Billy Decker Grabs Canandaigua Checkers For First Time Since 2011
Story By: GARY SPAID / CANANDAIGUA SPEEDWAY MEDIA Photos By:RACERSGUIDE.COM PHOTO STAFF
CANANDAIGUA, NY –July 11, 2016- It’s been quite a while since Billy Decker made it to the Canandaigua Motorsports park victory lane. His last visit came on June 14, 2011. Well he made it again last Saturday in a dominating performance.
“Mike (Payne) and the crew have been working hard to help me as I have been struggling here as of late,” stated Decker. “This is an incredibly difficult race track. If you can get it rolling here you can make your car roll anywhere.”
Kevin Ridley picked up his second Sportsman feature of the year, beating Dave Marcuccilli by some 6.5 seconds. In full fender action, Mike Welch took overall honors in the combined pure stock/street stock class. Jason Doty was the winner of the pure stocks. Chad Homan continues his lock on the Crate Late Model victory lane. Erik Karlsen took top honors in the 305 Sprint Cars.
The early battle in the 35-lap DIRTcar Modified feature was between Eldon Payne Jr. and Rich Scagliotta. These two swapped the lead twice before Billy Decker stormed through the pack to take the lead on lap 13.
One yellow slowed the pace. A three car tangle in the first turn between Gil Tegg Jr., Dan Wiesner and Justin Wright took place on lap two. All three cars were able to continue the race.
Once ahead Decker began to pull away as a battle was about to develop for the runner up position. Alan Johnson would win that battle and take off after Decker. Justin Haers beat out Scagliotta for third and Gary Tomkins came home in fifth.
Kevin Ridley blasted into the lead from his pole starting position. He never had to look back as he stretched his advantage by some 7 seconds. With just five laps remaining in the 25-lap feature Dave Marcuccilli took second and began to cut the lead held by Ridley.
At the finish line it was Ridley with the win followed by Marcuccilli, Austyn Fugle, Nick Guererri and Ricky Newton. The feature was run green-to-checkers.
“We have been working our tails off as this car has been a real embarrassment here weekly,” commented Ridley. “Plus I have been under the weather here for the last week which hasn’t made it any easier.”
Chad Homan took the lead in the Crate Late Model division on the third circuit to pick up his sixth feature win of the year at Canandaigua. Erik Karlsen picked up his third feature win of the year. He took the lead from David French on the ninth lap using the low line in turn two.
The 15-lap Pure Stock/Street Stock main saw Mike Welch finally able to pass Jason Doty for the overall lead on lap 13 of 15. Welch took the overall honors and the Street Stock win, while Doty held on to claim top honors in the Pure Stocks.
A special 30 lap enduro was scheduled. Drivers drove the first half of the race counter clockwise, then changed at lap 16 to run the specially created track clockwise. Steve Fuhrmann from Palmyra, NY took the win. He was followed by Jennifer Unger (Palmyra), Kevin Lyke (Clifton Springs), Brandon Kennedy (Rochester), Keith Shaffer (Palmyra), Jeremy Warner (Weedsport), Big D (Syracuse), Chance Simpson (Clifton Springs) and Cody Kyke (Clifton Springs).
It was announced that promoter Jeremie Corcoran was in the final phase of closing a deal to become the promoter at Rolling Wheels Raceway Park. He had it announced that his first race at the “fast track” would be August 17, with the running of the scheduled Super DIRTcar Series.
On Saturday, July 16, Canandaigua Motorsports Park will host another regular night of racing. That race card will include the DIRTcar Big Block Modifieds, Sportsman, New Legends, 305 Sprint Cars, Crate Late Models and the combined Open Street Stocks/Pure Stocks. Race time begins at 7 p.m.
More information can be found at www.canandaiguamotorsportspark.com.
CANANDAIGUA MOTORSPORTS PARK NIGHT SUMMARY (7/9/16)
STREET STOCKS/ PURE STOCK
HEAT: M. Welch, J. Doty, D. Sharp, B. Button, R. Crego.
FEATURE (15-laps): MIKE WELCH (SS), JASON DOTY (PS) , Rick Crego, Charlie Harvey (SS), Marc Minutolo, Dakota Sharp, Bill Button, Adam Whipple, DNS: Shawn Lloyd.
305 SPRINT CARS
FEATURE (12 laps): ERIK KARLSEN, David French, Dan Craun.
CRATE LATE MODELS
HEAT: C. Homan, S. Pesarek, F. Guererri Jr.
FEATURE (12-laps): CHAD HOMAN, Steve Pesarek, Frank Guererri Jr.
SPORTSMAN
HEAT 1: K. Ridley, R. Newton, N. Guererri, J. Sweeting, R. Bussey.
HEAT 2: K. Bristol, A. Fugle, K. Root, A.J. Lloyd, K. Comfort.
HEAT 3: D. Marcuccilli, T. Meeks, P. Guererri, T. Baker, A. Kimball.
FEATURE (25-laps): KEVIN RIDLEY, Dave Marcuccilli, Austyn Fugle, Nick Guererri, Ricky Newton, Kane Bristol, James Sweeting, Paul Guererri, Tim Baker, Matt Guererri, Anthony Kimball, A.J. Lloyd, Tyler Meeks, Rob Bussey, Kevin Root, Karl Comfort, Jeff Devoli, Nathan Peckham, Hillary Ward, Ben Karlsen.
MODIFIED
HEAT 1: M. O’Brien, R. Scagliotta, S. Paine, B. Decker, G. Birosh.
HEAT 2: E. Payne Jr., D. Podsiadlo, G. Tegg Jr., M. Mahaney, G. Tomkins.
HEAT 3: M. Sheppard, J. Wright, R. Arbuthnot, J. Haers, A. Johnson.
FEATURE (35-laps): BILLY DECKER, Alan Johnson, Justin Haers, Matt Sheppard, Gary Tomkins, Rich Scagliotta, Peter Britten, Tim Fuller, Mike Mahaney, Ryan Arbuthnot, Mat Williamson, Dan Wiesner, Derrick Podsiadlo, Gil Tegg Jr., Eldon Payne Jr., Greg Birosh, Justin Wright, Dave Allen, James Maier, Tommy Keyes, Dave Rauscher, Steve Paine, Mike O’Brien, Kaitlyn Pashina, Brian Sage.
