PAINE BAGS CANANDAIGUA VICTORY AS JER-"BEAR" WINS SPORTSMAN CANANDAIGUA, NY
...Waterloo, New York's Steve Paine earned his third DIRT Modified feature, second in a row, at the Canandaigua Speedway last Saturday evening. Jerry Haers Jr. made his first visit to the DIRT Sportsman top five count as he recorded his first feature win of the season. In the Pro-Stock division Les Whyte started at the front of the field, due to poor finishes the last three weeks, as proceeded to polish off his first feature win of the year. Mike Minutolo returned to victory lane in the Pure Stock feature.
The 35-lap DIRT Modified feature saw Charlie Donk grab the lead over Ray Bliss Jr. and Scott Boudinot. The yellow flew on lap two when Bill Hoff looped his new Troyer Mudbuss in the third turn. Donk continued his lead over last years track champion Billy Decker in his Bugchaser Olsen and Gary Tomkins in his Bill Trout Lincoln/Mercury Motors Bicknell. The yellow flew for a second time on lap 7 when Dave Axton looped his car at the end of the front stretch.
Tomkins's Bicknell seemed to work well on the dry-dusty surface as he powered to the low side of Decker for second. Decker bounced back, re-taking second as he moved his Olsen to the high groove. Then Decker powered around Donk for a narrow lead. Both Decker and Donk then proceeded to race side-by-side for nearly ten circuits, with Donk nosing out an advantage at the line each lap. Then on lap 17, Decker was able to establish the high groove and move past for the lead.
Steve Paine, was now a factor, running third, after starting tenth. Paine passed Donk for the runner up position in his Pabst Blue Ribbon TEO. The yellow would fly on lap 22, when Steve Schultz coasted to a stop between turns three and four with brake system problems. The yellow would fly again on the nest lap restart when Darryl Ruggles, trying to avoid contact with another car, looped off the speedway in the third turn, into the grass. The restart was the key to the race. Paine blasted into the lead as Decker seemed to miss a gear change. Paine then proceeded to pull away to a twenty car advantage, as Donk repassed Decker for second. At the finish line it would be Paine followed by Donk. Gary Tomkins made a last lap charge at third, passing Decker at the finish line by inches. Decker came in fourth followed by Pat Ward in fifth.
The 20-lap DIRT Sportsman main saw caution fever again as five yellow flags had to be displayed during the race, mostly for minor spins. Jerry Haers Jr., who started third, passed Wade Czymmek for the lead on lap four as the yellow flew for the second time when a three car tangle ensued in the third turn. The first yellow of the race saw the points leader Rich Swarthout eliminated in a first turn tangle.
The fourth lap restart saw rookie Greg Walters plant his car on top of the second turn wall to bring out another yellow. All the while Haers Jr. was flying strong at the front of the field over Karl Comfort, Lance Dusett and Steve Gray.
Comfort was able to catch Haers Jr. a little bit more on each lap, until coming out of four on the last lap he moved to the high groove along side of Haers Jr. Jerry won the race by a few feet. Comfort finished second followed by Justin Haers, who found a "friend" in the high groove around the track in the final five laps. Vince Vitale and Paul Guererri rounded out the top five.
Les Whyte lead all 15 laps to win the Pro-Stock main event. Scott Fremouw raced a strong second, and at times looked as if he would give Whyte a race for his money. Whyte won with Fremouw second, followed by track divisional points leader Randy Miller in third. Wayne Ellison, who earlier in his heat race had exited the speedway off the second turn, finished fourth and Dan Weisner came home in fifth.
Mike Minutolo won his fifth Pure Stock feature of the year as he again dominated his competition. Minutolo's luck has been outstanding as this division draws each week for starting positions in the feature. Minutolo seems to draw the front row almost weekly. Mike Archer again finished second followed by Tom Jul in third and Tim Burnell recorded a fourth after fourth place finished Steve Miller was docked a position for a jump on a late race caution.
This Saturday Canandaigua Speedway returns with another regular weekly four star program of DIRT Modifieds, Sportsman, Pro-stock and Pure Stock racing. Race time will be at 7 p.m., with gates opening at 5 p.m. sharp.
WEST BEER DISTRIBUTORS-BUDWEISER NIGHT SUMMARY
PURE STOCKS
FEATURE (10-laps): MIKE MINUTOLO, Mike Archer, Tom Juhl, Tim Burnell, Steve Miller, Jim VanArsdale, Leroy Lewis, Brad Steinruck, Jim Cologgi, Mike Shaw, Ralph Priest, Car 55.
PRO-STOCKS
HEAT 1: L. Whyte, Ri. Miller, B. Lutz, D. Weisner, P. Barone.
HEAT 2: Ra. Miller, T. Chapman, J. Sullivan, B. Thompson, M. Murphy.
HEAT 3: S. Fremouw, J. Unaman, D. Conant, L. Burnett, D. Ebersole.
FEATURE (15-laps): LES WHYTE, Scott Fremouw, Randy Miller, Wayne Ellison, Dan Weisner, Lee Burnett, John Miller, Darrell Ebersole, Brian Thompson, Bobby Lutz, Phil Barone, John Unaman, Dave Conant, Tiger Chapman, Chad Homan, Tom Barron, Mike Murphy, Jim Burba, Rick Miller, Jerry Sullivan, Jerry Fremouw.
SPORTSMAN
HEAT 1: P. Guererri, C. Parmelee, R. Swarthout, Ju. Haers.
HEAT 2: J. Haers Jr., S. Gray, V. Vitale, W. Czymmek.
HEAT 3: K. Comfort, L. Dusett, D. Allen, T. Henderson.
FEATURE (20-laps): JERRY HAERS JR., Karl Comfort, Justin Haers, Vince Vitale, Paul Guererri, Todd Henderson, Lance Dusett, Steve Gray, David Allen, Clay Parmelee, Loren Lincoln, Wade Czymmek, Keith Stell, Gary Hotelling, John Pfeffer, Matt Sheppard, Ron Cartwright, Greg Walters, Rich Swarthout, Ricky VanNeil.
MODIFIEDS
HEAT 1: V. Coffey, C. Donk, T. Fuller, S. Boudinot.
HEAT 2: B. Decker, P. Ward, D. Johnson, S. Schultz.
HEAT 3: S. Paine, G. Tomkins, C. Hebing, R. Bliss Jr.
FEATURE (35-laps): STEVE PAINE, Charlie Donk, Gary Tomkins, Billy Decker, Pat Ward, Danny Johnson, Vic Coffey, Tim Fuller, John Moravec, Scott Boudinot, Scott Schrader, Jeff Hoff, Dave Axton, Ray Bliss Jr., Chuck Hebing, Darryl Ruggles, Steve Schultz, Bill Hoff, Pat Golley, John Little.