The "Doctor" Finally Wins: Haers, Homan Welch At Canandaigua

CANANDAIGUA, NY...Danny Johnson, from Rochester, NY, finally

made it to victory circle at Canandaigua Speedway. The track has

been dominated in 2001 by Steve Paine. Johnson, a four time track

champion at Canandaigua, has been making every effort to win at

the "Land of Legends".

Also picking up a victory on the night was Justin Haers in

the DIRT Sportsman division, his second of the year in the last

three weeks. Chad Homan made it back-to-back victories winning

the 20-lap Pro-Stock main event. Mike Welch took top honors in

the Street Stock class. It was also his second win in the last

two weeks. One hundred race cars were present on this rain

threatening night.

Ray Bliss Jr. blasted off to a six car advantage at the drop

of the green in the 35-lap DIRT Modified feature. But what seemed

as if out of no where came Ron Smoker flying around the oval from

his eighth place starting position. Smoker passed Bliss as if he

were standing still and established a full straight away lead,

turning 17 second laps.

Danny Johnson passed Bliss for second on lap nine. Billy

Decker was in fourth followed by Chuck Bower in fifth. This all

was to change dramatically as Smoker lost the motor entering the

first turn on lap 11, coming to a halt in the second turn. As

many in racing say, "Sometimes it runs best just before it

blows."

On the restart Johnson was challenged by Bower and Decker.

Johnson began to build a lead and in just eight laps held a

three-quarter straight away advantage over Decker.

A late race yellow flew on lap 32, when Dave Axton made

contact with the front stretch wall and broke the front end on

his car, helping to bunch the pack together for the final restart

of the night.

Johnson held on for the win followed by Decker, Tim Fuller,

Steve Paine and Bower.

The 20-lap Sportsman feature saw outside pole sitter Paul

Guererri take the lead over Larry Beardsley, Brian Somerville and

Dan Wiesner. Guererri was just about to stretch out a lead when

the yellow flew on lap five when David Allen made contact with

the front stretch wall.

On the restart Beardsley was able to pull ahead of Guererri

and he pulled out to a three car advantage. But track champion,

Karl Comfort slowed on the track with a flat tire to bring out

the yellow on lap eight.

Beardsley held strong on the restart as he was still being

challenged by Guererri, Wiesner and Somerville. A major pile up

took place on lap 11, exiting the second turn. Involved in the

melee were Steve Gray and Wade Czymmek. Gray was unable to

continue in the race.

Justin Haers was now part of the top three runners on the

track. On lap 14 he passed Beardsley, recording his fastest lap

of the race with a 19.251 second effort, and took off to hide at

the front of the field. He claimed the victory with Beardsley

obtaining his best finish of the year in second. Guererri

finished third followed by Bob Henry Jr. and Joe Beyea.

Tiger Chapman put his number 272 Monte Carlo out front at

the start of the 20-lap Pro-stock main event. Patrick Hobbs, Jipp

Ortiz, Chad Homan and Scott Fremouw all were in formation

following Chapman.

On lap 10, at the halfway marker, the yellow flew when Tom

Jansch looped his number 24 in the first turn. The restart was

followed by the hardest hit of the night when young Matt Smith

whacked the front stretch concrete wall with his number 80 Monte

Carlo, breaking both the front suspension and the rear axle

housing. Smith was dazed and later checked into Thompson Hospital

for observation.

Jipp Ortiz took over the lead on the restart from Chapman.

On lap 14, Ortiz slowed on the track with a flat right rear tire,

giving the lead back to Chapman. Ortiz stopped on the backstretch

causing the yellow. He returned at the rear of the field.

This time Chad Homan passed Chapman on the restart and

pulled away. On lap 18, Chapman brushed the second turn wall

slowing and falling all the way back to 14 in the finish order.

With the yellow out, Homan looked to a green-white-checker

finish. Homan took the win for the second week in a row. Jason

Boyle challenged Homan the last two laps but settled for third.

Hobbs, Billy Brown and Jon Miller rounded out the top five.

The 10-lap Street Stock feature saw 27 cars take the green.

It ended up as a two car battle for the lead between Nathan

Peckham and Mike Welch. Welch led laps one to six, while Peckham

led laps seven, eight and nine. Welch was able to pass Peckham

coming through the third and fourth turns on the final lap to

take the victory.

Only two yellows slowed the event, both for multi-car pile

ups. No injuries were reported. Eighteen of the 27 starters

finished the race.

A 5-lap Ladies race was staged using Street Stock cars.

Eleven women reported to the starting line with Maryanne Miniutlo

taking the lead at the drop of the green. Taunya (Hance) Lovejoy,

a former street stock competitor at the track pulled into second

followed by Christina LaBarge.

Exiting the fourth turn wt mid-pack race reporter Laurie

Hixson looped her number 67 on the front stretch causing a melee

at the start-finish line. As the leaders exited the fourth turn

Miniutlo was collected in the accident, but Lovejoy drove high to

the outside and across the finish line. Miniutlo recovered to

finish second followed by LaBarge in third. The rest of the

finish was based on lap four's results.

This Saturday will see the Central New York Mini-Sprints

join the Four Star Show on Castle Car Care Products and K&D

Gravel Products night. Race time will begin at 7 p.m., with gates

opening at 4:30 p.m. sharp.

Canandaigua Speedway is located at the Ontario County

Fairgrounds just east of the village of Canandaigua, NY.

CANANDAIGUA MOTORS-PHELPS CEMENT PRODUCTS NIGHT SUMMARY

STREET STOCKS

HEAT 1: N. Peckham, L. Lewis, R. Briggs, B. Smith, R. Cooper, T.

Burnell, B. Lloyd.

HEAT 2: M. Welch, N. Rizzo, W. Morabito, R. Scott, P. LaVare, K.

Schrader, A. Depew.

HEAT 3: F. Burnell, J. Cologgi, J. Henry, J. LaBarge, C. Mettler,

F. Salzberg, M. Shaw.

FEATURE (10-laps): MIKE WELCH, Nathan Peckham, Leroy Lewis, Jim

Cologgi, Frank Burnell, Nick Rizzo, Eric Giguere, Ray Cooper,

Jared LaBarge, Brandon Smith, Russell Scott, Charlie Mettler, Tim

Burnell, Mike Shaw, Richard Briggs, Chris Jacobs, Brian Lloyd,

Kent Fletcher, Mike Resbeck, Shawn Lloyd, Wade Kreffer, James

Henry, Brad Stienruck, Phil LaVare, Wally Morabito, Fred

Salzberg, Adam Depew, DNS: Jamie Eldridge, Maryanne Miniutlo,

Doug Smith, Kevin Schrader.

LADIES FEATURE (5-laps): TAUNYA LOVEJOY, Maryanne Miniutlo,

Christine LaBarge, Laurie Hixson, Jillian Haers, Joanne Henry,

Erica Turner, Patty Pierson, Debbie Devine, Vicky Scott, Mary

Wilt.

PRO STOCK

HEAT 1: J. Ortiz, P. Hobbs, M. Smith, S. Fremouw, J. Miller, L.

Burnett, B. Brown.

HEAT 2: T. Chapman, D. Hilkert, C. Homan, W. Ellison, S. Miller,

J. Boyle, J. McGuigan.

FEATURE (20-laps): CHAD HOMAN, Jason Boyle, Patrick Hobbs, Billy

Brown, Jon Miller, Scott Fremouw, Steve Miller, Lee Burnett, Dave

Conant, Jipp Ortiz, Zack Shove, John Rutkowski, Jim McGuigan,

Tiger Chapman, Mike Cooper, Daryl Hilkert, Matt Smith, Tom

Jansch, Wayne Ellison, Robin Smith.

SPORTSMAN

HEAT 1: P. Guererri, S. Gray, K. Comfort, D. Wiesner, E. Payne

Jr., A. VanPatten.

HEAT 2: B. Somerville, D. Allen, R. VanNeil, B. Henry Jr., J.

Haers, B. Englert.

HEAT 3: L. Beardsley, S. Joy, J. Beyea, J. Plumb, K. Stell, R.

Bussey.

FEATURE (20-laps): JUSTIN HAERS, Larry Beardsley, Paul Guererri,

Bob Henry Jr., Joe Beyea, Dan Wiesner, John Plumb, Karl Comfort,

Brain Somerville, Eldon Payne Jr., Scott Joy, Clay Parmelee, Adam

VanPatten, Bill Englert, Mike Majors, Rick Miller, Rob Bussey,

David Allen, Ricky VanNeil, Wade Czymmek, Steve Gray, DNS: Keith

Stell, Jason Whipple.

MODIFIED

HEAT 1: R. Bliss Jr., D. Johnson, D. Axton, R. Swarthout, C.

Bower, T. McCreadie.

HEAT 2: J. Gabriel Jr., P. Ward, J. Ventura, G. Tomkins, V.

Vitale, Ra. Miller.

HEAT 3: B. Decker, T. Fuller, R. Smoker, S. Paine, B. McCreadie,

C. Hebing.

FEATURE (35-laps): DANNY JOHNSON, Billy Decker, Tim Fuller, Steve

Paine, Chuck Bower, Tim McCreadie, Gary Tomkins, Jim Gabriel Jr.,

Vic Coffey, Chuck Hebing, Todd Henderson, John Ventura, Darryl

Ruggles, Randy Miller, Scott Ridley, Ed Monroe, Dave Axton, Ray

Bliss Jr., Vince Vitale, Aaron Blowers, Bob McCreadie, Ron

Smoker, Rich Swarthout, Dale Darling, Pat Ward, DNS: Gary

Farnsworth.