PLAZEK FIRST AT THE BREWERTON OPENER
BREWERTON, N.Y, April 11,1997....It was definitely an "exiding" night at the Brewerton Speedway as the 1997 season launched out of the starting gate.
Fans braved frigid conditions to watch Joe Plazek, Frank Doll Jr., Bill Klinkowsky and Neil Edgar start off the year with victories on Exide Battery Night on the fast D-shaped dirt demon. Officials moved the show along in rapid fashion, as the fireworks on the track were enough to warm the fans.
Alan Johnson and Bob McCreadie brought the field off the fourth turn to blast off the lidlifter of the forty-eighth season at the historic Central New York speedway. Fans might have anticipated a walkaway for A.J. and Barefoot Bob. However, with a fantastic field of DIRT Modifieds it was a shootout at the Route 11 corral. McCreadie fired out of the gate to pull out a short lead over A.J. in the early going. A couple of early yellows, for a stalled Tim McCreadie and a spinning Steve Paine, kept the field tightly bunched.
On the eleventh lap A.J. got high in the second turn and watched as Jack Johnson, Plazek and Danny Johnson powered past. With a dozen laps into the book it was Jack Johnson's turn to reside at the point. Running the high road in the Dutchess Overhead Door 87 he powered around the speedway in torrid fashion. His advantage was short-lived as the engine exploded on the seventeenth circuit. "Barefoot Bob" inherited the lead and Plazek along with Danny Johnson stayed in contention. As the "24" went on the scoreboard it was Plazek who used the low road off the fourth turn to take the lead. A lap later McCreadie went back in front. Suddenly, McCreadie, Plazek and Dan Johnson went three wide coming down the front straight . Fans figured something had to give, but the professionals kept everything in order. It was a fantastic three-car battle, but on the 28th lap Danny Johnson's axle broke and he was out of contention.
Plazek started to put some distance between himself and McCreadie. As the laps wound down the fans turned their attention to third place as Billy Decker and Tim Fuller diced wheel-to-wheel, side-by-side lap-after-lap.
As the checker flag came out it was Joe Plazek with a straightaway victory over Bob McCreadie. Tim Fuller eked out third over Billy Decker with Gary Tompkins rounding out the top five.
A competitive field of 15 IMCA machines took to the track for their first 15 lap feature of the year. Neil Edgar Jr. started on the outside of the first row to jump out with the lead at the initial green. Edgar and defending track champion Sean Lias battled from the front row. However, Lias spun out in the very early going and was sent to the rear. Just two yellows slowed the field as Edgar held the advantage throughout. Rob Keller chased the leader throughout, but a last gasp effort on the final lap fell just two car lengths shy. At the checker it was Edgar, Keller, Ron O'Neil, Jim Graves and Sean Lias.
The always competitive four cylinders were slicing and dicing throughout their main event. Rick Wilk took the early lead, but was black-flagged for being too loud. Bill Klinkowsky took over, but he couldn't pull away. The race was halted on the seventh lap when Chris Bagarbos did a slow roll over in the first turn. On the restart it was Klinkowsky holding on with Gary Morrissette and Bob Haws staying close. The trio battled wheel to wheel, but in the end it was Klinkowsky with the win followed by Morrissette, Haws, Bill Park and Ed Granoski.
Frank Doll Jr. showed he will be a force to be reckoned with this year as he took his Jim Gray creation from green to checker for the win. Bill Teliska and Rick Weiland followed him across the line.
Pit Stops-Alan Johnson's arm hit the fuel shutoff in the main event causing him to fade...Coleen Finch became the first woman IMCA driver at Brewerton...Jack Johnson's hauler sustained a flat tire on the Thruway and they arrived just before the first heat...Sean Lias had an outstanding run from the back, but was penalized two places for jumping a restart...IMCA heats went to Lias and Edgar...Mod prelims were captured by McCreadie, Alan Johnson and Jack Johnson. Fans were in awe of the battle between A.J. and Plazek in their heat...Wilk and Granoski were heat winners in the four cylinders...Ron Smoker won the mod consi...Dwarf heat winners were Gray and Doll.... Dash for cash events are on tap this week with a full regular show...Action was over at 10 p.m.
Modified feature-Joe Plazek, Bob McCreadie, Tim Fuller, Billy Decker, Gary Tompkins, Dale Planck, Pat Ward, Roger Phelps, Steve Roberts, Chuck Bower, Billy Gill, Rick Wilson, Ray Bliss Jr., Ron Smoker, Billy Cook, Dave Wagner, Dan Johnson, Bryan Turner, Bob Varin, Geoff Plis, Jack Johnson, Donnie Wetmore, Alan Johnson, Scott Prentice, Tim McCreadie, Bob Bennett, Steve Paine, Jim Phelps.
IMCA Mods-Neil Edgar, Rob Keller, Ron O'Neil, Jim Graves, Sean Lias, Jim Walsh, Dane Keller, John Thayer, Coleen Finch, Glen Erwin, Donnie Alvord, Carmen Vona Jr., Curt Stiles, Les Hubbard, Tom Horning.
Four Cylinder Feature-Bill Klinkowsky, Bob Haws, Gary Morrissette, Jim Olin, George Kirchoff, Ed Granoski, Bill Park, Roger Olschewske, Nick Leonard, Ray Chittenden, Mark Myers, R.J. Grimshaw, Jeremy Bagarbos, Jon Amidon, Buddy Bevelchek, Ken Klinkowsky, Chris Bagarbos and Rob Pollack.
Dwarf Feature-Frank Doll, Bill Teliska, Rick Weiland, Eric Crawford, Carl Crawford, Clark Weston, Barry Virts, David Orr, Troy Van Allen, Jim Fredenburg Jr., Paul Waters, Kevin Doll, Buddy Lewis, Jim Gray, Martin Amyot, Scott Nash, Butch Wadsworth, Pat Pontello