6/18/2005

KARL HEHR TOPS FIELD IN “BUD 50” AT LANCASTER

Lancaster Raceway Park hosted the first of their four extra-distance Modified events with the running of the annual Budweiser 50. This race has become an early season test for teams before some of the bigger Modified races that come around in the late Summer and early Fall to see if they have what it takes to be the best in the longer races.

Following the heat races, the top 10 qualifiers redrew for the top 10 starting spot as Patsy Catalano and Karl Hehr drew the two Budweiser coolers that had the front row positions. For Hehr it was a lucky break for him to partake in the redraw as he originally finished outside of the redraw position, but when Kenny Troyer dropped out Hehr took his spot in the redraw. Troyer wound up loaning his car to Dave Wollaber, after Wollaber blew the motor in his Modified.

Catalano would open the race with lead as Hehr settled into second. Tom McGrath started third and was running in the spot until lap seven when he spun in turn two to bring out the race’s first caution. When racing resumed, Hehr took the lead from the outside of the front row on lap eight.

Hehr would then run away from the field as he built up almost a full straightaway lead by the halfway point. Sege Fidanza would have the task of trying to reel in Hehr as he passed Catalano on lap 24 to move into the second spot after starting fourth. Fidanza would not waste anytime as he closed the lead down to a couple car lengths by lap 34 until a caution would slow down the race.

The caution was for the slowing car of the 1998 track champion, Todd Burley, who made a rare return to asphalt racing as he has a successful career driving DIRT Modifieds. Burley is driving for Kevin Peters who works for Jan-Cen Racing Engines.

Five laps later, Sege Fidanza would have his night come to an end as the Fidanza-Petrie Motorsports #77 came to a stop on the backstretch with engine problems. This would put Matt Alix and Tom McGrath on the back bumper of Karl Hehr with just 11 laps to go. McGrath would get by Alix for second on lap 42 and then go after Hehr. Despite a pair of crucial restarts with less than five laps to go, Hehr was able to hang on for his second win of the season.

McGrath would finish second and take the unofficial lead in the point standings from Fidanza. Alix, Patsy Catalano, and Tim Mangus would completed the top five.

The Bobcat of Buffalo Late Models ran twin 25-lap features as they made up their rained out event from May 21. In the first race, Tom MacLeod passed Tommy Reese on lap two and never looked back for his first win of the year. T.J. Johnson finished a career best second. Dave Russell, Ron Nurmi, and George Skora, III completed the top five.

In the second main event, John Julicher led the first 11 laps but would collide with T.J. Johnson and spin out in turn three on lap 12. This turned the lead over the Mike Ticco who led until a restart on lap 19 when Ron Nurmi made a wild dive underneath him going into turn one to make the pass for the win. Ticco would hang on for second. MacLeod, Johnson, and Skora would all get their second top five finishes of the evening.

A.J. Cole led all 20 laps of the Probity Construction Super Stock feature. Doug Evans won a wild battle for second place that saw drivers racing three-wide on the final lap. Wayne Bernhard, Paul Alberti, and Mark Hoch rounded out the top five.

Dave Johnson dominated the 20-lap Glen Campbell Chevrolet Street Stocks for his first win since the 2004 US Open. Jim Offhaus would finish second. Scott Mutka posted his best run ever in third. Jeff Madill and Rick Widmer closed out the top five.

Next week, June 25, is Racer’s Homecoming Night at Lancaster. Come see some of the legends from the glory days of racing at Lancaster as well as Civic Stadium. There’s a pre-race party from 1-4 PM with autographs, classic racecars, and vintage memorabilia. Admission is only half price for those who come early. The Midstate Vintage Stock Car Club will be in action along with all of Lancaster’s regular racing divisions. Racing starts at 6:30 PM.

RESULTS

ADVANCE AUTO PARTS MODIFIEDS
Heat Winners – Buck Catalano, Lee Sherwood

BUD 50 Finish:
1. KARL HEHR
2. Tom McGrath
3. Matt Alix
4. Patsy Catalano
5. Tim Mangus
6. Buck Catalano
7. Bill Mislin
8. Lee Sherwood
9. Tommy Kinsella
10. Billy Putney
11. Sean O'Neill
12. Ron Williams
13. Sege Fidanza
14. Todd Burley
15. Mark Tychoniewicz
16. Dave Wollaber
17. Mike Shields

DNS:
Kenny Troyer
Bill Torrisi

BOBCAT OF BUFFALO LATE MODELS

Feature #1:
1. TOM MACLEOD
2. T.J. Johnson
3. Dave Russell
4. Ron Nurmi
5. George Skora, III
6. Mark Krupczyk
7. Mike Ticco
8. Tommy Reese
9. Dan Habuda
10. Scott Jarrell
11. Craig Orr
12. Art Logsdon
13. Darryl McKay
14. John Julicher
15. Joe Carbone
16. Mark Pennell
17. Scott Skora
18. Paul Madsen
19. Matt Alix

Feature #2:
1. RON NURMI
2. Mike Ticco
3. Tom MacLeod
4. T.J. Johnson
5. George Skora, III
6. Matt Alix
7. Mark Krupczyk
8. Scott Jarrell
9. Tommy Reese
10. Dave Russell
11. Dan Habuda
12. Darryl McKay
13. Craig Orr
14. Paul Madsen
15. John Julicher
16. Mark Pennell
17. Art Logsdon
18. Joe Carbone

DNS:
Scott Skora

PROBITY CONSTRUCTION SUPER STOCKS
Heat Winners – Paul Alberti, A.J. Cole

Feature:
1. A.J. COLE
2. Doug Evans
3. Wayne Bernhard
4. Paul Alberti
5. Mark Hoch
6. Tom Carney
7. Ed Lechner
8. Jay Mudra
9. Mike Scott
10. Ed Collver
11. John Kraemer
12. Frank Green
13. Jay Canonico
14. Jason Gwin
15. Ben Harms
16. Dave Milbrand

GLEN CAMPBELL CHEVROLET STREET STOCKS
Heat Winners – Jim Stein, Dave Johnson, Jim Offhaus

Feature:
1. DAVE JOHNSON
2. Jim Offhaus
3. Scott Mutka
4. Jeff Madill
5. Rick Widmer
6. Tom Agen
7. Frank Batista, Jr.
8. Jim Stein
9. Mike Maggiore
10. Don Deville
11. John Shurmatz
12. Joe Mergl
13. Gary Light
14. Wayne Lavis
15. Russell Knutsen
16. Pete Hackett
17. Tim Garlock
18. Bob Blaszak
19. Tom Deville
20. Kyle Volk
21. Rob Bulger
22. Charles Dobuchi, Jr.
23. Jim Bryant
24. Mark Pew
25. Paul Tessier
26. Mike McDonald
27. Shane Porter
28. Joe Light

DNS:
Jim Stroehlein
Tim Geary
Dennis Pieczynski

Source: Dave Buchanan/Lancaster Raceway Park PR
Posted: June 19, 2005