CANANDAIGUA GOLD AGAIN TO PLAZEK

CANANDAIGUA, NY..5/17/97 - .Joe Plazek made it two in a row

at the Canandaigua Speedway last Saturday evening as he earned his

second straight DIRT Modified feature after winning the Mother's

Day Special a week ago, Sunday. Picking up the sportsman victory

at Canandaigua was first time winner Vince Vitale. In the street

stocks, Tom Barron held on to earn the 15-lap main event.

The start of the 35-lap DIRT Modified feature saw Scott

Schrader grab the front spot and lead the first six laps of the

event until John Moravec blasted by in the fourth turn to take

over the front position. But Alan Johnson had surged his way past

over half of the field to run a close second to Moravec. On lap

10, Johnson was able to use the lapped car driven by Randy

McCulloch to pass Moravec in the third turn.

Lap 13, the yellow flew as Charlie Donk slapped the

fourth turn wall. This contact seemed to impair his steering and

he stopped his car in the second turn. The restart saw Gil Tegg

Jr. swing wide coming out of the second turn. He looped his

mount, and in the process tore a left rear tire off the car. This

forced yet another restart of the race.

Alan Johnson was in command with Joe Plazek now in second

followed by Bob McCreadie, Moravec and Gary Tomkins. On lap 30

Tomkins slowed with a flat and had to be towed back to the pit

area. On the restart Johnson seemed to overdrive into the first

turn, but in reality a part of the rear suspension on the Thum

owned Modified had come lose and force the car high into the

first turn. This allowed Plazek to duck low and assume the lead.

Johnson retired to the pit area.

Plazek held off McCreadie the last four laps and took home

the victory. McCreadie crossed the finish line in second followed

by Moravec, Bobby Varin and Vic Coffey.

In sportsman action a super smooth and tacky track awaited

the starting field. Paul Guererri quickly took over the front

spot as both Lance Dusett and Howie Albrecht exited to the pits

after taking the green flag. Both cars had suffered problems

during the previous hot lap session. On lap four the number 34H

of Billy Hoff came to a stop in the fourth turn with smoking

pouring out from the engine compartment. The restart saw Vince

Vitale out race Guererri to the first turn and take the lead.

This would prove to be the only yellow flag during the race.

Vitale built up a half straight away advantage over his nearest

competitors Lance Lauffenburger and Karl Comfort. As this pair

exited the fourth turn for the final time, lap 20, Lauffenburger

nipped Comfort at the finish line by mere centimeters for second.

Rich Swarthaout finished in fourth followed by Guererri.

The 15-lap street stock main event saw Tom Barron take the

lead at the start and go all the way to take his first track win

of the 1997 season. The second place runner, Frank Guererri, with

just two laps remaining suffered a flat tire and drove into the

pit area. Two time 1997 Canandaigua street stock feature winner,

Les Whyte came home in second followed by Billy Brown, and both

Scott and Betty Fremouw, in fourth and fifth respectively.

Susan Saunders of Rochester won the one-on-one women's

spectator race, which saw only four cars in competition.

This Saturday night will see the running of the Denis Taney

Memorial 50 for the DIRT Modifieds. This program will be

presented by Dick Ide Hyundai. A regular program of street stocks

and sportsman will also be on the racing card, with all events

carrying double track points. The enduro division joins in the

fun for the first time in 1997. Race time will begin at 7 p.m.

sharp, so come out to the races!

WILBERT BUICK AND GM PARTS NIGHT SUMMARY

STREET STOCKS

HEAT 1: T. Barron, C. Ferguson, S. Fremouw, F. Hughes.

HEAT 2: F. Guererri, Ri. Miller, B. Fremouw, T. Kauffman.

FEATURE (15-laps): TOM BARRON, Les Whyte, Billy Brown, Scott

Fremouw, Betty Fremouw, Dale VanArsdale, Randy Miller, Chris

Ferguson, Rick Miller, Frank Guererri, Jim McGuigan, Tim

Kauffman, Jim Burba, Bobby Lutz, Tim Smith.

SPORTSMAN

HEAT 1: V. Vitale, R. Holden, K. Comfort, L. Lincoln, H.

Albrecht.

HEAT 2: D. Darling, L. Lauffenburger, R. Swarthout, S. Ridley, T.

Henderson.

HEAT 3: P. Guererri, M. Button, L. Dusett, K. Stell, B. Hoff.

FEATURE (20-laps): VINCE VITALE, Lance Lauffenburger, Karl

Comfort, Rich Swarthout, Paul Guererri, Todd Henderson, Dale

Darling, Randy Holden, Loren Lincoln, Scott Ridley, Mike Button,

Jerry Haers, Keith Stell, Scott Joy, Rob Richmond, Jon Kuluszo,

Bob Champion Jr., Bill Hoff, Lance Dusett, Howie Albrecht.

MODIFIED

HEAT 1: A. Johnson, G. Tegg Jr., J. Moravec, D. Ruggles, B.

Turner.

HEAT 2: G. Tomkins, J. Plazek, S. Schrader, S. Schultz, C. Donk. =

HEAT 3: B. Varin, B. McCreadie, T. Bauer, V. Coffey, R. Bliss Jr.

FEATURE (35-laps): JOE PLAZEK, Bob McCreadie, John Moravec, Bobby

Varin, Vic Coffey, Ray Bliss Jr., Darryl Ruggles, Scott Schrader,

Steve Schultz, Ted Bauer, Alan Johnson, Gary Tomkins, Troy

Griffin, Tim Burnett, Scott Boudinot, Randy McCulloch, Charlie

Donk, Jeff Hoff, Gil Tegg Jr., Bryon Turner.