07/14/17 - Tommy Catalano wins NASCAR SUNOCO Modified main at Spencer

FINOCCHARIO TOPS NYSS, WHILE TOMMY CATALANO WINS NASCAR SUNOCO MODIFIED MAIN.



After four weeks off, mostly due to “Mother Nature”, she decided to cooperate. That is at least 90% of the time last Friday at Spencer Speedway. Following the modified main, sprinkles of rain began to fall. But the Grandpa Dog 4-cyclinder cars gutted it out through their 15-lap feature. The harder rain began to fall with 11 laps remaining in the Super Six feature.

Beating out “Mother Nature” were Tommy Catalano in the NASCAR Sunoco Modifieds, Chris Finocchario in the NY Superstocks, Paul Flye in the Grandpa Dog 4-cylinders and Barrett Schenk in the Super Sixes.

The 35-lap NASCAR Sunoco Modified feature saw Chris Finocchario take the early lead. On lap 11, Eddie Hawkins took the lead with a trio of cars on his heels; Finocchario, Mike Leaty and Kevin Timmerman. The fastest car on the track was Tommy Catalano, passing Finocchario and Leaty, grabbing third just as the yellow flew, lap 15. His younger brother, Timmy and his mom, Amy tangled exiting the fourth turn.

The restart saw Tommy grab second and with the help of yet another yellow flag, lap 8 for a spin on the back stretch by Amy Catalano.

The restart saw Tommy take the lead from Hawkins and begin to establish what would become a seven car advantage over the field. Mike Leaty rebounded and took off after Catalano, but he fell short of laps. At the finish it was Catalano followed by Leaty, Timmerman, Hawkins and Daryl Lewis Jr.

“It was a great birthday present for mom today,” stated a very happy Tommy Catalano, in victory lane. “Probably not as good as if she won it herself, but I’ll take it.”

“It was difficult tonight,” he continued. “Once we got to the lead I was just hoping we wouldn’t have another caution. However the caution fell in our favor and the car was just perfect tonight.”

The next race out was the NASCAR Grandpa Dog 4-cylinder division with rain in the air. A.J. Montgomery was the early leader, but gave way to an outside pass by Paul Flye down the backstretch on lap six. Flye went on to claim his very first Spencer Speedway victory. “I didn’t know how the track was going to hold up, but we finally won here.” stated Flye.

The race went green-to-checkers. Dalton Alexander, A.J. Montgomery, Mandy Virts and Travis Montgomery rounded out the top five finishers.

In the NY Super Stock main, the 25-lap feature took longer than expected to complete. Twenty-four cars took to the green flag and before one lap could get into the record book, nine cars found themselves out of the race. A front starting car spun into the first turn, involving most of the starting field to scatter. Numerous accidents followed, seven caution periods slowed the race.

Chris Finocchario claimed the lead, passing Chris Vogler on lap 13, when Vogler slide high in the fourth turn.

Late race cautions caused the event to go green-white-checker and running a total of 26 laps. Following Finocchario across the finish line were Vogler, Dylan Bancroft, Shaun Frarey and Robert Fink to complete the top five finishers.

The final race of the evening was the 20-lap NASCAR Super Sixes, completed their feature in the rain. Fortunately their front wheel drive configuration gave the cars the grip to complete the program.

Only one yellow slowed the race, lap nine when Chris Hogan and Bill Inch came together on the front stretch. Barrett Schenk took the lead from Andy Cocilova on lap seven and never looked back. Brandon Allen, Tim Faro, Ashley Schoonmaker and Brian Hallett completed the top five finishers.

SPENCER NOTES: Kids are encouraged to obtain a large box and decorate it to look like a race car for “Box Car Races” in two weeks. Using foot power, the kids will race during intermission on that day….The new scoreboard, in the center of the track, was finally debuted. The neat NASCAR themed graphics look great.

On Friday, July 21, Spencer Speedway will host the RoC Modifieds for the second time in 2017. Earlier this year Patrick Emerling won the 75 lap RoC feature. Also on the race card is an Open Grandpa Dog 4-Cyclinder and an Open Super Six racing program. Race time starts earlier that day, 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 2017. Points earned each week at Spencer are counted as part of the national NASCAR Whelen All-American Point Chase.

For more information go to: www.spencerspeedway.org.



SPENCER SPEEDWAY SUNOCO NIGHT SUMMARY

GRANDPA DOG 4 CYLINDER

HEAT 1: J. Gustafson, T. Montgomery, D. Alexander, D. Heimes, D. Harbst.

HEAT 2: M. Virts, P. Flye, A.J. Montgomery, C. Copeland, A. Montgomery.

FEATURE (15-lap): PAUL FLYE, Dalton Alexander, A.J. Montgomery, Mandy Virts, Travis Montgomery, Jacob Gustafson, Corey Copeland, Dave Heimes, Ryan Brown, Dave Harbst, Allie Montgomery.



SUPER SIXES

HEAT 1: A. Cocilova, B. Schenk, T. Faro, B. Hallett, Alison Knoepfler.

HEAT 2: B. Allen, A. Schoonmaker, B. Inch, C. Hogan, V. Grant.

FEATURE (20-laps): BARRETT SCHENK, Brandon Allen, Tim Faro, Ashley Schoonmaker, Brian Hallett, Andy Cocilova, Chris Connors, Alison Knoepfler, Van Grant, Chris Hogan, Bill Inch.



NEW YORK SUPERSTOCKS

HEAT 1: B. Coyle, S. Pesarek, S. Frarey, B. Dinzler, M. Ramsey.

HEAT 2: Z. Willis, K. Atkins, J. Miller, J. Schoonmaker, N. Peckham.

HEAT 3: C. Finocchario, D. Bancroft, M. Hyman, C. Vogler, K. Miller.

FEATURE (26-laps): CHRIS FINOCCHARIO, Chris Vogler, Dylan Bancroft, Shaun Frarey, Robert Fink, Kelly Miller, Steve Pesarek, Mike Hyman, Matt Larrivee, Brianna Dinzler, Joe Miller, Nathan Worden, Zach Willis, Lee Sharpsteen, Josh Schoonmaker, Brandon Larner, Joel Gleason, Mark Ramsey, Billy Coyle, Ken Atkins, Nathan Peckham, Dale Lazzaro, Jason Dinzler, Terry Cheetham.



NASCAR SUNOCO MODIFIEDS

HEAT 1: C. Finocchario, M. Leaty, E. Hawkins, Ti. Catalano, K. Timmerman

HEAT 2: To. Catalano, A. Lewis, D. Lewis Jr., A. Catalano, B. Lippa Jr.

FEATURE (35-laps): TOMMY CATALANO, Mike Leaty, Kevin Timmerman, Eddie Hawkins, Daryl Lewis Jr., Chris Finocchario, Andy Lewis, Timmy Catalano, Nick Morich, Kreig Heroth, Bobby Lippa Jr., Amy Catalano.


Gary M. Spaid