"THUNDER FOOT" BLASTS TO "RUSH HOUR" TELEVISION VICTORY IN LITTLE TREES 100
ELBRIDGE, NY...Tim McCreadie, from Watertown, dominated the Little Trees 100, part of the Advance Auto Parts Super DIRT Series, last Wednesday at Rolling Wheels Raceway. Chad Brachmann backed up his NYS Fairgrounds victory on Tuesday, with a 20-lap victory at Rolling Wheels on Wednesday in the DIRT Sportsman class.
By virtue of the redraw, Jack Johnson and McCreadie led a pack of 30 cars down to take starter, Dave Farney's green flag. Johnson immediately jumped to the lead followed by the Exiss Dash winner, Brett Hearn. Hearn started fifth, but managed traffic better then the other top runners. Hearn then passed Johnson for the lead on lap . Johnson then lost second to McCreadie on lap six.
Hearn's seven car advantage disappeared as McCreadie pulled onto the back bumper of Hearn. Johnson, in third, held a ten car lead over Chuck Bower in fourth and Doug Hoffman in fifth.
On lap 21, McCreadie pulled alongside of Hearn exiting the second turn and completed his pass for the lead. McCreadie and Hearn now held a full straight away advantage over Johnson. Bower took third from Johnson on lap 23, but he was immediately challenged by Steve Paine, who passed Johnson for fourth on lap 24. Paine then began to pull away from the battle for fourth place and tried to run down the two leaders.
On lap 31 the first yellow flew when Frank Cozze slowed with a flat tire on the front stretch. During this yellow, fan favorite Danny Johnson, pulled into the pits to change the handling on his car. Johnson then returned to the race without losing a lap.
McCreadie maintained his advantage over Hearn on the restart. The yellow flew again on lap 36 when Gary Tomkins came to a stop in the second turn. Danny again visited the pits and returned on the lead lap.
The yellow flew for the third time on lap 40 after Quebec racing star, Steve Poirier, made contact down the back stretch with another car and broke an axle, sending Poirier off the third turn.
The race battle now focused on the battle for third as Steve Paine and Alan Johnson battled. Paine passed Hearn for second on lap 44, as Alan Johnson and Hearn battled to see who would be fourth. Paine then tried to close in on McCreadie, however McCreadie was just too fast.
Over the final 50 laps it was McCreadie by nearly a quarter straight over Paine. Paine held a ten car lead over Hearn and Alan Johnson. Tim Fuller ran a distant fifth.
With just 25 laps remaining Alan Johnson was able to pas Hearn for third. The running order would remain the same to the finish. McCreadie took the $6,000 victory followed by Paine. Alan Johnson, Hearn and Fuller completed the top five finishers. McCreadie averaged 82.638 MPH. The race lasted 45 minutes and 23 seconds.
Jack Johnson, Paine and Fuller all won heat races, while Bob McCreadie won the consolation race. Brett Hearn topped the Exiss Dash, his seventh appearance in a possible eight dashes run in 2001. Billy Decker was the fast timer, turning in a 20.954 second lap for a speed of 107.378 MPH.
The 20-lap Sportsman feature saw Chad Brachmann lead all 20 laps. Joe Beyea raced in second the whole distance and was never able to close the four car gap Brachmann held over him. Beyea lost second on the final lap to Greg Doust, who passed him exiting the fourth turn coming down for the checkers. Doust had run a distance third most of the race. A yellow on lap 14 when Steve Gray stopped in the fourth turn, allowed Doust to restart on Beyea's rear bumper.
In the closing laps, Bob Henry Jr., running in fifth, drifted high between the first and second turns losing four positions. Henry recouped for one spot and ended up finishing eighth.
Brachmann took the victory followed by Doust, Beyea, Justin Haers and Paul Guererri. Brachmann averaged 73.903 MPH on his way to victory. The race lasted just 10 minutes and 9 seconds.
Heat wins went to Beyea, Brachmann and Karl Comfort. Comfort dropped out of the main event after just four laps. The consolation race was won by Clay Parmelee. Fireworks followed the features, which ended at 9:30 p.m..
The next race at Rolling Wheels Raceway will be on Labor Day evening, September 3, when the 31st Robert N. Petrocci Memorial 100 will be staged, another Advance Auto Parts Super DIRT Series race. The pole and outside pole for the Petrocci Memorial will be earned that afternoon at the 52nd annual New York State Fairgrounds Labor Day Classic, starting at 1 p.m..
Racing at Rolling Wheels is scheduled to begin with time trials at 6 p.m. sharp.
LITTLE TREES presents the ADVANCE AUTO PARTS SUPER DIRT SERIES
SAM DELL CAR & TRUCK STORES
CASTROL HEAVY DUTY LUBES
PAUL F. VITALE-ROBINSON CONCRETE NIGHT SUMMARY
SPORTSMAN:
HEAT 1: J. Beyea, P. Guererri, D. Allen, J. Plumb, J. Spano.
HEAT 2: C. Brachmann, E. Payne Jr., G. Doust, B. Henry Jr., S. Gray.
HEAT 3: K. Comfort, R. Hefti, J. Haers, J. Bowman, G. Gallerie.
CONSI: C. Parmelee, R. Chrysler, R. Richardson, J. LaRock, G. Hager, W. Czymmek, J. Bennett, B. Shantel Jr., C. Ostrowsky.
FEATURE (20-laps): CHAD BRACHMANN, Greg Doust, Joe Beyea, Justin Haers, Paul Guererri, David Allen, John Plumb, Bob Henry Jr., Jim Bowman, Clay Parmelee, Russ Hefti, James Spano, Randy Chrysler, Joe Bennett, Bill Shantel Jr., Chris Ostrowsky, Gary Harper, Wade Czymmek, Steve Gray, Eldon Payne Jr., Ryan Richardson, Karl Comfort, Jim LaRock, DNS: Gary Gallerie.
MODIFIED:
TIME TRIALS: Billy Decker 20.954 (107.378 MPH), Brett Hearn 21.109, Chuck Bower 21.221, Gary Tomkins 21.308, Rich Laubach 21.356, Alan Johnson 21.370, Jack Johnson 21.379, Steve Paine 21.397, Bobby Varin 21.414, Tim McCreadie 21.445, Doug Hoffman 21.463, Tim Fuller 21.467, Jim Gabriel Jr. 21.472, Danny Johnson 21.475, Jimmy Phelps 21.509, Brian Swartzlander 21.539, Ron Smoker 21.608, Darryl Ruggles 21.624, Tom Sears, Jr. 21.640, Butch Tittle 21.682, Vic Coffey 21.688, Jerry Higbie 21.793, Bob McCreadie 21.811, Steve Poirier 21.816, Vince Vitale 21.848, Pat Ward 21.857, Kenny Tremont 21.898, Frank Cozze 21.930, Mike Colsten 21.947, Chuck Hebing 21.956, AJ Romano 21.967, Dave Axton 21.992, Frankie Caprara 22.084, Chris Shultz 22.906, Ryan Watt 23.061, Bentley Meade 23.188.
HEAT 1: J. Johnson, T. McCreadie, B. Swartzlander, T. Sears Jr., J. Gabriel Jr.
HEAT 2: S. Paine, D. Hoffman, D. Johnson, R. Smoker, P. Ward.
HEAT 3: T. Fuller, D. Ruggles, B. Varin, C. Hebing, J. Phelps.
EXISS DASH: B. Hearn, C. Bower, G. Tomkins, B. Decker, R. Laubach, A. Johnson.
CONSI: B. McCreadie, F. Cozze, S. Poirier, V. Coffey, A.J. Romano, V. Vitale, M. Colsten, B. Tittle.
PROVISIONAL: K. Tremont
FEATURE (100-laps): TIM McCREADIE, Steve Paine, Alan Johnson, Brett Hearn, Tim Fuller, Billy Decker, Chuck Bower, Danny Johnson, Pat Ward, Jim Gabriel Jr., Doug Hoffman, Jack Johnson, Jimmy Phelps, Vic Coffey, A.J. Romano, Vince Vitale, Butch Tittle, Kenny Tremont, Bobby Varin, Brian Swartzlander, Tom Sears Jr., Darryl Ruggles, Mike Colsten, Frank Cozze, Chuck Hebing, Steve Poirier, Gary Tomkins, Ron Smoker, Rick Laubach, Bob McCreadie.