TIM McCREADIE PICKS UP SKOAL WIN AT CAN-AM,

DAVE MANNISE CLAIMS ECONOMY STOCK SPECIAL

LAFARGEVILLE NY: The Skoal Super DIRT Series came to the Can-Am Speedway

back on Thursday August 28th, the qualifiers were completed but mother

nature stepped in and postponed the event until September 11th.

September 11th came and again rain forced the cancelation, this time

until September 28th. A beautiful day was in the forcast and everything

looked great for the 1997 version of the 358 Skoal Super DIRT Series at

Can-Am, but nobody considered the possibility of fog during the evening.

Racing began at 7pm sharp on Kinney Drugs/Budweiser Beer night and this

time mother nature could not stop Tim McCreadie and Dave Mannise from

picking up wins and closing out the season at the fast 1/2 mile.

Thirty-two cars were scheduled to take the green, but due to other

commitments for some drivers only (26) showed up for the re-scheduled 97

lap feature. Watertown NY residents Tim McCreadie and Billy Wilcox

brought the field to the green with McCreadie leading lap 1. Early

cautions slowed the event but when racing got underway McCreadie showed

that he was going to be tough to beat. At the completion of lap 20,

Alan Johnson, Pat O'Brien, Tim Fuller and Wilcox were chasing McCreadie.

Danny Johnson saw his hopes of the Skoal Series championship come to an

end on lap 24 when he was forced to the pits with mechanical problems.

McCreadie continued to set a very quick pace with lap times in the 19

second range. Skoal point chasers began to have troubles as Jeff Sykes

was out on lap 1 in a borrowed ride from Steve Paine, Pete Bicknell got a

lap down, Fuller lost a rear wheel, Dan O'Brien retired with a broken

suspension, Andy Bachetti lost the roof, and Gerry Higbie and Dave

Heaslip were out early. McCreadie remained in front but a caution around

lap 70 saw fog set in and officials were forced into running the cars

under yellow until lap 80 when the for lifted. McCreadie again showed

the way over Johnson and O'Brien and looked as though he would cruise to

the win but another yellow froze the lap counter with three laps to go

setting up a three lap dash to the checkered. McCreadie held on for the

win over Alan Johnson, Pat O'Brien, Kenny Tremont and Steve Paine.

Johnson claimed the 1997 Skoal Super DIRT Series title and Lansing

Petzoldt picked up the Syracuse starting spot.

A special 20 lap Economy Stock feature was also on the nights

schedule and a great field of cars was hand. Heat wins went to Can-Am

regular Erv Miller and invader Dave Mannise. Mannise took advantage of

the home track rules format for this one race and put his Camaro Pure

Stock into the lead on lap 1. Roger Bushey moved up to challenge along

with Rick Dusckas, Miller and Lou Lavea on lap 5. Mannise was into lap

traffic by lap 7 but was using the wide race track to pick the lap cars

off while continuing to open up his lead. Mannise went on for the win

with Bushey, Dusckas, Dennis Bird and John Eiss rounding out the top

five.