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July 23-24, 2010 - Sandusky Speedway, OH
Event: 33rd Annual Hy-Miler Nationals - 100 laps (Saturday)
The ISMA top three in Saturday’s Sandusky Hy-Miler
Nationals pose with Miss Hy-Miler, Raven Reed. From Left is Rob
Summers second, for the second time that day, winner Mark Sammut,
third place finisher Jeff Locke and Miss Reed. - Photo By Jim Feeney
Mark Sammut gives the thumbs up after
the biggest win of his career in the 33rd Sandusky Hy-Miler
Nationals. - Photo By Jim Feeney
Scroll down for more photos from this event....
CANADIAN MARK SAMMUT CLAIMS
FIRST CAREER HY-MILER WIN
Sandusky, OH –
London, Ontario’s Mark Sammut finally won his first and second
winged ISMA features in 2009 after more than a decade of trying. He
finished runner-up in ISMA points at year’s end. But, 2010 had not
gone as well as the 78 team would have liked. In the first five
races of the ISMA season, their best finish had been a sixth, that
is until Saturday night’s 33rd annual Hy-Miler Nationals
at Sandusky Speedway. Sammut took the early lead, lost it to fellow
Canadian Mike Lichty and then quietly stayed with the 84 until he
was ready to reclaim the point. On lap 77 Sammut pulled alongside
Lichty. The duo ran side by side until turn four when Sammut plucked
the Hy-Miler prize. It was Sammut’s race to lose now, and for the
final 22 laps he held on for the biggest win of his supermodified
career. He also became only the second Canadian to win the
prestigious Hy-Miler race; the first being Dave McKnight in 2001.
Sammut recapped his road to victory.
“This is something.
We had a really bad car all weekend long. We kept messing with it
and messing with
it. Finally before time trials today we thought it was coming around
so we just pushed it a bit in that direction. We had a decent run in
time trials. We had a decent run in the heat. I knew then that if we
could stick with it we’d have a good car at the end of 100 laps. And
we did. It was great.
“I had a touch more
when Mike went by me. I knew I couldn’t go that pace and have
anything left at the end so I just kind of let him go. I was just
hoping I’d get some breaks and get back to him. If we didn’t, there
was nothing I could do about it. As it turned out it worked out
perfect. We were right where we wanted to be at the end of the race!
How did this win
rank in his long career that has included numerous TQ midget wins
and championships over the years?
“I was beginning to
wonder if we were ever going to win another race, let alone a
Classic. To put my name on the same list as some of the guys that
have won this race, whether Canadian or American, like the Shoe,
Doug Heveron - the list goes on and on - is unbelievable. To be put
in the same category with all those guys is amazing.
“I have to
especially thank my family. They put up with this all summer long –
working on the racecar, going to the races almost every weekend. And
the there are my sponsors. They have been with us for what seems to
be forever. Curry Steel Erecting, he’s my biggest one and has been
for years and years. Wells Foundry and Mobile Striping and Sweeping
– they’ve all put us here and if it wasn’t for those three guys we
wouldn’t be doing this at all. I have to thank them.”
The race concluded
with a series of strange events, some of which helped Vernon, CT
driver Rob Summers get to his second runner-up spot in the two races
run on Saturday. With six laps to go, Summers was fifth, but by the
checkered he was second as several cars ahead of him had or were
running out of fuel.
Summers
acknowledged the fact in victory lane. “It was quite a race. I was
really surprised to finish where we did. We were fighting a hanging
throttle for most of the race. The throttle was giving me a real
headache. The car was set up good. Eric Lewis helped us out today.
He was a real big help. Brian Allegresso, Doc, Caswell, Russ Wood,
JWJ, Jeff Holbrook – all those guys. Two seconds - it was a great
weekend!”
Third place
finisher Jeff Locke acquired the podium spot on the last lap when
Mike Lichty’s 84 began to fade gasping for fuel. Locke, in only his
second year of competition in the big block supers was very happy.
“What a great race.
I’m glad the fans stuck around. This is an awesome place to come to.
There’s a lot of tradition and it’s a real honor to be in the top
three on the podium here tonight. I have to thank Richard Witkum. He
had to stay home this week and I know he’s wishing he were here
right now. But, we did it. I’d like too thank my father obviously. I
wouldn’t be here without him. He believed in me when not a lot of
people did. So that’s the reason I’m here. The car is starting to
run better. R&R Competition Engines builds awesome motors with
awesome horsepower. This is unbelievable. I love it.”
To say that there
was a full day of racing at Sandusky Saturday would be an
understatement. Starting with the rained out 40-lapper bright and
early at 10:30 am and ending with the last checkered 12 hours later,
there was something for everyone.
Twenty-eight cars
took time trials for the Hy-Miler with several – Bob Dawson, Justin
Belfiore, Kyle Edwards. Michael Barnes and Brandon Bellinger
experiencing problems prior to the start of qualifying. For the
second day, Dave Shullick Jr. claimed the top spot on the list of 18
locked into the heats with a 14.493, bettering his Friday time.
Heats went to Jim
Paller for his first ever ISMA checkered, Lichty and 4-time Hy-Miler
winner Russ Wood with no consi necessary due to several cars
dropping by the wayside with blown motors or other problems.
Mark Sammut sat
outside of Ben Seitz as the field lined up to start the 33rd
running of the Hy-Miler Nationals. The sky, unfortunately, was
darkening and once again threats of rain played a key role in the
events unfolding. Sammut wasted no time in taking the initial lead
and Mike Lichty soon tucked in behind.
Jim Paller brought
out the first of too many yellows on lap 9 and joined Michael Barnes
and Craig Rayvals, already in the pits. Jim would come back but not
for long.
Mike Lichty tried
to battle by Sammut on the restart to no avail but he’d get another
chance 3 laps later when the 19 of Trent Stephens brought out the
second flag.
Dave Shullick Jr.,
the day’s fastest man, moved into third on this restart but the two
Canadians out front pulled away to their own battle. Behind
Shullick a torrid race was developing between Ben Seitz, Russ Wood,
Johnny Benson Jr. and Charlie Schultz.
A scary moment for
leader Sammut came on lap 20 when he brushed slightly with a slower
car he was about to lap. No harm came of the move and Sammut
continued his lead but not for long as Lichty was about to pounce.
On lap 23, Lichty got around the 78 as the pair approached a lap
car.
Lap 26 saw a yellow
for Charlie Schultz, who had to be considered a strong contender for
the win. Mike Ordway Sr. also pitted here having problems with the
Miller 1. He returned at the tail.
Leader Lichty took
off trailed by Sammut, Shullick Jr., Seitz, Benson, Wood, Randy
Burch and Lou Cicconi and the race was able to maintain a fast flow
until two consecutive yellows flew on lap 33 which put Schultz, Dave
Shullick Sr. and Mike Ordway Sr. all out of the race due to
mechanical ills.
On the restart of
lap 33, Shullick Jr. dove past Sammut and headed for leader Lichty,
but by lap 40, Lichty was able to pull away a bit until on lap 41
when Jon Henes hit the wall in four sending fluid onto the track.
With 40 completed laps, refueling took place. Concern was now
developing as to what the weather was going to do. The sky was
beginning to light up in the distance. The hot, humid day was
predictably going to produce more rain. When, was the question.
Eleven more laps would complete the race according to rules. The
decisions here, as to how much fuel to load, may have made critical
to the race’s finishing order.
The green flag
produced some scurrying for position behind Lichty and Shullick as
Sammut had Randy Burch, who had started 18th, hot on his
tail. Russ Wood looked to be playing the Hy-Miler game to his liking
as he now moved into fifth around Seitz, Benson and Rob Summers.
Cicconi and Tim Ice were right behind this trio.
Lichty and Shullick
crossed the line at the halfway mark several car lengths head of the
seven-car train behind them. The race was over if the rain came now.
But it held off.
On lap 60, the 08
of Kyle Edwards slowed and was trying to dive into the pits just as
the leaders approached creating one scary moment. But everyone got
by cleanly and Edwards was pushed in
On the restart, it
was Lichty, Shullick Jr., Sammut, Burch, Wood, Seitz, Benson,
Summers, Ice, Cicconi and Locke. Moments later, a huge gasp went up
from the crowd as the 61 of Shullick Jr. slowed and headed into the
pits off turn 4, out of contention. The lower shaft in the rear end
had broken, costing Shoe II a possible double victory. Car owner
Clyde Booth said later, “We should have changed that after the wreck
at Toledo and we didn’t. You change everything you think you should
but just missed it. But, that happens.”
Now an onslaught of
yellows flew fast and furious as position mattered on every lap as
the skies lit up. On lap 63, fifth and sixth place runners Ben Seitz
and Johnny Benson collided, sending Seitz into the inner rail, a
massive puddle and out of the race on the flatbed. Benson was able
to pit and re-enter.
Another collision
occurred on the restart when the 49 of Cicconi and 37 of Locke
brushed in 2. Both restarted but Randy Burch’s pass of Mark Sammut
for second was negated in the process.
Green fell, but was
followed by yellow as the 08 car was pushed onto the speedway and
was unable to remain started.
Finally, after
three attempts, the next restart stuck and Lichty led Sammut and now
Burch to the green. On lap 64 Johnny Benson called it a night and
pitted.
Another long green
streak saw Lichty and Sammut pull away again while Burch held off
Wood, Summers and Ice. Not many cars had survived this long.
All eyes were on
the front pair now as lap after lap Sammut tried to get by Lichty
and finally on lap 77, Mark made the pass off turn four to become
the last leader the 100-lapper would see. He immediately put his
foot into it putting a lap car between his 78 and Lichty’s 84.
On lap 96, it
appeared evident that Sammut was headed for his first Hy-Miler win.
Randy Burch, in a strong run, nailed Lichty for second when all hell
broke loose. First, Russ Wood’s 29 in fourth, slowed and pitted. He
was followed by Burch and Danny Lane, who also moved in for a gulp
of fuel.
By lap 97, it was
Sammut, Lichty, Summers, Locke and Ice out front by virtue of some
low fuel cells. But someone else up front was getting down to fumes
– Lichty. He tried to hold on but couldn’t as first Summers and then
Locke moved in for the kill. Lichty settled for fourth as Ice
claimed fifth. During the victory lane ceremonies, raindrops began
to fall, too late for some, but not enough to dampen Mark Sammut’s
parade!
Fourth place
finisher Mike Lichty was the first to admit he was praying for the
drops to fall earlier.
“ First off, hats
off to Sammut. That’s awesome for him to win. We were so good right
from the get-go to probably lap 60 right when Sammut started closing
in and got by us. Caution after caution after caution. I don’t know
what happened to the tire but right after the last restart we just
got so loose and we junked the tire. There is nothing left of the
right rear. Man, I wanted to win this one so bad. And, we had the
car for it. We ran out of fuel coming down for the line and Jeff
Locke got us for third there. I don’t know. We’ll just try it again
next year. I was thinking after half way, seeing the lightning and
saying man, rain, rain. The bugs were so bad I lost tearoffs. I
couldn’t see. It was a complete disaster for us. But, we’ll take it.
A fourth this morning and a fourth tonight. There was something
definitely weird with the track. Usually we never get loose here.
When I got by Sammut at the beginning I noticed he set the car up
tight. It definitely paid off for him. We’ll have to go back to the
drawing board and see what we have heading for Delaware.”
Tim Ice had a
bittersweet description of his fifth place, which he felt could have
been a fourth.
“I thought I was
pretty decent but on that last restart I got jumped before the green
and then he (37) ran into my left front wheel on the way by. No one
seemed to see that. It was on the rim the last lap. I lost a spot on
that. I was lucky to finish. I guess you take your chances. Maybe
I’ll have to do that someday. Earlier in the race when somebody
jumped, they put him to the tail. That’s where the 37 should have
gone.
“I still don’t
think the track conditions were very good this weekend. This just
isn’t what we used to have here normally. I think all and all it was
a pretty good race. There was a lot of hard racing. It was hard to
pass so you saw a few get together out there. I don’t think anything
was deliberate, just hard racing. My thing was I got the nose wing
bent up early and I got a little tight. I was still able to get in
the top five and pull away from that bunch.”
Randy Burch, Russ
Wood and Bob Magner were the last cars in the lead lap in sixth
through 8th. Dave Duggan and Lou Cicconi Jr. rounded out
the top ten, 1 lap down.
SUMMARY Saturday,
July 24, 2010, Sandusky Hy-Miler
Fast Time: Dave
Shullick Jr. 14. 493.
Heat 1: Jim Paller,
Johnny Benson Jr., Lou Cicconi, Trent Stephens, Rob Summers, Bob
Magner, Jon Henes, Danny Lane, Michael Barnes (dns), Justin Belfiore
(dns)
Heat 2: Mike Lichty,
Ben Seitz, Dave Shullick Sr., Mike Ordway, Charlie Schultz, Kyle
Edwards, Craig Rayvals, Jack Smith, Dave Duggan
Heat 3: Russ Wood,
Dave Shullick Jr., Mark Sammut, Tim Ice, Jeff Locke, Randy Burch,
Bobby Haynes Jr., Gene Lee Gibson, Brandon Bellinger
33rd Hy-Miler
Nationals. 1. Mark Sammut (78), 2. Rob Summers (35), 3. Jeff Locke
(37), 4. Mike Lichty (84), 5. Tim Ice (77), 6. Randy Burch (52), 7.
Russ Wood (29), 8. Bob Magner (41), 9. Dave Duggan (51), 10. Lou
Cicconi (49), 11. Danny Lane (97), 12. Johnny Benson Jr. (74), 13.
Ben Seitz (17), 14. Kyle Edwards (08), 15. Dave Shullick Jr. (61),
16. Bobby Haynes Jr. (44), 17. Gene Lee Gibson (0), 18. Trent
Stephens (19), 19. Jon Henes (36), 20. Jack Smith (09), 21. Dave
Shullick Sr. (8), 22. Charlie Schultz (7), 23. Mike Ordway (1), 24.
Jim Paller (64), 25. Craig Rayvals (04), 26. Brandon Bellinger (02),
27. Michael Barnes (70)
Scroll down
for more photos from this event....
Ben
Seitz 17 battled for several laps with
Johnny Benson Jr 74, but an incident between the two dropped
both out of top ten finishes. - Photo By Jim Feeney
Saturday’s prelim winner Dave Shullick Jr 61moves into second past
Mark Sammut 78 and Randy Burch 52 and sets his sights on the leader
Mike Lichty. Unfortunately, Shullick’s race would end on lap 60. -
Photo By Jim Feeney
Mark
Sammut 78 battles to stay in front of Mike Lichty 84, as they put a
lap on Craig Rayvals 04. Sammut would lose this battle early in the
race, but come back later to pass Lichty and take the win. - Photo
By Jim Feeney
Early in the feature, two eventual top three finishers, Rob Summers
35 and
Jeff Locke 37 fight their way up through the field. - Photo
By Jim Feeney
Rob
Summers 35 follows teammate and four-time Hy-Miler Nationals winner,
Russ Wood 29 around the Sandusky oval, both heading to the front.
- Photo By Jim Feeney
Randy Burch 52 and Russ Wood 29 both were running a
great race strategy and moving quickly towards a podium
finish, in the late stages of the feature. Unfortunately for both,
they had fuel issues and wound up sixth and seventh, respectively. -
Photo By Jim Feeney
Mark
Sammut poses in Victory Lane with Miss Hy-Miler reps. - Photo By Jim
Feeney
Scroll down for more photos
from Saturday's event by Jim Feeney:
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