WARD TOPS WEEDSPORT

WEEDSPORT, NY...Pat Ward, from nearby Genoa, NY, won the 35-lap DIRT Modified feature last Sunday evening as the Cayuga County Fair Speedway switched to Sunday night racing. Eldon Payne Jr. won the DIRT Sportsman main with Dave Schulz taking top honors in the Pro-Stock division. The season opener for the Pit Stop Convenience Stores 4 Cylinder Enduros was won by Buddy Grant.

The 35-lap DIRT Modified feature saw Justin Haers in his small block jump into the lead from his outside pole starting position. Haers was able to build a second and a half lead on Joe Beyea, Chuck Bower, Pat Ward and A.J. Romano. On lap three the yellow flew when Bower headed straight for the first turn wall, slapping it head on and getting airborne, landing back on the track against the Jersey barrier. He emerged uninjured and not able to explain what happened. The restart saw the yellow fly as a three car pile up occurred in the fourth turn between Greg Hixson, Jim Burke and Vince Vitale.

Haers continued his advantage as Ward took second with Decker running a close third. On lap 12 the yellow flew yet again as Scott Ridley slowed in the first turn. Gary Tomkins was sent to the pits during this yellow to remove his right side sheet metal that seemed to be dangling from the side of his car. On the restart Tomkins returned and quickly looped his car, causing a yellow, to remain on the lead lap.

Ward grabbed the lead on the restart with Haers in second and Alan Johnson now in third. Decker took second from Haers on lap 14 and took off after Ward. The yellow flew again when Pete Bicknell, driving the Mike Romano small block machine, made contact with the front stretch wall and came to a stop.

Ward held off a hard charging Decker for the win, his first of the year at Cayuga County Fair Speedway. Decker came home second followed by Alan Johnson, Haers and Tim McCreadie in fifth.

The 20-lap DIRT Sportsman feature proved to be a crash-fest, with the yellow flag flying seven times. Ron Loveless led the first nine laps, only to lose his lead on a restart to Eldon Payne Jr. on lap 10. Payne Jr. pulled out to a huge lead over Loveless in the closing laps. Only cautions would tighten the field together. Payne Jr. took the victory followed by Loveless, first time starter this year Russ Hefti, points leader going into the night Ryan Richardson and Jason Potter.

The worst accident of the sportsman race was a ten car pileup which blocked the track on the first attempt to complete lap 13. No injures were reported but a number of cars were towed to the pits.

The 20-lap Pro-Stock main saw a yellow fly on the opening lap when Lee Burnett tried to ride the back stretch wall, destroying the right rear hub and slowing on the track. The restart saw a multi-car pile up as Jeremy Clark nosed into the back of Dave Schulz, in the lead. Schulz held on and recovered, but a number of cars piled into the inside concrete in the fourth turn. The end number saw nine cars involved.

On the restart Schulz led the parade with Phil Barone falling back to a distance second. On lap six Matt Smith coasted to a stop in the fourth turn to bring out the yellow. Schulz remained in the lead followed by Ricky Breed, Tom Barron and Barone. On lap 11, the rear deck blew off the barron machine and landed on the side panel of the Barone car. The panel remained on Barone's car until the later laps of the race, blocking Barone's view out his side window.

A late race yellow came when Patrick Hobbs spun in the second turn with the white flag flying. This set up a one lap dash to the checkers, won by Schulz, who led the entire race. Tommy Barron came home second, passing Ricky Breed on lap 14 for the position. Breed finished third followed by Jeremy Clark and Derek Excell.

The new 4 cylinder machines saw only eight cars take the green for the 25-lap feature. At the finish Buddy Grant, who's car caught fire and blew itself out during the race, took the win. Only four cars lasted the distance.

This Sunday will be Entrepreneur Expansion Corporation night featuring the opening round of the Hoosier Tire Pro-Stock Championship. The full fender cars will run a 25-lap feature paying $1,500 to win. Time trials will align the field for their heat race. A complete show of DIRT Modifieds and Sportsman will also be on the race card, including the new 4 cylinder enduros. Race time will be at 7 p.m. sharp.

LAKELAND EQUIPMENT CORPORATION OF SAVANNAH, NY/QUALITY HARDWOODS/PHELPS CEMENT NIGHT SUMMARY

4 CYLINDER ENDURO

FEATURE (25-laps)-TOP 3: BUDDY GRANT, Sam Giguere, Jerry Cycre Sr.

PRO-STOCKS

HEAT 1: D. Schulz, J. Clark, P. Barone, J. Ortiz, S. Pesarek.

HEAT 2: P. Hobbs, R. Breed, L. Burnett, K. Michaels, D. Mayer.

CONSI: T. Barron, J. Henry, D. Schulz, D. Excell, J. Langenback, F. Dennis, Z. Shove, R. Skiff, J. Underwood, M. Smith.

FEATURE (20-laps): DAVE SCHULZ, Tommy Barron, Ricky Breed, Jeremy Clark, Derek Excell, Phil Barone, Jim Langenback, Dan Schulz, Jipp Ortiz, Fred Dennis, Dan Mayer, Zack Shove, Patrick Hobbs, Randy Skiff, Steve Paserek, John Underwood, Matt Smith, James Henry, Lee Burnett.

SPORTSMAN

HEAT 1: Shn. Donath, G. Doust, M. Yorker, R. Hefti, G. Gallerie.

HEAT 2: R. Phelps, R. Loveless, D. Wetmore Jr., R. Chrysler, L. Lincoln.

HEAT 3: E. Payne Jr., Shw. Donath, J. Juhl, R. Richardson, J. Pfeffer.

CONSI: M. Schulz, M. Cammuso, C. Phelps, Ti. Sears, J. Potter, M. Conrow, W. Chyrywaty, E. Giguere.

FEATURE (20-laps): ELDON PAYNE JR., Ron Loveless, Russ Hefti, Ryan Richardson, Jason Potter, Mark Yorker, Loren Lincoln, Gary Gallerie, Mark Conrow, Shawn Donath, John Juhl, Chad Phelps, Randy Chrysler, Donnie Wetmore Jr., Ryan Phelps, Shane Donath, Tim Sears, John Pfeffer, Mark Cammuso, Mark Schulz, Eric Giguere, Greg Doust, Walt Chyrywaty.

MODIFIED

HEAT 1: T. Juhl, T. Fuller, J. Haers, T. Sears Jr., S. Ridley.

HEAT 2: C. Bower, J. Beyea, S. Prentice, B. McCreadie, R. Swarthout.

HEAT 3: B. Decker, P. Ward, A.J. Romano, T. McCreadie, A. Johnson.

CONSI: J. Phelps, G. Tomkins, P. Bicknell, V. Vitale, G. Hixson, J. Burke, R. Bliss Jr., F. Doll, M. Ward.

FEATURE (35-laps): PAT WARD, Billy Decker, Alan Johnson, Justin Haers, Tim McCreadie, Tom Sears Jr., Tim Fuller, Scott Prentice, Gary Tomkins, Jimmy Phelps, Vince Vitale, Tom Juhl, Ray Bliss Jr., Jim Burke, Joe Beyea, Scott Ridley, A.J. Romano, Mike Ward, Rich Swarthout, Pete Bicknell, Greg Hixson, Frankie Doll, Chuck Bower, Bob McCreadie.