CORTLAND, N.Y. (May 29) – The lead seemed not the place to be for everyone except Kevan Cook Sunday at Skyline Raceway.
Cook avoided the mechanical gremlins that sidelined Mike Smith and Jerry Lobdell Jr. before getting the best of Eddie Sites and Mark Griffin to win the World Products Empire State Series feature.
The IMCA Modified victory was the career series eighth for Cook, the 2009 tour champion. Three of those checkers have come at Cortland.
Sites, Griffin, Brandon Carvey and defending series champ Chris Fleming rounded out the final top five. Thirty-three cars were on hand for the second installment of the 10th annual tour.
Lobdell and Josh Sawyer drew the front row for the start of the 25-lap feature and Lobdell jumped out to the early lead. The third-starting Smith was quick to apply pressure and got by following a lap three restart for the lead.
Smith ran at the front until lap 12 when Lobdell worked his way past. Smith then pitted with engine problems soon afterwards. Lobdell’s turn at the point lasted to lap 16, when his car stumbled. Cook and Sites got by and Lobdell exited with driveline problems.
Cook led on the ensuing restart while Sites tried inside and out to get by and the hard charging Griffin lurking in third.
Proving up to the task, Cook countered every move Sites made to score the win, also his first at Skyline this season. Opening night winner Sawyer had a rough evening, crashing out on lap 12.
Griffin came from 19th to third to earn the MR Graphix hard charger award. Josh Van Tassell finished eighth and earned the MR Graphix random draw prize while Rich Karlnoski finished 10th and won the North Country Custom rookie of the race award.
Next up on the World Products Empire State Series schedule is the Wednesday, June 15 show at the Dunn Hill 2 Speedway in Monroeton, Pa. That feature pays $1,000 to win and is a qualifying event for the 2012 Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational ballot.
Feature results – 1. Kevan Cook; 2. Eddie Sites; 3. Mark Griffin, 4. Brandon Carvey; 5. Chris Fleming; 6. Peter Neff; 7. Brad Weaver; 8. Josh Van Tassell; 9. Mike Wilmot; 10. Rich Karlnoski; 11. Sonny Terry; 12. Mike Stoddard; 13. Doug McKane; 14. Jerry Lobdell Jr.; 15. Matt Roberts; 16. Mike Wilbur; 17. J.J. Courcy; 18. Gary Roberts; 19. Mike Smith; 20. Josh Sawyer; 21. Rich McNeal; 22. Jimmy Walsh; 23. Bump Scutt; 24. Jason Tuttle.
Heat winners were Lobdell, Smith, Sawyer and Sites. Gary Roberts and Tuttle were “B” feature winners.
Cook avoided the mechanical gremlins that sidelined Mike Smith and Jerry Lobdell Jr. before getting the best of Eddie Sites and Mark Griffin to win the World Products Empire State Series feature.
The IMCA Modified victory was the career series eighth for Cook, the 2009 tour champion. Three of those checkers have come at Cortland.
Sites, Griffin, Brandon Carvey and defending series champ Chris Fleming rounded out the final top five. Thirty-three cars were on hand for the second installment of the 10th annual tour.
Lobdell and Josh Sawyer drew the front row for the start of the 25-lap feature and Lobdell jumped out to the early lead. The third-starting Smith was quick to apply pressure and got by following a lap three restart for the lead.
Smith ran at the front until lap 12 when Lobdell worked his way past. Smith then pitted with engine problems soon afterwards. Lobdell’s turn at the point lasted to lap 16, when his car stumbled. Cook and Sites got by and Lobdell exited with driveline problems.
Cook led on the ensuing restart while Sites tried inside and out to get by and the hard charging Griffin lurking in third.
Proving up to the task, Cook countered every move Sites made to score the win, also his first at Skyline this season. Opening night winner Sawyer had a rough evening, crashing out on lap 12.
Griffin came from 19th to third to earn the MR Graphix hard charger award. Josh Van Tassell finished eighth and earned the MR Graphix random draw prize while Rich Karlnoski finished 10th and won the North Country Custom rookie of the race award.
Next up on the World Products Empire State Series schedule is the Wednesday, June 15 show at the Dunn Hill 2 Speedway in Monroeton, Pa. That feature pays $1,000 to win and is a qualifying event for the 2012 Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational ballot.
Feature results – 1. Kevan Cook; 2. Eddie Sites; 3. Mark Griffin, 4. Brandon Carvey; 5. Chris Fleming; 6. Peter Neff; 7. Brad Weaver; 8. Josh Van Tassell; 9. Mike Wilmot; 10. Rich Karlnoski; 11. Sonny Terry; 12. Mike Stoddard; 13. Doug McKane; 14. Jerry Lobdell Jr.; 15. Matt Roberts; 16. Mike Wilbur; 17. J.J. Courcy; 18. Gary Roberts; 19. Mike Smith; 20. Josh Sawyer; 21. Rich McNeal; 22. Jimmy Walsh; 23. Bump Scutt; 24. Jason Tuttle.
Heat winners were Lobdell, Smith, Sawyer and Sites. Gary Roberts and Tuttle were “B” feature winners.
