Little Valley Speedway
Knight earns $3,000 in Little Valley finale
By Dave Sully
Little Valley SpeedwayLITTLE VALLEY, N.Y. (Sept. 14) — Mike Knight of Ripley, N.Y., brought down the curtain on the 2013 season Saturday at Little Valley Speedway with a masterful drive in the No. 9K to win the caution-free 30-lap Super Late Model, pocketing $3,000 in the process.
“We just happened to start in the right spot,” said the outside front-row starter. “I knew those guys would be there, and I tried to make 60 corners without making a mistake, and that was what we did.”
Seventh-starting Dan Stone of Thompson, Pa., was second followed by Boom Briggs of Bear Lake, Pa., Greg Oakes of Franklinville, N.Y., and Chad Valone of Warren, Pa. Jason Dupont of Cyclone, Pa., finished seventh in wrapping up another track title on a cool, crisp night.
Knight blew past polesitter Chris Hackett at the outset and was soon joined at the front by Briggs as the two jousted for position for many laps before Stone entered the fray. Stone was up to third by the fifth lap and commenced to reel in the leaders, who had opened a gap while they diced for the lead.
Departing from the norm, Knight changed lines often during the race, making it difficult for Briggs to get a run on him.
“I moved around a lot. When you start up front, you don’t know where you need to be. Somebody could be finding a groove behind you,” the winner said. “So I moved around. You could feel in the car if it was better or worse. I’m sure the guy behind me didn’t know where to go because I wasn’t in the same groove. I was all over the place trying to find speed.”
Stone caught the leaders on lap 11, as they entered lap traffic and stalked Briggs until claiming second on lap 20. From there, he kept the pressure on Knight the rest of the way, but Knight, being able to run anywhere, continued to change lanes and was able to keep Stone at bay, winning by a few lengths.
Notes: Knight’s Rocket Chassis is powered by a Craiger Race Engine and sponsored by Jay’s Auto Wrecking, Arrowhead Wine Cellars, Knight Operating Services, Ripley Machine & Tool and Keystone Alliance. ... Dutch Davies, who looked fast in hot laps and was second in points going into the night, blew his motor on the first lap of his heat, making Jason Dupont’s title defense a little easier. ... That “took a little of the pressure off,” Dupont said. “We were trying, but we had a right rear flat. It started going down midway through the race. I’m ecstatic. It’s great.”
Little Valley Speedway: (1) Mike Knight, (2) Dan Stone, (3) Boom Briggs, (4) Greg Oakes, (5) Chad Valone, (6) Bump Hedman, (7) Jason Dupont, (8) John Lacki, (9) Dick Barton, (10) Brent Rhebergen, (11) John Lobb, (12) Jeff Hoffman, (13) Chris Hackett, (14) Bob Dorman, (15) Terry Porter, (16) Michael Oakes. Scratched: Dutch Davies, Matt Urban. Heat race winners (among 18 cars): G. Oakes, Briggs, Stone.
