BLISS AND TOMKINS WIN TWIN-25'S AT CANANDAIGUA

CANANDAIGUA, NY...Ray Bliss Jr., from Warsaw, NY, and Gary Tomkins from Clifton Springs, NY, each picked up one of the two twin 25-lap DIRT Modified main events last Saturday during the Silver Anniversary celebration at the Canandaigua Speedway. This event was originally scheduled for May 20, but heavy rains that night canceled the show. Steve Gray picked up his first win of the year in the 25-lap DIRT Sportsman feature. Mike Cooper repeated for the second week in a row the victory lane ceremonies in the Pro-stock division. Finally Richard Briggs picked up his first Street Stock main event at Canandaigua.

The first 25-lap DIRT Modified feature saw Scott Ridley and Alex Hoag, a NYAAD Rookie in the modifieds and the grandson of the great Dutch Hoag, bring the field down to the green flag. Hoag quickly jumped into the lead. On lap three Modified NYAAD rookie Vince Vitale was able to get around Hoag for the lead. Hoag recovered the lead on lap six, as the front pack raced inches apart. On lap seven, with the cars three wide on the front stretch, Ray Bliss Jr. was able to use the low grove to his advantage, taking the lead and pulling away from the field. Charlie Donk broke out of traffic on lap 19, and was able to run down Bliss Jr., but could never complete the pass for the lead.

Bliss took the victory his first of the year at Canandaigua in a race that went green-to-checkers. Donk finished a close second followed by Steve Paine, Bob McCreadie, who has been suffered a bout with pneumonia again. Rounding out the top five was Vic Coffey. Bliss also picked up a $400 from Troyer Engineering for his victory.

After completely re-handicapping the field based on dollars won the last three weeks, it was Dave Axton and Randy Miller's turn to take the field to the green flag. To the surprise of many observers, Randy Miller vaulted into the front spot with Jim Gabriel Jr. taking second from his seventh place starting spot.

Gabriel was able to pass Miller for the lead on lap four. Gabriel was now the leader, but Gary Tomkins was closing the gap. Last winning in 1998, Tomkins powered into the lead on lap 14. He then easily cruised home the winner by nearly a full straight away. Gabriel Jr. finished second with Pat Ward a close third over Vic Coffey. Rounding out the top five was Charlie Donk.

Both modified features went green-to-checkers, without a caution.

In the DIRT Sportsman 25-lap main event Clay Parmelee took the lead at the drop of the green. The yellow flew for the first time on lap five when Jim Rufiange and Ed Monroe looped in between the first and second turns.

Parmelee was able to hold the lead for one more lap before Steve Gray passed him. Parmelee dropped to third behind Gray and Justin Haers. On the move was young Matt Sheppard driving his number 9s powered by a Chevrolet engine. Sheppard used a lap 11 restart after Monroe had spun out again to pressure Gray.

Sheppard gained the lead on lap 14 and looked to be able to fly away from the rest of the field. He then proceeded to drift high between the first and second turns, losing a number of positions and allowing Gray to retake the lead.

Gray came home the winner followed by Rich Swarthout driving a John Moravec owned mount. Track champion Karl Comfort finished third followed by Sheppard and Parmelee.

The pro-stock feature proved to be a crash-fest, taking over a half hour to complete the 25 lap affair. Nine caution periods marred the race, which was slowed nearly every other circuit.

Lee Burnett was the leader of the first lap. Jim McGuigan was able to take the lead the next lap, and remain out front for a number of circuits. On lap 15, Mike Cooper, the pro-stock feature winner from last week, powered by McGuigan for the front spot. Cooper was challenged in the later stages of the race and was even passed, by Dan Weisner. However Weisner's efforts fell short as Cooper took the victory. Jon Miller, Weisner, McGuigan and Tommy Barron made up the front four finishers, finishing under a blanket.

The Street Stock division saw one it's biggest starting fields of the year, as 21 cars took the green flag. As the same as last week, Frank Burnell jumped into the lead, only to suffer mechanical problems, exiting to the pits on the fourth lap. On that fourth lap Leroy Lewis made heavy contact with the outside wall on the back stretch just exiting the second turn.

The restart saw Brad Steinruck take the lead and being challenged by second in points, Richard Briggs. Briggs made his move on the sixth lap to take the lead. Briggs would earn his first win of the year followed by Steinruck, Mike Ferens, who came all the way from 17th starting spot in ten laps, John Rutkowski and Jarad LaBarge.

This Saturday the racing action at Canandaigua shows a regular weekly program in the works, featuring Modified, Sportsman, Pro-stock and Street Stock action. Race time on Saturday is at 7 p.m. sharp.

COMPETITION RACING SUPPLY-LOCAL 3298 UNITED STEEL WORKERS

presents the DIRT SILVER ANNIVERSARY NIGHT SUMMARY

STREET STOCK

FEATURE (10-laps): RICHARD BRIGGS, Brad Steinruck, Mike Ferens, John Rutkowski, Jarad LaBarge, James Henry, Eric Giguere, Nathan Peckham, Marty Young, Mike Shaw, Fred Srock, Shane Yack, Les Hoke, Trisha Hampton, Mike Welch, Darrin Phippen, Doug Smith, Tim Burnell, Frank Burnell, Leroy Lewis, Jamie Eldred.

PRO-STOCK

HEAT 1: L. Burnett, J. Miller, M. Schulz, P. Hobbs, D. Conant, Z. Shove.

HEAT 2: J. Ortiz, S. Fremouw, M. Cooper, T. Barron, D. Ebersole, J. Burba.

HEAT 3: D. Weisner, C. Homan, B. Lutz, J. McGuigan, M. Minutlo, S. Miller.

CONSI: Ri. Miller, C. Cleveland, J. Unaman Jr., C. Reynolds II, J. Nichols, B. Fremouw, M. Potter, T. Hanagan.

FEATURE (25-laps): MIKE COOPER, Jon Miller, Dan Weisner, Jim McGuigan, Tom Barron, John Unaman Jr., Dave Conant, Steve Miller, Bobby Lutz, Jipp Ortiz, Patrick Hobbs, Chad Homan, Carl Reynolds II, Mike Minutlo, Josh Nichols, Scott Fremouw, Zack Shove, Lee Burnett, Betty Fremouw, Mark Schulz, Rick Miller, Jim Burba, Darrell Ebersole, Carl Cleveland, Todd Hanagan.

SPORTSMAN

HEAT 1: M. Sheppard, E. Payne, C. Parmelee, J. Haers, J. Beyea, L. Beardsley.

HEAT 2: P. Guererri, K. Comfort, J. Plumb, S. Gray, R. Swarthout, J. Rufiange.

FEATURE (25-laps): STEVE GRAY, Rich Swarthout, Karl Comfort, Matt Sheppard, Clay Parmelee, Paul Guererri, Larry Beardsley, Eldon Payne, Dave Allen, John Plumb, Rick VanNeil, Jim Rufiange, Bill Englert, John Pfeffer, Justin Haers, Ed Monroe, Joe Beyea, Keith Stell.

MODIFIED

HEAT 1: T. Fuller, D. Ruggles, T. McCreadie, S. Ridley, V. Vitale, C. Hebing.

HEAT 2: C. Bower, G. Tomkins, P. Ward, D. Johnson, R. Bliss Jr., A. Hoag.

HEAT 3: J. Gabriel Jr., V. Coffey, B. McCreadie, C. Donk, S. Paine, B. Decker.

FEATURE (25-laps): RAY BLISS JR., Charlie Donk, Steve Paine, Bob McCreadie, Vic Coffey, Chuck Bower, Danny Johnson, Gary Tomkins, Pat Ward, Darryl Ruggles, Alex Hoag, Tim McCreadie, Tim Fuller, Billy Decker, Chuck Hebing, Vince Vitale, Scott Ridley, Randy Miller, Jeff Brownell, Jim Gabriel Jr., Ron White, Steve Babieck, Dave Axton.

FEATURE (25-laps): GARY TOMKINS, Jim Gabriel Jr., Pat Ward, Vic Coffey, Charlie Donk, Danny Johnson, Tim Fuller, Tim McCreadie, Chuck Bower, Darryl Ruggles, Steve Paine, Randy Miller, Billy Decker, Ray Bliss Jr., Alex Hoag, Ron White, Vince Vitale, Scott Ridley, Jeff Brownell, Dave Axton, Chuck Hebing, Bob McCreadie, Steve Babicek.