OWEGO, NY

With the Hank Bassett and Omar Lightner Cup Championships having been rained out earlier in the season, it was decided to combine the two for the September 12 event at Champion Speedway. The Bassett Cup, honoring four-time track champion Hank Bassett, would be awarded to the evening's Scratch main-event winner, and the Lightner Cup, honoring former track worker Omar Lightner, would be given to the winner of a series of match races at halftime.

The program started with Handicap heat races. Adam Mittl (above) was leading early on but fell back when his clutch sprocket broke. Luckily for him, all riders transferred from this particular heat. Dave Clark went on to take the win, with Dwight Basa second and Corey Brookes third.

Tuff McBride came from the 50-yard marker to win the next Handicap race, with newcomer Bunk Harris in second. Russ "Doctor Dirt" Cornell was third, with Jerry Harman finishing fourth and Brian Bailey fifth.

McBride was back strong in the first Handicap semi to take the victory, with Clark second and Harris taking third. Brookes fell and ended up fourth.

Harman rode hard and smooth in the other semi to score the win, with Mittl just behind him for second. Basa ended up third, to make his first-ever Handicap main. Cornell was fourth and Bailey was fifth.

Mittl started off against Clark in a series of last-man-standing match races to decide the Lightner Cup. Mittl won the first two-lapper and then beat Harman, Brookes and Cornell in the next to face McBride for the title. McBride appeared to have gated just ahead of Mittl from the outside, but Mittl gathered it up quickly and passed McBride down the back straight and held on for the win. This was the third time in a row Mittl had won the Lightner Cup.

McBride and Mittl won the Scratch heats, with Brookes and Harman taking second-place finishes.

It was more of the same in the Scratch semis, as Mittl outgated Clark and took another win. McBride also won his semifinal, with Harman a close second.

Brookes went on to win the last-chance qualifier, but not without a fight from Cornell, who tried hard for several laps but could not close the door. Basa was third, Harris was fourth and Bailey was fifth.

Mittl came out of gate four and swept around the field on his Bully Dog/NGK Spark Plugs/Oury/Justice Brothers Jawa to take control of the Scratch main. Once he's out front, there's no catching Mittl, and he rode away with his first Hank Bassett Championship. McBride grabbed second place, with Clark finishing third.

Harman passed a couple of riders early on in the Handicap main to move to the front, and he never had to look back en route to the first-place finish. McBride scored another second position, with Mittl taking third. Clark was fourth, Basa was fifth and Harris sixth.

Results

HANK BASSETT C'SHIP: 1. Adam Mittl; 2. Tuff McBride; 3. Dave Clark; 4. Jerry Harman; 5. Corey Brookes.

OMAR LIGHTNER C'SHIP: 1. Adam Mittl.

HDCP: 1. Jerry Harman; 2. Tuff McBride; 3. Adam Mittl; 4. Dave Clark; 5. Dwight Basa.

SUP A: 1. Dwight Basa; 2. Bunk Harris; 3. Joe Greene; 4. Brian Bailey; 5. Rob Roberts.