Story By: STEVEN PETTY / LANCASTER MOTORPLEX – LANCASTER, NY – George Skora III from Eden, NY was victorious in the Insinger Performance/VP Race Fuels Sportsman at Lancaster Motorplex Thursday night.
Nathan Bryant from East Aurora, NY won the Monroe Extinguisher Street Stock feature. Andy Jankowiak from Tonawanda, NY won the Mighty TQ Midget feature. Hunter McKay from Depew, NY won the 4 Cylinder feature event.
Brian Schulz and Chris Pennell were on the front row for the Insinger Performance/VP Race Fuels Sportsman, with Schulz in the lead ahead of Tim Garlock, George Skora III, Andy Jankowiak, and Joe Evans. Skora would pass Garlock to take over second place on lap two, with Jankowiak moving up to third after he passed Garlock. After a lap seven caution, Andy J would come to a stop in turn one and wouldn’t be able to rejoin the field. Skora would take over the lead on lap eight, with Carbone challenging Schulz for second place. The caution would come out on lap 18 as John Barber spun off turn four. The restart would see Skora in the lead, with Tony Carbone, Shawn Nye, Joe Evans, and Schulz racing in the top five as Jake Vernon raced in sixth place. Nye would take over second and would go after Skora for the lead. Skora would hold off Nye, Carbone, Schulz, and Evans to score the win. Evans was disqualified after failing to get his tires durometered postrace.
Josh Schosek and Nathan Bryant brought the Monroe Extinguisher Street Stocks to the green flag for their 25-lap feature event, with Bryant in the lead. Schosek raced in second with Mitch Friend, Jerry Kosmowski, and Dan Dressel racing in the top five. Mark Hoch and Dustin Novoa would pass Dressel to take over fifth and sixth respectively on lap 12. Hoch would pass Friend to move into third place on lap 13, with Novoa taking over fourth place on lap 14. Novoa and Hoch would make contact on lap 16, with Novoa moving into third place and then challenging Schosek for second. Novoa would make contact with Schosek, sending the #137 around in turn three to bring out the caution on lap 19. The restart would see Bryant and Mark Hoch on the front row, with Bryant continuing to show the way.
Tony Petrea and Carl Schroeder shared the front row for the Mighty TQ Midgets feature event, with Petrea showing the way early on. Brendan Wallace would take over the lead on lap two, with Andy Jankowiak battling Petrea and would pass Petrea to move into second place. Off a lap three restart, Jankowiak would take over the lead and Dave Wollaber to move into second place. Mark Schulz would enter the top five on lap 10 after starting 17th on the grid. While working lap traffic, Jankowiak and Wollaber banged wheels, sending Wollaber to the outside, and losing second place to Wallace. Wollaber would regain second on lap 19, as Jankowiak would score the win over Wollaber, Wallace, Brian Schulz, and Mark Schulz finishing in fifth.
Connor Kurdziel and Ben Adams were on the front row for the 4 Cylinders, with Kurdziel in the lead. Hunter McKay would take the lead away on lap two and would quickly pull away from the field. Chris Deyoe Jr would race in second place, with Andy Danielwicz, Kyle Casper, and Ryan Hessler racing in the top five. McKay would hold off Deyoe to score the feature win.
Racing returns to Lancaster Motorplex on Saturday, September 7 for Season Championship Night. The Lancaster Tour-Type Modifieds will also be back in action as well as the Rusty Diamond Cores Pro 4’s, and the Mighty TQ Midgets. Season Championships will be decided for the Insinger Performance/VP Race Fuels Sportsman, Monroe Extinguisher Street Stocks, and the 4 Cylinders. Pit gates will open at 2pm, with practice getting underway at 3:30pm, and racing will get underway at 6pm SHARP.
RACE RESULTS – THURSDAY NIGHT THUNDER
INSINGER PERFORMANCE/VP RACE FUELS SPORTSMAN: GEORGE SKORA III, Shawn Nye, Tony Carbone, Brian Schulz, Jake Vernon, Jeff Szafraniec, Tim Nies, Alan Bookmiller, Chris Pennell, Tim Garlock, Paul Townsend, John Barber, Andy Jankowiak, Joe Evans (DQ)
Did Not Start: Jake Christman, Todd Lorenzo
Qualifying Heats: Brian Schulz, George Skora III
MONROE EXTINGUISHER STREET STOCKS: NATHAN BRYANT, Mark Hoch, Mitch Friend, Dave Johnson, Tim Welshans, David Brunka, Mike Dalfonso, Marty Kling, Ed Murray, Nik Welshans, Josh Schosek, Dustin Novoa, Kyle Schosek, Tommy Wentland, Gary Bartella, Alex Bialkowski, Jerome Hruby, Dan Murray, Jerry Kosmowski, Rich Sharpe, Dan Dressel, Mike Piccirilli, Chris Handley
Did Not Start: Chris Barber
Qualifying Heats: Josh Schosek, Mitch Friend, Nathan Bryant
MIGHTY TQ MIDGETS: ANDY JANKOWIAK, Dave Wollaber, Brendan Wallace, Brian Schulz, Mark Schulz, Vinnie Christiano III, Tony Petrea, Ronnie Flaim, Jacob Schulz, Carl Schroeder, Phil Vigneri III, Paul Jorgensen, Kevin Wilson, Ryan Hessler, Adam Brown, Matt Heale, Nick Groff
Did Not Start: Vinnie Christiano Jr
Qualifying Heats: Brendan Wallace, Andy Jankowiak
4 CYLINDERS: HUNTER MCKAY, Chris Deyoe Jr, Andy Danielwicz, Kyle Casper, Ryan Hessler, CJ Palmer, Mason Russo, John Byrd, Ben Adams, Connor Kurdziel, Bob Palmer, Kennedy Alix, Mason Offhaus
Did Not Start: Marty Hughes
Qualifying Heats: Kyle Casper, Hunter McKay