SYRACUSE, NY – Oct. 9, 2011 – By Kevin Kovac/DIRTcar Racing P.R. – Billy Dunn of Watertown, N.Y., continued his breakout Super DIRT Week on Saturday afternoon, romping to victory in the 20-lap Safety-Kleen Shootout II at the New York State Fairgrounds.
Dunn, 27, earned $2,500 for triumphing in the special event, which featured a 10-car field comprised of DIRTcar Modified champions and selected wildcard entries. The checkered flag came after he put his Bicknell car on the outside pole for Sunday’s SEF 200 Presented by Ferris and Snapper during time trials on Thursday and won a 20-lap heat race under the lights on Friday.
“I’m just trying to take it all in, take it one day at a time,” Dunn said of his head-turning performance at the famed Syracuse Mile. “I’m thrilled with how we’ve run so far this week, but Sunday is still the important day so I’m trying to keep everything in perspective and concentrate on tomorrow.”
Dunn was plenty focused in the Safety-Kleen Shootout II. He needed just five laps to hustle his Bicknell No. 49 forward from the fourth starting spot and grab the lead from second-starter Kenny Tremont of West Sand Lake, N.Y.
“I just got a really good start and I saw Kenny was having a lot of trouble getting off of (turn) two,” said Dunn, who won the 2011 championship at Can-Am Motorsports Park in Lafargeville, N.Y. “I found something a little higher on the track. There was a little rubber just coming off the corner, so I was able to get just good enough of a run to get in front of him. Once I got in clean air I just cruised.”
Dunn drove away from the field, easily beating Tremont to the finish line by a commanding 9.347 seconds. Tremont gained entry to the event as the ’11 titlist at Glen Ridge Motorsports Park in Fultonville, N.Y.
Teenager Larry Wight of Phoenix, N.Y. – a wildcard entry – finished third, followed by Mr. DIRTcar 358-Modified Safety-Kleen champion David Hebert of St-Damase, Que., and five-time SEF 200 champ Brett Hearn of Sussex, N.J.
Dunn hopes his Safety-Kleen Shootout victory provides him a boost into Sunday’s SEF 200, which is scheduled to take the green flag at 2 p.m.
“That track was definitely different today than it’s been all week so we learned some things, but we still got some work to do,” said Dunn. “We’re gonna give it our best shot.”
For more information on Super DIRT Week XL, log on to www.SuperDirtWeekOnline.com.
Safety Kleen Shootout Finish (20 laps): 1. Billy Dunn $2,500, 2. Kenny Tremont $1,000, 3. Larry Wight $750, 4. David Hebert $500, 5. Brett Hearn $400, 6. Jimmy Phelps $300, 7. Billy Decker $200, 8. Matt Sheppard $200, 9. Andy Bachetti $200, 10. Danny Johnson $200
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.
