LANCASTER, N.Y. – Chuck Hossfeld won the Joe Reilly Crown Royal Classic 54 Race of Champion Sportsman Modified event on Saturday at Lancaster Speedway @ New York International Raceway Park as part of the 31st annual U.S. Open Weekend.
In additional action from U.S. Open Saturday, Joe Mancuso won the John Julicher Memorial RoC Super Stock feature. Josh Schosek won the RoC 4-Cylinder Dash Series feature. Bobby Holmes won his second RoC TQ Midget U.S. Open feature.
Tyler Catalano and Daryl Lewis Jr. led the field of 29 RoC Sportsman to the opening green flag of the fourth annual Joe Reilly Crown Royal Classic, which pays tribute to championship winning crew chief, Joe Reilly, who passed away in 2016. Lewis grabbed the lead at the start while Catalano slipped backwards in the opening laps. Heat winner Eddie Hawkins landed in second place followed by Shawn Nye, Patrick Emerling and Hossfeld.
The first caution of the event happened on lap 8 when Dave Kozlowski spun out in turn two. On the restart Tommy Catalano spun into the infield off of turn four. Leo Becker also spun, which collected Ted Appleton and Jayme Thompson. Hossfeld and Emerling got by Nye on the restart to move into second and third place respectively.
The yellow flag came out again on lap 20 when Becker spun out again in turn three. On the restart, Hossfeld pushed up high going into turn one, which cost him about four positions. This moved Emerling to second followed Nye, Mike Fiebelkorn, Jr. and Andy Jankowiak
The caution flag came out again on lap 21 for a spin by Becker and Jeff Szafraniec. The cars splashed water up on the race track from the infield, which led to a lengthy caution. Emerling developed an axle problem under caution, and was forced to pit. With Emerling surrendering the runner-up spot it moved up Nye, Fiebelkorn, Jankowiak and the rest of the field.
Tyler Catalano backed into the Thermal Foam blocks in turn two on lap 31. Jankowiak had moved up to second place by this point followed by Hossfeld, Fiebelkorn and Nye. Hossfeld managed to take the lead from Lewis on the restart.
Lewis and Jankowiak got together in turn one on lap 34, which resulted in another caution period that included Mike Ramos and Tony Carbone. By this point Tommy Catalano had driven his way back through the field after his lap 8 spin. He moved into third place behind Hossfeld and Nye by lap 34.
Catalano got by Hossfeld for the lead on lap 36, but his stay at the front of the field was short lived as Hossfeld regained first place just three laps later. Hossfeld and Catalano continued to battle for first as the race entered the final ten laps. Despite repeated attempts by Catalano, Hossfeld would not be denied his fourth-straight U.S. Open Sportsman feature win.
Hossfeld crossed the finish line first just ahead of Catalano. Emerling came back through the field after his crew repaired the broken axle to finish third. Mike Leaty came home fourth with Fiebelkorn rounding out the top five. The victory gives Hossfeld nine career U.S. Open victories with five wins in the Modifieds and four in the Sportsman.
Joe Mancuso scored his fourth career U.S. Open Super Stock feature win and second in a row to capture the second annual John Julicher Memorial. Mancuso passed TJ Cochrane for the lead on lap 7, and never looked back as the race went caution-free for the first 29 of 30 laps.
Cochrane spun out while running second to bring out the yellow, which set up a green-white-checkered finish. Mancuso out ran Tommy Krawczyk for the final two laps to secure the victory. Krawczyk finished second followed by Jake Wylie, Tommy Barron and Andy Cryan. Cryan finished fifth starting fifteenth.
Josh Schosek led all 25 laps from the pole position to win the Butch Palmer Memorial for the RoC 4-Cylinder Dash Series. Schosek was the dominant car as he pulled away from the field late in the race to score his first U.S. Open win and second feature win of 2019 at Lancaster.
Charles Palmer finished second after an intense battle with the rest of the top five. Dave Brunka finished third after starting 12th. Bob Palmer and Briar Dils rounded out the top five finishers.
Bobby Holmes captured his second career U.S. Open TQ Midget feature win as he won the 25-lap RoC TQ Midget Series event. Holmes started 11th and passed Kyle Hutchinson and Dave Wollaber to take the lead on lap 14.
Hutchinson started on the pole and led the first 13 laps. Wollaber and Holmes made their way to the front of the field to join Hutchinson in a three-car battle. Holmes went from third to first to take the lead for good with 11 laps to go.
Andy Jankowiak came from the 20th starting position to finish second after passing Wollaber late in the race. Wollaber placed third followed by Hutchinson and Jeremy Haudricourt.