Rudolph collects 1st Utica-Rome victory

VERNON, N.Y. » Erick Rudolph took his first ever Utica-Rome Speedway win over a solid 43-car King of Dirt 358-Modified Series field on Sunday night while Rocky Warner made a last-lap pass to grab the Broedel Energy Sportsman win. Other winners on Marble Hill Inn and Wilber-Duck Chevrolet night were MikeWelch in the Pro Stocks and Joe Abass in Novice Sportsman.

Third-place starter Jessey Mueller moved up into first on the opening lap of the 40-lap King of Dirt 358-Modified Series with Rudolph moving from fourth to second by lap four. A lap five caution slowed the pace and on the restart, Rudolph made his move to the lead andwas scored the leader on lap six. Rudolph immediately began to pull away from the field but a lap 18 caution slowed the pace, which brought Rudolph

back the rest of the field. On the restart, Rudolph again flexed his muscles as he pulled away while Alan Johnson launched from fourth to second.

As the field settled in for the second half of the race, Marc Johnson started to come to life after starting in the 11th spot. He was in sixth on lap 20, and then made his move into the top five a lap later as he passed both Ryan Susice and Anthony Perrego to take the fourth spot. After a lap 27 restart, Marc Johnson slipped by Mueller to grab the third spot and set his sights on Alan Johnson. With 10 to go, it was Rudolph over Alan Johnson, Marc Johnson, Susice and Perrego. A couple cautions slowed the pace on laps 33 and 34 and Marc Johnson used the final restart to grab second over Alan Johnson. Marc Johnson kept pace with the leader but could not reel him in as Rudolph raced off to the $3,000 win and his first ever Utica-Rome Speedway victory.

Jason Rood grabbed the early lead in the 20lap Broedel Energy Sportsman feature from pole sitter Stephen Denton, with third place starter AJ Filbeck slipping into the second spot at the completion of the opening lap. On lap three, Filbeck made his move to the lead with Rood slipping to second, and a circuit later, Rood’s bid for the win ended as he pulled into the pits. With Filbeck out front, the car on the move was Warner as he broke into the top five by lap four from his 14th place starting spot. By lap six, Warner went by second-place running Dave Moyer and set off after Filbeck. It looked like Warner had nothing for Filbeck until the duo hit lapped traffic onlap 16 whenWarner used a pair of slower cars as a pick to be scored the leader on lap 17. On lap 18, Filbeck charged back byWarner for the lead while they continued their battle in lapped traffic. On the final lap, Warner repeated his move from a couple circuits earlier as he again used lapped cars as a pick. That proved to be the winning move as he took victory with Filbeck holding on for second.

Jim Normoyle and Bill Knapp dueled for the lead in the 20-lap Pro Stock main event for the first six circuits until the caution lights slowed the field. The restart saw the fourthplace running Welch drive into the runner-up spot as the field went into turns one and two and, as lap seven was scored, Welch seized control for the race. Welch would lead the rest of the race to score his second consecutive Pro Stock win at the speedway.

Skylar Greenfield and Jimmy Moyer swapped the lead at the beginning of the 10-lap Novice Sportsman nightcap with Green- field seemingly grabbing the lead for good on lap three. On lap nine, Abass made his move for the lead as he wrestled the point away from Greenfield and he held to score the win.

Weekly racing continues Sunday, July 16, when Lalonde Electric and VP Racing Fuels presents double Gates-Cole Auto Insurance Modified features (one from June 18), the $1,000 to win Mike Martin Memorial for the Broedel Energy Sportsman, Pro Stocks and Novice Sportsman. Gates will open at 4:30 p.m. with racing starting at 7 p.m. For more information, please log on to www.uticaromespeedway.com or follow us on Facebook or Twitter.