Jablonski Doubles Up TNTSS and Young Wins ROC!!!

[Ted Barnes]

Record Canadian car count with 33 entries PLUS a new championship points leader!

The Joe’s Transmission TNT Super Series saw a Canadian record of 33 cars this past August 3-4 weekend at St Thomas Raceway Park in Sparta, Ontario. JJ Jablonski from West Seneca, New York dominated the field, winning both Saturday and Sunday’s regular events - including two $1000 payouts - presented by Kevin Orr Mechanical. In Saturday’s Dilts Piston Hydraulics Race of Champions, Akron New York’s Paul Young made easy work of the 18 car ROC field as he marched to his first ROC victory and pocketed the $1200 winner's purse.


Saturday August 3 - Results
After qualifying 31st, Jablonski marched through six rounds of eliminations on his way to his first win of the weekend, starting with Chris VanBaalen in round one. Even with a starting line advantage, VanBaalen ran under at a 6.989 trying to hold off the hard-charging Chevy II’s 7.015.

Round two saw a similar outcome with Kirk Parry too fast at 6.981 to Jablonski’s 7.021. Same with Gary Saska in a 6.993 to 7.004 battle. Then Paul Young’s 6.995 to 7.018 and in the semi’s, Phil Sampson’s 6.989 to Jablonski’s 7.020.

In the money round, he faced Kevin Orr and his 1967 Corvette convertible. At the green, Jablonski had the upper hand with an .023 to Orr’s .037. Both drivers peddled at the stripe and Jablonski lit the beacon with a 7.045 to Orr’s 7.048.

Specialty Awards – August 3
•Hoosier Tire Canada $100 certificate - Number One Qualifier
◦Dave Surmatchewski (Oakland, Ontario) with a 7.001
•J&S Collision $50 - Closest to the Index (1st Round Loser)
◦Jamie Stoneman (Clarence, New York) with a 7.011
•St Thomas Raceway Park FREE PASS – Best Reaction Time (1st Round Loser)
◦George Mayer (Niagara Falls, Ontario) with a .001


Sunday August 4 - Results
On day two Jablonski qualified 29th in the record field. From there, he again charged through some very tough competition to earn his second victory of the weekend. Joe Passero was the first to fall to Jablonski as Passero went red by .009 off the start. Then George Mayer took the stripe in a double breakout, but went too far under at 6.985 to a 6.991.

Round three was Harry Phelps and with almost identical reaction times, Phelps broke out 6.962 and Jablonski’s 7.002 moving him into the semi’s. There he met up with Saturday night’s Race of Champion’s winner, Paul Young and pushed him under to a losing 6.994 with a 7.001.

The final round of the weekend saw Chris VanBaalen in his fourth TNTSS final round appearance. Jablonski had the advantage at the tree .022 to .034 and again he carried it through to the stripe at 7.009, pushing VanBaalen under to 6.986.

Specialty Awards – August 4
•Hoosier Tire Canada $100 certificate - Number One Qualifier
◦Roy Lister (Welland, Ontario) with a 7.000
•J&S Collision $50 - Closest to the Index (1st Round Loser)
◦Joe Passero (Stevensville, Ontario) with a 7.005
•St Thomas Raceway Park FREE PASS – Best Reaction Time (1st Round Loser)
◦Tom Coonly (Blasdell, New York) with a .012

“First I want to thank my wife Nicole who was acting crew chief. She did a great job coming up with throttle stop numbers, keeping the tire pressure right and most of all, staying awake for the ride home,” said Jablonski. “Also to Gary Saska for lending me fuel because running three races on Saturday had me short.”

Jablonski mentioned he gets tremendous support from his sponsors Jason Vitez Race Cars, Jan Cen Racing Engines, Competition Transmission and Louie’s Car Clinic.

“I also want to thank all the TNT series sponsors including Joe’s Transmission and Kevin Orr Mechanical,” added Jablonski. “Without them our series would not be where it is today and I am proud to say that I have been a part of this series since its inception.”

This is Jablonski’s third consecutive final round in 2013, moving him into the championship points lead over Sam LoVetro Jr by a mere four points.

These wins also move Jablonski up in the standings for the Performance Improvements Driver of the Year Award, lubricated by Royal Purple. His average package this year is .044 through 14 ‘qualified rounds’ putting him very close to the top of that list as well. For this award, only round wins in eliminations count that are not a break-out win and not a red-light win AND a driver must attend a minimum of 10 TNTSS events in 2013.


Race of Champions - Results
The highlight of the weekend was the Dilts Piston Hydraulics Race of Champions on Saturday night. With all previous TNTSS event winners eligible to run this annual “no entry fee” race of the best of the best, the competition was sure to be tough. When the dust settled, it was 2009 TNTSS champion Paul Young taking the $1200 win, besting the 18 car field.

In round one, Young took out 2008 TNTSS champion Ted Barnes with a .002 light to Barnes’ .021. At the stripe, Young ran 7.019 to a 7.009 and a margin of victory of .009 seconds.

Round two was Roy Lister leaving with an .014 to Young’s .015 but Lister ran too fast at 6.996 to Young’s 7.001. Lister did what he had to do; he took the stripe by .006 but he ran .004 too fast doing it.

The quarter-finals gave Young the competition bye run where he cut a .007 light and ran it out to 6.993.

Tom Coonly was next in the semi’s and he had the tree at .015 to Young’s .044. But it wasn’t enough as Coonly took a ton of stripe and ran 6.979 to Young’s closer 6.998.

In the final, it was the 2012 Rookie of the Year in the other lane, Jim Thomson from Niagara Falls, Ontario. Thomson drilled the tree with a .008 to Young's comatose .140. But lucky for Young that the stripe is tough to see at St Thomas at night and Thomson went .001 too fast, giving Young the ROC victory running 6.982 to Young’s 6.983.

“I have to thank all the sponsors who support the TNT Super Series,” said Paul Young in the St Thomas Raceway Park winner’s circle. “Including Dilts Piston Hydraulics, Joe’s Transmission, Ted Barnes, Anastasia Boniferro and everyone who put this deal together!”

Paul was quick to thank his mom and dad, his wife Mary and the Halleen family for all their support. "I also want to thank Old Dutchman Rod Iron and Emerald Construction for helping us with this Fairlane."

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