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.

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