PETRIE TOPS CAYUGA COUNTY 200 SEASON FINAL

WEEDSPORT, NY....Zach Petrie, from Pulaski, topped a field of 39 cars to win the 200-lap Halloween Havoc enduro last Sunday at the Cayuga County Fair Speedway. The race was originally scheduled for Halloween day, however cold rains force track officials to reschedule for Sunday.

Before the start of the race, kids were invited onto the speedway surface where drivers handed out Trick or Treat candies. In the pre-race fan vote the number 121 of Bob Podolak was voted best appearing car, earning him $50 for the recognition.

The race started with Greg Large, from Cayuga, charging into the lead from his fourth starting position. Large was followed by DIRTcar sportsman driver Ben Wheeler, Petrie and Jeff Brown, from Trumansburg.

Large was able to lead for just 14 circuits before he lost the lead amid lapped traffic to Brown. Brown was being challenged by Lanson Albanese, who started last on the field, with Albanese passing for the lead on lap 20.

Unfortunately for Albanese his car suffered a left front flat tire and retired to the pits on lap 27, handing the lead over to Chris Bonaski, from Fulton. Bonaski, who had  also started at the rear of the field having arriving at the speedway just before the cars were sent onto the track, had a strong number 16b machine.

Bonaski was not able to enjoy a lead for very long as Matt Dawson, from Minetto, caught up to the leader by lap 40. Dawson was then able to make the pass for the lead, splitting lapped traffic on lap 47. Five laps later he was caught up in a spin-and-go accident, losing the lead back to Dawson.

On lap 58 the red flag was thrown when the 007, driven by Don Kennedy, from Auburn, caught fire. The fire spread from under the hood as Kennedy scrambled from the car. Safety officials were quick on the scene and were able to control the fire.

Once the race resumed Bonaski was in front of Dawson and Petrie. Bonaski led the field up until lap 61, when his hood flipped up in front of his windshield, causing him to veer into the infield to correct his problem, losing multiple laps to the leaders.

One lap later Dawson pulled pit-side handing the lead over to Petrie. Petrie stayed in the lead through the planned red flag at lap 101. Wheeler kept on plugging and would be running second at the 101 marker. A short yellow flag period, laps 80 to 82, saw another fire extinguished on the 6 Chevrolet of Nick Morgan.

The start of the second half of the race saw Petrie alone on the lead lap. Second through fifth were all one lap down; Wheeler, Jay Shenandoah, from Nedrow, Brown and Keith Hotchkiss, from Memphis.

The fastest car on the track was the 14a of Lanson Albanese, who would earn back four laps of the ten he lost in the pits earlier. Petrie played it smart not over stressing his car.  One accident during this run saw Don Briggs, from Livonia, make heavy contact with the inside cement wall in the second turn as he tried to avoid Brandon Derby exiting the pits on lap 129.

Petrie held on to take home the $2,000 first place prize and a guaranteed starting spot in next week’s $10,000 enduro at Black Rock Speedway. Brown moved back into second just after restarting the second half of the race and remained there the rest of the distance.  George Braun, from Waterloo, finish two laps down to the leader, in third. Wheeler had worked his way forward but was spun around and lost another lap in the process giving him a fourth place finish.

Look for information on the up coming 2010 racing season at Cayuga County in the near future. Plans are already in the works according to Cory Reed, the new general manager at both Cayuga County and Rolling Wheels Raceways.