Ward Continues Hot Streak With Weedsport Win
WEEDSPORT, NY.8/2/98..Pat Ward, from Genoa, NY, took home the first place money last Sunday at the Cayuga County Fairgrounds Speedway in the DIRT Modified feature event. Tim Sears lead all 20 laps of the non-point DIRT Sportsman feature to take his first win of the year at the speedway. Other feature winners included Paul Schermerhorn in the 4-lap Bus Bonanza race, and Ron Hawker took top honors in the 40-lap enduro.
Dale Planck took the lead from his pole starting spot at the drop of Dave Farney's green flag. Hot on Planck's tail pipe were Scott Prentice and Jimmy Phelps.
The first of four cautions flew on lap four when Todd Milton came to a stop in the first turn with a wheel filled with mud. Planck maintained his advantage on the restart over Scott Prentice, as Tim Fuller passed Phelps for third.
Lap 14 saw two yellows fly. The initial caution came when Jason Barney's number 5 came to a stop in the third turn with a flat right rear tire. The restart saw a multi-can tangle, reverting the restart back to lap 14.
Planck now had a new pursuer, Tim Fuller. On lap 18, Planck drifted high in turn four allowing Fuller the opening he needed to duck low and make the pass for the lead. Fuller now had Planck, Gary Tomkins and Pat Ward in tow.
A caution on lap 20 saw Todd Milton again stop on the speedway, this time in the second turn. During this yellow, third place runner Gary Tomkins went to the pits, never to return to the race. This moved Ward into third.
After the restart Ward took second and set sights in the leader, Fuller. Ward and Fuller raced side-by-side on lap 25 and 26, with Ward able to nose out the lead each time at the line. Finally on lap 27 Ward was able to complete his pass for the lead. Fuller came home in second followed by Planck, Alan Johnson and Jimmy Horton, fresh off his Winston Cup ride at Pocono a week earlier.
The 20-lap sportsman feature sported a limited number of cars as many of the top drivers were at Gasport International Speedway, Port Colbourne, Ontario, Canada, for a Hoosier Tire-Sunoco race Fuels-Pennzoil Mr. DIRT Sportsman Trail event.
Sears, the outside pole sitter, took advantage of the smallish field and jumped directly into the lead with Greg Doust, running second and Steve Gray in third.
Three cautions slowed the race, all for spin outs or flat tires. Sears held on for the victory followed by Doust, Gary Stage, Paul Guererri and Jim LaRock.
Paul Schermerhorn easily took the victory in the School Bus races, featuring four distinctive buses. During the race the gray primer bus of Heath Ward slid along the fourth turn wall, earning him his Weedsport stripe. He continued on even as his bus did maintain some severe damages.
Ron Hawker for the final event of the night, a 40-lap enduro.
This Sunday a complete program of DIRT Modified, Sportsman and Enduro races will be held. A demolition derby has also be added to this Sunday's program.
Race time this Sunday will be at 7 p.m., with gates opening at 5 p.m. sharp. Cayuga County Fairgrounds Speedway is located at exit 40 of the New York State Thruway. on Route 31 just east of the village of Weedsport.
HARRY'S TIRE AND SUPPLY-PHELPS CEMENT NIGHT SUMMARY
ENDURO-TOP 3 (40-LAPS): RON HAWKER, Mike Potts, Tom Juhl.
BUS BONANZA (4-LAPS): PAUL SCHERMERHORN, Jeff Dudden, Heath Ward, Joe Savoie.
SPORTSMAN
HEAT 1: G. Doust, S. Gray, R. Plantz, J. LaRock, G. Morrissette.
HEAT 2: T. Sears, G. Stage, P. Guererri, B. Haws, T. Knoblock.
FEATURE (20-laps): TIM SEARS, Greg Doust, Gary Stage, Paul Guererri, Jim LaRock, Ron Davis, Rodney Plantz, Tyke Morris, Gary Morrissette, Bob Haws, Terry Knoblock, Steve Gray.
MODIFIED
HEAT 1: B. McCreadie, C. Bower, B. Decker, T. Burnett, J. Gabriel Jr.
HEAT 2: T. Milton, S. Prentice, Steve Glover, P. Ward, G. Tomkins.
HEAT 3: T. Fuller, J. Phelps, D. Planck, B. Varin, J. Horton.
CONSI: T. Sears Jr., A. Johnson, S. Ridley, M. Colsten, D. Ruggles, R. Bliss Jr., J. Barney, B. Hoff, J. Hopkins, M. Ward.
FEATURE (35-laps): PAT WARD, Tim Fuller, Dale Planck, Alan Johnson, Jimmy Horton, Chuck Bower, Jimmy Phelps, Billy Decker, Mike Colsten, Jim Gabriel Jr., Bobby Varin, Tom Sears Jr., Darryl Ruggles, Steve Glover, Jason Barney, Scott Prentice, Mike Ward, Jay Hopkins, Bill Hoff, Tim Burnett, Ray Bliss Jr., Scott Ridley, Gary Tomkins, Todd Milton, Bob McCreadie.