Danny Johnson wins over Billy Decker at Autodrome Granby
Johnson picks up his fifth career Super DIRTcar Series victory at Autodrome Granby
GRANBY, QUEBEC — Tuesday, July 22, 2014 — “The Doctor” Danny Johnson, of Rochester, N.Y., raced to victory Monday, July 21, at Autodrome Granby, charging past challenger Billy Decker for the coveted Super DIRTcar Series win.
“I just have to thank the guys for giving me a great hot rod tonight,” Johnson saud in Victory Lane after leading the final 80 laps of Monday’s 100-lap Super DIRTcar Big Block Modified Series feature race. “My car was really good. It’s really been working well for me. I’m really happy with it and I was able to maneuver it to the front.”
Johnson started fourth on the starting grid after finishing third in his heat race, but it was Decker who charged ahead to claim the lead at the green flag. Polesitter Billy Dunn fell to third within the first lap and Johnson sat comfortably in second.
The leaders reached lapped traffic in lap 11, but weren’t slowed. It was the first caution of the race in lap 16 that gave Johnson the opportunity to challenge the Decker for the lead..
Decker took the inside line on the lap 20 restart, but Johnson powered high on the outside to keep pace. Johnson was ahead just by a nose at the flagstand the following lap, but he found some bite the next time around and pulled ahead of Decker’s Gypsum Wholesalers No. 91.
“I got a good run on the outside on Billy (Decker) on the restart and we maintained that momentum through (turns) one and two to get the lead,” said Johnson, who claimed his fifth career Super DIRTcar Series win at Autodrome Granby Monday night.
“I missed a little bit, and Dan Johnson)got position on me,” Decker said. “We did have a pretty good race car, just I thought I was getting around the bottom pretty good, then the caution came out there and I took the bottom, and I think the topin (turns) one and two was just a little bit better.”
Johnson kept his position the remaining 80 laps, outmaneuvering Billy Decker through several more cautions and restarts.
Dunn brought the next caution in lap 33 when the Number One Speed No. 49 slowed to a stop in turn 4. Johnson reclaimed the lead off the restart, followed by Decker in second, Gary Tomkins third, Brett Hearn fourth and Jimmy Phelps fifth. Yellow flag conditions returned to the track soon thereafter with local star Mario Clair experiencing mechanical issues. Tomkins was fast on the restart and challenged Decker for second, but Decker stayed ahead.
The third-place car of Tomkins, who was running strong and made his way from seventh to third, brought another caution in lap 53. He steered the No. 84 into the pit area and returned to the track before the field returned to green. However, Tomkins soon afterwards pit in lap 60 under green conditions and did not make it back out.
The Super DIRTcar Series heats up with another 100-lap feature Tuesday, July 22, at Autodrome Drummond in Drummondville, Quebec. Soon thereafter, the series returns to the States for the continuation of Brett Hearn’s ‘The Big Show 6’ Wednesday, July 30, at Albany-Saratoga Speedway in Malta, N.Y.
Super DIRTcar Big Block Modified Series – Statistical Report
Autodrome Granby
Monday, July 21, 2014
A-Main Finish (100 laps)
Pos.-Car Number-Driver-Hometown
1. 27J Danny Johnson – Rochester, N.Y. (Winnings: $6,000)
2. 91 Billy Decker – Sidney, N.Y.
3. 20 Brett Hearn – Sussex, N.J.
4. 9H Matt Sheppard – Waterloo, N.Y.
5. 98H Jimmy Phelps – Baldwinsville, N.Y.
6. 37H David Hebert – St-Damase, Quebec, Canada
7. 22c Mario Clair – Drummondville, Quebec, Canada
8. 99 Stewart Friesen – Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario, Canada
9. 74 Matt Billings – Brockville, Ontario, Canada
10. 7x Steve Paine – Waterloo, N.Y.
11. 21a Pete Britten – Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
12. 43F Keith Flach – Ravena, N.Y.
13. 3 Claude Brouillard – Tracy, Quebec, Canada
14. 8 Rich Scagliotta – Hillsborough, N.J.
15. TEN Billy VanInwegen – Sparrowbush, N.Y.
16. 21 Yan Bussiere – Drummondville, Quebec, Canada
17. 42p Pat Ward – Genoa, N.Y.
18. 3H Justin Haers – Phelps, N.Y.
19. 54 Steve Bernard – Granby, Quebec, Canada
20. 7z Erick Rudolph – Ransomville, N.Y.
21. 84 Gary Tomkins – Clifton Springs, N.Y.
22. 73 Alain Boisvert – Dorval, Quebec, Canada
23. 25* Steve Bernier – St-Hyacinthe, Quebec, Canada
24. 99L Larry Wight – Altmar, N.Y.
25. 49D Billy Dunn – Watertown, N.Y.
26. 94 Steve Nadeau St-Robert, Quebec, Canada
27. 35 Mike Perrotte – Plattsburgh, N.Y.
28. 22J Gino Clair – Drummondville, Quebec, Canada
29. 46 Kayle Robidoux – St-Constant, Quebec, Canada
30. 13 Kevin Hamel – Sorel, Quebec, Canada
Did Not Start:
97 Michel Chicoine – Ste-Cecile-de-Milton, Quebec, Canada
87 Martin Gagne – Granby, Quebec, Canada
49 Francois Bernier – St-Hyacinthe, Quebec, Canada
47 Simon Perreault – Longeuil, Quebec, Canada
26 Maxime Viens – St-Cesaire, Quebec, Canada
55 Dexter Stacey – Kahnawake, Quebec, Canada
43 Sebastien Fournier – St-Leonard, Quebec, Canads
75 Maxime Michom – St-Hyacinthe, Quebec, Canada
66w Wallace Stacey – Kahnawake, Quebec, Canada
Contingency Awards:
VP Race Fuels – Stewart Friesen ($50 cash)
ASI Racewear – Mario Clair ($50 cash)
Pole Position Raceway Fast Qualifier Award – Brett Hearn ($100 cash)
Bilstein Fast Qualifier Award – Danny Johnson ($50 cash)
Bicknell Racing Products – Danny Johnson ($100 product certificate)
Cometic Gasket – Keith Flach ($50 cash)
Comp Cams – Pete Britten ($50 cash), Danny Johnson ($50 product certificate)
Edelbrock – Pete Britten ($50 cash)
Fox Shocks – Brett Hearn ($50 cash)
JE Pistons – Mario Clair ($50 cash), Justin Haers and Gary Tomkins (product valued at appr. $285 per awardee)
KSE – Pete Britten ($50 product certificate)
MSD – Danny Johnson ($50 cash), Kayle Robidoux ($25 cash)
Mobil 1 – David Hebert ($50 cash), Erick Rudolph (20% prooduct discount)
SuperFlow – Rich Scagliotta ($50 cash)
Wrisco Aluminum – Danny Johnson (product valued at appr. $200)
B-Main 1: Friesen, Scagliotta, Hamel, Nadeau, Viens, Gagne, Fournier, Michom
B-Main 2: Bussiere, Paine, Brouillard, Robidoux, Flach, F. Bernier, D. Stacey, Perreault, Perrotte, W. Stacey
Qualifying Heats (8 laps, top 5 transfer, top3 redraw)
Heat 1: Sheppard, Rudolph, Bernard, Boisvert, Hebert, Hamel, Viens, Chicoine, Gagne, Fournier
Heat 2: Phelps, Decker, Ward, G. Clair, S. Bernier, Friesen, Scagliotta, Michom, Nadeau
Heat 3: Hearn, Dunn, Johnson, Wight, Britten, Bussiere, F. Bernier, Perreault, Flach, W. Stacey
Heat 4: M. Clair, Tomkins, Haers, VanInwegen, Billings, Robidoux, Brouillard, D. Stacey, Paine, Perrotte
Time Trials: 1. Hearn 18.492, 2. Paine 18.611, 3. Sheppard 18.711, 4. Johnson 18.792, 5. Rudolph 18.815, 6. Phelps 18.845, 7. Decker 18.855, 8. Dunn 18.931, 9. Billings 18.935, 10. M. Clair 18.948, 11. Bernard 19.062, 12. Wight 19.066, 13. Haers 19.121, 14. Boisvert 19.136, 15. Bussiere 19.148, 16. Britten 19.228, 17. Hebert 19.261, 18. VanInwegen 19.306, 19. Ward 19.311, 20. Chicoine 19.314, 21. Tomkins 19.385, 22. G. Clair 19.398, 23. Scagliotta 19.464, 24. Gagne 19.507, 25. F. Bernier 19.527, 26. Perrotte 19.535, 27. Perreault 19.576, 28. Robidoux 19.578, 29. Hamel 19.656, 30. Viens 19.722, 31. S. Bernier 19.864, 32. Brouillard 19.878, 33. Friesen 19.934, 34. Nadeau 19.940, 35. D. Stacey 19.979, 36. Fournier 20.007, 37. Flach 20.179, 38. Michom 20.487, 39. W. Stacey 20.854
The Super DIRTcar Series and DIRTcar Racing in the Northeast Region is brought to fans by several sponsors and partners including Hoosier Racing Tire, VP Racing Fuels, Chevy Performance Parts, NAPA Auto Parts, Safety-Kleen, and Velocita USA. Contingency partners include the University of Northwestern Ohio, ASI, Bicknell Racing Products, Bilstein Shocks, Brodix, ButlerBuilt, Cometic Gasket, Comp Cams, Edelbrock, Integra Shocks, Intercomp, JE Pistons, JRI Shocks, KSE Racing Products, Motorsports Safety Systems, MSD LLC, Fox Shocks, Racing Electronics, Superflow and Wrisco Industries.
