The Seneca County Fair Demolition Derby Hall of Fame will induct three new members during the Seneca County Fair demolition derby events next week.
Formal inductions will be held during pre-race ceremonies during Championship Saturday on July 19, with derby action beginning at 6:30 p.m.
The class includes two exceptionally hard drivers, Tim Ellison and Chuck Bowman, and Walt Mitchell, a long-time sponsor and supporter of the demolition derby.
Ellison is the most decorated of this year’s inductees. He had won the main show once, the four-cylinder championship twice and the full size truck division twice. Ellison holds a rare distinction of wins in a single night, nearly sweeping the fair events in 2019. That season, He shared the full size truck win, won the four-cylinder championship and finally got his Saturday Night Championship.
His wins often came second to showmanship, he would drive as hard as the car would allow. If there was still mobility in his machine when the checkers flew, then he would collect a win. But his goal was to be the standard in setting the pace. He was active in changing to a one-and-done format, often speaking up about the implementation of heavier ‘built’ parts in the vein of protecting the casual competitor. He had the foresight to protect tomorrow while still smashing today. Tim often brought three and four entries on a given night, and would drive all of them as hard as he could.
Similarly, Chuck Bowman embodies everything an entertainment-focused demolition derby driver should be. Finding his feet as a driver in an era where premium cars were the standard, and building a car so it would last multiple runs was expected, Chuck had none of that. Bowman found pure joy when smashing cars in Seneca County. He would take whatever car he could find, and turn it into a pretzel in rapid fashion. Chuck would hit anyone on track, friend or foe. And there was not any science to his hit placement. In his peak, wheel shots to disable steering were selected with precision. Bowman used his right foot as the counter-argument, hitting whatever was broadside in front of him.
On the surface, Walt Mitchell’s career at the Seneca County Fairgrounds is closely tied to his stellar career racing stock cars. He was a force at Maple Grove Speedway/Waterloo Raceway, Weedsport Speedway, Black Rock Speedway/Dundee Raceway, Five Mile Point, Fulton and Woodhull Speedways.
Mitchell amassed between 300 and 350 wins in his career. He earned track titles at Weedsport from 1966-69, then Fulton and Weedsport again in 1979 and Five Mile Point in 1981. He won three 358-Modified track titles at Woodhull and finished with 37 DIRTcar-sanctioned small-block wins.
Mitchell’s career on track will be chronicled among the dozens and dozens of racers and feature winners during the Maple Grove Speedway/Waterloo Speedway displays during the fair. The static display will have memorabilia, photos and historical records. A more elaborate tribute to the speedway is being planned for September 27 at the fairgrounds, featuring picture boards, video, posters and trophies, stats, model car replicas and restored full-size race cars.
However, it’s for his time running Mitchell Auto Parts on Route 96 south of Waterloo that he was recognized by the Hall of Fame committee. Mitchell was a local go-to for cars, parts and rebuild pieces among Seneca County derby drivers. Mitchell supported the Seneca County Fair Demolition Derby scene in the late hours, as well. He would buy the cars and tow them to his yard, long after the fairgrounds fell silent. He was key in the feature landscape during the peak of his salvage business, delivering running cars to the Ag Society for feature qualifiers to wheel in the main event.
At that time, drivers qualified, and would return for the feature not in their own prepared car, but a provided fresh machine. A driver would draw a number; that number corresponded to your car for the main. Seneca County resurrected this in the early 2000s for one night only, hosting a Pros vs. Joes type team feature.
The Wednesday Night program will include the kids power wheels demo, lawnmowers, the four- and six-cylinder figure 8 races, the 80s and Newer Chain feature and the popular light truck and SUV ‘junk run.’ Start time is 7 pm. Thursday night, Ian Doyle and Pure Chaos RC will oversee the RC Demolition Derby in Floral Hall, with a 7 pm start time. Saturday will include four one-and-done events, with the four-cylinder and six-cylinder championships, then the stock full size feature and the pro stock full size championships will follow. Best Paint and Hall of Fame Inductions will be held during pre-race ceremonies, with action scheduled to begin at 6:30 pm.
ESS Speedweek
At Weedsport Speedway Danny Varin won the ESS Speedweek finale, winning the 25-lap feature by more than four seconds over Dylan Swiernik. Swiernik finished with the week-long championship, having won three of the five races contested. Logan Crisafulli was third ahead of Chase Moran and Jordan Poirier. Mat Williamson delivered a convincing win in the DIRTcar 358-Modified Series event. He won the 50-lap main over Tim Sears Jr. and Felix Roy; it was his third DIRTcar 358 Modified Series win of the year. Ronnie Davis III was fourth ahead of Jordan McCreadie. Tim Lotz leveraged a late race restart to win the 600 sprint feature. Mike Smith was at the helm for most of the 25-lap feature, but Lotz was better on one restart, which equated to a one-second edge at the checkers. Smith held for second ahead of Zach Bobbett, Will Fisher and Ivan Forney.
Saturday night at Fulton, Dylan Swiernik took the 25-lap Empire Super Sprints win from the pole. Jordan Poirier stormed from 10th to the runner up spot, holding second ahead of Joe Trenca, Shawn Donath and Dalton Rombough. The modifieds raced with sail panels in a special 35-lap Outlaw 200 Qualifier, with Tim Sears Jr. taking the win over Billy Dunn and Ronnie Davis III. Marshall Hurd and Amy Holland filled the top five. Hunter Hollenbeck won the DIRTcar Sportsman feature over a hard-driving Emmett Waldron. Waldron started 17th and raced to second with Cody Manitta, Gregg Carner and David Moyer in tow. John Pietrowicz scored the 15-lap Hobby Stock main. Brayden Bullock won the Novice Sportsman feature.
Friday, Jason Barney interrupted the Swiernik party at Brewerton Speedway, winning the 25-lap ESS feature over Larry Wight and Danny Varin. Jordan Poirier was next, with Chris Hile taking fifth. Wheeling a DIRT-legal 358-Modified, Kyle Devendorf took the lead on lap 16 and prevailed for his first Modified feature win in the 35-lap big block feature. Tim Sears Jr. was next, with Max Hill, Chris Hulsizer and Chad Phelps giving chase. Devendorf’s win keeps the streak of different winners going; Brewerton has welcomed seven different Modified winners to victory lane over seven races. Hunter Hollenback scored the 30-lap Sportsman. Cody Manitta, Tony Finch II, Jason Parkhurst Jr., and Nick Ventura completed the top five. Nathan Powers won the Four-Cylinder Super Stock main.
Thursday at Utica-Rome Speedway, Swiernik won his second of three Speedweek features. Chuck Hebing was chasing from second while Jordan Poirier, Logan Chrisafulli and Paulie Colagiovanni filled the top five. Payton Talbot held off Rocky Warner and Matt Janczuk to win the 358-Modified Challenge Series event; Marc Johnson and Neil Stratton followed in the top five. Ed Lukas won the 602 Crate Sportsman Feature over Talbot, Zach Welch, Josh Coonradt and Carson Rothwell. Luke Horning captured the Pro Stock feature over Slater Baker and Devon Camenga.
Wednesday night, Swiernik opened the ESS Speedweek with a win at Can-Am Speedway, holding off Jordan Poirier and Billy VanInwegen Jr. Davie Franek and Danny Varin filled the top five. Mike Mahaney won the DIRTcar 358-Modified Series event, scoring the 50-lap main from outside the front row. Billy Dunn settled for second ahead of Felix Roy, Mat Williamson and Shaun Shaw. Donovan Lussier won the DIRTcar Sportsman Series event, starting sixth and charging to the front of the 30-lap feature. Shane Pecore was second ahead of Richard Murtaugh, Tyler Corcoran and Taylor Doxtater.
The DIRTcar 358 Modified Series will next visit Cornwall Motor Speedway on Wednesday, July 16. Then, drivers head to Mohawk International Raceway on Thursday, July 17. The Empire Super Sprints will race July 18 and 19 as well, visiting Albany-Saratoga Speedway and then Fonda Speedway.
Super DIRTCar Series
Mat Williamson delivered his first career Super DIRTcar Series win at Land of Legends Raceway, winning the Stars and Stripes 76 Thursday. The 76-lap win was worth $7,600. Erick Rudolph was next, with Justin Haers, Alex Payne and Alex Yankowski filling the top five. Jeff Trombley took the 25-lap CRSA Series race, topping Bobby Parrow and Dillon Paddock. Zach Sobotka and Darryl Ruggles filled the top five.
Last week, Stewart Friesen won his fourth tour event of 2025, taking Monday night’s 75-lap feature at Mohawk International. He passed Alex Yankowski in slower traffic on lap 29 and checked out. Mat Williamson moved to second later in the main; Peter Britten ran third ahead of Alex Yankowski and Matt Sheppard.
Mario Clair won the Super DIRTcar Series event at Cornwall Motor Speedway. It is his first Super DIRTcar Series win, coming in the 100-lap battle where fended off Dalton Slack and earned a guaranteed starting spot at Super DIRT Week 53. Mat Williamson was third ahead of Alex Yankowski and David Hebert.
The Super DIRTcar Series has four races to end July. The trail will head to Weedsport Speedway on July 26. The tour will host three straight nights in Canada, July 28-30, first visiting Autodrome Drummond for back to back nights, and finishing at Brockville Ontario Speedway.
SATURDAY
Bobby Parrow did it again at Land of Legends, winning the CRSA Sprint Series’ 25-lap feature over Lance Dusett and Dillon Paddock. Zach Sobotka was fourth, with Alysha Bay ranking fifth. Mat Williamson won the Modified feature over Dalton Slack; Justin Haers raced from deep in the order to take third ahead of Alex Payne and Matt Sheppard. Richard Murtaugh III picked up the 25-lap Sportsman feature win over Karl Comfort and Tyler Corcoran; Evan Nugent was fourth and Frank Guererri Jr. finished fifth. CJ Guererri was triumphant in the 20-lap Street Stock main. Rick Crego had another strong run to second ahead of Marc Minutolo, Mike Welch and Pat Hobbs. Justin Eldredge wheeled a former Jason Quigley machine to the win in the Hobby Stock main; the night was dedicated as a memorial to Quigley. Minutolo was second ahead of Nathan Peckham, Frank Burnell and Blane Smith.
Oswego Speedway hosted twin 40-lap features for the Super Modifieds. Josh Sokolic won the first with Otto Sitterly and Jeff Abold earning podium spots. Dave Shullick won the latter, holding off Tyler Thompson and Abold in the second 40-lapper. Kyle Perry won the 25-lap 350 Supers feature over Brendan Young and Rob Wirth. Greg O’Connor rang up a Small Block Supers win in their 30-lap feature, topping DJ Shuman and Matt Magner.
FRIDAY
At Outlaw Speedway, Matt Sheppard won the 30-lap Modified feature over Alex Payne, nosing out the win by a .109-seconds. Brady Fultz raced to third ahead of Ajay Potrzebowski and Mike Maresca. Donnie Lawson won the 20-lap Sportsman feature by more than a half-second over Blake Parsons and Chris Fisher. Quintin Buchanon and Dale Welty followed in the top five. Glenn Whritenour topped Shane Wolf and Gene Sharpsteen in the 20-lap Street Stock feature. Chris Woodard and Brett Crawford filled the top five. Daniel Kerrick tallied a win in the Hobby Stock main. Kerrick was first to the checkers after 20 laps, with Jared Hill, Marc Minutolo, Rich Sharpsteen and Jesse Ballance following. Jayson Smart delivered a win in the 20-lap Four-Cylinder feature, with Kenneth Evans, Mike Stone, Austyn Diaz and Zach Daugherty earning top fives.
Outlaw Speedway will welcome the Short Track Super Series Thursday, part of their Dave Machuga Memorial. In addition to the STSS stars, the card will include Sportsman, Street Stocks and Four-Cylinders. The Modified feature will pay $7,078.78 to the winner, while the American Racer Sportsman division will see the winner take a $2,078.78 prize. General admission is $30. Race time is 7 pm. Last Wednesday, Stewart Friesen won a Short Track Super Series event at Fonda Speedway, his 53rd STSS win. Sheppard ran second in the 50-lap Firecracker 50 feature.
Can-Am and Utica-Rome Speedway will be back in action on July 11 with their regular night and programs; they were off Friday after hosting action mid-week during the ESS CNY Speedweek.
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