WARD, HOWARD, DUNN AND POPE WIN FEATURES

After day-long clouds and showers all around the area, when it came time to race at Can Am Motorsports Park Saturday night, the sun came out just in time for the green flag. With Stadium International and Pennzoil Quaker State as evening sponsors, the drivers turned their attention to the all-important point battles going on in all four divisions. The DIRT 358 and Sportsman points end Labor Day weekend, so it was time to make a statement.

Pat Ward came into the show as the point leader in the 358 division in his Gypsum Express Teo Pro Car, and he all but sewed up his first Can Am track title by winning the 30-lap feature. The veteran driver from Genoa, NY started 8th on the field. It turned out to be a bad night for second and third place point chasers Jason Barney and Frankie “Flatfoot” Caprara as they were both involved in a turn two accident on the initial lap putting both cars in the pits. With points being so important, both drivers were able to secure other cars. Only problem was they were Sportsman cars and not qualified so they were sent back to the pits. Both were able to rejoin the field, but they were both laps down by then. Ward raced into the lead on the third lap with Wayne Side, Scott Parliament, Roger Phelps and Bob Bennett trailing. Danny O’Brien was back behind the wheel of his car this week and making his way to the front. The track was in great shape with a tacky smooth surface producing near record speeds. Jason Barney turned a blistering 18.8 in his heat race. In the feature, Ward was clicking off laps at 19.4. At the halfway point, the lead pack were Ward, O’Brien, Phelps, Side, Parliament, Lee Gill, Billy Wilcox, Larry Welling and Bill Gill. Wilcox was trying to get the Dealmaker Challenge money of $1900 with a win and worked his way to 5th place by the 17th lap. The last 15 laps were green flag laps and Ward was able to hold off the Pocket Rocket enroute to the win. The Hometown Hammer, Lee Gill, fresh off another Brockville win, came in third while Roger Phelps had one of his better runs of the year in fourth and Wilcox coming home 5th. Caprara came home in 16th place, while Barney was right behind in 17th, which is not what they were looking for.

Twenty-six Sportsman came out for their 20-lap feature event lead by Todd Van Tassel and Lance Willix III. It was déjŕ vu for the Sportsman as well as Starter Steve Rickett waved the green for the start and there was promptly an eight-car pile up in turn four. Two more point leaders, Tim Van Brocklin and Jason Potter, saw their nights end before they even got to the starter’s stand. When racing restarted, it was Willix assuming the early lead with teenager Jack Meeks in second and Jeff Stevenson third. Willix then fell victim to the bad luck of others when he suddenly slowed while leading with apparent motor woes handing the lead to Meeks with a fast charging Andy Howard. Outsider Chad Phelps then became the victim of a three-wide race heading into turn three and getting off the track on the 5th lap. At the same time, rain sprinkles starting falling and track officials knew they had to move the show along. Howard took the lead from Meeks on the 6th lap with Anthony Fiorentino in third, Stevenson fourth and Bill Eisele, Jr. rounding out the top five. At the halfway point of the race, it was Howard, Fiorentino, Meeks, Stevenson, Eisele, Clayton Brewer III, Jessica Zemken and Ryan Phelps up front. There was only one other caution, and it was Howard driving away from Fiorentino for the win with young Ryan Phelps, heading off to college this week, third, Brewer fourth and Meeks in fifth.

The IMCA Mods brought out 17 cars for their feature event with Bob Thurston, Jr. and Hunter Grimes as pole sitters. It didn’t take Thurston long to assume the lead with Neal Edgar, Billy Dunn, Grimes and Rick Dusckas all looking for the front. Thurston was the leader at the halfway point with Dunn, Edgar, Erv Miller, Grimes, Jeff Bannister, Jon Dumas and Dusckas the lead pack. The stage was then set for a great two-car battle between the veteran Thurston and the youngster Dunn as they raced side by side for several laps with Dunn finally taking the lead for good on the 12th lap and holding off Thurston for the win. Dunn is also heading to college this week, as he will be attending Canton College. Good luck to young Billy. Erv Miller came home a strong third with Grimes fourth and Bannister fifth. This was the first race in a long time where point leader Paul Calhoun was never a factor, as he just couldn’t get his car to its normal position at the head of the pack.

Finally, the crowd favorite Pure Stocks hit the track for their main event. Ken Hamm brought the pack to the green and quickly assumed command of the race with George Sanford in second, Travis Andrews, Dave Mannise and Mark Barker in hot pursuit. Mannise made his move on Hamm on the fifth lap to take the lead, but that lasted only two laps as Mark Barker put his 100.7 car into the lead. At the crossed flags point, the lead pack was Barker, Mannise, Andrews and Justin Mason. Mannise then had the bad luck of right rear flat putting him to the pits for a quick change. Justin Mason saw his strong run come to an end of the 12th lap when he pulled into the pits. Barker took the white flag, but it was Dave Pope who was putting the pressure on and he passed Barker to go on to record his win with Barker second, Kevin Chant third, Hamm fourth and Andrews fifth.

This Saturday night FX will mark the spot at Can Am as the F.X. Caprara Car Companies sponsor the night of racing. It will be the final point races for the 358 and Sportsman, so you know those features will be exciting. And, the Caprara family always comes up with something special for the fans on their night. So, make your plans now to be at Can Am when the gates open at five with racing at seven p.m. sharp. There is plenty of free parking on the grounds as well as a family section in the grandstands where families can enjoy the races in an alcohol and smoke-free environment.

358 Mods: PAT WARD, Danny O’Brien, Lee Gill, Roger; Phelps, Billy Wilcox, Bill Gill, Wayne Side, Tom Sears, Scott Parliament, Gus Schmidt, Todd Stewart, Dale Eggleston, Larry Welling, David Orr, Ray Zemken, Frankie Caprara, Jason Barney, David Surace, Robert Bennett, Mike Adderley, Ryan Bartlett, Heath Carney

Sportsman: ANDY HOWARD, Anthony Fiorentino, Ryan Phelps, Clayton Brewer III, Jack Meeks, Jessica Zemken, Bill Eisele, Steve Roberts, Todd Van Tassel, Matt Butler, Rick Paige, Scott MacCue, Terry Knobloch, Jim Vock, Chad Phelps, Jeff Stevenson, Rob Galloway, Larry Lamb, Jordan Bennett, Jason Potter, Peter Schroy, Adam Moore, Craig Collier, Lance Willix, Tim Van Brocklin, Rick McCready. DNS: Jason Parkhurst

IMCA: BILLY DUNN, Bob Thurston, Jr., Erv Miller, Hunter Grimes, Jeff Bannister, Jon Dumas, Rick Dusckas, Larry Bezner, Paul Calhoun, Brian Copp, Neal Edgar, Dan Odi, Lance LaLonde, Chris Taylor, Dan Hilts, Jeff Shannon, Bentley Aiken

Pure Stocks: DAVE POPE, Mark Barker, Kevin Chant, Ken Hamm, Travis Andrews, Brian Holder, Scott Castor, Don Scales, Dave Mannise, George Sanford, Kevin Duffany, Bill Gardner, Sr., Rob Simmons, George Savage, Justin Meson, Phil Desormeau, Dana Akins, Dale Snyder, Kim Mallette DNS: Charles Duffany, Pete Cross