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RGeeProductions
06-05-2010, 10:47 AM
BUCK CATALANO TWO-FOR-TWO AT SPENCER SPEEDWAY

It would seem that Buck Catalano likes the new Spencer /Holland Speedway Sunoco Race Fuels Challenge as he won the 35-lap series race last Friday at Spencer Speedway. For Buck it was his third series win in a row, winning a week ago Saturday at Holland , and his second straight victory at Spencer this season.

“The car was just awesome,” stated an elated Catalano in victory lane. “My son Patsy made the call to make some changes before this feature and he was right on.”

The evening was run under the threat of rain. Radar showed storms just west of the speedway. Track management pushed the show along, forgoing an intermission. The NASCAR Sunoco Modified feature was green flagged at 9:15 p.m. and ran until 9:40 p.m. At 10 p.m. the rains fell around the speedway.

In the NASCAR Street Stock feature, Willie Strusz returned to Spencer Speedway from his home in Rochester Hills , Michigan , and won the 15-lap main event. It was his third career feature win at Spencer.

Patti Davenport won her first Super Six feature after five years of trying. “I just want to thank my sponsor who has been with us these last five years and my husband Tom , who is my crew chief.”, stated Patti. When asked about her car, she informed the crowd that it was last year’s car with a new body.

The Auto Value Scorpion Four Cylinder feature came down to the wire. Brothers Otis and Bro Bradshaw raced side-by-side until the exit of the fourth turn on the final lap. Otis inched ahead and took the win by a car length.

Nineteen Sunoco Modifieds took the green to start the 35-lap Spencer/Holland Sunoco Fuels NASCAR Up-State Challenge. Ryan Beeman grabbed the lead from the pole followed by Jeff Hamman and Buck Catalano. On lap three the yellow flew when Dick Kluth looped out in the fourth turn avoiding contact with the wall.

The restart saw Catalano take the lead and never look back. Yellow flags on laps six and seven would keep Buck close to the pack, but once the race would remain green he pulled away to a commanding lead. On lap six, Daryl Lewis Jr. slid off the fourth turn and on lap seven Jeff Ruddy and Toad Bradshaw spun in the second turn.

On lap 15, Beeman, running in fourth, slammed sideways into the backstretch wall and dropped back, exiting into the pits.

Kevin Timmerman held on to a commanding second place until a late race caution, lap 30, moved Jeff Hamman onto his rear bumper. Hamman grabbed second on the restart and fought off efforts by Timmerman to retake second.

At the finish line it was Buck with a ten car lead over Hamman, Timmerman, Ed die Hawkins and former Street Stock champion Jim Steffenhagen Jr.

The Street Stock feature saw Roger Worden take the lead over rookie driver Lexi Wilson. Wilson , trying to use the outside line around the track, made contact with the back stretch wall and spun on lap three to bring out the yellow.

Worden remained in the lead until lap 10, when Willie Strusz moved around him on the outside exiting the second turn. But before the lap was completed, Kris Hillegeer and Wilson made contact in the second turn, eliminating both of them for the remainder of the race.

Moving back a lap for the restart, Strusz had to re-pass Worden for the lead, a feat he completed in just one lap. At the wire it was Strusz followed by Mitchell Wright and Worden. Wright was penalized for excessive contact while passing Worden on the final lap and move back to third.

The 15-lap Super Six race would see just one yellow flag, lap two, when Brian Hallett, who was running third, lost his transmission on the front stretch and slowed to a stop. Out front at the time was Ryan Hillegeer followed by Peter Cowell, with Patti Davenport inheriting third when Hallett dropped out. The restart saw Cowell run side-by-side with Hillegeer for a lap. During this time Davenport moved to the inside of the speedway and once Cowell dropped back, she rocketed up to challenge Hillegeer in another side-by-side race.

On lap nine she cemented the lead, with Hillegeer settling for second. Skip Powers had moved around Cowell for third. However in the final laps Cowell re-took third. At the finish line it was Davenport with her first ever feature win followed by Hillegeer, Cowell, Powers and Chris Andolino.

“I grew up in Webster and was a fan here when Jimmy Spencer, Richie Evans and all of them raced here,” stated Strusz. “I graduated college in Detroit and work in the Detroit area. I try and make it here as often as I can and my employer will allow.”

The Auto Value Four Cylinder Scorpions would go green-to-checkers in their 15-lap main event. Pole sitter Mike Bradshaw failed to fire on the start, but was able to pull his car safely into the infield to avoid the yellow flag. Out front was Otis Bradshaw. Last week’s winner, Bro Bradshaw wanted the lead and ducked low exiting the fourth turn to take the lead on lap four.

Otis never let up and re-took the lead on lap eight. With just two laps remaining Bro tried the low side move only in the second turn, but was not able to complete the pass. At the finish line it would be Otis followed by Bro, Russell Peets, Kevin Bertolone and Allison Knoepfler in fifth.

This Friday, June 11th, will be Whelen Engineering night at Spencer, featuring double points in Sunoco Modified division. Joining the modifieds will be a complete program of Street Stock, Super Six and Auto Value Scorpion races. A special 20-lap Legends Cars race is also planned for the night. Heat races begin 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.

INSINGER RACE FUELS NIGHT SUMMARY

AUTO VALUE SCORPIONS
HEAT 1: R. Peets, O. Bradshaw, J. Clark, A. LaManna, V. Cordova, D. Lazzaro.
HEAT 2: M. Bradshaw, K. Bertolone, Z. Willis, B. Bradshaw, A. Knoepfler, B. Dennie.
FEATURE (15-laps): OTIS BRADSHAW, Bro Bradshaw, Russell Peets, Kevin Bertolone, Allison Knoepfler, Zach Willis, Victor Cordova, Joe Clark, Andrea LaManna, Beth Dennie, Dale Lazzaro, Mike Bradshaw. (Lap leaders: Otis Bradshaw-11 laps, Bro Bradshaw-4 laps)

SUPER SIXES
HEAT 1: P. Davenport, R. Hillegeer, A. VanHall, V. Grant, B. Malin.
HEAT 2: P. Cowell, B. Hallett, S. Powers, C. Andolino, B. Allen, J. Bailey.
FEATURE (15-laps): PATTI DAVENPORT, Ryan Hillegeer, Peter Cowell, Skip Powers, Chris Andolino, Brandon Allen, Joe Bailey, Van Grant, Adam VanHall, Bill Malin, Brian Hallett. (Lap leaders: Kris Hillegeer- 5 laps, Patti Davenport-10laps)

STREET STOCKS
HEAT: R. Worden, L. Wilson, W. Strusz, K. Hillegeer, M. Wright.
FEATURE (15-laps): WILLIE STRUSZ, Roger Worden, Mitchell Wright, Kris Hillegeer, Lexi Wilson. (Lap leaders: Roger Worden- 10 laps, Willie Strusz-5 laps)

NASCAR SUNOCO MODIFIEDS SPECNCER/HOLLAND CHALLENGE
HEAT 1: J. Hamman, J. Steffenhagen Jr., E. Hawkins, F. Taylor, R. Lippa Jr., J. Ruddy, D. Lewis Jr.
HEAT 2: R. Beeman, M. Lees, A. Catalano, D. Kluth, T. Wiest.
HEAT 3: B. Catalano, K. Timmerman, C. Finocchario, T. Bradshaw, A. Lewis, J. Boerman.
FEATURE (35-laps): BUCK CATALANO, Jeff Hamman, Kevin Timmerman, Ed die Hawkins, Jim Steffenhagen Jr., Matt Lees, Charlie Finocchario, Toad Bradshaw, Amy Catalano, Fred Taylor, Jeff Ruddy, Dick Kluth, Robert Lippa Jr., Jake Boerman, Andy Lewis, Daryl Lewis Jr., Ryan Beeman, Chris Finocchario, Tom Wiest. (Lap leaders: Ryan Beeman-3 laps, Buck Catalano-32 laps)

Gary M. Spaid