Special Events

Gambler Night Pays for Ellison

By CHRIS MARQUART
DUNDEE, NY (April 29, 2005) -- Wayne Ellison of Geneva stood in victory lane with a handful of $20 bills, hoisted high above his head. For winning the Street Stock Gambler Night feature on Owasco Beverage-Labatt Blue Beer-Freedom Village USA night, Ellison took home $300 plus a big $100 bonus put up by his fellow racers.

"You know, it never even crossed my mind until someone handed me the $100," Ellison said. "I was out there just hoping that we would get the win."

Ellison had every bit of Lady Luck's attention. First, he bought into the Gambler's Pot. For just $10, Ellison and nine other racers wagered on themselves to win the feature. By buying in, it made them eligible to take the whole pot, provided they win the feature. If the winner didn't buy in, they would not get the bonus

"It a neat way for us to boost our purse, and I think it's a really neat deal when you're on the benefiting side of it," Ellison said, leaning against the Monroe Wheelchair no. 18 Ellison Racing Camaro.

Leading flag-to-flag, "Mr. Old School" had the runners-up twice break down as he paced the field over 20 laps. With a trunk full of Ray Hyer, Ellison was smiled upon. Hyer was riding high and pushed too far and slipped over the banking. That brought Justin Wright to second. Soon enough, Wright was by-passed by Frank Chapman’s Buick Regal.

"We could have had him, I know I was coming for him," Chapman said. "We showed we could keep up, but we just drove beyond the limits of the equipment."

With five laps to go, debris forced a caution period. On the restart, Chapman swept to the outside and was hunting for the win. Entering the third turn, Ellison's luck continued in the form of Chapman's misfortune: the rear end broke and both rear wheels - with parts of the axle connected - fell out from beneath the Regal. Under that yellow, Wright pulled in leaving Scott Smith second.

Ellison ran away in the final two laps; Smith kept second ahead of David Gee, Hyer and Kenny Ham. Chapman and Chuck Pruden earned heat wins.