05/17/2003
DAVE WOLLABER SCORES FIRST EVER MODIFIED
WIN AT LANCASTER
By Dave Buchanan
Two weeks ago, Dave Wollaber’s chance at winning for his
first-ever Visteon Modifed feature win came out from under him at the last
second, literally.
While racing Billy Putney for the win out of turn 4,
Wollaber lost the back end of his Englewood Collision #5 and spun just a
few-hundred feet short of the finish line. Last week at the Lancaster
Motorsports Park, Wollaber would finally get that first win. Wollaber started
on the outside pole for the 30-lap feature with Larry Jackson starting to his
inside. He took the lead right from the drop of the green flag and would renew
his a battle from the week before with Billy Putney. Putney would get close by
couldn’t manage to pass the young up-and-comer from Ransomville, NY.
Donny Staubitz moved up from the eighth starting spot to
take over second from Putney after a restart on lap 10. Staubitz would then
wrestle the lead away from Wollaber on lap 17 and drive off with the apparent
win. However, after post-race inspection Staubitz was disqualified for being
too heavy on one side and the win was awarded to Wollaber. It marks Wollaber’s
first career Modified feature win after 3 seasons in a Modified. Wollaber was
the 2000 champion of the TQ midget series at Lancaster.
In the Tops Markets Late Models, Bobby Weber picked up his
second win of the season. Weber survived a tight battle with Mark Krupczyk and
Todd Hoddick to capture his second checkered flag in 3 weeks. Tom Macleod and
Joe Carbone completed the five finishers. Five drivers from Holland Speedway
invaded the Late Model division at LMP, after their program was washed out
earlier in the day. Dan Domanowski proved to the best of the invaders with a
6th place finish.
Jerry Gradl Jr. snapped Kirk Rutherford’s early season win
streak by winning the 20-lap Bobcat of Buffalo Sportsman feature. Gradl out
dueled rookies, Mike Rogers and Bobby Holmes, in the early going to take the
lead and then stayed ahead of defending track champion, Nick Cappelli to
finish off the victory. Holmes and Rogers continue their impressive starts in
their first full season by finishing third and fourth respectively, and Ed
Weber finish fifth.
Wayne Bernhard reversed his misfortune of two weeks ago,
when a blown up battery kept him from making it out of the entry chute to
start the feature in the Jerry Gradl Motors Super Stocks, by leading all
20-laps and capturing a guaranteed starting spot for the U.S. Open in
September. Bernhard held off defending track champion, Jeff Merritt, following
a late-race restart to win his first feature of 2003. Doug Evans, Jay Mudra,
and Terry Weldy completed the top five.
In the Glen Campbell Chevrolet Street Stocks it was round 3
between Jim Offhaus and Bobby Hanel. Offhaus and Hanel have decided the first
3 feature of the season and for the second week in a row it was Offhaus
winning the fight. Mike Maggorie, Rick Widmer, and Gary Light completed the
top five.
Next weekend is “Memorial Day Weekend Madness” at
Lancaster. Friday May 23rd, the jet dragsters of Aggi Hendricks and Danny
Sullivan will light up the night sky to compliment a full program of IHRA drag
racing, plus the return of Super Gas eliminator. The racing continues on
Saturday, May 24th, with a full program of stock car racing and an 8-cylinder
demolition derby to make your Memorial Day weekend a smash. Racing starts at 5
PM on Friday and 6 PM on Saturday. For more information call the LMP hotline
at (716) 759-6818 or log on to www.lancasterracing.com.
Sources: Dave
Buchanan/Lancaster Motorsports Park
Posted: May 20, 2003
