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ELBRIDGE, NY – Jimmy Phelps and Gary Tomkins each picked up victories in the Advance Auto Parts Petrocci Memorial Super DIRTcar Twin 50’s at the Rolling Wheels Raceway.
Phelps, of Baldwinsville, N.Y., started on the pole of the first 50-lap event and immediately took the lead at the drop of the green flag.
Phelps held the top spot until Shannon Whaley brought out the caution on lap 9. On the restart, Alan Johnson jumped out in front of Phelps to take the lead.
“I just wasn’t any good on restarts,” stated Phelps. “He (Johnson) was really good early on that restart and he was able to pull away from me.”
Johnson was able to hold off Phelps until lap 39. Phelps patiently worked the bottom as he chased down Johnson and ultimately worked by him on the inside as the exited turn four.
“The car got better as the race went on,” stated Phelps. “I saw Alan (Johnson) start to search around a little bit and I started to feel better about the whole situation.”
The final challenge for Phelps came at the end of the event as slower traffic impeded his progress allowing Billy Decker to close in. As Phelps and Decker raced off the final turn, Phelps held on with Decker right on his back bumper giving Phelps his first career Rolling Wheels victory.
“I couldn’t clear the traffic,” stated Phelps. “It wasn’t the car it was me. I wasn’t sure where the lapped car was going to go and I was trying to be patient. I saw Decker’s number on the scoreboard and I was really worried the last few laps.”
Decker, of Unadilla, N.Y., finished in second followed by Tim Fuller, Johnson, and Vic Coffey.
In the second 50-lap event, Dale Planck took the early lead in his no. 77x from the pole-starting position. He controlled the event until lap 4 when Matt Sheppard assumed the top spot.
Sheppard pulled away from the field and amassed a half straight advantage when the caution came out on lap 22 for Butch Tittle when he broke on the back straightaway bringing second place runner, and eventual winner, Tomkins up alongside of Sheppard.
“That caution allowed me to get to him (Sheppard),” stated Tomkins. “It would have been tough to catch him without that caution.”
On the restart, Tomkins stayed even with Sheppard and was able to pull off the pass for the lead as they raced off of turn four the very next lap.
“I knew I was a little bit faster than he was,” said Tomkins. “Once I got alongside him I knew if I broke his momentum I would be able to get the lead.”
Tomkins lead was challenged one final time when the caution coming out on lap 37 for Derrick Podsiadlo was he came to a stop at the entrance to pit road with a right rear flat.
“I wasn’t really worried about it,” stated Tomkins in regards to the caution. “I didn’t see anyone’s nose before the caution and I knew the bottom was the place to be.”
With Tomkins getting the win, Fuller took second in his John Lazore racing ride. He was followed to the line by Phelps, Sheppard and Pat Ward.
QUALIFYING: Fuller set fast time in qualifying with a lap of 20.574 with heat races being won by Phelps, Planck, Ward and Hearn. The two consolation events were won by Billy Dunn and Justin Haers. Phelps and Willy Decker each earned a provisional starting position for Rite-Aid 200.
NEWS AND NOTES: Fuller bent the right rear spindle in his no.19 in the second event when he came together with Planck. He was fortunate to finish the event.
Brett Hearn started at the rear of the second event in a backup car after the motor kept locking up in the first event.
Danny Johnson was forced to start the second feature in a Sportsman after breaking a fuel pump in his no.27j.
Frank Cozze broke a rear axle in the first event putting him behind for the rest of the night.
Steve Paine broke a drive line in the first feature and was involved in an accident late in the second feature that ripped the left rear off the car ending his night.
Hears picked up the ride in Coffey’s backup car after problems sidelined his primary ride.
Advance Auto Parts Super DIRTcar Series Races #23 & #24 – Rolling Wheels Raceway Park, September 3, 2007 presented by Ferris Mowers Big-Block Modified Event Summary
Feature #1
FIN STR CAR# DRIVER
1 1 98h Jimmy Phelps/Baldwinsville,NY($3,000)
2 13 91 Billy Decker/Unadilla,NY
3 9 19 Tim Fuller/Edwards, NY
4 2 14j Alan Johnson/Middlesex,NY
5 15 32c Vic Coffey/Leicester,NY
6 6 42p Pat Ward/Genoa,NY
7 3 27j Danny Johnson/Rochester,NY
8 7 84 Gary Tomkins/Clifton Springs,NY
9 4 44s Matt Sheppard/Waterloo,NY
10 18 99b Chuck Bower/Lansing,NY
11 12 20 Brett Hearn/Sussex,NJ
12 11 77x Dale Planck/Cortland,NY
13 19 42b Kevin Bates/Lake Ariel,PA
14 25 747 Ryan Godown/Ringoes,NJ
15 21 49 Billy Dunn/Watertown,NY
16 8 1j Bobby Varin/Sharon Springs,NY
17 5 99 Ryan Phelps/Fulton,NY
18 23 L82 Ted Lamb Jr./Clay,NY
19 14 1x Willy Decker/Vernon,NY
20 16 21 Derrick Podsiadlo/Penn Yan,NY
21 24 Z Butch Tittle/Saylorsburg,PA
22 28 28p Eldon Payne,Jr./Hopewell,NY
23 27 20c Craig Hanson/Tribes Hill,NY
24 26 0 Russ Hefti/Elbridge,NY
25 22 32x Justin Haers/Phelps,NY
26 29 18 Sean Beardsley/Central Square,NY
27 33 45m Mike Ward/Genoa,NY
28 17 7x Steve Paine/Waterloo,NY
29 10 44c Frank Cozze/Wind Gap,PA
30 32 16 Mike Bowman/Baldwinsville,NY
31 30 b2 Bob Henry Jr./Clay,NY
32 31 44 Shannon Whaley/Pavilion,NY
33 20 121 Joe Beyea/Genoa,NY
GATER NEWS LAP LEADERS: J.Phelps (1-9), A.Johnson (10-38), J.Phelps (39-50).
CAUTIONS: 8 (lap 6, lap 9, lap 18, lap 22, lap 24, lap 26, lap 29, lap 33).
RITE AID 200 QUALIFIER: Jimmy Phelps(G).
BERT HARD CHARGER: Billy Decker.
DID NOT QUALIFY(5)
1-Darwin Greene/Susquehanna,PA
7j-Joe Isabell/Pennellville,NY
21k-Randy Chrysler/Lewiston,NY
t21-Roger Chrysler/Lewiston,NY
42-Brian Murphy/Cicero,NY
Feature #2
FIN STR CAR# DRIVER
1 5 84 Gary Tomkins/Clifton Springs,NY($3,000)
2 10 19 Tim Fuller/Edwards, NY
3 12 98h Jimmy Phelps/Baldwinsville,NY
4 4 44s Matt Sheppard/Waterloo,NY
5 7 42p Pat Ward/Genoa,NY
6 *2 20 Brett Hearn/Sussex,NJ
7 8 32c Vic Coffey/Leicester,NY
8 15 49 Billy Dunn/Watertown,NY
9 1 77x Dale Planck/Cortland,NY
10 19 1x Willy Decker/Vernon,NY
11 9 14j Alan Johnson/Middlesex,NY
12 14 747 Ryan Godown/Ringoes,NJ
13 16 1j Bobby Varin/Sharon Springs,NY
14 3 99b Chuck Bower/Lansing,NY
15 29 44c Frank Cozze/Wind Gap,PA
16 25 32x Justin Haers/Phelps,NY
17 13 42b Kevin Bates/Lake Ariel,PA
18 26 18 Sean Beardsley/Central Square,NY
19 33 121 Joe Beyea/Genoa,NY
20 30 16 Mike Bowman/Baldwinsville,NY
21 22 28p Eldon Payne,Jr./Hopewell,NY
22 20 21 Derrick Podsiadlo/Penn Yan,NY
23 18 L82 Ted Lamb Jr./Clay,NY
24 17 99 Ryan Phelps/Fulton,NY
25 28 7x Steve Paine/Waterloo,NY
26 11 91 Billy Decker/Unadilla,NY
27 27 45m Mike Ward/Genoa,NY
28 21 Z Butch Tittle/Saylorsburg,PA
29 24 0 Russ Hefti/Elbridge,NY
30 23 20c Craig Hanson/Tribes Hill,NY
31 +6 27j Danny Johnson/Rochester,NY
DNS 31 b2 Bob Henry Jr./Clay,NY
DNS 32 44 Shannon Whaley/Pavilion,NY
GATER NEWS LAP LEADERS: Planck (1-3), Sheppard (4-22), Tomkins (23-50).
CAUTIONS: 4 (lap 23, lap 24, lap 27, lap 37).
RITE AID 200 QUALIFIER: Willy Decker(P).
BERT HARD CHARGER: Frank Cozze.
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