RGeeProductions
07-01-2012, 12:06 PM
Although he has won numerous driving championships in both the Pro Stock and Modified stock car divisions along with countless feature races, Chas Okerson was missing the “Garden State Classic” from his victory resume at Wall Stadium. That was until Saturday night when the popular Freehold speedster fought off some of the best in the business to win the prestigious 125-lap annual main event. It was also Okerson’s first win of the 2012 campaign.
After an invert of the top ten time trial qualifiers started him on the front row, Okerson charged to the front early and immediately started his defense of the top spot. First Roger Coss of Lafayette tried to find a path to the lead, before Howell’s Ken Woolley, Jr. slipped into second and went after Okerson.
Just past the half way mark defending race and division champion Anthony Sesely of Matawan and Howell’s Jimmy Blewett charged into second and third and the fight for first was boiling. A flurry of late-race restarts forced by minor tangles made this a real dogfight as Sesely and Blewett both took repeated stabs at Okerson while also fighting each other and swapping second and third spots almost every lap.
Blewett’s effort was ruined around lap 112 as he momentarily lost control of his racer in turn four and slipped from contention. Okerson then fought off Sesely to the finish, while Woolley, Freehold’s Steven Reed and Coss completed the top five in the 23-car field.
“We are racing with heavy hearts tonight,” Okerson said in the winner’s circle. “First off, it was 11 years ago today that we lost our good friend Ray Gastelu. This just this week another former racer, Rick Bourguignon, died in a traffic accident. I’d like to dedicate this win to both of them.
“I didn’t time trial too well, so we were lucky to get a good starting stop. I think those guys right behind me near the end may have used up their cars getting through the pack and that helped me a lot. I also have to thank Jimmy Blewett for this. We had trouble with the rear axle in the car and he gave me what I needed to fix it so that I could race.”
Point leader Charlie Kremer III grabbed his third win of the season in the companion 30-lapper for the Sportsman cars. Scott Branick of Brick led this one early as Kremer and a host of others charged to the front. Kremer finally took control when Branick slipped on lap 15. Kremer then raced on to victory. Brick’s Robert Sutphin, Kenny Van Wickle of Manasquan, Trevor Alspach of Willingboro and Howell’s Elliott Wohl wrapped up the top five.
Jim Downey of Cliffwood Beach and point leader Scott Riggleman of Manchester put on a clinic about how to race hard, fast and clean as they battled side-by-side for at least half of the Factory Stock 25-lapper before Downey won the event by inches. Howell’s Steve West was third, while Andrew Krause of Holmdel and Kenny Green of Red Bank were fourth and fifth.
In a frantic chased that went non-stop for the entire 25-lap distance; Howell’s Robert French won the Legend Cars main event. Mike Alcaro was forced to settle for second, with Willingboro’s Zack Alspach third, Derek Hopkinson of Toms River fourth and Rob Hyer of South Amboy, fifth.
Stock car racing returns to Wall Stadium this Saturday night July 7. The patriotic “Red, White and Blue Night” action will see the Modifieds, Sportsman Cars, Legend Cars, Street Stocks and Factory Stocks all in action. The evening will also see the debut of the new 4 Cylinder class. To celebrate the holiday weekend fans wearing red, while and blue colors will be admitted to the grandstand area at a discount price.
Pit gates will open at 2:00 p.m.; with practice starting at 3:30 p.m. Grandstands will open at 5:00 p.m. and the first qualifying event takes the green flag at 6:00 p.m. Main events are scheduled for 7:00 p.m.
Wall Stadium presents professional motorsports events on most Saturdays and Sundays during the summer months. The speedway is located on Route 34 in Wall Township, N.J., just one mile north of Garden State Parkway exit 98 and Interstate 195 exit 35B. The speedway hotline number is 732-681-6400, while CKMotorsports@aol.com is the track’s email address. More information is also available at www.wallspeedwayracing.com.
MODIFIED FEATURE – 125 Laps – 1. CHAS OKERSON, FREEHOLD, 2. Anthony Sesely, 3. Ken Woolley, Jr., 4. Steven Reed, 5. Roger Coss, 6. Shanon Mongeau, 7. Shawna Ingraham, 8. Marc Nappi, 9. Jimmy Blewett, 10. Adam LaCicero, 11. Eric Mauriello, 12. Shaun Carrig, 13. Ron Frees, 14. David Calabrese, 15. Jason Treat, 16. James Pritchard, 17. Pat Verwys, 18. Christian LaCicero, 19. Robert Geibel, 20. Harry Schaeffer, 21. Bill Weichert, 22. Ryan Cottrell, 23. Frank Boardwick III
SPORTSMAN FEATURE – 30 Laps – 1. CHARLIE KREMER III, TOMS RIVER, 2. Robert Sutphin, 3. Kenny Van Wickle, 4. Trevor Alspach, 5. Elliott Wohl, 6. Eric Mauriello, 7. Adam Gordon, 8. Andrew Krause, 9. Dominic Fattaruso, 10. Scott Branick, 11. Joe Cocca, 12. Dave Bailey, 13. Robert Vassilatos, 14. Jonathan Mandato, 15. Zack Alspach, 16. Justin Gumley, 17. Kevin Davison, 18. Dave Daniels, 19. Joe Nappi
FACTORY STOCK FEATURE – 25 Laps – 1. JIM DOWNEY, CLIFFWOOD BEACH, 2. Scott Riggleman, 3. Steve West, 4. Andrew Krause, 5. Kenny Green, 6. Tiffany Olejnik, 7. Ronnie Mullen, 8. Marty Van Druten, 9. Matt Guadagno, 10. Steve Michel, 11. Rob Hurley, 12. Paul Hartwig, 13. Eric Graham
LEGEND CARS FEATURE – 25 Laps – 1. ROBERT FRENCH, HOWELL, 2. Mike Alcaro, 3. Zack Alspach, 4. Derek Hopkinson, 5. Rob Hyer, 6. Trevor Alspach, 7. Casey Robicheau, 8. Malcolm Campbell, 9. Kyle Dealaman, 10. Steven Woytysiak, 11. Rick Alspach
Jeff Gravatt
After an invert of the top ten time trial qualifiers started him on the front row, Okerson charged to the front early and immediately started his defense of the top spot. First Roger Coss of Lafayette tried to find a path to the lead, before Howell’s Ken Woolley, Jr. slipped into second and went after Okerson.
Just past the half way mark defending race and division champion Anthony Sesely of Matawan and Howell’s Jimmy Blewett charged into second and third and the fight for first was boiling. A flurry of late-race restarts forced by minor tangles made this a real dogfight as Sesely and Blewett both took repeated stabs at Okerson while also fighting each other and swapping second and third spots almost every lap.
Blewett’s effort was ruined around lap 112 as he momentarily lost control of his racer in turn four and slipped from contention. Okerson then fought off Sesely to the finish, while Woolley, Freehold’s Steven Reed and Coss completed the top five in the 23-car field.
“We are racing with heavy hearts tonight,” Okerson said in the winner’s circle. “First off, it was 11 years ago today that we lost our good friend Ray Gastelu. This just this week another former racer, Rick Bourguignon, died in a traffic accident. I’d like to dedicate this win to both of them.
“I didn’t time trial too well, so we were lucky to get a good starting stop. I think those guys right behind me near the end may have used up their cars getting through the pack and that helped me a lot. I also have to thank Jimmy Blewett for this. We had trouble with the rear axle in the car and he gave me what I needed to fix it so that I could race.”
Point leader Charlie Kremer III grabbed his third win of the season in the companion 30-lapper for the Sportsman cars. Scott Branick of Brick led this one early as Kremer and a host of others charged to the front. Kremer finally took control when Branick slipped on lap 15. Kremer then raced on to victory. Brick’s Robert Sutphin, Kenny Van Wickle of Manasquan, Trevor Alspach of Willingboro and Howell’s Elliott Wohl wrapped up the top five.
Jim Downey of Cliffwood Beach and point leader Scott Riggleman of Manchester put on a clinic about how to race hard, fast and clean as they battled side-by-side for at least half of the Factory Stock 25-lapper before Downey won the event by inches. Howell’s Steve West was third, while Andrew Krause of Holmdel and Kenny Green of Red Bank were fourth and fifth.
In a frantic chased that went non-stop for the entire 25-lap distance; Howell’s Robert French won the Legend Cars main event. Mike Alcaro was forced to settle for second, with Willingboro’s Zack Alspach third, Derek Hopkinson of Toms River fourth and Rob Hyer of South Amboy, fifth.
Stock car racing returns to Wall Stadium this Saturday night July 7. The patriotic “Red, White and Blue Night” action will see the Modifieds, Sportsman Cars, Legend Cars, Street Stocks and Factory Stocks all in action. The evening will also see the debut of the new 4 Cylinder class. To celebrate the holiday weekend fans wearing red, while and blue colors will be admitted to the grandstand area at a discount price.
Pit gates will open at 2:00 p.m.; with practice starting at 3:30 p.m. Grandstands will open at 5:00 p.m. and the first qualifying event takes the green flag at 6:00 p.m. Main events are scheduled for 7:00 p.m.
Wall Stadium presents professional motorsports events on most Saturdays and Sundays during the summer months. The speedway is located on Route 34 in Wall Township, N.J., just one mile north of Garden State Parkway exit 98 and Interstate 195 exit 35B. The speedway hotline number is 732-681-6400, while CKMotorsports@aol.com is the track’s email address. More information is also available at www.wallspeedwayracing.com.
MODIFIED FEATURE – 125 Laps – 1. CHAS OKERSON, FREEHOLD, 2. Anthony Sesely, 3. Ken Woolley, Jr., 4. Steven Reed, 5. Roger Coss, 6. Shanon Mongeau, 7. Shawna Ingraham, 8. Marc Nappi, 9. Jimmy Blewett, 10. Adam LaCicero, 11. Eric Mauriello, 12. Shaun Carrig, 13. Ron Frees, 14. David Calabrese, 15. Jason Treat, 16. James Pritchard, 17. Pat Verwys, 18. Christian LaCicero, 19. Robert Geibel, 20. Harry Schaeffer, 21. Bill Weichert, 22. Ryan Cottrell, 23. Frank Boardwick III
SPORTSMAN FEATURE – 30 Laps – 1. CHARLIE KREMER III, TOMS RIVER, 2. Robert Sutphin, 3. Kenny Van Wickle, 4. Trevor Alspach, 5. Elliott Wohl, 6. Eric Mauriello, 7. Adam Gordon, 8. Andrew Krause, 9. Dominic Fattaruso, 10. Scott Branick, 11. Joe Cocca, 12. Dave Bailey, 13. Robert Vassilatos, 14. Jonathan Mandato, 15. Zack Alspach, 16. Justin Gumley, 17. Kevin Davison, 18. Dave Daniels, 19. Joe Nappi
FACTORY STOCK FEATURE – 25 Laps – 1. JIM DOWNEY, CLIFFWOOD BEACH, 2. Scott Riggleman, 3. Steve West, 4. Andrew Krause, 5. Kenny Green, 6. Tiffany Olejnik, 7. Ronnie Mullen, 8. Marty Van Druten, 9. Matt Guadagno, 10. Steve Michel, 11. Rob Hurley, 12. Paul Hartwig, 13. Eric Graham
LEGEND CARS FEATURE – 25 Laps – 1. ROBERT FRENCH, HOWELL, 2. Mike Alcaro, 3. Zack Alspach, 4. Derek Hopkinson, 5. Rob Hyer, 6. Trevor Alspach, 7. Casey Robicheau, 8. Malcolm Campbell, 9. Kyle Dealaman, 10. Steven Woytysiak, 11. Rick Alspach
Jeff Gravatt