Rich Vleck,
BATAVIA, NY (July 26, 2008) - Twenty-one years after his first trip
to Genesee Speedway, and nine years since his last sprint win, Gordy
Button did not “Panic”, as he stayed smooth and steady through a
grueling 25-lap feature for his first win this millennia.
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Button, of
Kirkville, NY, scored only his second win in the last twenty years,
taking the lead back from Bryan Howland on a lap 23 restart and hold
off fierce advances by Chuck Hebing and Scott Kreutter to win in
just his second ASCS Patriot start in the last four years.
The sprint car
veteran started on the pole by virtue of the driver handicap redraw
and used it to his advantage, leading the pack through traffic in
the early stages. On lap 15, Bryan Howland moved underneath Button
and began to put distance on the No. 714. Once again, Gordy did not
hit the “Panic Button” and got fortunate with six laps remaining.
Howland’s
two-second lead disinigrated on lap 19, when the left rear shock
dismounted on his No. 51, drastically upsetting the car. The point
leader looked like he might be able to hold on to the lead to the
end, but the races first caution on lap 22 would drastically alter
that. | | | |
Gordy Button pressed the ASCS Patriots for his first career series feature win in Saturday night's Bill Alhart Memorial at Genesee Speedway in Batavia, NY.
ASCS Patriots Photo |
When the green
flag came back out, Button swung around the youngster, who was less
than a year old the last time he Button was at Genesee, bringing
Scott Kreutter with him.
“Bryan was really
strong, I’m not sure we would have caught him without his problems,”
noted a jubilated Button in Victory Lane. “I could see his frame
dragging on the track so I knew I had to get him on the restart.”
With the white
flag out, Button was hitting his final marks before his first
Patriot win when Bubba Broderick spun out of sixth place. The
result would be a one-lap thriller.
With the green
and white flags waving simultaneously, Chuck Hebing, who was in
fifth for much of the event, pulled alongside Scott Kreutter on the
top of turn two and made it a three car battle in the final set of
corners. As Button drifted up high though, it was Kreutter who
attempted the bonsai move, narrowly avoiding contact. It was just
enough space to give Button a clear lane back to the checkered
flags.
“I kept seeing
that yellow wing peak underneath me, and I couldn’t figure out who
he was, but he was strong,” said Button in Victory Lane,
recollecting not only the final lap, but a half-dozen laps in the
second-half of the race while battling for second. “He sure made it
interesting in the final corner.”
Despite being one
of the “Original Patriots”, this was the first win under ASCS
Patriot sanctioning for Button, who claimed the 1st
Annual Bill Alhart Memorial, remembering Track Promoter Mike
Lauterborn’s former Crew Chief and Race Director.
Kreutter’s
last-ditch effort at his first career win would send his No. 52 up
the track, allowing Chuck Hebing to slide by and take away the
runner-up spot at the line. Both of those drivers were runner-up
finishers in their respective National Parts Peddler Heat races, but
able to rebound when it counted.
Kyle Moffit would
pick up the KSE Hard Charger on his way to a fourth place showing.
Moffit was also the winner of the Four Laps of Fame Scramble Dash.
Howland’s broken
shock would see him fade back to round out the top-five. Had the
late cautions not waved, the Auburn, NY resident might have held on
for his third straight win.
Jared Zimbardi
won his heat and ran up to sixth, with Chris Muhleisen, Brad Knab,
Ray Preston and Mike Stelter rounding out the top-10.
Twenty-one cars
were on hand on what early on was an ominous summer night. A
terrific race surface was presented to the competitors, with the
quickest time of the night laid down by Jared Zimbardi at 15.02
seconds, more than three seconds faster than the quickest lap
recorded last year when time trials were held.
ASCS Patriots
Results: 7/26/08, Genesee Speedway, Batavia, NY.
A-Main (25
Laps)- 1. Gordy Button (714), 2. Chuck Hebing (45), 3. Scott
Kreutter (52), 4. Kyle Moffit (7), 5. Bryan Howland (51), 6.
Jared Zimbardi (35), 7. Chris Muhleisen (10M), 8. Brad Knab
(38), 9. Ray Preston (22), 10. Mike Stelter (36), 11. Howard
Singer (26), 12. Bubba Broderick (5), 13. Jeremy Barnard (86),
14. Gary Troutman (44), 15. Don Adamczyk (21), 16. Dave Dykstra
(5d), 17. Derek Jonathan (81), 18. Brandon Warner (14), 19. Tim
Zack (9jr), 20. Mark Schulz (18),
DNS: Doug Bowman (57x).
Lap Leaders-
Button 1-14, Howland 15-22, Button 23-25.
Four Laps of
Fame Dash (4 Laps)- 1. Kyle Moffit (7), 2. Chris Muhleisen
(10M), 3. Derek Jonathan (81), 4. Ray Preston (22), 5. Gary
Troutman (44), 6. Howard Singer (26).
National
Parts Peddler Heats (8 Laps Each)-
Race 1: 1. Jared Zimbardi (35), 2. Chuck
Hebing (45), 3. Jeremy Barnard (86), 4. Chris Muhleisen (10M),
5. Gary Troutman (44), 6. Don Adamczyk (21), 7. Dave Dykstra
(5d).
Race 2: 1.
Bryan Howland (51), 2. Bubba Broderick (5), 3. Brad Knab (38),
4. Howard Singer (26), 5. Mike Stelter (36), 6. Mark Schulz
(18), 7. Brandon Warner (14).
Race 3: 1.
Gordy Button (714), 2. Scott Kreutter (52), 3. Derek Jonathan
(81), 4. Kyle Moffit (7), 5. Ray Preston (22), 6. Tim Zack
(9jr).
Contingency
Awards-
Shuttleworth
Asphalt Sealing Sealing the Deal Award- Button
Saldana
Racing Products Half Way Leader- Button
KSE Racing
Products Hard Charger of the Night- Moffit
Engler
Machine and Tool Pole Award- Button
Keizer
Aluminum Wheels Passing Points Award- Zimbardi
Kinser Air
Filters Hard Luck Award- Howland
ISC Racer’s
Tape Keeping Things Rolling Award- Troutman, Kreutter,
Stelter
DMI Rear
End Award- Bowman
VMAC Fast
Lap Award- Zimbardi (15.02 seconds)
Randy’s
Racing Filters Filter
Through the Pack Award-
Dykstra
The Brake Man
Tough Brake Award- Broderick
M&W Aluminum
Products Top-5 Award- Hebing
Ultra-Shield
Race Products Top-10 Award- Knab
Rod End
Supply 20th Anniversary Award- Schulz
Pro-Syn Oil
Technology/ Mother’s Car Wash Clean Race Award- Knab
ASCS Patriot
Points
(Top Ten): 1. Bryan Howland 1,486, 2. Jared Zimbardi
1,460, 3. Chris Muhleisen 1,376, 4. Bubba Broderick 1,280, 5.
Scott Kreutter 1,135, 6. Don Adamczyk 1,118, 7. Chuck Hebing
1,096, 8. Bobby Breen 1,038, 9. Mike Stelter 1,034, 10. Kyle
Moffit 1,032.
