By Rich Vleck
DUNDEE, NY (September 10, 2010)- On a night when the Black Rock Speedway surface was nearly perfect, having a quality starting spot for the Sweet 16 features were vital, and that is just what Bobby Breen and Alain Bergeron got as they ran away to feature wins.
Breen, of Savannah, NY, jumped out into the lead in the first 16-lap feature, sponsored by Insinger Race Fuels, and never looked back, as he had very little issue with lapped traffic and scored his first feature win of the season in the caution-free event.
“This is the first time we’ve have the 360 in this car this season and it worked really well,” said the modest 20-year-old in Victory Lane about his J&J he had used primarily in 410 action this season. “This track was in great shape tonight and you could really blast it on the top.”
After moving from seventh to fourth in his first heat race, Breen dominated his second heat race and earned a front row spot for the first 16-lap feature. After a bad start sent Josh Weller back a row, Breen drove around Bubba Broderick from the outside and slammed his No. 9 around the track on the cushion.
Weller would take back second when Bubba Broderick slipped up in turn two on lap 10 but just did not have enough to close in on Breen, who was perfect on this night.
Breen, who is the only driver to attend every sprint event at BRS since April of 2004, is in his first month of college in Lima, Ohio and had to deal with this weekend as well.
“It has been tough to drive home the last few weeks,” admitted Breen. “This makes it somewhat worth it though. A win tomorrow definitely would make it worthwhile.”
Weller would hang on for a solid second-place showing. Had the caution flag been displayed, the No. 63 might have had something for Breen, but without one was along for the ride.
August winner Bryan Howland slid underneath Bubba Brodreick in the closing laps to claim third. New Jersey’s Robbie Stillwaggon would complete the stout top-five.
Alain Bergeron came with two laps of winning the Fall Sprint Nationals in 2006, the last time the race was run, and set him up for a chance to avenge that close call with a win in the second Sweet 16, which was sponsored by M&W Aluminum Products.
Bergeron, of St. Pie, QC, scored his first feature win of the season and his first career at Black Rock in what in all likelihood is his final season of sprint car competition.
The No. 8B acquired the pole from the top-4 inversion and wasted no time jumping into the lead and on to the cushion. Keeping his car as straight as possible along the berm on the top of the track, he held a steady distance over some top cars.
Half way though the event, Bergeron closed in on young Devin Caron, who he has been helping out over the season. Even though he would finally clear the No. 24k, took a few laps for him to get by.
“The 24 was tough,” stated Bergeron in Victory Lane. “We are friends but he was still good so I had to wait for a spot to get by.”
The 11-year sprint car veteran who recently had his numbered retired by his former mini sprint club was able to tame the cushion that kept building up as the 16-lap event ran along caution free. Had Bergeron not hit his mark every time, he might have had challengers for the lead.
Jared Zimbardi stormed into second in his No. 35 but had trouble staying with Bergeron as his car did not run as straight of a line as the leader. He would cross in second.
Don Adamczyk put together a quality run as he would finish in third in his No. 21 and close in on Zimbardi in the waning laps. Two-time Fall Nationals Champion Trevor Lewis was fourth with local Tim Kelly completing the top-five.
Joey Biasi brought out the only red flag of the night when his No. B1 tipped over in turn one in the second set of heats. Tim Hogue was scratched for the night with a motor issue. Just before the second Sweet 16, Chuck Hebing, who was slated to start on the outside pole, was forced pit side with a major engine issue.
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Black Rock’s Fall Sprint Nationals Night 1 Results: 9/10/10.
Insinger Race Fuels Sweet 16 #1 (16 Laps)- 1. Bobby Breen (9), 2. Josh Weller (63), 3. Bryan Howland (51), 4. Bubba Broderick (5), 5. Robbie Stillwaggon (89), 6. Lance Yonge (17J), 7. Shayne Ely (90e), 8. Blake Breen (8), 9. Bruce DeWick (22D), 10. April Wilson (15AW), 11. Ross Vleck (2), 12. Joey Biasi (B1), 13. Vern Wasson (5v).
Lap Leaders- Bo. Breen 1-16.
M&W Aluminum Products Sweet 16 #2 (16 Laps)- 1. Alain Bergeron (8B), 2. Jared Zimbardi (35), 3. Don Adamczyk (21), 4. Trevor Lewis (21L), 5. Tim Kelly (12), 6. Dylan Swiernik (7c), 7. Rick Wilson (42w), 8. Mike Stelter (36), 9. Devin Caron (24k), 10. Bobby Podolak (90x), 11. Jeff Frasier (36w), 12. Chuck Hebing (45), 13. Tim Hogue (39).
Lap Leaders- Bergeron 1-16.
Set 1 Heats (8 Laps Each)-
Race 1: 1. Jared Zimbardi (35), 2. Robbie Stillwagon (89), 3. Bryan Howland (51), 4. Joey Biasi (B1), 5. Devin Caron (24k), 6. Don Adamczyk (21), 7. Mike Stelter (36), 8. Bruce DeWick (22D), 9. Ross Vleck (2).
Race 2: 1. Josh Weller (63), 2. Lance Yonge (17J), 3. Chuck Hebing (45), 4. Bobby Breen (9), 5. Blake Breen (8), 6. Rick Wilson (42w), 7. Tim Kelly (12), 8. Shayne Ely (90e), 9. Tim Hogue (39).
Race 3: 1. Alain Bergeron (8B), 2. Trevor Lewis (21L), 3. Bubba Broderick (5), 4. April Wilson (15AW), 5. Bobby Podolak (90x), 6. Dylan Swiernik (7c), 7. Vern Wasson (5v), 8. Jeff Frasier (36w).
Set 2 Heats (8 Laps Each)-
Race 1: 1. Bryan Howland (51), 2. Don Adamczyk (21), 3. Jared Zimbardi (35), 4. Robbie Stillwaggon (89), 5. Mike Stelter (36), 6. Bruce DeWick (22D), 7. Ross Vleck (2), 8. Devin Caron (24k), 9. Joey Biasi (B1).
Race 2: 1. Bobby Breen (9), 2. Chuck Hebing (45), 3. Shayne Ely (90e), 4. Tim Kelly (12), 5. Josh Weller (63), 6. Lance Yonge (17J), 7. Blake Breen (8), 8. Rick Wilson (42w), 9. Tim Hogue (39).
Race 3: 1. Bubba Broderick (5), 2. Trevor Lewis (21L), 3. Dylan Swiernik (7c), 4. Alain Bergeron (8B), 5. Jeff Frasier (36w), 6. Vern Wasson (5v), 7. April Wilson (15aw), 8. Bobby Podolak (90x).