9/4/2004

PATSY CATALANO EARNS SECOND NASCAR FEATURE; ONE WEEK LEFT IN SEASON

WILLIAMSON, NY: The weather finally held after three straight weeks of rainouts and Patsy Catalano returned to the NASCAR Modified Victory Lane for the second time in 2004 at Spencer Speedway. He now enters the final week at Spencer just six points back from first place and his father Buck Catalano. 

In Grand American Modified action it was Zach Shove becoming the winningest driver at Spencer this season with three feature wins to his credit. His victory tied him with points leader Daryl Lewis Jr.. It came down to heat points to break the tie going into the final week of competition. Lewis Jr. remains just one point ahead of Shove. 

The Street Stocks saw an exciting victory roof dance by John Parrone go to waste as he was disqualified in post race inspection for having illegal tires on his car. The win was then given over to Don Stevens. It was Stevens first win of the season. Bobby Lippa Jr. holds a 29 point lead over Paul Jeffers going into this Friday finale. 

The 30-lap NASCAR Modified feature got off to a rough start and the field had to be red flagged following a multi-car accident on the opening lap. Following the green flag, thrown by guest starter Rick Nelson, of T.Nelson Sales, Kim Jennejohn's car went low and made contact with the rumble strips in the third turn sending her car across traffic. She was collected by a number of car as seven different cars were involved. Only Jennejohn and Bill Hebing were done for the night. 

The restart saw Daryl Lewis Jr. take the lead and as the lap was being completed the yellow flew when Bill Kosachook looped out in the first turn. The restart saw Patsy Catalano, on the outside of Lewis Jr., take the lead. As the field completed the third lap the defending track champion, Tim McMullen, running in fourth, spun in the second turn along with Scott Bleskoski. Both were able to continue, but McMullen lost four laps in the pits. 

Patsy Catalano began to stretch his lead over uncle Dave Catalano. It was Kosachook's turn to spin out for a second time, lap seven, to bring out the third yellow of the event. 

Twice more the yellow would fly, laps 11 and 15 for spins by John DeMinck and Mark Tychoniewicz. Each time Patsy was able to beat out his uncle and maintain his lead. On lap 15, Dave Catalano lost his second place to Todd Smith, and fell back to third. 

The race was then red flagged following a lap 22 crash on the back stretch. Dave Catalano seemed to go high and squeeze Tony Hanbury tight against the back stretch wall. Hanbury escape, but his teammate, Daryl Lewis, was collected by Catalano as he tried to regain control of his car. Ironically, Lewis's car was then hit by his son, Daryl Lewis Jr., as it sat high against the third turn wall. Both Lewis cars returned, Daryl Sr. some six laps down. Catalano's car was done for the night. Also suffering handling problems all night was Buck Catalano, who finally pulled his car pitside at this time. 

Two attempts were made to restart the race. Both times accident brought out the yellow. First Dick Kluth looped out in turn four. On the second attempt Todd Smith, running second, saw a flat tire slow his machine. A new tire on a pit stop help, but he had lost second. 

The final yellow of ten total came on lap 29 when Tychoniewicz slowed to a stop in the second turn on lap 29. This sent up a green-white-checker finish. Patsy Catalano held on for the win, followed by Hanbury, Bleskoski, Terry Cheetham and Mike Leaty. 

Both other features were relatively clean of cautions. In the 25-lap Grand American Modified feature Andy Lewis grabbed the lead at the drop of the green. A yellow on lap four when toad Bradshaw coasted to a stop in the front stretch grass set up a double file restart with Zach Shove on the outside front row. Shove took the lead and then never looked back. 

Mike Florio was able to pass Lewis for second and then stay glued to the bumper of Shove throughout the event, until the last lap. In the closing laps Florio made a number of attempts to pass Shove for the lead. Each time Shove held him off. On lap 22 the yellow flew when points leader Daryl Lewis Jr. spun in the third turn. this set up a green-white-checker finish. 

On the final lap Florio seemed to misjudge the exit of the fourth turn and spun off the track and into the infield grass. With the pressure off Shove sailed home the winner followed by Roger Steurrys, who had grabbed third from Andy Lewis on the lap 22 restart. With Florio's spin, Lewis finished third. Rounding out the top five were John Little and Lewis Jr., as only seven cars finished on the lead lap. 

The 20-lap Street Stock feature saw the race yellow flagged just once, on lap 14. Jeff Polaski spun into the infield grass on the front stretch and made contact with the inside wall. 

Throughout the race John Parrone led the entire distance taking the lead from his outside pole starting spot. the competitive field of sixteen cars all remained on the lead lap except for Polaski and Mike Murphy, who dropped on with one lap remaining in the feature. 

Following his win Parrone danced on the roof of his car to the delight of the full grandstands. All of this happiness came to an end in post race inspection. Following the Grand American Modified feature the second place Street Stock finisher, Don Stevens, was brought to victory lane and presented the trophy for the Street Stock win to the astonishment of the grandstands. Parrone, in his rookie year, had used the wrong tires and was disqualified. 

"I guess we'll take this win anyway we can, even if it was handed to us," commented Stevens on his first win at the speedway. 

SPENCER NOTES: One of the worst hits of the night took place in the NASCAR Modified third heat race. Dean DeMarree was sent sailing on top of the back stretch wall in a shower of sparks following contact with another car.... The kids bicycle races produced a number of brother groups in victory lane. Amy Catalano's sons Tim and Tommy picked up bicycle wins in the "Training-wheel" and 5-to-7 year old classes. Jason Potter won the 8-to-10 year old division. In the two older divisions it was Jacob Reiber winning the 11-to-14 year old class and brother Billy Reiber beating out his twin brother for top honors in the oldest division, running a full lap around the half mile oval.... The weather this year has been the story. With all of the rain, the track has only recorded 12 races run to date which is well short of the minimum 18 NASCAR counts towards the regional title. 

Racing for the 2004 season will conclude this Friday, September 10, on John Betlem Heating & Cooling Night. On tap will be the final point races for the Street Stocks, Grand American Modifieds and NASCAR Modifieds. Each point race is extremely close, especially in the two open wheel divisions. It may well come down to heat points in the Grand American division. The NASCAR Modified point battle looks like a family affair with Mike Leaty out of the points some 40 points back of points leader Buck Catalano. 

Also added to the race card on this final week will be the NORA Limited Supermodifieds. They were originally were scheduled for August 20, but were rained out at that time. Race time starts at 7:30 p.m. sharp. 

Spencer Speedway is located just fifteen minutes east of Rochester, NY, along Route 104 in the Town of Williamson. 

RESULTS 

STREET STOCKS 

HEAT 1: D. Stevens, R. Worden, J. Polaski, D. Pringle, J. VanHooydonk.  

HEAT 2: S. Malin, B. Lippa Jr., D. Wolanski, A. Catalano, B. Raycroft. 

JOSEPH NERI DASH: ($600 to Win) Amy Catalano, Steve Malin, Don Pringle, John VanHooydonk, Don Stevens, Bobby Lippa Jr. 

FEATURE (20-laps): DON STEVENS, Roger Worden, Bobby Lippa Jr., Steve Malin, Paul Jeffers, Amy Catalano, John VanHooydonk, Buz Raycroft, Don Pringle, Chris Sippel, Bill Dixon, Phil Alhart, Duke Wolanski, Mike Murphy, and Jeff Polaski. DNS Bob Minacapelli, DQ John Parrone. 

GRAND AMERICAN MODIFIEDS 

HEAT 1: D. Lewis Jr., Z. Shove, M. Florio, D. Werner Jr., A. Lewis. 

HEAT 2: J. Little, C. Holzschuh, R. Knapp, J. Steffenhagen Jr., E. Hawkins Sr. 

FEATURE (25-laps): ZACK SHOVE, Roger Steurrys, Andy Lewis, John Little, Daryl Lewis Jr., Ed Hawkins Sr., Ricky Knapp, Toad Bradshaw, Jim Hixson, Scott Combs, Steve West, Mike Florio, Jim Steffenhagen Jr., Dick Werner Jr., Chris Holzschuh, and Ron Wildey, II. 

NASCAR MODIFIEDS 

HEAT 1: T. McMullen, D. Lewis, T. Smith, K. Timmerman, B. Kosachook. 

HEAT 2: B. Catalano, K. Jennejohn, D. Catalano, J. DeMinck, T. Keyes. 

HEAT 3: T. Hanbury, D. Lewis Jr., T. Cheetham, P. Catalano, E. Hawkins Jr. 

FEATURE (30-laps): PATSY CATALANO, Tony Hanbury, Scott Bleskoski, Terry Cheetham, Mike Leaty, John DeMinck, Kevin Timmerman, Ed Hawkins Jr., Bill Kosachook, Todd Smith, Dick Kluth, Daryl Lewis Jr., Mark Tychoniewicz, Tim McMullen, Daryl Lewis, Dave Catalano, Buck Catalano, Luke Cino, Tommy Keyes, Kim Jennejohn, and Bill Hebing. DNS Dean DeMarree. 

Source:  Gary Spaid/Spencer Speedway PR
Posted:  September 6, 2004