August 9th TODD BURLEY RACES TO HIS SECOND WIN OF THE YEAR VERNON, NY- With severe weather again threatening to halt racing action at the Utica-Rome Speedway, the speedway officials and racers were determined to beat the weather to complete the show by running straight through with little delays. The tactic worked as the whole show was complete in less than three hours on Jumpin Jack’s Pro Speed and William Fuller Mason Contractor Night. When everything settled down, it was Spencerport NY driver Todd Burley copping the $2,000 Modified win with Jeff Leslie again taking the $1,000 Race of Champions Dart Dirt Sportsman Series gold. Tom Denton scored the Pro Stock main while Ron Hawker was again the winner in the Pure Stocks. When Matt Burdick’s green flag dropped to start the Modified 30 lap affair, pole sitter Brad Godshalk held off the 26 car starting field to lead the opening lap. Seventh place starter Danny Varin charged by to lead by lap two. With Danny Varin out front, 11th place starter Ronnie Johnson was on the move by positioning himself for a chance for the top spot as he took over the second spot on lap five. Lap six, Johnson slipped by the younger Varin to the lead the sixth lap. While Johnson had control of the field, eighth place starter Todd Burley and defending champion Pat Ward, from 15th, were making their way to the front. By lap 10, it was Johnson leading with Burley, Danny Varin, Brian Weaver, and Ward. A lap 11 restart saw Johnson, Burley, and Ward go three wide for the lead going into turn one with contact being by all three drivers, with Johnson getting the worst of it with a right front flat. Johnson went pit side which gave Burley the lead over Ward, Danny Varin, Weaver, and last place starter Paul Kinney. With the rest of the race going green to checkered, Burley would race hold off any challenges that Danny Varin and Ward could muster. When the checkered flag flew it was Burley scoring his second win over Ward, Bobby Varin recovering from a lap 11 pit stop in third, Kinney in fourth, and Bobby Varin in fifth. Also coming back from a lap 11 pit stop to finish in sixth was Stewart Friesen with Weaver, Willy Decker, Ted Lamb, and Jamie Christian rounding out the top ten. In the Race of Champion Dart Dirt Sportsman Series 30 lapper, Brad Holland jumped out to the lead from his outside starting spot only to lose it on lap three to pole sitter Jack Miller. Miller’s turn out front lasted just two laps as Holland blasted by the outside to regain the lead on lap five. With Holland out front, track point leader Jason Rood and Jeff Leslie were picking their way through the field, with Rood starting in ninth and Leslie starting in the 14th spot. By the 20th lap, Rood was in second with Leslie in a close third, both pressuring Holland for the lead. On lap 21, the whole complexion of the race changed as Rood tried to slip up in front of Holland coming off turn four. Rood and Holland made contact and slammed the front stretch wall, ending their chances at the win. Leslie inherited the lead and would race off to his sweep the $1,000 to win RoC Sportsman events at Utica-Rome Speedway. Chasing Leslie to the checkered was John Scarborough, Steve Way, Jeremy Vunk, and Michael Teachout. In the 20 lap Pro Stock feature, Shawn Frost set the early pace from the drop of the green flag by leading the first six circuits. Point leader Tom Denton used a lap six restart to his advantage as he took over the top spot by the time lap seven was scored. Denton would lead the rest of the way to nab his fifth win of the season over Frost, Rocky Warner, Jim Normoyle, and Mark Effner. Chuck Cushman looked to end a win drought in the Pure Stocks this past Sunday night by leading the first three laps of the 15 lap go around. Jim Thomas took over the top spot using his patented high line to gain the advantage on lap four, only to have 11th place starter Ron Hawker charge by on the fifth circuit. Hawker would lead the rest of the way to win his eighth race this season. Chris Carr, Chris Cunningham, Phil Norman, and Bill Mason rounded out the top five spots. Racing resumes this Wednesday with Fan Appreciation Night presented by the Mirabito Fuel Group. With a canned good donation to help the local food pantry, general admission will only be $5 for a complete show of Modifieds, Sportsman, Pro Stocks, and Pure Stocks. Without the donation, admission will be $7. Gates open at 4:30 p.m. with racing at 7 p.m. JUMPIN JACK’S PRO SPEED AND WILLIAM FULLER MASON CONTRACTOR RACE SUMMARY MODIFIED FEATURE FINISH (30 LAPS)- TODD BURLEY, Pat Ward, Bobby Varin, Paul Kinney, Danny Varin, Stewart Friesen, Brian Weaver, Willy Decker, Ted Lamb, Jamie Christian, Alan Barker, John Ramsey, Bill Shantel Jr., Mike Ward, Jeff Kotary, David Orr, Heath Carney, Bryan Chew, Tim Mayne, Heath Carney, Greg Tatich, Casey Williams, Ronnie Johnson, Brad Alger, Brad Godshalk, and Paul Jensen. RACE OF CHAMPIONS DART DIRT SPORTSMAN FEATURE FINISH (30 LAPS)- JEFF LESLIE, John Scarborough, Steve Way, Jeremy Vunk, Michael Teachout, Jack Miller, Claude Hutchings Jr., Brian Decker, Roger West, Jamie Batzel, Mike Button, Nick Petrilak, Todd Fey, Steve Yankowski, Dwayne Robbins, Justin Holland, Jason Rood, Jeff Crambo, John Deforest, Craig Pope, AJ Filbeck, and Tom Collins. PRO STOCK FEATURE FINISH (20 LAPS)- TOM DENTON, Shawn Frost, Rocky Warner, Jim Normoyle, Mark Effner, Dan Peo, AJ Digsby, Ed Ostrander, Bret Belden, Rob Seavy, Eric Vanderhoof, Chris Mackey, Dave Meeks, Ivan Joslin, John Pearsall, Rich Duanehauer, Bill Knapp, Ryan Lund, and Jeff Pastorella. PURE STOCK FEATURE FINISH (15 LAPS)- RON HAWKER, Chris Carr, Chris Cunningham, Phil Norman, Bill Mason, Frank Hyatt, Jim Thomas, Cale Hoffman, Mike Harrison, John Davis Jr., Scott Wheelock, Jim Richmond, Rob Thieme, Chuck Cushman, and Keith Stevenson.