CANANDAIGUA 50 TO COFFEY, GUERERRI TOPS SPORTSMAN OPENER
CANANDAIGUA, NY...Vic Coffey came home the winner last
Saturday evening in the 50-lap season opener at the famed half
mile Canandaigua Speedway. Coffey led all 50 laps, starting from
the pole position. In the 25-lap DIRT Sportsman season opener it
was track champion Paul Guererri taking the win. The Pro-Stocks
main event saw Frank Guererri jr. earned his first ever
Canandaigua Speedway feature win. Blane Smith held on to win a
squeaker in the 15-lap Street Stock main just inching out Mike
Welch who had led every lap but the last.
Following qualifying 26 DIRT Modifieds answered the call to
start the first feature of the year. Starter Dave Farney dropped
the green, but had to throw the yellow immediately when Ron
Cartwright Jr. spun out in the first turn. This set up a complete
restart. Vic Coffey and Steve paine paced the starting field
around to get the green for a second time. This time Coffey
jumped into the lead with Paine, Ron Smoker, Charlie Donk and
Gary Tomkins the top five on the first lap.
Coffey started to pull away from Paine and Smoker. But now
in fourth and fifth were Danny Johnson and Gary Tomkins in a
tight fight for position.
By lap 18, Coffey held a four second advantage over Paine.
He continued to stretch out his lead to nearly a full straight
away. Then on lap 36 the yellow flew when Jim Roberts sailed off
the first turn, with his radiator puffing steam.
The restart saw Tomkins side too high in the third turn
allowing Ray Bliss to take the fifth place on the track. Smoker
was also able to pass Paine for second at this time. Up front
Coffey was not going to be denied, although Smoker started to
chase down the high flying Sweetener's Plus sponsored machine.
At the checkers Coffey held a .75 second lead over Smoker.
Paine came home in third followed by Danny Johnson and Bliss. the
first 358-Modified across the finish line was Randy Chrysler.
Chrysler was invited to participate in victory lane ceremonies
and received a bonus for being the first 358 in the finish order.
The 25-lap Sportsman main saw the outside pole sitter, Paul
Guererri, take the lead at the drop of the green. He too decided
to pull away to hold a 3.3 second lead over Todd Henderson. On
lap 15 the yellow flew for the first time in the race. Gus
Hurlburt looped his number 6 in the third turn to cause this
yellow. On the restart Guererri held strong to maintain his lead.
A second yellow, just two laps later, lap 17, saw Scott Joy spin
in turn one. Fourth place runner Eldon Payne Jr. used this
restart to his advantage. He took over second as returning
veteran Scott Schrader assumed third and Henderson fell back to
fourth.
On lap 24 a yellow flew when Scott Just looped around in the
middle of the fourth turn. This set up a one lap dash to the
checkers. Guererri held on to claim a .8 second victory over
Payne Jr., Dan Weisner, Schrader and Henderson.
The 20-lap Pro-stock saw a strong field of 16 cars take the
green. Kevin Smith found himself in a battle royal with Frank
Guererri Jr. to hold the lead.
The first of three yellows flew on lap two when Bill Hallett
spun around in the middle of the fourth turn while running in
third. This sent the rest of the field behind him scattering to
avoid contact.
The restart saw Smith hold Guererri Jr. for just one
circuit. On lap four Guererri Jr. was recorded as the leader for
the first time in the event. One lap later Smith re-assumed the
lead by inches just as the yellow came out for the second time.
this time Matt Smith had gone around in the first turn.
The third yellow came on lap seven when Daryl Hilkert spun
on the low side of the third turn just avoiding Chad Homan who
had spun in front of him. Hilkert reported to the pits, later
returning to the feature some four laps down to the rest of the
field.
Guererri Jr. took command of the lead from that point on.
After laps of working on him, Jip Ortiz was finally able to get
around Smith for second on lap 13. Ortiz tried to close the gap
between himself and Guererri Jr.. He was able to move up on
Guererri, but ran out of time. The checkers flew over Guererri
jr. for the first time. Ortiz came home in second followed by Jim
McGuigan, James Henry and Kevin Smith, rounding out the top five.
The 15-lap Street Stock feature saw 25 cars take the green.
Mike Welch immediately took command of the race in a three way
battle for the lead between Welch, Rocco Conte and Frank Burnell.
Brian Lloyd had to be towed back to the pit area after
spinning in the fourth turn on lap three. Track officials were
also forced to clean up the track of liquid found under the car
before racing could resume.
Frank Burnell was putting the pressure on when his engine
let go in the second turn in a cloud of smoke causing the second
yellow of the race. Tanner had been running third when his motor
let go.
On lap 14 the yellow flew for the final time in the race.
this time Tim Burnell had spun out in the second turn. This set
up a mad one lap dash to the checkers with Blane Smith taking the
lead on the last lap. Smith took home the win by inches over
Welch, who had led all but the final lap. Adam Depuy finished
third followed by Conte and Nat Peckham rounding out the top
five.
CANANDAIGUA SHORTS: There were 29 modifieds on hand along
with 26 sportsman cars. In the Pro-stocks 16 cars were on hand.
the Street Stocks continue to grow, numbering 25 cars. this meant
there were some 96 race cars in the pits on opening
night...Canandaigua will continue for one more week starting at 4
p.m., with gates opening at 2 p.m. sharp. Using the 4 p.m. start
last Saturday had fans on their way home by 8 p.m..
41ST ANNUAL SEASON OPENER-LIME ROCK SPEEDWAY NIGHT SUMMARY
STREET STOCK
HEAT 1: M. Welch, N. Peckham, A. Depuy, J. Smallidge, D. Phippen.
HEAT 2: R. Conte, B. Smith, F. Burnell, L. Lewis, T. Burnell.
FEATURE (15-laps): BLANE SMITH, Mike Welch, Adam DePuy, Rocco
Conte, Nat Peckham, John Smallidge, Leroy Lewis, Kevin Collins,
Mike Minutolo, Kyle LaVare, Jason Quigley, Steve Faulkner,
Charles Vohs, Nick Dardino, Dave Marcuccelli, Tim Burnell, Dan
Johnson, Frank Burnell, Corey Hunt, Darren Phippen, Jason
Whipple, Scott Deline, Chris Jacobs, Brian Lloyd, George LaVare.
PRO-STOCK
HEAT 1: K. Smith, J. McGuigan, C. Homan, B. Thompson, S. Fremouw.
HEAT 2: B. Hallett, S. Miller, R. Chrysler, F. Guererri Jr., J.
Ortiz.
FEATURE (20-laps): FRANK GUERERRI JR., Jipp Ortiz, Jim McGuigan,
James Henry, Kevin Smith, Roger Chrysler, Steve Miller, Bill
Hallett, Wayne Ellison, Chad Homan, Matt Smith, Scott Fremouw,
Daryl Hilkert, Matt Grubbe, Brian Thompson, DNS: Billy Brown.
SPORTSMAN
HEAT 1: T. Henderson, R. Miller, J. Miller, R. Briggs, T.
Pargarich, D. Just.
HEAT 2: P. Guererri, E. Payne Jr., D. Weisner, D. Park, P.
LaVare, J. Henderson.
HEAT 3: S. Schrader, L. Dusett, R. Ledingham, R. Bussey, L.
Lincoln, G. Hurlburt.
CONSI: S. Joy, R. VanNeil, S. Doell, T. Johnson, S. Just, F.
Wadsworth.
FEATURE (25-laps): PAUL GUERERRI, Eldon Payne Jr., Dan Weisner,
Scott Schrader, Todd Henderson, Lance Dusett, Rob Ledingham, Dick
Park, Phil LaVare, Rob Bussey, Richard Briggs, Ricky VanNeil,
Loren Lincoln, Tony Pargairch, Jon Miller, Rick Miller, Gus
Hurlburt, Steve Doell, Justin Henderson, Scott Joy, Scott Just,
Dave Just, Tim Johnson, Frank Wadsworth.
DIRT MODIFIED
HEAT 1: V. Coffey, C. Donk, C. Bower, D. Johnson, T. Burnett, J.
Haers.
HEAT 2: S. Paine, J. Brownell, R. Bliss, R. Cartwright Jr., D.
Podsiadlo, M. Payne.
HEAT 3: R. Smoker, G. Tomkins, D. Ruggles, C. Brachmann, J.
Pfeffer, R. Chrysler.
CONSI: D. Axton, S. Gray, K. Comfort, C. Graham, M. Bliss, J.
Roberts, S. Whaley, D. Kissel.
FEATURE (50-laps): VIC COFFEY, Ron Smoker, Steve Paine, Danny
Johnson, Ray Bliss, Gary Tomkins, Chad Brachmann, Chuck Bower,
John Pfeffer, Randy Chrysler, Karl Comfort, Charlie Donk, Steve
Gray, Darryl Ruggles, Jeff Brownell, Justin Haers, Chuck Graham,
Shannon Whaley, Mike Payne, Derrick Podsiadlo, Jim Roberts, Dave
Axton, Tim Burnett, Ron Cartwright Jr., Mike Bliss, Dale Kissel.