CANANDAIGUA SPEEDWAY CROWNS THEIR 1999 TRACK CHAMPIONS, A MOMENT OF SILENCE FOR LES
CANANDAIGUA, NY...The final points night of auto racing last Saturday evening at the Canandaigua Speedway provided a number of divisional champions, some great racing and took time out to honor a fallen champion.
Before the racing activities started for the evening, the entire pit area empty into the third and fourth turn area as announcer Gary Montgomery saluted the "Land of Legends" and the 1999 Pro-Stock Track Champion, Les Whyte, who past away a week ago in a non-racing related accident.
The Pro-stock drivers, who had decided to freeze the track points, also honored Les's memory by all pulling off the speedway to the amazement of a stunned grandstands with just one lap remaining in their 15-lap feature, leaving the victory in memory of Les Whyte. A huge applause followed as Les's wife Debbie, accepted the trophy and Les's 1999 Pro-Stock championship title.
Taking victories on the evening were Danny Johnson in the 50-lap DIRT Modified finale. This victory clinched the 1999 Canandaigua Modified track championship for himself. Johnson's last track title at Canandaigua came in 1991. In the Sportsman division it would be Steve Gray picking up his first win of the 1999 season. Second place finisher Karl Comfort earned his long sought after Canandaigua Sportsman championship. In the Pure stock division Steve Miller won his second of the season. The 50-lap Modified finale was a barn burner. Ray Bliss Jr. was the early leader as twenty-three cars answered the green flag. Bliss would lead the race until lap five, following a restart for a yellow caused the lap before when Gary Tomkins's Pennzoil Bicknell 2000 broke a front suspension. Charlie Donk rockets passed Bliss for the lead.
On lap eight the yellow flew when Chuck Hebing, who elected to start at the rear of the field in a back up ride, ricocheted off the fourth turn wall. The restart proved just a difficult as Tim Fuller flew off the third turn and performed a nose stand in his car. Fuller was uninjured but his car was done for the evening. But of real interest was that Danny Johnson had been able to pass Donk and was now the leader.
Bob McCreadie moved up to challenge Johnson. Many times McCreadie pulled along side of the Sweetners Plus ride of Johnson, only to fall back. A caution for a wild spin in the third turn by Bobby Varin, saw McCreadie able Johnson on the restart as the grandstands went wild. Suddenly as the crossed flags showed halfway, McCreadie pulled wide out of the second turn and slowed, turning into pit lane and placing Johnson back in the lead.
Johnson now found his competition in fellow points chaser Billy Decker. The race had come down to which either of the two won the race, won the track championship. Johnson pulled away to a three car lead over the closing laps to claim the victory and the title. Decker settled for second followed by Steve Paine, who nipped Donk at the finish line by mere inches. Following Donk in fifth was Vic Coffey in the other Sweetners Plus machine.
The 20-lap Sportsman feature was slowed a number of times by debris. The early stages of the race were led by Chris Ridsdale. At the halfway point in the race Steve Gray took over as the leader as Ridsdale faded back to fifth. Gray found himself in a battle with track points leaders Comfort and Todd Henderson. Comfort moved into second and chased Gray to the finish line. Henderson finished third followed by Lance Dusett and Jerry Haers Jr..
The 15-lap Pro-stock feature Lee Burnett, who had missed a number of weeks recuperating from an auto accident, lead the feature event for ten laps. Tom Barron, who maintained a close second place run, was able to pass Burnett on lap eleven for the lead. As the field exited the second turn on the final lap Barron lead a parade of slowing cars into the pit area off the third turn, leaving the victory and the championship to Les Whyte. Following victory lane ceremonies, Barron performed a "Polish Victory Lap" with the checkered flag in hand.
The Pure stock main saw Steve Miller take over the lead on lap six from Glen Peters. Miller took the 10-lap victory. The final race at Canandaigua Speedway this century will be run on Saturday, September 18, when the "Top Gun One Shootout" for Pro-Stocks and Pure Stocks will be staged starting at 4 p.m. in the afternoon. The Pro-Stocks will be running a 50 lap Hoosier Tire Mr. DIRT Championship, paying $1,000 to win. As for the Pure Stocks, qualifying heats will be run to start a field of twenty- four cars to run a 25 lap feature paying $300 to win and also paying back ten positions.
Added to the field on the 18th will be the MidState Vintage Racers. Fans will also be introduced to the year 2000 new car models by a number of Canandaigua based automobile dealers. Grandstand admission is just $6 per adult, making for the most affordable family ticket of the year. Gates open at 2 p.m., with heat race action starting at 4 p.m. sharp.
UNIVERSAL JOINT SALES presents SALUTE TO THE LEGENDS NIGHT SUMMARY
PURE STOCKS
FEATURE (10-laps): STEVE MILLER, Glen Peters, John Juhl, Beatle Peters, Greg Dechick, Joe Reeves, Tom Juhl, Eric Giguere, Mike Shaw, Mike Minutolo, Jim VanArsdale, Leroy Lewis, Rick Briggs, Gordon Withey, Jim Cologgi, James Henry, Tim Burnell, Darren Phipper.
PRO-STOCKS
HEAT 1: L. Burnett, B. Michaels, C. Homan, D. Conant, B. Brown.
HEAT 2: J. Unaman, D. VanArsdale, B. Lutz, J. Miller, S. Fremouw.
HEAT 3: Ra. Miller, T. Barron, Ri. Miller, S. Conover, D. Wiesner.
FEATURE (15-laps): TOM BARRON in Memory of LES WHYTE, Lee Burnett, Chad Homan, Brian Michaels, John Unaman, Scott Fremouw, Scott Conover, Dan Wiesner, Jim McGuigan, Randy Miller, Billy Brown, Jon Miller, Rick Miller, Mike Minutolo, Zack Shove, Dave VanArsdale, Jerry Sullivan, Rob White, Dave Conant, Bobby Lutz, Phil Barone, Betty Fremouw.
SPORTSMAN
HEAT 1: L. Dusett, R. Swarthout, C. Ridsdale, B. Englert, C. Simmons.
HEAT 2: S. Gray, M. Sheppard, T. Henderson, K. Stell, J. Haers.
HEAT 3: J. Haers Jr., K. Comfort, V. Vitale, D. Fallis, D. Allen.
FEATURE (20-laps): STEVE GRAY, Karl Comfort, Todd Henderson, Lance Dusett, Jerry Haers Jr., Matt Sheppard, Paul Guererri, Drew Fallis, David Allen, Chris Ridsdale, Keith Stell, Justin Haers, Paul Ross, Gary Hotelling, John Pfeffer, Bill Englert, Caleb Simmons, Vince Vitale, Clay Parmelee, Rich Swarthout.
MODIFIED
HEAT 1: B. McCreadie, G. Tomkins, C. Bower, B. Varin, S. Paine.
HEAT 2: B. Decker, D. Ruggles, C. Donk, D. Johnson, D. Hebert.
HEAT 3: J. Hoff, D. Planck, T. McCreadie, R. Bliss Jr., C. Hebing.
FEATURE (50-laps): DANNY JOHNSON, Billy Decker, Steve Paine, Charlie Donk, Vic Coffey, Chuck Bower, Pat Ward, Chuck Hebing, David Hebert, Darryl Ruggles, Ray Bliss Jr., Scott Schrader, Bob McCreadie, Dale Planck, Tim McCreadie, Bobby Varin, Kevin Pollack, Steve Lead, Bill Hoff, Scott Boudinot, Tim Fuller, Jeff Hoff, Gary Tomkins.