9/19/2004

ZANE ZEINER WINS SST HOOSIER TIRE EAST 100

Oswego, NY: The Super Short Track Sportsman Series made their Race of Champions debut as the headline event on Friday night at the Oswego Speedway. However, rainy weather forced the postponement of the race until Saturday morning setting up the best morning rush hour Oswego, NY has ever seen. A record field of 55 drivers attempted to qualify for the Hoosier Tire East 100, and after six heat races and three B-mains the field was cut to 37. 

Bill Hebing would draw the pole position with Bill Chandler Jr. starting along side in row one. Going into Oswego, Hebing was undefeated in SST Series races by winning the first two races. He would take the early lead with Zane Zeiner moving up from the fourth starting spot to second place. Lancaster Raceway Park Sportsman champion, Bobby Holmes, would join them in a three car breakaway. Zeiner would get by Hebing on lap five right before the first caution of the event for a spin by Jim Flanigan. When racing resumed the lead trio would once again pull away from the field. Jimmy Blewett would begin moving his forward at this time. After starting eighth he quickly chased down the leaders and by lap 12 had made it a four-pack at the front of the field. 

As Zeiner continued to lead, the drivers running behind him would trade positions back and forth. Bobby Holmes passed Hebing for second on lap 16 with Blewett moving by Hebing for third five laps later. Hebing looked as if he couldn't get a firm grip on the track as the back end tried coming out from under in the corners. He fell away from Zeiner, Holmes, and Blewett and would have to deal with Pete Brittain and Rick Zacharias in a challenge for the fourth spot. One lap before halfway, Jimmy Blewett would pass Bobby Holmes for the second spot. 

Cautions and restarts, of course, made for interesting moments as drivers battled for the all important track position. Jerry Gradl Jr., Don Wylie, Ricky Knapp, and Patti Pruitt would cause a yellow on lap 72 for a pile up in turns three and four. At that point it gave several drivers from the back of the pack a shot at the top five with 25 laps to go. John Markovic, Zack Shove, Dan Kurzejewski, Earl Paules, and JR Kent all worked from the middle portion of the starting grid to the front and were now poised to try and shakeup the leaders. 

However the biggest shakeup would take place on restart with 10 laps remaining. Both Brittain and Shove lost power following the drop of the green flag sending the field scattering around both cars. Luckily both cars were able to limp into the pits not causing a caution. Markovic, Paules, Kurzejewski, and Kent all moved up a spot with Brian Bowen filling in behind them. A final caution on lap 96 would send the race into a green-white-checkered finish with Zeiner still fighting off Blewett and Holmes. The Bath, PA driver would survive the final restart to score his second career Sportsman Sunoco Race of Champions victory. Zeiner led 95 of 100 laps in a newly prepared home-built ride which was designed specifically for this race. 

Jimmy Blewett held off a late challenge from Holmes to save the second spot. Both drivers would record career best finishes at Oswego. Hebing and Markovic would round out the top five. Earl Paules gained 19 spots from the 25th starting spot to finish sixth. J.R. Kent started alongside Paules in row 13 and finished eighth, picking up 18 positions. The hardest charger was Phil Slater who gained 22 positions from the 32nd starting spot to finish tenth. 

The SST Series now heads to Lancaster Raceway Park for the US Open 75 on Saturday, September 25. The series completes its inaugural schedule on October 2, during the Coca-Cola Fall Shootout at Wyoming County International Speedway in Perry, NY. 

RESULTS 

SUPER SHORT TRACK SPORTSMAN SERIES - HOOSIER TIRE EAST 100 

Heat Winners - Cody Gregg, Jimmy Blewett, Rick Zacharias, Gene Sharpsteen, Pete Brittain, Bobby Holmes 

B-Main Winners - Earl Paules, J.R. Kent, Alan Decker 

Feature - 
1. (4) ZANE ZEINER #16 
2. (7) Jimmy Blewett #76 
3. (5) Bobby Holmes #18 <#8> 
4. (1) Bill Hebing #14 
5. (13) John Markovic #95M  
6. (25) Earl Paules, Jr. #08 <#8>  
7. (15) Dan Kurzejewski #21 
8. (26) J.R. Kent #06 <#m16>  
9. (10) Brian Bowen #47 
10. (32) Phil Slater #4 <#44> 
11. (16) Patti Pruitt #8 
12. (14) Rick Kluth #44  
13. (8) Dick Kluth #29 <#27> 
14. (18) Neal Dietz, Jr. #84 
15. (6) Gene Sharpsteen #7  
16. (9) Rick Zacharias #27 
17. (19) Ricky Knapp, Jr. #1J 
18. (2) Bill Chandler, Jr. #45 
19. (27) Alan Decker #93 <#97> 
20. (3) Don Wylie #97 
21. (12) Cody Gregg #33 
22. (33) Richie Vanderpool #20 
23. (28) Tony Hanbury #03 
24. (23) Wayne Lent #94  
25. (35) Tom Wiest #35  
26. (11) Pete Brittain #71  
27. (17) Zack Shove #72 <#22z> 
28. (22) Jeff Hamman #9  
29. (34) Billy Pruitt #88  
30. (29) Ed Hawkins, Jr. #62 
31. (30) Jerry Gradl, Jr. #2 
32. (20) Frank Booker, Jr. #22 
33. (31) Chuck Frisbee #77 <#7>  
34. (36) Richard Thomas #36  
35. (37) Jim Love #28 <#22J>  
36. (24) Daryl Lewis, Jr. #10 
37. (21) Jim Flanigan #67 <#62> 

DNQ: 
Paul Jorgensen #68 
Andy Lewis #65 
Rusty Smith #12 <#2> 
Glenn Correll #41 <#4> 
Dave Machuga #73 <#78> 
Bill Morich #6 
Tim Gullo #74 <#71> 
Phil Johnson #3J 
Chris Clark #23 
Bob Wilson, Jr. #78 <#18> 
Charlie Sharpsteen #02 <#2> 
Matty Ricco #99 
Steve West #98 <#18x> 
Ed Hawkins #11 
Dick Werner, Jr. #17D 
Jim Pierce #26 
Mike Florio #64 

Source:  Dave Buchanan/SST & Oswego PR
Additions by Mark Southcott/NYRaceZone.com
Posted: September 20, 2004