05/28/10 - Spencer Speedway

BUCK CATALANO WINS SUNOCO MOD CHALLENGE FOR HIS 50TH SPENCER CAREER WIN

Some might say he waited for a big event to win his 50th Sunoco Modified career feature at the famed Spencer Speedway. Buck Catalano commented, ”I’ve raced here since 1975, and many times I have not seen eye to eye with the officials, but this track has been very good to me.”

The Sunoco Modified division began at the speedway in 1991. Over the year’s it has gone by a number of different names. Today it is the top class at the speedway.

Catalano’s victory came in the 100-lap Sunoco Modified Spencer /Holland Speedway Upstate New York Challenge. Catalano took command of the main event on lap 67 and held off both Ryan Beeman and Amy Catalano to take the victory.

“I want to apologize to Amy,” referred Catalano to an on track incident in which he made contact with the rear of Amy’s number 54 exiting the fourth turn. This contact sent up a shower of sparks. “I just needed to pay more attention, it was a mistake on my part,” stated Buck.

At the start of the 100-lapper, Ryan Beeman took over the lead, however the yellow flag waved when Jake Boerman and Mark Kline looped around in the third turn. The restart saw Fred Taylor slow going down the back stretch and exit off the third turn, bringing out the second yellow of the race.

Once under green Beeman stretched out a significant advantage over Kevin Timmerman, Buck and Amy Catalano. Both Buck and Amy dispensed of Timmerman on lap 16 and took off to run down Beeman. Just as they pulled up onto Beeman’s rear bumper, the yellow flew when Kline spun off the first turn.

The restart saw Amy take the lead with Beeman holding on to second and Buck in third. The yellow slowed the pace on lap 37 when Boerman slid off the track.

The restart saw Beeman grab back the lead, putting Amy back to second. The pace quickened and the front three pulled away from the rest of the field. In the middle of the field Daryl Lewis Jr. had taken fifth, but was falling back from Timmerman in fourth.

Buck and Amy came together in the fourth turn sending sparks flying. Amy maintained her spot for one more circuit before Buck cleanly passed her for second. He then began to challenge Beeman, taking the lead on lap 66, using his patented outside pass down the back stretch.

Buck would lead the remainder of the race, despite the yellow flying one more time, lap 81 when Ed die Hawkins looped exiting the second turn. At the finish line it would be Buck followed by Beeman, Amy Catalano, Timmerman and Lewis Jr.

“It’s really great to see all of the fans turn out,” stated an elated Catalano in victory lane. “I hope they had fun here tonight.”

The start of the Street Stock feature saw Mitchell Wright take the lead over Kris Hillegeer and Lexi Wilson. Hillegeer passed Wright for the lead on lap four and never looked back. Just two yellows slowed the pace. On lap five Wright spun off the track in the third turn following contact with Wilson . On lap nine the 34 of Duke Wolanski had his engine expire in a cloud of smoke down the back stretch.

At the finish line it was Kris Hillegeer earning his second career Street Stock career feature win at Spencer, beating out Henrietta’s Mitchell Wright by seven car lengths. Wilson came home in third.

“I seemed to adjust quickly to this new surface,” commented Hillegeer. “It seems much faster, except for the fluids slicking down the back stretch.”

The Super Six main event was all Skip Powers. Powers started from the outside pole. Patti Davenport hooked onto Powers bumper to take second with Joe Bailey in third. These three would pull away from the rest of the field. Just two yellows slowed the field, both times for minor spin outs. In the closing laps Powers was able to pull out to a five car lead over Davenport , who finished second. Bailey held on for third, followed by Tim Faro and Brian Hallett.

“This track seems much faster then before,” stated Powers in victory lane.

The Auto Value Scorpions put on a tremendous race featuring side-by-side duels that saw four lead changes in the first seven laps and a side-by-side finish. Pole sitter Otis Bradshaw was the initial leader, but lost the lead to Bro Bradshaw on lap three. Otis bounced back, restating the lead on the next lap. But one lap latter Mike Bradshaw came from third to first. As the field exited the second turn Bro ducked under Mike for the lead again.

The front three cars remained “glued” together until lap 10 when Mike fell off the pace and slowed on the backstretch. He exited to the pits. Late race yellows saw the race attempt a green-white-checker finish twice, extending the finish distance to 17 laps.

At the finish line Bro nosed out Otis for the win. Kevin Bertolone came home in third followed by Russell Peets and Ryan Brown.

“My family built this car two years ago and it still runs great, “ stated Bro, who just turned 17 years old on May 15th.

SPENCER LEDGER: Davey Schaum-Bartocci, from Penfield was introduced to the crowd. Davey finished sixth nationally in this year’s soap-box derby competition….Buck Catalano’s first win in the then Sports Mods came on August 25, 1995…Even with a somewhat short program due to completing the rain delayed opening day events from May 21, the racing went until 10 p.m…Both Amy Catalano and Jeff Ruddy received one new Hoosier Tire as they represented Holland Speedway in the Sunoco Fuels Spencer/Holland Upstate New York Challenge. Catalano was the highest finishing Holland car and Ruddy hauled the longest distance…New this year, points will be awarded in the features at Spencer for leading and leading the most laps. Five points go to any driver leading their main events and an additional five points for leading the most laps.

This Friday, June 4th, will be Insinger Racing Fuels night at Spencer. This will be the second Sunoco Modified Spencer /Holland Speedway Upstate New York Challenge run at Spencer, however this time the race will be just a 35-lap event.

Joining the Sunoco Modifieds will be a complete program of Street Stock, Super Six and Auto Value Scorpion races. 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.

SUNOCO RACE FUELS SPENCER/HOLLAND UPSTATE NEW YORK CHALLENGE NIGHT SUMMARY

AUTO VALUE SCORPIONS
FEATURE (17-laps): BRO BRADSHAW, Otis Bradshaw, Kevin Bertolone, Russell Peets, Ryan Brown, Alison Knoepfler, Joe Cook, Zach Willis, Beth Dennie, Andrea LaManna, Dale Bradshaw, Mike Bradshaw, Dale Lazzaro. (Lap leaders: Otis Bradshaw-3 laps, Mike Bradshaw-1 lap and Bro Bradshaw-13 laps)

SUPER SIXES
FEATURE (20-laps): SKIP POWERS, Patti Davenport, Joe Bailey, Tim Faro, Brian Hallett, Van Grant, Chris Andolino, Adam VanHall, Rick Wilson, Peter Cowell, Ryan Hillegeer, Bill Malin.
(Lap leaders: Skip Powers-20 laps)

STREET STOCKS
FEATURE (20-laps): KRIS HILLEGEER, Mitchell Wright, Lexi Wilson, Roger Worden, Duke Wolanski. (Lap leaders: Mitchell Wright-3 laps, Kris Hillegeer-17 laps)

NASCAR SUNOCO MODIFIEDS
FEATURE (100-laps): BUCK CATALANO, Ryan Beeman, Amy Catalano, Kevin Timmerman, Daryl Lewis Jr., Toad Bradshaw, Jeff Hamman, Matt Lees, Eddie Hawkins, Kevin Miller, Jeff Ruddy, Mark Kline, Jake Boerman, Andy Lewis, Jody London, Chris Finocchario, Tom Wiest, Fred Taylor, Joey Evans-DNS, Phil Wehrheim-DNS. (Lap leaders: Ryan Beeman-54 laps, Amy Catalano-13 laps, Buck Catalano-33 laps)

Gary M. Spaid