PLAZEK GOES WIRE-TO-WIRE, FATALITY IN SPORTSMAN RACE

SYRACUSE, NY...Joe Plazek from Castior Centre, Ontario,

Canada, took the 50-lap main event at the New York State

Fairgrounds mile on Wednesday evening under the lights. The

evening of DIRT Modified, Sportsman and Street Stock racing was

punctuated by the death of sportsman driver Kevin Fleming from

Evans Mills, New York, after he was involved in a multi-car

accident on the eleventh lap of that division's main event. Steve

Hall took his second July sportsman race win in three years. Jim

Langenbeck took the inaugural street stock feature ever run on

the mile.

Fleming was a regular runner at the Can-Am International

Speedway where he recorded his last feature win on June 21. He

had a total of nine feature wins and was a very well liked

competitor.

The modified main event began with Plazek on the pole, due

the luck of the re-draw held prior to the feature event. Plazek

proceeded to power away from the rest of the pack. Eddie Marshall

and young Tim McCreadie were running in second and third

respectively. On lap 7 the yellow flew when Alan Johnson and Gil

Tegg Jr. slowed on the track. Johnson's car stopped in the second

turn. Tegg's car came to rest on the front stretch.

Plazek maintained his lead on the restart, but now Kenny

Tremont moved into third. On lap 26 the yellow flew again when

Danny Johnson slowed in the second turn with a flat left front

tire. Jack Johnson used this time to pit with a badly skipping

motor. Danny went pitside and returned at the back of the field.

The next yellow came on lap 29 when Bryon Turner slowed

along the backstretch portion of the speedway. Still Plazek held

the edge as he pulled out a ten car advantage.

Jimmy Horton was the fastest car on the track, as he charged

from the back of the field. By lap 44 Jimmy Horton's great charge

from the rear of the field came to an end as his radiator let go

in the third and fourth turns. This set up a sprint to the finish

with Plazek now ahead of Tremont, Marshall, Billy Decker and Tim

Fuller. But the yellow flag had to be used once again on lap 47

when Dave Camara impacted into the wall. As cautions did not

count in the final laps of the race, the event was able to be

completed under green. It would be Plazek's first Skoal Bandit

Racing sm Super DIRT Series victory of 1997. The race took 39

minutes and 10 seconds to complete for an average speed of 76.595

mph.

In sportsman action Steve Hall took the lead at the drop of

the green. Hall was followed closely by Rich Hall and Alton

Palmer. On lap eleven the yellow flag flew when a number of cars

impacted in the third turn. At least ten cars were involved in

the melee. The race was then red flagged to allow time for the

accident scene to be cleared. Injured in the accident was

Canadian sportsman stand out Mario Clair. Fatally injured was

Kevin Fleming.

When racing resumed nearly 45-minutes later Hall continued

to dominate. He took the feature win. Both Rich Hall and Alton

Palmer were disqualified for not passing the post race scale

inspection. They will be credited with these positions but will

not receive either pay or points towards the Mr. DIRT Sportsman

Championship Trail. Rick Miller and Jim Spano were credited with

fourth and fifth.

With much anticipation the street stocks made their debut

appearance on the mile. Forty-eight cars took up the challenge

and attempted to qualify for the inaugural event, a 10-lap

feature event paying $600 to win.

Jim Langenbeck, the pole sitter by virtue of winning the

first heat race, took off with Mr. DIRT Street Stock points

leader kenny martin hot on his tail. On lap seven the yellow flew

when Dave VanArsdale impacted the third turn wall. The race

resumed with Langenbeck still in command. The closing laps saw

the yellow fly a few more times for minor incidents. Langenbeck

took the win followed by Martin, Tom Barron, Les Whyte and Ken

Gates.

Also on hand was the Antique Racers organization, featuring

the coupes and coaches of the 1950's, 60's and 70's. Chris

Broughman aboard a 1970's style modified with a 1937 Ford body,

won the 5-lap feature main event. The first 50's-60's car across

the finish line was Jeff Ackerman.

The next event at Syracuse will be the annual Labor Day

Classic, which this year carries points towards the Mr. DIRT

Modified Championship. Race time on Monday, September 1, will be

at 1 p.m..

BUDWEISER RACING FIRECRACKER SPECTACULAR NIGHT SUMMARY

ANTIQUE RACERS

HEAT 1: R. Cusson, J. Ackerman, R. Ackerman, B. Bardwell, N.

Richardson, D. Larmon, B. Timmerman.

HEAT 2: C. Broughman, B. Fish, A. Derouin, A. Amell, R. McGlynn,

S. Gates, A.J. Doerr, D. Matthews, B. Gates, D. Cunningham, F.

Barisow, C. Powelczyk, J. Chase, B. Douglas.

FEATURE (5-laps): CHRIS BROUGHMAN, Al Derouin, Ally Amell, Stan

Gates, Jeff Ackerman, Russell Cusson, Dan Cunningham, Randy

McGlynn, Doug Matthews, Charles Powelczyk, Buddy Boudwell, Bob

Gates, Fred Barisow, Bob Timmerman, Norm Richardson, Bruce

Douglas, Richard Ackerman, A.J. Doerr, Don Larmon, Brian Fish.

STREET STOCK

HEAT 1: J. Langenbeck, B. Peters, T. Cannizzaro, S. Goverston, R.

Miller, S. Crouse, R. Breed.

HEAT 2: K. Martin, K. Gates, L. Browe, J. Burton, R. Noviczski,

J. Newman, M. Huber.

HEAT 3: T. Barron, M. Lighthall, P. Hart, R. Medgaski, M.

Sullivan, V. Beherns, D. DeMallie.

HEAT 4: L. Whyte, J. McGuigan, T. Teal, B. Hallett, A. Dembek

Jr., D. Warner, C. Guererri

FEATURE (10-laps): JIM LANGENBECK, Ken Martin, Tom Barron, Les

Whyte, Ken Gates, Brian Peters, Tom Cannizzaro, Mark Lighthall,

Lorne Browe, Ted Teal, Philan Hart, Jim Burton, Rob Medgaski,

Dick Warner, Dean DeMallie, Scott Goverston, Bill Hallett, Rob

Noviczski, Jerry Newman, Mark Huber, Mark Sullivan, Steve Crouse,

Steve Pesarek, Rick Miller, Jim McGuigan, Ricky Breed, Dave

VanArsdale, Vic Beherns, Charlie Guererri, Andy Dembek Jr.

SPORTSMAN

HEAT 1: J. Gabriel Jr., R. Miller, J. Sorenson, M. Button.

HEAT 2: S. Hall, J. Spano, M. Hufcut, G. Doust.

HEAT 3: R. Hall, V. Vitale, B. Krull, S. Crogan.

HEAT 4: A. Palmer, T. Stewart, M. Lorenzo, T. Paes Jr.

HEAT 5: J. McAuliffe, S. Jablonka, K. Wills, K. Comfort.

CONSI 1: L. Lampman, C. DuBois, G. Sleight, B. Luce.

CONSI 2: J. Barney, K. Fleming, C. Brachman, D. Deitrich.

ADDED: M. Clair, G. McIntyre, B. Chalmers

FEATURE (20-laps): STEVE HALL, Rich Hall, Alton Palmer, Rick

Miller, Jim Spano, Vince Vitale, John McAuliffe, Stan Jablonka,

Jim Sorenson, Jim Gabriel Jr., Todd Stewart, Mark Hufcut, Kevin

Wills, Tony Paes Jr., Chad Brachman, Billy Krull, Greg Doust, Sam

Crogan, Greg Sleight, Barbara Luce, Mark Lorenzo, Karl Comfort,

Jason Barney, Mike Button, Kevin Fleming, Larry Lampman, Denis

Deitrich, Mario Clair, Chris DuBois, Bobby Chalmers, George

McIntyre.

MODIFIED

HEAT 1: B. McCreadie, J. Plazek, K. Tremont, A. Johnson, M.

Forrette, D. Hoffman.

HEAT 2: T. Fuller, F. Cozze, P. Ward, J. Heotzler, J. Johnson, D.

Johnson.

HEAT 3: B. Decker, B. Hearn, E. Marshall, T. McCreadie, B.

Turner, G. Tegg Jr.

CONSI: S. paine, D. Corellis, D. Camara, R. Mill, C. Tuthill, C.

LoPresti, V. Coffey, C. VonDohren, R. Tobias Jr., B. Varin, J.

Horton.

FEATURE (50-laps): JOE PLAZEK, Kenny Tremont, Eddie Marshall,

Billy Decker, Tim Fuller, Jeff Heotzler, Tim McCreadie, Brett

Hearn, Bob McCreadie, Pat Ward, Doug Hoffman, Danny Johnson,

Craig VonDohren, Donnie Corellis, Steve Paine, Bobby Varin, Dave

Camara, Jimmy Horton, Maynard Forrette, Bryon Turner, Jack

Johnson, Chris Tuthill, Gil Tegg Jr., Chuck LoPresti, Frank

Cozze, Alan Johnson, Rich Tobias Jr., Vic Coffey, Rick Mill.