A comparison of Kart racing at OVRP’s Dirt Oval

 

                                   For August 13, 2005 and August 10, 2013

 

                                                     By Tom Avenengo

 

When I checked out the New England Tractor website the other day, I see that John Sainz had put up a race report for the Dirt Oval from August 10, 2013.  I went into “Who won.com” to see what I might have had for around that time, and it looks like my last report was for August 13, 2005.

 

In my comparisons, I only used the Kart figures, excluding the Slingshots, which – were they even around in 2005?  Some year had classes that the other year didn’t.  To put it mildly, I was rather shocked to see the Kart count difference, and I’m wondering why?  Is it the economy?  Granted, a lot of the names from that 2005 race report are now racing bigger things – at least 14 that I counted off the top of my head.

 

Has the cost of Kart racing at the Dirt Oval gone up?  I do not know.  The same people – the Diotte family, still run it.  In fact, if I’m not mistaken, they have bought the Dirt Oval from OVRP.  If you add in the Slingshots from August 10, 2013 to the Kart total, it is just about ½ of what the Kart count was in 2005 - 54 in 2013 and 104 in 2005.

 

And, in today’s world, the kids that might have raced Karts today, now race Micro Sprints, to a degree.  Oh, and yes, some are even into Stock Cars now, too, at a young age – 14, 15 and 16 years of age.  In some places 11 year olds are now into Sprint Cars.  Scary, isn’t it?

 

Today’s Kart racing is basically all 4 Cycle.  I know when my son, Eric, raced Karts, it was basically all 2 Cycle - in this area.  I’m going back to the early 80’s when he ran.  In 2005, there were eleven 2 Cycle Karts racing at the Dirt Oval in three different classes.  In 2013 – zero.  Why no 2 Cycles weekly?  Will there be a 2 Cycle class for OVRP’s November fest weekend?  Might it be some new kind of “law” that I’m not familiar with, that forbids 2 Cycle powered Karts, today?  I’ve heard that they have basically been “lawed” out in California.  Has that spread nationally?  Don’t they still run 2 Cycles at OVRP on the road course, and other road courses in the area?   There were some 2 Cycles at last years November fest.  Today, check out the Kart results in the AARN, and you need a magnifying glass to find 2 Cycles mentioned – especially on the dirt tracks.

 

Below are the two race reports – mine from 2005 and John’s from 2013.  Please keep in mind, it isn’t just Karts that have had a reduction in the amount of competitors, today – low car counts are being found all over – in midgets, and stock cars, mostly.  Micro Sprints have had healthy counts, along with all classes of Sprint Cars, too.

 

 

Kart comparisons

 

Oakland Valley Race Park, The Dirt Oval  

Saturday, August 13, 2005

Results from Go-Kart racing for the Dirt Oval at Oakland Valley Race Park

 

 

 

By Tom Avenengo

CUDDEBACKVILLE, N.Y. -- Results for Saturday, August 13, 2005 from the Dirt Oval at Oakland Valley Race Park.

 

Note:  Only Karts raced.  On occasion, ¼ Modifieds ran at the Dirt Oval.

 

Kid Kart: 1. Michael Sherman 2. Chad Azzarito

 

4 Cycle Lights: 1. Brett Avenengo 2. Joe Falanga 3. Don Howe 4. Kyle Armstrong 5. Stanley Tabaka, III 6. Eddie Prentice, Jr. 7. Roger Belanger 8. Matt Hearn 9. Michael Klenke 10. Alyssa Vavricka 11. David Webb 12. Joey Bruning 13. Rich Lybolt 14. Steve Daddio

 

Junior Sportsman Champ: 1. LJ Lombardo 2. Jacob Hendershot 3. Brittney Faeth 4. Daniel Sherman 5. Johnny Faeth 6. Michael Azzarito

 

4 Cycle Junior Stock: 1. Eddie Sickles 2. Ali Aquila 3. Brad Szulewski 4. Lauren Cooper 5. Ryan Edwards 6. Dylan Johnson 7. Nicholas Jones 8. Mike Snyder 9. Matt Janiak 10. Geordan Farry

 

4 Cycle Junior I: 1. Michael Aquila 2. Brendan Finley 3. Dylan Izzo 4. Paul Wilbur 5. Johnny Faeth

 

4 Cycle Mediums: 1. Bill Wood 2. Michael Klenke 3. Don Howe 4. Jeff Muller 5. Roger Coss 6. David Webb 7. Joe Falanga 8. Steve Daddio 9. Joe Rivera 10. Clark McCollum 11. Stanley Tabaka, III 12. John Schoebel 13. Ryan Neiger

 

2 Cycle KT 100's - Lights: 1. Brett Avenengo 2. Eric Avenengo 3. Allison Lockhart 4. Anthony Rhein

 

2 Cycle KT 100's - Heavies: 1. Kyle Armstrong 2. Mark Azzarito 3. Jeff Drugan 4. Joe Capasso

 

Junior Champ: 1. Andrew Manganelli 2. Steve Hricko 3. Lindsey Cohen 4. Bethany Henneforth

 

4 Cycle Super Heavies: 1. Anthony Falanga 2. Don Potter 3. Kevin Morgan

 

Open: 1. Don Howe 2. Jeff Drugan

 

4 Cycle Junior III: 1. Mike Snyder 2. Dylan Potter 3. Ricky Banker 4. Brad Szulewski 5. Mark Tabaka

 

Junior 2 Cycle (Restricted) 1. Frank Senechal

 

Senior Champ: 1. Blaine Bollenbach 2. Dave Castellani 3. David Manganelli 4. Ray Fennell 5. Bob Azarowicz 6. Ray Fennel IV 7. Alex Hoegen

 

4 Cycle Heavies: 1. Dan Hennessy 2. Keith Roe 3. Anthony Falanga 4. Fred Willis 5. Chuck Alessi 6. Vito Iannarella, Sr. 7. Derek Botticelli 8. Derek Potter 9. Vito Iannarella, Jr.

 

4 Cycle Junior II: 1. LJ Lombardo 2. Derek Conrad 3. Alex Arndt 4. Joshua Ledoux 5. Ryan Alsdorf 6. Anthony Perrego 7. Robert Warf 8. Tyler Pirone

 

4 Cycle Senior Rookie: 1. John Conrad 2. Crystal Beatty 3. Doug Houston 4. Jennifer Beatty 5. Robert Phillips 6. Rick Ryder

 

Controlled Stock: 1. Marci Cohen

 

Total Karts:  104

 

 

Compared to:

 

August 10, 2013:

 

Oakland Valley Speedway

 

Race Report by John Sainz

 

Note:  Karts, only.

 

Heavys:

 

1.        (10) Danny Hoeffner (14.326) fastest lap speed 50.258

 

2.       (58) Derek Potter (14.477)

 

3.       (54a) Alex Wanerus (14.613)

 

4.             (58) Spencer Kronyak (14.704)

 

Note:  9 in 2005

 

 

 

Lights:

 

1.        (77) Patrick Kelly (14.533)

 

2.             (58) Coan James (15.362)

 

Note:  14 in 2005

 

 

 

Junior Sportsman Champ 1:

 

1.        (18) Daniel Goetz (15.329) fastest lap speed 46.970

 

2.       (14) Robert Mattera (15.519)

 

3.       (95) Michael Jacques (15.780)

 

4.       (22) Johnny Diotte,III (15.955)

 

5.       (B4jr) Jake Mason (16.038)

 

6.       (9) Arlen Devantoy (16.927)

 

7.             (88) Dominick Abbatiello (16.360)

 

Note:  6 in 2005

 

Mediums:

 

1.        (27) Roger Belanger (14.263)

 

2.       (611) Corey Wood (14.171) fastest lap speed 50.808

 

3.       (6) Dennis Matthews (14.323)

 

4.       (58) Dylan Potter (14.446)

 

5.       (10) Danny Hoeffner (14.411)

 

6.       (4) Pat Hayes (14.835)

 

7.             (31) Gregg Caldara (14.746)

 

Note:  13 in 2005

 

Senior Stock:

 

1.        (28) Tom Brundage (14.499)

 

2.       (72) Kevin Morgan (14.660)

 

Junior Stock:

 

1.        (4) Colin Belanger (14.237) fastest lap speed 50.572

 

2.             (8) Ryan Tani (14.431)

 

Note:  No class in 2005 – other than rookies.

 

Senior Clone:

 

1.        (34) Matt Kamna (14.459)

 

2.       (72x) Roger Guest (14.409)

 

3.             (26) Arthur Coggins (15.206)

 

Note:  No class in 2005

 

Animal Heavy:

 

1.               (57) John DeBarber (13.862)

 

Note:  No class in 2005

 

Junior 2:

 

1.        (1) Tyler Belanger (14.827) fastest lap speed 48.560

 

2.       (88) Alan Selemba (15.163)

 

3.       (4) Derek Salerno (15.392)

 

4.             (10) Joshua Gower (15.809)

 

Note:  8 in 2005

 

Junior 1:

 

1.               (57) John DeBarber Jr (16.537)

 

Note:  5 in 2005

 

Junior Clone:

 

1.               (25) Alex Sokolow (15.396)

 

Note:  No class in 2005

 

Kid Kart:

 

1.        (17) Alyssa Waldman

 

2.               (1) Christopher Reiss

 

Note:  2 in 2005

 

Junior Champ:

 

1.        (20) Anthony Wood (14.533) fastest lap speed 49.542

 

2.       (02) Jessica Mattera (14.765)

 

3.       (04) Samantha Mattera (14.700)

 

4     (94) Douglas Goetz (14.971)

 

Note:  5 in Jr Sportsman Champ in 2005

 

Total Karts:  40  - 64 less Karts in 2013.

 

There were 14 Slingshots in 2013 on August 10th.

 

Roger Belanger is the only name that I found that ran in 2005 and 2013, at the Dirt Oval. 

 

 

Comments?

 

You can always reach me at:  ygordad@yahoo.com