6/30/2005

FIDANZA BLASTS TO WIN IN FIRECRACKER 75

It’s always an all-star affair when the Sunoco Race of Champions Modified Tour returns to the Lancaster Raceway Park, with the top RoC stars taking on the weekly warriors of Lancaster’s Advance Auto Parts Modified Division. Their annual Fourth of July weekend visit to Western New York, in the Firecracker 75, always provides a tightly contested event.

Following the heat races, the top 12 qualifiers redrew for their starting spots. DIRT Modified ace and former LRP track champion Todd Burley would start on the pole. Defending Sunoco Race of Champions 200 winner Eric Beers would be on his outside when the field came down for the green.

Beers pulled out in front with Burley falling in behind him. NASCAR Modified star and former LRP champion Chuck Hossfeld started fifth but quickly found third place. The race’s first caution took place on lap five as Karl Hehr spun in turn one, which stacked up the field. Dave Wollaber would suffer damage to his left front wheel and was knocked out of competition.

On the restart, Beers and Hossfeld would pull away in the top two spots. On lap 13, Hossfeld would take the lead for the first time in the Jerry Gradl Motors #20. Moments later, the yellow flag would come out again as Billy Putney came to a stop on the track with a flat tire. During the caution period, Sege Fidanza would pit for a new right rear tire. Tire strategy would play an important role in this race, as all teams would pit sometime during the 75-lap event.

Beers would regain the lead on lap 17 after a restart following the race’s third caution period. His second reign as race leader would last five laps after Hossfeld got back by him on lap 22. Defending race winner, Tom McGrath, would start to make his presence felt as he passed Beers for second on lap 23. McGrath won both RoC Tour events at Lancaster last season.

More teams would pit for a new tire at the race’s one-third mark. Matt Hirschman, Lee Sherwood, and Ben Reynolds pitted under caution on lap 23. The yellow flag came back out on the following lap, which allowed Pete Brittain to stop. Jan Leaty also pitted after cutting his right rear tire.

The yellow flag would come out twice on lap 32, which led to wholesale pit stops with almost half of the field pitting. Billy Putney, Rusty Smith, Todd Burley, Larry Jackson, Daren Scherer, Bill Mislin, and Tom McGrath all pitted during the first caution period. On the ensuing restart, Earl Paules and Tony Hanbury would lock bumpers to put the race back under caution. This would give ample time for John Markovic, Eric Beers, TJ Potrzebowski, and race leader Chuck Hossfeld to make a stop.

This reshaped the front of the field, putting Sege Fidanza out in front. Kenny Troyer, Lee Sherwood, Matt Hirschman, and Pete Brittain would be running in the top five behind Fidanza. But before things could get back underway there would be another yellow flag on lap 33. Chuck Hossfeld would spin in turn two, stacking up the field behind him. Tom McGrath drove over the front end of Hossfeld’s car, getting airborne for a brief moment. John Markovic and Todd Smith were also involved. Only Hossfeld and Markovic would be able to continue.

Some green flag laps would finally start to click off at this point as Fidanza took command of the race. Fidanza and Pete Brittain would pull away from the field while cars that pitted were trying to come back through the field. Jan Leaty, Billy Putney, and Matt Hirschman would be running in positions 3-5 behind them.

A final caution would come on lap 67 for a spin by John Markovic. Jan Leaty would also cut down tire and head to the pits. Fidanza and Brittain would pull away again during the final eight laps. Brittain tried to get a run on the leader a couple of times but would be denied. Fidanza drove to his second win in less than a week after being shut out since September of 2003.

“The car was awesome tonight,” Fidanza said, “we had to pit early because we were so loose and I was afraid the tire wouldn’t make it to the end.”

Fidanza did have the oldest tires of the cars that pitted, but was still able stay in front. “We were pretty loose at the end, I was just trying to let car go its own way so I didn’t have to turn it hard and spin,” Fidanza said.

Billy Putney had one his best efforts of the year with a third place finish. Matt Hirschman finished fourth and has not finished worse than sixth this year in RoC Tour North region events. Chuck Hossfeld bounced back from his spin to finish fifth. Rusty Smith, Eric Beers, Larry Jackson, Todd Burley, and TJ Potrzebowski completed the top ten.

Lancaster’s other divisions were also in action during the special Thursday night show. Mark Bliss walked to the win in the Bobcat of Buffalo Late Models. The Holland Speedway regular picked up his first career Lancaster win. Bliss has been driving a car for Bobby Weber this season, while Weber comes back from a shoulder injury he suffered in the off-season. John Julicher had his best run of the year, finishing second.

Bobby Holmes topped the field of 21 Signworks SST Modifieds for his third win of the season. Holmes passed Eddie Murray on lap 14 and pulled away for the final six laps to take the win. Murray, Ed Weber, John Barber, and Russ Gian rounded out the top five.

Jay Mudra picked up his first win of the year in the Probity Construction Super Stocks. He becomes the seventh different winner of the year in the Super Stocks, with no repeat winners so far this season.

Frank Batista, Jr. grabbed his second checkered flag of the year in the Glen Campbell Chevrolet Street Stocks. Rick Widmer, Jim Offhaus, Jim Stein, and Rob Bulger would pick up top five finishes.

RESULTS

SUNOCO RACE OF CHAMPIONS MODIFIED TOUR
Heat Winners – Rusty Smith, T.J. Potrzebowski, Chuck Hossfeld

Feature – SEGE FIDANZA, Pete Brittain, Billy Putney, Matt Hirschman, Chuck Hossfeld, Rusty Smith, Eric Beers, Larry Jackson, Todd Burley, T.J. Potrzebowski, Daren Scherer, Tony Hanbury, Jan Leaty, Kenny Troyer, Lee Sherwood, John Markovic, Ben Reynolds, Earl Paules, Tommy Kinsella, Bill Mislin, Tom McGrath, Todd Smith, Ron Williams, Danny Knoll Jr., Zane Zeiner, Karl Hehr, and Dave Wollaber.

BOBCAT OF BUFFALO LATE MODELS
Heat Winners – Tom MacLeod, John Julicher

Feature – MARK BLISS, John Julicher, George Skora, III, Mike Ticco, T.J. Johnson, Scott Skora, Dave Russell, Ron Nurmi, Craig Orr, Joe Carbone, Scott Nurmi, Mark Pennell, Tommy Reese, Tim Windnagle, Joey Brainard, and Tom MacLeod.

SIGNWORKS SST SPORTSMAN MODIFIEDS
Heat Winners – Jim Pierce, Ed Grimmer

Feature – BOBBY HOLMES, Eddie Murray, Ed Weber, John Barber, Russ Gian, Mike Shields, John Markovic, Don Wylie, Ricky Knapp, Jr., Sherri Hogan, Frank Booker, Jr., Mike Mitchell, Phil Johnson, Richard Thomas, Justin Shepker, Jack Grainy, Jim Pierce, Neal Dietz, Jr., Ed Grimmer, Earl Paules, and Jerry Gradl, Jr.

PROBITY CONSTRUCTION SUPER STOCKS
Heat Winners – Jay Mudra, Ed Collver

Feature – JAY MUDRA, Ed Collver, Tom Carney, Mike Scott, Wayne Bernhard, Paul Alberti, A.J. Cole, Mark Hoch, Chris Pennell, Doug Evans, and Jay Canonico. DNS: Dave Milbrand.

GLEN CAMPBELL CHEVROLET STREET STOCKS
Heat Winners – Rob Bulger, Frank Batista Jr., Rick Widmer

Feature – FRANK BATISTA JR., Rick Widmer, Jim Offhaus, Jim Stein, Rob Bulger, Tom Agen, Jeff Madill, Wayne Lavis, Tim Garlock, Russell Knutsen, Scott Mutka, Joe Mergl, Kyle Volk, John Shurmatz, Gary Light, Rick Ortwein, Dave Johnson, Joe Light, Jim Bryant, Mike Fedele, Paul Swatsworth, Pete Hackett, and Paul Tessier.

Source: Dave Buchanan/Lancaster PR
Posted: July 1, 2005