"LITTLE-FOOT" WINS FIRST AT CANANDAIGUA, RANDY MILLER FINALLY FINDS VICTORY LANE
CANANDAIGUA, NY...Tim McCreadie, from Watertown, NY, picked up his very first Canandaigua Speedway DIRT Modified feature win last Saturday.
"It was the best career move I've made, moving up to big blocks here at Canandaigua," stated McCreadie in victory lane. Also earning first time victories this season were Todd Stanton in the Pure Stocks and Randy Miller in the Pro-stocks. The only repeat winner this season, on the evening, was young sportsman rookie driver Justin Haers, who won his first feature back in July and picked up his second victory Saturday evening. The 35-lap DIRT Modified feature almost met with disaster as the front row of Ray Bliss Jr. and Darryl Ruggles looped in front of the on rushing pack of 24 machines as the field entered the third turn on the first lap. Due to excellent driving, only six cars were involved in the melee that saw Bliss as the only car eliminated through the accident.
The restart was not much better as Vic Coffey lost the handle in the first turn to bring out the second yellow of the race. Due to poor performances (flat tires) at the speedway the last three weeks, Billy Decker started fifth and secured the lead by the end of the first lap. Decker, with young Tim McCreadie in tow began to build a lead over the rest of the field. By lap 18, halfway into the race, this duo held a half straight away advantage over Chuck Bower in third and had already lapped five cars.
A brief yellow for a nerf bar on the back stretch did help to bunch the field together, however it would not be enough to stop either Decker or Tim McCreadie. On lap 24, McCreadie, who had pulled as tight to Decker's rear bumper as he dare, pulled around Decker for the lead. Over the closing laps he was able to build a lead even on Decker of some five car lengths. Decker finished second followed by Bower, Steve Paine and Pat Ward. Twenty of the 24 starters completed the event.
The 20-lap Sportsman feature saw Lance Dusett take the lead and start to build a lead for himself. By lap seven Dusett held a half straight away advantage over Chris Ridsdale, Justin Haers, David Allen and Jerry Haers Jr.. Paul Ross slid high in the second turn and climbed the wall in Jerry Haers Jr's. older car. Ross was able to continue, but a spin out by Wade Czymmek in the third turn would bring out the yellow to bunch the field together.
On the restart Justin Haers flew like a rocket into second, however his brother Jerry looped his new car in the second turn and forced yet another yellow. Justin then proceeded to pull around Dusett on the restart and take the lead. Justin, a college football player for Cayuga County Community College, then built his own lead over Dusett.
At the checkers it was Haers followed by Dusett, Karl Comfort, Todd Henderson and David Allen. Henderson's fourth place finish keeps him in the season long track points lead by one point with only two points races left this year.
The 15-lap Pro-stock feature saw Dave VanArsdale take the lead at the drop of the green only to fall to mechanical problems and drop from the lead, into the pits, on lap three. This placed Dan Weisner in the lead with Randy Miller in second. Miller made his move around Weisner for the lead on lap eight, just one lap before the only yellow of the race flew. Phil Barone came to a stop off the second turn to force this yellow.
Miller sailed home the victor followed by Weisner, Jon Miller, Les Whyte and John Unaman. Again a close points battle is forming between Miller and Whyte with just one double points race remaining on the schedule. The Pro-stock championship event scheduled for September 18 is not a track points event. Mike Minutolo fell one spot short of picking up his tenth Pure Stock feature win of the year as Todd Stanton led all ten circuits in the Pure Stock feature. Minutolo finished a very close second, by half a car length. Fred Salsburg brought home his faithful Ford Granada in third.
This Saturday will mark the final track points races of the year at Canandaigua. Double points will be offered in all divisions as Universal Joint Sales presents this season finale. It will also be the "Salute to the Legends" night as many former drivers will be on hand to see the new track champions crowned. Race time will be at 7 p.m. sharp.
The final event of the year will be at 4 p.m. on Saturday September 18, when the Pro-stocks will run in their Hoosier Tire 50-lap Championship series event. Also on hand that afternoon will be a special Pure stock race paying back ten spots complete with qualifying heat races. Joining the action that afternoon will be the Mid-State Antique cars in their final appearance of the millennium. A number of local Canandaigua new car dealers will be on hand to unveil their year 2000 models to the racing public.
PICK-N-PULL AUTO PARTS/KODAK EMPLOYEE NIGHT SUMMARY
PURE STOCKS
FEATURE (10-laps): TODD STANTON, Mike Minutolo, Fred Salsburg, Tom Juhl, Darren Phipper, James Henry, Mike Archer, Beatle Peters, Leroy Lewis, Rick Briggs, Mike Shaw, Glen Peters, Butch Moore, Jim VanArsdale, Jim Cologgi, Steve Miller, Dave Batterson, Ralph Priest.
PRO-STOCKS
HEAT 1: Ra. Miller, D. Kish, J. Miller, Ri. Miller, B. Lutz.
HEAT 2: T. Barron, S. Fremouw, D. Ebersole, D. Weisner, D. Conant.
HEAT 3: D. VanArsdale, L. Whyte, B. Michaels, J. Unaman, C. Homan.
FEATURE (15-laps): RANDY MILLER, Dan Weisner, Jon Miller, Les Whyte, John Unaman, Tom Barron, Dave Conant, Scott Fremouw, Rick Miller, Chad Homan, Brian Michaels, Darrell Ebersole, Lee Burnett, Frank Burnell, Bobby Lutz, Darren Kish, Dave Johnston, Jim McGuigan, David Golden, Jerry Sullivan, Zack Shove, Phil Barone, Betty Fremouw, Dave VanArsdale.
SPORTSMAN
HEAT 1: L. Dusett, P. Guererri, W. Czymmek, T. Henderson, V. Vitale, J. Haers.
HEAT 2: M. Sheppard, C. Ridsdale, D. Allen, K. Comfort, J. Haers Jr., S. Gray.
FEATURE (20-laps): JUSTIN HAERS, Lance Dusett, Karl Comfort, Todd Henderson, David Allen, Paul Guererri, Matt Sheppard, Vince Vitale, Steve Gray, Chris Ridsdale, Dean Ferri, Loren Lincoln, Wade Czymmek, Bill Englert, Jerry Haers jr., John Pfeffer, Paul Ross, Gary Hotelling.
MODIFIED
HEAT 1: C. Hebing, T. Fuller, S. Paine, G. Tomkins, D. Ruggles, J. Hoff.
HEAT 2: B. Decker, P. Ward, T. McCreadie, C. Bower, D. Johnson, D. Planck.
HEAT 3: B. McCreadie, V. Coffey, C. Donk, S. Boudinot, R. Bliss Jr., S. Glover.
CONSI: D. Johnson, D. Axton, B. Hoff, S. Schrader, B. Simmons Jr., F. Sebiert, K. Pollack.
FEATURE (35-laps): TIM McCREADIE, Billy Decker, Chuck Bower, Steve Paine, Pat Ward, Danny Johnson, Bob McCreadie, Charlie Donk, Chuck Hebing, Vic Coffey, Tim Fuller, Dale Planck, Gary Tomkins, Jeff Hoff, Scott Schrader, Bill Hoff, Darryl Ruggles, Dave Axton, Bob Simmons Jr., Fred Sebiert, Steve Glover, Kevin Pollack, Scott Boudinot, Ray Bliss Jr.