SCHRADER WINS FIRST EVER MODIFIED FEATURE, PLAZEK AND RIDLEY ARE CHAMPS

CANANDAIGUA, NY..8/30/97...A hugh crowd assembled on the final night

of the 1997 racing season, mostly to honor Fred Taney the

Canandaigua flagger killed on August 23. What took place this

night moved many race fans.

The night began with all pit-side teams and officials

assembling on the fourth turn of the track for the anthem and a

eulogy by track announcer Gary Montgomery. Track officials placed

flowers on the back stretch where Taney worked on a weekly basis.

On the track Scott Schrader claimed his first ever DIRT

Modified feature win, taking the 35-lap modified feature

postponed from last week. Schrader, unfamiliar with victory lane

ceremonies also honored the memory of Fred Taney by dedicating

his victory to him. Also earning an August 23rd feature win

was Jerry Haers in the sportsman division. An emotional Haers,

also dedicated his win in the memory of Taney. Both of these

races began the racing program for the night. In regular nightly

action Gary Tomkins, Dale Darling and Billy Brown all took

victories.

The first modified feature began with Scott Schrader taking

the lead at the drop of the green. He was hounded all race long

by Darryl Ruggles and Bryon Turner. Only four yellows slowed the

racing action. On lap 13, the yellow flew when Vic Coffey spun to

the inside of the fourth turn. On lap 16, Troy Griffin slammed

the front stretch wall, sliding nearly half the length of the

front stretch. At the finish line Schrader held a one car

advantage over Darryl Ruggles. Bryon Turner slowed on the final

turn and finished third. Joe Plazek and Pat Ward rounded out the

top five. Plazek's fourth place and Alan Johnson's fifteenth gave

Plazek the 1997 track championship as he led Johnson into the

final double points event by 123 points.

The first sportsman main event also saw the initial leader,

Jerry Haers, lead all of the laps and claim the victory. Only one

yellow slowed this race, that coming on lap 19, when Rick VanNeil

spun in the third turn. This set up a dash to the checkers.

Following Haers across the finish line were Steve Gray, Keith

Stell, Chris Ridsdale and Loren Lincoln.

The 50-lap Modified feature race saw Steve Schultz take the

early lead at the drop of the green flag. Gary Tomkins was

running in second until lap eight when he looped his car, 360

degrees, recovering and continued in third behind Ray Bliss Jr.

before a yellow could be thrown. On lap 17 the first yellow flew

when Scott Schrader slowed on the back stretch. It would be on

this restart that Gary Tomkins was able to unseat Schultz as the

leader. Pat Ward also was able to pass Schultz for second as

Schultz slowed markedly on the speedway.

Gil Tegg Jr. spun in the fourth turn on lap 21 to bring out

the yellow. John Moravec was the next driver to cause a yellow

when his right rear tire went flat on lap 24. Schultz finally

dropped from the event on lap 29.

Tomkins, driving a small block, was able to hold off the

advances of Ward and Joe Plazek. On lap 39 the yellow flew for

the final time when Vic Coffey, running in fifth, slid off the

track in the first turn and made contact with the Armco barrier.

Tomkins held on for the victory followed by Ward, Plazek, Alan

Johnson and Bobby Varin.

The sportsman title was still up for grabs in their season

finale. Dale Darling took the lead at the drop of the green. On

lap four Rich Swarthout took the lead from Darling. But Darling

was not done yet. On lap 9 Darling retook the front spot as

Swarthout slowed with a sparking brake system. On lap 10 the

worst accident of the night came when Chris Ridsdale was caught

up in a multi-car accident on the back stretch, flipping over in

the process. All drivers emerged uninjured.

Darling took the victory in the caution riddled event. In

the closing laps, Karl Comfort, challenger for the points title

was running second and attempting to take the lead when he spun

in the fourth turn. This move gave the title to Scott Ridley.

Lance Dusett claimed second followed by Ridley, Vince Vitale and

Randy Holden.

In street stock action Billy Brown led all 15 laps. Only one

yellow, on lap 3 for debris, slowed the race. Steve Pesarek

finished second followed by Rick Miller, Dave Aurand and Foster

Hughes. Les Whyte claimed the 1997 street stock title.

John Juhl took the victory in the 20-lap enduro race.

This action closes out the racing season at Canandaigua. The

many fans and friends of the speedway helped to make for a very

memorable 1997 season. Many thanks go out to the workers,

especially those that helped to improve the speedway surface

throughout the year. The track management looks forward to the

start of the 1998 season next April.

P&C FOOD MARKETS/UNIVERSAL JOINT SALES NIGHT SUMMARY

DELAYED FEATURES FROM AUGUST 23

SPORTSMAN

FEATURE (20-laps): JERRY HAERS, Steve Gray, Keith Stell, Chris

Ridsdale, Loren Lincoln, Todd Henderson, Randy Holden, Karl

Comfort, Paul Guererri, Howie Albrecht, Lance Dusett, Rich

Swarthout, Chuck Graham, Scott Ridley, Vince Vitale, Rob

Richmond, Ricky VanNeil, Dale Darling.

MODIFIED

FEATURE (35-laps): SCOTT SCHRADER, Darryl Ruggles, Bryon Turner,

Joe Plazek, Pat Ward, Chuck Bower, Fran Hilton, Vic Coffey, Ray

Bliss Jr., Ted Bauer, Gary Tomkins, Bobby Varin, Gil Tegg Jr.,

Troy Griffin, Alan Johnson, Tim Burnett, Scott Benedict, Steve

Schultz, Scott Boudinot, John Moravec, Scott Updyke.

AUGUST 30 PROGRAM

ENDURO

FEATURE (20-laps): TOM JUHL, Ron Hawkins, Walt Bond, John Juhl,

Beatle Peters, Dave Conant, Greg DeChick, Leroy Lewis, Mike

Archer, Art Johnson, Dave Stoddard, Scott Knapp, David Allen,

Howie Kagle, Bill Juhl, Tom Hitchcock, Todd Foulfrod, Dan

Mettler, Car 5K.

STREET STOCKS

HEAT 1: D. Aurand, L. Whyte, F. Hughes, B. Fremouw, Ri. Miller.

HEAT 2: B. Brown, S. Pesarek, D. VanArsdale, J. Gagne, J. Burba.

FEATURE (15-laps): BILLY BROWN, Steve Pesarek, Rick Miller, Dave

Aurand, Foster Hughes, Lee Burnett, Randy Miller, Carl Reynolds,

Jim Gagne, Dave VanArsdale, Betty Fremouw, Les Whyte, Tim Smith,

Kevin Stephens, Jim Burba.

SPORTSMAN

HEAT 1: P. Guererri, G. Farnsworth, T. Henderson, L. Lincoln, C.

Ridsdale.

HEAT 2: J. Haers, S. Ridley, D. Darling, S. Gray, R. Holden.

HEAT 3: V. Vitale, R. Swarthout, L. Dusett, K. Comfort, R.

Richmond.

FEATURE (20-laps): DALE DARLING, Lance Dusett, Scott Ridley,

Vince Vitale, Randy Holden, Steve Gray, Drew Fallis, Howie

Albrecht, Rob Richmond, Rich Swarthout, Bill Hoff, Keith Stell,

Karl Comfort, Todd Henderson, Gary Farnsworth, Loren Lincoln,

Chris Ridsdale, Jerry Haers, Paul Guererri, Rick VanNeil.

MODIFIED

HEAT 1: R. Bliss Jr., C. Donk, G. Tomkins, V. Coffey, A. Johnson,

S. Benedict.

HEAT 2: S. Schrader, T. Griffin, J. Plazek, T. Bauer, J. Moravec,

F. Hilton.

HEAT 3: B. Turner, B. Varin, S. Schultz, C. Bower, P. Ward, T.

Dwyer.

FEATURE (50-laps): GARY TOMKINS, Pat Ward, Joe Plazek, Alan

Johnson, Bobby Varin, Chuck Bower, Charlie Donk, Bryon Turner,

Tim Dwyer, Troy Griffin, Scott Schrader, Jeff Hoff, Tim Burnett,

Scott Benedict, Vic Coffey, Gil Tegg Jr., Darryl Ruggles, Steve

Schultz, John Moravec, Ted Bauer, Ray Bliss Jr., Fran Hilton,

Scott Updyke, Scott Boudinot.