Weedsport, NY — July 19, 2009 – By Tom Skibinski, Super DIRTcar Series PR Director
*Bill Moore Photo
All eyes were on the Cayuga County Fairgrounds for the richest event in 54 years of racing in Weedsport and when the curtain finally dropped Sunday evening on the inaugural edition of DIRTcar All-Star Weekend it was rising star Ryan Phelps etching his name in history with a command performance in the ‘All-Star 100’ that rewarded him with a record $20,000 payoff at the birthplace of DIRTcar Big-Block Modified Racing.
Capturing his first career Super DIRTcar Series victory just 24 earlier at the storied 3/8-miler in the ‘All-Star 50’ preliminary event, Phelps proved it was no fluke by overtaking pole-sitter Matt Sheppard past the halfway point then holding off a late-race rally by Tim Fuller to post a dramatic win in front of a capacity crowd on this landmark occasion.
“This is great, just unbelievable,” remarked Phelps, 25, as he struggled to find the words to describe easily the biggest triumph of his budding career steering the Big Red Towing no. 99 Dave Miller Auto Body/Bicknell entry in DIRTcar Racing Northeast’s premier tour for Big-Blocks in the nation. “I’m really speechless.”
“Didn’t even think I’d ever win a series race let alone two in one weekend, and then one for 20-grand plus back-to-back. I just can’t thank everybody that helped out enough. We’ve really come a long way the last couple years,” beamed Phelps, an 11th grade history teacher at Newark (NY) High School where he’ll have a lot tell his students about what he did over the summer when classes resume in September.
Despite a lap 90 caution for debris on the back straightaway that closed the gap on his nearest competition, the ‘Rocket’ blasted out to an eight car-length margin under the checkers followed by veteran racer Fuller, early race leader Sheppard, current series point leader Brett Hearn and defending overall Hoosier Tire-VP Racing Fuels Mr. DIRTcar Champion Billy Decker, winner of his second Integra Shocks Fast Time award earlier in the evening.
“I just about crapped my pants when I saw the 74 car (Fuller) on the leader board at the end. I knew he had to be coming fast starting so far back. He’s passed me so many times before, I really had to focus on what I was doing. I was getting hand signals from my crewman and that helped me steer me through it,” said Phelps, the second-generation driver from Fulton, New York who finished ninth in the final point standings last season. His second straight SDS win vaulted him into fifth on the ’09 chart after entering All-Star Weekend ranked eighth.
While Sheppard advanced from his perch on the point to get the All-Star 100 underway, front row partner Phelps settled in right behind and never let ‘Super Matt’ out of sight. Teenage sensation Larry Wight slowed on the back chute with rear-end sparks showing to force out the initial yellow flag on lap seven, and a flat left-rear tire on Vic Coffey’s mount incurred a second caution period on lap 38. In between, constant action throughout the pack kept positions changing as the track blackened each time around.
Making their move towards the front were 21st starter Fuller and 28th starter Gary Tomkins, while Brett Hearn advanced from 14th to crack the top-five with nearly 40 laps complete. Fuller continued to throw the Smith Bros. Concrete Foundations no. 74 Hudson Valley Concrete Pumping/TEO machine high up near the wall, grabbing sixth in a three-wide maneuver with Justin Haers and Wight before breaking into the front-five at the halfway mark.
Not satisfied with the trackside trifecta, Fuller put co-owner Steve Hastings’ and Joe Knoth’s machine four-deep on lap 44 as he continued to carve his way through the 30-car starting field. With 55 laps complete, Sheppard and Phelps remained comfortably ahead followed by Frankie Caprara, Hearn, Jimmy Phelps and Fuller, with Justin Haers and Decker making their presence known in Top-10 positions.
Johnny Hill spun around in turn one facing the wrong way to require a third yellow flag on lap 59 and on the ensuing restart Fuller shot by both Caprara and Hearn in one big swoop exiting turn four to steal third on lap 63. Phelps had been shadowing Sheppard since lap 40 on the 71st circuit forged what would be the final lead change as the talented twosome charged out of turn four. It took Fuller 10 more laps trying to mirror Phelps’ maneuver until finally diving under Sheppard for second on the front chute.
As traffic thickened so did the plot up front as Fuller even tapped Phelps as the pair exited the fourth corner with a dozen laps still to go. Just when Fuller was about to make his boldest bid to overtake Phelps for the top spot, yellow lights suddenly flashed on around the speedway with the grounds crew quickly called into action to remove pieces of metal that were strewn down the back straightaway in the racing groove.
With a clear track ahead as the lap counter clicked off 93 under green, Phelps wasted little time pulling away. He left Fuller to fall back and settle for runner-up honors as fireworks and confetti greeted the winner when he passed over the final stripe with a roar of approval from the boisterous crowd.
“Matt was a lot better than me early on, and even in the middle of the race we were about even,” figured Phelps, following his third DIRTcar Big-Block Modified win of ’09. “But one advantage I had over him was I got to follow in his tracks all those laps. We were fairly equal and I could keep trying different stuff, see where my car worked the best. And that gave me the chance to find out where some of the better lines were. when he was just trying to build up a lead, so I think that worked to our advantage.”
“At the end I saw Tim’s nose in lapped traffic, it was hard getting by with some of the guys racing two-wide right in front of me. Fortunately, that last yellow came out and it was trouble-free the rest of the way,” Phelps added.
While Phelps started second on the 30-car grid to open Sunday’s ASW 100, Fuller won the first of three Dig Safely NY consolations races to fall into 21st alongside Chuck Bower. The Edwards, New York found the high line to his liking and put his stamp on the outside groove most of the way picking off car after car for the duration.
“There was a nice little lip up top, nobody was going there so I had to do something with so many cars ahead of me at the start,” relayed Fuller, 41, after the two-time (2004-05) Cayuga County points champion fell just 1.2-seconds shy of scoring his 19th career Big-Block victory at The Port. “I knew my only real shot to catch Ryan was in lapped traffic, he’s had the better car since yesterday. I actually picked him or Sheppard to win this thing. Ryan’s just been on rails here, definitely has the place figured out.”
“Congratulations to Roger (Ryan’s dad), he’s got a real good kid there. I can remember when he was little running around the garage, now he’s whipping our ass. I really wanted to pass him at the end, the difference (1st to 2nd) is $14,000. He was just too steady with a clean track ahead and I needed some slow cars to have any chance.”
Finishing third for the second successive night, Sheppard was content with third although far from satisfied with the $20,000 first-place check once clearly in sight.
“We had a good car tonight and a good starting position, that really helped,” acknowledged Sheppard, 26, who led the opening 70 laps before falling to Phelps’ late race heroics. “I was really worried about Ryan, if anybody, he was super fast last night and he’s been the fastest car here all weekend.”
“I got the lead and was hoping maybe I could just hold him off. And I did for quite awhile, then I could feel my car start going away a little. We threw everything we had at it and ended up being the third fastest car. Ryan was real fast all weekend and Timmy really found something in the feature tonight. So to hold on for a third-place finish you can’t be too upset with that, “ Sheppard noted.
Decker slipped past Jimmy Phelps on the last lap to fill out the front-five at the stripe, while Justin Haers, hard charger Tomkins, Danny Johnson and Billy Dunn completed the Top-10 at the checkers. 19th-place finisher Derrick Podsiadlo was the last to be scored on the lead lap in the 37-mile main that took 38-minutes to complete.
Super DIRTcar Series travelers get two weeks off before hauling back across the border for round 10 on Monday, August 3 when Merrittville Speedway hosts the 17th annual Trevor Wilkens Memorial 100 presented by Toolneeds.
Super DIRTcar Series Race #9 – Cayuga County Fair Speedway, July 19, 2009 ‘All-Star 100’ Big-Block Modified Event Summary
FIN STR CAR# DRIVER
1 2 99 Ryan Phelps/Fulton,NY ($20,000)
2 21 74 Tim Fuller/Edwards,NY
3 1 9s Matt Sheppard/Waterloo,NY
4 14 20 Brett Hearn/Sussex,NJ
5 11 91 Billy Decker/Unadilla,NY
6 10 98h Jimmy Phelps/Baldwinsville,NY
7 15 3 Justin Haers/Phelps,NY
8 28 84 Gary Tomkins/Clifton Springs,NY
9 12 66 Danny Johnson/Rochester,NY
10 3 49 Billy Dunn/Watertown,NY
11 4 fx1 Frankie Caprara/Watertown,NY
12 6 29 Jeff Brownell Jr./Waterloo,NY
13 8 7x Steve Paine/Waterloo,NY
14 18 9m Tim McCreadie/Watertown,NY
15 24 02 Roy Bresnahan/Palermo,NY
16 7 14j Alan Johnson/Middlesex,NY
17 17 4* Michael Storms/Wantage,NJ
18 23 77x Dale Planck/Cortland,NY
19 9 21 Derrick Podsiadlo/Penn Yan,NY
20 25 6 Pat O’Brien/Kingston,ONT
21 26 18 Sean Beardsley/Central Square,NY
22 19 29b Pete Bicknell/St.Catharines,ONT
23 13 2 Dave Axton/Port Byron,NY
24 16 160 Johnny Hill/Hastings,NY
25 22 99b Chuck Bower/Lansing,NY
26 27 99L Larry Wight/Phoenix,NY
27 20 32c Vic Coffey/Leicester,NY
28 30 33 Mike Mahaney/King Ferry,NY
29 5 3b Chad Brachmann/Sanborn,NY
30 29 10s Tom Sears Jr./Clay,NY
GATER RACING NEWS LAP LEADERS: Sheppard (1-70), R.Phelps (71-100).
CAUTIONS: 4 (lap 7, lap 38, laps 59-61, laps 90-93).
HEAT WINNERS: Decker, D.Johnson, Paine, R.Phelps, Hearn, Brachmann.
DIG SAFELY NEW YORK LAST CHANCE RACE WINNERS: Fuller, Bower, Planck.
DIG SAFELY B-MAIN RACE WINNER: Tom Sears Jr.
BICKNELL RACING PRODUCTS WINNER AWARD: Ryan Phelps.
RISLONE OIL STABILIZER & TREATMENT WINNER AWARD: Ryan Phelps.
BARS LEAKS RUNNER-UP AWARD: Tim Fuller.
SYRACUSE RITE AID 200 QUALIFIER: Tim Fuller.
HALFWAY LEADER: Matt Sheppard.
BERT/KSE RACING PRODUCTS HARD CHARGER AWARD: Gary Tomkins.
XTREME LUBRICANTS SLICK MOVE OF THE RACE AWARD: Ryan Phelps.
PENSKE POWER POSITION AWARD (26th): Larry Wight.
INTEGRA SHOCKS FAST TIME AWARD: Billy Decker (16.854sec/80.100mph).
VP RACING FUELS FAST TIME BONUS ($500): Billy Decker.
VP RACING FUELS FASTEST NON-QUALIFIER BONUS ($500): Tim Currier.
TOTAL PURSE: $63,900.
CARS ENTERED: 58.
NEXT EVENT: Merrittville Speedway “Trevor Wilkens Memorial” – August 3, 2009.
DID NOT QUALIFY(28)
X-Chad Phelps/Mexico,NY
2b-Ron Cartwright Jr./Portageville,NY
5-Jason Potter/Richland,NY
5h-Chris Hile/Syracuse,NY
5j-Jimmy Horton/Neshanic Station,NJ
8-Rich Scagliotta/Bound Brook,NJ
8r-Rob Bellinger/Dexter,NY
10-Tim Currier/Auburn,NY
13-Tony Steiner/Jamesville,NY
15-Brett Tonkin/Carbondale,PA
19h-Chris Higgins/Syracuse,NY
24-Chris Shultz/Pawling,NY
25-Paul Habeck/Penfield,NY
27j-Dan Johnson Jr./Phelps,NY
37c-Eric Fisher/Bluff Point,NY
37x-Tom Scheetz Jr./Boyertown,PA
37md-Jeremiah Shingledecker/Polk,PA
44-Shannon Whaley/Pavilion,NY
46-Adam Smith/Whitney Point,NY
65-Boyd MacTavish/Ransomville,NY
72-Tommy Flannigan/St.Catharines,ONT
83x-Tim Sears/Central Square,NY
85-Dan Vauter/Forest City,PA
88c-Rick Laubach/Quakertown,PA
88k-Randy Chrysler/Lewiston,NY
96-Todd Milton/Auburn,NY
117-Alex Tonkin/Carbondale,PA
121-Joe Beyea/Genoa,NY
QUALIFYING
FAST AVE
TIME MPH CAR# DRIVER
1 16.854 80.100 91 Billy Decker/Unadilla,NY
$500 VP Racing Fuels Fast Time Bonus
$100 Integra Shocks Fast Qualifier Award
2 16.923 79.773 29 Jeff Brownell Jr./Waterloo,NY
3 16.960 79.599 3 Justin Haers/Phelps,NY
4 17.024 79.300 66 Danny Johnson/Rochester,NY
5 17.100 78.947 10 Tim Currier/Auburn,NY
6 17.192 78.525 49 Billy Dunn/Watertown,NY
7 17.273 78.157 7x Steve Paine/Waterloo,NY
8 17.276 78.143 72 Tommy Flannigan/St.Catharines,ONT
9 17.278 78.134 99 Ryan Phelps/Fulton,NY
10 17.287 78.093 160 Johnny Hill/Hastings,NY
11 17.339 77.859 fx1 Frankie Caprara/Watertown,NY
12 17.359 77.769 74 Tim Fuller/Edwards,NY
13 17.380 77.675 84 Gary Tomkins/Clifton Springs,NY
14 17.382 77.667 99L Larry Wight/Phoenix,NY
15 17.383 77.662 37c Eric Fisher/Bluff Point,NY
16 17.387 77.644 33 Mike Mahaney/King Ferry,NY
17 17.524 77.037 02 Roy Bresnahan/Palermo,NY
18 17.527 77.024 9m Tim McCreadie/Watertown,NY
19 17.580 76.792 15 Brett Tonkin/Carbondale,PA
20 17.617 76.631 10s Tom Sears Jr./Clay,NY
21 17.643 76.518 20 Brett Hearn/Sussex,NJ
22 17.683 76.345 2b Ron Cartwright Jr./Portageville,NY
23 17.685 76.336 88k Randy Chrysler/Lewiston,NY
24 17.691 76.310 5h Chris Hile/Syracuse,NY
25 17.768 75.979 4* Michael Storms/Wantage,NJ
26 17.776 75.945 98h Jimmy Phelps/Baldwinsville,NY
27 17.794 75.868 37md Jeremiah Shingledecker/Polk,PA
28 17.795 75.864 121 Joe Beyea/Genoa,NY
29 17.854 75.613 99b Chuck Bower/Lansing,NY
30 17.930 75.293 6 Pat O’Brien/Kingston,ONT
31 17.931 75.289 2 Dave Axton/Port Byron,NY
32 17.949 75.213 77x Dale Planck/Cortland,NY
33 17.965 75.146 29b Pete Bicknell/St.Catharines,ONT
34 18.043 74.821 3b Chad Brachmann/Sanborn,NY
35 18.083 74.656 21 Derrick Podsiadlo/Penn Yan,NY
36 18.128 74.470 13 Tony Steiner/Jamesville,NY
37 18.130 74.462 32c Vic Coffey/Leicester,NY
38 18.141 74.417 46 Adam Smith/Whitney Point,NY
39 18.154 74.364 83x Tim Sears/Central Square,NY
40 18.162 74.331 5j Jimmy Horton/Neshanic Station,NJ
41 18.203 74.164 85 Dan Vauter/Forest City,PA
42 18.214 74.119 25 Paul Habeck/Penfield,NY
43 18.216 74.111 96 Todd Milton/Auburn,NY
44 18.236 74.029 8r Rob Bellinger/Dexter,NY
45 18.242 74.005 65 Boyd MacTavish/Ransomville,NY
46 18.243 74.001 19h Chris Higgins/Syracuse,NY
47 18.270 73.892 5 Jason Potter/Richland,NY
48 18.451 73.167 37x Tom Scheetz Jr./Boyertown,PA
49 18.476 73.068 18 Sean Beardsley/Central Square,NY
50 18.514 72.918 88c Rich Laubach/Quakertown,PA
51 18.568 72.706 8 Rich Scagliotta/Bound Brook,NJ
52 18.627 72.475 44 Shannon Whaley/Pavilion,NY
53 18.693 72.220 117 Alex Tonkin/Carbondale,PA
54 18.855 71.599 24 Chris Shultz/Pawling,NY
55 19.076 70.770 27j Dan Johnson Jr./Phelps,NY
56 -NT- —– X Chad Phelps/Mexico,NY
57 Guaranteed Draw 9s Matt Sheppard/Waterloo,NY
58 Guaranteed Draw 14j Alan Johnson/Middlesex,NY
Heat Races (10 laps, top 3 finishers transferred to feature; top 2 redrew)
#1: Decker, Brownell, Haers, Fuller, Bresnahan, Flannigan, Tomkins, B.Tonkin, Chrysler, Currier.
#2: D.Johnson, Dunn, Hill, Wight, Fisher, Mahaney, To.Sears, Beyea, Cartwright, Hile.
#3: Paine, J.Phelps, Storms, Steiner, Vauter, Higgins, Smith, MacTavish, C.Phelps.
#4: R.Phelps, Caprara, Sheppard, Bower, O’Brien, Shingledecker, Potter, Milton, Scheetz.
#5: Hearn, Axton, Bicknell, Planck, Ti.Sears, Bellinger, Habeck, Horton, Scagliotta.
#6: Brachmann, Podsiadlo, Coffey, Beardsley, Whaley, A.Donath, Shultz, D.Johnson Jr., Laubach.
Dig Safely New York Last Chance Races: (10 laps, top 2 finishers transferred to feature)
#1: Fuller, Bresnahan, Wight, To.Sears, Mahaney, Fisher, Tomkins, Flannigan, Chrysler, Beyea, B.Tonkin, Hile, Currier, Cartwright.
#2: Bower, O’Brien, Steiner, Vauter, Higgins, C.Phelps, MacTavish, Potter, Scheetz, Smith, Milton, Shingledecker.
#3: Planck, Beardsley, Bellinger, Ti.Sears, Whaley, Habeck, Laubach, Horton, Scagliotta, A.Tonkin, Shultz, D.Johnson Jr.
Guaranteed: Wight, Tomkins.
Dig Safely B-Main: (20 laps, top-2 eligible to start feature)
Tom Sears Jr., Mike Mahaney, Rob Bellinger, Tim Sears Sr., Rick Laubach, Randy Chrysler, Joe Beyea, Chris Higgins, Tony Steiner, Chad Phelps, Tommy Flannigan, Paul Habeck, Rich Scagliotta, Brett Tonkin, Shannon Whaley, Jason Potter, Tom Scheetz Jr., Boyd MacTavish, Alex Tonkin, Adam Smith, Jimmy Horton, Dan Vauter, Eric Fisher, Chris Hile (DNS).
Super DIRTcar Series Big-Block Modified Point Standings (Through July 19, 2009)
Rank No. Driver Total Series Diff Wins Top-5 Top-10 Starts
1 20 Brett Hearn 820 820 0 2 8 9 9
2 91 Billy Decker 677 677 -143 2 5 5 9
3 9s Matt Sheppard 663 663 -157 1 5 6 9
4 98H Jimmy Phelps 644 644 -176 0 3 6 9
5 99 Ryan Phelps 582 582 -238 2 3 5 9
6 3 Justin Haers 565 565 -255 0 0 5 9
7 84 Gary Tomkins 561 561 -259 0 1 6 9
8 77x Dale Planck 539 539 -281 0 1 3 9
9 66 Danny Johnson 497 497 -323 0 1 3 9
10 49 Billy Dunn 486 486 -334 0 1 2 9
11 4 Mike Storms 457 457 -363 0 0 2 9
12 14J Alan Johnson 429 429 -391 1 2 4 7
13 99L Larry Wight 403 403 -417 0 0 0 9
14 29 Jeff Brownell Jr. 368 368 -452 0 1 2 7
15 74 Tim Fuller 316 316 -504 0 2 2 5
16 1F Stewart Friesen 255 255 -565 0 2 3 3
17 7x Steve Paine 245 245 -575 0 0 3 4
18 FX1 Frankie Caprara 224 224 -596 0 0 2 4
19 8 Rich Scagliotta 208 208 -612 0 0 0 3
20 6 Pat O’Brien 185 185 -635 0 1 1 3
21 1H David Hebert 140 140 -680 0 1 1 2
22 42p Pat Ward 131 131 -689 0 0 1 2
23 22 Mario Clair 127 127 -693 0 0 0 2
24 02 Roy Bresnahan 122 122 -698 0 0 0 3
25 42 Pete Bicknell 118 118 -702 0 0 1 2
26 62 Tom Sears Jr. 113 113 -707 0 0 0 2
27 43 Keith Flach 111 111 -709 0 0 0 2
28 34b Andy Bachetti 110 110 -710 0 1 1 1
29 33 Mike Mahaney 108 108 -712 0 0 0 3
30 9m Tim McCreadie 105 105 -715 0 0 1 2
31 99B Chuck Bower 103 103 -717 0 0 0 3
32 21 Yan Bussiere 97 97 -723 0 0 0 2
33 96 Kyle Dingwall 95 95 -725 0 1 1 1
34 97 Michel Chicoine 95 95 -725 0 0 0 2
35 17 Sean Beardsley 92 92 -728 0 0 0 2
36 32c Vic Coffey 87 87 -733 0 0 1 2
37 60 Brian Berger 86 86 -734 0 1 1 1
38 3b Chad Brachmann 82 82 -738 0 0 0 2
39 73 Alain Boisvert 82 82 -738 0 0 1 1
40 33.3 Tommy Meier 81 81 -739 0 1 1 1
41 77F Mark Flach Jr. 81 81 -739 0 1 1 1
42 83x Tim Sears 80 80 -740 0 0 0 2
43 57 Donnie Corellis 77 77 -743 0 0 1 1
44 8R Rob Bellinger 72 72 -748 0 0 0 2
45 09 Willy Decker 71 71 -749 0 0 1 1
46 42 Guy Sheldon 71 71 -749 0 0 1 1
47 160 Johnny Hill 70 70 -750 0 0 0 2
48 21 Derrick Podsiadlo 69 69 -751 0 0 0 2
49 88 Tim O’Brien 68 68 -752 0 0 0 1
50 98 Eddie Marshall 66 66 -754 0 0 0 1
51 44 Shannon Whaley 65 65 -755 0 0 0 1
52 72 Todd Stewart 65 65 -755 0 0 1 1
53 07 Tim Kerr 65 65 -755 0 0 0 1
54 54 Steve Bernard 65 65 -755 0 0 1 1
55 14 Jimmy Horton 63 63 -757 0 0 0 1
56 7* Danny O’Brien 62 62 -758 0 0 1 1
57 123 Robbie Krull 60 60 -760 0 0 0 1
58 64 Donnie Ackner 59 59 -761 0 0 0 1
59 26 Ryan Godown 57 57 -763 0 0 0 1
60 22 Eric Gauvreau 56 56 -764 0 0 0 1
61 44 Sebastien Gougeon 56 56 -764 0 0 0 1
62 76 Travis Braun 56 56 -764 0 0 0 1
63 88k Randy Chrysler 55 55 -765 0 0 0 1
64 3 Claude Brouillard 54 54 -766 0 0 0 1
65 88 Krey Sandstedt 52 52 -768 0 0 0 1
66 24s Chris Shultz 51 51 -769 0 0 0 1
67 46 Kayle Robidoux 51 51 -769 0 0 0 1
68 115 Kenny Tremont Jr. 51 51 -769 0 0 0 1
69 72 Tommy Flannigan 50 50 -770 0 0 0 1
70 16 Mike Bowman 50 50 -770 0 0 0 1
71 M96 Brian McDonald 50 50 -770 0 0 0 1
72 3d Dexter Stacey 50 50 -770 0 0 0 1
73 66w Wallace Stacey 50 50 -770 0 0 0 1
74 23 Dany Bilodeau 50 50 -770 0 0 0 1
75 1H Tim Hindley 50 50 -770 0 0 0 1
76 124 Pierre Dagenais 49 49 -771 0 0 0 1
77 72x Denis Gauvreau 48 48 -772 0 0 0 1
78 17c Bobby Davidson 48 48 -772 0 0 0 1
79 24 Jim Witko Jr. 46 46 -774 0 0 0 1
80 22J Gino Clair 45 45 -775 0 0 0 1
81 55 Mike King 45 45 -775 0 0 0 1
82 39 Clement Therrien 44 44 -776 0 0 0 1
83 26 Rick Richner 44 44 -776 0 0 0 1
84 87 Hector Stratton 44 44 -776 0 0 0 1
85 48T Dave Rauscher 43 43 -777 0 0 0 1
86 28 Scott Kerwin 43 43 -777 0 0 0 1
87 21m Bob McGannon 42 42 -778 0 0 0 1
88 20 Jeff McGinnis 41 41 -779 0 0 0 1
89 89b Todd Burley 41 41 -779 0 0 0 1
90 37c Eric Fisher 40 40 -780 0 0 0 1
91 35 Adam Moore 40 40 -780 0 0 0 1
92 0 Bill Gill 40 40 -780 0 0 0 1
93 x31 Andy Lloyd 40 40 -780 0 0 0 1
94 9 Jason Riddell 40 40 -780 0 0 0 1
95 85 David Langlois 40 40 -780 0 0 0 1
96 63 Dominic Dufault 40 40 -780 0 0 0 1
97 74 Fredric Gamache 40 40 -780 0 0 0 1
98 49 Francois Berrier 40 40 -780 0 0 0 1
99 90 Martin Roy 40 40 -780 0 0 0 1
100 198h Erick Rudolph 40 40 -780 0 0 0 1
101 44v Phil Vigneri Jr. 40 40 -780 0 0 0 1
102 93 Richie Vinson 40 40 -780 0 0 0 1
103 24v Bobby Varin 40 40 -780 0 0 0 1
104 12a Jack Johnson 40 40 -780 0 0 0 1
105 33 Ray Swinehart 40 40 -780 0 0 0 1
106 39 Ryan Larkin 40 40 -780 0 0 0 1
107 87x Paul Gilardi 40 40 -780 0 0 0 1
108 88 Eric Lefebvre 40 40 -780 0 0 0 1
109 87 Martin Gagne 40 40 -780 0 0 0 1
110 61 Jean Boissonneault 40 40 -780 0 0 0 1
Super DIRTcar Series Modified Entries – July 19 (58)
Car# Driver/Hometown Team (Sponsor / Chassis / Engine)
X Chad Phelps/Mexico,NY Haun Welding Supply-Ashley Winery-Midstate Tree Service/Troyer/Morrison
02 Roy Bresnahan/Palermo,NY Gypsum Express-RJ’s Excavating/Bicknell/Enders
fx1 Frankie Caprara/Watertown,NY F.X. Caprara Car Co.-SUNY Canton/Troyer/Dan Bedell
2 Dave Axton/Port Byron,NY Simplex Auto & Machine-Scott’s Auto/Bicknell/Simplex
2b Ron Cartwright Jr./Portageville,NY Evingham Excavation-DJ Beardsley & Son Electrical Contractor/TEO/Mastin
3 Justin Haers/Phelps,NY Phelps Cement Products-SMV Motorsports-Jeff Jolly Masonry/Bicknell/Finger Lakes
3b Chad Brachmann/Sanborn,NY Mighty Taco/Bicknell/Honest Abe’s
4* Michael Storms/Wantage,NJ Keizer Aluminum Wheels-Mike Sparta Trckng-Four Star Transmissions/TEO/Morrison
5 Jason Potter/Richland,NY Butler Disposal-Fat Nancy’s Tackle Shop/Bicknell/Enders
5h Chris Hile/Syracuse,NY Ernie Kreis & Son-Fastline Performance-P&M Fabrication/Bicknell/Morrison
5j Jimmy Horton/Neshanic Station,NJ Lincoln Auto Body-Schmidt Racing/Troyer/JPM
6 Pat O’Brien/Kingston,ONT 730 Truck Stop-Gypsum Logistics-Milestone Concrete/Bicknell/Enders
7x Steve Paine/Waterloo,NY Tallmadge Tire-Swarthout Recycling-Instant Heat Wood Pellets/Bicknell/Finger Lakes
8 Rich Scagliotta/Bound Brook,NJ Central Jersey Trailer & Hitch Depot-Adamsville Maintenance/Troyer/Feil
8r Rob Bellinger/Dexter,NY U-Store of Watertown-Westward Painting-Coffin Excavation/Troyer/Finger Lakes
9m Tim McCreadie/Watertown,NY Xtreme Lubricants-Seneca Auto Sales/Bicknell/C.C. Performance
9s Matt Sheppard/Waterloo,NY Xtreme Lubricants-Seneca Auto Sales/Bicknell/C.C. Performance
10 Tim Currier/Auburn,NY Currier Plastics-Aflac/Bicknell/Mastin Engineering
10s Tom Sears Jr./Clay,NY Commercial Roofing & Sheetmetal-JWJ Container Service/Bicknell/Morrison
13 Tony Steiner/Jamesville,NY NY Tech Supply-Tech Tire Repairs/Bicknell/Donath
14j Alan Johnson/Middlesex,NY Bully’s Truck Stop-CFF,Inc.-Raymond’s Car Care/Bicknell/Jimmy D’s Speed
15 Brett Tonkin/Carbondale,PA Grimm Construction-G&G Towing/Bicknell/Wally Fiehl
18 Sean Beardsley/Central Square,NY Pipe Pros/Troyer/Moshier
19h Chris Higgins/Syracuse,NY Transportation Repair Service-JLRB Construction/Bicknell/Higgins Performance
20 Brett Hearn/Sussex,NJ Madsen Motorsports-Wentworth Custom Homes-Kruger-WLR-BPG/TEO/Enders
21 Derrick Podsiadlo/Penn Yan,NY Penn Yan Mini Storage-Keuka Restaurant/TEO/Finger Lakes
24 Chris Shultz/Pawling,NY Mr. Radiator-Roxborough Bus Lines-Villeneuve Tank Lines/Bicknell/Ladouceur
25 Paul Habeck/Penfield,NY SwimmingPool.com-DJM Equipment-Bobcat of Finger Lakes/Troyer/Bruneau
27j Dan Johnson Jr./Phelps,NY Johnson Motorsports/Troyer/B&M
29 Jeff Brownell Jr./Waterloo,NY Xtreme Lubricants-Seneca Auto Sales/Bicknell/C.C. Performance
29b Pete Bicknell/St.Catharines,ONT Xtreme Lubricants-Seneca Auto Sales/Bicknell/C.C. Performance
32c Vic Coffey/Leicester,NY Sweeteners Plus-Integra Shocks-CME,Inc./Troyer/C.C. Performance
33 Mike Mahaney/King Ferry,NY Aloi Materials Handling/Bicknell/Enders
37c Eric Fisher/Bluff Point,NY Bully Hill Vineyards-Fisher Tree Service-Daily Electric/Ozcar/Finger Lakes
37x Tom Scheetz Jr./Boyertown,PA TNT Repairs-Jeff D’Ambrosio Dodge/Bicknell/Doug Meyers
37md Jeremiah Shingledecker/Polk,PA Morton Buildings-Hards Welding-Steve’s Teez/Bicknell/MD Racing Engines
44 Shannon Whaley/Pavilion,NY Davis Trailer World-D&M Precision-Valley Sand & Gravel/Bicknell/Morrison
46 Adam Smith/Whitney Point,NY Smith Companies/Bicknell/ Finger Lakes
49 Billy Dunn/Watertown,NY Number One Speed-American Traditions-Fast Lube Watertown/Bicknell/Finger Lakes
65 Boyd MacTavish/Ransomville,NY Investor Services-Cosgrove Excavating/Bicknell/Ralph Vinson
66 Danny Johnson/Rochester,NY Atlas Paving-Behrent’s Performance Warehouse/TEO/JPM
72 Tommy Flannigan/St.Catharines,ONT Kane’s Vending-CMH Leasing/Bicknell/Enders
74 Tim Fuller/Edwards,NY Smith Bros. Concrete Foundations-Hudson Valley Concrete Pumping/TEO/Precision
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/Bicknell/Morrison
84 Gary Tomkins/Clifton Springs,NY Honeoye Auto Parts-Rochester Americans-National Guard/Bicknell/Mastin Engineering
85 Dan Vauter/Forest City,PA Sportsburg.com-Community Bank & Trust/Troyer/Enders
88c Rich Laubach/Quakertown,PA Clay Realty Group-Paradise Beach Realty/TEO/Lombardo
88k Randy Chrysler/Lewiston,NY Signal Cigarettes-Randy’s Smoke Shop/Bicknell/JanCen
91 Billy Decker/Unadilla,NY Gypsum Wholesalers-Stadium Int’l-Quality Hardwoods/Bicknell/Kevlar
96 Todd Milton/Auburn,NY Bradco Supply-Milton Motorsports/Fox/FingerLakes
98h Jimmy Phelps/Baldwinsville,NY Mohawk N.E.-New England Race Fuels-Joe Gibbs Racing Oil/Troyer/Bruneau-F-L
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.-Gypsum Wholesalers-Stadium Int’l/Bicknell/Kevlar
117 Alex Tonkin/Carbondale,PA Grimm Construction-G&G Towing/TEO/Wally Fiehl
121 Joe Beyea/Genoa,NY Beyea Custom Headers/Troyer/Finger Lakes
160 Johnny Hill/Hastings,NY Flower City Glass-P.M. Mobile Service/TEO/Kevlar
SKIDMARKS
All-Star Grade ‘A’: In the post-race press conference that included the top-three feature finishers as well as World Racing Group Chief Executive Officer Brian Carter and WRG President and Chief of Operations Tom Deery, questions were fielded regarding the success of the All-star experiment at the birthplace of DIRTcar Big-Block Modified Racing. “There’s a big difference between a race and an event, and this week we certainly started one,” exclaimed Carter, referring to what was tabbed as the ‘Super DIRT Week of the Summer’ for the past four months of non-stop promotion. “We’ve just built the foundation for this event to grow. Things take awhile, but creating entertainment is our job and we’ll continue to foster events like this around the country. We already own tracks in the Northeast and Big-Block Modifieds continue to be a big part of our plans in the future.” Added inaugural All-Star 100 winner Ryan Phelps, “This race is good for the average ‘Joe’ just like me. Its big like Syracuse but you don’t have to spend that kind of money to make money at the end. Next year this show will be even better when the word gets out.”
Fans will be talking about the feature race presentation for quite sometime as every driver in the All-Star field was announced and made their way in front of the main grandstands to shake hands and offer high-fives to their biggest supporters. The capacity crowd was brought to its feet even before the first green flag waved as the ‘Voice’ of the Super DIRTcar Series Shane Andrews introduced each of the 30 drivers that qualified for the feature, with odd numbered starters crossing in front of the packed stands from the turn four side and the even numbered starters moving toward the centrally located starter’s stand from turn one. Team crews had parked the Modifieds ‘LeMans’ style on the front straightaway waiting for their drivers to be recognized and the National Guard provided the famous words, “Gentlemen, Start Your Engines.”
Pot Holes: With loads of accolades lined up for DIRTcar All-Star Weekend ’09, VP Racing Fuels posted $500 awards for the Big-Block Modified fast qualifier (Billy Decker) and fastest non-qualifier (Tim Currier) that did not make the starting grid in the ‘All-Star 100’ on Sunday….With his Exemption Dash victory on Saturday, Matt Sheppard was locked into the pre-race draw for the All-Star 100 and quickly grabbed the no. 1 HANS baseball cap provided by Motorsports Safety Systems. Xtreme Lubricants teammate Jeff Brownell selected no. 6 while JB Motorsports hired guns Tim McCreadie (18th) and Pete Bicknell (19th) also cracked the 30-car starting grid for the inaugural ASW showdown….With the Xtreme ‘Super Team’ flaunting its green colors, not to be out-done was the Gypsum Express squadron comprised of Roy Bresnahan, Billy Decker, Pat O’Brien, Ryan Phelps and Larry Wight, with all five red cars also finding their way into the star-studded starting line-up….Maybe most fitting to find Phelps and Sheppard among the frontrunners at the end of the 100-lapper as these two were the lone drivers participating in ‘Media Day’ festivities on Wednesday, enabling each to steal some track time behind the wheel of a pair of spec cars formerly used for driving school classes….Great run by Rick Laubach although the popular Pennsylvanian fell a couple spots short in his final bid to qualify through the Dig Safely B-Main, charging from 15th to 5th in the 20-lap last chance run….Only Mike Bowman failed to return to Cayuga County competition on Super Sunday after vying for a qualifying spot in the All-Star 50 preliminary feature run Saturday. New Modified entries signed up for the Sunday special were Pete Bicknell, Chad Brachmann, Randy Chrysler, Tommy Flannigan, Chris Higgins, Jimmy Horton, Rick Laubach, Boyd MacTavish and Chris Shultz….Brachmann was the only driver to qualify for the headline 100-lapper utilizing a small-block engine, while the mounts of Tommy Flannigan and Boyd MacTavish also housed 358-cubic inch powerplants in their own effort to reach the starting grid.
UPCOMING EVENT
After a two-week break on the Super DIRTcar Series schedule, racers return to action next month as Merrittville Speedway hosts the 17th annual Trevor Wilkens Memorial 100 presented by Toolneeds on Monday, August 3.
2009 Super DIRTcar Series Big-Block Modified Schedule
NP=Non-Point event; SP=Show-Up Point event.
*All events subject to change.
DAY-DATE TRACK WINNER/LOCATION
Wed-Feb 11 Volusia Speedway Park-NP Pat Ward
Thr-Feb 12 Volusia Speedway Park-NP Pat Ward
Fri-Feb 13 Volusia Speedway Park-NP Jamie Mills
Sat-Feb 14 Volusia Speedway Park-NP Brett Hearn
Sat-Mar 28 Hagerstown Speedway rain-cancelled
Sun-Apr 26 Big Diamond Raceway Duane Howard
Sat-Jun 6 Lebanon Valley Speedway Matt Sheppard
Sun-Jun 7 Airborne Speedway rain-cancelled
Wed-Jun 17 Orange Co Fair Speedway Bily Decker
Fri-Jul 3 Ransomville Speedway Brett Hearn
Sat-Jul 4 Fulton Speedway Alan Johnson
Thr-Jul 9 Brockville Ont Speedway Brett Hearn
Fri-Jul 10 Autodrome Granby Billy Decker
Sat-Jul 11 Autodrome Drummond -rain-
Sun-Jul 12 Cornwall Motor Speedway -rain-
Sat-Jul 18 Cayuga Co Fair Speedway Ryan Phelps
Sun-Jul 19 Cayuga Co Fair Speedway Ryan Phelps ($20,000-to-win)
Mon-Aug 3 Merrittville Speedway Thorold,ONT
Fri-Aug 7 Brewerton Speedway Brewerton,NY
Sat-Aug 8 Canandaigua Speedway Canandaigua,NY
Fri-Aug 21 Can-Am Motorsports Park LaFargeville,NY
Thr-Aug 27 Lebanon Valley Speedway West Lebanon,NY ($17,500-to-win)
Sun-Sep 6 Cayuga Co Fair Speedway Weedsport,NY
Mon-Sep 7 Rolling Wheels Raceway Elbridge,NY
Fri-Sep 11 Lernerville Speedway Sarver,PA
Sat-Sep 19 -TBA-
Sat-Sep 26 Rolling Wheels Raceway Elbridge,NY
Sun-Oct 11 New York State Fairgrnds Syracuse,NY ($50,000-to-win)
Sun-Oct 18 -TBA-
Sun-Oct 25 -TBA-
The Big-Block Modified Super DIRTcar Series is brought to fans across the Northeast by several sponsors and partners, including series sponsors Hoosier Racing Tire www.hoosiertire.com and VP Racing Fuels www.vpracingfuels.com. Promotional partners include Rite Aid Corporation www.riteaid.com, Dig Safely New York www.digsafelynewyork.com and the University of Northwestern Ohio www.unoh.com and the contingency sponsors are Bars Leaks www.barsproducts.com, Bert Transmission www.berttransmission.com, Bicknell Racing Products www.bicknellracingproducts.com, Bilstein Shocks www.bilstein.com, Brodix Cylinder Heads www.brodix.com, Ferris Industries www.ferrisindustries.com, Integra Shocks www.integrashocksandsprings.com, Intercomp www.intercomp-racing.com, KSE Racing Products www.kse-racing.com, Motorsports Safety Systems www.motorsportssafetysystems.com, Penske Shocks, www.penskeshocks.com, Racing Electronics www.racingelectronics.com, Rislone Oil Stabilizer www.barsproducts.com and Wrisco Industries www.wrisco.com.
