LOCAL TRACKS: Smith Jr. earns Sportsman win at Big Diamond
Jul. 30—Mount Cobb's Doug Smith Jr. was participating in a weekend baseball tournament in Delaware several years ago. After Saturday's games were over, his parents took him to a water park. Outside the water park was a go-kart track.
He gave it a try and immediately became hooked.
"I had so much fun at the go-kart place that I told my dad that I wanted to do some racing," Smith said.
So he gave up the baseball diamond and this season is racing at Big Diamond Speedway. In his first year driving a 602 Crate Sportsman, the 17-year-old senior at North Pocono High School won the feature last week at the Minersville track.
Starting sixth, Smith moved into second place by lap 4. He took the lead on a lap-9 restart and stayed out front the rest of the way.
"Out of the gate we weren't fast. We finished fourth in our heat race," Smith said. "For the feature, we made some adjustments and found the speed we were looking for. My crew did a great job and helped me out. The car was just on rails.
"A red flag came out and I was sitting there a little nervous. I knew we were going to be the car to beat. I just had to perform. I made a move and it worked."
This is Smith's third year in racing. His first two years he drove a Slingshot at Hamlin Speedway and had three feature wins.
He moved to the Sportsman ranks this year and took to it right away. In April, he won all four starts in the Crate Sportsman Futures division to capture the Spring Championship Series title at Five Mile Point Speedway in Kirkwood, New York.
"That was a good way to kick off the season," Smith said. "Those were the first four times I was actually in the car.
"It was a pretty big jump moving to these cars, but things seem to be working out so far. It helps having a championship crew behind you. A lot of the guys have worked with (Lake Ariel Modified driver) Brian Malcolm."
Besides the speed, Smith said the biggest adjustment going from a Slingshot to a Sportsman was the steering.
"My hands, just like in a normal car, were at 10 and 2 in a Slingshot and they weren't moving that much," Smith said. "But in the Sportsman, it's power steering, so there's a gear ratio to it."
For now, Smith is solely racing at Big Diamond. He hopes as he gets more laps under his belt, he can expand and compete at some other tracks.
With his win, Smith ranks fourth in the 602 Crate Sportsman standings at Big Diamond with 1,048 points. He is 116 points in back of third-place Tyler Peet of Lake Ariel and 332 behind leader Steve Lyle from Oley.
"I'd like to finish top-five in points there," Smith said. "That would be nice for our first season there. The last two years in Slingshots at Hamlin, we got sixth in points both years so top-five has been just out of reach.
"I just have to thank my family and friends and all my sponsors for letting me live this dream that I am. I have a lot of people supporting me."
In the 25-lap Modified feature last week at Big Diamond, Nick Rochinski of Dickson City finished eighth and Covington Twp. teen Alex Yankowski was ninth.
Quarter kids
Larry Kelleher Jr. of Scranton won the Floczak Racing Sponsor Cup 75-lap feature in the Light 160 class at the Lehigh Valley Quarter Midget Racing Club track in Long Pond. He also won the Senior Honda feature and finished second in Senior Animal.
Logan Mears from Dickson City won the Senior Animal feature and placed second in Senior Honda.
Fleetville's David Leuthe was second in Unrestricted Animal and third in World Formula Heavy and Light.
Connor Mirabelli of Clarks Summit took fourth in Senior Honda and 12th in Light 160.
One night earlier, the four local drivers competed in the Jeremy Grim Memorial Tri-Track Challenge at LVQMRC.
Kelleher won the Senior Animal race and placed second in Senior Honda and Light 160. Mears won Senior Honda and was third in Senior Animal. Mirabelli won Light 160 and finished fifth in Senior Honda. Leuthe was second in Heavy 160 and Unrestricted Animal.
Fast tracks
Alex Yankowski ran a pair of Short Track Super Series events. On July 22, in the "Richie Evans Remembered" 61-lap Modified North Region event at Utica-Rome Speedway in Vernon, New York, he finished 11th. Then in the "South Jersey Shootout" 50-lap Modifed South Region race Tuesday at Bridgeport, New Jersey, Speedway, he took fourth. ... At Afton, New York, Motorsports Park, Brett Tonkin from Carbondale was third in the Modified feature. Alex Tonkin, also of Carbondale, was 11th, Forest City's Dan Vauter was 12th and Nick Mady Jr. from Dingman's Ferry was 14th. Brett Tonkin also was fourth in the 602 Sportsman feature and Scranton's Russell Benke was 17th. ... Tonight's program at Penn Can Speedway in Susquehanna is headlined by Twin 20 features for Modifieds and the GRIT Series Factory Stocks. All other divisions also are in action. Racing starts at 7:15 p.m. ... Five Mile Point Speedway will hold the rescheduled 57th Heath Memorial on Saturday at 6 p.m. The 35-lap race for Modifieds, which honors the track's founders Irving and Anna Heath, was rained out July 17. It pays $2,000 to win. GRIT Series Factory Stocks and all other weekly divisions are also on tap, as is a Racers Reunion. ... Hamlin Speedway has a regular show scheduled Saturday at 7 p.m.
SCOTT WALSH covers motor sports for The Times-Tribune. Contact him at swalsh@timesshamrock.com; 570-348-9100, ext. 5109; and follow him @swalshTT on Twitter.
LOCAL TRACKS July 23-24 results
PENN CAN SPEEDWAY
July 23 results
CRSA SPRINT CARS — Jeff Trombley, Josh Flint, Dan Craun, Kyle Pierce, Dana Wagner, Darryl Ruggles, Matt Priscott, Mike VanPelt, Trevor Years, Brandon Sampson, Ron Greek, John Cunningham, Hank Katz, Jordan Hutton
MODIFIEDS — Kevin Hartnett, Alan Rudalavage, Nick Petrilak, Dan Pompey, Brian Malcolm, Matt Cole, Bud Phillips, Jamie Bedford, Mike Loney, Byron Worthing, Darwin Greene Sr., Devon Zona, Sam Allen, Kenny Sparks, Paul Rooney, Schaffer, Brandon Fritsch, Mike Nagel Sr., Mike Walsh, George Kostelansky, Chris Hunsinger
602 SPORTSMAN — Mike Schane, Leo McGurrin, Mike Nagel Jr., Ray Leonard, Alan Komar, Michael Samony, Kolyn Schane, Brandon Oleski, Moose Gulley, Ralph Mele, Mike Wilcha, Frank Payne, Jim O'Hara, Eddie Kudrako, Buchanan, Brad Weaver, Ned Fitch, John Cahill, Amanda Scholtisek, J Mele, Jamie Cortazar, Dave Nixon, Ryan Burkett
600cc MODIFIEDS — Brenton Miller, Brett Gray, Chuck Lohmeyer, Doug Lattner, Larry Furman, Ali Scutt, Travis Rooney, T. Prychka, John Glover, CJ Jochum, Nate Oropallo, Devan Sieben, John Dinniny, Darwin Greene Jr., Jeff Baldwin, Mollie Mroz, Sheldon Whitman
FOUR-CYLINDERS — Tim Vandermark, Andy Bolles, Josh Wilder, Jeff Sterling, Mike Ferris, Madyson Beach, Rich Wagner, Scott Furman, Dave Nixon, Daniel Brown, Dakota Fuller, Scott Beach, Rob Sterling, Kenny Underwood, J. Backoswski, Jeremie Trurizo
STREET STOCKS — Travis Brockner, Oliver Gage, Nate Bonham
JUNIORS — Trevor Houghton
HAMLIN SPEEDWAY
July 24 results
JUNIOR SLINGSHOTS (20 laps) — Chase Zimmer; Cole Perez; Brayden Granger; Dillon Beadle; Brayden Morrison; Ryan Rochelle; Braxton Dembek; Stephen Ennes; Jakoby Thompson; Lydia Novarro; Rilee Ike; Sophia Spear; Aubrey Newhard; Calleigh Stritmater
ALL-STAR SLINGSHOTS (20 laps) — Scott Neary; Amber Baccaglini; Marc Daniels; Aidan Donaldson; Brent Schantz; James Hendricks; Brad Crandall; Shelby McLaughlin; Slade Darragh; Paul Ennes; Thomas Nettleship; Charlene Benz; Kristen Bishop; James Benz; Henry Anderson; Tyler Holcomb; John Schantz; Nolan Palaima; Kylie Hendricks; Alex McCann
XCEL 600cc MODIFIED (20 laps) — Eric Whitby; Kenny Harris; Korey Inglin; Tyler Bartik; Tim Bauer; John Martinsky Sr.; Thomas Prychka; Brandon Graner; Justin Schraden; Kaden Ayre; Bryce Smith; Gene Hartrum; Olivia Schmeltzer; Ron Hartrum; Geoffrey Sutton; Jared Myers
ROOKIE 600 SPRINTS (20 laps) — Kenny Maconeghy; Matt Brown; Kate Mattern; Carmen Leggio Sr.; Thomas Nettleship; Ryan Schultz; Jordan Nonnemacher; Evan Nolf; Troy Maurizzio; Bob Snyder Jr.; Shjon Dove; Ted Meixsell
WINGLESS 600 SPRINTS (20 laps) — Jordan Tittle; Tyler Lindsay; Michael Nolf; Tony Parlanti; Jacob Homnick; Tom Coppinger; Shjon Dove; Cody Powell; Brad Getz; Kate Mattern; Morgan Rochelle; Joseph J Smith; Brandon Nicholas; Danny Buccafusca; Matt Brown; Ryan Schultz; Steve Schultz
STAGE ONE MODIFIEDS (20 laps) — Kyle Rode; James Benz; Justin Newhard; Connor Mirabelli; Chad Riddle; Jacob Bierman; Joel Price; Marc Daniels; Mark Evans; Rob Tete; Sonny Tete; Jeremy Hoffman; Tony Maguire; McKenzi Smith; Lawson Szerencits; Anthony Chrobak
FIVE MILE POINT SPEEDWAY
Kirkwood, N.Y.
July 24 results
MODIFIED (30 laps) — Dan Creeden, Nick Rochinski, Brian Malcolm, Justin Holland, Brian Puckett, Brett Tonkin, Frank Yankowski, Brad Szulewski, Glenn Knapp, Aleia Geisler, Jason Andrews, T.J. Frost, Gregg Turner, Bobby Puckett, Alissa Cody, Brian Mady, George Hildebrandt, Arthur Bray, Scott Landers, Barry White, P.J. Goodwin, Kenny Hildebrandt, Mike Nagel, Sr.
CRATE SPORTSMAN (25 laps) — Ray Leonard, Bryce Bailey, Brandon Loucks, Dominic Roselli, Seth Zacharias, Gary Smith, Zac McDonald, Randy Brokaw, Nick Plumstead, Mike Nagel Jr,, Matt Brewer, Dan Soloman, Carter Crooker, Alan Komar, Josh Allen, Mackenzie Marsh, Jake Mele, Brad Weaver, Steve Davis, Kyle Walsh, Jason Feinberg, Matt Sobiech.
FACTORY STOCK (20 laps) — Kurtis Stickle, Charlie Towner, Justin Slezak, Blake Furman, Daniel Stevens, Austin Manzer, Scott Brown, Kevin McDonald. DNS — Noah Sieidel.
FWD FOUR CYLINDER EXPERT (15 laps) — Kenny Underwood, Brian Salmini, Doug Newbigging, Greg Slater, Josh Wilder, Matt Gibson, Josh Gunn, Jason Seymour, Mike Jenks, Andy Bolles, Rich Wagner, Jeff Hayes, John Maynard, George VanAken.
FWD FOUR CYLINDER NOVICE (12 laps) — Austin Slater, Shaun, Furman, Colbie Lockwood, Jim Backowski, Lucas Plaistead, Dan Hoyt, Bethany Gilbert, Josh Griffin, Scott Beach.
STREET STOCK (20 laps) — Jason Butler, Gene Sharpsteen, Nick Robinson, Mike Willilams, Doug Stack Jr., Doug Polhamus, Tyler Stoddard, Doug Stack Sr., Bobb Wagner, Dan Fonte, David Stalker Oliver Gage, Dusty Decker, Josh Hislop.
FUTURE SPORTSMAN (20 laps) — Matthew Backus, Kyle Smith, Dale Folejewski, Joe Buchanan, Ryan Zelosko, Billy Feske, Adam Gilbert, Paul Conklin. DNS — Joshua Fedo.
600cc MODIFIED (20 laps) — James Randall, Eli Akshar, Bob Hamm, Jason Sullivan, Chelsea Beebe, Dustin Jones, Douglas Gereraux, Nick Robinson, David Brown, Travis Rooney, Rich Powell. DNS — Sheldon Whitman.
Contact the writer:
570 348-9100 ext. 5109;
@swalshTT on Twitter
