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Williams, DePuy & Williams Close Out Canandaigua Campaign With Wins
Canandaigua, NY – September 15, 2022 – By Dan Kapuscinski, DIRT NorthEast PR and Promotions Coordinator & Dave Medler, DIRTcar NorthEast series Reporter
Before 2022, Joe Williams had never won a Mr. DIRTcar Sportsman Series feature. Now, the Scotia, NY driver has visited victory lane for the 4th consecutive event by taking the checkered flag in the Parts Plus ‘44’ at Canandaigua Speedway on Saturday night. Williams first career victory at the ‘Land of Legends’ helps extend his points lead in the overall Mr. DIRTcar Sportsman Series standings.
“The car has just been right,” smiled Williams in victory lane. “Tim Groski built me a great motor, and my crew just hasn’t stopped. We’re three and a half hours from home right now, but it certainly feels like home. The race just went the way it needed to go for us tonight, I’ve never had such a good car before. To win four races in a row is just unbelievable,” added Williams, who now joins Tim Hindley as the only two drivers to win four straight Mr. DIRTcar Sportsman Series events.
Adam DePuy nearly matched Williams’ success as he won his fourth Caprara Bros. Outdoor Toy Store Mr. DIRTcar Street Stock Super Series event of the season while Doug Williams copped the 15-lap Mod Lite Can-Am Challenge to officially bring the curtain down on the 2022 race season at Canandaigua Speedway.
Scott Schrader and Rob Bussey started the 44-lap main from the front row, with Schrader garnering the top spot. Schrader, who had won his heat event earlier in the night, enjoyed a healthy early lead before a multi-car incident brought out a red flag on lap 4.
Another caution on lap 6 for John Juhl and Paul Guererri set up Williams’ bid for the lead. Williams had started 5th and now found himself alongside the no. 58 of Schrader for the lap 7 restart. After leading the first 6 laps, Schrader was unable to hold off Williams off turn four as the no. 19 blasted by Schrader and into the lead.
With his competition behind him Williams clicked off several fast laps, pulling to a 10-car length advantage yet that large lead suddenly evaporated on lap 20 when Jeff Isabell Jr., in the no. 7Jr., got out of shape down the front straight and flipped end over end just below the starter’s tower. On the restart Williams led Schrader, Chris Higgins and Chris Hile to the green, but unfortunately for the competition Williams started where he left off, this time racing to a full straightaway advantage past the halfway point.
With Williams well out in front all eyes turned to the run being turned in by the no. 18H of Todd Henderson, who started the event in 22nd and broke into the top five on lap 28. The 2006 Canandaigua track champion then found his way past Higgins for third on the 41st circuit. Meanwhile Williams was running a race of his own out front as he crossed the wire winning his fourth consecutive Series event. Schrader held on for second while Henderson, Higgins and Hile rounded out the top-five.
After withstanding yellow flag fever and heavy pressure from numerous drivers, Depuy from Macedon, NY picked up the Street Stock Super Series Ferris Industries 25-lap feature victory, dedicating the win to the late Rod Comfort. "He was a good friend and he left us way to soon,” DePuy said in victory lane.
Speedway regulars Mike Welch and DePuy led the field down to starter Dave Farney’s green flag to pace the 24-car starting field. As soon as the field got up to speed the yellow flag flew on the opening lap for Dave Marcuccilli, who was then pushed to the pits by the safety crew. When the green flew once again, DePuy and Welch ran side by side around the entire speedway with DePuy gaining a slight advantage over Welch at the start finish line, Once the race reached the halfway point you could throw a blanket over the top runners of DePuy, Andy Fisk and series points leader Scott Smith. On lap 14 Smith was able to get by Fisk and set his sights on leader DePuy, actually able to pull alongside DePuy yet could never gain enough momentum exiting the turns to get by. Fisk then was getting heavy pressure from Steve Faulkner for third position. With just a handful of laps remaining, point leader Smith suddenly slowed coming out of turn two with what appeared to be a right rear flat. From there DePuy was able to open a five car-length lead and grab the win. Welch came back through the pack to finish in the runner-up spot, Steve Faulkner, Kevin Smith who was a late arrival and started at the tail of the field ran fourth with Andy Fisk taking fifth.
The ESDCA Mod Lite Series was also on hand Saturday night and provided their fair share of excitement. By the end of the 15-lap feature run it was the Williams brothers dueling for the lead, Dan piloting the no. 12 machine, took the lead from Todd Simons on lap 5 but it was brother Doug in his no. 2 that would have the last laugh.
Williams tried high and low in his no. 2 for six laps to find a way by his brother, including a daring high move out of turn two on the final lap that failed and set him back. However, as Dan approached the lapped car of Ricky Yelle, Doug managed to pinch his brother on the low side using Yelle as a pick, and sail by for the feature win off the final corner.
“The track was sick fast tonight,” exclaimed Williams in victory lane. “I kept trying to get Dan on the high side but he kept killing my momentum. If you make one mistake with him you’re done.”
Tommy Felicia and John Sliter brought the field down to the green, with Felicia getting the edge. As the field approached the first turn the no. 51 of Jeff Barker lost control of his machine and snapped into a series of violent flips. When Barker came to rest, Lisa Thomas, Ken Gamlen and Mike Virginia were also involved. Barker was shaken up in the incident, and was transported to a local hospital for precautionary measures.
When the field came back to green Felicia was still the leader, but not for long as the no. 21 of Todd Simons made a low move out of turn four to complete the 4th circuit. Simons’ lead was short lived as well, when Dan Williams stormed by on the outside on the following lap, bringing brother Doug along for the ride. The Williams brothers then battled to the line, with Doug the victor as Simons, Sliter and Felicia rounded out the final top-five.
PARTS PLUS NIGHT EVENT SUMMARY Mr. DIRTcar Sportsman Modified FEATURE (44-laps): 19-JOE WILLIAMS, 58-Scott Schrader, 18H-Todd Henderson, 19h-Chris Higgins, 5J-Chris Hile, 99-Larry Wight, 71-Mike Bowman, 08-Mark D’Ilario, 10-Tim Currier, 54-Mark Chiddy, 20x-Kevin Ridley, 2L-Loren Lincoln, 99p-Greg Panunte, 66-Dan Wiesner, 70-Brady Fultz, 4-Darryl Hilkert, 18-Earl Rudy, 777-Tyler McPherson, 2P-John Juhl, 28-Shawn Donath, 8L-Phil LaVare, 11J-Don Spatorico, 76-Rob Bussey, 7Jr-Jeff Isabell Jr., 25G-Nick Guererri, 21JJ-Jim Johnstone , 67G Eric Giguere, 7-Paul Guererri, 99$-Anthony Rizzardo, 99c-Nick Cupolo, 0-Jipp Ortiz, 14m- Rob Hile. QUALIFYING Heat Races (8 laps, top 4 finishers transferred to feature, top 2 finishers re-draw) #1: Schrader, Higgins, Lincoln, Bowman, Isabell Jr., Hilton, Juhl II, Wright, Dixon. #2: Spatorico, Wiesner, Johnstone, Cupolo, Rudy, Ortiz, Carleton, Dickins, Sweet, R. Hile #3: C. Hile, Bussey, Giguere, Panunte, Currier, Henderson, P. Guererri, Donath, McPhersib, Olmstead Jr. #4: Fultz, Wight, D’Ilario, Ridley, Chiddy, Walker, Friesen, Smith #5: N. Guererri, Williams, Rizzardo, LaVare, Flanagan, Hilkert, Juhl, Cook, Town Consolation Round (10 laps, top 3 finishers transferred to feature) #1: Currier, Ortiz, Isabell Jr., Wright, Juhl, Dickins, McPhersib, Dixon, Flanagan, Walker, Guererri, #2: Henderson, Chiddy, Rudy, Donath, Carleton, Hilkert, Hilton, Sweet, Juhl II, Olmstead Jr., Smith, Cook, Friesen.
Caprara Bros. Outdoor Toy Store Mr. DIRTcar Street Stock Super Series Race #8 – Canandaigua Speedway, September 15, 2022 Event Summary FEATURE (25-Laps) - ADAM DePUY, Mike Welch, Steve Faulkner, Kevin Smith, Andy Fisk, Mike Schultz, Phil Marsden, Nick Rizzo, Doug Smith, Todd Raabe, Scott Smith, Derek Excel, Nick Dandino, George LaVare, Blane Smith, Brian Lyons, Roger Bush, Ron Hawker, Rodney Comfort Sr, LeRoy Lewis, Kevin Collins, Chris Jacobs, Dave Marcuccilli, Mike Minutolo CAUTIONS: 7 (lap 1, lap 3, lap 8, lap 10, lap11, lap 12, lap 24) HEATS #1: Mike Welch, Steve Schultz, Steve Faulkner, Dave Marcuccilli, Rodney Comfort Sr, Mike Minutolo, Nick Dandino, Roger Bush. #2: Adam DuPuy, Ron Hawker, Derek Excel, Todd Raabe, Phil Marsden, Brian Lyons, George LaVare, LeRoy Lewis. #3: Andy Fisk, Doug Smith, Scott Smith, Blane Smith, Nick Rizzo, Kevin Collins, Chris Jacobs, Kevin Smith (DNS).
ESDCA Mod Lites FEATURE (15 laps): 2-DOUG WILLIAMS, 12w-Dan Williams, 21-Todd Simons, 71-John Sliter, 98-Tommy Felicia, 29-Lowell Zehr, 41-Michael Occhipinti, 53-Jamie Gilbert, 32-Mike Virginia, 4-Jeff Blackburn, 25-John Byrnes, 8-Kelly Skinner, 52-Ricky Yelle, 22x-Ken Gamlen, 11-Justin Crisafulli, 10-Lisa Thomas, 16-Jamie King, 51-Jeff Barker, 99-Moe Degrasse LAP LEADERS: Felicia (1-3), Simons (4), Dan Williams (5-14), Doug Williams (15) CAUTIONS: 2 (lap 4, lap 7) Red Flag on initial start for Barker Flip QUALIFYING Heat Races (6 laps) #1: Sliter, Barker, Crisafulli, Occhipinti, Degrasse, Gamlen, Herbert #2: Felicia, Simons, Doug Williams, King, Virginia, Thomas, Leslie #3: Dan Williams, Gilbert, Zehr, Byrnes, Blackburn, Skinner, Yelle
The Advance Auto Parts Super DIRTcar Series for Big-Block Modifieds 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, Rite Aid Corporation and the University of Northwestern Ohio and the contingency sponsors are Bert Transmission, Bicknell Racing Products, Bilstein Shocks, Brodix Cylinder Heads, Integra Shocks, MSD Ignitions, Miller Electric Manufacturing Company, Motorsports Safety Systems, Penske Shocks and Wrisco Industries.
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