Paine, Comfort Win At Canandaigua Speedway
CANANDAIGUA, NY...Steve Paine, from Waterloo, NY, earned his
fifth Canandaigua DIRT Modified feature last Saturday under
threatening skies. Karl Comfort won his second DIRT Sportsman
main event at the fast half mile oval on his sponsor's night, K&D
Gravel Products. In the full fender divisions, Richard Briggs
tightened the points battle in the Street Stock class, while Jon
Miller picked up his first ever Canandaigua Pro-Stock victory.
Three different drivers lead the first three laps in the 35-
lap DIRT Modified feature. Pole sitter Vince Vitale was recorded
as the leader of the first circuit. On lap two, outside pole
sitter Chuck Hebing placed the nose of his car inches ahead of
Vitale at the line to lead. A neat inside move allowed Chuck
Bower to power by both front row cars to lead lap three. On lap
four the yellow flew when Charlie Donk stopped in the second
turn.
Bower was able to lead the restart with Bob McCreadie,
Hebing, Danny Johnson and Ray Bliss Jr. tight on his bumper. All
of the front runners had to be aware of the "hurricane" about to
hit. Paine, who started thirteenth, was picking cars off through
the field. By lap six hie was fourth and on lap 12 when the
caution flew for the stalled car of Tim Fuller in the fourth
turn, Paine was second. During this yellow the number 29 car of
Jeff Brownell seemed to catch fire and was sent to the pits.
This time Bower faced Paine on the outside front row. As
they say, "You can write the check," as Paine blew into command
of the race. Danny Johnson, however just didn't see it that way.
Johnson, using the outside groove challenged Paine, who was
staying down low. Each lap Johnson would pull even with Paine in
the turns, but fall back on the straights. Then on lap 22,
Johnson tried to use the lapped car of Greg Tatich as a pick, to
catch Paine behind. The move seemed to work, however Paine
quickly rebounded and remained in the lead.
On the final two circuits, teammate Vic Coffey was able to
pass Johnson on the low side as Johnson's tires seemed to have
gone away. Paine took the win followed by Coffey. Johnson held on
for third followed by Gary Tomkins and Pat Ward to round out the
top five.
The 20-lap DIRT Sportsman feature was wrought with all sorts
of problems. Top runner Justin Haers stalled on the first lap,
only to return as the cars were completing the second circuit.
Many people maintained that Haers was a lap down, however caution
laps (the first three circuits were yellow, yellow, red) allowed
Haers back in time. The second lap saw Joe Beyea catch the inside
wall in the second turn. But it was the restart of that second
lap that saw the red flag have to be waved. Paul Guererri,
running second, lost his car in the second turn and spun in front
of the pack. He then collected eight other cars causing the turn
to be jammed and track officials forced to throw the red flag.
After all of the cars had been removed the race began again with
Dave Allen the leader.
Allen paced the field as a battle for second between Karl
Comfort and Rich Swarthout was shaping up just before another
yellow flag on lap six flew when Jim Rufiange spun on the back
stretch. Allen was able to maintain his lead through two more
yellows also. On lap eight Bob Henry Jr. pounded the inside
second turn wall, as Jim LaRock lost a tire on his number 2V. Lap
12 saw rookie Larry Beardsley loop in the first turn.
It wasn't until lap 16, when Comfort was able to use an
outside move in the second turn, that Allen lost the lead.
Comfort then pulled away from Allen and Swarthout to a commanding
five car advantage. Swarthout was able to pass Allen also, as
Allen began to fade back through the pack. Comfort took the win
with Swarthout second, followed by Eldon Payne in third, new
comer Jim Spano in fourth and Allen fifth.
The 20-lap Pro-stock feature saw only two yellow flags and a
great three car battle for the lead. Dave Conant was the early
leader of the race. However he lost any advantage he maintained
when the yellow flew on lap eight for a multi-car incident in the
fourth turn that saw Steve Miller's car slam into the wall.
The restart saw Conant lose the lead to Jon Miller. Both
Jipp Ortiz and Tommy Barron were also able to pass Conant and
take off after Miller. These three cars dueled at the front of
the pack, with Barron and Ortiz flip-flopping second lap after
lap. Miller was always able to maintain his lead, if by a few
inches on some laps.
A second yellow on lap 17, when Brian Michels looped his car
in the first turn, saw Miller able to pull away from the second
and third place runners to earn his first victory at Canandaigua
after over two years of trying. Ortiz finished second followed by
Barron in third. Young Chad Homan and multi-time feature winner
Mike Cooper rounded out the top five.
The 10-lap Street Stock feature was again marred by
cautions. Three different drivers took their turn at the front of
the field; Mike Shaw, Fred Srock and Richard Briggs. It would be
Briggs that was leading at the right time as he took the victory
over points leader Mike Ferens, Nathan Peckham, John Rutkowski
and Leroy Lewis.
This Saturday finds the Empire Super Sprints back in town,
along with a complete program of DIRT Modified, Sportsman, Pro-
Stock and Street Stock action to help celebrate the Independence
Day holidays. Race time will start at 7 p.m. sharp, to make room
for the full card of racing planned for that night. A fireworks
demonstration will follow the racing activity that night.
FINGER LAKES CASTLE-K&D GRAVEL PRODUCTS NIGHT SUMMARY
STREET STOCKS
FEATURE (10-laps): RICHARD BRIGGS, Mike Ferens, Nathan Peckham,
John Rutkowski, Leroy Lewis, Jared LaBarge, Brad Steinruck, Randy
Peters, Mike Welch, Tim Burnell, Marty Young, Darrin Phippen,
Mike Shaw, Shane Yack, Butch Moore, Trisha Hampton, Fred Srock,
Eric Giguere, Jim Cologgi, James henry, Brian Lloyd, Doug Smith.
PRO-STOCKS
HEAT 1: M. Minutlo, B. Michels, L. Burnett, J. McGuigan, C.
Homan.
HEAT 2: T. Barron, Ri. Miller, S. Miller, B. Lutz, P. Barone.
HEAT 3: J. Miller, J. Ortiz, D. Weisner, M. Cooper, D. Conant.
FEATURE (20-laps): JON MILLER, Jipp Ortiz, Tommy Barron, Chad
Homan, Mike Cooper, Jim McGuigan, Lee Burnett, Bobby Lutz, Dave
Conant, Steve Pesarek, Billy Brown, Phil Barone, Zack Shove, Mike
Minutlo, Jim Burba, Brian Michels, Rick Miller, Steve Miller, Dan
Weisner, Patrick Hobbs.
SPORTSMAN
HEAT 1: B. Englert, R. Swarthout, E. Payne, J. Brownell, L.
Beardsley.
HEAT 2: D. Allen, P. Guererri, M. Sheppard, J. Plumb, C.
Parmelee.
HEAT 3: J. Haers, K. Comfort, J. Beyea, W. Czymmek, J. Spano.
FEATURE (20-laps): KARL COMFORT, Rich Swarthout, Eldon Payne, Jim
Spano, David Allen, Paul Guererri, Justin Haers, Wade Czymmek,
Tyke Morris, Larry Beardsley, Ed Monroe, John Pfeffer, Steve
Gray, Bill Englert, Jim Rufiange, Bob Henry Jr., Jim LaRock,
Keith Stell, Clay Parmelee, John Plumb, Matt Sheppard, Joe Beyea.
MODIFIED
HEAT 1: D. Ruggles, R. Bliss Jr., B. Decker, G. Tomkins, V.
Coffey.
HEAT 2: D. Johnson, T. Fuller, C. Donk, J. Gabriel Jr., V.
Vitale.
HEAT 3: B. McCreadie, S. Paine, P. Ward, C. Hebing, C. Bower.
FEATURE (35-laps): STEVE PAINE, Vic Coffey, Danny Johnson, Gary
Tomkins, Pat Ward, Bob McCreadie, Tim McCreadie, Chuck Bower, Jim
Gabriel Jr., Billy Decker, Charlie Donk, Chuck Hebing, Darryl
Ruggles, Randy Miller, Ron Smoker, Scott Ridley, Ron White, Greg
Tatich, Vince Vitale, Alex Hoag, Bob Simmons Jr., Ray Bliss Jr.,
Jeff Brownell, Tim Fuller.