DECKER DOUBLES AT 'DAGUIA
CANANDAIGUA, NY.8/20/98....Billy Decker, from Unadilla, NY, made a clean sweep of the special night of racing at the Canandaigua Speedway last Thursday, August 20. Decker claimed his third Skoal Bandit Racing sm Super DIRT Series race of the season in the rain delayed Canandaigua feature. He then came back and won the 35-lap regular feature race to remain atop the Canandaigua Speedway track points race. Jerry Haers Jr. won the special 20-lap DIRT Sportsman feature.
The evening began with the rain delayed Skoal Bandit Racing sm Super DIRT Series feature. Due to no shows, Danny Johnson sat in the lead, driving the Chuck Hebing backup car. Local favorite, Bob McCreadie was second followed by Brett Hearn, Billy Decker, Pat Ward and Doug Hoffman.
Hoffman was able to shoot around the front of the field to take the lead on the lap 19 restart as only 21 cars took the green. Jack Johnson was the first car to drop from the race, two laps after the restart. Hoffman led Danny Johnson, Billy Decker and Bob McCreadie. On lap 23, Decker took the lead as Hoffman fell back to second. Danny Johnson dropped out of the race on lap 32 after skidding off the track coming out of turn three, leaving the front of the field to look like: Decker, Hoffman, Tim McCreadie, Pat Ward and Bob McCreadie. Johnson would later return numerous laps down to the field.
Five cautions slowed the pace of the race as Decker dominated the front of the pack. On lap 47, lapped traffic was encountered. Tim McCreadie was eliminated when he was involved with a lapped car on lap 54, slamming into the slowing car, exiting to the pits. McCreadie's car ended up against the Jersey barriers at the pit exit in turn three.
Decker took the victory followed by Pat Ward, Bob McCreadie, Brett Hearn and Kenny Tremont. Ninth place Vic Coffey earned the guaranteed starting spot for the Eckerd Drug Stores 300 at Syracuse in October.
In the accompanying 35-lap modified feature of the evening the starting field was set up by running handicapped heat races and a heads up feature start. Billy Decker, won the first heat race and used his pole starting position to dominate the 35-lap main event.
Chuck Hebing, followed Decker on the start and shot into second followed by Bob McCreadie, Vic Coffey and Tim Fuller.
The caution flew on lap four when Steve Lead looped his mount on the back stretch. Decker maintained his lead through the remaining laps, as the rest of the race was run under green flag conditions. Decker lapped all but the top five at the finish.
Decker took the victory with Pat Ward, Bob McCreadie, Jimmy Horton and Tim Fuller rounding out the top five. Darryl Ruggles earned the Prefered starting spot for the Eckerd Drug Stores 300 with his eighth place finish, as all drivers that finished ahead of him already held guaranteed spots for that event.
The 20-lap sportsman feature was won by Jerry Haers Jr. after the nearly caution free race saw him lead all 20 laps. The only caution came on lap 12 after Wade Czymmek spun into the infield in turn four. Czymmek's car did not refire, forcing track officials to throw the yellow flag.
Haers was followed across the finish line by Lance Dusett, Todd Henderson, Steve Gray and Vince Vitale.
SKOAL BANDIT RACING sm SUPER DIRT SERIES NIGHT SUMMARY
RAIN DELAYED FEATURE (97-laps): BILLY DECKER, Pat Ward, Bob McCreadie, Brett Hearn, Kenny Tremont, Doug Hoffman, Tim Fuller, Jimmy Horton, Vic Coffey, Chuck Hebing, Steve Paine, Charlie Donk, Bryon Turner, Bobby Varin, Alan Johnson, Danny Johnson, Tim McCreadie, Scott Schrader, Ray Bliss Jr., Steve Schultz, Jack Johnson, Gary Tomkins, Gil Tegg Jr., Bill Gill, Chuck Bower, John Moravec, Steve Glover, Tom Sears Jr., Mike Romano.
SPORTSMAN
HEAT 1: J. Haers Jr., S. Gray, R. Lyons, R. Holden, P. Guererri.
HEAT 2: T. Henderson, V. Vitale, C. Ridsdale, M. Button, R. VanNeil.
HEAT 3: L. Dusett, K. Stell, T. Preston, A. Vargo, D. McQuay.
FEATURE (20-laps): JERRY HAERS JR., Lance Dusett, Todd Henderson, Steve Gray, Vince Vitale, Mike Button, Russ Lyons, Randy Holden, Paul Guererri, Keith Stell, Chris Ridsdale, Ricky VanNeil, Todd Preston, Andy Vargo, Wade Czymmek, Dave McQuay, Gary Hotelling.
MODIFIED
HEAT 1: B. Decker, T. Fuller, P. Ward, B. Turner, S. Paine.
HEAT 2: V. Coffey, D. Ruggles, D. Johnson, S. Schultz, C. Donk.
HEAT 3: C. Hebing, B. McCreadie, S. Lead, J. Horton, K. Tremont.
FEATURE (35-laps): BILLY DECKER, Pat Ward, Bob McCreadie, Jimmy Horton, Tim Fuller, Steve Paine, Danny Johnson, Darryl Ruggles, Kenny Tremont, Steve Lead, Charlie Donk, Bryon Turner, Scott Schrader, Steve Schultz, Max Phillips Jr., Vic Coffey, Alan Johnson, Bobby Varin, Scott Boudinot, Chuck Hebing, Doug Hoffman, Ray Bliss Jr., Tim McCreadie.