justin Barger, Michael Parent, Brian McDonald, Tommy Wickham, George Suprick, Doug Emery, Jim Porter, Matt Demitraszek, Scott Davis, Mike Stelter, Kory Gurney, Matt Billings, Jami Russell, Kevin Loveys. DNS – Floyd Billington.