Syracuse, NY – October 7, 2010 – Veteran racers rose to the occasion Thursday afternoon on the notorious ‘Moody Mile’ with two-time defending champion Billy Decker and 2004 race winner Wayne Jelley posting the two best times to earn front row starting positions in Saturday’s ‘Salute To the Troops’ 358-Modified Championship at the New York State Fairgrounds.
A five-time fast timer in the Big-Block ranks, Decker toured the Syracuse Mile in a time of 32.637 sec. (110.304 mph) to set his first National Parts Peddler fast time in small-block qualifying. Jelley’s clocking of 33.004 sec. (109.078 mph) rewarded him his first trip the frontstretch podium since his popular victory lane appearance made a half-dozen years earlier.
“This is exactly the way we wanted to start the week, the way the weather has been the past couple days it was really hard to get a handle on the track,” noted Decker, 45, who looks to match his car builder, Pete Bicknell, a five-time 358-Modified title race winner who won three straight SDW small-block shows from 1998-2000. “I think the limited amount of time spent on the track actually played into our hands.”
“We’ve car the same car, same motor, same everything as last year. So maybe we got a little edge, didn’t really do any experimenting at all. It was just a matter of trying to catch a clean lap out there and not give up too much speed. There was a real hefty wind out there today, I can tell you we were going a lot faster into turn one than three. And with these small-blocks they move around more and you just can’t into turn three fast enough. We’ll only make a couple changes from this set-up to the one for the race and hopefully we’ll have a strong car again,” added Decker, who also won this event in 1991 and 2002.
Second-generation standout Tim McCreadie (33.059) was third quick steering the Four Star Special, two-time SEF Small Engine Fuels 200 Big-Block winner Jimmy Horton (33.071) was fourth fastest aboard owner Dick Biever’s trusted Teo Pro mount, while Alton and Carole Palmer’s first-string pilot Ronnie Johnson (33.085) and ‘Mr. Small-Block Pete Bicknell (33.109) filled out the top-six.
“Saturday is a long day and Billy is always quick, we’ll just see what happens and try to be there at the end,” said Mid-State Golf Carts Outside Pole award winner Jelley, younger brother of Northeast Modified Hall of Famer Butch Jelley. “In the past I always seemed to miss the gear, this time around I read my notes and put in a little more gear. On Saturday we’ll take it back out.”
“The first lap wasn’t my good one as I got in a little too deep, yet I have to take off my hat to the track crew. The weather hasn’t been too good making for some tough conditions but the surface is pretty decent right now,” Jelley said.
Never a regular small-block campaigner on the Syracuse Mile, McCreadie hopes to match last year’s success with car owner Vinny Salerno when he captured the Super DIRT Week satellite event at Brewerton Speedway on Thursday night.
“It’s a real joy to drive this car, Vinny and his boys do a phenomenal job, it’s just a first class race team,” said McCreadie, who is yet to crack the Top-10 in Saturday’s 150-mile main. “I don’t run these cars as much as I used to so when I come home and get to run with a team like this its really special. I just wish I could do a little better out there for them. I think I left a little bit out there today, not a Billy Decker time, but that’s okay. We’ll still be alright on Saturday, that’s when it counts the most.”
Posting one of his best times in the small-block portion of Super DIRT Week during the new millennium, Garden State star Jimmy Horton remains in quest of his inaugural 358-Modified Championship after taking a pair SEF 200 Big-Block checkered flags in 1987 and ’94.
“Hopefully we’ll be good, didn’t get a whole lot of laps with the car so we’re pretty happy,” said Horton, who finished in sixth-place back-to-back in 1998-99 yet has not been among the Top-10 since. “It was a little dusty out there so we didn’t want to risk anything.”
“It’s basically the same car we ran here last year, just took it home and covered it up until rolling it out last week. I hope it’s as good as last year, but regardless we just have to go with what we got. We’re normally battling at the back in this race so starting up front is a big turnaround for us, so maybe it’s the start of a good weekend,” Horton figured.
“With the competition out here, just to be lined up with these guys is a real good thing and I’m proud to drive for Carole and Alton (Palmer, owners),” remarked Johnson, son of two-time (1979, 1984) SEF 200 Big-Block winner Jack Johnson, who will begin the small-block finale in fifth. “Hopefully come Saturday we can stick with these guys.”
“The wind definitely shook you up going down the back straightaway, but you just try to ignore it for a couple laps and do the best for the team. We were just trying to get into the top-six and today things worked out for us. To win here is the next step, it would be really satisfying to finally get one at Syracuse,” Johnson added.
In search of an unprecedented sixth small-block championship during Super DIRT Week, Bicknell will fill out the front three rows on Saturday when the 31st ‘Salute To The Troops 150’ takes the first green flag at 2 p.m.
“Going out early today we were really scared, the way the track is you just don’t know and it always gets faster by the end,” said Bicknell, now 55, and also a three-time overall Hoosier Tire-VP Racing Fuels Mr. DIRTcar 358-Modified points champion, winning his first two Syracuse events in 1982 & ’83. “Especially when the sun came out, we thought we might even be in more trouble.”
“But it worked out good, got a good time right off the bat, so we’re happy. Timing in the top-six is really important. And the way the car felt in practice I think we’re in real good shape,” smiled Bicknell, who revealed that he is working with four-time Syracuse winner Gary Balough on an experimental BRP design that he plans to unveil when the NYS Fairgrounds plays host to the 40th Annual Super DIRT Week motorsports extravaganza next autumn.
The remainder of the ‘Salute To The Troops’ starting field will come from 358-Modified Twin 20’s on Friday with the 150-lap Syracuse Small-Block Championship set to roll off the line Saturday afternoon.
Super DIRT Week XXXIX action continues on Friday afternoon with the Big-Block Modified Triple 20s and 358-Modified Twin 20s taking center stage on the NYS Fairgrounds oval, followed immediately by Sportsman Time Trials along with World of Outlaws Sprint Car ‘King of the Mile’ exhibition dash and Pro Stock practice.
But that’s not all as the action then moves over to Rolling Wheels for a 358-Modified/Sportsman Hoosier-VP Racing Fuels Mr. DIRTcar Series doubleheader while across town Cayuga County Fair Speedway hosts a 360 Sprint Car Challenge under the lights plus a Tri-Track Stock Car Series and Mod Lites special.
SUPER DIRT WEEK XXXIX 358-MODIFIED TIME TRIALS, NYS Fairgrounds, Oct. 7
FAST AVE
TIME MPH CAR# DRIVER
1 32.637 110.304 91 Billy Decker/Unadilla,NY
*$1,000-National Parts Peddler Pole Award
2 33.004 109.078 45 Wayne Jelley/Pittsfield,MA
*$500-Mid-State Golf Carts Outside Pole Award
3 33.059 108.896 4* Tim McCreadie/Watertown,NY
4 33.071 108.857 14 Jimmy Horton/Neshanic Station,NJ
5 33.085 108.811 76a Ronnie Johnson/Duanesburg,NY
6 33.109 108.732 42 Pete Bicknell/St.Catharines,ONT
7 33.118 108.702 1x Willy Decker/Vernon,NY
8 33.180 108.499 1w Matt Sheppard/Waterloo,NY
9 33.199 108.437 1h David Hebert/St. Damase,QUE
10 33.213 108.391 20 Brett Hearn/Sussex,NJ
11 33.221 108.365 19 John Lazore/Hogansburg,NY
12 33.252 108.264 22c Mario Clair/St-Edmond,QUE
13 33.314 108.063 74x Matt Billings/Brockville,ONT
14 33.353 107.936 42p Pat Ward/Genoa,NY
15 33.370 107.881 99 Stewart Friesen/Niagara-o-t-Lake,ONT
16 33.378 107.855 99L Larry Wight/Phoenix,NY
17 33.442 107.649 27L Rick Laubach/Quakertown,PA
18 33.541 107.331 22j Jeremy Wilder/Fort Plain,NY
19 33.614 107.098 01 Chris Raabe/Napanee,ONT
20 33.636 107.028 8 Rich Scagliotta/Bound Brook,NJ
21 33.637 107.025 6 Mat Williamson/St.Catharines,ONT
22 33.661 106.949 10 Bobby Varin/Sharon Springs,NY
23 33.753 106.657 1xx Todd Stone/Middlebury,VT
24 33.766 106.616 22 Eric Gauvreau/Chelsea,QUE
25 33.796 106.521 48too Dave Rauscher/Waterloo,NY
26 33.876 106.270 22L Larry Lampman,Jr./Port Colborne,ONT
27 33.934 106.088 27 Ryan Godown/Ringoes,NJ
28 33.994 105.901 3j Marc Johnson/Guilderland,NY
29 34.011 105.848 115 Kenny Tremont/West Sand Lake,NY
30 34.033 105.780 27j Danny Johnson/Rochester,NY
31 34.048 105.733 24s Chris Shultz/Pawling,NY
32 34.059 105.699 74 Tim Fuller/Edwards,NY
33 34.098 105.578 24 Patrick Dupree/Saranac Lake,NY
34 34.127 105.488 38 Luke Whitteker/Iroquois,ONT
35 34.387 104.691 4j Jeff Sykes/Edwards,NY
36 34.413 104.612 4 Andy Bachetti/Sheffield,MA
37 34.578 104.112 34 George Foley/Saranac Lake,NY
38 34.618 103.992 13 Tony Steiner/Jamesville,NY
39 34.641 103.923 16 Kyle Hoffman/Averill Park,NY
40 34.651 103.893 46 Kayle Robidoux/St-Constant,QUE
41 34.705 103.731 3m Henry Maier/Spencerport,NY
42 34.802 103.442 tj1 Tom Jock Jr./Akwesasne,NY
43 34.806 103.430 7g Lance Willix II/Theresa,NY
44 34.829 103.362 72 Tommy Flannigan/St.Catharines,ONT
45 34.942 103.028 1ny Greg Atkins/Clintonville,NY
46 35.319 101.928 14s Brian Swarthout/Beaver Dams,NY
47 35.414 101.655 72g Denis Gauvreau/Alymer,QUE
48 35.459 101.526 14m C.G. Morey/Rutland,VT
49 37.047 97.174 124 Pierre DagenaisGatineau,QUE
50 -NT- ----- 2rj Ronnie Johnson/Duanesburg,NY
51 -NT- ----- 5h Rob Hile/Syracuse,NY
52 -NT- ----- 7* Danny O'Brien/Kingston,ONT
53 -NT- ----- 19 Joe Williams/Schenectady,NY
54 -NT- ----- 24x Mike Perrotte/Plattsburgh,NY
55 -NT- ----- 32c Vic Coffey/Leicester,NY
56 -NT- ----- 43 Keith Flach/Ravena,NY
57 -NT- ----- 72 Cass Bennett/Mechanicville,NY
58 -NT- ----- 85 Ted Lamb Jr./Clay,NY
59 -NT- ----- 220 John Ferrier/Middletown,NY
60 -NT- ----- 3b Chad Brachmann/Sanborn,NY
*Top-6 locked into front three rows; 60 Cars Entered
From Tom Skibinski DIRTcar Racing Northeast Region PR Director
