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Donk Breaks Victory Lane Stronghold At Canandaigua's 'Land of Legends' CANANDAIGUA, N.Y. (August 6) – Charlie Donk finally broke the incredible streak of DIRT Modified wins put down by Gary Tomkins, Steve Paine and Vic Coffey. These latter three had won every DIRT Modified main run at Canandaigua Speedway over the last year and a half with the exception of last year’s Finger Lakes 100 finale that was claimed by Brett Hearn. Donk last won at Canandaigua back on July 6, 2002. In Sportsman action, Dan Wiesner picked up his second feature win of the 2005 campaign at Canandaigua. Jipp Ortiz upped his win total in the Pro Stock division to three this year and two in the last three weeks. Mike Welch also returned to the victory circle winning the 15-lap Street Stock feature. Mike Ward was able to grab the lead in the 35-lap DIRT Modified feature at the drop of the green. Ward, who started on the outside front row, was able to hold off pole-sitter Eldon Payne Jr. until lap three. Payne shot high to the outside of the third turn and carried his momentum through the front stretch to take over the point. One lap later it was Donk taking second from Ward and charging after Payne. Before he could make a pass the yellow flew on lap seven for the first time in the race. Chad Brachmann had slowed in the fourth turn with a cut down tire. On the restart Donk grabbed the front position and took off to start building a lead, but the yellow flew again on lap 10 when Gary Tomkins slowed in the first turn. Vic Coffey looped his Sweeteners Plus number 32c in the fourth turn on the ensuing restart to cause yet another yellow. Chuck Bower now made his presence known as he passed Payne and took off after Donk, making for two number 99’s at the front of the field. Donk was able to hold off Bower, maintaining between a one to three car advantage. By lap 27, Brachmann had worked his way from the back of the pack to third and started to challenge Bower. First he tried the low side pass in the third turn, but this fell short so he moved high and darted by Bower for second on lap 28. Brachmann then set his sights on the leader but in the meantime Donk had built up a five car-length lead. That advantage was quickly erased when a yellow flew on lap 32 for Stewart Friesen, who had been running in fifth and challenging Steve Paine for fourth before spinning high off the first turn. His car had to be removed from the track and the race resumed making for a three lap dash to the checkers. Donk was up to the task and brought his car home to score his fifth Modified feature victory at Canandaigua. Brachmann held on for second followed by Coffey, Bower and current track points leader Paine to round out the top-five. Steve Doell took a commanding lead at the drop of the green in the 25-lap Paine Motorsports Sportsman feature. Doell built up a 10-car lead over Rob Bussey, Dan Wiesner and Gus Hurlburt in the early stages. The T21 of Roger Chrysler had to be black flagged on lap four for putting up too much smoke coming from under his car. On lap 15, Eric Giguere slowed on the front stretch forcing officials to throw the yellow for the first time in the race. This slowdown bunched the leaders together for the restart, which resulted in a mad scramble between the third and fourth turns. Collected in this melee were Kevin Ridley and newcomer to the track, Mark Chiddy, who later returned to the race two laps down to the leaders. Doell held on for just two more laps before Wiesner shot by on the outside to take the lead. As Wiesner negotiated the front spot, Hurlburt found himself facing the outside front stretch wall. He saved himself from a head on collision with the wall yet the contact forced him out for the remainder. He went on to show his disgust with Scott Schrader. While a double yellow on lap 20 further slowed the race, Wiesner was able to hold on to take the checkered flag ahead of front-five finishers Schrader, Bussey, Paul Guererri and Doell. The 15-lap Big Mike's Auto Repair Pro Stock main event was all Ortiz as he blasted by James Henry and took the lead on the second lap. Homan followed through, but was not able to pass Henry and settled into third. On lap six the yellow flew when Matt Grubbe and Super Stocker Andy Krall came together in the first turn. As the caution lights flashed Henry, who had fallen back to second behind Ortiz, suddenly was sent spinning down the back stretch following possible contact with Chad Homan and Daryl Hilkert. No penalty was accessed at the time for any contact. Following the slowdown Ortiz took off into the lead with Hilkert running in second. Bill Hallett made a late race charge, taking third from Homan, who immediately fought back and regained the third running position a lap later. At the finish line it was Ortiz followed by the “Four H’s” --- Hilkert, Homan, Hallett and Henry. In one of the cleanest Parts Plus Auto Stores Street Stock mains run off in a long time, only two yellows slowed the race. The first caution period arrived on lap three when Mike Minutolo laid down a line of fluid around the half mile oval. Unfortunately, Tony Pangrazio interpreted the black flag was flying for him and he pitted. He returned soonafter but was not placed back to his original fourth-place running spot. All of this was being broadcast over the one way RACEceiver radio system which Pangrazio did not seem to be running, as required as of last June 1. The only other yellow appeared on the restart when a group of front runners came together in the first turn. The 27 driven by Nick Dandino was one of the cars and it erupted into a ball of flames after contact. Safety crews were quick to the scene to control the situation and no one was injured. Adam DePuy found himself out front, passing Chris Sealy for the lead on the final restart. DePuy held off Nick Rizzo and Mike Welch, who were constantly challenging for the lead. Joining these three at the front was Wayne Ellison. On lap 13, Welch tried the high side of DePuy exiting the second turn and Ellison dove low in the third turn. DePuy seemed to have his hands too full and he spun out in the second turn on the very next lap following a three-wide dash across the line. Ellison’s race ended high in between the third and fourth turns as his car did not seem to turn left on the final lap. This allowed Welch to take the win with Rizzo, Nate Peckham, Tim Burnell and Leroy Lewis rounding out the top-five at the wire. On Thursday, August 11, Canandaigua takes center stage as host of the Advance Auto Parts Super DIRT Series for big-block Modifieds. Also on the card will be the DIRT Sportsman in a 30-lap Sunoco/Aplus SDS West Region Championship. Race time is 7 o'clock with time trials for the big-blocks starting promptly at 6:30 p.m. Gates swing open at 4:30. On Saturday, August 13 the ladies return for a special Street Stock event. They join a full four card program featuring DIRT Modified, Sportsman, Pro Stock and Street Stock action. Race is again set for 7 p.m. sharp. Canandaigua Speedway canandaiguaspeedway.com is located at the Ontario County Fairgrounds, just east of the Village of Canandaigua, the “Chosen Place” of the great Seneca Indian Nation. The DIRT MotorSports™ Advance Auto Parts Modified Series is brought to fans across the Northeast by several sponsors and partners, including series sponsors Advance Auto Parts, Dynomax Performance Exhaust, Hoosier Racing Tire and Sunoco Race Fuels. Promotional Partners include Stacker 2®, AMB i.t., RACEceiver, Zippo Lighters and F.X. Caprara Car Companies and the contingency sponsors are DART Machinery, Bicknell Racing Products, Bilstein Shocks, MSD Ignitions and Wrisco Industries. STAR HEADLIGHT & LANTERN NIGHT SUMMARY PARTS PLUS AUTO STORES STREET STOCKS HEAT 1: A. DePuy, N. Peckham, T. Pangrazio, J. Quigley, G. LaVare Jr.,. FEATURE (15-laps): MIKE WELCH, Nick Rizzo, Nat Peckham, Tim Burnell, Leroy Lewis, Tony Pangrazio, Steve Faulkner, Mike Schultz, Jesse Purden, Kevin Collins, Dan Whiteside, Blane Smith, Chris Jacobs, Wayne Ellison, Adam DePuy, Jason Quigley, Corey Hunt, Chris Sealy, Frank Burnell, Nick Dandino, Ted Sweaney, Vance Vanderwall, Mike Minutolo. BIG MIKE'S AUTO REPAIR PRO-STOCK HEAT: J. Henry, D. Hilkert, J. Ortiz, J. Rutkowski, C. Homan. FEATURE (15-laps): JIPP ORTIZ, Daryl Hilkert, Chad Homan, Bill Hallett, James Henry, John Rutkowski, Doug Smith, Andy Krall, Matt Grubbe. PAINE MOTORSPORTS SPORTSMAN HEAT 1: R. Bussey, M. Johnson, K. Ridley, M. Murphy, D. Just, J. Zemken. FEATURE (25-laps): DAN WIESNER, Scott Schrader, Rob Bussey, Paul Guererri, Steve Doell, Mike Murphy, Jessica Zemken, Dave Just, Eric Giguere, Loren Lincoln, Mark Chiddy, Justin Henderson, Scott Just, Tom Jansch, Gus Hurlburt, Kevin Ridley, Frank Wadsworth, Rick Miller, Roger Chrysler, DQed: Mike Johnson. ADVANCE AUTO PARTS DIRT MODIFIED HEAT 1: K. Comfort, C. Brachmann, M. Ward, D. Podsiadlo, C. Donk. FEATURE (35-laps): CHARLIE DONK, Chad Brachmann, Vic Coffey, Chuck Bower, Steve Paine, Justin Haers, Mike Ward, Karl Comfort, Derrick Podsiadlo, Eldon Payne Jr., John Pfeffer, Shannon Whaley, Roger Chrysler, Mike Bliss, Stewart Friesen, Gary Tomkins, Fran Hilton, Ray Bliss, Don Slover, Jeff Brownell Jr. |