LATE RACE PASSES MARK BOTH SPORTSMAN AND MODIFIED MAINS ON HALL OF FAME NIGHT
WEEDSPORT, NY...Gary Tomkins picked up his second Advance Auto Parts Super DIRT Series last Sunday at the Cayuga County Fair Speedway's running of their annual Bill McNabb Hall of Fame Classic presented by Central Body Shop Supplies Company. Tomkins earned $6,000 for this victory. In sportsman action at Cayuga County, Greg Doust was leading until the last turn of the last lap when Adam Ferri out dragged Doust down the front chute to take the win by mere inches. Jeff Hefti also won the 25-lap Enduro.
The 100-lapper got off to a start with Danny Johnson on the pole by virtue of the driver redraw. But Johnson wasn't fast enough, as outside pole man, Jimmy Phelps jumped into the lead at the drop of the green.
Phelps continued to lead the field of 30 starters around the three-eighths mile oval, when, on lap five, the yellow flew. Pat Ward slowed with a flat tire as the pack exited the fourth turn. Excellent driving prevented a serious accident.
On the restart Steve Paine, used the outside line from his fourth place restart spot to take command of the lead of the race. Gary Tomkins, who was running second before the yellow, remained in that spot. Paine was able to build a substantial lead over Tomkins, who was now in a side-by-side duel with Phelps for second. Phelps won out, taking the runner up position on lap nine to make the running order up front; Paine, Phelps, Tomkins, Brett Hearn and Danny Johnson.
Lap 27 saw the yellow fly for the second time when Zack Aubertine came to a stop high in the fourth turn. The restart saw Hearn take advantage of the bunched up cars and take second from Tomkins. Hearn then set out to take the lead from Paine. After a two laps side-by-side duel, laps 41 and 42, Hearn accomplished the task and was in the lead to pick up the halfway bonus money on lap 50.
The yellow came out on lap 56 when Vic Coffey cut down and tire and slowed on the track. This time the restart saw Hearn draw away and Tomkins, after a multi-lap effort, pass Paine for second. Phelps was in a battle for fourth with Billy Decker, who seemed to have saved his tires for the end of the race. However, up front, the two leaders were off in a race of their own as they lapped cars and pulled away from Paine in third.
The final yellow came out on lap 77, when Vince Vitale slowed in the second turn. Tomkins was in the middle of passing Hearn when this yellow flew. Officials put Hearn back in the lead as the field was to have been frozen when the yellow flew and Tomkins had not completed his pass at that time. This set up a 20 some lap run to the finish. Tomkins repeated looked to the inside of Hearn but seemed to just not have "the horses" to complete the pass.
With just two laps remaining Tomkins ducked low exiting the second turn and inched along side of Hearn down the back stretch. Exiting the fourth turn Tomkins was able to nose into the lead and then completed the pass as the pair entered the first turn of the final lap. Tomkins took the victory, with Hearn finishing in second. Bill Decker used his fresher tires to claim third and earned the guaranteed starting spot for Syracuse's Super DIRT Week Modified 300. Paine and Phelps rounded out the top five.
The fast time trialer for the race was Tim McCreadie, just back form a World of Outlaw Late Model show. McCreadie drove a brand new Sweetener's Plus modified to a time of 16.050 seconds, 84.112 mph, far short of the track record.
The sportsman 20-lap main saw Mike Bowman take the lead at the drop of the green. Three yellow fags then flew over the field on laps two, three and four. A pile up in the second turn caused the first yellow. Eliminated from the race in this accident was Donnie Wetmore Jr.. The second yellow also flew for a wild scramble down the front chute after one car tagged the outside wall exiting the fourth turn. Bob Henry Jr., Jim LaRock and Tom Juhl were all eliminated in this melee. The lap four caution was for Charlie DeMott who came to a stop at the exit of the second turn.
Bowman held off Mike Conrow for a number of circuits until Greg Doust inched by Conrow for second. On lap nine, Bowman clipped the inside fourth turn wall, slowed and allowed Doust to take the lead of the race. Four laps later Adam Ferri passed Bowman for the runner-up position. Ferri then began the process of trying to chase down Doust who was holding a 1.4 second lead.
As the lead pair exited the fourth turn on the final lap, Ferri used the high line to pass Doust and take the win by just .124 seconds. Ryan Richardson finished a distant third with Bowman and Eric Richardson rounding out the top five.
As part of the Hall of Fame inductions, the Mid-State Vintage racers were on hand. They displayed their cars in front of the Hall of Fame Museum during the afternoon and then raced them that evening. Bill Kisselstein won the 50's vintage cars feature with Joey Edgbert taking top honors for the 60's era cars. In the 70's feature John McNamee took the 12-lap victory.
The next race at Cayuga County goes to the starting line this Sunday, June 6, at 7 p.m. sharp. On the race card are the
DIRT Modifieds, Sportsman, Street Stocks and Enduros. The Pro Stocks return for a 25-lap Empire Sports Network Western Region Super DIRT Series events. this will be the second appearance of the Pro-Stocks this year at the track.
BILL McNABB HALL OF FAME CLASSIC presented by CENTRAL BODY SHOP SUPPLIES NIGHT SUMMARY
ENDURO
FEATURE (25-laps): Top 3-JEFF HEFTI, Craig Dingy, Matt Lapiski
MID-STATE VINTAGE RACERS
50's/60's HEAT: B. Kisselstein, B. Litzenberger, G. Wood, J. Edgbert.
70's HEAT: J. McNamee, M. McLaughlin, A. Amell, A. Harju.
50's/60's FEATURE (12-laps): BILL KISSELSTEIN (50's), Brad Litzenberger, Gordie Wood, JOEY EDGBERT (60's), Jim Chicoski, Bryan Litzenberger, Jim Chase, Ron Hadden, R,J. Allen, Larry Glass.
70's FEATURE (12-laps): JOHN McNAMEE, Lowry Siemens, Pat Sonnenberg, Ally Amell, Al Harju, Ed Rohr, Bob Williams, Mike McLaughlin, Bill Clark, Doug Rohr, Shad Gates, Chuck Thomas.
DIRT SPORTSMAN
HEAT 1: M. Bowman, R. Richardson, E. Payne Jr., A. Ferri, J. Dallett.
HEAT 2: T. Juhl, B. Henry Jr., M. Conrow, K. Bates, E. Richardson.
FEATURE (20-laps): ADAM FERRI, Greg Doust, Ryan Richardson, Mike Bowman, Eric Richardson, Jason Potter, Dan Weisner, Mike Conrow, Danny Creeden, Kevin Bates, Jim Dallett, Brent Tonkins, John Juhl II, Henry Desoumearu, Eldon Payne Jr., Richard Wall, Russ Hefti, Bob Henry Jr., Charlie DeMott, Tom Juhl, Jim LaRock, Donnie Wetmore Jr.
DIRT MODIFIEDS
TIME TRIALS: Tim McCreadie 16.050 (84.112 mph), Steve Paine 16.260, Bob McCreadie 16.408, Chuck Bower 16.437, Brett Hearn 16.500, Chad Brachmann 16.553, Tim Fuller 16.662, Dave Lape 16.689, Tom Sears Jr. 16.704, Jimmy Phelps 16.706, Pat Ward 16.745, Alan Johnson 16.758, Billy Decker 16.764, Gary Tomkins 16.810, Jack Johnson 16.825, Matt Sheppard 16.909, Danny Johnson 16.932, Vic Coffey 16.944, Jerry Higbie 16.950, Kenny Tremont Jr. 16.980, Ray Bliss 17.003, Shawn Beardsley 17.011, John Pfeffer 17.026, Todd Milton 17.026, Mike Payne 17.037, Justin Haers 17.043, Vince Vitale 17.089, Butch Tittle 17.103, Ryan Odasz 17.149, Ryan Phelps 17.183, Jim Burke 17.211, Jeff Brownell Jr. 17.285, Mike Bliss 17.313, Shannon Whaley 17.323, Billy Dunn 17.495, Ricky Breed 17.650, Derrick Podsiadlo 17.817, Ryan Bartlett 17.943, Zack Aubertine NT.
HEAT 1: B. McCreadie, T. Fuller, P. Ward, J. Johnson, J. Higbie.
HEAT 2: C. Bower, A. Johnson, D. Lape, K. Tremont Jr., B. Tittle.
HEAT 3: B. Hearn, D. Johnson, B. Decker, T. Sears Jr., R. Bliss.
HEAT 4: J. Phelps, G. Tomkins, V. Coffey, C. Brachmann, J. Haers.
CONSI 1: M. Sheppard, R. Phelps, R. Bartlett, Z. Aubertine.
CONSI 2: V. Vitale, R. Odaz, J. Pfeffer, B. Dunn.
ADVANCE AUTO PARTS SDS FEATURE (100-laps): GARY TOMKINS, Brett Hearn, Billy Decker, Steve Paine, Jimmy Phelps, Chad Brachmann, Pat Ward, Tim Fuller, Matt Sheppard, Tim McCreadie, Alan Johnson, Danny Johnson, Tom Sears Jr., Chuck Bower, Jerry Higbie, Justin Haers, Butch Tittle, Vic Coffey, Kenny Tremont Jr., Dave Lape, Ryan Phelps, Billy Dunn, John Pfeffer, Vince Vitale, Zack Aubertine, Jack Johnson, Ryan Odaz, Bob McCreadie, Ray Bliss, Ryan Bartlett.