|
BECHTELSVILLE, PA – Billy Decker had no problem parting the traffic on Wednesday at the Grandview Speedway en route to collecting his fifth Advance Auto Parts Modified Super DIRTcar Series triumph of the 2008 racing season in the ‘Traffic Jam 100.’
“We sure have fun coming down here to Grandview (Speedway),” said Decker. “This Gypsum Wholesaler car was a great car. I can’t thank John Wight and LJL Racing enough.”
It’s was Decker’s second win in a Bob Miller Thunder on the Hill event with his last coming back in the summer of 2003. It was worth $6,000 and helped pad his overall series point lead.
Decker started the event from the seventh starting position and early on he attempted to make headway on the bottom of the racing surface. An early race restart placed him on the outside which helped him find the quick lane around the speedway. On lap 38 he used that lane to pass Duane Howard for the lead.
In the late laps Decker searched around for a quicker lane as he navigated through traffic. He was never again challenged on his way to his 16th overall victory of 2008.
Decker was chased home by defending Grandview champion, Jeff Strunk in his Keystone Racing No. 126 as he was able to just beat out the early race leader, Howard, who settled for third.
Finishing in fourth after getting starting the event from fifth was Sussex, N.J., driver, Brett Hearn. Completing the top five was the driver from Quakertown, Pa., Rick Laubach.
*****
LEGENDARY LEADER: When the green flag was displayed to the 32 car starting field, it was the legendary Kenny Brightbill, of Sinking Springs, Pa., taking the lead in his famous No.19. He was able to lead the first four laps before the caution came out for Tommy Scheetz when he spun in turn two.
BPG RACING TO THE POINT: On the restart Brightbill elected to start on the inside and paved the way for Howard on the top. At the green Howard stayed even off of turn four and then got the advantage as the pair of Pennsylvania drivers raced into turn one.
USING THE TOP: As Howard was busy making tracks out in front, Decker was attempting to work his way forward from the inside of the fourth row. The first caution actually helped Decker find the quick way around the speedway.
“Just before that last caution we were racing (Matt) Sheppard,” commented Decker. “He was really going up there on the outside and I think the car on the outside of me was holding him up. When the caution came out I got an outside restart and I thought I needed to try this thing and lo and behold we were really good up there.”
TOUGH TIMES: A second caution slowed the field on lap 33 when Ryan Godown, last year’s runner-up finisher, got a flat tire aboard his No.26. By this time Decker had worked his way into third behind Howard and Laubach.
TAKE IT TO THE TOP: Action resumed with Howard staying the leader, but it was Decker who was on the move on the outside. Decker first got by Laubach and then on lap 38 he made his move for the lead. Howard stayed low in his Feil powered Teo while Decker went to the high lane in turns one and two to assume the top position for good.
“He (Howard) got the lead awfully fast and he was pretty dog gone good on the bottom,” stated Decker. “At that stage of the race I think the top, which obviously he didn’t know because he was on the bottom, was quicker so it worked out for us.”
MOVING AROUND: By lap 60, Decker was comfortably in front with his Enders powered Bicknell. Not knowing the size of his advantage, he started switching lanes looking for a quicker line around the one-third mile oval.
“I tried moving all over. I ran the top there for a while,” commented the driver from Unadilla, N.Y. “I thought the track was moving around and I tried to feel my way around because I didn’t feel I was that good.”
GETTING THROUGH TRAFFIC: The tight confines of the Berk County oval put Decker in heavy slower traffic throughout much of his stint as the leader. Like he’s done so many times in the past, Decker worked the lapped traffic flawlessly to eventually score the victory.
“Lapped traffic was pretty cordial out there for the most part,” said Decker of the slower cars. “When they saw me underneath them they let me go. As a racer you really appreciate that.”
HE WAS A LITTLE BETTER: Decker took the win with local favorite Strunk crossing the line just in front of Howard for the runner-up finish. Strunk, of Mohnton, Pa., got to second on lap 57 but he was never able to challenge Decker for the lead.
“He (Decker) was real good; I don’t think anyone was in his league tonight,” said Strunk. “I probably showed him the quick groove there on the one restart, but I was too tight to run up there and he was probably too free to run the bottom. He was better balanced because he could run the top and I couldn’t.”
DUKING IT OUT WITH DUANE: With ten laps remaining in the event Howard began pressuring Strunk for the runner-up position. Numerous times the duo were along side one another with Strunk hanging on in his Lombardo powered Teo.
“I saw Duane (Howard) out of two on the bottom,” stated Strunk. “I tried to roll the top that one lap. After that I decided to just stay on the bottom and if the 99 (Wight) messed up then I would get by.”
A SITTING DUCK: Howard had the lead through much of the early portions of the event. He got the lead and was able to hold onto that advantage by utilizing the bottom of the speedway. As a result he was reluctant to go the outside and it may have cost him the race.
“We were a sitting duck leading early,” commented Howard. “Here you know the top is going to come in but you don’t know when. The problem is when you leading you almost can’t change you line until someone gets by you.”
QUALIFYING: Billy Decker set a new track record with a lap 14.349 earning him the Intergra Shocks/Comdial Telephone Communications Fast Time Award and $300. Four heats were held for the 39 cars in attendance with Decker, Hearn, Brightbill and Matt Sheppard scoring victories. A pair of 10-lap consolation races were held with Danny Johnson and Kevin Hirthler securing wins.
Advance Auto Parts Super DIRTcar Series Race #10 – Grandview Speedway, July 16, 2008 ‘11th Annual Traffic Jam 100’ Big-Block Modified Event Summary
*1 14.349 83.630 91 Billy Decker/Unadilla,NY
FIN STR CAR# DRIVER
1 7 91 Billy Decker/Unadilla,NY($6,000)
2 6 126 Jeff Strunk/Mohnton,PA
3 4 4 Duane Howard/Oley,PA
4 5 20 Brett Hearn/Sussex,NJ
5 2 14 Rick Laubach/Quakertown,PA
6 14 98h Jimmy Phelps/Baldwinsville,NY
7 11 77x Dale Planck/Cortland,NY
8 17 1c Craig VonDohren/Oley,PA
9 1 19 Kenny Brightbill/Sinking Spring,PA
10 20 7x Steve Paine/Waterloo,NY
11 24 fx1 Frankie Caprara/Watertown,NY
12 12 9s Matt Sheppard/Waterloo,NY
13 9 14w Ryan Watt/Boyertown,PA
14 13 84 Gary Tomkins/Clifton Springs,NY
15 8 53 Mike Gular/Green Lane,PA
16 21 27j Danny Johnson/Rochester,NY
17 16 99 Ryan Phelps/Fulton,NY
18 26 99L Larry Wight/Phoenix,NY®
19 28 21k Kyle Weiss/Hamburg,PA
20 31 3 Justin Haers/Phelps,NY
21 27 49 Billy Dunn/Watertown,NY
22 25 79 Mike Storms/Wantage,NJ®
23 23 85 Jim Robertson/Levittown,PA
24 3 5 Jimmy Horton/Neshanic Station,NJ
25 19 33 Ray Swinehart/Bechtelsville,PA
26 10 26 Ryan Godown/Ringoes,NJ
27 18 37x Tom Scheetz/Boyertown,PA
28 22 117 Kevin Hirthler/Boyertown,PA
29 30 41 Shawn Reimert/Oley,PA
30 29 43 Jim Horton IV/Neshanic Station,NJ
31 32 29 Jeff Brownell Jr./Waterloo,NY
32 *15 14j Alan Johnson/Middlesex,NY
*Started in rear after failing to fire at line;
+Started in rear in back-up car.
DID NOT QUALIFY(7)
00-Doug Manmiller/Wyomissing,PA
3m-Sam Martz/Whitehouse Station,NJ
3y-Ricky Yetter/Bethlehem,PA
11-Danny Creeden/Middletown,NY
23-Tom Carberry/Hopewell,NJ
44-Frank Cozze/Wind Gap,PA
357-Billy Pauch/Frenchtown,NY
EVENT SUMMARY:
LAP LEADERS: Brightbill (1-4), Howard (5-37), Decker (38-100).
CAUTIONS: 3 (lap 4, lap 33, lap 43).
HEAT WINNERS: Decker, Hearn, Brightbill, Sheppard.
DIG SAFELY NEW YORK LAST CHANCE RACE WINNERS: D.Johnson, Hirthler.
BICKNELL RACING PRODUCTS WINNER AWARD: Billy Decker.
CRANE CAMS WINNER AWARD: Billy Decker.
RISLONE OIL STABILIZER & TREATMENT WINNER AWARD: Billy Decker.
BARS LEAKS RUNNER-UP AWARD: Jeff Strunk.
CRANE CAMS RUNNER-UP AWARD: Jeff Strunk.
SYRACUSE RITE AID 200 QUALIFIER: Jeff Strunk (P).
HALFWAY LEADER: Billy Decker.
FITZPATRICK, LENTZ & BUDDA, P.C. LAP 20 AWARD: Duane Howard.
BERT/KSE RACING PRODUCTS HARD CHARGER AWARD: Frankie Caprara.
HOLLEY HARD LUCK AWARD: Ryan Godown.
PENSKE POWER POSITION AWARD (28th): Kevin Hirthler.
INTEGRA SHOCKS FAST TIME AWARD: Billy Decker (14.349sec/83.630mph).
COMDIAL TELEPHONE COMMUNICATIONS FAST TIME AWARD: Billy Decker (14.349sec/83.630mph).
TOTAL PURSE: $27,875.
CARS ENTERED: 39.
|
|
