6/20/2004

TOM MCGRATH TOPS THE FIELD IN “BUD 50”

Lancaster Raceway Park hosted their first extra-distance Modified race of 2004 this past Saturday, the “Budweiser 50.” There were several invading drivers as well as some returning favorites in the field. All of whom were looking to steal a win from the most competitive weekly field of Modifieds in New York. 

Leading the way was defending track champion, Sege Fidanza, he drew the pole position for the Advance Auto Parts Modifieds 50-lap main event. Fidanza did not waste anytime in establishing himself as the top dog early on. While Fidanza wanted to pull away early, Tim Mangus and Buck Catalano stayed in his tire tracks throughout the first half of the race. Catalano, Mangus, and Fidanza were the top three drivers in points heading into the race. 

After 23 straight green flags laps, the field was slowed for a caution on lap 24 after RoC tour regulars, Jeff Ulrich and Pete Brittain, spun in turn one. They were at LRP preparing for the RoC tour event on July 1st. On the double-file restart, Mangus’s left front tire made contact with the right side nerf bar of Fidanza. Mangus then slipped up in turn two, a possible consequence of the incidental contact, and fell back to fourth. As the field headed to turn three, Mangus and Karl Hehr tangled sending both into a spin cycle. As the field checked up, Chuck Hossfeld and Matt Alix plowed into the spun car of Hehr. All three drivers would be knocked out of the race. 

When racing resumed, Tom McGrath of Tonawanda, NY found himself in third. He started tenth but quickly made his way though the lead pack. The caution periods allowed McGrath to reel in Fidanza and Catalano. He battled side by side with Catalano for second while Fidanza tried to hold both drivers off. McGrath dispatched of Catalano on lap 35 and then one lap later was able to work to the inside of Fidanza to take the lead. 

Fidanza’s tires looked to have been worn out after leading for 35 laps as he faded to fourth. Then on lap 44 he spun coming out of turn four in front of several cars running in the top 10. Mangus, Kenny Troyer, Patsy Catalano, Ron Williams, and Jeff Ulrich all piled into Fidanza’s car on the front stretch, all drivers were able to walk away. 

This caution gave Dave Wollaber a shot for the win as he had just moved into second place before the caution, a straightaway behind McGrath. Wollaber started second to last after suffering front-end damage in his heat race. With two laps to go, he pulled alongside McGrath and took the lead temporarily. McGrath then raced back on the inside to regain the lead on the final lap to secure his first victory of the season. Wollaber finished second. Modified rookie, Nick Cappelli, finished a career-best third. Donny Staubitz Jr. and Eddie Murray completed the top five. 

In the Late Models, John Julicher snapped the three-race win streak of Tom MacLeod by capturing the 25-lap feature. Bob Nye looked like he was going to run away with the race until he spun while trying to pass a lapped car on lap 10. Bob Weber inherited the lead until Julicher passed him on lap 12. Julicher then held off Weber and MacLeod to score the win. It marks his 69th career Late Model win at LRP, which is more than any other driver. 

Jay Mudra returned to co-championship form with his first win of the year in the Jerry Gradl Motors Super Stocks. The 2003 class co-champion led 17 of 20 laps while en route to the victory. Dave Milbrand finished second. Wayne Bernhard came home third, the driver that shared the ’03 title with Mudra. 

Mudra’s crewmember, Tim Garlock, won his first ever Glen Campbell Chevrolet Street Stock feature. Garlock passed Joe Mergl for the lead on lap nine to become the fifth different Street Stock winner in the first five races this season. Pete Hackett finished runner up to Garlock. Jim Offhaus, Rob Bulger, and Frank Batista completed the top five. 

In the TQ Midgets, Dan Lawrence started on the outside pole and then led all 20 laps to win his first feature of 2004. James Michael Friesen caught Lawrence late in the race in lap traffic but could not get around him. Vinny Christiano finished third, Dave Wollaber added his second top five of the night in fourth, and Curtis Friesen was fifth. 

Get you pens ready for next week, June 26, as it will be Autograph Night. Fans will be able to go on to the track and meet the stars that drive the cars in a special on-track autograph session. The Bobcat of Buffalo Sportsman will return to action next week along with LRP's other four weekly divisions. Racing starts at 6 PM. 

RESULTS 

ADVANCE AUTO PARTS MODIFIEDS 

Heat Winners – Karl Hehr, Buck Catalano 

BUD 50 Finish – TOM MCGRATH, Dave Wollaber, Nick Cappelli, Donny Staubitz Jr., Eddie Murray, Buck Catalano, Bill Putney, Bill Torrisi, Jeff Ulrich, Patsy Catalano, Brett Scherrer, Sege Fidanza, Kenny Troyer, Tim Mangus, Ron Williams, Chris Finocchario, Karl Hehr, Chuck Hossfeld, Matt Alix, Pete Brittain, Rich Littlefield, and Ron Martin. 

LATE MODELS 

Heat Winners – Bob Weber, Bill Adamczyk 

Feature – JOHN JULICHER, Bob Weber, Tom MacLeod, Mark Pennell, Ron Nurmi, Mike Ticco, Art Hill, Dan Habuda, Tim DiPasquale, Todd Hoddick, Tim Windnagle, Mike Catalano, Paul Madsen, and Bob Nye. DQ: Bill Adamczyk 

JERRY GRADL MOTORS SUPER STOCK 

Heat Winners – Mark Hoch, Jay Mudra 

Feature – JAY MUDRA, Dave Milbrand, Wayne Bernhard, Craig Orr, Mark Hoch, Rich Skora, Doug Evans, Paul Alberti, Mike Scott, Tom Carney, Ed Collver, AJ Cole, Brett Acquilla, Ben Harms, Jim Nowinski, and Ed Lechner. 

GLEN CAMPBELL CHEVROLET STREET STOCKS 

Heat Winners – Jim Offhaus, Tom Agen 

Feature – TIM GARLOCK, Pete Hackett, Jim Offhaus, Rob Bulger, Frank Batista, John Shurmatz, Rick Widmer, Joe Mergl, Kyle Volk, Paul Swatsworth, Jim Stein, Mike Maggorie, Gary Light, Tom Agen, Dennis Pieczynski, Eric Lovell, Tim Offhaus, Tom Deville, Paul Tessier, Jim Stroehlein, Bob Hanel, Jason Lovell, and Mark Pew. DQ: Kyle Sharpe 

TQ MIDGETS 

Heat Winners – Vinny Christiano Jr., Dan Lawrence 

Feature – DAN LAWRENCE, James Friesen, Vinny Christiano Jr., Dave Wollaber, Curtis Friesen, AJ Hessler, Jamie Collard, Charlie DiRosa, Chris Bandelian, Dan Dadswell, Mike Blair, Gordon Steffan, DJ Sossong, Shawn Szejnar, Chris Hawkins, Joe Brzezowski, Arik McGruder, and Mel Raab. 

Source:  Dave Buchanan/Lancaster Raceway Park PR
Posted:  June 20, 2004