DECKER TOPS CAYUGA COUNTY TELEVISION FINALE; RICHARDSON TAKES SPORTSMAN TITLE
WEEDSPORT, NY...Billy Decker, from Unadilla, NY, took the lead from Brett Hearn on lap 86 and went on to win the $6,000 to win season finale at Cayuga County Fair Speedway before a live television audience. Alan Johnson, who finished third, only needed to start the main event to earn the 2003 Cayuga Co. Fair Modified Track Championship. Ryan Richardson took top honors in the sportsman main event, winning the Sportsman Track Championship.
Chuck Bower, from the outside pole, took the lead at the drop of the green in the 100lap Advance Auto Parts Super DIRT Series beating out pole sitter, and second fast timer, Brett Hearn. Hearn ducked low entering the third turn on a number of laps trying to take the lead. Finally on lap 11 his efforts paid of as he shot by Bower. Following him through the gap was Tim McCreadie. On lap 13 the yellow flew when Steve Hulsizer hit the wall on the outside of the fourth turn and came to a stop.
The restart saw Hearn hold off McCreadie. Vic Coffey had moved into third followed by Billy Decker and Danny Johnson. The second yellow of the race came on the very next lap, lap 14, when Bob McCreadie and Ryan Phelps made contact and spun in the first turn.
Hearn built a .7 second lead on Tim McCreadie following the restart. McCreadie tried to stay as close as he could to Hearn. When the leaders entered lapped traffic, lap 23, McCreadie's task became even more difficult.
On lap 28, with Coffey challenging McCreadie for second, McCreadie drifted high and made contact with the outside of the second turn wall to bring out the yellow. This moved Coffey into second followed by Decker and Danny Johnson.
On lap 36 the yellow flew for a fourth time when Jason Barney looped exiting the second turn in front of traffic. Thanks to excellent driving skills Barney was able to right his car, but still headed to the pits.
Lap 40 saw Bob McCreadie spin again in the first turn. Dave Axton, taking evasive action, also looped his car to cause yellow number five. Through all of this action Hearn maintained his lead over Decker.
Lap 48 saw the yellow fly when Jimmy Chester hit the inside fourth turn wall and acme to a complete stop.
The seventh yellow came on lap 51 when caution laps started counting. Danny Johnson made heavy contact with the outside of the first turn wall. This contact forced Danny to slow on the track ad head to the pits. In the process he lost three laps.
By lap 74 there were only 15 cars remaining on the lead lap. As the leaders approached lapped traffic, Hearn seemed to have trouble getting by Danny Johnson. He lapped Johnson on lap 81, but Johnson repassed Hearn to get his lap back. Through out this action Decker closed on the back bumper of Hearn.
As Hearn exited the fourth turn on lap 86 he made contact with the back of the Johnson machine sending Danny spinning into the infield and caused Hearn to slow enough for Decker to pass on the high side for the lead.
From this point on it was all Decker. Alan Johnson was now on the move, taking third from Coffey and moving in on the two leaders.
At the finish line it was Decker winning by some 2.872 seconds over Hear, Alan Johnson, Gary Tomkins and Coffey.
The 20lap sportsman main saw Ron Loveless take the early lead over Russ Hefti. On lap three Hefti took the lead but immediately Loveless retook the position. The yellow flew on lap five when Donnie Wetmore Jr. tagged the back stretch wall and came to a stop. While trying to get back to the pits he hopped over Jason Potter's front wheel as Potter was warming up his tires under yellow.
Ryan Richardson, the points leader, grabbed to top spot on the restart with Hefti in second and Potter in third. The yellow flew again when Rob Relfe and Wetmore Jr. looped in the first turn.
The race would finish from this point on under green. Richardson held a three car advantage over Hefti with Jim Livingston in third.
At the finish line it was Richardson winning both the race and the divisional points title. Hefti came home in second followed by Livingston, Potter and Tom Juhl.
PIT NOTES: Special awards were handed out to the top ten driver in Empire Series points. Points winner Tim McCreadie picked up two new Hoosier tires courtesy of Hoosier, a certificate for a 100 gallons of Sunoco gasoline, $2,500 from Teo Pro Car for being the first Teo driver in the final points and a brand new $7,000 Suzuki Vinson ATV.
The remaining drivers in the top ten each received two new Hoosier Tires and 100 gallons of Sunoco. Second place Alan Johnson earned $2,500 from Bicknell Racing Products and $750 from Fingerlakes Machine. Billy Decker, third place, added to his earning with $250 from Morrison Performance. Fourth place Danny Johnson picked up $2,500 from Troyer for being the first Troyer driver in points. Position four through ten received an additional $100 from Camair Management. A random drawing was held between the top ten for a Camair Tire Management System courtesy of Joe Torrisi and a full set of wheels from Weld Wheels.
CAYUGA CO. FINAL POINTS (TOP 5)
MODIFIED POINTS: Alan Johnson 748, Tim McCreadie 673, Billy Decker 672, Danny Johnson 660, Gary Tomkins 629
SPORTSMAN POINTS: Ryan Richardson 605, Greg Doust 588, Eric Richardson 574, John Pfeffer 538, Eldon Payne Jr. 519
BUDWEISER presents the ADVANCE AUTO PARTS SUPER DIRT SERIES NIGHT SUMMARY
SPORTSMAN
HEAT 1: R, Hefti, R. Richardson, G. Doust, T. Juhl, M. Butler, D. Burke
HEAT 2: R. Loveless, D. Wetmore Jr., J. Potter, J. Livingston, E. Payne Jr., J. Yannone
HEAT 3: J. Pfeffer, E. Richardson, B. Henry Jr., S. Wescott Jr., M. Conrow, B. MacTavish
CONSI: D. Creeden, W. Chyrywaty, R. Relfe, J. Juhl, H. Desmoreau, M. Bowman
FEATURE (20 Laps): Ryan Richardson, Russ Hefti, Jim Livingston, Jason Potter, Tom Juhl, Greg Doust, Eldon Payne Jr., Matt Butler, Eric Richardson, John Pfeffer, Sam Wescott Jr., Donnie Wetmore Jr., Boyd MacTavish, Dan Creeden, Don Burke, Walt Chyrywaty, Henry Desormeau, Jamie Yannone, Rob Relfe, Mike Bowman, Mike Conrow, Ron Loveless, John Juhl
MODIFIED (Race Summary)
TIME TRIALS: Steve Paine 15.771 (85.600 MPH), Brett Hearn 15.785, Bob McCreadie 15.794, Billy Decker 15.868, Pat Ward 15.913, Tom Sears Jr. 16.012, Tim McCreadie 16.018, Vic Coffey 16.063, Alan Johnson 16.071, Ryan Bartlett 16.089, Mike Adderley 16.162, Jerry Higbie 16.164, Steve Hulsizer 16.191, Butch Tittle 16.206, Chuck Bower 16.229, Gary Tomkins 16.229, Jeff Isabell 16.230, Jack Johnson 16.233, Ryan Odasz 16.261, Ryan Phelps 16.262, Jason Barney 16.292, Danny Johnson 16.357, Jimmy Phelps 16.367, Joe Beyea 16.375, Dave Axton 16.388, Frankie Caprara Jr. 16.397, Bobby Varin 16.403, Kenny Tremont Jr. 16.444, Vince Vitale 16.494, Shawn Beardsley 16.515, Alan Shiffler 16.575, Jimmy Chester 16.663, A.J. Romano 16.688, Ray Bliss 16.692, Mike Bliss 16.909, Jim LaRock 17.001, Jim Burke 17.139, Patrick Dupree 17.582
HEAT 1: B. McCreadie, T. McCreadie, C. Bower, J. Phelps, A. Shiffler Jr.
HEAT 2: B. Decker, V. Coffey, G. Tomkins, J. Higbie, R. Phelps.
HEAT 3: P. Ward, S. Hulsizer, A. Johnson, J. Barney, D. Axton.
HEAT 4: T. Sears Jr., J. Johnson, D. Johnson, B. Tittle, F. Caprara Jr.
CONSI 1: B. Varin, V. Vitale, J. Isabell, R. Odasz.
CONSI 2: J. Chester, R. Bliss, R. Bartlett, K. Tremont.
FEATURE (100Laps): Billy Decker, Brett Hearn, Alan Johnson, Gary Tomkins, Vic Coffey, Tom Sears Jr., Pat Ward, Jimmy Phelps, Kenny Tremont Jr., Bobby Varin, Butch Tittle, Jerry Higbie, Frankie Caprara Jr., Vince Vitale, Steve Paine, Chuck Bower, Dave Axton, Ryan Odasz, Jeff Isabell, Danny Johnson, Bob McCreadie, Jimmy Chester, Alan Shiffler, Jason Barney, Tim McCreadie, Ray Bliss, Ryan Bartlett, Ryan Phelps, Steve Hulsizer, Jack Johnson.