ALAN JOHNSON PICKS UP HIS SECOND HALL OF FAME CLASSIC 100
WEEDSPORT, NY...Alan Johnson, from Phelps, NY, earned his second DIRT Motorsports Hall of Fame Classic 100 last Sunday in front of a larger then normal crowd. Johnson first won this race, part of the Advance Auto Parts Super DIRT Series, in 1996.
Bob Henry Jr. sailed to a somewhat easy victory in the DIRT Sportsman 20-lap feature. Special Mid-State Vintage stock car races were won by Pat Sonnenberg and Gary Byerly.
Steve Paine, from Waterloo, NY, set fast time of the afternoon with a lap of 15.701 seconds, 85.982 miles per hour. This was just short of the record time set in 2002 by Alan Johnson. By luck, Paine redrew the pole starting spot with second fast timer Billy Decker drawing fifth.
Paine used his favorable redraw to rocket into the lead at the drop of the green over outside pole sitter Pat Ward. One lap later Alan Johnson had taken second from Ward and was out to chase down Paine.
On lap 15 the yellow flew when Butch Tittle slowed on the track, coming to a halt in the fourth turn. This bunched the field together for the restart. As the field charged out of the fourth turn a number of cars made contact resulting in a second yellow before a lap could be completed. Involved in the melee were Tim McCreadie, Brett Hearn, Gary Tomkins, Vic Coffey, Bobby Varin and Chad Brachmann. After a short delay to separate the cars of Hearn and Tomkins, all of the cars involved were able to return except for McCreadie.
A number of yellows now slowed the race. On lap 17, Jeremie Corcoran looped down the front chute and into the first turn, not making contact with any one else. On lap 20, Justin Haers and Vince Vitale came together in the second turn. And on lap 28, Frank Cozze slowed with a flat right front tire. All this time the front of the field was Paine, Johnson, Bob McCreadie and Billy Decker in a neck-to-neck duel for third and Ward in fifth.
Johnson made his move on Paine on lap 35, taking the lead by mere inches at the start-finish line. Johnson then began to stretch out a one second lead over Paine. On lap 44, Paine slowed and pulled his car into the infield, allowing Decker to grab second.
With the leaders in lapped traffic, the yellow flew when Corcoran slowed to a stop in the fourth turn. On the restart Bob McCreadie took second from Decker. Ward had moved up to fourth when Paine dropped out and now Chuck Bower was running fifth at the halfway mark.
Lap 55 saw the yellow fly when Gary Gallerie slowed with a flat right rear tire. During this yellow Kenny Tremont Jr. pitted and lost a number of laps in the pits for mechanical repairs.
Bob McCreadie's fate was sealed by a lap car on lap 65. McCreadie drove low down the front chute but had to crank hard right to avoid the inside first turn cement wall. This sent him sliding across the track and coming to a stop before making contact with the first turn outside wall. Decker, who currently leads the Advance Auto Parts Super DIRT Series points battle, moved up to second.
The final yellow of the race came on lap 70 when Mike Adderley lopped in the fourth turn and became lodged on top of the inside cement barrier.
Johnson had to maneuver lapped traffic over the final laps to take the win. Billy Decker, who became trapped in that same lap traffic finished second. Pat Ward came home third with Brett Hearn rebounding from his earlier accident to grab fourth. Tim Fuller, who also pitted during the race, came home in fifth.
The 20-lap Sportsman feature saw Shane Donath take the lead at the drop of the green. Mike Conrow was second followed by John Pfeffer and Bob Henry Jr.. Shane's brother Brian Donath brought out the first yellow when he spun in the second turn on lap four.
On the restart Walt Chyrywaty bounced off the outside front stretch cement wall and continued with any contact to any one else. Chyrywaty, however, became the first to drop from the race two laps later following the hard contact.
On lap six, Bob Henry Jr. drove by Donath to take the lead. Henry Jr. then stretched out his advantage to nearly a half straight as Conrow battled Donath for second.
On lap 12 the yellow came out following a wall riding incident by Phil LaVare in the second turn. LaVare was able to bring his car back onto the track and return to the back of the restart line.
Henry Jr. cruised home the winner followed by Conrow, Donath, Russ Hefti and Pfeffer. Pfeffer had cross the finish line just ahead of Hefti, but was penalized a position for a jump on the lap 12 restart.
The Mid-State Vintage Racers were on hand earlier for the Hall of Fame ceremonies, displaying all of their equipment. But now it was time to race their cars!
The 50's-60's 10-lap Sammy Reakes Memorial feature went off with out a hitch. The pole starting spot was left open in memory of the great Sammy Reakes. Pat Sonnenberg drove his 1936 Chevrolet coupe home the winner. Second place Leon Litzenberger, was the first fifties car across the finish line. Litzenberger's car was a 1941 Plymouth.
In the 70's feature, an accident involving Lowery Siemens and Erin "Doc" Smith. Siemens beautiful 1935 Chevrolet coach got up on it's side and was wedged next to the first turn wall by Smith. Neither driver was injured in the accident. Gary Byerly easily captured the 10-lap feature.
HALL OF FAME NOTES: For the first year the Hall of Fame Classic was named after the former general manger at Cayuga County and Canandaigua Speedways, Bill McNabb. McNabb passed away in March following a long bout with cancer...Over 100 cars were on hand for the Hall of Fame Classic; 52 modifieds, 33 Sportsman and 28 Mid-State Vintage Racers...Eventual Classic 100 winner, Alan Johnson's mechanic Randy Kisacky, was honored earlier in the afternoon with the DIRT Motorsports Mechanic of the Year Award...Two nasty roll overs occurred in the DIRT Modified division. During time trials A.J. Romano's number 16 made contact with the third turn and flipped wildly over the wall and out of the park. A.J. emerged uninjured. Later in the consolation race, Dave Axton started to barrel roll, flipping over the first turn wall and also out of the park. Axton also emerged uninjured.
This Sunday Cayuga County switches to their "Night Format", with starting time at 7 p.m. sharp. It will be Lakeland Equipment Corporation of Savanah night. On hand will be the combined Modified/358-Modifieds, Sportsman, Pro- Stocks and 4 Cylinder Enduros. Also added for the night are Lawnmover races.
The Cayuga County Fair Speedway is located just minutes off Exit 40 of the NYS Thruway, on Route 33, just east of the village of Weedsport.
BILL McNABB HALL OF FAME CLASSIC NIGHT SUMMARY
MID-STATE VINTAGE RACERS
50'S-60'S HEAT: P. Sonnenberg, J. Hilimire, S. Morden, B. Kisslestein, R. Appleby.
70'S HEAT: B. Williams Sr., G. Byerly, E. Smith, A. Harju, L. Siemens
50'S-60'S FEATURE (10-laps): PAT SONNENBERG (60), LEON LITZENBERGER (50), Jim Hilimire, Brad Litzenburger, Don Nichols, Jim Chase, Bill Kisslestein, Shirley Morden, Ron Hadden, Joey Edgbert, Terry Ferguson, Richard Applebee.
70'S FEATURE (10-laps): GARY BYERLY, Bob Williams Sr., John Smith, Wayne Applegate, Norm Hunt, Ed Rohr, Dale Bauder, Erin Smith, Lowery Siemens.
SPORTSMAN
HEAT 1: J. Pfeffer, E. Richardson, E. Payne Jr., T. Perrego, R. Loveless.
HEAT 2: R. Richardson, S. Donath, G. Doust, J. Juhl, J. Pitcher.
HEAT 3: B. Henry Jr., M. Conrow, D. Wetmore Jr., P. LaVare, W. Chyrywaty
HEAT 4: R. Hefti, B. Donath, L. Lincoln, S. Reakes IV, M. Bowman
CONSI: J. Bowman, J. Potter, A. Vargo, D. Peek
FEATURE (20-laps): BOB HENRY JR., Mike Conrow, Shane Donath, Russ Hefti, John Pfeffer, Ryan Richardson, Greg Doust, Eric Richardson, Ron Loveless, Loren Lincoln, Eldon Payne Jr., Tom Perrego, Jim Bowman, Sammy Reakes IV, Mike Bowman, Jason Potter, Donnie Wetmore Jr., Brian Donath, Andy Vargo, Phil LaVare, John Juhl, David Peek, Jeremy Pitcher, Walt Chyrywaty.
ADVANCE AUTO PARTS MODIFIED
TIME TRIALS: Steve Paine 15.701 (85.982 mph), Billy Decker 15.810, Vic Coffey 15.903, Brett Hearn 15.939, Alan Johnson 15.956, Tim McCreadie 15.998, Pat Ward 16.033, Chad Brachmann 16.036, Bob McCreadie 16.055, Chuck Bower 16.095, Tim Fuller 16.132, Butch Tittle 16.149, Jimmy Phelps 16.186, Jeremy Corcoran 16.230, Mike Adderley 16.236, Gary Tomkins 16.274, Doug Hoffman 16.293, Bobby Varin 16.335, Kenny Tremont Jr. 16.398, Vince Vitale 16.403, Justin Haers 16.410, Darryl Ruggles 16.421, Ryan Phelps 16.458, Jason Barney 16.496, Steve Hulsizer 16.509, Scott Prentice 16.566, Alan Shiffler 16.567, Ray Bliss, Jr. 16.570, Jerry Higbie 16.594, Frank Cozze 16.598, Jeff Isabell 16.609, Gary Gallerie 16.637, Brian Michaels 16.650, Ryan Odasz 16.659, Dan Vauter 16.755, Ron Cartwright Jr. 16.757, Mike Ward 16.788, Randy Chrysler 16.794, Danny Johnson 16.876, Mike Colsten 16.989, Ric Hill 16.995, jimmy LaRock 17.046, A.J. Romano 17.058, Alex Hoag 17.134, Ken Johnson 17.167, Tom Juhl 17.276, Tom Sears, Jr. 17.322, Ryan Bartlett 17.340, Dave Axton 17.429, Mike Bliss 17.614, Joe Beyea 17.997, Roy Shields 18.243.
HEAT 1: C. Brachmann, J. Phelps, V. Coffey, B. Varin
HEAT 2: B. McCreadie, B. Hearn, K. Tremont Jr., J. Cocoran
HEAT 3: C. Bower, A. Johnson, M. Adderly, F. Cozze.
HEAT 4: T. McCreadie, T. Fuller, G. Tomkins, J. Haers.
HEAT 5: P. Ward, D. Ruggles, B. Tittle, D. Hoffman
CONSI 1: V. Vitale, R. Phelps, J. Higbie, A. Shiffler
CONSI 2: J. Barney, S. Prentice, R. Bliss Jr., G. Gallerie.
ADDED: D. Johnson
FEATURE (100-laps): ALAN JOHNSON, Billy Decker, Pat Ward, Brett Hearn, Tim Fuller, Chuck Bower, Gary Tomkins, Jimmy Phelps, Darryl Ruggles, Frank Cozze, Vic Coffey, Doug Hoffman, Jason Barney, Ryan Phelps, Chad Brachmann, Bobby Varin, Tim McCreadie, Kenny Tremont Jr., Alan Shiffler, Jerry Higbie, Butch Tittle, Danny Johnson, Gary Gallerie, Mike Adderley, Bob McCreadie, Ray Bliss, Jr., Jeremy Corcoran, Steve Paine, Justin Haers, Vince Vitale, Scott Prentice.