Bowman Nips Krull in Mod Thriller at Humberstone
By Dave Sully
(Pt. Colborne, Ontario) Mike Bowman made a dramatic last turn move on leader Robbie Krull to win a taut 30 lap Modified Feature at Humberstone Speedway on Sunday, August 29th. In so doing, he over came a large point lead held by Chad Brachmann, whose team had to make a supreme effort to get him back on the track after a first lap incident.
As the field roared down the front stretch after taking the opening green, there was a tangle involving Brachmann, Mat Williamson, and Adam Leslie, with the Williamson and Brachmann machines becoming entangled. After being freed, Brachmann ducked into the pits for repairs. He was just able to join the field from turn three as the field took the green to stay on the lead lap.
Bill Bleich assumed the early lead, with Krull moving into second on lap six, after a prolonged battle with Chad Chevalier. As Krull chased down Bleich on the top of the track, Bowman was clawing around the bottom, assuming third on lap19. Krull caught Bleich and took the lead on lap 22, with Bowman assuming the runner-up spot a lap later.
Bowman kept digging on the bottom, closing the gap in lapped traffic. The two diced over the final four laps, with Krull trying to protect the bottom. On the final turn Bowman drew alongside and won the drag race to the flag by .067 seconds. Bleich had to settle for third, followed by Chevalier, and Travis Braun, who has been stout recently. Brachmann soldiered to a 16h place finish, but needed a caution to have a legitimate shot. It never came, as the race went green to checker after the initial restart.
Of the late race duel, Krull noted, “I could hear someone behind me. Someone was getting on the gas before I could, so I knew someone was there. When I saw him, I went down to block. I just couldn’t hold my car down real well. I kind of tested the top earlier and started burying it in there pretty good, but that kind of went away, and he went around me.” He added, “That was a fun race. The track was the best that it’s been all year. There was a great cushion.”
Bowman, who was basically out of the point chase until Brachmann’s mishap, observed, “This was definitely the closest win of my career. I’ve had a lot taken from me on the last lap, so it’s pretty special to take one on the last lap, especially with Rob Krull. When I was running sportsman, I watched him running the modified. Rob’s a great guy to race with. It was a pretty tactical battle. I showed him the nose on the bottom. He blocked the bottom, and I didn’t really show it to him again. Then he went up top again, and I went to the bottom. I hope maybe I confused him a bit, and he did go to the top on the last lap and gave me the door to go through. I was just hoping that car was going to bite coming off four because I knew he’d be coming.”
Of the unexpected development in the point race, he added, “It just goes to show you, you can’t ever give up. Anything can happen. It’s not like we didn’t do what we showed up to do. I knew he (Brachmann) started behind me. I still knew that if I could win the race and he struggled, I knew it was 24 points, and as long as I won and he didn’t crack the top ten, maybe I had a shot. When I saw (the incident) I said, ‘Let the cards fall as they may.’
The 25 lap Sportsman race went to Ryan Susice, his second, from Ransomville, who led every lap from the pole. The race was delayed for some twenty minutes on lap seventeen, when two cars locked together and literally had to be cut apart, after conventional methods to free them failed.
In other action, Bill Bleich Jr. won a spirited 20 lap Street Stock race, his fifth of the season, while Rocco Conte claimed his fourth Mini Stock victory. Finally, Ed McNamara took his first win in the 4 Cylinder Truck Feature.
NOTES: It was a beautiful night for racing and a large crowd was on hand ……A popular “Show and Shine” for big rigs entertained the crowd at the intermission, along with bike races for the kids and some drivers………All Bowman has to do is start the feature next week to claim the modified title.
MODIFIED: (30 laps) Mike Bowman, Robbie Krull, Billy Bleich Sr, Chad Chevalier, Travis Braun, Fred Carleton, Scott Wood, Pete Bicknell, Tom Flannigan, Tim Jones, Chris Steele, James Friesen, Brian Stevens, Jeff McGinnis, Justin Sharp, Chad Brachmann, Tyler McPherson, Shawn Sliter, Dennis Giancola, Ken Winfield, Mat Williamson, and Rob Pietz. Heat winners were Krull, Tommy Flannigan, and Braun
SPORTSMAN: (25 laps) Ryan Susice, Greg Panunte, Brad Rouse, Mark Dixon, BJ Willard, Adam Leslie, Cody McPherson, Luke Carleton, Jeff Armstrong, Gregg Rauscher, Kent Nuhn, Darrell Ebersole, Nick Cupolo, Kevin Sharpe, Gary Lindberg, Darrell Farraway, Rob Murray, Aaron Vasas, Rick St Pierre, Billy Gill, Ray Hockridge, Doug Walsh, and Gordon Hermanson. Heat winners were Susice, Farraway, and Dixon
STREET STOCKS: (20 laps) Bill Bleich Jr., Jason Fontaine, Vince Fargnoli, Mark Fawcett, Dave Small, Kevin Kocarik, Tyler Anderson, Kevin Aube, Rob Disher, Kevin Knapp, Isaac Pelissero, James Thompson, Adam Nicholls, Ed McNamara, and Jordan Fidler Heat winners were Fawcett, and McNamara,
MINI STOCKS: (15 laps) Rocco Conte, Rob Goulding, Aaron Wiley, Garnet Wilson, Brandon Iudiciani, Evan Curtis, Kyle Pelrine, Chris Laskey, Jocelyne Wiley, Ryan Spoar, Mike Sarantakos, Baden Curtis, Fred Conte, Dillan Sliter, Greg Wilson, and Kevin Clow. Heat winners were Laskey, and Aaron Wiley
PRO 4 TRUCKS: (15 laps) Bob McNamara, Kevin Conley, Billy Beales, Hilary Haegens, Andy Imbeault, Rick Book, Steve Vanderzanden, Kameron Kocarik, Mike Toovey, Greg Haegens, Jeff Mark and Danny Wurster. Heat winners were Hilary Haegens, and Conley
