McCREADIE TOPS CAYUGA COUNTY, SEARS AND PAYNE JR. SPLIT SPORTSMAN WINS
WEEDSPORT, NY...Tim McCreadie topped the Cayuga County Fair Speedway DIRT Modified field for the second time in 2002, picking up the 35-lap feature event. Tim Sears won the rain delayed held over 20-lap DIRT Sportsman feature from June 16 and Eldon Payne Jr. took top honors in the night's regular 20-lap Sportsman feature. Jeremy Clark waited until the last lap to make his pass and win the 15-lap Pro-Stock main. Rich Gardner topped the 25-lap 4-cylinder enduro race.
Rookie sensation Justin Haers was the early leader in the 35-lap DIRT Modified run, as 24 cars took the green flag. Haers gave way to Vince Vitale on lap five. Vitale then proceeded to run away to nearly a full three second lead over Haers. In the meantime Joe Beyea was third followed by Tim McCreadie and Roy Shields.
On lap 20 the yellow flew when Jimmy Phelps looped his number 99J in between the first and second turns. This yellow took away the advantage that Vitale held. On the restart Vitale, Haers and McCreadie all vied for the front position. McCreadie ducked from high to low through the second turn on lap 21 to pass both Vitale and Haers for the lead. It was then McCreadie's turn to stretch out the lead. Vitale then gave way to Chuck Bower who took second on lap 25.
A late race yellow flew when Pat Ward, who was shoved into the front stretch wall, slowed on the track through turn one and two. McCreadie held off any late race charges and took the win. Bower finished second followed by Alan Johnson, Gary Tomkins and Scott Prentice.
The rain delayed sportsman feature saw Donnie Wetmore Jr. take the lead and hold off Tim Sears until the last lap, when Sears nosed out Wetmore Jr. at the finish line. Only two yellows slowed the race. The first came on lap 10 when Ryan Richardson slowed on the front straight. On lap 15 the second yellow flew when Eldon Payne Jr. tagged the first turn wall and came to a stop.
Wetmore Jr. finished second by a mere .074 seconds. John Pfeffer, Loren Lincoln and Russ Hefti rounded out the top five finishers.
In the regular Sportsman 20-lapper Ron Loveless led the first eight laps. On a lap nine restart Eldon Payne Jr. blasted by Loveless for the lead. A series of four yellow flags then slowed the race. However Payne Jr. continued his lead over John Juhl, Hefti, Ryan Phelps and Ryan Richardson.
Payne Jr. took the win by .897 seconds over Hefti. Richardson worked his way back up to third, with Juhl and Lincoln rounding out the top five finishers.
Tommy Barron looked to have a lock on the 15-lap Pro-Stock main event after he took the lead from Zack Shove on lap four. Barron held a lead over Derrick Excell and Jeremy Clark. On lap 12, Excell slowed and exited into the pits with mechanical woes. Clark then proceeded to place a charge on Barron. As the pair exited the last turn of the last lap Clark drove hard by Barron on the outside nipping Barron at the finish line by .095 seconds.
Following Barron in third was Shove. Fred Dennis, who earlier had brought out the only yellow of the race on lap eight for spin out, finished fourth. Patrick Hobbs rounded out the top five finishers.
This Sunday, July 7, will find the powerful Empire Super Sprints at Cayuga County to help celebrate Independence Day Weekend. The combined Mod/358-Mod division will be running a special 50-lap Syracuse 358-Mod Qualifier, offering the first small block across the finish line a guaranteed starting spot in the 358-Modified feature at Syracuse in October. Also on the race card will be the sportsman and Pro-stock divisions. Race time will be at 7 p.m. sharp.
BALDWIN COMMUNICATIONS NIGHT SUMMARY
PIT STOP CONVENIENCE STORES 4 CYLINDER ENDURO TOP 3: RICH GARDNER, James Werner, Sam Carista.
PRO-STOCK
HEAT 1: P. Hobbs, J. Underwood, F. Dennis, J. Clark, D. Excell, Z. Shove.
FEATURE (15-laps): JEREMY CLARK, Tommy Barron, Zack Shove, Fred Dennis, Patrick Hobbs, Ricky Breed, John Underwood, Derrick Excell, Mike Watkins, Dave McCready.
SPORTSMAN
HEAT 1: G. Gallerie, R. Phelps, E. Payne Jr., E. Richardson, M. Yorker.
HEAT 2: R. Hefti, J. Pfeffer, L. Lincoln, J. Juhl, R. Loveless.
HEAT 3: R. Richardson, G. Doust, D. Wetmore Jr., R. Bussey, M. Cammuso.
CONSI: Shw. Donath, M. Conrow, Rob Relfe, J. Potter.
FEATURE (20-laps): ELDON PAYNE JR., Russ Hefti, Ryan Richardson, John Juhl, Loren Lincoln, Shane Donath, Ryan Phelps, Greg Doust, John Pfeffer, Ron Loveless, Eric Richardson, Mark Conrow, Rob Bussey, Gary Gallerie, Mark Cammuso, Rob Relfe, Donnie Wetmore Jr., Mark Yorker, Jason Potter, Shawn Donath.
RAIN DELAYED FEATURE FROM 6/16 (20-laps): TIM SEARS, Donnie Wetmore Jr., John Pfeffer, Loren Lincoln, Russ Hefti, Ryan Phelps, Ron Loveless, Shane Donath, Greg Doust, Shawn Donath, Mark Yorker, Mark Conrow, Eldon Payne Jr., Mark Cammuso, Eric Richardson, John Juhl, Ryan Richardson, Gary Gallerie, Don Burke, DNS: Tom Jansch.
MODIFIED
HEAT 1: J. Haers, T. Sears Jr., G. Tomkins, V. Vitale, A.J. Romano.
HEAT 2: T. Fuller, T. McCreadie, P. Ward, S. Prentice, J. Beyea.
HEAT 3: C. Bower, A. Johnson, B. McCreadie, R. Shields, T. Juhl.
CONSI: R. Swarthout, J. Phelps, B. Decker, J. LaRock, R. Bliss Jr., T. VanAllen, R. Cartwright, J. Burke, T. Harris, M. Ward.
FEATURE (35-laps): TIM McCREADIE, Chuck Bower, Alan Johnson, Gary Tomkins, Scott Prentice, Vince Vitale, Bob McCreadie, Joe Beyea, Tim Fuller, Rich Swarthout, Billy Decker, Justin Haers, Jimmy Phelps, Roy Shields, Tom Juhl, Troy VanAllen, Pat Ward, A.J.
Romano, Ron Cartwright, Tom Sears Jr., Jim LaRock, Ray Bliss, Jr., Tim Harris, Mike Ward.