July
20th, 2007
WESTERN NEW YORKERS DOMINATE SST 75, LEATY TOPS NASCAR
MODS, BUTLER BREAKS INTO SUPER SIX WIN COLUMN - by Gary M. Spaid
WILLIAMSON,
NY…Kirk Rutherford, from Barker, NY, not only picked up
his fourth SST Modified feature win of the season at
Spencer, he made it a big one, winning the special
75-lapper. He was followed closely by fellow Western NY’er,
Erick Rudolph, from Ransomville.
In NASCAR
Modified feature action it all came down to the final lap
and final turn. T.J. Potrzebowski, who led from the start
of the 30-lap feature, made contact with a lap car,
allowing Mike Leaty, running in third at the time, to duck
low and out drag Potrzebowski down the front straight for
the win.
“As the
track point leader I had to go for it,” related Leaty.
“T.J. had a great car and he deserved the win, but I’ll
take a win anyway I can get one.”
The full
fender divisions saw Keith Butler win a Super Six feature.
It was the first time since the class started last year
that neither Kris Hillegeer nor Billy Semmler took the
feature win.
“It was
awesome to win, “stated Butler, “and on my birthday
too.”
The Street
Stock feature win went to Jim Steffenhagen Jr., for his
second feature win in a row. Bobby Lippa Jr. crossed the
finish line in first, but was later disqualified in post
race inspection for illegal heads.
The 30-lap
NASCAR Modified main looked like it could be a tough race
to win. The cars remained side-by-side for the first two
laps and then the field started to separate. In fourth,
Buck Catalano, wanted third and tried an outside pass down
the back stretch. Unfortunately he miss judged the size of
the hole he was going into and made contact with the back
stretch wall to bring out the yellow on lap five, tearing
up his car for the second week in a row. Up front it was
Potrzebowski followed by Tim McMullen and Mike Leaty.
The
restart saw the yellow fly again. This time last week’s
feature winner Todd Smith spun off the track in the fourth
turn.
Once under
way the field strung itself out into a single file with
Potrzebowski able to pull out to a ten car advantage.
Smith would spin out again, lap 16, in the first turn, to
bring out the yellow. This bunched the field together for
the restart.
Potrzebowski
was still able to hold back McMullen and Leaty. During the
closing laps both Potrzebowski and McMullen were able to
distance themselves somewhat from Leaty. It would be lap
traffic that would affect the outcome of the race.
On the
final lap Potrzebowski was lapping Chris Ridsdale, when
the two made contact in the fourth turn. This sent
Potrzebowski high and loose. Both Mike Leaty and McMullen
saw the opening and dove for it. Leaty had a clearer line
and out dragged the other two to take the victory.
Potrzebowski finished second followed by McMullen, Patsy
Catalano and Sege Fidanza.
The big
race of the night was the 75-lap SST Modified Tour
feature. Drivers drew numbers in order to line up the heat
races. The top four finishers in each heat then redrew to
line up the front of the field. The results of the redraw
found Erick Rudolph on the pole and Matt Lees to his
outside.
The first
accident of the race came on the pace lap when Jim
Zacharias stopped on the front stretch and was hit from
behind by Richard Thomas. The Thomas car suffered
extensive front end damage and retired pit-side.
Rudolph
took the early lead followed by Lees, Kevin Timmerman and
Mike Florio. The yellow flew on lap two when Toad Bradshaw
looped out in the second turn. The restart saw the leaders
battling back and forth and on lap seven Timmerman was
able to grab second from Lees.
Moving
quickly through the field was Kirk Rutherford, who started
eighth. The yellow flew on lap 13 when Wayne Lent’s car
slowed with a flat tire. On the restart Rutherford passed
Timmerman to take second. Two laps later the yellow was
out again for Lees, who spun out in the fourth turn.
The
restart saw Rutherford get by Rudolph for the first lead
change in the race. T.J. Potrzebowski was about to put
pressure on the leader, passing Timmerman for third. The
yellow flag was out for the fourth time, on lap 28 when
Bill Hebing slid through the grass in the first turn and
made contact with the wall. Before the yellow showed,
Rudolph had passed Rutherford in lap traffic to reclaim
the lead. A number of cars took this opportunity to pit.
Nine cars filled the infield pit road.
The
restart saw the yellow fly again for Dick Kluth.
Rutherford passed Rudolph on the restart for the lead. A
long green flag period ensued with the running order
looking to be Rutherford, Rudolph, Potrzebowski, Timmerman
and Jeff Hamman Jr.. Hamman did pass Timmerman during this
long green on lap 48 to take fourth.
As the
leaders came down the front stretch to pass lap cars a
shower of sparks could be seen under the Steve West car.
He had run over a muffler that had fallen off the Mike
Florio machine. Florio was black flagged and set to the
pits to make repairs, but with so little time left in the
race the team parked the number 64 machine.
On lap 60
the yellow showed for the seventh time when Jeff Polaski
came to a stop high off the fourth turn. One more yellow
came four laps later when Dean DeMarree’s car showed a
billow of white smoke behind the car and DeMarree quickly
parked his number 90 in the infield pits.
All the
while it was Rutherford able to pull away from Rudolph,
who had Potrzebowski pinned to his rear bumper. The
checkers flew with Rutherford taking the win followed by
Rudolph, Potrzebowski, Hamman Jr. and Timmerman to round
out the top five finishers.
Tommy
Carino Jr. took the lead at the drop of the green in the
Street Stocks 20-lap feature. He was able to build a seven
car advantage over Roger Worden and Bobby Lippa Jr. On lap
nine Lippa Jr. used an outside move to take second and
then try to run down Carino Jr. He didn’t have to work
hard because the yellow flew on lap 12 when John
VanHooydonk came to a stop outside of the first turn.
This
bunched the field together and in three laps Lippa Jr.
passed Carino going down the front stretch. Two laps
latter Carino Jr. lost second to Jim Steffenhagen Jr.. As
they crossed the finish line it was Lippa Jr. followed by
Steffenhagen Jr., Carino Jr., Worden and Ryan Corso.
During
post race inspection the heads on the Lippa Jr. engine
were found to be illegal and the win was then given over
to Steffenhagen Jr. This victory moved Steffenhagen Jr.
into first place track points, ahead of Lippa Jr. by six
points.
SPENCER
SPATTER: Gater News columnist John Flock won the 50/50 and
then added $50 to the SST Modified feature winner’s
share….The infield pit area was used for the second time
this season with some 29 SST Modifieds on hand…Two more
extra distance races appear on this year’s schedule. The
NASCAR modifieds are scheduled for a 100-lapper on August
3, while the SST Modifieds have a 75-lapper scheduled for
August 31.
This
Friday, July 27, will see a the Legend Cars return to join
the regular program of Super Sixes, Street Stocks, SST
Modifieds and NASCAR Modifieds. Kids’ bicycle races will
also be staged before the cars take to the half mile oval.
Kids
should signed in behind the main ticket booth by 6:45 p.m.
and have a helmet with them. The bicycle races will start
just before 7 p.m., followed with a complete NASCAR racing
program.
Spencer
Speedway is located just fifteen minutes east of
Rochester, NY, along Route 104 in the Town of Williamson.
Be part of the NASCAR Nation weekly.
WHELEN
ALL-AMERICAN SERIES NIGHT SUMMARY
SUPER SIX
HEAT: K.
Hillegeer, B. Semmler, F. Parsons, P. Davenport, K.
Butler.
FEATURE
(10-laps): KEITH BUTLER, Kris Hillegeer, Billy Semmler,
Frank Parsons, Cassandra Johnstone, Patti Davenport.
STREET
STOCKS
HEAT 1: T.
Carino Jr., R. Worden, W. Strusz, J. Steffenhagen Jr., D.
Stevens.
HEAT 2: J.
Parent, R. Corso, P. Alhart Jr., J. VanHooydonk.
FEATURE
(20-laps): JIM STEFFENHAGEN JR., Tommy Carino Jr., Roger
Worden, Ryan Corso, Phil Alhart Jr., Dean Burdick, Willie
Strusz, Don Stevens, Jeff Parent, John VanHooydonk, Bobby
Lippa Jr. (DQed)
SST
MODIFIEDS
HEAT 1: C.
Finocchario, K. Rutherford, T.J. Potrzebowski, S. Malin,
J. Zacharias.
HEAT 2: W.
Lent, J. Polaski, B. Hebing, M. Lees, J. Hamman Jr.
HEAT 3: E.
Rudolph, K. Timmerman, M. Leaty, M. Florio, R. Thomas.
FEATURE
(75-laps): KIRK RUTHERFORD, Erick Rudolph, T.J.
Potrzebowski, Jeff Hamman Jr., Kevin Timmerman, Mike Leaty,
Kris Meyn, Terry Cheetham, Phil Johnson, Chris Finocchario,
Steve Malin, Matt Lees, Toad Bradshaw, Ryan Beeman, Jim
Zacharias, Jeff Pringle, Steve West, Scott Combs, Dean
DeMarree, Jeff Polaski, Mike Florio, Tom Fecteau, Butch
Crawford, Dick Kluth, Bill Hebing, Wayne Lent, Richard
Thomas, Erich Stritzel (DNS)
NASCAR
MODIFIEDS
HEAT 1:
T.J. Potrzebowski, P. Catalano, T. Smith, M. Tychoniewicz,
E. Hawkins.
HEAT 2: T.
McMullen, B. Catalano, M. Leaty, S. Fidanza, J. Zacharias.
FEATURE
(30-laps): MIKE LEATY, T.J. Potrzebowski, Tim McMullen,
Patsy Catalano, Sege Fidanza, Eddie Hawkins, Mark
Tychoniewicz, Todd Smith, Dean DeMarree, Jim Zacharias,
Tom Wiest, Terry Cheetham, Buck Catalano, Chris Ridsdale (DQed).
