Billy Dunn Starts 2022 Right At Can-Am Speedway; Wins DIRTcar 358-Modified Main Friday

Story By: ADAM CORNELL / CAN-AM SPEEDWAY – LAFARGEVILLE, NY – The first night of racing at Can-Am Speedway in La Fargeville, New York kicking off the 2022 season was a welcomed site for the large crowd, who endured chilly temperatures for early May to see the racing spectacle.

The night of racing was presented by VP Racing Fuels and Lubricants. It was the first race back at Can-Am for many Canadian drivers and fans after two years of Covid-exile.

The 2021 runner up for track championship at Can-Am Speedway, Billy Dunn, found himself in victory lane after a dominant run from eighth to first in the opening night Whitesboro Plow Shop DIRTcar 358 Modified feature race. Dunn drove his blue and white number 49 past last year’s track champion, Tim Fuller, for the victory.

It took a bit to get the racing under way, as multiple lap-one cautions occurred with spinouts through turns one and two. Dunn himself nearly fell prey to a mishap when Jeff Sykes got into Dunn from behind in turn three, pushing Dunn into Shaun Shaw before Sykes ended up in the wall. Dunn and Shaw seemed to escape unscathed, while Sykes ended his night early.

Fuller and Dunn steadily climbed through the field as the race progressed, with Fuller eventually taking the lead with Dunn close behind. By lap twelve, Dunn had claimed first place and was able to hold on, even as he battled through lapped traffic with Fuller hot on his heels.

As the checkered flag unfurled over the racers, it was Dunn with the victory and Fuller in second place. Jordan McCreadie finished third with Carey Terrance and Lance Willix filling out the top five.

Dunn, a nearby Watertown, New York native mentioned his early race close call as he talked with track announcer, Tim Baltz, in victory lane.

“Nice to get one out of the way early. I have to apologize to Shaun Shaw, I got rammed into him pretty hard at the start there in three. I think it was Jeff Sykes who couldn’t find the brake pedal. Pretty hectic start to the race, we’re lucky to have survived and get to the front quickly,” Dunn said.

Tyler Corcoran looked like he was already in championship form as he topped the field in the Bob Johnson DIRTcar Sportsman Modified feature, beginning his quest to three-peat as track champion. The victory was not without challenge, however. Fire Swamp drove the number 88 to the pole position in heat races and clung to the lead position tenaciously throughout the feature, despite Corcoran’s best efforts.

“I didn’t think I had him [Fire Swamp], he was hitting his marks and running pretty good. Then we had a caution and that red flag stop and I got a good jump on the restart and was able to get the win,” Tyler Corcoran said from victory lane.

Indeed, it was after a big wreck that involved Bobby Harrington, Trevor Gibbons and Greg Brinklow which brought out the red flag stoppage, where Corcoran got an exceptional restart and was able to charge past Swamp for the lead and the eventual victory. Swamp took second in what was his first race at the Sportsman level, while Mike Fowler, David Rogers and Ryan Shanahan rounded out the top five in the class.

The always entertaining Fabco DIRTcar Pro Stocks were the first feature of the night with Eli Gilbert and Justin White starting in the front row for the twenty-lap feature. Both would give up their positions to Bruno Richard of Gatineau, QC Canada. It was the first victory for Richard at Can-Am Speedway, a track where he had never even finished a full race previously.

“Tonight, I can say the car was pretty good and pretty fast. I never even finished a race [at Can-Am] before,” Bruno Richard said in his French-Canadian accent in victory lane. Eli Gilbert finished second with Kevin Fetterly Jr. taking third.

Another first for the night at Can-Am Speedway was the introduction of the Panther Frameworx 602 Crate Sprint Cars. It was a truncated field as many of the competitors to the new feature class were still waiting for engine parts to put their sprint cars together. Supply chain issues have plagued the industry across the country. As that issue rights itself, more competitors are expected to take to the track in the entertaining racing class.

Logan Crisafulli launched out to a commanding lead but with five laps remaining his number 88 started to sputter and lose ground to second place driver, Jonah Mutton. Eventually the 88 slowed and fell to last place, allowing Mutton to take the first race of the season at Can-Am. Ken Klinkowsky finished second with Josh Verne Jr finishing third.

It was the Nier show in the Donath Motorworx Limited Sportsman feature as Owen Nier and Keegan Nier raced ahead of the field to take an unchallenged first and second finish. Cole Perry finished third.

Joe Orvis notched his first victory of the season in the Marsha Gibbons TLC Real Estate Thurderstock class opening race.

Racing returns to Can-Am Speedway Friday May 13th, 2022 with a full, six-class night of racing.

VP RACING FUEL AND LUBRICANTS FULL FEATURE RESULTS:

WHITESBORO PLOW SHOP DIRTCAR 358 MODIFIED FEATURE:
1) 49 Billy Dunn, 2) 19 Tim Fuller, 3) 28 Jordan McCreadie, 4) 66x Carey Terrance, 5) 31 Lance Willix, 6) 18W Scott Webbe, 7) 21C Taylor Caprara, 8) 7S Shaun Shaw, 9) 66W Derek Webb, 10) 39 Ryan Bartlett, 11) R70 Ryan Arbuthnot, 12) 9 Tyler Meeks, 13) 6W Nick Webb, 14) 26R Corey Cormier, 15) 74 Lucas Fuller, 16) 24 Jordan Kelly, 17) 21R RJ Tressidder, 18) 23 Cameron Black, 19) 1 Jack Meeks, 20) 21 Andrew Howard, 21) 36B Dan Beachard, 22) 151 KB Brian McDonald, 23) 123 Yan Bilodeau, 24) 73 Michael Cousins, 25) Chantal Provencher, 26) Michael Mandigo, 27) 23J Jeff Sykes.

BOB JOHNSON DIRTCAR SPORTSMAN FEATURE:
1) 64 Tyler Corcoran, 2) 88 Fire Swamp, 3) 410 Mike Fowler, 4) 44 David Rogers, 5) 32 Ryan Shanahan, 6) 52 Jessica Power, 7) 57H Remington Hamm, 8) 91 Josh Reome, 9) 83D Dustin Bradley, 10) FOX28 Tyler Stevenson, 11) 6 Brian Hudson, 12) 10B Jamie Brown, 13) 2x Michael Amell, 14) 18G Justin Gadbaw, 15) 7D Dustin Hutton, 16) 35B Brennan Moore, 17) 63M Franklin Mackin, 18) 12S Kyle Sharp, 19) 76G Skylar Greenfield, 20) 271 Tiger Chapman, 21) 18 Blayden Arquette, 22) 8 Kevin Warren, 23) 62 Jonathan Murphy, 24) 88Z Bobby Herrington, 25) 707 Greg Brinklow, 26) 1R Ricky Thompson, 27) 621G Trevor Gibbons, 28) 92 Frank Sibley, 29) 34 Eric Nier.

FABCO DIRTCAR PROSTOCK FEATURE:
1) 72 Bruno Richard, 2) 75 Eli Gilbert, 3) 57k Kevin Fetterly Jr., 4) X15 Tyler Bushey, 5) 12S Dakota Sharp, 6) 1x Justin White, 7) 22B Blayne Nichols, 8) 72G Denis Jauvreau, 9) 28 Burton Ward.

PANTHER FRAMEWORX 602 CRATE SPRINT CARS FEATURE:
1) 39 Jonah Mutton, 2) 30 Ken Klinkowsky, 3) 1V Josh Verne Jr., 4) 88 Logan Crisafulli.

DONATH MOTOR WORX LIMITED SPORTSMAN FEATURE:
1) 17 Owen Nier, 2) 34 Keegan Nier, 3) 23 Cole Perry, 4) Tim Bailey, 5) 32 Joe Trichilo, 6) 66R Ray Hughto, 7) 73 Joey Wilcox, 8) 4D7 Blaze Benedict, 9) 33 Alan McDonald, 10) 02 Holly Denard.

MARSHA GIBBONS TLC REAL ESTATE THUNDERSTOCK FEATURE:
1) 11A Joe Orvis, 2) 88 Travis Berkman, 3) 16 Steve Smith, 4) 111J Anthony St. Mary Jr., 5) 5 Gerald Rogers, 6) 52 Robert Flint, 7) 22 Tony Frezzo, 8) 22J Jared Gilson.