By Amy Culver:
Skyview Drags completes two day Memorial weekend race event
TIOGA CENTER, N.Y. — The Memorial Day Weekend brought a two day race to Skyview Drags. Saturday was Old School Nostalgia Night with special shows from NETO (Northeast Timing Organization). Skyview was also pleased to have Bob Rosetty bring his Tweety’s Rat Rollin’ Stoned funny cars up from Southeast Pennsylvania to put on two great exhibition runs for the fans.
Sunday, May 20, was a regular points race for all classes. Races on both days were completed.
The May 28 show started off with 15 racers in the Junior Dragster program sponsored by Precision Crankworks in Kirkwood, N.Y. The youngest competitors made their way through four rounds of competition to see sisters Randi and Haley Teed from Friendsville, Pa. in the finals. The win light went to the younger sister as 13-year old Randi Teed took home the trophy. Semi-finalists were Ron Klein from Livingston Manor, N.Y. and Faith Peckham from Orickany Falls, N.Y.
In the Junior Dragster Second Chance race, which Skyview offers for the racers we do not win first round and would like more seat time, the finals saw Jared Baker from Newfield, N.Y. taking the win over Abby Hacker from Bainbridge, N.Y., who reached the final round for her second week in a row. Semi-finalists were Morgan Burgess from Canton, Pa. and Dave Morris from Prattsburgh, N.Y.
North East Timing Organization (NETO) was at Skyview to put on a special show for the fans. NETO was founded in 1999 by Bob “Tiny” Eglit and offers pre-1974 cars including front engine dragsters, funny cars, altered, gassers, super stocks and stockers for your racing enjoyment.
In NETO Comp, racers run off a .400 tree and must run at least 9.75 seconds ET in the ¼ mile. The finals at Skyview saw Brian English line up against the fiat-bodied altered of Joe Morrison from New Jersey, with Morrison earning the win.
In NETO Nostalgia, racers run off a .500 tree and must run 10.00 seconds ET or slower in the ¼ mile. The finals at Skyview pitted Lee Mills from Newark Valley, N.Y. and his beautiful ’67 Ford Fairlane against Craig Norton and his ’55 Ford Thunderbird. Mills had the better reaction time and ran dead on his 7.29 dial to take the win.
In the Super Pro class, Kathy Kiekel from Binghamton, N.Y. proved she was no “one-hit wonder” as she worked her way through the field and earned a spot in the finals for the second consecutive week. This time she would face the Nova of Jim Potenziano Sr. from Johnson City, N.Y. Mechanical failure for Potenziano handed Kiekel her second win of the 2011 racing season. Matt Spisak was the semi-finalist.
Mike LaRose and his “Hustle Stuff” ’68 GTX made a repeat showing in the finals this week. This time, he would face Bruce Rowan’s Camaro. LaRose pushed a bit too hard to try and repeat his winning ways from last week and he went .4969 red, giving the win to Rowen who tows from Carbondale, Pa. to race at Skyview. Mel Teed, from Friendsville, Pa. and her Olds 442 was the semi-finalist.
Keeping the winning day alive for the Teed family, Randy Teed, Friendsville, Pa. and his fast sled reached the finals and would face 2010 Bike/Sled class Champion Brent Garcia from Cincinnatus, N.Y. on his Buell motorcycle. Teed had the better reaction time off the line and when Garcia broke out, he handed the win over to Teed who celebrated in victory lane with his family.
In Street Money, Howie Conklin from Grahamsville, N.Y. made it to the finals to face Tony Zanaw with Conklin coming out the winner. Glenna Erecitano from Vestal, N.Y. was the semi-finalist. And then, in the Street Trophy class, Howie Conklin would again make it to the finals and take the win giving him two huge trophies for all of his hard work. Glenna Erecitano and Shanon Fenton from Laceyville, Pa. were semi-finalists.
In the TCR (Teen Championship Racing) class, Christian Taylor from Endicott, N.Y. took the win over Teresa Kurtz from Newark Valley, N.Y.
For the second day of point’s racing, 11 Junior Dragster racers took to the track to start the day. Jared Baker from Newfield, N.Y., who was Saturday’s Second Chance winner, met Randi Teed from Friendsville, Pa. who was Saturday’s eliminations winner in the finals.
The weekend would be ruled by the young Miss Teed, who is only in her second year of racing. She notched back to back wins for a truly memorable weekend. Morgan Burgess from Canton, Pa. was the semi-finalist. In the Junior Dragster Second Chance race, the finals saw Kimberly Klein from Livingston Manor, N.Y. who turned 15 that day, defeat Dunham Hall from Syracuse, N.Y. Haley Teed from Friendsville, Pa. was the semi-finalist. As a special give-away, Junior Dragster sponsor Precision Crankworks offered a prize to the first junior racer to post a .50xx light in competition. They had to wait until the semi-finals before Dunham Hall hit the mark. This weekend, Hall will race at Skyview Drags for free courtesy of Precision Crankworks.
In the Super Pro class, Chuck Fish from Ithaca, N.Y. got the chance to show off his brand new American dragster as he made his way through the field. Fish earned a bye run in the semi-finals and with only three cars remaining, he was guaranteed a spot in the finals. Matt Spisak defeated Brett VanBrocklin from Watertown, N.Y. in the semi-finals. Spisak would now face Fish in the finals. Fish had a .5169 reaction time and ran 4.9521 on a 4.94 dial while Spisak had a .5270 reaction time running 6.9770 on his 6.96 dial. It was all over at the starting line and Fish earned his first win at Skyview this season
In the Pro Class, Bob Belvick from Durhamville, N.Y. and Joe Rodriguez squared off in the finals. Belvick posted a .5181 reaction time and when Rodriguez broke out the win light came on for Belvick. However, as the cars approached the finish line, blue smoke came billowing out of Belvick’s beautiful Camaro. Belvick posted a win but blew up his motor in the process. Tim Zyla, from Sayre, Pa. driving Manley Houghtalen’s Camaro, was the semi-finalist.
In the Bike/Sled class, Randy Teed from Friendsville, Pa. tried for a repeat of Saturday’s win as he faced off against Jason Crawford in the finals. Teed pushed the lights just a bit too hard and went red, handing the win over to Crawford. Robert Withers from Blodgett Mills, N.Y. was the semi-finalist.
The Street Money class saw Gary French from Seneca Falls, N.Y. and his Illegal Regal face off against the Mustang of Roger Seidel from Conklin N.Y., with Seidel taking his first win of the 2011 season. Rookie Mike Ink from Barton, N.Y. and Glenna Erecitano from Vestal, N.Y. were semi-finalists.
In Street Trophy, Gary French defeated Howie Conklin from Grahamsville, N.Y. in the semi-finals. French He would then go on to win the finals and take home the trophy.
In the TCR class it was Christian Taylor from Endicott, N.Y. standing in Victory Lane for the second day in a row.
Next up for Skyview Drags is a double header on Saturday, June 4. First up will be the Junior Dragster race starting at 10 a.m. The Junior Dragsters got their May 7 race in so they do not have a double header. As soon as the juniors are finished, Skyview will start the May 7 make-up race for all other classes. Immediately following the completion of the make-up race, Skyview will run the June 4 race for all other classes.
