Partly cloudy skies. Low around 45F. Winds light and variable..

Partly cloudy skies. Low around 45F. Winds light and variable.

Two joyous endings played out before the fans at the Land of Legends Raceway Saturday night.

In the feature program, defending Modified track champion Justin Haers earned his first win of 2022. Similarly, Ethan Gray put his 305 sprinter in victory lane, delivering a thrilling pass en route to his first career feature win.

The stories diverge further before their shared victory lane ending.

Haers had been chasing a victory this season, but on a grander scale, was chasing a dream of a modified title at Land of Legends Raceway for several seasons. After 14 years at the wheel of a modified, he finally put the season together in 2021. He made up 11 points to take the championship, a defining moment that came after he posted his first win in the modified class at Land of Legends Raceway, dating back to 2017. Up to that point, Haers had won 16 times in the class, so the win was a welcome break to the dry spell. Fast forward to 2022, and expectations were high.

“Of course — as a team, as sponsors, they want to repeat as a track champion. I would like to, too,” said Haers, saying his eyes stay off point sheets early in the going. “Win as many as you can early in the season and no DNFs is important.”

Haers, 42, is on a streak of seven straight finishes of fourth or better, four consecutive top threes and nine top fives overall this year in 10 starts. There’s not been a finish outside the top 10. The modified feature was cut to 30 laps this season, otherwise, that win count could potentially be higher.

Much of that can be attributed to offseason study, and the right combination of talent, equipment and preparation brought Haers back to the car with optimism in 2021. That same diligence has anchored the effort this season.

“In 2020, we had one of our worst years. We couldn’t find consistency, no balance in the car, and sporadically being able to race because of COVID, I was at a turning point,” admitted Haers, who credits patience at home from Melanie, Emma and Johnathan as part of the turn-around. “I wasn’t having as much fun racing. Not being consistent, not running well. That winter into 2021, I did a lot of learning, a lot of homework to get better. I wasn’t worried so much about the ability, it was knowing what I needed to do to make these cars work.”

The Phelps Cement Products-Jeff Jolly Masonry-FLX Home Solutions-Honeoye Auto Parts-CX Electric-Start Imaging Birds No. 3 Bicknell is powered by a Finger Lakes Machine powerplant, and an extensive crew that have a very focused approach to the car.

“In the last four years, it’s changed dramatically. If you brought a car from 2017 with that technology and that suspension — I’m guessing — I don’t think you would have a shot to win on the northeast track,” said Haers, noting the pronounced technological evolutions in modified racing over the last half-decade has amplified the need for focused help. “The biggest thing is everyone knowing what their job is. Everyone on our team is a volunteer. But, having everybody knowing who is in charge of fuel, in charge of this, in charge of that ... makes the night go by a lot smoother.”

Haers started 12th and was into the top 10 quickly. He had Erick Rudolph ahead in the lineup and was able to get the No. 25 behind him before moving from seventh to fourth while riding the outside line. There was a quick caution period as Derrick Podsiadlo stopped on the backstretch while holding onto a podium position.

“I had a game plan. Stout competition there, every week it is someone else. Rudolph was going to be tough to beat. When we had that yellow and I was in third, it was my race to lose,” said Haers. “I just kind of knew I needed to get the lead, get through lapped traffic and then hold him off… I wasn’t going to be very patient in lapped traffic. It cost me the race last Thursday. I was trying to dispose of them as fast as I can.”

Thursday was Max McLaughlin’s win in the Super DIRTcar series event at Land of Legends, where Haers led 72 of 76 laps but cautiously navigating slower cars opened the door for McLaughlin to steal the win. Saturday, when Rudolph was on Haers’ bumper near the halfway mark, Haers continued to push the pace and cruised to the win in a 14-minute feature. Rudolph was second ahead of Gil Tegg Jr., Zach Payne and Pat Ward.

Conversely, three-year 305 talent Gray, of Manchester, wrecked his primary car at Fonda Speedway earlier this year and fell back on this piece to run at Utica-Rome Speedway. There, the car suffered several bent front end components. Just to drive it Saturday, the torsion bars had to be bent back into shape.

Knowing the car had dents in the armor, Gray and the team tried some adjustments and dialed the car to be tight in the feature as the track slicked over. As the clay developed a tell-tale sheen, Gray started to move to the front. He found his way to fourth after starting eighth, chasing leader Dan Craun. Lapped traffic started to bottle up the leader.

“I was probably a full straightaway back, if not more,” Gray recalled, noting there were only four or five laps left at the time. “The car came in at the right time.”

Lapped traffic slowed him down a little bit more.

“Everyone in front of me was scrambling, sliding all over. We knew it was going to go slick like that.”

With a lap to go, Gray devoured the rest of the gap, and delivered a picture-perfect slide job to draw even and then pass Craun en route to his first career win. He was leading for only the final football field of the 20-lap grind. Craun was second with Trevor Years, Bobby Parrow and Darryl Ruggles filling the top five.

“I saw Dan after the race in the pits, he was good,” said Gray. “It was either going to be a good move or a bad move. That’s what a slide job is.”

Matt Guererri led the final 15 laps to record his second win of the year in the Sportsman ranks, holding a solid edge over Tim Lafler, Nick Cooker, Dalton Martin and Justin Henderson. Josh Pangrazio took the Street Stock win over Adam Depuy, Mike Welch, Carl Johnson and Jimmy Grant. Frank Burnell won the Hobby Stock main with Marc Minutolo, Nate Peckham, Wayne Ellison and Tyler Burnell chasing. Justin Liechti topped Ken Welty and Colby Adamczak in the New Legends Sportsman main.

Danny Johnson posted his 600th career win at Outlaw Speedway Friday, and was honored with a spot on the Land of Legends Wall of Fame ahead of Saturday’s racing card at the Ontario County Fairgrounds.

Johnson’s career has spanned six decades, winning at a total of 55 different tracks. His first modified win was July 14, 1979. Since then, he has posted 35-win seasons in 1989 and 2000, and has driven for more than three dozen owners. Johnson’s resume includes four Mr. DIRT Big-Block Modified Championships and two Super DIRT Series titles. His 89 wins are second all-time. He has also secured four overall Small Block Series championships and the touring championship while amassing a career-best 56 victories. He has won twice at Super DIRT Week, in both big block and small block form, and garnered driver of the year honors among DIRT talent five times (1988, ‘89, ‘92, ‘97, 2000). Johnson won the Florida Tour four times and amassed more than 20 point titles at New York-based ovals. At Land of Legends, Johnson has 81 wins in 22 seasons, ranking fifth all-time. He has four track titles, scoring championships in 1987, ‘89, ‘91 and 2000.

Touring SeriesThe Empire Super Sprints visited the Orange County Fair Speedway, and Jordan Poirier won the feature. It was the first time the ESS tour visited the track for an individually sanctioned event. Kyle Smith was second, followed by Brian Krummel. Dylan Sweirnik dared the outside of the new clay surface and went on to win the dash event. The series will visit Freedom Raceway Friday in Delevan, NY.

The Super DIRTcar Series will race next today at Big Diamond in Pottsville, Pa. The 75-lap main will pay $7,500 to win and stands as the first Super DIRTcar Series event there in more than a decade. Duane Howard won the last SDS feature there, registering a win in 2009, with Brett Hearn (2004) and Alan Johnson (2003) posting wins there in prior stops as well.

SaturdayAt Fulton Speedway, Ronald Davis III posted a win in the 35-lap Modified feature. David Marcuccilli was chasing at the line while Larry Wight, Tim Sears Jr. and Marshall Hurd followed to the checkers. Wade Chrisman won the first of two 25-lap DIRTcar Sportsman features; Kyle Devendorf was second ahead of Chris Mackey. Remington Hamm won the latter, storming from ninth to win ahead of Ryan Dolbear and AJ Miller. John Pietrowicz took the hobby stock checkers over Brennan Fitzgibbons and Casey Cunningham. Matthew Backus won the Novice Sportsman feature and Mike Mullen took the ModLite checkers.

Oswego Speedway hosted their second installment of the Winged Super Challenge. The 50-lap main fell in favor of Mike Ordway Jr.; it was his first winged super win. Trent Stephens was next, followed by Michael Barnes, Otto Sitterly and Kyle Edwards. Chase Locke, the 16-year-old 350 supers star, slipped past leader Dalton Doyle on a mid-race restart to take his second win of 2022. Doyle was second ahead of Brian Sobus, Mike Bruce and Logan Crisafulli.

At Thunder Mountain, Darren Smith took the 35-lap Modified feature over Garrett Rushlow and Rusty Smith. Lance Willix won the 358-modified 25-lap feature, topping Connor Sellars and Rusty Smith. Cody Jackson pocketed the DIRTcar Sportsman feature, besting Allan Fink and Hunter Lapp in the 25-lap main. Tom Donahue (600cc modifieds), Chase Scutt (600cc non-race winners), Jerry Lobdell (Street Stock), Jason Rhodes (Factory Stock), Ray Leonard (Crate vs. Open Sportsman) took class wins.

Genesee Speedway was scheduled to be off.

FridayAt Brewerton, Tim Sears Jr. was at it again. This time, he served the winning pass in the 35-lap feature with four to go, getting past Tom Sears Jr. for his third win of the year. He stormed from 13th to win the main, while Tom Sears Jr. settled for second, ahead of Larry Wight, Chad Phelps and Jimmy Phelps. Jeff Prentice was the top finishing 358-modified. In Sportsman action, Ryan Dolbear won the 25-lap main over Brandon Carvey and Alan Fink. Zach Sobotka and Stephen Marshall rounded out the front five. Matt Kitts was the ModLite winner over Clayton Brewer and Joseph Garafolo; Chris Bonoffski won the four-cylinder feature and Jack Miller collected the checkers in the Dirt Modified Nostalgia Tour 20-lap feature.

At Can-Am Raceway, Jordan McCreadie rallied from fourth to win the DIRTcar 358-modified 25-lapper. Ryan Bartlett was next, followed by Billy Dunn, Tim Fuller and Jeff Skyes. Brian Hudson won the Sportsman main from the pole, holding off outside front row starter Jessica Power. David Rogers moved to third in the 20-lap main. Logan Cirsafulli won the crate sprint feature, and Paul DeRuyter won the limited sportsman feature. Tony Fezzo took the checkers in the Thundercar main.

Friday at Outlaw Speedway, Danny Johnson posted a popular Modified win. The victory stands as Johnson’s 600th career victory. It was his second of the year at Outlaw; Ron Cartwight Jr. and Phil Vigneri III were next, followed by Derrick Podsiadlo and Steve Paine. Brett Buono won the Hoosier Tire Sportsman feature over Ethan Decker and Bryan Rhoads. AJ Lloyd and Brent Ayers were next. Jimmy Grant delivered his second winning effort of the year in the Street Stock 20-lapper; Kenny Peoples Jr. was second ahead of CJ Guererri and Chris Woodard. Nick Dandino ran fifth. Kenny Hunt won the 20-lap Hobby Stock main over Marc Minutolo and Willy Easling. James Randall won his fifth 600cc modified feature. Due to curfew limits, the American Racer Sportsman and Four-Cylinder features will be contested this Friday.

At Utica-Rome Speedway, Justin Wright and Matt Sheppard split 20-lap Modified features. The Twin 20 mains offered Wright a chance at the win in the opener, besting Ronnie Johnson, JaMike Sowle, Erick Rudolph and Matt Sheppard. Sheppard won the latter, leading Rudolph at the line with Johnson, Rocky Warner and Darren Smith in tow. Matt Janczuk won his third 25-lap Sportsman feature in a row; Allan Hodge and Ed Lukas earned podium showings while Addison Bowman and Payton Talbot posted top fives. Jay Corbin won the 20-lap Pro Stock feature ahead of Jason Morrison and Beau Ballard. Seth Martin won the Limited Sportsman feature. Corey Valade (DOHC) and Justin Pope (SOHC) took divisional four-cylinder checkers. Nathaniel Boesse took the All-Star Slingshot main and Trevor Houghton celebrated with the Junior Slingshot laurels.

Clarification: Last week, the Times was supplied car owner information about a rediscovered race car from Maple Grove Raceway/Waterloo Speedway’s past. To clarify, Skip Meade was the co-owner, not sole owner, of the No. 1 driven by John Gunkler. Meade owned the team with his father, Clint.

Chris Marquart’s “Motorsports” appears every Tuesday during racing season. Contact Chris at (315) 729-3999 or at smashedempirefilms@gmail.com.

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