Canandaigua Speedway '06 Season Kicks Off With Lime Rock Lid-Lifter

Canandaigua Speedway '06 Season Kicks Off With Lime Rock Lid-Lifter

Canandaigua, NY – April 10, 2006 – By Tom Skibinski, DIRT NorthEast PR Director

The long winter wait is finally over for race fans in Ontario County as Canandaigua Speedway opens for the 43^rd season of stock car racing on April 15. Lime Rock Speedway in Caledonia, N.Y. headlines the season-opening program of DIRT Modified, Sportsman and Street Stock action on Saturday. Gates open at 3 p.m. and racing begins at 5 p.m. Adult general admission tickets are $10 each, Senior Citizens $9, Students (11-18 yrs) $5 and Children (10 yrs. + under) Free.

Fans and race teams get their first glimpse of the historic Ontario Co. Fairgrounds oval when Canandaigua opens for warm-ups for all divisions on Wed., April 12 with practice slated to start at 5 p.m. General admission is free to the public starting at 3 o’clock.

On Saturday a lead-off 35-lap feature for the headline big-block DIRT Modifieds begins the charter member track's annual celebration, with 2006 marking the 30^th consecutive year of operation under the DIRT MotorSports™ banner. Vic Coffey claimed opening night honors last year and was joined in the winner's circle by Paul Guererri (Spt) and Blane Smith (Sts).

Record-setting six-time defending Canandaigua Modified champion Steve Paine will be returning aboard his familiar no. 7x TEO mount, carrying major sponsorship from Tallmadge Tire-Terrell's Potato Chips, Geneva Homes, Pabst and J&M Roofers. Paine will have to hold off touring stars Gary Tomkins, Vic Coffey and Chad Brachmann if he hopes to continue his reign as Advance Auto Parts Modified points king at the popular half-mile 'Land of Legends' speedplant. Original Pizza Logs continues to support the 358-Modified teams in competition alongside their big-block brethren.

Last summer open-wheel veteran Scott Schrader eventually outlasted round one winner Guererri to wrap-up his first Paine Motorsports Sportsman title since 1992. Schrader and Guererri will again be a frontrunners this year with a number of rookies expected to fill out the full field during the summer months.

Parts Plus Auto Stores (Expert) and JSB Graphics (Novice) will be backing the two Street Stock divisions to complete a big four-star program every Saturday night during the 2006 season. Despite posting two feature wins a year ago in one class of racing, a division-best 12 top-five finishes earned Mike Welch his third straight points crown over five-time winner Blane Smith.

Canandaigua Speedway is located on County Road10 at the Ontario County Fairgrounds, just 1-1/2-miles north of Routes 5&20, and is easily accessible from the NYS Thruway (I-90), taking Exit 43 from the west or Exit 44 from the east. Additional information can be obtained by calling 585/394-0691 on raceday or during the week by dialing General Manager Jeff Farney at the track office 315/730-4345. Log into canandaiguaspeedway.com on the internet any time for the most updated rosters, results, point standings and race reports as the season swings into high gear. 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, 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, DART Machinery, Holley HP Carburetors, Integra Shocks, MSD Ignitions, Miller Electric Manufacturing Company, Penske Shocks and Wrisco Industries.