PLATTSBURGH, NY – Double features produced double excitement at Plattsburgh, NY’s Airborne Park Speedway on Saturday, June 20, with plenty of hometown representation in victory lane for the NASCAR Whelen All-American Series presented by Yandow Sales & Service and John Deere. The Modified, Renegade, and Mini-Modified divisions each ran a pair of feature races presented by Peru Federal Credit Union and Econo Lodge.
Plattsburgh’s Jayson Criss copped the second J&S Steel Modified win of his career in the opening 30-lap race. Criss, who has endured a roller coaster start to his season, was aided by a pair of restarts in the late stages of the race, and was able to steal the lead from Mike Wells at lap 21. From there, he was forced to hold off a charging Nick Heywood in the final laps for the victory. Wells finished third, followed by top rookie Danny Sullivan and Bucko Branham.
In the second Modified feature, Branham stole the show by coming from 12th starting position to take his first Airborne win of the year. Codie Aubin rebounded from a tough outing in the first race to finish second; he led the first 10 laps, then traded the lead twice more with Branham. Rookie Jim “Timex” Morgan earned his first podium finish in third place, with Heywood fourth for a 1-2-3-4 sweep for Plattsburgh drivers. Leon Gonyo of Chazy, NY was fifth.
The Key R-D Trailer Sales Renegade division saw sophomore hometown racer Zack Daniels take his second career win in the opening 20-lap event. Daniels was out front the entire distance and scored the victory over Shawn Duquette of Morrisonville, NY and Robert Gordon of Milton, VT. Jim McKiernan and Dylan Rabtoy completed the top five finishers.
In the Renegade nightcap, Josh Terry of Essex, NY became the division’s first two-time winner after a drive from ninth starting position. Terry had a front-row seat for some crazy action on lap 16 as leaders Gordon and Richie Turner made contact that sent Gordon spinning. On the following restart, new leaders McKiernan and Duquette made contact that put McKiernan into the wall. Terry inherited the top spot and motored to the win, followed by Jason McClatchie and Keith O’Neil. Tylor Terry, the winner’s brother, finished fourth in a car borrowed from Andrew Bordeau, and Daniels completed a solid night in fifth place.
Chris LaVair of Gabriels, NY won his second Busch Beer Mini-Modified feature in a row in that division’s first 20-lap race, coming from 13th starting position. Dale O’Neil and Kris Clark completed the podium, followed by Eddie Bresette and Pete Blaney.
The technical inspection line decided the outcome of the second race, as Tyler Irwin of Peru, NY found himself taking the winner’s trophy home. LaVair was the runner-up, ahead of Tim LaFountain, Robert Foley, and Harold LaVair. Clark, the original winner, and Bresette, who crossed the finish line third, were each found to have unapproved ignition parts and were disqualified from their finishes.
The Competition Kart Series ran an exhibition event for the unrestricted Open Heavyweight class, and Nathan Sartwell-Cornell of Sheldon, VT took the victory over Brian Fagan, Brian Kentile, and Mark Aloi. An enthusiastic group of youngsters from Airborne’s UFirst Federal Credit Union Kids Club also took part in bicycle races on the frontstretch.