Syracuse, NY<\/strong> \u2014 October 10, 2009 \u2013 By Tom Skibinski, DIRTcar Racing Northeast PR Director \n<\/strong> \nReigning Mr. DIRTcar Champion Billy Decker matched his Super DIRT Week success in a Big-Block on Saturday afternoon at the New York State Fairgrounds by scoring the fourth victory of his career in the headline 30th Annual \u2018Salute To The Troops\u2019 150 Championship for 358-Modifieds.<\/p>\n
Already a four-time titlist in the Rite Aid 200 for Big-Blocks, Decker inherited the lead when Frenchman Martin Roy made his pit stop with 99 laps posted on the scoreboard, then out-distanced another four-time winner Brett Hearn by 4.2-seconds to knock down his eighth Modified feature win on the historic Syracuse Mile.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat a day \u2026 the Gypsum Wholesalers car was really good, I can\u2019t thank my team enough as they got me in and out of the pits faster than anybody else today,\u201d remarked Decker, 44, after registering his third victory of 2009 in DIRTcar Northeast\u2019s sister Small-Block class, yet easily the biggest on the circuit this season as the Unadilla, New York veteran pocketed $20,000 for the LJL Racing no. 91 Gypsum Wholesalers\/Bicknell Race Team. \u201cThat was the key to the race.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ve got a lot of confidence in my guys, and that baby (engine) was hitting on all eight (cylinders) today. Would\u2019ve rather had to dice it out over speed at the end than lapped traffic but that\u2019s just how things worked out for us today,\u201d Decker said.<\/p>\n
Finishing another three seconds behind Hearn under the checkered flag was open-wheel veteran Kenny Tremont, while teenager Larry Wight, Larry Lampman Jr., Roy, Patrick Dupree, Rich Scagliotta and Mid-State Golf Cars Rookie of the Race Marc Johnson were the last to complete the prescribed 150-lap distance.<\/p>\n
\u201cMy wife Robin does the spotting and Scott (Jeffery, crew chief), they keep track of everybody out there. Scott still said \u2018let him go, let him go, we\u2019re just racing those guys behind us\u2019 when (Roy) was pulling way ahead,\u201d noted Decker, who won last year\u2019s 150-lapper after scoring a 50-lap victory in 1992 and then hitting Salt City paydirt in the \u201902 75-lapper.<\/p>\n
Overnight rain and early morning mist put a serious soaking on the storied State Fairgrounds oval, ultimately pushing back the feature race starting time over two hours from its original 1:45 p.m. slot. Once under green it took Decker another two hours to fulfill his mission with victory number eight on the fabled Moody Mile registered in decisive fashion.<\/p>\n
\u201cTomorrow\u2019s still the big day and we\u2019re looking forward to it even more right now,\u201d added Decker, after joining Hearn (1989), Tremont (1996-97) and \u2018Mr. Small-Block\u2019 Pete Bicknell (1982-83, 1998-2000) as the only drivers to capture back-to-back SDW 358-Mod Championships in its 30-year history. On Sunday Decker will be looking to tie Hearn\u2019s all-time mark of five Rite Aid 200 triumphs, with Hearn (1990) and Danny Johnson (2006) the only drivers ever to sweep Super DIRT Week Modified mains on the same weekend after Jeff Heotzler garnered the inaugural 15-lap BM&F Small-Block title in 1980.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat\u2019s what we came here for, the big one on Sunday, I\u2019m sure gonna try my best. Today I just had to make sure we kept some lapped cars between us and the guys were racing. It was a really good day with a happy ending,\u201d Decker said.<\/p>\n
While Decker and Hearn finished 1-2, under sunny, blue skies they also began the 150-lap finale on the front row and it was pole-sitter Hearn jumping out to an early lead to pace the 39-car starting field. A handful of yellow flags flew due to flat tires and a lap three crash by J.C. Flach in turn kept the pack close during the initial stages, with the fourth caution period the most pivotal as it opened up the pit window on lap 30.<\/p>\n
Chris Shultz shredded a right-rear tread on lap 28 and before the green lights reappeared all but 11 cars had ducked pit side either for new rubber or splash of fuel, with most prepared to go the remaining 120-mile distance. Those that didn\u2019t were new leader Roy, the recently crowned Airborne Speedway points champion on DIRTcar NE\u2019s only paved oval, Tremont, Quebecois Sebastien Gougeon in only his second trip to Syracuse, fellow Frenchman Mario Clair, Dave Rauscher, Dig Safely NY Last Chance Qualifier race winner Rich Scagliotta, Greg Atkins, Marc Johnson, Mark D\u2019Ilario, Michel Chicoine and Bicknell.<\/p>\n
When last year\u2019s SDW Sportsman winner Erick Rudolph slid up against the turn one wall to incur a fifth slowdown on lap 65, the remaining drivers except for Roy and Rauscher idled down pit row. Roy was quickest on the clocks up to this point, with Decker second fasted and already charging into the runner-up position when the grid refired for the ensuing lap 72 restart.<\/p>\n
The green flag dropped for just a moment as top-five runner Andy Bachetti went from high to low in a maneuver under the starter\u2019s stand, yet there was not enough clearance as the popular Sheffield, Mass. pilot got turned around and the no. 4 Garrity Asphalt-Albraeda Waste-Steve Hough Motors\/PMC ride rammed the end of the cement barrier at the end of pit lane to bring an abrupt halt to his day.<\/p>\n
The day suddenly got even brighter for Decker when a flat right-rear tire for race rookie Doug Faulker required caution number eight on the 98th circuit. At the end of the next circuit, Roy became the final driver to stop pitside moving Decker to the point and his nearest chasers Matt Sheppard, Hearn Rick Laubach and Tim Fuller all up an additional spot in time for the extended lap 108 restart.<\/p>\n
Only two more caution periods transpired over the next 40 laps yet the 11th and final slowdown on lap 146 for Decker\u2019s teammate Pat Ward put the top three cars together for a final two-lap dash for the cash. While runner-up Sheppard was forced pitside with an empty gas tank on lap 144, new second-place runner Fuller suffered the same consequence as he a limped through turn two on the final lap.<\/p>\n
The green lights stayed on as Decker cruised home for a 20 car-length victory over Hearn with 20 cars crossing under the final checkered flag and Decker\u2019s other teammate Wight running out of gas just after ending his best run in fourth.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe had a really good car today in open air in the beginning, then we struggled a little bit after getting through our pit stop,\u201d noted Hearn, after nursing home an ailing machine the last 40 laps which was still good enough for a $10,000 paycheck. \u201cWe kind of rode around for a little while, knew what we had to do after that.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cOnce I was on the gas and got the back of the car to stand up a little bit, it got the fender off the tire which wasn\u2019t all that bad. But if you ever want to be scared in a race car, that\u2019s the race car you want to drive right there,\u201d as he motioned toward the Madsen Motorsports no. 20 Wentworth Custom Homes-Kruger-Benjamin Moore Paints\/TEO entry parked on the front chute.<\/p>\n
\u201cLooks like we spit out a roller, actually spit a torsion arm out of the roller and amazingly it hung on the bolt that locates the rear-end and stayed there \u2026 amazing \u2026 and the fender was just about through the tire also. The no. 91 guys had a great pit stop, they got in and out really fast and beat us out of the pits. I don\u2019t know if that was the difference, I\u2019m just happy to be here on the front straightaway now after all that,\u201d added Hearn, who will start eighth on Sunday afternoon on the 38th Annual Rite Aid 200 Presented By Ferris & Snapper Mowers.<\/p>\n
All-time Lebanon Valley Speedway Big-Block feature winner Tremont notched another top-five finish n Saturday\u2019s premier Small-Block event, marking a rare appearance made this season by the 1999 Rite Aid 200 champion.<\/p>\n
\u201cDefinitely didn\u2019t have our fuel mileage down to a science, we just played it a little bit on the conservative side,\u201d acknowledged Tremont, who won his last Syracuse 358 Championship in 199, and on Saturday was back aboard the familiar no. 115 S&S Asphalt-Rifenburg Construction\/Bicknell ride. \u201cWe just really didn\u2019t get a lot of practice time and weren\u2019t sure of the exact mileage, so we were kinda playing a guessing game.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWe just decided today we better go a little bit on the conservative side rather than run out of fuel. Just had limited time, not a lot of time given to adjust things on the car and make it any faster than what it was. So it was a good day. Everything went well but I\u2019ve been on the other side of that too, like what happened to some of those guys today. Its unfortunate but it kinda worked in our favor at the end,\u201d Tremont said.<\/p>\n
With the Salute To The Troops 150 designated as show-up points race, current Hoosier Tire-VP Racing Fuels Mr. DIRTcar 358 leader Dale Planck elected not to start as did his car owner Carey Terrance and runner-up the past two years Danny O\u2019Brien fro m Kingston, Ontario.<\/p>\n
Super DIRT Week XXXVIII concludes Sunday with the prized jewel of DIRTcar Racing in the Northeast — Rite Aid 200 Presented By Ferris & Snapper Mowers — for Big-Block Modifieds paying the winner a whopping $50,000. The ‘Dig Safely New York Modified Last Chance Qualifier rewards the top-five finishers with starting positions 42-46 in the 200-mile main event with Rolling Wheels Raceway\u2019s \u2018Win And You\u2019re In 25\u2019 victor Chad Brachmann from Saturday night earning the 47th starting spot in the 200-lap fairgrounds finale.<\/p>\n
Pro Stock Time Trials begin tomorrow at 11:30 a.m. with the 25-lap BNC Motorsports Pro Stock Championship the first feature race slated to go off at 1:00 p.m. A pair of Dig Safely NY last-chance qualifiers follow immediately after for Big-Block Modifieds and Pro Stocks which take the first green flag at 12noon. DIRTcar Modified and Pro Stock \u2018Futures\u2019 events kick off the first racing action at 11:00 a.m. while the curtain comes down with the 38th running of the Rite Aid 200 on Sunday afternoon at 2:45 p.m.<\/p>\n
Mr. DIRTcar 358-Modified Series Race #10 \u2013 New York State Fairgrounds, Oct. 10, 2009 30th “Salute To The Troops” 150 Event Summary <\/strong> \nFIN STR CAR# DRIVER \n1 2 91 Billy Decker\/Unadilla,NY($20,000) \n2 1 20 Brett Hearn\/Sussex,NJ \n3 26 115 Kenny Tremont\/West Sand Lake,NY \n4 18 99L Larry Wight\/Phoenix,NY \n5 17 22 Larry Lampman,Jr.\/Port Colborne,ONT \n6 12 90 Martin Roy\/Napierville,QUE \n7 31 24x Patrick Dupree\/Saranac Lake,NY \n8 38 8 Rich Scagliotta\/Bound Brook,NJ \n9 40 3j Marc Johnson\/Guilderland,NY\u00ae \n10 10 6 Mat Williamson\/St.Catharines,ONT\u00ae \n11 8 14 Jimmy Horton\/Neshanic Station,NJ \n12 39 13 Tony Steiner\/Jamesville,NY\u00ae \n13 36 97 Michel Chicoine\/Ste-Cecile,QUE\u00ae \n14 23 1ny Greg Atkins\/Clintonville,NY \n15 4 74 Tim Fuller\/Edwards,NY \n16 16 151kb Brian McDonald\/Cornwall,ONT \n17 42 14x Brian Swarthout\/Beaver Dams,NY\u00ae \n18 9 22c Mario Clair\/St-Edmond,QUE \n19 34 22j Jeremy Wilder\/Fort Plain,NY \n20 41 007 Roy Tarbell\/Akwesasne, NY \n21 3 42p Pat Ward\/Genoa,NY \n22 15 1w Matt Sheppard\/Waterloo,NY \n23 25 08 Mark D’Ilario\/Smithville,ONT\u00ae \n24 30 77j John Flach Jr.\/Ravena,NY\u00ae \n25 24 35 Mike Perrotte\/Elizabethtown,NY \n26 5 542 Rick Laubach\/Quakertown,PA \n27 13 76a Ronnie Johnson\/Duanesburg,NY \n28 14 48too Dave Rauscher\/Waterloo,NY \n29 37 95 Doug Faulkner\/East Greenbush,NY\u00ae \n30 21 4* Tim McCreadie\/Watertown,NY \n31 6 4 Andy Bachetti\/Sheffield,MA \n32 28 98h Erick Rudolph\/Ransomville,NY\u00ae \n33 19 44 Sebastien Gougeon\/Drummondville,QUE \n34 22 45 Wayne Jelley\/Pittsfield,MA \n35 32 16w Lance Willix II\/Theresa,NY \n36 7 42 Pete Bicknell\/St.Catharines,ONT \n37 11 24 Chris Shultz\/Pawling,NY \n38 29 83x Tom Sears Jr.\/Clay,NY \n39 20 3 Chad Brachmann\/Sanborn,NY \nDNS 27 77x Dale Planck\/Cortland,NY \nDNS 33 66x Carey Terrance\/Akwesasne,NY \nDNS 35 7* Danny O’Brien\/Kingston,ONT<\/p>\n
EVENT SUMMARY: <\/strong> \nLAP LEADERS: Hearn (1-30), Roy (31-99), Decker (100-150). \nTOTAL LAPS LED: 69-Roy, 51-Decker, 30-Hearn. \nLEAD CHANGES: 2 among 3 drivers. \nCAUTIONS: 11 for 59 laps. \nELAPSED TIME: 1 hr. 57 mins. 15 secs. \nAVERAGE SPEED: 76.754 mph. \nMARGIN OF VICTORY: 4.264 sec. \nMID-STATE GOLF CARS ROOKIE OF THE RACE: Marc Johnson. \nA-1 RACE PRODUCTS HARD CHARGER: Marc Johnson. \nSUNY CANTON HARD LUCK AWARD: Tim Fuller. \nSHARON’S TOY HARD LUCK: Jimmy Horton. \nDIG SAFELY NEW YORK HALFWAY LEADER AWARD: Martin Roy. \nGATER RACING NEWS BEST APPEARING CAR & CREW: #22j – Jeremy Wilder. \nNYSSCA ‘TOP MEMBER’ AWARD: Brett Hearn. \nNATIONAL PARTS PEDDLER POLE AWARD: Brett Hearn (31.712 sec\/113.522 mph). \nMID-STATE GOLF CARS OUTSIDE POLE AWARD: Billy Decker (31.860 sec\/112.994 mph). \nPULLEN’S TRUCK CENTER TWIN-20s RACE WINNERS: -rain- \nDIG SAFELY NEW YORK SHOOTOUT RACE WINNER: Rich Scagliotta. \nRACE ROOKIES\u00ae: 9. \nENTRIES: 58.<\/p>\n
SUPER DIRT WEEK XXXVIII 358-MODIFIED NON-QUALIFIERS RACE <\/strong> \nDig Safely New York Shootout (12 Laps) \nFIN CAR# DRIVER \n1 8 Rich Scagliotta\/Bound Brook,NJ \n2 13 Tony Steiner\/Jamesville,NY \n3 3j Marc Johnson\/Guilderland,NY \n4 007 Roy Tarbell\/Akwesasne, NY \n5 14x Brian Swarthout\/Beaver Dams,NY \n6 42m Matt Pupello\/East Greenbush,NY \n7 r40 Ryan Forte\/Blue Anchor,NJ \n8 72 Tommy Flannigan\/St.Catharines,ONT \n9 14 Mitchell Jock\/Akwesasne,NY \n10 122 Scott Duso\/Nassau,NY \n11 36 Brett Graham\/Accord,NY \n12 99 Bryon Chew\/Southampton,NY \n13 14s Scott Duell\/Ballston Spa,NY \n14 44c Casey Swamp\/Akwesasne, NY \nDNS 32c Vic Coffey\/Leicester,NY \nDNS 24z Jessica Zemken\/Sprakers,NY \n*Top-5 advance to Salute To the Troops 150 starting grid.<\/em><\/p>\n
FINAL EVENT<\/strong> \nThe final Mr. DIRTcar 358-Modified event of the season comes in just one more week during the inaugural running of the DIRTcar Northeast Fall Nationals at Brockville Ontario Speedway, Oct. 17-18. Valuable points are on the line towards the overall Hoosier Tire-VP Racing Fuels Mr. DIRT 358-Modified Championship finale, with the biggest event scheduled in Brockville\u2019s 40th Anniversary season.<\/p>\n
SUPER DIRT WEEK XXXVIII EVENTS SCHEDULE: Oct. 11, 2009 <\/strong> \n*All times and events subject to change. <\/em> \nDAY-DATE TIME EVENT \nSun-10\/11<\/span> \n8am Pit Gates Open \n9:15am Pro Stock Driver’s Meeting (in pit building) \n9:30am Rite Aid 200 by Ferris & Snapper Mowers Modified Driver and Crew Chief Meeting (in pit building) \n10am Grandstands Open, Track Open for Modified \u2018Futures\u2019 Practice\/Qualifying \n10:15am Pro Stock Final Practice \n10:30am Rite Aid 200 by Ferris & Snapper Mowers Modified Final practice \n11am Pro Stock \u2018Futures\u2019 Feature \n11:15am Modified \u2018Futures\u2019 Feature \n11:30pm Pro Stock Time Trials (2-laps, Top-24 Qualify) \n12noon Dig Safely NY Modified Last Chance Qualifier \n12:20pm Dig Safely NY Pro Stock Last Chance Qualifier \n12:30pm Modified Top-30 Autograph Signing under grandstand (Top 30 in Thursday Time Trials) \n1pm SDW XXXVIII BNC Motorsports Pro Stock Championship (25 laps) \n1:30pm Cold Pit Tour of Pit Row \n2:30pm Rite Aid 200 by Ferris & Snapper Mowers Modified Championship Pre-Race ceremonies \n2:45pm Rite Aid 200 by Ferris & Snapper Mowers Modified Championship (200 laps)<\/p>\n
Mon-10\/12<\/span> \n-TBA- Rain Date for Sunday events.<\/p>\n
2009 Mr. DIRTcar 358-Modified Championship Series Schedule<\/strong> \n*All events subject to change. \n<\/em>DAY-DATE LAPS TRACK LOCATION\/WINNER \nMon-May 18 Merrittville Speedway Larry Lampman Jr. \nFri-Jul 31 Ransomville Speedway Danny Johnson \nSun-Sep 6 Cornwall Motor Speedway Carey Terrance \nFri-Sep 11 Mohawk International Raceway Pat O\u2019Brien \nSat-Sep 12 Brockville Ontario Speedway Pat O\u2019Brien \nSun-Sep 13 Autodrome Granby Billy Decker ($10,000 to win) \nSat-Sep 19 Autodrome Drummond Jimmy Phelps ($10,000 to win) \nFri-Sep 25 Rolling Wheels Raceway Park Billy Decker \nWed-Oct 7 Can-Am Motorsports Park rain-cancelled \nThr-Oct 8 Brewerton Speedway Tim McCreadie \nFri-Oct 9 Rolling Wheels Raceway Park rain-cancelled \nSat-Oct 10 New York State Fairgrounds Billy Decker ($20,000 to win) \nSat-Oct 17 Brockville Ontario Speedway Brockville,ONT \nSun-Oct 18 Brockville Ontario Speedway Brockville,ONT<\/p>\n
DIRTcar Racing Northeast main office is located in Weedsport, New York on the Cayuga County Fairgrounds, home of DIRTcar All-Star Weekend in July. DIRTcar Northeast\u2019s crown jewel event —Super DIRT Week at the New York State Fairgrounds in Syracuse— runs October 7-11, 2009 featuring Hoosier Tire-VP Racing Fuels Mr. DIRTcar Championship Series events for Big-Block Modified, 358-Modified, Sportsman and Pro Stock divisions. Ticket and schedule information is available by contacting the Weedsport office (315\/834-6606) during the day or logging into www.superdirtweekonline.com<\/a> anytime.<\/p>\n