From Rich Vleck, Rick Rarer Photo
DUNDEE, NY (August 12, 2011)- Over the last five seasons, Jared Zimbardi has been steadily building his win total across the Northeast; on Friday Night though, in a year where he could very well be his way to his first Patriot Sprint Tour Championship, he scored a career-defining win in dominating fashion.
Zimbardi, of Little Valley, NY, lead all 25 laps of the A-Verdi Sprint Championship, presented by M&W Aluminum Products and SP Wilson/Lakes Gas for his third Patriot Sprint Tour win of the year, his eighth career PST Victory.
Zimbardi finished second in his heat race behind fan favorite Tony Stewart and was the final car to qualify for the redraw. When Zimbardi got what was left, he was on the pole and was not ready to relinquish the opportunity.
On Scott Hixson’s initial green flag, Zimbardi jumped out in front of Outside Polesitter Alain Bergeron and within five laps set assault on the back of the field. The first caution flag would not wave until lap 13, by that point the Bundle of Warmth/ Kill Buck Outlet No. 35 had lapped almost half the field.
“The lapped traffic wasn’t too bad tonight,” admitted Zimbardi afterwards. “I could really go anywhere and get by if I needed to.”
The second half of the event was also all Zimbardi’s as he held a solid distance over the pack. On the final two circuits though, a clod of mud to the shoulder and a lap car would be a few final hurdles to clear before captured the Checkered Flags.
“Last year I ended up in the parking lot off turn four when I got hit in the helmet. When I got hit in the shoulder coming to the white flag it stung but I knew there was no way I was going to give up that easy tonight.”
Upon entering Victory Lane, the 24-year-old’s jubilation was flowing as he climbed the flag stand to celebrate in front of a packed house at Black Rock Speedway.
“With (Tony Stewart) here tonight I was going to climb the fence, but I knew I couldn’t get up there, so I went on the flagstand,” said Zimbardi, who with the win also captured his first career A-Verdi King of Upstate New York Championship.
Bergeron, who has perennially been in the runner-up spot at BRS, held off fellow heat winner and hard-charging Tony Stewart immediately after the restart following the final caution flag of the night. Bergeron would stay within touch of Zimbardi and made one final bid to the bottom of turn three on the final turn but did not have enough momentum to score the win.
While running in third with seven laps remaining, Stewart hoped the cushion in turn two, sending his Styres-owned No. 14 into a series of wild hops. Justin Barger and Steve Poirier would move by and would battle it out for third, with Barger claiming the final podium position.
Poirier would finish fourth after starting in 11th. Stewart would round out the top-five for his best BRS finish in three attempts. Earlier in the night, “Smoke” would establish the new 360 Track Record with a 12.713 second lap.
Glenn Styres would finish in sixth in only his second appearance to the Dundee Oval. Blake Breen, who flipped in his heat race, would charge from 21st to finish seventh in his first start of the season. Jason Barney, local Tim Kelly and Don Adamczyk completed an impressive top 10.
Among those that were unable to finish included Chuck Hebing, who was running third when he stopped on the track on lap 13 suspecting an engine issue. Steve Collins, who won his first heat race earlier in the night, was battling for 10th just before the caution when he flipped wildly down the backstretch just after the yellow lights had come on. Steve was alright. Bobby Breen was in fourth when he caused the other caution flag on lap 15 when he slowed with a vibration. Lance Yonge was also inside in the top 10 when he cut down a tire and was forced pitside. Dash Winner Scott Kreutter was also a DNF when the wing tree broke on his No. 52.
A total of 27 sprint cars helped to fill the pits on the always-special night at the Yates County Oval. Kevin Ward Jr. was running strong but hurt an engine in the dash, enabling Blake Breen to start the A-Main. Local Jeff Frasier utilized a provisional to make his first BRS A-Main.
Patriot Sprint Tour Results: 8/12/11, Black Rock Speedway, Dundee, NY.
A-Verdi A-Main (25 Laps)- 1. Jared Zimbardi (35), 2. Alain Bergeron (8B), 3. Justin Barger (32), 4. Steve Poirier (28FM), 5. Tony Stewart (14), 6. Glenn Styres (0), 7. Blake Breen (8), 8. Jason Barney (10B), 9. Tim Kelly (12), 10. Don Adamczyk (21), 11. Brad Knab (38), 12. Paul Habeck (25H), 13. Tommy Wickham (75), 14. Devin Caron (24k), 15. Chris Jones (11), 16. Jeff Frasier (99), 17. Lance Yonge (17J), 18. Bobby Breen (9), 19. Chuck Hebing (45), 20. Steve Collins (67), 21. Scott Kreutter (52), 22. Michael Parent (25), 23. George Suprick (87).
Lap Leaders- Zimbardi 1-25.
Scratched- Kevin Ward Jr. (13)
Added Starter- Blake Breen (8)
Buy-In Provisional- Jeff Frasier (99)
B-Mains (Top 5 Transfer to A-Main)- 1. George Suprick (87), 2. Michael Parent (25), 3. Tommy Wickham (75), 4. Brad Knab (38), 5. Blake Breen (8), 6. Shayne Ely (V8), 7. Jeff Frasier (99), 8. Bruce DeWick (22D), 9.Dave Wickham (80).
Original Pizza Logs Four Laps of Fame Dash (4 Laps)- 1. Kreutter, 2. Styres, 3. Ward, 4. Habeck, 5. Poirier, 6. Kelly.
National Parts Peddler Heats (8 Laps Each)-
Race 1: 1. Stewart, 2. Zimbardi, 3. Kelly, 4. Ward, 5. Styres, 6. Adamczyk, 7. Parent, 8. Frasier, 9. DeWick.
Race 2: 1. Bergeron, 2. Yonge, 3. Hebing, 4. Bo. Breen, 5. Barney, 6. Jones, 7. Knab, 8. Ely, 9. D. Wickham.
Race 3: 1. Collins, 2. Kreutter, 3. Barger, 4. Habeck, 5. Steve Poirier, 6. Devin Caron, 7. T. Wickham, 8. Suprick, 9. Bl. Breen.
Patriot Sprint Tour Championship Points (Top 10)- Zimbardi 1660, Kelly 1505, Kreutter 1417, Adamczyk 1321, Knab 1310, Collins 1200, Ely 1080, Howland 1070, Brown 1006, Frasier 957.
A-Verdi King of Upstate New York Series Final Standings (Top 10)- Zimbardi 300, Poirier 288, Kelly 273, Adamczyk 270, Frasier 259, Yonge 258, Collins 255, Kreutter 254, Parent 253, Knab 218.
Original Pizza Logs Four Laps of Fame Standings (Top Five)- Wasson 17, Kreutter 16, Collins 14, Zimbardi 13, Ely 12.
Gater Racing News Hard Charger of the Season Standings (Top Five)- Knab 43, Wasson 25, Kreutter 22, Zimbardi Collard and Kelly 21.