BILLY DECKER WINS EXCITING USNA NEW YORK 200
-Becomes fourth different winner in four USNA events-
SYRACUSE, NY…..Billy Decker’s first two events on the USNA trail were plagued with mechanical problems. Decker rebounded to nearly win the Green Mountain 200 at Devil’s Bowl Speedway in June, and finally scored his first USNA win of the year, pocketing $9,000 after a terrific effort to win the New York 200 at Albany-Saratoga Speedway in Malta, NY on Saturday night.
Decker started in the 14th position at the drop of the green in the first 100-lap segment of the event. Jack Johnson outdragged pole sitter Dave Camara for the early lead, but the yellow flew quickly for a multi car tangle in turn three on lap 2. Under yellow, Decker went to the pit area to repair the rear nerf bar on his car, which had become partially dislodged. Decker returned to the track on the lead lap and began tearing his way through the field.
Up front, Johnson was pulling away from Camara, and soon the leaders had come into heavy lapped traffic. While Johnson and Camara dueled through the lapped cars, Brett Hearn had come from his 5th starting spot into third and ran down the leaders. The top three diced heavily through traffic, with Camara capturing the lead. Johnson bumped into the inside wall in turn two and cut down his left front tire, but did not slow his pace. Johnson managed to hold Hearn at bay for many laps despite having the flat.
The caution did not fly again until lap 64, at which time Johnson ducked into the pit area to change the tire. He barely beat the pace truck coming out of the pits to stay on the lead lap. When racing resumed, Hearn and Camara ran side by side, with Hearn finally getting into the lead. Meanwhile, Decker’s incredible run through the pack had put him into the top five. He was able to slip past Craig Von Dohren and tore into the third position.
Decker ran down Hearn and Camara in traffic, and the trio waged an incredible battle for position while Jack Johsnon cracked the top ten, coming back after the tire change. Decker was able to wrestle the lead away from Hearn with just a lap to go before the halfway break.
The second segment began with Hearn taking the lead from Decker and building an advantage of a full straightaway. Cozze faded back into a battle with Johnson while Camara lost the third position to Von Dohren. Steve Bottcher was also running well in the second half of the race and was in the thick of what became a four car battle between himself, Johnson, Camara, and Von Dohren.
Up front, Hearn would lose his advantage in traffic, but Decker could not get close enough to make a move for the lead. A caution for Brian Weaver’s car going off the backstretch on lap 189 changed things. On restarts with ten laps or less left, lapped cars must fall into line behind the lead lap cars. This brought Jack Johnson, in the third spot, up on Decker’s bumper, followed by Von Dohren, Bottcher, Camara, and Jimmy Horton, who had barely stayed on the lead lap after getting caught up in an incident in turn one.
The green flew for the final time on lap 193. Hearn pulled away from Decker momentarily, but Decker caught him and the pair ran side by side for the lead. Johnson was right behind them as the trio separated themselves from the rest of the pack. With two laps to go, Decker made his move on the outside of turn two and slipped past Hearn for the lead. Hearn and Johnson had a torrid battle for second that lasted to the finish as Decker pulled out a few car lengths.
At the checkers, Decker had scored the win, with Johnson nipping out Hearn for second. Von Dohren posted a fourth, followed by Bottcher. The rest of the top ten was filled out by Camara, Horton, Cozze, Bud Christmann, and Jeff Trombley.
Dave Camara earned his second straight M2 Race Systems Pole Award with a lap of 16.976 seconds around the 4/10 mile oval. Qualifying heats were won by Hearn, Todd Ryan, Johnson, and Jack Cottrell. The consolation race was won by Roger Laureno.
The next USNA event is the Summer Showdown at Mercer Raceway Park in Mercer, PA on July 15 and 16.
RACE SUMMARY-USNA NEW YORK 200
ALBANY SARATOGA SPEEDWAY, MALTA, NY
SATURDAY, JULY 8, 2000
M2 RACE SYSTEMS POLE AWARD WINNER – DAVE CAMARA 16.976 sec.
HEAT WINNERS-Brett Hearn, Todd Ryan, Jack Johnson, Jack Cottrell
FEATURE (200 laps) – BILLY DECKER, Jack Johnson, Brett Hearn, Craig Von Dohren, Steve Bottcher, Dave Camara, Jimmy Horton, Frank Cozze, Bud Christmann, Jeff Trombley, Mitch Gibbs, Jeff Hoffman, Tom Hager, Roger Laureno, Jamie Mills, Eddie Marshall, Bucky Kell, Bob Savoie, Jack Cottrell, Bill Tanner, Brian Swartzlander, Randy Sherlock, Brian Weaver, Jeff Heotzler, David Calaman, Seth Gano, John Ferrier, Kenny Brightbill, Todd Ryan, Rich Eurich.
RACE STATISTICS FOR USNA NEW YORK 200
M2 RACE SYSTEMS POLE QUALIFYING
DRIVER
CAR #
TIME TRIAL LAP
Dave Camara
26
16.976
Eddie Mar4shall
98
17.236
Rich Eurich
10
17.387
Jack Johnson
20
17.404
Jack Cottrell
8
17.407
Billy Decker
91
17.458
Todd Ryan
19
17.603
Frank Cozze
88
17.614
Bud Christmann
18
17.786
Brett Hearn
3
17.904
Tom Hager
43
17.964
Brian Davis
4
17.966
Steve Bottcher
35
18.008
Jeff Trombley
21J
18.038
Randy Sherlock
TEN
18.142
Jamie Mills
30
18.302
Jeff Heotzler
J17
18.315
Bucky Kell
2GR
18.326
Bob Savoie
24
18.404
Craig Von Dohren
114
18.482
Roger Laureno
36
18.619
Kenny Brightbill
19
18.649
Jeff Hoffman
00
18.667
Jimmy Horton
74
18.71
Mitch Gibbs
2K
18.75
Dave Calaman
13Z
18.989
Bill Tanner
917
19.024
John Ferrier
220
19.232
Seth Gano
57
19.289
Brian Weaver
9R
19.372
Brian Swartzlander
12T
19.628
HEAT RACES:
HEAT 1-BRETT HEARN, Eddie Marshall, Kenny Brightbill, Billy Decker, Jeff Trombley, Brian Weaver, Bucky Kell, David Calaman.
HEAT 2-TODD RYAN, Bob Savoie, Tom Hager, Randy Sherlock, Rich Eurich, Jeff Hoffman, Brian Swartzlander, Bill Tanner.
HEAT 3- JACK JOHNSON, Frank Cozze, Craig Von Dohren, Jimmy Horton, Jamie Mills, John Ferrier.
HEAT 4- JACK COTTRELL, Bud Christmann, Jeff Heotzler, Steve Bottcher, Mitch Gibbs, Roger Laureno, Seth Gano.
CONSOLATION RACE-ROGER LAURENO, Rich Eurich, Brian Weaver, Seth Gano, John Ferrier, Brian Swartzlander, David Calaman, Bill Tanner, Bucky Kell.
PROVISIONAL STARTERS-Bill Tanner, Bucky Kell
Position No. Name Laps
1 91 Billy Decker 200
2 20 Jack Johnson 200
3 3 Brett Hearn 200
4 114 Craig Von Dohren 200
5 35 Steve Bottcher 200
6 26 Dave Camara 200
7 74 Jimmy Horton 200
8 88 Frank Cozze 199
9 18 Bud Christmann 199
10 21J Jeff Trombley 199
11 2K Mitch Gibbs 199
12 00 Jeff Hoffman 199
13 43 Tom Hager 198
14 36 Roger Laureno 198
15 36 Jamie Mills 197
16 98 Eddie Marshall 197
17 2GR Bucky Kell 196
18 24 Bob Savoie 196
19 8 Jack Cottrell 196
20 917 Bill Tanner 196
21 12T Brian Swartzlander 196
22 TEN Randy Sherlock 195
23 9R Brian Weaver 185
24 J17 Jeff Heotzler 174
25 13Z David Calaman 145
26 57 Seth Gano 138
27 220 John Ferrier 120
28 19 Kenny Brightbill 109
29 19 Todd Ryan 61
30 10 Rich Eurich 45