10/1/05
PRUITT, LEATY, AND MUDRA ON TOP AT WCIS COCA-COLA FALL SHOOTOUT
The Wyoming County International Speedway closed out its 2005 season with the annual Coca-Cola Fall Shootout. This race brings together some of the top teams from Western New York and the Southern Tier including the top runners of the SST Sportsman Modified Series which was running their next to last race of the season.
In the SST Modified 75-lap series race, Patti Pruitt led all 75 laps from the pole to capture the biggest race of her career. Pruitt held off her nephew, Tony Hanbury, for the final 20 laps to earn the win.
Pruitt and Kirk Rutherford led the field to green, but the race would get off to a slow start as several crashes marred the first 25 laps. On lap two, several cars piled up in turn two when Dick Kluth appeared to have cut a tire down. Richard Thomas, Tony Jilson, Tom Wiest, Butch Crawford, and Ken Gilbert were among those that sustained damage in the melee.
Frank Booker, Jr. hit the turn three wall hard on lap eight just as the race went back to green. Following that lengthy caution period, Dick Kluth spun in turn three to bring out the yellow flag for the third time.
The race restarted again on lap 23, with Pruitt out in front with Ricky Knapp, Rutherford, Kevin Lewis, and Mike Logsdon behind her. Knapp was putting up a strong challenge for the lead until his car began leaking fluids and had to pull off the track on lap 35.
This put Rutherford back in second with Kevin Lewis in third and Tony Hanbury now in fourth after starting ninth. Hanbury would move up to third with just 25 laps to go and was poised to make a run for second. He was piloting the Richie Evans tribute car for the Zacharias family as his SST car was damaged at Lancaster the week before. He is the third driver to run the car as George Kent drove it Chemung earlier in the year and Pete Brittain campaigned in the Race of Champions at Oswego.
On lap 52, Jody London hit the wall in turn four hard but would walk away. The Spencer Speedway rookie was making his first start at WCIS.
Hanbury challenged Rutherford for second when the race went back to green. On lap 55, Hanbury worked himself underneath Rutherford going into turn one they banged wheels and Rutherford spun after bouncing off Hanbury.
This set up a 20-lap shootout between family members, Pruitt and Hanbury. Hanbury challenged fiercely as they pulled away from the pack. Pruitt maintained her line and did not worry about the attack from Hanbury and she drove to the checkered flag.
Hanbury finished second and maintains his points lead in the SST series going into the final race at Chemung next week. Wayne Lent snuck by Kevin Lewis late in the race to finish third for his fourth third place finish at WCIS in 2005. Kevin Lewis had a remarkable run in fourth giving him top ten finishes in his last two starts. Richard Thomas rebounded from his early race problems to finish fifth.
The WCIS Modified Mania Series crowned its champion with the final race of their series. Veteran Jan Leaty of Williamson, NY won for the first time at WCIS as he led all 40 laps to get the win.
Leaty started on the pole alongside Todd Smith in row one. Smith was in the hunt for the series title as was Billy Putney and Tony Hanbury. Leaty took command quickly in the Branich Racing #6 followed by Smith and Putney.
Putney worked past Smith on lap four to take over second as Leaty pulled away to a lengthy lead. Alex Hoag and Tony Hanbury worked their way to the front after starting in the middle of the pack. They were running third and fourth respectively by lap 11.
Hoag and Hanbury continued their march to the front as they both got past Putney on lap 17, but Hoag’s charge was derailed on lap 25 as he spun in turn three. Putney took advantage of the yellow flag as he pitted for a new right rear tire.
Leaty had company on his back bumper for this first time since the start of the race as the green flag was redisplayed. Hanbury was glued to Leaty until the second yellow flag came out on lap 32 as Todd Smith hit the wall in turn one.
Hanbury and Putney chased after Leaty in the final eight laps but could not get past him. It was only his third race at the Perry Bullring, he made his first Modified start back in June at the RoC Tour race. He also competed in a Street Stock race at WCIS in 1979. Leaty earns his second win of the season; the other win was in the final race at Tioga.
With his runner up finish Tony Hanbury clinches his second-straight WCIS Modified Mania Series championship. Putney, Mark Tychoniewicz, and Bill Mislin rounded out the top five.
There were two first-time WCIS winners during the Fall Shootout as Jay Mudra captured the Street Stock feature. Steve Vinyard started on the pole, but quickly had Mudra and Bob Minacappeli line up on his back bumper. Vinyard could only hold them off until lap 11 when they worked underneath him going into turn three.
Mudra then fended off Minacapelli who was pressuring him hard in the Andy Fisk #33. Minacapelli looked to have a shot at Mudra coming out of turn four, but Mudra was able to slam the door shut and save the win.
Jeff Pringle won his third 4-Cylinder WASP feature of the year. Pringle took the lead on lap two from Eric Hastrieter and led until lap 11. On lap 11, Pringle tangled with Dan Scott who was challenging him hard for the lead. Both cars spun in turn three when they made contact and would have to restart the race from the rear of the field.
Both cars came roaring back through the field in the final 9 laps with Pringle getting back to the lead first. Scott caught him with four laps to go, but had worn out his tires and could not mount a challenge. Pringle went on to win over Scott and Bill Tierson.
WNY Mini Cup Series president, Dave Urbanski, won their season finale over Paul Young and Robbie Micoli. Young clinched the series championship for the second-straight year with his second place finish.
RESULTS
SST SPORTSMAN SERIES
Heat Winners – Mike Logsdon, Tony Hanbury, Gene Sharpsteen, Chuck Hebing
Feature –
1. PATTI PRUITT #88
2. Tony Hanbury #61
3. Wayne Lent #94
4. Kevin Lewis #24
5. Richard Thomas #15
6. Don Wylie #97
7. Chuck Hebing #65
8. Mike VerWeire #81
9. Dick Kluth #27
10. Kirk Rutherford #11
11. Dave Wilson, Jr. #21
12. Jim Pierce #26
13. Butch Crawford #72
14. Mike Logsdon #34
15. Dan Hoag #2
16. Ken Gilbert #6
17. Don Pringle #96
18. Jody London #89
19. Tony Jilson #17
20. Mike Bliss #36
21. Ricky Knapp, Jr. #1
22. Daryl Lewis, Jr. #10
23. Pete Yasses #71
24. Alex Hoag #3
25. Gene Sharpsteen #7
26. Frank Booker, Jr. #22
27. Ed Grimmer #31
28. Tom Wiest #35
DNS: Jerry Harding, Jr. #57
MODIFIED MANIA SERIES
Heat Winners – Jan Leaty, Todd Smith
Feature –
1. JAN LEATY #6
2. Tony Hanbury #1
3. Billy Putney #88
4. Mark Tychoniewicz #01
5. Bill Mislin #81
6. Alex Hoag #87
7. J.R. Swansbrough #0
8. Curtis Cowles #96
9. Dan Chimera #44
10. Todd Smith #52
DNS: Tom McGrath #12
STREET STOCKS
Heat Winner – Bob Minacapelli
Feature –
1. JAY MUDRA #76
2. Bob Minacapelli #33
3. Steve Vinyard #55
4. Kevin Herbert #77
5. Josh Beardsley #44
6. Mike Short #5
7. Jacob Logsdon #07
4-CYLINDER WASPS
Heat Winners – Dan Scott, Jeff Pringle
Feature – JEFF PRINGLE, Dan Scott, Bill Tierson, Herschel Twoguns, Mike Shaugnessey, Matt Scott, Sam Mazzarella, Eric Hastrieter, #26x, and #99.
WNY MINI CUP CLUB
Heat Winners – Kris Hammon, Dave Urbanski
Feature – DAVE URBANSKI, Paul Young, Robbie Micoli, Tony Kulesza, Amy Becker, Kris Hammon, and Charlie Pellien.
Source: Dave Buchanan/Wyoming County International Speedway PR
Posted: October 2, 2005
