9/29/2025
Utica-Rome Speedway
ERICK RUDOLPH AND AJ WALTERS SCORE BIG WINS ON NIGHT ONE OF VICTORIA WEEKEND AT UTICA-ROME SPEEDWAY
UTICA-ROME SPEEDWAY - September 26, 2025
ERICK RUDOLPH AND AJ WALTERS SCORE BIG WINS ON NIGHT ONE OF VICTORIA WEEKEND AT UTICA-ROME SPEEDWAY
VERNON, NY...Utica-Rome Speedway's two day season finale began with the Upstate Spray Foam/Applied Coatings presentation of the 'Victoria 50' for the VP Racing Fuels 358 Modified Challenge Series on Friday night, along with the 'Jim Normoyle Memorial' for the Next Generation Graphix Pro Stocks and action in the Fastline Performance Limited Sportsman and JB's Sewer and Septic 4 Cylinders.
In the VP Racing Fuels 358 Modified Series 'Victoria 50' feature, Chris Mackey took the early lead from Darren Smith, but Smith grabbed the top spot on lap 2. Anthony Perrego nipped into second on lap 7 as Jimmy Phelps and Erick Rudolph battled for fourth. Smith hit lapped traffic on lap 12 as Perrego gave chase. The red flag flew on lap 15 when Neil Stratton rolled off turn three and landed on his roof. He was OK. On the restart, Rudolph moved to third as Smith continued to lead. Alex Yankowski was on the move, grabbing spots and fighting his way into the top five behind AJ Potrzebowski II at the halfway point.
Rudolph battled Perrego for several laps before he finally moved past him for second on lap 29 and set sail after Smith as Yankowski and Michael Maresca, who started 21st and 22nd respectively, continued their charge. Rudolph took the lead from Smith on a lap 33 restart as Matt Sheppard and Tim Fuller moved up to spots just outside the top five. Sheppard grabbed fifth on a lap 36 restart as Maresca and Yankowski fought for third. Another red flew for Matt Janczuk getting upside down in turn four on lap 39, which knocked the series point leader out of the race. Maresca mae the move on Smith for second on lap 44, but could not catch Rudolph over the final laps. At the checkers, Rudolph took the win over Maresca, Smith, Yankowski, and Sheppard.
358 Modified heats were won by Dave Marcuccilli, Todd Root, Neil Stratton, and Chris Mackey. Consolations were won by Michael Maresca and Alex Yankowski.
The 47-lap 'Jim Normoyle Memorial' for the Next Generation Graphix Pro Stocks went green with Shane Playford leading the early laps with Kenny Gates in second. Ivan Joslin and Travis Welch were running in the top five, but both had issues under a lap 7 caution and had to pit, with Welch out of the running. AJ Walters cracked the top five on lap 10 as Luke Horning battled with Hunter Keith behind him. Playford continued to lead as Brett Belden took second from Kenny Gates while Walters moved past Ballard for fourth. While the battles continued behind Playford, George Cushman made his way into the top ten after starting deep in the field and Joslin also cracked the top ten after his pit stop for a flat tire.
Playford's run at the front ended on lap 29 when he went wide in turn three, slipping off the track and eventually heading pitside, which handed the lead to Gates. Joslin's run through the pack was halted by a spin off turn one on lap 31. Walters and Belden made it a three way battle for the lead on the restart, with Belden and Gates trading the lead. Horning made a power move to get by Walters and Belden for second on lap 39, but spun off turn three on lap 42, setting up a five lap dash to the checkers. Gates' car faltered on the restart and he headed pitside and on the restart, Belden and Walters battled for the lead, with Walters taking the lead coming down to the white flag and holding on over the final lap to take a $1,074 win as Belden took the runnerup spot. Beau Ballard was third, with Rich Crane and Hunter Keith rounding out the top five.
Next Generation Graphix Pro Stock heats were won by Luke Horning, Shane Playford, Ivan Joslin, and Cody Clark. Consolation races were won by Slater Baker and Mike Kazluaskas. A Dash for Cash was also held, with Playford taking the win in that event and picking up an extra $200.
The Fastline Performance Limited Sportsman feature saw James Galarneau lead until lap 4, when Chuck Lowe made the pass for the top spot. Lowe held the lead through several restarts while Parker Fowler held third. Matt Bukovan climbed to fourth and Lance Hill moved to fifth. Lowe pulled away late in the race to take the win, with Galarneau holding off Fowler by a half car length for second. Hill and Bukovan completed the top five.
Fastline Performance Limited Sportsman heats were won by Chuck Lowe, Daniel Odell, and Brock Mattice.
In the JB's Sewer and Septic 4 Cylinder division, Kyle Simmons took the feature win after early leader Jacob Kimball had issues on a restart. Corey Valade and Tim Dunn battled for second for the latter half of the race, with Valade grabbing second at the finish. Rudy King and Robert Burch rounded out the top five.
The next event at Utica-Rome Speedway will be on Saturday, September 28th with the 'New Yorker 50' for 3 Bastards Brewing Modifieds, plus the Taylor's Trailers 602 Crate Sportsman, the Street Stocks, and the Mohawk Valley Vintage Dirt Modified Series. See uticaromespeedway.com for start times and details.
RACE SUMMARY-UTICA-ROME SPEEDWAY-SEPTEMBER 26, 2025
VP RACING FUELS 358 MODIFIED 'VICTORIA 50'-ERICK RUDOLPH, Michael Maresca, Darren Smith, Alex Yankowski, Matt Sheppard, Tim Fuller, Anthony Perrego, Payton Talbot, Jimmy Phelps, Nicholas Root, Sean Beardsley, Willy Decker, Remington Hamm, Chris Mackey, Ajay Potrzebowski II, Zach Payne, Kevin Stevens, David Rodgers, Bob Henry Jr, Mike Richmond, David Dickey, AJ Miller, Matt Janczuk, Ryan Dolbear, Todd Root, Matthew Caprara, Dave Marcuccilli, Neil Stratton, Robert Gage (DNS).
NEXT GENERATION GRAPHIX PRO STOCKS 'JIM NORMOYLE MEMORIAL'-AJ WALTERS, Bret Belden, Beau Ballard, Rich Crane, Hunter Keith, George Cushman, Slater Baker, Michale Achzet, Ed Kotary, Luke Horning, Dakota Sharp, JJ Courcy, Gus Gould, Toby Cooper, Caden Dumblewski, Mike Keith, Chucky Dumblewski, Tom Dean, Kenny Gates, Eric Stumpf, Steve Cosselman, Ivan Joslin, Shane Playford, Glenn Forward, Nick Santuccione, Travis Welch, Cody Clark, Ray Richer, Mike Kazlauskas, Tyler Bushey.
FASTLINE PERFORMANCE LIMITED SPORTSMAN-CHUCK LOWE, James Galarneau, Parker Fowler, Lance Hill, Matt Bukovan, Mason Rogers, Craig Coons, Tim Halsey, Raelin Dunham, Nicholas Jenkins, Cooper Iannon, Kirsten Swartz, John Baker, Mike Evans, Ayden Goodier, Logan Carter, Josh Andrews, Mark Harrington, Steve Stasko, Savannah Simmons, Jamie Vanabs, Brock Mattice, Daniel Odell, Kyle Coley (DNS), Andreue Stadelmann (DNS), Sydney Wetherbee (DNS).
JB'S SEWER AND SEPTIC FOUR CYLINDERS-KYLE SIMMONS, Corey Valade, Tim Dunn, Rudy King, Robert Burch, Dan Sherman, Jacob Kimball, Zack Petrie, Daniel Valade, Blaze Post.
Submitted By: Nick Guererri