Canandaigua, NY — August 9, 2008 – By Tom Skibinski, Advance Auto Parts Super DIRTcar Series PR Director
*Alex Bruce Photo: Winner Billy Decker (middle), Dale Planck (left), Steve Paine (right)
Billy Decker continued to ride the wave of success in the 2008 Advance Auto Parts Super DIRTcar Series, capturing both ends of the Ferris Mowers Twin 50s on Saturday at Canandaigua Speedway to extend his lead after 15 of 27 point races.
Click to listen to first place Billy Decker, second place Dale Planck, and third place finisher Steve Paine
The Unadilla, New York veteran surpassed his own single-season Advance Series win mark by scoring a division-high seventh tour victory in the nightcap, giving him 46 on the all-time list to rank fifth. Decker’s only other Advance Series win at Canandaigua was registered in 1998 — the same year he claimed the track title as well as his first and only overall Hoosier Tire Mr. DIRTcar Big-Block Modified Championship.
“Right now things are really going good,” remarked still conservative Decker, 43, following his 15th career triumph at Canandaigua, the first at the historic Ontario County Fairgrounds oval since June of 2003. Decker now stands behind only Brett Hearn (10 wins, 2002) and Bob McCreadie (9 in 1994) and is on pace to establish a new standard before DIRTcar’s 33rd successive season of operation comes to a conclusion.
“We were a little leery coming in here to be honest, the last couple series races we weren’t like we were a month and a half ago and it was starting to worry us. But Scott (Jeffery, crew chief) and the boys put their nose to the grindstone and this car was just awesome tonight. This is the best we’ve been at Canandaigua since ’98,” bottom-lined Decker, after netting his DIRTcar NorthEast-best 18 feature win of the season.
Dale Planck was just as consistent as Decker, securing runner-up honors in each segment while Canandaigua regulars Steve Paine (5th, 3rd) and Matt Sheppard (4th, 4th) also placed among the front-five on both occasions. Vic Coffey finished third in the opener and Justin Haers filed into fifth in the 50-lap finale, with both drivers earning preferred starter status in the prestigious Rite Aid 200 Championship race on Oct. 12 of Super DIRT Week XXXVII at the New York State Fairgrounds in Syracuse.
With flashes of lightning illuminating the overcast sky and a storm lingering in the distance, outside pole-sitter Coffey jumped out front early in round one before Decker chased him down to take control on lap 28. Planck started 12th in the 31-car field, charged into fifth by the halfway mark and grabbed second exiting turn two in a magnificent three-wide maneuver on lap 46 that split low running Coffey and the lapped car of Dave Rauscher.
Just two caution periods for flat tires slowed the action when Canandaigua favorite Chad Homan limped into the pits on lap 11 and Holley Hard Luck award recipient Jimmy Phelps suffered the same fate on lap 28 while running eighth.
“This is just part of a good program, Scott and all the guys do a great job,” said Decker, after outdistancing Planck by a dozen car-lengths in the 22-minute main. “I’m a little surprised that we ran as well as we did in the feature, seems like we struggle in these series races here. Its certainly nice to come back to Canandaigua and get one under our belt. We have a lot of fun every time we come here, I can tell you that.”
While starting third in the lid-lifter, Decker drew to invert the top-eight in the second twin leaving second-generation upstart Ryan Phelps to fill he first-place void on the grid. With the initial 35 laps run straight through under green, Phelps staved off numerous bids for the lead by Alan Johnson before Coffey blasted high around both front-runners in another daring three-wide dash to take his second lead of the night on lap 11. Canandaigua points leader Paine ducked low in turn two to move to the point on lap 19, yet Decker’s LJL Racing no. 91 Gypsum Wholesalers-Stadium Int’l-Quality Hardwoods/Bicknell machine was too potent to handle and the ‘Franklin Flyer’ forged the third and final lead change with 20 laps still to go.
Matching the 50-lap opener, just two yellow flags were thrown — both on lap 35. The first flew for Todd Burley as he slid across the front chute infield following contact with the turn four inside cement barrier that resulted in left-front flat while Brian Murphy incurred the second caution immediately after when he slowed exiting turn three.
“We’re in a good crowd here,” added Decker, referring to the top-flight chauffeurs that filled the front four rows following the pre-race inversion and the rugged three- and four-wide racing that thrilled the capacity crowd during the first caution-free 35 laps. “You can race with those guys and trust them for the most part. So it was actually a little scarier before the night began wondering how we were going to get back to where we were a month ago. I’ll sleep a lot easier tonight, I can guarantee you that.”
Sleep hasn’t been a part of Planck’s agenda in 2008 as the second-generation driver from Cortland, New York continues to parade around the DIRTcar NorthEast circuit enjoying the best season of his career. The RezX Racing no. 77x Grow It Hydroseeding-Action Race Parts/TEO ride has carried him to 11 top-five finishes in the first 15 races.
“I’m happy, I feel I was just as good as Billy, but up through (traffic) was the difference,” figured three-time tour race winner Planck, 38, after pulling to within seven points of reigning overall Mr. DIRTcar points king Brett Hearn, yet still 146 markers behind perennial power Decker. “And happy to be here in second, I’ve never run this good before at Canandaigua.”
“Billy’s been at this for a long time. He’s the best in the business right now, you can’t take that away from him. That whole team, they’ve got everything clicking right now. He has all the good luck. I think I caught him off guard a little bit in the first race, he went back and made some changes and we made some as well for the second one. Just ran out of time there, wanted to change a shock. But to finish second here both times, I can’t ask for much more than that and can’t thank Carey Terrance (owner) enough for fielding the whole deal,” beamed Planck, after recording his first-ever front-five finishes on the ‘Land of Legends’ layout.
The only DIRTcar Big-Block Modified points champion that the Canandaigua contingent has known since the new millennium began, Paine came into the night a two-time winner on home soil and again topping the track standings. He returned home to nearby Waterloo, New York content with a pair of top-five tallies after the all-star invasion to the Ontario County oval where he has won 81 times prior to rank him third all-time.
“Finishing in the top-five in both 50-lappers here, that’s a good deal,” said a satisfied Paine, 47, who owns DIRTcar NorthEast’s career record with eight consecutive track crowns worn since 2000. Title number nine in Canandaigua is just three weeks away as the Paine Motorsports no. 7x Tallmadge Tire-Swarthout Recycling-Instant Heat Wood Pellets/Troyer ride continues to get dialed in as the summer counts down. “We were looser in the first race and a little better in the second one but those two guys have been good all year.”
“We can’t expect much more, they’re just really going good, exceptionally good, and we’re just about the same as we’ve always been. Maybe a hair better, but they’re still better than we are. This is still better than last year’s outcome (12th) and way better than three years ago when we ended up in the fence. We’ve had worse and we’ve had better, so third and fifth isn’t bad,” noted Paine, who earned the last of his five Advance Series wins at Canandaigua in 2003, with three straight tour triumphs scored from 1999-2001.
The Advance Auto Part Super DIRTcar Series returns to action next weekend with three straight nights of racing at Brewerton Speedway on Friday, August 15 followed by trips further north to Can-Am Motorsports Park on Saturday, August 16 and Cornwall Motor Speedway on Sunday, August 17.
Advance Auto Parts Super DIRTcar Series Race #14 & #15 – Canandaigua Speedway, August 9, 2008 ‘Ferris Mowers Twin 50s’ Big-Block Modified Event Summary
Feature #1
FIN STR CAR# DRIVER
1 3 91 Billy Decker/Unadilla,NY($3,000)
2 12 77x Dale Planck/Cortland,NY
3 2 32c Vic Coffey/Leicester,NY
4 1 9s Matt Sheppard/Waterloo,NY
5 7 7x Steve Paine/Waterloo,NY
6 10 fx1 Frankie Caprara/Watertown,NY
7 15 14j Alan Johnson/Middlesex,NY
8 4 99 Ryan Phelps/Fulton,NY
9 9 20 Brett Hearn/Sussex,NJ
10 18 3 Justin Haers/Phelps,NY
11 6 49 Billy Dunn/Watertown,NY
12 5 84 Gary Tomkins/Clifton Springs,NY
13 24 21 Derrick Podsiadlo/Penn Yan,NY
14 17 42b Kevin Bates/Lake Ariel,PA
15 8 98h Jimmy Phelps/Baldwinsville,NY
16 16 56 Vince Vitale/Phoenix,NY
17 21 99c Charlie Donk/Macedon,NY
18 20 99L Larry Wight/Phoenix,NY®
19 11 6 Pat O’Brien/Kingston,ONT
20 23 6t Pete Taylor/Marcellus,NY
21 19 99b Chuck Bower/Lansing,NY
22 25 48too Dave Rauscher/Waterloo,NY
23 27 19h Chris Higgins/Syracuse,NY®
24 29 37c Eric Fisher/Bluff Point,NY®
25 13 29 Jeff Brownell Jr./Waterloo,NY
26 28 42 Brian Murphy/Cicero,NY
27 14 91h Chad Homan/Macedon,NY
28 31 28p Eldon Payne,Jr./Hopewell,NY
29 26 45m Mike Ward/Genoa,NY
30 *22 89b Todd Burley/Spencerport,NY
31 *30 27j Danny Johnson/Rochester,NY
*no. 89b-Burley started rear in #2b-Cartwright car, no. 27j-Johnson started rear in #2-Lincoln car.
EVENT SUMMARY:
LAP LEADERS: Coffey (1-27), Decker (28-50).
CAUTIONS: 2 (lap 11, lap 28).
HEAT WINNERS: Hearn, Decker, Tomkins, Planck.
DIG SAFELY NEW YORK LAST CHANCE RACE WINNERS: Donk, Burley.
BICKNELL RACING PRODUCTS WINNER AWARD: Billy Decker.
CRANE CAMS WINNER AWARD: Billy Decker.
RISLONE OIL STABILIZER & TREATMENT WINNER AWARD: Billy Decker.
BARS LEAKS RUNNER-UP AWARD: Dale Planck.
CRANE CAMS RUNNER-UP AWARD: Dale Planck.
SYRACUSE RITE AID 200 QUALIFIER: Vic Coffey (P).
HALFWAY LEADER: Vic Coffey.
BERT/KSE RACING PRODUCTS HARD CHARGER AWARD: Derrick Podsiadlo.
HOLLEY HARD LUCK AWARD: Jimmy Phelps.
PENSKE POWER POSITION AWARD (21st): Chuck Bower.
INTEGRA SHOCKS FAST TIME AWARD: Brett Hearn (17.965sec/100.195mph).
TOTAL PURSE: $13,785.
CARS ENTERED: 37.
Feature #2
FIN STR CAR# DRIVER
1 8 91 Billy Decker/Unadilla,NY($3,000)
2 7 77x Dale Planck/Cortland,NY
3 4 7x Steve Paine/Waterloo,NY
4 5 9s Matt Sheppard/Waterloo,NY
5 10 3 Justin Haers/Phelps,NY
6 2 14j Alan Johnson/Middlesex,NY
7 15 98h Jimmy Phelps/Baldwinsville,NY
8 1 99 Ryan Phelps/Fulton,NY
9 12 84 Gary Tomkins/Clifton Springs,NY
10 9 20 Brett Hearn/Sussex,NJ
11 16 56 Vince Vitale/Phoenix,NY
12 11 49 Billy Dunn/Watertown,NY
13 3 fx1 Frankie Caprara/Watertown,NY
14 19 6 Pat O’Brien/Kingston,ONT
15 13 21 Derrick Podsiadlo/Penn Yan,NY
16 17 99c Charlie Donk/Macedon,NY
17 21 99b Chuck Bower/Lansing,NY
18 25 29 Jeff Brownell Jr./Waterloo,NY
19 18 99L Larry Wight/Phoenix,NY®
20 20 6t Pete Taylor/Marcellus,NY
21 22 48too Dave Rauscher/Waterloo,NY
22 23 19h Chris Higgins/Syracuse,NY®
23 24 37c Eric Fisher/Bluff Point,NY®
24 27 91h Chad Homan/Macedon,NY
25 30 89b Todd Burley/Spencerport,NY
26 26 42 Brian Murphy/Cicero,NY
27 6 32c Vic Coffey/Leicester,NY
28 14 42b Kevin Bates/Lake Ariel,PA
29 29 45m Mike Ward/Genoa,NY
30 *31 27j Danny Johnson/Rochester,NY
DNS 28 28p Eldon Payne,Jr./Hopewell,NY
*no. 27j-Johnson started rear in #2-Lincoln car.
EVENT SUMMARY:
LAP LEADERS: R.Phelps (1-10), Coffey (11-29), Decker (30-50).
CAUTIONS: 2 (lap 35, lap 35).
BICKNELL RACING PRODUCTS WINNER AWARD: Billy Decker.
CRANE CAMS WINNER AWARD: Billy Decker.
RISLONE OIL STABILIZER & TREATMENT WINNER AWARD: Billy Decker.
BARS LEAKS RUNNER-UP AWARD: Dale Planck.
CRANE CAMS RUNNER-UP AWARD: Dale Planck.
SYRACUSE RITE AID 200 QUALIFIER: Justin Haers (P).
HALFWAY LEADER: Vic Coffey.
BERT/KSE RACING PRODUCTS HARD CHARGER AWARD: Jimmy Phelps.
HOLLEY HARD LUCK AWARD: Vic Coffey.
PENSKE POWER POSITION AWARD (21st): Dave Rauscher.
TOTAL PURSE: $13,785.
NEXT EVENT: Brewerton Speedway – August 15, 2008.
DID NOT QUALIFY(6)
fx1x-Ryan Bartlett/Adams,NY
2b-Ron Cartwright Jr./Portageville,NY
7-Paul Guererri/Geneva,NY®
25-Paul Habeck/Penfield,NY
44v-Phil Vigneri/Elba,NY
50-Don Slover/Bath,NY
QUALIFYING
FAST AVE
TIME MPH CAR# DRIVER
1 17.965 100.195 20 Brett Hearn/Sussex,NJ
*$100 Integra Shocks Fast Qualifier Award
2 18.104 99.426 91 Billy Decker/Unadilla,NY
3 18.153 99.157 fx1 Frankie Caprara/Watertown,NY
4 18.185 98.983 77x Dale Planck/Cortland,NY
5 18.312 98.296 32c Vic Coffey/Leicester,NY
6 18.325 98.226 98h Jimmy Phelps/Baldwinsville,NY
7 18.351 98.087 84 Gary Tomkins/Clifton Springs,NY
8 18.367 98.002 49 Billy Dunn/Watertown,NY
9 18.374 97.965 7x Steve Paine/Waterloo,NY
18.374 97.965 91h Chad Homan/Macedon,NY
11 18.376 97.954 9s Matt Sheppard/Waterloo,NY
12 18.390 97.879 99 Ryan Phelps/Fulton,NY
13 18.455 97.535 42b Kevin Bates/Lake Ariel,PA
14 18.460 97.508 6 Pat O’Brien/Kingston,ONT
15 18.472 97.445 21 Derrick Podsiadlo/Penn Yan,NY
16 18.482 97.392 99L Larry Wight/Phoenix,NY®
17 18.509 97.250 99c Charlie Donk/Macedon,NY
18 18.524 97.171 3 Justin Haers/Phelps,NY
18.524 97.171 14j Alan Johnson/Middlesex,NY
20 18.529 97.145 56 Vince Vitale/Phoenix,NY
21 18.551 97.030 29 Jeff Brownell Jr./Waterloo,NY
22 18.632 96.608 6t Pete Taylor/Marcellus,NY
18.632 96.608 99b Chuck Bower/Lansing,NY
24 18.640 96.567 44v Phil Vigneri/Elba,NY
25 18.704 96.236 19h Chris Higgins/Syracuse,NY®
26 18.781 95.842 48too Dave Rauscher/Waterloo,NY
27 18.815 95.668 25 Paul Habeck/Penfield,NY
28 18.859 95.445 89b Todd Burley/Spencerport,NY
29 18.948 94.997 7 Paul Guererri/Geneva,NY®
30 19.206 93.721 37c Eric Fisher/Bluff Point,NY®
31 19.265 93.434 42 Brian Murphy/Cicero,NY
32 19.448 92.555 45m Mike Ward/Genoa,NY
33 19.493 92.341 2b Ron Cartwright Jr./Portageville,NY
34 22.545 79.840 50 Don Slover/Bath,NY
35 -NT- —– fx1x Ryan Bartlett/Adams,NY
36 -NT- —– 27j Danny Johnson/Rochester,NY
37 -NT- —– 28p Eldon Payne,Jr./Hopewell,NY
Heat Races (10 laps, top 5 finishers transferred to feature, top 3 went to re-draw)
#1: Hearn, Coffey, Paine, Brownell, Bates, Donk, Higgins, Cartwright, Guererri, Bartlett (DNS).
#2: Decker, J.Phelps, O’Brien, Homan, Haers, Taylor, Fisher, Rauscher, Slover.
#3: Tomkins, Caprara, Sheppard, A.Johnson, Bower, Podsiadlo, Habeck, Murphy, Payne (DNS).
#4: Planck, Dunn, R.Phelps, Vitale, Wight, Burley, Vigneri, Ward, D.Johnson (DNS).
Dig Safely New York Last Chance Races (top 4 finishers transferred to feature)
#1: Donk, Taylor, Rauscher, Higgins, Fisher, Cartwright, Slover, Guererri (DNS), Bartlett (DNS).
#2: Burley, Podsiadlo, Ward, Murphy, Payne, Vigneri, Habeck, D.Johnson.
Added: Fisher, D.Johnson.
Provisional: Payne.
Advance Auto Parts Super DIRTcar Series Point Standings (Through Aug. 9, 2008)
Rank No. Driver Total Series Diff Wins T-5 T-10 Starts
1 91 Billy Decker 1,246 1,246 0 7 12 15 15
2 20 Brett Hearn 1,107 1,107 -139 2 8 14 15
3 77x Dale Planck 1,100 1,100 -146 3 11 13 15
4 98h Jimmy Phelps 1,034 1,034 -212 1 7 13 15
5 9s Matt Sheppard 979 979 -267 1 5 11 15
6 84 Gary Tomkins 929 929 -317 0 3 12 15
7 7x Steve Paine 927 927 -319 0 7 8 15
8 FX1 Frankie Caprara 849 849 -397 0 1 8 15
9 27J Danny Johnson 824 824 -422 0 4 5 15
10 99 Ryan Phelps 786 786 -460 0 0 4 15
11 3 Justin Haers 761 761 -485 0 2 8 14
12 49 Billy Dunn 723 723 -523 0 0 2 15
13 14J Alan Johnson 715 715 -531 0 1 6 13
14 99L Larry Wight 604 604 -642 0 0 1 15
15 6 Pat O’Brien 397 397 -849 0 0 1 10
16 29 Jeff Brownell Jr. 343 343 -903 0 0 0 9
17 42B Kevin Bates 270 270 -976 0 0 0 8
18 14 Rich Laubach 256 256 -990 0 2 2 4
19 79 Mike Storms 255 255 -991 0 0 1 6
20 4 Duane Howard 198 198 -1,048 0 2 2 2
21 56 Vince Vitale 188 188 -1,058 0 0 0 5
22 99b Chuck Bower 188 188 -1,058 0 0 0 6
23 48T Dave Rauscher 162 162 -1,084 0 0 0 5
24 21 Yan Bussiere 161 161 -1,085 0 0 1 3
25 1w Billy Pauch 152 152 -1,094 0 0 2 2
26 22 Mario Clair 152 152 -1,094 0 0 0 3
27 32c Vic Coffey 145 145 -1,101 0 1 1 3
28 21 Derrick Podsiadlo 144 144 -1,102 0 0 0 5
29 11j Sean Beardsley 139 139 -1,107 0 0 0 4
30 16 Mike Bowman 135 135 -1,111 0 0 0 4
31 357 Stewart Friesen 131 131 -1,115 0 1 1 2
32 19 Tim Fuller 130 130 -1,116 0 1 1 2
33 46 Kayle Robidoux 125 125 -1,121 0 0 2 2
34 5 Jason Potter 125 125 -1,121 0 0 0 4
35 HR2 Jimmy Horton 121 121 -1,125 0 0 0 2
36 89b Todd Burley 120 120 -1,126 0 1 1 3
37 14w Ryan Watt 111 111 -1,135 0 0 0 2
38 19 Kenny Brightbill 111 111 -1,135 0 0 1 2
39 30 Jamie Mills 110 110 -1,136 0 1 1 1
40 71 David VanHorn Jr. 109 109 -1,137 0 0 0 2
41 30 H.J. Bunting III 103 103 -1,143 1 1 1 1
42 15x Billy Pauch Jr. 103 103 -1,143 0 0 0 2
43 85 Wade Hendrickson 103 103 -1,143 0 0 1 2
44 26 Rick Richner 100 100 -1,146 0 0 0 2
45 44 Shannon Whaley 100 100 -1,146 0 0 0 3
46 62s Tom Sears Jr. 99 99 -1,147 0 0 0 3
47 26 Ryan Godown 98 98 -1,148 0 0 0 2
48 3 Claude Brouillard 98 98 -1,148 0 0 0 2
49 19 Chuck McKee 96 96 -1,150 0 1 1 1
50 126 Jeff Strunk 96 96 -1,150 0 1 1 1
51 23 Dany Bilodeau 96 96 -1,150 0 0 0 2
52 123 Robbie Krull 96 96 -1,150 0 1 1 1
53 42 Pete Bicknell 95 95 -1,151 0 0 0 2
54 91h Chad Homan 93 93 -1,153 0 0 0 3
55 80 Chris Steele 92 92 -1,154 0 0 0 2
56 43 Jimmy Horton IV 90 90 -1,156 0 0 0 2
57 2 Michel Dusseault 90 90 -1,156 0 0 0 2
58 85 Dan Vauter 89 89 -1,157 0 0 0 2
59 1 David Hebert 88 88 -1,158 0 0 0 2
60 6 Pete Taylor 86 86 -1,160 0 0 0 3
61 8 Rob Bellinger 86 86 -1,160 0 0 0 3
62 47 Jerry Higbie 85 85 -1,161 0 1 1 1
63 41 Boyd MacTavish 84 84 -1,162 0 0 0 2
64 24L Carl Labonte 84 84 -1,162 0 0 0 2
65 39w Steven Downs 83 83 -1,163 0 0 0 2
66 54 Steve Bernard 81 81 -1,165 0 0 0 2
67 6G Martin Gagné 81 81 -1,165 0 0 0 2
68 84L Eric Landry 80 80 -1,166 0 0 0 2
69 66w Wallace Stacey 80 80 -1,166 0 0 0 1
70 3b Chad Brachmann 78 78 -1,168 0 0 1 1
71 28 Scott Kerwin 76 76 -1,170 0 0 1 1
72 13 Tony Steiner 73 73 -1,173 0 0 0 1
73 1c Craig VonDohren 68 68 -1,178 0 0 1 1
74 53e Ric Hill 65 65 -1,181 0 0 1 1
75 88 Steve Hulsizer 65 65 -1,181 0 0 0 2
76 20m Jeff McGinnis 65 65 -1,181 0 0 1 1
77 17d Danny O’Brien 65 65 -1,181 0 0 1 1
78 44v Phil Vigneri 62 62 -1,184 0 0 0 1
79 38 Scott Wood 62 62 -1,184 0 0 1 1
80 97 Michel Chicoine 60 60 -1,186 0 0 0 1
Advance Auto Parts DIRTcar Modified Entries – August 9 (37)
CAR# DRIVER / HOMETOWN TEAM (Sponsor / Chassis / Engine)
fx1 Frankie Caprara/Watertown,NY F.X. Caprara Car Co.-Auto Value-JK Contracting/Troyer/Dan Bedell
fx1x Ryan Bartlett/Adams,NY F.X. Caprara Car Co.-Auto Value-JK Contracting/Troyer/Dan Bedell
2b Ron Cartwright Jr./Portageville,NY DJ Beardsley & Son Electrical Contractor-Volvo Rents/TEO/Mastin
3 Justin Haers/Phelps,NY Phelps Cement Products-SMV Motorsports-Jeff Jolly Masonry/Bicknell/Finger Lakes
6 Pat O’Brien/Kingston,ONT 730 Truck Stop-Gypsum Logistics-Newells Garage/Bicknell/Enders
6t Pete Taylor/Marcellus,NY K2 Motorsports/Troyer/Finger Lakes
7 Paul Guererri/Geneva,NY® Pumphouse Tavern-Gevo’s Rears & Gears-Al Raymond Collision/Bicknell/Tim Johnson
7x Steve Paine/Waterloo,NY Tallmadge Tire-Swarthout Recycling-Instant Heat Wood Pellets/Troyer/Finger Lakes
9s Matt Sheppard/Waterloo,NY JB Motor Sports-BPG/Chad Sinon Motorsports/Bicknell/Finger Lakes
14j Alan Johnson/Middlesex,NY Bully’s Truck Stop-CFF,Inc./Bicknell/Paul Gavenda
19h Chris Higgins/Syracuse,NY® Line-X Spray On Bedliners-American Traditions-TRS/Bicknell/Higgins Performance
20 Brett Hearn/Sussex,NJ Madsen Motorsports-Wentworth Custom Homes-Kruger-WLR/TEO/Enders
21 Derrick Podsiadlo/Penn Yan,NY Penn Yan Mini Storage/TEO/Finger Lakes
25 Paul Habeck/Penfield,NY SwimmingPool.com-North Eastern Pool & Spa/Troyer/Bruneau
27j Danny Johnson/Rochester,NY Johnson Racing-Twin G Motorsports/Troyer/Chevrolet
28p Eldon Payne,Jr./Hopewell,NY Monroe Sand & Gravel-Payne’s Tiltbed Service-Original Pizza Loga/TEO/FingerLakes
29 Jeff Brownell Jr./Waterloo,NY JB Motor Sports-Seneca Auto Sales/Bicknell/Finger Lakes
32c Vic Coffey/Leicester,NY Sweeteners Plus-Integra Shocks-CME,Inc./Troyer/C.C. Performance
37c Eric Fisher/Bluff Point,NY® Bully Hill Vineyards-Fisher Tree Service/Ozcar/Finger Lakes
42 Brian Murphy/Cicero,NY Murphy Racing/Bicknell/Enders
42b Kevin Bates/Lake Ariel,PA Blaise & Son Racing-Locklin’s Bottled Gas/Bicknell/Murray
44v Phil Vigneri/Elba,NY Oak Orchard Produce & Do-It-Yourself Turf-M&T Onion Sales/Troyer/JanCen
45m Mike Ward/Genoa,NY Cal-East Collision & Street Rods/Bicknell/Chet Ward
48too Dave Rauscher/Waterloo,NY Magee Transportation Services-Monadnock Disposal Service/Bicknell/Morrison
49 Billy Dunn/Watertown,NY Number One Speed-American Traditions-Fast Lube Watertown/Bicknell/Finger Lakes
50 Don Slover/Bath,NY Slover Racing/Bicknell/Velton Slover
56 Vince Vitale/Phoenix,NY V & V Racing/Troyer/Enders
77x Dale Planck/Cortland,NY RezX Racing-Grow It Hydroseeding-Action Race Parts-Teo Fab./TEO/Kevlar
84 Gary Tomkins/Clifton Springs,NY Honeoye Auto Parts-Red Parker & Son Excavating/Bicknell/Mastin
89b Todd Burley/Spencerport,NY Bashore Trucking.-New York Pizzeria(Hamiliton)/Bicknell/JanCen
91 Billy Decker/Unadilla,NY Gypsum Wholesalers-Stadium Int’l-Quality Hardwoods/Bicknell/Enders
91h Chad Homan/Macedon,NY DigTrack.com-Bytronics,Inc./Bicknell/Campbell
98h Jimmy Phelps/Baldwinsville,NY Mohawk N.E.-New England Race Fuels-Joe Gibbs Racing Oil/Troyer/Finger Lakes
99 Ryan Phelps/Fulton,NY Big Red Towing-Dave Miller Auto Body/Bicknell/Enders
99b Chuck Bower/Lansing,NY Ingles Performance-Daggett Insurance-Bradco Supply/Bicknell/Finger Lakes
99c Charlie Donk/Macedon,NY Original Pizza Logs-Turner Automotive-Ron Donk Excavating/Troyer/Mastin
99L Larry Wight/Phoenix,NY® Gypsum Express,Ltd./Bicknell/Enders
SKIDMARKS
10th Year Anniversary of Triple-Decker: Current Advance Series points leader Billy Decker continues his bid for the second overall Hoosier Tire Mr. DIRTcar Championship of his career in the Big-Block Modified division. 2008 marks the 10th Anniversary of his first tour title, with track crowns earned at Canandaigua Speedway, Cayuga County Fair Speedway and Brewerton Speedway that same season. While Decker repeated with point championships the following year at both Cayuga County and Brewerton, 1998 —when he captured the Rite Aid 200 at Syracuse and Eastern States 200 at Orange County Fair Speedway— commemorates his lone title at the Ontario County Fairgrounds. “It’s the same place just with different cars, we’ve struggled here since getting away from the birdcage,” noted Decker, before going out to dominate the field and rack up two more Advance Series victories. “The track has seemed to change a little too, used to be a bigger crown and maybe more banking in turn four awhile back. If you got outside in traffic you could get back with no problem, but now you keep rolling out there and just hang on. And we’ve always struggled more at tracks with long turns. The uncertainty at Canandaigua has been tough, its kind of hit or miss lately. When you’re going good here nobody’s gonna stop you here, so I had a lot of fun back then (1998) coming back with a good chance to win every week. It was a real good deal which simplified travel, Brewerton on Friday, Canandaigua on Saturday and Weedsport on Sunday. I had the same (winning) feeling right up until a couple weeks ago. We just hope to get it back soon. I don’t like that 150-point deal in the 200-lappers at the end of the year. Right there are three of the toughest events —Lebanon Valley, Syracuse, Orange County— we run all season and its not a comfortable situation to be in no matter how big your (points) lead is.”
A.J. Slideways Legendary at Canandaigua: Alan Johnson hasn’t raced regularly at Canandaigua Speedway since 1997, garnering his last track title at the storied Ontario County Fairgrounds in 1988 (sharing the crown with Chuck Akulis). Before then, the second-generation pilot now residing in Middlesex, New York had been a staple at the Routes 5 & 20 speedplant since he began his Modified career racing Tom Ewing’s Corvair in 1974. Yet this short time away hasn’t stopped ‘A.J. Slideways’ from finding his way back to victory lane at the venerable clay oval where he is the all-time leader with 113 career Big-Block Modified feature wins. “The place hasn’t really changed to me,” matter-of-factly declared Johnson, who has earned a tour-best seven victories at Canandaigua, with 16 more front-five finishes added along the way. He added a pair of top-10s on Saturday. “The cars are pretty much the same to me too and I still have just about the same set-up from year to year. The biggest difference was when we used to go around the track flat-footed using drag rubber. The speeds seemed to be almost the same even with the track conditions. You don’t see many tracks holding moisture for very long nowadays unless there’s a lot of water laying around and things get sloppy.”
Younger Johnson With Older Car: Danny Johnson brought back memories of days gone by when the Rochester, New York runner pulled into the Canandaigua pits on Saturday hauling a familiar orange no. 27j Modified — easily the oldest entry in the field with DIRTcar NE chief tech inspector Bob Dini effectively molding the modern-day gauges to fit the ’92 Troyer Mud Buss. Unfortunately, Canandaigua fans in attendance were treated to only a handful of laps taken by Johnson as motor trouble forced the ‘Doctor’ to borrow Loren Lincoln’s Sportsman just to make the feature race starting grids. “We picked up the motor from Gary Mann on Thursday and he wasn’t event quite sure who built it, only that he got it from Steve Hastings (owner #74 car driven by Brett Hearn at Orange County) and thought it might be a Precision,” pointed out Johnson, who began the year teamed with JIR Motorsports and mostly recently competed on tour aboard the Big-Block cars owned by Mark Forte (Orange County) and Mike Petruska (Merrittville). Sitting vacant for a number of years in the front yard of his father Milt Johnson, the vintage Troyer mount was last run at Cayuga County and Can-Am in 2003, with B&M Speed Shop and Randy’s Smoke Shop still adorning the outside panels. Oh yes, the lettering was paid for by the late Alex Friesen when Danimal was a frequent runner out west at Ransomville Speedway during the 1990s. “We don’t really know how it will run, maybe a top-10 car if everything goes right. Right now we don’t have any idea of what to expect, we’re just out there to have some fun.”
Pot Holes: The weather on race day in Canandaigua was almost a mirror-image of what all participants endured in last season’s version of the Advance Series special staged on the Ontario County Fairgrounds. While wet grounds throughout the show a year ago —which culminated with the second 50-lapper being cancelled due to rain— once again prevailed on Saturday, the rapidly run program provided fans with plenty of fast-paced, side-by-side action among DIRTcar’s finest touring stars ….. While Billy Decker ran second to Brett Hearn in Integra Shocks Time Trials on Saturday, he remains the track record-holder with a single-lap clocking of 17.125 seconds (105.109 mph) posted on August 9, 2007 ….. Still runner-up in Advance Series points, Hearn had a dismal night despite topping the 37-car field in qualifying. “This track used to be one of my worst and I dreaded coming here,” admitted Hearn, following his first fast time of the season. “Now its one of my better tracks, talk about perseverance” ….. ‘JB Motor Sports’ was seen on the rear quarter-panels of both Matt Sheppard and Jeff Brownell Jr., replacing Advanced Lubrication Specialties which has been owned by Jeff Brownell Sr. since 1983 ….. SPEED personality Bob Dillner made a guest appearance at the ‘Land of Legends’ with the Cup Series in competition at nearby Watkins Glen. He joined voice of the Advance Series Shane Andrews in the tower for some kind remarks about DIRTcar Racing and the mighty Big-Block Modifieds that headline many shows in the Northeast today ….. Also in attendance all the way from Australia was JBR Motorsport co-owner Simon Jupe, a distributor of Troyer cars and parts downunder. First-string H&H Motorsports pilot Jimmy Phelps is slated to drive one of the recently arrived 2008 Troyer Max Flex chassis for the JBR Motorsport outfit in 2009, contesting in the two-night ‘Modified Masters’ in Lismore over the Australia Day weekend (January 24 & 25) as well as an event in Maryborough (Qld) the following weekend.
Get Out The Word First: RACEceiver is the Official Driver Communicator of DIRTcar Racing. A compact radio receiver that conveniently fits into a driver’s pocket, a RACEceiver allows each driver to hear directions from series officials, which greatly enhances the safety and timeliness of events. A similar version available to fans will allow RACEceiver users to hear what information series officials are relaying to the drivers. For more information about RACEceiver, visit www.raceceiver.com, call 866/301-7223, or look for their sales trailers at various events.
Tracks Know The Score: In the ongoing effort to assist every sanctioned track with presenting the best possible race programs, DIRT has teamed with AMB i.t. which continues to be recognized as the Official Timing System of DIRTcar racing. AMB i.t. is the world’s leader in automatic race timing and scoring systems and the DIRT organization is proud to retain the company as a valued partner in the timing and scoring of all DIRTcar Racing events.
UPCOMING EVENTS
The mighty Mod Squad stages a big tripleheader next weekend with $6,000-to-win 100-lappers running consecutively at Brewerton Speedway on Friday, August 15, Can-Am Motorsports Park on August 16 and Cornwall Motor Speedway on Aug. 17. The touring stars arrive at the home of DIRTcar NorthEast on Aug. 31 for Twin 54s at Cayuga County Fair Speedway.
2008 Advance Auto Parts Super DIRTcar Series Schedule
NP=Non-Point event.
*All events subject to change.
DAY-DATE TRACK WINNER/RITE AID 200 QUALIFIER
Wed-Feb 13 Volusia Speedway Park-NP Billy Pauch
Thr-Feb 14 Volusia Speedway Park-NP Brett Hearn
Fri-Feb 15 Volusia Speedway Park-NP Dale Planck
Sat-Feb 16 Volusia Speedway Park-NP Jimmy Horton
Sat-Mar 22 Hagerstown Speedway Weather-Cancelled
Thr-May 1 Virginia Motor Speedway Matt Sheppard(G)
Sun-May 4 Rolling Wheels Raceway Billy Decker(G)
Sun-May 4 Rolling Wheels Raceway Dale Planck(G)
Sun-May 25 Cayuga Co Fair Speedway D.Planck/Danny Johnson(P)
Sat-Jun 7 Fulton Speedway B.Decker/Brett Hearn(P)
Thr-Jul 3 Ransomville Speedway B.Decker/Robbie Krull(P)
Thr-Jul 10 Brockville Ont Speedway B.Decker/Jimmy Phelps(P)
Fri-Jul 11 Autodrome Granby Brett Hearn(G)
Sat-Jul 12 Autodrome Drummond D.Planck/Steve Paine(P)
Wed-Jul 16 Grandview Speedway B.Decker/Jeff Strunk(P)
Thr-Jul 17 Georgetown Speedway H.J. Bunting III(G)
Thr-Jul 31 Orange Co Fair Speedway B.Hearn/Chuck McKee(P)
Mon-Aug 4 Merrittville Speedway Jimmy Phelps(G)
Sat-Aug 9 Canandaigua Speedway B.Decker/Vic Coffey(P)
Sat-Aug 9 Canandaigua Speedway B.Decker/Justin Haers(P)
Fri-Aug 15 Brewerton Speedway Brewerton,NY
Sat-Aug 16 Can-Am Motorsports Park LaFargeville,NY
Sun-Aug 17 Cornwall Motor Speedway Cornwall,ONT
Sun-Aug 31 Cayuga Co Fair Speedway Weedsport,NY
Mon-Sep 1 Rolling Wheels Raceway Elbridge,NY
Sat-Sep 6 Lebanon Valley Speedway West Lebanon,NY
Fri-Sep 12 Lernerville Speedway Sarver,PA
Sat-Sep 20 Canandaigua Speedway Canandaigua,NY
Sat-Sep 27 Rolling Wheels Raceway Elbridge,NY
Sun-Oct 12 New York State Fairgrounds Syracuse,NY
Sun-Oct 19 Orange Co Fair Speedway Middletown,NY
Headquartered in Roanoke, Va., Advance Auto Parts, a leading automotive aftermarket retailer of parts, accessories, batteries, and maintenance items in the United States, serves both the do-it-yourself and professional installer markets As of April 19, 2008, the Company operated 3,291 stores in 40 states, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands. Additional information about the Company, employment opportunities, customer services, and on-line shopping for parts and accessories can be found on the Company’s web site at http://www.advanceautoparts.com.
ADVANCE AUTO PARTS MODIFIED SERIES SPONSORS
The Advance Auto Parts Super DIRTcar Series for Big-Block Modifieds is brought to fans across the Northeast by several sponsors and partners, including series sponsors Advance Auto Parts and Hoosier Racing Tire. Rite Aid Corporation is a promotional partner and the contingency sponsors are Bars Leaks, Bert Transmission, Bicknell Racing Products, Bilstein Shocks, Brodix Cylinder Heads, Crane Cams, Dig Safely New York, Holley HP Carburetors, Integra Shocks, Intercomp, KSE Racing Products, Motorsports Safety Systems, Penske Shocks, Rislone Oil Stabilizer and Wrisco Industries.
