PHOTO: Ted Christopher (center) in ISMA Supermodified victory lane with runner-up Robbie Summers (right) and third-place Mark Sammut at Airborne Speedway on Saturday. (Ricky St. Clair/VMM photo)

–by Ricky St. Clair

PLATTSBURGH, N.Y. — It only took Ted Christopher one try to show local Plattsburgh fans why he can win a race in just about any type of racecar he jumps into. In his first visit to Airborne Speedway, Christopher won Saturday night’s 50-lap International Supermodified Association race.

The Plainville, Conn., hotshoe made the winning pass by slipping underneath Robbie Summers off of turn two to take the lead on lap 20 and solidify himself in the top spot.

The all-time winningest driver at Stafford Motor Speedway and the 2008 NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour champion was satisfied with his Clyde Booth-owned No. 61 C&R Racing/Aviad Pumps Supermodified.

“I really don’t have a plan with this car,” Christopher said. “It’s basically where it will go and tonight it would go anywhere it wanted to. It was really good on the bottom side. It has great power in the thing. Sometimes you just go where the racecar really performs a little bit better and tonight it was on the bottom.”

It took Christopher 20 laps to go from his 12th starting position in the 19-car field to the top spot. And when he did, he never thought the race would never come to an end.

“I looked up [at the scoreboard] when I took the lead on lap 20 and thought to myself, ‘Geesh, I’ve still got to go another 30 laps around this place?’” Christopher chuckled in victory lane after collecting his first ISMA checkered flag of 2011.

After his first-ever appearance on the Airborne half-mile, Christopher said he was extremely pleased with the racetrack and it’s facilities.

“I got here and the first laps I made, I could race anywhere,” Christopher said. “I wish we could get a [NASCAR] Modified race up here. I think it would put on a really good show because it has so many different areas to race on. Great race track. A lot of great people came out tonight.”

After taking the lead the from Danny Lane on lap 2, Robbie Summers set a blistering pace and held a comfortable lead on the entire field before facing a caution period on the 14th circuit and a lap 15 red flag after Russ Wood tagged the wall in turn four.

“We were just really tight in the center of the corner,” Summers explained. What a tough day we had. We didn’t even get to practice. After the day we had today not getting any practice, I’m pretty satisfied with the second-place finish.”

The Vernon, Conn., driver said his car was beginning to act evil before the caution period even came out. And despite having a healthy lead, Summers didn’t mind to see the caution and red flag periods, respectively.

“It is what is,” Summer said. “I knew the car was getting really tight. I could even feel it before that first caution. We don’t have pit stops in this deal so we just had to deal with it. Teddy was real good. That car was just unreal.”

After winning his qualifying heat earlier in the night and finishing in the third in the 50-lap feature, Mark Sammut was pleased with his end result.

‘I just picked them off one at a time and the car was really good for the entire race,’ Sammut said. ‘All in all, it was a pretty good night. If I was in front of [Summers], I’m not sure if he could have passed me.’

Despite a restart on lap 30, Sammut thought he had a potential shot at passing Summers, but had no chance at getting by Christopher.

‘I thought I had a chance at Robbie, but not at Christopher unless something happened to his car,’ Sammut said. ‘It never panned out. [Summers] and I were running about the same times around the track, but I just couldn’t get by him. Hey, we’re happy with third.’

Chris DeRitis and Timmy Jederzjek completed the unofficial top five. Positions six through ten went to Ben Seitz, Danny Lane, Paul White, Eddie Witkum, and Jeff Locke.

Locke set the fastest lap time in the 58-year history of Airborne Speedway by turning a 13.867-second lap in the third heat race of the evening.

The ISMA return to racing next weekend as they’ll compete at Sandusky Speedway in Ohio.

Robert Gordon of Milton, Vt., picked up his fifth checkered flag in 2011 by winning Saturday night’s Versatile Trailer Sales Renegade feature. Gordon took the lead from Rick Doner on lap 9 and held off a hard-charging Lance Rabtoy in the closing stages of the 25-lap feature event.

Rabtoy would go on to finish second just two car lengths behind Gordon. Point leader and defending division champion Kevin Boutin finished third while Curtis Seymour and “Big Daddy” Don Franklin rounded out the top five.

Erick Sayles was the victor in the NAPA Mini-Modified feature. Josh LeClaire, Justin Doner, Josh LaPorte, and John Bradley rounded out the top five.

Johnmichael Bresette grabbed the checkers in the Busch Bombers nightcap. Josh Durivage, Curtis LaGrave Jr., Travis Sherman, and Dale O’Neil concluded the top five.

Weekly racing at Airborne continues next Saturday night as Aaron’s, Mike Brown Plumbing, Morrisonville Septic, and Gordon Oil will sponsor the evening’s racing card. Post time is slated for 6pm.

UNOFFICIAL RESULTS — Della Auto Group Night
Airborne Speedway, Plattsburgh, N.Y.
Saturday, July 24, 2011

Pos.-Driver-Hometown
(# – denotes rookie)

International Supermodified Association (50 laps)
1. Ted Christopher, Plainville, Conn.
2. Robbie Summers, Vernon, Conn.
3. Mark Sammut, London, Ont.
4. Chris DeRitis, Philadelphia, Pa.
5. Timmy Jederzjek, Independence, Ohio
6. Ben Seitz, Bourne, Mass.
7. Danny Lane, Essex, Mass.
8. Paul White, Temple, Tex.
9. Eddie Witkum, Westford, Mass.
10. Jeff Locke, Raymond, N.H.

Versatile Trailer Sales Renegade (25 laps)
1. Robert Gordon, Milton, Vt.
2. Lance Rabtoy, Fairfax, Vt.
3. Kevin Boutin, Swanton, Vt.
4. # Curtis Seymour, Jr., Plattsburgh, N.Y.
5. Don Franklin, Milton, Vt.
6. Robbie Favreau, Peru, N.Y.
7. Josh Terry, Morrisonville, N.Y.
8. Jason McClatchie, Plattsburgh, N.Y.
9. David Drake, Ausable Forks, N.Y.
10. Andrew Bordeau, Dannemora, N.Y.

Keeseville NAPA Auto Parts Mini-Modified (15 laps)
1. # Erick Sayles, Saranac Lake, N.Y.
2. Josh LeClaire, Plattsburgh, N.Y.
3. Justin Doner, Ausable Forks, N.Y.
4. # Josh LaPorte, Plattsburgh, N.Y.
5. John Bradley, Morrisonville, N.Y.
6. Eric Reyell, Morrisonville, N.Y.
7. Kris Clark, Keeseville, N.Y.
8. Speedy Bresette, Castleton, Vt.
9. Scott Richer, Cumberland Head, N.Y.
10. Malcom Woodward, Plattsburgh, N.Y.

Busch Beer Bomber (15 laps)
1. JohnMichael Bresette, Keeseville, N.Y.
2. Josh Durivage, West Chazy, N.Y.
3. Curtis LaGrave, Jr., Plattsburgh, N.Y.
4. # Travis Sherman, Plattsburgh, N.Y.
5. # Dale O’Neil, Plattsburgh, N.Y.
6. Bill Joyal Sr., Ausable Forks, N.Y.
7. Tyler Crary, Saranac Lake, N.Y.
8. Tyler Bressette, Plattsburgh, N.Y.
9. Rob Sines, Dannemora, N.Y.
10. # Jason Branham, Plattsburgh, N.Y.