WILCOX, FIORENTINO, CALHOUN, AND BAKER CLAIM HONORS
On a perfect Saturday night, Billy Wilcox, Anthony Fiorentino, Paul Calhoun and Mark Barker all celebrated victories at the Can Am Motorsports Park on Steven J. Hall Custom Builders and Gypsum Wholesalers night.
For defending 358 modified defending track champion Billy Wilcox, the season has had its ups and downs, but he put it all together in the 30-lap feature as he took to the Wilcox Lane on top of the track to make his way to the front. When Wilcox is hooked up, he heads to the high groove and goes to the front. That’s exactly what the scenario was on Saturday night. Twenty-five cars took the green flag, and it was Wayne Side out of Alex Bay putting his car out front early with Steve Hulsizer, Ryan Bartlett, Jason Barney and Bob Bennett trailing. Hulsizer assumed the lead on the fourth lap with Barney moving into second. The car on the move, though, was the FX1 of Frankie “Flatfoot” Caprara who had to start last on the field after breaking an axle in his heat. Caprara moved into the 10th spot on the 11th lap, but the action up front was tight as tight could be as the battle for third spot was a war between Pat Ward, Wilcox, Side and Gus Schmidt. When starter Steve Rickett displayed the crossed flags for the halfway point, the leaders were Hulsizer, Barney, Ward, Wilcox, Side, Lee Gill, Schmidt, Caprara, Bartlett and rookie Mike Adderley. Lee Gill was also on the move as he was looking to win the $1700 Dealmaker Back To Back Challenge money. The caution lights came on at lap 21 when Scott Parliament’s Bicknell slowed on the backstretch trying to limp into the pits. On the restart, Wilcox decided it was show time and two laps later put his F.X. Caprara Car Companies into the lead for good as he held off the hard charging Gill to claim the win with Hulsizer third, Caprara a solid fourth and Racin Jason Barney making up the top five.
It was an emotional night for the IMCA modified division. There was a special Dash for Cash put on by Rob Keller’s Insurance business that saw Bentley Aiken win. Then the feature was expanded to 20 laps for the running of the Second Annual Tyler Mason Memorial race. Young Tyler and his sister lost their lives in a house fire last year. John Mason has been a regular runner at Can Am in the IMCA class. Tyler was an avid race fan and was always at the track and certainly has been missed since his untimely death. In the feature, it was Bentley Aiken again putting his car into the lead. Chris Taylor of Watertown was making good progress to the front and took over the lead on the 6th lap. When the halfway flags were flow, the leaders were Taylor, Larry Bezner, Aiken, Paul Calhoun and Hunter Grimes. Taylor and Calhoun then waged a tremendous battle with multi-time feature winner Calhoun finally taking the lead on the 18th lap and then holding off Taylor the remaining two laps for his ninth win of the season. Brian Copp, Bezner and Grimes rounded out the top five. John Mason and his wife were in victory lane to congratulate Calhoun and also present the 8th place car, Ken Klinkowsky, with a $50 bill for his finish. The Masons gave $50 to each 8th place finisher of the night in the features as a remembrance of Tyler who would have been eight this year.
In the 20-lap Sportsman main event, it was all Anthony Fiorentino as the Watertown driver moved into the lead early and held onto it in his Carvel Ice Cream WWTI TV car. Tim Van Brocklin and his Jreck Sub racer was pressing Fiorentino early with Jason Potter, Andrew Howard and Lance Willix III all being frontrunners. Just before halfway, a couple top cars headed for the pits as teenager Ryan Phelps and point leader Matt Butler both retired for the race. With Fiorentino leading Van Brocklin, Howard, Clayton Brewer III and Jim Vock halfway, it was then time for misfortune to strike another previous feature winner as Vock slowed his car on lap 17. At the same time, Willix took his car to the pits during the caution. Racing resumed and it was Fiorentino holding off Andy Howard, Van Brocklin, Brewer and Rob Galloway for the win.
The Pure Stocks then headed to the track for their always-exciting 15-lap feature. Mark Barker put his 100.7 Camaro out front early with Dana Aikins, Dave Mannise and Travis Andrews following. The race featured a great two-car race for the lead between Barker and defending track champ Mannise who had a new power plant in his car this week. The ever-consistent Scott Castor was lurking in third just waiting for a slip by the two front runners. The caution lights came on with only two laps to go when lapped traffic brought two of the top five cars together as Travis Andrews and Darius Gamel wound up spinning into the infield. During the caution, Mannise got a flat tire. He pitted and got back into the race from the tail. When the checkered flag came out, it was Barker claiming the win with Castor second, Justin Mason third, Aikins fourth and Mannise coming back for fifth.
Make your plans now to be at Can Am this Saturday as the Empire Super Sprints return for their second visit of the season. The 358 mods will have the night off, but the DIRT Sportsman, IMCA mods and Pure Stocks will all be in action with the ESS. Gates will open at five with racing at seven p.m. sharp.
358 Mods: BILLY WILCOX, Lee Gill, Steve Hulsizer, Frankie Caprara, Jason Barney, Pat Ward, Gus Schmidt, Ryan Bartlett, Larry Welling, Wayne Side, Todd Stewart, Roger Phelps, Bill Gill, Jeff Sykes, John Ramsey, Bob Bennett, Ben Tucker, David Orr, Sandy Roberts, Greg Monica, Pat O’Brien, Mike Adderley, Scott Parliament, Rick Kroll. DNS: George McIntyre
Sportsman: ANTHONY FIORENTINO, Andy Howard, Tim Van Brocklin, Clayton Brewer III, Rob Galloway, Adam Moore, Jeff Stevenson, Jason Potter, Jack Meeks, Mike Teachout, Bill Eisele, Jr., Larry Lamb, Paul Benz, Jordan Bennett, Terry Knobloch, Steve Roberts, Brian Cannizzo, Lance Willix III, Jim Vock, Rick Paige, Matt Butler, Ryan Phelps, Scott MacCue, Todd VanTassel
IMCA: PAUL CALHOUN, Chris Taylor, Brian Copp, Larry Bezner, Hunter Grimes, Neal Edgar, Bob Thurston, Jr., Ken Klinkowsky, Jon Dumas, Rick Dusckas, Billy Dunn, Erv Miller, Jeff Bannister, Jeff Shannon, Bill Anderson, Dan Hilts, Bentley Aikins
Pure Stocks: MARK BARKER, Scott Castor, Justin Mason, Dana Aikins, Dave Manise, Kim Mallette, Travis Andrews, Bill Gardner, Sr., Phil Desormeau, Dale Snyder, Darius Gamel, Kevin Duffany, Brian Holder, George Sanford, Rob Simmons, Pete Cross, George Savage, Joe Combs, Dave Pope, Ken Hamm, Don Scales, Charles Duffany