Ward Wins Crash-Fest At Canandaigua
CANANDAIGUA, NY..8/1/98...It was a night that many felt the moon was full, however less then desirable track conditions were to blame for numerous accidents which slowed all four feature races during the Ontario County Fair Championships. Pat Ward won the 35-lap DIRT Modified feature while Vince Vitale claimed his third straight DIRT Sportsman feature at the speedway. Track outsider, Bill Hallett returned after finishing second on opening night this year, for his second appearance of the year and won the 15-lap Street Stock main event. Top honors in the Entry Stock 10-lap feature went to Frank Burnell.
"We're going to have to do something drastic about this track," commented general manager Bill McNabb. "We have to produce a surface like we had in the earlier part of the season. It will be our first priority all week long."
Nine cautions periods slowed the 35-lap DIRT Modified Ontario County Fair Championship for over 30 minutes. Two aborted restarts on lap one saw Vic Coffey maintain his lead over Scott Schrader, Jimmy Phelps and Gary Tomkins. Schrader was recorded as the leader of lap two, but Coffey returned to lead laps three to six, when the yellow flew as Steve Lead slowed on the speedway.
The restart saw Pat Ward take the high line from his second row outside restart position. This move projected him into the lead of the race. Gary Tomkins, then running in third, took off after Ward, but was unable to make a serious pass attempt on the "Genoa Giant", Pat Ward.
Danny Johnson was having his problems as he was forced to slow on the track and finally having to exit the race just before the halfway mark of the event.
Pat Ward would maintain his lead through four more cautions before taking the checkers from starter Tommy Burton. Gary Tomkins, who had pulled away from the rest of the pack with Ward, came home in second. Rounding out the top five were Vic Coffey, Tim Fuller and Jimmy Phelps. Fan favorite, Bob McCreadie left the race early.
"I tried the high side on that restart, but I was worried the car might start plowing," stated Ward in victory lane. "We just held on of the win."
The sportsman feature had it's problems also, running some 52 minutes long. The original start was attempted three times, as cars piled-up in the second turn. First Steve Gray, starting sixth, was sent looping to the inside of the track, blocking the lower grove and collecting cars as he traveled. A second attempt also saw a pile up in the same turn. Finally the action got started with Steve Oplinger taking the lead. He surrendered the front spot on lap four to Paul Guererri. Three laps later, the winner of the last two weeks, Vince Vitale, took the lead.
On lap nine the yellow flew when Chris Ridsdale slowed with a flat tire. During this yellow period, Vitale and third place, Lance Dusett also went pitside with flats leaving Guererri again with the lead.
Lap ten saw one of the worst accidents of the evening take place as a car nosed under the backside of the Oplinger car and sent it spinning into the first turn. Car were going everywhere to avoid contact, with Rob Richmond slamming the end of the inside cement wall and then being T-boned by Dusett. Eight cars were involved in the melee as the field was red flagged to clear the blocked speedway. No one was injured in the accident, but numerous cars were damaged.
When the action resumed, Guererri was still in the lead followed by Keith Stell, Russ Lyons and Vitale. The yellow flew the next lap when Dale Darling lost a wheel in the second turn.
Vitale took the lead on the restart and then pulled away from Guererri. Keith Stell held on to third until the final lap when Mike Button passed him coming out of the final turn. Stell finished fourth followed by Gray in fifth.
Twenty-seven street stocks answered the call for their 15-lap feature. Again "attrition" was the call for this division also. The red flag flew on lap two with Billy Brown in the lead, when Betty Fremouw spun in the second turn. Some eleven cars added to the pile, blocking the speedway. Six cars were eliminated in this accident, but no drivers were seriously injured.
Billy Brown continued in command of the race with Tom Barron in second and Les Whyte a close third. Barron was able to pass for the lead on lap six, just before the yellow flew as Whyte looped his machine in the third turn. John Unaman Jr. now moved into third with Steve Pesarek in fourth and Hallett in fifth.
Four additional yellows, mainly for debris and minor spins, including Unaman hitting the inside fourth turn wall on lap 10. Lap 13, saw Brown spin coming out of the second turn. As the yellow flew the Barron was collected by Pesarek in the third turn, leaving Hallett as the leader.
Hallett took the victory followed by Whyte, who had worked his way back to the front. Lee Burnett finished third with Tiger Chapman and Rick Miller rounding out the top five.
Frank Burnell lead all ten laps of the Entry stock feature, which saw only five cars running at the end.
This Saturday is Parts America-Phelps Cement night, with racing action beginning at 7 p.m.. Gates are scheduled to open at 5 p.m. sharp. Canandaigua Speedway is located just east of the village of Canandaigua on County Road 10, at the Ontario County Fairgrounds.
OCALS-MEDIC 60 presents the 151st ONTARIO COUNTY FAIR CHAMPIONSHIPS NIGHT SUMMARY
ENTRY STOCK
FEATURE (10-laps): FRANK BURNELL, Beatle Peters, Don Weisner, Mike Archer, Brad Steinruck, Tim Burnell, Leroy Lewis, Greg Walters.
STREET STOCK
HEAT 1: T. Barron, B. Lutz, S. Pesarek, Ra. Miller, L. Burnett.
HEAT 2: B. Brown, J. Unaman Jr., S. Fremouw, J. McGuigan, B. Boudereau.
HEAT 3: L. Whyte, B. Hallett, Ri. Miller, B. Fremouw, G. Heybenn.
FEATURE (15-laps): BILL HALLETT, Les Whyte, Lee Burnett, Tiger Chapman, Rick Miller, Jack Hintzle, Scott Fremouw, Jerry Sullivan, Randy Miller, Chad Homan, Jim Burba, Mark Oles, Frank Ignizio, Tommy Barron, Billy Brown, Steve Pesarek, Bobby Lutz, Joe Ignizio, John Unaman Jr., Ed Oldfield, Brian Boudereau, Betty Fremouw, Dave Conant Jr., Jim McGuigan, Dave McCready, Gary Heybenn, Phil Barone.
SPORTSMAN
HEAT 1: S. Gray, H. Albrecht, S. Oplinger, T. Johnson, V. Vitale.
HEAT 2: T. Henderson, C. Ridsdale, M. Button, K. Stell, J. LaRock.
HEAT 3: L. Dusett, P. Guererri, R. Lyons, W. Czymmek, R. Richmond.
FEATURE (20-laps): VINCE VITALE, Paul Guererri, Mike Button, Keith Stell, Steve Gray, Russ Lyons, Todd Preston, Dale Darling, Todd Henderson, Jerry Haers Jr., Steve Oplinger, Rob Richmond, Jim LaRock, Mike Barrese, Andy Vargo, Lance Dusett, Chris Ridsdale, Rich Vargo, Wade Czymmek, Tim Johnson, Howie Albrecht.
MODIFIED
HEAT 1: T. Fuller, D. Johnson, G. Tegg Jr., V. Coffey, S. Schrader.
HEAT 2: P. Ward, G. Tomkins, B. Turner, B. McCreadie, B. Varin.
HEAT 3: S. Paine, J. Phelps, C. Donk, B. Decker, C. Hebing.
FEATURE (35-laps): PAT WARD, Gary Tomkins, Vic Coffey, Tim Fuller, Jimmy Phelps, Chuck Hebing, Charlie Donk, Billy Decker, Scott Schrader, Steve Lead, Ray Bliss Jr., John Venture, Darryl Ruggles, Steve Paine, Bobby Varin, Danny Johnson, Gil Tegg Jr., Steve Schultz, Bob McCreadie, Jim Burke.