TOMKINS USES LAST FEW LAPS TO EARN HIS FIRST WIN OF 2003
WEEDSPORT, NY...Gary Tomkins, from nearby Waterloo, NY, earned his first win of the 2003 DIRT Modified campaign last Sunday at the Cayuga County Fair Speedway. Tomkins passed Ray Bliss in the closing laps to take the win. Donnie Wetmore Jr., from Weedsport, took the 20-lap victory in the DIRT Sportsman division while James Henry, from Bristol Springs, earned his second straight Pro-Stock feature win. In the 4-cylinder Enduros Greg DeChick took the win.
The 35-lap DIRT Modified/358-Modified feature saw Ray Bliss take the lead on the slick track from his outside pole starting position. Bliss was able to maintain his lead over Jeremie Corcoran, Pat Ward and Frankie Caprara Jr. by a narrow margin.
As the laps wound down Bliss remained in the lead with gary Tomkins, clearly the fastest car on the track, moving in from his second position. On lap 24, Tomkins tried a low pass exiting the second turn and was able to pull along side of Bliss, but he could not complete the pass. Tomkins attempted the same move five laps later, but fell short again. Bliss seemed to have a rhythm built up that made passing him difficult.
The turning point of the race came on lap 30 when Jimmy Phelps slowed to a stop in the fourth turn bringing out the yellow. This placed Bliss and Tomkins at the front of the field with no lapped cars to help Bliss hold back Tomkins. The restart saw Tomkins use that same move, duck low exiting turn two, to make the pass for the lead. Bliss dove low in the fourth turn but could only pull along side of Tomkins.
Tomkins held on for the win with Bliss coming home second. Pat Ward, Tim Fuller and Frankie Caprara Jr. rounded out the top five. Caprara Jr., the first small block across the finish line, earned himself a Syracuse spot for the 358-Modified Sunoco 150 run during Super DIRT Week in October.
"We were fast were Ray was fast," commented Tomkins in victory lane. "We had our hands full just to make that pass."
The 20-lap Sportsman race saw Donnie Wetmore Jr. drive off the outside pole and into the lead. Behind Wetmore Jr. were Bob Henry Jr., Russ hefti and Eric Richardson. On the move was Eldon Payne Jr., who jumped into the top six by lap five.
On lap eight the yellow flew when Chad Phelps and Shane Donath tangled in the third turn. On the restart the yellow flew again when Richardson spun in the first turn.
Wetmore Jr. was able to hold off Hefti and Payne Jr., as Greg Doust charged through towards the front of the field. Doust used some fancy moves to grab fourth on lap 14.
One more yellow flew, lap 16, when Don Burke made contact with the inside turn two barrier.
At the finish it was Wetmore Jr. followed by Payne Jr., Doust, Hefti and Henry Jr.
The 15-lap Pro-Stock feature saw Bill Hallett take the lead. On lap four James Henry looped in the second turn and was hung up on the inside barrier. Safety crews freed him and he returned to the race at the rear of the field. The restart saw Fred Dennis take the lead from Hallett.
A two car accident on lap six blocked the fourth turn. Both Hallett and Dave Conant were able to drive away from the scene. Officials deemed that rookie Frankie Guererri Jr. caused the accident and he too was sent to the rear of the field.
Dennis looked to have the race in the bag. But Henry, who won the first week, saw different. Henry grabbed second and charged off after Dennis. On lap 14, Henry dove low exiting the second turn at took the lead. While he only lead three-quarters of a lap, Henry took the win. Dennis held on for second followed by Dave Bissonnette, Derek Excell and Daryl Hilkert.
This Sunday The Cayuga County Fair Speedway will be closed for Mother's Day. On Sunday, May 18, the track remains closed to make room for a special Rolling Wheels Raceway event starting at 6 p.m. sharp.
Racing returns to Cayuga County Fair Speedway on Sunday May 25 when the stars and cars from the Advance Auto Parts Super DIRT Series stop at the speedway for the 100-lap Hall of Fame Classic. Earlier in the afternoon three drivers will be inducted into the DIRT Motorsports Hall of Fame and other special awards will be presented. Hall of Fame activities begin at 2 p.m. sharp, with racing starting at 6 p.m..
CAYUGA COUNTY FAIR SPEEDWAY SUMMARY
FOUR CYLINDER ENDURO
FEATURE (Top 3 paid positions): GREG DeCHICK, Dan Alford, Rich Gardner.
PRO-STOCKS
HEAT 1: F. Guererri Jr., J. Henry, R. Breed, D. Bissonnette.
HEAT 2: B. Hallett, J. Langenback, D. Hilkert, F. Dennis.
FEATURE (15-laps): JAMES HENRY, Fred Dennis, Dave Bissonnette, Derek Excell, Daryl Hilkert, Jim Langenback, Jack Terrell, Frankie Gurerri Jr., Jay McGillicuddy, Bill Hallett, Ricky Breed, Dave Conant.
SPORTSMAN
HEAT 1: M. Conrow, S. Donath, R, Loveless, R. Relfe, J. Pfeffer.
HEAT 2: D. Wetmore Jr., B. Henry Jr., R. Hefti, E. Payne Jr., R. Richardson.
FEATURE (20-laps): DONNIE WETMORE JR., Eldon Payne Jr., Greg Doust, Russ Hefti, Bob Henry Jr., Eric Richardson, John Pfeffer, Ron Loveless, Loren Lincoln, Ryan Richardson, Walt Chyrywaty, John Juhl, Mike Conrow, Chad Phelps, Shane Donath, Don Burke, Brian Donath, Rob Relfe.
MODIFIED/358-MODIFIED
HEAT 1: R. Bliss, G. Tomkins, C. Bower, T. Sears Jr.
HEAT 2: P. Ward, D. Ruggles, J. Phelps, B. Decker.
HEAT 3: T. McCreadie, T. Juhl, J. Corcoran, F. Caprara Jr.
HEAT 4: J. Beyea, A. Johnson, D. Johnson, T. Fuller.
CONSI 1: B. Tittle, A. Shiffler, S. Hulsizer, V. Vitale, V. Coffey.
CONSI 2: J. Barney, S. Prentice, D. Axton, R. Swarthout, J. LaRock.
FEATURE (35-laps): GARY TOMKINS, Ray Bliss, Pat Ward, Tim Fuller, Frankie Caprara Jr., Tom Sears Jr., Danny Johnson, Alan Johnson, Darryl Ruggles, Chuck Bower, Scott Prentice, Jason Barney, Justin Haers, Joe Beyea, Butch Tittle, Dave Axton, Steve Hulsizer, Alan Shiffler, Vince Vitale, Jim LaRock, Jeremie Corcoran, Jimmy Phelps, Vic Coffey, Billy Decker, Rich Swarthout, Tim McCreadie, Tommy Juhl.