BUCK CATALANO TOPS 100-LAP HOLLAND - SPENCER CHALLENGE FIELD

Buck Catalano continued his winning ways at Spencer Speedway last Friday winning the 100-lap Sunoco Modified Spencer /Holland Speedway Upstate New York Challenge. For Catalano it was his 54th feature win in the Sunoco Modified division.

“The key tonight was taking care of my tires,” stated Catalano in victory lane. “The car was handling just great. Kevin (Timmerman) tried to make a run at me a couple of times and he almost had me.”

Chris Finocchario came home second followed by Kevin Timmerman. Amy Catalano was the first Holland car recorded across the finish line, coming home in fourth. Last week’s winner Ryan Beeman rounded out the top five Sunoco Modified finishers.

In other action at the speedway, Kris Hillegeer won his fourth career Street Stock feature at Spencer, leading all 15 laps. Roger Worden finished a close second.

In Super Six action, Van Grant from nearby Red Creek, picked up his first ever stock car race at Spencer Speedway. Grant also competes in the drag races on Saturdays at the speedway. “I guess we did pretty well in just our fourth week back with this new car,” stated Grant.

Finally Kevin Bertolone won the Auto Value Scorpion 15-lap main event. Bertolone, who won for the very first time, one week earlier, must have liked victory so much that he became a repeat winner in the division.

The 100-lap Sunoco Modified Spencer /Holland Speedway Upstate New York Challenge saw 20 cars answer the starters call. The green flew and immediately the race had to be yellow flagged when two cars slide off the first turn. Jeff Moorehouse was done for the night.

The race restarted with Kevin Miller taking the lead over Amy Catalano and Chris Finocchario. One lap later the yellow flew again when Daryl Lewis Jr. slide off the second turn.

Three more yellows came in the early stages of the race. On lap 8, both Toad Bradshaw and Mark Cline went around in the second turn. Lap 13 saw Bradshaw loop around again in the second turn. Finally on lap 18 the red flag had to be flown when three cars made contact with the front stretch wall; Lewis Jr., Miller and Jake Boerman. Boerman and Miller were towed to the pits. Surprisingly Miller would return two laps down to the event.

As for the race Amy Catalano passed Miller on lap six to take the lead. She lost her lead to Ryan Beeman on a lap 10 restart. Beeman lost his lead to Catalano on lap 15.

Once underway, lap 19, the race remained green until lap 46. During this period Catalano and Timmerman broke free from the field by nearly a full straight away. Timmerman tried numerous moves to take the lead, but Catalano was able to hold him off. Beeman and Finocchario had their own battle going for third, with Amy Catalano running three car lengths back of them in fifth.

On lap 46 the yellow flew for debris. Timmerman has his opportunity on the restart, but fell back into second behind Catalano, who picked up an extra $100 for leading lap 50. On lap 56 the yellow flew when Scott Combs looped his new ride in the second turn. Amy Catalano lost fifth on this restart to Daryl Lewis Jr..

Catalano and Timmerman began to break away again, but on lap 68 the yellow flew when Bradshaw was forced off the track in the front chute and slide through the infield grass. It was reported that fluid was leaking from the Bobby Lippa Jr. car. He was sent pitside to be checked and returned.

Finocchario was now in third and tried to keep up with the lead duo as all three began to break away again. The race had just tem laps remaining when Jeff Ruddy spun in the third turn. Lippa Jr. was sent to the pits as his car still was leaking fluids.

Finocchario passed Timmerman on the restart for second and took off after Catalano. On lap 94, Jerry Gradl Jr. slowed on the track as he ran out of fuel. This allowed both Finocchario and Timmerman one last shot at passing Catalano. Catalano held on for the victory with Finocchario finishing second followed by Timmerman, Amy Catalano and Beeman.

The Street Stock 15-lap feature ran green-to-checkers with Kris Hillegeer leading the entire distance. In the closing laps he broke free from second place Roger Worden and took the victory by three car lengths. It was Hillegeer’s third Street Stock win at Spencer this season.

The 15-lap Super Six division also ran green-to-checkers with Van Grant leading the entire way. Grant, who started third, sailed down the inside of the track on the original start to take the lead going into the first turn. Brian Hallett, Skip Powers, Patti Davenport and Ryan Hillegeer rounded out the top five finishers.

The Auto Value Scorpions saw three lead changes and just one yellow flag thrown. Allison Knoepfler took the initial lead at the drop of the green. Numerous attempts by Bro Bradshaw to pass for the lead fell short. Then on lap seven the yellow flew when Knoepfler spun on the backstretch along with Mike Bradshaw and Russell Peets. Bro was sent to the rear for contact with Knoepfler, leaving Otis Bradshaw as the leader. It was deemed that Otis jumped the restart and was sent to the rear leaving Kevin Bertolone as the leader. Bertolone, who won the week before, led the rest of the distance to take his second Auto Value Scorpion feature win.

“I have to thank my mom, as she pays for everything to do with this car,” stated a subdued Bertolone in victory lane. “I saw Zach (Willis) back there and he about got by me once.”

Willis, Mike Bradshaw, Otis Bradshaw and Dale Lazzaro rounded out the top five finishers.

SPENCER NOTES: Last Friday was the 55th anniversary for the Spencer Speedway. Back on August 6, 1955 , Bob Cameron, from Buffalo , won the opening Sportsman race at Spencer Speedway. Cameron later lost his life in 1959 racing at Lancaster Speedway …Extra cash was on the line in Sunoco Modified Spencer /Holland Speedway Upstate New York Challenge. Each heat winner picked up an additional $25. The last place car took an extra $25, as did the first Holland car across the finish line. Terry Cheetham earned $25 for being the last car on the lead lap.

This Friday will see the third appearance of the popular Legend Cars at Spencer. A complete program of NASCAR Sunoco Modified, Street Stock, Super Six and Auto Value Scorpion racing is also on the race card. Race fans from last week can present their ticket stub at the main gate window for a $2 discount on admission. Race time starts 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. There are only five weeks remaining in the 2010 oval track season.

SUNOCO RACE FUELS-HOSSIER TIRES HOLAND_SPENCER CHALLENGE NIGHT SUMMARY

AUTO VALUE SCORPIONS
HEAT 1:
O. Bradshaw, A. Knoepfler, D. Lazzaro, R. Peets, D. Bradshaw.
HEAT 2: Z. Willis, B. Bradshaw, M. Bradshaw, K. Bertolone, V. Cordova.
FEATURE (15-laps): KEVIN BERTOLONE, Zach Willis, Mike Bradshaw, Otis Bradshaw, Dale Lazzaro, Dave Bradshaw, Russell Peets, Bro Bradshaw, Alison Knoepfler, Victor Cordova, Dan Scott, Beth Dennie, Andrea LaManna. (Lap Leaders: Allison Knoepfler-7 laps, Kevin Bertolone- 8 laps)

SUPER SIXES
HEAT 1:
C. Andolino, P. Davenport, S. Powers, A. VanHall, B. Malin.
HEAT 2: V. Grant, R. Hillegeer, B. Hallett, B. Allen.
FEATURE (15-laps): VAN GRANT, Brian Hallett, Skip Powers, Patti Davenport, Ryan Hillegeer, Chris Andolino, Brandon Allen, Adam VanHall, Bill Malin. (Lap leaders: Van Grant- 15 laps)

STREET STOCKS
HEAT:
K. Hillegeer, M. Wright, R. Worden, T. Shove.
FEATURE (15-laps): KRIS HILLEGEER, Roger Worden, Mitchell Wright, Tyler Shove. (Lap leaders: Kris Hillegeer- 15 laps)

NASCAR SUNOCO MODIFIEDS
HEAT 1:
B. Catalano, R. Beeman, J. Gradl Jr., J. Boerman, M. Cline.
HEAT 2: K. Timmerman, K. Miller, D. Lewis Jr., E. Hawkins, T. Wiest.
HEAT 3: C. Finocchario, A. Catalano, T. Cheetham, T. Bradshaw, B. Lippa Jr.
FEATURE (100-laps): BUCK CATALANO, Chris Finocchario, Kevin Timmerman, Amy Catalano, Ryan Beeman, Daryl Lewis Jr., Toad Bradshaw, Ed die Hawkins, Terry Cheetham, Matt Lees, Mark Cline, Tom my Wiest, Scott Combs, Kevin Miller, Jerry Gradl Jr., Bobby Lippa Jr., Jeff Ruddy, Fred Taylor, Jake Boerman, Jeff Moorehouse (Lap leaders: Buck Catalano-86 laps, Kevin Miller- 4 laps, Amy Catalano- 5 laps, Ryan Beeman-5 laps)

Gary M. Spaid