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Tomkins Rides the Cushion to Canandaigua Speedway Victory Lane
Gray, Burnell, and Minutolo Also Take Checkers
Weedsport, NY – May 25, 2008 – By Dan Kapuscinski, Canandaigua Speedway PR and Promotions Coordinator
Gary Tomkins displayed the perfect balance between patience and aggressiveness Saturday night in the Summit Auto 35-lap DIRTcar Big-Block Modified main event at Canandaigua Speedway. Tomkins started 16th, and didn’t reach the top five until lap-22, but the Clifton Springs pilot knew when to hit the ‘go button’ as the no. 84 machine blasted into the lead on lap-27 and never looked back.
Tomkins’ second win of the season was worth $1,500 and puts him in sole possession of the DIRTcar Big-Block Modified point lead at the ‘ Land of Legends .’
“The cushion was where it was at tonight,” said Tomkins in victory lane. “It was definitely better than the bottom tonight, and I just had to be patient and wait for the race to come to me. Once I cleared traffic I knew it was time to go.”
With 8-laps remaining, Tomkins powered around the outside of early race leader Ron Cartwright Jr. and second place running Matt Sheppard in turn three to take the win. Sheppard would hang on for yet another runner-up finish this season with Cartwright, Charlie Donk, and Steve Paine rounding out the top five.
“The pass for the lead was really just a matter of timing,” said Tomkins. “The leaders got stuck behind some traffic and both slowed on the bottom. I just kept right on going on the outside and took the lead. This feels great, we feel like we have a car to win here each and every weekend.”
Steve Gray returned to victory lane in the DIRTcar Sportsman Modified division at Canandaigua Speedway for the first time since 2001. Gray drove by Tim Currier to lead lap-16 on his way to his 9th career Sportsman win at Canandaigua. The no. 29g machine led Nick Guererri, Rob Bussey, Kevin Ridley, and Todd Henderson to the finish.
Bubba Burnell and Marc Minutolo each picked up wins in the UMP Street Stock and PureStox divisions. For Burnell it was his 13th career Canandaigua win, and first since 2006. Minutolo visited victory lane for the second time this season, passing Eric Chapman with just a handful of laps remaining.
Paul Guererri and Cartwright started the 35-lap DIRTcar Big-Block Modified main event from the front row, and Cartwright quickly showed his hand in the no. 2B. Cartwright drag raced into the early lead ahead of the no. 7 of Guererri, but would have to slow as the no. 21 of Derrick Podsiadlo spun wildly into turn three bringing out the races only caution on the first circuit.
Podsiadlo would continue and finish 14th on the night. At the restart Cartwright led Guererri, Eric Fisher, Gil Tegg Jr., Paul Habeck, and Chad Homan.
When the field went back to green, Cartwright stretched out to a straight away lead on the no. 22 of Tegg by lap-15. Meanwhile, Sheppard and Tomkins were beginning their march from row eight. On lap-16 Sheppard moved to the runner-up spot and began to reel in the no. 2B of Cartwright.
Tomkins would not reach the top five until lap-17, but it was evident that the no. 84 was on the move. As the front three came across the stripe to complete lap-27, lapped traffic came into sight. Down the back straight Cartwright and Sheppard were forced to the low side, giving Tomkins all the room he needed around the top of the Speedway .
Tomkins hammered the cushion and passed both Sheppard and Cartwright in one move to take the lead out of turn four. From that point it was all Gary Tomkins as he ran away to his 2nd main event win of 2008 at Canandaigua Speedway.
Sheppard would settle for his 4th top three finish of the season without a win ahead of Cartwright, Donk, and Paine. Tegg, Fisher, Jeff Brownell Jr., Vinnie Vitale, and Todd Burley finished the top ten finishers.
In the 25-lap DIRTcar Sportsman Modified feature event Marcus Dinkins and Phil LaVare brought the 21-car field to the green flag. It was Dinkins from the front row cruising to the top spot, but once again a lap-1 caution would slow the field.
Anthony Rizzardo and last week’s winner Daryl Hilkert came together in turn two to bring on the caution lights. Rizzardo was hooked off the Speedway and done for the night, Hilkert bounded back for a 10th place finish.
The field returned to green with Dinkins ahead of Phil LaVare, Tim Currier, Nick Guererri, and Kyle LaVare. Dinkins would hold the top spot for 4-laps, before Currier would mount his charge in the no. 10. Currier made his move passed Dinkins to lead lap-5 and began to pull away from the rest of the field.
With Currier in the lead, Steve Gray knew it was time to go. By lap-14 Gray pulled right up to the back bumper of Currier and began to work the Currier Plastics no. 10. Currier led Gray, Guererri, Kevin Ridley, Kevin Bussey, Dinkins, Dan Wiesner, and Todd Henderson past the halfway point.
Gray pulled to the inside of Currier into turn one on lap-15, and swept into the lead and immediately pulled away. With Gray a full straight away ahead, Currier began to fade. At lap-23 Currier had faded all the way to 5th, and on the following circuit the no. 10 brought out the caution with 1-lap remaining as he came to a stop outside turn four.
That set up a 1-lap dash between race leaders Gray, Guererri, Bussey, Ridley, and Henderson. As the green flag waved the top three finishers stayed in the same order, with Henderson making a last lap move on Ridley for 4th.
Gray was mighty happy in victory lane after racking up his 9th career Canandaigua win.
“We’ve been in a few altercations here in the last couple weeks but everything straightened out tonight,” said Gray. “It’s been a long time since we’ve won here, but it really feels good. On that last restart I tried to run the best line I could to hold everyone off, and it worked.”
Doug Smith and Leroy Lewis brought the UMP Street Stock feature event to the green flag, with Lewis jumping to the lead. Before long Bubba Burnell charged to the front from his 4th starting position. Burnell slipped to the inside of Lewis to lead lap-3 and pulled away to a comfortable margin by lap-7.
With Burnell out front Andy Fisk pulled into the runner-up spot on lap-11, and slowly began to reel in the no. 57b out front. Fisk pulled up to Burnell on lap-13 only to lose the handle momentarily and lose tremendous ground. With 1-lap to go Fisk tried again but it wasn’t to be.
Bubba Burnell pulled into Canandaigua Speedway victory lane for the first time 2008, and 13th time in his career.
“We’ve put a lot of new technology into this car this season and it really didn’t work the first few races,” said Burnell. “We went back at it this week, put some new tires on it, and got us a win. “
The PureStox main event saw three different leaders in just 12-laps. Eric Chapman led the first 5-laps before opening night winner Jim Cronin snagged the top spot on the outside of turn four to lead the 6th circuit. Cronin appeared to be the man to beat in the no. 3c, but the car faltered down the front chute on lap-9 handing the lead back over to Chapman.
The caution eventually came out for Cronin just as Marc Minutolo mounted a charge on the no. 22t of Chapman. On the restart Chapman led Minutlolo, George LaVare Jr., Bryan Faulkner, Ted Sweeney, and Corey Hunt.
When the green flag waved Minutolo charged to the outside of Chapman for the lead and checked away for his second win of the 2008 season.
“I thought we had him the lap before on the caution,” said Minutolo. “But we worked really well on the restart. I have to thank all my sponsors and the crew.”
Chapman, LaVare Jr., Faulkner, Sweeney, Hunt, Cronin, Roger Bush, and Chris Guererri rounded out the field.
Next Saturday night it’s Coca-Cola $20 Carload Night at the Races. Carloads of fans enter for just $20 until 6:45pm. The DIRTcar Big-Block Modifieds, DIRTcar Sportsman Modifieds, UMP Street Stocks, PureStox, and WNYR 98.5 FM Crazy Chicks-n-Cars take the green at 7pm.
For more information call the DIRTcar NE office at 315/834-6606, or visit www.canandaiguaspeedway.com.
Canandaigua Corner: There were 23 Big-Block Modifieds, 21 Sportsman Modifieds, 9 Street Stocks, and 9 PureStox in the pit area Saturday night.
The no. 32c of Vic Coffey was back in action and drove to a 12th place finish after running in the top ten for much of the event.
Justin Haers was caught up in an altercation in turn three of his heat race, and was forced to retire the no. 3 for the evening. Haers started scratch on the field in the Big-Block main driving the Dan Wiesner no. 66 Sportsman. Haers completed 18-laps finishing 21st.
The Wheel of Fortune Bonus Winners for the night were Vic Coffey (Modified), AJ Lewis (Sportsman), and Blane Smith (Street Stock).
Petrol-Palooza Night at the Races Event Summary (5-24-08)
PureStox
Heat: Chapman, Minutolo, Faulkner, Cronin, LaVare Jr., Hunt, Guererri, Sweeney, Bush
Feature (Hoosier Tire 12): 1) 25b- MARC MINUTOLO, 2) 22t- Eric Chapman, 3) 6- George LaVare Jr., 4) 83- Bryan Faulkner, 5) 71- Ted Sweeney, 6) 77- Corey Hunt, 7) 3c- Jim Cronin, 8) 9r- Roger Bush, 9) CJ1- Chris Guererri
UMP Street Stocks
Heat: Fisk, D. Smith, Fisher, Burnell, Welch, Depuy, Lewis, S. Smith, B. Smith
Feature (Sunoco Fuels 20): 1) 57b- BUBBA BURNELL, 2) 33- Andy Fisk, 3) 07- Leroy Lewis, 4) 00- Mike Welch, 5) 99- Adam Depuy, 6) 55b- Blane Smith, 7) 37- Chris Fisher, 8) 75- Scott Smith, 9) 3d- Doug Smith
Home Necessities $25 Wheel of Fortune Bonus: 55b- Blane Smith
DIRTcar Sportsman Modifieds
Heat #1: Currier, Dinkins, Lincoln, Henderson, Bussey, Giguere, Peckham
Heat #2: Ridley, P. LaVare, Lewis, Gray, Hoteling, Cool, Cook Jr.
Heat #3: Guererri, Wiesner, Hilkert, Rizzardo, K. LaVare, Lerch, Hull
Feature (Fingerlakes Inn 25): 1) 29g- STEVE GRAY, 2) 25g- Nick Guererri, 3) 76- Rob Bussey, 4) 18h- Todd Henderson, 5) 20x- Kevin Ridley, 6) 66- Dan Wiesner, 7) 67g- Eric Giguere, 8) 2L- Loren Lincoln, 9) 17- Marcus Dinkins, 10) 4- Daryl Hilkert, 11) 8L- Phil LaVare, 12) 24a- AJ Lewis, 13) 88- Kyle LaVare, 14) 8- Joe Cook Jr., 15) 44- Gary Hoteling, 16) 90- Nate Peckham, 17) 10- Tim Currier, 18) 22- Greg Cool, 19) 52- Jim Hull, 20) 99$- Anthony Rizzardo, 21) 72- Rob Lerch
Currier Plastics $50 Wheel of Fortune Bonus: 24a- AJ Lewis
DIRTcar Big-Block Modifieds
Heat #1: Guererri, Brownell Jr., Tomkins, Donk, Fisher, Homan, Monroe, Brown
Heat #2: Bower, Coffey, Vitale, Cartwright Jr., Payne Jr., Slover, Haers, Burley
Heat #3: Podsiadlo, Paine, Sheppard, Tegg Jr., Rauscher, Habeck, Whaley
Feature ( Summit Auto 35): 1) 84- GARY TOMKINS, 2) 9s- Matt Sheppard, 3) 2B- Ron Cartwright Jr., 4) 99- Charlie Donk, 5) 7x- Steve Paine, 6) 22- Gil Tegg Jr., 7) 37c- Eric Fisher, 8) 29- Jeff Brownell Jr., 9) 56- Vinnie Vitale, 10) 89b- Todd Burley, 11) 99b- Chuck Bower, 12) 32c- Vic Coffey, 13) 48T- Dave Rauscher, 14) 21- Derrick Podsiadlo, 15) 44- Shannon Whaley, 16) 28P- Eldon Payne Jr., 17) 91- Chad Homan, 18) 25- Paul Habeck, 19) 16- Billy Brown, 20) 4- Ed Monroe, 21) 66- Justin Haers, 22) 7- Paul Guererri, 23) 50- Don Slover
Gypsum Wholesalers $100 Wheel of Fortune Bonus: 32c- Vic Coffey
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