Story By: FIVE MILE POINT SPEEDWAY – KIRKWOOD, NY – The “third time was the charm” as the Mike Colsten Remembered 51 was completed on Sunday at Five Mile Point Speedway after two previous tries.
Danny Creeden rode a 2023 hot streak at the speedway to capture the win worth over $5,400 and in the process claimed the Sunday Summer Series Championship for Modifieds. Nick Rochinski won the earlier evening Modified 30 lap feature worth $2,000 for the victory.
Creeden was the runner-up in that feature. Tommy Groover won the Factory Stock feature and locked up the Sunday Series title in the process. Kenny Underwood secured the Four Cylinder Summer Series title. Mike Nagel, Jr. won his second straight Sportsman race with his win in the Southern Tier Showdown worth a $1,000.
The Mike Colsten Remembered 51 for Modifieds saw the starting field set back on July 17th prior to rain moving into the area and washing the program out. On Sunday the 51 lap Modified event was the night cap feature after a prior 30 lap Modified main event that was set up with new qualifying heat races.
The Mike Colsten Remembered found Bailey Boyd and Brian Malcolm on the front row for the 51 lap main event. At the drop of the green flag Malcolm vaulted into the race lead. Row two starters Josh Keesey and Nick Rochinski wasted no time making their move on Boyd as well. By lap 2 Rochinski had powered around Boyd, Keesey and Malcolm to take the race lead. Dan Creeden made his way up to fourth place as Boyd settled into fifth. The first of two cautions flew on lap 9 with Rochinski, Malcolm leading the way and Creeden now up to third. On the restart Rochinski maintained the lead but Malcolm and Creeden made a three-wide bid to take over the point. The running order of the top three remained intact until lap 12 when Malcolm slowed exiting turn 2. The second and final caution of the race reset the field and Malcolm was able to refire his car and restart at the back of the pack.
When the green flew again Rochinski continued to show the way. Creeden applied tremendous pressure for the first several laps after the restart and then appeared to wait for his time to challenge later. On lap 20 Rochinski had opened up his race lead as Creeden continued to ride in second place. Kessey was having a great drive in third with Jimmy Zacharias and Allison Ricci in the top five. The top five remained unchanged as the race hit the halfway mark. Rochinski picked up a bonus $251 halfway leader bonus from Dale and Sue Smith. At this point Creeden now began to close the gap between himself and race leader Rochinski. The duo began to enter lapped traffic by lap 30 and now the race for the lead became a side by side battle. On lap 33 Creeden took over the point but could not shake Rochinski as he remained within striking distance. Keesey had opened up his own gap in third over the rest of the field but Zacharias was now beginning to lessen that margin.
Lapped traffic became extremely heavy over the final five laps but Creeden was up to the task as Rochinski stayed close but never got an opportunity to make another bid for the race lead. Creeden went on for the victory and big payday and in the process secured the 2023 Sunday Summer Series title. Rochinski, followed up his feature win earlier in the evening with the runner-up finish. Keesey had his best career run to finish third with Zacharias and Ricci completing the top five. Will Shields, Seth Zacharias, Joey Colsten, Boyd and Ken Titus completed the top ten. The final 39 laps of the feature were caution free.
The earlier evening Modified 30 lap feature event saw a similar picture as the 51 lap event as Rochinski set a the tone. Shields and Rochinski started in the front row for the 30 lap main and Rochinski immediately jumped out front at the drop of the green. Rochinski would lead every lap of the 30 lap event to claim the victory worth $2,000. Shields ran in second for the first half of the race but fourth place starter Jimmy Zacharias took over the second slot shortly after. A lap 16 caution bunched up the field and would serve as the final yellow of the event in another clean Modified main. Rochinski drove to the victory with Zacharias finishing in second. Shields wound up third with Brett Tonkin driving from eleventh to fourth at the finish. Creeden finished fifth. Scott Ferrier, Brian Malcolm, P.J. Goodwin, Seth Zacharias and Joey Colsten completed the top ten.
The Sunday Series Championship was also decided in the Factory Stock 25 lap main event on Sunday. Adam Gilbert entered the evening with a seven point lead over Tommy Groover despite not having a feature win during the season. Gilbert had been consistent all year long putting him out front entering the season finale. Chris Woodard and Jason Beebe started on the front row for the 25 lap feature event. At the drop of the green Beebe took the lead with Justin Slezak charging to the second slot. Beebe held the point until lap 13 as Gilbert took over the race lead after starting in fifth. The battle up front was often three-wide among the leaders as Groover pulled into second place on lap 15 after starting seventh. Groover needed to finish ahead of Gilbert to win the title. On lap 16 Groover took over the race lead and on lap 17 the caution flew for third place runner Beebe who had a flat tire. For several laps prior, Gilbert began to show handling problems with his car and on lap 18 the reason became apparent. Gilbert slowed with a broken ball joint on the front end thus ending his championship hopes. Groover went on to hold off Slezak over the final seven laps to capture the win and the title. Slezak finished second with Woodard, Mahlon Shoemaker and Billy Shoemaker completing the top five.
A pair of Four Cylinder Open races decided the Sunday Summer Series Championship. The first was held-over from the July 17th rained out event and the two features saw a format of rear wheel drive cars versus front wheel drive cars. Colin Mills won the first of the two 20 lap features with his front wheel drive car and Tony Dickerson used his rear wheel drive car to win the second 20 lap feature event. Kenny Underwood did all he needed to do in both features to second the 2023 Sunday Summer Series Championship.
The Crate Sportsman were a late addition to the program on Sunday with a $1,000 to win Southern Tier Showdown 25 lap feature set up. Nineteen Sportsman teams were on hand for the event that saw Mike Nagel, Jr. claiming the top honors. Nagel took the lead on lap 2 from Ray Leonard and led the duration. Leonard did make several bids for the lead throughout but was never able to mount a serious challenge on Nagel. The final 18 laps went caution free as Nagel was able to navigate lapped traffic to hold off Leonard for the win. Leonard finished second with Travis Green, Tighe Sherlock and Garrett Zacharias rounding out the top five finishers.
GARY’S U-PULL IT MIKE COLSTEN REMEMBERED 51 MODIFIED OFFICIAL FEATURE FINISH: DAN CREEDEN ($5,151.00), Nick Rochinski, Josh Kessey, Jimmy Zacharias, Allison Ricci, Will Shields, Seth Zacharias, Joey Colsten, Bailey Boyd, Ken Titus, P.J. Goodwin, Joe Krum, Brian Malcolm, Scott Ferrier, Brett Tonkin, Brad Weaver, Daniel Morgiewicz, Alan Komar. DNS Justin Holland, Chris Ostrowsky, A Jay Potrzebowski, Adam Pierson, Jake Dgien, Jerry Higbie Jr., Cory Cormier, Richard Smith, Tyler Siri, Billy Pauch Jr. 2023 SUMMER SERIES CHAMPION: DAN CREEDEN. DALE AND SUE SMITH HALFWAY LEADER AWARD ($251): NICK ROCHINSKI.
MODIFIED REGULARLY SCHEDULED 30 LAP OFFICIAL FEATURE FINISH: NICK ROCHINSKI ($2,000), Jimmy Zacharias, Will Shields, Brett Tonkin, Dan Creeden, Scott Ferrier, Brian Malcolm, P.J. Goodwin, Seth Zacharias, Joey Colsten, Joe Krum, David Crossman, Todd Titus, Dane Herlund, Alan Komar, Art Bray, Allison Ricci, Dave Rosa, Daniel Morgiewicz, Kenny Titus, Bailey Boyd, Josh Keesey. DNS – Justin Holland. DALE AND SUE SMITH HARD CHARGER: DANE HERLUND.
FACTORY STOCK OFFICIAL FEATURE FINISH (25 LAPS): TOMMY GROOVER, Justin Slezak, Chris Woodard, Mahlon Shoemaker, Billy Shoemaker, Michele Romanik, Jason Beebe, Rich Sharpsteen, Jim Sykes, Kevin McDonald, Adam Gilbert, Charlie Towner, Kyle Spoor, Jerry Fassett, Blake Furman. 2023 SUMMER SERIES CHAMPION: TOMMY GROOVER.
FOUR CYLINDER OPEN HELD OVER OFFICIAL FEATURE FINISH (20 LAPS): COLIN MILLS, Dave Whiteside, Brian Salmini, Chris Yob, Kenny Underwood, Dakota Fuller, Craig DeCamp, John Maynard, Tim Vandermark, Dave Simms, Tanner Milliron, Scott Beach, Mike Dickerson. DNS – Brian Beach, Andy Bolles, Ray Hyer, Tony Dickerson, Brian Grant. 2023 SUMMER SERIES CHAMPION: KENNY UNDERWOOD. TOP FINISHING REAR WHEEL DRIVE CAR: CRAIG DECAMP.
FOUR CYLINDER OPEN REGULARLY SCHEDULED OFFICIAL FEATURE FINISH: TONY DICKERSON, Colin Mills, Brian Salmini, Shawn Mills, Craig DeCamp, Don Whiteside, Dakota Fuller, John Maynard, Rob Slezak, Chris Yob, Colby Lockwood, Maggie Guyle, Mike Ferris, Tanner Milliron, Scott Beach, Kenny Underwood, Dave Simms, Mike Jenks, Nate Powers. DNS Tim Vandermark.
SPORTSMAN SOUTHERN TIER SHOWDOWN OFFICIAL FEATURE FINISH (25): MIKE NAGEL JR ($1,000), Ray Leonard, Travis Green, Tighe Sherlock, Garrett Zacharias, Brad Weaver, Dale Welty, Dave Leyshon, Brett Wooster, Chris Clemens, Marty Goodwin, Roger Hummer, Ned Fitch, Buck Brown, Tom Davey, Paul Conklin, Josh Fedo, Joe Buchanan. DNS – Alex Konopka.