The late Don Pratt poses with his #62 Pinto Modified at Lancaster in 1974. Don's last Modified's paint scheme from 1988 adorns an SST #62 to be driven by Daryl Lewis in select events during 2008.
Photographer: Gordie Reinig

BUCK CATALANO WINS OPENING SST MAIN, BILL HEBING NOTCHES NASCAR MODIFIED 50-LAP SPECIAL
SPENCER

Buck Catalano had not been in SST Modified victory lane since 1999 when Spencer officials called the division the Grand American Modifieds. Last Friday he returned and picked up his 48th career SST Modified feature at Spencer Speedway. The SST 35-lapper saw Catalano lead every lap on his way to victory. “I knew he (Kirk Rutherford) was all over me,” commented Catalano from victory lane. “He raced me clean and I was leaving the lane at the top open, but he never went up there.”

Bill Hebing #66 Modified photo courtesy of Howard Boundy

[Full Story: added 5/17]

FORMER SPENCER STREET STOCK CHAMPION BOBBY LIPPA JR. SETS 2008 SCHEDULE
REGIONAL

I hope everyone survived the long cold winter. The weather is looking great, and we are all looking forward to a great summer. This year we are taking some time off from the every week racing schedule to do some catching up on things we haven’t been able to do. I have posted our tentative 2008 schedule on the web site.

Bobby Lippa, Jr. Spencer 5/11/07 victory lane photo courtesy of Ron Rigby

[Full Story: added 5/14]

WYOMING SEASON OPENER BEGINS WITH BRIAN GLEASON, BOBBY HOLMES AND MARGARET MCDONALD AS WINNERS
WYOMING

Wyoming County International Speedway had its 49th season kick off on Sunday, May 11 with three feature winners at their Mother's Day show. Brian Gleason wheeled his #64 to the SST Super Stock win over Tony Pangrazio #41. The T.Q. Midget feature was captured by Bobby Holmes #0 over Dave Wollaber #1. The WASP main saw Margaret McDonald #33 come away with the checkers over Dave Bradshaw #01. The SST Modified feature fell to rain. Twin SST Modified features are scheduled for next Sunday's show.

Brian Gleason photo: Captain History

Dunn Tire Raceway Park held its Friday, May 9 drag racing event with six winners emerging in victory lane. Winners were Rich Halleen in Top, Joe Karosik in Mod, George Pease in Quick 16, Alan Fletcher in Sleds & Bikes with Keith Banas taking the laurels in the Street division. The Super Rod winner was Eric Macchiaroli.

WHEELS ARE READY TO ROLL AT SPENCER FOR THE 54TH SEASON
SPENCER

The annual “Test & Tune” session took to the track last Friday at Spencer Speedway. On hand were the four main divisions: NASCAR Modifieds (6), SST Modifieds (12), Street Stocks (6) and Super Sixes (5), making for a total of 29 cars that turned out for practice. “I hope all of the teams were able to obtain the information they needed from their sessions,” stated promoter John White. “We are all looking towards the season opener this Friday, (May 16).”

[Full Story: added 5/12]

BILLY PUTNEY OPENS DUNN TIRE RACEWAY PARK 50TH SEASON WITH FIRST MODIFIED VICTORY IN FIVE YEARS
DUNN TIRE

Former Modified champion Billy Putney made a triumphant return to the Lancaster speedplant's victory lane with his #88 after an absence of five years at Saturday's 50th season opener in the Modified 50. Erick Rudolph captured the SST Sportsman feature with his #45, former champion Jim Bryant took his #49 to the Street Stock main event, defending champion Dave Wollaber drove his #1 to the T.Q. Midget victory with 1985 Backwards champion Tim Haniszewski #02 copping the Four Cylinder feature.

Billy Putney photo courtesy of Howard Boundy

[Full Story: added 5/11]

Wyoming County International Speedway welcomes fans and competitors back to the bullring for the 49th annual opening day. In celebration of Mother's Day, ALL mothers will receive free general admission and a chance to win some great prizes.

It's Meet the Drivers Day (racecars parked on the frontstretch with everyone invited to visit the stars and their cars) along with the T.Q. Midget class appearing with a time trial show. The SST Modified, Super Stock, Street Stock and WASP classes are also in competition.

[Full Story: added 5/8]

Dunn Tire Raceway Park held its rained out drag racing event from Friday, May 2 on Sunday, May 4. Winners were Wayne Cleveland in Top, Mike Hickey in Mod, Andy Gregoire in Quick 16 for the second straight event, Jason Sobczynski in Sleds & Bikes with Wayne Czaplicki taking the laurels in the Street division.

The New York based “Cars and Stars” of NASCAR were on hand this past weekend for their first annual show at “The Mall at Greece Ridge”. “We were just so fortunate to have Dan (Hall) set this show up for us this year,” stated promoter John White. “It’s just great to see all of our cars looking so good.”

[Full Story: added 4/27]

ERICK RUDOLPH PREPARES FOR STAFFORD DEBUT
NASCAR WMT/REGIONAL

Erick Rudolph and the DeLange Racing team recently made their NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour debut at Thompson International Speedway in the 2008 Icebreaker. The Lockport, New York team is heading east again this weekend for another first-time visit to one of the renowned Modified events. They are entered in the 37th Annual Tech-Net Spring Sizzler presented by CARQUEST scheduled for April 25, 26, & 27 at famed Stafford Motor Speedway in Stafford Springs, Connecticut. Billed as "The Greatest Race in the History of Spring", the Sizzler kicks off the 2008 season at Stafford. Highlighting the program is a 200-lap event for the NASCAR Modifieds.

[Full Story: added 4/22]

DUNN TIRE RACEWAY PARK COMPLETE STOCK CAR SCHEDULE
DUNN TIRE

Dunn Tire Raceway Park in Lancaster, NY has released its 2008 stock car schedule. The track is celebrating its 50th season, and twelve shows are planned throughout the year. The Modifieds are scheduled for eight appearances during the season including two R.o.C. Modified Tour events. The finale is the 20th Annual U.S. Open from September 26-28 with seven classes in competition.

[Full Schedule: updated 4/22]

MIKE LEATY ANNOUNCES NEW SPONSOR AND 2008 SCHEDULE
SPENCER/REGIONAL

Mike Leaty and his #25 MPL Motorsports have a new primary sponsor on board for their 2008 campaign – the US Army. “It is going to be an honor to represent the US Army and all of the men and women in uniform protecting our nation this season. I am happy that they have chosen to support MPL Motorsports in 2008 and I can’t wait to begin what I hope is a long-term relationship,” said Leaty.

[Full Story: added 4/10]

Photographer: MPL Motorsports

Lockport, NY's Team Oakes Racing is preparing for the upcoming 2008 Go Kart racing season. Along with the help of my two drivers Haley Oakes, age 12, and Austin Oakes, age 10, we have started to overhaul the karts and are preparing our racing schedule. This year we are looking to do more traveling across New York, Pennsylvania and some national races in West Virginia plus a WKA (World Karting Association) divisional series.

[Full Story: updated 4/9 & 12]

Lockport, NY native Bobby Holmes and his Holmes Family Racing Team have announced their tentative schedule which includes appearances in a number of different rides during the 2008 season. One of the cars will be a new adventure as he has never driven one in racing conditions. His focus for this season will be aimed at his new ride in the Cup Lites Racing Series.

[Full Story: updated 3/22]

ANGELS VISIT WITH THE SST RACING SERIES
REGIONAL

Race cars and beautiful women have long gone hand in hand, generating an atmosphere designed to attract attention. The SST (Super Short Track) Racing Series proudly announces the SST Angels: tastefully creating a promotional program around the beauty of motorsports.

2006 & 2007 SST Modified Series champion T.J. Potrzebowski poses with an Angel and his #51 machine.
Photographer: MM Sports Photos

[Full Story: added 3/4]

DELANGE RACING ANNOUNCES 2008 SCHEDULE
REGIONAL

Team owner Dave DeLange of Lockport, New York has unveiled the 2008 schedule of races for DeLange Racing. The aggressive program will include 22 dates and 31 races. The team, led by accomplished teenage driver Erick Rudolph of Ransomville, will travel to ten different tracks across five states and compete in three major Modified series along the east coast as well as eight weekly racing events in Western New York. The former Lancaster Raceway Park, now under new management and renamed Dunn Tire Raceway Park, will remain the home base for DeLange Racing.

[Full Story: added 3/1]

LONGTIME MODIFIED DRIVER DICK CLARK PASSES
REGIONAL

Veteran Modified driver Dick "Pickles" Clark passed away on Thursday, February 28 at the age of 73. Dick competed in the Modified class with his familiar #16 rides for over twenty years before hanging up his helmet in 1986 when health problems appeared. The Munnsville resident was in competition at tracks including Shangri-La/Tioga, Spencer, Fulton, Utica-Rome, Oswego, Pocono, Langhorne, Martinsville, Lancaster and many others including trips to dirt and asphalt ovals with the All Star Racing League (finished 6th in '68 points) of the late '60s and early '70s. Victories were registered at Shangri-La, Fulton and Utica-Rome during his career with his final victory coming on July 22, 1978 at Shangri-La Speedway in his Vega after holding off the previous week's winner Dave Machuga #40.

Services:
Calling hours will be held on Sunday, 3/2 from 2-6pm at the Campbell-Dean Funeral Home, 260 Main St. (Route 46), Oneida, NY 13421. There will be a brief prayer service at the funeral home on Monday, 3/3 at 10:15am. It's a short trip up Route 46 to St. Therese's Church in Munnsville for the Funeral Mass at 11:00am.

Dick is pictured above with his #16 Barracuda Modified at Fulton in 1972.
Photographer: Fred Smith

[Full Story: added 2/]

DOROTHY HUNTER PASSES
REGIONAL

Dorothy Hunter of Hamburg (a longtime Lancaster resident) passed away on Sunday morning, February 24 at age 72. She was the former wife of racing photographer, FOAR SCORE Club President and Gater Racing Photo News columnist Bob Hunter (he passed away in 2003), mother of Barbara (husband John) Hayne and former Lancaster Street (Super) Stock champions Paul (wife Karen) #11z and Rick Young #22z, the grandmother of Mini Cup Lites #2 champion and Lancaster Late Model #52 driver Phil Hayne along with the sister of Helen, Frederick (wife Carmela) and Norman Kersch. Paul was a past Mini Cup Lites champion with his #11 too. She was a past FOAR SCORE Club Recording Secretary until a few years ago along with writing race results for Gater. "D" was almost always seen with a smile on her face and possessing a warm, outgoing manner. My thoughts are with her family and friends at this time (her son Rick's birthday is on Wednesday, 2/27).

Services: Calling hours are 7-9pm on Tuesday, 2/26 in addition to 2-4 and 7-9pm on Wednesday, 2/27 at the Demmerley Funeral Home with the funeral at noon on Thursday, 2/28 at Saints Peter & Paul Church.

Donald M. Demmerley Funeral Home, Inc.
21 Pierce Ave.
Hamburg, NY 14075-6298

Saints Peter & Paul Church
66 East Main St.
Hamburg, NY 14075-5059

Dorothy is pictured above with her son Paul Young at the January, 2006 FOAR SCORE Club Banquet.

[Full Story: added 2/]

FORMER SPENCER SPEEDWAY CHAMPION BOB MERZ PASSES
REGIONAL

Spencer's 1959 and 1961 Sports-man (Late Model) champion Bob Merz of Webster (a Roch-ester suburb) passed away on Tuesday, February 19 at age 77. Bob had raced his familiar #33 rides along with the Turner Brothers #18 Modified in his career. He was the very first winner of the Oswego Labor Day Modified event (became the Budweiser 200) in 1969 with the #18 Corvair. His Spencer career included 11 Modified victories plus 19 Sportsman (Late Model) victories over the 1960 and 1961 seasons. Bob also won 10 Fulton and 2 Shangri-La (Tioga) Modified features in his career which ended in the early '70s. He led the final Langhorne National Open (Race of Champions) event in 1971 and finished as the last lead lap car with a third place finish after starting thirty-fifth with his #33 coach. Survivors include his wife Joanne, sons Bobby, Jr. and Jim, daughter Lori along with his brothers Dale and Gerald; both Dale and Bobby, Jr. are past race drivers. Bob also operated Merz Auto Service in Webster, the family business started by his father Elmer, that was sold late last year.

Services:
Sunday, 2/24 - Calling hours are from 1-5pm and 7-9pm: Scott Funeral Home, 12 South Ave., Webster 14580
Monday, 2/25 - Mass of Christian Burial at 11am: Holy Trinity Church, 1460 Ridge Road, Webster 14580 (no burial after)

Bob Merz with his #33 coupe Modified circa 1967.
Photographer: Fred Smith

[Full Story: added 2/]

ROCHESTER STEEL TREATING WORKS TO CONTINUE SPONSORSHIP OF MIKE LEATY
REGIONAL

Rochester Steel Treating Works (RSTW) and 2007 Spencer Speedway Modified Champion Mike Leaty’s MPL Motorsports will continue their championship partnership in the 2008 racing season. “We are extremely happy to have Rochester Steel Treating Works back on board as a member of our family of sponsors. We have partnered with RSTW since 2002 and our relationship has grown throughout the years. The entire #25 Modified Team is looking forward to working with the great people at RSTW during this upcoming season”, stated Mike Leaty, driver and team owner of the #25 MPL Motorsports Team.

[Full Story: added 2/19]

KEEPING TRACK OF THE LOCAL DRIVERS AT NEW SMYRNA
REGIONAL

Area drivers have again made their appearances at New Smyrna Speedway for Speedweeks action starting on Friday, February 8. Competing in several different divisions are the drivers who have decided to start their 2008 season in the warmer climate of Florida with the close competition that the track offers. The drivers had Sunday night off with the classes we're following. The Tuesday, 2/12 events were rained out.
The 23rd Annual Richie Evans Memorial Modified 100 on Friday, February 15 was snatched by Eric Beers after the Drivers Reunion was held earlier in the afternoon.

[Full Story: updated 2/27]
[2/15 Drivers Reunion Story: updated 2/15]

WILL THOMAS AND RICH MICHAEL, JR. NAMED AS DRIVERS OF THE YEAR AT FRIENDS OF AUTO RACING AWARDS BANQUET
REGIONAL

The Friends of Auto Racing (F.O.A.R. S.C.O.R.E.) Fan Club held their annual awards banquet on Saturday, January 26, 2008 at the Classics V Banquet Hall in Amherst, NY. A crowd of approximately 275 gathered for the affair which annually recognizes champions of speedways and traveling circuits in Western New York and Ontario's Niagara Region and presents specialty awards to deserving drivers and key racing supporters. The highlights of the evening included the induction of five members into the Friends of Auto Racing Hall of Fame and the presentation of Driver of the Year Awards to Rich Michael, Jr. of Ischua, NY (dirt racing) and Will Thomas of Sharpsville, PA (asphalt racing).

2008 FOAR SCORE Hall of Fame inductees from left: Ron Williams, Ron Martin (Miserantino), Pete Bicknell, Rick Wylie with Dean Layfield's nephew John Layfield accepting the award for his late uncle.
Photographer: Captain History

[Full Story: added 1/27, updated 1/28]
[Photo Gallery by M.M Sports Photos: added 1/28]

LOOKING BACK TO THE FINAL LANGHORNE NATIONAL OPEN (RACE OF CHAMPIONS) EVENT IN 1971
REGIONAL

The Race of Champions tradition continues today at Oswego Speedway. It began life at the legendary Langhorne Speedway in 1951 as the National Open event with CT's Hully Bunn registering the victory. Roger Treichler gave his #74 coach a great ride to land the final victory at that now-defunct Pennsylvania speedplant.

[Full Story: added 1/14]

SPENCER AND LANCASTER TO ADOPT ROC ENGINE PACKAGES WITH SOME VARIATIONS
REGIONAL

After much discussion, an agreement has been reached between Andy Harpell and his Race of Champions circuit and officials at Spencer and Lancaster Speedways concerning the new RoC engine packages. “We will be making the RoC steel headed engine legal at both Spencer and Lancaster in the Modified divisions,” stated Spencer promoter John White.

[Full Story: added 12/29]

DELANGE RACING LOOKS AHEAD TO 2008
REGIONAL

With the checkered flag ready to wave on 2007, it is time to reflect back on a very successful season for the DeLange Racing team. There were a number of memorable accomplishments on the racetrack. There was also the remarkable growth in the career of Erick Rudolph. The Ransomville, New York teenager made his debut in a Modified and drove the Original Pizza Logs #45 to several top finishes, including a victory in a Race of Champions Tour event at Wyoming County International Speedway in only his sixth career Modified race. It was a season to remember for one of the rising young stars in motorsports.

[Full Story: added 12/26]

LANCASTER CHAMPION PETE SNYDER PASSES
LANCASTER

Former 1970 Lancaster Late Model champion and Modified driver Pete Snyder passed away on Friday, December 7 at the age of 63 near his home in NC after a lengthy battle with cancer. His driving career lasted until the late '70s and included appearances in Merv Treichler's Modifieds. Pete's title year was highlighted with five victories including three straight wins early in the season. All of his Lancaster career victories were captured in 1970 with his Late Model #56.
He's survived by wife Donna J. (nee Monaghan); children Daniel (April) and Timothy (Tara); siblings Clyde (Susan), Mary (Richard) Sharpe and Kathleen (Edward) Kneeppel along with being survived by nieces and nephews. He was the son of the late Leo and late Marie (nee Feurerstein) Snyder.
MEMORIAL SERVICES: Relatives and friends are invited to attend a memorial service at the Urban Brothers Funeral Home, Inc., 6685 Transit Rd., East Amherst, NY 14501 on Wednesday, December 12 at 10 AM. A memorial service at his church in NC will be held at 11 AM on Friday, December 14 at Lake Norman Christian Ministries, 2940 Charlotte Highway (HWY 21), Mooresville, NC 28117. In lieu of flowers, memorials can be made to the Leukemia Society.

Pete Snyder with his 1970 championship car #56 courtesy of Gordie Reinig/Turn 5 Photo

Cards can be sent to the family at the following address:

Donna Snyder
132 Tree Top Lane
Troutman, NC 28166

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INFORMATION AND PHOTO HELP NEEDED FOR STOCK CAR RACING BOOK COVERING THE WNY AND NW PENNSYLVANIA 1950S ERA
REGIONAL

Florida resident Ford Easton, the man who has spearheaded the Cuba Lake Raceway Reunions in recent years, is in the process of writing a stock car racing book documenting racing during the 1950s in Western NY and Northwest Pennsylvania.
This book will cover tracks from Chemung Speedrome east of Elmira to Stateline Speedway at Busti, PA in the west, and north to Ransomville Speedway in Niagara County, down to Civic Stadium in Buffalo, and east to Lancaster, and down the Finger Lakes with its many tracks and on to Ithaca-Dryden Speedway also. Some will have more extensive coverage than others naturally due to information that is available from those days. From my research, 40 tracks operated in these areas of the two states at some time during the '50s .

[Full Story]

Photographer: John Grady

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