| |
| |
2012 CMP News & Announcements |
|
|
Connect with CMP
  
|
 Canandaigua, NY – July 20, 2013 – Dave Roberts, Canandaigua Motorsports Park PR Correspondent
Gary Tomkins of Clifton Springs, NY won his second feature of the 2013 season on Saturday night at Canandaigua Motorsports Park. Tomkins has had a mixture of problems at CMP this season but had no issues on this night as he put together a powerful performance in the 35-lap Team Tiremasters Big-Blocklock Modified main.
In other action, Tyler Meeks and Wayne Ellison won career firsts while Mike Welch, Darryl Ruggles and Chris Mangarelli were repeat winners.
 Tomkins took the lead from Matt Billings on lap three and had leads of better than four seconds on several occasions. Tomkins showed his strength earlier in the night when he also won a qualifying heat race.
Dave Allen was also an early race leader along with Matt Billings.
Early in the feature Tomkins hit an implement tire off turn four at full speed yet it had no affect on him.
“I just kept my foot into it,” explained a smiling Tomkins in victory lane. “The car was awesome all night long.”
For Tomkins, it was a popular victory with the CMP crowd. It’s no secret that problems have persisted much of the season with the veteran racing star. Whether it has been a motor issue or something else, Tomkins has seemingly made the best of it.
“This is a total team effort,” Tomkins added. “I also know that we can win…we just need the funding to keep it going.”
Vince Vitale pulled into second-place on a lap 20 restart from fourth. It was another solid finish for Vitale. Third went to Jimmy Phelps followed by Steve Paine, who grabbed his second straight top-five finish. Justin Hears rounded out the top-five.
CMP Big-Block Modified points leader Matt Sheppard had problems early in the main event and finished 16th. So did points runner-up Billy Dunn, who finished 17th.
Heat race winners were Mike O’Brien, Gary Tomkins and Peter Britten. The consolation event was won by Rich Scagliotta.
In the 25-lap Safety Awareness Solutions Sportsman feature, Tyler Meeks took his first career win as he held off a vicious charge from 2013 CMP three-time winner Kevin Ridley in the last 10 laps of the race.
Meeks took the lead on lap four from then leader Jon Ellsworth. Tyler did enjoy a nice lead for several laps. When Ridley slipped into the runner-up position, Tyler had to be at his best and he was as Ridley did everything he could to get by Meeks, but to no avail.
“We had a lot of bad luck this year,” Meeks explained afterwards. “We always seem to do well in our heat races, but when it comes to the features, we seem to miss the set-up.”
Meeks knew that Ridley was going to put pressure on him once he saw him in second-place.
“Those cautions made me nervous. I saw Ridley trying to get me down low. I didn’t think that I could hold him off but I did.”
Third-place went to Dan Wiesner followed by Steve Gray and AJ Lloyd. Heat race winners were Tyler Meeks, Jon Ellsworth and Rob Bussey.
Mike Welch hit double figures when he won his tenth feature of the 2013 season at Canandaigua Motorsports Park.
Welch, of Lyons, NY, took the lead on lap five from then leader Jack Terrell. Welch would cross the finish line up the track in front of second-place finisher Adam DePuy.
DePuy and third-place finisher Jack Terrell had quite the battle for second before DePuy took the spot on lap nine.
Fourth was Steve Pesarek followed by Nate Peckham in fifth. The heat race winner was Adam DePuy.
Wayne Ellison won both the regular and re-scheduled 15-lap Pure Stock features.
In the scheduled event, Ellison took the lead on lap nine from Roger Bush as the two came off turn four . Bush, however, wouldn’t go away as he stayed with Ellison for the next couple of circuits. Ellison eventually made some room between himself and Bush as the checkered flag waved to end the night’s program.
Finishing third was Marc Minutolo while Nick Dandino was fourth and Eric Chapman was fifth.
In the held-over 15-lap Pure Stock feature from July 13, Ellison took the lead from Eric Chapman on lap seven and set the pace for the remainder of the event.
Chapman started third and led from the drop of the green until Ellison went by for the lead. Chapman held on for second followed by Nick Dandino in third. Fourth was Roger Bush followed by Marc Minutolo.
In the 20-lap Castner's Performance 305 Sprints feature, it was an emotional victory for Darryl Ruggles as he took his fifth win of the season at CMP.
Ruggles took the lead on lap 10 from Lee Sanders and had few problems for the remainder of the event.
Ruggles' daughter Alysha was involved in a Sprint Car accident earlier in the week at Canandaigua Motorsports Park and he mentioned her in victory lane.
“After Tuesday, this feels great,” said Ruggles as he recollected his thoughts. “If I could make my daughter better, I would trade all of this.”
Ruggles also thanked the track safety team and the doctors at Strong Memorial Hospital in Rochester for their first class efforts.
Finishing third was Jonathan Preston while Steve Doell Jr. was fourth. Kelly Hebing also turned in an impressive performance, taking home the fifth-place spot.
Heat race winners were Darryl Ruggles and Lee Sanders.
In the 10-lap Community Car Care of Waterloo New Legends Sportsman feature, it was quite the battle for the lead but when it was all said and done, Chris Mangiarelli won his second feature of the 2013 season.
Phil Vigneri III made a rare CMP appearance and finished second while Jason Scales, who led laps five to seven, finished third. Jon Cordovani was fourth while the winner's son Tate Mangiarelli took fifth.
The heat race winner was Chris Mangiarelli.
The oval track at Canandaigua Motorsports Park will be idle next Saturday in lieu of the 170th Ontario County Fair before ADMAR Supply and Parts Plus present another full card of auto racing on August 3. The headline Team Tiremasters Big-Block Modifieds will be joined by Safety Awareness Solutions Sportsman, Castner Performance 305 Sprint, Parts Plus Street Stock, Pure Stock and Community Car Care of Waterloo New Legends Sportsman classes, with Kids Green Machines Races adding to the show.
There will also be a rescheduled feature for the New Legends Sportsman from July 13. Pit gates unlock at 4pm, grandstands open at 5pm and the first qualifying heat goes green at 7pm.
|
|
Our Sponsors
|
|
|
