MIKE WARD TAKES CCFS 358 TITLE, FULLER WINS AND DWARF SERIES WIN TO BUFFA
WEEDSPORT, NY...The Arby's All-Star Dwarf Car Series came to the Cayuga County Fair Speedway last Sunday and along with it came that division's multi-time winner Tony Buffa, from Clay, NY in his Onondaga Window and Door/Trackside Pub number 2. Buffa had 14 wins this year alone at tracks like Brewerton, Fulton and Cayuga County. In the DIRT Modified 35-lap feature Tim Fuller, from Edwards, NY, came out of no where to claim the victory. The finale for the 358-modified division was part of the 35-lap feature. Mike ward inched out Ryan Bartlett by a mere 8 points to claim the 2000 track honors. In the 40-lap Enduro main event Tim Hettis took the win and the 2000 Pit Stop Convenience Store Title.
The 25-lap Arby's All-Star Dwarf Car feature saw heat winners Buffa and Chic Chandler, from Charlton, MA, start on the front row. At the drop of the green Buffa sailed into the lead.
Top runner Ken Gamlin, from nearby Cicero, NY, was the first to exit the race with a flat tire on lap two. It seemed that Buffa and Chandler were now able to free themselves from the rest of the field. Then the yellow flew on lap seven when fourth place runner, Shawn Hort, from Oswego, NY, blew the motor on his Dex's Gift Shop-Jourdain Dry Cleaners number 99. A huge ball of fire could be seen under the hood of the car as Hort looped backwards in the third turn. It took the safety crew a long time, finding numerous pieces of metal all through the turn from the Hort engine.
Buffa continued to lead. On lap 12 the yellow flew again, this time for Darren Forbes, from Syracuse, who had a tire go flat and he slowed on the speedway surface. The only other yellow came on lap 19 of 25, when Chandler went into the third and fourth turns too hot and looped his Diversified Sign-Chandler Fabrication number 27 out of second place. This moved Troy VanAllen, from Bridgeport, NY, into second followed by Barry Virts, from Rose, NY, in third.
The top three would remain the same to the finish; Buffa, VanAllen and Virts. Scott Nash, from Red Creek, NY and Ed Lawton from Oswego, NY rounded out the top five.
DWARF Notes: One woman took the green flag in the first annual Arby's All-Star Series feature, Brenda Rice in her White's Car Care-NAPA number 53...officials expected over 40 cars to participate in this All-Star event, however only 22 cars were on hand...flat tires seemed to be the big problem of the race, as four cars suffered "flat tire fate".
The 35-lap DIRT Modified feature was to be a race within a race as it was the final points night for the 358-modifieds.
Leading the points battle going into the finale was Mike Ward by ten points over Ryan Bartlett.
At the drop of the green Scott Prentice took the lead from his outside pole starting spot. Prentice then proceeded to build a five to seven car advantage over Tom Sears Jr., Tim Fuller, Chuck Bower and Scott Ridley.
After a long green flag period, laps one-to-20 the yellow flew as Dave Axton was forced low entering the first turn and made contact with the inside Jersey Barrier. During this long green, Mike Ward found himself down a lap to the leaders, while Bartlett rode and the rear of the lead lap.
Prentice now found himself pressured by Tim Fuller on the restart. Five laps later the yellow was flying again when Tim McCreadie parked his car at the top of the fourth turn banking.
Fuller was now turning the heat up even more on Prentice. On lap 29, Fuller pulled to the high side of Prentice entering the third turn. He powered along the retaining wall to inch out a lead at the line. Fuller then completed his pass and began to walk away from the field. Prentice, also allowed Bower to take second on that same lap. Bower could not chase down Fuller in the closing laps and had to settle for second.
At the finish it was Fuller with the victory, followed by Bower, Prentice, Alan Johnson and Bob McCreadie.
The final points standings for the 358-Modifieds at Cayuga County show the top five as follows: Mike Ward 434, Ryan Bartlett 426, Brent Wilcox 368, Tim Vincent 264, Tim Burnett 202.
This Sunday will see an all afternoon program, starting with the annual Warehouse Blow-Out Sale.
Gates will open 4:30 p.m. for the season finale featuring the Advance Auto Parts Super DIRT Series 100 lapper for DIRT Modifieds plus a 20 lap finale for DIRT Sportsman. The Modified teams will be time trialing while the sportsman teams will be handicapped. This will be the final points night for each division. Race time will be at 7 p.m. sharp.
COMPUTER EXCELLENCE-HOFFMAN HOTS NIGHT SUMMARY
PIT STOP CONVENIENCE STORES ENDURO
FEATURE (40-laps): TIM HETTIS, Mike Potts, Tom Hitchcock, John Gilmore, Brian Hoisington (Top 5)
ARBY'S ALL STAR DWARF CAR SERIES
HEAT 1: T. Buffa, K. Gamlin, S. Hort, D. Forbes, W. Younglove.
HEAT 2: C. Chandler, T. VanAllen, B. Virts, S. Nash, E. Lawton.
FEATURE (25-laps): TONY BUFFA, Troy VanAllen, Barry Virts, Scott Nash, Ed Lawton, Bill Teliska, Duane Knapp, Chic Chandler, Gordie Isham, Ken Titus, Lee Babcock, Steve Tourje, Scott Boyler, Brenda Rice, Hal Merrick, Kelly Skinner, Ken Gamlin, Darren Forbes, Wayne Younglove, Bob McCarthy, Shawn Hort.
MODIFIED
HEAT 1: T. McCreadie, C. Bower, S. Ridley, J. Gabriel Jr., T. Milton.
HEAT 2: S. Prentice, P. Ward, A. Johnson, T. Fuller, K. Hoffman.
HEAT 3: T. Sears Jr., B. McCreadie, D. Johnson, J. Phelps, R. Bartlett.
CONSI: S. Babieck, T. Burnett, V. Vitale, R. Bliss Jr., B. Wilcox, J. Burke, M. Ward, B. Tucker, J. Brownell.
FEATURE (35-laps): TIM FULLER, Chuck Bower, Scott Prentice, Alan Johnson, Bob McCreadie, Danny Johnson, Scott Ridley, Jimmy Phelps, Pat Ward, Jim Gabriel Jr., Keith Hoffman, Todd Milton, Tim Burnett, Jeff Brownell, Ray Bliss Jr., Ryan Bartlett, Mike ward, Brent Wilcox, Ben Tucker, Tim McCreadie, Tom Sears Jr., Steve Babieck, Jim Burke, Dave Axton, Vince Vitale.