By Paul Harkenrider (Canandaigua, NY) | As it has been talked about for weeks, it is the tight point battle for the 2021 championship for the A-Verdi Storage Containers Patriot Sprint Tour. Jordan Thomas entered Saturday night at Land of Legends trailing Davie Franek by four points.
During heat race action, Thomas started second in his heat and finished second which got himself as the eighth and final driver in the top eight redraw from the passing points qualifying system. Franek however did not have a good qualifying race as he started seventh and finished seventh. He would be forced to start 19th for the A Main.
Good luck certainly was on Thomas’s side during the redraw as well as he was the last person to draw and was left with the one pill for the 25 lap A Main.
Thomas would start alongside Joe Trenca where they would bring the 22 car field to the green flag. Thomas and Trenca would duel for the top spot in the opening laps but it was Thomas running the bottom which would solidify himself as the leader.
Lap two was the only time a caution came out which involved both Chuck and Kelly Hebing as well as Darryl Ruggles. Chuck Hebing and Ruggles were unable to return but Kelly Hebing would return despite significant nose wing damage.
It was noted that 19th starter, Davie Franek was already up to seventh.
On the single file restart, Thomas would lead the way but along came a firing Paulie Colagiovanni who was coming from fourth and immediately got by both Trenca and Jason Barney for second.
Laps would continue to click by with both Thomas and Colagiovanni up front. Colagiovanni would show his nose wing a couple of times but Thomas would still be able to hold off anything Colagiovanni was trying to do.
The final podium spot was also interchangeable between Trenca, Jason Barney and Matt Farnham.
At the line, it was Thomas holding off Colagiovanni to score his first PST Main of the 2021 season. Joe Trenca would battle back for third over Jason Barney and Matt Farnham. Davie Franek would end up seventh.
With the win, Thomas went from trailing Franek by four points to a 16 point advantage for the 2021 championship with at least two full point races remaining.
Heat race winners went too Joe Trenca, Paulie Colagiovanni and for the 75th time in his career, Jared Zimbardi was a heat race winner. It was also Matt Tanner’s first career Bonnel’s Rod Shop Dash for Cash win.
Our next event will be Sunday, September 5 at the Utica Rome Speedway. It will be the series’ first visit to Utica Rome since 2006.
To follow along, please be sure to connect with PST on Facebook, twitter and Instagram. You can also visit patriotsprinttour.com.
Patriot Sprint Tour Quick Results
A Main: 1) 79-JORDAN THOMAS (1) 2) 10- Paulie Colagiovanni 3) 98- Joe Trenca 4) 87- Jason Barney 5) 7ny- Matt Farnham 6) 10c- Jeff Cook 7) 28f- Davie Franek 8) 90- Matt Tanner 9) 35- Jared Zimbardi 10) 17- Sammy Reakes IV 11) 22- Jonathan Preston 12) 67- Steve Glover 13) 2- Dave Axton 14) 42- Jesse Pruchnik 15) 36- Mike Stelter 16) 4s- Johnny Smith 17) 21- Randy Years 18) 10h- Kelly Hebing 19) 47- Kyle Drum 20) 36b) Brian Preston 21) 45- Chuck Hebing 22) 48jr- Darryl Ruggles 23) 3z- Bobby Parrow (DNS)
Heat 1: 1) 35- Jared Zimbardi 2) 7ny- Matt Farnham 3) 22- Jonathan Preston 4) 42- Jesse Pruchnik 5) 17- Sammy Reakes 6) 67- Steve Glover 7) 28f- Davie Franek 8) 47- Kyle Drum
Heat 2: 1) 98- Joe Trenca 2) 79- Jordan Thomas 3) 87- Jason Barney 4) 90- Matt Tanner 5) 21- Randy Years 6) 36- Mike Stelter 7) 36b- Brian Preston 8) 3z- Bobby Parrow
Heat 3: 1) 10- Paulie Colagiovanni 2) 45- Chuck Hebing 3) 10c- Jeff Cook 4) 48jr- Darryl Ruggles 5) 10h- Kelly Hebing 6) 4s- Johnny Smith 7) 2- Dave Axton
Bonnell’s Rod Shop Dash for Cash: 1) 90- Matt Tanner 2) 48jr- Darryl Ruggles 3) 10LC- Kelly Hebing 4) 17- Sammy Reakes 5) 42- Jesse Prucknik 6) 21- Randy Years