Fulton, NY — June 7, 2008 – By Tom Skibinski, Advance Auto Parts Super DIRTcar Series PR Director
*Alex Bruce Photo
Billy Decker celebrated the 10-year anniversary of his inaugural win in the ‘Showdown at Sundown’ by posting an impressive flag-to-flag victory Saturday at Fulton Speedway in the Advance Auto Parts Super DIRTcar Series title event presented by Bradco Supply and Ferries Mowers.
Click here to hear from winner Billy Decker, 2nd place Danny Johnson , and 3rd place Dale Planck
Even a late race caution that extended the scheduled century run to 101 laps wasn’t enough to deny the Unadilla, New York driver of his second Advance Series triumph of the young season which vaulted him into a tie with third-place finisher Dale Planck for the tour points lead after five races.
“I wish it was 100 laps of green, I certainly didn’t want to see that caution,” said Decker, 43, DIRTcar Racing NorthEast’s winningest Big-Block Modified driver this season now with nine feature victories. His 41st career Advance Auto Parts Series triumph was the first-ever at Fulton where he already reached victory lane earlier in the spring.
“The car was great but I was still a little leery about starting outside-pole. We were off a little bit in the heat race and didn’t look like we had what it was gonna take but the crew did a great job. I feel lucky,” added Decker, who won the inaugural ‘Showdown at Sundown’ in 1998 — the same year he garnered his only Mr. DIRTcar Championship.
Decker collected the $6,000 top prize ahead of Danny Johnson, Planck, reigning overall Mr. DIRTcar points king Brett Hearn and 2008 opening day Series winner Matt Sheppard. Hearn’s fourth-place finish earned him 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. Tour traveler Justin Haers finished 10th and was the last to be scored on the lead lap.
For the second straight Advance Series show, a new face appeared following Integra Shocks Time Trials as Canadian standout Pat O’Brien recorded his first ever fast time after covering the high-banked 3/8-miler with a time of 16.688 sec. (80.896 mph). Decker was clocked 11th fastest in the field of 44 open-wheel entries yet after settling for runner-up in his heat, selected number two in the customary pre-race draw to join pole-winner Kevin Bates on the front row to start the 100-lap main event.
Even before the feature started, the line-up was shaken up as Holley Hard Luck award winner Frankie Caprara was forced pitside with a flat left-rear tire. Yet once the green flag waved nothing seemed to matter as Decker out-dragged Bates and the race was on for second-place behind the dialed in LJL Racing no. 91 Gypsum Wholesalers-Stadium Int’l-Quality Hardwoods/Bicknell entry.
“Anytime you win a Super DIRT Series race it doesn’t matter where you start or how you go about it, it’s a big event,” declared Decker, who finished 31st last year at Fulton when he caught the inside turn four tire barrier and parked his front-end damaged machine for the night with just 17 laps complete. “I certainly appreciate all the fans for supporting us. We still believe in the Modified Series, I can tell you that. I think its some of the best racing in the country.”
Decker’s performance proved to be the best of the night as he reached traffic after 15 laps and never wavered the rest of the way. Following an outside line most of the race, the ‘Franklin Flyer’ soared around the high banks weaving in and out of —and sometimes into— traffic as green flag action was non-stop in every corner.
“(Lap cars) were doing their best when they saw me but I had a couple near misses,” admitted Decker, after eventually lapping up to the 10th-place car as just one caution period interfered. “I thought I had the #62 car cleared when I came off turn two one time, didn’t think there was room enough for a race car then I finally moved up and (Tom Sears) was there. I felt bad about that and I’m sure he wasn’t too happy about it either.”
While Decker failed to flinch for the duration, Danny Johnson settled the battle for second in the early stages while the top Advance Series points chasers continued to swap positions in his rear-view mirror as the track grew blacker. Third-place starter Johnson overtook Team Troyer wheelman Jimmy Phelps by lap 15 and Planck followed suit on lap 27, with Sheppard and Hearn in close pursuit. When Phelps got swallowed up in traffic on the back chute, Hearn swept around Sheppard in the chain-reaction to crack the front-five on lap 41 and the ‘Jet’ flew by Phelps to grab fourth by the halfway mark with 15 cars still dicing on the lead lap.
Decker pulled out to a straightaway advantage with 60 laps flashing on the scoreboard, although positions two through five ran nose to tail nearly six seconds back. Despite building up a seemingly insurmountable lead, on-going traffic issues kept the Gypsum Express pilot on his toes. The biggest contact of the night unfolded right in front of the grandstands on the middle of the homestretch as Decker banged side rails with Ryan Phelps in his attempt to put the second-generation driver one lap down with 73 in the books. Just four laps later, Sheppard slipped past Phelps into fifth-place with less than a quarter of the race left to go.
The running order up front remained unchanged although Johnson cut a 4.7-second lead on lap 90 to 3.7 after just five more times around. When Pete Taylor slid to a stop against the turn four outside retaining wall on lap 96, the yellow flag finally flew to give the nearest challengers one last shot. Yet even with the green-white-checkered flag finish pushing the distance one extra lap, Decker was untouchable on the point as he crossed the finish line two car-lengths ahead of the ‘Doctor’ in the most dominating performance of the year so far.
“I can’t thank LJL Racing and the entire Gypsum team enough for an opportunity like this, I feel lucky,” said Decker, who joins Planck as the only drivers among seven to lead two Advance Series events this season, with Decker’s total of 151 doubling that of Planck (75). “So far, so good (season). I kinda fell off the wagon a couple weeks ago but it certainly feels good to get back on it tonight.”
In the shadow of Decker’s sensational second Advance Series win of the season, Johnson scored his second straight runner-up finish. With a trio of consecutive top-three finishes, DIRTcar Racing NorthEast’s only five-time Driver of he Year has suddenly crept within 10 points of co-leaders Decker and Planck while still winless Hearn is sandwiched in the middle through five races.
“It doesn’t make it easy when there aren’t any yellow flags but Billy was just out front motoring away,” said Johnson, 48, who captured the last of his four overall Hoosier Tire Mr. DIRTcar Big-Block Championships in 1999. The Rochester, New York native remains on the verge of reaching the winner’s circle in the JIR Motorsports no. 27J A&D Structures/Troyer mount with over $10,000 already earned on tour in 2008.
“He kinda tricked me there at the end. He went to the bottom after he ran the top the whole race. I could’ve set up for the top on that last (restart), could’ve maybe drove around him but we still had a good hot rod and got a 2nd-place finish out of it. Just can’t thank the Isabell Racing team enough for such a great ride here today.”
“We’re really happy with the car right now, to be honest. We could’ve maybe made a couple changes, made it a little better but we’re real happy the way it is. (Second-place) is better than third but its still the first loser though. There’s a long season to go, so we’ll be back, hopefully move one spot higher,” Johnson said.
Currently enjoying his best season to date, third-place finisher Planck had his streak of two consecutive Advance Series victories brought to a halt, although the night ended with ‘The Natural’ earning a share of the tour points lead for the first time in his career.
“The track was super racy … the bottom was quick, then the middle was quick, then the top was fast. Multiple grooves of racing, you can’t ask for much more than that,” figured Planck, 37, who continued to write another chapter in his success story steering Carey Terrance’s RezX Racing no. 77x Grow It Hydroseeding/TEO ride. The second-generation driver from Cortland, New York has already doubled his series win total in 2008 and shows no signs of slowing down. “Of course the master (Johnson) in front of me, I tried everything in the book but he’s done everything in the book and then some.”
“Once the race got past lap 60 or so (without yellow) then you just pray that it gets over. I was hoping for a couple cautions early to get the tires where I needed them to be but the car still worked awesome. Can’t thank my crew enough and Carey Terrance for owning everything and giving me a chance to be here. Another podium finish, we just gotta keep it up.”
“We might even have the points lead coming out of here. It was a hard-fought 3rd-place but I’m happy to be here and race with Dan and Decker, it’s the best of the best in front of you. It was pretty warm tonight but not too bad. The track was super smooth which keeps steering effort down to a minimum so the heat is actually not too bad. When you finish near the front nothing really bothers you anyway,” Planck added.
In four more weeks the Advance Auto Parts Big-Block Modifieds are back in action in Western New York at Ransomville Speedway on Thursday, July 3 with the ‘Big R’ staging another $6,000-to-win 100-lapper that offers valuable points towards the overall Hoosier Tire Mr. DIRTcar Championship.
Advance Auto Parts Super DIRTcar Series Race #5 – Fulton Speedway, June 7, 2008 Bradco Supply and Ferris Industries presents ‘Showdown At Sundown’ Big-Block Modified Event Summary
FIN STR CAR# DRIVER
1 2 91 Billy Decker/Unadilla,NY ($6,000)
2 3 27j Danny Johnson/Rochester,NY
3 8 77x Dale Planck/Cortland,NY
4 12 20 Brett Hearn/Sussex,NJ
5 7 9s Matt Sheppard/Waterloo,NY
6 4 98h Jimmy Phelps/Baldwinsville,NY
7 14 10 Alan Johnson/Middlesex,NY
8 11 6p Pat O’Brien/Kingston,ONT
9 18 84 Gary Tomkins/Clifton Springs,NY
10 6 3 Justin Haers/Phelps,NY
11 22 49 Billy Dunn/Watertown,NY
12 5 62s Tom Sears Jr./Clay,NY
13 10 99 Ryan Phelps/Fulton,NY
14 9 7x Steve Paine/Waterloo,NY
15 15 fx1 Frankie Caprara/Watertown,NY
16 23 16 Mike Bowman/Baldwinsville,NY
17 20 56 Vince Vitale/Phoenix,NY
18 17 85 Dan Vauter/Forest City,PA
19 28 99L Larry Wight/Phoenix,NY
20 13 29 Jeff Brownell Jr./Waterloo,NY
21 21 18 Sean Beardsley/Central Square,NY
22 27 X Chad Phelps/Mexico,NY
23 1 42b Kevin Bates/Lake Ariel,PA
24 29 24 Jim Witko Jr./Clarks Summit,PA
25 26 99b Chuck Bower/Lansing,NY
26 25 48too Dave Rauscher/Waterloo,NY
27 24 6 Pete Taylor/Marcellus,NY
28 16 83x Tim Sears/Central Square,NY
29 30 *88 Steve Hulsizer/Bridgeport,NY
30 19 87 Shawn Donath/S. Onondaga,NY
*Hulsizer started at rear of field in no. 55 Sportsman car.
EVENT SUMMARY:
LAP LEADER: Decker (1-101).
CAUTIONS: 1 (lap 96).
HEAT WINNERS: D.Johnson, Planck, Haers, Sheppard.
DIG SAFELY NEW YORK LAST CHANCE RACE WINNERS: Beardsley, Dunn.
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: Danny Johnson.
CRANE CAMS RUNNER-UP AWARD: Danny Johnson.
SYRACUSE RITE AID 200 QUALIFIER: Brett Hearn (P).
HALFWAY LEADER: Billy Decker.
BERT/KSE RACING PRODUCTS HARD CHARGER AWARD: Billy Dunn.
HOLLEY HARD LUCK AWARD: Frankie Caprara.
PENSKE POWER POSITION AWARD (17th): Vince Vitale.
INTEGRA SHOCKS FAST TIME AWARD: Pat O’Brien (16.688sec/80.896mph).
TOTAL PURSE: $27,575.
CARS ENTERED: 44.
NEXT EVENT: Ransomville Speedway “CWM Chemical-Cosco Haulage 100” – July 3.
DID NOT QUALIFY(14)
02-Roy Bresnahan/Palermo,NY
06-Bob Bennett/Pennellville,NY
09-Kyle Lewis/Pennellville,NY
1-Darwin Greene/Susquehanna,PA
4-Dave Reilley/Jordan,NY
7j-Joe Isabell/Pennellville,NY
7jr.-Jeff Isabell Jr./Pennellville,NY
11j-Alan Fink/Pennellville,NY
13-Tony Steiner/Jamesville,NY
22b-Alan Barker/Norwich,NY
30-Gus Schmidt/Liverpool,NY
33-Mike Mahaney/King Ferry,NY
44-Shannon Whaley/Pavilion,NY
66w-Wallace Stacey/Kahnawake,QUE
QUALIFYING
FAST AVE
TIME MPH CAR# DRIVER
1 16.688 80.896 6p Pat O’Brien/Kingston,ONT
*$100 Integra Shocks Fast Qualifier Award
2 16.717 80.756 7x Steve Paine/Waterloo,NY
3 16.802 80.348 3 Justin Haers/Phelps,NY
4 16.958 79.608 9s Matt Sheppard/Waterloo,NY
5 16.967 79.566 27j Danny Johnson/Rochester,NY
6 17.007 79.379 99 Ryan Phelps/Fulton,NY
7 17.047 79.193 42b Kevin Bates/Lake Ariel,PA
8 17.081 79.035 98h Jimmy Phelps/Baldwinsville,NY
9 17.106 78.920 85 Dan Vauter/Forest City,PA
10 17.118 78.864 77x Dale Planck/Cortland,NY
11 17.120 78.855 91 Billy Decker/Unadilla,NY
12 17.128 78.818 29 Jeff Brownell Jr./Waterloo,NY
17.128 78.818 56 Vince Vitale/Phoenix,NY
14 17.173 78.612 10 Alan Johnson/Middlesex,NY
15 17.181 78.575 6 Pete Taylor/Marcellus,NY
16 17.293 78.066 83x Tim Sears/Central Square,NY
17 17.323 77.931 62s Tom Sears Jr./Clay,NY
18 17.337 77.868 84 Gary Tomkins/Clifton Springs,NY
19 17.383 77.662 fx1 Frankie Caprara/Watertown,NY
20 17.393 77.617 99b Chuck Bower/Lansing,NY
21 17.395 77.609 18 Sean Beardsley/Central Square,NY
22 17.398 77.595 48too Dave Rauscher/Waterloo,NY
23 17.437 77.422 30 Gus Schmidt/Liverpool,NY
24 17.444 77.391 20 Brett Hearn/Sussex,NJ
25 17.449 77.368 09 Kyle Lewis/Pennellville,NY
26 17.452 77.355 X Chad Phelps/Mexico,NY
27 17.459 77.324 49 Billy Dunn/Watertown,NY
28 17.489 77.191 22b Alan Barker/Norwich,NY®
29 17.490 77.187 16 Mike Bowman/Baldwinsville,NY
30 17.514 77.081 24 Jim Witko Jr./Clarks Summit,PA
31 17.535 76.989 87 Shawn Donath/South Onondaga,NY
32 17.556 76.897 99L Larry Wight/Phoenix,NY®
33 17.582 76.783 11j Alan Fink/Pennellville,NY®
34 17.629 76.578 44 Shannon Whaley/Pavilion,NY
35 17.667 76.414 02 Roy Bresnahan/Palermo,NY
36 17.747 76.069 13 Tony Steiner/Jamesville,NY®
37 17.837 75.685 4 Dave Reilley/Jordan,NY
38 17.845 75.651 1 Darwin Greene/Susquehanna,PA
39 17.927 75.305 7j Joe Isabell/Pennellville,NY
40 17.950 75.209 7jr Jeff Isabell Jr./Pennellville,NY
41 18.010 74.958 06 Bob Bennett/Pennellville,NY
42 18.096 74.602 33 Mike Mahaney/King Ferry,NY®
43 18.617 72.514 66w Wallace Stacey/Kahnawake,QUE
44 -NT- —– 88 Steve Hulsizer/Bridgeport,NY
Heat Races (10 laps, top 5 finishers transferred to feature, top 3 went to re-draw)
#1: D.Johnson, O’Brien, To.Sears, Brownell, Vauter, Beardsley, Bowman, Lewis, Reilley, Fink.
#2: Planck, Paine, R.Phelps, A.Johnson, Tomkins, C.Phelps, Rauscher, Whaley, Mahaney, Greene, Bennett, Witko (DNS).
#3: Haers, Decker, Bates, Caprara, Donath, Taylor, Dunn, Bresnahan, Schmidt, Jo.Isabell, Stacey.
#4: Sheppard, Hearn, J.Phelps, Ti.Sears, Vitale, Bower, Wight, Barker, Je.Isabell, Steiner, Hulsizer (DNS).
Dig Safely New York Last Chance Races (10 laps, top 4 finishers transferred to feature)
#1: Beardsley, Bowman, Rauscher, C.Phelps, Whaley, Lewis, Witko, Mahaney, Greene, Reilley, Bennett, Fink (DNS).
#2: Dunn, Taylor, Bower, Wight, Bresnahan, Barker, Schmidt, Jo.Isabell, Steiner, Stacey, Hulsizer, Je.Isabell (DNS).
Provisionals: Witko, Hulsizer.
Advance Auto Parts Super DIRTcar Series Point Standings (Through June 7, 2008)
Rank No. Driver Total SeriesDiff Money Wins Top-5 Top-10 Starts
1 77x Dale Planck 363 363 0 $12,725 2 3 4 5
91 Billy Decker 363 363 0 $12,900 2 3 5 5
3 20 Brett Hearn 359 359 -4 $9,200 0 4 5 5
4 27J Danny Johnson 353 353 -10 $10,625 0 3 4 5
5 98h Jimmy Phelps 341 341 -22 $7,600 0 2 5 5
6 9s Matt Sheppard 325 325 -38 $12,900 1 2 3 5
7 84 Gary Tomkins 305 305 -58 $5,075 0 1 5 5
8 3 Justin Haers 285 285 -78 $4,000 0 1 4 5
9 7x Steve Paine 278 278 -85 $5,375 0 2 2 5
10 14J Alan Johnson 275 275 -88 $4,025 0 0 3 5
11 FX1 Frankie Caprara258 258 -105 $2,800 0 0 3 5
12 99 Ryan Phelps 242 242 -121 $2,300 0 0 1 5
13 99L Larry Wight 216 216 -147 $2,500 0 0 1 5
14 6 Pat O’Brien 214 214 -149 $2,360 0 0 1 5
15 49 Billy Dunn 210 210 -153 $1,950 0 0 0 5
16 29 Jeff Brownell Jr 193 193 -170 $1,675 0 0 0 5
17 42B Kevin Bates 175 175 -188 $1,650 0 0 0 5
18 99b Chuck Bower 140 140 -223 $900 0 0 0 4
19 11j Sean Beardsley 139 139 -224 $900 0 0 0 4
20 16 Mike Bowman 135 135 -228 $900 0 0 0 4
21 19 Tim Fuller 130 130 -233 $2,750 0 1 1 2
22 56 Vince Vitale 125 125 -238 $610 0 0 0 3
23 48T Dave Rauscher 119 119 -244 $750 0 0 0 3
24 4 Duane Howard 105 105 -258 $6,000 0 1 1 1
25 79 Mike Storms 102 102 -261 $1,050 0 0 0 3
26 62s Tom Sears Jr. 99 99 -264 $700 0 0 0 3
27 44 Shannon Whaley 90 90 -273 $450 0 0 0 3
28 85 Dan Vauter 89 89 -274 $600 0 0 0 2
29 8 Rob Bellinger 86 86 -277 $600 0 0 0 3
30 21 Derrick Podsiadlo 84 84 -279 $600 0 0 0 3
31 5 Jason Potter 83 83 -280 $600 0 0 0 3
32 32c Vic Coffey 70 70 -293 $500 0 0 0 1
33 1w Billy Pauch 66 66 -297 $1,400 0 0 1 1
34 88 Steve Hulsizer 65 65 -298 $450 0 0 0 2
35 15x Billy Pauch Jr. 63 63 -300 $1,040 0 0 0 1
36 85 Wade Hendrickson 62 62 -301 $1,200 0 0 1 1
37 71 David VanHorn Jr. 59 59 -304 $1,020 0 0 0 1
38 14 Rich Laubach 54 54 -309 $1,000 0 0 0 1
39 91h Chad Homan 53 53 -310 $300 0 0 0 1
40 20R Josh Richards 48 48 -315 $750 0 0 0 1
41 43 Keith Flach 43 43 -320 $300 0 0 0 2
42 X Chad Phelps 42 42 -321 $300 0 0 0 1
43 39w Steven Downs 42 42 -321 $750 0 0 0 1
44 357 Stewart Friesen 41 41 -322 $750 0 0 0 1
45 83 Tim Sears 40 40 -323 $300 0 0 0 1
46 87 Shawn Donath 40 40 -323 $300 0 0 0 1
47 6 Pete Taylor 40 40 -323 $300 0 0 0 1
48 24 Jim Witko Jr. 40 40 -323 $300 0 0 0 1
49 93 Ryan Bartlett 40 40 -323 $300 0 0 0 1
50 43 Jimmy Horton IV 40 40 -323 $750 0 0 0 1
51 777 Kevin Bolland 40 40 -323 $750 0 0 0 1
52 13 Tony Steiner 30 30 -333 $0 0 0 0 0
53 7J Joe Isabell 30 30 -333 $0 0 0 0 0
54 1 Darwin Greene 30 30 -333 $0 0 0 0 0
55 11J Alan Fink 30 30 -333 $0 0 0 0 0
56 66w Wallace Stacey 20 20 -343 $0 0 0 0 0
57 33 Mike Mahaney 20 20 -343 $0 0 0 0 0
58 09 Kyle Lewis 20 20 -343 $0 0 0 0 0
59 7Jr Jeff Isabell Jr. 20 20 -343 $0 0 0 0 0
60 02 Roy Bresnahan 10 10 -353 $0 0 0 0 0
61 30 Gus Schmidt 10 10 -353 $0 0 0 0 0
62 4 Dave Reilley 10 10 -353 $0 0 0 0 0
63 06 Bob Bennett 10 10 -353 $0 0 0 0 0
64 22B Alan Barker 10 10 -353 $0 0 0 0 0
65 22 Rick Wegner Jr. 10 10 -353 $0 0 0 0 0
66 19h Chris Higgins 10 10 -353 $0 0 0 0 0
67 37c Eric Fisher 10 10 -353 $0 0 0 0 0
68 14R Ryan Odaz 10 10 -353 $0 0 0 0 0
69 7 Paul Guererri 10 10 -353 $0 0 0 0 0
70 29H Kenny Wallace 10 10 -353 $0 0 0 0 0
71 HR2 Jimmy Horton 10 10 -353 $0 0 0 0 0
72 37X Tom Scheetz Jr. 10 10 -353 $0 0 0 0 0
73 M40 Mark Forte Jr. 10 10 -353 $0 0 0 0 0
74 40 Mark Forte 10 10 -353 $0 0 0 0 0
75 8 Rich Scagliotta 10 10 -353 $0 0 0 0 0
76 10 Kyle Strickler 10 10 -353 $0 0 0 0 0
77 15 Brett Tonkin 10 10 -353 $0 0 0 0 0
78 13 Greg Monica 10 10 -353 $0 0 0 0 0
79 7a Chic Cossaboone 10 10 -353 $0 0 0 0 0
80 30 Jamie Mills 10 10 -353 $0 0 0 0 0
81 R2 Rusty Smith 10 10 -353 $0 0 0 0 0
Advance Auto Parts DIRTcar Modified Entries – June 7 (44)
CAR# DRIVER / HOMETOWN TEAM (Sponsor / Chassis / Engine)
X Chad Phelps/Mexico,NY Haun Welding Supply-Ashley Winery-Midstate Tree Service/TEO/Morrison
02 Roy Bresnahan/Palermo,NY Gypsum Express-RJ’s Excavating/Bicknell/Enders
06 Bob Bennett/Pennellville,NY Bennett’s Car Care-Bonco Electric/Bicknell/Bennett
09 Kyle Lewis/Pennellville,NY Stadium International-Piluso’s Service/Bicknell/Enders
1 Darwin Greene/Susquehanna,PA Greene Quality Bluestone-Big Diamond Tools-TJ’s NAPA/Bicknell/Jensen Tech
fx1 Frankie Caprara/Watertown,NY F.X. Caprara Car Co.-Auto Value-JK Contracting/Troyer/Dan Bedell
3 Justin Haers/Phelps,NY Phelps Cement Products-SMV Motorsports-Jeff Jolly Masonry/Bicknell/Finger Lakes
4 Dave Reilley/Jordan,NY Pit Stop Convenience Stores-E&V Energy/Troyer/Moshier
6 Pete Taylor/Marcellus,NY K2 Motorsports/Troyer/Finger Lakes
6p Pat O’Brien/Kingston,ONT 730 Truck Stop-Gypsum Logistics-Newells Garage/Bicknell/Enders
7j Joe Isabell/Pennellville,NY JIR Motorsports-A&D Structures/Troyer/Morrison
7x Steve Paine/Waterloo,NY Tallmadge Tire-Swarthout Recycling-Instant Heat Wood Pellets/Troyer/Finger Lakes
7jr. Jeff Isabell Jr./Pennellville,NY® JIR Motorsports-A&D Structures/Troyer/Morrison
9s Matt Sheppard/Waterloo,NY Advanced Lubrication Specialties-BPG/Chad Sinon Motorsports/Bicknell/Finger Lakes
10 Alan Johnson/Middlesex,NY Tri-State Roofing-Dirt Works-Cedar Ridge RV/TEO/Terry Vince
11j Alan Fink/Pennellville,NY® JIR Motorsports-A&D Structures/Troyer/Morrison
13 Tony Steiner/Jamesville,NY® NY Tech Supply-Antonio’s Restaurant/Troyer/Finger Lakes
16 Mike Bowman/Baldwinsville,NY Klaben Nursery-Fulton Springs/Troyer/Finger Lakes-Bowman
18 Sean Beardsley/Central Square,NY Town Mechanical,Inc-State Water Heaters-Pipe Pros/Troyer/Moshier
20 Brett Hearn/Sussex,NJ Madsen Motorsports-Wentworth Custom Homes-Kruger-WLR/TEO/Enders
22b Alan Barker/Norwich,NY® Cossitt Concrete Products-Parks Trucking & Paving/Bicknell/Enders
24 Jim Witko Jr./Clarks Summit,PA Brenzel Construction-Bruce’s Speed Shop/Bicknell/Finger Lakes
27j Danny Johnson/Rochester,NY JIR Motorsports-A&D Structures/Troyer/Morrison
29 Jeff Brownell Jr./Waterloo,NY Advanced Lubrication Specialties-Seneca Auto Sales/Bicknell/Finger Lakes
30 Gus Schmidt/Liverpool,NY Euclid Restaurant-Bradco Supply-Canuk Sales/Bicknell/Moshier
33 Mike Mahaney/King Ferry,NY®Aloi Materials Handling-Binns Excavation/Bicknell/Enders
42b Kevin Bates/Lake Ariel,PA Blaise & Son Racing-Locklin’s Bottled Gas/Bicknell/Murray
44 Shannon Whaley/Pavilion,NY Davis Trailer World-D&M Precision/Bicknell/Morrison
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
56 Vince Vitale/Phoenix,NY V & V Racing/Troyer/Enders
62s Tom Sears Jr./Clay,NY Mullen Industrial-Commercial Roofing & Sheetmetal/Bicknell/Bleskoski
66w Wallace Stacey/Kahnawake,QUE Bully’s Truck Stop-CFF,Inc./Bicknell/RL Performance-Morrison
77x Dale Planck/Cortland,NY RezX Racing-Grow It Hydroseeding-Action Race Parts-Teo Fab./TEO/Kevlar
83x Tim Sears/Central Square,NY Total Site Development-Stevens Masonry-Commercial Roofing/Bicknell/Morrison
84 Gary Tomkins/Clifton Springs,NY Honeoye Auto Parts-Red Parker & Son Excavating/Bicknell/Mastin
85 Dan Vauter/Forest City,PA Community Bank & Trust-www.Sportsburg.com/Troyer/Enders
87 Shawn Donath/S. Onondaga,NY® Red Line Synthetic Oil-Behron Auto Glass/Troyer/Bill Daniels
88 Steve Hulsizer/Bridgeport,NY Thompson Road Tavern-Circle S Stables/Troyer/Kevlar
91 Billy Decker/Unadilla,NY Gypsum Wholesalers-Stadium Int’l-Quality Hardwoods/Bicknell/Enders
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-United Fasteners-Bradco Supply/Bicknell/Finger Lakes
99L Larry Wight/Phoenix,NY® Gypsum Express,Ltd./Bicknell/Enders
SKIDMARKS
Another Saturday Night Success Story: When all the cars and stars from the Advance Auto Parts Super DIRTcar Series arrived at Fulton Speedway last June, it began a trend that continues today with a select number of Saturday night shows now an integral part of the Big-Block tour agenda. The biggest crowd of the season turned out at Fulton on Saturday and the car count was up two (42 to 44) from a year ago to give credence to the weekend agenda that is being formulated with the Advance Series. The 2008 Advance Auto Parts Series reaches into five states and two Canadian provinces, with Autodrome Drummond (July 12), Canandaigua Speedway (Aug. 9) and Can-Am (Aug. 16) the only other tracks set to stage Big-Block Modified tour shows on Saturday during the summer months prior to Labor Day.
Fulton First-Timers: With the Advance Auto Parts Series return to Fulton for a second straight year, 10 drivers signed in for tour competition for the first time this season. Making the feature race line-up in their initial attempt were Chad Phelps (finished 22nd), Jim Witko Jr. (24th), Pete Taylor (27th), Tim Sears (28th) and Shawn Donath (30th). Bob Bennett, Dave Reilley, Jeff Isabell Jr., Alan Barker and Gus Schmidt failed to qualify.
Fulton Favorites: Fulton Speedway regulars already adding their names to the Advance Series roster were early season track points leader Tom Sears Jr. and recent Fulton feature winner Steve Hulsizer, who ranked fourth in track points entering the ‘Showdown at Sundown’ on Saturday. “This new Bicknell car is the big difference,” said Sears, 37, who last followed the Advance Series in 2005 teamed with JIR Motorsports. Today, Jerry Fay owns the Mullen Industrial no. 62S Commercial Roofing & Sheetmetal/Bicknell car that Sears regularly runs at Fulton and Brewerton Speedway every weekend. “Last year Jerry gave me an ’03 Bicknell car to use, so the new one is 10 times better. We’ve had three top-3s so far at Fulton but obviously there’s a different approach in a 100-lapper. You just have to take less chances in a longer race, save the car a little more and set up for the last 50 laps. At the same time, you can’t back off too much earlier on or you’ll lose touch with the leaders. I’ve run with the touring guys enough to know the routine,” said Sears, who entered the Big-Block ranks in 1995 and posted his best Advance Series finish of second at Cayuga County Fair Speedway in 2001.
Fresh off a feature win the night before at Brewerton, Hulsizer was looking to make it two straight at Fulton in owner Bob Schneider’s Thompson Road Tavern no. 88 Circle S Stables/Troyer ride. An inoperable transponder negated any official clocking in Integra Shocks Time Trials while a broken rocker arm relegated the Bridgeport, New York driver to the consolation round where he only ran a few laps. Come feature time he climbed behind the wheel of his nephew Matt Hulsizer’s no. 55 Street Wise Fight Gear/Troyer SLR Sportsman mount to join the rear of the 30-car field yet retired after just 11 laps. “Its sort of strange doing this well because I didn’t even want to race this year with so much going on away from the track,” admitted Hulsizer, 41, who notched his first win of the season in May at Fulton. “Its important for Bob to be involved, at least for another year. He’s already reserved rooms for our whole team in Florida for next year. I definitely had some momentum after the Brewerton win, it was the first time out with the new Kevlar motor. I like to make the money but I’ve been through (tour) before and there’s a lot of other things I like to … like boating. I’ll definitely be at Brewerton most of the season and hit a lot of the Fulton shows, but if its nice weather I might just be on the boat instead,” said Hulsizer, who works for Schneider on weekdays as a steel fabricator/welder.
Rookie Watch: More than a dozen first-year drivers in the Big-block Modified division have made their presence known in 2008 with seven rookies signing in Saturday at Fulton. Shawn Donath was the lone driver qualifying for the feature in his maiden series voyage while Alan Barker and Jeff Isabell Jr. were unable to crack the starting grid. Regular tour points chaser Larry Wight was the only other rookie to qualify with Tony Steiner and Alan Fink once again packing up early in series competition. For Steiner, it was his third attempt without success after missing the cut in May at both Rolling Wheels and Cayuga County. “One of our goals is to make a series race, its definitely a lot more competitive driver-wise and a lot cleaner, too,” said Steiner, 42, who was a top rookie at both Cayuga County and Fulton last year in the Sportsman class. “Its been challenging so far straightening out some issues but we’ve finally solved the carburetor problem and that’s helped out a ton. There’s a lot more work and maintenance with the Big-Block program compared to the Sportsman, I have to go through the entire car all week checking every nut and bolt.” Boasting a nickname of the ‘Hitman,’ Steiner has a unique homepage www.tonysteiner.com that offers the option of selecting his own personal Hit List. “Its just a list I have of anybody I’ve come into contact with that I think drives dirty or has made a bone-head move. They only get off after apologizing or I get even.”
Pot Holes: Ready to sport a brand new Terry Vince powerplant at Fulton, Alan Johnson burned up the motor Friday at Brewerton and was back in the Sherlock Motorsports no. 10 Tri-State Roofing-Dirt Works-Cedar Ridge RV/TEO entry on Saturday night, finishing a quiet seventh to maintain his top-10 perch in the Advance Series standings. He hopes to have another new motor back in time for the tour stop at Ransomville Speedway on July 3…..Fulton regular John Pfeffer was planning to be a part of the show until crashing out on the first lap at Brewerton. And on the way home Friday night his hauler broke down to add more salt to the wound…..JIR Motorsports was out in full force with Joe Isabell, Jeff Isabell Jr., Alan Fink, Sean Beardsley and Danny Johnson all on the qualifying block…..Former Modified and Sprint Car campaigner Lee Osborne was probably the only one in the pits on Saturday listed in the Fulton record book with feature wins scored on asphalt in the 1960s. Assisting Steve Paine for a second straight season, Osborne is chronicled on the Fulton website with three Modified wins in both 1967 & 1968, including the 100-lap ‘open competition’ lid-lifter in ’67…..In search of his second tour win of ’08, ‘Super’ Matt Sheppard switched to his regular ‘Saturday Night Special’ at Fulton, parking the Advanced Lubrication Specialties no. 9S BPG/Chad Sinon Motorsports/Bicknell car traditionally saved for Series shows only…..Veteran groundskeeper Jeremie Corcoran was back at the helm on Saturday continuing to groom the storied Fulton oval, stating before the cars hit the track “Right now there’s only a couple inches of clay to really work with. I expect the cars to get some bite through heats and time trials but it should blow off by feature time which will just keep ‘em guessing. I think anybody that can run the middle of the track will have the best chance at the end”…..A top Sportsman contender last season, Big-Block rookie Shawn Donath continued to suffer through motor trouble in his Advance Series debut. “We’ve been really fast when we’ve run. The only problem is we’ve never done more than a handful of laps in any race yet as we keep losing water. We’re the only ones with a Ford engine so there’s nobody that’s really been able to help. As soon as we get things ironed out we should be good, the car has felt good”…..Self-sponsored Pete Taylor, who began the season at Canandaigua Speedway and expects to call Fulton home the remainder of the year, carries K2 Motorsports on the side panels in honor of his wife Kim’s initials, with her maiden name also beginning with the letter ‘K’…..Jim Witko Jr. experienced motor trouble early in his white no. 24 Brenzel Construction-Bruce’s Speed Shop/Bicknell machine and worked until feature time prepping his black no. 24 back-up car before running 99 laps in the main event to finish 24th…..Four events have been held in the Advance Series and Dale Planck has copped a heat race win every time out adding an additional 20 points in the bid to claim his first-ever Mr. DIRTcar title…..Integra Shocks Big-Block time trials required only 18 minutes to clock 44 cars while the caution-free qualifying heats lasted just 15 minutes. Even with the Modified main going 101 laps, it was completed in a time of just over 34 minutes as only one caution period slowed the near non-stop action.
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 Advance Auto Parts Super DIRTcar Series Big-Block Modified teams get nearly a four-week break before tour competition resumes in July. Yet once the Independence Day holiday arrives, the vacation is over as seven extra-distance events run right up until the end of the month. The third century grind at Ransomville kicks off tour activity in the states before teams cross the Canadian border for the ‘Great Canadian Tour’ —- a four-day, four-race test for both man and machinery featuring 400-lap of feature race action in Ontario and Quebec.
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 Ransomville,NY
Thr-Jul 10 Brockville Ont Speedway Brockville,ONT
Fri-Jul 11 Autodrome Granby Granby,QUE
Sat-Jul 12 Autodrome Drummond Drummondville,QUE
Sun-Jul 13 Cornwall Motor Speedway Cornwall,ONT
Wed-Jul 16 Grandview Speedway Bechtelsville,PA
Thr-Jul 31 Orange Co Fair Speedway Middletown,NY
Mon-Aug 4 Merrittville Speedway Thorold,ONT
Fri-Aug 8 Brewerton Speedway Brewerton,NY
Sat-Aug 9 Canandaigua Speedway Canandaigua,NY
Sat-Aug 16 Can-Am Motorsports Park LaFargeville,NY
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.
