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It's Billy Dunn Again At Can-Am

LAFARGEVILLE, NY - The skies threatened rain in the late afternoon at Chapman’s Can Am Speedway in Lafargeville Saturday night, but the weather held and racing ensued. It was a full docket of racing including Novice Sportsman, 358 Small Block Modifieds, Thunder Cars, Sportsman Mods, Vintage Mods and Pro Street Stocks. After missing a week of racing due to inclement weather, the fans packed the stands to cheer on their favorite drivers.

HEAT RACES
First out onto the half-mile clay track was the Novice Sportsman Class for two heat races of six cars per heat. 76G Skylar Greenfield and 00 Billy Matteson opened the first heat race in first and second place. Matteson grabbed ahold of the lead by turn one but had competition from 30 Hunter Schwander almost immediately. Schwander climbed up from sixth position to start to the lead by lap three. After six quick laps, it was Schwander, Matteson and 34 Eric Nier in the top three positions. The second Novice Sportsman heat had 15 Greg Henry and 1 Cole Davidson in first and second positions. Davidson took the lead by turn one with 24 Jordan Kelly right on his back bumper around the first lap. By lap two, Kelly was in the lead, with 60 Jackson Gill charging hard from the fifth starting position. By the half way point it was Kelly, Gill and Davidson in the top three positions. Despite a late challenge for third by 54G Greg Snyder, the top three positions held with Kelly, Gill and Davidson finishing one, two and three.

Sportsman Modifieds took to the oval next, for two heat races to determine the feature starting positions. 415 Andrew Wren and 71 Delbert LeGrow started in first and second positions. LeGrow grabbed onto first out of turn one, with 27W Nick Webb riding his bumper all around lap one. The two continued to spar for first place, distancing themselves from the rest of the pack. 72 Mike Prentice retained his third place starting position, while 91 Josh Reome. On lap six of the heat, a red flag was thrown as 97 Mike Mandigo apparently caught one of the infield tires and rolled the car onto its roof on turn four. Track emergency vehicles and paramedics rushed to the vehicle to make sure he was okay. Mandigo climbed from the mangled yellow and blue number 97 under his own power, the safety equipment doing its job. The caution was extended, as the rollover wreck created a divot in turn four, which required repair. This allowed for the pace truck to guide the vehicles around the track and work in the high corners of the track surface, which were riding a bit rough through the first few heat races. When racing resumed, it was 71 LeGrow and 27W Webb in the top two positions as the green flag dropped. At the checkered flage it was LeGrow, Webb and 72 Prentice by a nose for third.

The second heat for Sportsman Mods began with 25 George Sanford and 7x Justin White in the top two positions. Sanford grabbed the lead out of turn one, with 1 Jack Meeks climbed from sixth position to second by the end of lap two. Meeks looked like he was shot out of a cannon as he challenged for and won first place by lap three. Meanwhile, 7x White got up into some of the rough area on the back straight away and fell back to last place. 21 Taylor Caprara started in eighth position, but steadily gobbled up track positions throughout the race, grabbing fourth by the checkered flag. At the flag, it was Meeks, Sanford, and 2 Christopher Thurston in the top three positions.

Thunder cars took command of the track next with two heat races. In heat number one, it was 94 OJ White and 17 Mike Greenfield started in the top two positions. 11J Justin Burns took the lead by lap two, with 17x Pat Sullivan moving up to second from a sixth position start. 26M Phil Desormeau III, a dominating force in this class, opened the race in fifth place and climbed to third position by the checkered flag. At the finish it was Burns, Sullivan and Desormeau in the top three positions. The second heat in the Thunder Car class had 61 Gerald Rogers and 2s Gary Sharlow in the top two positions to start. Sharlow, in his all orange 2s, shot out to the lead immediately and put several car lengths between him and the rest of the pack early, only to have the car seemingly shut down around turn two in lap two, surrendering three positions. 32 Chuck Monica took the lead in lap two and never relented, taking it all the way to the checkered flag. 17n Justin Nier and 83 Carl Burdick came in second and third to close out the Thunder Car heat races.

The 358 Small Block Modifieds were ready to roar with eight competitors taking to the track for the heat race. 15D Kyle DeMetro and 12 Keith Weston were in the top two positions to start the race. 1 Craig Collier shot out to the lead by turn two, while 9 Billy Dunn climbed up to fourth by lap two. Dunn continued his conquest, grabbing third and then second positions a lap later. With two laps remaining Dunn took first place away from 93 Ryan Bartlett, leaving the third position to 10 Josh VanBrocklin. At the checkered flag it was Dunn, Bartlett and VanBrocklin in one, two and three.

05/21/16 Winner - Alley Amell - Vintage Modifieds
The Can-Am crowd was treated to the Vintage Modifieds once again, with two heat races to determine the feature positions. 2x Alley Amell and x22 Denzil Billings Jr. started in first and second positions. Billings took the lead through lap one, but had tough competition from 2 John Stanley, who had climbed from sixth position to second by lap three. Billings took the low line around the track, while Stanley raced high, enduring a rougher track to try to gain advantage. At the checkered flag it was Billings, Stanley and 17 Phil Ross in the top three positions. The second heat race had 98x Jason Reynolds and B10 Paul Billings starting in the top two positions. Reynolds held onto the lead through lap one, while 70 Steve Arbuthnot grabbed second place by lap two. On the final lap, Arbuthnot had mechanical issues and dropped off, allowing B10 Billings and 12 Tim Charland to pass by and take second and third positions, while Reynolds retained first place at the checkered flag.

Pro Street stocks had two heat races, with 55 Kenny Clark and 272 Tiger Chapman started the first heat in first and second positions. Chapman took the lead immediately, with 32 Ryan Shanahan sparring with Clark for second place. By lap two Shanahan was successful in grabbing hold of second position, as Clark came to a stop in turn two with mechanical issues. The Pro Street stock competitors continued to be a bit chippy as 83 Milt Combs was spun out by 4 Mike Durham as the caution came out for Clark. With two laps remaining, it was Chapman, Shanahan and Combs in the top three positions. They crossed the finish line in that order. The second heat had 6 John Baxter and 3k Shawn Kirby starting in the top two positions. Kirby launched into first across the line, with 13 Kenny Hamm riding his bumper into second position. 3 Rick Dusckas climbed from sixth to third place in one lap, challenging Hamm for position by lap two. 711 Russ Marsden gained on Dusckas through the turns, but could not manage a pass and was relegated to fourth. At the checkered flag, it was Kirby, Dusckas and Hamm in the top three positions.

FEATURE RACES
The first feature of the evening was the Novice Sportsman. 00 Billy Matteson and 1 Cole Davidson started in first and second place, with 4x Mike Gaudbaw and 54G Greg Snyder in third and fourth positions to start. Davidson got the holeshot through turn one, with 54G Snyder grabbing second position. 24 Jordan Kelly had mechanical problems off the line and limped to the pits. It brought out a caution and a restart. Davidson once again grabbed first, with Snyder falling in to second place. 34 Eric Nier moved up from his sixth place start to grab third, while 4x Mike Gaudbaw and 60 Jackson Gill sparred for fourth. Gill powered past Gaudbaw by lap four and immediately set his sights on Nier. Meanwhile, 30 Hunter Schwander, who started in eighth position was climbing towards the front of the pack. By lap ten, Snyder made his move, using lapped car, 18 Justin Gaudbaw, as a roadblock for Davidson. With one lap remaining, Gill made his move on Nier and grabbed third place. At the checkered flag it was 54G Greg Snyder, 1 Cole Davidson, 60 Jackson Gill, 34 Eric Nier and 30 Hunter Schwander in the top five positions.

Thunder Cars hit the track next, with 2s OJ White and 61 Gerald Rogers starting in first and second, as 94 OJ White, who was slated for a first position start, did not start. 42 Lyle Robinson and 11J Justin Burns were in the next row in third and fourth positions respectively. Sharlow grabbed the lead immediately, with Robinson in second by turn three. A lap one caution brought out the yellow flag. 10 Francis White lost a wheel in turn four and required a tow to the pits. Weekly favorite 26M Phil Desormeau III left for the pits during the caution laps. It was side by side racing through turns one and two, but Sharlow was able to power past Robinson for the lead. One lap later, 32 Chuck Monica maneuvered into second position and challenged Sharlow for first place. In lap three, 17 x Pat Sullivan went high out of turn one and got caught up on the rough berm, throwing the car over the bank and into the grass. The caution allowed Desormeau III to rejoin the race, albeit two laps down. 17n Justin Nier challenged for second place on the restart, with 32 Monica managing to gain the advantage and remain in second. Sharlow and Monica tangled for first place by lap six. In turn two of lap nine, Sharlow lost power and 42 Lyle Robinson got into his back, damaging his nose and heading to the pits. With two of the top three cars heading to the pits, the new leaders were 32 Chuck Monica and 17N Justin Nier in first and second positions. Whatever issues took Desormeau to the pits, they seemed to be solved, as he charged back through the pack, just behind the leaders on the restart, though still two laps down. While Nier and Monica battled for first, Desormeau tried to gain back a lap. On the restart it was 32 Chuck Monica and 11j Justin Burns in first and second positions. 17N Nier pushed past for second place. At the checkered flag it was 32 Chuck Monica and 16 Matt Marcinko powering up several spots on the final lap to grab second place. 11J Justin Burns claimed second, while 17N Justin Nier was in fourth and 5 Don Woodworth in fifth.

The Sportsman Modifieds were on the track next, with seventeen cars starting the feature. 415 Andrew Wren and 25 George Sanford started in first and second place with 71 Delbert LeGrow and 72 Mike Prentice in the next row in third and fourth positions. Sanford and Wren got together on turn two battling for the lead. Sanford gained the advantage with Wren falling into second place. After five laps it was Sanford, Wren, LeGrow, 12 Troy Fleming and 1 Jack Meeks in the top five positions. A lap eight caution brought the field back together for a restart. Much of the pack came together in turn two of the restart, with bumping and rubbing all through the turn. Somehow the drivers all managed to avert disaster as all the cars remained in the race. 21 Taylor Caprara climbed from twelfth position to start, all the way up to third position by lap ten. 271 Tiger Chapman was also on the move, jumping from tenth to fourth position by lap eleven. On a lap eleven caution-restart, it was 1 Jack Meeks in first, with 25 George Sanford in second. Caprara was in third with Chapman in fourth. The restart ate up 38 Zach Sobotka and 57 Anthony Stockman in turn one, sending them up over the berm and into the field towards Route 411. They were able to drive off to the pits without requiring a tow. With seven laps remaining, it was Meeks, Sanford, Caprara, Chapman, and 27W Nick Webb in the top five positions. Caprara dove low in turn three on lap fifteen to grab hold of second place, wresting it away from Sanford. At the checkered flag it was 1 Jack Meeks, 21 Taylor Caprara, 25 George Sanford, 271 Tiger Chapman and 44 Dave Rogers in the top five positions.

The 358 Small Block Modifieds were up next, with two of the top five finishers from the Sportsman class invited to join the race at the back of the pack. 15D Kyle Demetro and 57 Rylee Gill starting in the top two positions with 1 Craig Collier 10 Josh VanBrocklin in the next row. VanBrocklin was bumped hard into the wall and ended up in the infield off turn one as the green flag flew over the racing field. VanBrocklin’s night of racing was over as his car was towed to the pits. With no laps scored before the caution came out, the original order was set for a restart. 9 Billy Dunn narrowly escaped an impact with 15D Demetro on the restart. Demetro fell back in the pack and eventually spun out in turn four bringing out a caution, while Dunn powered ahead to get to third position after starting seventh. On the restart it was 57 Gill, 93 Ryan Bartlett and 9 Dunn in the top three positions. Dunn and Bartlett battled for several laps for first position, Dunn gaining slightly in the turns, with Bartlett powering away down the straightaways. By lap ten, Dunn was able to dart low on the track and slide by Bartlett through turns three and four. By lap fourteen the field was spread around the track, with Dunn putting multiple car-lengths between himself and second place Bartlett. At the checkered flag it was Dunn, Bartlett, Gill, Collier, and 51x Brady Gill in the top five positions.

Vintage Modifieds from the Eastern Ontario Vintage Stock Car Club were next on the track, with x22 Denzil Billings Jr. and 2 John Stanley starting in the top two positions. Stanley jumped out to an early lead, with 17 Phil Ross moving into second place by lap two. B3 Steve Billings and 98X Jason Reynolds battled for third when a lap three caution brought the field back together for a restart. On the restart Reynolds went off the track on the back straightaway and slid sideways and collided hard with some of the trees off the back of the track near turn three. It was a red flag caution, bringing all cars to a stop on the track, and a hush over the crowd. Reynolds was able to climb out of the car and walk away from the wreck, to the relief and cheers of the fans. Reynolds was transported off the track for a medical check. On the restart it was Stanley in first place with 2x Mike Amell in second, with a tenacious 17 Phil Ross in third. A battle for fourth raged on through the middle laps between 70 Steve Arbuthnot and x22 Denzil Billings Jr. By lap nine, Arbuthnot was firmly in fourth and challenging for third. The race for second was three wide on the final lap. A caution on the final lap brought the field back together, making it anybody’s race. 2 John Stanley and 2x Mike Amell restarted in first and second positions. 70 Steve Arbuthnot in third challenged for second but was held off. The top five finishers were Stanly, Amell, Arbuthnot, 17 Phil Ross and x22 Denzil Billings Jr.

The final feature of the night was the Pro Street Stocks and once again it was full of hard racing and fireworks. 272 Tiger Chapman and 3K Shawn Kirby started in the front row in first and second positions, with 19 Robert Scott and 45R Preston Forbes in the next row and third and fourth positions. Chapman charged ahead to retain the lead off the line, with Kirby hot on his tail. 13 Kenny Hamm maneuvered up from sixth into third, battling for the position with 3 Rick Dusckas. The battle for first continued through the middle laps, far ahead of the rest of the field, with Chapman managing to keep Kirby at bay. By the middle of the race the field was stretched around the entirety of the track with Chapman and Kirby continuing their battle while coming up on lapped traffic. A caution flag came out when Kirby clipped an infield tire, sending it across the track and off turn one into the grass separating the track and Route 411. The restart brought the field back together for a side-by-side restart, setting the stage for an exciting conclusion to the race. On the restart Chapman leaped out front once again, with Kirby falling in line behind him. The battle for third heated up with Hamm and Dusckas side-by-side, Dusckas eventually gaining the position, allocating Hamm to fourth. 83 Milt Combs moved up from a seventh place start to fifth position by lap sixteen, when yet another caution flag flew over the track. On the restart, Kirby got into the back of Chapman and spun him through turns three and four. The wreck claimed Chapman and Hamm who were able to rejoin the race after an extended caution. 3k Shawn Kirby was sent to the back of the pack as a penalty. He showed his displeasure about the decision by parking by the flag stand wishing to argue the penalty. He eventually took up his position at the back of the pack but only two laps later spun out Tiger Chapman on the final lap. Kirby was black flagged on the caution lap and took it to the pits, his night done with a lap remaining. With all of the fireworks on the track, 45R Preston Forbes managed to take first place, with 3 Rick Dusckas taking second place and 13 Kenny Hamm in third. 83 Milt Combs was in fourth and 19 Robert Scott came in fifth. 3k Shawn Kirby was disqualified for his actions on the track. 4 Mike Durham was also disqualified for an incident in the pits.

FEATURE RESULTS

05/21/16 Can-Am Feature Winner - Greg Snyder - Novice Sportsman Modified (His first ever win at Can-Am)
Novice Sportsman Modified Results: 1) 54G Greg Snyder, 2) 1 Cole Davidson, 3) 60 Jackson Gill, 4) 34 Eric Nier, 5) 30 Hunter Schwander, 6) 76G Skylar Greenfield, 7) 4x Mike Gaudbaw, 8) 00 Billy Matteson, 9) 15 Greg Henry, 10) 18 Justin Gaudbaw, 11) 7x Burton Ward, 12) 24 Jordan Kelly

05/21/16 Can-Am Feature Winner - Chuck Monica - Thunder Car
Thunder Car Results: 1) 32 Chuck Monica, 2) 16 Matt Marcinko, 3) 11JK Justin Burns, 4) 17N Justin Nier, 5) 5 Don Woodworth, 6) 17 Mike Greenfield, 7) 111J AJ St. Mary, 8) 26M Phil Desormeau III, 9) 83 Carl Burdick, 10) 2s Gary Sharlow, 11) 42 Lyle Robinson, 12) 61 Gerald Rogers, 13) 17x Pat Sullivan, 14) 2 Gage Howard, 15) 25 David Sullivan, 16) 10 Francis White, 17) 94 OJ White (DNS)

05/21/16 Can-Am Feature Winner - Jack Meeks - Sportsman Modified
Sportsman Modified Results: 1) 1 Jack Meeks, 2) 21 Taylor Caprara, 3) 25 George Sanford, 4) 271 Tiger Chapman, 5) 44 Dave Rogers, 6) Troy Fleming, 7) 27W Nick Webb, 8) 621 Brian Hudson, 9) 415 Andrew Wren, 10) 71 Delbert LeGrow, 11) 72 Mike Prentice, 12) 57 Anthony Stockman, 13) 38 Zach Sobotka, 14) 7x Justin White, 15) 2 Christopher Thurston, 16) 91 Josh Reome, 17) 97 Mike Mandigo (DNS)

05/21/16 Can-Am Feature Winner - Billy Dunn - 358 Small Block Modified
358 Small Block Modified Results: 1) 9 Billy Dunn, 2) 93 Ryan Bartlett, 3) 57 Rylee Gill, 4) 1 Craig Collier, 5) 51x Brady Gill, 6) 12 Keith Weston, 7) 25s George Sanford (Sportsman Car), 8) 15d Kyle DeMetro, 9) 39 Tyler Bartlett, 10) 10 Josh VanBrocklin

05/21/16 Can-Am Feature Winner - Preston Forbes - Pro Street Stock
Pro Street Stock Results: 1) 45r Preston Forbes, 2) 3 Rick Dusckas, 3) 13 Kenny Hamm, 4) 83 Milt Combs, 5) 19 Robert Scott, 6) 272 Tiger Chapman, 7) 62 Jonathan Murphy, 8) 6 John Baxter, 9) 55 Kenny Clark, 10) 32 Ryan Shanahan, 11) 83d Ethan Ward, 12) Shawn Kirby (DQ’d), 13) 4 Mike Durham (DQ’d), 14) 711 Russ Marsden (DNS), 15) 1x Mike White (DNS)

Watertown Savings Bank Customer Appreciation Night - Saturday May 28th at Chapman's Can Am Motorsports Park. Show your Watertown Savings Bank Debt or ATM card and get in for FREE.

Saturday May 28 will feature 358 Small Block Modifieds in a twin 15-lap feature, Sportsman Mods, Mod Lites, Pro Street Stocks, Thunder Stocks and Novice Sportsman. Pit gates open at 3pm, grandstands open at 4pm with hot laps at 4:45pm and racing beginning at 6pm. Tickets are $12 for adults, kids 12 and under free when accompanied by an adult. Kids 13 thru 15 is $5. Military personnel receive a half price discount with ID.

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