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Hamman
Captures First Career Modified Win at the Tommy
Druar & Tony Jankowiak Memorial Clementi
Becomes the 3rd Woman in Track History to Win Feature Event 8/29/09 |
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Lancaster, New York – Mother Nature was once again looking to rain on Dunn Tire Raceway Park’s parade, but with perseverance and hard work by the track crew and officials, the track was readied for racing. The hard work paid off as each division put on a great show with two first time feature winners highlighting the night’s events. The 4 Cylinders were up first and on hand were a season high seventeen cars ready to race on the ¼ inner oval. Tim Durfy led the field to green and immediately took command of the lead. Soon Durfy had company though as Derek Wagner had moved up through the field and began challenging for the lead. It was soon a three way battle however as points leader Matt Druar joined the race for the lead. The top three traded paint back and forth and the yellow flag was displayed on lap 10 for Wagner spinning out in turn four. All three of the leaders – Durfy, Wagner, and Druar – were sent tail for contact. This slotted Dan Roesch in first and Kalie Clementi in second. Roesch led the single file field but was soon relegated to second place as Clementi used a lap car to her advantage and took the lead. Clementi was able to maintain her position through a number of late race cautions and single file restarts. Clementi cruised home to her first career 4 Cylinder feature win and a place in the DTRP record books as she became just the third woman in the tracks 51 year history to record a feature win in a regular race event. The open wheel SST Sportsman took to the track for their feature event with a field filled with DTRP regulars as well as other “invading” drivers. Jerry Gradl Jr., Russ Gian, Sherri Hogan, Frank Batista Jr., and Andy Jankowiak led the field to the green flag. Gradl took the lead at the start of the race while Jankowiak and Tom McGrath slotted their way into the third and fourth positions. Jankowiak began applying heavy pressure to Gradl for the lead and finally claimed it on lap four. Jankowiak soon began to build quite a bit of breathing room on the rest of the field but as the laps clicked off Billy Burd, who had started eighth, began closing the distance between his second place car and the leader. By the halfway point of the feature Jankowiak and Burd ran nose to tail while McGrath, Bobby Holmes, and Gradl were ten car lengths behind. Burd wasted little time in taking the lead, passing Jankowiak on lap 18 and immediately building quite a lead on the rest of the field. Charging through the field after a lap two spin was former DTRP SST champion Nick Cappelli. With ten to go Cappelli was back up to third. A series of late race yellow flags continually bunched the field up, allowing Jankowiak and Cappelli ample shots at Burd. However, neither competitor was able to get around Burd and he crossed the finish line first. The race, however, was not officially over. During post race technical inspection Burd was disqualified for a technical infraction, therefore giving Andy Jankowiak the win. The DTRP Street Stocks are known for their three wide racing and exciting passes and Saturday’s race was no exception. Dave Frieder and Rick Ortwein brought the field to the green flag and raced side by side for more than a lap before Frieder emerged as the leader. A multi-car spin in turn four brought out the yellow flag on lap two and on the ensuing restart, Frieder suffered mechanical problems and was forced to pull in. This slotted Ortwein and Mike Nash on the front row and at the drop of the green Nash catapulted into the lead. Behind the leaders, Tim Garlock, Scott Mutka, and Cory Gallagher went three wide for third with Garlock winning the battle. Soon Garlock was up to second and set his sights on Nash. On lap ten Garlock made his move on Nash, going underneath him for the lead. At the halfway point of the 25 lap feature Garlock and Nash held a sizable lead over Mutka, Gallagher, John Hewson, and Kevin Mendel. While Garlock managed to clear a bit of room between himself and second place Nash, a blanket could have be thrown over Mutka, Gallagher, and Hewson who were racing for third position on back. The race stayed green and Garlock held on for his fourth Street Stock feature win of the season. The headline event of the evening – the Tommy Druar & Tony Jankowiak Memorial Modified 50 – was the final feature of the night. The best of the best Modified drivers were on hand, each wanting to win the special memorial race held in memory of two Modified legends. After driver introductions, Mickey Druar and Debbie Druar Jankowiak gave the command to start engines and Matt Druar and Andy Jankowiak, sons of the drivers for whom the race is named after, paced the field for one lap in honor of their fathers. With the stage set, it was time for Modified rookie Jeff Hamman and Wilbur Hebing to bring the field to the green flag. As the race was waved green Hamman and Hebing raced side by side for the lead, with Hamman eventually taking possession of the top spot. Hamman and Hebing set to building themselves a lead over the field and left Chuck Hossfeld, Andy Jankowiak, Mike Leaty, Sege Fidanza, and Erick Rudolph to battle for third position on back. The field settled in for the fifty lap feature and soon was running single file, with Hamman and Hebing holding a considerable lead over third place Rudolph. Just past halfway the first yellow flag of the race was shown for a spun out car in turn four. The single file restart that followed erased any cushion that the leaders had built over the field. Hamman led Hebing, Rudolph, Fidanza, Leaty, Hossfeld, and Putney to the green although it was short lived as another spin brought about another single file restart. The yellow fever caught hold as a number of yellow flags were displayed between laps 27 and 31. The field settled in and on lap 33 the top six of Hamman, Hebing, Rudolph, Fidanza, Hossfeld, and Leaty ran nose to tail. Hamman took advantage of the racing for position happening behind him and began to build a comfortable lead over the field. However, Fidanza and Hossfeld were on the move as they passed an ailing Hebing for second and third position. This left Rudolph, Leaty, and Karl Hehr, who had an impressive run, to race for fifth position with less than ten laps to go. It all changed in an instant however for the leaders as the yellow flag was displayed with just three laps to go. The single file restart lined up Fidanza, Hossfeld, Leaty, and Hehr directly on Hamman’s bumper. Hamman benefited from Hossfeld and Fidanza battling for second and built the slightest of margins of breathing room over them. It turned out to be enough room as Hamman crossed the finish line first after a dominating race where he lead start to finish. It was Hamman’s first career Modified win and first DTRP feature win. Also crowned was the 2009 Modified Champion – Sege Fidanza. It is Fidanza’s tenth career Modified title. Next week, September 5th, the 4 Cylinder, Street Stock, and SST Sportsman Champions will be crowned. Modified Feature Finish (8/29/09): Jeff Hamman, Sege Fidanza, Chuck Hossfeld, Mike Leaty, Karl Hehr, Erick Rudolph, Billy Putney, Jimmy Zacharias, Tom McGrath, Andy Jankowiak, Wilbur Hebing, Mark Tychoniewicz, Bob Reis, Dave Wollaber, Chris Ridsdale, Matt Druar Lap Leaders: 1-50 Hamman SST Sportsman Feature Finish (8/29/09): Andy Jankowiak, Nick Cappelli, Jerry Gradl Jr., Russ Gian, Frank Batista Jr., Mark Pennell, Patrick Emerling, Kevin Timmerman, Kyle Sharpe, Sherri Hogan, Steve West, Eddie Hawkins, Tom McGrath, Bobby Holmes, John Julicher Jr., Ed Schueler, David Tedesco DQ: Billy Burd Lap Leaders: 1-4 Gradl; 5-18 Jankowiak; 19-35 Burd Street Stock Feature Finish (8/29/09): Tim Garlock, Mike Nash, John Hewson Jr., Cory Gallagher, Kevin Mendel, Scott Mutka, Kris Hamman, Rick Ortwein, Matt Jurek, Mike Maggiore, Gary Bartella, Chip Wood, Gary Denea, Ed Nowak, Debbie Jurek, Nate Straus, Joe Haley, Dave Frieder, Joe Light DNS: Jeff Guidotti Lap Leaders: 1-2 Frieder; 3-11 Nash; 12-25 Garlock 4 Cylinder Feature Finish (8/29/09): Kalie Clementi, Ken Hejna, Dave Frieder, Kevin Bainbridge, Kevin Morreale, Charles Buchanan, Cassie McGrath, Tim Durfy, Jayme Thompson, Jay Adams, Matt Druar, Dean Siminski, Debbie Jankowiak, Derrick Brant, Dan Roesch, Derek Wagner, Bob Goldstein Lap Leaders: 1-9 Durfy; 10 Druar; 11-13 Roesch; 14-20 Clementi
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