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Fuller Fowler Verne Jr. and Bechler Capture top honors at Can-Am Speedway Championship and Awards Night

The 50th Golden Jubilee season was celebrated this past Saturday night at the 1000 Islands Harbor Hotel in Clayton New York with a full house of drivers, crew members and race fans. The top drivers were honored for their accomplishments in all five divisions. Following the awards ceremony everyone was treated to live entertainment from Josh Cox and the Rattklesnakes, providing a fun evening for all involved.

Tim Fuller has been the driver the beat the last four seasons in the Whitesboro Plow Shop DIRTcar 358 Modifieds. In 2024 the Northeast Modified Hall of Famer dominated the division once again with 5 wins 11 top 5s and 13 top 10 finishes to cap off a fourth straight championship. Billy Dunn of Watertown New York was second in the title fight and won three races in 2024, while Lance Willix of Theresa was third in points and had two wins including the return of the Summer Starter. The top 5 in the division saw the ever-consistent Shaun Shaw come home in 4th in the standings with 5 top 5s and 11 top 10 finishes on the year, while Ryan Bartlett earned the number 5 spot with 10 top 10 finishes last year.

In the Bob Johnson Auto Group DIRTcar Sportsman division Mike Fowler finally broke through for his first Can-Am championship after several years of trying. The Fulton New York native won the title by 8 points with 2 feature wins on the season along with 6 top 5s and 11 top 10 runs against a tough field every week. His title rival Eric Nier got close to claiming the title but more importantly grabbed his first career win on the final points night and the DIRTcar Sportsman Series race a week after. Nier was never out of the top 10 in any race all season. Finishing third was Lafargeville’s Gavin Eisele who used consistency to land in the top 3 at season’s end with 10 top 5s and 11 top 10s. Eisele also had success on the DIRTCar Sportsman series finishing runner up. Brennan Moore finished fourth in the championship fight this year and got close to victory lane with three runner up finishes. He scored 6 top 5s and 11 top 10s in 2024. Jessica Power finished 5th in points also with 6 top s and 11 top 10s and also had a great season finishing runner up in the DIRTcar Sportsman North Region and 6th in the overall championship. She was also runner up at the World Short Track Championships at the DIRT Track at Charlotte in November.

The Panther Frameworx 602 Crate Sprint Car division keeps growing and changing but one thing remains the same, that is the track champion. For a third straight year Josh Verne Jr. of Theresa New York claimed the championship. His record in the class is outstanding finishing no worse than 2nd all season, a streak that dates back to opening day of the 2023 year. Verne scored 4 wins on his way to this years title. Finishing second was Andrew Hennessey of Picton Ontario, who made a serious bid for the title with four wins last year. Tucker Donath also had success winning three times on his way to third in the championship. Veteran Ken Klinkowsky claimed his best finish of second on May 17th and finished 4th in points. George Sanford continues to get better every week and wants a win badly in a Sprint Car. Sanford, a 25 year veteran at Can Am claimed a best finish of 3rd in May and was 5th in the title chase.

Damien Bechler scored his first Sundance Leisure ThunderCar track championship after many feature wins at Can-Am. The man from Sackets Harbor New York started the year on a hot streak with 2 straight wins on May 3rd and May 17th. Bechler also finished every event inside the top 10 with 11 finishes in the top 5 to take the title. Defending track champion Francis White was a big part of the title fight as well finishing second in 2024. White claimed 2 wins, 9 top 5s and 12 top 10s throughout the year. 2021 champion Tony Frezzo used consistency to claim 3rd in the championship battle. Frezzo also claimed his only win of the year on July 26th and scored 8 top 5 runs last year. Jared Gilson claimed the number 4 spot in the championship battle and broke through for his first win on August 2nd after several weeks of trying. Gilson added 10 top 5s in 12 starts. Rounding out the top 5 was veteran OJ White, who once again had a solid year finishing all 13 events in the top 10 in 2024.

In the Donath Motorworx Limited Sportsman some of the top divers on the season were honored. The division does not compete for a track title but that didn’t stop the intensity of the racing action all year. A pair of drivers dominated the win column in 2024. Clayton New York’s Logan Brown thrilled the crowd nearly every week, winning with last lap passes on multiple occasions. Brown scored 7 wins including in his stock car debut. Brady Howard had a fantastic year in the Limited Sportsman division. Howard, out of Hammond New York, scored an impressive 5 feature wins in 2024 and was fast week after week. The only other driver to win a race was Watertown’s Genavieve Bartlett. She scored her only win on June 21st and was a strong contender for victory lane every week. Camdin Cook of Evans Mills was on close on many nights trying to get to victory lane. Cook finished runner up a record 7 times, a stat he hopes to erase in 2025.

Several drivers also received prizes that are perfect for the upcoming racing season. Those were handed out by Number One Speed in Watertown through a draw. Track champions also received special blankets which were handed out by Tiger Chapman and designed by Rebecca Eisele of Turn 4 Photos.

The 2025 season is right around the corner and details on season passes and ticket information are available on our website at racecanam.com and be sure to give the track a follow on Facebook and My Race Pass. The Thunder on the Thousand Islands Weekend is almost here April 11th and 12th. Don’t Miss It!!

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