6/24/07

HODDICK, RUTHERFORD, BATISTA JR., GARLOCK AND HANISZEWSKI JR. TAKE LANCASTER CHECKERS

 
Lancaster, NY: A perfect night of racing greeted drivers, crew members, and fans last Saturday night at Lancaster Raceway Park as Bobcat of Buffalo presented a “Night at the Races”. On the racing card where the Thiel Motorsports Fast & Furious 4 Cylinders, McGard Street Stocks, Ray Laks Resale Super Stocks, SST Sportsman and the Bobcat of Buffalo Late Models. Within the nights action two drivers would chalk up another win this season while three others would take their first Lancaster checkered flag of 2007.

First up on the schedule were the Thiel Motorsports Fast & Furious 4 Cylinders. This division can be likened to a demolition derby run on an oval track, with beating, banging, sliding and crashing.

A wild crash started the action and after three cautions within the first lap, the field finally straightened themselves out by the halfway point of the shortened 12 lap feature. Throughout it all Tim Haniszewski Jr. held onto the lead while fending off attempts by Don Roesch and Bob Wodzinski. Haniszewski Jr. held on to capture his first win of the 2007 season.

Tim Haniszewski, Jr. #10

The always popular McGard Street Stocks were up next, with 23 cars taking to the track for the feature event. With the drop of the green Joe Light jumped into the lead from his pole starting position but would only be able to hang on to the top spot for two laps. On lap three last week’s feature winner Tim Garlock passed Light on the outside to take the lead – a position Garlock would not relinquish for the rest of the race. Jeff Madill made numerous clean, calculated attempts to gain the lead from Garlock but just couldn’t find a successful way around the leader. Behind the top two cars, Bobby Hanel Jr., John Julicher Jr., Andy Jankowiak, Cory Gallagher, and Jim Bryant sliced and diced for positions third on back all the way to the finish. Taking his second checkered flag in a row and third of the season was Tim Garlock.

Tim Garlock #88

Gary Bartella #99 landed on
his side in the Street Stock heat

After a rough week last week, blowing up his motor in practice, Frank Batista Jr. rebounded with a borrowed motor this week to win the Ray Laks Resale Super Stock feature. Batista Jr. started on the pole with former 2007 feature winners George Roesch, Wayne Bernhard, and Dave Johnson starting behind him.

Batista Jr. jumped into the lead at the drop of the green and Bernhard and Johnson began a battle to get around the leader, each taking turns at trying to get around him on the outside and inside. Neither was successful at dethroning the leader Batista Jr. and he cruised to his first win of the 2007 season.

Frank Batista, Jr. #37

Kirk Rutherford continued his domination of the local SST Sportsman scene with his third win of the season at Lancaster alone. Kirk has also notched victories at Spencer Speedway, Wyoming County International Speedway and Holland International Speedway this year as well. Rutherford had to work his way up from the sixth starting spot on the grid as Sherri Hogan and Craig Dolphin started on the front row. Dolphin immediately gained the lead at the start of the race and Rutherford, Nick Cappelli and Eddie Murray soon gained positions two through four. By lap seven Rutherford had gained the lead from Dolphin and by the halfway point Rutherford lead with Cappelli, Craig Dolphin, Billy Putney (who was subbing for Frank Booker), Russ Gian, and Billy Burd running in the top six. Soon Cappelli began to have problems with his ride and on a yellow flag on lap 16 Cappelli ducked into the pits for repair. He would return later in the race, a few laps down. With Cappelli pitside, Rutherford had Dolphin, Putney, Burd, and Gian breathing down his neck on the late race restart. However, Rutherford was able to build a lead on the rest of the field and cruised on to capture his third Lancaster win of the season.

Completing the night’s action was the Bobcat of Buffalo Late Models. With their title sponsor in the house watching the racing action, the Late Models made sure to put on a great racing show. Tommy Reese, Mark Pennell, Jeff Brown Jr., Todd Hoddick, Scott Skora, and Bobby Weber made up the first three rows of starters and at the drop of the green flag, Reese took sole command of the lead. Jeff Brown Jr. immediately looked to upset the leader and by the third lap, Brown Jr. had taken over the top spot on the track from Reese. Also, on the move was Todd Hoddick who, by the halfway point of the race, was breathing down the neck of leader Brown Jr.

Todd Hoddick #49

On lap 15 Hoddick made his move to the outside of Brown Jr. for the lead, cleared the car and took sole possession of the top spot. As the laps clicked down, the field stretched out single file and Hoddick built a commanding lead over the pack. Hoddick, who has battled a series of bad luck this season at Lancaster, went on to take his first Lancaster Raceway Park Bobcat of Buffalo Late Model feature win of 2007 and first in three years. Jeff Brown Jr., who is in search of his elusive first Lancaster Late Model win, finished second while last week’s feature winner Scott Skora finished third. Other 2007 feature winners Bobby Weber and Ron Nurmi finished fourth and fifth respectively.

Next week on Saturday, June 30th the Race of Champions Modified Tour invades the Lancaster 1/2 mile oval for the Firecracker 75 lap race. The SST Sportsman, Super Stock and Street Stock classes will also be in competition. For more information visit www.lancasterracing.com or call the track office at 716-758-6818.

Thiel Motorsports Fast & Furious 4 Cylinders Feature Finish:
1. (1) TIM HANISZEWSKI, JR. #10
2. (5) Don Roesch #77
3. (8) Bob Wodzinski #68
4. (2) Joe Merlino #29
5. (7) Kevin Morreale #14
6. (3) Brandon Hirsch #17
7. (4) Mike Jurek #57
8. (6) Jerry Carpenter #04.
DNS: Driver #18.

Lap Leader: Laps 1-12 Haniszewski, Jr.

McGard Street Stock Feature Finish:
1. (5) TIM GARLOCK #88
2. (8) Jeff Madill #6
3. (7) John Julicher, Jr. #9
4. (11) Andy Jankowiak #73
5. (10) Bobby Hanel, Jr. #33
6. (6) Cory Gallagher #24
7. (23) Jim Bryant #49
8. (13) Rob Bulger #32
9. (3) Mike Maggiore #28
10. (16) Gary Light #40
11. (12) Rick Ortwein #58
12. (1) Joe Light #44
13. (15) Gary Denea #33D
14. (14) Ed Nowak #96
15. (17) Steve Cochran #70
16. (18) Paul Tessier #12
17. (20) Tim Neis #74
18. (22) Bob Blaszak, Jr. #53
19. (19) Debbie Jurek #65
20. (4) Scott Mutka #23
21. (2) Tom DeVille #61
22. (9) Tom Agen #3
23. (21) Steve DeCaper #8.
DNS: Matt Jurek #57, Gary Bartella #99.

Lap Leaders: Laps 1-2 J. Light; Laps 3-20 Garlock

Heat Winners: Jankowiak, Bryant, Gallagher

Ray Laks Resale Super Stock Feature Finish:
1. (1) FRANK BATISTA, JR. #37
2. (4) Dave Johnson #52
3. (3) Wayne Bernhard #23
4. (2) George Roesch #61
5. (8) John Kraemer #77
6. (6) James Kron, III #31
7. (7) Jay Canonico #13
8. (5) Rick Widmer #78.
DNS: Jason Gwin #30.

Lap Leaders: Laps 1-4 Batista Jr.; Lap 5 Bernhard; Laps 6-20 Batista Jr.

Heat Winner: Batista Jr.

SST Sportsman Feature Finish:
1. (6) KIRK RUTHERFORD #11
2. (2) Craig Dolphin #98
3. (8) Billy Putney #22 (subbing for Frank Booker, Jr.)
4. (9) Billy Burd #20
5. (4) Russ Gian #9
6. (1) Sherri Hogan #74
7. (10) Dave Tedesco #44
8. (5) Nick Cappelli #86
9. (11) Mike Stevenson #1
10. (7) Ed Weber #4
11. (3) Eddie Murray #37
DNS: Eric Doktor #16, Tom MacLeod #32, Erick Rudolph #12.

Lap Leaders: Laps 1-6 Dolphin; Laps 7-25 Rutherford

Heat Winners: Rutherford, Cappelli

Bobcat of Buffalo Late Model Feature Finish:
1. (4) TODD HODDICK #49
2. (3) Jeff Brown, Jr. #3
3. (5) Scott Skora #56
4. (6) Bobby Weber #11
5. (7) Ron Nurmi #2
6. (2) Mark Pennell #18
7. (1) Tommy Reese #54
8. (9) Cory Lischer #3L
9. (8) John McClurg #20
10. (12) Frank Green #52G
11. (10) Phil Hayne #52
12. (11) Jason Petri #53.

Lap Leaders: Laps 1-2 Reese; Laps 3-14 Brown Jr.; Laps 15-25 Hoddick

Heat Winners: Hoddick, Brown Jr.

Source: Lori Overdorf/Lancaster PR
Additions: Mark Southcott/NYRaceZone.com
Posted: June 24, 2007; photos added: June 26, 2007