Blog: Border Patrol – A weekly look at racing from both sides of the 1000 Islands
Craig Revelle – October 2, 2011 — While the end of the 2011 racing season gets closer with each report, I cant help but get excited about the final month of the season. We just finished with one of my favorite events of the season at Fulton Speedway for their annual Outlaw 200 Weekend, and now as I write this, we are getting ready for the 40th annual Super DIRT Week in Syracuse. My 2011 season will end at Brockville Speedway the following weekend.
I arrived at Fulton Speedway on Friday afternoon as they hosted their kickoff to the Outlaw 200 Weekend with Sportsman, Late Models, IMCA Modifieds and Mod Lites. Nearly 60 Sportsman teams signed into the pit area and after six qualifying heat races and 3 consolation events, the field was set for their 30 lap main event. In the end it was Fulton Speedway regular and 2011 track champion Jeremy Pitcher taking home the win. John Scarborough crossed the line in second ahead of Katelyn Kane, Sammy Reakes IV and Doug Cook. In post race inspection, both Scarborough and Cook were disqualified after failing to remove their motors for tech inspection, a situation that has drawn much debate in local racing message forums. In the Late Model 25 lap main event, Tim Sears Jr. made an impressive pass on Larry Wight coming to the white flag to take the victory in the Go Nuclear Late Model Challenge Series race. Wight finished second ahead of Jason Parkhurst, Alan Fink and Lee Gill. Gill claimed the inaugural Go Nuclear Late Model Series championship. Mike Smith capped of a banner season by winning the IMCA Modified feature over Gary Roberts and Kevan Cook, while Mike Williams captured the Mod Lite feature. At the end of the night, a practice session for the Modifieds took place, with the fastest two cars getting a guaranteed starting spot in the 26th Annual Outlaw 200. Jason Rood and Tim Fuller captured the spots for Saturday’s show.
While the rain held off on Friday night, and it remained dry for much of the overnight hours, it didn’t last long as the skies opened up for good just after 9am, and the rain continued all day long. By 2pm, the track official had made the decision to postpone the event until Sunday. Again, rain continued to fall, and for the first time in the 26-year history of the event, it was cancelled and will not be rescheduled.
This coming week is the biggest week of the year for local race teams. This is the 40th annual Super DIRT Week, with early inspection beginning on Tuesday at the New York State Fairgrounds. I will be arriving at Syracuse on Wednesday morning with Dillon Sallows and the DKD Racing team, who will be competing for the first time ever at Syracuse. We will arrive at the New York State Fairgrounds on Wednesday to set up camp, then we travel a few miles up the road to Cayuga County Fair Speedway for their Mr. DIRTcar 358 Modified and Mr. DIRTcar Sportsman events. On Thursday it is back to the Fairgrounds for practice and time trials before heading over to Rolling Wheels Raceway for another 358 Modified DIRTcar Series event, plus the World of Outlaw Late Models. On Friday we will be at Syracuse all day for practice, and DIRTcar Futures events for first time competitors in each division. Following that, for the first time ever, the Big Block Modifieds will run their triple 20 qualifying heats, and the 358 Modifieds will run twin 20 lap qualifying heats to set the field for their respective shows on Saturday and Sunday. The Nationwide 150 358 Modified race and the 30 lap Sportsman race will take place on Saturday, and Sunday will be the main event of the week, the S.E.F. 200 Big Block Modified 40th annual race. My early week predictions for Syracuse have a strong Canadian presence, as I am picking Stewart Friesen in the S.E.F 200, Matt Billings in the Nationwide 150, and Joey Ladouceur in the Pro Stock main event. My only non-Canadian pick comes in the Sportsman division as I am predicting a win for Josh VanBrocklin.
Once Super DIRT Week is over, 2011 racing season will end at Brockville with a MR. DIRTcar Pro Stock and Street Stock Challenge on Friday, October 14th, a Mr. DIRTcar 358 Modified and Sprint Car challenge race on Saturday, October 15th and a Big Block Modified Super DIRTcar Series and Mr. DIRTcar Sportsman race on Sunday, October 16th.
I hope you continue to enjoy my weekly column, as always, any comments or suggestions can be sent to crevelle@ripnet.com. Please feel free to check out my website, www.finishlinewebdesign.ca. You can also follow my live up to the minute racing coverage via twitter right on the main page of my website, through Facebook at www.facebook.com/crevelle or by following the link on the main page of www.dirttrackdigest.com for full coverage of racing events throughout the DIRTcar racing community. If you would like a website for your race team or small business, send me a message and I will get back to you.
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