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DECKER DOMINATES ADVANCE AUTO PARTS SUPER DIRT SERIES OPENER




ELBRIDGE, NY...The DIRT Motorsports series opener was to have taken place three weeks ago at Hagerstown. Heavy rains brought a halt to that show, making the series opener the Kinney Drugs 200 at Rolling Wheels Raceway.

Sunday Billy Decker, from Unadilla, NY, came, he saw and he conquered, completely dominating the series opener at the Wheels. Also picking up a victory on the day was Chris Shultz, winning the 20-lap DIRT Sportsman Syracuse Firecracker and Rolling Wheels World Series guaranteed starting spots.

The 200, live on "Rush Hour on DIRT" took to the track at 4:25 o'clock before the live television audience. The luck of the draw saw Scott Prentice, the JE Pistons Faster Timer of the Day, also draw the third starting spot. Unfortunately Prentice cooked his motor on his fastest timed lap and looked for a back up ride in another car. Bob McCreadie and crew came to his rescue, allowing Prentice to start at the rear of the field and earn valuable Mr. DIRT points.

Vic Coffey picked the pole and brought the field down to the green flag with Pat Ward in second. Before the lap was complete Vince Vitale made contact with the outside wall and dropped from the race. Vic Coffey was recorded as the leader of the first three laps, all under caution. Pat Ward gained the lead, passing
Coffey on the restart. But coming on fast was Billy Decker. Decker closed the gap slowly, but was able to pass Ward for the lead on lap 17, coming out of the fourth turn.

Decker then proceeded to pull away from Ward. Danny Johnson was running third with Coffey fourth and Steve Paine fifth. On lap 52 the yellow flew when Tim Fuller looped his B&F General Machine ride in the fourth turn, getting lapped by Decker. This set up a mad dash to the pits for the mandatory stop. Lapped cars remained on the track, many of which gained back their lap. Decker emerged from the pits first in line. All of the cars in front of him were on the lead lap, but at the back of the lead lap.

Without skipping a beat Decker continued on his way followed closely by Bobby Varin, Brett Hearn, Danny Johnson, Steve Paine and Jimmy Horton. On lap 61, Bob McCreadie closed his race for the day, exiting into the pits. This green flag set up a long run, stretching until lap 102 when Frank Cozze came to a stop in the first turn. Cozze, who had chosen soft tires all the way around his car, spent most of the race in the pits, completing only 70 laps. This yellow allowed Kenny Tremont the luxury of going around to the back of the leaders as he earned back his lap.

Decker maintained his lead, but the passing was taking place from second place back. Alan and brother Danny Johnson found themselves in a battle royal for eight spot. Alan was able to better his younger sibling. A few laps later Steve Paine passed Varin for second. Ward quickly followed suit rearranging the top five to look like: Decker, Paine, Ward, Varin and Hearn.

Decker then built a half lap lead over Paine. Paine was ten cars ahead of Ward at first but Ward closed the gap in the closes stages of the race. Brett moved up to fourth and Varin faded back to fifth. Decker pocketed $10,000 for his victory.

Steve Paine won the Exiss Trailers Dash pocketing an additional $200. Points will be awarded at all series dashes, with a grand prize being awarded at the annual banquet in November.

In accompanying action Steve Hall charged from his pole starting position into the lead of the 20-lap Sportsman feature. On lap seven the yellow flew when Rich Swarthout's car stopped in the fourth turn. Unfortunately for Hall, Chris Shultz had already passed him for the lead on lap six.

Shultz held on as Hall tried to pressure him out of first place. A second yellow came on lap 10 when Steve Gray and Steve Nasholtz came together in the first turn.

Shultz held on for the win followed by Hall, Lance Dusett, Karl Comfort and Jeff Walton rounding out the top five. The next event at Rolling Wheels Raceway will take place May 21 at 2 p.m. in the afternoon. Featured in that show will be a 50-lap DIRT Modified main, a 20-lap Sportsman feature, plus Pro- stocks.

KINNEY DRUGS-HARRY'S TIRE & SUPPLY-AUTO TRADER-AUBURN CUSTOM COUNTERTOPS & MILLWORK, INC presents the ADVANCE AUTO PARTS DIRT CHALLENGE CUP SUMMARY

SPORTSMAN

HEAT 1: S. Hall, B. Henry Jr., J. Davis, J. Haers, D. VanArsdale.
HEAT 2: J. Walton, G. Doust, L. Dusett, C. Brachmann, T. Juhl.
HEAT 3: J. Beyea, C. Shultz, C. Mitchell, Ji. Johnson, K. Comfort.

CONSI: M. Sheppard, R. Swarthout, S. Gray, J. Spano, J. LaRock, R. Payne, K. Deyea, W. Decker, S. Nasholtz.

FEATURE (20-laps): CHRIS SHULTZ, Steve Hall, Lance Dusett, Karl Comfort, Jeff Walton, Greg Doust, Jim Davis, Jimmy Johnson, Joe Beyea, Matt Sheppard, Tom Juhl, Craig Mitchell, Dave VanArsdale, Jim Spano, Chad Brachmann, Jim LaRock, Kevin Deyea, Eldon Payne, Bob Henry Jr., Justin Haers, Steve Gray, Steve Nasholtz, Rich Swarthout, Willy Decker.

MODIFIED

TIME TRIALS: Scott Prentice 23.220 (96.899 mph), Billy Decker 23.252, Steve Paine 23.302, Gary Tomkins 23.322, Pat Ward 23.420, Bob MccReadie 23.457, Vic Coffey 23.476, Todd Milton 23.544, Doug Hoffman 23.545, Tom Sears Jr. 23.568, Tim McCreadie 23.581, Bobby Varin 23.589, Mitch Gibbs 23.599, Danny Johnson 23.650, Jimmy Horton 23.721, Andy Bachetti 23.736, Jimmy Phelps 23.743, Tim Fuller 23.798, Alan Johnson 23.802, Brett Hearn 23.833, Chuck Bower 23.883, Pierre Dagenais 23.946, Jack Johnson 23.989, Jason Barney 24.051, Jim Gabriel Jr. 24.117, Ray Bliss Jr. 24.128, Kenny Tremont 24.130, Mike Perrotte 24.164, Maynard Forrette 24.268, Ronnie Johnson 24.291, Ron Smoker 24.337, Vince Vitale 24.392, Frank Cozze 24.394, Josh Skarzenski 24.396, Butch Tittle 24.436, Randy Sherlock 24.544, Jim Burke 24.630, Scott Ridley 24.649, Matt DeLorenzo 24.835, Dave Axton 24.895, Bob Hamm Jr. 24.937, Jeff Brownell NT.

HEAT 1: V. Coffey, M. Gibbs, A. Johnson, R. Smoker, A. Bachetti.
HEAT 2: T. Milton, D. Johnson, B. Hearn, J. Phelps, T. McCreadie.
HEAT 3: D. Hoffman, B. Varin, J. Horton, T. Fuller, C. Bower.

EXISS TRAILERS DASH: STEVE PAINE, Pat Ward, Bob McCreadie, Scott
Prentice, Billy Decker, Gary Tomkins.

CONSI: K. Tremont, J. Johnson, F. Cozze, J. Barney, T. Sears Jr., M. Perrotte, V. Vitale, J. Gabriel Jr., R. Bliss Jr.

ADDED: J. Skarzenski - provisional

FEATURE (200-laps): BILLY DECKER, Steve Paine, Pat Ward, Brett Hearn, Bobby Varin, Kenny Tremont, Alan Johnson, Danny Johnson, Jimmy Horton, Tim McCreadie, Vic Coffey, Todd Milton, Tim Fuller, Jimmy Phelps, Ron Smoker, Gary Tomkins, Andy Bachetti, Doug Hoffman, Jack Johnson, Josh Skarzenski, Tom Sears Jr., Chuck Bower, Mitch Gibbs, Frank Cozze, Bob McCreadie, Ray Bliss Jr., Jim Gabriel Jr., Mike Perrotte, Jason Barney, Scott Prentice, Vince Vitale.