5/31/08

TONY HANBURY WINS IN WEEKLY MODIFIEDS AT SPENCER

 
WILLIAMSON, NY: Tony Hanbury, from Owego, NY, had not won at Spencer Speedway in the NASCAR Weekly Modified division since June, 2006. Last Friday on USG Sheetrock Night, he dominated the starting field to pick up his second ever Weekly Modified feature win at the speedway.

“It was pretty crazy at the start of that race,” stated Hanbury. “It was amazing we got through that fourth turn during that wreck (referring to a lap nine accident). These guys did a great job of it.”

Dan Scott, from Ontario, NY, held on to win his first career Street Stock feature, taking the lead with just two laps remaining following a spin by the two leaders.

“We wanted to race at a real race track,” Scott related to a surprised crowd. “We have raced elsewhere and did well so we wanted to give Spencer a try.”

The Super Six division saw Kris Hillegeer, from Williamson, take his third straight victory after a good battle for the lead between himself and Keith Butler.

“I was fortunate I had one additional year experience to win this one,” commented Hillegeer, who was this division’s champion in 2006.

The 35-lap NASCAR Weekly Modified feature saw pole sitter Fred Taylor jump into the lead at the drop of Larry Woodruff’s green flag. A quick yellow flew on lap four when Jody London spun on the back stretch. The restart saw Phil Wehrheim challenge Taylor for the lead, followed by a 17 car freight-train.

By lap six the top runners, Taylor, Wehrheim, Don Pringle and Tony Hanbury broke away from the rest of the field. A yellow on lap 9, would bunch the field back together. Unfortunately it was Taylor and Wehrheim, who brought out the yellow when they touched and spun in front of the field. This left Don Pringle to pace the restart.

On the restart Hanbury blasted by Pringle to take the lead. Hanbury then began to stretch out his lead over Pringle, Matt Lees and Chris Finocchario.

On lap 14 the yellow flew for the third time, when Finocchario drifted high off the first turn and hit the tire wall ending his night.

The restart saw Hanbury pull away from the rest of the field. On lap 17, Pringle went around between the third and four turns causing a number of cars to immediately slow and the yellow to fly. Pringle and Ryan Beeman were eliminated in this melee.

Up front Daryl Lewis Jr. inherited the runner up position and tried to stay with the high flying Hanbury. A series of three quick yellows now interrupted the race. On lap 21 Daryl Lewis Sr. looped around in the second turn. One lap later it would debris bringing out the yellow. Then on lap 24 Scott Combs found the tire wall in the first turn.

All this time it was Hanbury with the lead. Buck Catalano was able to duck to the inside of Lewis Jr. on lap 28 to take second. Combs hit the tire wall once more, lap 29, to bring out the final yellow of the event. At the finish line it was Hanbury followed by Catalano, Jeff Hamman Jr., Lewis Jr. and Lees rounding out the top five.

Last week’s feature winner, Kirk Rutherford’s night ended early following contact in his heat race that resulted in Rutherford making heavy contact with the fourth turn wall, causing the red flag to fly. After walking up the track, he expressed his unhappiness with Chris Finocchario before returning to the pits.

The 20-lap Street Stock main saw three different race leaders during the first five laps. Mitchell Wright took the initial lead. Two laps later third place runner Billy Semmler made a fantastic move coming out of the second turn and was able to pass both Wright and Dan Scott to take the lead.

On lap four the yellow flew when Phil Alhart Jr. looped around with a flat tire in the fourth turn. He was able to return to the back of the field for the restart. On the restart Don Stevens moved around Semmler for the lead.

Last week’s feature winner, Tommy Carino Jr., in his Town Mechanical Chevy, tried to get by Stevens as these two battled for the next ten circuits. On lap 18, contact forced Stevens to spin in the first turn. Both he and Carino Jr. were sent to the rear of the field. This left third place Scott to assume the lead with just two laps remaining in the feature race.

Dan Scott held on and took the checkers followed by Semmler. Carino Jr. blasted back to finish third followed by Willie Strusz and Stevens.

The Super Six race saw four different drivers lead the event. Bill Malin took the lead at the start. On lap two, Joe Bailey took command of the race. He lost the lead to Keith Butler on lap five. Butler then had to battle multi-time feature winner Kris Hillegeer. He was able to hold Hillegeer at bay until lap 11, at which time Hillegeer made his pass for the lead.

Hillegeer took the feature win, his nineteenth career win in the Super Six division. Butler finished second for the third week in a row, followed by Patti Davenport, Jesse Parks and Bailey.

The first ever Spencer “USG Pit Party” was a huge success with the fans and drivers alike. With the Weekly Modified cars lined up LeMans style on the front stretch, fans were given a chance to go on the track and meet their favorite drivers, get an autograph and be treated by many of the teams to a handful of candy.

“This is something we will definitely do again,” stated promoter John White . “We got a very positive response from the fans and race teams to this ‘party’”.

This Friday, June 6, will see the “cars and stars” from the Midwest Supermodified Association (MSA) raid Spencer Speedway. Full-blown Supermodifieds have not raced at Spencer since 1998 when Mike Muldoon won a 40-lapper. Every year since then the Limited Supermodifieds have made an appearance at the speedway. Dave Shullick Jr. won the MSA opener at Oswego back on May 4. Charlie Schultz won at Lorain Co (OH) on May 17. Last Saturday, May 31, the MSA was to have run at Sandusky Speedway (OH). Spencer would be the MSA’s fourth race of the series. The next day, June 7, the MSA will run again at Oswego.

The MSA will join a full program of NASCAR Super Six, Street Stocks and Weekly Modified action. Race time starts at 7:30 p.m. sharp.

Spencer Speedway is located just fifteen minutes east of Rochester, NY, along Route 104 in the Town of Williamson . Spencer Speedway is the local “ NASCAR Place to Race” for upstate New York . Points earned each week at Spencer are counted into the national NASCAR Whelen All-American Series championship.

USG SHEETROCK COMPANY NIGHT SUMMARY

SUPER SIXES

HEAT 1: J. Parks, J. Bailey, B. Malin, T. Bennett.
HEAT 2: K. Butler, K. Hillegeer, P. Davenport, F. Parsons.

FEATURE (20-laps): KRIS HILLEGEER, Keith Butler, Patti Davenport, Jesse Parks, Joe Bailey, Frank Parsons, Bill Malin and Tammi Bennett.

STREET STOCKS

HEAT: D. Scott, M. Wright, T. Carino Jr., D. Stevens, P. Alhart Jr.

FEATURE (20-laps): DAN SCOTT, Billy Semmler, Tommy Carino Jr., Willie Strusz, Don Stevens, Phil Alhart Jr., Mitchell Wright and Steven Greco.

NASCAR WEEKLY MODIFIEDS

HEAT 1: F. Taylor, J. Polaski, A. Jankowiak, S. Malin, B. Catalano.
HEAT 2: D. Lewis Jr., C. Finocchario, A. Lewis, D. Pringle, M. Lees.
HEAT 3: T. Hanbury, J. Hamman Jr., P. Wehrheim, R. Beeman, J. London.
CONSI: K. Timmerman, D. Lewis Sr., M. Cline, S. Combs.

FEATURE (35-laps): TONY HANBURY, Buck Catalano, Jeff Hamman Jr., Daryl Lewis Jr., Matt Lees, Steve Malin, Andy Jankowiak, Kevin Timmerman, Jeff Polaski, Fred Taylor, Andy Lewis, Daryl Lewis Sr., Mark Cline, Jody London, Scott Combs, Don Pringle, Ryan Beeman, Chris Finocchario and Phil Wehrheim. DNS: Kirk Rutherford.

Source: Gary M. Spaid/Spencer PR
Additions and corrections: Mark Southcott/NYRaceZone.com
Posted: May 31, 2008