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BREWERTON, NY – In August of last year, Jimmy Phelps captured his first ever Advance Auto Parts Super DIRTcar Series event win at the Brewerton Speedway. On that night, Phelps used the extreme inside lane to beat some of the best drivers in all of Dirt Modified racing.
On Tuesday night, the Baldwinsville, N.Y. native used that very same approach once again as he defeated a star studded field to claim the win in the opening round of the Victoria Rules Mini-Series.
Phelps took the lead on the 21st lap of the 35-lap affair to score his third career Brewerton victory while pocketing $2,000 for his efforts.
“That race was a lot of fun,” said Phelps after the event. “It was so fun I wouldn’t have cared if we didn’t win but I’m really glad we did.”
He was chased to the line by Danny Johnson in second, Billy Decker finished third, with Willy Decker and Vic Coffey completing the top five.
Johnson took the lead at the start of the event from his pole starting position. He held the spot by a mere bumper at the line over Willy Decker.
Johnson and Decker continued to battle for the lead over the course of the first ten laps with Billy Decker entering the mix on lap 11. These drivers battled three wide in lapped traffic with W. Decker taking the lead on lap 13.
Johnson took control away from W. Decker on lap 18 when Decker got pinched behind a lapped in turns three and four. Meanwhile, Phelps had pulled up right alongside Johnson as he continued to work his family owned Troyer car on the bottom of the speedway.
“I’m always able to roll the bottom really well here,” said Phelps. “It took me a little bit to get going because I needed my right rear tire to get some heat in it.”
Phelps continued to chase after Johnson on the inside lane as the pair battled in extremely heavy lapped traffic. Finally, on lap 21, Phelps, using the inside lane, got a run on Johnson as he got to the inside of a lapped car and took the top spot away.
“The thicker the traffic got the better my car seemed to get,” commented Phelps. “I kept rolling it in on the bottom and when I went for the lead the lapped car couldn’t hold the bottom and he slid up the speedway.
“I just filled the hole that was left open and got the lead.”
Four laps later the caution flag flew as Robert King, of Granville, N.Y., slowed in turn three with a flat left rear tire bunching the field up.
On the restart, Phelps fired quickly and was able to again to work the bottom lane of the speedway as Johnson did all he could to take back the top spot.
Phelps, one of the few drivers who opted for an American Racer tire on the right rear, was concerned that his tire wouldn’t be as strong as it was before the caution.
“I wasn’t really sure what was going to happen after that last restart,” said Phelps. “To be honest I was a little worried that we wouldn’t be as good after the restart but in the end it all worked out.”
Phelps led the final ten laps to score his first Victoria Rules Mini-Series feature event victory while securing the current point lead.
Johnson, of Rochester, N.Y., brought his Dave Thompson owned no.27J Troyer car home in the second position after leading much of the first half of the event.
“Jimmy (Phelps) is really good here,” stated Johnson. “He knows how to get around this place and he showed that tonight.”
Johnson was slowed by a new motor combination that didn’t allow him to run the preferred line on the bottom of the speedway.
“We got a new motor in this car and we haven’t worked out all the bugs yet,” said Johnson. “I couldn’t get off the bottom like I needed to and that was the difference out there.
“I needed to run the bottom and couldn’t”
Sidney, N.Y. native, Billy Decker, finished in third after starting sixth. Decker utilizing an Enders powered Bicknell worked his way to the front on the extreme outside of the speedway. He challenged for the lead early but when the top went away Decker was forced to fall in line and settle for a third place finish.
In other action, Doug Williams won the 20-lap ESDCA Mod Lite feature event; Ron Hawker defeated Dave Mannise by a nose in the 15-lap UMP Street Stock feature.
Brewerton Bits
Three heat races were held for the 30 cars in attendance with Johnson, W. Decker and Phelps each grabbing a victory. Johnny Hill won the lone consolation event.
Pat Ward almost didn’t qualify for the main event through his heat race event. He was awarded the spot in the feature after Jim Gabriel Jr. came up light on the scales.
Dan Williams has been dominate in the ESDCA Mod Lite division but he was sidelined by mechanical problems after taking the lead and forced to pull in.
VICTORIA 200 RULES MODIFIED MINI-SERIES BREWERTON RACE NO. 1 (35-Laps) – JIMMY PHELPS, Danny Johnson, Billy Decker, Willy Decker, Vic Coffey, Pat Ward, Gary Tomkins, Kevin Bates, Bobby Varin, Brian Weaver, Alan Johnson, Johnny Hill, Robert King, Billy Shantel Jr., Chad Homan, Roy Bresnahan, Gus Schmidt Jr., Kyle Lewis, Joe Isabell, Wade Decker, Jeremy Smith, Chad Phelps, Tom Sears Jr., Tim Sears. DNS – Jim Mahaney, Ryan Phelps, Jim Gabriel Jr., Darwin Greene, Rick Rogala, Sean Beardsley.
ESDCA MOD LITES (20-Laps) – DOUG WILLIAMS, Lowell Zehr, Matt Magner, Mike Mullen, Tim Devendorf, Jamie King, Jeff Williams, Ken Gamlen, Barry Virts, Rocco Leone, Jeff Barker, Sam Morse, Jeff Blackburn, Lisa Thomas, Brenda Rice, Justin Chrisafulli, Mike Virginia, Dan Williams, Tommy Felicia, Larry Casbohm.
UMP STREET STOCKS (15-Laps) – RON HAWKER, Dave Mannise, Steve Woodworth, Darl Ellis Jr., Van Grant, David Pope, Keith Stevenson, Glenn Weaver, Dean Moshier, Quentin Burton, Mike Watkins (DQ).
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