Chenaille Finally Cracks WCIS Victory Lane Emerling and Catalano Also Collect Wins

PERRY, NY… Independence Day Weekend started out with side by side action all over the action packed 1/3^rd mile oval at Wyoming County International Speedway this past week as all the divisions had great car counts and put on a spectacular show for the fans. There was an exhibition from the Vintage Late Models during the intermission and even two fire cars lit up the Perry sky after the racing was completed. The racing on the track was the best of the season to this point as all three classes that were on hand had good turnouts. Young gun Patrick Emerling picked up his third win on the season in the SST Modifieds. Mike “Scrappy” Chenaille was victorious in the SST Super Stocks for the first time in his career and 14 year old sensation Tommy Catalano of Ontario, NY picked up his track leading fifth victory of the year in the 4 Cylinder class.

Dick Kluth and Jim Ling would lead the SST Modifieds for the start of the 35 lap affair with the veteran driver Kluth getting out to the early lead. The first yellow would fly as Scott Combs would spin in turn three. After the first restart, defending SST Series Champion Amy Catalano would take over the top spot from race leader John Julicher Jr. Catalano would show the boys how to get it done around the historic Wyoming County International Speedway oval. The second caution of the night came out before the halfway mark as once again Scott Combs spun in between turns three and four. Off of the restart, Patrick Emerling got around Catalano and took over the top spot. Great racing as the cars were strung all around the 1/3^rd mile and lap traffic did play a factor into the final outcome of the event, however the leaders knew exactly how to get around the traffic that they were encountering.

When he was up front, Emerling would pull away to a big lead over top running Andy Jankowiak and defending series champ Amy Catalano. Even lap cars didn’t slow down the high flying Emerling as he would pull away from the rest of the field and pick up win number three of the season. Amy Catalano came home in second and last week’s feature winner Andy Jankowiak came home in third. Early race leader John Julicher Jr. was the only other car that finished on the lead lap as he would cross the line in fourth and Jim Ling would round out the top five.  The entire top three were all on American Racers Tires and Greg Utberg was chosen as the Driver of the Week for next week.

Austyn Fugle and Jeremy Gray led the field to the green flag for the start of the 25 lap SST Super Stock event and it was Jeremy Gray getting the early advantage. Then with Gray up front, Mike “Scrappy” Chenaille of Perry, NY took over the top position. Chenaille got out to a full straightaway lead over the rest of the field at the Bullring.

Side by side action all over the Perry, NY oval and Jeremy Gray and Cassie Logsdon were putting on a great battle for the fans. Logsdon and Phil Alhart Jr put on a great battle for the runner up position. Logsdon, last week’s feature winner was right on the rear bumper of Chenaille after a late race restart and was unable to real in Scrappy as he came across the line for his first career win in the Super Stocks. The Perry resident stated in victory lane that his car “was like driving a boat”. “It was just hooked up and the only thing I had to do was hit the gas pedal”. The recent high school graduate Cassie Logsdon finished in second continue her great string of recent finishes  and current WCIS Super Stock Points Leader  Phil Alhart Jr. from Fairport came across the line in third. Newcomer Steve Malin finished fourth and former feature winner Willie Strusz completed the top five.

Josh Beardsley and Eric Haistreiter lead the strong field of the entry level 4 cylinders to the green flag for their 20 lap feature go and it was  Haistreiter getting the early advantage. Then Beardsley, a recent graduate of Alfred State took the top spot away from Haistreiter on lap number two. Then Mike Hossfeld, who was making his first trip to the Bullring this year spun in turn four on lap number six. The restart saw Beardsley and four time feature winner Tommy Catalano at the head of the class and it was the Cam’s NY Pizzeria, PJ Radiator, Catalano Motorsports entry taking the lead off of the restart. Charles Buchanan drove right up thru the field and had a great battle with the 14 year old Catalano but was unable to get around the Catalano machine as Tommy would pick up his track leading fifth win of the year. Buchanan would finish second and Josh Beardsley would cross the line in third.  Defending WCIS Track Champion Brian Johnson would finish fourth and Eric Haistreiter would fall back to finish in the top five.

Next week at the Bullring is the annual visit by the heart-pounding Race of Champions DART Asphalt Modified Tour. The Mods are also joined by the second appearance of the season by the Casey’s TQ Midgets Series. Also in competition next Friday night will be the SST Modifieds, SST Super Stocks and the 4 cylinders. Pit gates will open at a special time, 3:00 pm with the grandstand gates getting opened at 5:00 pm and race time is set for 7:30 pm sharp. For more information, you can log on to www.wyomingcountyinternationalspeedway.com or check us out on Facebook by searching Wyoming International Speedway. You can also call the speedway office at (585) 237-2580 or on raceday at (585) 237-2510.

Official Results – 7/2/10

SST Modifieds: PATRICK EMERLING, Amy Catalano, Andy Jankowiak, John Julicher Jr., Jim Ling, Ed Schueler, Lexi Wilson, Greg Utberg, Ron Williams, Dick Kluth, Matt Jurek (DNF), Scott Combs (DNF), Tom Weist (DNF), Mike Shaughnessy (DNS)

Heat Winners – John Julicher Jr.  and Patrick Emerling

SST Super Stocks: MIKE CHENAILLE, Cassie Logsdon, Phil Alhart Jr., Steve Malin, Willie Strusz, Joe Mancuso, Austyn Fugle, Jeremy Gray, Brad Collings (DNF)

Heat Winner – Austyn Fugle

4 Cylinders: TOMMY CATALANO, Charles Buchanan, Josh Beardsley, Brian Johnson, Eric Haistreiter, Kevin Grom, Allison Knoepfler, Daniel Majchrzak, Joe Clark, Ashley Kirchberger, Zach Willis, Dan Scott, Dakota Packman (DNF), Mike Hossfeld (DNF)

Heat Winners – Kevin Grom and Charles Buchanan