BRACHMANN EARNS FIRST DIRT MODIFIED VICTORY

CANANDAIGUA, NY...Chad Brachmann, the 2001 Mr. DIRT Sportsman Champion, completed his rise to the big blocks winning his first ever DIRT Modified feature last Saturday at the Canandaigua Speedway. Paul Guererri picked up his sixth win of the season in the Sportsman division, while James Henry (Pro- Stocks) and Mike Welch (Street Stock) won their respective full fender divisional feature races. A special ladies race saw Jill Mott return to victory lane for her second straight win.

The 35-lap DIRT Modified feature got off to a rocky start when the yellow flew on lap two as Jim Hull looped in the first turn. The restart saw leader Vince Vitale fire just too soon for starter Dave Farney to approve of, so the field was yellowed for another restart. This time the pack made it all around for a lap when Bob McCreadie spun in the third turn and was collected by a number of other cars including pre-race favorite Gary Tomkins. Both Tomkins and McCreadie were through for the night.

On the next attempt to restart the race Vitale fell victim to Brachmann, who had started the race in eighth. Brachmann took the lead on lap four following a side-by-side duel with Vitale.

The yellow flew again on lap 10 when Hull stopped in the first turn again. Following the restart only four laps had been run when Darryl Ruggles and Ron Cartwright Jr. came together on the back stretch. Ruggles was then collected by Brian Michaels, who had his car launch into an end-over-end flip down the back stretch bringing out the red flag. Michaels would later be transported for a check up at the hospital.

Following the restart Brachmann was repeatedly challenged for the lead by Steve Paine, who was using the high line around the turns. On lap 18 the yellow flew when Charlie Donk came to a stop on the back stretch. One lap later Tim McCreadie, who had been nursing a somewhat sick power plant during this event came to a smokey stop in the fourth turn.

Paine tried to repeat his attack on Brachmann, but Chuck Bower had something to say about that when, on lap 19, he ducked in between the two front cars and secured second, breaking Paine's momentum in the fast lane.

In the later stages of the race Bower also tried to pull along side of Brachmann, but Chad was not to be denied, as he took the checkered flag first. Bower came home in second followed by Paine, Vic Coffey and Matt Sheppard.

"We're happy to get this monkey off our backs, winning our first," stated Brachmann from victory lane.

The 20-lap Sportsman feature saw rookie Dale Kissel lead the opening lap of the race, only to be passed by Paul Guererri on lap two.

The first of just two yellows flew on lap six when Kissel looped in the first turn. The restart saw Guererri build a 3.0 second lead over Dan Wiesner in second.

The second yellow came on lap 15 when Rick Miller spun in the first turn.

In the end Guererri cruised home to a 3.858 second lead over Wiesner. Todd Henderson and a last lap pass on Jon Miller to take third. Miller finished fourth followed by John Pfeffer in fifth.

The 20-lap Pro-Stock feature saw only one yellow flag slow the race, lap 10, when Roger Chrysler made contact with the outside second turn wall. In the meantime Daryl Hilkert led the entire distance until lap 16, when James Henry ducked low in the second turn and completed the pass for the lead. Jipp Ortiz followed suit quickly earning second and pushing Hilkert back to third. Hilkert came home in third followed by Patrick Hobbs and Roger Chrysler in fifth.

The 15-lap Street Stock feature was riddled with cautions. Dave Marcuccilli took the early lead of the race. On lap five, just before the yellow flew, Mike Minutolo passed for the lead. Minutolo would lose the lead to Mike Welch on lap 10. The final yellow of the race flew on lap 13 when Minutolo and Blane Smith came together in the second turn setting up a two lap dash to the checkers.

Welch took the win followed by Rizzo, Daryl Barrett, Dave Marcuccilli, Darren Phippen, Eric Chapman. Chapman received the Hard Charger Award  a case of motor oil.

This Saturday the Patriot Sprint cars are in town along with a complete schedule of modified, sportsman, pro-stock and street stock racing.

CANANDAIGUA CHRYSLER-DODGE/HEP SALES NIGHT SUMMARY

STREET STOCKS

HEAT 1: D. Barrett, D. Marcuccilli, N. Rizzo, K. LaVare, J. Burba.
HEAT 2: L. Lewis, J. Whipple, B. Smith, M. Resback, N. Peckham.
HEAT 3: M. Minutolo, D. Phippen, M. Welch, M. Withey, T. Burnell.

FEATURE (15-laps): MIKE WELCH, Nick Rizzo, Daryl Barrett, Dave Marcuccilli, Darren Phippen, Eric Chapman, Mike Withey, Leroy Lewis, Don Jones, Blane Smith, Chris Jacobs, Jason Whipple, Mike Minutolo, Mike Shaw, Nat Peckham, Corey Hunt, Scott Deline, Kyle LaVare, Kevin Collins, Charles Vuhs, Mike Rasbeck, Tim Burnell, Jim Burba, Adam Depuy.

LADIES FEATURE (5-laps): JILL MOTT, Bambi Hurlburt, Gale Jones, Lorri Whipple, Ashley Barber, Lisa Carter, Judy Woodruff.

PRO-STOCKS

HEAT 1: J. Henry, C. Homan, J. Ortiz, R. Florack.
HEAT 2: D. Hilkert, R. Chrysler, F. Arden, P. Hobbs.

FEATURE (20-laps): JAMES HENRY, Jipp Ortiz, Daryl Hilkert, Patrick Hobbs, Roger Chrysler, Chad Homan, Rick Florack, Spike Smith, Billy Brown, Frank Guererri Jr., Brian Thompson, Fred Arden.

SPORTSMAN

HEAT 1: E. Payne Jr., G. Hurlburt, R. Miller, D. Kissel, A. Joy.
HEAT 2: T. Henderson, D. Park Jr., S. Joy, J. Miller, A. Pfeffer.
HEAT 3: D. Wiesner, P. Guererri, J. Pfeffer, R. VanNeil, P. LaVare.

FEATURE (20-laps): PAUL GUERERRI, Dan Wiesner, Todd Henderson, Jon Miller, John Pfeffer, Eldon Payne Jr., Dick Park Jr., Ricky VanNeil, Phil LaVare, Scott Joy, Gus Hurlburt, Rob Bussey, Taunya Lovejoy, Amy Pfeffer, Bill Englert, Dale Kissel, Frank Wadsworth, Andy Joy, Rick Miller, Bill Hardy.

MODIFIED

HEAT 1: C. Donk, V. Vitale, D. Ruggles, B. McCreadie, B. Decker, C. Hebing.
HEAT 2: G. Tomkins, T. McCreadie, C. Brachmann, C. Bower, R. Cartwright Jr., R. Bliss.
HEAT 3: K. Comfort, M. Sheppard, S. Paine, V. Coffey, S. Gray, B. Michaels.

FEATURE (35-laps): CHAD BRACHMANN, Chuck Bower, Steve Paine, Vic Coffey, Matt Sheppard, Billy Decker, Steve Gray, Vince Vitale, Mike Bliss, Randy Miller, Derrick Podsiadlo, Jim Hull, Jim Roberts, Allen Willoughby, Chuck Hebing, Ray Bliss, Tim McCreadie, Charlie Donk, Ron Cartwright Jr., Darryl Ruggles, Brian Michaels, Karl Comfort, Bob McCreadie, Gary Tomkins, Shannon Whaley.