GARY TOMKINS TAKES FIRST CCFS MODIFIED FEATURE

WEEDSPORT, NY..6/28/97...Gary Tomkins, once the top star in the DIRT

sportsman division's early developmental years, took his first

modified feature win at the Cayuga County Fair Speedway last

Sunday aboard the Bill Trout Lincoln-Mercury Dealership Special.

Jim Gabriel Jr. was the winner of the companion 20-lap DIRT

Sportsman main event.

The 35-lap DIRT Modified main event saw Tomkins take the

lead from his outside pole starting position. He inherited that

starting spot when Chuck Bower, scheduled to start outside of the

front row, was forced to start at the rear of the field. Tomkins'

early running partners were Tom Sears, Alan Johnson and Joe

Plazek.

On lap eight, Alan Johnson was able to pass Sears for second

and take out after Tomkins. He caught Tomkins on lap 16, but on

the very next lap drifted high in the first turn and tagged the

outside concrete wall, thus allowing Plazek to sneak under for

second. Johnson's talent allowed him to recover and remain in

third. On lap 21, he was once again second after a thoughtful

pass.

Tomkins had driven to a ten car advantage over Johnson.

However Johnson closed the gap and made a second charge at leader

Tomkins. This time Johnson used the fourth turn inside lane, but

came just too close to the inside barrier, nicking it and slowing

his charge.

Tomkins held on for the lead and took the checkers after

many nervous laps. Johnson finished in second, while McCreadie

charged passed Plazek on the final lap to take third. Plazek was

fourth and Tim Fuller was fifth. The race went green-to-checker.

Mark Yorker took the early lead in the 20-lap sportsman main

event with Greg Doust and Mark Camuso in tow. By lap four Jim

Gabriel Jr. had been able to work his way up to second. He then

passed Yorker on the next lap to take the lead.

On lap six the yellow flew when Jim Spano had a tire go flat

and he slowed on the track. The restart saw Jim Gabriel remain in

the front. On lap seven, Vince Vitale took over second and tried

to catch Gabriel, but to no avail. Gabriel took the victory

followed by Vitale, Mike Button, Jason Barney and Greg Doust.

Walt Bond took the win in the enduro followed by Dwayne

LeMay, and Ron Strickhorn. Joe Snyder took top honors in the one-

on-one spectator truck races behind the wheel of his Chevrolet.

Racing returns to the Cayuga County Fair Speedway this

Sunday at 7 p.m. featuring DIRT Modifieds, Sportsman and the ESS

Sprint Cars.

APPLE CAR WASH/WMBO RADIO NIGHT SUMMARY

ENDURO

FEATURE (40-laps Top 3): WALT BOND, Dwayne LeMay, Ron Strickhorn.

SPORTSMAN

HEAT 1: J. Barney, G. Doust, J. Gabriel Jr., M. Camuso, Ti.

Sears.

HEAT 2: M. Yorker, M. Button, J. Spano, V. Vitale, R. Plantz.

FEATURE (20-laps): JIM GABRIEL JR., Vince Vitale, Mike Button,

Jason Barney, Greg Doust, Scott Ridley, Tim Sears, Gary

Farnsworth, Mark Yorker, Mark Camuso, Rodney Plantz, Jim LaRock,

Mike Conrow, Jim Spano, Phil Vigneri.

MODIFIED

HEAT 1: T. Milton, S. Prentice, P. Ward, T. Fuller.

HEAT 2: J. Sykes, J. Plazek, C. Bower, G. Tomkins.

HEAT 3: A. Johnson, B. McCreadie, To. Sears, T. Dwyer.

CONSI: J. Phelps, S. Paine, G. Plis, S. Beardsley, J. Hopkins, M.

Ward, G. Ferlong.

FEATURE (35-laps): GARY TOMKINS, Alan Johnson, Bob McCreadie, Joe

Plazek, Tim Fuller, Steve Paine, Scott Prentice, Tim Dwyer, Tom

Sears, Jimmy Phelps, Pat Ward, Geoff Plis, Jeff Sykes, Mike Ward,

Jay Hopkins, Greg Ferlong, Todd Milton, Shawn Beardsley, Chuck

Bower, Bobby Varin.