Can Am Motorsports Park results for Sat., June 2nd, 2001
It was another Saturday night of great dirt track racing at the Can Am Motorsports Park. Although the weather was cloudy and threatening, the action on the track was once again exciting and very competitive for sponsors Roberts Automotive, Sonny’s Florist, Sherwin Williams Paint and Peg’s Painting.
The Sportsman division has been one of the divisions that has seen great racing
this season. Tonight saw the fifth different winner in five nights of racing as Watertown
racer Dave Surace, who has been knocking on the door all season, finally burst
through enroute to the win. Twenty-three Sportsman took the green flag from Starter
Steve Rickett with Ogdensburg’s Jody Spooner and Kingston, Ontario’s Doug Matthews
starting from the poles. Spooner held the early lead, but saw his night end early
with suspension problems on the 7th lap. The lead was now held by George Sanford, but
the car on the move was teenager Ryan Phelps in his Gypsum Express #99 in his best run
of the season going to the front picking off cars lap by lap. While Sanford was
the leader at the halfway point over Surace, Phelps, Bill Plooy and Scott MacCue, it was
going to be a shootout to the checkers. Sanford’s strong run came to a disappointing end
on the 12th lap when he looped his car in turn two. On the restart, Surace made his move
charged to the lead, which he held until the checkers. Following Surace across the line
Were Phelps, Plooy, MacCue and Andrew Howard.
It was now the DIRT 358’s turn to rumble. Twenty-four cars answered the call
for the 30 lap feature. Young Jason Barney was trying to become the first driver to win
the Dealmaker Auto Group’s Back To Back Challenge, which this night stood at $1100.
Barney started 16th in the field. On the poles were Lans Petzoldt and the Edwards
Express, Doug Fuller. Roger Phelps, in his Teo Pro Car Gypsum Express, took the lead
On the second lap and the early laps saw a tremendous battle between Phelps, Petzoldt, Ryan Bartlett and Lee Gill with Racin Jason storming to the front. By the third lap, Barney had already moved into 7th place and was looking for more. One lap later he was in third, but then disaster struck as mechanical woes forced Barney to the pits. The bonus looked to be increasing now. The battle on the track was incredible as Phelps and Petzoldt were going at it with Steve Hulsizer now entering the picture as a contender and they were going two and three wide in a great race for the lead that had the fans on their feet screaming their favorite on. Halfway, the leader board was Phelps, Petzoldt, Hulsizer, Boomer McIntyre, Danny O’Brien, who came from his 14th starting spot, Frankie “Flatfoot” Caprara, Lee Gill, Billy Wilcox, Steve Roberts and Ben Tucker. The battle raged in front with Phelps and McIntyre now battling for the lead, but the car coming was the Pocket Rocket, Danny O’Brien, who took over the lead on the 23rd lap and was able to hold on in a close finish over Roger Phelps, with his best finish of the season, Steve Hulsizer with another strong run, point leader Billy Wilcox climbing up to 4th, McIntyre, Caprara, Roberts, Lee Gill, Petzoldt and Ben Tucker making up the top ten at the finish.
The IMCA modifieds were next to run their feature. A 19-car field, which is the best starting field for a regular show ever, took the green. Erv Miller, back from his nasty flip of last week, quickly moved to the front to take the lead. Kevin Battelle started 10th on the field and just cut through the field like a hot knife in butter to take second place by the 5th lap. Young Mike Adderly was having another strong run and was battling both Miller and Battelle for the lead. Battelle had the lead at the halfway point and the Oswego hotshoe never looked back enroute to yet another win on the young season with the veteran L.D. Bezner coming up for second, Adderly third, Kevin Copp fourth and Joe Locorini rounding out the top five.
Last out for the night came the Pure Stocks, and another full field of 24 cars were looking for the win. Rick Paige had the early lead, but it was the unstoppable Dave Mannise who was working his way to the front that saw him finally take the lead on the 7th lap with Henry Chant, Mark Barker and Paige trailing. Chant’s evening came to an end on the 12th lap when he slowed and headed for the pits while running second. Mannise was able to hold onto the lead and grab his fourth win in a row. Following Mannise across the line was Mark Barker, Rick Paige, Bobby Newman and Chris Warner. Phil Desormeau actually crossed the line third, but failed to report for tech inspection was subsequently moved to 23rd place.
This Saturday night will be Snap-On dealer’s night at Can Am Motorsports Park, as the dealers will have their trucks and tools on display. Also on the card is the first Slingshot race of the year. The Dealmaker Back To Back Challenge will stand at $1300 if Danny O’Brien can win the feature. The back gate opens at four, the front gate at five and racing starts promptly at seven p.m. There is always free parking and camping on the grounds. 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 news.
Sportsman: DAVE SURACE, Ryan Phelps, Bill Plooy, Scott MacCue, Andrew Howard, Anthony Fiorentino, Rich Keller, Jeff Stevenson, Jason Potter, Matt Butler, Kyle Wilson, Jordan Bennett, Donnie Wetmore, Jr., Doug Matthews, Scott Webb, George Sanford, Mike Amell, Peter Schroy, Lance Willix, Tim VanBrocklin, Adam Moore, Jody Spooner, Steve Rookey.
358 Modified: DANNY O’BRIEN, Roger Phelps, Steve Hulsizer, Billy Wilcox, George McIntyre, Frankie Caprara, Steve Roberts, Lee Gill, Lans Petzoldt, Ben Tucker, Doug Fuller, Bill Gill, Ryan Bartlett, Pierre Dagenais, Scott Parliament, Dale Eggleston, Rick Amo, Bob Bennett, Jason Barney, Brian Rogers, Brent Cross, Larry Bivens, Steve Bilow, Pat Sullivan.
IMCA: KEVIN BATTELLE, Larry Bezner, Mike Adderly, Brian Copp, Joe Locorini, Doug Carlyle, Billy Dunn, Erv Miller, Jake Rabetoy, Chris Taylor, Terry Gardner, Mark Chrzanowski, Paul Calhoun, Aaron Jacobs, Rick Dusckas, Ken Klinkowsky, John Mason, Neil Edgar, Rob Keller.
Pure Stocks: DAVE MANNISE, Mark Barker, Rick Paige, Bobby Newman, Chris Warner, Scott Castor, Joe Combs, Billy Gardner, Jr., Don Scales, Andy Wells, Steve Malbouf, Kim Mallette, Steve Gilmore, Billy Gardner, Sr., Jason Gilmore, Jason Rarick, Shane Ray, Henry Chant, Kevin Duffany, Carl Robbins, Brian Holder, Phil Desormeau, DNS: Mark Webb, Charles Duffany, Kevin Presley.