FULLER TAKES EXCITING CAYUGA COUNTY SEASON OPENER
WEEDSPORT, NY...It seemed that it was not going to happen, that is the 2004 season opener at the Cayuga County Fairgrounds. Having been postponed for four weeks due to weather and Mother's Day, the 50-lap Opener finally took place as part of a double header between Rolling Wheels Raceway, in the afternoon and Cayuga County in the evening this past Sunday.
Tim Fuller made a late race pass with just ten laps remaining to claim the $3,000 DIRT Modified feature victory. It was Fuller's eleventh win at Cayuga County and his first since 2002, as he went winless at the speedway in 2003.
Jeremy Pitcher earned his second Cayuga County Fair Sportsman feature win, his first coming last year. In Street Stock action Blane Smith was bale to claim the 15-lap victory.
Alan Johnson and Justin Haers brought the field of 28 DIRT Modifieds down to take the green flag. Vince Vitale ended his race immediately swinging his car into the infield. A multi car accident involving Jimmy Phelps, Sean Beardsley, Chad Brachmann and Todd Stewart, in the first turn, brought out an early lap 2 caution.
Johnson was able to maintain his lead on the restart with Chuck Bower second, followed by Haers, Danny Johnson and Pat Ward, who was looking to collect an additional $1,000 bonus if he could win this feature.
Danny Johnson seemed to be the car on the move, taking third from Haers and then moving in on Bower. On lap 11, he was able to pass Bower for second and then took off after his older brother, Alan. Billy Decker, ward's teammate was also now in the top five.
On lap 20 the yellow flew following a spin in the second turn by Decker after contact with the lapped car of Kenny Brightbill. Both cars were able to continue. the next lap, lap 21 saw the yellow out again as a backstretch incident, which started in the second turn, saw Jimmy Phelps, Chad Brachmann, Jeff Brownell Jr. and Todd Milton all eliminated from the race. Only Ray Bliss, the only 358-modified to make the race, and Ryan Bartlett, who was also involved, were able to continue with the race.
Again the restart saw the yellow fly when Darryl Ruggles and Decker spun in the third turn. On lap 23 it was yellow for the fourth time as Ryan Phelps and Todd Stewart came together between turns one and two.
Finally racing was able to go green again on lap 24, with Danny now on Alan's rear bumper. Fifth place, Tim Fuller was now making his way steadily towards the front. He took third from Bower, passing Ward in the process, on lap 26.
On lap 30 the yellow flew for the sixth time when Decker made contact with the inside of the fourth turn cement wall.
Gary "The Terminator" Tomkins, aboard the Elaine James Motorsports number 1, was now the moving up through the top ten. He took fifth from Ward on lap 32. On lap 35 the yellow flew when second place Danny Johnson blew a tire and slowed on the backstretch. This moved Fuller into second and following a pass by Tomkins on Bower, Tomkins into third.
Lap 39 saw the top three in a three wide battle with Fuller going high and Tomkins taking to the bottom of the speedway, leaving Johnson as the "meat in the sandwich". The move proved beneficial to Fuller as he sailed into the lead. Johnson was able to hold off Tomkins, but succumbed to Tomkins on lap 44.
Fuller sailed home the winner followed by Tomkins, Johnson. Ward and Matt Sheppard.
The 20-lap Sportsman feature saw pole sitter Greg Doust grab the early lead over Jeremy Pitcher, Eric Richardson and Russ Hefti. The race was slowed on lap two following wall contact by Donnie Wetmore Jr. in the third turn.
Doust continued to lead on the restart and seemed to be able to pull away from Pitcher. On lap 8 the yellow flew again when Wetmore Jr. looped around in the fourth turn.
The restart saw Bob Henry Jr. slide high towards the first turn wall, but he maintained control and the race remained green. But on this restart Pitcher had been able to pass Doust for the lead.
One last yellow flew, lap 13, when fourth place runner, Richardson looped out in the first turn. this moved Eldon Payne Jr. into fourth.
At the finish line it would be Pitcher with a commanding lead over Doust, Hefti, Payne Jr. and last year's track champion Ryan Richardson in fifth.
The 15-lap Street Stock main saw Blane Smith take the lead and never look back. Twenty-two cars answered the call to take to the track for the feature. Smith would lead every lap as just three yellows slowed the race.
On lap 5 the first yellow flew when Frank Burnell blew a tire and stopped on the track. The second yellow came on lap 10 when Nat Peckham and Dave Marcuccilli came together in the fourth turn. The restart saw contact up front as second place Dave Mannise and fifth place Dan Hoffman Sr. both made contact with the fourth turn wall and both had to go to the rear.
At the finish it would be Smith followed by Mike Minutolo, Mike Welch, Adam Depuy and Nick Rizzo rounding out the top five.
PIT NOTES: Neither Pat Ward (modified) nor Russ Hefti (sportsman) were able to collect their respective bonuses for winning both at the Wheels earlier in the afternoon and that night at Cayuga County...Ray Bliss took home a guaranteed starting spot for the Syracuse 358-Modified race during Super DIRT Week by being the first, and only, 358-Modified across the finish line. He now leads in 358-modified track points at Cayuga County...Forty-three modifieds were on hand for the opener, along with 29 sportsman and 25 Street Stocks.
Racing continues at Cayuga County Fair Speedway this Sunday, May 23, starting at 4 p.m. in the afternoon as the 4-cylinder Enduros and Pro-Stocks join the DIRT Modifieds, Sportsman and Street Stocks for their first appearances in 2004. This will be the first of just two appearance for the Pro-Stock at the track in 2004. Gates open at noon.
The Cayuga County Fair Speedway is located just minutes off Exit 40 of the New York State Thruway on Route 31 east of the village of Weedsport, NY.
WALL 99.3 FM CAYUGA COUNTY FAIRGROUNDS SPEEDWAY SEASON OPENER NIGHT SUMMARY
STREET STOCK
HEAT 1: D. Mannise, J. Eldridge, D. Emmons, L. Lewis, B. Warner, A. Depuy.
HEAT 2: B. Smith, N. Rizzo, N. Peckham, M. Rasbeck, M. Minutolo, R. Hawker.
HEAT 3: M. Welch, D. Marcuccilli, D. Hoffman Sr., J. Whipple, N. Dandino, S. Woodworth.
FEATURE (15-laps): BLANE SMITH, Mike Minutolo, Mike Welch, Adam Depuy, Nick Rizzo, Jamie Eldridge, Leroy Lewis, Steve Woodworth, Nat Peckham, Nick Dandino, Darren Phippen, Dave Marcuccilli, Dave Mannise, Jason Whipple, Eric Chapman, Dan Hoffman Sr., Brian Hosington, Daryl Barett, Jim Cronin, Frank Burnell, Dave Emmons, DNS: Mike Rasbeck, Brandon Warner, Ron Hawker, Car 40.
DIRT SPORTSMAN
HEAT 1: G. Doust, Sh. Donath, K. Lewis, R. Richardson, J. LaRock, B. Henry Jr.
HEAT 2: J. Pitcher, J. Potter, J. Livingston, D. Wetmore Jr., J. Dallett, K. Wills.
HEAT 3: E. Richardson, R. Hefti, E. Payne Jr., D. Creeden, K. Bates, T. Juhl.
CONSI: B. McTavish, J. Bowman, D. Weisner, M. Conrow, R. Briggs, L. Willix II.
FEATURE (20-laps): JEREMY PITCHER, Greg Doust, Russ Hefti, Eldon Payne Jr., Ryan Richardson, Jim Livingston, Jason Potter, Bob Henry Jr., Jim Bowman, Dan Weisner, Dan Creeden, Jim Dallett, Donnie Wetmore Jr., Boyd McTavish, Kevin Bates, Kevin Wills, Lance Willix II, Jim LaRock, Mark Conrow, Kyle Lewis, Eric Richardson, Richard Briggs, Tom Juhl, Shawn Donath.
DIRT MODIFIED
HEAT 1: A. Johnson, P. Ward, B. Decker, R. Bliss, J. Brownell Jr.
HEAT 2: J. Haers, D. Johnson, G. Tomkins, C. Brachmann, T. Stewart
HEAT 3: T. Milton, B. Hearn, T. Fuller, M. Sheppard, V. Coffey.
HEAT 4: C. Bower, J. Phelps, V. Vitale, T. McCreadie, J. Johnson.
CONSI 1: D. Ruggles, B. Tittle, K. Brightbill, Z. Aubertine.
CONSI 2: R. Bartlett, S. Beardsley, S. Whaley, R. Phelps.
FEATURE (50-laps): TIM FULLER, Gary Tomkins, Alan Johnson, Pat Ward, Matt Sheppard, Vic Coffey, Chuck Bower, Brett Hearn, Jack Johnson, Danny Johnson, Butch Tittle, Billy Decker, Ray Bliss, Justin Haers, Daryl Ruggles, Ryan Bartlett, Ryan Phelps, Tim McCreadie, Kenny Brightbill, Todd Stewart, Shannon Whaley, Todd Milton, Chad Brachmann, Jimmy Phelps, Jeff Brownell Jr., Sean Beardsley, Zack Aubertine, Vince Vitale.