There’s no shortage of history between the Grant family and the Ovens family. That was the premier reason why Jimmy Grant, 36, wanted so badly to win the Ovens Memorial Street Stock feature at Land of Legends Raceway Saturday night.
Sometimes things just work out.
Grant delivered on a burn-burner of a pass, darting between lapped cars and the leader entering the third turn. As the cars fanned out four wide, he emerged at the exit of the fourth turn with the lead over a powerhouse Adam Depuy, and he went on to win the feature.
The feature was contested in honor of LOLR Wall of Fame inductee Brad Ovens and his father, Stewart Ovens, who each succumbed to COVID complications last year. The two were known for their roles in area motorsports ventures, and their love of the sport. Stewart passed in early November and his son, Brad, passed around two weeks later. Steven, Stewart’s son and Brad’s older brother, is the track announcer at LOLR. A celebration of life was held ahead of Saturday’s racing card.
“Being for who this was for, we are close with the Ovens, we wanted to win this one” remarked Grant, a second generation driver and son of ‘Wild’ Willy Grant. “My dad, we used to put on thrill shows at the fairgrounds, and Stu did the announcing. Racing with Steven in go karts, this is really an awesome thing.”
Grant had an exceptionally fast car, riding more brake than he did throttle. But, he was bottled up behind Rich Crego early on. Crego was occupying the inside line and running well, but Depuy was motoring away. At that point, Grant was working to heat up his right rear, and began to try to roll the corner, finding opportunity hidden in the middle as the track shined up.
“We tried to roll the black,” said Grant. “You rotate the car a little different; you have to float it in. You have to wait for traction, and you are half throttle around the corner, but it worked. As soon as I went up there to make the pass on Crego I knew we had something. I had some confidence.”
Once clear, Grant devoured the gap to Depuy. With two cars racing side by side, Grant swept to the outside, then pinched the car into an opening. DePuy worked under a slower car, knowing the pressure was on. Grant powered through the opening, and took the lead.
“Coming through lapped traffic, that is the most fun I have had in a race car. Adam is a beast,,” Grant said, praising the clean racing and mutual respect between himself and then-leader DePuy. He also noted the preparation in the shop. “We weren’t even going to bring this car. But Pat Kerrick, he works on the cars. You have to service them, and we made some changes… To have it work like it did, it was glued to the track.”
A major melee with three to go slowed the race. Josh Pangrazio broke on the backstretch, another car slowed and another four cars piled into one another trying to avoid the chaos. The red flag stopped the race and Grant was thinking about the tires sealing, and the temperature in the engine was beginning to climb.
Kerrick didn’t exactly pull a Harry Hogge, Robert Duvall’s character in Days of Thunder. There wasn’t a set of tires that were matched perfectly and staggered special, as Hogge told Cole Trickle in the film. But, it was close enough.
The track was cleared, and the temp dropped back down to the 190. The tires didn’t seal over as much as Grant expected. On the restart, Depuy hung with the leader. A quick caution reset the start, and Grant was able to fire away. Two more restarts allowed Depuy chances, but Grant was on rails to the checkers ahead of Depuy, Crego, Mike Welsh and Marc Minutolo.
“I was thinking about tires, but everyone else was going through the same thing,” said Grant. “I saw the temperature was 190, 210, 215… I thought I was going to have to blow this thing up to win it. And I would have.
“I would have put the rods through the block. But once we got rolling, it dropped. I have this thing, once we get going, I snap the gas and I throw the car sideways. When I did that, what I felt, I knew we were going to win the race.”
In victory lane, Grant advised his wife Courtney the ImageX novelty check would be hanging in their house, but in reality, it stayed on the hood of the car at Kerrick’s house.
A rough-and-tumble upbringing and some tall odds in his formative years have left a calmer, wiser Jimmy Grant to reap the benefits of self-growth. Now, his brother Willy III and Jimmy are carrying on the legacy, wheeling the No. 36 cars. Right now, there are around nine race-ready or near-race ready entries around the compound emblazoned with the family number. Grant’s daughter, Ellie, won at Outlaw Friday night. It was her second win. Willy III’s son Brighton, two months Ellie’s elder, is getting ready to get in a car as well.
“This is what you dream about when you are a little kid with dirt cars,” Grant said. There are more historically relevant no. 36 entries — or wrecked ones — on race car mountain, behind the team headquarters.
The sportsman race didn’t go as well. Curfew was looming and the car was already heated for Grant to exit the winning street stock ride and jump into the sportsman. It appears the cam devoured the rod on the mechanical fuel pump, ending the sportsman feature for Grant a half-circuit into the parade laps.
“But, still, the success we have been having, it is amazing,” said Grant. “Life is good. After where I came from, to be here today, it came with a lot of hard work and I am a grateful man.”
News also broke Saturday that longtime photographer Don Romeo had passed away. Land of Legends Raceway paid tribute to him with a video. Empire Super Sprints, where he was also a long time photographer, also honored his memory on social media.
The Hobby Stock feature was also contested in honor of Brad and Stewart Ovens. Wayne Ellison won that one, taking the checkers in his first laps turned at Land of Legends Raceway since 2019. His last win at the Ontario County Fairgrounds was in 2013, according to track statistician Tom Skibinski. Ellison returned to racing a few years back, focusing on Outlaw Speedway efforts. Frank Burnell was second ahead of Nate Peckham, Justin Eldredge and Tyler Burnell.
Brandyn Griffin scored a popular win over Darryl Ruggles and Alysha Bay in the 305 sprint feature; Jason Whipple and Bobby Parrow filled the top five. Tyler Corcoran won the Sportsman feature, his second of the weekend. He dedicated the wins to his mom on Mother’s Day weekend. Paul Guererri and Nick Guererri were next, with Kane Bristol and Tyler Murray filling the top five. Larry Wight won the modified feature over Matt Sheppard and Peter Britten. Erick Rudolph was fourth and Justin Haers charged to fifth.
Touring series
Last week, Ryan Godown won the Super DIRTcar Series’s King of the Big Blocks at Bridgeport (NJ) Motorsports Park, taking the 75-lap, $7,500-to-win victory over Stewart Friesen and Billy Pauch Jr on May 4. Mat Williamson and Max McLaughlin finished in the top five. The series will head back to Can-Am for the rescheduled Thunder on the 1000 Islands May 18, and then the returns to action May 29 in the Heroes Remembered 100 at Weedsport Speedway.
The Short Track Super Series will visit Accord Speedway May 10, racing the ninth edition of the Battle of the Bullring, paying $6,000-to-win. Anthony Perrego is the lone repeat winner, taking three of the nine events, all time. The Short Track Super Series heads to Outlaw on May 17.
Evans Mills Raceway Park will host the first of five Small Block Super Championship Series events Saturday. The 30-lap main will pay $1,000-to-win. The series is promoted by Dan Kapuscinski. Mike Bruce and Dan Kapuscinski have won the most recent small block super features at Evans Mills; Bruce is the defending 350 supers track champion at Oswego Speedway.
Pits open at 3 pm, racing is set for 6:30 pm. Adult general admission is $15. The tour will visit Oswego and Chemung this year, with a full schedule listed online at facebook.com/SBSChampionshipSeries.
Woodhull Raceway fell to rain, and the planned Patriot Sprint Tour season opener will be moved to July 23.
The Empire Super Sprints will be racing twice this coming weekend, competing Friday at Utica-Rome before heading to Fonda on Saturday night.
Area Results
SATURDAY
At Fulton, Tom Sears Jr. won the opener for the DIRTcar 358-Modifieds’ weekly wars, topping Ron Davis III and Corey Barker. Todd Root raced to fourth and David Marcuccilli rounded out the top five. Andrew Buff won the sportsman feature, while Emmett Waldron raced to second ahead of Amy Holland, Austin Germinio and Teddy Clayton Jr. Wade Christman won the B-main feature. James Donaldson tallied the novice sportsman win, and Casey Cunningham won the hobby stock feature.
Jeremy Wonderling scored the RUSH Late Model feature at Genesee Speedway, with John Waters and JJ Mazur following him across the line. Jon Rivers and Jimmy Johnson filled the top five. The feature saw three leaders swap the top spot four times in 25 laps. Jim Harbison parked his ride in the DIRTcar Sportsman victory lane, topping Phil Vigneri III, Noah Walker, Cam Tuttle and Kyle Richner. Tommy Kemp won the Street Stock 20-lapper over Bill Taylor and Dale Rissinger. DJ Williams won the mini stocks, while Allison Dewitt (novice sportsman), Bryson Hill (Bandit) and Nick DeGroff (NY6A Micro Sprints) took class wins.
Chemung Speedrome’s opener rained out. Roy Hodge is working with RoC and Joe Skotnicki to come up with a new date. The Sunoco Modifieds will headline this Saturday’s card, racing a 35-lap feature. Details are on the redesigned website, www.chemung-speedrome.com.
Ryan Jordan and Shayne Spoonhower won Modified features at Thunder Mountain Speedway. Jordan won over Brian Walters and Jimmy Zacharias in the big block main while Spoonhower bested Darren Smith and Jordan McCreadie in 358-modified action.
FRIDAY
At Outlaw Speedway, Jeff Daugherty won his second modified feature of 2022, taking the checkers Friday night. Dale Welty (American Racer) and Alex Payne (Hoosier Tire) scored sportsman wins; Payne won the King of the Ring elimination challenge as well. Jamie Eldredge Jr. scored a win in the Hobby Stock feature. James Randall won the 600cc modified main. Glenn Whritenour (street stock) and Bob Doolittle (four-cylinders scored victories, as well. Ellie Grant won the youth four-cylinder feature.
Matt Sheppard won a landmark 50th career modified feature at Utica-Rome Speedway. Sheppard started 11th and was mired in on-track challenges as the leaders stretched from the field. A lap 10 caution negated all obstacles, allowing Sheppard to start sixth and on the outside line. On the restart, Billy Decker’s lead was challenged by Jessica Friesen, and Sheppard passed both Pat Ward and Alan Johnson for fourth. Friesen slipped past Shaun Walker, and Sheppard followed as they reeled in Decker. Sheppard swept past Friesen on the outside, with crossed flags flying. Decker was also running on the top, which proved a challenge for the fast Sheppard. Sheppard worked inside for several circuits, generating a drive off the inside of turn four to take the lead. Sheppard then easily carved his way through lapped traffic to secure win No. 50.
“This place has been good to me through the years, and I’m just glad to be back here (in Victory Lane) again this week,” Sheppard said in victory lane.
Decker was second ahead of Jessica Friesen and Rocky Warner; Pat Ward was fifth. Payton Talbot scored the 602 sportsman win, solving Matt Janczuk in the 25-lap main. Brian Calabrese was third ahead of Gordon Smith and AJ Miller. Beau Ballard won the Pro Stock feature; Dan Slosek was second ahead of Bret Belden. Alex Hughes won the limited sportsman feature. Corey Valade (four-cylinder), Chris Darrow (slingshots) and Blake Banek (Jr. Slingshots) also earned wins.
Larry Wight tallied a win in the Brewerton Speedway opener, taking the checkers over Chris Hile in the 35-lap main. Max McLaughlin and Jimmy Phelps were chasing, and Tim Sears Jr. posted a fifth place finish. Ron Davis III was the top finishing 358-Modified, taking sixth. Brandon Carvey won the DIRTcar Sportsman feature, besting Richard Murtaugh and Amy Holland. Dough Williams owned the mod lite checkers and Chris Bonoffski won the four-cylinder feature.
At Can-Am, Billy Dunn posted his first win of 2022 in LaFargeville. Tim Fuller was chasing the fast no. 49 at the line, with Jordan McCreadie racing to third. Tyler Corcoran posted the first of his two weekend victories, taking the Sportsman feature over Mike Fowler and Dave Rogers. Eli Gilbert won the Pro Stocks, with Joe Orvis (Thundercars), Owen Neir (limited sportsman) and Jonah Mutton (602 crate sprints) also visiting victory lane.
Chris Marquart’s “Motorsports” appears every Tuesday during racing season. Contact Chris at (315) 729-3999 or at smashedempirefilms@gmail.com.
