Phelps has a “BIG” night at Albany-Saratoga
Becomes 8th different winner in 13 Super DIRTcar Series events
MALTA, N.Y. – 08-12-15 – Jimmy Phelps of Baldwinsville, N.Y. drove to his first Super DIRTcar Series Big-Block Modified win this season by dominating the second half of Brett Hearn’s Big Show VII 100-lap, $10,000-to-win event at Albany-Saratoga Speedway.
Phelps started 5th in a 30-car field and passed polesitter Matt DeLorenzo to take the lead for keeps on lap 32. DeLorenzo was never passed again on the way to his best-ever Super DIRTcar Series finish.
Series point leader Matt Sheppard withstood pressure from a fast-closing Hearn to place third by half a car-length.
Hearn brought out the third of nine yellows with 28 laps in the books when a torque arm broke on the Madsen Overhead Doors No. 20 and got caught up in the driveshaft. He got back out of the pits just in time to avoid going a lap down and then powered his way back up through the field. Gary Tomkins – from 21st – finished 5th.
Phelps proved untouchable on the numerous restarts even though they were much appreciated by DeLorenzo.
“My car was quick for a few laps each time and then it would get free and I’d worry about Sheppard,” DeLorenzo said. “I wasn’t going to catch Phelps.”
“We’ve been getting better and better and now we’ve finally got one,” Phelps said. “The car was good-good. I could put it anywhere. I’ve very proud of the HBR team. It feels good to win here. I love Albany-Saratoga. The fans here are phenomenal.”
Several would-be challengers who showed speed ran into early mechanical problems just like Hearn.
Kenny Tremont breezed to a win in his heat and was running 4th at the halfway before dropping out on lap 62 and finishing 22nd. Stewart Friesen time-trialed well, but struggled early. Danny Johnson was running in the top-5 when he spun out on lap 38, pitted and lost 14 laps in the pits.
Peter Britten, who won the Pole Position Raceway Fast Time Award, drew 11th in the Dig Safely NY redraw and had a solid performance to finish sixth just ahead of Billy Decker. Albany-Saratoga regular Keith Flach, Marc Johnson and Elmo Reckner finished 8-9-10.
The next event on the Super DIRTcar Series schedule is set for August 23 at Cornwall Speedway in Cornwall, Ontario.
Super DIRTcar Big-Block Modified Series Statistical Report;
Albany-Saratoga Speedway; August 12, 2015
“Big Show VII 100”
A-Main (100 laps): start in (*)
1. 98h Jimmy Phelps – Baldwinsville, N.Y. (5)
2. 3d Matt DeLorenzo – Cropseyville, N.Y. (1)
3. Matt Sheppard Waterloo, N.Y. (4)
4. 20 Brett Hearn – Sussex, NJ (9)
5. 84 Gary Tomkins – Clifton Springs, N.Y. (21)
6. 14b Peter Britten – Brisbane, Queensland, Australia (2)
7. 91 Billy Decker – Unadilla, N.Y. (7)
8. 43 Keith Flach – Ravena, N.Y. (2)
9. 3j Marc Johnson – Guilderland, N.Y.
10. 17 Elmo Reckner – Ballston Lake, N.Y. (13)
11. 16 AJ Romano – Johnstown, N.Y. (14)
12. 8 Rich Scagliotta – Bound Brook, N.J. (3)
13. 99L Larry Wight – Phoenix, N.Y. (10)
14. 4* Tim McCreadie – Watertown, N.Y. (16)
15. 42 Pat Ward – Genoa, N.Y. (22)
16. 14g Brian Gleason – Guilderland, N.Y. (26)
17. 19m Jessey Mueller – Olmstedville, N.Y. (17)
18. 27J Danny Johnson – Rochester, N.Y. (8)
19. 7z Stewart Friesen – Sprakers, NY (12)
20. 19 Tim Fuller – Edwards, N.Y. (19)
21. 1x Tyler Dippel – Walkill, N.Y. (15)
22. 115 Kenny Tremont Jr. – West Sand Lake, N.Y. (6)
23. 48T Dave Rauscher – Waterloo, N.Y. (27)
24. 34 Shaun Pangman (25)
25. 17p Rob Pitcher – Chatham, N.Y. (30)
26. 2j Ronnie Johnson – Duanesburg. N.Y. (20)
27. 21j Jeff Trombley – Altamont, N.Y. (18)
28. 7s Mike Sabia – Easton, Conn. (29)
29. 44 Mike Ricci – Kingston, N.Y. (23)
30. 41 Jim Davis – Ballston Spa, N.Y. (28)
DID NOT START
816 Jeff Rockefeller
16w Willy Auchmoody
41 Jim Davis
14x Floyd Billington
Qualifying Heats (8 laps, top 5 transfer, top 3 redraw)
Heat 1: Wight, Decker, Flach, Reckner, Mueller, Tomkins, Pangman, Billington
Heat 2: Britten, DeLorenzo, Friesen, Romano, Trombley, Rauscher, Gleason, Auchmoody
Heat 3: Hearn, Sheppard, Scagliotta, Dippel, Fuller, Ricci, Rockefeller, Sabia
Heat 4: Tremont Jr., D Johnson, Phelps, McCreadie, R Johnson, Ward, M Johnson, Davis, Pitcher
Consi 1: Tomkins, Ward, Ricci, M Johnson, Pangman, Gleason, Rauscher, Davis, Auchmoody, Rockefeller
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, Pole Position Raceway and Dig Safely New York. Contingency sponsors are ASI, Bicknell Racing Products, Bilstein Shocks, Brodix, ButlerBuilt, Cometic Gasket, Comp Cams, Edelbrock, FX Caprara, Fox Shox, Impact Race Products, Intercomp, JE Pistons, JRI Shocks, KSE Racing Products, Mobil 1, Motorsports Safety Systems, MSD Performance, Racing Electronics, Superflow, TNT Rescue and Wrisco Aluminum.
