Barney spoils Hulsizer’s bid for $4700 at Can Am

LaFargeville, NY: On another beautiful night for racing at the Can Am Motorsports Park, two new faces and two previous winners found their way into victory lane on Saturday night. Sponsors for the night, Thomas Trash Service and Sherwin Williams Paints and Peg’s Painting saw an action packed evening of racing as Jason Barney won the DIRT 358 feature, young Jason Potter won his first ever Can Am Sportsman feature, while Rob Keller won for the second week in a row in IMCA mods and the veteran Dave Mannise won again in Pure Stock action.

The 358 feature was highly anticipated as Brewerton’s Steve Hulsizer was trying to become the first winner of the Dealmaker Auto Group Back To Back Challenge, which stood at $4700. Hulsizer started 17th in the 24-car field, so he knew his work was cut out for him. Pole sitters Todd Stewart and George “Boomer” McIntyre both took turns with the lead in the early going with Roger Phelps, Gus Schmidt, Larry Welling and John Ramsey in hot pursuit. Also on the move was the Gypsum Express Teo of Pat Ward making his charge from 14th place, but found himself bringing out a yellow on the 11th lap when he spun to the infield on the front stretch. On the restart, McIntyre went high too high coming out of four losing the lead to Stewart. Willy Decker brought out a quick caution two laps later losing a front wheel off of his 1X. Racing resumed and at the halfway point the lead pack was Stewart, Schmidt, Barney, Hulsizer, Phelps, Danny O’Brien, Lee Gill and Bill Gill. With Barney closing fast on Stewart, the young Constantia, NY driver put his Stadium International Teo out front on lap 20 with Hulsizer taking over second spot a couple laps later setting up the battle royal. A couple more late cautions set up a shootout for the finish and gave Hulsizer the shot at all the loot, but it was Barney able to hold off the determined Hulsizer for the win making Barney the 5th different winner in five weeks. Hulsizer was able to salvage a second place finish with Gus Schmidt a strong third with the Gill cousins, Lee and Bill, rounding out the top five respectively.

The IMCA mods sent 17 cars out for their 15-lap feature event with Watertown’s Erv Miller putting his sharp number 23&1/2 out front early. The car on the move, though, was last week’s winner, Rob Keller from Baldwinsville, as he started 10th on the field and was charging to the front putting him in third spot by the 6th lap trailing Miller and Ken Klinkowsky. At the crossed-flags of starter Steve Rickett, the leader was Miller followed by Keller, Klinknowsky, Rick Dusckas, Larry Bezner, Jeff Bannister, Billy Dunn and Paul Calhoun. Keller made his move on Miller on the ninth lap and wrestled the lead away and never looked back enroute to his second straight feature win at Can Am with Miller, Bezner, Dusckas and Calhoun making up the top five.

The Sportsman division continued to see a great car count (31) and 24 of them were lead to the green by rookie Mike Teachout and Anthony Fiorentino with Fiorentino putting his Carvel Ice Cream/WWTI channel 50 car out front early. Young Teachout found out the hard way about “racing deals” as he had a little help in spinning in turn two for the first yellow. Another young driver who gets stronger each week out, Jason Potter, was on his way to the front and overtook Fiorentino for the lead and at the halfway point of the race the leaders were Potter and then a torrid battle for second between Fiorentino, Adam Moore, and 17-year old Ryan Phelps. Potter was able to distance himself from the battle for second; so all eyes were on the three-car war being waged for second with Jim Vock then adding himself to the fight for second. At the checkers, it was Potter claiming his first ever Can Am feature win followed across the line by Adam Moore, Fiorentino, Ryan Phelps and Jim Vock.

Last out came the always entertaining and exciting Pure Stocks. These guys and gals surely don’t race for the money, but for the fun of being on the racetrack in racing competition. As usual, there was plenty of action and even a four-wide one time going into turn one that had fans gasping. Rick Trexler from Vernon, Scott Castor from Adams Center and Justin Mason were all battling for the lead, but once again the question was: what lap would Dave Mannise take the lead this week. That question was answered on the 11th lap when the Fulton ace put his car out front enroute to another win with Scott Castor second, Rick Trexler third, Bobby Thurston, Jr. fourth and Justin Mason fifth.

This week’s racing action will find A. J. Missert distributing as the night’s sponsor with cold Coor’s and Coor’s Light the featured beverage. The gates open at five with racing at seven p.m. sharp.

358 Mods: JASON BARNEY, Steve Hulsizer, Gus Schmidt, Lee Gill, Bill Gill, Pat Ward, Todd Stewart, Danny O’Brien, Billy Wilcox, Roger Phelps, Frankie Caprara, Larry Welling, Jr., Pierre Dagenais, Mike Prentice, Mike Adderley, Mike Ward, Kevin Battelle, John Ramsey, Ryan Bartlett, Scott Parliament, Jeff Kotary, George McIntyre, Steve Roberts, Willy Decker. DNQ: Dale Eggleston, David Orr, Bob Bennett, Dave Surace.

Sportsman: JASON POTTER, Adam Moore, Anthony Fiorentino, Ryan Phelps, Jim Vock, Tim VanBrocklin, Lance Willix, Andy Howard, Matt Butler, Scott MacCue, Scott Joy, Bill Plooy, Clayton Brewer, Scott Webb, Jeff Stevenson, Mike Teachout, Mike Amell, Jack Meeks, Steve Rookey, Rob Galloway, Craig Collier, Kyle Wilson, Fran Briant, Jordan Bennett. DNQ: Rick McCready, Bill Eisele, Jeff Hunter, Brian Cannizzo, Rick Paige, Larry Lamb, Steve Roberts, Jr.

IMCA: ROB KELLER, Erv Miller, Larry Bezner, Rick Dusckas, Paul Calhoun, Billy Dunn, Jeff Bannister, Bill Anderson, Chris Taylor, Brian Copp, Hunter Grimes, John Mason, Jerry Fobare, Jon Dumas, Ken Klinkowsky, Jeff Shannon, Lance LaLonde

Pure Stocks: DAVE MANNISE, Scott Castor, Rick Trexler, Bob Thurston, Jr., Justin Mason, Mark Webb, Travis Andrews, Kevin Duffany, Rob Simmons, Kim Mallette, Mark Barker, Steve Gilmore, Mike Cousins, George Sanford, Jason Gilmore, Brian Hutton, Dave Pope, Ed Rogers, Ken Hamm, Darius Gamel, Dana Aikins, Charles Duffany, Pete Cross. DNS: Les Sanford