WARD WINS FIRST DIRT MAIN OF THE YEAR AT CANANDAIGUA
CANANDAIGUA, NY...Pat Ward, from Genoa, NY, took command of the 35-lap DIRT Modified feature on lap 8 and cruised home to an easy win last saturday at the Canandaigua Speedway. Karl Comfort returned to victory lane in the DIRT Sportsman class and Wayne Ellison revisited victory lane also, in the Pro-stock division. Mike Archer took the Pure Stock victory, while Paul Schirmerhorn, from Chittenago, NY, won the Bonanza Bus run.
The 35-lap DIRT Modified main started with pole sitter Ray Bliss Jr. holding on to the lead as Darryl Ruggles brought out the yellow by stopping on the back stretch. The restart saw Tim Fuller take command of the lead. Fuller found Pat Ward in second followed by Bliss Jr., Gary Tomkins and Danny Johnson. Ward was able to duck low on Fuller in the second turn and completed the pass on lap 8 for the lead.
On lap 12 the yellow flew for debris in the fourth turn. The restart saw Dave Axton loop his car in the third turn. During this yellow Fuller turned to the pits without any brakes, forfeiting a fourth place finish. Also joining Fuller pitside was Scott Boudinot. The restart saw John Moravec slow dramatically in the second turn as the cars flew around to miss the disabled Moravec mount. Fortunately no one made contact, but the yellow flew as Moravec was unable to limp into the pit entrance.
Ward continued to lead by ten car lengths, with Gary Tomkins passing Danny Johnson for second on lap 19. Steve Paine was able to take third from Johnson one lap later.
A late race yellow, lap 30, flew when Dave Axton made contact with the inside turn four cement wall. Jeff Hoff ended up involved in this accident also. Both cars restarted at the rear of the field. Ward took the victory followed by a distant Gary Tomkins in second. Steve Paine held on for third followed by Johnson and Tim McCreadie.
The 20-lap DIRT Sportsman feature five lead changes among five different drivers. It also provided three yellow flag periods. Wade Czymmek, Steve Gray and Rich Swarthout all led at one time or another early in the race. On lap 12 the yellow flew when Rich Swarthout, leading the event, slowed coming out of the second turn. All cars were able to miss him and he exited from the race.
Karl Comfort seemed to be the only one able to challenge Gray. These two raced side-by-side and nose-to-tail throughout the closing laps of this event. On lap, 18 Comfort made his pass for the lead. He succeeded and pulled off the feature win. Gray finished second followed by Vince Vitale, Todd Henderson and Paul Guererri.
"Now that K&D Gravel has purchased this car I seem like a hired gun for them," commented Comfort from victory lane.
The Pro-stock feature saw Middletown invader, and the current Mr. DIRT Pro-stock points leader, Tom Kuck from Mahopac, NY, join the field of Canandaigua regulars. Kuck was on his way to the Mr. DIRT event at Gasport on Sunday and decided to try Canandaigua Speedway along the way. Kuck won his heat race and then proceeded to start twelfth in the feature and was able to join the top five runners by lap eight.
At the front of the field was Wayne Ellison, who had passed Dave VanArsdale for the lead on lap three. Ellison had built a comfortable led over Dave Weisner and Jon Miller. Kuck was able to pass Miller for second on lap 12 and then in just three more laps close onto the rear bumper of the Ellison machine. Kuck ran out of time with Ellison taking his second feature of the year at Canandaigua. Kuck finished a close second followed by Weisner, Miller and VanArsdale. Only one yellow slow the race, that coming on lap eight when Phil Barone exited the first turn into the outside barrier.
The Pure Stock main saw the yellow fly immediately when Jim Cologgi and Todd Stanton were involved in a third turn accident that ended the Stanton car's night. Steve Miller took the lead in the second lap, but was passed by LeRoy Lewis on lap three for the lead. Mike Archer then passed Lewis and led the rest of the distance.
A special six bus, "Bonanza Bus" race took place with Paul Schirmerhorn taking the victory. This was the first of two bus races scheduled for Canandaigua in 1999.
This Saturday the Pure Stock division will not be in action at Canandaigua as the warriors from the Empire Super Sprints join in the Independence Eve activities, along with the DIRT Modifieds, Sportsman and Pro-Stocks. Race time on Saturday will be at 7 p.m., with pit gates opening at 4:30 p.m.. Canandaigua Speedway is located at the Ontario County Fairgrounds, just east of the village of Canandaigua, NY.
FINGER LAKES-CASTLE NIGHT SUMMARY
BUS BONANZA
FEATURE (6-laps): PAUL SCHIRMERHORN, Dave Gasbarro, Jeff Dutton, Kenny Foster, Mark Winschip, Roy Rodgers.
PURE STOCKS
FEATURE (10-laps): MIKE ARCHER, Steve Miller, Leroy lewis, Brad Steinruck, Mike Shaw, Tom Juhl, Ralph Priest, Fred Salsburg, Rick Kline, Jim Cologgi, Todd Stanton.
PRO-STOCKS
HEAT 1: W. Ellison, D. VanArsdale, L. Whyte, C. Homan, D. Weisner, Ri. Miller.
HEAT 2: T. Kuck, J. Unaman, J. Miller, Ra. Miller, B. Brown, L. Burnett.
FEATURE (15-laps): WAYNE ELLISON, Tom Kuck, Dave Weisner, Jon Miller, Dave VanArsdale, Lee Burnett, Rick Miller, Les Whyte, Randy Miller, Dave Conant, Billy Brown, Chad Homan, Brian Thompson, Jerry Sullivan, John Unaman, Rob White, Phil Barone, Brian Michaels.
SPORTSMAN
HEAT 1: D. Allen, K. Comfort, M. Sheppard, L. Lincoln.
HEAT 2: L. Dusett, P. Guererri, S. Gray, T. Henderson.
HEAT 3: R. Swarthout, W. Czymmek, V. Vitale, J. Haers Jr.
FEATURE (20-laps): KARL COMFORT, Steve Gray, Vince Vitale, Todd Henderson, Paul Guererri, Wade Czymmek, David Allen, Lance Dusett, Justin Haers, Jerry Haers Jr., Keith Stell, Rich Swarthout, John Pfeffer, Clay Parmelee, Matt Sheppard, Loren Lincoln, Greg Walters.
MODIFIED
HEAT 1: C. Donk, B. Decker, V. Coffey, S. Boudinot, S. Glover.
HEAT 2: G. Tomkins, P. Ward, R. Bliss Jr., T. Fuller, T. McCreadie.
HEAT 3: S. Paine, D. Axton, D. Johnson, J. Moravec, S. Schultz.
FEATURE (35-laps): PAT WARD, Gary Tomkins, Steve Paine, Danny Johnson, Tim McCreadie, Billy Decker, Chuck Hebing, Charlie Donk, Vic Coffey, Steve Lead, Steve Glover, Steve Schultz, Dave Axton, Bill Hoff, Jim Burke, Jeff Hoff, Ray Bliss Jr., John Moravec, Tim Fuller, Scott Boudinot, Ray Smith, Scott Schrader, Darryl Ruggles.