Shawna Ingraham was flying Sept. 17 and appropriately won the Downs Ford Modified stock car 40-lap main event during “Ladies’ Night” competition at Wall Stadium Speedway.
It was the Brick resident’s second win of the season and the third Modified triumph of her career. She remains the only female to win in Modified competition since the speedway opened in 1950.
Ingraham wrestled Shaun Carrig of Little Falls at the opening green flag of the event before stretching a lead through the first 18 laps of the race. Four-time champion Chas Okerson of Freehold then challenged her on a restart and remained within striking distance before Anthony Sesely of Matawan advanced to second with 10 laps remaining. Sesely tried to race into the lead on a restart but drifted high in turn two with point-leader Steven Reed of Jackson and Okerson getting by for second and third.
Okerson was then able to get by Reed for second and chased Ingraham to the finish line. Sesely and Andrew Krause of Holmdel, who was forced to pit to change a flat tire earlier in the race, wrapped up the top five.
“I felt I couldn’t do the same thing on every restart, so I tried to mix it up to keep them off guard,” Ingraham said of her restart strategy in a press release. “The car was very fast tonight and was handling well. That allowed me to change things up and stay out front.”
Howell’s Jimmy Blewett came from deep in the 19-car field to win the companion 30-lapper for the Snap On Sportsman cars. Dom Fattarusso of Brick led the first 17 laps before he and Blake Barney of Jackson touched on the front stretch with Barney taking the lead. Blewett was soon second and took over the lead with a diving pass in turn two on the 25th lap.
Blewett then fought off Tyler Truex of Mayetta on a late race restart before taking the win. Barney, Fattarusso and point-leader Kevin Davison of Howell completed the top five.
The Green Flag Driving Experience Legend Cars battled in a pair of 25-lappers with “invaders” taking a win in each. In the first race, Mike Alcaro of West Milford was tops over a top five of Joe McGrath of Middletown, Howell’s Robert French and Richie Davidowitz and Kevin Nowak, both of Medford, New York.
Davidowitz came back to win the nightcap, while Nowak, Alcaro, French and point-leader Louie Keraitis of Toms River wrapped up the top five.
Jerry Stanzione of Keansburg took the lead on lap No. 17 and went on to win a nonstop 25-lapper for the O’Shea’s Auto Repair Factory Stocks. Eatontown’s Ron Booth was providing the pressure in the closing laps with point-leader Joe Mongeau of Brick, early leader Tim O’Shea of Wall and Manchester’s Scott Riggleman rounding out the top five.
Shanon Mongeau of Manchester hitched a ride in the Cole Ormsbee No. 19 and came from behind to win the Elite Maintenance Limited Late Model 25-lapper. Early leader Brian Doyle of Ronkonkoma, New York, Freehold’s Howie Conk, Bill Vanderveen of Beachwood and Bayville’s Mike Tillett were second through fifth.
Geoffrey Sutton of Easton, Pennsylvania, won the 25-lapper for the visiting TQ Midgets, while Gabrielle Olender of Sayreville won her first race for the Sunday Series Champ Karts.
Stock car racing continues Sept. 24 with “Fan Appreciation Night” action, which features a late afternoon “On Track Party” where fans are welcome to walk the speedway, check out all the race cars and visit with the drivers starting at 4:30 p.m.
In competition will be the Modifieds in a 40-lapper, the Sportsman cars in a 30-lapper and the Factory Stocks, Legend Cars, Limited Late Models and the Surfside Collision 4-Cylinder Stocks all racing in 25-lappers.
Grandstand seating opens at 4 p.m. with a $3 adult ticket discount until 5 p.m. Qualifying starts at 5:45 p.m. and feature racing begins at 7:00 p.m.
The complete updated regular-season schedule, which runs on Saturday nights through Oct. 1, is available at wallspeedwayracing.com, as are the rules and regulations for all divisions. Postseason events — the “Spooky Spectacular” Oct. 15 and the Thanksgiving weekend “Turkey Derby” — are also being planned.
Wall Stadium is located on Route 34 in Wall Township, just one mile north of Garden State Parkway exit 98 and Interstate 195 exit 35B. The speedway hotline number is 732-681-6400, the website is wallspeedwayracing.com and email address is [email protected].