DANNY JOHNSON SECURES LEAD IN 358 SUPER DIRT SERIES POINTS

ELBRIDGE, NY..9/21/97...Danny Johnson won an exciting Skoal Bandit

Racing sm Super DIRT Series 358-Modified event last Saturday at

Rolling Wheels Raceway. Kenny Martin took top honors in the SavOn

Mr. DIRT Street Stock 20-lap championship race.

Both events were rained delayed nearly three hours as

on-again, off-again type showers were in the Central New York

region. "We'll hold on as many of the race teams travel great

distance to get here," commented as dismayed Glenn Donnelly. "On

days like this you just can not win," he continued. "Other events

in the area were forced to cancel, but we'll wait it out for a

while."

Donnelly's fortitude paid off for the over 100 race teams on

hand, as skies began to clear and the track crews cleared as

racing groove. By 6 p.m., three hours late the qualifying heat

races began. A total of 61 358-Modifieds and 41 street stocks

were on hand to attempt and qualify.

The 97-lap 358-Modified feature was on the track by 9:30

p.m., a credit to all of the race teams and officials.

Gary Tomkins grabbed the lead at the drop of the green in

the double point Skoal Bandit Racing sm Super DIRT Series race.

By the luck of the draw Tomkins had drawn the outside pole. Steve

Paine, the pole sitter, followed Tomkins along with Alan Johnson,

Pete Bicknell and Todd Milton. As the cars completed the second

lap, the yellow flew for Bucky Hayes who's car had come to a stop

on the track. Tomkins continued to hold the upper hand, but the

yellow flew again on lap seven when Gus Schmidt spun in the

second turn.

The restart saw Tomkins lose the lead to Alan Johnson in the

side-by-side restart. A plume of heavy smoke began to show at the

rear of the number 84 mount, forcing race officials to black flag

the Tomkins car on lap 25, dropping him from a possible great

finish. This moved Steve Paine into second followed by Bicknell

and Danny Johnson.

The yellow flew on lap 30 as the 3 of Donnie Wetmore slowed

on the speedway. This set up a restart with lap cars scattered

throughout the front of the field. But before the lapped cars

became a factor the number 94 of Tim Mccreadie spun in the third

turn beginning out the yellow again on lap 35. Brett Hearn used

this yellow to pit his poor performing number 20. Mechanical woes

plagued him throughout this race.

Danny Johnson used the lapped traffic to his advantage on

the restart, moving into second as Bicknell was trapped behind a

lapped car. Danny set out to chase down his older brother. Alan

was able to hold his lead through lap 86, when Danny was able to

catch Alan in lapped traffic. Danny pulled into the lead and was

able to pull out a three car advantage over Alan. Steve Paine was

a close third followed by a distant Joe Plazek in fourth. The

three front runners were locked into a terrific battle when the

yellow flew on lap 95 as Jerry Higbie Jr. and A.J. Romano locked

wheels in the fourth turn, freezing the lap counter.

The final dash to the checkers saw Danny hold off Alan and

paine. Plazek finished fourth and Pat O'Brien finished fifth.

Billy Decker's eighth place and Charlie Donk's tenth place

finishes were good enough to earn the two guaranteed spots at

Syracuse for the Prolong Super Lubricants 200 on October 11.

Nine cars finished on the lead lap. Seven yellows for 15 laps

slowed the race.

The feature finished just in time as the skies opened up for

a final time, forcing officials to postpone the 50-lap enduro to

Friday, October 10 at Rolling Wheels. Addional cars will be added

to the back of the starting field already lined up.

The worst acident of the evening came in pre-feature hot

laps went Pete Bicknell, passing Alan Johnson using an outside

move on the front stretch, contacted a disabled Andy Bachetti

trying to enter the pit area. Bicknell, who was unable to see

Bachetti's disabled car until the final moment, hit the brakes

but contacted Bachetti hard enough to send Bachetti in a

side-over-side roll over. Both cars were able to be repaired for

the feature.

In the 20-lap SavOn Street Stock championship Kenny Martin,

who had won the pole position, led all 20 circuits. Only four

yellows flew over the 29 car starting field. Kenny Gates held on

to second the entire distance. Tom Cannizzaro came on strong at

the finish but was only able to move up to third at the checkers.

Phlan Hart took fourth on the final lap from Harry Marvin. Marvin

finished fifth and earned the guaranteed spot for the SavOn 20

lap feature at Syracuse on October 11. Forty-four Street stocks

were on hand to qualify.

The next event at Rolling Wheels will the running of the

J.G. Turner 100 for 358-Modifieds on Friday October 10, of Super

DIRT Week XXVI. During the afternoon on Friday time trials will

be run for the street stocks, locking in the top 24 time trialers

into the SavOn 20 at Syracuse. The evening events include the 358

100 lapper along with consolation races for the street stockers.

Now the 50-lap enduro will finish the evening of racing.

The next night, Saturday, October 11, will find the

sportsman teams running their 30-lap championship event at

Rolling Wheels, along with a complete program of sprint car

racing.

Due to late season rains, the final two Skoal Bandit Racing

sm Super DIRT Series 358-Modified races will be run this coming

weekend. Brewerton runs their race on Friday, September 26,

followed the next night by the series finale at Can-Am Speedway,

September 27.

CARQUEST WORLD SERIES OF DIRT TRACK RACING-DAY 1

ENDURO

FEATURE (50-laps): Rain delayed to 10/10/97

STREET STOCK

HEAT 1: K. Martin, P. Hart, T. Cannizzaro, J. Jones, D.

VanArsdale.

HEAT 2: K. Gates, H. Marvin, S. Govertsen, M. Lighthall, B.

Hallett.

HEAT 3: D. Werner Jr., L. Whyte, S. Pesarek, R. Lawson, M.

Buchek.

HEAT 4: R. Breed, J. Burton, T. Teal, F. Hughes, B. Brown.

CONSI: L. Burnett, T. Benedict, J. Gagne, Rd. Miller, S. Crouse,

C. Bell.

ADDED: T. Barron, B. Flask.

FEATURE (20-laps): KENNY MARTIN, Ken Gates, Tom Cannizzaro, Phlan

Hart, Harry Marvin, Ricky Breed, Dick Werner Jr., Les Whyte,

Steve Pesarek, Steve Crouse, Scott Govertsen, Ron Lawson, Bill

Hallett, Jim Burton, Jeff Jones, Tom Barron, Mark Lighthall, Lee

Burnett, Bill Flask, Billy Brown, Ted Teal, Tom Benedict, Jim

Gagne, Mike Buchek, Foster Hughes, Chip Bell, Randy Miller, Dave

VanArsdale.

BANDIT RACING sm SUPER DIRT 358-MODIFIED SERIES

HEAT 1: T. McCreadie, T. Milton, G. Tomkins, St. Roberts.

HEAT 2: C. Donk, B. Decker, A. Johnson, J. Sykes.

HEAT 3: J. Plazek, M. Gibbs, G. Schmidt, K. Tremont.

HEAT 4: P. Bicknell, D. Wetmore, D. Heaslip, R. White.

HEAT 5: T. Fuller, T. Burnett, D. Johnson, M. Petruska.

HEAT 6: S. Paine, A. Bachetti, P. O'Brien, B. Hayes.

CONSI 1: B. Hearn, J. Higbie Jr., T. Kinsella.

CONSI 2: P. Ward, M. Perrotte, W. Mitchell.

ADDED: D. O'Brien, T. Burley, A.J. Romano, P. Dagenais.

FEATURE (97-laps): DANNY JOHNSON, Alan Johnson, Steve Paine, Joe

Plazek, Pat O'Brien, Pete Bicknell, Tim Fuller, Billy Decker,

Kenny Tremont, Charlie Donk, Mike Perrotte, Tim McCreadie, Pat

Ward, Dave Heaslip, Danny O'Brien, Todd Milton, Pierre Dagenais,

Jerry Higbie Jr., A.J. Romano, Jeff Sykes, Mike Petruska, Ron

White, Andy Bachetti, Steve Roberts, Mitch Gibbs, Brett Hearn,

Tim Burnett, Tom Kinsella, Todd Burley, Gus Schmidt, Donnie

Wetmore, Gary Tomkins, Walt Mitchell, Bucky Hayes.