Syracuse, NY — Syracuse, NY – October 9, 2008 – By Tom Skibinski, DIRTcar Racing NorthEast PR Director
The 2008 edition of the ‘Salute To the Troops’ 358-Modified Championship will feature an internationally acclaimed front row as Western New Yorker Vic Coffey and Frenchman Mario Clair will share the top two positions when Saturday’s Super DIRT Week Small-Block finale at the New York State Fairgrounds gets the first green flag.
Coffey, the defending Rite Aid 200 Big-Block Modified Champion on the Syracuse Mile, pocketed $1,000 for winning the Troyer Race Cars Pole Award (32.000 sec.) while reigning overall Hoosier Tire Mr. DIRTcar 358-Modified titlist Clair collected $500 for grabbing the Troyer Race Cars Outside Pole Award (32.097). Coffey and Clair set fast times in 358-Modified qualifying on Thursday afternoon from a pool of 56 drivers registered to run under the clocks on Qualifying Day.
“You gotta get everything you can in time trials and luckily we had a good day,” remarked Coffey, who sat on the pole in the Super DIRT Week Small-Block finale in 2001 when the top-10 qualifiers redrew for starting spots. Thursday marked the first year he set fast time. “I’m not usually in the front for time trials so I went over to the trailer and forgot about coming here for this deal. I just went over quick to talk about some adjustments on the Big-Block car.”
“You don’t want to drift the car too much out there, keep it going in a straight line. It’s a little dusty getting off turn four and if you get up in it, it just kills your time. I just tried to stay down in the better part of the groove and fortunately it worked out,” added Coffey, who ended Super DIRT Week ’07 on a high note with a Rite Aid 200 victory and opened SDW ’08 with pole position in the 150-Mile 358-Modified main.
Clair was in the third of four groups to take time and quietly posted second-best time, briefly holding the fastest speed until Coffey followed the St-Edmond, Quebec pilot four cars later. “The car is perfect and the Morrison motor is very fast,” said Clair in broken English after becoming the fastest Frenchman in the Small-Block ranks on the Syracuse Mile.
Billy Decker (32.188 sec.) was third quick, Larry Lampman Jr. (32.220) was fourth fastest, while three-time Lebanon valley Speedway Small-Block points king Andy Bachetti (32.268) and defending race winner Brett Hearn (32.281) filled out the top-six.
“That’s all we had , just went out there gave it our all,” said Decker, the Syracuse Small-Block champion in 1991 and 2002, setting fast time once in 2002. “Third isn’t all too bad, still got a pretty decent view when the race starts on Saturday so we’re looking forward to that.”
Canadian invader Lampman was making his first appearance in a 358-Modified ride and capitalized on the union of Miller Motorsports. “We were here in a Sportsman car about 10 years ago so just to be in these guy’s company is pretty humbling. This is the best of the best, I’m looking forward to Saturday. This whole deal is pretty awesome.”
A multi-time qualifier in the Super DIRT Week Small-Block Championship, Bachetti willl start outside row four in Saturday’s 150-lap 358-Modified finale. “I’d probably put the right gears in the car if I could go out again, but it happened to work in our favor today so I guess I can’t bitch too loud,” blared Bachetti, a three-time Lebanon Valley Small-Block points king.
Himself a five-time 358-Mod fast timer on the Moody mile, four-time race winner Hearn was sixth quickest with 56 entries slated to run under the clocks. “It was a good run, last year we timed 10th and still won. So we’re a little better this time. The car’s a little bit loose, track’s a little bit different but I’m happy right now being locked in for Saturday,” Hearn said.
Super DIRT Week XXXVII action continues on Friday afternoon with the Advance Auto Parts Big-Block Modified Triple 20s and Pullen’s Truck Center 358-Modified Twin 20s taking center stage on the NYS Fairgrounds oval followed immediately by P & M Fabrication/Motorsports Safety Systems Sportsman Time Trials. But that’s not all as the action then moves over to Rolling Wheels Raceway Park for a 358-Modified/Sportsman Mr. DIRTcar Series doubleheader while Cayuga County hosts round no. 4 of the Mr. DIRTcar Street Stock Championship Series.
SUPER DIRT WEEK XXXVII 358-MODIFIED TIME TRIALS, NYS Fairgrounds, Oct. 9
FAST AVE
TIME MPH CAR# DRIVER
1 32.000 112.500 32C Vic Coffey/Leicester,NY
*$1,000-Troyer Race Cars Pole Award
2 32.097 112.160 22 Mario Clair/St-Edmond,QUE
*$500-Troyer Race cars Outside Pole Award
3 32.188 111.843 91 Billy Decker/Unadilla,NY
4 32.220 111.732 22L Larry Lampman Jr./Port Colborne,ONT-f
5 32.268 111.566 4 Andy Bachetti/Great Barrington,MA
6 32.281 111.521 4* Brett Hearn/Sussex,NJ
7 32.326 111.365 90 Martin Roy/Napierville,QUE
8 32.396 111.125 98H Jimmy Phelps/Baldwinsville,NY
9 32.506 110.749 19F Tim Fuller/Edwards,NY
10 32.538 110.640 24 Chris Shultz/Pawling,NY
11 32.580 110.497 14 Rick Laubach/Hellertown,PA
12 32.597 110.440 83 Tom Sears Jr./Clay,NY
13 32.612 110.389 42P Pat Ward/Genoa,NY
14 32.623 110.352 42 Pete Bicknell/St.Catharines,ONT
15 32.747 109.934 3B Chad Brachmann/Sanborn,NY
16 32.749 109.927 22J Jeremy Wilder/Fort Plain,NY(2)-f
17 32.794 109.776 55J Danny Johnson/Rochester,NY
18 32.806 109.736 24D Patrick Dupree/Saranac Lake,NY
19 32.833 109.646 72 Tommy Flannigan/St.Catharines,ONT
20 32.839 109.626 220 John Ferrier/Middletown,NY
21 32.857 109.566 21 Yan Bussiere/Drummondville,QUE
22 32.860 109.556 45 Wayne Jelley/Pittsfield,MA
23 32.868 109.529 76A Jack Johnson/Duanesburg,NY
24 32.903 109.413 19L John Lazore/Hogansburg,NY
25 33.004 109.078 99 Mike Adderley/Charlotte,NC
26 33.114 108.715 8 Jimmy Horton/Neshanic Station,NJ
27 33.119 108.699 99L Larry Wight/Phoenix,NY
28 33.144 108.617 34 Steve Hough/East Greenbush,NY
29 33.245 108.287 19 Joe Williams/Scotia,NY-f
30 33.274 108.193 66X Carey Terrance/Hogansburg,NY
31 33.336 107.991 115 Kenny Tremont/West Sand Lake,NY
32 33.371 107.878 51 Jim VanAnden/Stormville,NY-f
33 33.445 107.639 4B Dan Burl/East Nassau,NY-f
34 33.618 107.085 7star Tim Jones/Sanborn,NY
35 33.637 107.025 3 Kim LaVoy/Nassau,NY
36 33.692 106.850 26 Rick Richner/Niagara Falls,NY
37 33.702 106.819 7A Al Blanchard/Fenwick,ONT
38 33.706 106.806 28P Eldon Payne,Jr./Hopewell,NY-f
39 33.735 106.714 22 Eric Gauvreau/Chelsea,QUE
40 33.804 106.496 9 Mark Smoke/Akwesasne,NY
41 33.845 106.367 19K Paul Kinney/Vernon,NY
42 33.881 106.254 17D Danny O’Brien/Kingston,ONT
43 33.907 106.173 19Z Jessica Zemken/Sprakers,NY
44 34.049 105.730 73 Alain Boisvert/Pointe-Claire,QUE
45 34.222 105.195 44 Casey Swamp/Akwesasne,NY-f
46 34.224 105.189 5R Rob Hile/Syracuse,NY-f
47 34.298 104.962 41B Brian Gagliardo/Bethel,PA-f
48 34.306 104.938 4S Brad Shova/North Bangor,NY
49 34.631 103.953 1NY Greg Atkins/Clintonville,NY-f
50 34.834 103.347 007 Roy Tarbell/Hogansburg,NY
51 -NT- —– 1X Matt Sheppard/Waterloo,NY
52 -NT- —– FX1 Frankie Caprara/Watertown,NY
53 -NT- —– 5 Todd Burley/Spencerport,NY
54 -NT- —– 14M Mitchell Jock/Akwesasne,NY
55 -NT- —– 48too Dave Rauscher/Waterloo,NY
56 -NT- —– 87 Shawn Donath/S.Onondaga,NY
*Top-6 locked into front three rows; 56 cars entered.
