PAINE "SWEETENS" CAYUGA COUNTY OPENER
WEEDSPORT,NY.....A "Paine"-fully cold day greeted fans and competitors alike Sunday afternoon at the Cayuga County Fair Speedway, as Steve Paine cruised to the Phelps Cement Products 50-lap big-block DIRT Modified victory.
The win was Paine's first with his new Sweeteners Plus big-block team, and his second of the weekend, having won the 358-modified opener Friday at Black Rock Speedway in his own car.
Twenty-eight modifieds took starter Dave Farney's green flag and Tom Sears Jr. assumed the early lead in his Eric Kingsley-owned Bicknell No. 3 modified from the outside-pole position.
Paine raced into the second spot from outside the second row as the fastest lane on the track for the entire race was the outside groove.
Paine followed Sears for the first nine circuits before sneaking under him as the lead duo exited turn two on the tenth circuit. Paine was not pressured the rest of the way, putting distance between his No. 7x Teo-Pro car and the field. Most of the action behind Paine came after each of the three caution periods as the cars jockeyed for the preferred high-line when racing resumed.
Scott Prentice used the restarts to his advantage, racing past Bob McCreadie on a lap 20 restart to claim the second-position. Prentice could not close the gap on Paine over the last thirty laps and settled for a solid runner-up finish in his Benwood Auto Parts No. 47. McCreadie held on for a third-place effort in the Kinney Drugs No. 9.
Alan Johnson raced to a fourth-place finish in the Pillsbury-Bicknell No. 1 and Tim Fuller completed the top-five in the Bob Faust-owned No. M1. Early leader Sears came home in the sixth position followed by invader Brett Hearn in the Bud No. 3 with Vic Coffey, Chuck Bower and Jimmy Phelps rounding out the top-ten.
Tim Sears won the 20-lap Auto Finishers Sportsman main, leading every lap despite having to withstand a stout challenge over the final four circuits from runner-up Ryan Richardson in the Herman Brothers No. 10r. Eldon Payne finished third, followed by John Plumb and Shawn Donath among the top-five.
Tom Barron took home top honors in the Taylor Rental 20-lap Pro Stock feature, getting by Pat Hobbs on lap 16 just before Hobbs slowed and headed pitside. Jeremy Clark was second, with Dave Schultz third, Steve DeVos and Eric Vanderhoof fourth and fifth, respectively.
Next Week CCFS is idle and the action moves a few miles down the road to the Rolling Wheels Raceway in Elbridge, as the Advance Auto Parts Super DIRT Series for big-blocks continues with the running of the 22nd annual DIRT Challenge Cup at 2 p.m.. Twin 50-lap mains are on tap, paying $4,000 to the winner of each contest. The sportsman cars are scheduled on the undercard, with a 20-lap Syracuse "Firecracker" qualifier event.
Summary for Auto Finishers of Auburn, Taylor Rental, Phelps Cement Products program
Sunday, April 21, 2002
PRO STOCK
Heat 1: P. Hobbs, T. Barron, F. Dennis, W. Archer, P. Barone, D. McCready, R. Shiff.
Heat 2: J. Clark, S. DeVos, L. Burnett, Z. Shove, E. Vanderhoof, R. Breed, P. Stoneburg, D. Butler.
Feature (20-Laps): TOM BARRON, Jeremy Clark, Dave Shultz, Steve DeVos, Eric Vanderhoof, Paul Stoneburg, Wayne Archer, Ricky Breed, Phil Barone, Zach Shove, Randy Shiff, Tom Cook, Pat Hobbs, Fred Dennis, Dan Butler, Lee Burnett.
SPORTSMAN
Heat 1: E. Payne, J. Plumb, G. Gallerie, E. Richardson, R. Loveless, M. Cammuso, M. Conrow, S. MacCue, Shawn Donath.
Heat 2: Ti. Sears, R. Richardson, Shane Donath, D. Wetmore, J. Pfeffer, B. Price, T. Burns, J. Bowman, R. McCready, P. Benz, R. Phelps.
Consolation: J. Bowman, Shawn Donath, G. Hoteling, R. Phelps, P. Benz, T. Burns, S. MacCue, J. Courcy, M. Conrow.
Feature (20-Laps): TIM SEARS, Ryan Richardson, Eldon Payne Jr., John Plumb, Shawn Donath, Gary Gallerie, Shane Donath, John Pfeffer, Jim Bowman, Ron Loveless, Mark Cammuso, Scott MacCue, Ryan Phelps, Donnie Wetmore Jr., Eric Richardson, Paul Benz, Bill Price, Gary Hoteling, Tim Burns.
MODIFIED
Heat 1: S. Prentice, J. Hears, T. Fuller, A.J. Romano, B. Bilcox, J. Burke, M. Ward, R. Virkitis.
Heat 2: T. Sears, A. Johnson, J. Phelps, T. McCreadie, S. Hulsizer, J. Beyea, Ro. Phelps, V. Vitale.
Heat 3: B. McCreadie, B. Hearn, B. Decker, R. Bliss, G. Tomkins, J. Brownell, T. Juhl,
Heat 4: S. Paine, P. Ward, C. Bower, F. Cozze, V. Coffey, J. Barney, C. Ostrowsky, R. Baye
Consolation: J. Beyea, J. Barney, Ro. Phelps, V. Vitale, J. Brownell, T. Juhl, J. Burke, M. Ward, C. Ostrowsky, R. Virkitis, R. Baye, D. Johnson.
Feature (50-Laps): STEVE PAINE, Scott Prentice, Bob McCreadie, Alan Johnson, Tim Fuller, Tom Sears Jr., Brett Hearn, Vic Coffey, Chuck Bower, Jimmy Phelps, Billy Decker, Tim McCreadie, A.J. Romano, Vince Vitale, Frank Cozze, Steve Hulsizer, Just Haers, Tom Juhl, Brent Wilcox, Joe Beyea, Gary Tomkins, Jason Barney, Roger Phelps, Jeffrey Brownell, Ray Bliss Jr., Pat Ward, Mike Ward, Danny Johnson.