May
29th, 2009
Hanbury Wins His Second Straight at
Spencer
Williamson, NY, Owego’s Tony Hanbury picked up where he
left off last Friday, picking up victory in the 35-lap
NASCAR Weekly Modified feature at Spencer Speedway on
MotoOption Clothing night. Hanbury led all 35 circuits on
his way to his seventh career win at the fast Spencer half
mile oval. In support action Jim Steffenhagen Jr. came
home with two Street Stock victories, the regularly
scheduled 20-lapper and the curfew delayed 20-lapper from
the week before. Of note both races were run
green-to-checkers and Steffenhagen Jr. led all 40 laps. In
Super Six action it was Kevin DeVuyst, winning his first
ever Super Six 20-lap main event. “I could feel him
(Keith) back there,” DeVuyst referred to the closeness
of Butler Jr. all race long.. “I have to say it’s a
real honor to drive this car here at Spencer.”
Eddie Hawkins made it two in a row in the new Auto Value
4-Cylinder Scorpion division, claiming the 15-lap feature.
“It’s great to win on my sponsor’s night, MotoOption
Clothing”, stated Hawkins in victory lane. “It’s
going pretty good thanks to Bill Semmler for working all
winter long on this car.”
The 35-lap Weekly Modified show saw Hanbury jump into the
lead at the drop of the green flag. Ryan Beeman and Bill
Hebing were close on his tail until lap five. Hebing’s
car slipped out from under him and slide through the wet
infield grass off the backstretch and slammed into a large
yuke tire in the infield protecting a light pole, ending
his night.
The restart saw a massive tangle of cars slide off in the
grass in the first turn, however all of the cars were able
to return except Andy Lewis, who would finally make it
back on track some eight laps down to the leaders.
Hanbury and Beeman were able to pull away from the rest of
the field by five car lengths, with Chris Finocchario now
in third. Amy Catalano, running fifth, was working hard to
get by Daryl Lewis Jr. in fourth. However the yellow flew
on lap 14 as Mark Cline and Fred Taylor slide off the
fourth turn. Two more yellows slowed the action, both
times for spin outs exiting the second turn. Amy made her
move on Lewis Jr. on lap 25. Both Buck Catalano and Andy
Jankowiak tried to follow through on the inside lane. Buck
made the pass, but Lewis Jr. slammed the door on Jankowiak
to keep sixth. With just one lap remaining the field was
sent scrambling in the third turn setting up a
green-white-checker finish. Hanbury came home the winner
followed by Beeman, Finocchario, Amy Catalano and Buck
Catalano.
The first of two Street Stock races saw Jim Steffenhagen
Jr. take the lead at the green and never looked back. The
curfew delayed race went green-to-checkers with Willie
Strusz trying to get bay Steffenhagen the entire race. At
the wire it was Steffenhagen Jr. followed by Strusz, Phil
Alhart Jr., Kris Hillegeer and Mitchell Wright.
In the second race it was almost a complete repeat of the
first. Steffenhagen took the lead and led all 20 laps.
This time it would Alhart Jr. on his tail. In the closing
laps Steffenhagen was able to establish an eight car
advantage. Strusz, Bill Malin and Hillegeer rounded out
the top five.
The Super Six 20-lap main event saw just one yellow flag
slow the race once the race got started. On the initial
start the hood off of Keith Butler Jr.’s car flew high
in the air before the cars got to the starting line
causing the yellow flag to fly. On lap 13, Tim Faro spun
in the first turn. Up front it was Kevin DeVuyst leading
Butler Jr. all race long. Last week’s feature winner
Craig Butler was running in third. “I thought I could
make a run on the leaders,” stated Craig Butler. “But
around the halfway mark we started to lose my brakes
forcing me to slow more entering the turns.”
Following these top three across the finish line were Ryan
Hillegeer and Patti Davenport to round out the top five.
The Auto Value Scorpions saw Hawkins take the lead at the
drop of the green, but before a lap could be completed
three cars spun off the track in the second turn. Once
underway, Bill VerWys started to pressure Hawkins for the
lead. It would not be until a restart on lap seven, when
Hawkins began to establish a solid advantage.
At the finish line it was Hawkins, followed by VerWys,
Mike Bradshaw, Beth Dennie and Ryan Brown.
SPENCER SPATTER: Who said a race car driver is not an
athlete? Auto Value Scorpion driver Dave Bradshaw is a
physical education teacher in the Palmyra-Macedon School
District by day. This past week he competed with nine
thousand others in the Chase Corporate Challenge 5K Run
held at RIT. To Bradshaw’s credit he finished second in
this even. He lost by just 15 seconds…..Jim Steffenhagen
Jr. is proving that a crate motor can win in the Street
Stock division. His carte motor has won both Street Stock
events run to date…Twenty-three NASCAR Weekly Modifieds
were on hand for this regular program. These numbers show
this division is on the grow.
This coming Friday, June 5, will offer the race fans one
of the best deals in racing. Besides a regular program of
NASCAR Weekly Modifieds, Street Stocks, Super Sixes and
Auto Value Scorpions, the Cup Lites will be on hand
running a 50-lap main event, and all for the adult
admission of just $10. It will be USG Sheetrock Night at
the track. Race time remains 7:30 p.m. sharp.
Spencer Speedway is located just fifteen minutes east of
Rochester, NY, along Route 104 in the Town of Williamson.
Spencer Speedway is the local “NASCAR Place to Race”
for upstate New York. Points earned each week at Spencer
are counted into the national NASCAR Whelen All-American
Series championship.
MotoOption
Clothing Night Summary
Auto Value
4-Cylinder Scorpions
heat 1: B. VerWys, Br. Bradshaw, B. Dennie, R. Brown.
heat 2: E. Hawkins, M. Bradshaw, Russell Peets, D.
Bradshaw.
feature (15-LAPS): eddie hawkins, Bill VerWys, Mike
Bradshaw, Beth Dennie, Ryan Brown, Russell Peets, Kevin
Bertolone, Dale Lazzaro, Dave Bradshaw, Bro Bradshaw, Bill
Mullin, Chris Priest.
Super
Sixes
heat 1: K. DeVuyst, C. Butler, R. Hillegeer, V. Grant.
heat 2: K. Butler Jr., P. Davenport, J. Bailey, K. Butler
feature (20-LAPS): kevin devuyst, Keith Butler Jr., Craig
Butler, Ryan Hillegeer, Patti Davenport, Keith Butler, Joe
Bailey, Peter Cowell, Tim Faro, Rick Wilson, Van Grant,
Denny Coyle.
Street
Stocks
heat: J. Steffenhagen Jr., W. Strusz, P. Alhart Jr., S.
Malin
curfew delayed 5/22 feature (20-LAPS): jim steffenhagen
jr., Willie Strusz, Phil Alhart Jr., Kris Hillegeer,
Mitchell Wright, Steve Malin.
feature (20-LAPS): jim steffenhagen jr., Phil Alhart Jr.,
Willie Strusz, Steve Malin, Kris Hillegeer, Mitchell
Wright, Steven Greco
NASCAR
Weekly Modifieds
HEAT 1: T. Hanbury, B. Hebing, A. Catalano, E. Stritzel.
HEAT 2: R. Beeman, C. Finocchario, D. Lewis, M. Lees.
HEAT 3: D. Lewis Jr., A. Jankowiak, B. Catalano, K.
Timmerman.
FEATURE (35-laps): TONY HANBURY, Ryan Beeman, Chris
Finocchario, Amy Catalano, Buck Catalano, Daryl Lewis Jr.,
Andy Jankowiak, Phil Wehrheim, Toad Bradshaw, Matt Lees,
Jeff Polaski, Krieg Heroth, Ricky Kluth, Erich Stritzel,
Jody London, Kevin Timmerman, Daryl Lewis, Dan Scott, Mark
Cline, Fred Taylor, Ron Wildey II, Andy Lewis, Bill Hebing.
