Billy Decker Out Duels Matt Sheppard in Canandaigua Speedway Opener

 

Weedsport, NY – April 20, 2008 – By Dan Kapuscinski, Canandaigua Speedway PR and Promotions Coordinator

 

Billy Decker already had one feature victory on the weekend heading into the 45^th Sunoco Race Fuels season opener at Canandaigua Speedway on Saturday, April 19.  By night’s end, Decker would visit victory lane for two consecutive events after disposing of Matt Sheppard on lap-31 of the ‘Sunoco Race Fuels 35’ at the ‘Land of Legends.’

 

“The track was a little rough tonight, but I think we had a little more shock than Matt (Sheppard) did, and that helped us tonight,” said 16-time Canandaigua feature winner, Decker.  “I owe this one to the Gypsum crew, the field was tough but they really gave me a great car.”

 

Gary Tomkins, Todd Burley, and Steve Paine rounded out the top5 finishers.

 

Eric Giguere claimed victory in the Ferris Mowers 25 DIRTcar Sportsman Modified main, which saw a multi-car pileup down the front straightaway.  Adam Depuy added another UMP Street Stock victory to his resume, while Jim Cronin ran away with the PureStox main event.

 

The 35-lap DIRTcar Big-Block Modified main began with 9-time Canandaigua Speedway track champion Steve Paine and “Super” Matt Sheppard on the front row.  Sheppard, in his new Advance Lubrications Specialties no. 9s, jumped from the outside lane and into the lead from the drop of the green.

 

With Sheppard in the lead, Paine stayed in touch stalking the leader as Vinnie Vitale, Alan Johnson, and Gary Tomkins began a battle of their own for third.  While the top5 runners engaged in their own battle, Billy Decker began his impressive charge from 15^th on the grid.

 

By the 8^th circuit, Decker had climbed to 6^th and started to explore the outside lane of the Speedway.  Decker’s momentum would be cut though, as a flurry of cautions hit the Speedway around lap-9.

 

Ron Cartwright Jr. and Derrick Podsiadlo came together in turn three on lap-10, while Paul Habeck tagged the front stretch wall on lap-11.  When the field was ready to get back to green Sheppard continued as the leader with Paine, Vitale, and Tomkins in tow.

 

Sheppard would build as much as a two-second lead over Vitale through the halfway point of the event before the race’s final caution was displayed on lap-20.  Heat winner Alan Johnson made contact with the front stretch wall in the no. 14J and then slowed to a stop in turn two to bring out the caution.

 

On the lap-21 restart Sheppard continued to show the way followed by Vitale, Paine and Decker.  Decker though was making all the right moves.  The Unadilla, NY pilot made quick work of Paine then flew past Vitale for 2^nd on the outside of turn two and set his sights on the leader.

 

Sheppard and Decker distanced themselves from the rest of the field by lap-30, with Decker dogging the leader on the inside of the Speedway.  As the top two runners approached lapped traffic Decker was able to take advantage, pulling under Sheppard for the lead out of turn four on lap-31.

 

For the final four circuits Decker pulled away by over two-seconds, claiming his 16^th career win at the ‘Land of Legends,’  Sheppard hung on for 2^nd in his first Canandaigua ride behind the wheel of the Advance Lubrication Specialties no. 9s.  Tomkins held on strong all night for third just ahead of a hard charging Todd Burley in no. 89b.  Meanwhile pole sitter, and defending track champion, Paine faded to fifth.

 

Even though Paul Habeck went home with a crashed racecar, he still garnered an extra $100 from Gypsum Wholesalers by cashing in on the ‘Wheel of Fortune’ Bonus Spin-Off by finishing in 21^st.

 

The ‘Ferris Mowers 25’ DIRTcar Sportsman Modified finale saw Dan Wiesner and Todd Henderson go away from the front row.  Henderson, who had won the previous night at the Black Rock Speedway, jumped to the early lead and built a two-second advantage in just three laps.  Unfortunately on the third lap, the Canandaigua chauffeur picked up a flat left rear tire and had to head pit side.

 

That left ‘The Canadian Blizzard’ Anthony Rizzardo and Eric Giguere up front to battle for the lead.  After back-to-back cautions for spins in turns three and four, Giguere blasted past Rizzardo after a lap-6 restart.  Giguere and Rizzardo were the class of the field leading Steve Gray and Loren Lincoln as they approached lap-13.  Gray would lose the handle on his no. 29g in turn one on that lap bringing out the first of three cautions on the 13^th circuit.

 

The third caution was the most severe of the night.  Farmington’s Jim Hull caught a wheel in turn four causing him to spin across the entire field down the front stretch.  As he did the no. 4 of Darryl Hilkert slammed into his door and was then catapulted up and over the roof of the no. 17d of Tom Juhl.  Hilkert  flew into a series of spins in mid-air before landing and barrel rolling twice right at the start finish line.  Hilkert, Juhl, and Hull were okay but their racecars could not say the same.  Dave Marcuccilli, Amos Andrews, Jipp Ortiz, Kyle LaVare, and James Henry were also involved.

 

As the field got back underway Giguere used the outside lane to his advantage, walking away to a healthy lead and opening night victory.  Lincoln and Ridley finished second and third respectively.  Ortiz and Gray battled back from early issues to round out the top5.  Rizzardo saw his fine second place run come to an end just five laps from the finish when he tangled with the lapped no. 00 of Andrews in turn two, causing both to spin.

 

Tim Currier took home an extra $50 from Currier Plastics by winning the ‘Wheel of Fortune’ Bonus Spin-Off for finishing in 6^th.

 

The UMP Street Stocks ‘Coke 20’ saw Adam Depuy slide past Chris Fisher for the top spot on lap-5 on his way to victory.  Last year’s opening night winner, Andy Fisk, gave everything he had through the middle stages of the race, but Depuy and the Heluva Good Cheese no. 99 was too much.  Leroy Lewis, Mike Minutolo, and Mike Rasbeck rounded out the top5.

 

Early leader Fisher claimed an extra $25 from LaBatts Beer as he came across the line in 6^th winning the ‘Wheel of Fortune’ Bonus Spin-Off.

 

The ‘LaBatts 12’ PureStox main event was captured by the no. 3c of Jim Cronin.  Cronin led all but one lap on his way to victory over Bryan Faulkner, George LaVare Jr., Roger Bush and Marc Minutolo.

 

Taylor Rental presents ‘Swim Suit Night’ this Saturday, April 26 at Canandaigua Speedway.  Wear a swim suit to the races and enter for FREE until 4:45pm.  Race time will once again be set at 5pm with pit gates opening at 2pm and grandstands at 3pm.

 

Canandaigua Speedway is located just east of the village of Canandaigua, NY, along County Road 10. Canandaigua Speedway is sanctioned by both DIRTcar Racing and UMP DIRTcar. For more information about racing at the 'Land of Legends' go to canandaiguaspeedway.com on the world wide web.

 

Sunoco Race Fuels-Thank You Racecar Sponsor Night Summary

 

PURESTOX

Heat: Cronin, Faulkner, Chapman, LaVare Jr., R. Bush, F. Bush, Wilkins, Minutolo, Guererri.

 

LaBatts 12: 1) 3c- JIM CRONIN, 2) 83- Bryan Faulkner, 3) 6- George LaVare Jr., 4) 9R- Roger Bush, 5) 25b- Marc Minutolo, 6) 22t- Eric Chapman, 7) CJ1- CJ Guererri, 8) 9F- Floyd Bush, 9) 17J- Karl Wilkins

 

UMP STREET STOCKS

Heat: Fisk, Rasbeck, Depuy, Lewis, Fisher, Minutolo, Kolosek, Rizzo, Welch, Smith

 

Coke 20: 1) 99- ADAM DEPUY, 2) 33- Andy Fisk, 3) 07- Leroy Lewis, 4) 52b- Mike Minutolo, 5) 00R- Mike Rasbeck, 6) 37- Chris Fisher, 7) 00- Mike Welch, 8) 62J- Chris Kolosek, 9) 115- Nick Rizzo, 10) 3d- Doug Smith

LABATTS BEER $25 BONUS: Chris Fisher

 

DIRTcar Sportsman Modified

Heat #1: Ridley, Rizzardo, Henderson, Just, Henry, P. LaVare, Dinkins, Peckham, Chiddy

 

Heat #2: Gray, Lewis, Wiesner, Guererri, Richmond Jr., Hixson, K. LaVare, Marcuccilli, Cook

 

Heat #3: Lincoln, Giguere, Hilkert, Hull, Bussey, Ortiz, Currier, Andrews, Juhl

 

Ferris Mowers 25: 1) 67g- ERIC GIGUERE, 2) 2L- Loren Lincoln, 3) 20x- Kevin Ridley, 4) 0- Jipp Ortiz, 5) 29G- Steve Gray, 6) 10- Tim Currier, 7) 24A- AJ Lewis, 8) 54J- Scott Just, 9) 99$- Anthony Rizzardo, 10) 17- Marcus Dinkins, 11) 8- Joe Cook Jr., 12) 18H- Todd Henderson, 13) 93- Rob Richmond Jr., 14) 21H- James Henry, 15) 00- Amos Andrews, 16) 25G- Nick Guererri, 17) 4- Darryl Hilkert, 18) 17d- Tom Juhl, 19) 52- Jim Hull, 20) 54- Mark Chiddy, 21) 88- Kyle LaVare, 22) M1- Dave Marcuccilli, 23) 90- Nate Peckham, 24) 76- Rob Bussey, 25) 8L- Phil LaVare, 26) 66- Dan Wiesner, 27) 1s- Greg Hixson

CURRIER PLASTICS $50 BONUS: Tim Currier

 

DIRTcar Big-Block Modifieds

Heat #1 (6-qualify): Haers, Donk, Sheppard, Tomkins, Wight, Chrysler, Fisher, Payne Jr., McDonald

 

Heat #2: Bower, Vitale, Paine, Cartwright Jr., Brownell Jr., Ward, O’Brien, Podsiadlo, Habeck, Guererri

 

Heat #3: Johnson, Bates, Burley, Homan, Decker, Tegg Jr., Vigneri, Rauscher, Just, Monroe, Slover

 

Consi (8-qualify): Podsiadlo, O’Brien, Vigneri, Fisher, Rauscher, Habeck, Just, Slover, Payne Jr., DNS- Mike Ward, Paul Guererri, Ed Monroe III

 

Sunoco Race Fuels 35: 1) 91d- BILLY DECKER, 2) 9s- Matt Sheppard, 3) 84- Gary Tomkins, 4) 89b- Todd Burley, 5) 7x- Steve Paine, 6) 56- Vinnie Vitale, 7) 29B- Jeff Brownell Jr., 8) 42B- Kevin Bates, 9) 28P- Eldon Payne Jr., 10) 48T- Dave Rauscher, 11) T21- Roger Chrysler, 12) 22- Gil Tegg Jr., 13) 37C- Eric Fisher, 14) 17d- Danny O’Brien, 15) 54J- Dave Just, 16) 14J- Alan Johnson, 17) 99- Charlie Donk, 18) 3- Justin Haers, 19) 99b- Chuck Bower, 20) 99L- Larry Wight, 21) 25- Paul Habeck, 22) 2B- Ron Cartwright Jr., 23) 21- Derrick Podsiadlo, 24) 45m- Mike Ward, 25) 44v- Phil Vigneri, 26) 50- Don Slover, 27) 91h- Chad Homan

GYPSUM WHOLESALERS $100 BONUS: Paul Habeck