CATALANO DECLARED WINNER OF THE DAVE LONDON MEMORIAL

TOMMY CATALANO DECLARED WINNER OF THE DAVE LONDON MEMORIAL AFTER FINOCCHARIO REFUSES TECH

Story By: Gary Spaid/Spencer Speedway

Photos By: Mark Ranalletta/RacersGuide.com

WILLIAMSON, NY…Chris Finocchario, from Macedon, NY, drove home in front of the largest crowd this year, at Spencer Speedway, to win the Dave London Memorial. Finocchario made a perfect night of it, winning his heat race, redrawing the pole starting position and leading every lap in the 50-lap event. That is until he reached post race tech, where he refused to have his motor torn down. That refusal handed the Dave London memorial win to Tommy Catalano.
In the Open Grandpa Dog Four Cylinder class, a record 18 number of cars for this year ran the 16-lap race. Travis Montgomery took the victory following a tight battle between himself his brother A.J. and Paul Flye.
The start of the 50-lap Dave London Memorial saw Finocchario and Willie Strusz led the field to the green. Finocchario immediately jumped into the lead, with third place starter Lee Sharpsteen moving into second.
The first of six yellows slowed the race on lap five when Steve Pesarek looped his number 51 in the first turn. The restart saw a melee take place going into the second turn resulting in Kenny Atkins sliding his number 17 up on to the tire wall. Also involve, but able to continue were Scott Dinzler, Pesarek and last year’s defending race champion, Billy Coyle.
Finocchario continued to lead the way and knocking down lap money prizes in what turned out to be a long green flag run. During this time he began lapping cars and driving through heavy traffic. On lap 32, the yellow reappeared when Sharpsteen and Jake Wylie came together between the first and second turns while running second and third.
This now moved Tommy Catalano, who earlier in the night had won the B-Main, into second behind Finocchario. Nick Robinson, also a B-Main qualifier now found himself in third. A few laps later, Scott Wylie worked his way by Robinson into third. On lap 41, Wylie moved low on the speedway and slowed to a stop to bring out the yellow.
With just a few lap remaining Jake Wylie, had reworked his way back up into the top five, when he came together with another front runner on the front straightaway. He then slid through wet grass, hit the inside guardrail and ricocheted back onto the track in the first turn where he avoided major contact, as eighth place runner Nathan peck ham looped around to miss him.
One lap later the final yellow flew when Sharpsteen slowed on the track. Finocchario would work his way back home for the win followed closely by Catalano. Dylan Bancroft came home in third followed by Strusz and Robinson.
Earlier in the evening Catalano had won the B-Main and was given the opportunity to take the $500 winner’s purse or swab it for a starting spot in the 50-lapper. It looks like Catalano made the proper choice and opted for the starting spot. The officials worked back to fifth place Eric Hadley who took the $500 bonus.
The Grandpa Dog Four Cylinders were the first class to take to the track and ran their 16-lap main event. Only one yellow slowed that race, coming on the second lap when Dakota Packman was sent spinning out the pack in the second turn.
For the most part Travis Montgomery led every lap, but found himself constantly battling with Paul Flye for the lead. A.J. Montgomery was in a solid third with Dalton Alexander fourth. On lap 11, Alexander preformed a spin and go in between turns three and four and continued back into the battle back in seventh.
Travis Montgomery took the checkers followed across the finish line by Flye, A.J. Montgomery, Jacob Gustafson and Corey Copeland.
This special night at Spencer came complete with fireworks, free food and a balloon launch to celebrate an anniversary.
SPENCER NOTES: Forty-five NY Super Stocks participated in this event….Plans for the 63rd Spencer Awards Banquet were announced. This year a combined banquet with the New York SuperStocks has been schedule for Friday, November 3, at the Palmyra VFW Post. Tickets can be obtained from Bobby Lippa Jr. or by contacting the speedway office….Only one week of racing remain in the 2017 NASCAR season at Spencer Speedway.
On Friday, September 1, Spencer Speedway will be ending the 2017 NASCAR racing season. The Sunoco Modifieds will be running a 35-lap double point main event, along with double point feature events for the Super Sixes and Grandpa Dog Four Cylinders. Race time starts at 7:15 p.m. sharp.
Spencer Speedway is located just fifteen minutes east of Rochester, NY, along Route 104 in the Town of Williamson. Spencer Speedway is the local “NASCAR Place to Race” for Central New York in 2017. Points earned each week at Spencer are counted as part of the national NASCAR Whelen All-American Point Chase.
For more information go to: www.spencerspeedway.org.