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"HURRICANE" PICKS UP TURNING STONE WIN CANANDAIGUA, NY...Steve "The Hurricane" Paine, from nearby Waterloo, NY, picked up the $3,000, 100-lap, victory last Wednesday in the Turning Stone Casino Resorts 358-Modified Super DIRT Series at the Canandaigua Speedway, on Walmart Night. Also earning a victory in the support division was Daryl Hilkert in the 20-lap Pro-Stock feature. The 100-lap 358-Modified race started off with a venerable cluster of top stars from the division redrawing near the top of the feature starting order to make what looked to be a highly competitive race in the making. When the green flag dropped on the 30 starters it only rook Steve Paine, who started third, one lap to pass Danny Johnson and to begin to pull away from the field. Johnson fell back to second followed by Brett Hearn, Pete Bicknell, Pat Ward and pole sitter Stewart Friesen. The super smooth racing surface allowed for three wide passing and a multitude of different groves around the fast half-mile clay oval. Hearn was able to take second from Johnson on lap 10 and begin to look at the tail of Paine's car in a distant first. The first yellow flew on lap 18 when John Lazore looped his number 19 in the second turn. Paine held off Hearn on the restart. But Hearn was now close enough to begin his relentless challenge for the lead. Hearn choose to look to the high grove as the two battled side-by-side. These two pulled out to nearly a full straight away lead over Johnson in third. Finally with lapped traffic's help, Hearn was able to make his pass stick on lap 36 and take the lead. Johnson was now battling Bicknell, Friesen, ward and his older brother Alan. Bicknell took the third spot on lap 31 as Danny began to fade back in the field. Friesen passed Bicknell for the third spot on lap 43. Bicknell's car seem to list to the left. After further inspection it was noted his left front shock had broken, slowing his efforts. The yellow came out a second time on lap 49 when Brian Weaver came to a stop high in the fourth turn. The restart gave Paine the opportunity he was looking for as he dove low in the turns to try and retake the front position. A low exit out of the second turn on lap 55 seemed to shot Paine into the lead as the field completed lap 56. On lap 64, Dale Planck slowed on the speedway to bring out the yellow for a third time. The restart saw Friesen take second from Hearn for just a lap before Hearn regained the spot. A fourth yellow, on lap 68, for debris again slowed the race. On the restart a multi-car tangle took place in the second turn after Eldon Payne Jr. spun out. Involved were Ron Cartwright Jr., Lazore and Ron White. White's Mountain Dew number 5 car was done for the night. This last yellow came just as Alan Johnson took second from Hearn. It was Canandaigua Speedway's winningest driver, Alan Johnson, turn to take a stab at Paine's lead. Unfortunately for Alan, who's car seemed to work best on long green runs, the yellow came out again on lap 82 when Chuck Hebing, who was running in the top six and Bicknell came together in the fourth turn. Hebing indignantly went to the pit area with Bicknell returning to the race still without the left front shock. Another late race yellow flew on lap 95 when Ron Cartwright Jr. came to a stop in the fourth turn. This set up a green-white- checker finish beginning on lap 98. Paine took the win followed by Alan Johnson and Hearn. Pat Ward's fourth place finish propelled him back to the top of the Turning Stone Casino Resorts points lead. Finishing fifth was Chad Brachmann. Stewart Friesen held on to sixth. Chuck Bower just beat out Todd Burley for seventh, passing him on the last lap. Bower's efforts resulted in his picking up the guaranteed starting spot for the 358-Modified Sunoco 150 at Syracuse come Super DIRT Week. Paine averaged 68.715 mph and took the win by a winning margin of .997 seconds over Johnson. The race took 43 minutes and 39 seconds to complete. Daryl Hilkert wrapped up season of frustration, winning his first pro-Stock feature of the season. On many occasions he had come so close. It was his night as he lead all 20 laps. Only one yellow slowed the race, that coming on lap four following a spin in the fourth turn by James Henry. "We have been working all year and I think we finally hit of the shock combination that helps this car handle," stated Hilkert in victory lane. Hilkert averaged 80.338 mph in winning the feature. CANANDAIGUA LEGENDS NOTE: Gary Tomkins saw his racing end on the final lap of his heat race when his Bryon Turner number 11 , let out a large plume of smoke going down the back stretch for the final time. Gary redraw spot 13, but his team was unable to complete repairs to the car...Also suffering motor problems was Todd Burley, who lost the engine on his primary car during time trials. He started a back up car in his heat race from the rear and qualified for the feature...Scott Boudinot took over the 358- Modified points lead as his primary rival for the title, Randy Chrysler was not present for the event, instead coaching his lacrosse team in season finals. The Turning Stone Casino Resorts 358-Modified Super DIRT Series headed for the Utica-Rome Speedway the next night. Racing continues at Canandaigua Speedway through September 4, the final track points night featuring extra distance events in all divisions. The track with then close for two weeks, only to reopen on Saturday September 25 for day one of the two day Finger Lakes legions Weekend. Saturday will find the 358-Modified back in action with another 100-lap Turning Stone event. Joining the action will be the Sportsman and Pro-Stocks, both in Western Region Series action. The Saturday racing starts at 3 p.m.. On Sunday, September 26 the mighty big block DIRT Modifieds will run an Advance Auto Parts Champions Challenge 100 lapper. The BOSS Street Stocks will be joining the Modifieds on that day. Racing begins on Sunday at 2 p.m. sharp. WALMART presents the TURNING STONE CASINO RESORTS 358-MODIFIED PRO-STOCKS HEAT 1: J. Henry, J. McGuigan, F. Guererri Jr., P. Hobbs, S. Fremouw, D. Smith. FEATURE (20-laps): DARYL HILKERT, Bill Hallett, Jipp Ortiz, Chad Homan, Frank Guererri Jr., Roger Chrysler, Jim McGuigan, James Henry, Bob Buono, Patrick Hobbs, Billy Brown, Scott Fremouw, Doug Smith, Matt Grubbe. DIRT MODIFIEDS TIME TRIALS: Steve Paine 18.174 (99.043 mph), Stewart Friesen 18.307, Todd Burley 18.357, Dale Planck 18.361, Pete Bicknell 18.376, Alan Johnson 18.377, Pat Ward 18.382, Vic Coffey 18.392, Chad Brachmann 18.488, Brett Hearn 18.508, Rick Richner 18.511, Curt VanPelt 18.635, John Lazore 18.653, Chuck Hebing 18.655, Ray Bliss 18.699, Sam Crogan 18.714, Danny Johnson 18.727, Dave Rauscher 18.737, Brian Weaver 18.743, Chuck Bower 18.747, Jim Mahaney 18.752, Gary Tomkins 18.845, Richie Pratt 18.889, Scott Schrader 18.962, Mike Ward 18.997, Eldon Payne Jr. 19.065, Tom Perrego 19.089, Scott Boudinot 19.177, John Pfeffer 19.278, Mike Bliss 19.353, Ron White 19.415, Rick Hoctor 19.511, Ron Cartwright Jr. 19.522, Stacy Jackson 19.570, Loren Lincoln 19.607, Brian Swarthout 19.634, Joe Kubinec 19.784, Karl Comfort 20.091, Dale Kissel 20.207, Don Slover 22.044, Ronnie Johnson NT, Justin Haers NT. HEAT 1: P. Ward, R. Richner, B. Weaver, T. Burley, R. Bliss. FEATURE (100-laps): STEVE PAINE, Alan Johnson, Brett Hearn, Pat Ward, Chad Brachmann, Stewart Friesen, Chuck Bower, Todd Burley, Ray Bliss, Pete Bicknell, Vic Coffey, Danny Johnson, Richie Pratt, Eldon Payne Jr., Rick Richner, Scott Boudinot, Mike Ward, John Pfeffer, Dave Rauscher, John Lazore, Ron Cartwright Jr., Chuck Hebing, Jim Mahaney, Ron White, Dale Planck, Brian Weaver, Curt VanPelt, Scott Schrader, Tom Perrego, Mike Bliss, DNS: Gary Tomkins. |