Martz forgoes frills, flies to NES third

NEW EGYPT - How secure was Sam Martz that his winning Modified shouldn't be touched?

The man from Somerville was confident enough to bring his by-the-book race car to Saturday's "Run Watcha Brung" event at New Egypt Speedway - a no-rules program where wings and aerodynamic things prove a huge advantage - and walk away with his third feature win in a row.

"I'm still trying to get over that DIRT show - I think these last three weeks are making up for it," said Martz, 38, referring to his domination of the Aug. 16 tour race before a broken axle put him in the pits late in the game. "I'd like to thank everyone who's stood behind me - my wife and kids, my mom and dad. They've always been there for me, and it's finally paying off."

A winged Tom Carberry led the charge in the 30-lap Modified race, with Ryan Godown, in a traditional-bodied car, hot on his heels. Godown slipped under T.C. for the lead on lap 7, with hard-luck Carberry slowing and dropping from the action four laps later. Godown was showing how it's done way out front, when suddenly, at the halfway mark, a lapped car veered into his path and wiped Ryan off the slate.

And Martz was right there to take full advantage of Godown's misfortune. With the winged beasts of Rick Holsten and Bob Drayton beating and banging behind him and on top of him, Martz simply held his line and maintained his composure to cruise under the flags for his third consecutive victory. Holsten was second, his best finish ever, with invader Wade Hendrickson in third. In a last-ditch bid to take second from Holsten, Drayton completely looped it in turn 4, kept going and shot across the line in fourth. Jimmy Horton, 2006 Mod champ, was fifth.

With the pressure of racing for championship points behind him, newly crowned division title holder Gary Butler, of Phillipsburg, bolted some high sail panels on his car and went out and won his first of the year in the 20-lap Sportsman fray. Butler held off a determined charge by Rich Scagliotta, who finished second. Justin Hoffman, Rick Beavers and Billy Tanner IV completed the top five.

The kitted-up stock car of Easton, Pa.'s Kory Fleming out-and-out dominated the 20-lap Super Stock event. Fleming scored his third of the year over Mick Search, 2006 division champ Al Cheney III, George Quinlan, and Spider Ensinger Jr.

For the Haldeman Ford SS Sprint race, three-time division champion Art Liedl, of Flemington, bolted on a full-size Sprint wing and blasted everyone else into oblivion, to take his sixth feature win of the season. Ed Hughes, Rick Cozze, Steve Wilson and Bob Drayton, in a first-time SS Sprint ride, were chasing at the end.

The Vespia Tire & Auto Care Lightning Lap bonuses for fastest laps in qualifying went to Dave Hunt (Sportsman, 17.732), Al Cheney III (Super Stock, 18.307), and Art Liedl (SS Sprint, 16.605).

Saturday's racing program was the final event of the season at New Egypt Speedway. The track will honor its 2006 champions at the Trump Taj Mahal Casino Hotel in Atlantic City on Saturday, Dec. 2. For more information, call the speedway office at (609) 758-1900 or log on to www.newegyptspeedway.net.