2009 BRP CanAm Late Model Series Season Wrap-Up

St Catharines, ON…2009 marked the seventh year for the BRP CanAm Late Model Series. By all metrics the 2009 Series was another very successful year. In addition to event purses a record $45,940 was paid to the drivers in point fund and bonus awards. 98 drivers earned Series points from the 12 tour events and 61 weekly events. The average car count for tour events was 33 with a high of 39 at Canandaigua and a low of 27 at Utica Rome. The Utica Rome car count would be been over 30 had the event not been rained out and rescheduled for the next day. Eight drivers won the tour events and four of them (Bryce Davis, Steve Hartman, Brian Kotarski, and Wayne Robertson) were first time Series tour winners. The 2009 Series Championship was not settled until ISKY Cams Championship Night at Black Rock Speedway in October. The championship run started at Merrittville Speedway in mid-May when Larry Knowles edged Steve Dixon for the win. That set the stage for what turned out to be a season long slug fest between these two fine competitors. Knowles the seasoned veteran who had come so close in prior years was rebounding from a disappointing 2008 campaign. Dixon was runner-up to Jeff Chesebro for the 2008 championship and was determined that the 2009 trophy would return to Smethport, PA. However, this time he wanted it at his house and not Chesebro’s! The final night battle for the championship did not play out as anyone would have scripted it. Dixon was suspended from competing before the program even started by track owner Dean Hoag and was forced to watch from the grandstand. Dixon watched and hoped that Knowles would have a finish that did not allow him to overtake the point lead. Dixon got lucky when Knowles’ luck went sour. Knowles was caught up in somebody else’s crash and lost laps while his crew made repairs. In the final points tally Knowles’ 17 place finish left him 36 points behind Dixon. Jeff Chesebro, the 2007 and 2008 Series Champion, finished third in the 2009 standings. The opportunity for a three-peat suffered a major setback at Canandaigua during fourth event on the tour. Chesebro broke the engine in his Three Miles Holsteins Grand Prix during his heat race and was sidelined for the night. From that night forward it was an uphill fight against tough odds as Dixon and Knowles continued their solid marches towards the title. Chesebro’s lone win of the 2009 campaign came in the return event at Canandaigua. He remains the winningest driver in the history of the Series. He now has ten wins going back to his start in 2005. Dave DuBois, from a point standings perspective, had his best ever season on tour ending up fourth in the final tally. Consistency is what earns points and the Corfu, NY pilot finished in the top ten on all but two occasions while on tour and recorded only one DNF. DuBois may have logged the most miles of any BRP CanAm driver with weekly trips to Black Rock on Fridays and Genesee on Saturdays plus the full tour schedule. “The Outlaw” finished second in points at both of his weekly tracks. Wayne Robertson rounded out the top five in points and was perhaps the surprise of the 2009 Series. Robertson broke from his long standing ride in the Stan Krise cars after the 2008 season and formed his own team for the 2009 campaign. A used Rocket chassis and a used Jerry Fox built engine with family and friends for a team did not appear to be a winning recipe. The Addison, NY driver proved the railbirds wrong! Robertson won at Black Rock during NASCAR Night, his first ever on tour, and finished strong with a pair of third place finishes in the final two events. Point standings (top 15): Steve Dixon – 1096, Larry Knowles – 1060, Jeff Chesebro – 1022, Dave DuBois – 912, Wayne Robertson – 890, John Waters – 872, Jeremy Wonderling – 860, Bryce Davis – 800, Greg Galligan (ROY) – 796, Jason Boyle – 754, Jim Johnson – 735, Jon Rivers – 730, Mikey Wonderling – 720, Brian Knowles – 697, Mike Wonderling - 685 The top five from each of the twelve Series tour events: Merrittville (May 16) – Larry Knowles, Steve Dixon, Brady Wonderling, Jason Boyle, Jim Johnson Little Valley (May 24) – Steve Dixon, Dave Miller, Jon Rivers, Larry Knowles, Bryce Davis Woodhull (May 25) – Steve Hartman, Brady Wonderling, Larry Knowles, Jeff Chesebro, John Waters Canandaigua (June 23) – Steve Dixon, Jeremy Wonderling, Mike Wonderling, Larry Knowles, Steve Hartman Little Valley (Jul 18) – Steve Dixon, Jeff Chesebro, Scooter Pangrazio, Larry Knowles, Brian Kotarski Utica Rome (Jul 29) – Larry Knowles, Jeff Chesebro, Dick Park, John Waters, Jason Boyle Black Rock (Aug 7) – Wayne Robertson, Jeff Chesebro, Bruce Miller, Dave DuBois, Steve Dixon Genesee (Aug 15) – Brian Kotarski, Larry Knowles, Steve Dixon, Dave DuBois, Wayne Robertson McKean County (Aug 19) – Steve Dixon, Bruce Miller, Jeremy Wonderling, Jeff Chesebro, John Waters Canandaigua (Sep 18) – Jeff Chesebro, Steve Dixon, Jeremy Wonderling, Bryce Davis, Jon Rivers Woodhull (Sep 19) – Jeremy Wonderling, John Waters, Wayne Robertson, Steve Watson, Glenn Whritenour Black Rock (Oct 24) – Bryce Davis, Jeff Chesebro, Wayne Robertson, John Waters, Glenn Whritenour Watch www.BRPCanAMSeries.com for information on the 2010 BRP CanAm Late Model Series. Marketing Partners for the BRP CanAm Series are: BICKNELL RACING PRODUCTS, Absolute Powder Coating, BC Designs, Beyea Performance Fabrication, Brzezinski Racing Products, Close Racing Supply, Cousins Designs, Dart Machinery, Ed Carley Motorsports, F/A Products, Hoosier Race Tires, ISKY Racing Cams, Landrum Performance Springs, Lias Tire, Mahle Clevite, Miles Insurance Agency, National Parts Peddler, Phair Enterprises, Pro Speed, Signs Plus of Kanona