RAY BLISS JR. GOES GREEN-TO-CHECKERS AT CAYUGA COUNTY
WEEDSPORT, NY...Ray Bliss Jr. won his second 35-lap DIRT Modified feature at the Cayuga County fairgrounds Speedway last Sunday before and elated crowd. Bliss, who started near the front of the field, used the slick, tire black speedway surface to his advantage. All weekend long a special motorcycle program and races had taken place at the speedway. Also picking up victories were Matt Sheppard winning his fifth Sportsman feature of the year at the speedway, Greg DeChick, aboard a borrowed car in the Pit Stop Convenience Stores Enduro, Charlette Baldon in a special Powder Puff Enduro car race and Troy VanAllen in a 12-lap Dwarf car special.
The 35-lap DIRT Modified main event saw Jeff Brownell and Scott Ridley bring the field down to take Dave Farney's green flag. Brownell, a top ARANY Rookie of the Year candidate quickly took the lead, using an extremely high line around the track.
Bliss, who started third, was able to follow Brownell into the lead duel.
Lap-after-lap Bliss and Brownell raced side-by-side, with Bliss using a low grove. Each time as the two approached the start-finish line Brownell would inch in front. Finally on lap 15, Bliss was recorded as the leader.
Bliss then proceeded to pull out a ten car advantage over Brownell. Running third was Jimmy Phelps, followed by Gary Tomkins and Tim McCreadie. Bliss used lapped traffic well and took the victory. Brownell finished second, his best finish to date. Jimmy Phelps finished nearly a full straight away back of the front two. McCreadie and Pat Ward rounded out the top five.
The 20-lap Sportsman main event saw Lance Dusett charge into the lead, also from the third starting position. The yellow flew once, on lap three, when Geoff Carner and Donnie Wetmore Jr. slide to a stop entering the first turn. The restart had to be aborted as a three car incident involving Mike Lavarnway, Gary Morrissette and Matt Chapman took place. The second attempt to restart the race was much more successful.
Dusett seemed to have things his way, until Sheppard broke free of the pack. Sheppard closed in the pass. As the two leaders entered lapped traffic, Dusett became trapped behind the car of Donnie Wetmore Jr, allowing Sheppard to blast by using the outside grove.
The top five finishers w included: Matt Sheppard, Lance Dusett, Steve Gray, Tom Juhl, and Greg Doust.
Also on hand were the Dwarf cars for a 12-lap main event. Troy VanAllen won the accompanying heat race and was looking to repeat in the feature. Van Allen led all 12 laps. This feature also went green-to-checkers.
Charlotte Bolden took the lead at the drop of the green and won her first Powder Puff Derby. Only one yellow slowed the race, that coming on lap six, when Dorothy Russo made slight contact with the front stretch wall. She quickly returned to the action.
The 40-lap Enduro saw a number of cars sitting wayside as it seemed to be the time of year for major maintenance projects.
Racing this Sunday will feature a non-point Syracuse qualifier. Also joining a full card of modified and sportsman action will be a full continent of other full fender pals! Race time will be at 7 p.m. sharp.
RIVER FOREST CAMPGROUNDS/SKATE-N-PLACE NIGHT SUMMARY
DWARF CARS
HEAT: T. VanAllen, D. Boyce, S. Nash, K. Gamlen, T. Buffa.
FEATURE (12-laps): TROY VanALLEN, Ken Gamlen, Tony Buffa, Scott Nash, Ed Lauter, Brentt Virts, Carl Crawford Jr., Brenda Brice, Don Boyce.
PIT STOP CONVENIENCE STORES ENDURO (top 3)
FEATURE (40-laps): GREG DeCHICK, Tim Hettis, Mike Potts.
POWDER PUFF (8-LAPS): CHARLETTE BALDON, Gillian Haers, Pam Farney.
SPORTSMAN
HEAT 1: S. Gray, L. Dusett, T. Mettler, B. Haws, J. Spano.
HEAT 2: J. LaRock, M. Sheppard, J. Plumb, G. Doust, J. Beyea.
FEATURE (20-laps): MATT SHEPPARD, Lance Dusett, Steve Gray, Tom Juhl, Greg Doust, Jim LaRock, Joe Beyea, Jim Spano, Bob Henry Jr., Rodney Plantz, John Plumb, Mike Lavarnway, Tom Mettler, Bob Haws, Mark Camuso, Ryan Richardson, Matt Chapman, Gary Morrissette, Donnie Wetmore Jr., Geoff Carner.
MODIFIED
HEAT 1: G. Tomkins, T. Sears Jr., B. Decker, C. Bower, S. Ridley.
HEAT 2: J. Brownell, T. McCreadie, A. Johnson, J. Phelps, J. Gabriel Jr.
HEAT 3: P. Ward, D. Johnson, B. McCreadie, T. Fuller, R. Bliss Jr.
CONSI: D. Axton, S. Prentice, M. Ward, T. Milton, T. Vincent, R.
Bartlett, J. Burke.
FEATURE (35-laps): RAY BLISS JR., Jeff Brownell, Jimmy Phelps, Tim McCreadie, Pat Ward, Tim Fuller, Alan Johnson, Danny Johnson, Gary Tomkins, Chuck Bower, Jim Gabriel Jr., Dave Axton, Tom Sears Jr., Mike Ward, Scott Ridley, Ryan Bartlett, Tim Vincent, Scott Prentice, Jim Burke, Todd Milton, Billy Decker, Bob McCreadie, Brent Wilcox.