WEEDSPORT - Race fans at Cayuga County Fair Speedway might have had to wait an extra week for the season opener but it was worth the wait. Sunny conditions, a large crowd and a pit full of cars made for an exciting Sunday evening of racing.
Jill Connor / The Citizen
Steve Planck, in the 77x car, is nudged by Jeff Stevenson between turn one and two during the Sportsman DIRTcar feature race Sunday at the Cayuga County Fair Speedway.
Steve Planck, in the 77x car, is nudged by Jeff Stevenson between turn one and two during the Sportsman DIRTcar feature race Sunday at the Cayuga County Fair Speedway.
Matt Sheppard, of Waterloo, driving the Advance Lubrication Specialties No. 9s out-dueled fellow Waterloo resident, Steve Pain, to claim the $1,500 winner's share in the Big Block Modifieds 35-lap main.
“I can't thank Jeff (Brownell) enough for putting me in this car,” Sheppard said. “It was a great way to end the weekend.”
Sheppard had a third-place finish at Brewerton and a second at Canandaigua Speedway before the win Sunday.
Steve Paine and Canadian Pat O'Brien led the 24-car field down to the first green flag of 2008 with Paine jumping out to an early lead. Right from the start Sheppard, using the outside groove, moved from his sixth starting spot to second and then set sail for Paine. Paine and Sheppard would then run side-by-side and nose-to-tail with Sheppard grabbing the top spot on lap seven.
As the laps clicked off the scoreboard, the top duo was able to distance themselves from third place running and defending track champion, Jimmy Phelps out of Baldwinsville.
Some quick yellows would bunch the pack up with the same result on each restart with Sheppard and Paine pulling away. Over the last 10 laps, Paine tried to use lapped traffic to reel Sheppard in and grab the victory. Sheppard was not to be denied going first under the checkers. Steve Paine, Jimmy Phelps, Billy Dunn and Pat O'Brien completed the top five.
Kevin Ridley, after an early race battle with Tom Juhl, was able to grab the lead on lap 14 and looked to be cruising to the 25-lap win in the Sportsman Modifieds. A late race charge by Auburn's Tim Currier had the crowd cheering as Currier was able to pull alongside Ridley but came up short at the finish settling for second.
Tom Juhl, defending track champ Jeremy Pitcher and Jim Hull were the top five.
“The car was sticking on the bottom, and when (Juhl) slipped up we were able to get by,” said Ridley.
The win was his first ever at Cayuga County.
In the UMP Street Stocks, Jim Wallace and Nick Rizzo were having a battle royal for the win. With three laps to go the two leaders tangled in turns three and four, with both cars spinning out and heading to the pits. Steve Woodworth inherited the lead and the win.
The last event of the night was the 25-lap BattleKarz feature. Nick Werner took first-place money over Dave Nagldinger.
DIRTcar Big Block Modifieds-Gater Online 35
1. 9s - Matt Sheppard
2. 121 - Steve Paine
3. 99J - Jimmy Phelps
4. 49 - Billy Dunn
5. 6 - Pat O'Brien
6. 14J - Alan Johnson
7. FX1 - Frankie Caprara
8. 3 - Justin Haers
9. 88 - Steve Hulsizer
10. 93 - Ryan Bartlett
11. 29 - Jeff Brownell Jr.
12. 91 - Chad Homan
13. 1a - Brian Weaver
14. 99L - Larry Wight
15. 18 - Sean Beardsley
16. 16 - Mike Bowman
17. 8 - Rob Bellinger
18. 7G - Paul Guererri
19. 21 - Derrick Podsiadlo
20. 09 - Kyle Lewis
21. 7J - Jeff Isabell
22. 5 - Jason Potter
23. 99 - Ryan Phelps
24. 44 - Shannon Whaley
“I can't thank Jeff (Brownell) enough for putting me in this car,” Sheppard said. “It was a great way to end the weekend.”
Sheppard had a third-place finish at Brewerton and a second at Canandaigua Speedway before the win Sunday.
Steve Paine and Canadian Pat O'Brien led the 24-car field down to the first green flag of 2008 with Paine jumping out to an early lead. Right from the start Sheppard, using the outside groove, moved from his sixth starting spot to second and then set sail for Paine. Paine and Sheppard would then run side-by-side and nose-to-tail with Sheppard grabbing the top spot on lap seven.
As the laps clicked off the scoreboard, the top duo was able to distance themselves from third place running and defending track champion, Jimmy Phelps out of Baldwinsville.
Some quick yellows would bunch the pack up with the same result on each restart with Sheppard and Paine pulling away. Over the last 10 laps, Paine tried to use lapped traffic to reel Sheppard in and grab the victory. Sheppard was not to be denied going first under the checkers. Steve Paine, Jimmy Phelps, Billy Dunn and Pat O'Brien completed the top five.
Kevin Ridley, after an early race battle with Tom Juhl, was able to grab the lead on lap 14 and looked to be cruising to the 25-lap win in the Sportsman Modifieds. A late race charge by Auburn's Tim Currier had the crowd cheering as Currier was able to pull alongside Ridley but came up short at the finish settling for second.
Tom Juhl, defending track champ Jeremy Pitcher and Jim Hull were the top five.
“The car was sticking on the bottom, and when (Juhl) slipped up we were able to get by,” said Ridley.
The win was his first ever at Cayuga County.
In the UMP Street Stocks, Jim Wallace and Nick Rizzo were having a battle royal for the win. With three laps to go the two leaders tangled in turns three and four, with both cars spinning out and heading to the pits. Steve Woodworth inherited the lead and the win.
The last event of the night was the 25-lap BattleKarz feature. Nick Werner took first-place money over Dave Nagldinger.
DIRTcar Big Block Modifieds-Gater Online 35
1. 9s - Matt Sheppard
2. 121 - Steve Paine
3. 99J - Jimmy Phelps
4. 49 - Billy Dunn
5. 6 - Pat O'Brien
6. 14J - Alan Johnson
7. FX1 - Frankie Caprara
8. 3 - Justin Haers
9. 88 - Steve Hulsizer
10. 93 - Ryan Bartlett
11. 29 - Jeff Brownell Jr.
12. 91 - Chad Homan
13. 1a - Brian Weaver
14. 99L - Larry Wight
15. 18 - Sean Beardsley
16. 16 - Mike Bowman
17. 8 - Rob Bellinger
18. 7G - Paul Guererri
19. 21 - Derrick Podsiadlo
20. 09 - Kyle Lewis
21. 7J - Jeff Isabell
22. 5 - Jason Potter
23. 99 - Ryan Phelps
24. 44 - Shannon Whaley
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