Canandaigua Speedway Loses First Show Of Season To Rain

Canandaigua, NY – April 22, 2006 – By Gary M. Spaid, Canandaigua PR

Mother Nature called a halt to racing Saturday, April 22, at Canandaigua Speedway.

“The track was extremely wet from overnight showers,” commented track General Manager Jeff Farney. “With the forecast for today standing at a 50% chance of rain continuing, we just can not afford to jeopardize our racing surface to severe Spring conditions.”

Racing will resume next Saturday, April 29, with a full program of DIRT Modified, Sportsman and Street Stock action starting at 5 p.m. Gates will open at 3 p.m.

In just two weeks the stars and wingless cars from the USAC Sprint Car division will join a complete show of Canandaigua stock car racing and invade the famed half-mile Ontario County Fairgrounds oval for the first time ever. It will be the USAC Sprint Car division’s 17^th start in the Empire State since 1956. Their last appearance in New York came in 1978 when Greg Leffler won a 40-lap feature event at the Erie County Fairgrounds in Hamburg.

Over the years USAC winners in New York have included a who’s who of open-wheel sprint car racing including A.J. Foyt, Mario Andretti, Jim Hurtubise, Mike Mosley, Sammy Sessions, Johnny Capels, Gary Bettenhausen, Bill Puterbaugh, Rollie Beale, Tommy Astone and Leffler.

The USAC Sprint division has also helped to develop the racing careers of current NASCAR stars Jeff Gordon, Tony Stewart, Ryan Newman, Kasey Kahne and J.J. Yeley. Stewart was the first driver in USAC history to win championships in all three of USAC’s three main divisions ---Midget, Sprint, Silver Crown--- in the same year.

Dave Darland currently leads in USAC Sprint Car points. Other top USAC point getters are Tracy Hines,  Josh Wise,  Levi Jones,  Jay Drake,  Jerry Coons Jr., Bryan Clauson,  Dave Steele,  Bud Kaeding and Mat Neely.

Canandaigua Speedway is located at the Ontario County Fairgrounds, just east of the village of Canandaigua. The adult regular general admission ticket price is $10. Further schedule information is available throughout the season by logging into canandaiguaspeedway.com or by contacting the DIRT MotorSports NE office at 315/834-6606.

Point standings at Canandaigua are as follows: DIRT Modified-Steve Paine 63, Gary Tomkins 59, Matt Sheppard 57, Todd  Burley 50, Justin Haers 49, Charlie Donk 46, Randy Chrysler 44, Chad Brachmann 43, Vic Coffey 40, Dave Rauscher 38. DIRT Sportsman-Todd Henderson 65, Rob Bussey 61, Kevin Ridley 53, Eric Giguere 50, Dave Just  49, Jipp Ortiz 48, Roger Chrysler 44, Gus Hulburt 43, Phil LaVare 42, Mark Chiddy 41. DIRT Expert Street Stock-Blane Smith 60, Mike Schultz 56, Adam DePuy 52, Nick Rizzo 50, Steve Faulkner 48, Mike Welsh 46, Mike Rasbeck 44, Leroy Lewis 42, Nat Peckham 40, Mike Minutolo 38. DIRT Novice Street Stock-Charles Vohs 60, Corey Hunt 56, Mike Dandino 52, Rob Ingerham 50, Casey Wagner 48.

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.