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08-23-2014, 09:11 AM
Cocilova Wins Super "6" Richard Grant Memorial
In only his seventh start of the 2014 season, Tommy Catalano joins the rest of his family as a NASCAR Sunoco Modified feature winner at Spencer Speedway. He took the 35-lap NASCAR feature win last week.
“It’s always better to start at the back or mid-pack and take a win then to be up front and win,” commented an elated driver. “As the race went on we kept getting better and better. When I got back to the pits it was all high fives and congratulations.”
In Spencer Speedway support action, Donnie Knapp Jr. waited until the final lap and took the lead to win the Four Cylinder Scorpions 15-lap feature. Andy Cocilova led every lapin the Super Six 20-lap main and won the Richard Grant Memorial. Richard Grant has been a long time fan at Spencer and father of Van Grant. He passed away this past week.
In INEX legend action, Bryce Norton picked up his sixth straight feature win. Also on hand were the NY/PA Midgets. Kyle Hutchinson, from nearby Lockport, took the 20-lap feature victory.
The 35-lap NASCAR Sunoco Modified feature took the green with pole sitter Billy Semmler taking the lead. The yellow flew on the second lap when Jan Leaty spun exiting the second turn and got into the wet grass, sliding half the length of the backstretch.
The restart saw Mike Leaty grab the lead from Semmler and rocket off to a ten car advantage. Kevin Timmerman took second from Semmler one lap later. The yellow flew on lap 14 for a tangle between Jan Leaty and Tim Lewis Jr. in the third turn.
For the next couple of circuits it was one-lap-at-a-time, as yellow flag fever hit the field. Still Mike Leaty remained in front. Now, however, Tommy Catalano was in second and on the charge. He dogged Leaty once the race went green on lap 18. Finally Catalano was able to take a shot at the lead. He seemed to move Leaty high in the third turn with just two laps remaining and went on to take the victory.
On the cool down lap, Leaty punted Catalano exiting the second turn, sending him sliding through the grass. “We considered this action as ‘retaliatory in nature’ and we have strict rules about it,” stated race director Larry Steurrys. “The officials met after the race and imposed a two car penalty on Mike for taking matters into his own hands. If he had waited the penalty could have gone against Tommy for aggressive action in moving Mike high with two laps to go.”
This gave Catalano the victory and moved Rusty Smith from third to second followed by Timmerman, Leaty and Any Lewis to make up the official top five finishers.
The NY/PA Midgets were on hand some 17 cars strong. At feature time only 15 cars reported to the line. Charlie DiRosa, from West Seneca, took the early lead. The yellow flew as two cars spun on separate ends of the track; Gordon Steffen in turn two and Hayden Newcomb in turn four.
It was now Shawn Nye’s turn at the point as he passed DiRosa on lap two. Nye, from Lancaster, would lead the next seven laps before surrendering the lead to Kyle Hutchinson on lap eight. Hutchinson, from Lockport, would then go on for the win, his third of the NY/PA Midget season.
“This track is really pretty fast,” related Hutchinson. The midgets were turning their fastest laps of the season on the big flat half mile oval. “It took some time to get by Shawn (Nye), but once by we had a clear track ahead.”
Jonathan Reid, Shawn Nye, Nelson Rung and Jim Zacharias rounded out the top five finishers. Heat wins went to Hutchinson and Reid.
Andy Cocilova came from his fifth starting position to take the lead in the Richard Grant Memorial for Super Sixes. The first yellow flew on lap five when Ryan Hillegeer slowed on the track. The restart saw the yellow out again for Keith Butler Jr. spinning into the grass on the front stretch.
Cocilova now had Barrett Schenk on this tail. Following two more yellows, these two pulled away from the rest of the field. In the closing laps Tim Faro caught them and ran third, but could not pass either one.
Cocilova took his first win of the year followed by Schenk, Faro, Brandon Allen and Van Grant in fifth.
“I could have done without those cautions, “stated Cocilova. “Barrett raced me clean. It was really cool racing with him.”
Everyone was wondering where Shaun Frarey came from. He started eighth in the Four Cylinder Scorpion feature but was leading the race after just two laps. He then seemed to build a substantial lead. The yellow flag would slow the race on lap seven. This bunched the field together and set Donnie Knapp Jr. on Frarey’s tail. Knapp seem to have a better car, taking the lead for one lap, lap nine, before falling back to second behind Frarey.
With just one lap to go, Knapp ducked low on the backstretch and inched by Frarey to grab the lead and the victory. Frarey finished a close second followed by Tom Alloco, Beth Dennie and Joe Clark.
The INEX Legends were the final feature of the evening. Bryce Norton took the lead immediately and was never headed. Brad Salatino, Brianna Gilligan, Tommy Catalano and Kevin Bertolone rounded out the top five finishers.
SPENCER SPINS: It was announced the annual awards banquet would take place again this year in Palmyra on November 15th…Colleen Toal hosted a kids’ singing contest during intermission. Racelynn Lippa age 7, Mia DeMinck age 3, Elliott Lees age 4 and Taylor Smith age 9 all took part in this event.
Only two weeks remain in the 2014 NASCAR season at Spencer. This coming Friday, August 29th the Mid-State Vintage Cars will be on hand for a 20-lap feature. The Sunoco Modifieds will be running a regular 35-lap feature. Also on tap are the Super Sixes, the Four Cylinder Scorpions and the NYS Super Stocks with a 25-lap main event. For the remainder of the year, race time starts at 7:00 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 Central New York in 2014. Points earned each week at Spencer are counted into the national NASCAR Whelen All-American Points.
For more information go to: www.spencerspeedway.org.
WHELEN SAFETY LIGHTS NIGHT SUMMARY
NYPA MIDGETS
HEAT 1: J. Reid, S. Nye, C. DiRosa, A. McGurder, C. Mollnow.
HEAT 2: K. Hutchinson, N. Groff, S. Nye, J. Zacharias, H. Newcomb.
FEATURE (20-laps): KYLE HUTCHINSON, Jonathan Reid, Shawn Nye, Nelson Rung, Jim Zacharias, Arik McGruder, Charlie DiRosa, Cody Mollnow, Scott Gleed, Andrew Spurback, Greg Richardson, Gordon Steffen, Erik Musto, Andy Nye.
INEX LEGENDS
HEAT 1: B. Norton, B. Salatino, B. Gilligan, T. Catalano, K. Bertolone.
FEATURE (15-laps): BRYCE NORTON, Brad Salatino, Brianna Gilligan, Tommy Catalano, Kevin Bertolone, Josh Marchese, Nick Reff.
SCORPION 4-CYLINDERS
HEAT 1: D. Knapp Jr., S. Frarey, C. Bolton-Brown, B. Dennie, A. Knoepfler.
HEAT 2: T. Alloco, J. Clark, A. Schoonmaker, J. Dennie, C. Schoonmaker.
FEATURE (15-laps): DONNIE KNAPP JR., Shaun Frarey, Tom Alloco, Beth Dennie, Joe Clark, Ashley Schoonmaker, Alison Knoepfler, Carrie Bolton-Brown, Jennifer Dennie, Frank Parsons Jr., Carrie Schoonmaker, Paul Flye.
SUPER SIXES - RICHARD GRANT MEMORIAL
HEAT 1: J. Schoonmaker, A. Cocilova, B. Hallett, V. Grant, K. Butler Jr.
HEAT 2: B. Allen, A. VanHall, B. Schenk, B. Inch, T. Faro.
FEATURE (20-laps): ANDY COCILOVA, Barrett Schenk, Tim Faro, Brandon Allen, Van Grant, Brian Hallett, Adam VanHall, Bill Mitchell, Bill Inch, Keith Butler Jr., Ryan Hillegeer, Mike Gage, DNS-Josh Schoonmaker
SUNOCO MODIFIEDS
HEAT 1: A. Lewis, K. Timmerman, M. Leaty, R. Smith, K. Heroth.
HEAT 2: D. Lewis Jr., B. Semmler, J. Leaty, E. Hawkins, J. Boerman.
HEAT 3: T. Catalano, B. Lippa Jr., Jk. Boerman, A. Catalano, R. Knapp Jr.
FEATURE (35-laps): TOMMY CATALANO, Rusty Smith, Kevin Timmerman, Mike Leaty, Andy Lewis, Eddie Hawkins, Amy Catalano, Matt Lees, Daryl Lewis Jr., Bobby Lippa Jr., Billy Semmler, Kreig Herorth, Tim Lewis Jr., Jerry Boerman, Jake Boerman, Jan Leaty, DNS-Chris Ridsdale.
Gary Spaid
In only his seventh start of the 2014 season, Tommy Catalano joins the rest of his family as a NASCAR Sunoco Modified feature winner at Spencer Speedway. He took the 35-lap NASCAR feature win last week.
“It’s always better to start at the back or mid-pack and take a win then to be up front and win,” commented an elated driver. “As the race went on we kept getting better and better. When I got back to the pits it was all high fives and congratulations.”
In Spencer Speedway support action, Donnie Knapp Jr. waited until the final lap and took the lead to win the Four Cylinder Scorpions 15-lap feature. Andy Cocilova led every lapin the Super Six 20-lap main and won the Richard Grant Memorial. Richard Grant has been a long time fan at Spencer and father of Van Grant. He passed away this past week.
In INEX legend action, Bryce Norton picked up his sixth straight feature win. Also on hand were the NY/PA Midgets. Kyle Hutchinson, from nearby Lockport, took the 20-lap feature victory.
The 35-lap NASCAR Sunoco Modified feature took the green with pole sitter Billy Semmler taking the lead. The yellow flew on the second lap when Jan Leaty spun exiting the second turn and got into the wet grass, sliding half the length of the backstretch.
The restart saw Mike Leaty grab the lead from Semmler and rocket off to a ten car advantage. Kevin Timmerman took second from Semmler one lap later. The yellow flew on lap 14 for a tangle between Jan Leaty and Tim Lewis Jr. in the third turn.
For the next couple of circuits it was one-lap-at-a-time, as yellow flag fever hit the field. Still Mike Leaty remained in front. Now, however, Tommy Catalano was in second and on the charge. He dogged Leaty once the race went green on lap 18. Finally Catalano was able to take a shot at the lead. He seemed to move Leaty high in the third turn with just two laps remaining and went on to take the victory.
On the cool down lap, Leaty punted Catalano exiting the second turn, sending him sliding through the grass. “We considered this action as ‘retaliatory in nature’ and we have strict rules about it,” stated race director Larry Steurrys. “The officials met after the race and imposed a two car penalty on Mike for taking matters into his own hands. If he had waited the penalty could have gone against Tommy for aggressive action in moving Mike high with two laps to go.”
This gave Catalano the victory and moved Rusty Smith from third to second followed by Timmerman, Leaty and Any Lewis to make up the official top five finishers.
The NY/PA Midgets were on hand some 17 cars strong. At feature time only 15 cars reported to the line. Charlie DiRosa, from West Seneca, took the early lead. The yellow flew as two cars spun on separate ends of the track; Gordon Steffen in turn two and Hayden Newcomb in turn four.
It was now Shawn Nye’s turn at the point as he passed DiRosa on lap two. Nye, from Lancaster, would lead the next seven laps before surrendering the lead to Kyle Hutchinson on lap eight. Hutchinson, from Lockport, would then go on for the win, his third of the NY/PA Midget season.
“This track is really pretty fast,” related Hutchinson. The midgets were turning their fastest laps of the season on the big flat half mile oval. “It took some time to get by Shawn (Nye), but once by we had a clear track ahead.”
Jonathan Reid, Shawn Nye, Nelson Rung and Jim Zacharias rounded out the top five finishers. Heat wins went to Hutchinson and Reid.
Andy Cocilova came from his fifth starting position to take the lead in the Richard Grant Memorial for Super Sixes. The first yellow flew on lap five when Ryan Hillegeer slowed on the track. The restart saw the yellow out again for Keith Butler Jr. spinning into the grass on the front stretch.
Cocilova now had Barrett Schenk on this tail. Following two more yellows, these two pulled away from the rest of the field. In the closing laps Tim Faro caught them and ran third, but could not pass either one.
Cocilova took his first win of the year followed by Schenk, Faro, Brandon Allen and Van Grant in fifth.
“I could have done without those cautions, “stated Cocilova. “Barrett raced me clean. It was really cool racing with him.”
Everyone was wondering where Shaun Frarey came from. He started eighth in the Four Cylinder Scorpion feature but was leading the race after just two laps. He then seemed to build a substantial lead. The yellow flag would slow the race on lap seven. This bunched the field together and set Donnie Knapp Jr. on Frarey’s tail. Knapp seem to have a better car, taking the lead for one lap, lap nine, before falling back to second behind Frarey.
With just one lap to go, Knapp ducked low on the backstretch and inched by Frarey to grab the lead and the victory. Frarey finished a close second followed by Tom Alloco, Beth Dennie and Joe Clark.
The INEX Legends were the final feature of the evening. Bryce Norton took the lead immediately and was never headed. Brad Salatino, Brianna Gilligan, Tommy Catalano and Kevin Bertolone rounded out the top five finishers.
SPENCER SPINS: It was announced the annual awards banquet would take place again this year in Palmyra on November 15th…Colleen Toal hosted a kids’ singing contest during intermission. Racelynn Lippa age 7, Mia DeMinck age 3, Elliott Lees age 4 and Taylor Smith age 9 all took part in this event.
Only two weeks remain in the 2014 NASCAR season at Spencer. This coming Friday, August 29th the Mid-State Vintage Cars will be on hand for a 20-lap feature. The Sunoco Modifieds will be running a regular 35-lap feature. Also on tap are the Super Sixes, the Four Cylinder Scorpions and the NYS Super Stocks with a 25-lap main event. For the remainder of the year, race time starts at 7:00 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 Central New York in 2014. Points earned each week at Spencer are counted into the national NASCAR Whelen All-American Points.
For more information go to: www.spencerspeedway.org.
WHELEN SAFETY LIGHTS NIGHT SUMMARY
NYPA MIDGETS
HEAT 1: J. Reid, S. Nye, C. DiRosa, A. McGurder, C. Mollnow.
HEAT 2: K. Hutchinson, N. Groff, S. Nye, J. Zacharias, H. Newcomb.
FEATURE (20-laps): KYLE HUTCHINSON, Jonathan Reid, Shawn Nye, Nelson Rung, Jim Zacharias, Arik McGruder, Charlie DiRosa, Cody Mollnow, Scott Gleed, Andrew Spurback, Greg Richardson, Gordon Steffen, Erik Musto, Andy Nye.
INEX LEGENDS
HEAT 1: B. Norton, B. Salatino, B. Gilligan, T. Catalano, K. Bertolone.
FEATURE (15-laps): BRYCE NORTON, Brad Salatino, Brianna Gilligan, Tommy Catalano, Kevin Bertolone, Josh Marchese, Nick Reff.
SCORPION 4-CYLINDERS
HEAT 1: D. Knapp Jr., S. Frarey, C. Bolton-Brown, B. Dennie, A. Knoepfler.
HEAT 2: T. Alloco, J. Clark, A. Schoonmaker, J. Dennie, C. Schoonmaker.
FEATURE (15-laps): DONNIE KNAPP JR., Shaun Frarey, Tom Alloco, Beth Dennie, Joe Clark, Ashley Schoonmaker, Alison Knoepfler, Carrie Bolton-Brown, Jennifer Dennie, Frank Parsons Jr., Carrie Schoonmaker, Paul Flye.
SUPER SIXES - RICHARD GRANT MEMORIAL
HEAT 1: J. Schoonmaker, A. Cocilova, B. Hallett, V. Grant, K. Butler Jr.
HEAT 2: B. Allen, A. VanHall, B. Schenk, B. Inch, T. Faro.
FEATURE (20-laps): ANDY COCILOVA, Barrett Schenk, Tim Faro, Brandon Allen, Van Grant, Brian Hallett, Adam VanHall, Bill Mitchell, Bill Inch, Keith Butler Jr., Ryan Hillegeer, Mike Gage, DNS-Josh Schoonmaker
SUNOCO MODIFIEDS
HEAT 1: A. Lewis, K. Timmerman, M. Leaty, R. Smith, K. Heroth.
HEAT 2: D. Lewis Jr., B. Semmler, J. Leaty, E. Hawkins, J. Boerman.
HEAT 3: T. Catalano, B. Lippa Jr., Jk. Boerman, A. Catalano, R. Knapp Jr.
FEATURE (35-laps): TOMMY CATALANO, Rusty Smith, Kevin Timmerman, Mike Leaty, Andy Lewis, Eddie Hawkins, Amy Catalano, Matt Lees, Daryl Lewis Jr., Bobby Lippa Jr., Billy Semmler, Kreig Herorth, Tim Lewis Jr., Jerry Boerman, Jake Boerman, Jan Leaty, DNS-Chris Ridsdale.
Gary Spaid