9/11/2004

PATSY WINS, BEATS OUT FATHER FOR TRACK CHAMPIONSHIP, SHOVE & LIPPA, JR. ALSO CROWNED

WILLIAMSON, NY: The final night of racing for the 2004 season at Spencer Speedway saw some exciting action on John Betlem Heating & Cooling night. Patsy Catalano took the NASCAR Modified feature win following a late race accident between his father Buck and race leader Tony Hanbury, that resulted in fisticuff action in the pits. Patsy Catalano earned a Preferred Starting Spot for the Sunoco Race of Champions at Oswego this weekend. 

In Grand American Modified racing Roger Steurrys drove to the win, his second of the season. Zack Shove finished second and earned enough points to claim his first track championship. 

Street Stock points leader, Bobby Lippa Jr. was not as fortunate. He lost a motor in pre-race practice. John Parrone then gave Lippa Jr. his car for the night. Lippa Jr. finished seventh to maintained his first title thanks to Parrone. 

Also in action were the NORA Limited Supermodifieds. Dave Cliff beat out his brother Doug for the 25-lap feature victory. 

The start of the 30-lap NASCAR Modified saw just one lap in the books when Kim Jennejohn and John DeMinck became hooked together going down the back stretch. The pair slide through the infield grass and slammed into a yuk tire and light pole. Jennejohn's machine was sent sailing, nose high in the air, over backwards landing on her roof. She emerged from her car and was later transported for observation after complaining about sore neck and leg muscles. DeMinck was able to get out of his machine and walk back to the pits as the race was red flagged. 

The restart saw Todd Smith pass Tommy Keyes for the lead, only to see the yellow fly when Daryl Lewis had something break on his number 18 and was sent sailing into the first turn tire barrier. 

Smith maintained his lead over second place Buck Catalano on the restart. Tony Hanbury ran in third followed by Mike Leaty and Patsy Catalano. On lap six, hanbury made an outside move around Catalano for second. These two found themselves in a side-by-side duel for a number of laps to the delight of the huge crowd on hand for the final night of racing. The leaders dodged a bullet on lap 11, when the lapped car of Bill Kosachook, recovering from a spin, swerved in front of them in the fourth turn. 

On lap 14, Hanbury took a run at Smith and the lead. His pass must have stunned Smith as Smith drifted high in the fourth turn on the next lap and fell back to eighth. this put catalano back on Hanbury's rear bumper. 

The yellow flew on lap 24 when Kosachook made contact with the second turn outside wall. this bunched the leaders together for the final six laps. The restart saw Smith make contact with the front stretch wall and the yellow flew again. 

The final five laps saw Hanbury trying to hold back Catalano. Then on the final lap the front pair touched in the first turn resulting in them both spinning and Patsy Catalano, running then in third, taking the lead and a checker-yellow flag. 

Following the last lap accident, Hanbury went into the Catalano pit area and started a fight, which resulted in track officials disqualifying him for the night. 

The 25-lap Grand American Modified main saw Roger Steurrys jump out into the lead from his outside pole starting spot and lead the entire race. 

Two yellows slowed the race. On lap 13, Andy Lewis spun in the fourth turn and on lap 21, Jim Steffenhagen Jr. looped out in the first turn. 

Each time the field was bunched together and each time Steurrys was able to maintain his advantage. Many were looking at the points battle between Shove and Daryl Lewis Jr., which was separated by just one point going into this event. Shove took second at the drop of the green and maintained this position. Lewis Jr. fell back to sixth and was able to work his way back up to fourth at the checkers. These finishes resulted in Shove taking the points title by just three points. 

Steurrys turned down the guaranteed starting spot for the Race of Champions, deferring the spot to Shove, which RoC officials and Shove acknowledged. 

The Street Stock main saw only one yellow flag, that coming on lap four for a spin by Jeff Polaski in the second turn. Other then that Roger Worden ran a steady race. leading from lap two on to the checkers. 

A late race challenge by Paul Jeffers, running in second, fell short and resulted in Jeffers losing second to Steve Malin. Bobby Lippa Jr. just had to start the race to secure his points title. Thanks to John Parrone that was able to take place and Lippa Jr. took his first points title. Jeffers finished in third followed by Don Stevens and Don Pringle rounding out the top five. Worden's win earned him a guaranteed starting spot for the Race of Champions Street Stock feature. 

The finale for the evening was a 25-lap NORA Limited Super Modified feature. Fourteen cars took the green with Doug Cliff taking the lead at the start. On lap nine, brother Dave moved to the outside of the first turn and set sail around the top of the speedway to take the lead. Dave then pulled out to a solid lead. By lap 24 Dave held a full straight away lead over Doug, with Doug Reaume in third. Unfortunately Reaume spun in the third turn to bring out a yellow and set up a green-white-checker finish. 

Dave held his lead and took the win over Doug Cliff, Tim Barbeau, Guard Nearbin and Steve Austin. Dave Cliff's win earned him a guaranteed starting spot for the Race of Champions Limited Supermodified feature. 

The management at Spencer Speedway would like to thanks their fans and competitors for a fine, but weather shortened season. Spencer was only able to race just thirteen times thanks in part to the rain, and then too the extremely wet grounds left behind on a number of occasions. 

Currently no plans are in the works to host a banquet. If one is set up look to this paper for the information and the Spencer Speedway website www.spencer-speedway.com. The Spencer family is looking forward to the 2005 racing season. 

Unofficial Final Top 10 in points by division: 

Street Stocks: 
1. BOBBY LIPPA JR. 623 
2. Paul Jeffers 605 
3. Steve Malin 603 
4. Don Pringle 582 
5. Roger Worden 574 
6. Jeff Polaski 505 
7. John VanHooydonk 499 
8. Don Stevens 487 
9. Amy Catalano 466 
10. Phil Alhart 439 

Grand American Modifieds: 
1. ZACK SHOVE 594 
2. Daryl Lewis Jr. 591 
3. Mike Florio 554 
4. Roger Steurrys 536 
5. Andy Lewis 494 
6. John Little 395 
7. Chris Holzschuh 392 
8. Scott Combs 317 
9. Ricky Knapp 306 
10. Matt Lees 257; 

NASCAR Modifieds: 
1. PATSY CATALANO 538 
2. Buck Catalano 530 
3. Mike Leaty 500 
4. Tim McMullen 428 
5. John DeMinck 412 
6. Tommy Keyes 408 
7. Daryl Lewis 386 
8. Todd Smith 386 
9. Terry Cheetham 350  
10. Dean DeMarree 342; 

RESULTS 

STREET STOCKS 

HEAT 1: S. Malin, R. Worden, P. Alhart, B. Lippa Jr., B. Raycroft. 

HEAT 2: P. Jeffers, D. Stevens, D. Pringle, B. Dixon, J. Polaski. 

FEATURE (20-laps): ROGER WORDEN, Steve Malin, Paul Jeffers, Don Stevens, Don Pringle, John VanHooydonk, Bobby Lippa Jr., Bill Dixon, Jeff Polaski, Buzz Raycroft, Phil Alhart, and Amy Catalano. 

GRAND AMERICAN MODIFIEDS 

HEAT 1: D. Lewis Jr., R. Steurrys, M. Florio, A. Lewis, E. Hawkins Sr. 

HEAT 2: Z. Shove, J. Little, P. Johnson, C. Holzschuh, D. Werner Jr. 

DASH (5-laps): E. Hawkins Sr., A. Catalano, D. Pringle, J. Polaski, B. Raycroft, J. VanHooydonk. 

FEATURE (25-laps): ROGER STEURRYS, Zack Shove, Mike Florio, Daryl Lewis Jr., John Little, Phil Johnson, Andy Lewis, Dick Werner Jr., Jim Steffenhagen Jr., Scott Combs, Chris Holzschuh, Steve West, and Ed Hawkins Sr. 

NORA LIMITED SUPERMODIFIEDS 

HEAT 1: R. Pullen, D. Reaume, M. Barnes, G. Nearbin, L. LeVea Jr. 

HEAT 2: Dv. Cliff, Dg. Cliff, S. Austin, T. Barbeau, P. Mullen. 

FEATURE (25-laps): DAVE CLIFF, Doug Cliff, Tim Barbeau, Guard Nearbin, Steve Austin, Rob Pullen, Mike Barnes, Lou LeVea Jr., Pat Mullen, Corey Norton, Doug Reaume, Tim Knapp, and Tony Solazzzo. DNS: Sam Gates. 

NASCAR MODIFIEDS 

HEAT 1: T. Keyes, D. Lewis, T. Hanbury, B. Catalano, K. Jennejohn. 

HEAT 2: M. Leaty, T. Cheetham, J. DeMinck, E. Hawkins Jr., D. DeMarree. 

FEATURE (30-laps): PATSY CATALANO, Tommy Keyes, Mike Leaty, Dean DeMarree, Terry Cheetham, Ed Hawkins Jr., Kevin Timmerman, Buck Catalano, Dick Kluth, Mark Tychoniewicz, Tom Wiest, Todd Smith, Bill Kosachook, Tim McMullen, Daryl Lewis Jr., Chris Finocchario, Daryl Lewis, Kim Jennejohn, and John DeMinck. DQ: Tony Hanbury. 

Source:  Gary Spaid/Spencer Speedway PR
Posted:  September 11, 2004