A NIGHT OF FIRST'S AT CANANDAIGUA
CANANDAIGUA, NY...Vic Coffey from nearby Leicester, ny, took his first DIRT Modified feature at the Canandaigua Speedway last Saturday. Coffey, driving his Sweetner's Plus team car to Danny Johnson danced on the roof of his car at the end of the 35-lap feature. Also making a first time trip to victory lane was Lee Burnett in the 20-lap Pro-stock feature event. Even as these two celebrated first time wins, repeat winners were also on hand. James Henry won his fourth straight 10-lap Street Stock feature, while Justin Haers picked up his second Canandaigua feature win of the year.
The 35-lap DIRT Modified feature saw rookie driver Jeff Brownell and Chuck Hebing bring the field down for Dave Farney's green flag. Hebing immediately jumped into the lead followed by Chuck Bower and Tim Fuller. However as the first lap was being placed in the record books, Jim Gabriel Jr. made heavy contact with the second turn wall for the first of just four yellows during the race.
Hebing maintained a slight lead over Bower on the restart. Both Hebing and Bower were racing each other and stretching out a ten car lead over third place Coffey. On lap 10 the yellow flew when Darryl Ruggles car slowed on the back chute.
The restart saw Bower challenging, but again the yellow flew. This time for Vince Vitale, whose car had thrown a wheel off into the third turn.
On lap 22 Bower was able to inch out a lead over Coffey, Tim McCreadie and Steve Paine. Paine, the current points leader at the speedway, was charging through the field as was Danny Johnson. On lap 22, the yellow flew as Alex Hoag came to a stop in the first turn.
Bower maintained the lead on the restart. This advantage disappeared quickly as Coffey charged up even with Bower and then, on lap 25, completed the pass for the lead. Bower dropped to second followed by Paine, Tim McCreadie and Hebing.
Coffey was able to hold off a late race challenge by Paine to capture his first feature at Canandaigua. Paine came home second followed by Tim McCreadie, in his father's number 9 Kinney Drugs Troyer. Chuck Hebing and Tim Fuller round out the top five. The 20-lap sportsman race saw Bob Henry Jr. recorded as the early leader of the race. On lap three Clay Parmelee passed Henry for the lead. The yellow flew on lap eight as Parmelee had built up a fifteen car advantage. Mike Walters had made contact with the outside concrete wall in the second turn.
On the restart Parmelee lost the lead to Justin Haers, who would lead the final laps of the race. Nearing the end of the 20-lap feature, Haers had built up a full straight away lead over Parmelee.
Crossing the finish line first was Haers followed by Parmelee, Plumb, Wade Czymmek and Joe Beyea. The 20-lap Pro-stock main was full of excitement as Lee Burnett led the entire distance. A mad battle for second was being fought between a number of competitors. Jipp Ortiz seemed to have a lock on second when he was hit from behind by Tom Barron and spun. Both Ortiz and Barron had to report to the rear of the field for the restart.
The worst incident happened on a lap 19 restart when Zack Shove swerved and slammed into the concrete front stretch wall. He took Barron, Todd Hanagan, and Jim Burba with him. Only Burba was able to return to the battle.
Burnett held on for the win followed by Rick Miller, Mike Minutlo and Brian Michels.
The final feature of the night belonged to the Street Stock division. James Henry took the lead on lap five and seemed to pull away from the field as if it were a normal every day occurrence. Only two short cautions slowed the race.
Henry took the win followed by Richard Briggs, Eric Giguere, Jim Cologgi, and points division leader Mike Ferens.
Also on hand was the Green Momba jet car, which completely melted a Lincoln Town Car in the infield.
This Saturday see the return of all four weekly divisions at Canandaigua. Race time is at 7 p.m., with gates opening at 4:30 p.m..
COMPETITION RACING SUPPLY-ONTARIO COUNTY FAIRBOARD-PAYNE
CONSTRUCTION-"HOOT" FRAREY MEMORIAL NIGHT SUMMARY
STREET STOCKS
FEATURE (10-laps): JAMES HENRY, Richard Briggs, Eric Giguere, Jim Cologgi, Mike Ferens, Nathan Peckham, Fred Srock, Leroy Lewis, Darrin Phippen, John Rutkowski, Jared LaBarge, Tim Burnell, Trisha Hampton, Mike Shaw, Vance Vanderwall, Mike Welch, Butch Moore, Brian Lloyd, Brian Steinruck, Randy Peters.
PRO-STOCK
HEAT 1: T. Barron, L. Burnett, J. Ortiz, B. Michels, M. Minutlo, J. Burba.
HEAT 2: Ri. Miller, J. McGuigan, C. Homan, P. Hobbs, T. Hanagan, C. Nugent.
HEAT 3: M. Cooper, J. Unaman Jr., B. Brown, S. Miller, S. Fremouw, M. Walters.
FEATURE (20-laps): LEE BURNETT, Rick Miller, Mike Minutlo, Brian Michels, Jipp Ortiz, Mike Cooper, Chad Homan, Dan Weisner, John Unaman Jr., Chad Nugent, Scott Fremouw, Tommy Barron, Todd Hanagan, Zack Shove, Josh Nichols, Jim Burba, Phil Barone, Billy Brown, Steve Miller, Jim McGuigan, Dave Conant, Jon Miller, Mike Walters, Betty Fremouw, Bobby Lutz, Patrick Hobbs.
SPORTSMAN
HEAT 1: C. Parmelee, W. Czymmek, K. Comfort, D. Allen, M. Sheppard, R. Swarthout, E. Payne.
HEAT 2: J. Plumb, J. Haers, J. Beyea, S. Gray, B. Henry Jr., P. Guererri, K. Stell.
FEATURE (20-laps): JUSTIN HAERS, Clay Parmelee, John Plumb, Wade Czymmek, Joe Beyea, Matt Sheppard, Bob Henry Jr., Karl Comfort, Paul Guererri, Rich Swarthout, David Allen, Keith Stell, John Pfeffer, Eldon Payne, Ed Monroe, Dale Darling, Steve Gray, Greg Walters.
MODIFIED
HEAT 1: C. Bower, T. Fuller, C. Donk, R. Bliss Jr., D. Johnson, S. Paine, P. Ward.
HEAT 2: C. Hebing, T. McCreadie, D. Ruggles, G. Tomkins, J. Gabriel Jr., V. Coffey, J. Brownell.
FEATURE (35-laps): VIC COFFEY, Steve Paine, Tim McCreadie, Chuck Hebing, Tim Fuller, Danny Johnson, Charlie Donk, Pat Ward, Jeff Brownell, Randy Miller, Ron White, Gary Tomkins, Chuck Bower, Alex Hoag, Vince Vitale, Darryl Ruggles, Tim Cornell, Greg Tatich, Jim Gabriel Jr., Ray Bliss Jr.