Spano Wins Big On Sponsor's Night
WEEDSPORT, NY..7/26/98...Auburn's James Spano took top honors in the third round of the Hoosier Tire-Sunoco Race Fuels-Pennzoil-SavOn Mr. DIRT Sportsman championship trail, winning the 30-lap main event last Sunday at the Cayuga County Fair Speedway. Billy Decker won the non-points big block-small block show. A special appearance of the Dwarf Cars was won by Troy VanAllen, while Tom Juhl took top honors in the weekly Pit Stop Convenience Stores enduro.
Scott Prentice and Billy Decker led the 21 car DIRT Modified field down to take Dave Farney's green flag in what was to become a green-to-checkers affair. Decker quickly took command of the race with Pat ward glued to his back bumper. These two began to draw away from the third and fourth runners Scott Prentice and Bob McCreadie, who were in a draft of their own.
In the end only the top ten remained on the lead lap, with Decker claiming his second straight Cayuga County feature win, third of the season at the speedway. Ward hung on to second with Prentice finishing a very successful run in third. Bob Mccreadie came home fourth with Gary Tomkins rounding out the top five.
The main attraction of the evening was the 30-lap Hoosier Tire-Sunoco Race Fuels-Pennzoil-SavOn Mr. DIRT Sportsman feature in which some 38 cars attempted to qualify. Thirty-one of these cars soared down to take the green flag with Mike Button establishing himself as the leader right on the first lap. Steve Hall, Jim Spano and Tim Sears all locked up in a battle for the runner-up position. Spano was able to take second from Hall on lap five.
On lap 7 the yellow flew when a multi-car accident took place in the first turn, involving Scott Flammer, Lance Dusett, Scott George, Jason Becker, Mike Ballestero, and Todd VanTassel. Only George and VanTassel were done for the night.
Button continued to lead the way with Sears taking second from Spano on lap 10. The yellow flew a second time on lap 13 when Ron Davis looped his mount in the first turn.
Sears attempted to pass Button on numerous occasions, but was not able to complete his pass. The third yellow flew for a spin by Phil Vigneri on lap 22.
The final yellow came on lap 25 when Jim LaRock, Ben Tucker, Matt Gerber and Ron Davis all contacted the fourth turn wall, ending all of their nights racing.
On the final lap it looked like Button was going to hold off Spano, who had retaken second on lap 23, for the victory. That is until the Button car exited the second turn. The rear end failed in his car allowing Spano to duck under Button for the lead and the win. Howie Albrecht finished second followed by Karl Comfort, Tim Sears and Steve Hall. Button finished his race in 19th after leading all but the final two turns.
The Dwarf cars rolled to the starting line with Eddie Bell taking the lead, as the yellow flew for the only time in the race. A four car tangle on the front stretch, involving Barry Virts, Bob McCarthy, Carl Crawford and Jay Reid, slowed the pace.
On the restart Bell was challenged by Troy VanAllen, who was able to sweep into the lead on lap eight and go on to victory.
Dan Boyce was able to take second from Bell on lap 14. Bell finished third with Mark Weigelt and Jim Gray rounding out the top five.
The enduro feature was won by John Juhl.
This Sunday finds the modifieds returning for a points show, while the sportsman will run a non-points feature as the Mr. DIRT Sportsman series heads for Gasport Speedway. The enduros return along with a Bonanza Bus main event. Race time will be at 7 p.m., with gates opening at 5 p.m. that afternoon.
JAMES V. SPANO PAVING-AUBURN STEEL NIGHT SUMMARY
ENDURO
FEATURE (TOP 3): TOM JUHL, Mike Potts, Tom Hitchcock.
DWARF CARS
HEAT 1: D. Boyce, J. Coher, B. Bird, J. Reid, M. Weigelt, E. Bell, S. Nash.
HEAT 2: T. VanAllen, F. Doll, J. Gray, C. Crawford, K. Battelle, K. Doll, B. McCarthy.
FEATURE (20-laps): TROY VanALLEN, Dan Boyce, Eddie Bell, Mark Weigelt, Jim Gray, Bob Bird, Ken Gamlen, Jim Coher, Ed Lawton, Carl Crawford, Kevin Doll, Shawn Hort, Kevin Battelle, Barry Virts, Bob McCarthy, Kelly Skinner, Darren Forbes, Frank Doll, Jay Reid, Scott Nash.
SPORTSMAN
HEAT 1: S. Hall, G. Doust, R. Davis, P. Vigneri, G. Moreash.
HEAT 2: M. Button, T. Sears, C. Brachmann, R. Hall, S. Gray.
HEAT 3: V. Vitale, H. Albrecht, L. Lampman Jr., C. Shultz, L. Dusett.
HEAT 4: J. Spano, K. Comfort, R. Miller, M. Gerber, S. Oplinger.
CONSI 1: M. Ballestero, R. Swarthout, R. Baye, J. Becker, R. Chrysler.
CONSI 2: B. Tucker, S. George, T. VanTassel, J. LaRock, D. Darling.
ADDED: S. Flammer
FEATURE (30-laps): JAMES SPANO, Howie Albrecht, Karl Comfort, Tim Sears, Steve Hall, Larry Lampman Jr., Rich Swarthout, Greg Doust, Chad Brachmann, Rick Miller, Chris Shultz, Garry Moreash, Vince Vitale, Rich Hall, Randy Chrysler, Ryan Baye, Steve Oplinger, Dale Darling, Mike Button, Scott Flammer, Steve Gray, Jason Becker, Lance Dusett, Phil Vigneri, Mike Ballestero, Ben Tucker, Jim LaRock, Matt Gerber, Ron Davis, Scott George, Todd VanTassel.
MODIFIED
HEAT 1: S. Prentice, B. McCreadie, T. Sears Jr., D. Rielly, R. Shields.
HEAT 2: B. Decker, G. Tomkins, J. Gabriel Jr., T. Milton, R. Bliss Jr., D. Planck.
HEAT 3: P. Ward, J. Phelps, M. Colsten, M. Ward, J. Barney, D. Ruggles.
FEATURE (35-laps): BILLY DECKER, Pat Ward, Scott Prentice, Bob McCreadie, Gary Tomkins, Jimmy Phelps, Tom Sears Jr., Todd Milton, Darryl Ruggles, Mike Colsten, Jim Gabriel Jr., Ray Bliss Jr., Mike Ward, Chuck Bower, Dave Rielly, Jason Barney, Roy Shields, Jeremy Baye, Jim Burke, Bob Melone, Dale Planck.