By Steve Ovens
(FONDA, NY) – Jordan Hutton and his Hutton Racing No. 66 team had a tough week. They have had some tough weeks throughout the 2021 season- but this week had them frustrated.
Sunday they were racing for a Top 5 spot in CRSA’s A-Main at Thunder Mountain Speedway when a racing deal saw Hutton enter the spin cycle doing a 360. His Top 5 bid was dashed and he would rally back to a Top 10.
Later in the week, the team learned that they weren’t as close as they thought they were for the 2021 Rookie of the Year Award. After being delivered the news by his family about this year’s Rookie race Hutton boldly stated, “Well I guess we just have to go win the next three races and see where we land.”
After a dominating performance on Friday night- Hutton is now a third of the way there in his bold prediction. Hutton was fast in his heat race as the JB Logging, 87 Speed mount led every lap to win Heat 3. With Hutton drawing the outside pole and getting praise and a few words of advice from Jason Barney, competing on the opposite end of the state at Ransomville Speedway, Hutton was poised for a big night.
Joe Kriss threw the green flag on the initial start for 20 CRSA Sprints in attendance and it wouldn’t take long for the race’s first stoppage. Second-high point man this season, Josh Flint, appeared on replay to have caught the wet clay and inside barrier entering Turn 1. The contact sent Flint across the track at high speed into Trevor Years, sending Years into the wall and Flint eventually landing on the side board of the wing.
Flint was ok and even though the flip was not very dramatic, the contact caused damage to the frame of the Hannay Reels No. 41J and will likely end their 2021 campaign. The Flint team suffered engine woes already this season and had been a rough Summer after starting the year so strong with a win at Fonda.
On the second attempt at starting the race, Hutton and polesitter Ronnie Greek drag raced wing to wing into the third turn. Greek skated up off the bottom and allowed Hutton to cruise by on the top lane to take the race lead on Lap 1.
Behind Hutton, point leader Jeff Trombley and Dalton Herrick stormed through the field from their sixth and ninth starting spots respectively. Trombley and Herrick battled hard enough with each other that Hutton was able to pull out to a six car length gap.
But as Hutton approached slower traffic, second and third began closing the gap with Hutton tip toeing his way to put cars a lap down to the field. Trombley got as close as the tail tank just prior to the halfway point with Hutton benefiting from clean air to hold the lead working the outside lane up against the marbles.
Hutton had a close call with five laps to go. The Hannibal, NY shoe attempted to pass a slower car into Turn 3 on the top and slid through the loose clay- killing his momentum. Cooler heads prevailed as Hutton locked back in and focused on laying down solid laps.
While Trombley and Herrick tried to close the gap late, the CRSA Rookie drove away to his first win in a 305 Sprint Car and first career win with CRSA. Trombley and Herrick completed the podium.
Greek locked down his second Top 5 finish in a row, landing him the Maguire Family of Dealerships “Magnificent Move of the Race” award. Jeremiah Munson, 2009 Fonda Speedway 602 Sportsman track champion, made his return to CRSA Sprint competition to fill out the Top 5.
Hutton was surprised, to say the least, to win on a big half-mile with an engine that now has 71 races on it.
“We were really just trying to stay consistent with Top 10’s and Top 5’s on good nights,” explained Hutton.
“A win was definitely not on our radar this early into this. I can’t believe that we got a win tonight.”
The rookie pilot discussed recent speed they have found and the confidence it has given him to continue to build as a driver and team.
“I think we’re starting to figure this car out more and more. We were fast at Thunder (Mountain Speedway) and I think we’re just going to keep getting faster. In the heat I went into Turn 1 wide open and it stuck and it gave me confidence knowing we had a good car here tonight.”
Trombley, who has 35 career Modified wins and two track championships at “The Track of Champions,” logged his third runner-up finish in as many tries at Fonda this season.
“We’ve been really good here this year, we know this place well but I think tonight it was just a matter of starting position,” said Trombley.
“Take your hat off to the young man, we gave him all we had.”
Dalton Herrick had himself a week with the CRSA Sprints. A fast hot rod carried Herrick to a win at Thunder Mountain and a third place at Fonda Friday night.
“The car has been so good this week and the track crew here (at Fonda) hit it perfect, man that was fun out there battling with a guy like Jeff,” noted Herrick post-race.
The Powdertech Powdercoating Hard Charger Bonus went to Pompey, NY driver John Cunningham, who gained seven spots from 15th starting position to a finish of 8th.
Greek has turned it on lately with the CRSA Sprints. His second Top 5 finish in a row in 2021 at Fonda earned him the “Maguire Family of Dealerships Magnificent Move of the Race.”
A favorite going into Fonda as the most recent CRSA winner, Mike Kiser, was no doubt frustrated after coming home on the opposite end of the spectrum with a 20th place finish. This earned him the “Midstate Basement Authorities Out of the Basement” award.
Next on the schedule for the Super Gen Products / Champion Power Equipment CRSA Sprints will be a trip to Gary Folk Sr.’s Penn Can Speedway for “King of the Can Weekend.” The 305 Sprinters will compete for $1,000-to-win in Round 15 of 16 for 2021. The final event will close out 2021 with a trip to Afton Motorsports Park during Short Track Supernationals Weekend for Brett Deyo’s Short Track Super Series.
The CRSA 305 Sprints are powered by Super Gen Products with their Champion Power Equipment located in Newark, NY. Associate sponsors for the 2021 CRSA 305 Sprints include Midstate Basement Authorities, CNY Farm Supply, the Maguire Family of Dealerships, Powdertech Powdercoating, Hoosier Racing Tires, Insinger Performance with their Stinger Race Fuel and is owned and operated by Mike Emhof Motorsports.
For more information on the series, results, points and 2021 schedule please visit our website www.crsa.myracepass.com
Please visit the Super Gen Products with Champion Power Equipment CRSA Sprints on Facebook (@CRSAsprints) and on Twitter (@CRSAsprints).
SUPER GEN PRODUCTS CRSA SPRINTS @ FONDA SPEEDWAY OFFICIAL RESULTS- Friday September 17th, 2021:
A-MAIN RESULTS (20 Laps): 1. 66-Jordan Hutton[2]; 2. 3A-Jeff Trombley[6]; 3. 29-Dalton Herrick[9]; 4. 28-Ron Greek[1]; 5. 51-Jeremiah Munson[5]; 6. 9K-Kyle Pierce[11]; 7. 410-Jerry Sehn Jr[12]; 8. J27-John Cunningham[15]; 9. 4T-Ray Preston[13]; 10. 18C-Dan Craun[7]; 11. 18-Timmy Lotz[18]; 12. 22M-Aaron Shelton[19]; 13. 14-James Layton[20]; 14. 3P-Link Pettit[17]; 15. 121-Steve Glover[10]; 16. 41J-Josh Flint[3]; 17. 13T-Trevor Years[4]; 18. 25W-Dana Wagner[8]; 19. 41-Chase Moran[14]; 20. 99-Mike Kiser[16]
Powdertech Powdercoating Hard Charger Bonus: J27 John Cunningham +7 spots $25
Maguire Family of Dealerships “Magnificent Move of the Race”: 28 Ronnie Greek $25
Midstate Basement Authorities “Out of the Basement” Bonus: 99 Mike Kiser $25
Heats (8 laps)
#1: 1. 3A-Jeff Trombley[2]; 2. 51-Jeremiah Munson[1]; 3. 13T-Trevor Years[3]; 4. 121-Steve Glover[4]; 5. 4T-Ray Preston[6]; 6. 99-Mike Kiser[5]
#2: 1. 25W-Dana Wagner[1]; 2. 29-Dalton Herrick[2]; 3. 28-Ron Greek[4]; 4. 9K-Kyle Pierce[6]; 5. 41-Chase Moran[3]; 6. 3P-Link Pettit[5]; 7. 22M-Aaron Shelton[7]
#3: 1. 66-Jordan Hutton[2]; 2. 41J-Josh Flint[4]; 3. 18C-Dan Craun[1]; 4. 410-Jerry Sehn Jr[3]; 5. J27-John Cunningham[5]; 6. 18-Timmy Lotz[6]; 7. 14-James Layton[7]