D.J. Wins Hall Of Fame Classic At Cayuga County
WEEDSPORT, NY...Danny Johnson may not have been the fastest
car in time trials, but his luck of the redraw saw him start from
the pole starting position and lead all 100 laps to win the
$6,000-to-win Hall of Fame Classic, an Advance Auto Parts Super
DIRT Series Tour 2000 championship event at the Cayuga County
Fair Speedway last Sunday. Winning the Sportsman support 20-
lapper was Rich Swarthout.
Bob McCreadie was to have been the pole sitter for the race,
however severe migraine headaches plagued him and forced him to
withdraw from the event. McCreadie held the sixth fastest time
and was also forced to sit out the Exiss Trailers Dash, won by
Chuck Bower. Bower also set fast time in his Currier Plastics-
Meir Tool Company TEO car with a time of 16.218 seconds, for a
speed of 83.241 mph.
Danny Johnson blasted into the lead at the drop of the Dave
Farney's green flag as Bill Gill, Billy Decker and Pat Ward gave
chase. On the second lap Pat Ward's cousin, Mike, came to a stop
in the third turn forcing a yellow flag.
Pat Ward was able to work his way forward, taking second
from Gill on lap 14. The second yellow of the race came on lap 17
when young Tim McCreadie came to a stop in the second turn. After
on lap under speed again the third yellow flew for Tim Fuller and
Scott Ridley crashed into the inside of the fourth turn wall.
Both cars were able to continue. During this yellow Doug Hoffman
pitted and was able to return to the track without losing a lap.
Steve Paine was now running third behind Johnson and Ward.
But Paine found himself in a battle for position with Alan
Johnson aboard the Jim Beechy's Pillsbury Doughboy machine. The
yellow flew again on lap 25, when the 1999 ARANY DIRT Rookie of
the Year and provisional starter, Josh Skarzenski broke in the
first turn.
Brett Hearn spun his number 3 in the second turn, losing a
lap to the field on lap 29. He quickly exited to the pit area,
out of the race. Hearn had been suffering from a cut hand, that
bothered him to hold on to the steering wheel.
Alan Johnson was now able to pass both Ward and Paine and
set sights on his younger brother Danny for the lead, However the
sixth caution period seemed to take the sails out of Alan's
charge. This yellow came for two steel bars laying in the first
turn.
The race was now for second as Danny Johnson aboard his
Sweetners Plus Troyer was able to pull away to nearly a full
straightaway lead. On lap 46 the final yellow flew when Tom Sears
Jr. was tapped in the rear and spun in the first turn. Sears lost
a number of laps at that time, but did return to the race.
Danny Johnson continued to build his lead during the last
half of the race to nearly a half lap. Battling for second were
Alan Johnson, Paine, Ward, Bower and out of nowhere comes the
30th place starter Todd Milton aboard his Terrell's Potato Chip
Troyer number 96. Milton began picking off the lead cars, taking
fifth on lap 75. On lap 82, Bower went high and Milton was able
to garb fourth. Five laps later Milton charged passed Ward for
third and an interested crowd watched with amazement.
Milton now was looking to pass Alan Johnson for second. That
opportunity came on lap 95. Danny Johnson still held a half lap
lead over the battle for second and easily took the checkered
flag. Milton held on for second, his best finish ever in an
Advance Auto Parts Super DIRT Series race. Alan Johnson came home
in third followed by Pat Ward and Chuck Bower.
Jim LaRock took the lead at the drop of the green in the
sportsman 20-lap feature. A grinding crash on lap five saw Wade
Czymmek and Gary Hager come together along the front stretch
wall. Hager was able to continue and Czymmek was done for the
night.
LaRock lost his lead in a daring move coming out of turn
four three wide on lap 10, Rich Swarthout took the low line,
under LaRock with Joe Beyea on the high side. Swarthout was able
to complete the move successfully and lead the race.
On lap 13 the yellow flew when Justin haers looped his car
in the fourth turn. One more yellow, lap 18, saw Bob Haws also
spin in the fourth turn.
Swarthout narrowly held on for the victory followed by Matt
Sheppard, as Sheppard made every effort on the final lap to make
a pass. Joe Beyea came home third followed by Steve Gray and
LaRock faded to fifth.
The Mid-State Vintage racers were on hand with three
divisions (years) of cars. A combined 50's-60's duel saw Sam
Reakes III come home with the victory on Hall of Fame night.
Prior to the night of racing these cars were on display in the
Hall of Fame and Classic Car Museum parking lot.
Weekly racing returns to the Cayuga County Fair Speedway,
starting at 7 p.m. this Sunday when a complete show of DIRT
Modifieds, Sportsman and Pit Stop Convenience Store Enduros is
joined by the popular Dwarf cars.
WATERTOWN FORD-NATIONAL PARTS PEDDLER presents THE ADVANCE AUTO
PARTS SUPER DIRT SERIES TOUR 2000 HALL OF FAME NIGHT SUMMARY
MID-STATE VINTAGE STOCK CAR CLUB
HEAT:(50'S-60'S) D. Ackerman, P. Sonnenberg, H. Witter Jr., D.
Kuney.
FEATURE:(50'S-60'S) SAM REAKES III, Jeff Ackerman, Gordie Wood,
Tom Traynor, TOM TOOMEY, Dick Ackerman, Norm Richardson, Denis
Bouthiller, Jame Hilimire, Don Larmon, Pat Sonnenberg, Leon
Litzenberger, Brad Litzenberger, Howie Witter Jr., Don Kuney.
Feature: (70'S) Car numbers 2X, 27, X, 91, 70, 52, 00.
SPORTSMAN
HEAT 1: J. LaRock, J. Haers, G. Doust, G. Hager, T. Mettler.
HEAT 2: J. Beyea, W. Czymmek, M. Sheppard, S. Gray, R. Swarthout.
HEAT 3: J. Juhl, J. Plumb, B. Henry Jr., G. Carner, T. Morris.
FEATURE (20-laps): RICH SWARTHOUT, Matt Sheppard, Joe Beyea,
Steve Gray, Jim LaRock, John Juhl, Tyke Morris, Greg Doust, James
Spano, Rodney Plantz, Tom Mettler, Gary Hager, Geoff Carner, Mark
Camuso, David Allen, Bob Haws, John Plumb, Justin Haers, Bob
Henry Jr., John Juhl, Wade Czymmek, Gary Morrissette.
MODIFIED
TIME TRIALS: Chuck Bower 16.218 (83.241 mph), Billy Decker
16.298, Vic Coffey 16.303, Pat Ward 16.400, Bobby Varin 16.407,
Bob McCreadie 16.458, Ray Bliss Jr. 16.477, Jim Gabriel Jr.
16.506, Andy Bachetti 16.529, Tim McCreadie 16.563, Danny Johnson
16.570, Gary Tomkins 16.582, Bill Gill 16.589, Brett Hearn
16.594, Steve Paine 16.617, Alan Johnson 16.617, Butch Tittle
16.639, Ron Smoker 16.675, Tim Burnett 16.702 (dq), Scott
Prentice 16.707, Jimmy Phelps 16.709, Frank Cozze 16.797, Kenny
Tremont 16.800, Doug Hoffman 16.846, Tim Fuller 16.857, A.J.
Romano 16.924, Vince Vitale 16.925, Tom Sears Jr. 16.987, Todd
Milton 16.987, Mike Ward 16.989, Jimmy Horton 17.018, Josh
Skarzenski 17.134, Scott Ridley 17.213, Dave Axton 17.315, Jeff
Brownell 17.458, Brent Wilcox 17.579, Jim Burke 17.594, Ryan
Bartlett 17.650, Steve Lead 17.693, Donny Radd 17.735 (dq), Danny
West 18.302 (dq).
HEAT 1: S. Paine, D. Johnson, R. Bliss Jr., D. Hoffman.
HEAT 2: J. Gabriel Jr., A. Johnson, G. Tomkins, T. Fuller.
HEAT 3: A. Bachetti, B. Gill, A.J. Romano, B. Tittle.
HEAT 4: B. Hearn, T. Mccreadie, K. Tremont, R. Smoker.
EXISS TRAILERS DASH: Chuck Bower, Billy Decker, Vic Coffey, Bobby
Varin, Pat Ward.
FEATURE (100-laps): DANNY JOHNSON, Todd Milton, Alan Johnson, Pat
Ward, Chuck Bower, Steve Paine, Ray Bliss Jr., Gary Tomkins,
Bobby Varin, Vic Coffey, Doug Hoffman, A.J. Romano, Frank Cozze,
Jim Gabriel Jr., Billy Decker, Bill Gill, Butch Tittle, Kenny
Tremont, Tim Fuller, Jimmy Horton, Andy Bachetti, Vince Vitale,
Ron Smoker, Scott Ridley, Tom Sears Jr., Jeff Brownell, Scott
Prentice, Brett Hearn, Josh Skarzenski, Tim McCreadie, Jimmy
Phelps, Mike Ward, DNS: Bob McCreadie.