JUMPIN JACK TOPS 358 TOUR AT THE WHEELS: ORTIZ WINS FROM 22ND

STARTING SPOT

ELBRIDGE, NY...An outstanding field of 66 DIRT 358-modifieds

were on hand last Saturday at Rolling Wheels Raceway despite wet

weather conditions in the morning hours. Thirty-four of these

cars made the 100-lap Sunoco Race Fuels 358-modified Super DIRT

Series feature. It would be Jack Johnson taking the victory, his

first win at Rolling Wheels in years. Joining the 358-modifieds

were the ARANY Pro-Stock Tour featuring a 20-lap main event. Jipp

Ortiz took that win, starting near the back of the field after

qualifying through the second consolation race. The final event

on the night was a 50-lap enduro, won by Troy Reeves. There were

32 enduro cars on hand for this feature.

Rains earlier in the day held down the crowd somewhat, but a

full pit area helped make for a successful promotion. Pat Ward

and Jack Johnson brought the field down to take Dave Farney s

green flag. Ward, who won the pole in the driver s redraw,

quickly took advantage of his luck and tore into the lead driving

the 99 Gypsum Express usually piloted by Roger Phelps. Johnson

fell in second followed by Tom Meier, Brett Hearn and Ken

Tremont.

The yellow flew for the first time on lap six when Tim

McCreadie slowed on the back stretch. McCreadie ducked into the

pits and looked at losing a lap, when the restart saw a multi-car

accident on the front stretch involving some ten machines. Only

series points leader Danny Johnson was unable to continue.

Johnson had to start in the rear of the field after not firing at

the start of the race.

This accident allowed McCreadie to return on the lead lap.

His race would end later, lap 41 on the end of a hook. This

restart also saw Jack Johnson grab the lead from Ward and begin

to pull away from the rest of the field.

Two laps later, lap eight, Frank Caprara, who was crunched

in the accident, slowed to a stop in the third turn to cause yet

another yellow. Johnson was now ahead of Ward, Hearn, Kenny

Tremont and Pete Bicknell.

Johnson used the next green flag period to stretch out his

lead to some fifteen car lenghts. Finally on lap 21 the yellow

flew when Tim Hindley looped his car in the second turn. He was

tagged by Vic Coffey, contact that would eventually cause Coffey

to retire from the event.

Hearn was now in second, passing Ward on lap 20 for

position. With the first 25 laps having cautions not count a

number of cars were able to remain on the lead lap. On lap 36 the

yellow flew and cautions did count. The yellow flew when Rick

Richner unloaded a motor in the third turn. Johnson remained the

leader, with a torrid battle for second raging between Hearn and

Bicknell. At the halfway mark Bicknell passed Hearn and looked to

have a lock on second. Just five laps later it was Hearn back in

the runner up spot.

A yellow flew on lap 56 when Todd Burley was helped off the

track into the slippery grass on the infield and sent spinning

backwards into the victory lane area, knocking down a number of

billboards in the process. Burley was shaken by the odd angle

which his car impacted.

Ward s great showing came to an end on lap 65 when he was

sent spinning in the second turn. He attempted to return but

could not get his car up to speed and he exited the event. On lap

76 the yellow flew again when Chuck Bower slowed to a stop on the

back stretch with steam bubbling from under his hood.

Through all of this Johnson maintained his edge over Hearn.

Moving in on Hearn was Steve Paine. Paine pulled by Hearn

momentarily, however heavy contact with the birm between turns

one and two allowed Hearn to regroup for second.

Johnson sailed across the finish line for the $4,000

victory. Hearn finished second followed by Paine, Bicknell and

Tremont. I own this car with about five other guys, comment

Johnson. It seems to really be working for us now.

Of note was that the first three cars across the finish line

were all powered by Chrysler power plants.

The 20 lap Pro-stock feature saw 32 cars take the green with

Tom Faxon and Ken Sargent on the front row. Faxon would lead the

first five laps, then lose the lead on a lap five restart to Eric

Gravereau. Gravereau held that spot for just one lap before

bowing to series points leader Tom Kuck.

Two major accidents occurred during these early laps. On lap

five Bobby Lutz s number d7 slide backwards through the wet

grassy infield as Tom Barron came to a stop on the low side of

the first turn.

Lap six saw a multi-car incident in the third turn. Involved

in the accident were Dennis Gravereau, Bill Pascual, Tom

Cannizzaro, Andy Dembeck Jr. and Jody Herrvin. All cars were able

to return to the race.

Kuck would remain the leader of the race until lap 10 when,

under caution, he pulled his CarQuest sponsored Grand Prix into

the pits with a flat right rear tire. This left Gravereau as the

leader with Jipp Ortiz running second. Ortiz would take only two

laps to lay claim to the lead.

Ortiz outlasted the total of eight yellows that slowed the

race to claim the victory. Gravereau settled for second followed

by rookie Jason Boyle, T.J. Fitzgibbons and Mark Schulz.

Racing continues on Day Two of the FleetPride Wheels World

Series of DIRT Track Racing Weekend. Sunday will find the DIRT

Modifieds and Sportsman in action.

DAY 1: FLEETPRIDE WHEELS WORLD SERIES OF DIRT TRACK RACING NIGHT

SUMMARY

ENDURO

FEATURE (50-laps): TROY REEVES, Mike Welch, Bobby Newman, Al

Relyea, Mike Potts (Top 5)

ARANY PRO-STOCKS

HEAT 1: T. Faxon, C. Homan, T.J. Fitzgibbons, L. Ladouceur.

HEAT 2: K. Sragent, T. Teal, J. Jackson, T. Vigh Jr.

HEAT 3: E. Gravereau, B. Lutz, M. Shulz, R. Yetman.

HEAT 4: T. Kuck, J. Boyle, D. Gravereau, P. Barone.

HEAT 5: K. Gates, P. McCoy, A. Dembeck Jr., T. Barron.

CONSI 1: T. Cannizzaro, M. Therrien, R. Noviciski, P, Retter, J.

Herriven.

CONSI 2: J. Ortiz, J. Miller, N. Braklow, B. Pascual, J.

Langenback.

FEATURE (20-laps): JIPP ORTIZ, Eric Gravereau, Jason Boyle, T.J.

Fitzgibbons, Mark Schulz, Chad Homan, Pat McCoy, Dennis

Gravereau, Tom Kuck, Jim Langenback, Ted Teal, Bill Pascual, Rob

Noviciski, Billy King, Ken Gates, Tom Faxon, Ken Sargent, Jody

Herriven, Joe Jackson, Lee Ladouceur, Rob Yetman, Andy Dembeck

Jr., Tom Vigh Jr., Marc Therrien, Phil Barone, Jon Miller, Darrin

Kish, Phil Retter, Tom Cannizzaro, Norbert Bracklow, Bobby Lutz,

Tom Barron.

SUNONO FUELS 358-MODIFIEDS

HEAT 1: P. Dagenais, P. Ward, R. Richner.

HEAT 2: T. Meier, T. Lamb, T. Burnett.

HEAT 3: B. Wilcox, J. Johnson, J. Barney.

HEAT 4: K. Tremont, C. VanPelt, P. Bicknell.

HEAT 5: R. Baye, D. Planck, A. Johnson.

HEAT 6: B. Hearn, T. Ryan, C. Bower.

CONSI 1: A. Bachetti, S. Ridley, T. Hindley.

CONSI 2: D. Johnson, P. O Brien, V. Coffey.

CONSI 3: S. Paine, J. Phelps, D. Elliott.

FEATURE (100-laps: JACK JOHNSON, Brett Hearn, Steve Paine, Pete

Bicknell, Kenny Tremont, Danny O Brien, Jimmy Phelps, Ryan Baye,

Billy Wilcox, Don Elliott, Alan Johnson, Alex Hoag, Frank

Caprara, Pierre Dagenais, Scott Ridley, Ted Lamb, Pat O Brien,

Kyle Jacobs, Chuck Bower, Pat Ward, Todd Ryan, Todd Burley, Tommy

Meier, Tim McCreadie, Rick Richner, Tim Burnett, Dale Planck,

Curt VanPelt, Vic Coffey, Tim Hindley, Andy Bachetti, Jason

Barney, Danny Johnson, Dan Miller.