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“Like A Rock”: Spatorico, Walworth Continue Runs Toward Championships With Victories
Mike Paz, BATAVIA, NY (August 23, 2008) - With opportunities to earn points in each racing division fading away like the great summer weather, racing at Genesee Speedway took on a seriously competitive look on Ken Barrett Cadillac/Chevrolet night.
Racing in all classes was highly entertaining for the fans, especially in the Troyer Sportsman division. Coming into the feature, the point lead was tied between Don Spatorico and John Venuto with Stubby Pangrazio just 6 points further back in third. Spatorico served notice early in his heat race victory that he intended to stay up front in the points.
Steve Schumacher, also a heat winner, took the lead from his outside pole starting spot and led till the first caution on lap 5, brought out by Justin Wright for a tire down. Schumacher held the lead from the restart but Spatorico got by on lap 6. On the same lap, the yellow flew again for contact between Don Ogden and Guy Steffen.
On the restart, Spatorico pulled away from Schumacher with Pangrazio third and Venuto mired in the middle of the field. Caution #3 came out on lap 7 for contact between Brady Fultz and Rob Richmond Jr., with Mike O’Brien forced to pit with a right front tire down.
By this time, Venuto had worked his way up to 6th while Pangrazio slipped to 4th; letting Brian Sage get by. Yellow flag #4 waved on lap 10 for a solo spin by Guy Steffen in turn 1. On the restart, Spatorico again had to drive away from Schumacher but Sage, who has had a strong car all season long, battled Schumacher, finally getting by on lap 14. Defending division champ Rob Pratt then took up the challenge with Schumacher for third. Sage wasn’t finished as he caught Spatorico and the two duked it out on the final two laps. Spatorico was able to hold him off for the victory, with Schumacher salvaging a third, Pratt 4th and Venuto picking up the 5th spot just ahead of Pangrazio.
Spatorico was obviously very thrilled in Victory Lane, taking the time to make sure all of his sponsors got mentioned, along with his family and friends. Thus, with one race left to go on the schedule, Spatorico is now leading the points with Venuto second and Pangrazio 3rd.
Just as they have all year long, the Power Trip Energy Drink Street Stocks put on another fantastic show. Colton Chappius, Jr., the points leader coming into the feature, also notched a heat win, with Matt Pfalzer getting the other. With Lee Zimmerman (second place in points) out for the rest of the year with a shoulder injury, young Jeb Walworth seized the opportunity to improve on his third place in points as he won the feature. Chappius started eighth in the feature, with Walworth further back in 12th.
Fans got an early taste of the kind of racing this class has put on all year long with a 3-wide battle in turn one just after the green flag. John Giles (who inherited the pole after Darrel Moyer started tail) and Matt Pfalzer, who started third, made side-to-side contact in turn one while battling with outside pole sitter Steve Austin. Austin and Jeremy Denton used the high side to sprint into first and second, with Dan Pries third. Denton got by on the next lap with both Chappius Jr. and Walworth already working their way up to 4th and 5th respectively.
Pries moved to the high side on lap 3, taking the lead from Denton, bringing both Chappius, Jr. and Walworth with him. Walworth battled Chappius, Jr. for 2nd in turn 3, diving down to the inside to take the position. Those 3 cars fought until lap 8 when Walworth took the lead for good away from Pries. With Walworth out front, Pries and Chappius, Jr. put on a “Battle Royale” the rest of the way. These two drivers put on side-by-side but clean racing as they fought for the runner-up spot. On lap 18, it was over: as the two approached a lapped car, Chappius, Jr. got hung up behind the backmarker, allowing Pries to pull away. With Walworth getting his 4th feature victory of the year (tying him with both Zimmerman and Chappius, Jr.), he made up some ground in the points.
In the PDI Mini-Stock division, it was apparent from the heats that Jason Hull had the car to beat. Starting from the outside of row 1 in the feature, Hull took the lead in turn one and led flag-to-flag--but not without some serious competition from Brandon Aradine. Aradine and Dan Norton came into the evening tied for the point lead, with Aradine starting 3rd in the feature and Norton relegated to an 8th starting spot. Aradine got by pole sitter Ed Neal on lap 4 and tried to track down Hull. Hull stayed strong in the lead until lap 10 when the yellow flew for contact between Neal and Bobby Dickinson. From the restart, Aradine challenged Hull whenever the opportunity presented itself but was never able to get completely by. Norton worked his way through the field to finish 3rd to keep pace with Aradine, the new points leader.
With the Original Pizza Logs Pro Stocks having the night off, Genesee Speedway welcomed back the Midstate Vintage Stock Car Club. Providing a blend of nostalgia and speed, a total of 16 cars raced in two 15-lap features. The club awards finishes in 3 divisions: Hobby, Sportsman and Modified. DIRT Hall of Fame member Gordie “The Dude” Wood from Waterloo brought his 1936 Plymouth home for the win in the “Hobby” class. Woodhull’s Bob Williams got the overall and Sportsman win in his 1937 Chevy, ending a 6-race winning streak for Matt Scott, driving the #25 former Doc Smith 1937 Chevy. The Modified feature was won by Romulus’ Leo Kuleszo, holding off Mahopac’s Rob Casti in his 1937 Plymouth.
Two “red flag” situations spoiled the 20-lap feature for the Castle Chemicals Late Models. Bob Babbitt, sporting new graphics on his #2, took the lead from the pole. On lap 2, the first red flag came out for a multi-car pileup in turns 1&2, involving J.J. Mazur, Justin Chaddock, Pete Waldron and Jon Rivers (2nd place in points coming into the race). Getting through unscathed was points leader Dave Dubois, along with Billy Burd, Tim Kauffman and Ron Mogavero, among others.
Babbit would hold the lead until another big wreck in turn 4 on lap 5. This one again involved Rivers, along with Burd, Chaddock, Jason Bridge, Terry Pangrazio and Jason Hallett. Rivers pitted to fix the damage, while Chaddock and Pangrazio were brought into the pits via the wrecker.
From the lap 6 restart, Babbitt would hold the lead over Dave Dubois and Billy Burd until the yellow flew again on lap 11 when Billy Burd found the turn 4 walls. While under caution, Babbit’s left front went down, forcing him to pit. That left the lead to Dubois, who went on to his 3rd feature win of the season and maintained the division point lead. J.J. Mazur recovered to finish 2nd but Rivers averted a huge points deficit by salvaging a 3rd place finish with a badly battered racing machine.
DML Driveway Sealing Bandits class points leader Tom Urban led flag-to-flag for his 2nd win of the year.
Genesee Speedway Results: 8/23/2008
Ken Barrett Cadillac/Chevrolet Night
Castle Powered Late Model Feature (20 Laps) – DAVE DUBOIS, J.J. Mazur, Jon Rivers, Tim Kauffman, Billy Burd, Jason Bridge, Bob Babbitt, Ron Magavero, Terry Pangrazio, Pete Waldron, Rich Hale, Doug Jones, Brian Farnsworth, Justin Chaddock, Tom Baker.
Lap Leaders – Babbitt 1-11, Dubois 12-20
Heat Winners - Babbitt, Dubois
Troyer Chassis Sportsman Feature (20 Laps) – DON SPATORICO, Brian Sage, Steve Schumacher, Rob Pratt, John Venuto, Stubby Pangrazio, Justin Wright, Ryan Susice, John Baker, Tim Downs, John Pannatoni, Ricky Newton, Ross Vleck, Don Ogden, Jason Hallett, Henry Maier, Guy Steffen, Greg Mrzywka, Rob Richmond, Jr., Mike O’Brien, Brady Fultz.
Lap Leaders – Schumacher 1-5, Spatorico 6-20
Heat Winners - Spatorico, Newton, Schumacher
Power Trip Energy Drink Street Stock Feature (20 Laps) – JEB WALWORTH, Dan Pries, Colton Chappius, Jr., Jeremy Denton, Dave Downs, Bill Kowsky, Matthew Pfalzer, Nathan Arnold, Steve Austin, Darrel Moyer, John Giles, John Fry, Frank Lord, Jr., Ken Hixenbaugh, John Carlson, Billy Coleman, Gary Donnelly (DQ).
Lap Leaders – Austin 1, Denton 2, Pries 3-7, Walworth 8-20
Heat Winners - Pfalzer, Chappius, Jr.
Professional Driver Institute Mini Stock Feature (15 Laps) – JASON HULL, Brandon Aradine, Dan Norton, Alan Kemp, Pat Powers, Duane Pingrey, Randy Barclay, Bobby Dickinson, Ed Neal, Sean McKeller, Samantha Burch, Vinnie Amico.
Lap Leaders – Hull 1-20
Heat Winners – Kemp, Hull
DML Driveway Sealing Bandits (10 Laps) – TOM URBAN, P.J. Havens, Randy Barclay, Jr., Otis Bradshaw, James Maier, Chad Dickinson.
Lap Leaders – Urban 1-10
Mid-State Vintage Auto Club Sportsman/Hobby Feature (15 Laps) – BOB WILLIAMS, Matt Scott, Mike McLaughlin, Jim Hillimire, Al Byerly, Richard Taggert, Gordie Wood, Bill Tierson, Bob Whipple, Paul Vassello, Paul Monroe (DNS).
Lap Leaders – Williams 1-15
Heat Winners – Williams, Casti
Mid-State Vintage Auto Club Modified Feature (15 Laps) – LEO KULESZO, Rob Casti, Brad Litzenberger, Lowry Siemens, Daryl Bray, Chris Ketch.
Lap Leaders – Kuleszo 1-15
Heat Winner – Casti |
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