Dave Rauscher - George Smith Photo
Syracuse, NY — Syracuse, NY – October 9, 2008 – By Tom Skibinski, DIRTcar Racing NorthEast PR Director
The third day of activity at the New York State Fairgrounds during Super DIRT Week XXXVII closed out under the lights and for the second straight year ‘Futures’ events for Big-Block Modified, 358-Modified, Sportsman Modified and UMP Pro Stock classes were part of the Thursday program. Every competitor was in search of valuable track time on the storied Syracuse Mile and when the final checkered flag dropped at dusk, 75 future stars had taken advantage of this rare opportunity.
Mirroring last year’s format, the DIRTcar 358-Modifieds were the first to hit the track, with a baker’s dozen taking the initial green flag. Regular Sportsman campaigner Jeremy Wilder, fresh off his Mr. DIRTcar Series win at Fulton Speedway last Saturday, jumped out to the early lead before Canadian invader Larry Lampman Jr. took control for good on a lap 10 restart.
“The 22 got a good jump on me on the very start and they gave me that caution flag so I had to give it back to him,” said Lampman, from Port Colborne, Ontario, who cruised out to nearly a 3/4-straightaway lead over Wilder at the end of 15 laps. Autodrome Drummond racing promoter Yan Bussiere crossed the line third ahead of 2007 Mr. DIRTcar Sportsman Champion Joe Williams and Small-Block Series follower Tommy Flannigan.
Towing in the last car to go through inspection on Tuesday night, Dave Rauscher was first in line to take the green flag as he led the entire 18-lap distance in the Big-Block Modified main for Futures entries. The Waterloo, New York chauffeur held nothing back in traffic, opening up a 15 car-length margin of victory to enter his name in the Super DIRT Week record book.
“We’ve looked a lot worse going backwards down that front stretch, it was a pleasure to go by and not have any trouble,” noted Rauscher, who scored a comfortable win ahead of Orange County Fair Speedway stalwart Ric Hill, 15 year-old driver Larry Wight, 49 year-old Super DIRT Week rookie Brian Swartzlander and ’08 Big-Block Modified rookie Chris Higgins.
Following the Big-Block Modified Time Trials, a healthy field of 34 Sportsman Modified drivers turned trackside for a 20-lap main event that evolved into one of the most entertaining events of the new millennium on the Moody Mile. Eventual winner Mike Bowman from St. Catharines, Ontario, Jean Boissonneault arriving from Granby, Quebec and local driver Earl Rudy from nearby Phoenix were the main characters in the nip-and-tuck affair that featured three lead changes and one final two lap dash for cash after a late race caution.
Bowman grabbed the early lead before Rudy charged past followed immediately by Boissoneault as Bowman got out of shape on lap eight. Rudy matched Bowman’s misfortune on lap 10 and dropped to third at the halfway point as Boissoneault took command. Bowman shadowed the Frenchman in traffic until forging ahead for good on lap 17. Just as Rudy regained second and was about to make another bid for the lead, he slammed into the outside retaining wall in turns three and four to force out the final yellow flag on lap 19. Bowman was up to the challenge and out-distanced Boissonneault for the thrilling victory as Anthony Rizzardo, Cody McPherson and Mike Ruggiero filed in among the front-five.
“It was pretty intense out there banging bars at over 100 mph down the straightaway, its something else,” Bowman commented afterwards. “Its my first win since May and now I can finally say I won in the states.”
As the sun started to set beyond the turn three end of the speedway, 12 Pro Stockers reached the track for the day’s Futures finale and front-runners Mike Middleton and Steve Hankle didn’t let their fans down in the 10-lap affair. Fast timer on the day Hankle started just as quick before Middleton made the first pass for the lead on lap three. Hankle snatched it back just past the midway point yet it was Middleton sticking his nose low in turn three and coming out clean with two to go to take top honors.
“Your car is always better in certain spots than others so we went back and forth there pretty good for a while,” acknowledged Middleton, after edging ahead of Hankle for a three car-length victory with second-generation driver Sheldon Martin, another Frenchman Bruno Cyr and Capital District runner Mark Shadic rounding out the top-five. “We didn’t race much this year due to finances, so we saved up all summer and it was definitely worth it today coming home first.”
Super DIRT Week XXXVII action continues on Friday afternoon with the Advance Auto Parts Big-Block Modified Triple 20s and Pullen’s Truck Center 358-Modified Twin 20s taking center stage on the NYS Fairgrounds oval followed immediately by P & M Fabrication/Motorsports Safety Systems Sportsman Time Trials. But that’s not all as the action then moves over to Rolling Wheels Raceway Park for a 358-Modified/Sportsman Mr. DIRTcar Series doubleheader while Cayuga County hosts round no. 4 of the Mr. DIRTcar Street Stock Championship Series.
Super DIRT Week XXXVII – New York State Fairgrounds, Oct. 9, 2008 ‘Futures’ Events Summary
Big-Block Modified Series Feature (18-laps): DAVE RAUSCHER, Ric Hill, Larry Wight, Brian Swartzlander, Chris Higgins, Jason Herrington, Paul Gilardi, Eldon Payne Jr., Tom Scheetz Jr., Yan Bussiere, Roy Bresnahan, Casey Swamp, Skip Fox, Hector Stratton, Vince Gagliardo Jr., Mark Forte Jr.
358-Modified Series Feature (10-laps): LARRY LAMPMAN JR., Jeremy Wilder, Yan Bussiere, Joe Williams Jr., Tommy Flannigan, Kim LaVoy, Jim VanAnden, Casey Swamp, Al Blanchard, Greg Atkins, Dan Burl, Larry Wight, Brian Gagliardo.
Sportsman Series Feature (20-laps): MIKE BOWMAN, Jean Boissoneault, Anthony Rizzardo, Cody McPherson, Mike Ruggiero, Matt Hitchcock, Matt Hulsizer, Phil LaVare, Brad Rouse, Gino Pastrivo, Mat Williamson, Zach Amo, Chris Raabe, Mark Olmstead Jr., Anthony Marro, Corey Anderson, Justin Henderson, Scott Duell, Justin Wright, Dave Marcuccilli, Sandy Pembleton, Matt Smith, Eric Giguere, Jack Gentile, Shawn Cassidy, Christine Martin, Earl Rudy, John Venuto, Dean Patterson, James Friesen, Ryan Forte, Marcus Dinkins, Daryl Hilkert, Aaron Jacobs.
UMP Pro Stock Series Feature (10-laps): MIKE MIDDLETON, Steve Hankle, Sheldon Martin, Bruno Cyr, Matt Shadic, Dean Charbonneau, Troy Arnold, Tim McCarthy, Morgan David, Ron Richter, Junior Barnes, Chad Jeseo.
SUPER DIRT WEEK XXXVII ‘FUTURES’ TIME TRIALS @ NYS Fairgrounds, Oct. 9
*Determined feature race starting positions.
MODIFIED
FAST AVE
TIME MPH CAR# DRIVER
1 31.832 113.094 48too Dave Rauscher/Waterloo,NY-f
2 31.998 112.507 53 Ric Hill/Lafayette,NJ-f
3 32.073 112.244 99L Larry Wight/Phoenix,NY
4 32.088 112.191 83 Brian Swartzlander/Leechburg,PA-f
5 32.207 111.777 87 Hector Stratton/Bennington,VT
6 32.225 111.715 19H Chris Higgins/Syracuse,NY-f
7 32.408 111.084 37 Jason Herrington/Troy,NY-f
8 32.440 110.974 M40 Mark Forte Jr./Blue Anchor,NJ-f
9 32.511 110.732 02 Roy Bresnahan/Fulton,NY-f
10 32.643 110.284 87x Paul Gilardi/Pittsfield,MA-f
11 32.774 109.843 21 Yan Bussiere/Drummondville,QUE
12 33.017 109.035 28P Eldon Payne,Jr./Hopewell,NY-f
13 33.191 108.463 44 Casey Swamp/Akwesasne,NY-f
14 33.356 107.927 37X Tom Scheetz Jr./Boyertown,PA-f
15 33.565 107.255 51 Jim VanAnden/Stormville,NY-f
16 33.762 106.629 66 Vince Gagliardo Jr./Reading,PA-f
17 33.958 106.013 3 Kim LaVoy/Nassau,NY
18 34.371 104.739 347 George ‘Skippy’ Fox/Springfield,MA-f
19 34.507 104.327 1NY Greg Atkins/Clintonville,NY-f
20 -NT- —– 19 Joe Williams/Scotia,NY-f
21 -NT- —– 22J Jeremy Wilder/Fort Plain,NY-f
22 -NT- —– 22L Larry Lampman Jr./Port Colborne,ONT-f
358-MODIFIED
1 31.906 112.831 22L Larry Lampman Jr./Port Colborne,ONT-f
2 32.553 110.589 22J Jeremy Wilder/Fort Plain,NY-f
3 32.677 110.169 72 Tommy Flannigan/St.Catharines,ONT
4 32.726 110.004 21 Yan Bussiere/Drummondville,QUE
5 33.160 108.565 28P Eldon Payne,Jr./Hopewell,NY-f
6 33.169 108.535 19 Joe Williams/Scotia,NY-f
7 33.487 107.504 3 Kim LaVoy/Nassau,NY
8 33.572 107.232 5R Rob Hile/Syracuse,NY-f
9 33.634 107.035 99L Larry Wight/Phoenix,NY
10 33.720 106.762 44 Casey Swamp/Akwesasne,NY-f
11 33.722 106.755 4B Dan Burl/East Nassau,NY-f
12 33.798 106.515 41B Brian Gagliardo/Bethel,PA-f
13 33.939 106.073 51 Jim VanAnden/Stormville,NY-f
14 33.974 105.963 1NY Greg Atkins/Clintonville,NY-f
15 33.987 105.923 7A Al Blanchard/Fenwick,ONT
SPORTSMAN MODIFIED
1 34.893 103.173 16 Earl Rudy/Phoenix,NY-f
2 35.014 102.816 71 Mike Bowman/St.Catharines,ONT-f
3 35.034 102.757 61X Jean Boissonneault/Granby,QUE-f
4 35.158 102.395 51 Cody McPherson/St.Catharines,ONT-f
5 35.251 102.125 88 Phil LaVare/Clifton Springs,NY-f
6 35.291 102.009 52 James Friesen/St.Catharines,ONT-f
7 35.521 101.348 4R Mike Ruggiero/Newburgh,NY
8 35.558 101.243 99$ Anthony Rizzardo/Jordan,ONT
9 35.622 101.061 17 Marcus Dinkins/Watkins Glen,NY-f
10 35.638 101.016 22Z Zach Amo/Ogdensburg,NY-f
11 35.661 100.951 6 Mat Williamson/St.Catharines,ONT-f
12 35.671 100.922 55 Matt Hulsizer/Bridgeport,NY-f
13 35.710 100.812 B40 Ryan Forte/Blue Anchor,NJ
14 35.723 100.775 33 Matt Hitchcock/Stony Point,NY-f
15 35.763 100.663 16A Aaron Jacobs/Frankfort,NY-f
16 35.772 100.637 MR18 Brad Rouse/St.Catharines,ONT-f
17 35.972 100.078 17M Mark Olmstead Jr./Elbridge,NY-f
18 36.059 99.836 01 Chris Raabe/Napanee,ONT-f
19 36.089 99.753 18H Justin Henderson/Canandaigua,NY-f
20 36.091 99.748 96 Corey Andersen/Mullica Hill,NJ-f
21 36.383 98.947 M1 David Marcuccilli/Cayuga,NY-f
22 36.582 98.409 67g Eric Giguere/Waterloo,NY
23 36.794 97.842 44V John Venuto/Elba,NY-f
24 36.837 97.728 05 Anthony Marro/Saratoga Springs,NY-f
25 36.838 97.725 81 Shawn Cassidy/Bethel,VT-f
26 37.232 96.691 19w Justin Wright/Piffard,NY
27 37.745 95.377 28W Sandy Pembleton/Lewiston,NY-f
28 37.747 95.372 17k Sammy Reakes III/Palermo,NY
29 37.832 95.158 2 Matt Smith/Canandaigua,NY-f
30 37.856 95.097 14 Scott Duell/Ballston Spa,NY
31 37.875 95.050 11m Christine Martin/Wellesley Island,NY
32 37.982 94.782 7 Gino Postrivo/Mantua,NJ-f
33 38.068 94.568 4 Daryl Hilkert/Middlesex,NY-f
34 38.360 93.848 20 Jack Gentile/Ballston Lake,NY-f
35 -NT- —– 10B Gary Nickerson/Memphis,NY-f
36 -NT- —– 93J Randy Davis/Voorheesville,NY-f
PRO STOCK
1 38.665 93.107 44 Steve Hankle/Averill Park,NY
2 38.712 92.994 25 Chad Jeseo/Averill Park,NY
3 38.937 92.457 4 Dean Charbonneau/Clifton Park,NY-f
4 38.964 92.393 73J Troy Arnold/Middletown,NY-f
5 38.994 92.322 93J Sheldon Martin./Scotia,NY-f
6 39.095 92.083 38M Mike Middleton/East Greenbush,NY-f
7 39.499 91.142 11x Junior Barnes/Akwesasne,NY
8 39.754 90.557 33 Bruno Cyr/Carignan,QUE
9 39.898 90.230 12s Matt Shadic/Craryville,NY
10 41.523 86.699 31X Ron Richter/Alden,NY-f
11 72.609 49.581 xXx Morgan David/Akwesasne,NY-f
