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Billy Dunn Captures 2nd Checkers Saturday At Canandaigua Motorsports Park

Canandaigua, NY – August 18, 2012 – Dave Roberts, Canandaigua Motorsports
Park Correspondent

Billy Dunn from Watertown, N.Y. took the lead on lap 25 of the scheduled 35-lap Original Pizza Logs Big-Block Modified feature and went on to win his second of the season at Canandaigua Motorsports Park on Saturday night.

Dunn was 0.667 seconds better than second-place finisher Jimmy Phelps when the pair crossed the finish line. Dunn started 13th when the drop of the green started the race.

“We really had to work for this one,” Dunn said in victory lane. “We’ve been struggling here for the last month. Our team has been working hard to get us through this. I’m glad we were fast tonight.”

Dunn chose the top of the track as his favorite lane.

“That’s how we got the lead. It was really good up there tonight.”

Daryl Hilkert, who was celebrating his birthday on this particular night, started on the pole and went off to an early lead. When the first yellow of the night came out on lap three, Rob Bellinger was ready to take charge.

The young Dexter, N.Y. driver took the lead from Hilkert on lap four while Brian Sage held on for the second position. Hilkert fell back to third while JustIn Wright was into fourth and Dave Rauscher completed the top-five. Bellinger would hold the lead until Dunn would take over the top spot for good.

By lap seven, Dunn was showing his strength by sitting in the fifth spot. At the lap 15 mark Jimmy Phelps was into sixth, Gary Tomkins in seventh, Justin Haers in eighth and Danny Johnson in ninth. All were moving up as well. Matt Sheppard was also in the 11th spot. Sheppard, Danny Johnson and Jimmy Phelps started 16th through 18 respectively.

Dunn, however, was just too fast for the rest of the field. After taking the lead on lap 25, the field was stopped for a yellow flag on lap 30 with Phelps behind him, but Dunn was able to stabilize a lead enough to win.

Phelps held on for second followed by Danny Johnson in third. Rounding out the top five were Matt Sheppard and Gary Tomkins.

Heat race winners were Sage, Hilkert and Rauscher

In the 25-lap Safety Awareness Solutions Sportsman feature, Kevin Ridley also won his second of the season at Canandaigua Motorsports Park.

Ridley led much of the affair but was fortunate after late race leader Dave Marcuccilli had problems and had to exit to the infield off the back straight on lap 23. Ridley led from the start of the race until Marcuccilli took the lead on lap 20.

Second was Paul Guererri followed by Steve Gray. Rookie driver Frank Burnell had a good run and finished fourth while Dan Wiesner was fifth.

Heat winners were Ridley, Marcuccilli and AJ Lloyd.

In the Parts Plus Street Stock 20-lap feature, Mike Welch was the winner, beating out Russ Marsden by seven car-lengths at the start finish line. Welch was pleased with his effort.

“I think we got the set-up right in this car,” said Welch, a seven-time CMP Street Stock points champion. “The car was extremely smooth tonight.”

With Marsden running second, Blane Smith finished third followed by Nate Peckham and Chris Guererri.

The heat race was also won by Welch.

In the 15-lap Castner Performance 305 Sprint feature, David Ferguson continued his hot streak, winning his sixth of the season at Canandaigua.

“We really needed this,” said Ferguson. “Last week we had some trouble at another track and flipped over. We’ve spent a lot of midnights this week getting this car ready to go.”

Billy Jaycox was the early leader but Ferguson, who started sixth, was in the lead by lap eight and never to lose it.

Jaycox held on for second followed by Steve Doell in third. Fourth was Nick Cooper followed by Phil Peworchik Jr in fifth. The heat race win was taken by Jaycox.

In the New Legends Sportsman 15-lap feature, Roy Fifield was the winner in his first-ever time at the “Land of Legends.“ Daryl Nutting is the usual driver of the car but asked Fifield to drive it last Saturday night

“This is awesome,” said Fifield. “Daryl wanted me to come here and drive his car. I’m glad that I did. “

Second was Jeff Divoli followed by Phil Vigneri III. Rounding out the top-five was Billy Brown and Jason Scales. Fifield took the lead on lap five.

Brandon Rauscher was the heat race winner. Rauscher was also an early race leader until he fell back at the end of the race.

In the 17-lap Pure Stock main event, Vance Vanderwall won his eighth feature of the season at CMP. Vanderwall started eighth and was in the lead on lap three. Marc Minutolo, who is Vanderwall’s biggest competitor, finished second.

Third was Marc’s dad Mike Minutolo Sr. followed by Eric Chapman in fourth and Roger Bush in fifth.

Heat winners in the Pure Stock class were Marc Minutolo and Mike Minutolo.

Canandaigua Motorsports Park hosts its final show of the month on August 25, featuring a full card of Original Pizza Logs Big-Block Modified, Safety Awareness Solutions Sportsman, Parts Plus Street Stock, Pure Stock and New Legends Sportsman action. A special appearance by the Midstate Vintage Stock Car Club and 1-on-1 Spectator Races highlight Law Enforcement Recognition Nite presented by HEP Sales, Coors Light & Molson Canadian. Pit gates unlock Saturday at 4pm, grandstands open at 5pm and the first qualifying heat goes green at 7pm.

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