LEE GILL, LANCE WILLIX, PAUL CALHOUN AND DAVE MANNISE 2003 TRACK CHAMPS
LAFARGEVILLE, NY ... Saturday night at Caprara’s Can Am Motorsports Park another packed house was treated to an excellent nice of racing staged by a pit full of 136 cars on Syracuse Supply/Catepillar, Hi-Lite Markings and F.X. Caprara Car Companies night. The 2003 track champions were crowed as Lee Gill in big blocks, Rob Galloway in 358, Lance Willix II in Sportsman, along with repeat winners Paul Calhoun in IMCA and Dave Mannise in Pure Stocks. With the Midstate Vintage Stockcar Club also on the programs, race fans saw a 23-race program.
A couple of rained out races from August 9th were run to start the night off with the IMCA mods sending 23 cars for their 20-lap feature. Rick Dusckas raced out to the early lead only to lose it to Erv Miller who took command on the 5th lap. The track was wide this evening and the IMCA cars were three and four wide throughout the pack looking to better their positions. Rob Keller took the lead from Miller and then it was defending track champ Paul Calhoun making his move to try and wrestle the lead away from Keller. The two then staged a great race with Keller managing to hold off Calhoun for the win with Calhoun second, Jeff Bannister third, Miller settled for fourth and Jon Dumas coming in fifth.
The Pure Stocks also had a rained out feature to make up and 21 of the always exciting cars hit the track for 15-laps. Dana Aikins held the early lead for the first half of the race over Dave Mannise, Dave Pope, George Sanford and Chuck Cushman, but it was Mr. Pure Stock, Dave Mannise, making his move on the 8th lap to grab the lead from Aikins. Mannise then was able to hold of Aikins and Pope to record the win with Chuck Cushman finishing fourth and Mark Barker fifth. The feature event was run caution free for one of the few times this season.
The regular racing program began as 26 mods, 32 Sportsman, 30 IMCA mods, 27 Pure Stocks and 21 Vintage race cars were chomping at the bit to do some playing on the dirt. Joining the big block modifieds this evening were two of DIRT’s best as the Franklin Flyer Billy Decker and Jumping Jack Johnson were signed in and ready to race. Danny O’Brien lost his power plant in hot laps, so newly crowned 358 champion Rob Galloway allowed the Pocket Rocket to use his car for the night as points were ending and Danny was right in the thick of things. Twenty-five big block/358 mods lead by Ryan Bartlett and Kyle Wilson took the green flag from Starter Matt Burdick. Bartlett raced out to the early lead, but it was Flyin Pat O’Brien taking over the lead on the 6th lap with the Hometown Hammer Lee Gill right behind him. The stage was then set for one of the most thrilling races of the season as the two veterans wowed the crowd with their side by side duel for the lead lap after lap. At the halfway point of the race, it was Gill, O’Brien, Jason Barney, Frankie Caprara, Billy Decker, Pat Ward and Ryan Phelps making up the lead pack. Back and forth it went, two seasoned veterans and good friends trying to out do the other. On lap 20, the yellow flew for Bartlett as the young second generation driver had a radiator hose let go putting him out of the race. O’Brien was back in the lead at this point and with still side by side. On lap 26 while the two were racing through the second turn, contact was made between the two cars sending O’Brien into a wicked three-and-a-half flip wild ride. The red flag was put out and all thoughts were immediately centered on the former many time track champion and four-time Mr. DIRT. After some anxious moments came word that Pat was okay, that he had his bell rung pretty good but everything looked good. Pat was later taken to a Watertown hospital as a safety precaution to make sure everything was okay. When racing resumed, with the two leaders in the accident, Billy Decker suddenly found himself the leader of the race. The Franklin Flyer was able to run the remaining four-laps and maintain his lead en route to the win with Pat Ward coming home second, Frankie Caprara third, Jason Barney fourth and Jumpin Jack Johnson rounding out the top five. Gill was able to come back and finish ninth as the Hometown Hammer was able to nail down his first ever Can Am big block or 358 championship. He wasn’t in the mood for celebrating as he declined the offer to come out for a post-race interview and received a bottle of champagne in deference to his friend and co-competitor Pat O’Brien. The 358 winner was Adam Moore as he received an extra $300 at the pay window while Rob Galloway of Hammond is the 2003 358 modified track champion.
It was time for the Sportsman to come out for their 20-lap feature, and a regular Saturday night record of 32 cars comprised the starting field. Scott Parliament held down the early lead, but the battle was behind him as everyone was looking for points to better themselves in the point standings and get the best payoff possible. There were at least six cars waging a torrid battle behind Parliament for positions. When Matt Burdick showed the cross flags for the halfway point, the lead pack was Parliament, Mike Teachout, Ben Tucker, Kyle Dingwall, Tim Van Brocklin, Shawn Donath and Jack Meeks being the main combatants in the great racing going on throughout the pack. On lap 17, there was an another accident involving the lead pack was Ben Tucker was hit from behind by Mike Teachout sending the Tucker ride sideways after climbing all the way to second place. That put Lance Willix into the picture as Parliament, Willix and Dingwall were all going for the lead when the green lights came on again. It was Parliament and Willix side by side with Willix taking the white flag first and then he was able to hold off Parliament en route not only to the win, but also to his first Can Am Sportsman title, a well-deserved title, as he’s had to dig and scratch for everything he’s gotten in all of his racing years. Parliament was sank trailed by Dingwall, Jack Meeks and Matt Butler.
Not to be outdone by their Sportsman competitors, the IMCA mods sent out a season high 30-cars for their feature event. The race was red flagged early as Bob Ridgeway entering turn one suddenly veered to the right with the end result being a quick barrel roll. Thankfully Bob was okay, although his car was not the same. When racing resumed, it was Erv Miller out front with Jeff Shannon, Neal Edgar, Jeff Bannister, Larry Bezner and Rob Keller in hot pursuit. Miller starting showing smoke from the rear end and the fans were watching intently to see how serious the problem was. They found out on the 9th lap when the rear end let go on the Miller mount ending a great run for the Watertown driver. When racing resumed, it was the veteran Larry Bezner taking command of the race with Keller in second, Bannister third, Paul Calhoun in fourth and Racin John Mason in fifth. What followed was a great second half of the feature with Bezner and Keller swapping the lead back and forth between them in a great race for the lead. When the checkers came out, it was Bezner taking home the win with Keller second, Mason third, Bannister fourth and young Jon Dumas fifth. Dumas has really come into his own this season. The end result was defending track champion Paul Calhoun winning the 2003 points title by an unofficial two points over Keller and recording his second straight IMCA mod track title.
The wild and crazy Pure Stocks sent out their season high of 27 cars for their 15 laps of always exciting competition. Chuck Cushman took control of the early stages of the race with Mark Barker, Charles Duffany, Lyle Murphy, Zeke McKeown and Mike Cousins all looking for racing room. As Cushman was protecting his lead, a couple veterans were making their way to the front as Dave Pope and Dave Mannise were picking off cars each lap. At the halfway point of the race, the leaders were Cushman, Mannise, Pope, McKeown, Dana Aikins and Barker. The latter stages of the race saw a tremendous three-car battle between Cushman, Mannise and Pope as they all battled for the lead. Mannise wrestled the lead away from Cushman on the white flag lap and then held him off to record the win with Pope coming home second, Dana Aikins climbing back to third, Cushman fourth and McKeown fifth. The track title goes to Mannise for the third straight year, but his margin of winning the track title has dwindled each year.
The Midstate Vintage Stockcar Club had 21 cars in competition in their two features with Bill Krishstein of Hastings, New York winning in the cars of the 50's, Pat. Sonnenberg of Stevensville, Ontario winning the 60's cars and Gary Byerly from Corfu, New York winning in the cars of the 70's class. These drivers always stage an excellent show at Can Am. I believe they love to race at Can Am and the fans love to see them.
You won’t want to miss this Saturday night’s action as Pepsi Cola, Castle Hi-:Tech and Gypsum Express sponsor the evening that will feature a 100-lap Advance Auto Parts Super DIRT Series big block race along with the Sportsman, IMCA mods and Pure Stocks. Gates will open at noon with racing beginning at four p.m. for this show as well as the Battle at the Border show the following week. Make note of the starting time so you won’t be late.
MODIFIED: (30L) BILLY DECKER, Pat Ward, Frankie Caprara, Jason Barney, Jack Johnson, Steve Hulsizer, Mike Adderley, Ryan Phelps, Lee Gill, Adam Moore, Steve Bilow, David Orr, Pat O’Brien, Bob Bennett, Anthony Fiorentino, Ryan Bartlett, Bill Gill, Todd Stewart, Kyle Wilson, Bob McCreadie, Zack Aubertine, Roger Phelps, Sam Vanderlinden
SPORTSMAN: (20L) LANCE WILLIX II, Scott Parliament, Kyle Dingwall, Jack Meeks, Matt Butler, Brian Donath, Andy Howard, Shawn Donath, Tim Van Brocklin, Scott MacCue, Elmo Recker, Clayton Brewer III, Sammy Reakes IV, Bill Eisele, Scott Webb, Steve Roberts, Tom Schroy, Lee Miller, Scott Goodrich, Rob Bellinger, Ben Tucker, Mike Teachout, Pete Schroy, Jeff Stevenson, Jason Riddell, Scott Kelsey, Jim Vock, Jordan Bennett, Sammy Reakes, Jr., Shane Donath, Rick McCready
IMCA MAKEUP FEATURE: (20L) ROB KELLER, Paul Calhoun, Jeff Bannister, Erv Miller, Jon Dumas, Dale Caswell, John Mason, Chris Thurston, Rick Reed, Brian Rice, Jeff Shannon, Dan Hilts, Brian Copp, Ken Klinkowsky, Larry Bezner, Justin Mason, Neal Edgar, Chris Taylor, Mark Chrzanowski, Bob Ridgeway, Rick Dusckas, John Carr, Tom Docteur DNS: Hunter Grimes
IMCA: (20L) LARRY BEZNER, Rob Keller, John Mason, Jeff Bannister, Jon Dumas, Paul Calhoun, Dale Caswell, Mark Webb, Chris Thurston, Rick Dusckas, Rick Reed, Ken Klinkowsky, Lance Lalonde, Aaron Jacobs, Jerry Fobare, Bruce McCloskey, Darryl Paul, Mark Chrzanowski, Erv Miller, Neal Edgar, Jeff Shannon, Dan Hilts, Chris Taylor, John Carr, Bob Ridgeway DNS: Justin Mason and Tom Docteur
PURE STOCK MAKEUP FEATURE: (15L) DAVE MANNISE, Dana Aikins, Dave Pope, Chuck Cushman, Mark Barker, Travis Andrews, Zeke McKeown, Jason Rarrick, Mike Cousins, Ken Hamm, Andy Wells, Don Scales, Lyle Murphy, Pete Cross, OJ White, Dale Snider, George Sanford, Steve Gilmore, Charles Duffany, Ed Rogers, Les Sanford DNS: Scott Castor, John Holder, Darius Gamel
PURE STOCK: (15L) DAVE MANNISE, Dave Pope, Dana Aikins, Chuck Cushman, Zeke McKeown, Mark Barker, Mike Cousins, Travis Andrews, Andy Wells, Ken Hamm, Lyle Murphy, Billy Gardner, Steve Gilmore, Jason Rarrick, Jason Gilmore, Brian Holder, Dale Snyder, Pete Cross, OH White, Shane Ray, Charles Duffany, Les Sanford DNS: Ryan Poole, Ed Rogers, Wayne Martin, George Sanford, Don Scales