ORTIZ TOPS ARANY RUN, PHELPS CASHES IN ON MODIFIED RUN

WEEDSPORT, NY...Jipp Ortiz grabbed the reins and held on for an exciting victory in the 25-lap A.R.A.N.Y. Pro-Stock Super DIRT Series race at the Cayuga County Fair Speedway last Sunday. Jimmy Phelps was not about to give an inch, winning his first DIRT Modified feature of the year. In the Sportsman division it was Joe Beyea raking up the 20-lap victory. Eric Austin took top honors in the 40-lap Pit Stop Convenience Stores Enduro feature.

The 25-lap Pro-stock main event saw 30 cars go to the starting line, but before the pace lap could be completed, Wayne Ellison's number WD40 came to a stop in the third turn and had to be towed off. This allowed the alternate, Patrick Hobbs to make the starting field.

When the green flag flew is would be pole sitter Jipp Ortiz charging into the lead over Ken Sargent, Rich Colesanti and Jim McGuigan. On lap four the yellow flew when Steve Miller and Mark Schulz came together on the front straight. On lap six the yellow flew a second time when Tom Faxon tagged the second turn wall and Jay Resch pulled into the pit area on fire. DIRT rescue personnel reacted quickly and douse the flames under the hood.

Ortiz continued to lead a tight pack of four cars at the front; Jason Boyle, Tom Barron and Dan Schulz. Both Ortiz and Boyle finally pulled away in a race by themselves. But Barron was not giving up so easily. A lap 14 yellow for Jim Langenback making contact with the fourth turn wall bunched the field together and placed Barron on Boyle's rear bumper.

The restart saw Barron pass Boyle for second But as Barron was about to make a move for the lead Steve Miller's motor exploded on the front stretch in a cloud of smoke.

Barron challenged Ortiz and on lap 18 was recorded as the leader. However one lap later it would be Ortiz back in front.

Boyle was able to work his way around Barron for second again on lap 21, when Barron drifted very high in the fourth turn. The final yellow flag flew on lap 23 when fourth place runner, Dan Schulz slowed with a right rear flat tire. This set up a charge to the finish line. Ortiz held on for the victory, followed by Boyle. Ricky Breed took third from Barron on the final lap. Barron finished in fourth, with Pete Stefanski rounding out the top five finishers.

Thirty-nine Pro-stocks set up four heats and two consolation event. Heat wins went to Ortiz, Colesanti, Sargent and Faxon. The two consolations were won by Joe Stefanski and Jeff Daymon. The 35-lap DIRT Modified feature saw Vince Vitale take the lead on the first lap and the yellow flew as Bob McCreadie and Tim Vincent came together in the third turn. Both cars exited the race at that time.

Vitale lost the lead on lap five to Jimmy Phelps after scrapping the wall in the fourth turn. This allowed not only Phelps, but three others to pass Vitale for position.

Phelps now had his hands full with Billy Decker in second and Alan Johnson, driving his small block, in third. Lap 12 saw the yellow fly when Gary Tomkins slowed on the high side of the fourth turn with a flat tire. A lap later it would Tom Sears Jr.'s turn to bring out the yellow as he too stopped in the fourth turn.

Each time the race restarted Phelps pulled out to a two car lead over Decker. Lap 17 saw the fourth caution period come when Butch Tittle and Rich Swarthout both slowed on the track. Phelps again pulled out to a three car advantage over Decker.

On lap 24 the 6pac of Jim Burke came to a stop in the first turn. The restart saw Danny Johnson go sliding sideways down the front chute after contact with Matt Sheppard. Johnson's car was then hit in the left rear tire by Jim Gabriel Jr., causing the tire to go flat. A quick pit stop saw Johnson return to the race.

The final yellow flew on lap 33 when Tim Fuller slowed with a flat tire in the first turn. Alan Johnson's motor did not sound very well and he too pulled into the pit area from his third place position and out of the race.

Tim McCreadie passed Decker on the restart and took off after Phelps, but his efforts fell short with only two laps remaining in the race. McCreadie settled for second followed by Billy Decker, Scott Prentice and Gary Tomkins.

The 20-lap Sportsman feature saw John Plumb jump to a seven car lead over Greg Doust, Russ Hefti, Jim Spano and Joe Beyea. The first yellow flew on lap six when Karl Comfort and Jim Spano came together in the fourth turn a spun out. Plumb held his lead on the restart. On lap eight Beyea pulled by Doust and took off after the leader. But Plumb had again built up a five car advantage. By lap 13, Beyea had whittled down Plumb's lead to one car. Finally moving to the inside line, Beyea took the lead coming out of the fourth turn on lap 15. Plumb switched lanes and retook the lead on lap 16, just as the yellow came out for an accident in the first turn between Justin Haers and Chris Ostrowsky. Both cars were able to continue.

Beyea again took the lead on the restart as Steve Gray became the real aggressor, taking second from Plumb. Beyea held on to a two car lead to claim the victory. Gray finished second followed by Jim Bowman, Tim Sears and Bob Henry Jr.. What happened to Plumb? He was involved in a third turn accident on that final lap that collected four cars. Plumb was recorded with a 14th place finish.

This Sunday finds the ESDCA Dwarf cars make their second appearance at the track in 2001. They will be joining the Modifieds, Sportsman and Enduro cars for a night of racing action. Race time is at 7 p.m., with gates opening at 5 p.m. sharp.

FRED TANNER CONSTRUCTION-POUR LANCE'S COFFEE AND WATER SERVICE NIGHT SUMMARY

ENDURO (40-LAPS): ERIC AUSTIN, Nathan Peckham, Mike Marcuccilli,

Joe Schirm, Wally Marobito - Top 5

ARANY PRO-STOCKS

HEAT 1: J. Ortiz, J. McGuigan, L. Burnett, M. Williams.

HEAT 2: K. Sargent, J. Boyle, T. Barron, S. Miller, M. Schulz.

HEAT 3: R. Colesanti, S. Goversten, D. Schulz, B. Irwin, F. Dennis.

HEAT 4: T. Faxon, T. Kemp, R. Breed, J. Miller, J. Clark.

CONSI 1: J. Stefanski, P. Stefanski, B. Guzzardi.

CONSI 2: J. Daymon, R. Chrysler, R. Baker.

GUARANTEES ADDED: J. Langenback, W. Ellison, A. Dembeck Jr., M. Halichek, J. Resch.

FEATURE (25-laps): JIPP ORTIZ, Jason Boyle, Ricky Breed, Tom Barron, Pete Stefanski, Joe Stefanski, Scott Goversten, Rich Colesanti, Rick Baker, Roger Chrysler, Lee Burnett, Jeremy Clark, Tom Kemp, Jim Langenback, Andy Dembeck Jr., Jon Miller, Ken Sargent, Jim McGuigan, Mike Williams, Fred Dennis, Beamer Guzzardi, Patrick Hobbs, Dan Schulz, Jeff Daymon, Butchie Irwin, Steve Miller, Tom Faxon, Mike Halichek, Mark Schulz, Jay Resch, DNS: Wayne Ellison.

SPORTSMAN

HEAT 1: J. Spano, J. Beyea, G. Doust, B. Henry Jr., R. Hefti.

HEAT 2: J. Plumb, J. Haers, S. Gray, D. Wiesner, T. Juhl.

HEAT 3: K. Comfort, M. Lavarnway, J. Bowman, J. Juhl, T. Sears.

CONSI: G. Gallerie, J. Pitcher, R. Chrysler, R. Richardson, R. Loveless, J. LaRock, C. Ostrowsky, W. Czymmek, R. Plantz.

FEATURE (20-laps): JOE BEYEA, Steve Gray, Jim Bowman, Tim Sears, Bob Henry Jr., Karl Comfort, Greg Doust, Jeremy Pitcher, John Juhl, Mike Lavarnway, Rodney Plantz, Gary Gallerie, Randy Chrysler, John Plumb, Russ Hefti, Ryan Richardson, Jim LaRock, Dan Wiesner, Justin Haers, Chris Ostrowsky, Jim Spano, Ron Loveless, Wade Czymmek, Tom Juhl.

MODIFIED

HEAT 1: D. Axton, C. Bower, T. Fuller, D. Johnson, B. Decker, T. Sears Jr.

HEAT 2: P. Ward, J. Gabriel Jr., T. McCreadie, G. Tomkins, V. Vitale, R. Swarthout.

DASH: J. Phelps, A. Johnson, S. Prentice, R. Bliss Jr.

CONSI: B. McCreadie, B. Tittle, M. Ward, M. Sheppard, J. Burke, T. Vincent, M. Yorker.

FEATURE (35-laps): JIMMY PHELPS, Tim McCreadie, Billy Decker, Scott Prentice, Gary Tomkins, Matt Sheppard, Pat Ward, Danny Johnson, Mike Ward, Rich Swarthout, Ray Bliss Jr., Jim Gabriel Jr., Vince Vitale, Ryan Bartlett, Chuck Bower, Alan Johnson, Tim Fuller, Mark Yorker, Jim Burke, Dave Axton, Butch Tittle, Tom Sears Jr., Bob McCreadie, Tim Vincent.