Syracuse, NY – October 8, 2009 – By Tom Skibinski, DIRTcar Racing Northeast PR Director
North country standout Tim Fuller from Edwards, N.Y. continued at speed on the Syracuse Mile, capturing his second straight Integra Shocks Fast Time award Thursday to secure the pole-position start for the Super DIRTcar Series Rite Aid 200 Presented By Ferris & Snapper Mowers scheduled for Sunday at the New York State Fairgrounds. Fuller led off the third of five groups that took time and the 2004 Rite Aid Champion made the best of the washboard-like track conditions, winning the $2,500 American Traditions Motorsports Pole Award after touring the historic Syracuse Mile in a one-lap clocking of 30.300 sec. (118.812 mph).
“Have to give Steve (Hastings) and Joe (Knoth) a lot of credit, they came here with some top-notch equipment,” stated Fuller, after besting a full field of 76 open-wheel entries to match his starting positions earned in both the 2006 and ‘08 editions of DIRTcar Racing’s prize jewel event for the Big-Block Modifieds. “These (owners) put in a fresh Precision motor that really draws down the straightaways, and that’s what you really need around here.”
“I don’t plan to make many changes, just haven’t needed to tweak this car too much the last couple years. The track was pretty tough out there but with so much rain lately you can’t really ask for much more, it is what it is. This is Super DIRT Week at the Syracuse Mile and everybody wants to be here,” added Fuller, who finished fifth in last year’s annual 200-lapper on the notorious Moody Mile and remains a solid contender steering the Smith Bros. Concrete Foundations no. 74 Hudson Valley Concrete Pumping/TEO machine.
Headlining a list of drivers cracking the top-six for the first time to earn guaranteed starter status in Sunday’s Modified main were second-generation chauffeur Dale Planck from Cortland, N.Y., Randy Sherlock (4th) from Milford, Pa. and Jerry Higbie (5th) from Newburgh, N.Y. Four-time Rite Aid 200 winner Billy Decker (3rd fastest) from Unadilla, N.Y. and local driver Jimmy Phelps (6th) from Baldwinsville, N.Y., winner of the Rite Aid pole in 2007, filled out the front three rows.
12th fasted time trialer ‘Super Matt’ Sheppard will start seventh in DIRTcar NE’s signature race on Sunday by virtue of his victory at Rolling Wheels Raceway Park on September 26 while Brett Hearn (14th TT) will file in outside row four after his third-place finish during the same Rolling Wheels World Series Weekend finale.
“The best thing is everybody knows I’m in the race now,” beamed Planck, after putting owner Carey Terrance’s RezX Racing no. 77x Grow It Hydroseeding-Jreck Subs/TEO ride in the spotlight during opening day action in the 38th Annual Salt City showdown. “I just can’t believe I’m here.”
“This car ran good here last year. We put it away for the year and brought it out again this week so we’re excited for the chance to do well. With Tim the only one ahead of me I kinda feel like I’m first in the big picture. We know we have a good car, now we’ll just give it our best shot on Sunday and try to be there at the end,” added Planck, who also leads the points chase in a bid for his first-ever overall Hoosier Tire-VP Racing Fuels Mr. DIRTcar Championship in the 358-Modified ranks.
After timing second quickest earlier in the afternoon during qualifying for the ‘Salute To The Troops 150’ 358-Modified Championship to be run on Saturday, Decker settled for third fastest on the Moody Mile in his familiar red LJL Racing no. 91 Gypsum Wholesalers-Stadium Int’l-Quality Hardwoods/Bicknell entry.
”I was hoping for a better view up front but I’m tickled to be locked into the top-six, I’ll certainly sleep a little better tonight,” remarked Decker, who garnered his fourth Rite Aid 200 Championship in 2005, the year after establishing the all-time single-lap record for a Modified as he circled the Syracuse Mile in a time of 28.348sec. (126.993mph). “I got a little loose out there in turns three and four and that was the difference. Regardless, our plans haven’t changed one bit, everything we do is geared up to win on Sunday.”
The remainder of the Rite Aid 200 field will come from Friday’s Modified Triple 20’s and the ‘Dig Safely New York Shootout’ last-chance qualifier on Sunday, with the 4th Annual “Win And You’re In” Big-Block/Small-Block Super Shootout at Rolling Wheels giving the 25-lap feature winner an automatic 45th-place starting spot in this year’s marquee event.
Super DIRT Week XXXVIII action continues on Friday afternoon with the Big-Block Modified Triple 20s and 358-Modified Twin 20s taking center stage on the NYS Fairgrounds oval, followed immediately by Sportsman Time Trials along with World of Outlaws Sprint Car ‘King of the Mile’ exhibition dash and Pro Stock practice.
But that’s not all as the action then moves over to Rolling Wheels Raceway Park for a 358-Modified/Sportsman Hoosier-VP Mr. DIRTcar Series doubleheader while across town Cayuga County Fair Speedway hosts a 360 Sprint Car Challenge under the lights plus a full car of full-fender racing featuring the ’09 Parts Plus Big Six Street stock Series finale.
SUPER DIRT WEEK XXXVIII MODIFIED TIME TRIALS, NYS Fairgrounds, Oct. 8
FAST AVE
1 30.300 118.812 74 Tim Fuller/Edwards,NY
*$2,500 – American Traditions Motorsports Pole
2 30.402 118.413 77x Dale Planck/Cortland,NY
*$1,500 – TEO Pro Car Outside Pole
$1,500 – TEO Pro Car Outside Pole
3 30.439 118.269 91 Billy Decker/Unadilla,NY
4 30.591 117.682 10 Randy Sherlock/Milford,PA
5 30.644 117.478 66 Jerry Higbie/Newburgh,NY
6 30.659 117.421 98h Jimmy Phelps/Baldwinsville,NY
7 30.722 117.180 1th Tim Hindley/Monticello,NY
8 30.723 117.176 42p Pat Ward/Genoa,NY
9 30.726 117.165 7 Rich Laubach/Quakertown,PA
10 30.773 116.986 88 J.R. Heffner/Stephentown,NY
11 30.778 116.967 57 Donnie Corellis/Averill Park,NY
12 30.786 116.936 9s Matt Sheppard/Waterloo,NY
13 30.896 116.520 98 Eddie Marshall/Ridgefield,CT
14 30.899 116.509 20 Brett Hearn/Sussex,NJ
15 30.968 116.249 90 Martin Roy/Napierville,QUE
16 30.976 116.219 27j Danny Johnson/Rochester,NY
17 30.986 116.182 111 Shawn Donath/South Onondaga.NY
18 30.999 116.133 02 Roy Bresnahan/Palermo,NY
19 31.019 116.058 44f Stewart Friesen/Niagara-o-t-Lake,ONT
20 31.074 115.852 8 Rich Scagliotta/Bound Brook,NJ
21 31.076 115.845 3 Justin Haers/Phelps,NY
22 31.083 115.819 14 Jimmy Horton/Neshanic Station,NJ
23 31.121 115.678 19h Chris Higgins/Syracuse,NY
24 31.123 115.670 24 Chris Shultz/Pawling,NY
25 31.172 115.488 56 Vince Vitale/Phoenix,NY
26 31.207 115.359 26 Ryan Godown/Ringoes,NJ
27 31.240 115.237 29 Jeff Brownell Jr./Geneva,NY
28 31.275 115.108 39 Tim McCreadie/Watertown,NY
29 31.293 115.042 19 Kenny Brightbill/Sinking Springs,PA
30 31.325 114.924 43 Keith Flach/Ravena,NY
31 31.347 114.844 32c Vic Coffey/Leicester,NY
32 31.385 114.704 2rj Ronnie Johnson/Duanesburg,NY
33 31.422 114.569 1h David Hebert/St. Damase,QUE
34 31.432 114.533 99 Ryan Phelps/Fulton,NY
35 31.469 114.398 84 Gary Tomkins/Clifton Springs,NY
36 31.491 114.318 44 Frank Cozze/Wind Gap,PA
37 31.540 114.141 28p Eldon Payne,Jr./Hopewell,NY
38 31.545 114.123 14m Doug Manmiller/Shoemakersville,PA
39 31.550 114.105 35w Willy Decker/Vernon,NY
40 31.557 114.079 usa1 Richie Tobias Jr./Anneville,PA
41 31.600 113.924 41 Jeff Strunk/Mohnton,PA
42 31.611 113.884 62s Tom Sears Jr./Clay,NY
43 31.614 113.874 34 Andy Bachetti/Sheffield,MA
44 31.642 113.773 49 Billy Dunn/Watertown,NY
45 31.650 113.744 85 Ted Lamb Jr./Clay,NY
46 31.652 113.737 21m Bob McGannon/Garnerville,NY
47 31.657 113.719 14j Alan Johnson/Middlesex,NY
48 31.753 113.375 45 Wayne Jelley/Pittsfield,MA
49 31.754 113.372 93x Craig Mitchell/Wappingers Falls,NY
50 31.808 113.179 673 Mitch Gibbs/North Norwich,NY
51 31.849 113.033 m40 Mark Forte,Jr./Blue Anchor,NJ
52 31.876 112.938 42 Pete Bicknell/St.Catharines,ONT
53 31.930 112.747 99L Larry Wight/Phoenix,NY
54 31.945 112.694 115 Kenny Tremont/West Sand Lake,NY
55 32.000 112.500 151kb Brian McDonald/Cornwall,ONT
56 32.115 112.097 35 Mike Perrotte/Elizabethtown,NY
57 32.128 112.052 48too Dave Rauscher/Waterloo,NY
58 32.144 111.996 87x Paul Gilardi/Pittsfield,MA
59 32.170 111.906 22 Larry Lampman,Jr./Port Colborne,ONT
60 32.357 111.259 4* Michael Storms/Wantage,NJ
61 32.515 110.718 14b Brian Swarthout/Beaver Dams,NY
62 32.564 110.552 96 Todd Milton/Auburn,NY
63 32.601 110.426 6n Grant Hilfiger/Canadensis,PA
64 32.683 110.149 08 Mark D’Ilario/Smithville,ONT
65 32.780 109.823 0 Dan Humes/Canaan,CT
66 32.883 109.479 1ny Greg Atkins/Clintonville,NY
67 33.058 108.900 83 Brian Swartzlander/Leechburg,PA
68 33.238 108.310 3j Marc Johnson/Guilderland,NY
69 33.704 106.812 36 Brett Graham/Accord,NY
70 -NT- —– 007 Roy Tarbell/Akwesasne, NY
71 -NT- —– 13 Tony Steiner/Jamesville,NY
72 -NT- —– 22 Mike Bruno/Castleton,VT
73 -NT- —– 24x Patrick Dupree/Saranac Lake,NY
74 -NT- —– 24z Jessica Zemken/Sprakers,NY
75 -NT- —– 76a Ronnie Johnson/Duanesburg,NY
76 -NT- —– 83x Tom Sears Jr./Clay,NY
*Top-6 locked into front three rows.
– 76 Cars Entered
