Lightning Strikes at Cayuga County Fair Speedway as Young Larry Wight Grabs First Career Big-Block Feature Win
Weedsport, NY – August 24, 2008 – By Dan Kapuscinski, Cayuga County Fair Speedway PR Coordinator
Larry Wight had already won feature events in the DIRTcar Sportsman and 358-Modified ranks this season. Sunday night, the 15-year old pilot added a DIRTcar Big-Block notch to his belt outracing Justin Haers to the line on Aramark Night at the Weedsport oval. Wight passed Phil Vigneri on lap-4 and never looked back on his way to the $1,500 pay day.
The Gypsum Wholesalers no. 99L ran flawlessly on the top of the Speedway all night long.
“We had a great car tonight,” said Wight in victory lane. “We finally got it going good here tonight after having some problems all year long. It is good to get one here at Weedsport. We had caution after caution out there; I just really wanted the yellow lights to stay off.”
Justin Haers did his best to chase down Wight in the late stages, but was unable to reel in the young speedster. Ryan Phelps, Jimmy Phelps, Jeff Brownell, Alan Johnson, Mike Bowman, Jason Potter, Billy Dunn, and Shannon Whaley completed the top ten.
Kevin Ridley scored his second win of 2008 in the DIRTcar Sportsman Modified ranks Sunday night holding off Tom Juhl at the line. Jeremy Pitcher finished in the 5th position, as the point race tightens between Ridley and Pitcher heading into the final night of the season next Sunday.
Andy Fisk and James Werner were also victorious Sunday in the DIRTcar Street Stock and BattleKarz divisions. Fisk led every lap in the Street Stocks, while Werner took the BattleKarz win after just 6-laps due to a heavy rain shower that moved into the area.
The start of the 35-lap Big-Block Modified main event saw Phil Vigneri dart into the early race lead. Wight quickly settled into second and moved his no. 99L machine to the top side of the Speedway as he did to win his heat race earlier in the night.
The race’s first caution came on lap-3 as Steve Paine came to a stop in turn number one driving the no. 121. As the race leader Vigneri was able to choose the top or bottom of the Speedway for the restart, and surprisingly Vigneri chose to start to the inside of row one ahead of Wight, Justin Haers, Jeff Brownell, and Mike Ward.
When the cars came to green Wight slid to the high side and then pulled the slingshot off of turn two to grab the lead away from Vigneri. Just two laps later the race slowed once again as Mike Bowman spun his no. 16 out of turn four.
On the restart Haers made his biggest move of the night sliding around Brownell and Vigneri in one turn to move into the runner-up position. Haers then set his sights on race leader Wight and began to reel him in. As Haers closed lapped traffic began to play a role.
On lap-13 the passing flag was displayed to Ed Monroe down the front stretch. As Monroe came across the start line he moved his no. 4 to the outside and headed for the pit area. As Monroe pulled high he nearly drove right into the side of Wight who was trying to clear him on the outside.
Haers would take advantage for a short period, but somehow Wight managed to pull his car back into the racing lane and back under Haers down the back straight to regain the lead. In the blink of an eye Wight nearly crashed, then lost the lead, and regained it all at the same time
Another caution came on lap-15 which allowed the drivers and fans to catch their breath after the near calamity on the front straight. Matt Sheppard’s no. 9s came to a stop on the back straightaway causing the yellow lights to come on once again. Sheppard, a two-time winner this season, would not be able to return to action and finished 19th in the final order.
At the restart Wight led Haers, Vigneri, Brownell, and Ryan Bartlett. As the field got back underway a parking lot formed in turn two involving Mike Ward, Billy Dunn, Chad Homan, Jimmy Phelps, Mike Mahaney, Bowman, and Brownell. All of the cars were able to pull away after the lap-16 incident.
The race became a stop and go affair with several cautions, but through it all Wight always emerged as the driver to beat. Haers tried everything he could, but the 15-year old central New York driver never made a mistake.
The race’s final caution came on lap-31 as Bartlett met the outside wall in turn one, but Wight again fired away on the restart and held off a hard charging Haers to the wire.
When asked about the lap-13 issue in lapped traffic, Wight was quick to thank Haers for clean racing.
“He gave me a lot of room in that deal. I did all I could to keep the car off the wall, luckily the track was heavy enough where I could get some bite and keep the car going.”
Haers hung onto second ahead of Ryan Phelps in third. Jimmy Phelps charged hard through the field for 4th after his lap-16 issue in the no. 99J as Brownell was able to sneak passed Alan Johnson into the top five in the late going.
The Sportsman Modified feature event saw just one caution and a runaway by Kevin Ridley and Tom Juhl who each started on the front row. Ridley led the entire distance in the Advanced Lubrication Specialties no. 20x for his second win of 2008.
Juhl ran solid in second for the entire event, but was never able to force Ridley to make a mistake. The no. 17d tried to force the issue a few times down low in turn four, but raced Ridley clean to the finish.
Jeremy Pitcher started deep in the field driving the no. 14. Pitcher came into the night as the point leader ahead of Ridley, and on lap-23 was able to move passed Mike Entwistle into the 5th position.
Pitcher and Ridley go into next Sunday’s final point paying event unofficially separated by just three Championship markers.
Ridley credited his starting position most for his second win of ’08.
“It is always nice to start up front, but three bad finished will put you up there. The point race is pretty close now here at Cayuga County. I think we just need to start at Canandaigua to win the title. Hopefully we can make a run for the championship here as well.”
Next Sunday at Cayuga County Fair Speedway the Advance Auto Parts Super DIRTcar Series returns to the Weedsport oval for the Budweiser Twin 54’s. The Sportsman and Street Stocks will also be on hand for their final night of points racing at 7pm.
DIRTcar Sportsman Modifieds Feature (25-laps): 1) 20x- KEVIN RIDLEY, 2) 17d- Tom Juhl, 3) 1- Jim Spano, 4) 4- Daryl Hilkert, 5) 14- Jeremy Pitcher, 6) m93- Mike Entwistle, 7) 10- Tim Currier, 8) 19w- Justin Wright, 9) 1F- Steve Gray, 10) 3- Fran Hilton, 11) 12- Dan Sellen, 12) 11L- Don Lawson Jr., 13) 19- Brett Buono, 14) 11- Ben Wheeler, 15) m1- Dave Marcuccilli, 16) 2kh- Chris Hile
DIRTcar Big-Block Modifieds Feature (35-laps): 1) 99L- LARRY WIGHT, 2) 3- Justin Haers, 3) 99- Ryan Phelps, 4) 99J- Jimmy Phelps, 5) 29- Jeff Brownell, 6) 14J- Alan Johnson, 7) 16m- Mike Bowman, 8) 5- Jason Potter, 9) 49- Billy Dunn, 10) 44- Shannon Whaley, 11) 37c- Eric Fisher, 12) 91- Chad Homan, 13) 33- Mike Mahaney, 14) 82s- Roy Shields, 15) 44v- Phil Vigneri, 16) 27x- Joel Batzel, 17) 93- Ryan Bartlett, 18) 45m- Mike Ward, 19) 9s- Matt Sheppard, 20) 4- Ed Monroe, 21) 121- Steve Paine, 22) 50- Don Slover