Shawn Nye’s Déjà vu – Dominates ROC Sportsman Field at Chemung
(Chemung, NY) Four years ago Shawn Nye from Lancaster, NY took the ROC Sportsman win at Chemung Speedrome. Saturday night he repeated, although the team had some work to do to put him in that position. Garrett Zacharias won in the ROC Super Stock division. Both of those races were 51 laps in distance, in memory of the late Ed McGuire. Anthony Gullo dominated in the non-points Marion Decker Agency Hobby Stock feature.
Racing conditions were perfect, and a great crowd enjoyed a fast-moving program at the only asphalt short track in NY’s southern tier. The special event was sponsored by the CVS Health Chemung Distribution Center.
The ROC Sportsman division returned to Chemung after a four-year absence. In 2019 it was Shawn Nye who took the win. Fast forward to 2023 and it was Shawn Nye who took the win. “When we came here it was junk,” he said from victory lane. “We thrashed on it and got it running good.” Drawing #3 for the start of the 51-lap Ed McGuire Memorial helped.
Earlier, Zack Curren had set fast time and won his heat. TJ Potrzebowski, who drove for years for McGuire, won heat two, while Trevor Catalano won heat three. For Curren, the day tanked initially when he drew #10 for the start, and things went downhill for him from there. Not so for several others.
Nick Morich, who started alongside pole-sitter Evan Rygielski, took the early lead with Nye right on his bumper. Ten laps into the event Nye made what became his race-winning pass and led Morich. The first of a half dozen cautions came with 25 laps complete. Following a lap 26 restart, Jake Lutz took second from Morich, who then lost third to Potrzebowski. The third caution came when Curren slammed the foam blocks in turn one, ending his night. Lutz was the next to develop problems and his car slowed. Over the final 16 laps, Potrzebowski stayed right with Nye, while Jesse Kent and Morich in a four-car breakaway. For Nye, he recorded his fastest lap with a half dozen laps remaining, all while under intense pressure from Potrzebowski. Nye held on for the win, over Potrzebowski, Kent, Morich, and Tony Hanbury. “I saved a little the first half of the race then said to myself it’s time to go,” Nye told the crowd. With back-to-back Chemung wins in ROC Sportsman events, Nye made an interesting comparison. “Chemung is a lot like an indoor track, and I do pretty well there. Miss the walls and go. Man, it was sweet.” Potrzebowski said Ed would be proud a 51 car won.
In ROC Super Stock action, Tim Gullo and Mike Nichols won the heats. Gullo drew the pole for the 51-lap Ed McGuire Memorial while Jacob Christman drew #2. Just a lap in, the race was under the first of six caution periods. Gullo was up front but when his car developed a problem, he lost the lead to Nichols and second to Christman. A few laps later, and after a pair of uncharacteristic spins, he retired from the race as gremlins continue to plague the veteran racer. That left Nichols doing battle with Garrett Zacharias. They swapped some paint on occasion, but by lap 23 Christman had passed Nichols for second. Zacharias took over the race lead on lap 30. His first victory of sorts was holding off Christman and Nichols on a pair of restarts over the final 18 laps. Once things settled down, Zacharias pulled away and left behind a battle for second, with several others moving toward the front. When the checkered flag flew at lap 51 it was the 71Z that parked in victory lane. Christman, some 3.5 seconds behind, finished second with Nichols completing the podium.
Josh Parker and Tom Shaffer won the Marion Decker Agency Hobby Stock heats. Luck of the draw, in this non-points race, had Bruce Kinner and Anthony Gullo on row one for the start of their 20-lap feature. Gullo led the opening lap, but the race immediately went under caution for a pair of spins. Gullo got the better of Chuck Nichols on that restarts and continued on as the leader. Behind him, Parker and Dave Decker were on the move and, by the halfway point, had passed Nichols for second and third. The final caution came out with two laps to go. Gullo and Parker restarted side-by-side, and it was the 51 of Gullo who prevailed and went on to win. Parker was second, followed by Decker, Shaffer, and Nichols.
It’s back to Friday night racing this week. Zack’s Grill is sponsoring a regular five-division program featuring the Buckley’s Automotive Modifieds, Blauvelt Funeral Home Super Stocks, Marion Decker Agency Hobby Stocks, 4 Cylinders and Serendipity Ice Cream Bandoleros. Pits open at 4:00, grandstand at 5, practice starts at 6 and the first green flag flies at 7. Grandstand admission is $15 for adults, $13 for seniors, $5 for kids ages 5 to 12, and free for kids ages 5 and under.
For information, log on to the track’s website: chemung-speedrome.com, go to Facebook, go to Chemung Speedrome – Racing at the Drome on Facebook, or call Ray Hodge, Promoter, at 607-483-3468.
Of Note:
· Two fans from Elmira left as winners from the 50/50 drawing, one with $738 in cash and the other with a pair of tickets to Woodhull Raceway.
· Ray McGuire, Ed’s son, gave the command to start the engines prior to the Sportsman Modified feature.
CVS Health Chemung Distribution Center Night Results:
ROC Sportsmen (51 Laps – unofficial, pending post-race tech): SHAWN NYE, TJ Potrzebowski, Jesse Kent, Nick Morich, Tony Hanbury, Kevin Timmerman, John Wilber, Jake Lutz, Lee Sharpsteen, Evan Rygielski, Andy Lewis, Jr., Joe Evans, Eddie Hawkins, Doug Gavette, Tom Alloco, Damon Frutchey, Zack Curren, Trevor Catalano, Dave Kozlowski, Charlie Sharpsteen
Heats: Curren, Potrzebowski, Catalano
ROC Super Stocks (51 Laps): GARRETT ZACHARIAS, Jacob Christman, Mike Nichols, Jacob Gustafson, DJ Shaw, Tom Barron, Jason Duke, Sr., Dave Lazzaro, Charlie Sharpsteen, Brian DeMark, Tim Gullo, Evan Rygielski, Joe Mancuso, Frank Chapman, Jr.
Heats: Nichols, Gullo
Marion Decker Agency Hobby Stocks (20 Laps): ANTHONY GULLO, Josh Parker, Dave Decker, Tom Shaffer, Chuck Nichols, George Nichols, Jr., Bruce Kinner, Ethan Roberts, Mike Bailey, Jimmy Hill
Heats: Parker, Shaffer
Sources: Carol Houssock/Chemung Speedrome PR