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Dunn takes first 358 win of year at Mohawk International Raceway, card also included vintage stock car match

Posted 6/18/16

AKWESASNE -- Mohawk International Raceway saw demanding track conditions along with some warm temperatures all night on Friday. 358 Modified The 358 Modifieds were ready to go for 30 laps and after a …

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Dunn takes first 358 win of year at Mohawk International Raceway, card also included vintage stock car match

Posted

AKWESASNE -- Mohawk International Raceway saw demanding track conditions along with some warm temperatures all night on Friday.

358 Modified

The 358 Modifieds were ready to go for 30 laps and after a week off the drivers were up on the wheel and charging hard. Rookie Madison Mulder was the early pace setter as he took the lead from the outside pole over Matt Woodruff and Billy Dunn. With three laps complete, Dunn was on a mission as he took the lead away from Mulder who tried to keep pace with the four-time champion but was unable to do so while Woodruff, Brian McDonald and Corey Wheeler completed the top five.

With Dunn stretching out his advantage the battle continued on in the top five with Wheeler, McDonald and Danny O'Brien who charged from ninth on the grid to run in the number five spot. Wheeler would make the charge getting around Mulder for second with Danny O'Brien also making a big move to get by for third while Mulder and McDonald were in a war for the fourth spot. By the halfway point Dunn was literally on cruise control and was mastering the slick track conditions very well as he started to enter lapped traffic which gave Wheeler and O'Brien a small glimmer of hope. Dunn worked his way through traffic and showed no signs of slowing down.

Behind the top five, Carey Terrance was also on the move and would battle Madison Mulder with 10 laps remaining for the number 5 spot which Terrance would eventually take over by lap 25. With the race going 30 green flag laps Corey Wheeler and Danny O'Brien had no chance of catching the four-time champion as "The Big Gun" Billy Dunn broke through for his first win of 2016 over Wheeler, O'Brien, Brian McDonald and Carey Terrance.

Sportsman

In Sportsman action Gabriel Cyr who came within a half lap of winning his first ever feature one week ago, took over the lead at the drop of the green flag over Billy Cook, Sid Harmer Jr., Delbert Legrow Jr., and Delbert Legrow. Cyr tried his best to hold back the veteran but Cook eventually took the top spot back on lap 3 when the first yellow flew for Mike Stacey who slowed with a problem on the back stretch.

On the restart, Cook held the lead again over Cyr and Harmer but the yellow flew again the next lap for Ryan Stabler who slowed on the back stretch. When the green flew the battle was on as Billy Cook led the way but Harmer, Cyr, Louie Jackson Jr., and Brianna Ladouceur began to make their way into the mix as well. Cook held a slight lead but Harmer had a game plan. He took the outside lane in turn one taking over the lead slightly as Cook rallied back from the bottom. This battle would go on over the next several laps with Jackson, Ladouceur, and now Jessica Power running fifth from her 11th starting spot.

With 16 laps complete, Harmer was in control but Brianna Ladouceur was on the move as she took over second from Cook and on the same lap coming off turn four was able to sneak by on the low side to take over the lead by lap 18.

Over the final seven laps, Brianna Ladouceur would pull away from the field and march on to score the popular win, her first of the year at Mohawk, over veteran Billy Cook, who backed up his second place effort one week ago at Cornwall with another runner up finish. Jackson settled for third with Jessica Power taking a car she named "Sweet Caroline" to fourth and Joel Hargrave got by Sid Harmer Jr. for fifth at the checkers.

Vintage Stock Car Club

The 15-lap feature for the Eastern Ontario Vintage Stock Car Club saw Josh Powers jump out to the early race lead over Ryan Comeau, Steve Billings, John Stanley and Paul Billings. Powers had by far the fastest car on the race track as he opened up nearly a straightaway lead before the first yellow of the night flew for Steve Lackie, who slowed with problems in turn four. On the restart Powers once again ran out to a healthy lead but the real battle was behind the leader as Ryan Comeau, John Stanley, Paul Billings and Steve Billings were all battling hard for position.

Stanley would win the battle as he took over the second spot with five to go and was trying to run down the race leader as the laps wound down. On this night however, Josh Powers had everything go his way as the Addison Ontario native finally put his 1957 Plymouth Crusade into victory lane. Stanley, Who was looking for his third tour win in four races came home second with Ryan Comeau third, Cornwall winner Steve Arbuthnot charged to fourth at the finish while Steve Billings crossed in fifth.

Novice Sportsman

In the Novice Sportsman, Styles Arquiett started on the pole and was looking to duplicate the performance from one week ago by jumping out to a big lead in the early going over Dudes Thompson and Melvin Rush. Arquiett was tip toeing around the inside lane as track conditions made it very difficult to find any bite but Arquiett held a strong lead. Behind the leader former Semi-Pro champion at Mohawk Greg Snyder was charging around using the extreme outside lane and had pulled to second by lap five getting around Jamie LaFountain for second while Melvin Rush and Dudes Thompson continued to complete the top five.

On lap 12, Junior Delormier spun in turn two, setting up a three-lap dash to the checkers. When the green flew Arqueitt stayed smooth and consistent, holding off a late charge by Greg Snyder to score his second straight win over Snyder and Jamie LaFountain.

Bandit

The Bandit division was ready to roll for 10 laps and Gary Sharlow was the class of the field. After struggling through the first part of the year Sharlow drove away from points leader Richard Thorton early on and without a caution flag Thorton and the rest of the field had no chance of catching his as Gary Sharlow claimed his first Bandit feature of the year over Thorton and defending track champion Shane Ray.

Next Week a full program is set to go in all five divisions plus the second enduro qualifier of the year with the winner getting a guaranteed starting spot in the Ironman Slick Track Enduro in Septemeber. Racing starts at 7:30pm.

358 Modified

BILLY DUNN, Corey Wheeler, Danny O'Brien, Brian McDonald, Carey Terrance, Madison

Mulder, Matt Woodruff, Jordan McCreadie, Chris Raabe, John Mulder, Zack Aubertine,

Aaron Pugh, Tommy Jock Jr., Mike Adderley, George Foley, David Papineau, Gage Morin,

Patrick Dupree

Sportsman

BRIANNA LADOUCEUR, Billy Cook, Louie Jackson Jr., Jessica Power, Joel Hargrave, Sid

Harmer Jr., Delbert Legrow Jr., Delbert Legrow, Moise Page, Andy Howard, Thomas

Cook, Zach Arquiett, Robert Delormier, Jesse Hudson, David Rogers, Troy Fleming,

Bruce Makinson, Ricky Thompson, Gabriel Cyr, Justin White, Justin Lalancette, Neal

Provost, Tim Smythe, Joel Herne, Kyle Sharp, Chris Frennier, Ryan Stabler, Mike

Stacey

Novice Sportsman

STYLES ARQUIETT, Greg Snyder, Jamie LaFountain, Melvin Rush, Dudes Thompson, Junior

Delormier, JP Herne, Jason Bruno, (DNS) Dana Francis, (DNS) Hunter Schwandner, (DNS)

Anthony Rassmussen

Eastern Ontario Vintage Stock Car Club

JOSH POWERS, John Stanley, Ryan Comeau, Steve Arbuthnot, Steve Billings, Paul

Billings, Denzil Billings Jr., Ally Amell, Tim Charland, Darrell Wilson, Tim

Hegarty, Justin Saunders, Steve Lackie

Bandit

GARY SHARLOW, Richard Thorton, Shane Ray, Curtis Smith, Lucas Brown