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RGeeProductions
07-17-2010, 02:19 PM
FINOCCAHRIO AND BROWN REPEAT AT SPENCER

Both Chris Finocchario (Sunoco Modifieds) and Ryan Brown (Auto Value Scorpions) seem to have found the answers to the newly paved asphalt surface at Spencer Speedway, as both repeated in victory lane last Friday.

“We are just happy to win two in a row,” beamed Finocchario in victory lane after a hard fought battle with a hard charging Kevin Timmerman, who came home in second in the NASCAR Upstate New York Pro-Modified Series presented by Hoosier Tires of WNY and Sunoco Race Fuels 35.

In the accompanying features Bobby Lippa Jr. sat in for Willie Struz who was unable to make it back from Detroit , MI , and won the Street Stock main event. Skip Powers returned to victory lane for the third time in the Super Sixes.

As this was part of the Holland/Spencer Speedway Series, a draw was held at the start of the Sunoco Modified feature to determine the starting line up. The luck of the draw found Finocchario and Ryan Beeman occupying the front row.

The engine on Jake Boerman’s number 67 failed on the warm-up lap, forcing officials to take the Boerman car to the pits, before any racing could start.

Once underway, Finocchario took command of the front spot with Kevin Timmerman following Finocchario into second. Beeman fell back to third with multi-time feature winner Buck Catalano taking up the fourth spot.

By lap 10 the leaders came up on lap traffic. Timmerman was keeping the pressure on Finocchario, but each move Timmerman tried fell short. On lap 27 this lap traffic came into play. Third place Beeman came in contact with Andy Lewis while trying to put Lewis a lap down. This contact ended Beeman’s night.

With less then ten laps remaining the yellow flag could not be put away. On lap 31, Mark Cline lost the handle, spinning exiting the second turn. Two laps later the yellow flew when Toad Bradshaw and Ed die Hawkins came together.

At the finish line it was Finocchario holding off Timmerman. Eric h Stritzel finished third followed by Matt Lees and Daryl Lewis Jr.. Kevin Miller and Jeff Ruddy were the top two Holland finishers in the feature as they vied for the Hoosier Tire bonus.

The 20 lap Street Stock main saw Mitchell Wright take the lead at the drop of the green. The event looked to go green-to-checkers, but on lap five the yellow flew when Amy Catalano spun out between the third and fourth turns.

Once underway again Wright was holding off a hard charge by Roger Worden. Worden’s brakes were glowing red as he tried to chase down Wright. But it would be Bobby Lippa Jr., driving for Willie Strusz, who was able to close in on Wright. On lap 14, Lippa made in move and took the lead from Wright.

Lippa Jr. would take his car home for the feature win followed by Wright, Worden, Kris Hillegeer and Steve Malin.

“This car seemed to improve as the race went on,” claimed Lippa Jr. “It is hard to adjust to the handling on a Street Stock after driving a modified.”

In the Super Six class Patti Davenport drove into the lead from the pole starting position. One lap later the yellow was flying when Ryan Hillegeer and Van Grant came together in the third turn. Both cars restarted the race at the rear.

Patti now had to content with Skip Powers on the restart. Powers, along with an in-car camera, was able to take the lead and never look back. A long green flag period of racing was interrupted on lap 11 when Hillegeer’s car came to a stop in the third turn. An attempt at a restart saw the yellow out again when Tim Faro looped out entering the first turn.

Once underway it was all Powers again in the lead. Davenport was able to hold off Brian Hallett to remain second at the finish. Van Grant was able to rebound from his early stint and finish fourth followed by Peter Cowell in fifth.

“This car seems faster this year,” stated Powers in victory lane, something his competition won’t like to hear as Powers won twice in 2009. He added, “My crew wants me to move up next season, but I’m not sure yet about making that move.”

The 15-lap Auto Value Scorpion feature saw multiple cautions. As the green flag flew it would be pole sitter Dale Lazzaro taking the lead. This lasted just one circuit, as Kevin Bertolone grabbed the front spot on lap two.

The first yellow flew on lap three when Otis Bradshaw and Mike Bradshaw came together in between the third and fourth turns. One lap later, Zach Willis slowed on the track. He would return to the fray two laps down to the leader.

The main event in the feature came on lap seven, as double yellows flew. Allison Knoepfler suffered motor failure and left a trail of fluid around the third and fourth turns. On the restart Bertolone hit the speedy dry area and spun out. Second place, Bro Bradshaw come to a stop on the track and pitted. This handed the lead over to Ryan Brown.

The race was all Brown’s from that point on until the checkers flew. For Brown it was his second win in a row at Spencer. A last lap pass by Mike Bradshaw resulted in a second place finish. Russell Peets, Otis Bradshaw and Dan Scott rounded out the top five finishers.

“Every since Geneva Coach was able to straighten the frame on this car we have been able to run up front,” stated Brown in victory lane.

SPENCER NOTES: Jim Steffenhagen Jr. took the night off as he is getting married on Saturday…Matt Lee’s 16 day old baby boy was on hand for the races and Lees won his Sunoco Modified heat race…All divisions were racing for double points. This fact helped Finocchario and Timmerman close in on Buck Catalano, who won the first four Sunoco Modified races of the year….Bobby Lippa Jr. did double duty last Friday running in both the Modifieds and Street Stocks…Scott Combs made in return to Spencer last Friday.

This Friday, July 23 will see Twin 25 lappers run in the Sunoco Modified division, plus a complete program of Street Stocks, Super Sixes and Auto Value Scorpions. Joining the program will be the second appearance of the Legend cars in 2010 at Spencer. Race time remains at 7:30 p.m. sharp. For more information about Spencer Speedway and Drag-strip go to www.spencerspeedway.org (http://www.spencerspeedway.org).

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.

WHELEN ALL-AMERICAN NIGHT SUMMARY

AUTO VALUE SCORPIONS
HEAT 1: O. Bradshaw, M. Bradshaw, Z. Willis, J. Clark, B. Dennie.
HEAT 2: R. Peets, D. Lazzaro, K. Bertolone, A. Knoepfler, B. Bradshaw.
FEATURE (15-laps): RYAN BROWN, Mike Bradshaw, Russell Peets, Otis Bradshaw, Dan Scott, Joe Clark, Bro Bradshaw, Beth Dennie, Kevin Bertolone, Andrea LaManna, Zach Willis, Dale Lazzaro, Alison Knoepfler. (Lap Leaders: Bro Bradshaw-1 lap, Kevin Bertolone- 6 laps, Ryan Brown-8 laps)

SUPER SIXES
HEAT 1: V. Grant, R. Hillegeer, S. Powers, P. Cowell, C. Andolino.
HEAT 2: B. Hallett, P. Davenport, T. Faro, J. Bailey, W. Inch.
FEATURE (20-laps): SKIP POWERS, Patti Davenport, Brian Hallett, Van Grant, Peter Cowell, Tim Faro, Joe Bailey, Adam VanHall, Chris Andolino, Ryan Hillegeer, William Inch. (Lap leaders: Skip Powers- 18 laps, Patti Davenport- 2 laps)

STREET STOCKS
HEAT: M. Wright, B. Lippa Jr., R. Worden, K. Hillegeer, S. Malin.
FEATURE (20-laps): BOBBY LIPPA JR., Mitchell Wright, Roger Worden, Kris Hillegeer, Steve Malin, Amy Catalano. (Lap leaders: Mitchell Wright-13 laps, Bobby Lippa Jr.-7 laps)

NASCAR SUNOCO MODIFIEDS
HEAT 1: B. Catalano, J. Boerman, K. Miller, M. Cline, A. Lewis.
HEAT 2: K. Timmerman, R. Beeman, D. Lewis Jr., F. Taylor, A. Catalano.
HEAT 3: M. Lees, C. Finocchario, E. Stritzel, T. Bradshaw, E. Hawkins.
FEATURE (35-laps): CHRIS FINOCCHARIO, Kevin Timmerman, Eric h Stritzel, Matt Lees, Daryl Lewis Jr., Buck Catalano, Andy Lewis, Kevin Miller, Jeff Ruddy, Mark Cline, Toad Bradshaw, Dick Kluth, Jody London, Fred Taylor, Scott Combs, Ed die Hawkins, Ryan Beeman, Amy Catalano, Bobby Lippa Jr., Jake Boerman (Lap leaders: Chris Finocchario-35 laps)

Gary M. Spaid