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RAFTER DOUBLES AT CAYUGA AND LANCASTER;
EVANS CLAIMS 30-LAP SPENCER VICTORY

By John Bisci

(July 11-12, 1969) – Bill Rafter of Niagara Falls, N.Y., enjoyed a rich weekend by winning at Canada's Cayuga Speedway on Friday night and Lancaster Speedway near Buffalo, N.Y., on Saturday.  For the former NASCAR Grand National driver, the victories were two-in-a-row at both tracks.  The combination of Rafter and his Gil Bruss-owned No. 22 coupe seemed invincible as the summer kicked into high gear in Western N.Y.

Rafter towed northwest to the 5/8-mile Highway 3 oval on Friday night with a win under his belt from the week before.  Bill Brainard of Cheektowaga, N.Y., took the early lead in the 20-lap Modified feature and stayed out front for the first nine circuits until Cam Gagliardi spun his Corvair.  Rafter, in second place when the caution flag was thrown, blasted into the lead on the restart and led the final 10 laps to record his second consecutive Cayuga victory.

The race was slowed by only one other caution for Jerry Mathis' flip on the back chute.

Cayuga's 1968 champion, Chuck Boos of Lewiston, N.Y., finished second.  Ken Meahl, Bill Brainard and Jim Rudolph of Ransomville, N.Y., completed the top five.

Modified heats were won by Rafter and Rudolph.  Meahl won the consolation race after starting dead last.

Ralph Book won Cayuga's Late Model feature.  Kenny Cassel grabbed second place from Jim Thomson in the fourth turn on the final lap.  Late Model heats were won by Cassel and Jim Howard.

Spencer Speedway, located near Rochester, N.Y., also presented Modified racing on Friday nights (and still does today).  Richie Evans, fresh from a Wednesday-night All Star 100 victory at Lancaster, grabbed his second Modified feature of the week by taking the checkered flag in Spencer's 30-lap main event.  Maynard Troyer finished a close second and the pair took the checkered flag a half-lap ahead of third-place finisher Dutch Hoag.  Bryan Osgood and Supermodified star Norm Mackereth completed the top five.

Johnny Adams of Hilton, N.Y., led laps 6-19 in the 20-lap Late Model feature, but Leo Lewandowski (who started last) grabbed the win at the finish line.  Dan Swain, Wes Nieman and Lockport's Jim Laughing completed the top five.

On Saturday night at Lancaster, Rafter scored his second consecutive Modified victory in an abbreviated race.  Neil Truesdell led the first lap of the crash-filled feature.  The first race stoppage occurred on the second lap when Roger Treichler, Roger Boas and Rick Ortiz crashed on the front straightaway.  Boas' coupe climbed the guardrail and the red flag was thrown to sort out the wreckage.  Truesdell retained the lead until '67 Lancaster champion Chuck Boos powered past on lap 11.  Two laps later, Boos and Truesdell tangled and Chuck retired with damage to his car's rear axle.  Kenny Meahl assumed command of the race on lap 14 and immediately felt the pressure of Rafter, who had moved up from his 18^th-place starting position.  Rafter made four attempts to pass Meahl before finally taking the lead.  On lap 26, six cars spun in Gordy Treichler's oil and the race – by vote of the drivers – was declared complete as the dreaded 11 p.m. curfew loomed.

Rafter earned $500 for first place and also collected promoter Ed Serwacki's "back-to-back bonus" of $450.

Leo Lewandowski enjoyed a successful weekend of his own, winning the 20-lap Late Model feature over Jim Wetzler.  Big Leo also collected the Lancaster Late Model "back-to-back bonus," adding $125 to his $150 first place winnings.