Pocket Rocket blasts to Can Am victory
LaFargeville, NY: It may have been a cold night, but the action on the track couldn’t have been any hotter. On Real Rock 100.7 FM, Fast Lube of Watertown, Burrville Power and Widrick Electric night, Danny O’Brien, teenager Ryan Phelps, another teenager, Billy Dunn and Mark Webb all raced their way into victory lane at the Can Am Motorsports Park on Saturday night.
With 103 cars in the pits ready to race, the qualifying races narrowed the fields down, and the first barnburner feature was the DIRT Sportsman division. The first two weeks have seen strong fields in the Sportsman, and a full field of 24 cars started their 20 lap main event. Scott Webb grabbed the early lead over two teenage second generation drivers in Kyle Wilson and Ryan Phelps with veterans Tim VanBrocklin and defending track champ Bill Plooy lurking in the top five. Webb lead at the halfway point trailed by Wilson, Phelps, VanBrocklin, Plooy, Andy Howard, Scott MacCue and Mike Amell. The caution came out for the Carvel Ice Cream/WWTI TV Troyer of Anthony Fiorentino as he made contact with the turn four wall. When racing resumed, it boiled down to a caution flag coming out on the 19th lap and a one-lap shootout for Wilson and Phelps. Wilson got the white flag first, but Phelps made a move on the backstretch to take the lead and go on to his first feature win at Can Am in his Gypsum Express racer with Kyle Wilson finishing second by 2/10ths of a second with Scott MacCue, Jim Vock and Webb making up the top five.
With the table having been set by the Sportsman, another full field of 24 DIRT 358 mods took the green flag from Starter Steve Rickett. Last week’s winner Pat Ward experienced problems with his car in his heat and came out in Jason Barney’s backup car to start scratch on the field. It was the veteran Roger Phelps taking the early lead with Dale Eggleston, Ryan Bartlett, Billy Wilcox and Danny O’Brien making up the top five. O’Brien looked to have a fast car as he was moving to the front and worked his way up to third when the caution came out for the Dealmaker Auto Group/Channel 50 Teo of Bill Gill who slowed and headed for the pits. Phelps managed to hold the lead for the first ten laps, but then it was the defending track champ Bill Wilcox putting his car into the lead on the 11th lap when another caution came out. On the restart, young Ryan Bartlett looped his car in turn two in front of most of the field in doing a 360, but everybody managed to avoid the young driver. On the 13th lap, the Pocket Rocket blasted his way into the lead with Phelps heading to the pits done for the night. At the halfway point, it was O’Brien, Wilcox, Frankie Caprara, Lee Bill, Pierre Dagenais, Steve Hulsizer, Jason Barney, and Scott Parliament as the lead pack. Another alarm went out as Lee Gill took the lead on the 21st lap. He and O’Brien then staged a great side-by-side race with Caprara looking stronger as the race wore on. Gill took the white flag, but like the Sportsman race the Pocket Rocket turned on the power on the backstretch and held on for the win with the Hometown Hammer second, Flatfoot Caprara third, Jason Barney with another strong run and Pierre Dagenais rounding out the top five. O’Brien thus becomes eligible for the Dealmaker Back To Back Challenge next week of $4300 in addition to $1500 for a win.
Next out came the ever-popular Pure Stocks. Twenty-one answered the call for their 15-lap race. On the second lap, Dave Mannise brought out the first caution as the track champ wound up on the hook heading to the pits. Six laps later, the red flag came out for a show-stopping flip in turn two by Phil Desormeau as he came upon a slowing car and hit it sending him up and over. Phil climbed out okay, but his car suffered heavy damage. The race went green the rest of the way and Mark Webb came home first to claim his first win of the season followed by the consistent Scott Castor, Jeff Shannon, Darius Gamel and Steve Gilmore.
The final feature of the evening was the IMCA modifieds. Only 13 of the 16 present were able to make the feature, but it was still an exciting race as it was youth versus experience as high school senior Billy Dunn took the lead on lap three and managed to hold off long-time veteran and track champ Larry Bezner to record his first win this season with Rob Keller coming home third, Bill Anderson fourth and rookie Jon Dumas fifth.
Racing action swings back into action this Saturday night on Renzi Brothers and Wratten’s Trailer Sales night. Gates open at five and racing gets the green at seven p.m. There is plenty of free parking available. For further information, the track phone is 315-658-4431, or you can log onto the track website at www.can-amspeedway.com for the latest results, points, schedule and more. Come on out and see if Danny O’Brien can win the modified feature and take home $5800 in the process.
358 Mods: DANNY O’BRIEN, Lee Gill, Frankie Caprara, Jason Barney, Pierre Dagenais, Gus Schmidt, Pa Ward, Steve Hulsizer, Mike Adderley, Willy Decker, Scott Parliament, Jeff Kotary, Ryan Bartlett, Larry Welling, Ben Tucker, Dale Eggleston, Mike Prentice, Delbert Legrow, John Ramsey, Bill Gill, Bob Bennett, Jeff Sykes, Bill Wilcox, Roger Phelps. DNQ: Todd Stewart, Steve Bilow, George McIntyre, Dave Surace, Greg Monica, Mike Ward, Steve Roberts.
Sportsman: RYAN PHELPS, Kyle Wilson, Scott MacCue, Jim Vock, Scott Webb, Andy Howard, Tim VanBrocklin, Matt Butler, Bill Plooy, Clayton Brewer III, Rob Galloway, Mike Amell, Adam Moore, Steve Rookey, Jack Meeks, Ricky Paige, Jason Potter, Kyle Dingwall, Lance Willix, Anthony Fiorentino, Jeff Hunter, Bill Eisele, Fran Briant, Mike Teachout. DNQ: Rick McCready, Rick Amo, Todd VanTassel, Jordan Bennett.
IMCA Mods: BILLY DUNN, Larry Bezner, Rob Keller, Bill Anderson, John Dumas, Paul Calhoun, Rick Duskas, Chris Taylor, Brian Copp, Erv Miller, Lance LaLonde, Dan Hilts, Jake Rabetoy. DNS: Jerry Fobare, John Mason, Hunter Grimes.
Pure Stocks: MARK WEBB, Scott Castor, Jeff Shannon, Darius Gamel, Steve Gilmore, Travis Andrews, Jason Gilmore, Rob Simmons, Ken Hamm, Dave Pope, Mike Cousins, Don Scales, Dave Mannise, Justin Mason, Charles Duffany, George Sanford, Phil Desormeau, Shane Ray, Pete Cross, Mark Barker, Kim Mallette. DNS: Bob Thurston, Jr., Keith Rabetoy, Les Sanford, Brian Holder, Ed Rogers.