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Weedsport, NY – July 6, 2008 – By Dan Kapuscinski, Canandaigua Speedway PR and Promotions Coordinator
The DIRTcar Big-Block Modifieds were not on the original Canandaigua Speedway schedule for Saturday, July 5th. However, with the help from Empire Seneca the Big-Blocks were brought in for the 36-lap Mid-Summer Special paying $2,008 to the winner. At the end of the night current point leader Gary Tomkins stood alone at the top of the heap, returning to victory lane for the third time this season on Army National Guard “America Night” presented by Dash Racewear.
“I’m happy that we were able to run on 4th of July Weekend,” said Tomkins. “I want to thank everyone who made that happen tonight. I’ve been coming here since I was a little kid and we have always raced on this weekend. The car was great tonight; I have to thank all my crew. We had a rough night in Ransomville Thursday, but this makes things a little better.”
Steve Paine and Matt Sheppard dueled for the runner-up spot with Paine grabbing the edge. Charlie Donk and Chuck Bower rounded out the top five finishers, and also picked up $100 bonuses for finishing in the front five.
Nick Guererri ran to his second career DIRTcar Sportsman Modified win Saturday night, while Mike Welch took the DIRTcar Street Stock win for the second week in a row.
Marc Minutolo and Joe Gwilt also visited victory lane in the PureStox and ESDCA Mod Lite main events.
At the conclusion of the third Big-Block Modified heat race, winner Chuck Bower stopped on the front straight for the night’s inversion. The inversion included numbers 1-6, with a pre-determined addition of 8. The smallest inversion would be 9, and the highest could be 14.
Bower drew 2, meaning that 10 cars would be inverted for the 36-lap main event. As a result, Derrick Podsiadlo and Gary Tomkins would start from the front row with Podsiadlo grabbing the early lead.
Posialdo would lead until a lap-9 caution for Paul Guererri in turn four. At the time Podsialdo led Tomkins, Justin Haers, Matt Sheppard, and Ron Smoker. On the restart Tomkins blasted to the point bringing Haers with him as well as Steve Paine who rocketed by Podsialdo, Sheppard, and Smoker on the start.
Even though Sheppard faded slightly, he would soon mount another charge. By lap-12 Sheppard stormed back to the runner-up spot ahead of Haers and Paine. As the field passed the halfway point front runner Haers ran into issues down the back straight.
Haers approached the lapped car of Ed Monroe down the back shoot just as Monroe decided to head to the pit area. Haers climbed over the right front wheel of Monroe ’s machine causing both cars to crash off of the Speedway in turn three. The great top five run for Haers would come to an end, but it allowed Sheppard to close back in on Tomkins who had lead since lap-10.
When the field went back to green Tomkins led Sheppard, Paine, Bower, and Smoker at the front. The man on the move though was Charlie Donk in no. 99. Donk started in the 11th row, and on lap-31 managed to move his way passed Bower for the fourth position.
While Donk climbed through the field, nobody had anything for race leader Tomkins. The no. 84 streamed across the line on lap-36 ahead of Paine and Sheppard in the top three. Donk held on for fourth ahead of Bower in the top five.
Jeff Brownell Jr., Ron Smoker, Mike Bowman, Chad Homan, and Gil Tegg Jr. completed the top ten.
The DIRTcar Sportsman Modified main event saw Canadian up and comer AJ Lewis in the no. 24a charge to the race lead. Lewis pulled to a sizeable lead, and charged ahead for the first 11-laps before trouble on the front straightaway.
Newcomer Peter Gordon lost the handle on his no. 11nz down the front straight directly ahead of Lewis. As Gordon came across the track Lewis tried to avoid the machine but had nowhere to go making heavy contact with his right rear wheel. The impact tore the right rear wheel and axle tube from the no. 24a, forcing Lewis out of the event.
The restart found Rob Bussey leading Nick Guererri, Loren Lincoln, Kyle LaVare, and Steve Gray. Two laps after the restart, Guererri found the high lane and blasted around Bussey for the top spot. From that point Guererri was gone, pulling to over a three second lead at the start finish line for his second career win.
“I tried to stick to the inside early, but I kind of found the outside by mistake,” said Guererri. “The car worked really well out there, and tonight was our night. I want to thank my crew. We’ve been working a lot with the Troyer folks and it has been really helping out.”
Kyle LaVare had a great run for second ahead of Kevin Ridley, Bussey, Lincoln, Gray, Dan Wiesner, Todd Henderson, Daryl Hilkert, and Anthony Rizzardo.
In the DIRTcar Street Stock division it was Andy Fisk looking for his first win of 2008. Fisk started on the front row and lead 19-laps of the event. Unfortunately, for the no. 33 the main was 20-laps and Mike Welch was there to take advantage.
On the final circuit Welch made the inside move on Fisk going into turn one, and slid passed for the top spot down the back straight. Adam Depuy and Bubba Burnell were in tight pursuit throughout the event, but it was Welch for the second week in a row claiming victory in the no. 00. Chris Fisher rounded out the top five, picking up the Hom Necessities Wheel of Fortune Bonus.
“The track was pretty fast tonight,” said Welch. “The inside was where you wanted to be. Andy has been fast like always, but on the last lap he got into a little 4-wheel drift and that gave me the lane.”
Marc Minutolo took the lead on lap-3 of the PureStox main event to take the victory over Ross Lurcock. It was win three on the season for Minutolo, and Lurcock’s second runner-up finish in a row. Corey Hunt, Jim Cronin, and Eric Chapman rounded out the top five.
“We started up towards the front and that always helps out,” said Minutolo. I want to thank everyone involved, especially our fans up there in the stands.”
The ESDCA Mod Lite feature event saw the no. 18 of Joe Gwilt pass Andrew Schartner on lap-6 of the 15-lap main event on his way to the win. Gwilt finished second at the ‘ Land of Legends ’ two weeks ago, but found one more position Saturday night.
Schartner kept the no. 9 in second ahead of Frank Sobotka, Ken Gamlen, and Jason Brodell in the top five.
Next Saturday night Dig Safely New York and Currier Plastcis present “Kid’s Flag Night.” The DIRTcar Big-Block Modifieds, Sportsman Modifieds, Street Stocks, and PureStox will be on the racing card starting at 7pm.
Army National Guard/Dash Racewear “ America Night” Event Summary (7-5-08):
PureStox
Heat #1: Cronin, Lurcock, Faulkner, LaVare Jr., Hunt
Heat #2: Guererri, Minutolo, Chapman, Bush, Dandino
Feature (12-laps): 1) 25b- MARC MINUTOLO, 2) 05- Ross Lurcock, 3) 77- Corey Hunt, 4) 22t- Eric Chapman, 5) 3c- Jim Cronin, 6) 6- George LaVare Jr., 7) 9r- Roger Bush, 8) 83- Bryan Faulkner, 9) CJ1- Chris Guererri
ESDCA Mod Lites
Heat #1: Schartner, Matt Rainville, Yelle, Brodell , Virginia , Barker
Heat #2: Sobotka, Gwilt, Gamlen, R. Rainville, Mike Rainville
Feature (15-laps): 1) 18- JOE GWILT, 2) 9- Andrew Schartner, 3) 42- Frank Sobotka, 4) 22x- Ken Gamlen, 5) 75- Jason Brodell, 6) 03- Matt Rainville, 7) 73- Rich Rainville, 8) 52- Ricky Yelle Jr., 9) 32- Mike Virginia, 10) 51- Jeff Barker, 11) 07- Mike Rainville
DIRTcar Street Stocks
Heat #1: B. Smith, Welch, Fisher, Collins, Grant, Fenton Jr., Rasbeck, Buscemi
Heat #2: Fisk, Guererri, Depuy, Burnell, Peckham, Lewis
Feature (20-laps): 1) 00- MIKE WELCH, 2) 33- Andy Fisk, 3) 99- Adam Depuy, 4) 55b- Blane Smith, 5) 37- Chris Fisher, 6) 57b- Bubba Burnell, 7) 113jr- Frank Guererri, 8) 07- Leroy Lewis, 9) 00r- Mike Rasbeck, 10) 55- Larry Fenton Jr., 11) 70- Kevin Collins, 12) 36- Jim Grant, 13) 90- Nate Peckham, 14) 88- Dave Buscemi
Home Necessities $25 Wheel of Fortune Bonus: 37- Chris Fisher
DIRTcar Sportsman Modifieds
Heat #1: Hilton, Wiesner, Guererri, Rizzardo, Gray, Currier, Cook Jr., Gordon
Heat #2: Henderson, Bussey, Lincoln, Wheeler, Smith, P. LaVare, Hoteling
Heat #3: Lewis, Hilkert, Ridley, K. LaVare, Dinkins, Cool, Lerch
Feature (25-laps): 1) 25g- NICK GUERERRI, 2) 88- Kyle LaVare, 3) 20x- Kevin Ridley, 4) 76- Rob Bussey, 5) 2L- Loren Lincoln, 6) 29g- Steve Gray, 7) 66- Dan Wiesner, 8) 18h- Todd Henderson, 9) 4- Daryl Hilkert, 10) 99$- Anthony Rizzardo, 11) 11- Ben Wheeler, 12) 8L- Phil LaVare, 13) 22- Greg Cool, 14) 3- Fran Hilton, 15) 8- Joe Cook Jr., 16) 72- Rob Lerch, 17) 24a- AJ Lewis, 18) 11nz- Peter Gordon, 19) 17- Marcus Dinkins, 20) 1- Matt Smith, 21) 10- Tim Currier
Currier Plastics $50 Wheel of Fortune Bonus: 8L- Phil LaVare
DIRTcar Big-Block Modifieds
Heat #1: Brownell Jr., Homan, Sheppard, Podsiadlo, Tegg, Cartwright, Ward, Monroe , Vitale
Heat #2: Paine, Smoker, Payne Jr., Fisher, Rauscher, Whaley, Brown, Broomfield , Slover
Heat #3: Bower, Haers, Tomkins, Habeck, Burley, Bowman, Guererri, Donk
Feature (36-laps): 1) 84- GARY TOMKINS, 2) 7x- Steve Paine, 3) 9s- Matt Sheppard, 4) 99- Charlie Donk, 5) 99b- Chuck Bower, 6) 29- Jeff Brownell Jr., 7) 62r- Ron Smoker, 8) 16m- Mike Bowman, 9) 91- Chad Homan, 10) 22- Gil Tegg Jr., 11) 2b- Ron Cartwright Jr., 12) 48T- Dave Rauscher, 13) 37c- Eric Fisher, 14) 28p- Eldon Payne Jr., 15) 44- Shannon Whaley, 16) 7g- Paul Guererri, 17) 11- Bob Broomfield, 18) 3- Justin Haers, 19) 4- Ed Monroe, 20) 25- Paul Habeck, 21) 21- Derrick Podsiadlo, 22) 89b- Todd Burley, 23) 1F- Vinnie Vitale, 24) 50- Don Slover, 25) 16- Billy Brown, 26) 45m- Mike Ward
Gypsum Wholesalers $100 Wheel of Fortune Bonus: 44- Shannon Whaley
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