LEE GILL PICKS UP FIRST WIN OF THE SEASON AT CAN-AM, CAPRARA, HORNING, TUCKER, MAKUCH AND HOWARD OTHER WINNERS

LAFARGEVILLE, NY..6/15/97...The summer season is approaching and the Can-Am Speedway in LaFargeville N.Y. is ready. This past Saturday night was Snap-On Tool Dealers night and a packed grandstand was treated to some great racing in all six weekly divisions. Lee Gill, Nick Makuch and Andrew Howard all picked up their first wins of the year while Billy Caprara, Tom Horning

and Ben Tucker added to their win lists for 1997.

Lee Gill became the seventh winner in seven events in the 358 DIRT Modified division in 1997. Gill suffered with mechanical problems the first five weeks of the season but seems to have things working to his liking now as he improved on last weeks ruuner-up finish by one position to pick up the win. Steve Bilow jumped out to the front early and showed that he can compete with the best Can-Am has to offer as he held the lead

over the first nine laps of the 25 lap feature. Gill moved from his 8th starting spot into the number 2 position on lap 9 and raced around Bilow for the lead one lap later. The battle for the lead was getting crowded and by lap 10 Gill was shown as the leader over Bilow, a very consistent Dale Eggleston, Rick Wilson and current high point man Pat O'Brien.

Bilow began to fade with mechanical problems and Wilson moved into the number 2 spot on lap 12 and was joined in the fight for the lead by O'Brien, last weeks winner Tim McCreadie and Eggleston. The four leaders had the fans on their feet as they ran bumper to bumper waiting for an opening. With the laps winding down Wilson began to work under Gill and was scored as the leader on lap 24, but Gill fought back and regained the lead on the final lap to pick up the win. Wilson would come across

second followed by McCreadie, O'Brien and Eggleston.

Billy Caprara, who picked up his first ever feature win at Can-Am earlier this season, seen his bad luck the last four weeks work to his advantage as he would share the front row with rookie Jason Blair. Caprara wasted little time moving to the front and opening up a commanding lead over the competition. Todd Stewart and Jeff Narrow, who started side by side in row three, moved into the second and third spots on lap two but had little for Caprara. A caution on lap 9 tightened the pack up but Caprara again pulled away. Kevin Fleming and point leader George McIntyre had moved into the top five and a battle for the third

thru fifth postitions was on. Caprara held on for his second win of the year with Narrow, McIntyre, Stewart and Fleming rounding out the top 5.

The 12 lap IMCA Modified feature saw Jim Graves and Tom Horning lead the field to the green. For the third time in four weeks the feature would go green to checker with no cautions. Horning took the early lead and was looking to break the win streak of Rob Keller who had not been beaten in 1997. Horning had managed one feature win at Can-Am in 1997, but Keller was not in the line-up on that night. Keller started in the number 3 spot but he was no match for Horning on this night. Horning went

on for win number two of the season at Can-Am while Keller out dueled Graves for second, Graves, Ron O'Neil and Debbie Stevenson filled out the top five.

Luke Gibeau has looked strong every week this season in the Late Model division, but just can't seem to get a break. Again this week Gibeau jumped into the lead at the drop of the green. At the halfway mark of the 12 lap event Gibeau held the lead over Ronnie McConnell and Walt VanTassel but as the three leaders entered turn one contact was made and Gibeau and McConnell spun collecting Stan Parker with them. On the restart Ben Tucker showed the way over Scott Kelsey and last weeks winner Jeff Papin. Tucker went on for his third win of the year over Papin,

Kelsey, Gibeau and VanTassel.

The start of the Street Stock feature saw a large crash in turn four take out many of the top runners. Only 5 cars remained on the speedway surface by lap two and it was Nick Makuch on the point. Makuch, who has battling each and every week with high point man Al Pitts, would not get his shot at Pitts on this night as motor problems sidelined Pitts after the heat race. Makuch took advantage and went on for his first win of the season and also took over the point lead. Steve Rookey, Laurie Handschuh, Harold Ludlow and Andy Wells completed the top five.

Andrew Howard is another weekly competitor who has had nothing but bad luck in 1997. Two weeks in a row saw Howard loaded up before the Economy Stock feature would begin, and on other occasions had great runs end before the 10 laps were completed. Howard and Charles Duffany brought the cars to the start and Howard waas the leader into turn one. Rookie Randy Allen chased Howard early but could not get by as they both

were looking for their first ever feature wins at Can-Am. Tim Guild became the newest member of the roll over club at Can-Am, as he became airborn in turn four and flipped a number of times, Tim was okay but the car suffered severe damage. Allen pitted with mechanical trouble under the yellow and on the restart Rick Dusckas and Roger Bushey, both feature winners in '97, took off after Howard. The race would go green to the end and Howard made his first visit to victory lane at Can-Am. Dusckas, Bushey, Mark Baltz and Ken Partridge rounded out the top five.

Next week will be MT. Dew and Country Bob's Restuarant night at the Can-Am Speedway, it will also be a Syracuse Qualifier for the DIRT Sportsman competitors for the July event. Gates open at 5 with racing getting underway at 7pm. For more information contact the speedway at (315) 658-4431.

PEPSI-COLA/MT. DEW

358 DIRT MODIFIED FINISH: Lee Gill, Rick Wilson, Tim McCreadie, Pat O'Brien, Dale Eggleston, Bill Gill, Lansing Petzoldt, Steve Roberts, Jim Narrow, Jeff Sykes, Kevin Fetterly, Pierre Deganais, Kevin Martin, Jeff Hoff, Larry Welling, George Rushlow, Dave Bartlett, Billy Wilcox, Bob Bennett, Bob Ostrander, Steve Bilow, Bob Melone, Tim Fuller, Randy Conners DNS: BJ Vock, Paul Pekkonnen

FASTLUBE OF WATERTOWN

DIRT SPORTSMAN FINISH: Billy Caprara, Jeff Narrow, George McIntyre, Todd Stewart, Kevin Fleming, Rich Hall, Scott MacCue, Jason Blair, Dave Surace, Matt Butler, RJ Gibbons, Steve Hall, Mike Clark, Dave O'Conner, Scott Britton, Joe Cook, Larry Bivens DNS: Todd VanTassel

BERNHEISEL RACE CARS

IMCA MODIFIED FINISH: Tom Horning, Rob Keller, Jim Graves, Ron O'Neil, Debbie Stevenson DNS: Eddie O'Neil

LATE MODEL FINISH: Ben Tucker, Jeff Papin, Scott Kelsey, Luke Gibeau, Walt VanTassel, Ronnie McConnell, Ryan Rarick, Tim Busler, Stan Parker

APPLEDALE FARMERS MARKET

STREET STOCK FINISH: Nick Makuch, Steve Rookey, Laurie Handschuh, Harold Ludlow, Andy Wells, Will Glass, Tiger Chapman, Steve Halladay, Terry Ingersol, Bill Eisele, Brian Salisbury DNS: Al Pitts

ECONOMY STOCK FINISH: Andrew Howard, Rick Dusckas, Rogeer Bushey, Mark Baltz, Ken Partridge, Hunter Grimes, Kyle Sharp, Clint Middlemiss, Bill Billings, Craig Collier, Randy Allen, Tim Guild, Les Sanford, Charles Duffany, Kevan Therrien