GILL DOES THE TRICK, CLAIMS BACK TO BACK BONUS AT CAN-AM

LAFARGEVILLE, NY…..The DealMaker Back To Back Challenge has finally found a winner, as Lee Gill won Saturday night’s 30-lap DIRT Modified feature event at Caprara’s Can-Am Motorsports Park to claim the $5,300 bonus. Mike Adderley made his first trip to victory lane in 2004 in the 358 Modified feature event, as did Mark Webb, who took the win in the IMCA Modified feature event, and Dave Pope, who was the Pure Stock victor on Standard Auto Parts/Time Warner Cable/Massey’s Furniture Barn night.

Ryan Bartlett was the early leader in the 30-lap DIRT Modifed feature event, but surrendered the lead to Bob McCreadie while Pat O’Brien and Lee Gill battled for position. Pat O’Brien made some cagey moves to jump into the lead as McCreadie and Bartlett continued to battle, joined by Ted Lamb, Danny O’Brien, and Lee Gill.

Gill picked his way through the field to jump into the second position and chased after Pat O’Brien while Frankie Caprara moved into third as Bartlett and McCreadie’s cars began to fade. Gill started to reel in O’Brien, but could not make the pass as the leaders came up on Bartlett to put him down a lap. Bartlett spun in turn four in front of the leaders to bring out the race’s only yellow on lap 26 and set up a pivotal restart.

When the green waved again, Gill crossed high, then low to move under O’Brien and take over the lead, extending it to several car lengths as he came across the line to not only claim the win, but also take the DealMaker Back To Back Challenge money. Pat O’Brien was followed by Frankie Caprara, Danny O’Brien, and Todd Stewart.

Mike Adderley jumped out into the lead at the start of the 25-lap DIRT 358 Modified feature, but the yellow flew on the first lap for John Ramsey’s spin in turn four. When the green flag waved again, Adderley maintained his lead as Ryan Bartlett held down the second spot. Frankie Caprara and Gus Schmidt moved in to challenge Bartlett as Ramsey worked his way back into contention from the rear of the field.

Bartlett’s car began to fade as Caprara, Schmidt, and Ramsey moved past Bartlett. Schmidt’s race ended on lap 19 with engine problems and put Caprara and Ramsey on Adderley’s back bumper for the restart. Adderley picked up where he left off, pulling away again to score his first win of 2004 over Caprara and Ramsey. Larry Welling Jr. took the fourth spot while Bartlett held off Brian McDonald for fifth.

The 20-lap DIRT Sportsman feature ran clean and green to a yellow on lap 16, but there was plenty of action as Jack Meeks settled into the lead with Shane Donath, Scott Webb, and Marcel Pecore all fighting for position behind him. Meeks stayed in control of the field on the restart and brought home the win over Scott Webb, Scott Parliament, Marcel Pecore, and Shane Donath.

Mark Webb held off numerous challenges from Dale Caswell to record the feature win in the 20-lapper for the IMCA Modifieds. Caswell tried on numerous restarts to move past Webb, but he used the bottom lane to his advantage to take the top spot and his first ever IMCA Modified win. Caswell, Mason, Jon Dumas, and Chris Taylor completed the top five.

Ron Wadsforth grabbed the early lead in the 15-lap Pure Stock feature while Dave Pope, Fran Bryant, and Mike Cousins battled in behind him. Pope was able to charge into the top spot on lap 4 with Bryant and Cousins following as Dave Mannise was also closing in on the top five. Cousins tangled with Mannise on the frontstretch as the yellow flag flew on lap 7 for Chuck Cushman’s car. Mannise was able to continue as he joined the rear of the field.

On the restart, the trio of Pope, Bryant, and Wadsforth pulled away from the field to battle for the lead as Cushman and Mannise started to work their way from the back of the field. Bryant’s car ran into trouble and slid out of second spot as Charles Duffany crashed on lap 10 with Pete Cross to bring out the second yellow of the feature. When the green flew again, Pope continued to hold the lead over Wadsforth and Zeke McKeown.

Racing action continues on July 3rd with a return of sprint car racing to Can-Am along with the DIRT Modifieds, Sportsman, IMCA Modifieds, and Pure Stocks. Gates will open at 5 p.m. and racing will start at 7 p.m.

RACE SUMMARY

STANDARD AUTO PARTS/TIME WARNER CABLE/MASSEY’S FURNITURE BARN NIGHT

CAN-AM MOTORSPORTS PARK

SATURDAY, JUNE 26, 2004

DIRT MODIFIED FEATURE-LEE GILL, Pat O’Brien, Frankie Caprara, Danny O’Brien, Todd Stewart, Ted Lamb, Gus Schmidt, Bill Gill, Ryan Bartlett, Bob McCreadie, Jason Barney.

DIRT 358 MODIFIED FEATURE-MIKE ADDERLEY, Frankie Caprara, John Ramsey, Larry Welling Jr., Ryan Bartlett, Brian McDonald, Justinj Mason, Doug Fuller, Steve Bilow, Gus Schmidt.

DIRT SPORTSMAN FEATURE-JACK MEEKS, Scott Webb, Scott Parliament, Marcel Pecore, Shane Donath, Bob Henry, Matt Butler, Rob Bellinger, Clayton Brewer, Lance Willix, Shawn Donath, Bill Eisele, Andy Howard, Mike Conrow, Jim Livingston, Jeff Stevenson, Scott Goodrich, Jeff Putney, Cricket Mandigo, Kyle Dingwall, Jason Potter, Ben Tucker, Jeff Robinson, Steve Roberts, Rick McCready.

IMCA MODIFIED FEATURE-MARK WEBB, Dale Caswell, John Mason, Jon Dumas, Chris Taylor, Rob Keller, Ryan Scott, Neal Edgar, Chris Thurston, Rick Duskas, John Carr, Lance Lalonde, Paul Calhoun, Rich Keller, Larry Bezner, Jake Rabetoy, Tom Docteur, Tom Conklin, Rick Reed, Dan Hilts, Brian Copp, Darryl Paul, Mark Chrazanowski.

PURE STOCK FEATURE-DAVE POPE, Ron Wadsforth, Zeke McKeown, Brian Holder, Dana Aikins, Dave Mannise, Chuck Cushman, Jason Gilmore, Fran Bryant, Andy Wells, Steve Gilmore, Pete Cross, Jeff Shannon, Travis Andrews, Shane Ray, Charles Duffany, Keith Middlemiss, Les Sanford, Mike Cousins, Wayne Martin, Brian Hutton.