TOMKINS MAKES FOR FOUR DIFFERENT WINNERS IN FOUR WEEKS

CANANDAIGUA, NY...Gary Tomkins, fresh off a win at Cayuga County the week before, simply blew the competition away last Saturday taking the win in the Auto Trader 35 at Canandaigua Speedway. Todd Henderson grabbed the victory in the DIRT Sportsman feature, his first of the year. In the Pro-Stocks Jipp Ortiz's win streak of three in a row was broken by Chad Homan following a first lap accident that eliminated Ortiz. And in the Street Stocks it was Blane Smith taking the feature win.

The 35-lap DIRT Modified feature seemed to get off to a rocky start as Vince Vitale slowed on the back stretch of the first lap, bringing out the yellow. On the restart Karl Comfort took the lead in a three way duel between himself, Darryl Ruggles and Chad Brachmann.

Comfort was able to hold of the advances of Ruggles, who tried the high side several times. Gary Tomkins, who started tenth, quickly searched out the front of the field, passing Brachmann for third on lap four. Chuck Bower took fourth as the yellow flew on lap nine when John Plumb slowed on the back chute with a broken rear suspension.

The restart saw Bower, who restarted on the outside of the second row, sail high through turns three and four to grab the lead from Comfort. The yellow flew immediately as Ron Cartwright Jr. and Jim Hull made contact in the second turn. Both were able to return to the race.

Tomkins tried the same move on Bower on the restart as Bower had used on Comfort. Tomkins's move fell short and Bower, who turned the fast time of the race, 19.304 seconds on that lap, continued the lead the field. Finally, on lap 21, Tomkins dove low exiting the second turn and passed Bower for the lead. Tomkins then quickly built a ten car advantage as lapped traffic began to spread out the front cars.

Tomkins took the win followed by Bower. Tim McCreadie, Billy Decker and Steve Paine rounded out the top five finishers.

The 20-lap Sportsman feature saw Richard Briggs take his 3B into the lead at the drop of the green. Frank Burnell and Scott Joy were battling for second when the yellow flew on lap four as Don Burke looped his car in the second turn. The restart saw Bill Englert loop in the third turn and Gus Hurlburt spin to the inside of the front stretch causing a yellow.

Through all of the restart action Todd Henderson was able to take second and set his sights on Briggs in the lead. Two more brief yellows on laps and 10 and 11 fly. On the final restart, lap 12, Henderson was able to shot low around Briggs for the lead. Briggs then lost second to Eldon Payne Jr. one lap later. Briggs continued to fall back through the final five laps to finish seventh.

At the finish line it was Henderson with the win followed by Payne Jr., Paul Guererri, Joy and Dan Wiesner.

The 20-lap Pro-Stock feature saw outside pole sitter Fred Wadsworth lose control exiting the fourth turn and spin out in front of the field. His car was slammed by Jipp Ortiz's new Chevrolet. Also gathered up in the melee were Chad Nugent, Daryl Hilkert and Frank Guererri Jr. Guererri and Hilkert were able to complete the lap, while all of the other cars showed zero laps complete.

On the restart Chad Homan took command of the race and never looked back, building a seven car advantage over returning pro- Stock star Roger Chrysler and James Henry. Chrysler dipped low and made a side-by-side run at the lead for two laps at the halfway mark, but fell back allowing Homan to continue with the lead.

With just five laps remaining the word from around the track was that Chrysler had a right rear tire going down. As Chrysler began to slow Henry caught him for second with just two lap remaining. By now Chrysler's tire began to shred and he turned pit side.

Homan took the win followed by Henry. Tiger Chapman, Fred Arden and Rick Florack rounded out the top five finishers.

The action at the front of the Street Stock 15-lapper would prove hot and heavy as four cars dueled for the command of the race. But first the race took the red flag immediately on the start as Kyle LaVare was forced into the front stretch wall slowing the entire field. LaVare needed some medical assistance to get out of his car, which had come to rest in the first turn maintenance area.

When the race restarted it was Nat Peckham at the front of the field followed by Blane Smith, Mike Welch and Leroy Lewis. These four car broke away from the rest of the field.

On lap five Mike Minutolo, for the second week in a row, barrel rolled his Camaro. This time Minutolo rolled down the back chute, emerged from the car and jumped on the roof, flexing his muscles for the fans to show he was all right.

Smith, who passed Peckham for the lead on lap three sailed home the winner followed by Welch, Peckham, Lewis and Adam Depuy.

This Saturday will be Wilbert's Buick and GM Parts night at the speedway. On track will be a complete regular show of Street Stocks, Pro-Stocks, Sportsman and Modifieds. Then in two weeks, May 24, the sprint cars return in the form of the Patriot Sprint group along with the Taney Memorial 50 for Modifieds.

Race time this Saturday will be at 7 p.m. sharp.

AUTO TRADER MAGAZINE OF ROCHESTER NIGHT SUMMARY

STREET STOCKS

HEAT 1: L. Lewis, B. Smith, M. Minutolo, S. Washburn, K. Collins.
HEAT 2: M. Welch, N. Peckham, K. LaVare, N. Rizzo, Nick Dandino.
HEAT 3: A. Depuy, C. Jacobs, V. Vanderwall, T. Burnell, J. Wilson

FEATURE (15-laps): BLANE SMITH, Mike Welch, Nathan Peckham, Leroy Lewis, Adam Depuy, Jim Burba, Chris Jacobs, Steve Washburn, Kevin Collins, Vance Vanderwall, Jason Whipple, Richard Kline, Jeremy Wilson, Mike Shaw, Mike Minutolo, Kyle LaVare, Nick Dandino, Tim Burnell, Doug Smith.

PRO-STOCK

HEAT 1: J. Ortiz, C. Homan, F. Arden, J. Underwood, F. Wadsworth, B. Thompson.
HEAT 2: F. Guererri Jr., T. Chapman, C. Nugent, R. Chrysler, R. Florack, S. Fremouw.

FEATURE (20-laps): CHAD HOMAN, James Henry, Tiger Chapman, Fred Arden, Rick Florack, Roger Chrysler, John Underwood, Scott Fremouw, Brain Thompson, Frank Guererri Jr., Daryl Hilkert, Frank Wadsworth, Chad Nugent, Jipp Ortiz.

SPORTSMAN

HEAT 1: F. Burnell, L. Lincoln, S. Joy, J. Pfeffer, W. Czymmek.
HEAT 2: T. Henderson, P. Guererri, D. Wiesner, J. Miller, A. Pfeffer.
HEAT 3: R. Briggs, R. Bussey, E. Payne Jr., G. Hurlburt, P. LaVare.

FEATURE (20-laps): TODD HENDERSON, Eldon Payne Jr., Paul Guererri, Scott Joy, Dan Wiesner, John Pfeffer, Richard Briggs, Loren Lincoln, Rob Bussey, Gus Hurlburt, Phil LaVare, Walt Chyrywalt, Taunya Lovejoy, Frank Burnell, Amy Pfeffer, Bill Englert, Steve Cheeseman, Dale Kissel, Don Burke, Wade Czymmek, Scott Mitchell, Steve Doell, Jon Miller.

MODIFIED

HEAT 1: G. Tomkins, P. Vigneri, C. Brachmann, S. Gray, R. Bliss, K. Johnson.
HEAT 2: B. Decker, B. McCreadie, V. Coffey, D. Ruggles, C. Donk, D. Podsiadlo.
HEAT 3: K. Comfort, M. Sheppard, C. Bower, T. McCreadie, S. Paine, J. Plumb.

FEATURE (35-laps): GARY TOMKINS, Chuck Bower, Tim McCreadie, Billy Decker, Steve Paine, Vic Coffey, Matt Sheppard, Steve Gray, Darryl Ruggles, Karl Comfort, Chad Brachmann, Charlie Donk, Ray Bliss, Derrick Podsiadlo, Brian Michaels, Kenny Johnson, Jim Roberts, Shannon Whaley, Allen Willoughby, Vince Vitale, Ron Cartwright Jr., Bob McCreadie, Jim Hull, John Plumb, Phil Vigneri.