Syracuse,NY — Modified qualifying races for the 150-lap ‘Salute to the Troops’ 358-Modified Championship got underway amidst sun-drenched skies Friday with Big-Block stars Billy Decker and Brett Hearn taking checkered flags in the Pullen’s Truck Center Twin 20s at the New York State Fairgrounds.
Decker led every lap of the opening heat race while Hearn took advantage of a lap seven restart to overtake Mario Clair and both open-wheel veterans went on to collect $1,000 top prizes for their 20-mile victories.
“I have to thank Vic (Coffey) for giving me enough room getting into turn that first lap, without that deal its gonna be a big mess,” said Decker, who will start third on the grid Saturday in quest of a third Super DIRT Week 358-Modified Championship on the Syracuse Mile steering the LJL Racing Gypsum Wholesalers-Stadium International/Bicknell mount. “I really appreciate his sportsmanship.”
“Been working more on the Big-Block, its been off the pace a little bit so far. We took this car out for the first time yesterday in time trials and today its no different. The track has been a little different from what we expected so I guess its no surprise that it changed a little today,” Decker said.
Coffey chased Decker for the first half of the race before the two frontrunners reached traffic. Coffey suddenly dropped off the pace with mechanical problems and headed pitside with 14 lap complete, handing second-place to Andy Bachetti. Decker from Unadilla, New York opened nearly a half-track lead in the caution-free 20-lap affair, with Tim Fuller, Frenchman Martin Roy and area favorite Pat Ward filling out the final front-five.
Reigning overall Mr. DIRTcar 358-Modified points king Mario Clair jumped ahead early in the 20-lap closer yet following a caution for a turn three-four wall-banging incident involving Shawn Donath and Brad Shova gave up the point to Hearn on the ensuing lap seven restart.
“We had a really good restart and that was the difference in the race today,” said Hearn, the defending SDW 358 title event title-holder who has reached victory lane four times in Saturday’s Small-Block main. Tomorrow he’ll start sixth aboard Vinny Salerno’s no. 4 Four Star Transmissions-Kruger-Kosakowski Plumbing/TEO entry sporting a potent Pat Morrison-prepared powerplant. “Its only a heat race so I can’t get overly excited but it’s a good start to the week.”
“Early on I could’ve taken it a little deeper in turn one, just didn’t want to cause any problems so I backed away to let those guys get out there. I could reel in the #22 car (Clair) but the car started pushing when I stuck my nose in so I would drop back a three or four car-lengths until I could build up a head of steam again,” Hearn noted, who resides in Sussex, New Jersey.
Canadian Larry Lampman Jr., yesterday’s 358-Modified ‘Futures’ winner, settled for the runner-up position 2-seconds behind while Jimmy Phelps, current Mr. DIRTcar 358-Modified points leader Bicknell and Clair rounded out the top-five under the checkers.
The Pullen Truck Center Twin 20s qualifiers set the stage for the 29th edition of the ‘Salute To The Troops’ 150, the featured race for Small-Block Modifieds on Saturday of Super DIRT Week XXXVII. Following the Mr. DIRTcar 358-Modified Series event Friday night at Rolling Wheels Raceway Park, a strong 40-plus car starting field will fill out the grid for the headline event that pays $20,000 to the winner and gets underway at 2 p.m.
SUPER DIRT WEEK XXXVII 358-MODIFIED TWIN 20s RESULTS
*Pullen’s Truck Center Heat #1
FIN CAR# DRIVER
1 91 Billy Decker/Unadilla,NY
2 4 Andy Bachetti/Great Barrington,MA
3 19F Tim Fuller/Edwards,NY
4 90 Martin Roy/Napierville,QUE
5 42P Pat Ward/Genoa,NY
6 14 Rick Laubach/Hellertown,PA
7 3B Chad Brachmann/Sanborn,NY
8 55J Danny Johnson/Rochester,NY
9 99 Mike Adderley/Charlotte,NC
10 115 Kenny Tremont/West Sand Lake,NY
11 1X Matt Sheppard/Waterloo,NY
12 19 Joe Williams/Scotia,NY
13 72 Tommy Flannigan/St.Catharines,ONT
14 3 Kim LaVoy/Nassau,NY
15 22 Eric Gauvreau/Chelsea,QUE
16 4B Dan Burl/East Nassau,NY
17 1NY Greg Atkins/Clintonville,NY
18 14M Mitchell Jock/Akwesasne,NY
19 44 Casey Swamp/Akwesasne,NY
20 7A Al Blanchard/Fenwick,ONT
21 32C Vic Coffey/Leicester,NY
22 76A Jack Johnson/Duanesburg,NY
23 41B Brian Gagliardo/Bethel,PA
24 99L Larry Wight/Phoenix,NY
DNS 21 Yan Bussiere/Drummondville,QUE
DNS 19K Paul Kinney/Vernon,NY
DNS 19Z Jessica Zemken/Sprakers,NY
DNS 84 Gary Tomkins/Clifton Springs,NY
*Pullen’s Truck Center Heat #2
FIN CAR# DRIVER
1 4* Brett Hearn/Sussex,NJ
2 22L Larry Lampman Jr./Port Colborne,ONT
3 98H Jimmy Phelps/Baldwinsville,NY
4 42 Pete Bicknell/St.Catharines,ONT
5 22 Mario Clair/St-Edmond,QUE
6 83 Tom Sears Jr./Clay,NY
7 22J Jeremy Wilder/Fort Plain,NY
8 45 Wayne Jelley/Pittsfield,MA
9 66X Carey Terrance/Hogansburg,NY
10 24 Chris Shultz/Pawling,NY
11 220 John Ferrier/Middletown,NY
12 24D Patrick Dupree/Saranac Lake,NY
13 7star Tim Jones/Sanborn,NY
14 16 Lance Willix/Theresa,NY
15 26 Rick Richner/Niagara Falls,NY
16 51 Jim VanAnden/Stormville,NY
17 34 Steve Hough/East Greenbush,NY
18 9 Mark Smoke/Akwesasne,NY
19 8 Jimmy Horton/Neshanic Station,NJ
20 87 Shawn Donath/S.Onondaga,NY
21 4S Brad Shova/North Bangor,NY
DNS 19L John Lazore/Hogansburg,NY
DNS 28P Eldon Payne,Jr./Hopewell,NY
DNS 17D Danny O’Brien/Kingston,ONT
DNS 73 Alain Boisvert/Pointe-Claire,QUE
DNS 5R Rob Hile/Syracuse,NY
DNS 007 Roy Tarbell/Hogansburg,NY
“SALUTE TO THE TROOPS” 150
MR. DIRTcar 358-MODIFIED CHAMPIONSHIP STARTING LINE-UP
STR CAR# DRIVER
1 32C Vic Coffey/Leicester,NY
2 22C Mario Clair/St-Edmond,QUE
3 91 Billy Decker/Unadilla,NY
4 22L Larry Lampman Jr./Port Colborne,ONT
5 4 Andy Bachetti/Great Barrington,MA
6 4* Brett Hearn/Sussex,NJ
7 19F Tim Fuller/Edwards,NY
8 98H Jimmy Phelps/Baldwinsville,NY
9 90 Martin Roy/Napierville,QUE
10 42 Pete Bicknell/St.Catharines,ONT
11 42P Pat Ward/Genoa,NY
12 83 Tom Sears Jr./Clay,NY
13 14 Rick Laubach/Hellertown,PA
14 22J Jeremy Wilder/Fort Plain,NY
15 3B Chad Brachmann/Sanborn,NY
16 45 Wayne Jelley/Pittsfield,MA
17 55J Danny Johnson/Rochester,NY
18 66X Carey Terrance/Hogansburg,NY
19 99 Mike Adderley/Charlotte,NC
20 24 Chris Shultz/Pawling,NY
21 115 Kenny Tremont/West Sand Lake,NY
22 220 John Ferrier/Middletown,NY
23 1X Matt Sheppard/Waterloo,NY
24 24D Patrick Dupree/Saranac Lake,NY
25 19 Joe Williams/Scotia,NY
26 7star Tim Jones/Sanborn,NY
27 72 Tommy Flannigan/St.Catharines,ONT
28 16 Lance Willix II/Theresa,NY
29 3 Kim LaVoy/Nassau,NY
30 26 Rick Richner/Niagara Falls,NY
31 22 Eric Gauvreau/Chelsea,QUE
32 51 Jim VanAnden/Stormville,NY
33 4B Dan Burl/East Nassau,NY
34 34 Steve Hough/East Greenbush,NY
35 1NY Greg Atkins/Clintonville,NY
36 9 Mark Smoke/Akwesasne,NY
37 14M Mitchell Jock/Akwesasne,NY
38 8 Jimmy Horton/Neshanic Station,NJ
39 44 Casey Swamp/Akwesasne,NY
40 87 Shawn Donath/S.Onondaga,NY
41 7A Al Blanchard/Fenwick,ONT
42 4S Brad Shova/North Bangor,NY
43 76A Jack Johnson/Duanesburg,NY
44 41B Brian Gagliardo/Bethel,PA
45 99L Larry Wight/Phoenix,NY
46 21 Yan Bussiere/Drummondville,QUE
*Top-6 locked in from Thursday time trials;
*Positions 7-26 locked in from Friday Pullen’s Truck Center Twin-20s;
*Positions 27-46 filled in by Guaranteed/Provisional Starters;
*Position 47 filled in by Rolling Wheels Qualifier.
SUPER DIRT WEEK XXXVII EVENTS SCHEDULE: Oct. 11 – Oct. 12, 2008
*All tmes and events subject to change.
DAY-DATE TIME EVENT
Sat-10/11 8am Pit Gates Open, BNC Motorsports Pro Stock Inspection Open;
9:00am Syracuse 150 358-Modified Championship Driver and Crew Chief Meeting (in pit building);
9:15am Town Mechanical, Inc. Sportsman Driver’s Meeting (in pit building);
9:30am Grandstands Open, Track open for Syracuse 150 358-Modified Final Practice;
10am BNC Motorsports Pro Stock First Practice;
10:30am Town Mechanical, Inc. Sportsman Final Practice;
11:15am BNC Motorsports Pro Stock Practice Second Practice;
11:45am Dig Safely New York Sportsman Last Chance Qualifier;
12:15pm Terrell’s Potato Chips Pro Stock Time Trials (2-laps, Top-24 Qualify);
1:30pm Syracuse 150 358-Modified Championship Pre-Race ceremonies;
2pm Syracuse 358-Modified Championship (150 laps, 40 cars to start);
4pm Town Mechanical, Inc. Sportsman Championship (30 laps, 30 cars to start);
7pm ESS/URC/ASCS PSG Sprint Challenge at Rolling Wheels Raceway.
7:30pm Pullen’s Truck Center presents the SUNY Canton “Win and You’re In” Big-Block/Small-Block Twin 25’s plus BRP CanAm Late Model Series at Cayuga County Fair Speedway (Mod Overall Winner Earns 45th starting spot in the Rite Aid 200).
Sun-10/12 8am Pit Gates Open;
9:15am BNC Motorsports Pro Stock Driver’s Meeting (in pit building);
9:30am AAP Rite Aid 200 Modified Driver and Crew Chief Meeting (in pit building);
10am Grandstands Open, Track Open for Pro Stock Final Practice;
10:20am Advance Auto Parts Series Rite Aid 200 Final practice;
10:45am Dig Safely New York Pro Stock Last Chance Qualifier;
11:15am Dig Safely New York Modified Last Chance Qualifier;
11:45am Mandatory Advance Auto Parts Modified Top-30 Autograph Signing under grandstand (Top 30 in Thursday Time Trials);
12:00pm BNC Motorsports Pro Stock Championship (25 laps, 30 cars to start);
12:45-1:45pm Rite Aid Cold Pit Tour of Pit Row;
1:30pm Rite Aid 200 Modified Championship Pre-Race ceremonies;
2:15pm Rite Aid 200 Modified Championship (200 laps, 44 cars to start)
Mon-10/13 -TBA- Rain Date for Saturday or Sunday events.
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 www.advanceautoparts.com.
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, Hoosier Racing Tire and Sunoco Race Fuels. Promotional partners include AMB i.t., Rite Aid Corporation and the University of Northwestern Ohio and the contingency sponsors are Bert Transmission, Bicknell Racing Products, Bilstein Shocks, Brodix Cylinder Heads, Crane Cams, Integra Shocks, MSD Ignitions, Motorsports Safety Systems, Penske Shocks and Wrisco Industries.
