Mahaney on top in 2024, Raabe wins 358 Mods and Lussier collects dramatic win! Guay, Bresette and Doner to victory lane

9/23/2024

Airborne Park Speedway

Mahaney on top in 2024, Raabe wins 358 Mods and Lussier collects dramatic win! Guay, Bresette and Doner to victory lane

PLATTSBURGH, Ny. -- Mike Mahaney ran a steady 4th in Thursday’s final Be Cool Heating, Cooling and Refrigeration 358 Modified Feature of 2024 to collect the points championship over Tim Fuller while Chris Raabe ran away with the feature win, finishing 5th in the points standings.

Greg Atkins and Jeremy Roy led the field to green for the last 30-lap 358 modified feature of 2024 at Airborne Park. Roy won his heat race by a significant margin and looked fast on the front early while Raabe began to move forward from his starting spot in the third row, showing in the 4th position at the conclusion of lap one. Meanwhile, Mahaney and Fuller, who started side-by-side in row six, were both struggling to move forward as they ran bumper-to-bumper in traffic.

Raabe seized the lead on lap 12 after several laps of rolling the middle underneath the leader Roy. A caution for James Fadden and an implement tire in turn three helped Raabe to take the lead from Roy on the restart. Roy struggled as the outside lane went away in the second half of the feature with his brother Felix sneaking by, along with Steve Bernier and Mahaney. At the end, Raabe collected his third win of 2024 over Felix Roy, Bernier, Mahaney and Jeremy Roy. Tim Fuller finished 7th, good enough to hold 2nd position in the points standings.

The J&S Steel Sportsman put on a wild show for the Airborne Park fans. Vince Quenneville, Jr., and Jamy Begor shared the front row for the feature with Begor leaping out front early. Top point-getters Joey Scarborough and Donovan Lussier started together in row seven and began moving forward with Lussier maintaining a few positions over Scarborough. Late in the going, 6th starter Fire Swamp moved into 2nd positions and reeled in Begor rapidly, driving by him for the lead in turn one just as the caution came out on the frontstretch, negating the pass.

The first attempt at a green-white-checkered was marred when Codie Aubin was forced into an implement tire in turn three, causing a multi-car incident and forcing a restart. The field took the green flag and Begor showed the way with Swamp tucking in behind him quickly. The field came around to take the white flag with no issues, but Swamp and Begor made contact in turn two and down the backstretch they both spun into the infield wildly, handing the lead off to Donovan Lussier.

Neither Swamp nor Begor finished the feature. Lussier drove away on the restart, collecting his eighth win of 2024. Quenneville was 2nd with Scarborough 3rd. Evan Roberts and Tanner Forbes completed the top five. Lussier was the recipient of the Amsoil/Clean Engine $200 hard charger bonus, passing 13 cars in route to the win. Scarborough holds the points lead heading into Elegance Coating Championship Weekend on September 28 and 29, but Lussier can still win the title.

The 9th State Cannabis Renegade feature was won for the fourth time this year by Nate Guay. In one of the most competitive divisions of the year, renegade features are often won by which of the top four or five drivers in points can get to the front of the field first and Thursday night that was Nate Guay. Robert Foley and Bart VanLuevan shared the front row for the 20-lap feature, but Guay worked quickly from starting position No. 8 and pulled away from the field, winning by nearly 2.5 seconds over Shawn Duquette and Tylor Terry. Josh Terry and Richie Turner completed the top five. Duquette was awarded the Precision Heating and A/C $50 hard charger bonus, going from 10th to 2nd.

Steven Bresette rebounded from a hard crash on September 12 to win the Moore Recycling Mini Stock Feature from 7th on the grid. Chazy’s Cody Young led the first five circuits from the outside of the front row, but like a shark in the water, Bresette was 2nd at the end of the second lap, making it clear that Young’s lead was in danger. Fourteenth starter Jake Fountain was mounting a most impressive charge on the outside lane in his No. 22 car, making it up to 2nd on lap nine, trying to track down Bresette, but the pair ran near-equal lap times for last six laps, making Fountain unable to cut into the lead. Bresette won it handily over Fountain with Josh LaPorte, Jr. and Josh LaPorte, Sr., 3rd and 4th, respectively. Ryan Senecal was 5th. The LaPorte’s became the second pair of father and son to finish consecutively and in the top five this year after Caleb and Kenny Tourville (1st and 2nd, respectively) accomplished the feat on August 29. The B-Feature was won by Keeseville’s Billy Doner over Kenny Tourville, Haiden Bordeau, Makaela Goddeau and Quinton Bishop in the top five.

This Saturday and Sunday, September 28 and 29 it’s Elegance Coating Championship Weekend at Airborne Park Speedway! The sportsman, renegades and mini stocks will all fight for their point championships, highlighted by a 100-lap, $5,000-to-win feature for the J&S Steel Sportsman! Special appearances will be made by the 9th State Cannabis Crown Vics, the 500cc Mini Sprints, pro stocks and a 50-lap enduro! Weekend admission is $25 for general admission, $45 in the pits. Racing starts at 2PM both days!

OFFICIAL RESULTS – Airborne Park Speedway 358 Championship Night

Be Cool Heating, Cooling and Refrigeration 358 Modified Feature (30 laps)