MIKE BUTTON, BRET BELDEN, AND RUSS MARSDEN EARN OPENING NIGHT WINS AT UTICA-ROME SPEEDWAY VERNON, NY- Opening night at the Utica-Rome Speedway this past Sunday, April 20, saw the first event of the SUNY Canton Street Stock Series completed along with a regular show of Sportsman and Pro Stocks. Defending Sportsman champion Mike Button took top honors in the Sportsman main while Bret Belden won the Pro Stock event. Russ Marsden grabbed the $1,000 payday in the SUNY Canton Street Stock Series. Outside pole sitter Brad Alger grabbed the early jump on Mike Button to lead the first lap of the 20 lap event, with Button grabbing the lead by lap two. For the remainder of the event, Button would hold the repeated efforts of Alger to grab the opening night win. Alger would take second with Tim Nye, Jeremy Vunk, and Jim Rothwell. Bill Knapp grabbed the early lead in the 20 lap Pro Stock feature event with fourth place starter Tom Denton scored the leader by the second circuit. Denton would hold the top spot until pole sitter Bret Belden fought his way back to the front. Belden held on to win the event with Bill Knapp credited with second. Dave Moyer, Tom Denton, and Jim Normoyle rounded out the top five. Former Utica-Rome Speedway Pure Stock champion Dave Mannise led the first two circuits of the 30 lap SUNY Canton Street Stock Series event. Defending four time champion Russ Marsden was looking to defend the home turf for the Utica-Rome Speedway regulars, as he went after Mannise and made the pass for the lead as lap three was scored. Marsden would maintain the lead for the rest of race, with Mannise and Ron Hawker battling for the runner-up spot. With Marsden taking the checkered flag and the $1,000 payday while Mannise would hold off Hawker’s attempts to get the second position with Hawker finishing in third. Phil Norman would finish in fourth with Mike Schultz rounding out the top five. Next week, Canastota Kart Speedway presents the return of the 358-Modifieds along with a regular show of Sportsman, Pro Stock, and Pure Stocks. Gates open at 3 p.m. with racing set to go at 5:30. RACE SUMMARY SPORTSMAN FEATURE FINISH (20 LAPS)- MIKE BUTTON, Brad Alger, Tim Nye, Jeremy Vunk, Jim Rothwell, Casey Williams, Jason Rood, Matt Janczuk, Glenn Forward, Steve Yankowski, Jack Miller, Mike Loney, Steve Way, Paul Carey, and Jeff Leslie. PRO STOCK FEATURE FINISH (20 LAPS)- BRET BELDEN, Bill Knapp, Dave Moyer, Tom Denton, Jim Normoyle, AJ Digsby, Jim Grippen, Rich Dauenhauer, Don Peel, Rocky Warner, Rob Seavy, Ivan Joslin, Shawn Frost, Mike Rasbeck, Chuck Wentrick, and Mark Effner. DNS-Dave Meeks and Ed Ostrander. SUNY CANTON STREET STOCK SERIES (30 LAPS)- RUSS MARSDEN, Dave Mannise, Ron Hawker, Phil Norman, Mike Schultz, Ron Wadforth, Jim Thomas, Waylan Wilczek, Chris Cunningham, Dave Pope, Frank Hyatt, Todd Raabe, Tim Janczuk, Al Doxstader Jr., Stan Clark, Bill Mason, Keith Stevenson, Chris Carr, Daryl Krebs, Butch Green, Ken Hamm, Andy Potter, Bobby Boynton, Cale Hoffman, and John Wesolowski.