Rocky Warner Leads Family Affair in Utica-Rome Speedway Saturday Victory

Written by Chris Moore

VERNON, NY – A family affair.

On a wild Saturday night at Utica-Rome Speedway, it was Johnstown, N.Y.’s Rocky Warner picking up his first 3 Bastards Brewing Modified victory since 2021 at the ‘Home of Heroes.’

Warner seized the lead with nine laps remaining after Alex Yankowski broke a water pump, and the ‘Flying Squirrel’ took care of business from there.

“We just needed a little luck,” Warner smiled. “I’m super happy for my team, it’s been a long time (since we won).”

The Warner family would get another win later in the night, as Corky Warner claimed his first career Fastline Performance Limited Sportsman victory.

At the drop of the green flag for the Modifieds, Yankowski and Warner occupied the front row and quickly flexed their muscles as the top two cars.

Yankowski raced to the early lead, but Warner was not letting the Pennsylvania native run away to hide.

Warner was rolling the outside groove and appeared to have the faster car before he slipped off the embankment in the second corner and Yankowski scooted away.

The race’s first yellow flag flew on lap 11, allowing Warner to get back to Yankowski’s back bumper and once again apply pressure.

This time however, Yankowski began to move around from the bottom groove he had been maintaining and was starting to pull away from Warner.

“Alex probably had the best car,” Warner proclaimed. “He was out in front and using the racetrack like he was supposed to… I could stay with him at times, but he was really good.”

Yankowski’s night would end early however, breaking a water pump on lap 21, relinquishing the lead to Warner.

Warner inherited the lead, and it was East Greenbush, N.Y.’s Bobby Hackel IV who took over the runner-up position.

When the green flag came back out, suddenly Hackel IV found a burst of speed and began to apply pressure to Warner for the lead.

Hackel’s run for the win was short-lived however, breaking a part in the rear end just three laps after getting to second.

From there, Warner had the remainder of the field covered, claiming his third career 3 Bastards Brewing Modified victory and his first since ’21.

Saratoga Springs, N.Y.’s Jack Lehner and Duanesburg, N.Y.’s Ronnie Johnson put on an epic battle for the runner-up spot in the final six laps, with Lehner emerging in the runner-up spot after starting 11th.

Johnson rounded out the podium and Potsdam, N.Y.’s Michael Maresca came home fourth after starting 22nd following problems in his heat race.

Mexico, N.Y.’s Addison Bowman rounded out the top five after running as high as second in his best career 3 Bastards Brewing Modified outing.

Finishing sixth through 10th, respectively, were Vernon, N.Y.’s Willy Decker from 21st; Elmira, N.Y.’s Ajay Potrzebowski II; West Winfield, N.Y.’s Jeremy Slosek; Johnstown, N.Y.’s Brian Calabrese; and Susquehanna, Pa.’s Darwin Greene.

Lake Ariel, Pa.’s Tyler Peet claimed his first career Taylor’s Trailers Crate 602 Sportsman victory after starting in the seventh position.

Peet was up to the runner-up position at the end of lap three and set his sights on early leader Tanner Warner.

Peet got by Warner at the completion of lap 11 and led the remaining 14 laps for his first career Utica-Rome Speedway win.

Matt Janczuk, Tanner Warner, David Dickey, and Allan Hodge rounded out the top five.

Newport, N.Y.’s A.J. Walters won his third consecutive Next Generation Graphix Pro Stock feature upending Luke Horning after a thrilling duel between the pair.

Walters and Horning side-by-side for several laps, before Horning slipped over the turn two banking allowing Walters to race away for good.

Horning, Ivan Joslin, who rebounded from an early spin, Bret Belden, and Kenny Gates rounded out the top five.

Corky Warner got his first career Fastline Performance Limited Sportsman victory, taking the lead away from Josh Coonradt on a lap six restart and setting sail with the win.

Jeff Bobilin, Eric Jensen, Kirsten Swartz, and Jayden Wust rounded out the top five finishers.

In Fonda Fair Four Cylinder action, it was Dan Valade getting his first Dual Cam win of the season and Wayne Russell Jr. claimed the Single Cam victory.

The Slingshots were in action on the inner-oval and it was A.J. Albreada picking up the All-Star Slingshot victory in dominant fashion.

Addisyn Roger won her second consecutive Junior Slingshot feature with a last lap pass of Blake Banek for the victory.

Racing continues at Utica-Rome Speedway next week on Wednesday, May 22 with ‘Small Car Wednesday.’ The All-Star and Junior Slingshots will be joined by the Winged Champ Karts, Heavy Tire Predators, and Clones.

Then, on Friday, May 24 all five weekly divisions will be in action, plus the Mohawk Valley Vintage Dirt Modified Series. The May 24 event will serve as Round No. 2 for the F.X. Caprara Car Companies Thunder on the Thruway Series. The 3 Bastards Brewing Modifieds, Taylor’s Trailers Crate 602 Sportsman, and Next Generation Graphix Pro Stocks will all race for an increased winner’s share. The Fastline Performance Limited Sportsman, and Fonda Fair Four Cylinders both return for another week of points racing action.

The event will be broadcast live on FloRacing (www.floracing.tv).

Utica-Rome Speedway is located at 5591 NY-5 (Seneca Turnpike) Vernon, NY 13476. The official website is www.uticaromespeedway.com and the speedway can be reached by phone at 315.953.4097. Like Utica-Rome Speedway on Facebook or follow us on Twitter @UR_Speedway.

RESULTS SUMMARY – UTICA-ROME SPEEDWAY SATURDAY, MAY 18, 2024

3 Bastards Brewing Modified Feature Finish (30 laps): 1. JS98-ROCKY WARNER[2]; 2. 02-Jack Lehner[11]; 3. 2RJ-Ronnie Johnson[9]; 4. 7MM-Michael Maresca[22]; 5. 12B-Addison Bowman[8]; 6. 1X-Willy Decker[21]; 7. 72-Ajay Potrzebowski II[6]; 8. 16S-Jeremy Slosek[5]; 9. 21C-Brian Calabrese[12]; 10. 1G-Darwin Greene[10]; 11. 1Z-Jessica Friesen[18]; 12. 34-Rusty Smith[13]; 13. 82H-Ron Holmes[7]; 14. 76-Jamike Sowle[14]; 15. 67W-Zack Welch[24]; 16. 96-Andy Graves[17]; 17. 97-Bobby Hackel IV[4]; 18. 27-Jason Reome[16]; 19. 84Y-Alex Yankowski[1]; 20. 93-Ryan Odasz[3]; 21. 34C-Dave Constantino[15]; 22. 441-Boyd MacTavish[20]; 23. 44C-Ed Downing[23]; 24. 22F-Billy Fiske[19]

Taylor’s Trailers Crate 602 Sportsman Feature Finish (25 laps): 1. 12T-TYLER PEET[7]; 2. 33X-Matt Janczuk[10]; 3. 78-Tanner Warner[2]; 4. 23-David Dickey[1]; 5. 7H-Allan Hodge[3]; 6. 10%-Chad Edwards[16]; 7. 22X-Mike Richmond[8]; 8. 63-Chip Constantino[4]; 9. 262-Matthew Richardson[11]; 10. 12B-Tyler Bobar[5]; 11. 77L-Ed Lukas[15]; 12. 9K-Blaine Klinger[20]; 13. 69-Blake Sarpriacone[12]; 14. 82H-David Hackett[28]; 15. 33-Richard Murtaugh[21]; 16. 117N-Butchie Irwin[22]; 17. 36-Brandon Grover[6]; 18. 2A-Tyler Rapp[23]; 19. 25-Stephen Gray[9]; 20. 44-Gordon Smith[18]; 21. 74-Matt Perry[24]; 22. 1M-Mark Mortensen[17]; 23. 55-Blake Parsons[26]; 24. 55F-Jonny Feagles[14]; 25. 1B-Brett Mortensen[13]; 26. 90-Brodie Davis[25]; 27. 318-Dave Richer[19]; 28. 01-Dylan Nichols[27]

Next Generation Graphix Pro Stock Feature Finish (20 laps): 1. 22W-AJ WALTERS[2]; 2. 2H-Luke Horning[7]; 3. 49-Ivan Joslin[5]; 4. 81-Bret Belden[4]; 5. 35-Ken Gates[3]; 6. 6-Shane Playford[6]; 7. 9B-Slater Baker[8]; 8. 74N-Jim Normoyle[9]; 9. 14H-Hunter Keith[14]; 10. 13-George Cushman[10]; 11. 101-Ed Kotary[12]; 12. 22-Tim Wood[1]; 13. 14K-Mike Keith[11]; 14. 44-Ray Richer[13]

Fastline Performance Limited Sportsman (15 laps): 1. 797-CORKY WARNER[1]; 2. 1B-Jeff Bobilin[4]; 3. 57-Eric Jensen[8]; 4. 24-Kirsten Swartz[2]; 5. 43J-Jayden Wust[7]; 6. 4-Carson Rothwell[11]; 7. 5-Eymarah Bowman[3]; 8. 5C-Randy Cosselman[14]; 9. 618-Bobby Rhinehardt[9]; 10. 77N-Bobby Newman[5]; 11. 44R-Rocco Constantino[12]; 12. 44D-Kadyn Depasquale[10]; 13. 0-Kyle Coley[16]; 14. 10-Andrew MacFadden[13]; 15. 00X-Josh Coonradt[6]; 16. 11-Josh Persse[17]

Did Not Start: 17S-Ernie Staelens; 60-Brad Poppleton; 28J-John Morrison

Fonda Fair Four Cylinder Feature Finish (12 laps): 1. 21D-DAN VALADE[3]; 2. 11D-Jay Ingersoll[1]; 3. 31D-Jeff Connolly[2]; 4. 09D-Kamrin Krause[8]; 5. 54S-WAYNE RUSSELL JR[5]; 6. 13D-Kyle Simmons[6]; 7. 26S-Len St Andrews[4]; 8. 42S-Hayleigh Gates[9]; 9. 212S-TJ Marlitt[7]; 10. 420XS-Tim Warner[10]

Did Not Start: XXXD-Donald Kimball; 21VD-Corey Valade

All-Star Slingshot Feature Finish (20 laps): 1. 22A-AJ ALBREADA[1]; 2. 54-Sullivan Dickey[8]; 3. 115-Paul Holic[6]; 4. 11A-Bill Trexler Sr[7]; 5. 8-Tadd Granger[4]; 6. 83-Corbyn White[9]; 7. 7J-Nicholas Jenkins[2]; 8. 56-Ayden Goodier[5]; 9. 13K-Kyle Rogers[3]

Junior Slingshot Feature Finish (15 laps): 1. 28RS-ADDISYN ROGER[2]; 2. 27-Blake Banek[3]; 3. 33X-Brody Janczuk[4]; 4. 22-Parker Fowler[1]; 5. 67X-Jaxx Welch[5]