Matt Sheppard Goes Two for Two at the Land of Legends in 2016
Story By:TOM SKIBINSKI /CANANDAIGUA MOTORSPORTS PARK MEDIA
Photos By:JAY FISH / RACERSGUIDE.COM
CANANDAIGUA, NY –April 24, 2016- Matt Sheppard said, “We have been tweaking this car to run better than it did last week. Randy (Kassaky) and I have been hard at work to bring back all of the former Bicknell car data I have used in the past.”
Sheppard put that information to good use, picking up his second straight feature win in a row at the “Land of legends.” Last year’s sportsman champion, Dave Marcuccilli won the 25-lap Sportsman feature passing race leader, Tyler Meeks, with just two laps remaining. Marcuccilli’s margin of victory was just .019 seconds as the two cross the finish line in a photo finish.
Chad Homan picked up his first win in the full bodied crate late models division, while Dave Ferguson won the 305 Sprint Car feature. In Street Stock/Pure Stock racing Mike Welch won the 15-lap feature and then came back to win the 12-lap New Legends Sportsman feature.
Sheppard passed pole-sitter, Gary Tomkins on the fourth lap and quickly moved into a commanding lead. He quickly caught the tail of the field and began lapping cars on lap 11.
Meanwhile back in the field Mat Williamson, Tim Fuller, Jimmy Phelps, Billy Decker and Tomkins were in a battle royal for the runner up position. With the race running green-to-checkers, Sheppard lapped half the field before the checkers flew. He averaged 84.033 mph around the fast half mile oval.
Fuller found his grove and grabbed second on lap 14 in lapped traffic. He finished a full five seconds behind Sheppard. Phelps came home in third followed by Tomkins and Decker. All 26 cars were still on the track as the checkers flew.
Kane Bristol took advantage of his feature redraw on the outside pole, to grab the lead of the Sportsman 25-lap main event as 24 sportsman cars took the green. The yellow quickly appeared when newcomer Sarah Johnson spun-out in the first turn.
On lap seven the yellow flew for another spin by Johnson. The restart saw Tyler Meeks establish his lead over the field as he was able to get by Bristol. The race had to be yellow flagged again on lap 14 when Jeff Devoli hit the second turn concrete wall. From this point on the race remained green.
As the laps wound down Marcuccilli, running second was slowly closing on Meeks as they negotiated lapped cars. With the white flag flying Marcuccilli nosed into the lead around the lapped car of Doug Rohr. Marcuccilli was then trapped behind Rohr in the first turn as Meeks sailed back into the lead. As the two leaders exited the fourth turn Marcuccilli inched to the low side and was able to grab the win by mere inches. Meeks came home in second followed by Bristol, Rob Bussey and Paul Guererri.
Chad Homan averaged 84.452 mph to claim the feature win in the new Crate Late Model division. Adam Depuy returned to the track and finished second.
Dave Ferguson averaged 92.249 mph to win the 305 Sprint Car main event. This was the first point race for this division as last week’s main event had to be called off following a wild accident involving Charlie Donk and Darryl Ruggles. Ruggles was at the track, and Donk has been released from the hospital. He will remain in a back brace for a number of weeks.
Mike Welch led all 15-laps of the Street Stock/Pure Stock feature as that race went green to checkers. He finished a whole straight away ahead of last week’s winner Marc Minutolo. Jason Doty, Ryan Shanahan) and Shawn Lloyd rounded out the top five.
Welch then came back and led all 12-laps in the New Legend Sportsman feature. Team-mate Jonathan Reid finished second followed by Ben Karlsen, Justin McKay and Brett Brown.
Canandaigua notes: Racing began fifteen minutes early due to the extremely cool temperatures. Racing was completed by 9:08 pm allowing fans to see a complete program and get out of the cold…29 Modifieds were on hand as were 26 sportsman cars.
This Saturday, April 30, will see another regular show starting at 7 pm. Points will again be up for grabs, including show-up points in the DIRTcar Modified division.
CANANDAIGUA MOTORSPORTS PARK SUMMARY (4/23/16)
CRATE LATE MODELS
HEAT : C. Homan, T.J. Downs, A. Depuy, J. Johnson, S. Pesarek.
FEATURE (15-laps): CHAD HOMAN, Adam Depuy, Steve Pesarek, Jimmy Johnson, T.J. Downs.
305 SPRINT CARS
FEATURE (15-laps): DAVE FERGUSON, Eric Karlsen, Lee Sanders, Tim Smith.
NEW LEGEND SPORTSMAN
FEATURE (12-laps): MIKE WELCH, Jonathan Reid, Ben Karlsen, Justin McKay, Brett Brown.
STREET STOCKS/ PURE STOCKS
HEAT: M. Welch, J. Doty, M. Minutolo, C. Harvey, R. Greek
FEATURE (15-laps): MIKE WELCH (SS), Marc Minutolo, Jason Doty, Ryan Shanahan (SS), Shawn Lloyd, Charles Harvey (SS), Ron Greek, DNS: Casey Wagner, Howard Johnson III, Ed Rohr
SPORTSMAN
HEAT 1: P. Guererri, K. Bristol, A. Ashcroft, A.J. Lloyd, D. Rohr, R. Hendershot.
HEAT 2: T. Meeks, K. Ridley, D. Marcuccilli, K. Comfort, K. Root, N. Guererri.
HEAT 3: J. Sweeting, R. Bussey. T. Baker, M. Guererri, J. Power, R. Newton.
FEATURE (25-laps): DAVE MARCUCCILLI, Tyler Meeks, Kane Bristol, Rob Bussey, Paul Guererri, James Sweeting, Matt Guererri, A.J. Lloyd, Kevin Root, Karl Comfort, Kevin Ridley, Nick Guererri, Ricky Newton, Adam Ashcroft, Tim Baker, Jessica Power, Ray Hendershot, Anthony Kimble, Sarah Johnson, Nathan Peckham, J.T. Sparring, Doug Rohr, Jeff Devoli, Doug Smith.
MODIFIED
HEAT 1: M. O’Brien, G. Tomkins, V. Coffey, Justin Haers, S. Kerwin, D. Wiesner.
HEAT 2: J. Phelps, M. McLaughlin, T. Fuller, P. Britten, R. Chrysler, M. Mahaney.
HEAT 3: M. Sheppard, M. Williamson, B. Decker, D. Podsiadlo, E. Rudolph, R. Arbithnot.
CONSI : A. Johnson, R. Payne Jr., B. Sage, J. Maier, S. Paine, J. Wright, G. Tegg Jr., D. Rauscher.
FEATURE (35-laps): MATT SHEPPARD, Tim Fuller, Jimmy Phelps, Gary Tomkins, Billy Decker, Mat Williamson, Vic Coffey, Justin Haers, Peter Britten, Mike O’Brien, Erick Rudolph, Dan Wiesner, Randy Chrysler, Alan Johnson, Ryan Arbithnot, Eldon Payne Jr., Derrick Podsiadlo, Max McLaughlin, Steve Paine, James Maier, Gil Tegg Jr., Mike Mahaney, Brian Sage, Justin Wright, Scott Kerwin, Dave Rauscher.
