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Elbridge, NY – May 6, 2007 – By Tom Skibinski, DIRTcar Racing NorrthEast PR Director
Reigning Mr. DIRTcar Pro Stock Champion Pete Stefanski was on the way to his first career victory at Rolling Wheels Raceway Park on Sunday. Fifteen laps and 15 minutes later it was Allen Peters dancing on his roof top after scoring his first-ever tour victory in dramatic fashion in the 25-lap Pro Stock Series opener that kicked off Rolling Wheels’ 39th consecutive season of operation on Terrell’s Potato Chip Night at the Elbridge oval.
“Pete is always fast but not invincible. Tonight he was fast again and so were we but we had some luck riding on our side this time,” said Massena’s Peters, 35, following his fifth career DIRTcar Pro Stock feature win worth $1,000. “I still have to thank the Stefanski brothers, they picked up some tires and helped use mount them when we got to the track. This whole car was actually finished last night at around 6 o’clock so coming home on top for our first win is pretty amazing.”
Peters grabbed the lead from Louie Jackson on lap 14 and opened up a half straightaway advantage when the checkered flag finally waved. Western New Yorker Don Barnes chased Jackson across the stripe with Bob Buono and Denis Gauvreau filling out the official front-five.
Stefanski dominated the second of two qualifying heats then easily out-dragged front row partner and heat one race winner Barnes at the drop of the initial green flag. Already missing his heat, Brett Martin stopped in turn four to incur the first caution period without even completing a single lap. Despite the yellow flag erasing Stefanski’s early eight car-length advantage, the Wheatfield, N.Y. pilot built his lead back up to three-quarters of a straightaway by lap 10.
With Stefanski so far ahead, the battle for second between Jackson, Barnes and Peters demanded most of the attention, yet anyone remaining focused on the leader was among the few to witness the most pivotal point of the race. Exiting turn four Stefanski pulled alongside looking to lap the no. 37 car of Ricky Thompson who suddenly veered left. The ensuing leftside contact sent Stefanski’s no. 2 Sunrise Bakery-San-Ter Service-Mar-Jen School of Beauty mount spinning sideways to send the caution lights flashing for a second time.
Eyeing his second straight trip to victory lane at ‘The Wheels,’ Gauvreau was the next in line to assume the lead position yet he spun on the restart which collected Dave Bissonnette, Dion Oakes and Thompson in the turn one melee with Joey Ladouceur suffering heavy front-end damage in the same mishap.
Jackson was up to the challenge on the second lap 12 restart yet hat was short-lived with Stefanski already advancing into the top-five. Peters moved past Barnes for second on lap 13 and forged the final lead change under the starter’s stand on the following circuit. The last yellow flag unfurled on lap 19 when Bissonnette and Thompson were joined this time by Frenchman Jocelyn Roy in another first turn scramble, with Stefanski ducking pitside during the slowdown to replace a flat tire.
With the track clear in front, Peters’ no. 88 Sunrise Bakery-Jacob’s Excavation Chevrolet Monte Carlo was quick on the last restart and never looked back en route to posting the memorable win that also clinched him an automatic starting position in the Pro Stock Championship held during Super DIRT Week, Oct. 3-7, at the New York State Fairgrounds in Syracuse . Late arriving Roch Aubin actually crossed the line in fifth yet an illegal rev limiter chip disqualified his stellar run and awarded him no money and only 10 points for his effort.
Mr. DIRTcar Pro Stock Series Race #1 – Rolling Wheels Raceway Park, May 6, 2007 Terrell’s Potato Chips Event Summary
FEATURE (25-laps):
FIN ST CAR# DRIVER / HOMETOWN
1 6 88 Allen Peters/Massena,NY
2 8 18 Louie Jackson/Akwesasne,NY
3 1 28 Don Barnes/Gasport,NY
4 7 64 Bob Buono/ Wayne , NY
5 3 72 Denis Gauvreau/ Gatineau ,QUE.
6 2 2 Pete Stefanski/ Wheatfield , NY
7 14 4 Dean Charbonneau/Clifton Park , NY
8 18 37w Ricky Thompson/Hogansburg,NY
9 9 47 Dave Bissonnette/Apple Hill,ONT
10 13 05 Jocelyn Roy/St-Helene,QUE
11 11 71 Scott Gribben/ Royalton , NY
12 17 98t Jack Terrell/Jamesville,NY
13 4 99 Mike Martin/Lockport,NY
14 15 92 Joey Ladouceur/ Alexandria ,ONT
15 5 48 Dion Oakes/ Akwesasne , NY
16 16 74x Jim Evans Jr./ Memphis , NY
17 19 11 Mike Vaughn/Jordan,NY
18 20 10 Brett Martin/Burt,NY
DSQ 10 4r Roch Aubin/ Alexandria ,ONT
DNS 12 12 Clayton Benedict/Akwesasne,ONT
LAP LEADERS: Stefanski (1-11), Jackson (12-13), Peters (14-25).
CAUTIONS: 4 (lap 2, lap 12, lap 12, lap 19).
SYRACUSE CHAMPIONSHIP QUALIFIER: Allen Peters.
QUALIFYING
Heat Races (8 laps, all transferred to feature)
#1: Barnes, Gauvreau, Oakes, Buono, Bissonnette, Gribben, Roy, Vaughn (DNS), B.Martin (DNS).
#2: Stefanski, M.Martin, Peters, Jackson , Aubin, Benedict, Charbonneau, Ladouceur, Evans, Terrell, Thompson.
Mr. DIRTcar Pro Stock Series Point Standings (through May 6, 2007)
100-Allen Peters, 95-Louie Jackson, 90-Don Barnes, 85-Bob Buono, 76-Denis Gauvreau, 72-Pete Stefanski, 68-Dean Charbonneau, 65-Ricky Thompson, 62-Dave Bissonnette, 60-Jocelyn Roy, 58-Scott Gribben, 56-Jack Terrell, 54-Mike Martin, 52-Joey Ladouceur, 50-Dion Oakes, 48-Jim Evans Jr., 46-Mike Vaughn, 45-Brett Martin, 10-Roch Aubin, 10-Clayton Benedict.
FULL FENDER FOOTNOTES
*Peters’ journey to the winner’s circle at Rolling Wheels actually began on Saturday when the finishing touches were put on his Cannizzaro chassis. “We’ve done a lot in the last 24 hours putting the car together, from a back-up motor to a new power steering pump and then changing the gears when we got to Rolling Wheels today. Its so unbelievable the way things worked out,” said Peters, who changed his car number since breaking away from his younger brother P.J. Peters and going on his own this season. P.J. is #73 and Allen was #73a until reverting back to the former #88 which he used on his Duke Stock in the late 1980s. Ironically, P.J. was expected to contend at RWR before he blew a motor Saturday night at Frogtown Int’l Speedway where Allen finished sixth.
*Quality over quantity ear-marked the field Sunday at Rolling Wheels Raceway with 18 of the top-50 in final 2006 Mr. DIRTcar point standings, including six of the top-10 headlined by reigning points king Pete Stefanski were in attendance. Canadians Joey Ladouceur (2004) and Denis Gauvreau (2006) were the only drivers to reach victory lane at the popular Elbridge oval. Syracuse Super DIRT Week winner Louie Jackson joined Stefanski (3 wins) and Gauvreau as the lone winners in the five tour races run last season. Stefanski (11) also ranks third all-time on the Pro Stock Series win list while ’04 Mr. DIRT titlist Ladouceur stands fifth with eight tour triumphs.
*Stefanski ( Genesee ) and Clayton Benedict (Frogtown) entered Rolling Wheels’ lid-lifter with victories scored the previous night in their respective track openers. Benedict was the only car not to start the 25-lap main event, first suffering a seized up brake caliper while running second with one lap to go in his heat, then discovering a broken seal on his gas tank when addressing the initial problem pitside. Remarked the dejected Stefanski after settling for 7th-place with a tour victory seemingly held tight in his grasp, “This place just doesn’t want me to win. It’s just another race when I’ve had the fastest car and couldn’t close the deal. I had everything under control then this guy decides to turn left right into me. We came here to have some fun but now we’re heading home empty … again.”
*Hoosier Tire-Sunoco Race Fuels Mr. DIRT Pro Stock Champion contenders will be sharing bigger purses in 2007 and for the first time in series history the top point-getter will be crowned at the conclusion of Eastern States Weekend at Orange County Fair Speedway. The Pro Stocks remain DIRTcar Racing NorthEast’s top full-fender class and during the off-track season every series race purse was raised from midfield on back with $1,000 to win and $100 to start.
UPCOMING EVENT:
Racing in the Mr. DIRTcar Pro Stock Series takes a long break before returning for the traditional Labor Day showdown at Cornwall (Ont.) Motor Speedway on Sun., Sept. 2. Six extra-distance events remain after that with the 2007 overall Mr. DIRTcar Pro Stock Champion crowned for the first time ever at Orange County Fair Speedway in October.
2007 Mr. DIRTcar Pro Stock Series Championship Schedule
DAY-DATE LAPS TRACK LOCATION/WINNER
Sun-May 6 25 Rolling Wheels Raceway Allen Peters
Sun-Sep 2 50 Cornwall Motor Speedway Cornwall , ONT
Fri-Sep 7 50 Autodrome Edelweiss Hull , QUE
Sat-Sep 8 30 Frogtown Int’l Speedway Hogansburg, NY
Sat-Sep 22 30 Rolling Wheels Raceway Elbridge , NY
Fri-Sep 28 30 Fulton Speedway Fulton,NY
Sun-Oct 7 25 New York State Fairgrnds Syracuse ,NY
Sun-Oct 21 25 Orange Co Fair Speedway Middletown ,NY
*All events subject to change.
The DIRTcar Advance Auto Parts Modified Series is brought to fans across the Northeast by several sponsors and partners, including series sponsors Advance Auto Parts, Hoosier Racing Tire and Sunoco Race Fuels. Promotional partners include AMB i.t., F.X. Caprara Car Companies and the University of Northwestern Ohio and the contingency sponsors are Bert Transmission, Bicknell Racing Products, Bilstein Shocks, Brodix Cylinder Heads, Integra Shocks, MSD Ignitions, Miller Electric Manufacturing Company and Wrisco Industries.
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