7/1/06
HOLMES GETS FIRST ROC TOUR WIN IN FIRECRACKER 75
The Lancaster Raceway Park renewed their Independence Day weekend tradition with the first visit of the year by the Sunoco Race of Champions Modified Tour in the Firecracker 75 presented by Bobcat of Buffalo. Once again the stars of the RoC Tour and Lancaster’s own Modified warriors battled it out in an exciting affair that saw the hometown heroes score the win.
Bobby Holmes of Lockport earned the victory for his first ever on the RoC Tour. He becomes the third-straight Lancaster regular to win the event.
Dave Wollaber, Holmes’s DeLange Racing teammate, and Daren Scherer started out on the front row for the 75-lap feature. Wollaber jumped out to the early lead, but quickly the yellow flag flew for a spin by Rick Kluth. Jan Leaty, Earl Paules, and Rusty Smith also got tangled in the incident while trying to avoid Kluth.
Wollaber assumed command of the field once again after racing got back under way. Scherer lined up behind him in second with Matt Hirschman and Billy Putney in tow.
Putney moved up fast from the fifth starting position as he landed in the runner up spot by lap 14. He and Wollaber were the class of the field early in the race as they pulled away from the pack.
The hardest hit of the night came on lap 28 as Larry Jackson plowed into the Thermal Foam blocks and wall in turn one after a mechanical failure. Jackson was uninjured, but he was done for the evening.
Several of the of the cars running in the top ten headed to the pits at that point for a new tire. Among those who pitted were Sege Fidanza, Pete Brittain, and Kory Rabenold.
Following the restart, Putney made his move for the lead. He launched from the outside of the front row on the restart and pulled ahead of Wollaber by the exit of turn two.
This led to a chain of former Lancaster Modified track champions lining up at the front of the field around lap 30. Putney, a three-time LRP champ, was leading the trio of Wollaber (2004 champion), Chuck Hossfeld (1999) and Tom McGrath (2005).
McGrath moved up to second by lap 41, but would not get a shot to take the lead. A caution on lap 43 for a spin by Todd Smith signaled pit stops for several of the front-runners including, Putney, McGrath, Hossfeld and Eric Beers. Wollaber elected to stay on the track and regained the lead in doing so.
Bobby Holmes moved up to fourth at this point after starting 18th and pitting for a right rear tire on lap 22. Holmes was locked in a battle for third place with Matt Hirschman for a number of laps keeping him from getting to Wollaber and Scherer.
During this time the rest of the cars that pitted for tires had come back through the field and were starting to challenge the leaders. McGrath led the charge as he passed Holmes on lap 66 and moved into second place two laps later.
McGrath had to then reel in Wollaber, who had opened up a sizable lead since the race went caution free after lap 53. With the fresher rubber, McGrath quickly made up the ground and was in striking distance with less than five to go. The yellow flag, however, would hold up McGrath’s plans again as Karl Hehr spun in turn one with just two to go.
On the restart, McGrath got a run on Wollaber and moved into the lead for a moment. Wollaber tried to battle back, but he ran into McGrath on the final lap and caused him to spin out in turn two. Wollaber was sent to the rear of the field by RoC Tour officials, and this put Holmes in the lead.
Holmes took the green flag for a green-white-checkered finish that saw him go unchallenged. He cruised to the checkered flags and his first RoC Tour victory.
“I can’t believe we're in victory lane for the RoC race at Lancaster,” and elated Holmes said afterwards.
The win was huge for the third-generation driver in his first full season on the RoC Tour, but he knew luck played a big role. “We were good up to the end,” Holmes said, “we got up right when that caution came out with one lap to go and we got a bigger break there.”
The win was just the second for Holmes behind the wheel of a Modified. He won a feature last August after taking over the DeLange Racing #22 half way through the 2005 season. He also won the LRP Sportsman track championship in each of the last two seasons.
Billy Putney finished second after getting by Mike Leaty on the final lap. Leaty’s third place run is his best at Lancaster. He also won the Gater Racing News $500 Driver Bonus. Daren Scherer never fell out of the top five and finished fourth. Chuck Hossfeld rounded out the top five. Matt Hirschman, Eric Beers, Earl Paules, Sege Fidanza and Lee Sherwood filled in the rest of the top ten.
Pete Brittain finished 12th after starting 21st following problems in his heat race. Kory Rabenold finished 15th in his first ever appearance at Lancaster, and was inside the top ten at one point in the race. Zane Zeiner was in attendence, but reportedly had alternator problems and never made it out for the heats or feature.
Three weekly divisions supported the Firecracker 75 including the Bobcat of Buffalo Late Models. Scott Skora of Eden bettered his career best of third that was registered last season with his first career win. Skora battled it out with Ron Nurmi who led the first 19 laps from the pole until Skora got by him.
The win was extra special for Skora, who spent a large portion of his childhood at Lancaster watching his father, Bob Skora, compete in what is now considered the Late Model division.
“Finally I won at a track that I’ve been to my whole life, watched my dad win here,” Skora said, “and it’s just amazing to fight someone like Ron Nurmi to the line to win it.”
George Skora III, Scott’s cousin, finished third. T.J. Johnson and Tim Windnagle rounded out the top five. Rich Skora, Scott’s brother, finished sixth.
Paul Alberti dominated the 20-lap Jerry Gradl Motors Super Stock feature. Alberti took the lead from Frank Batista Jr. on lap four and then pulled out to nearly a straightaway-sized margin of victory. George Roesch finished second. Dave Johnson, Frank Batista Jr. and Jay Mudra closed out the top five.
One of Alberti’s sponsors, Jeff Madill, picked up his second-straight win in the Glen Campbell Chevrolet Street Stocks. Madill beat out Mike Maggiore in a last lap duel that saw Madill win by less than a car length. Joe Mergl, Jim Bryant and Tom Agen Sr. posted top five finishes.
Next week, July 8, is Autograph Night at Lancaster. Race fans can get up and close and personal with their favorite LRP drivers in a special on-track autograph session. The first 500 kids through the gate will get a free t-shirt from Signworks. All five regular divisions will be in action with the first green flag at 6:30 PM.
RESULTS
SUNOCO RACE OF CHAMPIONS MODIFIED TOUR FEATURE FINISH
Pos., Start Pos., Car #, Driver, Hometown
1. (18) #22 BOBBY HOLMES/Lockport, NY
2. (5) #88 Billy Putney/E. Aurora, NY
3. (13) #25 Mike Leaty/Williamson, NY
4. (2) #3 Daren Scherer/Binghamton, NY
5. (7) #20 Chuck Hossfeld/Ransomville, NY
6. (3) #60 Matt Hirschman/Northampton, PA
7. (8) #9 Eric Beers/Northampton, PA
8. (10) #8 Earl Paules/Kunkletown, PA
9. (15) #77 Sege Fidanza/Lockport, NY
10. (16) #95 Lee Sherwood/Binghamton, NY
11. (12) #6 Jan Leaty/Williamson, NY
12. (21) #99 Pete Brittain/Oakhurst, NJ
13. (6) #44 Rick Kluth/Brockport, NY
14. (24) #95m John Markovic/Bethlehem, PA
15. (19) #63 Kory Rabenold/Slatington, PA
16. (26) #24 Phil Slater/Owego, NY
17. (14) #34 Rusty Smith/Oxford, NY
18. (4) #66 Bill Hebing/Ontario, NY
19. (23) #17r Ben Reynolds/Trumansburg, NY
20. (17) #52 Todd Smith/Henrietta, NY
21. (9) #59 Karl Hehr/Cheektowaga, NY
22. (1) #45 Dave Wollaber/N. Tonawanda, NY
23. (11) #12 Tom McGrath/Clarence, NY
24. (25) #81 Bill Mislin/Tonawanda, NY
25. (22) #7 Chuck Frisbee, III/Owego, NY
26. (20) #84 Larry Jackson/Oakville, ON
27. (27) #4 Kevin Lewis/Holley, NY
DNS: #22z Zane Zeiner/Wind Gap, PA
Hard Charger Award: Bobby Holmes (18th - 1st)
Hard Luck Award: Dave Wollaber (1st - 22nd)
Gater Racing News Bonus: Mike Leaty
Sunoco Race Fuels Bonus: Phil Slater
Heat Winners: Jan Leaty, Rick Kluth, Matt Hirschman and Dave Wollaber.
Lap Leaders: Dave Wollaber (1-28, 44-73), Billy Putney (29-43) and Holmes (74-75).
BOBCAT OF BUFFALO LATE MODELS
Heat Winners – Ron Nurmi, Scott Skora
Feature – SCOTT SKORA, Ron Nurmi, George Skora III, T.J. Johnson, Tim Windnagle, Rich Skora, Bobby Weber, Tommy Reese, Bill Catania, Richard Arndt, Scott Nurmi, Darryl McKay and Mark Pennell.
JERRY GRADL MOTORS SUPER STOCKS
Heat Winners – Paul Alberti, George Roesch
Feature – PAUL ALBERTI, George Roesch, Dave Johnson, Frank Batista Jr., Jay Mudra, Doug Evans, Kyle Sharpe, Mark Hoch, Ed Lechner, J.W. Flagler, Mike Scott, Wayne Bernhard, Rick Widmer, Jason Gwin and Jay Canonico.
GLEN CAMPBELL CHEVROLET STREET STOCKS
Heat Winners – Jim Bryant, Gary Bartella, Scott Mutka
Feature – JEFF MADILL, Mike Maggiore, Joe Mergl, Jim Bryant, Tom Agen Sr., Tim Garlock, Rob Bulger, Pete Hackett, Wayne Lavis, Rich Hoch, Gary Light, Andy Jankowiak, Bobby Hanel Jr., Kaz Toracek, Jim Stein, Bob Hanel Sr., Rick Ortwein, Kevin Mendel, Andy Cryan, Mike Fedele, Paul Tessier, Cory Gallagher, Dennis Pieczynski, John Julicher Jr., Ed Nowak, Scott Mutka, Tom Deville, Steve Cochran, Gary Bartella, Joe Light, Bob Blaszak, Don Deville, Tom Agen Jr. and Tim Neis. DNS: Russell Knutsen.
Source: Dave Buchanan/Lancaster Raceway Park PR
Additions: Mark Southcott/NYRaceZone.com
Posted: July 2, 2006
