TERRY SENNEKER PUTS GLASS CITY 200 ON HIS WIN LIST
TERRY SENNEKER PUTS GLASS CITY 200 ON HIS WIN LIST
For the second straight year, cold temperatures greeted fans for the 2012 running of the Glass City 200. One driver’s misfortune turned into a winning drive for another, but Terry Senneker Jr.’s unbelievable save with less than 30 laps to go put him in position for the “biggest win of my career”…….
JR Roahrig started the Saturday night race by setting a new track record with a lap of 14:628, behind the wheel of Bobby Blount’s #16. Once again, the 33 car field was very strong from top to bottom. 32 cars started the race, with North Carolina driver Brad Rogers in the PB Fab #0 and Johnny Belott in another #0 on the front row, via the 10 car inversion.
For 13 laps, Belott was the leader. Harold Fair, Jr., looking to make history as the 3rd driver to win a trio of Glass City 200’s, worked his way up from 5th and took the lead on lap 14. Roarhig and Johnny VanDoorn (in the Port City house car) began to challenge Fair and on lap 41, Roahrig became the new leader until VanDoorn scooted up to the top spot on lap 54. Terry Senneker Jr. and Steve Needles, 2 of the pre-race favorites, made their charge on a long stretch of green from laps 28 to 92. Needles took control of the race at lap 59 and set a torrid pace as he sailed to the lap 101 break in front of Roarhrig, VanDoorn, Senneker, Fair Jr., Dakota Carlson, Scott Hantz, Rogers, Belott and Jack Varney Jr.
The break saved Senneker as the right front rotor came apart on pit road during the 20 minute break. Quick work by the #37 crew saved the day for Terry. With 19 cars taking the green again, Senneker started to make his move. Needles, on a rail, was again flying out front, Rogers and Roahrig became spectators when Rogers cut a tire down and JR slid up the track and also tagged the wall.
VanDoorn
joined Needles began to pull away, but Senneker was on the way. Several of the front runners were involved in
a lap 139 incident, but each car returned to action---Belott, Fair Jr., Varney
and Sauve. Sauve moved into 4th
spot after the yellow and another long stretch of green was in store from laps
139-182.
The save of the night came from the eventual winner on lap 173. With Needles still flying, Senneker got up in the marbles in turn 2, but hung on in an incredible piece of driving. Needles now had an engine going sour, with puffs of smoke coming out the exhaust. The final 18 laps went straight green, giving Senneker the chance to get by VanDoorn with 14 to go. Making up big chunks of ground as Needle’s machine got worse, the #14 finally let go at lap 196. Senneker sailed by and collected his very first Glass City 200 win, which he called at that time “the biggest victory in my career.” VanDoorn, Hantz (#72), Carlson (#8), Sauve (#97), Belott, Fair Jr., Needles, Joe Hawes and John Beach completed the top ten.
Thank you for reading our recaps of the first 24 races of the Glass City 200. 33 cars are entered for the Silver Anniversary race tomorrow, and field is once again very strong! Please join us for a great weekend of racing!
