LAFARGEVILLE — Gary Tomkins of Clifton Springs came away with his first win of the season in the Advance Auto Parts Super DIRT Series race for big-block modifieds Saturday night at Can-Am Motorsports Park.
Tomkins, the 2004 Mr. DIRTcar Super DIRT Series modified champion, hadn't won a tour race since last season, when he won three. Tomkins, who won the series tour race at Can-Am in 2004, finished second behind Tim Fuller of Watertown last season in the race at the speedway. The veteran modified driver came into the weekend in ninth place in the point standings.
Tomkins took the lead on lap 21 on a restart after Frankie Caprara of Watertown had car problems. Caprara had taken the lead on a restart on lap nine from early leader Scott Parliament.
Jimmy Phelps finished second, with Billy Decker, Dale Planck and Steve Paine rounding out the top five. Paine won the hard charger in a backup car of Jeff Brownell Jr. Paine started 31st in the feature.
Prior to Saturday night's race, Paine had won three Advance Auto Parts Super DIRT Series races at Can-Am. Tim McCreadie has two victories in the series at Can-Am, while his father, Bob, won the race in 1996. Decker's only 100-lap win in a series race at Can-Am came in 1999.
Brothers Danny and Alan Johnson and Pat and Danny O'Brien have also won the race at Can-Am. Edwards native Tim Fuller was the defending race champion. Fuller, who resides in Watertown, did not compete Saturday night as he is racing in the World of Outlaws late model tour that is competing in the South this weekend.
The modified series moves tonight to the Cornwall (Ontario) Motor Speedway, where Brett Hearn and Decker have each won the series race three times. Decker won last year's 100-lap race, and Hearn finished second.
In the SUNY Canton street stock series, Kenny Hamm won the 30-lap feature. Hamm took the lead on lap 20 from Ron Wadworth. Sid Harmer Jr. finished second and Wadworth was third.
DECKER TOPS FIELD
Decker started off the three-day Advance Auto Parts Series tour with a win Friday night at the Brewerton Speedway. It was the eighth victory in the big-block modified series and third straight this season by Decker.
Decker edged Planck across the finish line. Tomkins finished third, with Matt Sheppard and Jimmy Phelps finishing in the top five. Watertown's Billy Dunn finished 11th.
CLOCE WINS AGAIN
Tommy Cloce of Canton won his fifth late-model feature of the season Saturday night at the Adirondack International Speedway in New Bremen. Cloce took the lead on lap 29 from Bryant Trim of Morrisonville. Cloce and Trim raced side by side for 11 laps before Cloce took the lead.
Chuck Meyer finished third, with Andre Roggie and Bobby Weber finishing fourth and fifth, respectively.
Jason Dinzler won the true-stocks feature with Dave Arbes taking second followed by Joe Miller, Steve Burton and Rick Mooney finishing in the top five. Scott Shafer captured the sports-compact feature with Nate Plantz, Tom Dubach, Al Brigham and Tim Dunn rounding out the top five. Points leader David "Cooter'' Beyer of Lowville won the lite-trucks feature. Mike Bush, Levi Kirkbride, Jimmy Wood and Joe Bourgeois finished in the top five.
FULLER STOPPED BY RAIN
Fuller, a Watertown resident, was ready to start fourth in Friday's World of Outlaws late-model series race before the rain came and postponed the race at the Fayetteville (N.C.) Speedway.
Fuller had won his heat race and finished third in the time trials that were held prior to the rain. The race has been rescheduled for Oct. 7.
SPINK JOINS USAC
Watertown native James Michael Spink has been named United States Automobile Club's (USAC) director of the organization's Developmental Series. Spink, 31, will oversee more than 100 events annually.
Spink, 31, has extensive motorsports background, including directing more than 1,000 races throughout the country. Spink, who resides in Indianapolis, has spent the last eight years with 600 Racing as general manager and regional executive. He has been managing the 600 Racing Midwest market for legend cars, bandolero and thunder roadster racing.
The Immaculate Heart Central graduate is a 1999 graduate of the University of North Carolina at Charlotte with a degree in communications. Previously, Spink, worked with the 600 Racing sanctioning body INEX.
From 1999-2001, Spink served as marketing director for 600 Racing, which has headquarters in Charlotte. He also served as host for a weekly auto racing show covering 600 Racing.