JOHNSON NOTCHES WIN AT "MUDDY-DAIGUA"

CANANDAIGUA, NY...Rains throughout the day, last Saturday, gave way to brisk winds and cool temperatures as Alan Johnson won the 35- lap DIRT Modified feature by half a track length before the chilled fans in attendance. "We owed it to our fans that stuck with us. We made a fair attempt at getting the track ready and we did it", commented track general manager Bill McNabb. "You name it and we were against it tonight." McNabb was not exaggerating . Rains stopped around 4 p.m. in the afternoon. Only a sprinkle followed around 6 p.m.. But track conditions were no where near being ready by the starting time at 7 p.m.. Track crews work feverishly to complete the muddy task, as even most of the race teams refused to work the track in. Finally the huge three wheel "monster" packing truck broke down on the front chute just as a number of cars were going to join in the packing activity. It took work crews some 45 minutes in the cold and mud to finally remove the huge truck from the racing surface. Thanks to the efforts of Vince Vitale Sr. the task was completed and track grooming could proceed. Around 9 p.m. the first heat race entered the track. Due to the lateness of the hour only heat races were run, with all teams qualifying for the main event. The street stocks ran only a feature, line-up on handicapping dollars from the week before.

The 22 car modified field took the green with Steve Schultz leading the way. Exactly ten years ago this night Schultz won the very first ever DIRT Sportsman feature ever staged. Now he was atop the DIRT modified division. The slowing car of Scott Schrader force starter Tommy Burton to throw the yellow after just one circuit. On the restart Charlie Donk surged ahead of Schultz for the lead, with Alan Johnson aboard the THUM Racing 12T snapping at his heels. Donk was able to hold the low line, holding Johnson behind. These two rocketed away from the field leaving Schultz in third to battle first Bobby Varin , then Joe Plazek and Bob McCreadie. On lap 11 the yellow flew when Gil Tegg's mount suffered a flat and stopped in the fourth turn. Even the restart saw Donk hold Johnson at bay. Then on lap 13, Donk slide high exiting the second turn, allowing Johnson the opening he had been waiting for all race. Johnson rocketed passed on the low side and into the lead. Last week's winner, Gary Tomkins, saw a hole he was attempting to go through close while exiting the fourth turn on lap 15. The contact he encountered was enough to collapse his front end, bringing out the third caution of the race. Three laps into the restart saw A.J. Romano and Bobby Varin lock wheels in the second turn for the fourth and final yellow of the event, sending both cars to the pits for new rubber. Varin returned five laps down, but Romano's race was over. Alan Johnson proceeded to drag out a half lap advantage over Donk and Bob McCreadie. McCreadie would attempt to gain second, but Donk was not going to open that door again. Donk recorded his best finish since June of 1995. McCreadie finished third followed by Schultz and Tim McCreadie. Tim was on hand as Can-Am International had cancelled for the evening. The checkered flag flew at 11:08 p.m., a credit to the track crews and race teams alike that the complete program was finished in just over two hours and ten minutes.

In sportsman action Karl Comfort out ran the rest of the field on the tacky clay surface. Tricky track conditions saw Can Am regular Dave Surace suffer front end damage on the first lap and come to a stop inside the second turn. The restart was not much better, as Vince Vitale touched wheels, then shot to the top of the track in turn four, then flipped over the top berm. The restart saw Comfort take the lead with lance Laffenburger in second. New comer Billy Caprara excited the fans as he charged through the field from his fifteenth starting spot to run fourth. But that would be as far as he would be able to advance. Two other minor spins slowed the race with no serious damage. Comfort took the victory and a guaranteed starting spot for the July 2 race at Syracuse and the September "World Series of DIRT Track Racing" at Rolling Wheels. Lauffenburger finished second followed by Scott Ridley, Caprara and Loren Lincoln. In street stock action only the 15-lap feature event was on tap. Frank Guererri would take the lead from Betty Fremouw on lap four to take the lead and eventually the victory. Guererri also received a guaranteed starting spot at Rolling Wheels in September for his win. The race, which went green-to-checkers, was completed in less then ten minutes. The one-on-one spectator races had to be canceled due to the damp track. They have been rescheduled for Saturday May 24. Watch for further new concerning this event. This Saturday and Sunday will find a double header on tap at Canandaigua. Saturday will feature a regular night of racing starting at 7 p.m.. Then on Mother's Day, Sunday, the speedway will reopen at noon for an afternoon race featuring the Empire Super Sprints. This Sunday race goes to the starting line at 2 p.m.. Canandaigua Speedway is located at the Ontario County Fairgrounds just east of the village of Canandaigua, NY.

THE FREEWAY/WACK-WNNR RADIO NIGHT SUMMARY

STREET STOCKS FEATURE (15-laps): FRANK GUERERRI, Jim McGuigan, Tom Barron, LesWhyte, Carl Reynolds III, Dave VanArsdale, Betty Fremouw, Car 54,Car 22, Randy Miller, Ralph Champion, Rick Miller, Billy Brown,Mike Cowell.

SPORTSMAN

HEAT 1: J. Haers, P. Guererri, D. Darling, L. Lincoln, T.Henderson.HEAT 2: K. Comfort, R. Swarthout, L. Dusett, R. Richmond, C.Graham.HEAT 3: B. Caprara, V. Vitale, S. Ridley, K. Stell, L.Lauffenburger.

FEATURE (20-laps): KARL COMFORT, Lance Lauffenburger, ScottRidley, Billy Caprara, Loren Lincoln, Mike Button, Paul Guererri,Scott Joy, Keith Stell, Lance Dusett, Todd Henderson, RobRichmond, Steve Gray, Howie Albrecht, Jerry Haers, RichSwarthout, Scott George, Bob Champion Jr., Dale Darling, Vince Vitale, Randy Holden, Dave Surace.

MODIFIED

HEAT 1: B. Varin, T. Bauer, S. Schultz, J. Plazek, R. White.HEAT 2: A. Johnson, C. Donk, T. Griffin, T. McCreadie, V. Coffey.HEAT 3: G. Tegg Jr., B. McCreadie, S. Paine, S. Schrader, S.Boudinot.

FEATURE (35-laps):

ALAN JOHNSON, Charlie Donk, Bob McCreadie,Steve Schultz, Tim McCreadie, Joe Plazek, Steve Paine, VicCoffey, Ted Bauer, Gil Tegg Jr., John Moravec, Scott Boudinot,Troy Griffin, Bobby Varin, Darryl Ruggles, A.J. Romano, GaryTomkins, Ray Bliss Jr., Ron White, Scott Schrader.