BREWERTON, N.Y. – Josh Coonradt topped Jim Normoyle by .094 seconds to win Tuesday’s NAPA Super DIRT Week Pro Stock feature at Brewerton Speedway.
A victory at the D-Shaped Dirt Demon was something Coonradt never expected to happen as the laps wound down.
Coonradt held the third position until a caution with two laps to go. The right-rear quarter panel fell off the second-running machine of Luke Horning and Coonradt got the opportunity he needed to battle Normoyle.
“I didn’t think we had the car to win tonight,” Coonradt said. “I think we were off a little bit on the setup, but I kind of could counter what I think we were missing. It just took Jim [Normoyle] to slip up on that little bit of moisture down in the track, and it was just enough to give me the run that I needed.
“Without the restart or the yellow, I don’t think I had a chance against him,” he added.
The win is Coonradt’s seventh of the year and first at Brewerton.
Even though he stated he didn’t feel he had the car to win, Coonradt knew the high line was what suited him best in the last 10 laps.
“I’m not really a bottom feeder; I prefer the top,” Coonradt said. “I feel like if you can keep the momentum, you can gain speed little by little by little under green flag laps. That was just a hell of a race, and I can’t thank Jim Normoyle enough for racing me as clean as he did.”
Normoyle settled for second as the taste of victory was ripped from his clutches in the final corner. The Little Falls, N.Y., driver was happy with his performance despite coming up short.
“I’ll take it, we’re all around the clock, good guys, and we had a lot of fun out there,” Normoyle said. “To say the least, I’m very happy.”
Chuck Dumblewski crossed the line third after starting 10th. The Amsterdam, N.Y. driver still worked his way to a podium finish despite being plagued by overheating issues.
“We definitely had a good car; we started 10th, so you know I passed quite a few cars,” Dumblewski said. “We were easily a top-five car, and without overheating issues, I think I could’ve been right there in the mix with Coonradt and the [Normoyle].”
Ivan Joslin finished fourth, and Eli Gilbert rounded out the top five.
Coonradt’s victory also earned him a guaranteed starting spot in Sunday’s Pro Stock 50 Feature.
The DIRTcar Pro Stocks begin their quest toward NAPA Super DIRT Week glory at Oswego Speedway starting with qualifying on Friday.
The finish:
Josh Coonradt, Jim Normoyle, Chuck Dumblewski, Ivan Joslin, Gilbert, Justin White, Brian Carter, Burton Ward, Ian Bressett, Luke Horning, Scott Towslee, Jay Fitzgerald, Shane Playford, Timothy Bailey, Kevin Fetterly, Dean Charbonneau, Nick Stone