EVANS MILLS, NY – S&R Automotive, an auto repair shop, towing service, and more located in both Mannsville and Sandy Creek have consistently supported First Responders Night at the Evans Mills Raceway Park for many years by being the presenting sponsor, bringing family and friends, and bringing massive tow trucks to join the emergency vehicle show and parade. The Evans Mills Raceway Park was thrilled to have them attend once again as we embarked on a night full of many tributes, fun, and great racing.
Four of the five racing divisions completed their feature races before a short spot of hard rain cut the night short. The Stewart’s Shops Sport Compacts, who did not race their feature will now run two separate 15-lap feature races next Saturday August 30th on King of the Mills Championship Night. The night will begin with their make-up feature race.
Keith Zehr, track announcer extraordinaire, would be joined by special guest announcer and friend Roy Sova, a long-time announcer at the Oswego Speedway. The pair have shared a friendship for many years and were able to cross off a bucket list item by announcing from the booth together for the first time.
As part of First Responders Night, a new tradition was introduce with the inaugural Memorial Stair Climb organized by EMRP Safety Team member Harry Faulk Jr., and Kinney Drugs Modifieds competitor Kevin Warren, who are also fire fighters. The three-story TJ Toyota Tower would be the course as local first responders, crew members, and staff members would climb the tower for five laps up, around, and back down. A stair climb is typically reserved for remembering first responders lost on September 11th, 2001. For this edition, 31 local first responders signed up to wear a lanyard with a picture card of who they were climbing for, which featured other local first responders who lost their life in the line of duty.
Climbers proceeded up the stairs wearing their turnout gear. Track owner Peggy Gill would join the climb while wearing Peyton Morse’s turnout gear, a family friend and fire fighter who passed away in 2021. Morse’s turnout gear would rest beside the flag stand for the remainder of the night. In addition to the night, Kevin Warren raffled off a door panel that featured Peyton Morse on it from his car in 2023 that was autographed by first responders in attendance, race car drivers, and EMRP staff. The proceeds would benefit the Peyton Lane S. Morse Legacy Foundation and was won by a first responder that attended for the climb and show from Wellsville, NY over three and a half hours drive time from the Mills.
The midway was filled with emergency vehicles from over 25 agencies including fire trucks, special unit trucks, ladder trucks, border patrol with boats, the Jefferson County Sheriffs Department and more! Two ladder trucks skied above the midway to hang a large American Flag in a beautiful display. Families would work their way through the truck show, until it was time for the vehicles to hit the track for the parade which would be led by race cars driven by either first responders or family members of such.
The midway was also joined by Believe NNY, an organization helping first responders pay for medical bills, Victim’s Assistance Center who serve victims and survivors of violence and other crimes, Priority Wellness Campaign who help first responders with resources and PTSD-related service, and the Peyton Lane S. Morse Legacy Foundation which assists the community with grants and scholarships.
Before the emergency vehicle parade and feature racing, the highly anticipated box car races took place, three races were set for different age groups where kids would need a crew chief to help them. Families made home made race cars to wear out of card board boxes. The child would take off when they say flag man Matt Burdick drop the green flag. They would cruise around the first laps and come to their crew chief for their first of two pit stops. The first one, was to refuel (drink a cup of water through a straw). They would peel out of the pits and come back for their second stop, cleaning the windshield where the crew chief would spray their sunglasses with water and wipe them dry, before they took off for their last lap to come to Burdick’s checkered flag. After the box car races, Crash Test Carter and Eric Doolittle would step up to settle their grudge match but only had two-seater boxes. Each would need to pull a passenger from the last box car race. The two teams would take off with Crash Test Carter’s team getting out to an early lead, while Doolittle’s car would have issues as the back “tires” spun too fast oddly causing a flat front “tire.” The Testers would cross the finish line first.
The Thunderstocks would lead the charge into feature racing. With one week remaining in the points championship, Jared Gilson and Colby Goodale would make their push to gain ground on point leader Justin Burns. Gilson would lead the feature with Goodale trying to find ways underneath in turn three. Gilson would keep it straight and hang on to enter Thousand Island Bait Store victory lane once again.
Thunderstocks Feature Results: 1) Jared Gilson, 2) Colby Goodale, 3) Micheal Marcinko, 4) David Paige, 5) Justin Burns, 6) Christopher Wilson, 7) Blake Briggs, 8) Levi Goodale
TS Heat Race Winner: Justin Burns
The Excess Storage Pro Late Models were up next and would put on a heck of a show at the front as Tyler Papin held P1 until Chuck Meyer pushed around the outside of Papin. Meyer would hang on the outside making progress each lap until he was able to take the lead and checkered flag.
Excess Storage Pro Late Models Feature Results: 1) Chuck Meyer, 2) Tyler Papin, 3) Rylee Gill
PLM Heat Race Winner: Chuck Meyer
The Christman Fuel Service INEX Legends would start another competitive 25-lap feature. Early on Brayton Malbeuf would be involved in a caution and find his way at the back of the field for a restart but wasted no time charge back up to the front to fire off fourth in the next caution/restart. Dalton Rombough would hold on to the lead for the rest of the race. Malbeuf would work his way back to second while Josh Oomen would show his recent speed was no fluke passing two more cars on the outside in the closing laps.
Christman Fuel Service INEX Legends Feature Results: 1) Dalton Rombough, 2) Brayton Malbeuf, 3) Joel Hall, 4) Josh Oomen, 5) Devin Thornton, 6) Landen Herring, 7) Aaron Wilmot, 8) Damon Bush, 9) Jayden Hall, 10) Joey Pettinelli, 11) Ian Siebert, 12) Zach Christman, 13) Brianna Berry, 14) Damian Goodnough, 15) Joshua Marchese, 16) Colton Brown, 17) Carrie Carr
IL Heat Race Winners: Brayton Malbeuf, Dalton Rombough
The Kinney Drugs Modifieds impressed with 35 laps green to checkered. Tony Pettinelli and Kyle Hart would battle for the lead with Pettinelli winning out, and Hart falling back to race with Eli Petzoldt for second. Dylan Bancroft, Joe Papin, Kaden Rogers, Taylor Caprara, and Bryan Sherwood would battle as a group up to the front. Papin would lead that pack and find his way around Pettinelli to land in Thousand Island Bait Store Victory Lane adding another win to his resume before the final points race. As Papin finished his victory lane interview with Keith Zehr, the rain that we all hoped would hold off until 10:00pm arrived early with a heavy down pour for a few minutes. The rain would be heavy enough to end the night one feature short.
Kinney Drugs Modifieds Feature Results: 1) Joe Papin, 2) Tony Pettinelli, 3) Joey Clark, 4) Dylan Bancroft, 5) Kaden Rogers, 6) Taylor Caprara, 7) Bryan Sherwood, 8) Andre Roggie, 9) Jeff Pringle, 10) Eli Petzoldt, 11) Kyle Hart, 12) Jake Brown, 13) Tyler Stevenson, 14) Terry Gardner, 15) Shane Monnet
MOD Heat Race Winners: Joey Clark, Dylan Bancroft
SC Heat Race Winner: Tim Greenfield
Next week on Saturday August 30th, track champions will be crowned. Spectator Drag Racers will also be competing in the last event of their season. The Stewart’s Shops Sport Compacts will start the night off by running their 15-lap feature that was washed out. They will also conclude the night with another 15-lap feature. The other divisions joining the night are the Kinney Drugs Modifieds, Christman Fuel Service INEX Legends, and Excess Storage Pro Late Models.
For more information contact the Evans Mills Raceway Park at (315) 323-6033 or emrpgm@yahoo.com