Friesen Wins By .08 at The Big Show
Captures first Super DIRTcar series win of the year
ALBANY, N.Y. – July 6, 2016 – The Super DIRTcar Series Big Block Modified Series returned to Albany-Saratoga Speedway Wednesday night for Brett Hearn’s Big Show 8.
Starting the thirty-two car field to the green was Vic Coffey and Stewart Friesen followed by Larry Wight and Jimmy Phelps.
Friesen made a quick charge to the outside and gained the top spot over Coffey by the first lap. Coffey didn’t give up and held on tight to the bottom as he battled for his spot back but was unable to as Friesen eventually drove away.
“Having a clear track in front of me and being able to pick my lines was good. Starting position was key,” said Friesen in victory lane.
The second caution of the night flew on lap fifteen. After the field got reorganized the green flag dropped once again on lap nineteen only to be halted by the red flag.
Bobby Varin and Danny Johnson were battling for position going into turn one and made contact causing both to go spinning involving half the field to go piling up into the turn which also caused Pat Ward to go rolling over.
Most of the field was able to regroup and rejoin the back of the pack.
After a lap 37 caution, the restart saw Decker bolt to the outside as he started knocking on Coffey’s rear bumper as he closed in.
At halfway the scoreboard saw Friesen, Coffey, Decker, Britten, and Wight as the top five.
Defending champion, Matt Sheppard, passed Jimmy Phelps for the sixth position on lap 55 as he then began to chase down Wight before the seventh caution of the night was brought out on lap 59.
The green flag dropped once again on lap 65 as Sheppard slid into third spot passed Decker.
It didn’t take long for twelfth starter, Matt Sheppard, to show his strong hand as he closed in on Coffey running in second position.
Friesen had a half straightaway lead over Coffey until he caught lapped traffic on lap 77.
Decker, who started in seventh position, had a late race charge as he was able to menouver passed Sheppard and Coffey on the bottom for second spot on lap 94.
Decker pulled Friesen in fast with just two laps to go and gave Friesen a hard fought battle for that number one spot.
Decker dove down to the bottom as Friesen was running the top trying to move around lapped traffic. Coming out of turn four on the final lap it seemed like it was going to be a drag race to the finish line until Decker got caught up behind a lapped car running the bottom line giving Friesen the advantage on the outside. It was Friesen who took home the checkered to capture the win by .088 seconds over Decker.
“I saw him (Decker) down in one and two. Max was plugging along the bottom. It’s just tough there,” said Friesen about lapped traffic. “Billy was good in the long run. The brakes were getting super hot. Billy The Kid gave us some good smoke to beat him.”
Second place finisher, Billy Decker made a late race charge and gave Friesen a great run to finish runner up. “We were better under the long greens. I got better at the end,” said Decker. “I thought I had him. I bobbled a little bit getting into three. I was hoping I could get enough bite coming off but I just couldn’t get it.”
Side Note: Forty-two cars attempted to qualify and thirty-two started the field. The Big Show 8 was 100 laps the distance paying $10,000 to the winner. There were seven cautions and one red flag in the feature.
To close out the week the Super DIRTcar Series will be heading North to Mohawk International Raceway on Thursday, July 7.
Follow the series on Twitter @SuperDIRTcar, or click www.SuperDIRTcarSeries.com.
Super DIRTcar Series Statistical Report; July 7, 2016; Albany-Saratoga Speedway; Albany, N.Y.
A-Main (60 Laps) – 1. 44-Stewart Friesen; 2. 91-Billy Decker; 3. 9s-Matt Sheppard; 4. 3J-Marc Johnson; 5. 32c-Vic Coffey; 6.18h-Peter Britten; 7. 6m-Mat Williamson; 8. 115-Kenny Tremont Jr.; 9. 98H-Jimmy Phelps; 10. 99L-Larry Wight; 11. 25R-Erick Rudolph; 12. 76-Bobby Varin; 13. 1RJ-Ronnie Johnson 14. 19-Tim Fuller; 15. 88m-Mike Mahaney; 16. 17E-Elmo Reckner; 17. 74-J.R Heffner; 18. 19m-Jessey Mueller; 19. 43-Keith Flach; 20. 18b-Bodie Bellinger; 21. 6H-Max McLaughlin; 22. 35-Frank Cozze; 23. 28p-Eldon Payne; 24. 25J-Chad Jeseo; 25. 20-Brett Hearn; 26. 34-Andy Bachetti; 27. 97k-Kris Verold; 28. 27J-Danny Johnson; 29. 3d-Matt DeLorenzo; 30. 42p-Pat Ward; 31. 8-Rich Scagliotta; 32. 33-Ryan Arbithnot
Last Chance Showdown 1 (10 laps) – 1. 19m-Jessey Mueller; 2. 6H-Max McLaughlin; 3. 3J-Marc Johnson; 4. 43-Keith Flach; 5. 21p-Pepi Corradi; 6. 34p-Shaun Pangman; 7. 959-John Lutes Jr.; 8. 35L-LJ Lombardo; 9. 14-C.G. Morey; 10. 28p-Eldon Payne; 11. 37-Justin Barber; 12. 25R-Erick Rudolph
Last Chance Showdown 2 (10 laps) – 1. 19-Tim Fuller; 2. 42p-Pat Ward; 3. 25J-Chad Jeseo; 4. 8-Rich Scagliotta; 5. 48T-Dave Rauscher; 6. 33 -Ryan Arbithnot; 7. 88J-Olden Dwyer; 8. 88m-Mike Mahaney; 9. 72-Cass Bennett; 10. 3g-Brian Gleason; 11. 667-Matt Depew
Heat 1 (8 Laps) – 1. 18h-Peter Britten; 2. 91-Billy Decker; 3. 97k-Kris Verold; 4. 6m-Mat Williamson; 5.19m-Jessey Mueller; 6. 667-Matt Depew; 7. 3J-Marc Johnson; 8. 88J-Olden Dwyer; 9. 959-John Lutes Jr.
Heat 2 (8 Laps) – 1. 1RJ-Ronnie Johnson; 2. 76-Bobby Varin; 3. 9s-Matt Sheppard; 4. 35-Frank Cozze; 5. 19-Tim Fuller; 6. 25R-Erick Rudolph; 7. 88m-Mike Mahaney; 8. 35L-LJ Lombardo; 9. 3g-Brian Gleason
Heat 3 (8 Laps) – 1. 98H-Jimmy Phelps; 2. 44-Stewart Friesen; 3. 20-Brett Hearn; 4. 17E-Elmo Reckner; 5. 6H-Max McLaughlin; 6. 42p- Pat Ward; 7. 21p-Pepi Corradi; 8.72-Cass Bennett; 9.14-C.G. Morey
Heat 4 (8 Laps) – 1. 32c–Vic Coffey; 2. 27J-Danny Johnson; 3. 18b-Bodie Bellinger; 4. 74-J.R Heffner; 5. 25J-Chad Jeseo; 6. 37-Justin Barber; 7. 48T-Dave Rauscher; 8. 28p-Eldon Payne
Heat 5 (8 Laps) – 1. 3d-Matt DeLorenzo; 2. 99L-Larry Wight; 115-Kenny Tremont Jr, 99L-Larry Wight, 4. 34-Andy Bachetti; 5. 43-Keith Flach, 5. 8-Rich Scagliotta; 34p-Shaun Pangman; 6. 34-Andy Bachetti; 7. 33-Ryan Arbithnot
Qualifying Group 1 – 1. 18h-Peter Britten; 16.240, 2. 9m-Jessey Mueller; 16.347, 3. 97k Kris Verold; 16.372, 4. 91-Billy Decker; 16.396,5. 6m-Mat Williamson; 16.473, 6. 3J-Marc Johnson;16.477, 7. 667 Matt Depew; 16.480, 8. 959-John Lutes Jr.; 16.654, 9. 88J-Olden Dwyer; 16.852
Qualifying Group 2 – 1. 1RJ-Ronnie Johnson; 16.052, 2. 9s-Matt Sheppard; 16.298, 3. 76-Bobby Varin;16.341, 4. 25R-Erick Rudolph; 16.429, 5. 35-Frank Cozze; 16.458, 6. 19-Tim Fuller; 16.523, 7. 88m-Mike Mahaney; 16.613, 6. 35L-LJ Lombardo;16.8753 7. 3g-Brian Gleason; 16.983
Qualifying Group 3 – 1. 98H-Jimmy Phelps; 16.104, 2. 44-Stewart Friesen; 16.138, 3. 20-Brett Hearn; 16.165, 4. 6H-Max McLaughlin; 16.266, 5. 17E-Elmo Reckner; 16.609, 6. 42p-Pat Ward; 16.726, 7. 72-Cass Bennett;16.905, 8. 21p- Pepi Corradi; 16.918, 9. 14-C.G. Morey; 17.217
Qualifying Group 4 – 1. 32c-Vic Coffey; 16.519, 2. 27J-Danny Johnson; 16.520, 3. 18b-Bodie Bellinger;16.577, 4. 25J-Chad Jeseo; 16.609, 5. 74-J.R Heffner; 16.621, 6. 48T-Dave Rauscher; 16.861, 7. 37-Justin Barber; 16.874, 8. 28p-Eldon Payne; 17.124
Qualifying Group 5 – 1. 3d-Matt DeLorenzo; 16.322, 2. 115-Kenny Tremont Jr.; 16.369, 3. 99L-Larry Wight ;16.411, 4. 43-Keith Flach; 16.491, 5. 8-Rich Scagliotta; 16.528, 6. 33-Ryan Arbithnot; 16.612, 7. 34-Andy Bachetti; 16.700, 8. 34p-Shaun Pangman; 16.876
