STEVE PAINE HOLDS ON TO P&C FOODS VICTORY
SYRACUSE, NY...Waterloo, NY's Steve Paine held off a charging Billy Decker in the final laps to claim the $7,500 victory in the 75-lap Advance Auto Parts Super DIRT Series race on the mile at the New York State Fairgrounds last Tuesday night. Chad Brachmann picked up his second ever Fairgrounds mile victory winning the DIRT Sportsman "Dig Safely" Super DIRT Series 20-lap tour event. Brachmann had previously won at Syracuse during Super DIRT Week. Also on hand were the Mid-State Vintage racers where Jeff Ackerman and Chris Brougham won their respective 10-lap feature events.
Vic Coffey blasted from the pole to lay claim to the lead in the 75-lap DIRT Modified main event. Coffey led Paine, Alan Johnson, Tim Fuller and Jack Johnson as the leaders circled the mile oval turning laps in the 32 second range.
On lap 10 the yellow flew when Chuck Bower touched the turn one outside wall and slowed on the track. During this yellow officials noticed a steady stream of fluid and smoke exiting the rear of Coffey's car and he was motioned to go to the pits for repairs. This placed Paine in the lead on lap yellow under caution.
The restart saw Paine, driving the Terrell's Potato Chip number 7x, try to build a lead on second place Alan Johnson, aboard his 112 Mitsubishi Generators/Pillsbury Doughboy Bicknell. Johnson caught Paine on lap 21, as they passed the start finish line, however Paine held the lead by mere thousandths of a second. Paine then proceeded to pull away from Johnson and build a five car advantage over Johnson.
On lap 40 the yellow flew when Pat Ward lost a tire on the front stretch. During this caution a number of cars took advantage of a pit stop for new rubber, including Richie Tobias Jr., Ward, Kenny Tremont and Ryan Watt.
The restart on lap 42 saw Paine leading Johnson, Fuller, Jack Johnson and Billy Decker. Decker's fortunes were about to change. On lap 52 the yellow waved when Decker slowed down the back stretch with a flat right rear tire. He was able to pit and have his team change tires without losing a lap. He had to restart at the back of the pack.
Five laps following the restart, lap 58, the yellow was out again for flat tire on Bobby Varin's machine. During the yellow, Jimmy Horton, running in sixth, also had a right rear tire go flat.
The final yellow of the race came on lap 67 when Brian Swartzlander came to a stop between the third and fourth turn outside wall. This bunched the 18 cars still running together for a dash to the checkers.
Decker with a fresher rear tire then the rest of the field then put on a driving clinic, passing car after car on the high side to the delight of the fans. He moved into third on lap 72, and then passed Johnson for second the very next lap. Decker then started to close in on Paine, however Paine was up to the task and held off Decker for the victory. Alan Johnson finished third followed by Fuller and Danny Johnson.
The average speed for the race was 93.888 MPH and took 47 minutes and 56 seconds to complete.
The 20-lap Sportsman feature saw Steve Gray take the lead over David Van Horn Jr., Chad Brachmann, John McAuliffe and Craig Mitchell at the drop of the green. The field would remain in this same running order for nine laps when the yellow flew as McAuliffe slowed to a stop between turns one and two.
The restart saw Gray continue to lead VanHorn Jr. by a few feet. On lap 18, using the lapped car of Tom Juhl, Brachmann was able to pull around both Gray and VanHorn to take the lead. Brachmann held on for the victory followed by VanHorn Jr., Gray, Mitchell and Justin Haers. Brachmann averaged 80.083 MPH on his way to victory in a race that lasted just 14 minutes and 59 seconds.
The Mid-State Vintage racers saw a battle for the lead in the 50's/60's 10-lap main between eventual winner Jeff Ackerman and Sam Reakes III. The race went green-to-checkers with Ackerman taking the victory for the 50's class. Brad Litzenberger finished fourth, the highest finishing 60's class car, for divisional honors.
In the 70's 10-lap main the race got off to a scary start when the number 7r, driven by Sam Reakes II, went up in a ball of flames entering the first turn. Reakes escaped injuries in the fire that followed. Rescue crews were quick to the scene of the fire and prevented any injuries to the driver.
Chris Brougham diced with Joel Grimaldi, Ally Amell and Randy McGlynn at the front of the field. Brougham took the win in his class.
The next event at the New York State Fair mile will be the running of the 52nd New York State Fair Labor Day Classic, the oldest and longest running stock car race in the nation. This event is scheduled for September 3, starting at 1 p.m. that afternoon. Tickets for this race can be obtained through the New York State Fair Box Office. The winner of this race will also be guaranteed the seventh starting spot in the Excerd Drug Stores 200 for DIRT Modifieds run on October 7, during Super DIRT Week at the Fairgrounds.
P&C FOODS presents THE FIRECRACKER INDEPENDENCE DAY SPECIAL, AN ADVANCE AUTO PARTS SDS RACE, NIGHT SUMMARY
MID-STATE VINTAGE RACERS
50's/60's HEAT: J. Ackerman, S. Reakes III, J. Mason, J. Edgbert, G. Wood.
70's HEAT: A. Amell, C. Brougham, J. Grimaldi, E. Smith, C. McNamee.
50's/60's FEATURE (10-laps): JEFF ACKERMAN (50's), Sam Reakes III, Dick Ackerman, BRAD LITZENBERGER (60's), Pat Sonnenberg, Gordie Wood, John Mason, Tom Trayor, Ron Hadden, Don Larman, Joey Edgbert, James Hilimire, Norm Richardson, Car 78.
70's FEATURE (10-laps): CHRIS BROUGHAM, Joel Grimaldi, Ally Amell, Clay McNamee, Robert Norris, Bob Williams Sr., Randy McGlynn, Erin Doc Smith, Sam Reakes II, John McNamee.
SPORTSMAN
TIME TRIALS: Willy Decker 33.012 (109.051 MPH), Chad Brachmann 33.073, Dave VanHorn Jr. 33.238, Steve Gray 33.370, Craig Mitchell 33.371, Kevin Wills 33.430, Justin Haers 33.489, Bill Haley 33.583, John McAuliffe 33.624, Ryan Odasz 33.755, Rob Ledingham 33.824, James Spano 33.915, Tim Clemons 33.986, John Plumb 34.042, Randy Chrysler 34.128, Eldon Payne Jr. 34.210, Karl Comfort 34.212, Paul Carey 34.252, Joe Bennett 34.316, Stan Jablonka 34.370, Tony Ross 34.793, Tom Juhl 35.051, Ron Loveless 35.169, Dick Park Jr. 35.417, Charlie Humes 36.570, Chris Ostrowsky 36.798, Jesse Marks NT.
HEAT 1: S. Gray, W. Decker, J. Haers, R. Odasz, T. Clemons, J. Bennett, E. Payne Jr., T. Juhl, C. Humes.
HEAT 2: C. Brachmann, C. Mitchell, B. Haley, R. Ledingham, S. Jablonka, J. Plumb, R. Loveless, C. Ostrowsky, K. Comfort.
HEAT 3: D. VanHorn Jr., J. McAuliffe, K. Wills, R. Chrysler, J. Spano, P. Carey, D. Park Jr.
FEATURE (20-laps): CHAD BRACHMANN, David VanHorn Jr., Steve Gray, Craig Mitchell, Justin Haers, Willy Decker, Boll Haley, Ryan Odasz, Randy Chrysler, Kevin Wills, Stan Jablonka, James Spano, Tim Clemons, Rob Ledingham, Karl Comfort, Joe Bennett, Dick Park Jr., Ron Loveless, Tom Juhl, Eldon Payne Jr., John McAuliffe, John Plumb, Paul Carey, Chuck Humes,
DNS: Chris Ostrowsky, Tony Ross, Jesse Marks.
MODIFIED
TIME TRIALS: Billy Decker 29.964 (120.144 MPH), Steve Paine 30.160, Brett Hearn 30.392, Jack Johnson 30.448, Vic Coffey 30.461, Alan Johnson 30.492, Danny Johnson 30.517, Kenny Tremont 30.590, Tim Fuller 30.627, Doug Hoffman 30.677, Chuck Hebing 30.795, Matt Quinn 30.812, Jim Weller 30.846, Steve Poirier 30.890, Jimmy Horton 30.931, Frank Cozze 30.963, Eddie Marshall 30.996, Bob Varin 31.064, Butch Tittle 31.097, Jimmy Phelps 31.178, Chuck Bower 31.366, Ryan Watt 31.398, Brian Swartzlander 31.445, Frankie Caprara 31.519, Tim McCreadie 31.519, Rich Tobias Jr. 31.522, Jerry Higbie 31.549, Chris Shultz 31.649, Vince Vitale 31.849, Bently Meade 31.888, Pat Ward 32.565, Jason Goff 33.004, Joe Puzzella33.186.
HEAT 1: D. Johnson, D. Hoffman, F. Cozze, J. Weller, B. Tittle.
HEAT 2: K. Tremont, C. Hebing, S. Poirier, E. Marshall, J. Phelps.
HEAT 3: T. Fuller, J. Horton, F. Caprara, J. Higbie, C. Bower.
EXISS DASH: B. Decker, B. Hearn, J. Johnson, S. Paine, A. Johnson, V. Coffey.
CONSI: B. Swartzlander, P. Ward, R. Tobias Jr., C. Shultz, B. Meade, B. Varin, R. Watt, J. Goff, J. Puzzella.
Guaranteed: T. McCreadie.
FEATURE (75-laps): STEVE PAINE, Billy Decker, Alan Johnson, Tim Fuller, Danny Johnson, Brett Hearn, Chuck Hebing, Eddie Marshall, Jimmy Horton, Jack Johnson, Pat Ward, Butch Tittle, Doug Hoffman, Steve Poirier, Chris Shultz, Tim McCreadie, Brian Swartzlander, Kenny Tremont, Bobby Varin, Ryan Watt, Richie Tobias Jr., Chuck Bower, Jason Goff, Frank Cozze, Jerry Higbie, Joe Puzzella, Jimmy Phelps, Frankie Caprara, Vic Coffey, Bentley Meade, Jim Weller.