By Craig Revelle – Finish Line Web Design
The year 2011 has all but come and gone, but there remains some unfinished business before Chapman’s Can Am Motorsports Park can officially put the past season to rest. The annual awards banquet honoring the champions and top finishers of 2011 will take place on Saturday, January 7th at Savory Café Downtown (Best Western), located at 300 Washington Street in Watertown, New York.
A very generous point fund has been put together that will see champions and top finishers receive a substantial amount of money at the awards banquet. With the help of some great sponsors throughout 2011, Chapman’s Can Am Motorsports Park is proud of the point fund that they have put together for their competitors.
“We worked hard this past year to put together sponsorship to be able to reward our racers for their season accomplishments”, says track General Manager Chip Burdick. “We had some great new sponsors come on board with us this year, and together with the existing companies that already had a long-standing relationship with us here at Can Am we have been able to put together a substantial point fund. We are very excited about this, and we hope to continue to build on this over the coming years”.
In 2009 and 2010 Billy Dunn set the pace in the Big Block Modified division at Can Am. When the track eliminated the class in 2011, Dunn piloted a Small Block Modified around Can Am, and the results remained the same. Dunn captured seven feature wins, 16 top fives, and 17 top tens en route to the Dig Safely New York, Davidson Auto Group, Laura Penazek-Whitney State Farm Insurance 358 Modified track championship. Dunn will take home $2000 for his efforts from the track, plus an additional $500 from Cheney Tire in Watertown.
Josh VanBrocklin won the SUNY Canton Sportsman Series Championship in 2010, but came up short in his bid for his first ever Can Am track championship. In 2011 though, he was determined to conquer the season long battle, and had a career year with eight feature wins, 15 top five finishes and 17 top tens. He captured the Clarence Henry Coach, American Traditions Motorsports, and Laura Penazek-Whitney State Farm Insurance Sportsman track championship. VanBrocklin will receive $1000 for his efforts during his championship season.
When you think of Late Model racing at Chapman’s Can Am Motorsports Park you cant help but think of Lee Gill. Gill was a mainstay in the Late Model division through his early years of racing until the class went away in the early 90s. When the class was resurrected with today’s version of the Late Model division Gill was once again a dominant force. His seven wins, 15 top fives and 15 top tens vaulted him to the top of the standing late in the year and he captured the 2011 Party Rentals, Junction Boyz Inc., Laura Penazek-Whitney State Farm Insurance Pro Late Model track championship. Gill will receive $1000 at the banquet for his 2011 season accomplishments.
The 2011 SUNY Canton, Deline’s Auto Body, Laura Penazek-Whitney State Farm Insurance Street Stock championship went to Sid Harmer Sr. Harmer had a dominating season with 11 feature wins, 17 top fives and 18 top tens this season, and captured the title by a phenomenal 148 points. Harmer will be honored at the banquet for his great season, and will receive $1000 as the Street Stock champion.
Ray Bechler returned to Can Am full time in 2011 after a limited schedule in 2010 in the Waite’s Toyota, Waite Motorsports, Deline’s Auto Body, Laura Penazek-Whitney State Farm Insurance Thunder Car division. He set the pace with six feature wins, 16 top five finishes and 19 top tens on his way to the track championship. Bechler will receive $500 for his efforts in 2011.
Rich Rainville captured the Laura Penazek-Whitney and Subway STARS Mod Lite track championship in 2011. Rich had three feature wins along with 17 top five and 17 top ten finishes en route to the championship. The Mod Lite drivers will be honored for their accomplishments and will receive money and contingencies from the STARS Mod Lite Series
Steven Gilmore began the 2011 season with five feature wins in a row and added another six wins throughout the year to capture the Laura Penazek Whitney State Farm Insurance Pure Stock division championship. In addition to his 11 feature wins, Gilmore also posted 15 top five finishes and 15 top tens.
On Friday, January 6th Can Am will also honor the champions and top finishers in the Karting classes at Savory Café Downtown (Best Western) at 300 Washington Street in Watertown. 2011 champions Kyle Savage, Anthony Rasmus, Tyler Ayen, Remington Marqu, Dan Side, Milt Combs, and Ryan Rerick and the rest of the top finishers from 2011 will be honored. Please make your reservations before January 3rd. Adults are $20, 12 and under is $15.
“Congratulations to all of our champions in 2011”, says Burdick. “We look forward to the banquet and celebrating the past season”.
Our first event of 2012 will take place on New Years Day with the annual Hangover Enduro. From there, the track will open for the 2012 season with open practice on April 14th and 15th, with our season opener scheduled for April 21st.
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.
