DECKER CAPS CHAMPIONSHIP WITH BREWERTON WIN
BREWERTON, NY.....Billy Decker capped his 1999 DIRT Modified track championship with a victory in Friday night's Pick-N-Pull/Riccelli Trucking feature event at the "D-Shaped DIRT Demon." Don Alvord claimed his first win of the year in the IMCA Modifieds, Tony Buffa took his eighth win of the year in the Dwarf cars, and Doug Battles ended a nearly three year drought with a feature win in the 4 Cylinders.
The 35-lap DIRT Modified feature began with Roger Phelps and Tim Fuller battling for the lead with Ryan Baye coming past Fuller to take the second spot. Chuck Hebing passed Baye and tucked in behind Phelps on lap 5 and put the pressure on, taking the lead on lap 9. Hebing began to pull away as Danny Johnson battled with Bob McCreadie for the third spot, with McCreadie pulling away and taking the second spot from Phelps on lap 10.
McCreadie battled with Hebing for several laps, but could not pass him. Meanwhile, Billy Decker broke free of his battle with Danny Johnson to take third and stormed in on the leaders. Decker battled McCreadie for several laps before switching to the outside lane to take second, then drove past Hebing for the lead on lap 24. Decker held off McCreadie in the closing laps for the win with Hebing right behind the duo in third. Danny Johnson took fourth after a spirited late race battle with Jim Gabriel Jr. DIRT Modified heats were won by Roger Phelps and Jimmy Phelps.
Decker earned the 1999 DIRT Modified track championship while Roger Phelps was crowned the 1999 358 Modified champion.
The 20-lap IMCA Modified feature event saw the duo of Ron O'Neil and Don Alvord trade lanes and the lead over eight times during the distance. Behind them, George Valenti moved into third while Les Hubbard battled intensely with Dick Weiland for fourth.
Alvord took the lead for good with six laps to go and held off a determined last lap challenge from O'Neil to record his first Brewerton win of 1999. O'Neil was a close second, with Valenti, Hubbard, and Weiland trailing. IMCA Modified heats were won by Hubbard and Kevin Battelle.
Sean Lias had a disappointing finish in the IMCA Modified feature event, but locked up another track championship.
The 20-lap Dwarf car feature saw Ken Gamlen rocket out into the lead at the start, with Tony Buffa moving quickly into second. Pat Pontello engaged in a battle with Troy Van Allen for third in the first half of the feature event, then sped away to chase down the leaders, who had opened up quite a margin.
Van Allen diced it out with Buffa, but fell victim to front end damage on lap 11 and took his car to the pits. Buffa finally wrestled the lead away from Gamlen on the restart and held on for his eighth win of the season. Gamlen, Pontello, Eric Crawford, and Ed Lawton rounded out the top five. Dwarf car heats were won by Gamlen, Van Allen, and Buffa.
Buffa's eighth win of the year capped his track championship effort in the Dwarf car class for 1999.
The 15-lap 4 Cylinder feature saw Lloyd Hinton take the lead, but it only lasted a lap when the front end of his car collapsed. Jim Lalone inherited the lead, but his car faltered on a lap 5 caution and he fell through the field while Roger Olchewske and Doug Battles joined Bob Whipple and Darik Van Epps in a battle for the lead.
Battles got the best of the battle, taking the lead on lap 11, bringing his Mazda home for the checkers. Whipple took second, followed by Olchewske, Van Epps, and Ray Chittenden. 4 Cylinder heats were won by Roger West and Hinton.
Harvey Calkins Jr.'s top ten finish locked up the 1999 4 Cylinder track championship for him.
Women on Wheels races saw Cindy Bell take the win in the IMCA ranks, Kim Younglove score the win in the Dwarf cars, and Lias Angle take the checkers in the 4 Cylinders.
The final event of the 1999 racing season at Brewerton Speedway will be Thursday, October 7th when the Richmond Gear 100 takes to the speedway as part of Super DIRT Week and the Mr. DIRT 358 Modified Championship Trail. Dwarf cars will also see action in that program, which begins at 7:30pm.
Brewerton Speedway wishes to thank all its competitors and fans for an outstanding 1999 season and congratulates its 1999 track champions.
RACE SUMMARY-PICK N PULL AUTO PARTS/RICCELLI TRUCKING NIGHT
BREWERTON SPEEDWAY-SEPTEMBER 10, 1999
DIRT MODIFIED FEATURE-BILLY DECKER, Bob McCreadie, Chuck Hebing, Danny Johnson, Jim Gabriel Jr., Tim McCreadie, Roger Phelps (SB), Pat Ward, Chuck Bower, Ryan Baye (SB), Dale Planck, Jim Phelps, Tim Fuller, Scott Prentice, Dan Connelly (SB), Steve Lead, Alan Johnson.
IMCA MODIFIED FEATURE-DON ALVORD, Ron O'Neil, George Valenti, Les Hubbard, Dick Weiland, Doug McKane, Ken Rogers, Tony Finch, John Bell, Rob Chaddock, Kevin Battelle, Ken Klinkowsky, Sean Lias, Pat Hobbs, Bill Anderson Jr., Bill Anderson, Coleen Finch.
DWARF CAR FEATURE-TONY BUFFA, Ken Gamlen, Pat Pontello, Eric Crawford, Ed Lawton, Darren Forbes, Carl Crawford Jr., Barry Virts, RJ Grimshaw, Steve Miller, Lee Babcock, Gary Sampo, Bob McCarthy, Wayne Younglove, Kelly Skinner, Dennis Johnson, Brenda Rice, Dave Reals, David Orr, Troy Van Allen, Scott Nash, Carl Crawford, Dan Turner.
4 CYLINDER FEATURE-DOUG BATTLES, Bob Whipple, Roger Olchewske, Darik VanEpps, Ray Chittenden, Mark Warner, Jason Amidon, Harvey Calkins Jr., Kevan Cook, John West, Tim Koch, Brett Hubbard, Roger West Sr., Mike Humphrey, Jim Lalone, Jon Amidon, Joe Bribre, Roger West, Walt VanEpps, Jim Olin, Rob Whipple, Lloyd Hinton.
WOMEN ON WHEELS IMCA-CINDY BELL.
WOMEN ON WHEELS DWARF-KIM YOUNGLOVE, Samantha Axtell, Alesia Johnson, Shelly Gamlen, Shelly Crawford, Lisa McCarthy.
WOMEN ON WHEELS 4 CYLINDER-LISA ANGLE, Michelle Ackley, Susan Noyes, Diane Allen, Sharon LaGrange, Jen Deon.