Lee Gill, Randy Gaudet, Billy Dunn and John Eiss
Win features at Can Am
Gilco Trucking built a brand new trucking business headquarters across the road from Can Am Motorsports Park. Their sponsorship night earlier in the season was rained out, so they joined with A. J. Missert Beer Saturday night at the Can Am Motorsports Park and lo and behold Lee Gill decides it’s their night so he might as well win the 358 feature just like Frankie Caprara did last week. Other winners were Randy Gaudet, in Track Champ Bill Plooy’s car, claiming the Sportsman feature, young Billy Dunn in IMCA and John Eiss in Pure Stocks.
Twenty-two Sportsman cars took the green flag from Starter Steve Rickett, and another young driver, Ryan Phelps, raced to the early lead with Adam Moore, Jason Potter, Jody Spooner and Ray Zemken in hot pursuit. The race was stopped by a multi-car accident in turn three involving Jessica Zemken, Jeff Stevenson, Spooner, Moore, Kyle Wilson, Ray Zemken and Joe Cook. When racing resumed, it was Gaudet making a fast charge to the front, and by the halfway mark he was in control of the race followed by Jim Vock, Lance Willix, Scott Webb and Phelps. Gaudet then went on to record his first win at Can Am in 2001, followed by Vock, Webb, Phelps and another young second generation driver Kyle Dingwall.
The 358 modified feature started out with heartbreak, as Frankie Caprara had brought his car out onto the track after the Sportsman feature to be interviewed about trying to be the first winner of the Dealmaker Auto Group Back To Back Challenge, this week standing at $3700. On the way back to the pits to get in line, something broke in the valve train making the Caprara Teo a DNS. Twenty-five other racecars did take the green, and as has been the case all season the feature was ultra competitive with lots of lead changes, lots of three-wide racing and just great racing front to back. If anyone should wear the crown this season of hard luck driver, it would have to be Roger Phelps. Roger started on the outside pole, and as the pack raced off on the first lap, by the time they got to turn four, Phelps got hit from behind getting him sideways and collecting a number of cars. It also put Phelps out for the night. When racing resumed, there was a tremendous war being waged between Danny O’Brien and George “Boomer” McIntyre with the two of them swapping the lead back and forth while Bill Gill’s Teo was making its way to the front along with Track Champ Billy Wilcox. Also wanting to be a part of the party up front was the Hometown Hammer, Lee Gill and all these cars were putting on awesome racing on the fast half-mile. O’Brien, McIntyre and Bill Gill all took turns leading laps. At the halfway mark, it was Bill Gill, Lee Gill, McIntyre, O’Brien, Wilcox, Dave Heaslip, Scott Parliament, Dale Eggleston and Todd Stewart. Lee Gill worked his way up to second by the 24th lap, and these two cousins had the crowd on its feet the last six laps of the racing running side by side with Lee taking the white flag in the lead and going on to claim his second win of the season over cousin Bill with Wilcox, MacIntyre and Danny O’Brien making up the top five. Another great 358 feature with 30 laps of intense racing.
Another good field of 21 IMCA mods hit the track for their feature. J. J. Courcey held down the early lead over Jake Rabetoy, Neil Edgar, Billy Dunn and Bill Eisele, Jr. Young gun Dunn made his move to the lead on the 6th go round, but Neil Edgar had other thoughts and had the lead at the halfway mark over Courcey, Dunn, Larry Bezner and Eisele. However, Dunn retook the lead on the 15th lap and held off a fast closing Bezner for the win with Edgar third, Rabetoy fourth and Courcey rounding out the top five.
The last feature of the evening belonged to the Pure Stocks. Dave Mannise was not in action this week at Can Am, so it was time for these guys to take advantage of that. Mark Webb had the early lead, but it was Kevin Chant who was making his way to the front and Chant had taken the lead at the halfway point over Ricky Paige, Scott Castor, Webb and Fran Bryant. John Eiss had pitted earlier with a flat tire and restarted in the rear of the pack, but had raced all the way to the front to battle with Chant when on the white flag lap Chant looped his car in the fourth turn, a bitter disappointment for him. That meant a green and white then checkers, and it was Eiss going on to get his second win over Webb, Bryant, Jeff Shannon and Kevin Duffany.
All eyes now turn to this weekend’s First Annual Battle at the Border. The 358 modifieds will run a Sunoco Race Fuels 100 lap Mr. DIRT race with the winner taking home $10,000. Anyone taking the green is guaranteed of taking home at least $300. The Sportsman will also have a Dig Safely NY tour race, along with the IMCA mods and Pure Stocks all being in action. The pit gates will open at nine a.m., with the grandstand gate opening at eleven. Hot laps will begin at one p.m. with time trials for the modifieds and Sportsman going off after the hot laps. Following the time trials, the heats will be run off. Plan now to come out and be part of history as Stadium International Trucks presents the Battle at the Border. A large field of cars is expected in all classes, so make plans to be there early to get your favorite seat. For further info, call the track office at 315-658-4431, or log onto the track web site at www.can-amspeedway.com for all the latest news and other information about Can Am Motorsports Park. There is always plenty of free parking and camping on the grounds. Can Am is located just four miles west of Exit 49 of Interstate 81 on Route 411.
358 Modified: LEE GILL, Bill Gill, Billy Wilcox, George McIntyre, Danny O’Brien, Scott Parliament, Dave Heaslip, Todd Stewart, Brian McDonald, Lansing Petzoldt, Dale Eggleston, Billy Cook, Ryan Bartlett, Joel Thomas, Sandy Roberts, Jim Lazore, Denis Beaudoin, Pete Roberts, Delbert LeGrow, Bob Holland, Todd Thomas, Paul Kinney, Steve Bilow, Mark Smoke, Roger Phelps. DNS: Frank Caprara, Steve Roberts.
Sportsman: RANDY GAUDET, Jim Vock, Scott Webb, Ryan Phelps, Kyle Dingwall, Andy Howard, Jason Potter, Matt Butler, Jordan Bennett, George Sanford, Joe Cook, Jeff Stevenson, Dave Surace, Scott MacCue, Jessica Zemken, Jody Spooner, Ray Zemken, Adam Moore, Kyle Wilson, Pete Schroy, Rob Galloway, Lance Willix.
IMCA: BILLY DUNN, Larry Bezner, Neil Edgar, Jake Rabetoy, J. J. Courcey, John Mason, Erv Miller, Brian Copp, Kevin Battelle, Rick Dusckas, Joe Williams, Wayne Side, Chris Taylor, Mark Chrzanowski, Bill Anderson, Jr., Tom Ralph, Bill Eisele, Paul Calhoun, Bentley Aiken, Rip Hartley, Bill Anderson, Sr.
Pure Stocks: JOHN EISS, Mark Webb, Fran Bryant, Jeff Shannon, Kevin Duffany, Scott Castor, Mike Cousins, Carl Robbins, Don Scales, Mark Barker, Shane Ray, Phil Desormeau, Kim Mallette, Chris Warner, Jason Gilmore, Kevin Chant, Steve Gilmore, Milt Combs, Ricky Paige, Les Sanford, Charles Duffany. DNS: Kevin Wells.