esults from Can Am Speedway on May 26, 2001

This season twenty-One Year old “Racing” Jason Barney of Constantia gave up his regular Saturday night racing venue at Fulton Speedway to take his Stadium International Trucks / Pit Stop Convenience Stores No. 87 DIRT Modified to John and Laura Wight’s Can-Am Motorsports Park, Ltd. in order to support his sponsors who had just opened a new branch barely 10 miles from the LaFargeville oval. Barney, a former DIRT Sportsman standout, who up to last Saturday night had only scored one other DIRT sanctioned 358 win, was not unfamiliar with track having a previous best finish last summer of a fourth place in the 100-lap Sunoco Race Fuels 358-Modified Super DIRT Series event. Building on that success Jason had put together a string of solid top five finishes this season which allowed him to be only 14 markers behind current point leader Billy Wilcox in the point chase going into last Saturday night’s action. On Saturday Jason lined up 11th on the starting grid and promptly wasted no time in “motorvating” to the front, taking over command from pole sitter Lansing Petzoldt well before the half way mark. Once on the point Barney was able to open up a commanding lead on last week’s winner Frankie Caprara and Wilcox who by the two thirds point of the race had moved into second and third respectively. Having won the previous week Caprara had extra incentive as the Deal Maker Auto Group, a competitor to his family’s own multi-franchised auto stores, had put up bonus money to any driver who could win two straight features and this week the bonus was worth an extra $900.00. With two laps to go the race’s final caution came out placing Caprara and Wilcox on Jason’s back bumper for the restart. When racing resumed Barney was able to get a jump on his two competitors and with only two laps remaining they were not able to move close enough to mount a challenge. When the checkered came down Jason scored his first Can Am win and his second ever DIRT 358 modified victory.

In the DIRT Sportsman main it proved to be a jinx to be up front early in the race. Early pacesetter Tim Van Brocklin looked like the man to beat as he jumped from his front row starting spot to lead the early going. During a lap five restart Tim’s right rear tire went flat causing him to go pit side and giving the lead to series rookie, George Sanford. George was only able to hold the top spot for a few more circuits when mechanical gremlins also caused him pull into the infield and out of the race. It was then Anthony Fiorentino’s turn to take over the top spot. Meanwhile previous winner Bill Plooy and Lance Willix were starting to make their presences felt. Starting deep in the field both drivers were able to move into the top five by the race’s half way point. But by the time Anthony was able to open up a commanding lead. Like the 358 feature the sportsman main also had a late race caution period. Nonetheless Fiorentino was able to once again open up some daylight on Plooy to move under Steve Rickett’s checkered flag without challenge.

The IMCA feature saw the evening’s worst accident as driver Erv Miller got tangled up with another car and did a short series of end over end flips. Fortunately Erv emerged from the car uninjured. A few laps later another ageless veteran, Doug “Ox” Carlyle, spun trying to avoid another car in turn four and was himself tagged by still another car, with Doug’s car becoming so damaged that he had to retire from the night’s racing. Rob Keller also looked stout in the race only to also drop out with mechanical woes while running in the top three. Meanwhile Neal Edgar, who had taken over the top spot on lap seven from Ken Klinkowsky, had put some distance between him and the rest of the field when another ageless veteran Larry Bezner moved into second and started to run him down. By lap 15 Larry found him self right on Neal’s back bumper and on lap 18 he was able to move around him and into the top spot. From there it was Bezner’s race as he easily moved into victory lane.

Dave Mannise once again showed a dominating performance as he claimed his third consecutive win in the Pure Stock Class. Moving from his 15 place starting position Mannise was in the runner-up slot with only three laps remaining and it looked like the fifteen car length lead that Henry Chant had built up would be too much to overcome with less than a handful of laps remaining. As had happened in both the 358 and Sportsman features a late race caution came out that allowed Mannise to make up the difference. When racing resumed Chant was able to hold off Mannise’s challenge. But on the final circuit, as they moved through turns one and two, Mannise was able to move to the outside of Chant. The duo then raced side by side down the back stretch and into the third turn when, as fate would have it, Chant’s right rear tire went flat causing him to loose control and spin out, giving Mannise the victory.

This Saturday night Roberts Automotive Sales and Service, Sonny’s Florist, Sherwin Williams and Peg’s Painting will be sponsoring the evening’s activities. The pit gate opens at 4:00 PM, the stands at 5:00 PM with racing action beginning promptly at 7:00 PM. There is free parking and camping on the grounds. For further information you can contact the track at 315-658-4431 or visit the track’s web site at www.can-amspeedway.com for updates on news and the weather.