Let The Dirt Fly!

Opening night at Limerock Speedway saw the dirt fly Saturday Night. 50 Microsprints, Karts and Quads showed up ready to get the 2012 season underway.

In the JR2 Kart division, Anthony Natrigo dominated the Heat race until Austin Shaw made an incredible last-corner-last-lap pass for to grab the victory. Shaw also took the victory in the Feature leading Natrigo and Dansville's Hunter Patterson coming home in 3rd. Senior Clone Kart competion saw Gary Smith dominate both the Heat and Feature over Caledonia's Guy Ellinwood.

Jordan Noody grabbed the victory in the Sportsman 125 Microsprint Heat over Byron's Kennedy White. The Defending Champ would then dominate the Feature to beat Batavia's Johann Hausfelder and Nick Reff. Hausfelder was substituting for Wyoming, New York's Missy Clauss as she attended her High School's Senior Prom. An Honorable Mention is in the works for Cole McDonald. The young Canadian drove fantastically in his first ever race at the Rock, and hopes that after taking a few weeks to learn the track, he can turn up the heat and take it to the class' leading ladies.

Perhaps the most exciting class of the night belonged to the 450 Super Sportsman division. Both the Heat and the Feature presented the side by side action that is ever present at the Mighty Eighth. South Byron's Jim Austin took home top honors in the Heat, but Defending Champ Jeff Clauss showed he was still a force to be reckoned with as he took home the victory in the Feature.

The newest class at the Limerock Speedway is the 600 Sportsman Division. With a wing angle restriction and a stictly stock motor, the class was designed for the closest competition at the track. Chad Richey took home top honors in the Heat over Josh Farnsworth. However, it was the Tampa Terror claiming the win in the Feature Event.

The 600 Wingless class is always fun to watch at Limerock. Lots of passing paired with the difficulty of driving a Microsprint with a 110-plus Horsepower engine without the Aerodynamic assistance of a wing on top of the car makes the class quite challenging. Pete Resch and Jim Lafler grabbed victories in their respective Heats. Both Resch and Lafler ran away in the Feature as Resch took home the Victory and came away with Optimum Points on Opening night.

The 600 Open class was the biggest class of the night with an impressive 17 car line-up for Opening night. Brandon Goetz, last year's runner-up in the 600 Open Class, got the win in Heat One. In Heat Two, Diane "G-Ma" Hausfelder took the top spot over Canandaigua's Mat Smith. And Wayland, New York's Eric Wise took his Wiser Racing machine to top honors in Heat number Three. Wise would later cruise his 41w to the Feature Win after a late race pass over Lockport's Pete Lute.

"Overall, it was a very successful night," stated Tri-County Racing Club President, James Mitchell. "Everyone raced cleanly and we all had fun, which is what Limerock is all about."

This Saturday is Armed Forces Night at the Rock. Grandstands are Free for all Past and Present Military personel. Don't forget to bring your Child's Bicycle to the track as there will be a Bicycle race on track during Intermission.