WEEDSPORT - On Sunday night at Cayuga County Fair Speedway, was some of the best racing of the 2007.
Jimmy Phelps won the DIRTcar Modified 35-lap feature, Shawn Donath added another trophy in the DIRTcar Sportsman Modifieds and Nick Rizzo came back from problems the week before to take top honors in the UMP Street Stocks.
Sean Beardsley jumped out to the early lead in the Modified feature and had things well in hand, while behind him the DIRT Stars were working their way through the field in the form of Steve Paine, Jimmy Phelps and Matt Sheppard. After an early yellow, it looked like the race would go green the rest of the way.
Beardsley was driving the race of his life holding off the field. Just when everyone in attendance sensed a big upset in the making, disaster struck Beardsley. With three laps to go, Beardsley's engine started showing smoke. By the time he reached the front straightaway, the Chevy Big Block power plant exploded ending Beardsley's night.
After a few laps under yellow to clean up the oil dropped on the track from the Beardsley engine, a three-lap shootout was set up between Paine, Phelps and Sheppard. Paine maintained his lead, but he kept seeing the front end of the Phelps machine underneath him. In order to cut off Phelps' momentum Paine went to the bottom of the track in three and four.
That allowed Phelps to go to the top and outpower Paine down the front straightaway grabbing the lead for good. Paine, Sheppard and Rob Bellinger rounded out the top five.
“The car was really tight in the beginning and we slipped back a little at the start,” Phelps said. “As the track dried out the car really started to work. I was really surprised Steve (Paine) left the top open at the end for us to get by.”
The win was the fourth of the year for Phelps at the Weedsport oval. Top point runners were involved inlap-two race incidentduring the 25-lap Sportsman Modified feature. Shawn Donath, Jeremy Pitcher, Joe Williams and Mike Mahaney were all involved. Only Williams couldn't continue.
As the race restarted, Donath was able to make quick work getting to the front of the pack. Once up to second he chased down Auburn's Tim Currier driving by easily on the outside groove. From there Donath drove away from the pack picking up another win and lengthening his point lead.
“I didn't even know if we would be here tonight,” said Donath after his. “Last night we ripped the front end off of this car. The guys (crew) worked hard all day, when I got here it was all put back together. I can't thank them enough.”
On Saturday night, at Canandaigua Speedway, Steve Paine in the Terrell's Potato Chips, No.7x made quick work of the rest of the DIRTcar Modified field winning the 35-lap feature. Chuck Bower, Charlie Donk, Dave Rauscher and Chad Homan were the top five.
In other action, Paul and Nick Guererri won a pair of 25-lap DIRTcar Sportsman Modified features. Currier finished fifth and 11th in the two features.
In the full fender ranks, Eric Chapman took the Street Stox and Mike Welch won another feature in the UMP Street Stocks. Saturday night at Fulton Speedway. Jimmy Phelps inched closer to his second Modified track title. Phelps out-ran Pat Ward, Vinnie Vitale, Billy Decker and Alan Johnson to the checkers. Sixteen-year-old Jeff Isabell, Jr. won his second straight DIRTcar Sportsman feature over point leader Jeremy Pitcher.
Other winners were, Tim Sears, Jr., Gypsum Express Crates, Rusty Marsden, UMP Pro Stocks and Gary Barton won his second feature of the year in the UMP Street Stocks.
On Friday night, Brewerton Speedway hosted the Advance Auto Parts, DIRTcar Modified Super DIRT Series.
When the dust settled it was Dale Planck parking his Kyle Jacobs owned East End Auto Parts, No.77x in victory lane.
Alan Johnson, Pat Ward, Justin Haers and Tim Fuller completed the top five. Billy Decker, Jimmy Phelps, Brett Hearn, Danny Johnson and Matt Sheppard were sixth through 10th. Planck started out fast right off the trailer as he set fast time besting 38 other Modifieds. It took four heat races and two consolations and a redraw for the top 12 to set the field for the 100-lap feature.
Multi-time Brewerton track champion Alan Johnson grabbed the lead at the start of the main event and looked to run away using the low side of the speedway that has made him famous in recent years. While Planck hung around the top five in the early stages, the set up he put in the car came to life as he started picking off cars one by one. On lap-42 just shy of the halfway point, Planck used the high side to grab the lead from Johnson.
From there Planck was never really seriously tested, winning by 2.5-seconds. The win was worth $6,000.
“It's just so tough on this series, it's so competitive out here that you can be on top of the world one night and barely qualify the next,” said Planck after his win.
Planck also said that he had to move around the track to find where the car worked best. Early on he tried running the bottom but the car wouldn't stick. The car started coming in working at the top and the middle of the speedway and that was the key to victory.
Sean Beardsley jumped out to the early lead in the Modified feature and had things well in hand, while behind him the DIRT Stars were working their way through the field in the form of Steve Paine, Jimmy Phelps and Matt Sheppard. After an early yellow, it looked like the race would go green the rest of the way.
Beardsley was driving the race of his life holding off the field. Just when everyone in attendance sensed a big upset in the making, disaster struck Beardsley. With three laps to go, Beardsley's engine started showing smoke. By the time he reached the front straightaway, the Chevy Big Block power plant exploded ending Beardsley's night.
After a few laps under yellow to clean up the oil dropped on the track from the Beardsley engine, a three-lap shootout was set up between Paine, Phelps and Sheppard. Paine maintained his lead, but he kept seeing the front end of the Phelps machine underneath him. In order to cut off Phelps' momentum Paine went to the bottom of the track in three and four.
That allowed Phelps to go to the top and outpower Paine down the front straightaway grabbing the lead for good. Paine, Sheppard and Rob Bellinger rounded out the top five.
“The car was really tight in the beginning and we slipped back a little at the start,” Phelps said. “As the track dried out the car really started to work. I was really surprised Steve (Paine) left the top open at the end for us to get by.”
The win was the fourth of the year for Phelps at the Weedsport oval. Top point runners were involved inlap-two race incidentduring the 25-lap Sportsman Modified feature. Shawn Donath, Jeremy Pitcher, Joe Williams and Mike Mahaney were all involved. Only Williams couldn't continue.
As the race restarted, Donath was able to make quick work getting to the front of the pack. Once up to second he chased down Auburn's Tim Currier driving by easily on the outside groove. From there Donath drove away from the pack picking up another win and lengthening his point lead.
“I didn't even know if we would be here tonight,” said Donath after his. “Last night we ripped the front end off of this car. The guys (crew) worked hard all day, when I got here it was all put back together. I can't thank them enough.”
On Saturday night, at Canandaigua Speedway, Steve Paine in the Terrell's Potato Chips, No.7x made quick work of the rest of the DIRTcar Modified field winning the 35-lap feature. Chuck Bower, Charlie Donk, Dave Rauscher and Chad Homan were the top five.
In other action, Paul and Nick Guererri won a pair of 25-lap DIRTcar Sportsman Modified features. Currier finished fifth and 11th in the two features.
In the full fender ranks, Eric Chapman took the Street Stox and Mike Welch won another feature in the UMP Street Stocks. Saturday night at Fulton Speedway. Jimmy Phelps inched closer to his second Modified track title. Phelps out-ran Pat Ward, Vinnie Vitale, Billy Decker and Alan Johnson to the checkers. Sixteen-year-old Jeff Isabell, Jr. won his second straight DIRTcar Sportsman feature over point leader Jeremy Pitcher.
Other winners were, Tim Sears, Jr., Gypsum Express Crates, Rusty Marsden, UMP Pro Stocks and Gary Barton won his second feature of the year in the UMP Street Stocks.
On Friday night, Brewerton Speedway hosted the Advance Auto Parts, DIRTcar Modified Super DIRT Series.
When the dust settled it was Dale Planck parking his Kyle Jacobs owned East End Auto Parts, No.77x in victory lane.
Alan Johnson, Pat Ward, Justin Haers and Tim Fuller completed the top five. Billy Decker, Jimmy Phelps, Brett Hearn, Danny Johnson and Matt Sheppard were sixth through 10th. Planck started out fast right off the trailer as he set fast time besting 38 other Modifieds. It took four heat races and two consolations and a redraw for the top 12 to set the field for the 100-lap feature.
Multi-time Brewerton track champion Alan Johnson grabbed the lead at the start of the main event and looked to run away using the low side of the speedway that has made him famous in recent years. While Planck hung around the top five in the early stages, the set up he put in the car came to life as he started picking off cars one by one. On lap-42 just shy of the halfway point, Planck used the high side to grab the lead from Johnson.
From there Planck was never really seriously tested, winning by 2.5-seconds. The win was worth $6,000.
“It's just so tough on this series, it's so competitive out here that you can be on top of the world one night and barely qualify the next,” said Planck after his win.
Planck also said that he had to move around the track to find where the car worked best. Early on he tried running the bottom but the car wouldn't stick. The car started coming in working at the top and the middle of the speedway and that was the key to victory.
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