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Photo: Rebecca Eisele Turn 4 Photos
Small Block Super Championship Series – OSWEGO, NY (September 18, 2023) – Despite starting in the 11th position, Dan Kapuscinski was able to use multiple late race restarts to find the lead and hold off Small Block Super Championship Series point leader Jesse Bearup to earn the $1,000 victory in the fourth annual John Burr Classic at Evans Mills Raceway Park.
The victory was Kapuscinski’s first of the 2023 season and second career John Burr Classic triumph.
“That was fun racing with Jesse there, he ran me hard on the outside,” said Kapuscinski in victory lane. “We weren’t the fastest car all day today, but the cautions fell at the right time and the restarts went our way. The car actually got better at the end of the race and I guess we were just fast enough at the right time to get it done.”
Bearup, who started and finished in the runner-up position, now holds a commanding 65-point lead in the Jake’s Automotive Small Block Super Championship Series standings heading into the series finale on September 23 at Lancaster Motorplex.
Two-time John Burr Classic champion Mike Bruce started the afternoon’s 30-lap main event from the pole position with Bearup to his outside. The lead duo immediately jumped to the front of the pack and battled up front with SBS veteran Shawn Muldoon sliding into third position in the G.O. Racing No. 29 ahead of Drew Pascuzzi.
Coming from the sixth row, Kapuscinski made several moves early on and quickly found the top five in the Flack Racing No. 23.
An early caution flag allowed for a choose-style double file restart, and Kapuscinski took advantage finding his way by both Pascuzzi and Muldoon to take third behind Bruce and Bearup at the front of the pack.
As the race pressed through the mid stages, Bruce and Bearup were the class of the field in a battle for the top spot with Kapuscinski trailing. However, several late race cautions changed the game.
In a series of back-to-back yellows, Kapuscinski was able to nip Bearup at the line for second, which then allowed him to restart on the outside of the front row with leader, Bruce.
As the two came to the green, Kapuscinski pressed ahead from the outside while Bruce broke traction and spun to the infield ending his more than 20-lap run as the race leader. Kapuscinski would now assume the lead ahead of Bearup and Cameron Rowe.
Another flurry of cautions allowed Bearup to have multiple chances to restart outside of Kapuscinski in the final 8-laps, but Kapuscinski was able to stay ahead in the closing stages to pick up his second John Burr Classic win in the last three years.
Rowe put together a great drive to take third behind Bearup with Rich Petrucco, Griffin Miller, Muldoon, DJ Shuman, Noah Ratcliff, AJ Larkin and Brad Haynes filling the top ten positions.
Petrucco, driving the Proud Motorsports No. 54, was the SBSCS Rookie of the Race, collecting an additional $50 from Dan Kapuscinski Motorsports Promotions.
Robbie Wirth, Bearup and Shuman collected heat race wins during the day.
The final event of the Jake’s Automotive Small Block Super Championship Series presented by Binghamton Truck & Tire Center will be this Saturday, September 23 at Lancaster Motorplex as part of the 35th annual US Open Weekend. Pit gates will open at Noon with hot laps at 2 p.m. and racing at 4:30 p.m.
The SBSCS action on Saturday will be presented by MARDON and Larkin Mowing.
To learn more contact series promoter Dan Kapuscinski at (315) 708-7544 or email dkapuscinski00@gmail.com.
SBSCS Partners: Jake’s Automotive, Binghamton Truck & Tire Center, Dan Kapuscinski Motorsports Promotions, UltimateQM.com, Larkin Mowing, Rt. 37 Building Supply, MARDON, Race Wrap Group, Bill Moyer Memorial, GTR Promotions, DeStevens Fabrication
RESULTS
Small Block Super Championship Series John Burr Classic
Saturday, September 16, 2023
Evans Mills Raceway Park
Evans Mills, NY
Feature (30-laps, $1,000 to win): 1. 23 – DAN KAPUSCINSKI, 2. 37 – Jesse Bearup, 3. 77 – Cameron Rowe, 4. 54 – Rich Petrucco, 5. 9 – Griffin Miller, 6. 29 – Shawn Muldoon, 7. 62 – DJ Shuman, 8. 73 – Noah Ratcliff, 9. 35 – AJ Larkin, 10. 88 – Brad Haynes, 11. 15 – James Babcock, 12. 72 – Drew Pascuzzi, 13. 10 – Mike Fowler, 14. 90 – Jude Parker, 15. 22 – Mike Bruce, 16. 86 – Cameron Rowe Jr., 17. 2 – Jordan Sullivan, 18. 4 – Robbie Wirth
Heat #1 (10-laps): 1. 4 – Robbie Wirth, 2. 77 – Cameron Rowe, 3. 72 – Drew Pascuzzi, 4. 54 – Rich Petrucco, 5. 35 – AJ Larkin, 6. 73 – Noah Ratcliff
Heat #2 (10-laps): 1. 37 – Jesse Bearup, 2. 22 – Mike Bruce, 3. 90 – Jude Parker, 4. 23 – Dan Kapuscinski, 5. 2 – Jordan Sullivan, 6. 15 – James Babcock
Heat #3 (10-laps): 1. 62 – DJ Shuman, 2. 29 – Shawn Muldoon, 3. 9 – Griffin Miller, 4. 86 – Cameron Rowe Jr., 5. 10 – Mike Fowler, 6. 88 – Brad Haynes
