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Williams Returns to Form With Victoria Sportsman Championship at Fulton
Fulton, NY – September 28, 2007 – By Dan Kapuscinski , DIRTcar Racing NorthEast PR and Promotions Coordinator
Joe Williams missed his chance at five feature wins in a row last weekend at Rolling Wheels Raceway Park , but Friday night at the Fulton Speedway Williams once again proved that his potent no. 19 is the car to beat on the Mr. DIRTcar Sportsman trail. Williams started the 2008 Motorsports Expo-Gater Racing News 30 Victoria Weekend Championship from seventh position and passed Series notables Chris Hile and Shawn Donath on his way to victory.
“The track was just unbelievable tonight,” said Williams, after winning his 5th tour feature in the past six races. “My team has really got their stuff together, and my engine builder Tim Groski has really done his homework.”
A massive field of 73 DIRTcar Sportsman filed through the gate Friday night under cloudy and rainy Central New York skies. All seven qualifying heats were put in the books before the rains came just prior to the start of the first of four Sportsman consolation rounds. After a lengthy rain delay, all four consolation events were completed setting the 30-car field and putting 43 cars on the trailer early.
Rob Pratt and Shawn Donath led the field to the green flag for the first feature of Victoria Weekend, with Pratt getting the initial advantage. Pratt’s stint out front would be short lived though, as heat winner Donath blasted around Pratt on the outside of turn four coming down to complete lap two.
Four laps in Donath, a Fulton Speedway regular, looked to be the car to beat. The South Onondaga pilot had a comfortable margin out front before last week’s series winner Chris Higgins slowed in the fourth turn in his no. 19h. As Higgins slowed, Jack Meeks made a move to avoid and ended up sliding into the inner jersey barrier in turn four resulting in a yellow flag.
Just one circuit later, the races third slow down would occur at the hands of another Donath. Shane Donath, driving the no. d28, got into the third turn a bit too hot causing his car to move into a broad slide in front of the field while running inside the top 10. Greg Panunte, Larry Wight, and John Pietrowicz all tangled trying to avoid the sliding no. d28. Donath would continue with no problem; however Panunte, Wight, and Pietrowicz would all head pit side.
After the races final caution on lap six for Jim LaRock and his expired engine, the field was ready to go on a roll. For the next 24 laps the race would go clean and green allowing Williams to begin his march to the front.
In just four laps Williams had worked his way from the 4th spot up to the inside of race leader Shawn Donath. Donath, who is known for running the Fulton high banks on the top side, tried to fend off the Mr. DIRT point leader. After running side by side for two complete laps, Williams finally made it stick down low on lap 11 down the back straight.
With Williams well out in front, Chris Hile began to set up the no. 87 of Donath. While Donath continued to run the high side, Hile slipped to the bottom like Williams and made the pass for the runner-up spot on lap 14. Jeremy Pitcher would make that move also on lap 20, as Donath slowly back slid to the 4th position.
Williams would eventually find himself in heavy lap traffic, which teased the no. 5j of Hile as he seemed to be closing on the leader. Hile was trying to work the low side, but Williams moved to the high line slicing through traffic with ease. By races end, Williams would be the victor by some 15 car lengths.
Hile would come home second followed by Pitcher, Donath, and Mark D’Ilario in the high five.
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When asked what it meant to win on Victoria 200 Weekend, Williams admitted he had been a stranger to Fulton Speedway in the past.
“If someone would have asked me about this race three years ago, I would have asked ‘What’s the Victoria ?’ I really didn’t know, I was kind of stuck at Fonda Speedway and didn’t do much traveling. But, I sure know what the Victoria is now!”
Mr. DIRT Sportsman Series Race #8 – Fulton Speedway , Sept. 28, 2007 “ Victoria 2008 Motorsports Expo-Gater Racing News 30” Event Summary
FEATURE (30-laps): 19-JOE WILLIAMS, 5J-Chris Hile, 14-Jeremy Pitcher, 87-Shawn Donath, 08-Mark D’Ilario, 11J-Don Spatorico, 1x-Casey Williams, 01-Chris Raabe, 2-Greg Doust, 17k-Sammy Reakes IV, 71b-Mike Bowman, 0j-Jipp Ortiz, p38-Rob Pratt, 33x-Matt Janczuk, 66-Dan Wiesner, 43j-Jack Meeks, 777-Tyler McPherson, 06j-Jordan Bennett, 5s-Mike Short, 2p-John Juhl II, 4-Dave Reilley, 3k-A.J. Kingsley, 19h-Chris Higgins, 17t-Todd Town, 20m-Sean McCarthy, d28-Shane Donath, 99-Larry Wight, 58L-Jim LaRock, 99p-Greg Panunte, 85-John Pietrowicz.
LAP LEADERS: Pratt (1), Shawn Donath (2-8), Williams (9-30).
CAUTIONS: 4 (lap 2, lap 4, lap 5, lap 6).
DID NOT QUALIFY(43)
0- Keith Hotchkiss
1A- Doug Shattell
2m- Jon Tesoriero
4H- Daryl Hilkert
4m- Greg Martin
5- Jim Spano
5r- Rob Hile
6j- Jeff Isabell Jr.
7c- Tom Collins Jr.
7j- Alan Fink
7x- Tom Flannigan
11- Mike Mandigo
12- Dan Sellen
13- Anthony Steiner
15- Roger West Sr.
15w- Kevan Cook
18- Earl Rudy
18v- Danny Varin
19j- John Juhl II
20- Jason Occhina
21a- Amanda Whitney
23g- Scott Goodrich
25- Kevin Gamble
27- Sheldon Hoogwerf
28- Alan Barker
33- Mike Mahaney
42- Mike Lartz
42c- Mike Conrow
44c- Greg Carner
46- Bill Coleman
54x- Stewart Garrison
55- Matt Hulsizer
58- Scott Schrader
59- Tyler Rand
57s- Beth Schneider
60- Mark Davison
71- Russ Zimmerman
83x- Tim Sears Jr.
L86- Larry Lamb
M93- Mike Entwistle
97c- Luke Carleton
111- Curt Prevo
410- Mike Fowler
QUALIFYING
Heat Races (8 laps, top 3 finishers transferred to feature.)
#1: Pratt, Reakes IV, Panunte, Mahaney, West Sr., Hulsizer, Carleton, Conrow, Collins Jr., Rudy, Shattell
#2: Shawn Donath, Juhl, Wight, Meeks, Isabell Jr., Doust, Flannigan, Lartz, Mandigo, Prevo, Rob Hile.
#3: Pitcher, D’Ilario, Pietrowicz, Janczuk, Schneider, Spano, Barker, Davison, Varin, Lamb, Goodrich.
#4: Bennett, Town, Bowman, Fink, Hotchkiss, Schrader, Occhina, Garrison, Hilkert, Zimmerman.
#5: Shane Donath, Spatorico, Short, Kingsley, Wiesner, Hoogwerf, Sears Jr., Fowler, Entwistle, Carner.
#6: Chris Hile, Ortiz, LaRock, Reilley, Williams, Juhl II, Martin, Rand, Coleman, Sellen
#7: Williams, Higgins, Raabe, McCarthy, McPherson, Steiner, Whitney, Cook, Tesoriero, Gamble
Consolation Round (8 laps, top 2 finishers transferred to feature)
#1: Kingsley, Williams, Conrow, Isabell Jr., Mahaney, Spano, Steiner, Mandigo, Tesoriero, Occhina, Zimmerman, Goodrich, Fowler
#2: Meeks, Reilley, Lartz, Carleton, McPherson, Schrader, Varin, Rand , Sellen, Schneider, Gamble, Rudy.
#3: Janczuk, McCarthy, Hilkert, Flannigan, Hotchkiss, Sears Jr., Prevo, Davison, Cook, Hulsizer, Hoogwerf, Martin, Coleman
#4: Wiesner, Doust, Collins Jr., Barker, West Sr., Juhl II, Entwistle, Whitney, Rob Hile, Shattell, Lamb, Carner, Fink, Garrison.
UPCOMING EVENT
The 18th Mr. DIRTcar Sportsman Championship Series closes out the month with a trip back across the border to Humberstone Speedway on Saturday to run off the event that was initially postponed due to rain on Sept. 9.
2007 Mr. DIRTcar Sportsman Championship Series Schedule
DAY-DATE LAPS TRACK LOCATION/WINNER
Fri-Jul 6 30 Brewerton Speedway Alan Fink
Mon-Sep 3 30 Rolling Wheels Raceway Todd Henderson
Fri-Sep 7 50 Ransomville Speedway Joe Williams
Sat-Sep 8 50 Merrittville Speedway Joe Williams
Fri-Sep 14 30 Can-Am Motorsports Park Joe Williams
Sat-Sep 15 44 Canandaigua Speedway Joe Williams
Sat-Sep 22 30 Rolling Wheels Raceway Chris Higgins
Fri-Sep 28 30 Fulton Speedway Joe Williams
Sat-Sep 29 50 Humberstone Speedway Pt.Colborne, ONT
Wed-Oct 3 30 Can-Am Motorsports Park LaFargeville, NY
Fri-Oct 5 30 Rolling Wheels Raceway Elbridge , NY
Sat-Oct 6 30 New York State Fairgrnds Syracuse ,NY
Sat-Oct 13 55 Black Rock Speedway Dundee , NY
Sat-Oct 20 50 Orange Co Fair SpeedwayMiddletown,NY
*All events subject to change.
The Advance Auto Parts Super DIRTcar Series for Big-Block Modifieds is brought to fans across the Northeast by several sponsors and partners, including series sponsors Advance Auto Parts, Hoosier Racing Tire and Sunoco Race Fuels. Promotional partners include AMB i.t., F.X. Caprara Car Companies, Rite Aid Corporation and the University of Northwestern Ohio and the contingency sponsors are Bert Transmission, Bicknell Racing Products, Bilstein Shocks, Brodix Cylinder Heads, Integra Shocks, MSD Ignitions, Miller Electric Manufacturing Company, Motorsports Safety Systems, Penske Shocks and Wrisco Industries.
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