ALAN JOHNSON TOPS MOD MAIN, COMFORT DEDICATES WIN IN MEMORY OF

KEVIN FLEMING

CANANDAIGUA, NY..7/5/97...Alan Johnson drove his THUM Racing number

12T to victory last Saturday at the Canandaigua Speedway in the

35-lap main event for DIRT Modifieds. It was his third win of the

year at this speedway. Also claiming his third win of the year at

Canandaigua was Karl Comfort in the 20-lap sportsman main event.

Comfort dedicated his victory to the memory of fellow sportsman

driver Kevin Fleming, who was killed at Syracuse on Wednesday

night in a sportsman event. David Aurand earned his first street

stock victory of the year, while Walt Bond returned to victory

lane in the 15-lap enduro race. Also present were the ESS Sprint

car, with Mike Woodring earning the 20-lap feature gold.

The 35-lap Modified feature was all Alan Johnson's for the

taking. Poor finishes the last three weeks, positioned him near

the front of the feature line up. Ray Bliss Jr., the pole sitter,

was able to lead the first lap as the yellow flew for a double

spin in the first turn by Fran Hilton and Chuck Hebing. The

restart saw Johnson take the lead and start to run away and hide.

Joe Plazek had other ideas!

Plazek passed Bobby Varin for second on lap 11 and took off

after Johnson. Also fast on the track was Bob McCreadie, starting

from near the back of the field. He rim rode around the half

miler to the delight of the many fans on hand. Plazek's job of

catching Johnson was made much easier when on lap 23 the yellow

flew as Gil Tegg's Darryl Simmons' owned modified broke a rear

suspension part setting his car askew and having to be towed from

the track. The restart also was yellowed as Chuck Hebing spun in

the third turn.

Johnson, now with Plazek tight on his rear nerf bar,

switched lanes to take the high line, which Plazek had been

using. This forced Plazek to run the low grove, where his car was

at somewhat of a disadvantage. Johnson took the win by a car

length over Plazek. Gary Tomkins took third while McCreadie

cruised around the outside of Pat Ward to take fourth at the

line. Ward officially finished fifth.

The 20-lap sportsman main event got off to a somewhat rocky

start as three cautions in the first four laps slowed the pace of

the race. It would be on the first restart that Karl Comfort

would take the lead from Gary Farnsworth. Comfort then proceeded

to power away from the field. Farnsworth, on the other hand, spun

on the third restart and exited to the pit area. Both Chuck

Graham and Dale Darling tried in vain to catch Comfort. On lap 17

the yellow flew when Lance Lauffenburger and Steve Gray collided

on the back stretch. This allowed Darling to catch up to the back

bumper of Comfort. Then with only one lap remaining the yellow

flew for Steve Gray and Andy Vargo spinning in the third turn.

Comfort easily led the one lap dash to the checkers followed by

Darling, Rich Swarthout, Graham and track points leader Scott

Ridley. In victory lane Comfort dedicated his win to Kevin

Fleming.

The street stock 15-lap main event went green-to-checkers,

with Aurand leading the entire distance. Frank Guererri tried to

catch the high flying Aurand, but had to settle for second at the

finish line. Jim McGuigan put on the move of the race as he

passed Les Whyte for third coming out of four on the final lap.

Whyte finished fourth with Chris Ferguson in fifth.

The 15-lap enduro win went to Walt Bond. Bond took the lead

on lap five and cruised home the winner. Fred Salsberg lost the

third position in the closing laps as his number 7 had heavy

contact with the lapped car of Jim Gagne on the front stretch.

Salsberg was forced into the pits.

Also on hand to celebrate the Independence Day weekend were

the mighty ESS Sprinters. Their 20-lap feature also went green-

to-checkers with Phil Mott and Bobby Podolak battling at the

front of the field for the first 14 laps. On lap 15, George

Suprick passed Podolak for second and tried to challenge Mott.

But it would be Mike Woodring, running the high grove around the

top of the speedway powering into the lead on lap 18 who would

eventually take the victory. Mott came home in second followed by

Suprick, Podolak and Lance Yonge.

The unusual weather patterns this Spring and "Summer" have

played havoc with the track surface in 1997. Former Paradise

promoter Gary Palone has been hired to try and prepare the best

possible racing surface. "Gary is and expert when it comes to

dirt tracks, stated Canandaigua general manager Bill McNabb. "We

have the utmost trust that if anyone can straighten out our track

problems it is Gary."

This Saturday will be the Ontario County Fairboards' night

at their own track. Each year they dedicate their modified main

event on their night in the memory of former Fair Board member

Earl "Hoot" Frarey. Joining the mighty modifieds will be the

popular sportsman, street stocks and enduros. This weekend

normally would be Fair Weekend, however the Ontario County Fair

has been scheduled later this year, July 28 through August 2.

Race time at Canandaigua Speedway will be at 7 p.m..

ADVANTAGE AUTO presents FIRECRACKER FRENZY NIGHT SUMMARY

ENDURO

FEATURE (15-laps): WALT BOND, Beatle Peters, Scott Knapp, Tom

Juhl, Ron Hawker, John Strickhorn, John Juhl, Leroy Lewis, Mike

Archer, Brad Steinruck, Jim Gagne, Mike Minutolo, Russ Hefti,

Fred Salsberg, David Stoddard, Bill Juhl, Dan Mettler, Dave

Conant, Car 2S, Mike Darling, Leonard Boor.

STREET STOCKS

HEAT 1: L. Whyte, Ra. Miller, D. McQuay, C. Reynolds, F. Hughes.

HEAT 2: Ri. Miller, D. Aurand, C. Ferguson, F. Guererri, J.

McGuigan.

FEATURE (20-laps): DAVE AURAND, Frank Guererri, Jim McGuigan, Les

Whyte, Chris Ferguson, Dave McQuay, Dave VanArsdale, Rick Miller,

Carl Reynolds, Betty Fremouw, Randy Miller, Jim Burba, D.J. Copp,

Tim Smith, Jason Whipple.

SPORTSMAN

HEAT 1: C. Graham, L. Lincoln, D. Darling, T. Henderson.

HEAT 2: L. Dusett, K. Comfort, S. Ridley, V. Vitale.

HEAT 3: R. Swarthout, P. Guererri, G. Farnsworth, L.

Lauffenburger.

CONSI: K. Stell, S. Gray, R. Richmond, J. Baker, A. Vargo, J.

Saunders Jr., J. Haers.

FEATURE (20-laps): KARL COMFORT, Dale Darling, Rich Swarthout,

Chuck Graham, Scott Ridley, Todd Henderson, Paul Guererri, Vince

Vitale, Loren Lincoln, John Baker, Keith Stell, Rob Richmond,

Steve Gray, Andy Vargo, Gary Farnsworth, Lance Lauffenburger,

Lance Dusett, Jerry Haers, John Saunders Jr.

MODIFIED

HEAT 1: C. Donk, B. Varin, J. Moravec, B. Gill, B. McCreadie.

HEAT 2: P. Ward, V. Coffey, R. Bliss Jr., A. Johnson, G. Tatich.

HEAT 3: G. Tomkins, T. Griffin, J. Plazek, S. Schultz, S.

Schrader.

CONSI: D. Ruggles, C. Hebing, B. Turner, F. Hilton, J. Schuyler,

G. Tegg Jr., S. Updike.

FEATURE (35-laps): ALAN JOHNSON, Joe Plazek, Gary Tomkins, Bob

McCreadie, Pat Ward, Bobby Varin, John Moravec, Charlie Donk,

Troy Griffin, Ray Bliss Jr., Bryon Turner, Scott Schrader, Steve

Schultz, Vic Coffey, Greg Tatich, Billy Gill, Chuck Hebing, Gil

Tegg Jr., Darryl Ruggles, Fran Hilton, Scott Updike.

ESS SPRINT CARS

HEAT 1: P. Mott, C. Lane, D. Nash, B. Podolak, B. Kerrick, M.

Lauterborn.

HEAT 2: C. Keel, M. Woodring, D. Kaszubinski, D. Emery, M.

Stelter, R. Hart.

HEAT 3: L. Yonge, G. Surpick, R. Preston, T. Taber, S. Holcomb,

J. Brutcher.

DASH: L. Yonge, M. Woodring, G. Suprick, C. Lane, P. Mott, D.

Kaszubinski.

B MAIN: J. Thomas, G. Ely, T. Kelly, D. DeCracker, J. Timmerson.

A MAIN (20-laps): MIKE WOODRING, Phil Mott, George Suprick, Bob

Podolak, Lance Yonge, Craig Keel, Tom Taber, Jeff Thomas, Mike

Lauerborn, Craig Lane, Tim Kelly, Dan Kaszubinski, Mike Stelter,

Scott Holcomb, Dick Nash, George Ely, Bubby Kerrick, Mark

Bragman, Johnny Brutcher, Rick Hart, Dan DeCracker, Ray Preston,

Doug Emery, Joe Timerson.