JOHNSON, TOMKINS, HAERS, BOYLE AND WELCH WIN FEATURES:
PAINE, COMFORT, ORTIZ AND FERENS CROWNED TRACK CHAMPIONS
CANANDAIGUA, NY...Danny Johnson and Gary Tomkins split victories in the Phelps Cement Twin 25's for DIRT Modifieds last Saturday, but neither one could top the points total Steve Paine had accumulated over the 2000 season. Paine was crowned the Canandaigua DIRT Modified Track Champion.
In the Sportsman ranks, Justin Haers took his Phelps Cement number 3 to victory lane following the Troyer Race Cars 25-lap season finale. There he was joined by the repeat Sportsman Track Champion for 2000, Karl Comfort.
The Pro-stock champion, Jipp Ortiz was fairly established as long as Ortiz took the green flag. This proved good for Jipp as he was involved in a lap three incident that dropped him from the 25-lap final season's point race. His protegee, Rookie Jason Boyle drove Jipp's former NAPA Auto Parts number 44 to his first ever feature victory. Jipp joined Jason in victory lane to celebrate his championship.
The Street Stock championship came down to a points duel between Mike Ferens and Richard Briggs. Ferens made a daring move through traffic on lap 12 to finish third to Brigg's ninth place finish. That move clinched the track title for Ferens. Mike Welch took the 15-lap Street Stock championship race.
The first 25-lapper for the DIRT Modifieds saw Tim McCreadie lead from the start of the race through lap 18, when Danny Johnson passed him for the lead. Johnson then established a ten car advantage over McCreadie. In the closing laps McCreadie gained back his lost time and challenged Johnson as the pair crossed the finish line. Johnson took the victory followed by McCreadie, Vic Coffey, Tim Fuller and Gary Tomkins.
In the second 25-lapper all Steve Paine had to do to win the track points title was to take the green flag. Darryl Ruggles took the lead at the drop of the green. On lap seven Gary Tomkins went sailing by Ruggles in his Honeoye Auto Parts number 84. On lap 12, Tim Fuller took second from Ruggles and seemed to be closing the gap established by Tomkins. On lap 20 the yellow flew when Greg Tatich came to a stop in the fourth turn. This bunched he field together and set the stage for one of the best feature finishes at Canandaigua.
Danny Johnson passed Fuller on the restart and began a five lap assault on Tomkins and his lead. Side-by-side around the super smooth speedway they flew. Johnson fell back some when he drifted high in the second turn. Then it was Tompkins's turn to drift high between three and four. As the pair exited the fourth turn on the final lap Johnson moved to the outside for his pass. At the finish line it was Tomkins by a wheel over Johnson. Steve Paine finished third for the track championship. Rounding out the top five were Ruggles and Pat Ward.
The 25-lap finale for the sportsman division saw Larry Beardsley establish himself as the leader for the first seven circuits. On lap six the points leader and track champion, Karl Comfort slowed on the back stretch with a flat tire causing a yellow to duck into the pits for a new tire. On the restart Justin Haers began to challenge Beardsley. On lap eight Haers found the fast outside lane and took the lead.
Two more short yellows, lap 11 and 12, for cars stopped on the speedway slowed the action. In the closing laps Matt Sheppard began to challenge Haers for the lead. At one time, lap 20, Sheppard actually led Haers across the line and was recorded as the leader. Haers won out after a side-by-side duel with Sheppard, taking the feature win. Steve Gray finished a distant third followed by John Plumb and Paul Guererri.
The 25-lap Pro-stock feature proved to be a battle-royal, as five different drivers led the race at one time or another. A first lap, fourth turn incident saw Brian Michaels eliminated from the race as Rick Miller led the opening circuits of the race. Jipp Ortiz and Phil Baron came together on the front chute on lap three. Ortiz's car suffered severe damage to the nose section and Jipp pulled his 2000 Monte Carlo into the pits under the yellow flag.
On lap four Patrick Hobbs nosed ahead of Miller and led for two circuits until Lee Burnett inched ahead. Unfortunately Hobbs came to a stop in the first turn on lap eight to create a yellow. This allowed Steve Miller to challenge Burnett for the lead. Miller took his Blue Moon Potato number 1s into first place on lap nine. Miller then established his lead, pulling away to a three car advantage over Burnett.
A final yellow flew on lap 19 when flaggers around the track noticed a fire under the hood of the Zack Shove number 22. Shove came to a stop, but after the flames had gone out. During that same yellow a brake fire was also extinguished on the Todd Hanagan machine.
Jason Boyle challenged Miller in the closing laps of the race, taking the lead on lap 22. Miller finished second to Boyle. Burnett came home in third followed by Mike Cooper and Chad Homan.
The 15-lap points finale for the Street Stocks saw Mike Welch take the lead from Vance Vanderwall on a lap two restart following a flip on the first lap by Shane Yack. Yack emerged uninjured from his Monte Carlo.
Welch held on the victory over Jared Labarge, Mike Ferens, Leroy Lewis and James Henry. Ferens's third place finish earned him the track divisional title. In honor of his feat, Ferens performed a "Polish Victory Lap", in a backwards direction around the oval. He was also heartily congratulated by points rival Richard Briggs on the back chute following after the checkers had flown.
Racing will continue at Canandaigua on Saturday, September 16, when the "Top Gun One Shoot-out" welcomes the ARANY Pro-Stock Series to the fast half mile oval for a 50-lap, $1,000 to win, feature event named in honor of former class champion, Les Whyte. Joining the action that afternoon will be the Street stocks in their 25-lap season finale, paying $300 to win. Returning to the speedway will be the Mid-State Vintage Racers. Gates on the 16th will open at 3 p.m., and racing starts at new time, 5 p.m. on that Saturday. Currently officials are looking at the next day, Sunday, as a rain date for this event if needed.
PHELPS CEMENT PRODUCTS-TROYER RACE CARS & PARTS-TURNER AUTOMOTIVE
SEASON CHAMPIONSHIP NIGHT SUMMARY
STREET STOCKS
HEAT 1: M. Welch, V. Vanderwall, N. Peckham, L. Lewis, J. Cologgi.
HEAT 2: E. Giguere, J. Rutkowski, T. Burnell, J. Henry, F. Shrock.
FEATURE (15-laps): MIKE WELCH, Jared Labarge, Mike Ferens, Leroy Lewis, James Henry, Vance Vanderwall, John Rutkowski, Nathan Peckham, Richard Briggs, Jim Cologgi, David Eaton, Jamie Eldred, Tim Burnell, Eric Giguere, Fred Shrock, Doug South, Shane Yack, Glen Peters.
Division Champion - Mike Ferens
PRO-STOCKS
HEAT 1: S. Fremouw, B. Lutz, J. McGuigan, J. Ortiz, P. Barone.
HEAT 2: L. Burnett, Ri. Miller, C. Homan, D. Weisner, M. Cooper.
HEAT 3: S. Miller, B. Michaels, J. Boyle, P. Hobbs, T. Hanagan.
FEATURE (25-laps): JASON BOYLE, Steve Miller, Lee Burnett, Mike Cooper, Chad Homan, Scott Fremouw, Dan Weisner, Jim McGuigan, John Unaman, Jon Miller, Patrick Hobbs, Jim Burba, Zack Shove, Carl Reynolds II, Phil Barone, Todd Hanagan, Dave Conant Jr., Bobby Lutz, Tom Jansch, Rick Miller, Jipp Ortiz, Brian Michaels. Division Champion - Jipp Ortiz
SPORTSMAN
HEAT 1: J. Haers, J. Pfeffer, L. Beardsley, K. Comfort, W. Czymmek.
HEAT 2: B. Henry Jr., D. Darling, S. Gray, E. Monroe, P. Guererri.
HEAT 3: E. Payne Jr., C. Parmelee, J. Plumb, M. Sheppard, R. VanNeil.
FEATURE (25-laps): JUSTIN HAERS, Matt Sheppard, Steve Gray, John Plumb, Paul Guererri, Clay Parmelee, Drew Fallis, Karl Comfort, Eldon Payne Jr., Wade Czymmek, Larry Beardsley, Dave Just, Bob Henry Jr., John Pfeffer, David Allen, Bill Englert, Ed Monroe, Frank Burnell, Joe Beyea, Dale Darling, Rick VanNeil, Lee Bowman.
Division champion - Karl Comfort
MODIFIED
HEAT 1: V. Vitale, B. McCreadie, C. Hebing, T. Fuller, D. Ruggles, T. Henderson.
HEAT 2: R. Bliss Jr., P. Ward, T. McCreadie, D. Johnson, B. Decker, G. Tomkins.
HEAT 3: V. Coffey, J. Gabriel Jr., C. Donk, C. Bower, S. Paine, D. Axton.
FEATURE (25-laps): DANNY JOHNSON, Tim McCreadie, Vic Coffey, Tim Fuller, Gary Tomkins, Bob McCreadie, Pat Ward, Steve Paine, Chuck Bower, Darryl Ruggles, Jim Gabriel Jr., Charlie Donk, Chuck Hebing, Ray Bliss Jr., Bobby Varin, Randy Miller, A.J. Romano, Greg Tatich, Mike Ward, Ron White, Tim Cornell, Billy Decker, Todd Henderson, Jeff Brownell, Dave Axton, Vince Vitale, Bob Simmons Jr.
FEATURE (25-laps): GARY TOMKINS, Danny Johnson, Steve Paine, Darryl Ruggles, Pat Ward, Tim McCreadie, Tim Fuller, Bob McCreadie, Ray Bliss Jr., Chuck Bower, Vic Coffey, Bobby Varin, Charlie Donk, A.J. Romano, Randy Miller, Mike Ward, Todd Henderson, Vince Vitale, Tim Cornell, Greg Tatich, Billy Decker, Jim Gabriel Jr., Ron White, Bob Simmons Jr., Chuck Hebing, Dave Axton.
Division Champion - Steve Paine