July
13th, 2007
SMITH AND TIMMERMAN BECOME FIRST TIME WINNERS, NUMBER 13
WINS 50-LAPPER ON THE 13TH
by Gary M.
Spaid
WILLIAMSON,
NY…Friday the 13th proved lucky for some, but not for
others, especially if your last name was Catalano. Both
Amy and Buck Catalano would crash hard before the night
ended.
Todd
Smith, from Henrietta, and Kevin Timmerman, from Ontario,
both became first time feature winners last Friday at
Spencer Speedway. Smith captured the 35-lap, double
points, NASCAR Modified feature event, while Timmerman won
the 30-lap SST Modified feature.
“We
crashed this car last week at Lancaster’s RoC race and
if it weren’t for my crew we would not be here tonight,”
related Smith, who also thanked his long time sponsor
Monroe Fire Extinguisher for sticking with him over the
years.
Timmerman,
who dropped down from the NASCAR Modified division stated,
“These cars (SSTs) are much tougher to driver then the
NASCAR Modifieds.”
In other
racing action, Jim Steffenhagen Jr., who drives the number
13 Street Stock, found Friday the 13th to his liking, as
he won the 50-lap Street Stock special. It was also
Steffenhagen’s first win of the 2007 season and fourth
of his career at Spencer Speedway.
The Super
Six class saw Billy Semmler remain dominate, winning their
12-lap feature run. It was Semmler’s fifth win of the
season.
The 35-lap
NASCAR Modified feature saw Smith and Eddie Hawkins pace
the field down to starter, Larry Woodruff’s green flag.
Smith immediately jumped into the lead, but a brief yellow
on lap two for debris in the first turn bunched the field
together again. This time Sege Fidanza was able to tagged
onto Smith’s rear bumper and remained glued there for a
number of laps.
As Smith
and Fidanza broke free from the field, Hawkins, running in
third, had his hands full with Patsy and Buck Catalano.
Also on the move, and taking fifth from Buck Catalano,
with an outside move exiting the second turn on lap 11,
was Tom Kinsella.
On lap 12
Buck drove straight off the first turn and slammed hard
into the tire wall. The impact launched his car high into
the air, landing back on his wheels.
The
restart saw Mike Leaty take advantage of the bunched up
field, moving from sixth to third in just one lap. Leaty
then tagged onto Fidanza’s rear bumper for a three car
break away.
Smith was
able to stretch out a slight lead over Fidanza and Leaty
in the closing laps to secure his win. Kinsella finished
in fourth followed by Patsy Catalano in fifth.
“This
feels great to take this first win,” added Smith. “I
tend to be a more patient driver and the normal 30-lappers
don’t seem to work for me. I do best in extra distance
races.”
The 30-lap
SST Modified feature saw 24 cars answer the starter’s
call. Kris Meyn was the early leader over Matt Lees, Kevin
Timmerman, Terry Cheetham and Mike Florio. On lap six,
Timmerman was able to pass Lees for second using an inside
move down the backstretch. Timmerman then caught up with
Meyn and shot low entering the third turn to make a pass
for the lead on lap ten.
One lap
later, lap 11, Jeff Polaski and Phil Wehrheim came
together and spun in the fourth turn. During this yellow,
sprint car ace Chuck Hebing pitted his ride for the
evening.
The
restart saw another yellow when Kirk Rutherford slowed
along the backstretch wall. With Timmerman in the lead
followed by Florio, the field attempted another restart.
This time Jeff Pringle looped his mount in the first turn.
Once
underway again it was Timmerman leading the way. Jeff
Hamman Jr. was able to pass Florio for second and make a
charge at Timmerman, but the yellow flew, lap 15, when
Wehrheim spun around in the fourth turn.
Hamman Jr.
was then able to pull alongside of Timmerman as these two
raced side-by-side for the lead. This battle would be
interrupted by a yellow, lap 19, do to a pile up on the
front stretch. This accident was triggered when a car hit
the back of the Chris Finocchario machine and sent
Finocchario spinning into the infield grass. Daryl Lewis
Jr., Phil Johnson and Dean DeMarree were all involved with
the first two making significant contact with the outside
front stretch wall.
Timmerman
was then able to pull away from the field over the closing
laps. A late race yellow on lap 28, saw the field bunched
together again, but this time Hamman Jr., who had been
slowing, suffered a flat right rear tire and was not able
to challenge Timmerman. T.J. Potrzebowski took second but
was not able to chase down Timmerman. Following Timmerman
and Potrzebowski were Florio, Cheetham and Meyn.
“This
first win felt great and will be a boast to my confidence,”
stated Timmerman.
John
VanHooydonk led the first few laps in the 50-lap Street
Stock feature. However a yellow on lap two, for the
stopped car of Billy Semmler, saw the field restarted with
Jim Steffenhagen Jr. able to grab the lead away.
Steffenhagen then drew away from the field with Bobby
Lippa Jr. now in second followed by Don Stevens and Amy
Catalano.
On lap 11,
Catalano was able to duck under Lippa Jr. to grab second.
She then started to reel in Steffenhagen, who had built up
twenty car length advantage. By lap 19 Amy had caught
Steffenhagen and these two held a full straight away lead
over Lippa in third.
The race
remained green with Lippa now stretching out a straight
away lead over Ryan Corso and Stevens. On lap 32 the
yellow flew when Tommy Carino Jr. and VanHooydonk made
contact in the third turn and spun. This bunched the field
together. Lippa now joined the two leaders.
On lap 37
as the leaders exited the second turn Amy made a move to
the inside at the same time as Lippa. Amy seemed to come
together with Steffenhaggen and then made contact with
Lippa as Lippa took the lead. This contact sent Amy hard
into the back stretch wall. The red was displayed to
remove Amy’s car, which had two flat tires. Officials
moved Lippa to the rear for the restart for the contact
with Amy.
Steffenhagen
now had Corso to content with at the front These two moved
away from the rest of the field over the closing laps.
Steffenhagen took the win followed closely by Corso. Lippa,
cleared a spinning Roger Worden on the final lap to take
third. Willie Strusz came home in fourth followed by Phil
Alhart Jr.
“It was
just a racing deal,” stated Steffenhagen about Amy’s
accident. “She got out of shape and didn’t seem to
know Lippa was there on the low side. She was really the
class of the field. She caught me like nothing. But my
biggest worry was fuel, as this car has a small cell in
it.”
SPENCER
SPUTTER: A number of driver changes took place with cars
and drivers preparing for the 75-lap SST Modified feature
scheduled for next Friday. Besides Chuck Hebing being on
hand, Mike Leaty successfully joined the SST ranks and
finished sixth. Mark Tychoniewicz drove the number 28 SST
modified….Kirk Rutherford gave Terry Zacharias’s
NASCAR Modified a try during the heat races. Billy Semmler
drove the Catalano number 54 Street Stock, as he looks to
move up from the Super Six division. In the Super Sixes,
Bunny Bennett took over the wheel of the car normally
driven by Frank Parsons….Corvette rides were provided
during intermission by the night’s sponsor Joseph Neri
Chevrolet-Pontiac located in the Town of Williamson.
This
Friday, July 20, will see a special 75-lap SST Modified
feature headline the night of racing. Also on tap for the
night will be regular features for the NASCAR Modifieds,
Street Stocks and Super Six divisions. Race time starts at
7 p.m. sharp.
JOSEPH
NERI CHEVROLET-PONTIAC DOUBLE POINTS NIGHT SUMMARY
SUPER SIX
HEAT: B.
Semmler, K. Hillegeer, P. Davenport, C. Butler, B.
Bennett.
FEATURE
(12-laps): BILLY SEMMLER, Kris Hillegeer, Cassandra
Johnstone, Craig Butler, Bunny Bennett, Patti Davenport.
STREET
STOCKS
HEAT 1: B.
Lippa Jr., D. Stevens, A. Catalano, J. Parent, R. Corso.
HEAT 2: J.
Steffenhagen Jr., J. VanHooydonk, R. Worden, P. Alhart
Jr., B. Semmler.
FEATURE
(50-laps): JIM STEFFENHAGEN JR., Ryan Corso, Bobby Lippa
jr., Willie Strusz, Phil Alhart Jr., John VanHooydonk,
Roger Worden, Tommy Carino Jr., Don Stevens, Amy Catalano,
Jeff Parent, Billy Semmler.
SST
MODIFIEDS
HEAT 1: M.
Florio, M. Lees, K. Rutherford, J. Polaski, C. Finocchario.
HEAT 2: T.
Cheetham, K. Timmerman, J. Hamman Jr., R. Beeman, P.
Johnson.
HEAT 3:
T.J. Potrzebowski, K. Meyn, D. Lewis jr., S. Malin, C.
Hebing.
FEATURE
(30-laps): KEVIN TIMMERMAN, T.J. Potrzebowski, Mike Florio,
Terry Cheetham, Kris Meyn, Mike Leaty, Matt Lees, Steve
Malin, Ryan Beeman, Mark Tychoniewicz, Phil Wehrheim, Jeff
Pringle, Tom Fecteau, Dean DeMarree, Scott Combs, Jeff
Hamman Jr., Toad Bradshaw, Kirk Rutherford, Chris
Finocchario, Darryl Lewis Jr., Phil Johnson, Chuck Hebing,
Jeff Polaski, Steve West.
NASCAR
MODIFIEDS
HEAT 1: E.
Hawkins, P. Catalano, M. Leaty, T.J. Potrzebowski, M.
Tychoniewicz.
HEAT 2: T.
Smith, S. Fidanza, T. McMullen, B. Catalano, T. Kinsella.
FEATURE
(35-laps): TODD SMITH, Sege Fidanza, Mike Leaty, Tom
Kinsella, Patsy Catalano, Eddie Hawkins, T.J..
Potrzebowski, Tim McMullen, Terry Cheetham, Mark
Tychoniewicz, Jimmy Zacharias, Chris Ridsdale, Dean
DeMarree, Buck Catalano, Terry Zacharias.
