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Jeff Price has been on a tear as of late at the Holland NASCAR
Motorsports Complex, with two straight wins going into Saturday night.
The Buffalo driver then made it three consecutive victories, scoring top
honors in the major event of the season for the NASCAR Sunoco SST
Modified Sportsmen, the George Decker Memorial 100. This is a first ever
Decker Memorial race win for Price, who walked away with the $2000 top
price plus additional lap monies for his efforts.
In other Saturday racing at Holland, Mike Ticco of Kenmore, NY made it
two-in-a-row in LAMOT Late Model action, Matt Welshans of Hamburg, NY
took his first of the season in a thrilling finish to the Carquest
Charger main, Jeremy Haudricourt of Bliss, NY took his first Holland
victory of ‘08 in a tight INEX Legends run, and Jason Eck of West
Seneca, NY notched his first Native Pride Pro Four win in another
exciting finish. Eric Brown of Holland, NY made it two straight in the
Thiel Motorsports Hornet main, Ashley Kirchberger of Buffalo was
credited with Thiel Motorsports Queen Bee win number five in a
controversial finish, and Jason Adams of East Aurora, NY earned his
first Alliance Auto Recycling Figure 8 Car win of ‘08.
The George Decker Memorial 100, rain-delayed form the original July 19th
date, had thirty-three of the slated thirty-four starters return to take
the green flag. The initial green lasted half a lap, as Todd Hoddick,
piloting the Kirk Rutherford mount, had his race end very early, with a
turn-one wall-banger. When the green returned, Don King and Frank
Batista, Jr. battled for the lead early, before Andy Jankowiak was able
to use a lap four re-start to take the top slot. Past Decker Memorial
champ Neil Hopkins was on the move, racing up from his sixth starting
slot to get under Jankowiak for the lead on lap 8. Jeff Price had his
Price Brothers Trucking mount on the charge as well, motoring into the
top five on lap 10 from his twelfth starting position, and working into
second by lap 21.
Hopkins had opened up a wide lead by this point, working heavy lapped
traffic skillfully, but a lap 32 caution for a spinning Chris Barber
tightened the field, and Price was able to take advantage of the
re-start to roll by Hopkins and claim the top spot. On this same
re-start, 2007 Decker Memorial Race winner Steve Kreitzbender grabbed
the number four position, as this essentially set the tone for the rest
of the race: Price keeping Hopkins at bay by just a few car lengths,
with Kreitzbender and Justin Shepker engaged in a terrific battle for
third.
The race was interrupted by a red flag on lap 48 for the “big one,”
as a seven car scramble exiting turn four blocked the track, and ended
the evening for Chris Finocchario, Jim Pierce, and Mike Stevenson. All
drivers were uninjured.
When racing resumed, Hopkins continued to shadow Price, while Shepker
and Kreitzbender dodged lapped traffic while trading off third. Another
great race for position developed, as young Joe Evans and veteran Buck
Catalano, who had started 31st in the Kluth Motorsports entry, started
to go back-and-forth for the 5th and 6th slots. Kreitzbender finally
shook off Shepker for third on the 80th circuit, but was a distance
behind the lead duo of Price and Hopkins. Hopkins’ great run would end
one lap too early , as on the 99th lap, the multi-time Holland champ
slowed dramatically with mechanical ailments. Price was able to enjoy a
straightaway lead advantage over Kreitzbender at the checkers, with
Shepker ending a fine run in third, and Evans holding off Catalano for
fourth. Frank Booker, Jr., out for only the second time anywhere in 2008
in the Booker Motorsports entry, survived his involvement in the “big
one” to take sixth as the last car on the lead lap. Fifteen of the
thirty-three starters were running at the finish. Nine caution flags
slowed the distance; except for the Todd Hoddick first lap incident and
the lap 48 “big one,” all were for relatively minor bumps and spins.
Last lap, turn four contact seemed to be the story in virtually every
other oval track divisions’ events on Saturday. In the 20 lap LAMOT
Late Model main, Mike Ticco raced his MAT Service Dodge by Nick Crassi
on a lap three re-start, with T.J. Johnson following through and
challenging Ticco throughout. As the duo came out of turn four for the
checkers, contact was made and the Ticco car was momentarily way out of
shape. However, Johnson backed off and Ticco was able to straighten out
and grab the win. Scott Jarrell placed third.
Although it was not turn four contact, it was a last lap pass that put
Matt Welshans into victory lane in the 30 lap Carquest Charger main.
Bryant Burns snared the lead on lap three, and looked to be on his way
to his first Holland win in a number of seasons. However, Matt Welshans
was not to be denied, as he battled by Jim Mallaber for second on lap
28, then set off in pursuit of Burns. The Doritex/Malcom Pirnie Monte
Carlo of Welshans pulled to Burns’ rear bumper at the white flag, and
when Burns pushed high exiting turn two, the door was opened for
Welshans to race to the inside for the winning move. Mallaber crossed
the line in third, with Jerry Kosmowski and Paul Alberti completing the
top five.
Earlier, it looked as if Nik Welshans would start the Welshans family
off right, as he grabbed the top spot of the 25 lap Native Pride Pro
Four main on lap three. Welshans would hold off five time winner Brandon
Hirsch on the early going before Hirsch would be forced to depart with a
fluid leak. Chad Pusloski and Jason Eck then took up the pursuit of
Welshans, with Welshans able to hold them both off – until turn four
on the final lap. Pusloski attempted to thread the needle between Eck to
the inside and Welshans to the outside, but made contact with the
Welshans car, and both slid sideways. Eck was able to stay out of
trouble, and sprinted to the checkers in his Alliance Auto
Recycling/Elma Collision entry. Josh Hathaway was able to squeeze by the
sliding cars to place second, while Welshans was able to recover for a
disappointing third.
Although it wasn’t a last lap pass, it was an exciting race-long
tussle for the lead in the 20 lap INEX Legends main. Pennsylvania driver
Chris Bailey, Jr. scooted underneath Jeremy Haudricourt for the top spot
on lap six, but Haudricourt was persistent, trying to get his car to
handle both low and high in an effort to re-take the lead.
Haudricourt’s efforts paid off on lap 18, when he was able to get an
inside position on Bailey, and the pair raced side-by-side over the
remaining laps, with Haudricourt able to hold on for a ˝ car length
margin of victory. Jake Vernon placed third.
In the 30 lap Thiel Motorsports 4-cylinder Hornet main, Eric Brown raced
by Samantha Lutz for the lead on lap 9, and despite a late race caution
flag, enjoyed a ten car length margin of victory over Jeff Szafraniec at
the checkers for his second straight win. The runner-up finish was a
career best for Szafraniec. The last lap, turn four craziness in this
one was for third, as Eric Marzec, George Quintana, and Mae Urban all
came together, with points leader Urban sliding across the stripe
sideways to claim the number three spot.
Earlier, Mae Urban was involved in another turn 4 final lap incident in
the 15 lap Thiel Motorsports Queen Bee go. As Mae and Ashley Kirchberger
were dueling for the lead on the final lap, the lapped car of Julie
Totaro proved to be a challenge, and as the two tried clearing Totaro
off of turn four, contact was made. Kirschberger’s DeRonde Tire Sales/Fiebelkorn
Collision Honda slid sideways and Urban crossed the stripe first, before
Kirchberger was able to straighten out. However, track officials
determined that Urban should be penalized one spot for the incident, so
that Kirchberger was credited with win number five of the season to
extend her points lead. Kim Marzec crossed the line in third.
In the 12 lap Alliance Auto Recycling Figure 8 Car main, Jason Adams,
driving his “Grandma’s Special,” scrambled his way to the front on
the initial lap, and kept a safe distance ahead of points leader Jason
Eck throughout while dodging traffic at the “x” in the caution-free
event. Eck had to be content with a second place finish, while “Mad
Mike” Eckam claimed third.
News and Notes – Before the Decker Memorial race was green flagged,
Jeff Price already had a trophy in hand - his Price Trucking mount was
judged as the winner of the McCool Paint Workz Best Appearing Car Award
... of the 34 cars that had qualified for the Decker Memorial before the
rains hit on July 19th, only Bobby Holmes was unable to return for the
main event - Holmes’ racer was severely damaged in a recent incident
at Wyoming County International Speedway ... some of the pre-race
favorites in the Decker Memorial 100 had their struggles - defending
Holland champ Mike Fiebelkorn, Jr. was in and out of the pits all race
long fighting an overheating problem; after leading early, Andy
Jankowiak was forced to the sidelines with engine woes; Jonathon Price
settled into the top five early before a flat tire forced him pitside,
and after returning, was fighting an ill-handling racer
RESULTS SUMMARY – 8/23/08:
NASCAR Sunoco SST PRO MODIFIED SPORTSMEN – George Decker Memorial 100
– rain delayed from July 19th: 1. (started 10th) JEFF PRICE, 2. (18)
Steve Kreitzbender, 3. (7) Justin Shepker, 4. (17) Joe Evans, 5. (31)
Buck Catalano, 6. (8) Frank Booker, Jr., 7. (6) Neil Hopkins, 8. (1) Don
King, 9. (11) Chuck Anderson, 10. (15) Jeff Polaski, 11. (3) Jonathon
Price, 12. (9) Jeff Ruddy, 13. (20) Tim Welshans, 14. (19) Jerry
Harding, Jr., 15. (23) Chris Barber, 16. (13) Kevin Lewis, 17. (26)
Jerry Gradl, Jr., 18. (33) David Tedesco, 19. (12) Jason Kline, 20. (16)
Randy Jazembak, 21. (30) Scott Combs, 22. (27) Mike Stevenson, 23. (14)
Jim Pierce, 24. (29) Chris Finocchario, 25. (5) Mike Fiebelkorn, Jr.,
26. (4) Andy Jankowiak, 27. (32) Steve Fuchs, 28. (2) Frank Batista,
Jr., 29. (24) Sherri Hogan, 30. (25) Patti Pruitt, 31. (21) Mike Bliss,
32. (28) Craig Dolphin, 33. (22) Todd Hoddick.
(Did Not Start: Bobby Holmes.) Heat Race
Winners (from 7/19): Mike Fiebelkorn, Jr., Jeff Ruddy, Jonathon Price,
Neil Hopkins.
LAMOT LATE MODELS (20 laps): 1. (started 4th) MIKE TICCO, 2. (6) T.J.
Johnson. 3. (1) Scott Jarrell, 4. (2) Nick Crassi, 5. (7) Jason Gwin, 6.
(5) Alan Fisher, 7. (3) Bryce Davis.
Carquest CHARGERS (30 laps): 1. (started 7th) MATT WELSHANS, 2. (4)
Bryant Burns, 3. (5) Jim Mallaber, 4. (10) Jerry Kosmowski, 5. (16) Paul
Alberti, 6. (12) Mark Hoch, 7. (11) Joe Fetzer, 8. (6) Shawn Lafferty,
9. (15) Mike Flaig, 10. (9) Tom Northem, 11. (13) Donnie Aquino, 12.
(18) Chris Kline, 13. (17) Sean Dolan, 14. (2) Ted Welshans, 15. (1)
Mark Harsch, 16. (3) Al Grimmer, 17. (14) Joe Eck, 18. (8) Jim Loffredo.
(Did Not Start: Rob Miszczak.)
Native Pride PRO FOURS (25 laps): 1. (started 5th) JASON ECK, 2. (7)
Josh Hathaway, 3. (6) Nik Welshans, 4. (4) Chad Pusloski, 5. (9) J.D.
Roberts, 6. (2) Mike Eckam, 7. (3) Michelle Roberts, 8. (8) Brandon
Hirsch, 9. (1) Bob Marzec. (Did Not Start:
James Steins.)
INEX LEGENDS (20 laps): 1. (started 1st) JEREMY HAUDRICOURT, 2. (4)
Chris Bailey, Jr., 3. (2) Jake Vernon, 4. (5) J.P. Weisser, 5. (3) Bob
McQuiston, 6. (8) Jeff Johnson, 7. (9) Charlie Neumann, 8. (6) Brett
Coon, 9. (7) Brett Sager.
Thiel Motorsports HORNETS (30 laps): 1. (started 14th) ERIC BROWN, 2.
(11) Jeff Szafraniec, 3. (19) Mae Urban, 4. (18) George Quintana, 5.
(15) Eric Marzec, 6. (13) Jammer Mueckl, 7. (12) Kyle Skoney, 8. (10)
Kim Marzec, 9. (7) Patrick Emerling, 10. (8) Peter Hauser, 11. (2)
Samantha Lutz, 12. (16) Bill Lutz, 13. (9) David Warrior, 14. (17) Ricky
Roth, 15. (4) Ben Russo, 16. (6) Joe Mastrocicco III, 17. (1) Tyler
Roth, 18. (3) Kenny Hejna, 19. (5) Skip Murray.
(Did Not Start: Waylon Price.)
Thiel Motorsports QUEEN BEES (15 laps): 1. (started 5th) ASHLEY
KIRCHBERGER, 2. (4) Mae Urban, 3. (1) Kim Marzec, 4. (3) Samantha Lutz,
5. (2) Elaine Pimpo, 6. (6) Julie Totaro.
Alliance Auto Recycling FIGURE 8 CARS (12 laps): 1. (started 4th) JASON
ADAMS, 2. (6) Jason Eck, 3. (7) Mike Eckam, 4. (3) Bill Lutz, 5. (8)
Sean McDonald, 6. (2) James Steins, 7. (5) Scott Pastorius, 8. (1)
Waylon Price.
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