Add Larry Knowles To BRP CanAm Series Winners List

Dundee, NY... Larry Knowles became the fourth first time BRP CanAm Series winner Friday [Sep 8] with his victory the F/A Products – Clevite Engine Parts 360 late model portion of Black Rock Speedway’s Bully Hill Vineyards 360 Nationals Weekend.

Knowles wrestled the top spot from Junior Green on lap 17 of the 30 lap contest and kept his CAT Rental Stores GTO atop the leader board for the duration. “The track was great. The racing was great. This BRP CanAm Series is the most fun that I have ever had in all my years of racing [16 years]. It is a great bunch of racers and I am so proud to have won. My engine builders Ron Woodward and Billy Campbell are here without them and Joel from Close’s [Close Racing Supply] this would not have been possible,” shared the 55 year old racing guy from Victory Lane.

Knowles’ prior best finish was second. He earned runner-up honors in the 2006 Series opener at Black Rock in April and at Genesee last year. Tonight’s win combined with a DNF by Jeremy Wonderling and a sub-par finish by Paul Grigsby have vaulted Knowles from fifth to third in the $21,422 point chase.

Junior Green took full advantage of his number two starting position with a drag race win over Steve Dixon at the drop of the green and led the first 16 laps in his third Series start. Green prevailed over very strong challenges by Steve Dixon and Dave DuBois to claim runner-up honors for his best ever 360 late model run. Green opted to leave his 358 DIRT Modified home and gambled with his newest hot rod. By all accounts the gamble paid off.

Steve Dixon played in the top five all race long and took the show spot at Greg Hixson’s flying checkered flags. The second generation Smethport, PA racer ran second to Green until TJ Shaw went flying by on lap 10. He slipped one more spot on lap 12 when Knowles broke into the top three. Two laps later the “blues boys,” Dave DuBois and Jimmy Johnson, opened up an inside lane that Dixon could not hold and hopes of a podium finish appeared slight. Eventually Shaw and Johnson slipped out of the top five and Dixon went to work on DuBois. At the finish Dixon nipped DuBois and earned his first top five of the eight Series events completed to date.

DuBois who has adopted Black Rock Speedway as his home track for 2006 finished fourth in his Sunnyside Suzuki Rocket Grand Prix to record his best ever Series finish. DuBois is locked in a torrid three way battle for the Black Rock Speedway 2006 late model championship.

Todd Hansen, winner of the McKean County Fair Classic last month, brought his GorDen Chevrolet powered JL Tiling & Excavation Monte Carlo home fifth after starting seventh. Hansen’s car worked best on the bottom of the track where lapped cars were assigned and he simply ran out of laps.

Jon Rivers finished sixth [from 16th at the start] and trimmed 18 points from his deficit to Series point leader Randy Hall who finished 12th. Rivers took sole ownership of the $3000 LEAF Racewear Border Battle leadership. He had shared that top spot with Hall. The Border Battle winner will be decided next Friday [Sep15] at Ransomville Speedway.

Jimmy Johnson, winner of a non-Series event at Black Rock Speedway in April returned to finish seventh in his Gavenda Ford powered Shaw Fusion.

TJ Shaw was in the thick of the battle all race long. The Portville, NY speedster brought his Koester Water Systems GRT Taurus across the line eighth at the finish. Shaw, the 2005 McKean County Champion, now owns five top ten 2006 Series finishes.

Finishing ninth and tenth were a pair of blue with red numerals cars numbered 57. A real scorer’s nightmare! Donnie Smith and Dave Stephens do not know each other and they had never raced against each other until tonight, but somehow they ended up with look alike race cars. For both drivers it was there best ever Series finish. Smith was ahead of Stephens at the payoff window. Smith is a Black Rock Speedway regular. Tonight was the first ever start at the Yates County [NY] race place for Dave Stephens.

The race was marred by a vicious lap 28 crash which required a red flag due to a blocked front straight. Jessica Pierce’s car was forced into the wall midway between the turn four exit and the finish line. Her J and F Race Shops GTO came to a grinding halt nearly perpendicular to the wall just as Bruce Miller, Jeff Chesebro, and Jason DuPont raced out of four in their battle for a top ten finish. Miller made a great attempt to miss Pierce’s black car, but caught a piece of right rear quarter and collected Chesebro and DuPont. The end result was four badly damaged race cars, but thankfully no driver injuries.

Brad Penn Racing Oil pole award winners were TJ Shaw and Steve Dixon.

F/A Products – Clevite Engine Parts Heat Race winners were TJ Shaw, Jimmy Johnson, Larry Knowles, and Jeremy Wonderling.

The Ed Carley Motorsports B-Main winner was Neil Patterson.

The $100 DART Machinery Hard Charger was Jon Rivers who advanced from 16th to 6th.

The Suzuki Motorcycles and ATVs Hard Luck recipient was Matt Cobb.

30 Lap F/A Products – Clevite Engine Parts A-Main finish: LARRY KNOWLES, Jr Green, Steve Dixon, Dave DuBois, Todd Hansen, Jon Rivers, Jim Johnson, TJ Shaw, Donnie Smith, Dave Stephens, Neil Patterson, Randy Hall, Justin Longacre, Tim Schram, Jr Peters, Rick Baker, Jeff Chesebro, Paul Grigsby, Ron Mogavero, Wayne Robertson, Jason DuPont, Bruce Miller, Jessica Pierce, Jeremy Wonderling, Ron Hurd, Quinn Sutherland DNQ: Dave Miller, Matt Cobb, Ray Henry, Tim Dunham

Marketing Partners for the 2006 BRP CanAm Series include: Bicknell Racing Products, Bob Mullen’s Pro Speed, Brad Penn Racing Oil, Can & Bottle Return of Delevan, Clevite Engine Parts, Cool Edge Web Designs, Cousin’s Designs, DANA Corporation, DART Machinery / DART Heads, DIRT MotorSports, DSE1 Race Engines, East Coast Speed.com, Ed Carley Motorsports, F/A Products, Hoosier Tire of Canada, LEAF Racewear, Lias Tire – American Racer, Mohawk Speed Shop, Signs Plus of Kanona, Southeastern Transmissions, Suzuki Motorcycle & ATV Dealers of NY & PA, the Young Family, and the host tracks.

The 2006 BRP CanAm Series will next race on the Niagara Frontier at Ransomville Speedway Friday September 15. The following night [Saturday September 16] the touring late model race teams will travel to Woodhull Raceway for their annual visit to the high banks of that Steuben County track. The Final 2006 Series point event will be the $1422 to win Brock Young Memorial at McKean County Raceway on Saturday September 30. Following the Series championship many of the BRP CanAm Late Model Series race teams will return to Woodhull on Friday October 6 and to Black Rock on Saturday October 7. The Black Rock Speedway event is a $10,000 / $2000 to win / $200 to start non-point affair.

For complete BRP CanAm Series news and information see www.brpcanamseries.com.