7/5/08

FOUR DIFFERENT FACES GRACE SPENCER’S VICTORY LANE

 
WILLIAMSON, NY: Four different feature winners made it to victory lane at Spencer Speedway last Friday on Monroe Extinguisher-Fireman Appreciation night. In the rain delayed NASCAR Weekly Modified feature, from June 13, Kevin Timmerman took the checkers. It was Timmerman’s first NASCAR Weekly Modified feature win of the season following two straight runner-up finishes in the last two weeks. In the regularly scheduled 35-lapper for the NASCAR Weekly Modifieds it was Tony Hanbury taking the win, his third NASCAR Weekly Modified feature win of the year.

The first NASCAR Weekly 35-lapper set a new record for yellow flags displayed, as the yellow cloth had to be shown a total of twelve times. The second 35-lapper saw just eight caution flags fly.

The Street Stock feature saw Phil Alhart Jr. take his second feature win of the year and take the division point lead on double point night. The Super Six 20-lap main event went to Keith Butler, his second feature win of the year.

The start of the rain delayed June 13 feature saw David Sedlack loop down the front stretch calling for a complete restart. This time Ryan Beeman jumped into the lead. But the yellow flew for another spin high in the fourth turn. Lap six saw the yellow for a spin by Phil Wehrheim in the second turn.

The restart saw Kevin Timmerman take to the outside and pass Beeman for the lead. As these two started to draw away the yellow flew again.

Timmerman made an excellent restart and was able to pull out to a three car advantage, as Andy Jankowiak took second from Beeman. The yellow flew for the Fred Taylor who looped on the front stretch. The restart saw both Beeman and Jeff Polaski come together to force a second restart.

Timmerman remained the leader, however Jankowiak seemed to bog down some allowing Jeff Hamman to take second. Buck Catalano was also able to get by Jankowiak for third.

Lap 20 saw a number of top runners involved in an off track stint in the third turn. Fifth place Matt Lees seemed to get around and Daryl Lewis Jr., running sixth, made contact sending them both off the track. Steve Malin was also involved.

Up front Jankowiak was able to retake third from Catalano. Timmerman and Hamman were drawing away from Jankowiak, Catalano and Terry Cheetham. Two late race cautions set up a dash to the checkers. Timmerman took the win followed by Hamman, Jankowiak, Catalano and Cheetham.

“Our car was really tight in this feature,” related Timmerman. “We will have to loosen it up for tonight’s heats and feature.”

The second NASCAR Weekly Modified 35-lapper also got off to a slow start as four cars slid off the first turn and into the tire wall. Involved were Chris Finocchario, Matt Lees, Tom Fecteau and Zach Truesdail. Both Fecteau and Truesdail had to be towed back to the pits.

Once underway pole-sitter Tony Hanbury took the lead and stretched out his advantage by some thirty car lengths until the yellow flew on lap 13, when Jeff Polaski spun off to the inside of the second turn.

This time Catalano was able to stay close to Hanbury on the restart. Andy Lewis spun in the fourth turn, on lap 17, to bring out the yellow again. Catalano used this restart to pull along side of Hanbury, but he could not complete the pass.

Hamman joined the two leaders in a late race break away that was interrupted a couple of times by yellows for minor spinouts.

Hanbury held on even as a late race caution forced a green-white-checker finish that forced the race to go one additional lap. Catalano, Hamman, Jankowiak and Beeman rounded out the top five finishers.

“I have to thank Buck, as he ran me clean tonight,” stated Hanbury. “We’ve talked and things seem to be good between us. I don’t seem to have any problems running a clean race with Buck or his son Patsy.”

“I have to thank the crew also,” Hanbury added. “We were really short handed tonight and we had to work hard to get this win.”

The Street Stock feature saw Phil Alhart Jr. take the lead at the drop of the green following a side-by-side duel with heat winner Mitchell Wright. One caution period occurred, lap 12, when Steven Greco spun around in between the third and fourth turns.

Alhart’s win was enough to propel him into the points lead. Wright, Dan Scott, Don Stevens and Willie Strusz rounded out the top five.

“Our car was really good and all I had to do was to stay smooth,” stated Alhart Jr. “With just five laps to go it seemed to start developing a push in the turns.”

Alhart Jr. also added,” This is a great class to start in racing. We could use a few more cars in this division.”

The Super Six class took to the speedway for a 20-lap main event. Jesse Parks took the early lead. On lap five Craig Butler was able to get by Parks for the lead. He was followed by his cousin Keith Butler one lap later setting up a Butler-Butler duel for the lead.

Keith finally was able to pass Craig on lap 15. Keith took the checkers followed by Craig, Parks, Patti Davenport and Van Grant in a race that went green-to-checkers.

SPENCER NOTES: The worst accident of a night, filled with yellow flags, came during the first lap of the NASCAR Weekly Modified consolation race. Jimmy Zacharias looped down the back stretch, making contact with the outside wall. The roof on his car was cut off to help him get out. He was taken to the pits for observation….A longer then normal intermission took place to allow the Weekly Modifieds to be re-handicapped following the running of their rain delayed feature from June 13….Track improvements continue, as numerous cracks in the racing surface have been sealed.

This Friday, July 11, Spencer will be hosting drag racing as the oval crowd and the straight liners change nights.

On Saturday, at 7 p.m., the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour comes to town. Besides the 100-lap Mason Farms Whelen Modified Tour race, a complete program of NASCAR Weekly Modifieds, Street Stocks and Super Six action has been scheduled. If needed, the rain date for this event will be at noon on Sunday.

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.

MONROE EXTINGUISHER-FIREMAN APPRECIATION NIGHT SUMMARY

SUPER SIXES

HEAT 1: J. Parks, B. Malin, P. Cowell, J. Bailey, T. Bennett.
HEAT 2: P. Davenport, K. Hillegeer, K. Butler, C. Butler, V. Grant.

FEATURE (20-laps): KEITH BUTLER, Criag Butler, Jesse Parks, Patti Davenport, Van Grant, Peter Cowell, Joe Bailey, Bill Malin, Kris Hillegeer and Tammi Bennett.

STREET STOCKS

HEAT: M. Wright, P. Alhart Jr., D. Scott, D. Stevens, W. Strusz, S. Greco.

FEATURE (20-laps): PHIL ALHART JR., Mitchell Wright, Dan Scott, Don Stevens, Willie Strusz and Steven Greco.

NASCAR WEEKLY MODIFIEDS

HEAT 1: T. Hanbury, R. Brown, J. Polaski, B. Catalano, C. Finocchario, P. Wehrheim.
HEAT 2: A. Jankowiak, S. Malin, J. Hamman Jr., M. Lees, A. Lewis, R. Beeman.
HEAT 3: D. Lewis Jr., F. Taylor, E. Stritzel, Z. Truesdail, K. Timmerman, D. Lewis Sr.
CONSI: R. Knapp, S. West, M. Cline, T. Fecteau, D. Sedlack, J. Zacharias.

FEATURE (35-laps): TONY HANBURY, Buck Catalano, Jeff Hamman Jr., Andy Jankowiak, Ryan Beeman, Steve Malin, Terry Cheetham, Daryl Lewis Sr., Matt Lees, Fred Taylor, Erich Stritzel, Jeff Polaski, Phil Wehrheim, Russ Brown, Kevin Timmerman, Mark Cline, Steve West, David Sedlack, Andy Lewis, Chris Finocchario, Ricky Knapp, Daryl Lewis Jr., Zach Truesdail and Tom Fecteau. DNS: Jimmy Zacharias. DNQ: Scott Combs.

RAIN DELAYED FEATURE (35-laps): KEVIN TIMMERMAN, Jeff Hamman Jr., Andy Jankowiak, Buck Catalano, Terry Cheetham, Ryan Beeman, Erich Stritzel, Phil Wehrheim, Russ Brown, Jeff Polaski, Ricky Knapp, Steve Malin, Mark Cline, Jimmy Zacharias, Matt Lees, Scott Combs, Fred Taylor, Tom Fecteau, David Sedlack, Zach Truesdail, Daryl Lewis Jr., Tony Hanbury and Andy Lewis.

Source: Gary M. Spaid/Spencer PR
Additions and corrections: Mark Southcott/NYRaceZone.com
Posted: July 5, 2008