LAFARGEVILLE, N.Y. — Stewart Friesen wheeled his way to the front and picked up a healthy $7,500 for a night’s work Saturday at Can-Am Speedway.

Friesen claimed the Super DIRTcar Series big-block modified opener ahead of Tim Fuller, who led the most laps in the 100-lap event.

Fuller took the early lead and began driving away from the field, however, he wasn’t alone. Fuller was towing an eager Erick Rudolph in his wake. Rudolph, in the No. 25r, slowly gained on Fuller as the laps clicked off.

Finally, Fuller hit lapped traffic at lap 30. Rudolph closed in and the duo swapped first and second positions multiple times in a heated battle.

At that point, it looked as though Rudolph and Fuller were going to lap the field and Friesen watched them get farther and farther away.

At the halfway point Fuller began to pick away at the lapped cars, which became more and more difficult to get around. Rudolph was not able to keep up Fuller’s pace of passing cars and fell back.

Meanwhile, Friesen got to work on Larry Wight, who was occupying third.

“I got by a couple of guys but then when I got up to Larry he’d move and take my line away,” said Friesen. Eventually, Friesen was able to motor by Wight on his path to the win.

Lap 70 turned out to be a fateful lap for the Halmar Racing team. Rudolph slowed down and had back to go to the pits for a repair and brought out a caution flag. This lined Friesen up next to Fuller on the restart and Friesen powered around Fuller to make a winning pass.

Friesen’s car came to life at just the right time.

“I had the car set up for the beginning of the race with a heavy fuel load so it would come in towards the end,” said Friesen. “It got good around lap 60 or 70. I thought early on I would be able to make the top work in turns one and two and see if I could sneak by a few cars. I went up there and skated. It was a little dusty but then the middle cleaned off and that was pretty good.”

Fuller was not pleased with his second step on the podium after leading most of the race’s laps.

“He [Friesen] came down and I got out of it so we both didn’t crash but he’s an incredible talent, Fuller said. “You hate to get beat that way. I think we were better than the first place car but we got snookered there a little bit. It happens.”

he was satisfied with the effort and the drive but not the result.

“I just wish I’d had a taller spoiler,” Fuller cracked. “But I wouldn’t have done anything differently.”

The finish:

Stewart Friesen, Tim Fuller, Larry Wight, Billy Decker, Tim Sears Jr., Peter Britten, Matt Sheppard, Mike Mahaney, Justin Haers, Pat Ward, Michael Maresca, Jack Lehner, Chris Hile, Jackson Gill, Mat Williamson, Dave Marcuccilli, Jordan McCreadie, Dave Rauscher, Marcus Dinkins, Max McLaughlin, Rusty Smith, Erick Rudolph, Jimmy Phelps, Billly Dunn, Carey Terrence, Kevin Root, Demetrios Drellos, Rocky Warner, Brandon Walters.