6/22/2014
Airborne Park Speedway
Airborne Renegade 100 Goes to Gordon
SOUTH PLATTSBURGH – Robert Gordon, the Airborne Park Speedway all-time Key RD Trailer Sales Renegade win leader (16) led laps 33-71 and 73-100 to earn his first 2014 win in the WOKO FM 98.9 100 Saturday.
Gordon started 8th in a 24-car field and put the H2O Water Drilling/Premier Paving No. H2O on the point with a lap-32 restart pass of early leader Zack Daniels. Runner-up Shawn Duquette got a wheel ahead of Gordon on the outside at the line to complete lap 72 and dogged him the rest of the way without any more success.
Jamy Begor finished third three car-lengths back after 30 laps of side-by-side racing with fourth-place Ryan Boutin. Renegade point leader and defending champion Lance Rabtoy was fifth. Positions 6-10 went to Jon Boutin, Brad Bushey, Daniels, Josh Terry and Rich Lowrey III.
A competition yellow was thrown on lap 51 to allow for fuel and minor adjustments. “Once we got to halfway, I wanted to be sure and stay in the lead because I knew the fast guys were coming,” Gordon said. “The car ran good on the outside and the bottom, but I was trying to keep Duquette out there. You never know how these cars are going to hold up for a 100 laps. I was checking the mirror a lot.”
The J&S Steel Sportsman Modifieds ran two 30-lap features. The first, which counted in the track championship standings and was lined up by handicap, saw Jason Durgan chase down Codie Aubin for the win. Aubin drew out to a full straightaway lead at the halfway mark, but Durgan’s Maple Grand Farms/ Clear Shot Satellite No. 17 was within two car-lengths with eight laps left. He made the winning pass with two to go.
Aubin held off Mark Lamberton for second. Travis Bruno and Jamie LaFountain completed the top five.
“The lapped traffic really helped me,” Durgan said. “They never gave either one of us much of a lane. I tried not to overdrive it into entry even though Codie was quite a ways ahead of me.”
The second race – a 30-lap 358-Modified/Sportsman Challenge set by draw was dominated by pole sitter Nick Heywood. Jamie LaFountain was stout as the runner-up. Jessey Mueller pulled off a daring move splitting two lapped cars to get by Mark Lamberton and Durgan and earn a podium finish in third. Durgan and Lamberton settled for 4-5 ahead of Jayson Criss, Aubin and Chris Frennier.
Scott Richner won the Busch Mini Modified feature in the Beaulac Excavating No. 81, besting Steven Bresette whose right front tire deflated in victory lane.
Submitted By: JOHN WALKER