8/16/2009
LEATY’S OWN SPENCER ONCE AGAIN AS JAN TAKES
OPENING ROUND OF RoC CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES |
It’s a fact that when the Race of Champions Dart Asphalt Modified Tour races
at the Spencer Speedway there is a pretty good chance that a Leaty will be
in victory lane at the end of the night.
Back in June at the first race held at the track this year Mike
Leaty stole the spotlight from his dad Jan as he raced to the feature win.
On Friday night Jan paid his son and 22 other competitors back big
time with some lucky draws which led to him dominating the 100 lap feature
on this night. Jan drew outside pole for his heat which he won and pulled
the pole for the feature.
In the feature Jan led the first 50 laps before the entire field
with the exception of Tommy Cloce and Pete Brittain all pitted. Jan came out
third on the track after the pit stop and regained the lead on lap 59 with
an outside turn four pass of Brittain.
Jan basically put it on cruise control form that point but he was
challenged over the final 23 laps by T J Potrzebowski for the $3,000 win.
Defending RoC champion Matt Hirschman finished third with Rusty Smith in
fourth and Eric Beers in fifth.
Jan Leaty and Eric Beers brought the 24 car field down to green
with Jan out dragging Eric to get the lead they were followed by Mike Leaty,
TJ Potrzebowski, and Earl Paules. With all drivers knowing that they would
have to pit to get a new right rear tire sometime during the race, many
drivers focused on lagging behind the field. With only one caution period
taking place in the first 47 laps some drivers decided at that point it was
time to start moving to the front.
Mike Leaty and Potrzebowski drove around the Beers machine to take
second and third respectively on lap 48. Just after this took place the
yellow lights came on and everyone knew pit stops were going to happen.
With caution laps counting pit lane opened up just after the
halfway point as 23 of the 24 competitors brought their cars down pit road.
Pete Brittain who hung around at the back of the pack did a drive through
and picked up 15 positions.
Tommy Cloce who did not pit assumed the lead followed by Brittain,
Jan Leaty, Mike Leaty and Beers. When the race resumed under green on lap 53
Cloce on used tires pushed up the track in turn one and this allowed
Brittain and Jan Leaty to get by. Cloce was dropped back to fifth on the
next lap as Mike Leaty and Beers both got by.
Up front Brittain was trying his best on used tires to hold off Jan
Leaty for the lead. Entering turn three on lap 58 Jan jumped to the outside
groove to pull even with Brittain and exiting turn four the Brittain car
wiggled and this gave Jan the lead.
The wiggle by Brittain caused the final caution period of the race
as when he corrected he nearly spun out the car out. This caused the rest of
the field on new tires to bottle up and the resulting contact saw Mike Leaty
slam into the turn four outside wall on the driver’s side door. Mike emerged
from his wrecked race car uninjured as the foam blocks that are placed at
this point in front of the wall did their job. The strong runs of Tim
McMullen and Chuck Hossfeld also ended at this point as they were also
involved.
When the race resumed on lap 64 Jan Leaty held the lead over Beers,
Wilbur Hebing, Potrzebowski, and Billy Putney.
Defending RoC Champion Matt Hirschman started to make his presence
felt as he moved into fifth on lap 67. With Potrzebowski battling Hebing for
third and Hirschman closing in on this battle TJ pulled off two successive
turn two inside passes to keep Hirschman at bay.
The first pass by Potrzebowski occurred on lap 73 as he moved into
third. After Hirschman moved into fourth on lap 75 followed by Rusty Smith
who took fifth from Hebing a three car battle for third now turned into a
four car battle for second as the trio caught Beers.
Potrzebowski then pulled off his second consecutive inside turn two
pass on lap 77 as he took second from Beers. It took Hirschman three
additional laps to make the pass of Beers and one lap later Smith took
fourth.
With the race staying under green flag conditions Leaty and
Potrzebowski opened up a huge advantage over Hirschman as these two veteran
drivers were going to decide who was going to win the race. Even as the top
two cars raced in heavy lap traffic over the final ten laps Hirschman still
didn’t have enough time to track down the leading duo.
At the checkers Jan Leaty in for the popular home town win over
Potrzebowski, Hirschman, Smith, and Beers who held off Rick Kluth at the
line for fifth.
Qualifying for the 24 car field saw heat wins go to Jan Leaty, Mike
Leaty, and Putney.
SPENCER SPOTLIGHTS; A second pace vehicle was used to keep
pit road speed at 25 mph during pit stops. Many drivers before the feature
expressed concerns over this but in the end the move worked wonders as pit
lane was a much safer place for all pit crews and officials. The truck which
hauls the cars of Eric Beers and Chip Santee broke down in Clarks Summit,
Pa. and after a new truck was summoned both cars arrived at the track after
hot laps. Don Stevens was wheeling the second Rick Kluth owned car. For the
first time in a long time both John Markovic and Matt Clemens missed the
show.
RACE REPORT RACE OF CHAMPIONS DART ASPHALT MODIFIED
TOUR CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES RACE # 1
FINISH; Jan Leaty, T J Potrzebowski, Matt Hirschman, Rusty Smith,
Eric Beers, Rick Kluth, Billy Putney, Earl Paules, Daren Scherer, Daryl
Lewis, Jr., Jim Storace, Tommy Cloce, Pete Brittain, Chip Santee, Mark
Tychoniewicz, Wilbur Hebing, Kyle Ebersole, Mike Leaty, Chuck Hossfeld, Jeff
Hamman, Tim McMullen, Doug Reaume, Tom Wiest, Don Stevens.
LAP LEADERS; J. Leaty (1 - 50), Cloce (51 - 53), Brittain (54 - 58),
J. Leaty (59 - 100).
DART MACHINERY AWARD SET OF $1,500 HEADS; Wiest.
HOOISER RACING TIRE HARD CHARGER AWARD; Hirschman (21st to 3rd).
HOOSIER RACING TIRE HARD LUCK AWARD; M. Leaty (3rd to 18th).
NEXT RoC RACE; Saturday September 5th - Oswego Speedway
Parts Plus 125 - $5,000 to win - Final Regular Season Point Race.
The Race of Champions Dart Asphalt Modified Tour is proudly
sponsored by; Dart Machinery, Sunoco Race Fuels, Hoosier Racing Tires, Gater
Racing Photo News, PBM Performance Products, Dura Bond, Total Seal Piston
Rings, CV Products, Erson Cams, Melling Performance, Afco, Competition
Engineering by Moroso, LA Sleeve, Dynatech, and Xceldyne Technologies.
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Source: JR's Motorsports Media
/ RoC Dart Asphalt Modified Tour
Posted: August
16, 2009 |
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