NEW WINNERS AT WEEDSPORT
WEEDSPORT, NY...Donnie Wetmore waited some 13 years to return to victory lane at the Cayuga County Fair Speedway and he did last Sunday winning the 35-lap DIRT Modified feature event. Wetmore's last big block win at Weedsport came in August of 1984. Greg Doust became a first time winner, taking the DIRT Sportsman victory.
Donnie Wetmore used his outside front row starting spot to grab the lead at the start of the 35-lap main event. Tom Sears Jr., Tim Fuller and Bobby Varin fell into line to take chase of Wetmore. As the race progressed Fuller was able to take second from Sears in a bold fourth turn move on lap 20. Fuller then pulled up on the tail of Wetmore and tried to use the same, down low move in turn four, to pass for the lead. Wetmore cut the move off and remained in the lead. Fuller would be able to try once again on lap 26. After lapped car traffic would not allow the low charge in turn four.
In the closing laps a number of lapped cars force the leaders hand. The crowd came to it's feet as the white flag flew. Wetmore timed his last lap and held off Fuller at the wire. Sears came home in third followed by Varin. At the wire, Alan Johnson nipped Steve Paine for the fifth place finish. The entire 35-lap race was run under green flag conditions.
In the sportsman main Alton Palmer took the lead at the green. He was closely followed by Greg Doust, Gary Stage, and Tim Sears. On lap five the yellow flew when a piece of metal was spotted in the racing grove in the first turn. The restart saw Doust blow past Palmer into the lead. The race remained green the remaining fifteen laps. Doust took his first ever DIRT Sportsman victory followed by Palmer, Stage, Sears and Mike Button.
Greg Dechick took the 40-lap enduro victory followed by John Juhl and Pat Charles.
Racing this Sunday, Mother's day, takes place at the nearby Canandaigua Speedway, as Cayuga County will be off for the day. Canandaigua Speedway will feature a full race program plus the return of the ESS sprinters, rained out from 1996. The following Sunday, May 18, racing moves to the Rolling Wheels Raceway in Elbridge for a special event. Racing returns to Cayuga County on May 25, when the annual Hall of Fame inductions will be held at the DIRT Motorsports Hall of Fame and Classic Car Museum starting at 2 p.m.. Racing will begin that evening at 6 p.m. sharp.
PHELPS CEMENT PRODUCTS/THE WALL 93.7 FM RADIO RACE SUMMARY
SPORTSMAN
HEAT 1: Ti. Sears, G. Doust, J. Barney, S. Hall, M. Conrow.
HEAT 2: K. Comfort, A. Palmer, G. Stage, J. Gabriel Jr., V. Vitale.
HEAT 3: S. Ridley, M. Yorker, J. Spano, M. Button, J. Cronin.
CONSI: D. Wetmore Jr., D. Heart, J. LaRock, J. Pitcher, D. Locke, F. Bagley, H. Desormeau, C. West III.
FEATURE (20-laps): GREG DOUST, Alton Palmer, Gary Stage, Tim Sears, Mike Button, Jason Barney, Jim Gabriel Jr., Steve Hall, Mark Yorker, K. Comfort, Vince Vitale, Scott Ridley, Jim Spano, David Locke, Don Heart, Fred Bagley, Mike Conrow, Jim LaRock, Jamie Pitcher, Henry Desormeau, Donnie Wetmore Jr., Cliff West III.
MODIFIED
HEAT 1: D. Wetmore, B. Varin, D. Johnson, S. Paine, J. Johnson, M. Polhill.
HEAT 2: D. Camara, B. McCreadie, P. Ward, T. Fuller, A. Johnson, J. Hopkins.
HEAT 3: T. Sears Jr., B. Decker, J. Plazek, G. Plis, J. Phelps, G. Tomkins.
CONSI: T. Dwyer, B. Tittle, S. Prentice, T. Milton, R. Bliss Jr., C. Bower, S. Schrader.
FEATURE (35-laps): DONNIE WETMORE, Tim Fuller, Tom Sears Jr., Bobby Varin, Alan Johnson, Steve Paine, Billy Decker, Bob McCreadie, Joe Plazek, Gary Tomkins, Martin Polhill, Jimmy Phelps, Dave Camara, Pat Ward, Danny Johnson, Butch Tittle, Jack Johnson, Tim Dwyer, Scott Prentice, Todd Milton, Chuck Bower, Ray Bliss jr., Scott Schrader, Geoff Plis.