By Marty Czekala
CENTER LISLE, N.Y. – Kyle Pierce’s day job isn’t too far from Thunder Mountain Speedway.
As a fourth grade teacher at Spencer-Van Etten Central School, under an hour away, many of his students showed up to watch him race his 305 Sprint car. They may now be good luck charms.
Pierce passed underneath Billy VanInwegen with eight laps to go to score his second win of the season at Thunder Mountain in the Joe’s Garage Southern Tier Series.
“I hope they come back with us,” said Pierce in victory lane. We have a lot of family, people from school that have been coming. It’s cool to pick up a win, but more special when they hear it 180 days out of the school year.”
A pair of VanInwegens made up the front row: Emily VanInwegen followed by Billy VanInwegen, the latter of whom finished second last May. “Emily V” led the opening laps in the sibling rivalry, but “Billy V” grabbed the lead back on the outside through three and four.
“The Flyin’ School Teacher” Pierce would move up to the runner-up spot, passing Emily VanInwegen on the top before the first yellow flew around the halfway point for Kirsten Dombrowski, spinning in turn three.
The restart saw Billy VanInwegen’s No. 56v hold serve. Pierce explored options from the high to the low grooves and the leader cut off. Pierce seemed really good on the top, but when Billy VanInwegen took the top, the No. 9k switched downstairs and, on lap 18, took the lead in three and four to not look back and win.
“If you told me I was gonna do that, I wouldn’t believe you,” Pierce said. “I never ran the top here before; we were hoping I could poke my nose one time and get back to where I was. He’s not the guy you want behind you when it gets slick.”
The win is Pierce’s second of the Joe’s Garage Southern Tier Series and the sixth of his career, tying him for 13th on the all-time wins list.
In victory lane, Pierce dedicated this win to the late Evan Canfield, former CRSA Sprints photographer. Pierce revealed that plans were in the works to have Canfield’s EC Media logo on the wing of “The Flyin’ School Teacher’s.”
Two races at Thunder Mountain in 2024 and two runner-up finishes for Billy VanInwegen. Déjà vu to last May when he led early and then lost it later in the going.
“Real good early, horrid at the end,” said Billy VanInwegen. “Kyle ran a good race. Thanks to the VanDusen family for letting me run this thing. I need to get this thing to take off at the start. Just do our homework and find some speed.”
As for the other VanInwegen in the field, Emily VanInwegen piloted her No. 19em ride to third, her first podium finish since June 2019 at Glen Ridge when she finished second and her first top-five finish since Aug. 2022 at Afton.
“I ran the bottom all night except the feature, which is usually my safe zone,” said Emily VanInwegen. “I wasn’t too sure how it was going to plan out. We gave it our best and this is where it’s at.”
Blake Warner finished sixth tonight after starting from 18th place, gaining 12 spots to make him the Powdertech Powdercoating Hard Charger of the Race.
Despite finishing in 18th, Jordan Hutton’s moves throughout the race’s first half awarded him the Maguire Family of Dealerships Magnificent Move of the Race. Hutton was involved in a crash in the final laps to end his night.
Up next for the CRSA Sprints is their first two-in-two of the year at Outlaw Speedway Friday and Woodhull Raceway Saturday for the first races in the Dandy Triple Play.
A Feature 1 (25 Laps): 1. 9k-Kyle Pierce[4]; 2. 56v-Billy VanInwegen[2]; 3. 19em-Emily VanInwegen[1]; 4. 29-Dalton Herrick[5]; 5. 22-Tomy Moreau[3]; 6. 21B-Blake Warner[18]; 7. 77-Bob Hamm[6]; 8. 28-Ron Greek[11]; 9. 410-Jerry Sehn Jr.[7]; 10. J27-John Cunningham[8]; 11. 4-Cliff Pierce[14]; 12. D9-Dustin Sehn[9]; 13. 33-Scott Landers[17]; 14. 10p-Vince Chicklets[12]; 15. 30-Kirsten Dombroski[13]; 16. 42-Jeremy Hamilton[19]; 17. 19c-Mark Connoly[15]; 18. 66-Jordan Hutton[10]; 19. 22m-Aaron Shelton[16]; 20. 10-Nathan Pierce[20]
The A-Verdi Storage Containers CRSA Sprints are powered by Super Gen Products. Associate sponsors for 2024 include Pit Stop Convenience Stores, DisBatch Brewing Company, Dandy, Joe’s Garage, Westward Painting Company, the Maguire Family of Dealerships, Powdertech Powdercoating, PJC Sprayfoam, Profab Enterprises, Magsarus Ignitions, Hoosier Racing Tire, Insinger Performance with their Stinger Race Fuel, My Race Pass and is owned and operated by Mike Emhof Motorsports.
For more information on the series, results and points, please visit our website, www.crsa.myracepass.com.
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