PLAZEK CAPTURES BREWERTON GLORY
BREWERTON, N.Y.-The leaves might blossoming in Central New York, but the Canadian Maple Leaf is flying in full colors. Canadian Joe Plazek captured his second main event of the year at the Brewerton Speedway on Magee Trailer Sales Night. While, Plazek out distanced a highly competitive DIRT modified field, Bill Klinkowsky won his third straight in the four cylinder division, Frank Doll Jr. won his second dwarf main of the year and Tom Horning was a first time winner in a tight IMCA feature.
Thirty-one modifieds entered to pit area to compete for one of the 24 starting spots. In the main event Jumpin Jack Johnson jumped to the early lead from the pole position. He pulled away, but on the ninth lap runner up Tim McCreadie's 94 broke and he brought out the yellow. The restart saw another jumble, but when action resumed under the green it was Johnson leading the way while Donnie Wetmore was second and Billy "High Road" Decker was third. Plazek, who started 15th, used the low road around the D-shaped DIRT Demon. He was closing quickly and on lap 15 he went low under Johnson as the duo diced through the south end of the speedway and took the lead coming off the fourth turn. It was Plazek, Decker and Johnson pulling away in a three car tussle at the midpoint of the main event. With the race halfway home it was Plazek, Decker, Johnson, Gary Tomkins, Wetmore, Scott Prentice, Bob McCreadie, Ray Bliss, Bill Gill and Tim Fuller holding down the top ten spots. However, moments later Tomkins broke and had to be towed to the pits.
Wetmore refused to let the leaders escape while McCreadie, who started last in the field, worked his way into the top five on the twenty-third go around. Wetmore powered into third on the 25th lap and with six laps to go raced past Decker and rested in second. Pat Ward put on a sensational last lap run and ran from sixth to fourth.
At the checker it was Joe Plazek with the win followed by Billy Decker rallying for a runner up spot as he got past Donnie Wetmore in the closing stages. Pat Ward was fourth followed by Bob McCreadie. Completing the top ten were Jack Johnson, Scott Prentice, Steve Paine, Bill Gill and Tim Fuller.
The IMCA main event saw 19 cars take to the speedway and Tom Horning won his first ever event. A year ago Horning finished runner up in five main events, but the elusive victory finally came. It wasn't easy, as he had to hold off the challenges of Bob Keller and Neil Edgar for the entire 20 laps. Horning started on the pole, but had to dodge lapped traffic as well as the constant threats from the other two veteran IMCA competitors. The trio ran alone out front throughout the event. Edgar and Keller raced side-by-side lap after lap. On the final circuit Edgar spun and Keller clinched the runner up spot. Dane Keller settled for third while Edgar was relegated for fourth at the finish. Completing the top five was Jim Graves.
Dwarf cars were out in force with Buddy Lewis grabbing the early lead. On the seventh lap it was Ed Bell using the low lane between one and two to take the lead. On the ninth lap Lewis hit an infield tire after a pinball type of mix up in the fourth turn while sixth place Greg Furlong launched a motor. The fans were amazed as Bell, Frank Doll, Troy Van Allen, Pat Pontello, Chuck Weiland, C.J. Crawford and Jim Gray stayed tightly bunched at the front of the field. Doll and Bell diced lap after lap and Doll finally got by in the late stages. At the checker it was a blanket finish with Frank Doll winning followed by Ed Bell, Chuck Weiland, Steve Ott and Pat Pontello.
A caution plagued four cylinder feature was dominated by the Klinkowsky clan as Ken Klinkowsky led early, but on the fifth lap it was Billy "K" taking over for good. He won by a straightaway over Ken with Ed Granoski finishing in third. Pit Stops-Jim Olin, Bob Haws, and Bill Clark were all eliminated in an eight car pile up on the first lap of the four cylinder main...Tony Pepicelli lost the right rear suspension and couldn't make repairs...Bob McCreadie's short track car had a vibration and he had to use his big track car. Bob fought to finish sixth in the consi...Jim Olin and Bill Klinkowsky won the four cylinder prelims...Mod heats went to Tim Fuller, Billy Decker and Gary Tomkins while the consi was won by Pat Ward...Jim Gray and Greg Furlong won the dwarf heats and in the IMCA division it was Bob Wort and Horning with the wins.
Action continues this Friday night with family autograph night at the Brewerton Speedway.
Modified Feature-35 laps-Joe Plazek, Billy Decker, Donnie Wetmore, Pat Ward, Bob McCreadie, Jack Johnson, Scott Prentice, Steve Paine, Bill Gill, Ray Bliss, Tim Fuller, Bob Varin, Gil Tegg, Chuck Bower, Roger Phelps, Ted Bauer, Dana Wagner, Pierre DeGeganais, Gary Tomkins, Jim Phelps, Bob Melone, John Ramsey, Ron Smoker and Tim McCreadie. DNS Rick Amos, Dan Connelly, Shawn Beardsley, Bill Smith, Bob Bennett, Kevin Fetterly and Tony Pepicelli.
IMCA-20 laps-Tom Horning, Rob Keller, Dane Keller, Neil Edgar, Jim Gravaes, Ron O'Neil, Kevin Auyer, Glen Erwin, Jim Walsh, Don Alvord, Carmen Vona, Les Hubbard, Bob Warden, Curt Stiles, Coleen Finch, Sean Lias, Dick Weiland, Ted Atkinson and John Thayer.
Dwarf-20 laps-Frank Doll, Ed Bell, Chuck Weiland, Steve Ott, Pat Pontello, Troy Van Allen, C.J. Crawford, Jim Gray, Kevin Doll, Bill Teliska, Darren Forbes, Joe Morello, Eric Crawford, Butch Wadsworth, Jim Coher, Pat Waters, Jim Fredenburg, Greg Furlong,Buddy Lewis, Ted Clinton. DNS: David Orr, J.T. Harder and Scott Nash.
Four Cylinders-15 laps-Bill Klinkowsky, Ken Klinkowsky, Ed Granoski, George Kirchoff, Gary Morrisette, R.J. Grimshaw, Ray Chittenden, Jonathan Amidon, Roger Olschewske, Jeremy Bargabos, Phil Tarimm, Tim Koch, Chris Bargabos, Nick Leonard, Dean Bower, Tony Finch, Mary Myers, Chuck Powelczyk, Eric Clark, Julio Garcia, Billy Clark, Bob Haws, Jim Olin and BobHollick.