SHEPPARD WINS ROUND ONE OF UFPO DIRT SPORTSMAN SERIES 2000
WEEDSPORT, NY...Waterloo's Matt Sheppard looks like he should be graduating from high school and not winning DIRT Series races. The fact is he is too young to graduate from high school, but he can win DIRT Series races as he picked up the DIRT Sportsman UFPO Series opener last Sunday at the Cayuga County Fair Speedway. Tim Fuller, from Edwards, NY, finally put things together and won the special DIRT Modified 35-lap feature.
Fifty-three DIRT Sportsman cars were on hand for the UFPO Series opener. Five heats, with a heads-up starting format, saw Steve Hall and James Spano bring a starting field of 30 cars down to take the green flag for the 30-lap feature.
Charging into the second turn, Russ Hefti made contact with the outside wall to bring out the first of six yellows. Hall was recorded as the leader of the first lap, however rookie John Plumb was able to out drag Hall and be recorded as the leader on the second lap.
Plumb led until the yellow flew on lap six when Jim LaRock looped his VanArsdale Special in the first turn. This set up another side-by-side restart that saw Matt Sheppard power by Plumb for the front spot. Unfortunately Plumbs great ride came to an end with a flat tire during the yellow flag period. He changed the tire and returned at the back of the pack.
This placed Chad Brachmann and James Spano on Sheppard's tail. The yellow flag flew again, this time for a tangle between Steve Gray and Geoff Carner in the second turn on lap 15. Also finding the hook at this time was the number 55m of Mike Lavarnway, who stopped against the third turn wall.
The restart saw Sheppard hold the lead over Brachmann, Spano and Stewart Friesen. Two laps later, lap 17, Greg Doust made contact with the inside of the fourth turn, shooting his machine into Tyke Morris's number 91B. Morris slammed head on into the fourth turn cement wall and flipped over on it's side. Morris had to transported to Auburn for observation, but he was talking with medical attendants before leaving the track.
Sheppard continued to lead, both Brachmann and Spano. On lap 21 the final yellow flew when Phil Vigneri Jr. made contact with the second turn wall. On the move, after the restart was Tom Collins Jr., who slide past Spano for third on lap 28.
As they crossed the finish line it was Sheppard followed by Brachmann, Collins, Spano and last year's series champion Chris Shultz.
The 35-lap DIRT Modified/358-Modified feature saw Fuller take the lead at the drop of the green and pull away from the field. He lengthened his advantage to a full straight away over Pat Ward, Gary Tomkins and Ray Bliss Jr. until the yellow flag was displayed on lap 12 when Jimmy Phelps was unable to negotiate his disabled machine into the pit entrance.
Now with the field bunched up, Fuller again was leading doth ward and Tomkins. This trio pulled away from the pack. On lap 24 Ward seemed to fall off the pace, with a flat right rear tire. Also suffering a flat was the smoking number 99 driven by Roger Phelps. Ward returned to action, Phelp's race was done for the night.
Fuller was now leading Tomkins and Chuck Bower. On lap 33 the second and third place cars collided in the second turn for the final yellow flag of the race. This moved Scott Prentice into second behind Fuller at the finish. Bliss Jr. finished third followed by Todd Milton and Vince Vitale. A Syracuse 358-Modified spot went to the highest finishing small block. Steve Hulsizer, finished ninth to claim the Syracuse honors.
On hand were the Slingshot cars. Only four cars were present for the special demonstration. John Courgei easily won the six lap feature.
The 40-lap enduro saw Joe Reeves take the victory. This Sunday racing returns to the Cayuga County Fair Speedway featuring the DIRT Modifieds and Sportsman, plus the Empire Super Sprints to help celebrate the Independence Day holidays. Race time will begin at 7 p.m. sharp.
JAMES V. SPANO PAVING-AUBURN STEEL-"UFPO" DIG SAFELY NIGHT SUMMARY
ENDURO
FEATURE (40-laps): JOE REEVES, Nathan Peckham, Troy Reeves, David Marcucilli, Tom Hitchcock, Mike Potter, Steve Martin
SLINGSHOTS
FEATURE(6-laps): JOHN COURGEI, Brian Phelps, Amy Pfeffer, Jackie Bofindari.
SPORTSMAN
HEAT 1: S. Hall, J. Beyea, C. Brewer, J. LaRock.
HEAT 2: J. Spano, C. Brachmann, G. Carner, T. Collins Jr.
HEAT 3: J. Plumb, M. Lavarnway, S. Gray, R. Swarthout.
HEAT 4: P. Vigneri Jr., S. Friesen, K. Wills, G. Doust.
HEAT 5: M. Sheppard, C. Shultz, W. Decker, R. Hefti.
CONSI 1: T. Juhl, J. Haers, J. Christian, R. Odasz.
CONSI 2: B. Tucker, D. VanHorn, T. Morris, R. Chrysler.
ADDED: G. Moreash, K. Comfort
FEATURE (30-laps): MATT SHEPPARD, Chad Brachmann, Tom Collins Jr., Jim Spano, Chris Shultz, Willy Decker, Joe Beyea, Karl Comfort, Justin Haers, Stewart Friesen, Rich Swarthout, Clayton Brewer, Steve Hall, Tom Juhl, Ryan Odasz, Garry Moreash, Jamie Christian, John Plumb, Jim LaRock, Kevin Wills, Ben Tucker, Geoff Carner, Randy Chrysler, Phil Vigneri Jr., Greg Doust, David VanHorn, Tyke Morris, Steve Gray, Mike Lavarnway, Russ Hefti.
MODIFIED
HEAT 1: T. Fuller, P. Ward, T. Sears Jr., R. Phelps, M. Ward.
HEAT 2: V. Vitale, S. Prentice, J. Phelps, J. Gabriel Jr., S. Ridley.
HEAT 3: R. Bliss Jr., G. Tomkins, C. Bower, T. Milton, J. Smith.
FEATURE (35-laps): TIM FULLER, Scott Prentice, Ray Bliss Jr., Todd Milton, Vince Vitale, Jim Gabriel Jr., Jeremy Corcoran, Tom Sears Jr., Steve Hulsizer, Scott Ridley, Jeremy Smith, Chuck Bower, Mike ward, Gary Tomkins, Tim Vincent, Pat Ward, Roger Phelps, J.J. Michaels, Jimmy Phelps, Gary Farnsworth Jr., Steve Lead, Brent Wilcox.