TJ Potrzebowski's Amazing Recovery at Chemung - A Sweet Sweep by Carol Houssock

Chemung Speedrome, presented by Jim Bronson and Ferrario Auto Team of Sayre, hosted a huge program on Friday night, running three postponed features from July 5th, along with a full 5-division program. One of those five features honored the late Jim Potrzebowski. Event organizers raised nearly $7,500 and offered many special award plaques for competitors in the Marion Decker Agency Hobby Stock division. Zack's Bar & Grill in Pine City and Pick's Pub in Elmira Heights co-sponsored the regular show. The eight feature winners included TJ Potrzebowski (both Buckley's Automotive Modified features), Tim Gullo and Nick Robinson (Blauvelt Funeral Home Super Stocks), Anthony Gullo (Marion Decker Agency/Jim Potrzebowski Memorial Hobby Stocks), Gene Purvis and Greg Moldt (Geneís Automotive 4 Cylinders), and Kamden Wheeler (RNC Cleaning Bandoleros).

Just six days ago TJ Potrzebowski barrel-rolled down the back straightaway and landed on his roof. The team worked feverishly, right up until he left for the track, to repair the famed #72. With just a half dozen or so practice laps, he set out to test the car in his heat, which he won. Tony Hanbury won the other heat back on July 5th. This one had a fistful of cautions. Lee Sharpsteen went from third to first on the opening lap. The first caution ended the night for Jesse Kent. Potrzebowski lined up beside Sharpsteen for the restart, as they did following the next caution. With 15 laps complete, Potrzebowski and Sharpsteen made contact and handed the top two spots over to Nick Morich and Hanbury. It looked to be Hanbury's race until a pair of late cautions resulted in a different outcome. Potrzebowski moved up from eighth to fourth and then to second when the fifth and final caution came out. For that restart he was beside Hanbury and worked on him until he took the lead. Potrzebowski held on for the popular win over Hanbury, Nick Morich, L. Sharpsteen, and Charlie Sharpsteen. The crowd showed their appreciation for his amazing comeback from such a bad wreck less than a week prior. "This is a tribute to Ray Marshall and the whole crew, who worked their tails off all week to get the car back together. That was the first time I tested out the Hans device. Wear one," he said from victory lane. He also mentioned his late Uncle, Jim, and how special it was to win on his race night.

Back on July 5th Tim Gullo and Geary Rinehimer, Jr. won the two heats in the Blauvelt Funeral Home Super Stock division. On Friday night it was the Chapman duo of Frank III on the pole and his father, Frank, Jr. alongside for the start of their 20-lap race. Frank, Jr. led, but with just 2 laps complete Rinehimer, Mike Nichols and Charlie Sharpsteen got caught up in a wreck. The restart was the same pair, but this time Frank III took the lead on lap three, a lead he held over new second place man Gullo. Tim found an opening and made his race-winning pass on lap nine. From that point on, the Chapmans, Nick Robinson and Rinehimer fought it out for positions two through five. When it was over, Tim Gullo had his third consecutive win, and he was about to have a special victory lane interview. His son Devin, greeted him with the microphone and said, "hey Dad, you're in victory lane." He asked how he had made that critical pass and heard his father explain the importance of patience. "You'll get there with a good enough car," he said. Gullo's car was "good enough" to finish ahead of Chapman III, Robinson, Chapman, Jr., and Nichols.

In the Gene's Automotive 4 Cylinder division make-up race, Ryan Purvis started in second and led the opening lap. His brother Gene, who started sixth, charged past five cars and took the lead on lap two. Once he did that, the others watched him pull further ahead with each passing lap. Greg Moldt was also on the move and found both Kyle Mortimer and R. Purvis but could go no further in the caution-free 20-lap race. G. Purvis, driving Nick Robinson's powerful car, easily got the win over Moldt, Mortimer, R. Purvis, and Joey Bevacqua. Gene thanked Nick for putting him a car he often sees ahead of him in various 4 Cylinder special shows. With the postponed features run on Friday complete, the track then held the five events sponsored by Zack's Bar & Grill and Pick's Pub.

With the clock ticking on an ultra-busy night, officials cut the second Buckley's Automotive Modified feature down five laps to 30. Tony Hanbury, Lee Sharpsteen and TJ Potrzebowski won their heat races, but the lineup had Chase Sinsabaugh and Nick Morich up front at the start. The trouble started early in this one. As the leaders took the green, racing newcomer Aaron Dorman and Tyler Harbst got together exiting turn four and both cars were done for the night. Nick Morich led the way and held on over two early restarts. His time out front ended, however, after contact from Nick Robinson turned him around and brought Lee Sharpsteen to the top spot. His time there was also short, when he and Tony Hanbury were involved in the fifth caution, which brought Potrzebowski and Teddy Bowen to the front row. Bowen, making a return after recovering from a serious truck crash, hit the wall and lost a tire just five laps in. Potrzebowski then had to hold off Zack Curren and Kevin Youngs in restarts. He did, and the guy who had been on his roof six days prior was then celebrating a remarkable recovery after winning his second feature of the night. Kevin Youngs was right there in second, followed by L. Sharpsteen, Zack Curren, and Robinson, Nick Robinson, defending champion in the Blauvelt Funeral Home Super Stocks, started the second feature in fourth, but it was Frank Chapman, Jr. who capitalized on his front row starting spot. The only caution came out after one lap when Bradley Mister spun off the back stretch and set up a Chapman/Robinson row one restart. Robinson used momentum from the outside to overtake Chapman, who then had to hold off Brian DeMark and Tim Gullo. While they battled on, Robinson padded his lead. With five laps remaining, Gullo had passed Chapman for second and began to close the gap between him and leader Robinson. It was too little too late, and Robinson went on to score his second win of the year. Gullo finished second, ahead of heat winners Chapman and Mike Nichols, with DeMark rounding out the top five. The pot of gold at the end of a fast-paced 25-lap Marion Decker Agency Hobby Stock feature lured 21 race teams to the track for the Jim Potrzebowski Memorial. Cullen Sharpsteen, Mike Nickels, and Devin Gullo won the three heats, with the top four from each drawing for the first dozen starting positions. Doug DeKay and Randy Mathews drew best and started from the front row, with DeKay leading lap one. Caution came out for George Nichols, Jr. and Dave Yehl took full advantage and the lead over DeKay. Anthony Gullo, going for his fifth consecutive feature win, as up to third and made his way around both for the lead on lap 10. With three more caution periods in the extended-distance race, Gullo kept Yehl at bay, but the latter lost second to Gil Sharpsteen with 10 to go. The final six laps ran caution-free, and it was Gullo who won the race run in his late Uncle's memory. "They're all hard to win in this class, but this one is special for a lot of reasons," he said from victory lane. Surrounded by the extended Gullo/Potrzebowski family, he hoisted the special trophy after winning a special race. Sharpsteen was second, with Dave Yehl, Mike Nickels, and Doug DeKay making up the top five.

Greg Moldt and Matt Jenkins won the qualifying races for the Gene's Automotive 4 Cylinder division. The feature, cut to 15 laps, had Ryan Purvis and Jason Peck bringing the field to the green. Trouble came early when Moldt got into Jenkins and brought out the first of four cautions. Purvis led the way on the first lap and watched Mike Nichols go by to lead lap two. Nichols tagged the wall, brought out the caution, and handed the lead over to Moldt for a lap seven restart. Moldt had to survive one restart with three to go and he held the lead over those remaining laps. Survive he did, and earned his third win of the year a year in which he has yet to finish lower than second. Nichols recovered and finished second, followed by Joey Bevacqua, Kyle Mortimer, and Purvis.

In JRC Cleaning Services Bandolero action, Kamden Wheeler proved, once again, that she's a strong competitor. She won the heat then started the 8-lap feature from the pole, beside Leevi Sharpsteen. He led the first six laps over newcomer Blake Bellinger and Wheeler. Things changed when Bellinger spun in turn 2 and set up a restart. This time Wheeler powered around Sharpsteen and beat him to the finish line by a nose. Bellinger was third.

The track hosts a regular show plus the postponed Marion Decker Agency Hobby Stock feature from July 5th. Pits open at 4:30, grandstand at 5, practice at 6, and racing at 7 PM Admission is $15 for adults, $13 for seniors ages 65+, $5 for kids ages 6-12, and free for kids ages 5 and under. For information, log on to the track's website: chemung-speedrome.com, "like" us on Facebook: Chemung Speedrome - Racing at the Drome, or call Ray Hodge, Promoter, at 607-483-3468.

Of Note:

Family members of the late Jim Potrzebowski won four of the eight features run.

Two fans left with 50/50 proceeds. A ticket worth $350 from July 5th earned Bill from Elmira $350, while tickets sold Friday night sent another Elmiran, Eric, home with $832.

Serentiy Conklin, Chemung County Dairy Princess, and trainee Lily handed out free yogurt and dairy information. They also held a drawing during intermission for several bicycles.

Five fans went home with cash simply for catching a frisbee in the Lucky Fan Draw, sponsored by Blaze Brockway Contracting. Cash prizes of $150, $1235, $100, $75, and $50 went home with the winning catchers.

Devin Gullo showed off a new talent, by conducting some victory lane interviews.

Head flagger, Troy McDonald, sported a cast on his left arm after he broke both bones falling from a bull he was riding.

Purse sponsors for the memorial race included Greg's Auto Body, Comfort Zone Heating & Air Conditioning, LE Trucking, Snell Metal Fab, Marion Decker, Dan Mathews, Dale Gullo and Terry & Ann Potrzebowski. In addition to lap sponsorships, several businesses and individuals donated money for special awards.

Marion Decker Agency Night (7/5/24 events) Results:

Buckley's Automotive Modifieds (35 Laps): TJ POTRZEBOWSKI, Tony Hanbury, Nick Morich, Lee Sharpsteen, Charlie Sharpsteen, Nick Robinson, Chase Sinsabaugh, Tom Shaffer, Jesse Kent, Tyler Harbst
Heats: Tony Hanbury, TJ Potrzebowski

Blauvelt Funeral Home Super Stocks (25 Laps): TIM GULLO, Frank Chapman III, Nick Robinson, Frank Chapman, Jr., Mike Nichols, Brian DeMark, Chad Lane, Abe Romanik, Geary Rinehimer, Jr., Bradley Mister, Charlie Sharpsteen, DNS Jason Duke, Sr., DNS Josh Duke
Heats: Tim Gullo, Geary Rinehimer, Jr.

Gene's Automotive 4 Cylinders (20 Laps): GENE PURVIS, Greg Moldt, Kyle Mortimer, Ryan Purvis, Joey Bevacqua, Jason Peck, Augustine Worden, Ricky Lane, Ron Manwaring, DNS Kassitie Clugstone
Heats: Kyle Mortimer, Greg Moldt

Zack's Bar & Grill and Pick's Pub Night Results:

Buckley's Automotive Modifieds (35 Laps): TJ POTRZEBOWSKI, Kevin Youngs, Lee Sharpsteen, Zack Curren, Nick Robinson, Jesse Kent, Jody Buckley, Nick Morich, Steve Shultz, Charlie Sharpsteen, Dakota Anderson, Tony Hanbury, Teddy Bowen, Zack Knowlden, Chase Sinsabaugh, Tyler Harbst, Aaron Dorman
Heats: Tony Hanbury, Lee Sharpsteen, TJ Potrzebowski

Blauvelt Funeral Home Super Stocks (25 Laps): NICK ROBINSON, Tim Gullo, Frank Chapman, Jr., Mike Nichols, Brian DeMark, Frank Chapman III, DJ Shaw, Chad Lane, Abe Romanik, Bradley Mister, Charlie Sharpsteen
Heats: Frank Chapman, Jr., Mike Nichols

Marion Decker Agency Hobby Stocks (20 Laps, Jim Potrzebowski Memorial): ANTHONY GULLO, Gil Sharpsteen, Dave Yehl, Mike Nickels, Doug DeKay, Sidnie Decker, Dave Decker, Josh Parker, Chuck Nichols, Cullen Sharpsteen, Ethan Roberts, Devin Gullo, Mark Taylor, Kalista DeMark, George Nichols, Jr., Bruce Kinner, Ben Perry, Mike Kintner, Mike Bailey, MR Taylor, Randy Mathews
Heats: Cullen Sharpsteen, Mike Nickels, Devin Gullo

Gene's Automotive 4 Cylinders (20 Laps): GREG MOLDT, Mike Nichols, Joey Bevacqua, Kyle Mortimer, Ryan Purvis, Matt Jenkins, Augustine Worden, Ricky Lane, John Widrig, Jason Peck, Ron Manwaring
Heats: Greg Moldt, Matt Jenkins

JRC Cleaning Bandoleros (8 Laps): KAMDEN WHEELER, Leevi Sharpsteen, Blake Bellinger
Heat: Kamden Wheeler