|
SYRACUSE, NY – When Vic Coffey won the Rite Aid 200 in 2002 he was in the right place at the right time. Others had fuel mileage problems or lost their tires in the closing laps to help propel him to the victory.
This past Sunday afternoon, Coffey didn’t need any help as he got out in front and drove away to score his second career victory in Rite Aid 200 at the New York State Fairgrounds on the famed ‘Moody Mile’ during Super DIRT Week XXXVI.
“We got lucky last time but today we didn’t need luck, we were good,” stated an elated Coffey referring to that first win in 2002. “This win is a lot better than the first won. We can appreciate it a lot more now knowing everything that it takes to get us here.”
Coffey, of Leicester, N.Y. started the event from the 14th position with his C.C. Performance powered Bicknell and took the lead on lap 154 from Matt Sheppard. Once in front, Coffey was able to cruise away from the compeition.
Although several cautions slowed the race in the final quarter of the event, Coffey was able to hold off all challengers. At the checkered flag, Coffey held a .480 second advantage over Tim Fuller, of Edwards, N.Y., forcing the 2004 winner to settle for the runner-up finish in his JL Motorsports, Enders powered Teo Pro car.
Richie Tobias Jr., of Annville, Pa., drove his Bob Lineman owned Troyer mount to a third place finish in only his fourth Modified race of the season. Ronnie Johnson, of Duanseburg, N.Y., came home in the fourth spot while David Hebert of St. Damase Que. Came home in fifth.
Brett Hearn used the Ezpass to get back on the lead lap and then drove up through the field to finish in the sixth spot. Pole-sitter and early race leader, Jimmy Phelps, finished in seventh. Eddie Marshall, the race’s hard charger, came from the 43rd starting spot to finish eighth. Jason Barney of Constantia, N.Y., used his Finger Lakes powered Bicknell to finish in ninth while Kenny Tremont of West Sand Lake, N.Y. completed the top ten.
*****
QUICK PACE: The race got underway with Phelps and Billy Decker on the front row bringing the 47 car field to the green flag. Phelps won the dash into the first turn with Decker falling in line behind him.
FIRST CAUTION: Phelps and Decker remained out in front with the first caution of the race coming out on lap 5 for Kenny Brightbill. Brightbill spun in turn four and backed into the outside wall. On the restart Phelps again raced out in front with Decker and Fuller right behind him.
GETTING RACEY: The top three remained unchanged until lap 27 when Fuller pulled out of line and drove by Decker on the back straightaway to assume the runner-up position. Fuller remained in the second while he and Phelps pulled away from the rest of the field.
POWER MOVE: On lap 55, Fuller pulled out of line once again and went low to drive under Phelps as they raced together on the backstretch. Much like he did to Decker to take the runner-up spot, Fuller beat Phelps into turn three to take the race lead.
THE FIRST STOP: On lap 60 the caution came out for Tom Sears Jr. as his no. 83 slowed in between turns one and two setting up the mad dash to pit road. Most drivers running at the top field dove to the pit area to take tires and fuel including race leader Fuller and eventually winner Coffey. This gave the lead to sixth place starter, R. Johnson.
ANOTHER CAUTION: On lap 74, with Johnson the leader, Decker’s John Wight owned no. 91 lost a motor in turn one bringing out the caution once again. Matt Sheppard took this opportunity to come down pit road as did 10th place finisher Tremont.
THE FINAL STOPS: Gary Tomkins slowed on lap 82 with smoke coming out from the under the hood of his No. 84 giving the all the leaders the chance to come down pit road for the final time. Coffey came down pit-road for his final stop of the event gambling that he could make it the rest of the way on fuel.
“My guys wanted me to stay out until at least lap 100,” stated Coffey. “I wasn’t going to do that. We needed to come in when we did and obviously I was concerned near the end but we came here to win. I didn’t come here to finish in the top five I was going for the win.”
HALFWAY POINT: Andy Bachetti captured the Aramark Uniform Service Lap 100 Leader award and netted $5,000. Barney was running in second with Mike Perotte, Shawn Reimart and Tim Hindly making up the top five.
WILD RIDE: On lap 104, Steve Hulsizer got a right rear flat on his Troyer mount. As he attempted to not lose a lap his car got sideways on the front straightaway with his rim digging into the surface causing him to flip over.
NEAR THE TOP: As the lap continued to click off Coffey found himself getting closer to the top of the field. Several drivers in the top five needed to make their final stops. As those drivers hit pit road Coffey found himself inside the top five by lap 125.
MAKING HIS MOVE: Coffey began to make his move with sixty laps remaining as he moved to the inside of Hebert on lap 142 to take the runner-up position with Sheppard the race leader. Once in second he chased down Sheppard and on lap 154 he tucked to the inside in turns one and two to take the lead.
“I kept trying to get by Matt (Sheppard) on the outside,” said Coffey. “But he was going in low in one and two and drifting up a little bit. He left the door open that time and when he did I went through it.”
LOTS OF CAUTIONS: Over the course of the final 50 laps, many cautions slowed the pace of the field placing everyone on Coffey’s rear bumper giving them the opportunity to get challenge him. Each time Coffey was masterful on the restart keeping the rest of the competition at bay.
“Cautions are a two-sided coin,” commented Coffey. “Yeah they helped me conserve fuel but brought everyone right up on me again. I just wanted to see the end of the race.”
TAKING THE WIN: The final caution came with just 10 laps to go when Jerry Higbie got into the wall in turn four. This made Coffey hold off Fuller one last time. Fuller kept looking to the outside but each time Coffey was able to hold him off as he never waivered from the inside lane.
“I kept the car right down on the bottom of the track,” said Coffey. “If he (Fuller) was going to pass me he was going to have to go to the outside to do it.”
A GOOD ENDING: Coffey strong car made Fuller take a second place finish. Although disappointed he didn’t get the victory Fuller was happy to end the weekend on a high note.
“Any time you can walk away from here with the car in one piece inside the top five it’s a good weekend,” said Fuller. “We came up a little short but my guys did a great job and this is a good ending after a long week.”
TOOK TO LONG: Fuller’s only mistake was that he waited to long to make his move to the front. Fuller didn’t get back into the runner-up position until there were only ten circuits left not leaving him little time to really pressure Coffey.
“I should have gotten to the front a lot quicker,” commented Fuller. “If I could have gotten to him earlier I could have pressured him a little more and maybe made him run out of gas.”
FAN FAVORITE: Tobias, the 1992 winner of the event, started 9th and finished in the third spot much to the delight of the fans. Each time Tobias passed a car the fans were on their feet cheering. Those same fans got a scare on lap 178 when Tobias made contact with the inside wall as he tried to pass Sheppard for a position.
“Matt (Sheppard) pushed the speedway and I tried to get under him,” stated Tobias. “He shut the door and I got into the inside retaining wall. I thought I hurt the car because I got some really good air but I was lucky everything was alright.”
RACE AWARDS: Coffey scored the Sharon’s Toy Rite Aid 200 Champion Bonus. Hebert won the Sharon’s Toy Rite Aid 200 Fifth Place Bonus Award. Redline Speedway regular, Reimert, captured the $2,000 Freihofer’s Rookie of the Race Award for his 16th place finish. Marshall captured the Bert/A-1 Race Products Hard Charger Awards. Sheppard won the Magnum Force Pest Elimation/Area Auto Racing News Hard Luck Awards when he ran out of gas with just four laps remaining. Johnson won the NYSSCA ‘Top Member Award’ and the Gater News Best Appearing Car & Crew Award.
|
|
