TOMKINS EARNS HIS SECOND 2001 CCFS VICTORY WHILE SEARS COLLECTS 358 MODIFIED SUNOCO/APLUS SPOT
WEEDSPORT, NY…Gary Tomkins from Clifton Springs has made a habit of collecting 50 lap showdowns at CCFS and Sunday night was no exception as he found the checkers for the second time in 2001 following the 358 Modified Sunoco/Aplus 150 qualifier for Super DIRT Week XXX at "The Home of DIRT Motorsports" in Weedsport. Tomkins raced to the checkers aboard his regular big block ride handing the coveted qualifying spot for the annual event staged on "The Moody Mile" in Syracuse to Clay’s Tom Sears Jr. who crossed the line in the runner-up position aboard his 358 mount.
Sears now holds the distinction of representing CCFS in both the 358 Modified Sunoco/Aplus 150 Championship and the Eckerd 200 Big Block Modified Championship at Super DIRT Week XXX after finishing 2nd in the Advance Auto Super DIRT Series event at the speedway on July 5 to Tim McCreadie who had already earned a spot.
Points were not awarded to the Modifieds as Tri-City Speedway in Franklin, Pa. staged an Advance Auto Super DIRT Series event and many of the regular teams that compete at Cayuga County Fair Speedway were in attendance.
"The Natural", Justin Haers topped the Sportsman ranks in their 20 lap grind to capture his first ever CCFS victory while Ontario’s Tom Barron found gold in a special 15 lap Pro Stock go around and Seneca Falls’ Nathan Peckham bested the field in the 40 lap Enduro event.
A field of 21 Modifieds which included twelve 358 competitors all looking for the Syracuse spot rolled onto the speedway for the 50-lap affair with Sears rocketing into the top spot from his pole starting position. Bobby Varin aboard the Fred Tanner #111 who started outside of the front row stayed right in Sears’ tire tracks in the early stages while Jim Gabriel Jr. and Tomkins battled behind the lead duo for the third and fourth positions. Tomkins would win that battle and then move by Varin for the second spot before lap 20 was in the books.
The first of 3 cautions would fly on lap 23 when Jimmy Phelps would suddenly slow on the backstretch and come to a stop while running in the top 10. On the ensuing restart, Sears and Tomkins would put on a side by side battle for 2 laps that would have the packed house on the edge of their seats. Tomkins would finally take control on lap 25, but Sears would never fully surrender, as he remained glued to Tomkins’ rear nerf bar.
Meanwhile, Varin and Gabriel continued their battle for third & fourth while another side by side battle for fifth & sixth was staged between Steve Roberts and Jeff Hoffman who made the long haul from Whitehall, Pa. to try to earn the 358 spot.
Tyke Morris would bring out the second caution of the event on lap 36 as he sat sideways in turns 1 & 2 after spinning his mount. As the green flew for the restart, Sears would attempt to make a bid for the point, but Tomkins would continue to keep him in check. Varin & Gabriel continued their race long battle for third & fourth with neither taking total control.
The final caution would occur on lap 41 when Steve Lead found himself spinning his ride in turn one. The remaining 9 laps were run under green flag conditions with Tomkins able to thwart off the attempts of Sears to earn his 7th career Modified victory at CCFS behind the wheel of his Honeoye Auto Parts/Red Parker Excavating #84 Bicknell.
"The track was a little slick tonight, but once I got out in front, I felt comfortable that as long as I held my line I could stay on top. Tom (Sears) was tough though and I feel fortunate to have picked up this win," Tomkins explained following his victory.
Sears would follow Tomkins across the line in second to earn the qualifying position as the highest finishing 358 with Varin, Gabriel, and Hoffman rounding out the top 5.
Greg Doust and Ron Loveless would pace a field of 19 Sportsman to the green flag in their 20 lap feature go with Doust easily taking control of the event in the opening stages seeking his second victory of the weekend after claiming victory laurels at Fulton Speedway the previous evening.
Loveless, Bob Haws, and Rodney Plantz would stage a battle behind Doust for spots two through four dicing back and fourth with each taking turns in the second slot. Joe Beyea would next become a contender in the top 5 with Haers right behind waiting for an opportunity to make his move. Haers would quickly move by Beyea, then make quick work of Plantz, Haws, and Loveless to climb into second before the first caution slowed the pace of the event on lap 10.
Doust and Haers would then dazzle the crowd as they battled side by side with Haers finally gaining control on lap 13. Tom Juhl would also enter the picture at this stage of the event flying into the third spot from his 11th place starting position ready to challenge the two front runners. Beyea and James Spano also awaited their opportunity as they filled out the top 5. One final caution period would slow the event on lap 16 for the damaged mount of Terry Faulter in turns three & four bunching the pack up one final time for a battle to the checkers.
Haers would easily hold on for the win piloting his Phelps Cement Products/Key Parts Auto Stores #90 Bicknell with Doust, Juhl, Beyea, and Spano completing the top 5.
"This one feels great. We’ve come so close so many times to earning a victory here, but have always come up short. What’s even sweeter is that everyone has been telling us we should have a victory by now in this ride and we hadn’t done it until tonight. Now we’re ready to really prove how strong we are for the remainder of the 2001 campaign," Haers explained following the victory.
A field of nine Pro Stocks entered the racing surface to do battle for 15 laps with Ricky Breed and Pat Hobbs pacing the parade of full-fendered warriors to the drop of the green. Breed would take control in the early go but Freddy Dennis was the man on the move early on taking away the top spot after starting deep in the pack. Breed, Hobbs, and Lee Burnett would then battle amongst themselves for control of the second spot with seventeen year old Zack Shove who started in the final position on the field making his way into the top 5. Tom Barron was right on Shove’s heals looking for a way to crack into the top 5.
Lap after lap, Barron would wait for a way to slide his mount in front of Shove who was engaged in a side by side battle with Burnett and Hobbs to crack the top 5 and soon would find a way on lap 10 as contact was made between the four drivers sending Shove sideways causing his potent ride to make contact with both Hobbs and Burnett slowing their momentum allowing Barron to coast by all three as the caution flag flew.
When the race resumed, Barron wasted little time driving around Breed and then began his charge for the point applying heavy pressure to Dennis. Finally on lap 13, Barron would build up enough momentum to make the pass on Dennis and hold on for the final 2 circuits to collect his second victory at CCFS in 2001 behind the wheel of his Ontario Offshore Performance/AMP Performance/DeRidder's Garage #28t Chevrolet Camaro. Dennis would hold on for second with Breed, Burnett, and "Hollywood" Daryl Hilkert completing the top 5.
In the Pit Stop Convenience Stores 40 lap Enduro, Nathan Peckham would best a fifteen car-starting field to earn the victory. After the victory Peckham would dedicate the victory to his father Don Peckham who was also in competition in the event until his ride flipped violently between turns one & two bringing out the red flag. The elder Peckham would climb from his ride shaken, but uninjured.
AAMCO Transmissions of Auburn, Cold Fire Safety Equipment, and K&S Car Wash sponsor the action as Modified racing at Cayuga County Fair Speedway returns Sunday, August 12. On tap will be the DIRT Modifieds and Sportsman cars, plus a Pit Stop Convenience Stores Enduro. Added to the race card are the popular ESDCA Dwarf cars. Race time at Cayuga County will be at 7 p.m. sharp.
EXPERT TIRE NIGHT SUMMARY
ENDURO
Top Five (40-Laps): NATHAN PECKHAM, Jim Cronin, John Gilmore Jr., Mike Marcuccilli, Tim Hettis
PRO STOCKS
HEAT: Ricky Breed, Tom Barron, Pat Hobbs, Lee Burnett, Zack Shove, Freddy Dennis, Matt Smith, Daryl Hilkert, Thomas Cook
FEATURE (15-laps): TOM BARRON, Freddy Dennis, Ricky Breed, Lee Burnett, Daryl Hilkert, Matt Smith, Zack Shove, Pat Hobbs, Thomas Cook
SPORTSMAN
HEAT 1: Greg Doust, Jim Bowman, Gary Gallerie Jr., John Plumb, Ryan Richardson
HEAT 2: Tom Juhl, Steve Gray, Rodney Plantz, John Juhl, Ron Loveless
HEAT 3: Joe Beyea, Bob Henry Jr., Justin Haers, Bob Haws, Robert Perri
CONSI: Jim Spano, Chris Ostrowsky, Terry Faulter, Don Burke
FEATURE (20-laps): JUSTIN HAERS, Greg Doust, Tom Juhl, Joe Beyea, Jim Spano, Steve Gray, Rodney Plantz, Bob Henry Jr., John Juhl, Ron Loveless, John Plumb, Jim Bowman, Ryan Richardson, Robert Perri, Gary Gallerie Jr., Chris Ostrowsky, Bob Haws, Terry Faulter, Don Burke
MODIFIED
HEAT 1: Tom Sears Jr., Gary Tomkins, Keith Hoffman, A.J. Romano, Lance Dusett
HEAT 2: Bobby Varin, Jim Gabriel Jr., Jimmy Phelps, Tim Burnett, Bryon Turner
HEAT 3: Jim LaRock, Ray Bliss Jr., Roy Shields, Steve Roberts, Scott Prentice
CONSI: Tyke Morris, Dave Axton, Mike Prentice, George Horning, Todd Henderson, Steve Lead
FEATURE (50-laps): GARY TOMKINS, Tom Sears Jr., Bobby Varin, Jim Gabriel Jr., Keith Hoffman, Scott Prentice, Steve Roberts, Tim Burnett, Dave Axton, Jim LaRock, Roy Shields, Todd Henderson, Bryon Turner, Lance Dusett, Tyke Morris, Steve Lead, Ray Bliss Jr., Mike Prentice, Jimmy Phelps, George Horning, A.J. Romano