THE DOCTOR TAKES ANOTHER SDS EVENT
LaFargeville, NY… It was a beautiful, yet chilly, evening on the final night of racing at the Can-Am International Speedway for the 2000-racing season. On tap for the night’s racing action was a special appearance by the Sportsman for their UFPO feature and the DIRT 358 modified Sunoco. The IMCA and the IMCA Hobby stocks were also in action on AJ Missert Distribution/Genesee Beer night.
The first feature of the evening was the IMCA Modifieds with Jake Rabetoy and Bill Code leading the field to the green. Mike Adderley made the early move by passing under Rick Dusckas to claim the fourth position. Then Adderley split the cars of Ken Klinkowski, and Bruce McClusky, moving him up to second. Point’s leader Larry Bezner steadily moved up through the pack. Passing high around McClusky for the second position. The race’s first yellow flew on lap two when Mike Adderley spun in turn two. When the green flag flew again, Terry Gardner slipped high, around the outside of Dusckas and into the fourth position. A lap later Brent Matzell did the same thing to Gardner and moved high around him. But Gardner quickly fought back and reclaimed the position. Defending point champion Cory Fachini was starting to become a factor as by lap six of the twenty-lap race he had moved from deep in the field to a top five position. Yellow flew again on lap six when Scott Zipperich stopped in turn two. When the green flag was once again displayed, Larry Bezner moved high around Rabetoy and took over the lead. Terry Gardner followed Bezner slipping by Rabetoy and into second. Cory Fachini then moved under Ken Klinkowski for the fourth position. Suddenly Gardner pulled off the track and into the pits with mechanical problems. On the next circuit Fachini moved under Rabetoy and into second. The race’s final yellow flew on lap thirteen when leader Larry Bezner stopped in turn three and four with his own mechanical ills. After his car was pushed into the pits racing continued this time with Fachini on the point. Bill Code moved high around Eddie O’Neil, and Klinkowski for the third position. O’Neil grabbed the fourth position on the last lap to claim the fourth position while Fachini went on to claim his fourth feature of the year at Can Am and his first since June.
The UPFO Sportsman thirty-lap feature was the next up on the grid, with John Plumb and Andrew Howard on the front row. At the drop of the green defending track point champion Steve Hall moved high over Matt Shepard to take over the fourth position. The race’s first yellow came early as on lap two George Stanford and Gary Moreash spun. When the green flag was once again displayed, Hall moved high around David Vanhorn to take over the third position. Shepard and Chad Brachmann were also on the move as they split the car of Vanhorn to take command of the fourth and fifth positions respectably. Spano grazed the front stretch wall while exiting turn four allowing first Hall and then Shepard to move under him, and pushing him back to fourth. Hall then took the high road around race leader Andrew Howard to take over the point. The next yellow flew on lap sixteen when BJ Vock and Dave Surace got together in turn four and spun. When the green flag was displayed Chad Brachmann quickly moved high around Rick Swarthout for the fifth position. On lap 21 the yellow flew again when Andrew Howard and Steward Friesen spun in turn four. The green flag flew and Brachmann again used the immediate display of the green to his advantage as he moved high around Vanhorn for second. The race’s final yellow showed on lap 28 when Pernie Banks stopped in turn two, with a flat tire and caused a green, white checkered situation. On the final lap Randy Chrysler moved high around Brachmann and Swarthout to claim the fourth position, while Hall went on to claim the win.
The Sunoco 358 Modified series was up next with track regulars Billy Wilcox and Pat O’Brien pacing the field to the green. O’Brien moved high around Wilcox for the early lead. Todd Burley also moved under Wilcox for the second position. Jason Barney moved high around Steve Roberts for the fifth position then Barney moved around Wilcox for the fourth. Pete Bicknell moved under Don Spatorico for the fourth position. The race’s first yellow flag flew on lap nine when Alex Hoag, Roger Phelps, Ryan Baye, and Ted Lamb go together in turn two. When the green flew, Wilcox moved high around Barney for the third position. Barney fought back on the inside and Bicknell followed him, as they claimed the third and fourth position. Bicknell then moved under Barney for the third position. Danny Johnson moved under Wilcox for the fifth position, then Johnson moved high around Barney for the fourth position. The next yellow flew on lap fifteen when Baye, Billy Cook, and Steve Roberts spun in turn four. Danny Johnson moved under Burley on the restart to take over the second position. Billy Gill moved under Burley for the fourth position. Danny Johnson moved under Pat O’Brien to take over the lead. Billy Wilcox moved high around Dale Planck and Jason Barney to claim the seventh position. The yellow flew again on lap forty-three when Steve Roberts and Baye spun in turn two. When the green was displayed, O’Brien made a bonsai move under Johnson to take the lead, while Johnson fought back moving back under O’Brien in the third and fourth turns to reclaim the top spot. On lap 49 Wilcox moved high around Dave Heaslip, and John Ramsey for seventh while Billy Gill also made the last minute move under a smoking Bicknell for the third position. But no one could stop the “Doctor” as Danny Johnson claimed his 12th Sunoco 150 tour series win this year.
The IMCA Hobby Stocks were the last class up on this night of racing with Mike Baltz and Jeff Shannon leading the field to the green. On the opening lap Rick Paige moved high around Les Stanford and into the fourth position. The yellow flew on lap one when Paige, Kim Mallette, and Elmer Perry spun in turn three. When racing continued, Shannon moved high around Baltz for the lead and Scott Castor moved under Steve Woodward for the sixth position. The next yellow came on lap four for Woodward who had spun in turn two. When the green flag once again flew point leader Mark Webb moved high around Shannon and into the fourth position. Castor then slipped under Baltz and into second. Not to be denied Webb moved high around Elmer Perry for third. Yellow was once again displayed on lap five for Charles Duffany who had spun on the backstretch. When racing resumed Ronnie Wadsforth and Shannon split Webb for the second position. Wadsforth then moved high around Shannon for the lead. Mark Webb moved under Baltz for the fourth position and Phil Desormeau passed under Baltz for the sixth position. While Wadsforth went on to collect the win.
This last Saturday was the final night of racing at the Can-Am International Speedway under the management of Bob Thurston, Sr. and his family. The Thurston family thanks their staff and all those who supported them over the past quarter of a century. The staffs at Can Am look forward to what changes that are in store for the 2001-racing season under the new management of John and Laura Wight, and promoter Eric Kingsley.
IMCA Hobby Stocks: RONNIE WADSWORTH, Scott Castor, Jeff Shannon, Elmer Perry, Mark Webb, Phil Desormeau, Mike Baltz, Jason Gilmore, Chris Warner, Rick Paige, Kim Mallette, Les Stanford, Joe Combs, Don Scales, Doug Oblemis, Ed Rogers, Leo Walen, Shane Raye, Bill Gardner, Charles Duffany, Keith Rabetoy, Steve Woodward, Steve Gilmore, George Savage, Billy Gardner Jr. DNS: Mark Barker
IMCA Modifieds: CORY FACHINI, Jake Rabetoy, Bill Code, Eddie O’Neil, Ken Klinkowski, Rick Dusckas, Ron McConnell, Mark Chrzanowski, Jamie Platt, Brent Matzell, Mike Adderley, Larry Bezner, Terry Gardner, Scott Zipperich, Bruce McClusky, Neal Edgar
Sportsman: STEVE HALL, Matt Sheppard, Jim Spano, Randy Chrysler, Chad Brachmann, Rich Swarthout, Justin Haers, Steve Gray, David VanHorn, Chris Shultz, Eldon Paine Jr., Scott McCue, John Plumb, Lance Willix, Ben Tucker, Andrew Howard, BJ Vock, Stewart Friesen, Gary Moreash, Dave Surace, Scott Webb, Adam Moore, Gil Evoy, Pernie Banks, George Stanford, RJ Gibbons, Larry Lamb, Matt Butler, Paul Turner. DNS: Jody Spooner, Rick McCready
358 Modified: DANNY JOHNSON, Pat O’Brien, Bill Gill, Pete Bicknell, Todd Burley, Jason Barney, Billy Wilcox, Vic Coffey, John Ramsey, Ryan Bartlett, Dave Heaslip, Kyle Jacobs, Rick Richner, Ted Lamb, Dan Miller, Dale Eggleston, Alex Hoag, Rick Amo, Bill Cook, Delbert LaGrow, Rick Cauvier, Steve Roberts, Gus Schmidt, Wayne Sides, Lance Petzoldt, Dale Planck, Ryan Baye, Don Spatorico, Roger Phelps, Frank Caprara, DNS: Lee Gill