By Craig Revelle – Finish Line Web Design
2012 is certainly a season of change at Chapman’s Can Am Motorsports Park. The track has already announced that they have moved to Saturday nights for the coming season, and now the return of the Big Block Modified division on the schedule for the upcoming season is the latest development from the Lafargeville, New York track.
The Big Block Modifieds will be part of the weekly schedule at Can Am, and will once again be under the DIRTcar banner. They will be joined by the DIRTcar 358 Modifieds as the premiere division for the upcoming season. They will race together but will have a separate feature winner each night, and have separate points, similar to 2010. The small blocks will be given a weight break, which will be determined at a later date. The Sportsman division will also be back under the DIRTcar banner in 2012 and all three divisions will offer home track points to go towards the touring Mr. DIRTcar Series Points.
“We are very excited to have the Big Block Modifieds back on the schedule for 2012”, says track General Manager Chip Burdick. “Between Tiger (Chapman) and I, we put a lot of thought into this decision and we felt that it was best for everyone to have the Big Blocks back on the schedule full time”.
The winner of the Modified feature each week will receive $1500 for their efforts, which is an increase from 2011. The addition of the Big Blocks also opens the door for a return of the Big Block Modified Super DIRTcar Series for the coming year. A date has not been announced at this time. A Sportsman Mr. DIRTcar Series event is also in the cards, and Burdick is also working on securing a Mr. DIRTcar 358 Modified Series race as well.
“We have some big plans for 2012. Everyone at Chapman’s Can Am Motorsports Park appreciates the support from our fans, competitors and our dedicated sponsors that support the track”, adds Burdick. “We are really looking forward to all the changes that we have in place”.
In addition to the DIRTcar Series events, Chapman’s Can Am Motorsports Park is also working to secure a date on the schedule that would see the return of the World of Outlaw Late Models. The Late Models made their debut at Can Am in 2009, and returned a year later but were not on the schedule for 2011. They will be a welcome addition for the coming season.
With Can Am going back to their Saturday night routine, the Go Karts will now race on Friday nights this coming season. Their season will get underway during the first week of May.
Practice for all divisions will take place on Saturday April 14th, and Sunday April 15th, while opening night is scheduled for Saturday, April 21st.
The plans for the weekly Late Model division at Can Am are still in the works. We are currently working on the details to possibly become Fastrak sanctioned for the upcoming season.
The first on track action of 2012 is less then a week away as Chapman’s Can Am Motorsports Park is set to host the annual Hangover Enduro (Weather Permitting). 2 40 lap features are on the card, with $500 going to the winner of each race. Second place will receive $100. Pit Gates open at 11am, Grandstands open at noon, and racing starts at 1pm. General Admission is just $5, while pit admission is $20. For more information, including registration, please visit our website.
The 2011 season awards banquet is right around the corner as well, as the Go Kart champions and top finishers will be honored on Friday, January 6th, followed by the banquet for the big track on Saturday, January 7th. Both banquets will be held at Savory Café Downtown located at the Best Western in Watertown at 300 Washington Street.
If you would like to be part of all the action at Can Am in 2012, we do have sponsor nights available, as well as seasonal tower rooms available on a first come first serve basis. Season passes will also be available once we have finalized the schedule for 2012.
More information regarding the 2012 season at Chapman’s Can-Am Motorsports Park, including sponsorship and ticket information can be found at www.canammotorsports.com or by contacting Chip Burdick at (315) 778- 3407. For tech inquiries, please contact Lloyd Larmon at (315) 767-7819.
