ROOKIE SCOTT MACCUE PICKS UP FIRST SPORTSMAN WIN AT CAN-AM, MCCREADIE, KELLER, PAPIN, PITTS AND BUSHEY ALSO WINNERS

The weatherman finally cooperated with the fans and gave them a

comfortable night to enjoy some great dirt track racing at the fast 1/2

mile clay oval in LaFargeville N.Y. The list of winners on McQuade and

Bannigan night included a first time winner in the DIRT Sportsman

division, with first time 1997 winners in the 358 DIRT Modifieds and the

Late Models and repeat winners in the Street Stock, IMCA Modifieds and

Economy Stocks.

The 358 DIRT Modified feature saw LaFargeville resident Lee Gill

lead the first lap from his front row starting spot. Gill, who has had

problems every week this season at Can-Am, looked like he finally would

shake his bad luck as he held a sizeable lead first over Lansing Petzoldt

and then Tim McCreadie. McCreadie began putting the pressure on Gill by

lap five but could not find the way around and into the lead. The two

front runners were joined in a battle for the lead by the halfway point

by Tim Fuller and Pat O'Brien. The top four were turning the track in

the 19 second range throughout the feature which had the fans on the edge

of their seats. Lap 14 saw McCreadie move to the outside and make the

pass for the lead and the win in the Jreck Sub number 94, MCreadie was

followed by Gill in the FK Gailey number 7, Fuller in the Kinney Drugs

19, point leader Pat O'Brien in the Pat's Radiator number 6, and Steve

Roberts with another consistent run in the Sonny's Farm Market 88.

A pair of rookies led the field of 19 DIRT Sportsman to the starters

green and it was 1996 Economy Stock point champion Scott MacCue who took

the early lead over Dave Surace and RJ Gibbons. The two rookies put on a

great race for the front spot and on lap 7 it was another rookie Jeff

Narrow moving into the number two position. MacCue and Narrow ran side

by side for a number of laps with defending champion Steve Hall making it

a three car race for the lead. Narrow caught a inside tire and spun in

turn four on lap 13 and would be done for the night. This would leave it

a dash to the flag between the rookie and the veteran. MacCue held on

for his first ever DIRT Sportsman win in the D&D Cycles number 5 followed

by Hall in the GW White's 61, point leader George McIntyre in the Peg's

Painting 25, Surace with his best finish of the season at Can-Am in the

FX Caprara Dodge 1 and Gibbons with a great run in the Sterling Auto 621.

The new IMCA Modifieds were up next with Tom Horning and Jim Graves

on the front row. Horning took the lead at the drop of the green but it

was Rob Keller on the move. Horning and Keller showed the fans how

competitive the IMCA Modifieds can be as they put on battle for the lead

with Keller showing in the number one spot on lap 4. Another great side

by side battle was taking place for third and fourth between Graves and

Ron O'Neil. The first caution in three weeks flew on lap 5 for Glen

Erwin who slowed with mechanical problems. Keller remained unbeaten at

Can-Am in the Keller Insurance 21 followed by Horning in the Golden Image

Sun Center 17, O'Neil in the 70x, Graves in the 1, and Debbie Stevenson

in the WWNY TV number 7.

Luke Gibeau was the early leader in the 12 lap Late Model feature

followed by Tim Busler and Ronnie McConnell. Gibeau looked strong in the

early going but pressure was coming from Busler and Jeff Papin. As the

leaders entered turn three on lap 9 Buslers car hit a hole in the surface

and bounced into Gibeau, the accident would also collect co-point leader

Walt VanTassel and McConnell. Papin was shown as the leader on the

restart and would go on for his first win of 1997, Papin was followed by

Busler, Stan Parker, Ben Tucker in the Northern Federal Credit Union

number 2 and Gibeau.

The 12 lap Street Stock feature went caution free with Steve Rookey

the leader of lap 1 over Laurie Handschuh. Al Pitts has been the man to

beat this year in the Street Stocks and the Pitts 88 was the leader at

the conclusion of lap 3. Nick Makuch followed Pitts to the front again

this week but could not chase down the leader to take a shot at the win.

Pitts picked up the win in the Barstow Motors 88 followed by the North

Country Welding 400 of Makuch, Bill Eisele in the Speedy Lube 18, Steve

Halladay in the 61 and Handschuh in the Garlocks Hardware 21L.

A good field of 15 Economy Stocks were led to the green by Erv

Miller and Craig Collier. Both Miller and Collier have been strong each

week at Can-Am and are looking for that first feature win of 1997. Point

leader Rick Dusckas has been tough to beat and showed his strength by

picking up the top spot on lap 3. This would be another caution free

event and Dusckas opened up a comfortable lead over last weeks winner

Roger Bushey and Kyle Sharp. Dusckas would come across the line first

but was later disqualified at a post race inspection and the win was

awarded to Bushey in the x15, following Bushey were Sharp in the 12s,

Mark Baltz, Collier and George Sanford with his best finish of the year

in the 49.

Next week will be a regular show of all six classes at the fast 1/2

mile Can-Am Speedway, gates open at 5pm with racing getting started at 7.

Don't forget coming up June 19th will be the 18th annual Pabst

Shoot-Out for 358 DIRT Modifieds along with the quick ESS Super Sprints.

For more information call the Speedway at (315) 658-4431.

PEPSI-COLA/MT. DEW

358 DIRT MODIFIEDS: Tim McCreadie, Lee Gill, Tim Fuller, Pat O'Brien,

Steve Roberts, Danny O'Brien, Dale Eggleston, Rick Wilson, Billy Wilcox,

Dave Bartlett, Pierre Deganais, Paul Pekkonnen, Jim Narrow, Jeff Sykes,

Steve Bilow, BJ Vock, Lansing Petzoldt, Brent Cross, Rick Amo DNS: Buckey

Hayes

FASTLUBE OF WATETOWN

DIRT SPORTSMAN: Scott MacCue, Steve Hall, George McIntyre, Dave Surace,

RJ Gibbons, Billy Caprara, Mike Clark, Dave O'Conner, Rich Hall, Darrin

Davis, Kevin Fleming, Todd Stewart, Rob Galloway, Matt Butler, Jason

Blair, Scott Britton, Jeff Narrow DNS: Todd VanTassel, Larry Bivens

BERNHEISEL RACE CARS

IMCA MODIFIEDS: Rob Keller, Tom Horning, Ron O'Neil, Jim Graves, Debbie

Stevenson, Glen Erwin

LATE MODELS: Jeff Papin, Tim Busler, Stan Parker, Ben Tucker, Luke

Gibeau, Scott Kelsey, Ronnie McConnell, Walt VanTassel, Howard Dennee

APPLEDALE FARMERS MARKET

STREET STOCKS: Al Pitts, Nick Makuch, Billy Eisele, Steve Halladay,

Laurie Handschuh, Harold Ludlow, Tiger Chapman, Steve Rookey, Terry

Ingersol, Will Glass, Andy Wells

ECONOMY STOCKS: Roger Bushey, Kyle Sharp, Mark Baltz, Craig Collier,

George Sanford, Hunter Grimes, Kevan Therrien, Adam Howard, Erv Miller,

Charles Duffany, Randy Allen DNS: Andrew Howard, Tim Guild, Clint

Middlemiss