ALAN JOHNSON EARNS HIS FOURTH CUP TITLE
ELBRIDGE, NY...Alan Johnson powered the Bobar Service Center DIRT Modified to victory in the 97-lap DIRT Challenge Cup race last Sunday at the Rolling Wheels raceway. Also earning a victory the same day in the sportsman division was Steve Hall. Steve Paine used his victory in the second heat race to start outside pole and take the lead from pole sitter Billy Decker as the 32 car starting field took the green flag. Paine would hold the lead for 40 laps. The real action was taking place behind Paine as some eleven cars were in a battle for the top five spots. McCreadie was in second followed by Alan Johnson and Brett Hearn. On lap 16, Hearn cleared Johnson for third and set his sights on McCreadie. He took McCreadie for second on lap 22 and proceeded to draw in on Paine. On lap 41 Hearn took the lead, with McCreadie right on his heels. McCreadie then proceeded to challenge Hearn on the inside of turn four and the outside of turn two.
As the leaders approached lapped traffic, Hearn tried to duck between the two lapped cars of Pete Bicknell and Tim Fuller. McCreadie tried the outside and Alan Johnson, now third, ducked low. Johnson was forced to slow and lose momentum, McCreadie was the luckiest as he took over the lead on lap, with Jimmy Horton now in second. Hearn, who touched wheels with one of the lapped cars dropped back to third. Horton tried to put the pressure on McCreadie, but McCreadie was up to the challenge. Meanwhile Alan Johnson had regained momentum and passed Hearn for third. He was now catching the two lead cars. On lap 76, Johnson pulled low below Horton and took over second and set sights on McCreadie. Finally on lap 92, after many laps of trying, Johnson was able to pass McCreadie using the top side of turn four. He cruised home just feet ahead of McCreadie for his fourth, second in a row, Challenge Cup victory.
McCreadie finished second followed by Horton, Doug Hoffman and Hearn. Hoffman had been the fastest car on the track, but an early pit sop, without losing a lap, and the last 79 laps running under green only allowed him to gain fourth place. Only three cautions took place, all coming in the first 19 laps. Two of the cautions were for Bryon Turner, who didn't seem to be able to keep his car running.
In sportsman competition Steve Hall defied his doctor and raced anyway after suffering a dislocated shoulder the night before at the can-Am International Speedway. Hall, who drove most of the race with just one arm started on the pole and benefited from a race that went green-to-checkers. Jimmy Gabriel Jr. passed vince Vitale on lap six for second. Vitale then lost third to Alton Palmer, fourth to Karl Comfort and finally fifth to Fred Bagley.
The next event at Rolling Wheels Raceway will be on Sunday May 18 when the DIRT Modifieds will run a 50-lap special along with a sportsman 20-lap main event and a street stock 20-lap SavOn Mr. DIRT Championship. The first Bus Race of the season will also be staged on that afternoon starting at 2 p.m..
HARRY'S TIRE & SUPPLY/PHELPS CEMENT PRODUCTS/AUTO TRADER MAGAZINE DIRT CHALLENGE CUP '97 SUMMARY
SPORTSMAN
HEAT 1: S. Hall, F. Bagley, P. Guererri, J.Barney, J. Spano.
HEAT 2: V. Vitale, R. Miller, G. Stage, S. Ridley, B. Krull.
HEAT 3: J. Gabriel Jr., K. Comfort, D. Fallis, A. Palmer, B.Hoff.
HEAT 4: B. Caprara, L. Dusett, M. Clark, G. Doust, M. Button.
CONSI: C. Schultz, T. Henderson, L. Lauffenburger, B. Walters, G.Sleight, C. Brachman, J. Haers, D. Darling.
FEATURE (20-laps): STEVE HALL, Jim Gabriel Jr., Alton Palmer,Karl Comfort, Fred Bagley, Mike Clark, Vince Vitale, Gary Stage,Scott Ridley, Paul Guererri, Drew Fallis, Billy Caprara, Jim Spano, Rick Miller, Chris Schultz, Billy Krull, Lance Dusett,Bill Hoff, Greg Sleight, Chad Brachman, Lance Laffenburger, Todd Henderson, Jason Barney, Dale Darling, Greg Doust, Mike Button, Bill Walters.
MODIFIED
HEAT 1: B. Decker, J. Johnson, G. Tegg Jr., K. Tremont, A.J.Romano.
HEAT 2: S. Paine, P. Bicknell, T. Dwyer, C. Bower, D. Hoffman.
HEAT 3: B. McCreadie, A. Johnson, P. Ward, S. Prentice, D.Camara.
HEAT 4: B. varin, J. Horton, B. Hearn, J. Plazek, J. Heotzler.
CONSI 1: T. Fuller, D. Planck, J. Phelps, J. Chester, A.Boisvert.
CONSI 2: D. Johnson, B. Turner, V. Coffey, G. Tomkins, R. Bliss Jr.
FEATURE (97-laps): ALAN JOHNSON, Bob McCreadie, Jimmy Horton, Doug Hoffman, Brett Hearn, Billy Decker, Kenny Tremont, Steve Paine, Jack Johnson, Dave Camara, Pat Ward, Dale Planck, Jimmy Chester, Tim Dwyer, Bobby Varin, Pete Bicknell, Butch Tittle, Ray Bliss Jr., Alain Bosviert, Jimmy Phelps, Jeff Heotzler, Tim Fuller, Joe Plazek, Scott Prentice, Chuck Bower, Tim Olenski, Vic Coffey, Gil Tegg Jr., Danny Johnson, A.J. Romano, Bryon Turner, Gary Tomkins.