One For The Underdogs: Danny Creeden Defeats All-Star Cast For $9,164 Sowle Trailer Repair ‘Crazy 8s Special’ Presented By Olum’s Thursday Night Triumph At I-88 Speedway; Alan Barker Tops GRIT Series Sportsman 30-lap $1,000 Score Before Large Crowd
AFTON, NY – Danny Creeden put his name on the Northeast dirt Modified map in a big way Thursday night at I-88 Speedway.
Creeden, a low-budget weekend warrior from Wurtsboro, N.Y., upset an all-star field in the Sowle Trailer Repair ‘Crazy 8s Special’ presented by Olum’s at the Afton Fairgrounds facility. Creeden won the event – round No. 3 of the Short Track Super Series Fueled By VP – in spectacular fashion, passing superstar drivers Danny Johnson and Matt Sheppard en route to the front, and then fending off both Stewart Friesen and Andy Bachetti in the final circuits.
“This is awesome,” Creeden exclaimed after climbing to the roof of his car in Victory Lane. “To get up there and pass the best of the best, it was unbelievable.”
The 31-year-old Creeden earned $9,164 cash for just 48 laps of feature racing on the 3/10ths-mile clay oval including the $6,888 posted purse, $2,000 ‘Gambler’s Bonus’ and lap money collected.
Rain and thunderstorms postponed the second annual ‘Crazy 8s’ to Thursday from its originally scheduled Wednesday date. Despite the postponement, 56 Short Track Super Series Fueled By VP Modifieds – an increase of 12 from the 2013 count – raced before a large crowd.
The race was historic for I-88 Speedway as its richest event ever! The Short Track Super Series Fueled By VP Modifieds competed for $37,972 in cash plus contingency awards and other perks.
Creeden’s No. 16X Hig Fab chassis rolled off the grid from eighth position for the main event. Danny Johnson picked the pole in the post-qualifying redraw and shot into the lead at the outset. Early on, Matt Sheppard was on the move aboard Norm Hansell’s No. 357.
Sheppard arrived in second from his fourth-place starting position on lap six. Using the outside lane, ‘Super Matt’ powered around Johnson to take the lead on the eighth circuit.
Creeden, meanwhile, came to life following a lap-12 yellow. He cleared Mike Ricci for third on the 14th lap and began his pursuit of the leaders.
Friesen was also dicing through traffic after starting 24th in Tom Cullen’s No. 1WGC. Friesen cracked the top five at lap 19, fourth on lap 22 and third on the 30th lap as a three-car race for the lead emerged between Sheppard, Creeden and Friesen.
Fans were thrilled as the lead trio sliced through lapped traffic.
The underdog Creeden unseated three-time Mr. DIRTcar Modified champion Sheppard for the lead exiting turn two on lap 35. Friesen followed closely behind.
When the race’s final caution flew at lap 35, Creeden led Friesen, Sheppard, Johnson and an emerging Andy Bachetti, who not only had started 21st on the grid, but was forced to the rear of the field on lap eight when he was involved in a three-car tangle in turn two.
As Creeden led, Bachetti’s No. 34 came to life. On lap 40, Bachetti darted three-wide to the inside of both Sheppard and Johnson for third. At lap 44, he cleared Friesen for second and was running down the leader.
Time ran out, however, and Creeden collected the huge payday.
Bachetti, of Sheffield, Mass., extended his lead in the Short Track Super Series Fueled By VP point standings with the runner-up effort, worth $3,388 plus lap money. Friesen, a resident of Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ont., who resides in Sprakers, N.Y., settled for third. Friesen’s 21-position gain earned him the $288 Hard Charger Award courtesy of Zubi’s Racing.
Johnson, of Rochester, N.Y., after leading laps 1-8, finished fourth in Chris Gennarelli’s No. 86. Teenager Tyler Dippel of Wallkill, N.Y., placed fifth after starting 16th.
Finishing sixth through 10th, respectively, were Brian Weaver of Windsor, N.Y., who started ninth in the Ron Dieffenbach-backed No. 1A; Shaun Walker of Masonville, N.Y., like Weaver a track regular, who started 19th; Sheppard of Waterloo, N.Y., after leading laps 9-35; Rich Ricci Jr. of New Paltz, N.Y., who raced forward from 15th in the family owned No. 406R; and defending I-88 Speedway champion Mike Mahaney of King Ferry, N.Y., who started 22nd in Jim Shear’s No. 77x.
Top passing points earners in the 10-lap heats, collecting $88 each from Parks Companies on behalf of the Aug. 2 One Small Step Walk in Sauquoit, N.Y., were Tyler Siri (Horseheads, N.Y.), Craig Hanson (Johnstown, N.Y.), Vic Coffey (Caledonia, N.Y.), Danny Johnson, Sheppard and Weaver.
Three consolations, 10 laps each, were won by Walker, Brian Malcolm (Lake Ariel, Pa.) and Bachetti.
The 18-lap AIM Fitness/Algonkin Motel B-Main, with 24 of the eligible 32 starters taking the green flag, was annexed by Milford, Del.’s Matt Jester, who made a five-and-a-half-hour tow to compete at I-88. Jester led the entire distance, surviving lapped traffic, a late restart and an engine that was leaking oil and smoking.
Despite the engine issues, Jester – a point chaser on the Short Track Super Series Fueled By VP – elected to forfeit the guaranteed $888 B-Main money and start from the rear of the A-Main taking a minimum of the $388 start money.
The Dig Safely New York GRIT Series for Crate 602 Sportsman made its first-ever I-88 Speedway appearance with a 30-lap main paying $1,000 to the winner. Alan Barker, a regular competitor in the I-88 weekly Sportsman class, hopped into the Gary Card-owned No. 2x crate powered car and took the victory.
Capital District driver Brian Pessalano, a charging Brian Krummel, Matt Bunker and crate traveler Rocky Warner completed the front five.
Next up for the Short Track Super Series Fueled By VP is the ‘Battle of the Bullring 2’ at N.Y’s Accord Speedway on Tuesday, Aug. 5 (rain date: Aug. 6). Modifieds race 52 laps for $5,200 to win and a record $520 to take the green. Open vs. Crate 602 Sportsman complete the open-wheel doubleheader in a 25-lap feature offering $1,000 to win and $100 to start.
To learn more about the Short Track Super Series Fueled By VP, visit www.bdmotorsportsmedia.com, e-mail Brett Deyo at bdmotorsportsmedia@gmail.com or call 845.728.2781. BD Motorsports Media LLC is on Facebook and on Twitter: @BrettDeyo.
CRAZY QUIPS: The thrilling main event set the tone for the championship-deciding Alpine Building Supply Short Track SuperNationals presented by Olum’s Oct. 10-11 at I-88. The ‘Working Man’s Race’ returns to I-88 this season for the first time since the inaugural running of the event in ’06….
Billy Van Inwegen was named the driver of Dave Zubikowski’s No. 11 big-block for the special. ‘Billy V’ was marching forward in his heat race before terminal engine woes ended his night. He received the Shiley Fabrication Hard Luck Award of bumpers and rubrails….
The win for Creeden was his second in a BD Motorsports Media event. Creeden won the inaugural ‘Battle of the Bullring’ special at Accord in August ’13….
Olum’s in conjunction with Whirlpool, gave away a washer and dryer to a lucky fan. The drawing was held in Victory Lane….
The first of two $1,250 Short Track Super Series Fueled By VP point fund drawings went to Chris Gennarelli, car owner for Danny Johnson….
A pre-race Fan Fest was popular with race cars on display, music from DJ All-Day Entertainment and giveaways on the horse track that surrounds the speedway….
SOWLE TRAILER REPAIRS ‘CRAZY 8s SPECIAL’ PRESENTED BY OLUM’S RACE SUMMARY – JULY 24, 2014
Short Track Super Series Fueled By VP Modified Feature Finish (48 laps): DANNY CREEDEN ($9,164), Andy Bachetti, Stewart Friesen, Danny Johnson, Tyler Dippel, Brian Weaver, Shaun Walker, Matt Sheppard, Rich Ricci Jr., Mike Mahaney, Mike Ricci, Jeff Heotzler, Danny Tyler, Jeff Strunk, Tyler Siri, Vic Coffey, Billy Decker, Ryan Watt, Tommy Meier, Rich Eurich, Tyler Boniface, Tim Currier, Brian Malcolm, Craig Hanson, Billy Van Pelt, Rusty Smith, Brett Tonkin, Matt Jester.
AIM Fitness/Algonkin Motel B-Main Finish (18 laps): MATT JESTER, Tim Currier, Elmo Reckner, Danny Tyler, Darwin Greene, Bob McGannon, Jamie Batzel, Gary Tomkins, Bob Hamm Jr., Mike Clapperton, Chad Cook, Richard Smith, Ray Jashembowski, Dana Wagner, Alex Tonkin, Mike DuBois, Ken Titus, Donnie Elliott, Mike Colsten, John Siedlecky, Tim Hindley, Jeff Heotzler, Aaron Shelton, Jackie Brown Jr.
Did Not Start: Anthony Perrego, JaMike Sowle, Paul Jensen, Don Hart Jr., Donnie Lawson, Billy Van Inwegen Jr.
Lap Money Breakdown ($1,454): Matt Sheppard ($228); Mike Ricci ($213); Danny Johnson ($183); Vic Coffey ($179); Danny Creeden ($176); Stewart Friesen ($85); Brian Weaver ($80); Tyler Dippel ($80); Jeff Strunk ($65); Ryan Watt ($60); Andy Bachetti ($40); Billy Van Pelt ($20); Shaun Walker ($25); Brett Tonkin ($20)
Accord Speedway ‘Battle of the Bullring’ Passes: Danny Creeden
Accord Speedway DNQ Bonus ($100): Mike DuBois
Allstar Performance Bonuses ($50 certificates): Stewart Friesen (third) and Matt Sheppard (eighth)
American Racer/Lias Tire Bonus (FREE tire): Mike Mahaney (10th) and Danny Tyler (13th)
ATL Bonus ($100 credit): Tyler Dippel
Behrent’s Bonuses ($50 certificates): Danny Johnson (fourth) and Rich Ricci Jr. (ninth)
BFP Specialty ($100 credit): Jeff Strunk
Bob Hilbert Sportswear Bonuses ($100 credits): Danny Johnson & Jeff Heotzler
Diversified Machine Inc. Bonuses ($50 credits): Mike Ricci (11th) & Chad Cook (DNQ)
DRACO ‘Spring Forward’ Award ($150 free spring): Stewart Friesen (24th to third)
Finish Line Web Design Incentive ($150 value): Andy Bachetti
Greg Page Construction I-88 Speedway Bonuses: Brian Weaver ($200) & Shaun Walker ($100)
Hoosier Racing Tire Incentives (FREE tire): Elmo Reckner & Darwin Greene
‘One Small Step’ $88 Heat-Race Bonuses: Tyler Siri, Craig Hanson, Vic Coffey, Danny Johnson, Matt Sheppard & Brian Weaver
PM3 Digital Imaging Hard Charger ($25 Credit): Stewart Friesen (24th to third)
Schaeffer Racing Oil Bonus (Two Cases of Oil): Danny Creeden
Shiley Fabrication Hard Luck Award (bumpers and rubrails): Billy Van Inwegen
Simplicity Design Winner’s Bonus ($100): Danny Creeden
Star Spa Services Penn Can Top Non-Qualifier ($45): Ken Titus
S&W Awards Custom Trophy: Danny Creeden
Thunder Mountain Speedway Highest-Finishing Regular ($100 cash): Mike Mahaney
Vahlco Wheels Bonus (free wheel): Tyler Dippel
Zubi’s Racing Hard Charger Award ($288 cash): Stewart Friesen (24th to third)
Dig Safely New York GRIT Series Crate 602 Sportsman Race Summary (25 laps): ALAN BARKER, Brian Pessalano, Brian Krummel, Matt Bunker, Rocky Warner, Nick Guererri, Connor Cleveland, Kurtis Hohensheldt, Pat Jordan, Matt Hitchcock, Chris Stevens, Paul Rooney, Johnny Illanovsky, Alec Gennarelli, Rosalyn Trautschold, Chad Edwards, Brian Joslin, Ken Boniface, Bob Janesky.
Sources: BD Motorsports Media