CATALANO
PICKS UP HIS 33RD SPENCER CAREER WIN ON OPENING NIGHT
by Gary M.
Spaid
WILLIAMSON,
NY…Buck Catalano remained in fifth place on the Spencer
Speedway All-Time Modified Stock Car win list, but added
number 33rd to his victory list.
“I want
to dedicate this with to Dave London and Gary Spencer,”
stated Catalano after taking a Polish Victory Lap the
wrong way around the half mile oval. Dave London, was a
former driver and media member at Spencer. He died over
the off season after an illness. Gary Spencer, the son of
former speedway owners Del and Evelyn Spencer, was killed
in a motorcycle accident just this past week in the Town
of Chili.
In
SST-Modified action it was Chris Finocharrio taking his
third career win at the speedway. Past Street Stock
champion Bobby Lippa Jr. looked to make it an easy win in
the Street Stock class. Kris Hillegeer, last year’s
Super Six Champion, returned to victory lane, taking the
season opener.
The NASCAR
Modified feature would go green-to-checkers. Up front it
was Buck with the lead at the drop of the green flag. On
his heels was his son Patsy Catalano. Buck drew away from
a nine car lead by halfway as Tim McMullen and T.J.
Potrzebowski dogged Patsy in second.
On lap 22,
Patsy drove low in the second and turn and after receiving
a slight tap, found himself in the infield grass.
McMullen, Potrzebowski and Todd Smith quickly took to the
high side of the track and moved into second, third and
fourth respectively. Patsy, in true sportsman form, could
have slowed and brought out the yellow, but he melded back
into the field in fifth right behind Mike Leaty.
At the
checkers it was Buck Catalano followed by McMullen,
Potrzebowski, Todd Smith and Mike Leaty.
“We had
a lot more for them tonight,” added Catalano from
victory lane. “We were just stroking the motor through
the turns.” If that is so it could be a long season for
the rest of the modified field on Fridays.
While the
modified feature ran as smooth as silk the SST feature
looked like it would never get started. A total of eight
yellows slowed the race pace. Three yellows flew in the
first two laps. An aborted restart on lap two saw newcomer
Eric Stritzel make heavy contact with the second turn
wall, breaking his right front suspension.
Up front,
based on the opening day heads up start from the heat
finishes, Chris Finocharrio took the lead at the drop of
the green. After numerous cautions Finocharrio was finally
able to break away from the rest of the 20 car starting
field. That is except for Jeff Hammon who rode right on
Finocharrio’s rear bumper.
Andy
Lewis, winner of the second heat race, and outside pole
sitter, showed signs of a fire glowing from beneath his
car on lap four. The race was yellow flagged and safety
crews attended to Lewis’s number 65 machine. He would
later return to the fray, some three laps down to the rest
of the field.
Minor
spinouts by rookies accounted for most of the remaining
yellow flags. Up front the freight-train of Finocharrio,
Hammon, Potrzebowski, Bill Hebing and Terry Cheetham
looked to have their spots wrapped up.
“That
number nine (Hammon) can pound on my back bumper all he
wants and I’ll still beat him here next week,” related
a joyous Finocharrio to track announcer Jim Fremouw, in
victory lane. “We have a brand new motor in this car
this week.”
The Street
Stock 20-lapper also was able to go green-to-checkers with
Bobby Lippa Jr. taking the victory. Lippa, the 2004 Street
Stock champion, who was winless in 2005, took the lead at
the drop of the green. Lippa was joined up front by Jim
Steffenhaggen Jr. and Will Strusz. These three were able
to pull away from the rest of the field.
At the
finish line it remained Lippa Jr., followed by
Steffenhaggen Jr., Strusz, Roger Worden and Ryan Corso
rounding out the top five..
“We’re
back here to have some fun and hopefully win the track
title,” Lippa stated.
The Super
Six class returns to Spencer for their second season. But
it was last year’s track champion, Kris Hillegeer, who
dominated the action. Billy Semmler, who earlier had won
the division’s heat race, finished in second with Patti
Davenport coming home a distant third. Keith Butler and
Frank Parsons rounded out the top five.
Spencer
Shorts: Whelen Engineering had their special demo vehicle,
a Dodge Charger, on hand complete with their special light
and siren systems aboard to help pace the field. This pace
car was joined by the new Spencer Speedway Chevrolet Monte
Carlo SS provided by Joseph Neri Chevrolet in
Williamson...A ballot box will be set up next week by the
front ticket booth so fans can cast their votes for the
best appearing car in each of the four main weekly
classes. The winner in each will receive a beautiful
trophy at the annual Spencer Speedway banquet…. Larry
Woodruff did an excellent job in the flag stand for his
first night at the track. Woodruff flags at Lancaster also…The
front stretch American flag flew at half-mast for Gary
Spencer…The earlier starting time made for a completed
show by 10 p.m., a promoter’s dream of a three hour show…Spencer
Speedway officials continue to build their “Rain-out and
News” e-mail list. Anyone interested in having their
e-mail address added to this list should send their e-mail
address to aces2@frontiernet.net to be added.
This week,
Friday, May 18, the Legend Cars join in the weekly action,
featuring the Super Sixes, Street Stocks, SST Modifieds
and NASCAR Modifieds as part of the Whelen All-American
Series banner sponsored by NASCAR.. Race time remains at 7
p.m. sharp. It will be VP Fuel night at Spencer. VP Fuel
is the “Official Fuel” at both Spencer Speedway and
her sister speedway, the Chemung Speedrome.
For
updates and information go to the speedway website,
www.spencerspeedway.org. Spencer Speedway is located just
fifteen minutes east of Rochester, NY along Route 104 in
the Town of Williamson.
WHELEN
ENGINEERING 53RD ANNUAL SEASON OPENING NIGHT SUMMARY
SUPER SIX
HEAT: B.
Semmler, K. Hillegeer, P. Davenport, F. Parsons, K.
Butler.
FEATURE
(10-laps): KRIS HILLEGEER, Billy Semmler, Patti Davenport,
Keith Butler, Frank Parsons, Cassandra Johnstone
STREET
STOCKS
HEAT: R.
Lippa Jr., J. Steffenhaggen Jr., R. Worden, W. Strusz, R.
Corso.
FEATURE
(20-laps): BOBBY LIPPA JR., Jim Steffenhaggen Jr., Will
Strusz, Roger Worden, Ryan Corso, John VanHooydonk, Tommy
Corino Jr., Don Stevens, Phil Alhart (DNS).
SST
MODIFIEDS
HEAT 1: C.
Finocharrio, J. Hammon, J. Polaski, S. Malin, J. Pringle.
HEAT 2: A.
Lewis, P. Wehrheim, Ck. Finocharrio, M. Lees, K. Meyn.
HEAT 3: D.
Lewis Jr., T.J. Potrzebowski, B. Hebing, D. DeMarree, E.
Stritzel.
FEATURE
(25-laps): CHRIS FINOCHARRIO, Jeff Hammon, T.J.
Potrzebowski, Bill Hebing, Terry Cheetham, Darryl Lewis
Jr., Matt Lees, Steve Malin, Kris Meyn, Jeff Polaski, Mike
Florio, Charlie Finocharrio, Jeff Pringle, Andy Lewis,
Ryan Beeman, Phil Wehrheim, Kirk Rutherford, Eric Stritzel,
Ron Wildey II, Alva English, Dean DeMarree (DNS)
NASCAR
MODIFIEDS
HEAT: P.
Catalano, B. Catalano, T. McMullen, T.J. Potrzebowski, E.
Hawkins.
FEATURE
(30-laps): BUCK CATALANO, Tim McMullen, T.J. Potrzebowski,
Todd Smith, Mike Leaty, Patsy Catalano, Eddie Hawkins,
Dean DeMarree, Mark Tychoniewicz, Tom Wiest, Terry
Cheetham
