Tomkins Breaks Through For 1st Advance Series Win In 2008 At Can-Am
LaFargeville, NY – August 16, 2008 – By Tom Skibinski, Advance Auto Parts Super DIRTcar Series PR Director
Just two days earlier Gary Tomkins was in desperate need of a spark to ignite his team that had suffered through a summer of misfortune and missed chances. After posting a third-place best finish the night before, Tomkins finally lit the fire on Saturday at Can-Am Motorsports Park and went on to find victory lane for the first time in the Advance Auto Parts Super DIRTcar Series by capturing the headline ‘F.X. Caprara Car Companies 100’ at the smooth LaFargeville, New York layout.
“Finally … it takes a few things to this and we got them all together on the same night,” said Tomkins, 42, following his 16th career Advance Series triumph and second at Can-Am since winning in 2004, the same year as his only overall Mr. DIRTcar Championship. “First off, we’ve got an awesome, awesome race car, that’s for sure.”
“The guys at Bicknell have changed some things and are trying out others, I think they work now. Obviously, my crew led by Mike Payne has had a big part. He’s been working nights not sleeping at all trying to get this thing ready. Thank God for Doug (Dulen, owner) still sticking with us. We’ve had some tough times this year, its really been a roller coaster ride, but boy this makes up for a lot. And the way this car performed tonight, it was something else,” remarked Tomkins, who improved after scoring his first top-three finish of the season 24 hours earlier at Brewerton Speedway to land a guarnteed starting spot in the prestigious Rite Aid 200 Championship race on Oct. 12 of Super DIRT Week XXXVII at the New York State Fairgrounds in Syracuse.
Jimmy Phelps made a late-race charge to finish second ahead of current Advance Series points leader Billy Decker, runner-up in the standings Dale Planck, and Bert/KSE Racing Products Hard Charger Steve Paine, who started last in the 31-car field aboard the borrowed JB Motor Sports/Bicknell ride of Jeff Brownell.
Local pilot Scott Parliament opened the century grind by jumping out first behind the wheel of a brand new TEO car that was debuted just one week earlier at the spacious Can-Am half-miler. Tour follower Ryan Phelps suffered a broken right front hub to force out the initial yellow flag on lap nine, and the restart was just what home track points leader Frankie Caprara was looking for as he blasted out front high to take command once the green flag came back out.
Tomkins shadowed Caprara’s move from the outside and grabbed third from Stewart Friesen as the leaders continued to shuffle positions in the early stages. Parliament dropped to third behind Tomkins and quickly faded to fourth when Decker claimed the show position 13 laps in.
Second-generation driver Adam Roberts spun high in turn one to incur a second caution period on lap 21 and that was just the ticket for Tomkins as he took advantage on the ensuing restart to forge the final lead change with Caprara and Decker still in tow.
Caprara’s night came to sudden halt just a handful of laps later as the no. 1 F.X. Caprara Car Co.-Auto Value-JK Contracting/Troyer machine stopped between turns three and four with a broken driveshaft. With caution laps counting after 25, Justin Haers cracked the front-five in time for the lap 31 restart with fast approaching Planck right on his tail.
Back under green, Planck disposed of Parliament for fourth on lap 32 and at the halfway mark it was Tomkins and Decker pulling away from Friesen, Planck and Jimmy Phelps. Six laps later Phelps ducked under Planck on the backstretch to take over fourth, then used traffic to gain the third spot past Friesen on lap 64. Planck also sped around Friesen and the front-five remained intact over the next 20 circuits.
Despite Tomkins and Decker battling up front, Phelps was able to track down the series stars while Paine suddenly became more visible among the top-10 with a quarter of the race still to go. The Waterloo warrior scurried into seventh by lap 80 and with just a dozen laps left found himself solidly among the front-five. Phelps made the final surge for the top spot, nosing ahead of Decker for second on lap 97 before Tomkins out-distanced him by six car-lengths to collect the $6,000 top prize.
“The car could work pretty much anywhere,” noted Tomkins, who remained sixth in series points through 17 of 27 races. “One thing I was afraid of was when you get the lead early sometimes the track will change, and this track does change quite a lot, and you don’t if those guys are catching you.”
“The last time I won a series race here we had radios and the guys could tell me where to move around. I didn’t have such luck tonight but this thing was good everywhere. I could just roll around the corners and this thing would take off down the straightaways … it was awesome.
“I could see Billy’s nose a couple times on restarts, he actually started next to me a couple times. All I was worried about was getting down the back stretch and beating him into turn three. If I could do that, I could keep the lead and if not, I wasn’t going to get him. We were good enough where we could roll the top and accelerate down the back chute. But still looking at Billy and Dale, the year they’ve been having, and even Jimmy has come on strong lately, they’re heavy hitters and they know what it takes to win. We’re still getting our feet wet a little bit with this car and still learning some stuff with it. Its tough but I had confidence with it the way it felt so great out there,” added Tomkins, after netting his fifth top-five finish in 17 point races. The Clifton Springs, New York racer finished second to Tim Fuller in the first of two 50-lappers held last summer at Can-Am steering the Honeoye Auto Parts no. 84 Red Parker & Son Excavating/Bicknell entry.
Joining Tomkins with his second straight top-five in as many nights, Phelps rally fell just short at the line as he sought his second Advance Series victory of the season.
“An extra five (laps) an maybe things could’ve turned out different,” said Phelps, 33, who placed the H&H Motorsports no. 98H Mohawk N.E.-New England Race Fuels-Joe Gibbs Racing Oil/Troyer third in last year’s second 50-lap at Can-Am that was won by Paine. “I needed that last yellow earlier so we could get some more green laps there at the end. It took my car about five laps or so after the yellow to get moving, and that’s what really hurt us tonight.”
“We needed to be a little better earlier, we definitely had what we needed at the end but it was just a little too late. What are you gonna do? These guys are giving me an awesome race car, just didn’t anticipate the track sticking around that long. The moisture seemed to come back a little bit, just took us too long to really get going.”
“The consistency is there, we’re knocking on the door it seems like more and more so hopefully another win is right around the corner. I have to thank all the guys at Troyer for helping out and everybody that supports this deal. And all the fans for coming out tonight, it was a fun place to race,” Phelps added.
Continuing to set an extraordinary pace in the Advance Auto Parts Super Series leader Decker scored his 14th front-five finish of the season with every event coming home among the top-10, including eight extra-distance victories.
“We were just struggling, happy to get away with a third,” low-balled Decker, who has finished among the top-five at Can-Am seven of the last races, leading off with his lone tour win at the ‘Nasty Track of the North’ in 1999. “The car was close, it was just lacking a little balance. We’ve been fishing for it and can’t really find it.”
”But a third from where we started (7th) tonight, we’re tickled to death. We’ve got great stuff, all the guys work really hard so we’re very fortunate. Sure, there’s the big picture (Mr. DIRTcar), but we still come to every race with the full intention of running to win and hopefully let the points take care of themselves,” Decker figured.
The Advance Auto Part Super DIRTcar Series continues tomorrow at Cornwall Motor Speedway on Sunday, August 17 with the 14th Akwesasne Mohawk Casino International 100 concluding the weekend north of the border.
Advance Auto Parts Super DIRTcar Series
Race #17
Can-Am Motorsports Park
August 16, 2008
‘F.X. Caprara Car Companies 100’
Big Block Modified Event Summary
Feature
FIN STR CAR# DRIVER
1 5 84 Gary Tomkins/Clifton Springs,NY($6,000)
2 6 98h Jimmy Phelps/Baldwinsville,NY
3 7 91 Billy Decker/Unadilla,NY
4 12 77x Dale Planck/Cortland,NY
5 *29 7x Steve Paine/Waterloo,NY
6 2 1 Stewart Friesen/Niagara-o-t-Lake,ONT
7 15 9s Matt Sheppard/Waterloo,NY
8 20 11 Danny Johnson/Rochester,NY
9 8 6 Pat O'Brien/Kingston,ONT
10 31 18w Scott Webb/Brownville,NY
11 3 3 Justin Haers/Phelps,NY
12 24 88 Steve Hulsizer/Bridgeport,NY
13 10 20 Brett Hearn/Sussex,NJ
14 28 16 Lance Willix II/Theresa,NY
15 11 49 Billy Dunn/Watertown,NY
16 30 5 Jason Potter/Pulaski,NY
17 14 29 Jeff Brownell Jr./Waterloo,NY
18 18 8 Rob Bellinger/Dexter,NY
19 19 87 Shawn Donath/S. Onondaga,NY®
20 26 13 Tony Steiner/Jamesville,NY®
21 25 63 Adam Roberts/Watertown,NY
22 22 19h Chris Higgins/Syracuse,NY®
23 23 6t Pete Taylor/Marcellus,NY
24 1 90 Scott Parliament/LaFargeville,NY
25 9 99 Ryan Phelps/Fulton,NY
26 13 14j Alan Johnson/Middlesex,NY
27 4 fx1 Frankie Caprara/Watertown,NY
28 21 99L Larry Wight/Phoenix,NY®
29 16 93 Ryan Bartlett/Adams,NY
30 27 39 Tyler Bartlett/Adams,NY
31 17 9 Mark Smoke/Akwesasne,NY
*Paine started rear in back-up no. 29 Brownell car.
EVENT SUMMARY:
LAP LEADERS: Parliament (1-8), Caprara (9-20), Tomkins (21-100).
CAUTIONS: 8 for 20 laps.
HEAT WINNERS: J.Phelps, Dunn, Hearn.
UPCOMING EVENTS
Cornwall Motor Speedway hosts the third and final leg of the Advance Auto Parts Super DIRTcar Series this weekend with the mighty Mod Squad point chasers contending in the third straight 100-lapper paying $6,000-to-win on Sunday, August 17. The top touring stars arrive at the home of DIRTcar NorthEast on Aug. 31 for Twin 54s at Cayuga County Fair Speedway.
Point Standings (Thru Aug. 16, 2008)
1. Billy Decker 1,442
2. Dale Planck 1,281
3. Brett Hearn 1,235
4. Jimmy Phelps 1,224
5. Matt Sheppard 1,137
6. Gary Tomkins 1,127
7. Steve Paine 1,047
8. Frankie Caprara 946
9. Danny Johnson 932
10. Ryan Phelps 899
SKIDMARKS
Watertown Warriors: Can-Am boasted a strong local flavor led by rising Advance Series stars Frankie Caprara and Billy Dunn plus Rob Bellinger, who scored his first career DIRTcar Big-Block Modified feature win just a few backs at the same LaFargeville oval. Two-time Can-Am winner Caprara was the track points leader heading into the Saturday special while Dunn held down fourth in the standings still seeking his first win of 2008. “The track has been different every time we’ve raced this summer,” remarked Dunn, who was second quickest in time trials before winning the second qualifying heat. “Whoever has the best car is definitely going to win tonight, but the re-draw will be very important as its tough to pass out there. You just have to be patient. I don’t mind the being slick, you don’t need a big motor to get around.” Noted Caprara, “I’ve never seen the track like this before, its dry and smooth with hardly any bite in (turns) one and two. Coming into the show we had higher expectations just because we know the place better than any other. But still, all the tour guys are in town for this one and its always tough to gain an edge going up against so much experience.” With Dunn and Caprara hopeful of top-fives, Bellinger was more content gaining valuable track time running alongside the best in the Big-Block business. “We might have a decent shot at a top-10 if everything falls our way, yet anything in the first 15 would certainly be acceptable,” pointed out Bellinger, fondly known as ‘Kid Troyer’ among the racing fraternity. “This is just our second series race of the season so we’re looking to get as many laps under our belt as possible. We’re still up in the air with a set-up for the feature, just try to tighten up the car during hot laps and see what happens. We’ll try to get the tires not to spin and look to get as much forward bite as possible. It’s a different track tonight so we figure everybody will be guessing once that first green flag flies.”
Pot Holes: 2007 Super DIRT Week Rite 200 pole-winner Jimmy Phelps became the ninth driver to earn an Integra Shocks Fast Time Award this season after posting the best time for the fifth time in his career…..Danny Johnson continued to ride the carousel of cars, piloting a TEO machine borrowed from DIRTcar 358-Modified racer Lance Willix ---actually owned by Zach Aubertine--- at Can-Am on Saturday. The past two Advance Series shows the ‘Doctor’ wheeled a vintage orange no. 27J Troyer Mud Buss at Canandaigua and Brewerton, earlier driving Mike Petruska’s no. J66 TEO at Merrittville, Mark Forte’s re-numbered m40 TEO mount at Orange County, and former car owner Jeff Isabell’s no. 7J Troyer entry at Georgetown after opening the season aboard the no. 27J JIR Motorsports/Troyer copy…..Small-blockers Adam Roberts, Mark Smoke and Lance Willix Jr. were all vying for a guaranteed starting berth in the Super DIRT Week 358-Modified Championship slated for Saturday, October 11 at the New York State Fairgrounds in Syracuse with Willix (14th) getting the nod…..Rear-end trouble for the second straight Advance Series event for Steve Paine forced the ‘Hurricane’ to climb into JB Motor Sports back-up no. 29 Bicknell machine and exhibit a stunning performance in the 100-lap feature go. Paine, who with Tim Fuller split the series twin 50s held last summer at Can-Am, was doubtful at first that he would make it back in time to hit the Cornwall race on Sunday until car owner Jeff Brownell supplied him a new rear-end to install in his own no. 7x Tallmadge Tire-Swarthout Recycling-Instant Heat Wood Pellets/Troyer ride…..Brett Hearn captured his ninth heat race victory to lead the list of 22 drivers copping qualifiers in tour competition this season. However, by feature time, the ‘Jet’ was once again grounded as he settled for a disappointing 13th-place finish as the last car to remain on the lead lap.
2008 Advance Auto Parts Super DIRTcar Series Schedule
NP=Non-Point event.
*All events subject to change.
DAY-DATE TRACK WINNER/RITE AID 200 QUALIFIER
Wed-Feb 13 Volusia Speedway Park-NP Billy Pauch
Thr-Feb 14 Volusia Speedway Park-NP Brett Hearn
Fri-Feb 15 Volusia Speedway Park-NP Dale Planck
Sat-Feb 16 Volusia Speedway Park-NP Jimmy Horton
Sat-Mar 22 Hagerstown Speedway Weather-Cancelled
Thr-May 1 Virginia Motor Speedway Matt Sheppard(G)
Sun-May 4 Rolling Wheels Raceway Billy Decker(G)
Sun-May 4 Rolling Wheels Raceway Dale Planck(G)
Sun-May 25 Cayuga Co Fair Speedway D.Planck/Danny Johnson(P)
Sat-Jun 7 Fulton Speedway B.Decker/Brett Hearn(P)
Thr-Jul 3 Ransomville Speedway B.Decker/Robbie Krull(P)
Thr-Jul 10 Brockville Ont Speedway B.Decker/Jimmy Phelps(P)
Fri-Jul 11 Autodrome Granby Brett Hearn(G)
Sat-Jul 12 Autodrome Drummond D.Planck/Steve Paine(P)
Wed-Jul 16 Grandview Speedway B.Decker/Jeff Strunk(P)
Thr-Jul 17 Georgetown Speedway H.J. Bunting III(G)
Thr-Jul 31 Orange Co Fair Speedway B.Hearn/Chuck McKee(P)
Mon-Aug 4 Merrittville Speedway Jimmy Phelps(G)
Sat-Aug 9 Canandaigua Speedway B.Decker/Vic Coffey(P)
Sat-Aug 9 Canandaigua Speedway B.Decker/Justin Haers(P)
Fri-Aug 15 Brewerton Speedway B.Decker/Gary Tomkins(P)
Sat-Aug 16 Can-Am Motorsports Park Gary Tomkins(G)
Sun-Aug 17 Cornwall Motor Speedway Cornwall,ONT
Sun-Aug 31 Cayuga Co Fair Speedway Weedsport,NY
Mon-Sep 1 Rolling Wheels Raceway Elbridge,NY
Sat-Sep 6 Lebanon Valley Speedway West Lebanon,NY
Fri-Sep 12 Lernerville Speedway Sarver,PA
Sat-Sep 20 Canandaigua Speedway Canandaigua,NY
Sat-Sep 27 Rolling Wheels Raceway Elbridge,NY
Sun-Oct 12 New York State Fairgrounds Syracuse,NY
Sun-Oct 19 Orange Co Fair Speedway Middletown,NY