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Paine, Henderson & Smith Pick Up Season Openers At ‘Land Of Legends’ Canandaigua, NY – April 15, 2006 – By Gary M. Spaid, Canandaigua PR Steve Paine earned his sixth season opening DIRT Modified feature victory at Canandaigua Speedway on Saturday as he took top honors in the 35-lap big-block main event. Paine also won the Ontario County Fairgrounds lid-lifter in 1989, 1998, 2000, 2001 and 2003 and the latest marked his 71st Canandaigua Modified victory. Todd Henderson, returning to the Sportsman division following a short stint in the 358-Modified division, eked out a victory in the 25-lap Sportsman season opener. Henderson also won the 1997 season opener at the popular Routes 5&20 oval. In the mixed Novice-Expert Street Stock main Blane Smith maintained his hold on opening day, making it three years in a row that he won the initial full-fender race. Charles Vohs was the first novice car across the finish line in the 15-lapper. Following their respective heat wins, Chuck Bower and Matt Sheppard made up the front row in the 35-lap DIRT Modified feature. As the green flag flew Bower shot to the lead, but as the field rocketed down the back stretch, Sheppard and Paine ducked low and powered to the front of the pack. Sheppard was able to hold his advantage for just three laps before Gary Tomkins, who grabbed second from Paine on the second lap, took command of the race on lap four. Bower again was able to move forward, passing his way up to second. He looked to make a charge at Tomkins before Sheppard start to challenge him. This took Bower’s attention away from Tomkins and put it into maintaining second. On lap nine Sheppard completed his task by retaking the runner-up position. Sheppard then used this surge to take off after Tomkins. On lap 12, Sheppard took the lead from Tomkins as they split the lapped car of Billy Brown. Tomkins again challenge Sheppard on the low side, exiting the third turn on lap 17 and this move gained Tomkins the lead for the second time. Sheppard was making a charge back at Tomkins when the first yellow flew as Chad Brachmann slid off the first turn. On the restart Shannon Whaley also slid high and off the track in the first turn. Following one additional restart, Bower lost the handle on his machine and slammed hard into the second turn cement wall nearly destroying his car in the mishap. With just ten laps remaining, Tomkins looked to have the field covered. Yet Paine seemed to find renewed power, passing Sheppard for second on lap 29. Using his knowledge of the track, Paine quickly closed the gap Tomkins had built. Paine decided to take a run at Tomkins as these two closed on the lapped cars of Brown and Robbie Grant. Paine went low and Tomkins caught the rear of Grant’s machine. This was enough to power Paine into the lead with just three laps remaining and he continued on for the victory followed by Tomkins, Sheppard, Todd Burley and Justin Haers in the top-five. “My car was struggling on restarts,” commented Paine. “I ended up working with the car to make the best of it.” As on any opening night on an early Spring track, Paine stated he had to try and stay out of the ruts that developed in the turns. In the 25-lap Sportsman main Gus Hulburt took the early race lead with Rob Bussey holding off Henderson in third. The first of just two yellow flags flew when past Sportsman track champion Paul Guererri looped his car in the third turn and was struck by Darryl Hilkert, tearing a wheel off the Guererri machine. On the ensuing restart Dan Wiesner followed the high road around Hulburt for the lead. Unfortunately for Hulburt, he spun off the track in the first turn infield grass, soonafter collecting his car and returning to the back of the field. Wiesner still held the point but Bussey seemed to be able to close the gap. On lap 19, Bussey burst into the front spot using the same high line through the fourth turn. Two laps later Wiesner drove high in the third turn and retook command of the race. As the field was exiting the fourth turn Eric Giguere changed lanes, pushing to the high side of the speedway. He collected Scott Schrader, who found himself backwards and in the front stretch wall as the yellow flew for the second time in the race. One of the strangest things then took place. For some reason Wiesner’s car came to a complete halt on the back stretch as he led the field around under caution. He was able to re-fire the car but only after the entire field had nearly passed him. A quick look to the rule book showed that Wiesner was required to maintain his position even under yellow. Therefore he was placed at the back of the field and Bussey was declared the leader. On the restart Henderson challenged Bussey for the lead and with just two laps remaining Henderson moved ahead and went on to win the race. Bussey, Kevin Ridley, Giguere and Pro Stock graduate Jipp Ortiz rounded out the top-five. The 15-lap Street Stock event included a mixture of the novice and expert classes, as separate features can only be run if there are eight or more novice cars. Smith was able to pass early race leader Adam DePuy on lap five following a daring low side pass in the third turn. On lap eight the yellow flew when Mike Minutolo slowed entering the second turn. This would prove to be the only yellow of the event as Smith went on to win his third straight season opener. He was followed by Mike Schultz, Adam DePuy, Nick Rizzo and Steve Faulkner. Charles Vohs, who finished 11th overall, was the first novice car across the finish line to earn 60 novice points. Rounding out the top novice finishers were Corey Hunt, Mike Dandino and Rob Ingerham. “Even though we had to run a mixed feature for these two divisions, separate points will still be maintained for each class,” stated track General Manager Jeff Farney. EASTER EVE: With the season opener coming on Easter Eve, a special Easter egg hunt took place for the children before the start of the racing activities. Following their special Kids’ Club ride around the track in the Speedway Bus, they were given the chance to collect colored eggs, open them up and find they had won a special prize. This event delighted all who were involved, including many happy faces on a huge group of children. Canandaigua Speedway will continue with the Spring starting time of 5 p.m. The Saturday, April 21 program will feature a complete program of DIRT Modified, Sportsman and Street Stock classes with all gates opening at 3 p.m. sharp. The adult general admission ticket price is $10. Further schedule information is available during the season by logging into canandaiguaspeedway.com or by contacting the DIRT MotorSports NE office at 315/834-6606. Canandaigua’s race day phone is 585/394-0961. 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, 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. LIME ROCK SPEEDWAY NIGHT SUMMARY NOVICE/EXPERT STREET STOCKS HEAT 1: A. DePuy, N. Rizzo, M. Minutolo, R. Lloyd, M. Dandino. FEATURE (15-laps): BLANE SMITH, Mike Schultz, Adam DePuy, Nick Rizzo, Steve Faulkner, Mike Welsh, Mike Rasbeck, Leroy Lewis, Nat Peckham, Mike Minutolo, Charles Vohs (n), Robert Lloyd, Corey Hunt (n), Mike Dandino (n), Rob Ingerham (n), George LaVare, Casey Wagner, Frank Burnell, Dennis Vanberger, Nick Dandino, Brian Lloyd, DNS -Jerry Condier (n). SPORTSMAN HEAT 1: R. Bussey, D. Hilkert, K. Ridley, E. Giguere, J. Ortiz. FEATURE (25-laps): TODD HENDERSON, Rob Bussey, Kevin Ridley, Eric Giguere, Jipp Ortiz, Dave Just, Roger Chrysler, Phil LaVare, Mark Chiddy, Gus Hulburt, James Stassburg, Jim Hull, Ricky Newton, Bob Richmond, Ed Fisher, Tim Currier, Scott Just, Dan Wiesner, Scott Schrader, Frank Wadsworth, Paul Guererri, Darryl Hilkert, Nick Guererri. DIRT MODIFIED HEAT 1: C. Bower, S. Paine, C. Brachmann, E. Payne Jr., D. Podsiadlo. FEATURE (35-laps): STEVE PAINE, Gary Tomkins, Matt Sheppard, Todd Burley, Justin Haers, Charlie Donk, Randy Chrysler, Chad Brachmann, Vic Coffey, Dave Rauscher, Sean Beardsley, Derrick Podsiadlo, Chad Homan, Shannon Whaley, Billy Brown, Robbie Grant, Eldon Payne Jr., Chuck Bower. |