By TIM BALTZ

AKWESASNE -- With the night’s sponsor Keegan’s Tobacco on hand Friday night, the cars and stars at Mohawk International Raceway put on one of the best shows of the 2011 season.

A smooth surface allowed for plenty of multi-groove racing, which led to some thrilling finishes.

The Frenchie’s Chevrolet 358 Modifieds hit the speedway with Delbert Legrow and Roy Tarbell leading the field into turn number 1. Tarbell was able to grab the top spot as Tim O’Brien, Larry Welling, Legrow and Jeff Sykes held the top 5 spots in the early going. Tarbell held the lead through the opening 5 laps until O’Brien was able to grab the lead away with John Lazore jumping to second, Tarbell, Sykes and Todd Stone completed the top 5. O’Brien had a very strong car and was able to build up a half straightaway lead until the caution flew for Delbert Legrow who spun in turn 1 and collected Clayton Benedict. Both cars made heavy contact but were able to pull away. On the restart John Lazore was fast on the top side but O’Brien was able to hold off the challenges and keep the lead with Lazore, Todd Stone Jeff Sykes and Roy Tarbell battling in the top 5. With the race going caution free the rest of the way O’Brien’s machine got faster as the race went on and had built up a full straightaway lead by lap 18. John Lazore started to feel some pressure towards the end of this race as Todd Stone who started 13th on the night made his way up to challenge the 2008 track champion for the number 2 spot. Behind them Carey Terrance was flying through this field as well and closed in on Roy Tarbell by lap 22. Terrance was able to get the number 4 spot leaving Tarbell back in 5th. But on this night Tim O’Brien finally put the bad luck behind him to claim his first win of 2011 and first ever at Mohawk. Todd Stone got by John Lazore on the last lap for 2nd, Carey Terrance 4th and Roy Tarbell rounded out the top 5.

In Frenchie’s Built Ford Tough Sportsman action former street stock driver Mike White and Kristian Smoke led the field to the drop of the green with White getting the early advantage. It didn’t take long for the first yellow flag to fall as Josh Jock supn in turn 4. On a restart Travis Back grabbed the top spot until lap 6 when Mike Arquiett charged around Back to take over the lead bringing Dylan Evoy along with him to 2nd, Brandon Hagan who started dead last was now running 3rd, Back and Kristian Smoke completed the top 5. Mike Arquiett was running strong until Dylan Evoy started to make a bid for the lead and took it away from Arquiett on lap 12. Hagan, Back, Arquiett and Wyatt Mullin rounded out the top 5. Evoy and Hagan pulled away from the rest of the field and put on one of the best Sportsman races in track history. The 2 drivers raced side by side for the final 6 laps, neither one willing to give an inch. With Hagan on the bottom and Evoy on the top side off the final turn Hagan found the bite he was looking for and slid up in front of Evoy at the line for his 2nd win in a row over Evoy, Kristian Smoke, Brent Kelsey and Mike Arquiett.

The Bailey Motor Company Pro Stocks provided some exciting racing as well on this night. Jody Swamp who had not won in over 2 years brought the field to the green flag with David Papineau along side. Papineau and Swamp raced side by side for the lead until the yellow flew on lap 3 for Louie Jackson and Ryan Stabler as the tangled in turn 4. On the restart Swamp was able to grab the lead away from Papineau and open up a comfortable margin with Roch Aubin, Dave Bissonette and Stephane Lebrun rounding out the top 5. With Swamp out in front the battle continued on from 2nd though 5th as Dave Bissonette charged around both Roch Aubin and David Papineau to go up into the number 2 spot. Caution would fly at lap 10 as Roch Aubin’s strong run went away as he spun coming off of turn 2. On the final restart Dave Bissonette tried everything he could to retake the lead in a bid for his 3rd straight victory but Swamp was too strong on this night and held on for his first win of the season with Bissonette coming home 2nd, Papineau 3rd, Dion Oakes in 4th and Morgan David rounded out the top 5.

The Bandits had a big night ahead of them as it was round 2 of the CKON 97.3 FM Bandit Series. Ernie Cree and Owen White led the field into turn 1 with Cree getting the lead White, Derek Colbert, Darryl Mitchell and Mike Gaucher completed the top 5. Cree led the opening 5 laps until Gaucher was able to power around the Ernie Cree machine with White Mitchell and Corey Castell rounding out the top 5. It looked to be Mike Gaucher’s race but a mechanical problem sidelined the Cornwall Speedway regular and handed the lead to Owen White. White went on to claim his 3rd win of 2011 and first in the series over a hard charging Nolan Swamp, Darryl Mitchell, Ernie Cree And Corey Castell.

Next week Lazore’s Construction presents round two of the Bailey Motor Company Pro Stock Series along with a regular card of Frenchie’s Chevrolet 358 Modified, Frenchie’s Built Ford Tough Sportsman, And 97.3 FM CKON Bandits. The green flag drops at 7;45pm.

DIRTCar 358 Modifieds (25 laps)

TIM O’BRIEN, Todd Stone, John Lazore, Carey Terrance, Roy Tarbell, Jeff Sykes, Gage Morin, Chris Raabe, Kevin Gamble, Perry Francis, Leon Gonyo, Derek Martin, Larry Welling, Delbert Legrow, Ryan Helm, Clayton Benedict, Mike Perrotte, (DNS) Rick Miller

DIRTCar Sportsman (20 laps)

BRANDON HAGAN, Dylan Evoy, Kristian Smoke, Brent Kelsey, Mike Arquiett, Wyatt Mullin, Travis Back, Dillon Sallows, Tom Conklin, Tom Benedict, Neal Provost, Louie Jackson Jr., Mike White, Sheldon Hoogwerf, Brian Copp, Billy Cook, Josh Jock, Jenna David, Cory Winters, Thunder Anderson

DIRTCar Pro Stock (20 laps)

JODY SWAMP, Dave Bissonette, David Papineau, Dion Oakes, Morgan David, Louie Jackson, Stephane Lebrun, Rod Tarbell, Roch Aubin, Ricky Thompson, Ryan Stabler

97.3 FM CKON Bandit Series (20 laps)

OWEN WHITE, Nolan Swamp, Darryl Mitchell, Ernie Cree, Corey Castell, Bennett White, #69, Derek Colbert, Tammy Rogers, Mike Gaucher, John Greene, Kyle Bouvier, Randy Whiting

Mohawk International Raceway is in Akwesasne, midway between the Seaway International Bridge to Cornwall and the Akwesasne Mohawk Casino. From Route 37, turn south onto Frogtown Road.

Racing is held on Friday nights at 7:45 from May through September, featuring the Frenchie's Chevrolet DIRTcar 358 Modifieds, Sportsman and Pro Stocks, as well as the Bandit division. Visit www.MohawkInternationalRaceway.com.