Decker prevails at Fonda Speedway
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Fourth 2015 Super DIRTcar Series win for the “Franklin Flyer”
FONDA, N.Y. – September 26, 2015 – Billy Decker retook the lead from Brett Hearn for the second time on lap 78 and stayed in front the rest of the way to win the Mohawk Valley 100 at Fonda Speedway.
It was the defending Super DIRTcar Series (SDS) champion’s fourth series win of the season and his first at Fonda Speedway since 1988.
Decker set fast time in qualifying and started fifth in a 31-car field. He passed Hearn for the first time on lap 72 after heavy lapped traffic slowed the leader’s torrid pace.
The “Jersey Jet” had reeled in Stewart Friesen and quickly drawn off to a sizeable lead on lap 34. After his back-and-forth duel with Decker had gone Decker’s way, Hearn was overtaken by Larry Wight and was being pressured by Gary Tomkins when he went up in smoke and slowed on the backstretch, bringing out the third caution.
On the restart, Friesen came back to life and raced past Tomkins and Wight, but he couldn’t ever get to Decker whose winning margin was five car-lengths.
“I’m super happy,” Decker said in victory lane. “The guys made great adjustments on the car. I’d go where they weren’t in traffic. I love to race here and I want to thank all the Fonda fans for their support.”
Wight’s stout podium finish followed up his win at Autodrome Granby. Friesen, who led laps 13-33 and then slipped back to 6th, overtook him with five laps left. He was trying to equal Jack Johnson’s seasonal record of 12 Fonda wins.
“My car was awesome in the beginning,” Friesen said. “Then it got lazy and then it got going again. Maybe it’s the tires, I don’t know. It was weird, but finishing second to this guy is pretty good.”
Polesitter Gary Tomkins and Tim Fuller did a lot of wheel-to-wheel racing with several different cars to earn the fourth and fifth spots.
Positions 6-10 went to series point leader Matt Sheppard, Danny Varin, A.J.Romano, Jimmy Phelps and Keith Flach.
Hearn saw his chance to gain ground on Sheppard disappear on his way to the pits for a 26th place finish.
The next time out for the Super DIRTcar Series Big-Block Modifieds will be the “Finale at the Fairgrounds” Syracuse 200 during NAPA Auto Parts Super DIRTWeek XLIV Sunday, October 11.
Super DIRTcar Big-Block Modified Series Statistical Report; Fonda Speedway; September 26, 2015
“Mohawk Valley 100”
A-Main (100 laps): start in (*)
1. 91 Billy Decker – Unadilla, N.Y. (5)
2. 1F Stewart Friesen – Sprakers, N.Y. (7)
3. 99L Larry Wight- Phoenix, N.Y. (4)
4. 84 Gary Tomkins – Clifton Springs, N.Y. (1)
5. 19F Tim Fuller – Edwards, N.Y. (8)
6. 9h Matt Sheppard – Waterloo, N.Y. (2)
7. 93 Danny Varin – Fonda, N.Y. (10)
8. 16 AJ Romano – Johnstown, N.Y. (13)
9. 98 Jimmy Phelps – Baldwinville, N.Y. (6)
10. 43 Keith Flach – Ravena, N.Y. (11)
11. 00 Bobby Varin – Gloversville, N.Y. (23)
12. 21a Peter Britten – Brisbane, Queensland, Australia (22)
13. 20c Craig Hanson – Johnstown, N.Y. (21)
14. 6H Josh Hohenfort – Gloversville, N.Y. (27)
15. 3 Mark Kislowski – Ballston Spa, N.Y. (12)
16. 24 Jeremy Wilder – Fort Plain, N.Y. (17)
17. 14G Brian Gleason – Guilderland, N.Y. (16)
18. 42 Pat Ward – Genoa, N.Y. (9)
19. 27J Danny Johnson – Rochester, N.Y. (15)
20. 8 Rich Scagliotta – Bound Brook, N.J. (29)
21. 17E Elmo Reckner – Ballston Lake, N.Y. (14)
22. 816 Jeff Rockefeller – Ballston Spa, N.Y. (28)
23. 17 Rob Pitcher – Chatham, N.Y. (31)
24. 14 C.G. Morey – Rutland, VT
25. 1 Darwin Green – Susquehanna, PA (25)
26. 20 Brett Hearn – Sussex, NJ (3)
27. 2rj Ronnie Johnson – Duanesburg, N.Y. (19)
28. 09 Connor Cleveland – Corinth, N.Y. (26)
29. 32 Vic Coffey – Leicester, N.Y. (30)
30. 85 HJ Bunting – Milford, DE (24)
31. 71 Ron Holmes – Oneida, N.Y. (20)
DID NOT START
Jessey Mueller
Dave Rauscher
Matt Delorenzo
Korey Wilder
Pep Corradi
Vinnie Sanganetti
Qualifying Heats (8 laps, top 5 transfer, top 3 redraw)
Heat 1: Decker, Wight, Friesen, Romano, J Wilder, Hanson, B Varin, Green, Pitcher
Heat 2: Sheppard, Tomkins, Fuller, Reckner, K Wilder, Hohenfort, Corradi, Delorenzo, Sanganetti
Heat 3: Hearn, Phelps, Flach, D Johnson, R Johnson, Britten, Bunting, Coffey, Scagliotta
Heat 4: Kislowski, D Varin, Ward, Gleason, Holmes, Cleveland, Rockefeller, Rauscher, Mueller
Consi 1: Hanson, B Varin, Green, Hohenfort, Pitcher, Delorenzo
Consi 2: Britten, Bunting, Cleveland, Rockefeller, Morey, Scagliotta, Coffey, Rauscher.
For more information about the Super DIRTcar Series and NAPA Super DIRT Week, check outwww.superdirtcarseries.com, www.superdirtweekonline.com, or follow us on Twitter athttps://twitter.com/
The Super DIRTcar Series and DIRTcar Racing in the Northeast Region is brought to fans by several sponsors and partners including Hoosier Racing Tire, VP Racing Fuels, Chevy Performance Parts, NAPA Auto Parts, Pole Position Raceway and Dig Safely New York. Contingency sponsors are ASI, Bicknell Racing Products, Bilstein Shocks, Brodix, ButlerBuilt, Cometic Gasket, Comp Cams, Edelbrock, FX Caprara, Fox Shox, Impact Race Products, Intercomp, JE Pistons, JRI Shocks, KSE Racing Products, Mobil 1, Motorsports Safety Systems, MSD Performance, Racing Electronics, Superflow, TNT Rescue and Wrisco Aluminum.
