PAT WARD TOPS STATE FAIR CHAMPIONSHIPS

SYRACUSE, NY..10/4/98...Pat Ward, from Genoa, NY, waited out a storm

on Labor Day and returned victorious in the 49th running of the

New York State Fairgrounds Labor Day Championships for DIRT

Modifieds. Ward averaged 94.142 miles per hour in the 50 lap

affair that took 31 minutes and 52 seconds to complete.

The start of the 50 mile grind saw Ward jump from his pole

starting spot to take the lead over Jeff Trombley, Bobby Varin,

Kenny Tremont and Alan Johnson. The first of only three cautions

came on lap 17 when Joe Puzzella saw a right rear tire explode,

sending debris across the backstretch. The field struggled to

realign itself and when the green flew Kenny Tremont was forced

to the high side of the first turn by another car. Tremont's line

left him no wheres to go except into the wall. His car was badly

damaged but Kenny emerged uninjured.

Ward continued to lead, with Frank Cozze losing a number of

laps during an extended pit stop under yellow. When the green

flew again it was Ward leading Varin, Trombley, Alan Johnson, and

Brett Hearn. As the field exited the fourth turn Vic Coffey

looped his Sweetners Plus number 32c to the inside of the fourth

turn making slight contact with the concrete. This proved to be

the final yellow of the race.

Ward proceeded to cruise home the victor, wining by half a

straight away over Varin. Jeff Trombley finished a close third to

Varin with Alan Johnson and Hearn rounding out the top five.

Doug Hoffman blew his second motor of the afternoon.

Exiting the fourth turn, on the final lap, a huge plum of smoke

covered the field as Hoffman's engine expired.

Heat wins went to Ward, Trombley and Tremont. Jimmy Horton

took top honors in the consolation race. During heat race action

Rich Tobias walled his ultra modern designed Tobias racer. Also

unable to make the call were Tim McCreadie who lost an engine in

pre-race practice and Tom Perrego with an over heating car.

Also present for this historic race were the Antique Racers,

featuring the 50-60's and 70's divisions. Each division ran a

6-lap heat race and then a 10-lap feature. Jeff Ackerman won the

50-60's main event, with Tom Toomey winning the 60's race, within

the 10-lap feature. Andy Berkman took top honors in the 70's

division.

This event was originally to have run on Labor Day but was

postponed after a huge storm surged through the Fairgrounds,

killing two people in it's wake on Labor Day eve.

Racing returns to the mile this week with the 27th running of

Super DIRT Week.

PICK'N PULL NYS FAIR CHAMPIONSHIPS

ANTIQUES

HEAT (50-60'S): J. Ackerman, S. Reakes, C. Morden, D. Ackerman,

R. Cusson.

HEAT (70'S): D. Mathews, A. Berkman, R. McGlynn, F. Kelley, P.

Claussen.

FEATURE (50-60'S) 10-LAPS: JEFF ACKERMAN, Russ Cusson, Larry

Witter, Sammy Reakes, Dick Ackerman, Tom Toomey, Cassey Morden,

Gordy Wood, Don Larmon, Norm Richardson, Dennis Bouthiller, Rod

Hadden, Car 3X, Pat Sonnenburg.

FEATURE (70'S) 10-LAPS: ANDY BERKMAN, Doug Mathews, Randy

McGlynn, Phil Claussen, Fran Kelley, Bill Tefft, Charlie

Woodford.

MODIFIEDS

HEAT 1: Pat Ward (31.08 sec), B. Varin, A. Boisvert, C. Bower, J.

Chester.

HEAT 2: Jeff Trombley (31.68 sec), D. Johnson, E. Marshall, G.

Tomkins, J. Johnson.

HEAT 3: Kenny Tremont (31.88 sec), A. Johnson, B. Hearn, B.

Decker, V. Coffey.

CONSI: J. Horton, F. Cozze, T. Milton, R. Bliss Jr., J. Puzzella,

B. Chester.

FEATURE (50-laps): PAT WARD, Bobby Varin, Jeff Trombley, Alan

Johnson, Brett Hearn, Eddie Marshall, Danny Johnson, Alain

Boisvert, Jimmy Horton, Billy Decker, Gary Tomkins, Doug Hoffman,

Vic Coffey, Jimmy Chester, Chuck Bower, Billy Chester, Frank

Cozze, Kenny Tremont, Joe Puzzella, Tim Fuller, Ray Bliss Jr.,

Todd Milton, Jack Johnson.