GREEN-TO-CHECKERS NIGHT AT CAYUGA COUNTY
WEEDSPORT, NY...A strange thing happened last Sunday at the Cayuga County Fair Speedway. three main features were run and all three went green-to-checkers. this happens so rarely that no one can remember the last time it took place. the main event for the night was the live televised Colton RV Owasco 35 for DIRT Modifieds. This event was won by Pat Ward on the last lap. In DIRT Sportsman action Russ Hefti took the victory. Dan Hoffman continues his domination of the Street Stock division, picked up his fifth win of the season. The 25-lap Enduro ended in controversy as a number of fans took objection to on track antics and proceeded to show their feelings with their fists. James Werner took the Enduro win.
Bob McCreadie blasted off his outside pole starting position and into the lead at the drop of the green in the Owasco 35. With fireworks blasting in the air, McCreadie pulled out to a 1.3 second lead over Todd Milton and Ray Bliss. Bliss loss third to Pat Ward on lap five.
The top three, McCreadie, Milton and Ward, then proceeded to pull away from the rest of the field. Billy Decker and Tim Fuller were in a battle royal for sixth and seventh.
Milton took a number of runs at McCreadie first trying the low line and then looking high. Ward's presents in a close third limited Milton's choices and opportunities to make the move needed on McCreadie, who was having difficulties keeping his car in the low grove.
Bliss dropped from the fray on lap 25 to be recorded in last place. Up front Milton was increasing his pressure on McCreadie. On lap 30 Milton ducked low in the second turn and drag raced, side-by-side, around the track, finally securing the lead. Ward was now on McCreadie's rear bumper. this allowed Milton to pull away to a slight advantage.
Then with just a lap remaining Milton, who had just lapped his teammate Vince Vitale, pulled to the inside of the track with a broken drive shaft. This propelled Ward, who had passed McCreadie for second on lap 33, into the lead. The surprised Ward took the checkers just .704 seconds ahead of McCreadie. Matt Sheppard, Tim Fuller and Billy Decker rounded out the top five finishers. The modified race averaged 73.002 mph.
"It's great to win one of these television races," stated an elated ward in victory lane. "This crowd here is great."
The 20-lap Sportsman main saw use his outside pole starting spot to propel him into a solid lead at the start of the race. Eldon Payne Jr. finally caught up to Hefti on lap 10, but could not get around him for the lead. Hefti began to use lapped traffic and stretched out his advantage to 1.8 seconds at the finish line. Payne Jr. came home in second followed by Greg Doust, Bob Henry jr. and Mike Bowman. The average speed for the race was 75.114 mph.
Dan Hoffman Sr. made the move of the Street Stock race on lap five, when he ducked low down the back stretch and moved from third into the lead, passing both Dave Marcuccilli and Ron Hawker. Hoffman Sr. then stretched out to a seven car lead over Marcuccilli.
Hawker came home in third followed by Steve Woodworth and Nat Peckham. This 15-lap race took just six minutes to complete.
CCFS HIGHLIGHTS: "Hot Rod Bob" the racing clown was on hand to the delight of the packed house on "Fan Appreciation Night". "Bob" entertained the fans with his routine including shooting water balloons and t-shirts into the crowd...A special autograph session took place behind the grandstands at the break. Nine of DIRT's best were on hand to sign everything from races cards to babies.
Racing continues with round three of the Empire Series this Sunday starting at 7 p.m.. These shows are now being shown live on Time Warner Cables special channels throughout NY. Each show is then tape delayed on Empire Sports Network on Wednesdays at 8 p.m.. Tape delayed broadcasts also appear on Speed TV.
BUDWEISER and OWASCO BEVERAGES present the
COLTON RV EMPIRE SERIES NIGHT SUMMARY
ENDURO
FEATURE (25-laps): -TOP 3- JAMES WERNER, Bill Werner, Carl Wilkins
STREET STOCKS
HEAT: F. Burnell, D. Marcuccilli, R. Hawker, D. Hoffman Sr., M. Murphy.
FEATURE (15-laps): DAN HOFFMAN SR., Dave Marcuccilli, Ron Hawker, Steve Woodworth, Nat Peckham, Frank Burnell, Mike Murphy, Jerry Condren, DNS: Mike Lavarnway.
SPORTSMAN
HEAT 1: G. Doust, J. Pitcher, R. Loveless, R. Hefti, P. LaVare, J. Potter.
HEAT 2: M. Bowman, E. Payne Jr., R. Richardson, D. Wetmore Jr., T. Juhl, B. Henry Jr.
FEATURE (20-laps): RUSS HEFTI, Eldon Payne Jr., Greg Doust, Bob Henry Jr., Mike Bowman, Donnie Wetmore Jr., Jeremy Pitcher, Scott Schrader, Phil LaVare, Jason Potter, Ron Loveless, Tom Juhl, John Juhl, Ken Stafford, Rob Relfe, John Juhl II, Amy Pfeffer, Ryan Richardson, Jim Livingston, Lance Willix II.
DIRT MODIFIED
HEAT 1: T. Milton, R. Phelps, A. Johnson, G. Tomkins, V. Coffey.
HEAT 2: J. Burke, M. Sheppard, R. Bliss, J. Haers, T. McCreadie.
HEAT 3: B. McCreadie, B. Decker, J. Pfeffer, V. Vitale, D. Johnson.
HEAT 4: P. Ward, T. Fuller, J. Phelps, M. Ward, M. Payne.
CONSI: D. Johnson, D. Ruggles, C. Bower, S. Beardsley.
FEATURE (35-laps): PAT WARD, Bob McCreadie, Matt Sheppard, Tim Fuller, Billy Decker, Alan Johnson, Ryan Phelps, Tim McCreadie, Gary Tomkins, Jimmy Phelps, Vic Coffey, Danny Johnson, Justin Haers, Jim Burke, Daryl Ruggles, Todd Milton, Vince Vitale, Jeff Brownell Jr., Mike Ward, John Pfeffer, Chuck Bower, Shawn Beardsley, Mike Payne, Ray Bliss.