WEEDSPORT - Justin “T-bone” Haers parlayed a consolation race observation into some concrete track knowledge he utilized to capture the 35-lap HEP Supplies Empire DIRT series opener Sunday evening at The Cayuga County Fair Speedway. The win was Haers' second on the season at CCFS, having won the 2006 season opener as well.

“I watched Gary Tomkins during the (consolation) and saw there was a bit of traction low along the back stretch,” Haers said in victory lane. “There usually is a little bit of brown there, but tonight it seemed you could get a really good run off the bottom of turn two if you hit it right.”

Haers put that observation to the test, and sprang forward from his third-place starting spot on the grid to claim the runner-up

slot behind leader Butch Tittle at the drop of the green.

The race's only caution flag slowed the action on lap two for the disabled car of Roy Shields, and Haers again employed the turn two exit to race past Tittle into the lead.

Once in front, Haers' only challenge came from the lapped cars he had to negotiate as the rest of the field gave chase in vain.

“You've gotta be real patient with (lapped traffic), one wrong move and you find yourself up against the wall,” Haers said. “I kept the car low when I was free of traffic; I figured if someone was going to pass me I wanted to see them up on top.”

Nobody did pass Haers, but a good amount of jockeying for position was taking place right behind the Phelps Cement Products No. 3. Jimmy Phelps and Matt Sheppard waged a tight battle for the runner-up honor over the last five laps.

Sheppard got to the outside of Phelps on lap 33 and contact was made between the two cars. A lap later it was Phelps on the outside, fighting off Sheppard over the last circuit to claim second place.

Sheppard settled for third but expressed his displeasure over the tight racing as the two drivers made their way to the scales.

Tim Fuller held on for fourth with a deflating right rear tire that went flat about one minute after the checkered flag waved.

Alan Johnson started the race ninth, got shuffled to 12th on the lap-two restart and then slowly picked his way up to fifth place at the wire.

Vinnie Vitale Jr. was sixth, followed by Danny Johnson in seventh and Dale Planck in eighth. Billy Dunn and Pat Ward completed the top-10finishers.

Roy Bresnahan won the 20-lap We Care Organics sportsman main, passing Russ Hefti on lap 10. The win was Bresnahan's first career victory at CCFS. Hefti succumbed to Joe Williams' advances a few laps later, with Williams grabbing second at the wire and Hefti having to be content with third place.

Mike Bowman and Jim LaRock rounded out the top -ive finishers.

The sportsman feature spawned one scary incident, when both Jeremy Pitcher and Darren Forbes launched their respective cars over the third turn wall during an incident on lap 15.

Both drivers were ok and Pitcher even attempted to restart the race at the back of the pack before his mount proved less than race-ready.

Nick Rizzo, of Wolcott, won the 15-lap street stock feature, beating out Dave Mannise and Mike Minutlo.

Nate Peckham and Phil Marsden were fourth and fifth, respectively.

Craig Dingy won the 25-lap four cylinder enduro over Andy Burtless and Carl Werner.

Next Sunday The Cayuga County Fair Speedway will host the second of eight Empire DIRT Series races.

The big-block modifieds will be joined by the sportsman and the street stocks, along with the four cylinder enduros.