DECKER CAPTURES FIRST WIN OF '98 AT BREWERTON
BREWERTON, NY...7/17/98..Billy Decker stole the lead from Danny Johnson in an epic battle to score his first win of 1998 at the Brewerton Speedway on Friday night. In a photo finish, Rob Keller captured his first win of 1998 in IMCA Modified competition, while Lloyd Hinton and Troy Van Allen continued their dominance of the 4 Cylinder and Dwarf divisions respectively with feature victories.
Front row starters Dale Planck and Chuck Hebing traded the lead between themselves at the start of the 35 lap DIRT Modified feature before a lap 2 yellow that involved Bob McCreadie, Pat Ward, and Bill Gill. On the restart, Tom Kinsella also moved in to challenge for the lead while Danny Johnson, driving the Bill Trout-owned Honeoye Auto Parts 84, was rapidly advancing from his 10th starting spot. Billy Decker was also coming on strong from the 11th position.
Danny moved past Bill Abold to crack the top five and steadily advanced toward the front of the field while Hebing fought an ill handling race car and began to fade into the field. Danny made his move into the top spot with Decker coming up fast on his heels. Their battle for the lead began with less than fifteen laps to go. Decker actually got underneath Danny going into turn one, and both drivers leaned heavily on each other as the battle continued. While Johnson fended off this particular challenge, he could not hold off Decker's outside pass off turn four a couple of laps later. Bobby Varin had moved to third and watched the battle unfold, but he was caught by Alan Johnson and Tim Fuller on the final lap.
Decker built an advantage he would hold to the checkers with Danny second and Fuller, Alan Johnson, and Varin rounding out the top five. Modified heats were won by Abold, Fuller, and Danny Johnson.
An action packed 20 lap IMCA Modified feature was slowed only once by a caution flag on lap 9. Dick Weiland shot into the lead at the start of the contest, with Rob Keller moving into second and putting on heavy pressure. Behind them, Bob Bradt, Craig Simmons, and Frank Caprara had a war of their own going on for position. Just past halfway, Sean Lias made his run at the leader, and spent the second half of the race hounding Keller looking for an opening. That opportunity came on the final lap on the back
stretch, when Lias slipped under Keller. They ran side by side to the checkers with Keller holding on for his first win of 1998 by a mere few inches. Weiland finished third, followed by Bradt and Simmons. IMCA Modified heats were won by Keller and Weiland.
The 4 Cylinder feature was again a strong run for Lloyd Hinton, who took the lead by the one-third mark of the feature event. Jim Olin was a factor early until he tangled with several other cars in an early race pileup. He would come storming back through the field, passing Ken Klinkowsky and Harvey Calkins late in the race to move into second. Mark Warner was also running strong as he moved into the top five late in the race. At the checkers, Hinton had another win, with Olin in second. Ed Granoski moved past Klinkowsky on the final lap, followed by Calkins and Warner, but a violation resulted in disqualifications for Klinkowsky and Calkins. 4 Cylinder heats were won by John Clark, Granoski, and Calkins.
The Dwarf car feature saw Dan Boyce jump out to the early lead after a battle with Eddie Bell. After Bell faded with a problem, Troy Van Allen stormed up through the field to take the lead just past the halfway point. Boyce almost took the lead back on a restart, but Van Allen was too strong, taking another win, with Boyce in the second spot. Returning Frank Doll Jr. had a fine run to finish third, with Jim Coher and Ken Gamlen taking fourth and fifth. Heats were won by Coher, Boyce, and Van Allen.
Ryan Phelps won the Youth Dwarf feature event and the special Supermodified Stars on DIRT challenge race wound up being a dead heat between Jim Trytek and DIRT Modified driver Alan Johnson, who was a special "mystery driver".
Next Friday night Kinney Drug Stores will present Family Autograph night, with a regular show on tap for the DIRT Modifieds, IMCA Modifieds, 4 Cylinders, and Dwarf cars. Racing begins at 7:30pm.
RACE SUMMARY-NGK SPARK PLUGS/SAV-ON/AVON PRODUCTS NIGHT
BREWERTON SPEEDWAY FRIDAY JULY 17, 1998
DIRT MODIFIED FEATURE-BILLY DECKER, Danny Johnson, Tim Fuller, Alan Johnson, Bobby Varin, Chuck Bower, Bob McCreadie, Tom Kinsella, Scott Prentice, Bill Abold, Lansing Petzoldt, Steve Hulsizer, Chuck Hebing, Roger Phelps, Bill Gill, Jeremy Baye, Bobby Melone, Ray Bliss, Pat Ward, Dale Planck, Jimmy Phelps, Danny Connelly, Shawn Donath, Bob Bennett.
IMCA MODIFIED FEATURE-ROB KELLER, Sean Lias, Dick Weiland, Bob Bradt, Craig Simmons, Frank Caprara, Don Alvord, George Catanzano, Les Hubbard, Ron O'Neil, Tony Finch, Cory Fachini, Carmen Vona, Jim Evans, Doug McKean, Colleen Finch, Joe LaValley.
4 CYLINDER FEATURE-LLOYD HINTON, Jim Olin, Ed Granoski, Ken Klinkowsky (DQ), Harvey Calkins Jr., (DQ), Mark Warner, Chuck Powelcyzk, Roger Olchewske, Tim Koch, Brett Hubbard, Roger West, Jim Lalone, Chris Bargabus, Kevan Cook, Jon Amidon, Bob Whipple, Ray Chittenden, Jeff Amidon, John West, Channie Joyner, Todd Williamson, RJ Grimshaw, Eric Clark, John Clark.
DWARF CAR FEATURE-TROY VAN ALLEN, Dan Boyce, Frank Doll Jr., Jim Coher, Ken Gamlen, Bob Bird, Scott Nash, Jim Gray, Darren Forbes, Barry Virts, Ed Lawton, Buddy Lewis, Dave Lamphere, Pat Pontello, Kevin Doll, Brian Cunningham, Carl Crawford, Jay Reid, Kelly Skinner, Kevin Battelle, Richard Kash, Mark Weigelt, Bob McCarthy, Eddie Bell, Butch Wadsworth, Shawn Hort, Lee Babcock, Kevin DonHausen, David Orr.