Thunder on the Road Visits New Egypt Speedway. . . .
HUNTER SCHURENBERG EARNS $6,000 FOR USAC SPRINT FEATURE WIN
AS BILLY PAUCH POCKETS $3,000 FOR WIRE-TO-WIRE VICTORY IN THE MODIFIED FEATURE

New Egypt, NJ (June 2, 2011) – With a total purse in excess of $44,000 the AMSOIL USAC Sprints and Big Block Modifieds presented the "Elbows Up" Double-header on Thursday night at the New Egypt Speedway.  Hunter Schurenberg of Sikeston, MO earned $6,000 by winning the 40 lap USAC sprint feature in a dramatic finish. In the Big Block Modifieds, Frenchtown, NJ driver Billy Pauch led the entire thirty lap feature that ran off non-stop. New Egypt Speedway was the fourth stop on USAC's Eastern Storm Tour and the positive excitement of the series has USAC Management and event promoter Bob Miller already talking about the Eastern Storm 2012. A field of twenty-six USAC sprints took part in the program along with thirty-four  big block modifieds.

In the AMSOIL USAC sprint time trials, Blake Fitzpatrick set fast time of the night, with a time of 17.282. USAC sprint heats were won by Robert Ballou, Jon Stanbrough and Casey Shuman as Jonathan Hendrick won the "B" Main. In modified qualifying, Richie Pratt, Jeff Strunk and Billy Pauch were heat race winners as Dave Hunt won the modified consolation.

A field of twenty-six USAC sprints took the green flag to start the forty lap feature event with Jon Stanbrough taking the early lead with Keith Bloom and Bryan Clauson in the chase. Clauson moved into second on lap three but Stanbrough already stretched out an eight car length lead. The first caution of the race was displayed on lap eleven for Coleman Gullick who stopped in turn three.

On the restart, Stanbrough was fast off the point as Clauson now had to contend with Bloom and Dave Darland. The caution came out once again, this time for Blake Fitzpatrick. When green flag racing resumed, Stanbrough once again established himself as the man to beat, running to hide from the rest of the field. Suddenly, defending "Eastern Storm" Champion Levi Jones moved into the picture, racing in fourth with Schurenberg now in fifth.

At the halfway mark, Stanbrough was firmly in command followed by Clauson, Bloom, Jones and Schurenberg. The leader now had to thread his way through lapped traffic, but he still managed to sustain a comfortable lead. On lap twenty-seven, Schurenberg moved into fourth  but at this stage of the race, no one was gaining ground on race leader Jon Stanbrough.

With five lap remaining, the race was getting very interesting.

Stanbrough still had a solid lead, as Clauson now had to contend with Bloom and Schurenberg who were challenging for the runner-up spot. The caution was displayed on lap thirty-seven when second place runner Bryan Clauson stopped on the track. On the restart, Schurenberg took a shot at the leader, challenging in the low grove but once again, Stanbrough pulled off a comfortable lead.

Robert Ballou, after starting deep in the pack now worked his way up to third and quickly began reeling in runner-up Hunter Schurenberg with an eye on the second spot.

With the white flag waiving, Stanbrough crossed the line to begin his final lap, but exiting turn two, he tapped the wall and got out-of-shape. Entering turn three, he again tapped the third turn wall and spun, displaying the caution with just two turns remaining on the final lap. Schurenberg inherited the lead at that point followed by Ballou, Bloom, Levi Jones, Tracy Hines and Travis Rilat. A one lap dash to the checker flag was now set.

On the restart, Schurenberg set the pace with Ballou looking for a lane to make a pass. Down the backstretch, Ballou dove low into three and pulled alongside of Schurenberg. Out of turn four, Schurenberg was along the outside fence with Ballou as low in turn four as your could go. When the checker flag fell, it was twenty-one year old Hunter Schurenberg taking the win over Robert Ballou, Levi Jones, Tracy Hines and Travis Rilat who finished fifth.

The story in the modified feature was, the race went non-stop and Billy Pauch was in command.

Billy Pauch started third and took the lead on lap one and went on to lead the entire distance. While Pauch cruised at the front of the pack, there was plenty of racing and spot swapping throughout the field. Dominick Buffalino ran second right through the halfway point of the race with Jeff Strunk, John Willman and Danny Johnson making up the top five.

On lap eighteen, Jeff Strunk moved into second and tried to reel in the high flying Pauch. Danny Johnson and Craig VonDohren were on a charge, now racing third and fourth on lap twenty-four.

With Pauch far ahead of the rest of the field, he dashed under the checker flag uncontested. Jeff Strunk finished second then on a last lap, last turn pass, Craig VonDohren took third from Danny Johnson with Dominic Buffalino rounding out the top five.

USAC SPRINT FEATURE: (40 laps) 1. Hunter Schurenberg 2. Robert Ballou 3. Levi Jones 4. Tracy Hines 5. Travis Rilat 6. Casey Shuman 7. Bobby East 8. Dave Darland 9. Daron Clayton 10. Bryan Clauson 11. Jon Stanbrough 12. Keith Bloom 13. Kyle Moody 14. JJ Hughes 15. Mark Bitner 16. Jonathan Hendrick 17. Chris Windom 18. Jeff Geiges 19. Joey Biasi 20. Black Fitzpatrick 21. Coleman Gullick 22. JR Berry 23. Jake Simmons 24. Jonathan Swanson 25. Damion Gardner 26. Peter Miller

MODIFIED FEATURE (30 laps): 1. Billy Pauch 2. Jeff Strunk 3. Craig VonDohren 4. Danny Johnson 5. Dominick Buffalino 6. John Willman 7. Rick Laubach 8. Duane Howard 9. Jimmy Blewett 10. Bob Drayton 11. Richie Pratt Jr. 12. Frank Cozze Jr. 13. Mike Franz 14. David VanHorn 15. Dave Hunt 16. Jimmy Horton IV 17. Rick Holsten 18. Steve Haggan 19. Matt Jester 20. Wade Hendrickson 21. Mike McAleer 22. Brian Truppi 23. Billy Pauch Jr. 24. Matt Harrell 25. Ron John Koczon