Pa.’s Cozze cooks on hot New Egypt night

Above, New Egypt’s Pat Wall attempts to make a pass during the Rookie Sportsman race at New Egypt Speedway on Saturday. At left, Cream Ridge’s Robbie Nixon drives his sportsman towards the front, while below left, Kory Flemming puts a new tire on his car in the pits.

NEW EGYPT — Wind Gap, Pa.’s Frank Cozze was in control on Saturday night, making all the right moves to win his second Modified event of the season, the 15th of his career at New Egypt Speedway.

“I know we had a good car on Wednesday but the driver made a few mistakes. We came back to redeem ourselves tonight,” said Cozze, 49, who finished third in the track’s big Super DIRT Series Modified tour event on Wednesday. “I am so proud to be a part of this team — M2, Mikronite, Brent (Tittle) and the boys, they make it happen, and it’s to great get a win for them.”

PHOTOS BY SCOTT PILLING staff

Rick Grosso looked to be the man to watch in the initial going of the 30-lap Modified main event, rocketing his #R24 from seventh to fourth on the first tour, then quickly grabbing the lead on a lap three restart. Cozze, meanwhile, wasn’t wasting any time either: starting in 11th position, he showed third by lap eight, then overtook Sam Martz to claim second four laps later. On a tear, Cozze made an outside pass for the lead the next go-round, shook off Grosso’s continued challenge, and then proceeded to walk the field. Wednesday night runner-up Ryan Godown tried to make it a race at the end, but ultimately ran out of time and territory. It was all Cozze at the line, with Godown besting Martz for second. Grosso was fourth and Darren McCaughey finished fifth. Wednesday’s big $6,000 winner, Billy Pauch, was eliminated in a lap three skirmish.

Mike Lyons, Monroe, made the move of the race — swinging from fifth to first in a single lap — and it paid off in spades in the time-shortened Sportsman affair. Although Mike Howardson gave Lyons fits at the finish, Lyons hung tough to record his first win of the season. Howardson, Rich Scagliotta, Rich Rutski and Glenn Hisko trailed the high-flying Lyons.

It was win number three on the year for defending Super Stock champion Rob Ormsbee of Wall. Ormsbee outran leader Jon Hewitt to put his name on the 20-lap race with three laps remaining. Thrillseeker Billy Bauer got by Hewitt on the final lap to take second. Hewitt, Al Cheney III and Mick Search followed.

Kevin Nagy of East Brunswick, won a spirited battle with Steve Wilson to win his second of the year in the Haldeman Ford SS Sprint division. Brian Lake came on at the end to score second, with Wilson settling for third, Ian Borden fourth and Billy Pauch Jr. in fifth.

Eighteen-year-old Sean Noonan of Perrineville won the battle, but Ewing novice Randy Yaple, 21, won the war in the final event of the Advantage Financial/Cradle Rock Developers Rookie Sportsman series. Noonan took his second checker in as many weeks, with Yaple, Ben Donaruma, Dan Cucinotta and Robbie Nixon behind him. Yaple’s second-place finish in the double-points series closer netted him the 2005 Rookie Sportsman championship crown, in a tight, tight title bout.

This Saturday, it’s a big holiday special at New Egypt Speedway, featuring sizzling fireworks on and off the track. Big-block Modifieds, Sportsman and Super Stocks are on the bill, highlighted by the annual Big Bang Bonanza for Mods, a series of elimination runs with $1,000 at stake. Gates open at 3:30 p.m. with first green at 6 p.m. Adult admission is $20, children 7-12 are $7, and kids 6 and under are free.