DECKER CROWNED KING OF KINGS ROYAL SEASON FINALE AT THUNDER MOUNTAIN!
Thunder Mountain Speedway wound down its 2004 season with over-flowing pits and stands as Dons Automotive Malls 40 lap Modified King Royal and the finale of the points for the popular North South series for Sportsman, Pure Stocks and Street Stocks brought over 170 cars to the seven class show.
Mike Decker, of Gibson, PA, was out to prove why he earned the 2004 Modified track championship, and he did just that by taking home the top honors in the 40 lap Main event.
Triangles Jeremy Smith won the pole by virtue of a top twelve re-draw after the heats, but outside pole starter Steve Babicek took command as the field took the green flag. Babicek, of Binghamton, soon had some heavy pressure from behind as Decker, who had started sixth, moved up to the runner up position by the third circuit.
Babicek held off the challenges until losing the lead to Decker on lap eight. Smith, Binghamtons Mike Colsten and Jason Hamilton, of Erwinna, PA, battled back and forth for the third and fourth spots as the laps clicked off under Deckers lead.
Binghamton driver Jim Gabriel, jr, had a disappointing pick at the re-draw picking the eleventh starting spot, but it didnt seem to phase the multiple feature winner as he diced up towards the front of the pack.
Gabriel broke into the top five by lap seventeen, then methodically picked off spots until finally taking over second from babicek on the 25th lap. A lap 35 caution set up a five lap dash to the finish, but Gabriel didnt have enough to make a bid for the lead as Decker went on for the big feature win.
Gabriel came in for second, with Hamilton in for third, Babicek in for fourth and Billy Pauch, jr, for fifth.
In the Sportsman division, the Point title for the North South series was on the line as Mt. Uptons Arnie Slade entered the night 16 points ahead of Bloomsburg, PAs Brent Boyer.
Pole starter Mike Loney, of Taylor, lead the early way in the 25 lap Main event, but Boyer, the 2004 Thunder Mountain Sportsman track champion, quickly took over the spot on lap four after coming up from his fourth starting position.
Speedsvills Kevin Jordan moved into second a lap later, but Boyer had the faster ride has he put some distance on the pack. Bainbridges Rodney Hart benefited from lapped traffic on lap 13 as he went from fourth to second, getting by both Jordan and Dusty Jagger.
Boyer seemed to have things well in hand, but things were not looking so good for the points leader Slade, as got caught up in some early tangles that would force him to re-start at the rear of the field.
Boyer had the race well in hand and on lap 19 Slade was in position for both drivers to wind up tying for the points title, but Mike Lartz changed all that as he got by Slade with 5 laps to go, giving Boyer a 2 point lead.
Boyer went on for the win and the title, with Hart second, a hard charging late in the race Shaun Walker, of Masonville, third, Jordan fourth and Port Cranes Jagger in fifth.
In the Street Stock portion of the evenings events, Speedsvilles Ken Hammond, also the 2004 track champion for his class, began the night with a comfortable lead in the Morth South series.
After re-drawing fourth for the start of their 25 lap Feature, Hammond figured the best way to win the title was to almost the entire race and pick up the win. Hammond took over the top spot from Berkshires Rick Benjamin on lap two, and never looked back en route to the win.
Norwichs Harold Humphrey, Dalton PAs Tracy Gregory and Deposit native Denny Decker all battled for the next three spots as Hammond dominated the race, but at the end they ended up in that same order with Humphrey second, Gregory third, Decker fourth and Berkshires Bill Rampe fifth.
The Pure Stock 25 lap feature had potential to be the toughest event of the night as three drivers, Charlie Gilbert, of Binghamton, Rich Green, of Endicott, and Denny Decker all came to the show tin a three way tie for first in the North South points.
Chemungs Rich Talada drew 5th for the feature start, but came across the leader by the end of the first lap. Deckers bid for the title came to an early end as mechanical problems sent him pitside with just one lap in.
Sixth place starter John Morse, of Cortland, followed behind Talada for second, then momentarily took over the lead on a lap five re-start. Talada took the top spot the very next lap. Richie Hillis, of Vestal, and Gilbert moved into third and fourth by the tenth lap, but Conklins Chris Wood moved by Gilbert for fourth three laps later.
Talada led the field with Hillis giving chase. Gilbert was able to get a sigh of relief after Rich Green dropped off into the pits on lap 15. With both Decker and Green out, Gilbert only needed a mediocre finish to claim the points title.
At the checkers it was Talada with the win, Hillis second, and Wood edging out Morse for third with two laps to go. Dick came in to complete the top five. Gilbert finished sixth, just out of the top five, but high enough to be crowned the series champion.
Also on hand for the evening were the Four Cylinder Stocks, Thunder Dogs and Thunder Pups.
Rome PAs Rich Powell ended the season on a high note in the Four Cylinder Stock class. By picking up the win in the 15 lap feature, Powell ended the season with six features wins in a row.
Powell started seventh in the field, but made his way to the number one spot over Harold Humphrey on lap five. At the checkers it was Powell with the win, Nate Stevens second, Humphrey third, Jason Tuttle fourth and Barney Fuller fifth.
Owegos Michael Morse picked up the win in the 10 lap Thunder Dog feature over Berkshires Joe Sack and Cayutas Paul LaRow.
In the 10 lap Thunder Pup feature, Greene native Lance Willes emerged as the victor over Ithacas Chad Bubble and Newark Valleys Gene Wheeland.
As the 2004 Season comes to an end at the fast clay oval in Lisle, NY, wed like to thank all the fans and the race teams that helped to make the season such a success, and we look forward to seeing you all again in 2005!