The above has been a headline for many years of DIRTcar modified racing at Canandaigua Speedway, but this Johnson was Jim – not Alan or Danny – and he won a late model race at the Land of Legends.
Johnson, 42, had a perfect night for the first time in what had been a frustrating 2010 racing season. Johnson won his qualifying race, started on the pole for the A-Main, and led every lap of the main for his first win of 2010. “This race track was unbelievable. This night has been unbelievable. I can hardly believe I am here in victory circle. Pam (wife) drew the number one pill and that usually means that something will go wrong. Not tonight – everything was perfect. I am telling you this track was the best track I have ever raced on and I have raced on a lot of tracks over twenty four years of racing. It was smooth with plenty of bite everywhere. This is unbelievable after the year we have been having. This is the first win and even the first really good run we have had with this new car. I built it over the winter and went to Charlotte (North Carolina) for some engine help and nothing had come together until tonight. What a night and it is our wedding anniversary to boot,” shared Johnson in victory lane as the tire on his Hot Rod Lincoln went flat. The Johnson’s may have a delayed anniversary celebration in Hawaii. A bonus for winning a Dart Dirt BRP CanAm Late Model Challenge event is an opportunity to win a drawing for an all expense paid trip for two to Hawaii.
Jeff Chesebro did all he could do to win the final event of the six event Dart Challenge, but came up one spot short with his hair raising charge from seventh to claim the runner-up spot. Cheez did not win the battle Saturday night, but he won the war – the Dart Dirt Late Model Challenge Championship. Chesebro entered championship night of the Dart Machinery Challenge with a 22 point advantage over Adam DePuy his second place combined with DePuy’s eleventh place finish sealed the Championship.
Chesebro won two of the six Dart Challenge events, had two third place finishes, tonight’s runner-up, and one DNF (16th) for a great run in the Dart Dirt BRP CanAm Late Model Challenge Series between Black Rock Speedway and Canandaigua Speedway. Brian Kotarski came from last at the start to third at the checkers to match best ever finish at Canandaigua Speedway. Interesting foot notes are that Kotarski owns Chesebro’s car and both are powered by Cheez Whiz GM engines build by Chesebro. Kotarski’s car left the track headed for Smethport, PA and a new Cheez Whiz piece in preparation for BRP CanAm Series racing at Little Valley Speedway in two weeks.
Wayne Robertson was a surprise entry at Canandaigua. His reward for the long haul from Corning, NY was a solid fourth place finish. Robertson had not entered any of the earlier Dart Challenge events as he concentrates on the BRP CanAm Series championship. Robertson won the BRP CanAm Series event at McKean County on Thursday, regrouped on Friday, and made the trip to Canandaigua on Saturday. He used the race as a trial run for the Friday September 17 BRP CanAm Series event at the spacious Ontario County Fairgrounds track. Robertson trails Larry Knowles by a mere 42 points in BRP CanAm Series points with five events remaining.
Jon Rivers completed the top five at the Land of Legends. Rivers logged over a thousand miles of travel over a three day period with race trips from his Basom, NY home to McKean County raceway on Thursday, to Black Rock Speedway on Friday, and to Canandaigua Speedway on Saturday AFTER a trip to Fredonia, NY on Saturday afternoon. Jon’s daughter will be a SUNY freshman when classes start on Monday.
Dart Dirt Late Model Challenge A-Main Finish: JIM JOHNSON, Jeff Chesebro, Brian Kotarski, Wayne Robertson, Jon Rivers, Adam Ashcroft, JJ Mazur, Mikey Wonderling, Beamer Guzzardi, Rich Hale, Adam DePuy, Nick Dandino, Dick Park, Bruce Miller, Ron Richter Dart Dirt Late Model Challenge Points Standings (unofficial top ten): JEFF CHESEBRO – 525, Adam DePuy – 468, JJ Mazur – 443, Mikey Wonderling – 438, Dick Park – 431, Adam Ashcroft – 422, Jim Johnson – 404, Jon Rivers – 383, Quinn Sutherland – 342, Brian Kotarski – 252
Notes: Quinn Sutherland winner of the Dart event at Black Rock in May crashed at Black Rock’s Friday Dart event at Black Rock and Friday and was unable to complete repairs for the Canandaigua championship event…Adam Ashcroft and Adam DePuy both BRP CanAm LM rookies provided great side-by-side racing for second in the early stages of Saturday nights show…Tom Deery, World Racing Group’s Chief Operating Officer, was a very interested observer of the BRP CanAm late model cars at Canandaigua Speedway. Canandaigua racing operations are run by WRG under their DIRTcar umbrella.
BRP CanAm Late Model Series information at www.BRPCanAmSeries.com
