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EARLY SEASON POINT BATTLES HEAT UP AT

BETHEL MOTOR SPEEDWAY

May 13, 2012

BETHEL, NY – Throughout the 2011 season, the points battle in the Sportsman division at Bethel Motor Speedway was one to watch, as the close competition and fierce action kept the chase for the championship close right down until the very last regular points race. With only three weeks in the books, it is already apparent that the same can be expected for this year, as Jerry Curry and Rich Coons headed into the third event of the season tied in points and finished first and second, respectively, keeping them within two points of each other.

Coons, who won the Opening Night feature event last month, started the race on the outside pole, with Philip Goetschius to his outside. Coons jumped out front on the start, and Curry quickly came from his fourth place starting spot to second. Deep in the field, Bryanna Hurban was picking up positions and working her way towards the leaders. Coons and Curry put on a heated battle for the top spot, and Curry – who had to settle for a runner-up finish in each of the division’s first two races – grabbed it on lap eight, and Coons was shuffled back to second. One lap later, Hurban came to third, eager to get into the mix for the lead. Curry was not going to be denied the win, and he took the checkered flag to collect his first 2012 win. Coons held on for second, and Hurban crossed the line third.

Curry will head into the next event with a mere two-point advantage over Coons. Roy Crespo will sit third in points, 18 points behind Coons, with Greg Morgan only two points behind him.

For the second time in three weeks, fans may have thought they had the Quality Bus Service Bandolero race winner figured out, but a last-lap pass changed the expected outcome. This past Saturday, it appeared that Rudy Roth was going to be the victor. Roth started on the pole, and he led Nick Morich in the early laps. On lap four, however, defending division champion Max Evans came to second. As Evans set his sights on Roth for the lead, Morich ran third before being passed by Courtney Lefcourt. Lefcourt’s night ended with an incident with just three laps remaining, and David French – the 2011 Rookie of the Year in the division - inherited the third spot. When the white flag waved, Evans turned up the heat, and he wrestled the lead from Roth just in time to grab his second consecutive win. Roth was second across the line, and French was third.

Evans will head into the next event with a 20-point lead over Lefcourt. Morich sits just two points behind Lefcourt.

Sam’s Towing Pro Stock driver Mark Sylvester ran only a limited schedule in 2011, but he proved this past Saturday that his time off last season had not negatively impacted his ability to wheel a car around the quarter-mile oval, as he topped the field to collect his first win of 2012. Sylvester started on the pole and led every lap of the action-packed event, but it was far from an easy ride to the win. Sylvester started the race alongside 2011 division Rookie of the Year Larry O’Donnell, and O’Donnell nosed ahead at the start of the race. Sylvester grabbed the lead back on the next lap, and brought Opening Night winner Ron Lane with him to second. By lap three, Brendan Pavese joined the fray up front, and Lane found himself sandwiched between two drivers who were each looking to notch their first win of the season. Sylvester, who had waited for the last race of last season to collect his first win of the year, was not about to wait as long for the first win of 2012, and he was the first under the checkered flag. Lane finished second, and Pavese was third.

Lane and Sylvester, with one win and one runner-up finish each, will head into the next event tied for the point lead. Beryle Herman will take to the track for the event ten points behind the pair, with Pavese just two points behind Herman.

Shakelton’s Auto & Truck Centers Street Stock driver Bobby VanBlarcom has had a perfect start to the 2012 season, and he continued his winning streak when he won his third race in three weeks this past Saturday. Gary VanOrden Jr., the division’s 2010 Rookie of the Year, started on the pole, with Kyle Welsch on the outside pole. VanBlarcom took off from the fifth starting spot. VanOrden Jr. took the early lead, with Amber VanOrden coming to second. By lap four, VanBlarcom had taken over the second spot, and he put his car out front just one lap later. Both VanOrdens gave chase over the entire race distance, but could not catch the defending champion as he grabbed the win. VanOrden Jr. was second, and A. VanOrden was third.

VanBlarcom will head into the next event with the points lead, but VanOrden Jr – with three runner-up finishes in three weeks – sits just six points back in second. A. VanOrden will go into the race third in points, 18 points behind the leader.

Several new cars were on hand this past weekend in the Active Towing & Recovery BMS Modified class, and they proved to add some formidable competition. Josh Wilbur, a former 4 Cylinder competitor who moved up into the BMS Modified class, started on the pole and was joined on the front row by Steve Galgano. Wilbur got out to the early lead, but Galgano wrestled the spot from him on lap three. Wayne Kirkpatrick came to second on lap five, but defending division champion John Cote worked his way into the spot two laps later. Cote went to the outside, challenging Galgano lap after lap. Cote took over the lead just after the halfway point of the event. Galgano held second until Kirkpatrick overtook him with four laps remaining. Kirkpatrick threw all he could at Cote, but Cote charged on to his second win of the year. Kirkpatrick finished second in his first appearance of the year at Bethel, and Galgano had to be content with third.

Cote will head into the next event with a six-point cushion over Galgano. Kirkpatrick sits third in points.

In the 4 Cylinder Advanced division, 14-year-old Kody Welsh continued to impress, as the young driver topped the field of older, more experienced drivers for the second consecutive week. Welsh, who was the 2011 4 Cylinder Novice champion, was moved to the Advanced class for the 2012 season. Welsh started on the pole, alongside Billy Curry. In the row behind the pair were 2010 4 Cylinder Senior champion Eddy Lindstadt and defending division champion Ivan Guerra. Welsh got out front at the drop of the green, and Lindstadt quickly came to second. Guerra followed suit and took over third, setting the stage for a battle for second between the two former champions. Guerra wrestled the second spot from Lindstadt on lap five. Guerra, eager to get his first checkered flag of 2012, was unable to unseat Welsh, who drove on to the win. Guerra finished second, followed by Lindstadt.

Henry will take the point lead into the next event, but a mere two points separate Henry and Lindstadt. Guerra will head into the event four points out of first, with Welsh eight points back from the top spot.

As always, the action was intense in the 4 Cylinder Novice nightcap event. Jeremiah Madison and Mike Bryant started on the front row, but an incident on the initial lap changed the face of the race, as the restart pitted Joe Smith and Dustin Cosgrove against each other. Smith, who had two wins in the division in 2011, put his car out front, leaving Cosgrove in second. The battle of the night was for the third spot, which changed hands several times after Brittany Curry took it. By lap five, B. Curry was passed by Tisha Curry for the third spot, but B. Curry took it back on lap 15. With three laps to go, however, Tasha Curry grabbed third. Smith was the first to the checkered flag in his first appearance of 2012 at Bethel, with Cosgrove second and Tasha Curry third.

Vincent Lovric heads into the next event with the point lead, two points ahead of Kayla Curry. Tasha Curry heads into the next event third in points, 12 points out of the lead.

The next event at Bethel is slated for Saturday, May 19th. On the schedule are the Sportsman, Legends, Bandolero, Pro Stock, Street Stock, BMS Modified, and 4 Cylinder divisions. Grandstand gates open at 2:30 pm, with hot laps at 5 pm. The wheel-to-wheel racing action that Bethel is known for takes to the track at 7 pm. Grandstand admission for all 2012 shows is just $6.

More information about Bethel Motor Speedway, including a complete 2012 schedule, can be obtained online at www.bethelmotorspeedway.com, or by calling (845) 319-7908.

SPORTSMAN FEATURE FINISH (20 laps): 1. Jerry Curry, 2. Rich Coons, 3. Bryanna Hurban, 4. Philip Goetschius, 5. Greg Morgan, 6. Greg McCloskey, 7. Roy Crespo, 8. Eric Moon, 9. Ed Butler, 10. Dion Naples, 11. Kimberlee Morgan.

BANDOLERO FEATURE FINISH (15 laps): 1. Max Evans, 2. Rudy Roth, 3. David French, 4. Nick Morich, 5. Jared Palmer, 6. Joshua Zieres, 7. Kaci Stackhouse, 8. Courtney Lefcourt, 9. Matt Forsythe, 10. Joseph Graf Jr.

PRO STOCK FEATURE FINISH (20 laps): 1. Mark Sylvester, 2. Ron Lane, 3. Brendan Pavese, 4. Beryle Herman, 5. Jim Helt, 6. Larry O’Donnell, 7. Gene Palmer, 8. Bobby Policastro, 9. Gene Morton, 10. Rick Smith. DNS – Jerry Tunney, Kenny Atkins.

STREET STOCK FEATURE FINISH (20 laps): 1. Bobby VanBlarcom, 2. Gary VanOrden Jr., 3. Amber VanOrden, 4. Jonathan McGibbon, 5. Kyle Welsch.

BMS MODIFIED FEATURE FINISH (20 laps): 1. John Cote, 2. Wayne Kirkpatrick, 3. Steve Galgano, 4. Josh Wilbur.

4 CYLINDER ADVANCED FEATURE FINISH (20 laps): 1. Kody Welsh, 2. Ivan Guerra, 3. Eddy Lindstadt, 4. George Zeininger, 5. Walt Henry, 6. Shawn Maloney, 7. Mike Travis, 8. Tim Curry, 9. Jerry Kingeter, 10. Patty Falkena, 11. Billy Curry, 12. Shawn Barschow, 13. Enio Lovric.

4 CYLINDER NOVICE FEATURE FINISH (20 laps): 1. Joe Smith, 2. Dustin Cosgrove, 3. Tasha Curry, 4. Brittany Curry, 5. Kayla Curry, 6. Heather Fennell, 7. Vincent Lovric, 8. Tisha Curry, 9. Andrew Lovric, 10. Jeremiah Madison, 11. Scott Quick, 12. Mike Bryant.

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