WARD, HEFTI AND LADOUCEUR TOP SPRING FLING '04

ELBRIDGE, NY...Sunday afternoon the gates at the big 5/8th

mile Rolling Wheels Raceway swung open for the second time in

2004 featuring DIRT Modifieds, Sportsman and the first round for

the Empire Sports Network Pro-Stock Super DIRT Series.

Pat Ward picked up his first win at Rolling Wheels since

1998 topping the 50-lap DIRT Modified finale. Russ Hefti remains

the man to beat in the DIRT Sportsman division, winning for the

second straight time in 2004. Joey Ladouceur, a late arrival at

the speedway, but just in time to make the heat races, took the

win in the combined Pro-Stock Super DIRT Series 20-lap feature.

The start of the 50-lap DIRT Modified main saw heat winners

Jimmy Phelps and Ward lead the field of 28 starters to the green

flag. Ward jumped out in front immediately and pulled out to a

2.8 second lead over Phelps, Tim McCreadie, Chad Brachmann and

Todd Milton.

Kenny Brightbill, aboard the Thum Racing number 12T was the

first to exit the race track, dropping from competition on lap

seven.

The first yellow flew on lap 11 when Alan Johnson slowed

between turns three and four. Many thought it was just a flat

tire, but Alan remained in the pits. The restart saw the 99 of

Ryan Phelps and the 99B of Chuck Bower come together on the main

straight and slide into the concrete barrier on the inside of the

first turn. Ryan Phelps was able to pick up at the back of the

field, but Bower pitted and went a lap down.

Ward continued his lead on the restart, now over Brachmann,

Jimmy Phelps and McCreadie. On lap 17 the yellow flew again when

Vince Vitale looped off the first turn banking and came to a

stop.

Ward just seemed to have the power as he again was able to

out gun Brachmann on the restart. Two laps later Ryan Bartlett

sailed off the third turn banking the Ward's lead was again

dissolved.

The final yellow of the race came on lap 26, when Jimmy

Burke met the same fate as Bartlett, exiting over the third turn

banking.

A long green flag run for Ward seemed to be just what he

needed. At first he pulled out to a 1.9 second lead. Brachmann on

the other hand began to turn much faster laps starting around lap

35 and began to close the gap Ward had built for himself.

The real battle now was for third and fourth between

McCreadie and Billy Decker. On lap 33 Decker took third from the

number 39 Sweeteners Plus machine of Tim McCreadie. McCreadie

charged back by Decker ten laps later, lap 43 to regain third in

lap traffic. With just three laps remaining both McCreadie and

Decker blew by Brachmann on the low side to take second and third

respectively.

At the checkers it would be Ward followed by McCreadie,

Decker, Brachmann and Matt Sheppard rounded out the top five.

The 20-lap DIRT Sportsman feature was all Russ Hefti. By

virtue of winning the second heat, Hefti started on the outside

pole and took off like a rocket on the green. He turned laps two

miles an hour faster then his closest competition to take the

victory at an average speed of 90.487 miles per hour in the

green-to-checkers run.

Bob Henry Jr. tried to keep Hefti in sight for most of the

race but finished second some 6.455 seconds back. Chad Phelps

drove a commanding race to finish third. Kevin Wills and Shawn

Donath rounded out the top five.

The 20-lap Pro-Stock Super DIRT Series saw 31 cars roll

around to take the green. Unfortunately for Steve Miller, his

race was short lived as he took the pace lap and then came to a

stop with fuel starvation issues.

At the green, pole sitter Daryl Hilkert took the lead

followed by outside pole man Roy Delormier and Joey Ladouceur. On

lap three the yellow flew when a multi-car crash took place in

the second turn. Involved in the accident were Dave Schulz, Fred

Dennis, Pete Stefanski and Brian Thompson, as the field scattered

to avoid contact. Only Dennis was unable to continue.

The restart saw Ladouceur take command of the lead, dropping

Hilkert back to second. Ladouceur then began the process of

pulling away. Hilkert on the other hand saw his car begin to show

signs of smoke from underneath the engine. At the halfway mark

Ladouceur held a .8 second lead over Hilkert. Bill Hallett saw

his race come to an end on lap 10 when his radiator let lose and

white smoke came billowing from under the hood. He was able to

take his car pitside so no yellow flew.

The yellow did come out on lap 14 when third place runner

Delormier slowed in the fourth turn with mechanical woes and

Schulz looped his car in the second turn. Schultz pitted and lost

two laps in the pits before he was able to return to the race.

With just one lap remaining P.J. Peters came to a stop in

the second turn following contact with another car. This forced

started Ben Vitale to show a one lap dash to the checkers.

Ladouceur easily out distanced Hilkert by .7 seconds to take the

victory. James Henry finished third followed by Lee Burnett and

Frank Guererri Jr.

PIT NOTES: There were 113 cars in the pits; 42 Pro-Stocks,

41 Modifieds and 30 Sportsman...Pre-race favorite in the Pro-

Stocks, Jamie McGannon, the winner at Lowes Dirt Track's Pro-

Stock race back in April, had an extremely difficult day. He

finished last in his heat race after having multiple accidents,

finally ending up in the front stretch wall. He would eventually

fail to qualify through the consolation race...Pat Ward was

elated with his second career Rolling Wheels victory, but seemed

to want more, "We are looking to pick up that $1,000 bonus by

winning at Cayuga County tonight," he stated, referring to the

special bonus to win both features on the daily double

header...Some of the afternoon show problems continued with the

track. However the track crew was able to cut down greatly on the

dust problems encountered in the first afternoon race of the

year.

The next race on the Rolling Wheels Raceway calendar is the

Pick'N Pull Double Duel on DIRT, Twin-25's featuring the World of

Outlaw Sprint Cars and the DIRT Modifieds. This race is scheduled

for Wednesday, June 2, starting at 7 p.m., with World of Outlaw

time trials starting just a few minutes earlier.

Pre-sale tickets for this event are available through DIRT

Headquarters, at 315-834-6606, on Monday through Friday, between

9 a.m. and 5 p.m.. Many excellent seats are still available for

this race, with general admission tickets sold the day of the

race.

ROLLING WHEELS SPRING FLING SUMMARY

EMPIRE SPORTS NETWORK PRO-STOCK SUPER DIRT SERIES COMBINED EVENT

HEAT 1: D. Hilkert, J. Clark, B. Pascual, J. Swamp, F. Dennis.

HEAT 2: R. Delormier, L. Burnett, B. Kotarski, S. Miller, Ro.

Chrysler.

HEAT 3: J. Henry, B. Henke, B. Guzzardi, M. Therrien, J. Carlson.

HEAT 4: J. Ladouceur, F. Guererri Jr., J. Herne, P.J. Peters, J.

Panatoni.

CONSI 1: J. Ortiz, L. Jackson, B. Thompson

CONSI 2: B. Beldon, Dv. Schulz, R. Yetman

ADDED: M. Williams, P. Stefanski, W. Adams, R. Aubin

FEATURE (20-laps): JOEY LADOUCEUR, Daryl Hilkert, James Henry,

Lee Burnett, Frank Guererri Jr., Roger Chrysler, Jipp Ortiz, Pete

Stefanski, Buddy Henke, Mike Williams, Beamer Guzzardi, Jeremy

Clark, Bill Pascual, Joel Herne, Roch Aubin, Brian Thompson, Bret

Beldon, Jody Swamp, Marc Therrien, John Panatoni, William Adams,

Louie Jackson, P.J. Peters, Dave Schulz, Brian Kotarski, Roy

Delomier, Rob Yetman, Bill Hallett, Jim Carlson, Fred Dennis,

Steve Miller.

DIRT SPORTSMAN

HEAT 1: B. Henry Jr., K. Wills, P. LaVare, M. Potter, B. Shantell

Jr., D. Creeden..

HEAT 2: R. Hefti, C. Phelps, D. Wetmore Jr., E. Payne Jr., R.

VanNeil, J. Yannone.

HEAT 3: Sh. Donath, D. Weisner, K. Inman, T. Juhl, S. Schrader,

K. Bates.

CONSI: J. Livingston, J. LaRock, L. Willix II, G. Doust, G.

Horning, B. McTavish.

FEATURE (20-laps): RUSS HEFTI, Bob Henry Jr., Chad Phelps, Kevin

Wills, Shawn Donath, Dan Weisner, Eldon Payne Jr., Donnie Wetmore

Jr., Phil LaVare, Kyle Inman, Mark Potter, Scott Schrader, Bill

Shantell Jr., Ricky VanNeil, Greg Doust, Jamie Yannone, Boyd

McTavish, Jim Livingston, Dan Creeden, Jim LaRock, Kevin Bates,

Lance Willix II, George Horning, Tom Juhl.

DIRT MODIFIED

HEAT 1: J. Phelps, D. Ruggles, M. Sheppard, S. Paine, J. Johnson.

HEAT 2: P. Ward, T. McCreadie, J. Burke, B. McCreadie, T. Fuller.

HEAT 3: J. Brownell Jr., D. Johnson, J. Haers, R. Phelps, C.

Bower.

HEAT 4: T. Milton, C. Brachmann, B. Decker, V. Vitale, B. Tittle.

CONSI 1: G. Tomkins, V. Coffey, K. Comfort, A. Johnson.

CONSI 2: B. Hearn, A.J. Romano, K. Brightbill, R. Bartlett.

FEATURE (50-laps): PAT WARD, Tim McCreadie, Billy Decker, Chad

Brachmann, Matt Sheppard, Jimmy Phelps, Danny Johnson, Gary

Tomkins, Vic Coffey, Steve Paine, Tim Fuller, Jack Johnson, A.J.

Romano, Karl Comfort, Justin Haers, Ryan Bartlett, Vince Vitale,

Brett Hearn, Darryl Ruggles, Chuck Bower, Todd Milton, Jeff

Brownell Jr., Ryan Phelps, Jimmy Burke, Bob McCreadie, Butch

Tittle, Alan Johnson, Kenny Brightbill.