DECKER DOMINATES TURNING STONE CASINO FIELD AT THE NEW AFTON SPEEDWAY
AFTON, NY - It was a successful return to the track closest to his hometown as Billy Decker proved he was the man to beat. The "Franklin Flyer" was the fan favorite as he dominated the 26-car field during the Turning Stone Casino 358 Modified Super DIRT Series' fourth race of the 2004 season. The win earned Decker a spot in the Sunoco Race Fuels 358 Modified Championship race at the New York State Fairgrounds during Super DIRT Week.
Dick Stark of Lansing won the third leg of the "Hurricane" Harry Uhl, Jr. Memorial Pure Stock All-Star Series with a little luck on his side during the 25-lap feature.
Decker showed why he was the man to beat as he piloted the Gypsum Wholesalers/Stadium International/Quality Hardwoods #91 to the JE Pistons Quick Qualifier Award with a lap of 18.619 seconds (77.340 mph). That time eclipsed the mark of 19.169 (75.121 mph) set by Dale Planck of Cortland last year.
Stewart Friesen was second quickest in time trials with a 19.061 while Decker's teammate Pat Ward was third fastest in 19.126 while Ward, Pete Bicknell and Billy Van Pelt scored heat race wins. A total of 14 drivers took part in the re-draw for the pole position with Afton regular J.R. Hurlburt from Otego grabbing the top spot for the start of the Mirabito Fuel Group 100 main event.
At the drop of Sam Rogers' green flag, Bicknell blasted into first place with Hurlburt second. Decker, who started fourth, quickly took the third spot with strong Afton regulars Jeff Rudalavage and Mitch Gibbs rounding out the top five.
Decker settled into the runner-up spot one lap later and ran two to three car-lengths behind Bicknell for the first 12 circuit on the 4/10-mile layout.
The caution flag flew on lap 13 for Mike Ward and another yellow flew on the restart when Afton's defending track champion Jeremy Smith spun in Turn Two.
On the second restart, Decker flew around Bicknell in Turns One & Two and was never seriously challenged.
Between caution periods, Decker consistently opened big leads of 10 cars or more as the rest of the field battled for second place. In all, Decker led 88 laps to claim first-place honors.
Bicknell and Rudalavage battled for second place while Gibbs and Van Pelt continued strong top-five runs. Gibbs actually overtook Rudalavage for third place from lap 19 to lap 25 and again from lap 34 to 48, but Rudalavage would maintain the spot in this battle of former Afton track champions for the rest of the time. Unfortunately, Gibbs went to the pits on lap 65 while Bicknell and Rudalavage got together on lap 69 to bring out the caution. Rudalavage was done for the night.
That contact moved Todd Burley, Ward, Hurlburt and Richie Pratt, Jr. into the top five though Smith would overcome the early spin to move into fifth place on lap 75.
Planck ended his top 10 run in the infield on lap 77 and Hurlburt saw his great run end in the pits on lap 80.
Friesen started eight, but never reached the top five before pitting on lap 31. He returned briefly, but would pit again for the evening.
It was not a good night for Alan Johnson either as A.J. needed to make a pit stop under a caution flag on lap 23 and he never returned.
When the checkered flag finally flew, it was Decker, Burley and Ward. Bicknell overtook Smith for fourth place on the final lap. Pratt, Tom Perrego, Ben Bushaw, Rich Price and John Lazore rounded out the top ten. Bushaw was the final car on the lead lap.
Jeremy Shaw brought the field to the green flag for the 25-lap "Hurricane" Harry Uhl Jr. Memorial Pure Stock All-Star Series feature, but Paul Harrington grabbed the lead from his outside pole position with Louis Gordinier, Shaw, Charlie Gilbert and Rich Green settling into the top five. Gilbert, the series points leader entering the night, struggled early with his mount and retired to the pits on lap 10.
While Harrington set a strong pace, Green charged into the second spot on lap six and got a nice break when the caution flag flew on lap 14 as Brother Bob Stilson came to a halt trying to reach pit road.
Harrington and Green were inseparable with Green looking to the inside of Harrington inside turns one and two while Harrington was the stronger car in turns three and four. You could anticipate what was going to happen and it did, on lap 23.
Green's frustration got the best of him as he tapped Harrington in turn one and sent both cars spinning to the outside wall for the only other caution flag in this exciting race.
Shaw was the leader as the green flag flew on the restart, but Stark quickly moved into the top spot before the two cars reached turn one. Stark would post a solid win with Shaw, Dave Bellis, Gordinier and Mike Codington rounding out the top five at the checkered flag.
Shaw earned the guaranteed starting spot for "The Hurricane" at Thunder Mountain Speedway on August 15 while Gordinier took over the top spot in the series points standings. 11 drivers are still eligible for that $750 top prize as the series wraps up August 8 at Redline Raceway.
TURNING STONE CASINO 358 MODIFIED SUPER DIRT SERIES MIRABITO FUEL GROUP 100
FEATURE RESULTS FROM JULY 7, 2004: BILLY DECKER, Todd Burley, Pat Ward, Pete Bicknell, Jeremy Smith, Richie Pratt, Jr., Tom Perrego, Ben Bushaw, Rich Price, John Lazore, Ron White, Russell Hendrickson, Jr., Ray Bliss, J.R. Hurlburt, Dale Planck, Jeff Rudalavage, Mitch Gibbs, Brian Malcolm, Stewart Friesen, Pete Lyon, Billy Van Pelt, Alan Johnson, Chris Ostrowsky, Mike Ward, Cass Bennett, Don Slover. Heat winners: Ward, Bicknell, Van Pelt.
"HURRICANE" HARRY UHL, JR. MEMORIAL PURE STOCK ALL-STAR SERIES (25 Laps): DICK STARK, Jeremy Shaw, Dave Bellis, Louis Gordinier, Mike Codington, Joe Buchek, Nate Evans, Daryl Krebs, Gene Brainard, Paul Harrington, Rich Green, Mike Wilbur, Mark Wainwright, Brother Bob Stilson, Frank Krebs, Jr., Charlie Gilbert, Ben Poirier. DNS- Matt Pagliaro. Heat winners: Shaw, Harrington.