Paine Inherits Lead In Closing Laps To Win $6000
ELBRIDGE, NY...Waterloo, NY's Steve Paine can consider
himself very lucky after earning the 100-lap DIRT Modified
feature at Rolling Wheels Raceway. Paine inherited the lead with
just ten laps remaining after the race leader, Danny Johnson,
made contact with a lapped car. In sportsman action Matt Sheppard
continued his winning ways picking up the 20-lap feature. Tim
Hettis came away the big Pit Stop Convenience Stores 25-lap
feature winner.
The 100-lap DIRT Modified feature, live on DIRT Television,
saw Billy Decker and Pat ward pace the field down to take the
green flag. Decker easily blasted into the lead with ward second
followed by Danny Johnson, Paine and Alan Johnson. With caution
laps not counting until after 25 laps, the yellow flew for the
first time on lap 14 when Ron Smoker shredded his right rear
tire. After quick pit work, Smoker was able to return at the back
of the field and on the lead lap. However Danny Johnson had just
passed Decker for the lead.
The restart saw a multi-car tangle in the third turn
involving Tim Fuller, Andy Bachetti and Scott Prentice. Johnson
seemed to be able to power away at the touch of a button. Nine
laps of competition later the right rear tire on Smoker's machine
again shredded to bring out a yellow. For the next few laps
that's all that the fans saw, caution after caution.
Lap 25, saw Dave Axton slow on the front chute. Then on lap
27, Billy Decker, running in third behind Johnson and Paine, lost
a right front wheel on his number 91. Decker slide the car to a
stop in the first turn and the wheel just sailed down the front
chute and out of harm's way. Caution laps were now counting.
Tim Fuller was the next to drop from the fray, on lap 34, as
he came to a stop in the fourth turn. His close friend, Tim
McCreadie also slowed on the track, lap 45, with a flat tire to
cause another yellow.
At the halfway mark it was Johnson by five car lengths over
Paine. Jack Johnson had worked himself up to third, followed by
Doug Hoffman, Pat Ward and Bob McCreadie. On lap 53 the yellow
flew again when Vince Vitale looped his car off the third turn
banking. He lost a lap, but returned to the race at the back of
the field.
Vic Coffey lost the hub assembly on his number 32c on lap
60, in the second turn. The sailing and glowing brake rotor could
be seen all across the speedway.
Danny Johnson seemed to have things wrapped up, that is
until lap 90. For a number of laps Johnson had been trying to
pass both Jeremie Corcoran and A.J. Romano, as those two fought
for position. Johnson cleared Corcoran on lap 87 and then tried
to pass Romano on repeated occasions. Finally on lap 90, Danny
charged to the bottom of the third and made contact with the
Romano machine. Both cars looped around, with Johnson regaining
momentum and falling back in line in sixth. This left Steve paine
as the leader.
Paine sailed home the victor, followed by Alan Johnson, Doug
Hoffman, Bob McCreadie and Gary Tomkins. Hoffman's fine third
place finish earned him a spot at Syracuse during Super DIRT
Week, as both of the first two finishers already held spots at
the October Modified Classic.
Sportsman action saw three early race cautions, two for
minor spin outs and one for a multi-car melee in which all cars
returned to the race.
Matt Sheppard took the lead from the start of the race and
then built a half straight away lead over the rest of the field.
Sheppard cruised home the winner followed by James Spano,
Chris Shultz, Tom Juhl and Steve Gray.
Rolling Wheels pops back into operation on Labor Day,
Monday, September 4 when the Advance Auto Parts Trail returns to
the fast track, Rolling Wheels Raceway. Starting time will be at
6 p.m. that day.
GOULDS PUMPS presents THE ADVANCE AUTO PARTS SUPER DIRT SERIES
NIGHT SUMMARY
SPORTSMAN
HEAT 1: J. Spano, S. Hall, E. Payne Jr., R. Hefti, J. LaRock, G.
Hager.
HEAT 2: M. Sheppard, K. Comfort, Greg Doust, Justin Haers, T.
Juhl, A. Sturhann.
HEAT 3: S. Gray, C. Shultz, C. Brachmann, S. Ferrier, B. Henry
Jr., B. Haws.
FEATURE (20-laps): MATT SHEPPARD, James Spano, Chris Shultz, Tom
Juhl, Steve Gray, Bob Henry Jr., Greg Doust, John Plumb, Gary
Hager, Jim LaRock, Justin Haers, Mark Yorker, Eldon Payne Jr.,
Bob Haws, Paul Benz, Tom Mettler, John Juhl, Ryan Richardson,
Bill Juhl, Gary Morrissette, Alan Sturhann, Steve Hall, Karl
Comfort, Scott Ferrier, Russ Hefti.
MODIFIED
TIME TRIALS: A.J. Romano 22.214 (101.287 mph), Brett Hearn
22.334, Pat Ward 22.350, Danny Johnson 22.407, Tim McCreadie
22.440, Jim Gabriel Jr. 22.464, Dave Axton 22.524, Billy Decker
22.527, Bobby Varin 22.539, Alan Johnson 22.565, Bob McCreadie
22.593, Doug Hoffman 22.658, Tom Sears Jr. 22.673, Steve Paine
22.689, Jimmy Horton 22.694, Chuck Bower 22.733, Jeremie Corcoran
22.736, Jack Johnson 22.736, Jimmy Phelps 22.751, Scott Prentice
22.799, Vic Coffey 22.811, Gary Tomkins 22.866, Ron Smoker
22.880, Tim Fuller 22.881, Butch Tittle 22.889, Todd Milton
22.942, Mike Ward 23.006, Andy Bachetti 23.206, Vince Vitale
23.365, Jeff Brownell 23.396, Dave Calaman 23.486, Jim Burke
23.578, Ben Tucker 24.023, Kenny Tremont NT.
HEAT 1: A. Johnson, T. Sears Jr., D. Axton, G. Tomkins, J.
Phelps.
HEAT 2: S. Paine, B. Decker, B. McCreadie, S. Prentice, R.
Smoker.
HEAT 3: D. Hoffman, B. Varin, J. Johnson, J. Horton, T. Fuller.
EXISS DASH: A.J. ROMANO, Pat Ward, Danny Johnson, Jim Gabriel
Jr., Tim McCreadie, Brett Hearn.
FEATURE (100-laps): STEVE PAINE, Alan Johnson, Doug Hoffman, Bob
McCreadie, Gary Tomkins, Danny Johnson, Jack Johnson, Jim Gabriel
Jr., Bobby Varin, Jimmy Phelps, Brett Hearn, Kenny Tremont, Scott
Prentice, Tom Sears Jr., Chuck Bower, Tim McCreadie, Jeremie
Corcoran, Butch Tittle, Ben Tucker, A.J. Romano, Andy bachetti,
Pat Ward, Jimmy Horton, Vince Vitale, Vic Coffey, Dave Axton, Ron
Smoker, Todd Milton, Tim Fuller, Billy Decker.