Fast Time - Dash Win - Race Win!
Clark Has 'Em Covered at Canaan
Johnny Clark scored the trifecta at
Canaan, beating out twenty eight others for the Sunoco
Race Fuel Pole Award and winning the fast car dash to
claim the number one starting position and then running
a hard fought race to win his second career Pro All
Stars victory.
A hard-charging Larry Gelinas had
taken the lead after the first caution of the race. As
Gelinas carved his way thru traffic, Johnny eased off to
conserve the car and tires. Gelinas bounced off the main
straight wall several times and then tangled with a
lapped car, winding up hard into the wall and on fire
from brake fluid leaking onto a hot brake rotor.
In tech impound, Johnny praised his crew and crew chief,
brother Bobby,
saying, "I know I've said this a couple of times
recently, but today really was THE BEST car I've ever
driven."
“Sud’n Sam” Sessions mounted
several challenges in the closing laps but had to settle
for second and Tracy Gordon battled his way to a third
place finish. Travis Kheil turned in a strong
performance to finish fourth and 2002 Canaan Fair
Champion Donnie Lashua earned the PASS/Northern Race
Tires Rookie of the race award by finishing fifth.
Florida Super Late Model ace Jason Boyd made his first
PASS appearance a solid one in sixth and GeGe Gravel,
Bobby Cabral, Walt Hammond and Rick Martin completed the
top ten.
Clark served notice earlier in the
day by turning in the only sub-fourteen second lap
(13.925) in Sunoco Race Fuel time trials, just a tick
faster than Boyd’s 14.015 run in Clinton Teague’s North
East Recycling Monte Carlo. Tracy Gordon (14.020), Ben
Rowe (14.034) Mike Rowe ( 14.103) Larry Gelinas (14.113)
Eric Hudson (14.115) Cassius Clark (14.128) GeGe Gravel
(14.145) and Scott Mulkern (14.163) all earned their way
into the field on time.
Clark’s streak of good fortune
continued when he drew the number one spot for the fast
car dash and led wire to wire to sit on the pole for the
feature event. Scott Mulkern would line up next to Clark
with Boyd, Gelinas and Mike Rowe third through fifth.
Hudson, Cassius Clark, Gravel and Ben Rowe completed the
top ten.
Clark took command at the green but
outside pole sitter Mulkern went for a ride off turn
three on the opening lap, spoiling his prospects for a
good finish. Jason Boyd was next to challenge but Larry
Gelinas was on the move, passing Boyd for second and
taking the top spot away from Clark on a restart.
Gelinas was hooked up and built up a solid advantage
during and extended green flag run.But contact with Jim
McCallum in lapped traffic sent McCallum sideways and
Gelinas into the wall, a fiery wreck that ended his day.
Clark was now on the point once
again with Mike Rowe alongside and Boyd third. Ben Rowe
was up to fourth with Gordon fifth and Gravel sixth.
Hudson, Kheil, Lashua and Richie Dearborn completed the
top ten at the halfway mark.
Mike Rowe kept the pressure on
Clark but couldn’t rattle him, and Jason Boyd came up to
challenge once again after sneaking under Rowe on a
restart at lap 92. Mike Rowe’s prospects for two in a
row at Canaan ended on lap 108 when Rowe and Gordon
tangled on the front stretch while racing for position.
Gordon continued on to remain on the lead lap but Rowe
was unable to get rolling before losing a lap. Sam
Sessions took the second spot away from Boyd on the
restart but Clark kept Sessions behind him, withstanding
the pressure on several restarts to earn the win and
solidify his place atop the early season PASS point
standings.
