Déjà vu: Mark Taylor Flips and Wins
at Whip City Speedway
BY MARK McKEON
WESTFIELD, MA – For the second time this season, Mark Taylor flipped and won on the same night at Whip City Speedway. Taylor, who competes in both the 750cc and the 1200cc Mini Sprints got upside down during the 750cc feature, when he was involved in a multicar crash while running fourth. He came back later in the evening, to score a decisive victory in the 1200cc class. Taylor’s only previous win this season came on a night when he won in his 750cc and flipped his 1200cc.
“I just love racing here, but I can’t believe I made it to victory lane the same way tonight,” an animated Taylor said after the race.
In 750 Sportsman action, points leader Kyle Smith provided the most exciting finish of the night, grabbing the lead and the win from Kurt Conklin in the third turn, on the final lap. It was Smith’s second consecutive win and his seventh this season.
It was a night that favored second time winners. Mike King reigned supreme in the 750cc Mini Sprints, claiming his heat and then winning his second feature of the season with an untouchable performance; Grant Sabo put his Skeetz engine to good use, powering by Kurt Conklin on the backstretch to claim his second 270cc win and Luke Greenwood used a six-year-old chassis to pick up his second 600cc win.
Bob Poloski led every Modified Lite lap he raced, leading both his heat and the feature from flag to flag. “The car has been fast all year, and now we have it really hooked up,” Poloski said of his second win.
Joe Krawiec picked up his fifth win of the season by dominating the Quad 4 Midgets. “This season has been the most fun I’ve had since I started racing in 1994,” Krawiec said.
270cc: 1. Grant Sabo, 2. Kurt Conklin, 3. Seth Carlson, 4. Wayne Ibitz, Jr., 5. Tara Galko, 6. Brian Boudreau, 7. Kendall Segar, 8. Shayne Prucker.
600cc: 1. Luke Greenwood, 2. Chris Lennox, 3. Rich Crooker, 4. Jay Coppo, 5. Brandon Igo, 6. Steve Doell, 7. Ricci Hirth, 8. Jim DeCambra, 9. Greg Smith, 10. Mike Murphy, 11. Susan Lescynski, 12. Dylan Campbell.
750cc: 1. Mike King, 2. John Casazza, 3. Phil Bessette, 4. Tyler Jackson, 5. Dan Schaubert, 6. Rick Stone, 8. David Williamson, 9. Don Masciadrelli, Jr., John Cole, Nikki Oullette.
750 Sportsman: 1. Kyle Smith, 2. Kurt Conklin, 3. Cori Tufano, 4. Wayne Bush, 5. Makayla Lucia.
1200cc: 1. Mark Taylor, 2. Jon Moore, 3. Paul Rose, 4. Jamie Beaudry, 5. Kristin Phillips, 6. Jerry Sehn, 7. John Virgilio.
Quad 4 Midget: Joe Krawiec, Jim Mossman, 3. Tim Gallant, 4. Scott Viets, 5. Russ Tefft, 6. Vince Jacobs, 7. Dana Shaw, 8. Greg Olson, 9. Jim Maguire.
Modified Lite: 1. Bob Poloski, 2. Ryan Charland, 3. Brett Crowther, 4. Ryan Nicewicz, 5. Roger Angers, Jr., 6. Bob Charland, 7. Rick Ashlaw, 8. Bob LaForge, 9. Donald Bellen, 10. Casey Oullette.
250cc Youth Sprints: 1. Alex Adamsky, 2. Cullen Pike.
Karts: Novice: 1. Darren Taylor, 2. Aidan Pike, 3. Jake Ellis, 4. Tanner Correia, 5. Kerrian Adamsky.
Turquoise: 1. Cory Lemelin, 2. Spencer Brockman, 3. Dylan Irish.
Junior: 1. Jeff Champagne, 2. Ryan Irish, 3. Nora Lemelin, 4. Travis Snow.
Lite: 1. Steven Banach, 2. Kate Lafreniere, 3. Steve Rockwood, 4. Stephanie Banach, 5. Mike Hauser.
Heavy: 1. Bill Tack, 2. David Comeau, 3. Jake Sapowsky, 4. Bruce Dodge, 5. R.J. Currey.
Modified: 1. Roger Fujimoto, 2. Craig Hublard, 3. Eric Jorgenson, 4. Rick Ashlaw, 5. Scott Kabler, 6. Todd Perry, 7. Maykayla Lucia, 8. Paul Luntta.
2 Stroke: 1. Bruce Dodge, 2. Steve Rockwood, 3. Ernie Whidden, 4. Eric Snow, 5. Jason Wood, 6