BURLEY, SPATORICO, JAREN ISRAEL, AND ROGER ISRAELTAKE WINS ON OPENING NIGHT AT THE BIG R
 

(Alex and Helen Bruce Photos)

Ransomville, NY…Friday, May 4th, 2007…"These are the good old days,” says co-promoter Joel Friesen. The slogan for the 50th anniversary season was proven to be fact as the pit area and grandstands were packed last Friday night for the season opener at the big R.  A total of eighty-seven cars entered aboard the Mighty Taco
Modifieds, Original Pizza Logs Sportsman, Johnston’s Restaurant Streetstock, and Bobcat of Buffalo Firehall Enduro divisions.
     Todd Burley of Spencerport, NY took off where he left off a year ago taking the win on opening night and defending his track championship in style aboard the thirty lap Mighty Taco Modified feature main. Burley took control at the drop of the green and
maintained the top spot through the entire thirty circuits.
     Burley grabbed the lead at the drop of the green followed by Jon Miller, Rich Vinson, Chad Brachmann, and Stewart Friesen. Brachmann lost the handle on lap two in turn one collecting the cars of Rick Hoctor, Mark Golding, Scott George, and Boyd MacTavish. Burley chose the inside lane for the restart with Vinson along side. The pair ran side by side through lap two with Burley in command at the line. Vinson, Friesen, Robbie Krull, and rookie Jeff McGinnis rounded out the top five. Friesen pulled to the outside of Vinson and mounted a challenge for the runner up position. Friesen was able to secure the position on lap seven. Friesen’s great run was short lived as a flat
tire sent him pitside on lap twelve.
     Burley brought the field back to green flag racing and maintained the lead position over Krull, Vinson, McGinnis, and Pete Bicknell. McGinnis took over the third position as they ran three wide off turn four. Brachmann and Friesen had rebounded nicely from their early race incidents as they ran sixth and seventh on lap eighteen. Todd Gordon
lost the handle on the final circuit darting back in front of the field. Contact was made by several cars resulting in Gordon flipping in turn one. Gordon was transported to the local hospital for precautious measures. Burley was able to hang on up front and take the win aboard his #5 entry.

     Don Spatorico took the lead away from Rob Pratt on lap twelve of the twenty five lap Original Pizza Logs main and was never seriously challenged after that point. Spatorico took the win followed by Rob Pratt, Steve Schumacher, Jipp Ortiz, and Tyler MacPherson.
     Pratt took control at the start followed by Schumacher, Ortiz, Spatorico, and Tony Purgarich. Ortiz and Spatorico battled side by side for the third position with Spatorico taking the spot on lap three.  Rookie Derek Smith slipped into the frontstretch moat on lap four resulting in the lose of several positions. The top two ran nose to tail as Spatorico, Ortiz, and  MacPherson rounded out the top five.  Spatorico made a bid for the runner up position on lap six with Schumacher hanging on. This allowed Pratt to put some distance between himself and the remainder of the field.
     Pratt continued to set the fast pace up front as Spatorico took over the second position on lap eight. Spatorico quickly closed the distance between himself and Pratt. Pratt ran the topside while Spatorico used the inside lane. Spatorico took the lead on lap twelve followed by Pratt, Schumacher, Ortiz, and MacPherson. Spatorico  maintained the top spot through the final circuits and collected the first open wheeled feature of the 2007 season.

     Jaren Israel of Wilson, NY took top honors aboard the first fifteen lap Johnston’s Restaurant Streetstock feature. Israel took command at the drop of the green and maintained the top spot through the entire fifteen laps. Israel barely hung on as he made contact with the retaining guardrail on the final circuit, just beating out Chris
Burek at the line. Burek, Dave Conant, Nate Vetter, and Wayne Close rounded out the top five.
     Morris and Israel shared the front row for the start by virtue of the time-trials run the week prior. Israel took command utilizing the outside groove and led through lap five. Morris applied heavy pressure with Wayne Close a tight third. The first caution flew on lap 6 for Carla Duchnick who lost the handle on the back stretch. Israel maintained the lead on the restart however Morris was able to make a bid using the inside lane. It was a three car battle up front as Israel, Morris, and Close ran nose to tail. The top two ran side by side down the frontstretch with Israel utilizing the moat as he ran out
of racing room. Israel managed to hang onto the top spot as the pair made contact in turn one. Morris ended up with a flat tire ending his great run. Israel continued to lead the remaining distance and claimed the win aboard the first Johnston’s Restaurant Streetstock main.

     Roger Israel was in the right place at the right time as he took command of the second fifteen lap Johnston’s Restaurant Streetstock main event in the closing laps and went on for the win. Israel is the defending champion of the class and inherited the lead when leader Kirk Tuttle drifted high making contact with the turn three guardrail in the final laps. Tuttle was able to hang onto second followed by Ryan
Susice, Dan Baughman, and Boots Martin.
     Tuttle took command at the drop of the green with Boots Martin in tow. Martin appeared to have mechanical difficulties as he dropped off the backstretch coming to a stop in turn three. Martin was able to rejoin the field without losing a lap. Tuttle brought the field back to green followed by Webb Nashwinter, Kenny Washburn, Roger Israel, and Ryan Susice. Rookie contender Susice was on the charge taking over the
third position prior to the yellow being thrown for Brian Lonneville who made contact with the turn four guardrail. Tuttle maintained the lead position followed by Roger Israel. Tuttle looked to be on his way to victory but drifted high in turn three with just a couple laps remaining. Israel was able to take over the top spot and maintained it
to the checkered. It was a father/son victory lane as the Israel pair captured the twin wins.


MIGHTY TACO MODIFIED FEATURE FINISH-TODD BURLEY, Robbie Krull, Stewart
Friesen, Jeff McGinnis, Pete Bicknell, Rich Vinson, Chad Brachmann, Sam
Crogan, Jon Miller, Scott George, Joe Kubiniec, Rick Hoctor, Scott
Kerwin, Kevin Wills, Dave Just, Todd Gordon, James Friesen, Ricky
Richner, Mark Golding, Boyd MacTavish, and Bill Torissi. Heat Winners-
Rich Vinson, Chad Brachmann, and Pete Bicknell.

ORIGINAL PIZZA LOGS SPORTSMAN FEATURE FINISH-DON SPATORICO, Rob Pratt,
Steve Schumacher, Jipp Ortiz, Tyler MacPherson, Tony Purgarich, Tommy
Flanagan, Steve Miller, Scott Just, John Panattoni, Jesse Cotriss Andy
Joy, Greg Martin, Doug Coons, BJ Willard, Ricky Newton, Bob Broomfield,
Ed Cain, Mike Short, Rick Gallente, Derek Smith, Derek Smith, Sandy
Pembleton, Kevin Drake, Jeff Cosgrove, and Dave Charczuk. Heat Winners-
Don Spatorico, Jipp Ortiz, and Sandy Pembleton.

JOHNSTON’S RESTAURANT STREETSTOCK FEATURE FINISH #1-JAREN ISRAEL,
Chris Burek, Dave Conant, Nate Vetter, Wayne Close, Brian Sparks,
Gerald Poole, Tim Raymond, Alex Morris, Brandon Sherwood, Carla
Duchnick, and Billy Coleman. Heat Winners-Webb Nashwinter and Chris
Burek.

JOHNSTON’S RESTAURANT STREETSTOCK FEATURE FINISH #2-ROGER ISRAEL, Kirk
Tuttle, Ryan Susice, Dan Baughman, Boots Martin, Randy Zimmerman, Ken
Washburn, Alan Wills, Webb Nashwinter, Brian Lonneville, Rowdy
Rutherford, Sean Letts, and Cliff Gregg.