Decker Wins, Barron And Vitale Repeat

CANANDAIGUA, NY..7/24/98...Current track points leader Billy Decker, from Unadilla, NY, won his second DIRT Modified feature of the year at Canandaigua Speedway last Saturday evening, just nosing out the master of the speedway Bob McCreadie. Both Vince Vitale (sportsman) and Tom Barron (Street Stock) were able to repeat feature victories. Barron now has seven wins this season and Vitale has a total of four at Canandaigua. Mike Majors took top honors in a crash filled Entry Stock main.

Steve Schultz was able to grab the lead at the drop of starter Tommy Burton's green flag, with Scott Schrader hot on his heels in his Denny's Restaurant number 58. But it was Bob McCreadie in his Kinney Drugs machine that blasted to the point on lap three and then proceeded to stretch out nearly a full straight away advantage over the pack. It was looking like McCreadie would win his first of the year at Canandaigua.

On lap eleven the yellow flew when Steve Schultz stopped on the track in the fourth turn. Even then McCreadie was able to restart speeding away from the field. On lap 19, Bryon Turner, then running fourth, slowed on the front stretch with a broken rear end. Before Burton was able to wave the yellow Pat Ward slammed into the rear of the Turner machine. Ward was sent spinning and was gathered up by Gary Tomkins in a thunderous impact. Also involved in this wreck were Bobby Varin, Jimmy Phelps and Danny Johnson. Phelps and Johnson were the only cars able to return to the race.

McCreadie now had Billy Decker on his rear bumper, as these two proceeded to both pull away from the rest of the field, with last week's feature winner Chuck Hebing in third followed by Gil Tegg Jr. and Charlie Donk.

Seventh place Steve Paine came to a stop with a flat right rear on lap 30, to bunch the field together for the last time. Decker began to really pressure McCreadie and on lap 33 he was able to make the pass for the lead coming through the third turn area.

Decker held on for the victory with McCreadie a very close second. Hebing finished a distant third with Charlie Donk coming home fourth and Danny Johnson, after being involved in the lap 19 accident, finishing a great drive in fifth.

A crash filled sportsman feature saw five lead changes, three during the first three laps. Todd Preston was able to record leading the first lap. Then it was rookie Wade Czymmek's turn out front. On lap three Steve Gray took command of the race, holding the lead for two laps. Mike Button then took his turn out front until a flat tire ended his chances at victory on lap 11. Vince Vitale inherited the lead and held off Howie Albrecht for the win. Albrecht finished second followed by Karl Comfort, points leader Todd Henderson and Lance Dusett in fifth.

The yellow flew seven times during the 20-lap sportsman feature, mostly for flat tires. Two major incidents did take place. On lap three newcomer Bill Hebing made contact with Brad Rouse sending the Rouse machine into the wall. These two decided to settle their differences in the pit are and will have to take a two week vacation for fighting.

On lap eight, Chris Ridsdale's number 5 broke coming out of the second turn and launched itself along the back stretch wall. Ridsdale was uninjured.

In Street Stock action Tommy Barron passed Scott Fremouw on lap six and never looked back as the 15-lap main went green-to-checkered. Bobby Lutz made a late race charge at Barron but had to settle for second. Fremouw finished third followed by Steve Pesarek and Les Whyte.

The Entry Stock was riddled down to just three cars running at the end after a lap six accident saw Todd Stanton slam the front stretch wall, sending the entire rear end assembly out from under his car and across the track into the infield area. Todd was not injured in the accident.

Mike Majors took the win, passing Mark Archer on the inside of the third turn. Archer crossed the finish line with a flat right rear tire in second. Frank Burnell finished third.

The Bus Bonanza race saw Heath ward take the win, passing Paul Schmerhorn on the second of four laps. Four buses were on hand for this event.

This Saturday the 155th annual Ontario County Fair will be in progress, with the Fair Championships on the line. A full card of DIRT Modified, Sportsman, Street Stock and Entry Stock racing will take place. Race time will be at 7 p.m., with pit gates opening at 5 p.m..

FARNSWORTH CHEVROLET-GEO/SAVAGE & SONS ROOFING AND SIDING COMPANY NIGHT SUMMARY

BUS BONANZA

FEATURE (4-laps): HEATH WARD, Paul Schmerhorn, Jeff Dudden, Dave Gadsboro.

ENTRY STOCKS

FEATURE (10-laps): MIKE MAJORS, Mike Archer, Frank Burnell, Mike Minutolo, Todd Stanton, Leroy Lewis, Tim Burnell, Fred Salsberg, Mike Shaw.

STREET STOCKS

HEAT 1: T. Barron, Ra. Miller, S. Pesarek, J. Sullivan, C. Reynolds II.

HEAT 2: L. Whyte, Ri. Miller, B. Lutz, J. McGuigan, L. Burnett.

HEAT 3: B. Brown, S. Fremouw, D. VanArsdale, E. Oldfield, R. Stuerrys.

FEATURE (15-laps): TOM BARRON, Bobby Lutz, Scott Fremouw, Steve Pesarek, Les Whyte, Lee Burnett, Rick Miller, Jim McGuigan, Randy Miller, John Unaman, Carl Reynolds II, Ed Oldfield, Jerry Sullivan, Phil Barone, Dave Conant Jr., Chad Homan, Dave VanArsdale, Roger Steurrys, Jim Stone.

SPORTSMAN

HEAT 1: S. Gray, L. Dusett, T. Henderson, V. Vitale, W. Czymmek, S. Oplinger.

HEAT 2: P. Guererri, M. Button, J. LaRock, K. Comfort, T. Preston, J. Pfeffer.

HEAT 3: C. Ridsdale, R. Lyons, J. Haers Jr., B. Rouse, T. Johnson, B. Hebing.

FEATURE (20-laps): VINCE VITALE, Howie Albrecht, Karl Comfort, Todd Henderson, Lance Dusett, Paul Guererri, Mike Button, Jim LaRock, Jerry Haers Jr., Steve Oplinger, Tim Johnson, Russ Lyons, John Pfeffer, Wade Czymmek, Keith Stell, Steve Gray, Todd Preston, Chris Ridsdale, Bill Hebing, Brad Rouse, Randy Holden.

MODIFIED

HEAT 1: V. Coffey, B. Decker, G. Tomkins, D. Johnson, S. Schultz, D. Ruggles.

HEAT 2: C. Donk, B. Turner, P. Ward, J. Phelps, B. Varin, J. Ventura.

HEAT 3: B. McCreadie, S. Schrader, S. Paine, C. Hebing, G. Tegg Jr., R. Phelps.

FEATURE (35-laps): BILLY DECKER, Bob McCreadie, Chuck Hebing, Charlie Donk, Danny Johnson, Gil Tegg Jr., Darryl Ruggles, Tim Fuller, Vic Coffey, John Ventura, Roger Phelps, Mike Ward, Ray Bliss Jr., Steve Paine, Bobby Varin, Scott Boudinot, Scott Schrader, Jimmy Phelps, Bryon Turner, Pat Ward, Gary Tomkins, Steve Schultz, Jim Burke.