McCREADIE REPEATS AS HALL OF FAME CHAMPION IN SUPER DIRT SERIES THRILLER
WEEDSPORT, NY...The climax of the DIRT Motorsports Hall of Fame Induction Day is the running of the 100-lap Hall of Fame Classic for DIRT Modifieds. Ironically Tim McCreadie, Watertown, NY, in his Finch's Logging number 56, held off Danny Johnson by just .056 seconds to claim the $6,000 victory. McCreadie won this event last year after contact with Tim Fuller. In sportsman action Greg Doust took his first win of the year. A special performance by the Mid-State Vintage Racers saw Dick Ackerman (1950's), Pat Sonnenberg (1960's) and Joel Grimaldi (1970's) take home the trophies.
The 100-lap Advance Auto Parts feature saw Tom Sears Jr. and Alan Johnson bring the field of 30 starters to Dave Farney's green flag. Johnson quickly jumped out into the lead and began to pull away from the rest of the field. Scott Prentice passed Sears Jr. for second as the yellow flew for Jeff Brownell who performed a spin-and-go in the second turn and then slowed on the track.
The restart saw Prentice take the lead from Johnson. The fastest car on the track seemed to be Steve Paine, who found a comfortable and fast line around the top side of the .375 mile oval. Johnson regained the lead on lap 11, as Paine took fourth and was about to pass Kenny Tremont for third. Frank Cozze now joined Paine in the high grove, moving into fifth behind Tremont.
On lap 21 the yellow flew as Todd Burley slowed in the second turn. Points leader Tim Fuller took advantage of this yellow to change tires. He returned to the race on the lead laps, as yellow flag laps would not start counting until lap 51.
Alan Johnson continued to lead but it was now Tremont who grabbed second on the restart followed by Prentice and Paine. Johnson inched out to a 1.3 second lead until the yellow flew for a third time on lap 30 as Mike Colsten stopped at the top of the fourth turn.
Tim McCreadie now joined the front of the field and began to charge after Tremont and Johnson. On lap 33 he passed Johnson for the lead as Brett Hearn was now pressuring Tremont for third. The yellow flew again as Chuck Bower slowed with a flat right rear tire and limped into the pits. The restart saw a made scramble as Butch Tittle looped to avoid and spinning Frank Caprara in the first turn. The lap was completed and Bower returned to the race one lap down.
McCreadie was now in command of the race followed by Alan Johnson, Danny Johnson, Hearn and Tremont. McCreadie began to pull away. By lap 50, the "Brothers Johnson" were in a torrid battle for second. Danny performed a slide job on his older brother through the fourth turn much to the ire of Alan. Danny then tried to take off after McCreadie with lap traffic often dividing the lead pack. Danny tried to dive low in the second turn on lap 69 but fell short as the crowd cheered. John then tried to go high, yet again McCreadie, who was tucked tight against the bottom staved off Johnson's advances. This move allow McCreadie a little breathing space as Danny began to set up a charge for the finish.
A late race yellow, on lap 86, saw Brett Hearn limp into the pits with a flat tire. An attempt to restart on lap 88, saw Steve Paine stop on the track and exit to the pits and back again. With just ten laps remaining McCreadie fired and took off for the finish. McCreadie continued to stay tucked down low, guarding the low line exits from the turns. With just two laps remaining Johnson started to pull alongside of McCreadie, but at each turn had to give way to the low side exit of McCreadie. On the final lap Johnson seemed to nose ahead down the backstretch, only to fall back some as the pair sailed through the third and fourth turns. Johnson then gunned his number 27, but fell just short at the finish line. Alan Johnson, who passed Kenny Tremont with just five laps remaining, finished third. Tremont was then followed by Gary Tomkins in fifth.
Alan Johnson set a new track record in time trials with a lap of 15.687 seconds, 89.059 mph. Heat wins went to Cozze, Paine, Billy Decker and Hearn.
In sportsman action the 20-lap feature started off with a mad scramble in the first turn, which set up another original restart. Donnie Wetmore Jr. and John Pfeffer were eliminated in the accident. Pfeffer would later return many laps down.
Ron Loveless took the early lead only to be passed on lap three by Ryan Richardson. Richardson seemed to have the car to beat as he easily pulled out to a four car advantage. On lap six the yellow flew for debris on the track. A spin on the front chute by Loren Lincoln saw the next yellow one lap later.
Richardson continued to lead at the halfway mark followed by Eldon Payne Jr., Greg Doust, Ryan Phelps and Randy Chrysler. Doust also found a fast line around the track on the high side. He used this line on lap 11 to power by both Payne Jr. and Richardson to take the lead. The yellow flew as the lap was being completed for past feature winner Jim Bowman, who found himself in the inside concrete wall in the second turn.
Doust held off the advances of Richardson and Randy Chrysler for the last eight laps as a three car break away formed at the front of the field. Doust took the victory followed by Richardson, Chrysler, Payne Jr. and Shane Donath.
Cayuga County Fair Speedway now switches to their Sunday evening schedule starting this Sunday at 7 p.m.. It will be Lakeland Equipment Corporation and Quality Hardwoods night at the speedway. Gates open at 5 p.m. sharp. On tap will be the mighty DIRT Modifieds and DIRT Sportsman cars, along with a complete program of DIRT Pro-stocks and the first appearance of the Pit Stop Convenience Stores 4-cylinder enduro cars.
BEACHY'S TORO-UFPO DIG SAFELY NEW YORK presents
The ADVANCE AUTO PARTS SUPER DIRT SERIES HALL OF FAME CLASSIC NIGHT SUMMARY
SPORTSMAN
HEAT 1: E. Payne Jr., J. Pfeffer, J. Juhl, G. Doust, R. Chrysler.
HEAT 2: Shn. Donath, D. Wetmore Jr., J. Bowman, M. Cammuso, G. Gallerie.
HEAT 3: R. Loveless, R. Richardson, R. Phelps, M. Yorker, J. Potter.
CONSI: B. Wescott, Shw. Donath, L. Lincoln, T. Sears, J. Livingston, B. Bradt, F. Burnell, R. Miller, W. Chyrywaty.
FEATURE (20-laps): GREG DOUST, Ryan Richardson, Randy Chrysler, Eldon Payne Jr., Shane Donath, Tim Sears, John Juhl, Ryan Phelps, Shawn Donath, Mark Cammuso, Gary Gallerie, Jason Potter, Sam Wescott, Jim Livingston, Bob Bradt, Jim Bowman, Walt Chyrywaty, Mark Yorker, John Pfeffer, Loren Lincoln, Ron Loveless, Frank Burnell, Rick Miller, Donnie Wetmore Jr.
MID-STATE VINTAGE RACERS
50'S-60'S HEAT: P. Sonnenberg, D. Smith, D. Ackerman, G. Wood, B. Litzenberger.
70'S HEAT: J. Grimaldi, G. Byerly, A. Amell, B. Williams Sr., C. MacNamee.
50'S-60'S FEATURE (10-laps): PAT SONNENBERG (60'S), DICK ACKERMAN (50'S), Brad Litzenberger, Jim Chase, Gordie Wood, Richard Applebee, Don Larmon, Joey Edgbert, Norm Richardson, Rod Hadden. 70'S FEATURE (10-laps): JOEL GRIMALDI, John MacNamee, Gary Byerly, Ally Amell, Bob Williams Sr., Scot Gates, Al Haryou, Clay MacNamee, Mike McLaughlin.
MODIFIED
TIME TRIALS: Alan Johnson 15.687 (89.059 mph)NR, Doug Hoffman 15.834, Kenny Tremont Jr. 15.837, Wade Hendrickson 15.850, Billy Decker 15.978, Tim Fuller 16.029, Frank Cozze 16.044, Tim McCreadie 16.053, Tom Sears Jr. 16.069, Brett Hearn 16.111, Scott Prentice 16.134, Frankie Caprara 16.187, Vic Coffey 16.187, Chuck Bower 16.196, Rich Swarthout 16.238, Steve Paine 16.240, Butch Tittle 16.254, Steve Poirier 16.266, Jerry Higbie 16.267, Pat Ward 16.271, Danny Johnson 16.279, Jimmy Phelps 16.300, Todd Burley 16.309, Vince Vitale 16.358, Bobby Varin 16.388, AJ Romano 16.416, Joe Beyea 16.437, Dave Axton 16.463, Greg Hixson 16.539, Gary Tomkins 16.575, Tom Juhl 16.651, Scott Ridley 16.755, Alan Shiffler 16.808, Jeff Brownell Jr. 16.809, Ray Bliss, Jr. 16.840, Jim Burke 16.858, Mike Colsten 16.884, Mike Ward 17.566, Bob McCreadie NT.
HEAT 1: F. Cozze, K. Tremont, S. Prentice, R. Swarthout, J. Higbie.
HEAT 2: S. Paine, T. McCreadie, F. Caprara, V. Vitale, P. Ward.
HEAT 3: B. Decker, V. Coffey, T. Sears Jr., D. Johnson, B. Varin.
HEAT 4: B. Hearn, T. Fuller, C. Bower, G. Tomkins, S. Poirier.
CONSI 1: B. Tittle, T. Burley, J. Beyea, M. Colsten.
CONSI 2: A.J. Romano, J. Phelps, W. Hendrickson, J. Brownell.
FEATURE (100-laps): TIM McCREADIE, Danny Johnson, Alan Johnson, Kenny Tremont Jr., Gary Tomkins, Billy Decker, Jimmy Phelps, Vic Coffey, Scott Prentice, Frank Cozze, Bobby Varin, Rich Swarthout, Pat Ward, Todd Burley, A.J. Romano, Tim Fuller, Jerry Higbie, Joe Beyea, Chuck Bower, Frank Caprara, Brett Hearn, Doug Hoffman, Steve Poirier, Vince Vitale, Steve Paine, Butch Tittle, Tom Sears Jr., Mike Colsten, Wade Hendrickson, Jeff Brownell.