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Weedsport, NY – July 15, 2007 – By Gary M. Spaid, Cayuga County Fair Speedway PR
Jimmy Phelps took the 35-lap DIRTcar Modified feature win on Sunday in one of the best features ever run at the three-eighths mile Cayuga County Fair Speedway oval. “We knew we had a good car here tonight but the “Doctor” is a good driver and one of the toughest to get by,” referenced Phelps in victory lane following a torrid battle with Danny Johnson. “The heavy lap traffic helped us tonight.”
Joe Williams picked up his second feature win of the year at Cayuga County in the DIRTcar Sportsman Modified main event. “I see this track as more of a finesse kind of track,” stated Williams. “It’s more of a driver’s track. I made a mistake early, but I was able to work back to the front. I have to say Steve (Planck) raced me clean. I want to thank him for that.”
Dave Mannise took his third UMP Ferris Mowers Street Stock feature. He too commented on the track. “Usually I start in the back of the pack and battle all night,” stated Mannise. “But tonight I started on the outside pole and that helps.”
Karl Werner picked up the Pit Stop Convenience Stores BattleKarz special honoring Dannie Mack. Mack’s car was on hand and driver by Ken Miner.
A full field of 24 roaring DIRTcar Modifieds took to the track for their 35-lap main event, following a delay to fix the lights. Joe Beyea and Jason Potter raced side-by-side for the lead with Beyea winning out. The first of just three yellows flew on lap four when third-place runner Vince Vitale slowed on the track with a right rear flat tire.
On the restart Beyea held off Derrick Podsiadlo, but just for two laps because the yellow was out again on lap six. This time Justin Haers popped high in the air after hopping a wheel on the Jason Potter car that had spun in the first turn.
This action saw a number of cars sliding and crashing with Vitale, Brian Weaver, Potter, Jeff Isabell, Bob Henry, Tyler Bartlett and Roy Shields involved in the accident. All were able to return except for Potter and Henry.
Steve Paine took the lead on the restart in his new Oz-Troyer Car, with a special built suspension by the legendary Lee Osborne. Paine was able to stretch out a seven-car advantage on the field before Danny Johnson, using the high line, flew by to take second. Johnson then set his sites on Paine and just as he caught the leader on lap 13 the yellow flew again when Tyler Bartlett slowed on the track.
This time it would be Johnson taking the lead on the restart along with a new running mate in the form of Jimmy Phelps, as Phelps passed Paine for the runner up spot on lap 15. Johnson and Phelps broke free from the rest of the field and as they approached lap traffic it became obvious that which ever driver was able to maneuver through lap traffic best would win the race.
On lap 29, they passed Roy Shields, on either side, and running wide open. With just three laps remaining in the race Phelps was able to complete his pass on Johnson for the lead. Phelps held on for the win followed by Johnson, Haers, Paine and Podsiadlo. “We worked best on the high side of the first and second turns, but we were saving tires when we used the low side of the track,” commented Phelps.
Jeff Isabell Jr. took the early lead in the 25-lap DIRTcar Sportsman feature. But even on the first lap the call went out over the track radios that the leader’s car was on fire. The yellow was thrown on lap two when Tim Currier slowed on the front stretch and this gave time for officials to check over the Isabell car, which was on fire at the rear end of the car.
Steve Planck took the lead on the restart. But before two more full laps could go in the record books, the cars of Jess Pontello and Alan Fink became hooked together and slowed on the track to bring out the yellow. This time it was Williams taking the lead with Planck running second. On lap 10 Anthony Steiner slammed the first turn wall and almost climbed out of the park. Other drivers took evasive action resulting in a number of cars involved in the accident; Bill Hallett, Keith Hotchkiss and Rob Richmond Jr.
Williams remained in the lead through the closing laps of the race with Planck making some inside efforts to take the lead. Planck had to settle for second followed by Jeremy Pitcher, Shawn Donath and Mike Mahaney.
In the UMP Street Stock finale it was Dave Mannise taking the lead from the outside pole starting position and go on to lead all 20 laps. In the second half of the race he was pressured by Dave Marcuccilli, who wound up finishing second.
Only one yellow slowed the race, that coming on lap 13 when points leader Nick Rizzo suddenly slowed while running in the top-five. Mannise took the victory followed by Marcuccilli, Nathan Peckham, Phil Marsden and Steve Woodworth.
CAYUGA CHATTER: Young Matthew Rucco was the Kid’s Club winner of the new bicycle…Ashley Glaski, 9 years old, from Liverpool, won the poster contest. The subject was her favorite driver, Danny Johnson…A dance-a-thon hosted by Shane Andrews helped to fill a time gap created when the track lights failed to turn on. A great effort from the grounds crew helped to right the electric situation…Russ Hefti slammed the front stretch wall in his heat race just as he took the checkers. His car suffered significant front end damage and was done for the night….Supporters of the Donnie Mack Fund were on hand helping to raise money for the Mack family. A special Donnie Mack Party has been planned for next Sunday at DeVaney’s Restaurant in Weedsport…Keith Keuer flipped his BattleKarz on the first lap of the 25-lap main. He emerged uninjured and the race resumed. Up front the 24 of Karl Werner was the class of the field and he led the entire distance for the victory. ..Twenty-seven DIRTcar Modifieds were on hand along with 21 DIRTcar Sportsman for one of the best fields of open wheelers this season at Cayuga County.
The Cayuga County Fair Speedway will be dark this coming Sunday to make way for a special show at Rolling Wheels Raceway Park. On tap July 22 at the “Wheels” will be the DIRTcar Modifieds, Sportsman Modifieds and Street Stocks. The Street Stocks race will be a Super Series event for the full fender guys. Race time is 7 p.m. sharp.
FERRIS MOWERS/BIG DOG COUNTRY 103.5 FM RADIO NIGHT SUMMARY
PIT STOP CONVENIENCE STORES BATTLEKARZ
FEATURE (25-laps): KARL WERNER, Bill Werner, Dave Nageldinger, Les Baker, Kyle Wilkins, Adam Keuer, Tom Cook, Ted Leader, Kale Wilkins, Ken Miner, Ed Gilner, James Werner, Barb Amadon, Kelly Smith, Jeremy Werner, Wally Dean, Nick Werner, Keith Keuer, Kevin Alfred, Charles Degroff, Josh St. Martin.
UMP FERRIS MOWERS STREET STOCKS
HEAT: D. Mannise, D. Marcuccilli, J. Wallace, D. Pope, N. Peckham, N. Rizzo.
FEATURE (20-laps): DAVE MANNISE, Dave Marcuccilli, Nathan Peckham, Phil Marsden, Steve Woodworth, Van Grant, Mike Dandino, Nick Rizzo, David Pope, Jim Wallace.
DIRTcar SPORTSMAN MODIFIEDS
HEAT 1: S. Donath, J. Isabell Jr., J. Behron, A. Steiner, B. Hallett.
HEAT 2: J. Pitcher, J. Juhl II, D. Sellen, J. Pitcher, J. Pontello.
HEAT 3: T. Currier, S. Planck, M. Mahaney, K. Ridley, K. Hotchkiss.
BIG DOG COUNTRY 25: JOE WILLIAMS, Steve Planck, Jeremy Pitcher, Shawn Donath, Mike Mahaney, John Juhl, John Behron, Alan Fink, Matt Hulsizer, Todd Town, Dan Sellen, Jesse Pontello, Rob Richmond Jr., Ronald Schadt, John Juhl II, Kevin Ridley, Bill Hallett, Anthony Steiner, Keith Hotchkiss, Jeff Isabell Jr., Tim Currier.
DIRTcar BIG-BLOCK MODIFIEDS
HEAT 1: S. Paine, D. Podsiadlo, J. Haers, T. Juhl, J. Isabell, M. Bowman.
HEAT 2: V. Vitale, J. Phelps, J. Potter, D. Rauscher, R. Hefti, S. Whaley.
HEAT 3: D. Johnson, S. Beardsley, B. Dunn, C. Phelps, J. Beyea, R. Bellinger.
CONSI: B. Weaver, J. Pfeffer, R. Shields, C. Steele, T. Bartlett, A. Roberts, B. Henry Jr.
FERRIS MOWERS 35: JIMMY PHELPS, Danny Johnson, Justin Haers, Steve Paine, Derrick Podsiadlo, Rob Bellinger, Billy Dunn, Chad Phelps, Joe Beyea, Tom Juhl, Chris Steele, Sean Beardsley, Mike Bowman, Dave Rauscher, Jeff Isabell, Roy Shields, John Pfeffer, Shannon Whaley, Adam Roberts, Tyler Bartlett, Brian Weaver, Vince Vitale, Jason Potter, Bob Henry Jr.
The DIRTcar Advance Auto Parts Modified Series is brought to fans across the Northeast by several sponsors and partners, including series sponsors Advance Auto Parts, Hoosier Racing Tire and Sunoco Race Fuels. Promotional partners include AMB i.t., F.X. Caprara Car Companies and the University of Northwestern Ohio and the contingency sponsors are Bert Transmission, Bicknell Racing Products, Bilstein Shocks, Brodix Cylinder Heads, Integra Shocks, MSD Ignitions, Miller Electric Manufacturing Company and Wrisco Industries
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