CAN-AM SPEEDWAY WINS TO WILSON, MCINTYRE, GRAVES, MCCONNELL, MAKUCH AND EISS
LAFARGEVILLE NY:..9/7/97.. It was the last regular season show this past
Saturday night at the Can-Am Speedway and a number of outsiders showed up
to take on the fast 1/2 mile clay oval in LaFargeville.
The 358 DIRT Modified feature saw a great field of 22 cars take the
starters green and it was Can-Am regular Rick Wilson jumping from
starting position number 4 to take the lead at the completion of lap 1
with Jim Narrow and Dale Eggleston giving chase. Wilson was setting a
strong pace turing times in the 19 second range. Former track champion
Dave Heaslip made his way into the second spot on lap 6 and looked as
though he would have something to challenge Wilson. At the halfway mark
Wilson continued to lead with Heaslip, Narrow, Eggleston and Pierre
Mantha the rest of the top five, but the car on the move was Jeff Hoff
who had worked his way to position seven from a 21st starting spot.
Mantha took over the third spot on lap 19 with Hoff making it into the
top five. Wilson went on for the win over Heaslip, Mantha, Narrow and
Hoff.
Todd VanTassel and RJ Gibbons paced the DIRT Sportsman for their 15
lap feature but it was Scott Britton shown aas the leader of lap 1.
Gibbons came right back and took over the lead on lap 2 only to lose it
on lap 4 to track champion George McIntyre. A number of cautions slowed
the race keeping the field bunched together until late in the race. With
5 laps to go it was still McIntyre over Jeff Narrow, Rich Hall, Dave
O'Conner and Scott MacCue. They would remain this way to the checkered
with McIntyre adding to his win list for 1997.
With many of the weekly IMCA Modified competitors taking part in the
IMCA Super Nationals in Boone Iowa only 4 cars were able to take the
green and the drivers chose to shorten their feature to just 6 laps. Jim
Grave came away with the win over track co- champion Tom Horning, Debbie
Stevenson and Dan Hudson.
It was the final night of the season for the Late Models and Ronnie
McConnell took the early lead in the 12 lap feature event. McConnell, a
multi-time feature winner in '97, would be pressured by Walt VanTassel
over the first five laps of the race and then Jeff Papin. With McConnell
in the front VanTassel and Papin were having a great race for the second
and third spots with Papin coming away with the advantage on lap 5.
McConnell went on for the win with Papin, Ben Tucker, VanTassel and Stan
Parker completing the top five.
The Street Stocks were also having their last night in 1997 and a
special 15 lap feature saw a number of out siders in the pit area to take
on Can-Ams best. Kevin Slate showed as the leader on lap 1 but track
champion Al Pitts took it away on lap 2. Pitts began to show alot of
smoke during a lap 4 caution and was sent to the pits to have it checked
giving the lead back to Slate. Steve Francis was the only outsider to
crack the top five at the halfway mark on lap 8. Slate conitinued to
show the way with Nick Makuch, Laurie Handschuh, Francis and Pitts the
top five. Slate and Handschuh went to the pits with trouble on lap nine
giving the lead to Makuch and moving Wil Glass and Steve Rookey into the
top five. Makuch held on for the win over Pitts, Francis the top
finishing outsider, Bill Eisele and Glass.
The 10 lap Economy Stock winner was not decided until nearly an hour
after the completion of the event as a protest and three
disqualifications changed the finish. Erv Miller took the lead early and
looked very strong over the first portion on the race. Kyle Sharp chased
Miller until lap 7 when Wayne Side moved into second and one lap later
took the lead away from Miller. The top five at the finish were Side,
Sharp, Miller, Randy Allen and John Eiss. Side was later disqualified
for refusing the post race teardown giving the win to Sharp who was
disquailified after a protest on compression showed him illegal handing
the win to Miller then Allen who had the win taken away for illegal
carburetors. John Eiss was finnally declared the winner with Mark Baltz,
Andrew Howard, Craig Collier and Ken Partridge the official top five.
Next week will be the final night of racing in 1997 at Can-Am with a
spectacular season finale planned. The 358 DIRT Modifieds will compete
in a 30 lap Syracuse Qualifier ( 2 spots ), the DIRT Sportsman will take
to the track for a 30 lap Mr. DIRT Sportsman series event. They will be
joined by the IMCA Modifieds and the Economy Stocks who will close out
their season with special events. Racing will begin early at 6:00pm with
gates opening at 4:00. For more information call the speedway at (315)
658-4431 or E-Mail at can-amspeedway@juno.com Visit us on the web at
www.can-amspeedway.com
PEPSI-COLA/MT.DEW
358 DIRT MODIFIED FINISH: Rick Wilson, Dave Heaslip, Pierre Mantha, Jim
Narrow, Jeff Hoff, Lansing Petzoldt, Roy Tarbell, Brian McDonald, Delbert
LaGrow, Ray Zemken, Sam Leichty. Ron White, Sandy Roberts, Bill Hoff,
Erwin Yelle, Dale Eggleston, Billy Caprara, Bob Bennett, Matt Butler,
Keith Dingwall, Lee Gill DNS: Rich Amo
FASTLUBE OF WATERTOWN
DIRT SPORTSMAN FINISH: George McIntyre, Jeff Narrow, Rich Hall, Dave
O'Conner, Scott MacCue, Rob Galloway, Todd VanTassel, Tim VanBrocklin,
Larry Lamb, Larry Bivens, Scott Britton, RJ Gibbons, Dave Surace
BERNHEISEL RACE CARS
IMCA MODIFIED FINISH: Jim Graves, Tom Horning, Debbie Stevenson, Dan
Hudson DNS: Tim Clark
LATE MODEL FINISH: Ronnie McConnell, Jeff Papin, Ben Tucker, Walt
VanTassel, Stan Parker, Paul Turner, Dale Hale DNS: Scott Kelsey,
Howard Dennee
APPLEDALE FARMERS MARKET
STREET STOCK FINISH: Nick Makuch, Al Pitts, Steve Francis, Bill Eisele,
Will Glass, Steve Rookey, Jim Sprague, Mike Allen, Laurie Handschuh,
Richard Murtaugh, Joel Hearn, Andy Wells, Harold Ludlow, Lance LaLonde,
Randy Allen, Dave Bisonnettte, Kevin Slate, Brian Rogers, John Green
ECONOMY STOCK FINISH: John Eiss, Mark Baltz, Andrew Howard, Craig
Collier, Ken Partridge, Clint Middlemiss, Les Sanford, Mike Baxter,
Hunter Grimes, Curt Ethridge, Kevin Duffany, Charles Duffany, Rick
Dusckas, Tim Guild DNS: Zeke McKeown DSQ: Wayne Side, Kyle Sharp, Erv
Miller, Randy Allen