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06/22/2013 |
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MIKE LEATY WINS RACE OF CHAMPIONS MODIFIED TOUR STOP
AT SPENCER SPEEDWAY |
 Second
generation driver Mike Leaty from Williamson, NY picked up his
second win of the season at the Spencer Speedway and his first Race
of Champions Modified Tour win of the 2013 campaign this past Friday
night at the historic Williamson, NY half-mile oval.
“Home cooking was what we needed” said Leaty in victory lane. “I
love this place and it is great to get another win here” Leaty
continued. “My car was junk when we practiced here two weeks ago so
we re-invented the car and it work” Leaty added.
In front of a great crowd on hand, Cheektowaga, NY driver Karl Hehr
and defending race winner Daren Scherer from Binghamton, NY would
led the field of Modifieds to John Nelson’s green flag and it was
Scherer getting the lead on the outside groove with Mike Leaty in
third with tour rookie Bobby Holmes and TJ Potrzebowski running in
the top five at the end of lap one.
The first of what was eight caution flags waved on lap eight when
Doug Reaume spun in turn two. During the caution, teenage driver
Austin Kockenash drove down pitroad and did not return to action. On
the restart, Mike Leaty would move into second as he passed Karl
Hehr on the inside of the track and brought Potrzebowski and second
generation driver Andy Jankowiak with him.
Back in the pack, 2011 tour Champion Chuck Hossfeld and 2012 titlist
Matt Hirschman raced their way into the top ten. When Hossfeld and
Hirschman began what was another epic battle between the two, Ricky
Knapp lost the handle of the Kluth Motorsports ride and spun in
turns one and two to slow the field down for the second time in the
event on lap 17.
On the lap 17 restart, TJ Potrzebowski got loose exiting turn one
and by turn two, set up a multi-car pileup which Doug Reaume got the
worst of it as the Syracuse, NY pilot ended up on his side up
against the implement tires. Reaume was alright and his night came
to an early end.
The following restart saw Scherer pull away from Leaty and Jankowiak
and on lap 26, Matt Hirschman would come to a stop on the front
stretch to bring out the caution. Hirschman was able to continue on
racing.
The restart would once again see Scherer leading the way on lap 27,
Scherer would enter turn three and loose the handle of his Traxxis
sponsored machine. With the Scherer spin, Mike Leaty would inherit
the race lead.
With Leaty up front, Andy Jankowiak would give it all he had as he
used up every inch of the racetrack to try to get around Leaty. With
the two second generation drivers leading the way, Matt Hirschman
would drive his way back through the field and get back to the top
five by lap 48.
The battle between Hirschman and “the Hot Shoe” Chuck Hossfeld is
well known and on this night, the rivalry added another “notch to
the belt” after an altercation on lap 65. Hossfeld and Hirschman
went side by side down the back stretch and contact was made and
Hirschman got into the wall and rode up the wall and ended up on the
other side of the wall. Hirschman’s car was cradled off the track as
Hossfeld was told by race officials to pull into the pits for the
remainder of the event.
The 10 lap shootout saw Jankowiak go to work on Mike Leaty as Jan
Leaty was battling Bobby Holmes, who was racing in his first career
RoC race at Spencer. Jankowiak drove it in deep on the last lap
coming off turn two and would loose the handle of his Envision
Collision, Jankowiak Motorsports 73x ride as Mike Leaty would drive
on to the popular win. Holmes would finish in second and Jan Leaty
would complete the top three.
“My car tonight was a fifth place car at best” said Lockport, NY
competitor and runner up finisher Bobby Holmes. “It is my best
career run in a modified here at Spencer and I am happy with that”
Holmes continued.
“We started back in the pack and I didn’t want to use up the tires
in the first part of the race” said third place finisher Jan Leaty.
“We worked our way through the field and we were there at the end”
Leaty continued.
The next event for the Race of Champions Modified Tour will take
place in just two weeks on Saturday July 6th at the Holland NASCAR
Motorsports Complex in Holland, NY for the running of the “Thunder
in the Hills” Holland 100. A full Holland regular racing program
will also be on the racing card.
For more information on the 20th anniversary season of the RoC, log
on to
www.raceofchampions.net or call 607-775-5555.
STATISITICAL REPORT: 6-21-13 Spencer Speedway- Williamson, NY
RoC Modified 75: MIKE LEATY, Bobby Holmes, Jan Leaty, Daren
Scherer, Karl Hehr, Brandon Oltra, Tommy Cloce, Andy Jankowiak, TJ
Potrzebowski, Eddie Hawkins, Billy Putney, Matt Hirschman, David
Korolewski, Ricky Knapp, Doug Reaume, Nick Pecko, Austin Kockenash,
Chuck Hossfeld (DQ)
Did Not Start: Pete Brittian
Qualifying Events: 10 Laps – Top 4 Redraw – All Cars Qualify
Heat 1:Putney, Kockenash, Reaume, Knapp, Hawkins, Brittian,
Oltra
Heat 2: Scherer, Hossfeld, Holmes, Hirschman, Pecko, J. Leaty
Heat 3: Hehr, Jankowiak, M. Leaty, Potrzebowski, Cloce,
Korolewski
UPDATE JUNE 23, 2013
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Race of Champions Penalties from
Spencer Speedway Race
Drivers Chuck Hossfeld and Matt Hirschman have received the
following penalty(s) following the Race of Champions Asphalt
Modified Tour event that was held at the Spencer Speedway on Friday,
June 21st:
* Both teams have been disqualified from the event which equates to
no prize money and no points being earned for the race.
* Both teams have been put on a probationary status for the
remainder of the 2013 racing season. Any altercation or conduct
violation will result in a 1 year penalty from the date of the
infraction. The probationary status will be reviewed at the end of
the season and could be extended to include additional events in
2014 if deemed necessary. |
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Source: Steve Petty / RoC
Asphalt Modified Tour
Posted: June
22, 2013 |
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