|
DTRP
Opens Its 52nd Season of Stock Car Racing Alix Wins John Freundschuh Memorial Late Model Feature . |
|
. |
|
Lancaster, New York – Dunn Tire Raceway Park opened up its doors for its 52nd season of stock car racing with a full racing card. The night was a sentimental one, as DTRP paid its respects to those that passed away over the off season including Bobcat of Buffalo owner John Freundschuh, DTRP official Rick Cuedek, and DTRP Street Stock competitor Tommy “Golden Wheels” Agen. The night was full of racing action as Matt Alix captured the win in the headline John Freundschuh Memorial Late Model feature, Billy Burd continued his winning streak in the Sportsman division, Kevin Mendel captured the Street Stock feature win, Dan Roesch took the checkers in the 4 Cylinder class, and Jamie Collard beat out a strong field of TQ Midgets for a win. The night’s action began with the TQ Midgets racing on DTRP’s ¼ mile inner oval. Twenty-three cars took the green flag and Charlie DiRosa took the lead after starting on the outside pole. A number of yellows in the early stages of the race allowed Jamie Collard, who had restarted eighth on lap one, to move up and take the lead on lap three. A number of yellow, and even red, flags were displayed in the first half of the race, allowing the field to remain bunched up together. By the halfway point the yellow fever had died down and the TQ’s settled into a green flag run. This was good news for Collard who was able to stretch his lead considerably over the field. However, the red flag appeared on lap 18 of the 20 lap feature for the blown motor of Dave Wollaber. The single file restart pitted Collard teammate Bobby Holmes directly behind him. Holmes, or anyone else in the field, was no match for Collard however as he immediately built a solid lead over the rest of the field and cruised home to the win. Next up were the 4 Cylinders who also call the DTRP inner oval home. Starting on the pole was Kalie Clementi who was looking to repeat her feat last year of becoming only the third woman in DTRP history to win a feature event. Clementi got out to a strong start and led the first few laps. Behind her the field sliced and diced for position, especially second and third place cars Nate Straus and Dan Roesch. By lap five Roesch had managed to pass Straus for second and passed Clementi for the lead. Roesch began using the lap traffic that the leaders were hitting to build a lead over Clementi. By the halfway point the top five of Roesch, Clementi, Straus, Dean Siminski, and Cassie McGrath were strung out amidst lap traffic. With just around five laps to go, Straus and Siminski passed Clementi for second and third and set off to chase down the leader. Roesch’s lead was insurmountable however and he captured the first 4 Cylinder feature win of the season. The racing action switched gears for the next feature as the Able Agency Street Stocks took the full 5/8th mile racing surface. A moment of silence and open pole position on the pace laps were held in memory of both Rick Cuedek and Tommy “Golden Wheels” Agen. When the white flag waved, Scott Mutka moved up to start the race from the pole position. Nate Straus, Mike Nash, Rick Ortwein, and Mike Maggiore followed him to the line to take the green flag. During lap two, Nash made the move for the lead and passed Mutka. Straus followed, relegating Mutka to third place. The leaders ran side by side, each looking for an advantage. A lap eight caution brought the field back to a level playing ground with a double file restart. Nash and Straus led Kevin Mendel, Ortwein, Maggiore, Cory Gallagher, and John Hewson to the green flag. Nash held his lead but was challenged by Straus and Mendel. Mendel cleared Straus for second and sets his sights on Nash for the lead. At the halfway point of the feature, Mendel stuck the nose of his car under Nash’s coming out of turn two and powered underneath him to take the lead. Mendel took off from the rest of the pack and had built himself a considerable lead. A yellow flag with just ten laps to go erased all the ground he had built. However, Mendel took off on the restart and began building his lead once again. Behind him Nash had company as John Hewson had worked his way up to third. Hewson ran out of laps though as he just about reached Nash’s bumper when the checkered flag flew. Kevin Mendel, in a green car and green drivers suit, dispelled the myth about green being bad luck in racing and captured the Able Agency Street Stock feature win. The open wheel Sportsman were next in the line up chute. Russ Gian, Tom McGrath, Mark Pennell, Andy Jankowiak, Dick Kluth, and Patrick Emerling made up the first three rows of the field. At the drop of the green, Gian took the lead. His lead however was short lived as a yellow and subsequent double file restart allowed McGrath to grab the top spot on lap two. The field settled in single file with McGrath, Gian, Jankowiak, and Billy Burd leading the way. Jankowiak brought out the yellow flag on lap seven but after a trip pitside rejoined the field at the tail end. On the restart McGrath jumped out to a sizable lead over second place Burd and third place Gian. Further back Jankowiak was on the move and up to seventh by lap thirteen. At the halfway point of the 35 lap feature, McGrath had a decent amount of track between his car and second place Burd. Burd, in turn, had a good lead on Gian, Emerling, Jankowiak, and Pennell. By lap 21 Jankowiak had powered up to third place and began hunting down second place Burd. Burd however had closed the distance between himself and leader McGrath and took the lead on lap 26. The race looked to be locked up as the laps wound down. However with just one lap to go, Emerling spun on the front stretch brining out the yellow flag. As the drivers tried to avoid the car in the narrow front chute, a pile up ensued. McGrath and lapped car Dick Kluth made contact, while leader Burd also sustained damage after making contact with another competitor. Since the yellow flag was displayed while the leaders were on the backstretch, the race went to a green, white, checkered style finish. It took two tries to get the field going. The first try saw Jankowiak spinning in turn two from his third place spot on the track. The second try was a better start as Burd, with a heavily damaged right front, led the way over McGrath, Pennell, and Gian. Coming out of turn four to take the checkered flag though, McGrath swung up too high and spun, taking Gian with him. Burd was able to hold onto the win through the wild finish, while Pennell raced by the spinning McGrath to grab second, and Patrick Emerling, who had nicely recovered from his front stretch spin just two laps earlier, took third. The John Freundschuh Memorial Late Model feature event was the last of the evening. Special pre-race ceremonies were held with the Freundschuh family who also served as honorary Grand Marshal’s for the event. With the call to start the engines, the Late Model field roared to life for the 35 lap feature event. The field was filled with former DTRP Late Model Champions, DTRP US Open Champions, and DTRP feature winners. Leading the field to the green flag were Dave Russell, Dave Rigan, Matt Alix, and Dave Heitzhaus. Dave Russell held onto the lead from the pole starting position while Alix scooted into second and Rigan dropped back into third. Russell soon had a challenge for the lead though as Alix looked high and low for a way around Russell. On lap eight Alix dove low and powered by Russell for the lead. The field stretched out single file and by the halfway point Alix and Russell had a solid lead over Rigan, Dave Whittaker, Bobby Weber, and Ron Nurmi. While Alix set the pace, Weber was on the move. By the ten laps to go mark, Weber had passed Whittaker for fourth and Rigan for third. Weber had a long way to go however before catching the top two cars of Alix and Russell however. Weber began taking bites out of the interval between his car and the front two and needed a caution to completely close the gap. The race stayed clean and green however and Alix easily cruised to the checkered flag. Next week at Dunn Tire Raceway Park, the “Mighty Modifieds” return with their 600 horsepower racing machines. Also on the racing card are the TQ Midgets, 4 Cylinders, Street Stocks, and Sportsman. For more information visit www.dunntireracewaypark.com. |
|
RESULTS |
|
John Freundschuh Memorial Late Model Feature Finish (5/15/10): Matt Alix, Dave Russell, Bobby Weber, Dave Whittaker, Dave Rigan, Jeff Brown, Dave Heitzhaus, Jason Petri, Ron Nurmi, Ron Richter, Dan Ulbright, Jeff Cartwright Sportsman Feature Finish (5/15/10): Billy Burd, Mark Pennell, Patrick Emerling, Kevin Lewis, Ronnie Williams, Tom McGrath, Russ Gian, Glenn Attanasio, Andy Jankowiak, Rob Bulger, Dick Kluth, Sherri Hogan, Matt Jurek, John Julicher Jr., Joe Richter DNS: Sege Fidanza 4 Cylinder Feature Finish (5/15/10): Dan Roesch, Nate Straus, Dean Siminski, Kalie Clementi, Cassie McGrath, Tim Durfy, Debbie Jurek, Kenny Hejna, Tyler Haniszewski, Jayme Thompson, Mike Hossfeld, Derrick Brant, Christopher Foot, Christine Hanel, Charles Buchanan TQ Midget Feature Finish (5/15/10): Jamie Collard, Bobby Holmes, Justin Mapes, Camden Barber, Timex Morgan, Scott Kreutter, Jonathan Reid, Shawn Nye, Kent Turnbull, Dean McConnaughy, Charlie DiRosa, Jim Fleischman, Erik Musto, Owen Bednasz, Shawn Szejnar, Mel Raab, Gordie Steffan, Dave Wollaber, AJ Hessler, Wayne Turnbull, Driver 41, Kyle Hutchinson, Hayden Newcomb
|