JOHNSON TAKES RACE AND TRACK TITLE; PAYNE JR. CROWNED SPORTSMAN CHAMPION
WEEDSPORT, NY...Alan Johnson won his second Advance Auto Parts Super DIRT Series in Central New York last Sunday at the Cayuga County Fair Speedway. Johnson, who currently is the series points leader, also picked up the Cayuga County Fair Speedway modified track championship. Greg Doust, from Jamesville, won the 20-lap DIRT Sportsman feature. Eldon Payne, who held a 70 point lead going into this final sportsman race of the year, easily won the sportsman track championship even after being involved in two accidents early in the event.
Billy Decker, drew the outside pole, picked up the lead at the drop of the green. He was hounded by Tim McCreadie in second. Alan Johnson raced in third followed by Bob McCreadie and Tim Fuller. The yellow flew on lap nine when rookie Steve Gray slowed to a stop in the fourth turn.
The restart saw Decker maintain his lead. On lap 15 the yellow came out for the second time when Jim Phelps looped on the front stretch and wacked the outside wall ending his race on the back of a tow truck.
On lap 16, Alan Johnson drove low in the third turn and passed McCreadie for second. Johnson then closed the gap on Decker. The yellow flew for the final time when Tom Sears Jr. slowed on the back stretch on lap 21.
Alan Johnson chased Decker until lap 43 when he pulled low and completed the pass for the lead. Johnson then pulled away, claiming the Holly Halfway Award leading lap 50. Tim McCreadie now had his hands full with Danny Johnson, who had worked his way through the field. McCreadie was able to draw away from Johnson to secure a ten car advantage by lap 58.
By the three quarter marker Johnson held a full straight away lead over McCreadie, who passed Decker for second on lap 65 using the outside line. Only eleven cars remained on the lead lap as the race had run under green flag conditions since lap 21.
Also on the move was Gary Tomkins who pulled along side of Danny Johnson and battled back and forth for the final 20 laps of the race.
Alan Johnson averaged 57.528 miles per hour on his way to victory. Tim McCreadie finished second followed by Decker, Danny Johnson and Tomkins. The Syracuse spot went to the eleventh place finisher Bobby Varin.
Quick time was set early by Billy Decker with a lap of 15.668 seconds for a speed of 86.163 miles per hour. Heat wins went to Brett Hearn, Tim Fuller, Chuck Bower and Bob McCreadie. The consolation races were won by Ray Bliss Jr. and Dave Axton.
The 20-lap sportsman feature had to be yellow flagged twice at the start of the race for accidents at the west end of the speedway. On lap one a four car tangle involved Walt Chyrywaty, Ryan Phelps, Tom Perrego and Eldon Payne Jr.. The restart saw another wreck in the fourth turn involving Ryan Richardson, Payne Jr. and Gary Gallerie.
The restart on lap two saw Doust in the lead ahead of Eric Richardson. Doust held a seven car lead through the remainder of the race to take his second win of the year at the track.
Richardson came home second some 2.809 seconds back of Doust. Donnie Wetmore Jr., Shawn Donath and John Pfeffer rounded out the top five. Eldon Payne Jr.'s 19th place finish earned him the track championship.
This ends racing at Cayuga County for the 2002 season. Many thanks go to the fans, racers, officials and sponsors for their involvement with the track in 2002. The 2003 season will begin in mid-April 2003.
BUDWEISER presents the ADVANCE AUTO PARTS SUPER DIRT SERIES NIGHT SUMMARY
MODIFIED
TIME TRIALS: Billy Decker 15.668, Gary Tomkins 15.964, Brett Hearn 16.005, Tim Fuller 16.014, Frank Cozze 16.072, Bob McCreadie 16.082, Todd Burley 16.083, Jerry Higbie 16.096, Chuck Bower 16.184, Tim McCreadie 16.191, Alan Johnson 16.278, Bobby Varin 16.285, Vince Vitale 16.289, Danny Johnson 16.307, Scott Prentice 16.312, Dave Stonebreaker 16.334, Pat Ward 16.354, Steve Hulziser 16.358, Ray Bliss, Jr. 16.365, Jimmy Phelps 16.407, Kenny Johnson 16.415, Kenny Tremont 16.431, Steve Gray 16.508, Tom Sears Jr. 16.518, AJ Romano 16.519, Butch Tittle 16.530, Chad Brachmann 16.607, Dave Axton 16.693, Tom Juhl 16.711, Mike Ward 16.825, Alan Shiffler 16.838, Jim LaRock 16.853, Joe Beyea 16.858, Rick Virkitis 16.859, Jim Burke 16.893, Troy VanAllen 16.918, Mike Payne 17.095, Craig Mitchell NT.
HEAT 1: B. Hearn, A. Johnson, T. Burley, S. Prentice, S. Gray
HEAT 2: T. Fuller, J. Higbie, B. Varin, T. Sears Jr., J. Phelps.
HEAT 3: C. Bower, F. Cozze, P. Ward, K. Johnson, T. Juhl.
HEAT 4: B. McCreadie, D. Johnson, T. McCreadie, S. Hulsizer, K. Tremont
CONSI 1: R. Bliss Jr., J. Beyea, C. Brachmann, A. Shiffler.
CONSI 2: D. Axton, B. Tittle, M. Ward, D. Stonebreaker.
FEATURE (100-laps): Alan Johnson, Tim McCreadie, Billy Decker, Danny Johnson, Gary Tomkins, Kenny Tremont, Brett Hearn, Pat Ward, Tim Fuller, Scott Prentice, Bobby Varin, Chuck Bower, Frank Cozze, Bob McCreadie, Todd Burley, Joe Beyea, Steve Hulziser, Mike Ward, Chad Brachmann, Tom Juhl, Dave Axton, Dave Stonebreaker, Ken Johnson, Butch Tittle, Alan Shiffler, Ray Bliss, Jr., Jerry Higbie, Tom Sears Jr., Jimmy Phelps, Steve Gray.
SPORTSMAN
HEAT 1: M. Cammuso, R. Richardson, J. Pfeffer, G. Gallerie, W. Chyrywaty.
HEAT 2: G. Doust, R. Phelps, E. Payne Jr., R. Hefti, Sw. Donath.
HEAT 3: D. Wetmore Jr., R. Loveless, E. Richardson, T. Sears, T. Perrego.
CONSI: M. Yorker, J. Juhl, D. Fallis, M. Conrow, R. Galloway, T.
VanTassel, R. Relfe, H. Desormeau, D. Burke.
FEATURE (20-laps): Greg Doust, Eric Richardson, Donnie Wetmore Jr., Shawn Donath, John Pfeffer, Drew Fallis, Tim Sears, Rob Galloway, Mark Conrow, John Juhl, Ryan Phelps, Gary Gallerie, Mark Cammuso, Todd VanTassel, Mark Yorker, Tom Perrego, Rob Relfe, Ryan Richardson, Eldon Payne Jr., Russ Hefti, Ron Loveless, Henry Desormeau, Walt Chyrywaty