Stefanski Sprints to Leaf Racewear Stacker 2® Pro Stock Super DIRT Series Victory at Fulton Speedway

By Jim Fremouw, DIRT Pro Stock Series Reporter

Fulton, NY — September 30, 2005 — The Stacker 2® Pro Stock Super DIRT Series made stop #18 at Fulton Speedway as part of the 20^th Annual Dynomax 200 Weekend with Wheatfield, NY’s Pete Stefanski returning to victory lane by claiming the 30-Lap Pro-Stock showdown over the largest field of cars (40) to date in the 2005 full-fender SDS campaign. Stefanski’s win wouldn’t be an easy one as he first had to race by a strong running Louie Jackson and then thwart off the continuous challenges of teammate and car owner Allen Peters for his fifth Stacker 2® Pro Stock Super DIRT Series victory of the 2005 season.

“The last couple of weeks we’ve struggled.  We basically destroyed the car last week at Canandaigua.  To come out here tonight and win, I just can't thank the crew enough.  After Canandaigua I said I was done for the year but the crew said to hang in there.  To come here and win tonight is just awesome,” Stefanski explained in victory lane.

The newly-crowned 2005 Fulton Speedway points’ champion, T.J. Fitzgibbons from Freeville, NY and Stefanski made up the front row of the 31-car starting field. When the green flag was waved, Stefanski nosed ahead of Fitzgibbons as the two exited turn two.  The first of six cautions slowed the pace one lap into the event as Dave Williams spun between turns three and four, collecting several others including Jason Parkhurst and Stephane Lebrun, who reported pit-side with a flat tire.  All three were able to continue including Lebrun who reported back to the speedway without losing a lap.

Stefanski and Fitzgibbons continued to lead the pack throughout the early stages of the event with several competitors making their way into the top-five,  One of these drivers was Louie Jackson, behind the wheel of the newly acquired car he purchased from Jipp Ortiz who had won three straight series event in this car.  In fact, Jackson was so strong that he raced from his seventh starting position into second, after a side by side battle with Fitzgibbons for two laps, on lap six.  Two-time Fulton Speedway race winner, Bob Buono, was also flexing his racing muscle as he followed in Jackson’s tire tracks to take third from Fitzgibbons on lap seven.  Stefanski had moved out to a slight advantage over the field.  Then, on lap eight, a caution for a spin by defending Hoosier/Tire Sunoco Race Fuel Mr. DIRT Pro Stock Champion Joey Ladouceur would bring a end to any advantage held by Stefanski.

On the restart, Jackson powered ahead of Stefanski to be scored the new race leader on lap nine.  One lap later caution again slowed the action as four-time Fulton feature winner John Pietrowicz came to a stop on the racing surface.  Jackson continued to lead on the restart, but was feeling the constant pressure of Stefanski as he hung right with him.  Meanwhile, Allen Peters, who had started ninth on the grid, had moved by Buono to take over third with Mike Williams now creeping into the top five after moving by Fitzgibbons. 

Mark Effner brought out the next caution, on lap 13, after spinning between turns one and two. This allowed Stefanski to line up for a door handle-to-door handle restart as the race had not yet reached the halfway point.  When the green flew, so did Stefanski as he managed to once again take over the top spot.  Allen Peters, who lined up right behind Stefanski on the restart, followed suit as he raced under Jackson to take away the second position right on Stefanski’s rear bumper.  Jackson dropped back to third with Buono tenaciously holding on to fourth.  Fitzgibbons was able to once again pop into the top five after moving by Mike Williams.

After a quick caution period for a slowing Roch Aubin, Stefanski went back to work with Allen Peters in tow.  Stefanski pulled out a slight advantage, but as he began to encounter lap traffic, Allen Peters was able to close in on him.  While the two leaders battled for position through lapped traffic, Jackson and Buono were dueling side-by-side for third and fourth with Fitzgibbons lurking behind in fifth waiting for one of the two to make a mistake.  Other battles were raging through the top ten as Mike Williams managed to hold off two-time Fulton feature winner Lee Burnett, Jipp Ortiz and Clayton Benedict as they fought amongst themselves.  Mike Williams found himself in trouble on lap-23 when suddenly,  and uncharacteristically, he spun all by himself drawing out the final caution of the event and ending his hopes for a top ten finish. 

With seven laps remaining, Allen Peters stayed glued to Stefanski hoping to find a way to move around the 2005 Ransomville Speedway points champion.  Behind the lead duo, the battle for third, fourth and fifth raged on as Jackson, Buono and Fitzgibbons raced three wide through the high banked corners of the ultra-fast 3/8ths mile oval.  Fitzgibbons moved by both to take over third as the laps wound down, but Peters managed to retake the position with two laps remaining leaving Fitzgibbons and Buono to battle for fourth and fifth. 

Allen Peters continued to pressure Stefanski, but when the checkers flew, Stefanski behind the wheel of his Sunrise Bakery-JoshComp Corp-Bob Weaver Motorsports and Marine #2 Chevrolet Monte Carlo/Cannizzaro Chassis was able to hold on for his second Stacker 2® Pro Stock Super DIRT Series win at Fulton Speedway on Victoria 200 Weekend.  Allen Peters and Jackson wound up second and third with Buono able to get a run on Fitzgibbons to finish fourth and fifth at the checkers.

Racing for the Stacker 2® Pro Stock Super DIRT Series next moves to the NYS Fairgrounds for what the Pro Stock teams consider “The Super Bowl” of their season, Super DIRT Week XXXIV. The overall 2005 Hoosier Tire-Sunoco Race Fuels Mr. DIRT Pro Stock Champion will be crowned at the famed Syracuse Mile after the running of the 25-lap Pro Stock Championship.

FEATURE

FIN      STR    CAR# DRIVER        

1*        2          2s        Pete Stefanski/Wheatfield,NY ($1,000)    

2          9          73a     Allen Peters/Massena,NY   

3          7          18        Louie Jackson/Akwesasne,NY       

4          4          64        Bob Buono/Wayne,NY

5          1          14        T.J. Fitzgibbons/Freeville, NY         

6          12        94        Lee Burnett/Waterloo,NY

7          19        12        Clayton Benedict/Cornwall Island,ONT      

8          23        0          Jipp Ortiz/Ransomville,NY

9          5          99        Bill Clark Jr./Fulton,NY         

10        14        73        P.J. Peters/Akwesasne,QUE         

11        26        21        James Henry/Middlesex,NY

12        6          2          Ray Maloney/Jordan,NY

13        21        81        Bret Belden/West Edmeston,NY    

14        25        67        John Panattoni/Niagara Falls,NY   

15        11        27        Dennis Kirkpatrick/Sanborn,NY

16        3          98t       Jack Terrell/Jamesville,NY

17        31        69        Jody Swamp/Akwesasne,NY

18        10        61        Scott Beeles/Hastings,NY

19        13        92.1    Joey Ladouceur/Alexandria,ONT

20        8          6m       Mike Williams/Tuscarora Nation,NY

21        20        6          Stephane Lebrun/Gatineau,QUE

22        16        40        Eric Greenlief/Gasport,NY

23        17        9j         Dave Williams/Tuscarora Nation,NY

24        27        17e     Mark Effner/Bridgewater,NY

25        30        21a     Mark Alnutt/Granby,NY

26        18        1          John Pietrowicz/Phoenix,NY

27        28        4          Roch Aubin/Alexandria,ONT

28        15        38        Jason Parkhurst/Fulton,NY

29        22        14j       Mitchell Jock/Akwesasne,NY

30        24        78h      Harold Humphrey/Norwich,NY

DNS    29        2d        Fred Dennis/Port Byron,NY

( * ) Fined $200 for Minor Exhaust Infraction Following Post Race Tech Inspection.

EVENT SUMMARY:                                  

LAP LEADERS:   Pete Stefanski (1-8), Louie Jackson (9-13), Pete Stefanski (14-30).                  

CAUTIONS:  6 (lap 1, lap 8, lap 10, lap 13, lap 15, lap 23).

HEAT RACES:  (8 laps, top 5 qualify, top 2 finishers redraw for starting position).

#1: Buono, Maloney, A. Peters, Ladouceur, D. Williams, Ortiz, Effner, Aubin, Dennis, Harrington.

#2: M. Williams, Terrell, Beeles, P.J. Peters, Pietrowicz, Spencer, Wilczek, J. Jackson, Breed.

#3: L. Jackson, Fitzgibbons, Kirkpatrick, Parkhurst, Benedict, Belden, Henry, Humphrey, Panattoni, Gauvreau.

#4: Clark Jr., Stefanski, Burnett, Greenlief, Lebrun, Jock, D. Guernsey, Alnutt, Johnson, C. Guernsey.

CONSOLATION RACES: (8 laps, top 5 finishers transferred to feature)

#1: Belden, Ortiz, Panattoni, Effner, Dennis, Gauvreau, D. Guernsey, Johnson, Harrington.

#2: Jock, Humphrey, Henry, Aubin, Alnutt, Wilczek, J. Jackson, Spencer, C. Guernsey.

STACKER 2® PRO STOCK CHAMPIONSHIP SYRACUSE QUALIFIER: Bob Buono.                           

CARS ENTERED:   40.                             

NEXT EVENT:   New York State Fairgrounds - October 9, 2005.