A Truly “Special” Event: Tuesday’s ‘Lightning on the Mountain’ At Thunder Mountain Speedway Will Feature HUGE $30,813 Payout, Diverse Field, Fireworks, Fan Fun, Giveaways & More; Historic Night In Store For Thunder Mountain Speedway!
CENTER LISLE, NY – This special event is just that: special.
Fun for fans, lucrative for racers and a quick-hitting two-division show on a work night, the Olum’s ‘Lightning on the Mountain’ presented by Rochinski Contracting Services & Husqvarna is set for Thunder Mountain Speedway on Tuesday, May 20 (rain date: May 21). The unprecedented event, a BD Motorsports Media LLC promotion, is one of the most attractive of the 2014 season for big-block/small-block Modified racers: some $30,813 is on the line for 50 laps of racing – the richest night ever at Thunder Mountain!
The ‘Lightning on the Mountain’ serves as the second leg of the six-race National Dirt Racing League (NDRL) Short Track Super Series Fueled By VP en route to the inaugural $10,014 championship. The 50-lap main event offers $5,100 to win, $1,500 for fifth, $1,000 for 10th and $500 just to take the green flag plus a long list of special awards and bonuses. The cash awards and contingencies will be distributed to a wide cross-section of racers: from the event winner to those unable to qualify for the main.
A complete list of lap sponsors for the ‘Lighting on the Mountain’ event, more than $1,500 has been collected (distributed to the top-seven running order), can be found here: http://bdmotorsportsmedia.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/ThunderMountainLapSponsors.pdf.
A breakdown of special awards and bonuses is posted on the web here: http://bdmotorsportsmedia.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/LightningontheMountainSpecialAwardsandBonusesListMay14.pdf.
Open vs. Crate 602 Sportsman, running 25 laps for $1,000 to win and $100 to start, join the Modifieds on the program. Sportsman will compete for incentives including a $55.55 Turn 5 Podcast Hard Charger Award, a pair of Best Appearing Car Awards, worth $100, thanks to Trackside Products and two $50 gift certificates to Shiley Fabrication in Williamstown, Pa.
Gates open at 4 p.m. The drivers’ meeting is set for 6:15 p.m. Hot laps are called at 6:40 p.m. with racing at 7:15 p.m.
Admission is $20 for Adults, $18 for Seniors (ages 65 and over), $15 for Students (10-17) and kids 9 and under are FREE. Pit admission is $35 with no license required.
In the event of rain on Tuesday, the program will be run in its entirety on Wednesday (May 21).
Fan fun is a big part of the ‘Lightning on the Mountain’ special! Little Big Shots Fireworks has been contracted to provide pyrotechnics during the night. 98.1 “The Hawk” will broadcast live from the speedway for two hours prior to the start of racing. A bounce house will be on-site for the youngsters in attendance. Dave’s Racing Collectibles will be on hand with novelties and collectibles on sale (a $50 certificate to Dave’s will be given away during the night, as well).
Giveaway items will be distributed throughout the night thanks to Husqvarna, Olum’s, Bob Hilbert Sportswear and more. Additionally, the first 50 paid fans through the gate will receive a free Thunder Mountain Speedway custom sport water bottle.
There will be live renditions of the Canadian and USA national anthems.
Mike Mahaney of King Ferry, N.Y., will display his Olum’s-sponsored No. 21 Charlie Davis-owned Modified in the midway area leading up to the start of racing. The defending I-88 (N.Y.) Speedway champion will be available to meet fans and sign autographs.
A souvenir program book, 28 pages including eight pages of color, and eye-catching apparel and decals have been produced for this event and will be sold in the grandstand and pit areas.
One of the season’s most diverse Modified fields will climb Thunder Mountain on Tuesday, led by ‘Hard Clay Open’ Orange County (N.Y.) Fair Speedway victor Andy Bachetti of Sheffield, Mass., in his debut at the three-eighths-mile oval. Bachetti is currently the Accord (N.Y.) Speedway point leader.
The top-five finishers from Orange County in April – Bachetti, runner-up and defending OCFS champion Tim Hindley (Fair Oaks, N.Y.), short-track ace Danny Tyler (Cottekill, N.Y.), Danny Johnson (Rochester, N.Y.) and Jeff Heotzler (Wallkill, N.Y.) have all set plans to attend Thunder Mountain.
Six states (NY, NJ, PA, MA, VT and DE) and the Canadian province of Ontario will be represented in the ‘Lightning on the Mountain’ Modified field, from as far south as the First State of Delaware with two-time Delaware International Speedway champion Matt Jester of Milford, Del., to the extreme north of Brockville, Ont., and rising young Modified talent Matt Billings.
The Pennsylvania small-block circuit will be represented by Duane Howard of Oley, Pa., driving the Mike Petruska No. 66 and Doug Manmiller of Shoemakersville, Pa., piloting the Breitenstein Motorsports No. 14 in their Thunder Mountain debuts.
Two PA-based cars will be on hand with New York State drivers in the seat. Tom Umbenhauer of Richland, Pa., will field his No. 19 for Capital District star Bobby Varin of Sharon Springs, N.Y. Norm Hansell’s potent No. 357, meanwhile, will be steered by Waterloo, N.Y., superstar Matt Sheppard.
Bridgeport (N.J.) Speedway two-time champion Ryan Watt, a past BD Motorsports Media LLC winner at Penn Can (Pa.) Speedway, is set for his first Thunder appearance in Ron Roberts’ No. 14W.
Dale Planck of nearby Homer, N.Y., and car owner Mike Payne return to Thunder Mountain, a track that has plenty of history for them. Payne grew up at the facility watching his grandfather, Bruce Detro, and Planck raced there early on in his career.
Stewart Friesen of Sprakers, N.Y., who has victories at all the Southern Tier facilities he has visited, will lay eyes on Thunder Mountain for the first time. Friesen is set to strap into Tadd Parks’ No. 1 small-block.
DIRTcar star Alan Johnson of Middlesex, N.Y., has secured a ride in the Jeff Brownell-owned No. 29 for Tuesday’s event. His younger brother Danny, a top-five finisher in the Thunder Mountain opener, is set to drive the Chris Gennarelli-owned No. 86 for the special.
Canandaigua (N.Y.) Motorsports Park recent Jan Corcoran Memorial winner Gary Tomkins of Clifton Springs, N.Y., will drive the Oleski Racing No. 30+ Bicknell at the Mountain.
From the southeastern New York circuit, talented driver and car builder Jerry Higbie Jr. of Newburgh, N.Y., will turn his first laps at Thunder Mountain. Likewise, Accord (N.Y.)/Orange County mainstay Tommy Meier is set to invade with Jeff Behrent’s No. 3 as is Billy Van Inwegen of Sparrowbush, N.Y., driving the Sherlock Motorsports No. TEN, teenager Tyler Dippel of Wallkill, N.Y., and last year’s OCFS small-block champ Danny Creeden of Middletown, N.Y.
Recent Fonda (N.Y.) Speedway DIRTcar Modified winner Craig Hanson of Johnstown, N.Y., a BD Motorsports Media Short Track SuperNationals victor last October, has set his intentions to compete, in addition to fellow Capital Region driver Elmo Reckner of Ballston Lake, N.Y., a top-five finisher at both Albany-Saratoga (N.Y.) and Glen Ridge (N.Y.) in recent weeks.
Former six-time Thunder Mountain Modified champion Brian ‘the Dream’ Weaver returns to Center Lisle for the special event at the controls of Ron Dieffenbach’s No. 1A Bicknell. Weaver, of Windsor, N.Y., has been competing regularly at I-88 Speedway this season.
Track regulars will look to defend the Thunder Mountain home turf, including Opening Night winner Brent Wilcox of Whitney Point, N.Y., Brett Tonkin of Carbondale, Pa., Brian Malcolm of Lake Ariel, Pa., Nick Rochinski of Dickson City, Pa., Mahaney, Anthony Perrego of Montgomery, N.Y., who will drive the Gary Mann-owned No. 55, Chad Cook of Deposit, N.Y., Paul Jensen of Edmeston, N.Y., and more.
For qualifying, drivers will draw for their starting positions upon entry to the speedway. Heat-race finishes utilizing staggered passing points will be calculated to set the redraw participants and qualified cars from 10-lap heat races. Consolations, 10 laps each, will set the remainder of the starting field via their order of finish. The heat-race finish/passing point combination will set the starting lineups for the consolations.
The passing points system, new to Modified racing but widely used in other forms of racing including Sprint Cars and the famed ‘Chili Bowl’ in Tulsa, Okla., aims to satisfy the desires of both racers and fans by easing the consequences of a poor draw for competitors and providing heat-race excitement for fans. The system made its debut at Orange County.
Following the consolation events, MjH Oilfield Consulting has sponsored a Wade Decker Memorial Last Chance Qualifier. The drivers missing a qualifying spot by one position in the consolations move on to the 5-lap Wade Decker Memorial LCQ. The winner of the dash earns a $500 feature transfer spot. The other participants will receive $100 cash each.
Complete rules, general information and pricing have been posted on the BD Motorsports Media LLC website – www.bdmotorsportsmedia.com – under “Events” and “Lightning on the Mountain” from the main menu.
The ‘Lightning on the Mountain’ is the first major midweek event at Thunder Mountain since a T3 All-Star Series event backed by John Wight in August 2008.
For further ‘Lightning on the Mountain’ information, contact Brett Deyo of BD Motorsports Media via e-mail at Deyo99H@aol.com or by phone at 845.728.2781. BD Motorsports Media is on the web at www.bdmotorsportsmedia.com. “Like” BD Motorsports Media on Facebook or “follow” @BrettDeyo on Twitter.
Thunder Mountain Speedway is located approximately 25 miles north of Binghamton at 91 Hunts Corners Road Center Lisle, NY 13797. The race day phone is 607.848.7899. To learn more, visit www.thundermtnspeedway.com, like “Thunder Mountain Speedway” on Facebook or follow @thundermtnspeed on Twitter. Fans will enjoy spacious concrete seating, a family atmosphere and a spectacular view off the backstretch as they ‘Feel the Rumble, Hear the Roar’ of Modified racing at Thunder Mountain!
Thunder Mountain Speedway ‘Lightning on the Mountain’ NDRL Short Track Super Series Fueled By VP Modified Payout (50 Laps): 1. $5,100; 2. $3,250; 3. $2,250; 4. $1,800; 5. $1,500; 6. $1,350; 7. $1,200; 8. $1,100; 9. $1,050; 10. $1,000; 11. $700; 12. $650; 13. $600; 14. $550; 15. $525; 16. $515; 17. $510; 18. $505; 19-Last: $500.
Note: Provisional starters, two highest in NDRL Short Track Super Series Fueled By VP points unable to qualify, receive $250 to start.
NDRL Short Track Super Series Fueled By VP Point Standings
*After Orange County Fair Speedway, April 6
Position
Car No.
Driver
Points
1
34
Andy Bachetti*
100
2
94
Tim Hindley
95
3
97T
Danny Tyler
90
4
86
Danny Johnson
85
5
2A
Jeff Heotzler
80
6
TEN
Billy Van Inwegen
76
7
74H
J.R. Heffner
72
8
3
Tommy Meier
68
9
1WGC
Stewart Friesen
65
10
41
Jimmy Davis
62
11
20
Brett Hearn
60
12
21M
Bob McGannon
58
13
14W
Ryan Watt
56
14
74
Matt Billings
54
15
14E
Rich Eurich
52
16
55
Anthony Perrego
50
17
79
Jeremy Markle
48
18
57
Donnie Corellis
46
19
1
Darwin Greene
45
20
16X
Danny Creeden
44
21
66
Duane Howard
43
22
244
Chris Whitehead
42
23
62
Matt Jester
41
24
21 Jr.
Gary Edwards Jr.
40
25
07
Tim Kerr
40
26
7
Mike Sabia
40
27
97
Jerry Higbie Jr.
40
28
93X
Craig Mitchell
40
29
33R
Chuck McKee
15
673
Gary Tomkins
15
6NN
Nick Nye
15
1D
Tyler Dippel
15
16
Willy Auchmoody
15
10
Tim Currier
15
71D
Frank Doty
15
24
Chris Shultz
15
17R
Rob Pitcher
15
6X
Jackie Brown Jr.
15
5
Jimmy Horton
15
3P
Bill Pascual
15
901
Eric Kormann
15
21
Clinton Mills
15
81
Ray Jashembowski
15
20R
Nick Rochinski
15
17M
Marcus Dinkins
15
777
John Siedlecky
15
17
Elmo Reckner
15
4R
Mike Ruggiero
15
14
C.G. Morey
15
33
Mike Mahaney
15
31
Darrell Ford
15
77
Bob Hamm Jr.
15
71
David Van Horn Jr.
15
21A
Peter Britten
15
20C
Craig Hanson
15
20X
Rob Rowe
15
80
Dom Roselli
15
406
Rich Ricci Jr.
15
265
Tyler McKee
15
The ‘Lightning on the Mountain’ special is presented by Olum’s, Rochinski Contracting Services, Husqvarna, Zubi’s Racing, Accord Speedway, Whirlpool Appliances, Manmiller Electric, Trackside Products, MjH Oilfield, VP Racing Fuels and many other fine marketing partners
The National Dirt Racing League (NDRL) Short Track Super Series is presented by VP Racing Fuels, Pioneer Pole Buildings Inc., East Coast Speed/ECS Auto, Rochinski Contracting Services, Allstar Performance, American Racer/Lias Tire, Art’s Radiator, ATL Fuel Cells, Behrent’s Performance Warehouse, BFP Specialty, Bicknell Racing Products, Bob Hilbert Sportswear, COMP Performance Group, Dirt Track Digest, DMI/Bulldog Rear Ends, DRACO Springs, Driven Racing Oil, ERK Steering, Finish Line Web Design, FOX Shox, H.B. Steele & Son, Henry’s Stainless Steel Exhaust, Hig Fab Chassis, Hoosier Racing Tire, Jack’s Used Race Car Parts & More, Kirkey Racing Products, PM3 Digital Imaging, Quarter Master, Race Pro Weekly, Schaeffer Racing Oil, Shiley Fabrication, Sleepy Hollow Golf, Teo-Pro Car, Troyer Race Cars & Vahlco Wheels.
Sources: BD Motorsports Media