Pierce Powers To Second CRSA Win At “Home of Heroes”
Race Report by Steven Ovens – August 21st, 2021 – Utica-Rome Speedway photo –
(VERNON, NY) – Brett Deyo and crew welcomed back the Super Gen Products with Champion Power Equipment CRSA Sprints for their second and final stop of 2021 at the “Home of Heroes.”
A great field of 23 305 Sprint Cars turned out for Round 11 of 16 for 2021, as Jeff Trombley has been working toward championship number four and his potential fourth out of the last five seasons. Josh Flint, Dana Wagner, Trevor Years and Kyle Pierce have been trying to keep Trombley honest- and Trombley’s win at Land of Legends Raceway would line him up twelfth on the starting grid.
Wagner and Ray Preston, returning to sprint cars after some 15 years off following a successful 360 sprint car career including 4 Empire Super Sprint wins, would lead the field to Joe Kriss’ green flag for CRSA’s 20-Lap Feature. Wagner would jump out to the early lead over Preston as Wagner tried to fight off a season of gremlins and back luck albeit still residing Top 5 in points.
The man on the move early though was Penn Can Speedway winner Kyle Pierce from Spencer, NY. The driver of the Midstate Basement Authorities, Fun City Service, Northeast Implement No. 9K battled with Preston and claimed the runner up spot.
As Wagner exited Turn 4 to click off lap number seven, Wagner’s right rear Hoosier Racing Tire clipped the outside concrete just before the starter’s stand. The contact sent Wagner nose first into the wall with the most contact and damage being applied to the right front. It was emblematic of the kind of season Wagner has had as once again Lady Luck defied Wagner while leading the race.
The misfortune for Wagner handed the lead over to Pierce who darted away on the restart, with Preston in tow. Behind the front duo it was point leader Trombley advancing positions from twelfth starting spot to fourth- passing two cars on the Lap 6 restart.
One of the better battles of the night was taking place at the halfway mark on the event on Lap 10. Brother-Sister duo Billy and Emily VanInwegen battled for the seventh and eight positions, while behind them rookie sensation Jordan Hutton, John Cunningham, Trevor Years and Randy Years all swapped positions and racing lanes.
As Pierce widened the gap for the lead, there was a regular meeting of the “Ole Boys Club” happening about a half a straightaway behind. Former 360 foes Preston and multi-time 2021 winner Bobby Parrow (Weedsport, LOLR) raced hard with former Big Block Modified star Trombley right in the thick of it in fourth.
The yellow flag flew on Lap 15 as Tanner Emmons slid off the edge in Turns 3 & 4 and Emily VanInwegen stopped in the frontstretch. It would fly again with two laps remaining as Dan Craun was facing the wrong way in the fourth turn.
On the restart, Preston took his shot into the first turn drawing even terms with Pierce down the backstretch. Pierce would carry the momentum around three and four and left Preston to try and fend off Trombley in the final half-mile.
At the line it would be Pierce with his second career CRSA victory and second win of 2021, Preston and impressive second, Trombley strong in third, Parrow fourth and Dalton Herrick taking the fifth spot away from Jerry Sehn Jr. who had one of his best runs of the 2021 tour in sixth.
Pierce celebrated victory with his second wing dance of the season and spoke with Utica-Rome Speedway announcer Chris Moore.
“I saw his (Wagner’s) right rear tire get into the wall and once that popped it shot the whole front end into the wall- right place, right time for us there,” explained Pierce.
“This is only our second time here and the top is scary, it got pushed up so high in two and four. I just hoped I didn’t make too many mistakes.”
It wasn’t all smooth sailing for Pierce though. The No. 9k was suffering from some stumbling issues on the starts, which made for some tense moments on those final restarts.
“My car for some reason just wouldn’t take off on the starts, it would take until I was halfway down the straightaway,” Pierce told Doug Elkins post-race. “Every time I saw a yellow I said ‘You’ve got to be kidding me’”
The Powdertech Powdercoating Hard Charger Bonus went to Jeff Trombley who gained nine spots from 12th starting position to a finish of 3rd.
Ray Preston, who has quickly knocked the rust off in his return to sprint car racing, made a daring move to challenge for the lead with two laps remaining. This earned him the “Maguire Family of Dealerships Magnificent Move of the Race.”
The award drivers are appreciative of but don’t necessarily want to see at night’s end was awarded to Steve Glover. A 21st place finish after registering a DNF saw Glover receive the “Midstate Basement Authorities Out of the Basement” award.
Next on the schedule for the Super Gen Products / Champion Power Equipment CRSA Sprints will be the first of two stops scheduled for Afton Motorsports Park. A July Afton date shifted to August 27th leaving two of the five races remaining in the championship set to take place just off Interstate 88.
The CRSA 305 Sprints are powered by Super Gen Products with their Champion Power Equipment located in Newark, NY. Associate sponsors for the 2021 CRSA 305 Sprints include Midstate Basement Authorities, CNY Farm Supply, the Maguire Family of Dealerships, Powdertech Powdercoating, Hoosier Racing Tires, Insinger Performance with their Stinger Race Fuel and is owned and operated by Mike Emhof Motorsports.
For more information on the series, results, points and 2021 schedule please visit our website www.crsa.myracepass.com
Please visit the Super Gen Products with Champion Power Equipment CRSA Sprints on Facebook (@CRSAsprints) and on Twitter (@CRSAsprints).
SUPER GEN PRODUCTS CRSA SPRINTS @ UTICA-ROME SPEEDWAY OFFICIAL RESULTS- Friday August 20th, 2021:
A-MAIN RESULTS (20 Laps): 1. 9K-Kyle Pierce[6] ($1,000); 2. 4T-Ray Preston[2]; 3. 3A-Jeff Trombley[12]; 4. 53-Bobby Parrow[3]; 5. 29-Dalton Herrick[13]; 6. 410-Jerry Sehn Jr[5]; 7. 66-Jordan Hutton[7]; 8. 41J-Josh Flint[4]; 9. 13T-Trevor Years[11]; 10. 22M-Billy VanInwegen Jr[14]; 11. 2-Randy Years[9]; 12. J27-John Cunningham[10]; 13. 48JR-Darryl Ruggles[22]; 14. 28-Ron Greek[15]; 15. 18C-Dan Craun[18]; 16. 17E-Ethan Gray[16]; 17. 19EM-Emily VanInwegen[8]; 18. 112-Mike VanPelt[17]; 19. 25H-Tanner Emmons[23]; 20. (DNF) 25W-Dana Wagner[1]; 21. (DNF) 121-Steve Glover[21]; 22. (DNS) 99-Mike Kiser; 23. (DNS) 36-Mike Stelter
Powdertech Powdercoating Hard Charger Bonus: 3A Jeff Trombley +9 spots $25
Maguire Family of Dealerships “Magnificent Move of the Race”: 4T Ray Preston $25
Midstate Basement Authorities “Out of the Basement” Bonus: 121 Steve Glover $25
Heats (8 laps)
#1: 1. 2-Randy Years[1]; 2. 13T-Trevor Years[3]; 3. 53-Bobby Parrow[2]; 4. 410-Jerry Sehn Jr[7]; 5. 29-Dalton Herrick[8]; 6. 17E-Ethan Gray[4]; 7. (DNF) 99-Mike Kiser[5]; 8. (DNF) 48JR-Darryl Ruggles[6]
#2: 1. 9K-Kyle Pierce[2]; 2. 4T-Ray Preston[1]; 3. 25W-Dana Wagner[6]; 4. 66-Jordan Hutton[7]; 5. 22M-Billy VanInwegen Jr[5]; 6. 112-Mike VanPelt[3]; 7. 36-Mike Stelter[4]; 8. 25H-Tanner Emmons[8]
#3: 1. 3A-Jeff Trombley[1]; 2. J27-John Cunningham[2]; 3. 41J-Josh Flint[4]; 4. 19EM-Emily VanInwegen[3]; 5. 28-Ron Greek[5]; 6. 18C-Dan Craun[7]; 7. (DNF) 121-Steve Glover[6]