5/13/07

RUDOLPH TAKES HOME CHECKERS IN SST SPORTSMAN SEASON OPENER

 
Although there was a slight spring chill in the air on Saturday, May 12th, the action on the track at Lancaster Raceway Park was red hot. Matt Alix took home the checkers in the Bobcat of Buffalo Late Model race while young Erick Rudolph crossed the finish line first in the SST Sportsman Feature race. Wayne Bernhard continued his winning ways in the Ray Laks Resale Super Stocks and Tim Garlock notched his first win of the season in the McGard Street Stocks. Dave Wollaber made a statement with a commanding win in the first TQ Midget race of the 2007 season and Don Roesch won the first 4 Cylinder feature race in Lancaster’s newest division.

Starting off the night’s action were the TQ Midgets, racing on the 1/4 mile inner oval. Dave Wollaber dominated the race after taking the lead on lap four. Wollaber, the 2000, 2003, 2004, and 2005 TQ Midget Champion and 2004 and 2006 Modified Champion, ran away from the pack of TQ’s and took home the first checkered flag for the division in the 2007 season.

Debuting for the first time during the regular racing season were the Pro 4 Cylinders. Also racing on the inner 1/4 mile oval, the Pro 4’s got the feel of the racetrack for the first time and put on an entertaining race for the fans, filled with side by side racing action. Don Roesch finished first by holding off 1985 Backwards champion Tim Haniszewski in a field of nine cars that will be expanding each and every time they race this season.

The fan favorite McGard Street Stocks rolled out for their feature, twenty-eight cars strong. Tim Garlock dominated the race after starting on the outside pole position. Even with a few yellow flag cautions and double file restarts, no one was able to successfully challenge Garlock for the lead. 2006 Street Stock Champion Jim Bryant was a big mover through the field finishing second after starting in the twelfth position along with Jeff Madill who started fourteenth and finished third.

The Rays Laks Resale Super Stocks once again put on a thrilling race for the crowd that was gathered. John Kraemer started on the pole with Wayne Bernhard starting to his outside. For almost half of the race the top four runners of Kraemer, Bernhard, Frank Batista Jr., and Dave Johnson were glued together on the track, running double file drag racing each other for position. A bobble by Kraemer allowed Bernhard to seize the lead and although the Lavender Car faced a strong challenge from Johnson in the closing laps, Bernhard was able to hang on for his first victory of the 2007 season.

The SST Sportsman took to the race track for their 2007 debut at Lancaster Raceway Park last Saturday and the field contained seasoned veterans and up and coming young guns. Sixteen year old Erick Rudolph took the lead on the first lap from veteran driver Tom MacLeod, former Lancaster Late Model driver who is piloting a SST Sportsman for this season. A quick yellow doubled up the field for the restart but Rudolph again jumped into the top spot. With Rudolph building a lead on the rest of the field, MacLeod was left to battle another veteran, Eddie Murray, for the second position while Billy Burd and 2006 SST Sportsman Champion Nick Cappelli battled for fourth and fifth place position. By the half way point in the feature, Eddie Murray had cut Rudolph’s lead down to nothing. Murray had a very strong car and began looking inside, outside, and everywhere in between for a way around the leader. With just five laps to go, there wasn’t an inch of track that Murray wasn’t using trying to get by Rudolph. Although Murray gave Rudolph a run for his money, Rudolph was able to hang on for his first SST Sportsman feature win at Lancaster Raceway Park.

The last feature race of the night was the Bobcat of Buffalo Late Models. After initially getting off to a bad start with cars spinning out of turn four, the pack was able to get it together and took the green flag. Matt Alix, starting from the pole position, held onto the lead while the field sorted themselves out. Bobby Weber managed to stay with the leader while Todd Hoddick, who had started in the fourth position, was putting heavy pressure on Ron Nurmi for the third spot. Hoddick soon won the battle with Nurmi and set his sights on Weber. Although Alix and Weber had managed to build a lead over the dueling Hoddick and Nurmi, Hoddick soon was at the bumper of Weber’s car. By the halfway point in the race, Alix had a comfortable lead over the field while Weber had Hoddick all over him, looking for a way around the #11. With five laps to go Hoddick finally managed to get around Weber for the second place and was closing in on the leader quickly. Unfortunately for Hoddick there weren’t enough laps left to challenge Alix for the lead. Crossing the finish line first was Matt Alix, who took home his first Late Model win of the 2007 season.

Next week Saturday at Lancaster Raceway Park promises to be one of the best of the season with Military Appreciation Night. Military personnel in full uniform will receive free admission while those carrying a valid Military ID will receive half price admission. The United States Army National Guard will be on hand with displays, giveaways, a color guard for the national anthem, and more.

For more information on any of the upcoming racing events at Lancaster Raceway Park visit the website at www.lancasterracing.com or call the track office at 716-759-6818.

FOUR CYLINDER MINI STOCKS FINISH: (TOP 3 with 9 starters):
1. (1) DON ROESCH #77
2. (6) Tim Haniszewski #10
3. (4) Brandon Hirsch #17
4. (7) #29
5. (8) Bob Crowley #42
6. (5) Ken Hejna #9
7. (2) #40
8. (9) Jerry Carpenter #04
9. (3) #79

NO Heat run

TQ MIDGETS FEATURE FINISH:
1. DAVE WOLLABER (1)
2. Bobby Holmes (22)
3. Mark Schulz (X)
4. Arik McGruder (21)
5. Vinny Christiano, Jr. (2)
6. D.J. Sossong (9)
7. A.J. Hessler (11)
8. Mel Raab (93)
9. Shaun Szejnar (14)
10. Chris Bandelian (34)
11. Danny Lawrence (33)

Lap Leaders: Laps 1-3 Mark Schulz; Laps 4-20 Wollaber

Heat Winners: Mark Schulz, Dave Wollaber

MCGARD STREET STOCK FEATURE FINISH:
1. TIM GARLOCK (88)
2. Jim Bryant (49)
3. Jeff Madill (6)
4. Cory Gallagher (24)
5. Scott Mutka (23)
6. Tom Agen (3)
7. Rob Bulger (32)
8. Russell Knutsen (93)
9. Jeff Guidotti (20)
10. Gary Bartella (99)
11. Andy Jankowiak (73)
12. Mike Maggiore (28)
13. Ed Nowak (96)
14. Joe Light (44),
15. Bob Blaszak (56)
16. Darryl McKay (13)
17. Tom Agen Jr. (8)
18. Wayne Lavis (1)
19. John Julicher, Jr. (9)
20. Steve Cochran (70)
21. Debbie Jurek (65)
22. Matt Jurek (57)
23. Gary Denea (33D)
24. Paul Tessier (12)
25. Bobby Hanel (33)
26. Gary Light (40)
27. Tom DeVille (61)
28. Rick Ortwein (58)
DNS: Jim Stein #21, Jay Ciamaga #54

Lap Leaders: Laps 1-20 Garlock

Heat Winners: Bobby Hanel, Scott Mutka, Tim Garlock

RAY LAKS RESALE SUPER STOCK FEATURE FINISH:
1. WAYNE BERNHARD (23)
2. Dave Johnson (52)
3. Frank Batista, Jr. (37)
4. John Kraemer (77)
5. George Roesch (61)
6. Rick Widmer (78)
7. Jay Canonico (13)

Lap Leaders: Laps 1-5 Kraemer, Laps 6-15 Bernhard

Heat Winner: Wayne Bernhard

SST SPORTSMAN FEATURE FINISH:
1. (2) ERICK RUDOLPH #12
2. Eddie Murray (37)
3. Nick Cappelli (86)
4. Billy Burd (20)
5. (1) Tom MacLeod #32
6. Jerry Harding, Jr. (57B)
7. Russ Gian (9)
8. Sherri Hogan (74)
9. Dick Kluth (27)
10. Ed Grimmer (31)
11. Luke Wozniak (57)
12. Frank Booker, Jr. (22)

Lap Leaders: Laps 1-20 Rudolph

Heat Winners: Billy Burd, Erick Rudolph

BOBCAT OF BUFFALO LATE MODEL FEATURE FINISH:
1. (1) MATT ALIX #24
2. (4) Todd Hoddick #49
3. (2) Bobby Weber #11
4. Jeff Brown, Jr. (3)
5. Ron Nurmi (2)
6. George Skora, III (65)
7. Mike Fiebelkorn, Jr. (50)
8. Scott Skora (56)
9. Tommy Reese (54)
10. Dan Habuda (15)
11. Cory Lischer (3L)
12. Bill Matuszak (1)
13. Joe Carbone (31)

Lap Leaders: Laps 1-25 Alix

Heat Winners: Matt Alix, Bob Weber

Source: Lori Overdorf/Lancaster PR
Additions: Mark Southcott/NYRaceZone.com
Posted: May 14, 2007