By Martin Bélanger
BROCKVILLE, ONT – OCTOBER 17, 2011 – Billy Decker backed up his Nationwide Insurance 150 victory at Super DIRT Week with a DIRTcar 358-Modified Super DIRTcar Series victory at Brockville Ontario Speedway, but it was Danny Johnson who held on to win his second consecutive DIRTcar 358-Modified Super DIRTcar Series championship.
After two days of wet weather at Brockville Ontario Speedway, Mother Nature finally cooperated and allowed the Sunday portion of the DIRTcar Northeast Fall Nationals to be run.
Billy Decker led the 30-car starting field to the green and immediately jumped into the early lead, but attention was focused towards the middle of the pack where a three-car pile up saw Bobby Herrington end rolling his 358-modified on the front stretch during the first lap. All drivers involved were okay.
When racing resumed, it was all Decker at the front of the field. Decker would remain unchallenged in the early stages of the race, but the race for the Series championship was heating up behind him.
Coming into the Brockville race, three drivers found themselves in contention to pick up the Series crown. By the half way point in the race, all three drivers found themselves in the top-5, with Carey Terrance running second, Series points leader Danny Johnson running third, and Danny O’Brien running fifth.
With Johnson running a solid third, Terrance turned his focus to winning the race, and began running down Decker for the race lead.
On lap-73, Terrance would blast into the race lead and appeared destined to pick up his first career 358-Series victory. However, Decker was not to be denied, he caught Terrance and forced the Hogansburg, New York driver to make a mistake on lap-86, as Terrance hopped the cushion in turn 2 and gave Decker the lead.
From there, it was all Billy Decker, who pulled away to pick up the victory. “John Wight gave me a good car today. I really need to thank him and this crew today,” explained Decker in victory lane.
Danny O’Brien would make a late race pass on Terrance or second, Terrance would hold onto third, with brothers Pat and Tim O’Brien rounding out the top-5. Danny Johnson would run a conservative race and finish in 6th, good enough to pick up the Series championship.
DIRTcar 358-Modified Super DIRTcar Series Race #9—Brockville Ontario Speedway, Northeast Falls Nationals, September 9, 2011 Event Summary
Feature Results: 1) Billy Decker, 2) Danny O’Brien, 3) Carey Terrance, 4) Pat O’Brien, 5) Tim O’Brien, 6) Danny Johnson, 7) Mat Williamson, 8) Matt Billings, 9) Mike Adderley, 10) Tommy Flannigan, 11) Yan Bussiere, 12) Andre Gauthier, 13) Gage Morin, 14) Laurent Ladouceur, 15) Joe Banks, 16) Pierre Dagenais, 17) Clement Therrien, 18) Mario Clair, 19) Roy Tarbell, 20) Travis Braun, 21) Steve Bernard, 22) Kevin Hamel, 23) Kayle Robidoux, 24) Dale Planck, 25) Bruno Lepage, 26) Clayton Benedict, 27) Dany Bilodeau, 28) Larry Wight, 29) Bobby Herrington, 30) Stephane Lafrance
LAP LEADERS:
Decker (1-72)
Terrance (73-85)
Decker (86-100)
358-Modified Series Fast Time Award : Danny O’Brien
Heat Races (8 laps, top 4 finishers transferred to the feature, top 2 went to redraw)
#1: Decker, D.O’Brien, Clair, Braun, Gauthier, J.McCreadie, Moore, Morin
#2: Planck, T.O’Brien, Lafrance, P.O’Brien, Bussière, Currier, Benedict, Levesque
#3: Wight, Bernard, Bilodeau, Therrien, Lepage, Lalancette, Banks, Cashman
#4: Billings, D.Johnson, Terrance, Ladouceur, Adderley, Williamson, Tarbell
#5 : Robidoux, Dagenais, Flannigan, Hamel, Herrington, Mulder, McDonald (DNS), Riddell (DNS)
Consolation Races (10 laps, top 4 finishers transferred to the feature)
#1: Williamson, Lepage, Herrington, Banks, Gauthier, Levesque, Currier
#2: Adderley, Bussière, Benedict, Morin, Tarbell, Justin Lalancette, Mulder, McCreadie
Brockville Ontario Speedway MrDIRTcar 358-Modified Series Race #9 Roster (40)
1 Clayton Benedict/Awkesasne, Ny
6 Pat O’Brien/Kingston, ONT
6m Mat Williamson/St.Catharines,ONT
7 Roy Tarbell/Awkesasne, NY
9 Jason Riddell/Brockville, ONT
10 Tim Currier/Auburn,NY
12 John Mulder/Brockville, ONT
13 Kevin Hamel/Sorel,QUE
16 Gage Morin/St.Andrews, ONT
17 Marc Therrien/Alexandria, ONT
17D Danny O’Brien/Kingston,ONT
21 Yan Bussiere/Drummondville,QUE
22c Mario Clair/St-Edmond,QUE
23b Dany Bilodeau/Victoriaville,QUE
23l Laurent Ladouceur/Alexandria, ONT
24b Roger Levesque/Cornwall,ONT
25 Bobby Herrington/Kingston, ONT
27j Danny Johnson/Rochester,NY
35 Adam Moore/Brockville, ONT
46 Kayle Robidoux/St-Constant,QUE
54 Steve Bernard/St Paul Abbotsford,QUE
66x Carey Terrance/Akwesasne,NY
72 Tommy Flannigan/St.Catharines,ONT
74 Matt Billings/Brockville, ONT
75j Joe Banks/Brockville, ONT
76 Travis Braun/Jordan Station,ONT
77x Dale Planck/Cortland, NY
86 Pat Cashman/Chelsea, Que
88 Tim O’Brien/Kingston, ONT
91 Billy Decker/Unadilla,NY
92 Adam Turner/Kingston, ONT
93 Jordan McCreadie/Watertown, NY
96 Brian McDonald/Cornwall,ONT
98H Justin Lalancette/Cornwall, Ont
99a Mike Adderley, Charlotte, NC
99L Larry Wight/Phoenix,NY
99 Bruno Lepage/Maple Grove, QUE
115 Stéphane Lafrance/Casselman, ONT
124 Pierre DagenaisGatineau,QUE
172 André Gauthier/Granby, QUE
2011 MrDIRTcar 358-Modified Series Schedule
Monday, May 23 Merrittville Speedway Merrittville, ONT 100 – Brett Hearn
Sunday, July 31 Cornwall Speedway Cornwall, ONT 100 – Dale Planck
Friday, Sept. 9 Autodrome Drummond Drummondville, QUE 75 – Danny Johnson
Friday, Sept. 16 Mohawk International Raceway Akwesasne,NY 75 – Billy Decker
Sunday, Sept. 25 Cornwall Speedway Cornwall, ONT 100 – Stephane Lafrance
Wednesday, Oct. 5 Cayuga County Fair Speedway Weedsport,NY 75 – Dale Planck
Thursday, Oct. 6 Rolling Wheels Raceway Park Elbridge,NY 75 – Danny Johnson
Saturday, Oct. 8 New York State Fairgrounds Syracuse,NY 150 – Billy Decker
Sunday, Oct. 16 Brockville Speedway Brockville, ONT 100 – Billy Decker
DIRTcar Racing in the Northeast Region is brought to fans by several sponsors and partners; including Hoosier Racing Tire; VP Racing Fuels; GM Performance Parts, Nationwide Insurance and Safety-Kleen. Promotional partners include the University of Northwestern Ohio and Chizmark Larson Insurance Agency. Contingency sponsors are ASI; Bert Transmissions; Bicknell Racing Products; Bilstein Shocks; Brodix; ButlerBuilt; Comp Cams; Intercomp; JE Pistons; KSE Racing Products; Motorsports Safety Systems; MSD Ignition; Penske Shocks; Racing Electronics; R2C; Super Flow; Vicci Racing Apparel; WIX Filters; Wrisco Industries; Xtreme Lubricants and Extreme Mufflers.
