A Night of Victory Lane Firsts at Dunn Tire Raceway Park

Straus, Buchanan, and Fidanza Take Home Wins

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Lancaster, New York – It was a night of “firsts” at Dunn Tire Raceway Park this past Saturday as all three winning drivers made it to Victory Lane for the first time in one way or another.  Nate Straus captured his first career victory in the Able Agency Street Stock feature while Charles Buchanan won his first 4 Cylinder feature event at Dunn Tire Raceway Park and Sege Fidanza drive his Sportsman to his first win in that division this season.

The night began with the Able Agency Street Stock feature event and twenty cars took the green flag.  Kris Hamman, who had started on the outside pole, immediately jumped into the lead.  His reign would be short lived however as sophomore driver Nate Straus dove under the leader on lap three and after a side by side battle, took control of the lead.  Straus led the field while Hamman, John Hewson, Mike Nash, and Kevin Mendel battled for second position on back.  By the halfway point in the 25 lap feature, Straus had built up a sizable lead over Hamman who in turn was safely in front of third and fourth place Hewson and Mendel.  Lap traffic spread the leaders out but with five laps to go, Hamman mounted a serious challenge for the lead.  As the laps clicked off, Hamman looked for every way around Straus but was unable to complete the pass.  Straus captured his first feature win of his career in the green to checkers, caution free feature event.

The Dunn Tire Raceway Park ¼ mile inner oval was the site of the next feature event as the 4 Cylinders lined up for their feature event.  Cassie McGrath, who lost the lead last week in the waning laps of the feature event, led the field to the green flag from the pole position.  Dan Roesch, Tim Durfy, Dean Siminiski, and Charles Buchanan followed.  McGrath took control of the race from the beginning and set off, building a considerable lead over the rest of the field in the early stages of the feature.  By the halfway point, McGrath was five car lengths in front of second place Buchanan but her lead was slowly vanishing as Buchanan began gaining ground.  With McGrath navigating lap cars, Buchanan was able to close the distance completely and with just two laps to go, Buchanan negotiated the traffic around McGrath and took the lead.  Buchanan captured his first DTRP 4 Cylinder win while McGrath finished second.

The final feature of the evening was the 35 lap main event for the Sportsman division.  The field was stocked with “invaders” as Amy Catalano, Jimmy Zacharias, and Don King – all feature winners at other speedways – came to take on the DTRP regulars. However, a familiar face sat on the pole as Sege Fidanza led a 20 car field to the green flag.  Fidanza kept his lead as the green flag signaled the start of the race while Zacharias, who had started next to Fidanza, slowly fell back through the field.  Billy Burd and Amy Catalano, who started fourth and sixth respectively, shot into second and third by lap five.  Catalano began working the outside line against Burd and had just passed him when the yellow flag appeared on lap nine for a spun car.  The double file restart saw Fidanza, Catalano, Burd, Andy Jankowiak, Tom McGrath, and Jimmy Zacharias lead the field to the restart.  Catalano struggled on the restart, which allowed Burd to fall into second and Jankowiak into third ahead of her.  The field began to stretch out, with Fidanza setting the pace.  A yellow flag on lap 18 erased any lead Fidanza had built up over the field as a single file restart put Burd, Jankowiak, Catalano, and McGrath on his bumper.  Burd kept pace with Fidanza and briefly challenged for the lead on lap 22 but Fidanza remained the stronger car, maintaining his top spot.  Another set of quick yellows gave Burd and the rest of the field a shot at Fidanza but no one was able to mount a serious challenge for the lead.  A late race caution, with just five laps to go, seemed to offer one last chance for Burd, Jankowiak, McGrath, and Catalano to try to beat Fidanza, but Fidanza got off to a great start and immediately built a commanding lead.  Fidanza crossed the finish line about five car lengths ahead of second place Burd and garnered his first Sportsman feature win of the season at Dunn Tire Raceway Park.

Stock car racing is taking a vacation from Dunn Tire Raceway Park until Saturday, June 19^th when the Race of Champions Modified Tour rolls into town.  In addition to the “Mighty Modifieds”, the Legends will make their first appearance of the season along with the 4 Cylinders, Street Stocks, and Sportsman. 

Able Agency Street Stock Feature Finish (6/5/10): Nate Straus, Kris Hamman, Kevin Mendel, John Hewson, Mike Nash, Mike Maggiore, Scott Mutka, Cory Gallagher, Joe Light, Keith Flanigan, Rick Ortwein, Gary Bartella, Joe Haley, Chip Wood, Paul Tessier, Matt Druar, Dana Fogle, Heather Weber, Kevin Tarbox, Gary Denea

Lap Leaders: 1 Druar; 2-3 Hamman; 4-25 Straus

Heat Winners: Nash, Maggiore

4 Cylinder Feature Finish (6/5/10): Charles Buchanan, Cassie McGrath, Tim Durfy, Dean Siminski, Dan Roesch, Kalie Clementi, Jayme Thompson, Lou Carbone, Brian Frost, Deb Jurek, Ken Hejna, Nicole Walsh, Mike Hossfeld, Derrick Brant, Christine Hanel

Lap Leaders: 1-18 McGrath; 19-20 Buchanan

Heat Winners: McGrath, Roesch

Sportsman Feature Finish (6/5/10): Sege Fidanza, Billy Burd, Andy Jankowiak, Tom McGrath, Amy Catalano, Jimmy Zacharias, Russ Gian, Ed Weber, John Julicher, Mark Pennell, Dick Kluth, Frank Batista Jr., Glenn Annastasio, Ed Schueler, Sherri Hogan, Matt Jurek, Kevin Lewis, Don King, Patrick Emerling

Lap Leaders: 1-35 Fidanza

Heat Winners: Catalano, Fidanza