Story By: MICHAEL BENJAMIN / NY PENN IMCA MODIFIED SERIES – MILL HALL, PA – The Close Racing Supply NY/PENN IMCA Modified Series presented by M.R. Graphix had a busy weekend this past weekend. Friday night the series made its way south to the 1/3 mile clay dirt track of Clinton County Speedway. 20 cars would sign in for the nights even with former NASCAR stars Kenny Schrader and David Stremme showing up to join the series.
There would be 3 heat races sponsored by Midosa to kick off their night. The first heat would see both Stremme and Schrader taking the track with series regulars Jake Maynard, Jacob McConnell, Tyler Belcher, Bobby Maynard, and new comer George Dixon. Stremme would jump out to the lead as the green flag would drop and not look back leading all 8 laps of the first heat race. Heat race number two would see series points leader Eddie Sites starting deep in the field with second and third place points holders Rodney Morgan and Tyler Stoddard starting on the front row. Morgan would take control of the second heat and go on to capture the checkered flag. The third and final heat would hit the Speedway with veteran driver Gary Roberts bring the field to the green with Rich Michael Jr to his outside. Michael would jump out to the lead until a caution would fly for the 5 machine of Aaron Benjamin coming to rest on the front stretch. The field would rebunch together and Michael would again jump to the lead and take the checkers.
Feature time would see Northeast Region IMCA Director Jake Maynard pulling the number one chip to start on the pole with Rodney Morgan to his outside. Both David Stremme and Kenny Schrader started about mid pack in the 20 car field. When the flagger threw the green flag Morgan would jump out to the early lead and be there for the first 7 laps until debris would bring out the first caution of the night. Stremme made his way up to second and would join Rodney on the front row for the restart. Stremme would take the lead on the drop of the green flag and would go to the lead for the next 9 laps until another yellow comes out on lap 17 for JW Lamphere as he spins out his 711 machine. When racing would resume Stremme and Morgan would continue to battle for the lead position until Aaron Benjamin brings out the final yellow of the night. Stremme would pull away on the final restart to bring home the checkers. Followed by Rodney Morgan, Brad Sites, Rich Michael Jr, Eddie Sites, and Jake Maynard rounding out the top 5.
The Close Racing Supply NY/PENN IMCA Modified Series presented by M.R. Graphix would then travel 3 hours and 169 miles north and to the east to Penn Can Speedway for their annual Sean Lais Memorial race, night two of their weekend and night 2 for Penn Can’s King of The Can race. 17 cars would sign in for this nights events. NY/PENN would find themselves fourth in the running order for the nights festivities. The series would only have 2 heats plus a four lap Dash for Cash sponsored by Doug’s Speedshops.
Midosa Heat number 1 would see Gary Roberts in his U23 machine and series point leader Eddie Sites in his 15 machine bringing the field to the green. Rich Michael Jr would come from his outside the second row position to grab the lead and score the first heat win followed by Bobby Maynard. Both Michael Jr and B. Maynard would qualify for the Dash for Cash race. Midosa heat 2 would see JT Roe and Tyler Stoddard show the way as the flagger would throw the green flag. Stoddard would jump out to the lead and be challenged by Tyler Belcher early. Belcher would get crossed up coming through turns 3 and 4 costing him the runner up spot and allowing Jake Maynard to get by. Stoddard and J. Maynard would go on to finish one, two and get themselves into the Dash for Cash.
Dash for Cash sponsored by Doug Speed Shop would be a 4 lap shootout between Tyler Stoddard, Bobby Maynard, Jake Maynard, and Rich Michael Jr. Stoddard would jump out to the lead while both Maynard’s and Michael Jr duked it out for second. Stoddard would hold on to win the Dash followed by J. Maynard, B. Maynard, and Michael Jr.
The Sean Lais Memorial feature would see 16 out of the 17 cars registered take the track. Series point leader Eddie Sites’ car would have mechanical failure and we would see Series Promoter and IMCA Northeast Director withdraw from the feature and give his seat and car to fellow driver E. Sites to start at the back of the field. Tyler Stoddard and Bobby Maynard would pace the field to the green. Rich Michael Jr would come through the field from his 5th starting position to take the lead. Rodney Morgan would find himself working his way up into the runner up spot from the sixth position. The caution would fly for the 7B machine of Tyler Belcher as he came to a stop at the top of turn 3. That would bunch up the field and put Morgan to the outside of Michael Jr on the restart. The two would over come all other cautions to put on a spectacular show for the fans as they battled for the top spot. Morgan would finally get passed Michael Jr for the lead after a lap 10 caution and he would never look back. He would be challenged by Michael Jr for the lead but would hold him off for the next 14 laps and 5 more caution flags to find himself taking home the $1,637 top prize. Rich Michael Jr would bring home second, with a quiet Kenny Schrader finding himself 3rd, Eddie Sites, and Tyler Stoddard rounding out the top 5. Eddie Sites would score the Force Flow Pressure Services Hard Charger for the second night in a row after starting scratch at the back of the field in the Jake Maynard machine.
The next race and finale for the Close Racing Supply NY/PENN IMCA Modified
Series presented by M.R. Graphix will be on October 14th as they hit the famed 1/4 mile clay dirt track of Five Mile Point Speedway in Kirkwood, NY.
Clinton County Speedway (9/15/23)
FEATURE (25 LAPS)-DAVID STREMME, Rodney Morgan, Brad Sites, Rich Michael Jr, Eddie Sites, Jake Maynard, Tyler Stoddard, Tyler Belcher, Keith Jack Lamphere, Jakub Ingham, Jacob McConnell, Gary Roberts, Bobby Maynard, Shawn Bruce, Aaron Benjamin, AJ Hunsinger, Ken Schrader, JW Lamphere, George Dixon, Lance Conley (DNS).
Midosa Heat Winners
1- David Stremme, 2- Rodney Morgan,
3- Rich Michael Jr
Force Flow Pressure Services Hard Charger
Eddie Sites
Sean Lais Memorial
Penn Can Results (9/16/23):
RODNEY MORGAN, Rich Michael JR, Ken Schrader, Eddie Sites, Tyler Stoddard, David Stalker, AJ Hunsinger, Bobby Maynard, JT Roe, Aaron Jacobs, Brad Sites (DNF), Shawn Bruce (DNF), Lance Conley (DNF), Jacob McConnell (DNF), Gary Roberts (DNF), Tyler Belcher (DNF), Jake Maynard (DNS)
Midosa Heat Winners:
1- Rich Michael Jr, 2- Tyler Stoddard
Dash For Cash Winner:
Tyler Stoddard
Force Flow Pressure Service Hard Charger:
Eddie Sites