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Evans Mills, NY-The 2022 racing season concluded Saturday night at the Evans Mills Raceway Park with the 3rd Annual John Burr Classic. John Burr was a well-known announcer in the Northeast Motorsports world, announcing over 20 tracks during his 50-year career. John was also a founding member of the Evans Mills Speedway in 1967. One of the largest crowds of the year saw over 80 cars race to close out the 2022 racing season.
The NAPA Auto Parts Sport Compacts and Next Level Excavation Thunderstocks started the features off for the evening. Justin Burns and Zak Petrie started on the front row, but it was Petrie grabbing the early lead. After two early cautions on laps 1 and 3, Joe Orvis found himself in front followed by Jock Symonds. Orvis would not be able to shake Symonds for the next 10 laps and he found himself under constant pressure from Symonds. The final caution flew on lap 13. On the restart Orvis would be able to get a comfortable lead on Symonds. As the leaders worked through lap traffic, Symonds could only get to the bumper off Orvis. Orvis would go on to cross the finish line first followed by Symonds and Kevin Greenfield. Zak Petrie would finish first in the Thunderstock division, earning his first feature win at the raceway.
20 laps was the distance for the Christman Fuel Service INEX Legends. Camdin Cook and Chris Malbeuf were the pole sitters. 2 cautions were displayed before completing a lap which included Cook, Malbeuf and Kyle Hart. Dalton Rombough would inherit the lead when the green would eventually fly. Rombough would start to distance himself from the rest of the field as Malbeuf and Hart would work their way back up. The final caution came on lap 9. Rombough and Malbeuf made up the front row on the restart. Rombough got the jump on the restart as Malbeuf would settle in behind him. Malbeuf would try multiple lanes to get by the leader, each to no avail. Rombough would go on to take the checkers home, with Malbeuf and Hart finishing second and third respectively.
The Excess Storage Pro Late Models were next onto the raceway lead to the green by Cole Perry and Rylee Gill. Gill would take the early lead from Perry. Chuck Meyer, who debuted with a new car would quickly find Gill. Meyer and Gill would put on the show of the night. They would race side by side, swapping leads several times. After each led change, they would swap lanes and race side by side again for laps. As they entered lap traffic, Gill found himself in the lead. Meyer would have to back out the gas to let Gill go by on the high side. That was all Gill needed as he beat Meyer to the finish line first. Meyer would have to settle for second, followed by Tyler Papin in third.
The 75 Lap Caskinette Sportsman Modified would take the track next. The top 4 finishers in each heat would redraw for the top 12 positions. Tony Pettinelli would be the last to draw and came out with the pole position. Joel Hall would start to his outside on row 1. Pettinelli would led the first 22 caution free laps as Bryan Sherwood and Taylor Caprara would find themselves in the second and third positions. 6 caution flags would slow the field between laps 22 and 35. Pettinelli found himself in the wrong spot-on lap 37 as he would make contact with Dylan Bancroft as they exited turn 2. Pettinelli would sustain heavy left front damage ending his night. Through the restarts, Caprara would get by Sherwood and restart first on lap 37. At this time, Andre Roggie would crack the top 5, after starting 14th. Sherwood would keep pressure on Caprara but could not get by. The final two cautions came on laps 61 and 62. On the restart, Roggie would line up behind Caprara in the third position. Caprara would get a great restart and clear Sherwood into turn 1. This also allowed Roggie to get under Sherwood and take over the second position. Caprara would have a clean track for the final 13 laps and cruise to a victory, taking home the coveted “Johnny” antique microphone trophy. Roggie finished second, followed by Sherwood, Kreig Heroth and Dylan Bancroft.
The final race in the Jake’s Automotive Small Block Supermodifed Series concluded the features for the evening. Drew Pascuzzi and Jude Parker made up the front row. Parker would have trouble on the start bringing out an early caution. Greg O’Conner would start on the front row and take the lead from Pascuzzi. O’Conner would keep his lead through 3 more restarts as Mike Bruce would make his way to the front. The final caution came on lap 29 for Griffen Miller, Tony Destevens and O’Connor. Bruce would start on the outside and take over the top spot. Bruce would lead the final 6 laps to win his second feature at Evans Mills Raceway Park. Brad Haynes finished second and Dan Kapuscinski finished third.
Evans Mills Raceway Park would like to thank all their marketing partners, drivers, crews, fans and employees for an outstanding 2022 season. We can’t wait to see everyone in 2023!
