Syracuse, NY - October 7, 2007 - By Tom Skibinski, Advance Auto Parts Super DIRTcar Series PR Director
The 2007 edition of the Advance Auto Parts Super DIRTcar Series Rite Aid 200 came down to a duel among three veteran drivers, each looking to repeat in the crown jewel of DIRTcar Big-Block Modified Racing in the Northeast. When the final checkered flag flew to close out Super DIRT Week XXXVI at the New York State Fairgrounds in Syracuse, it was Vic Coffey making the gamble on fuel pay off as he held on for the well-earned $50,000 victory.
"We got lucky, we got lucky, whatever…today we didn't get lucky, we were good," said Coffey, 36, referring to his first Rite Aid Championship win five years ago when the leaders dropped out with empty gas tanks leaving Coffey to inherit just his second win of the season in the race that was extended to a record 203 laps after nearly a four and a half-hour delay due to rain. No rain, no dry tanks ahead and no luck needed. This time Coffey got the lead, held it and earned the biggest win of his career. "This win is definitely better than '02, we can appreciate it a lot more now knowing everything it takes to get this far. The first time everything came at us so fast"
"We got a good car and good team, I just had to do my job. Tires were no problem as I was keeping the car straight and not spinning them but I was worried about fuel. I told my guys I wasn't coming in, we're either gonna run out of gas or win. I don't care about third, fourth or fifth-place, I came here to win," declared Coffey, after capturing his second career Rite Aid 200 win by a narrow .480-second margin over a charging Tim Fuller. Fan favorite Richie Tobias Jr. settled for third ahead of another second-generation star Ronnie Johnson, with Frenchman David Hebert rounding out the top-five Sunday evening.
Coffey pulled the CME no. 32c Sweeteners Plus-Integra Shocks/Bicknell entry into 14th on the 47-car starting grid and made his second and final pit stop during a lap 84 caution period. For the next 116 miles the '07 Can-Am Motorsports Park points champion bided his time as those in front made their own stops for tires and fuel, cracking the top-10 for the first time by lap 120. Less than 10 laps later he moved into the front-five after another round of pit stops, and clearly had the leaders in sight for the ultimate chase to the checkers in DIRTcar NorthEast's only superspeedway event.
"I saw the cars ahead of me and knew I was in a good spot," figured Coffey, who ducked under Hebert for second on lap 142 before forging the final lead change on lap 154 with a green flag pass of Matt Sheppard. "Some of those guys needed to make fuel stops and I felt my car was good enough to get by the others. I just had to be patient and wait for my time."
The time was right for a Coffey break as once out front he never wavered, staving off a late-race rally by Advance Auto Parts Series points leader Fuller to claim his second tour triumph, both coming at the famed 'Moody Mile' in the even more notorious Salt City. Exhibiting arguably the best weather and track conditions enjoyed by both fans and drivers in event history, Super DIRT Week XXXVI came to another successful conclusion on Sunday with a stellar field of the Northeast's best Modified teams taking center stage for the richest Big-Block event in the nation.
The Rite Aid 200 finale took off with pole-sitter Jimmy Phelps easily out-distancing past winners Billy Decker and Fuller as he cruised to an eight car-length advantage on the first circuit. It was curtains for the famed trio of Johnsons as defending race winner Danny Johnson came out late and failed to complete a single lap due to terminal motor problems, older brother Alan suffered rear-end trouble and ran just one mile, while provisional starter Jack Johnson failed to reach the starting grid.
Fuller grabbed second from Decker on lap 29 and after shadowing the leader for a dozen laps, sped past on lap 55 with Phelps' H&H Motorsports no. 98H ride sporting Virginia Motor Speedway on its side panels for the big event. A pair of yellow flags slowed the action early as Kenny Brightbill looped on lap six and J.R. Heffner broke a rear-end on lap 19, but when Tom Sears Jr. parked his mount between turns one and two and Ron Smoker slowed on the back chute to force a third caution period, nearly the entire field jammed pit row for the first round of controlled chaos.
Ronnie Johnson was among the handful of drivers to remain trackside and he inherited the lead from Fuller on lap 62 with Sheppard, Justin Haers, Dig Safely New York Shootout consi winner Eddie Marshall and last-place starter Andy Bachetti scored in the top-five. Mitch Gibbs came next although his tour down pit lane was wasted when he was squeezed out of his stall and returned to the track with the same tires and not a drop more fuel added. Billy Decker and Pat Ward followed Gibbs while Fuller was already scored ninth when the green flag returned for a lap 68 restart. Tragedy suddenly struck Decker seven laps later when the engine expired in the LJL Racing no. 91 Gypsum Wholesalers machine, ending his bid for a record-tying fifth Rite Aid title.
When Gary Tomkins lost a motor in the Honeoye Auto no. 84 Red Parker Excavating/Bicknell machine on lap 82, Johnson and Marshall made their first pit stops giving the lead to Johnson's brother in-law Bachetti. The Massachusetts pilot stayed out long to collect the $5,000 Lap 100 Halfway Leader bonus posted by Aramark Uniform Services, and then turned the point over to race rookie Jason Barney the following circuit.
Making his only pit stop under caution on lap 79 at the expense of Decker's misfortune, Sheppard was back in the spotlight on lap 126 as the front-runners pitted one-by-one during the five slowdowns in between. 'Super Matt' was able to keep the Ross Motorsports no. 44s Currier Plastics-Magee Transport/Bicknell car out front of Central New York DIRTcar circuit mainstay Chuck Bower and Hebert, yet it was the fast-closing Coffey with his confidence brewing that had the leaders taking notice. Bower pitted after a lap 138 yellow for debris before Coffey disposed of Hebert for the runner-up spot four miles later with the green lights back on. A dozen more laps went into the books before Coffey made what turned out to be the winning move with less than a quarter of the race still to go.
With plenty of Enders power packed under the hood of his JL Motorsports no. 19 Street Wise Fight Wear/TEO mount, Fuller was just as confident as Coffey as he passed Tobias for third on lap 178 and then edged Sheppard at the line with 10 to go. With his fuel gauge down, Sheppard limped into the pits on lap 196 to afford Fuller a final chance for fame, yet Coffey saw stars of his own as he cruised under the checkers four car-lengths ahead with enough fuel to spare.
"A lot of guys are all big on those non quick-change rears," noted Coffey, on the heels of his second Syracuse win, the first coming in less convincing fashion a half-dozen years earlier. "They don't want to spin the gears…its takes too much power...blah, blah, blah…we filled it up with gear today and that's all she wrote."
Fuller was the first to bear witness to the power harnessed by the Sweeteners Plus Special, settling for runner-up honors in the same event he won in 2004 when the Edwards, N.Y. driver moved from third to first in the last 1-1/2 laps as the fuel-starved leaders faded from glory. "We just came up short," summed up Fuller, 39, after increasing his Mr. DIRTcar points lead over sixth-place finisher Hearn to 53 with just two events remaining. "I really thought we had something there with that last restart but I think Vic was holding back a little bit and he let it all out with about five to go. That was our only shot at it…on the restarts when other cars were checking up on the bottom we made up a lot of ground using the outside."
Fuller starred in the satellite DIRTcar Small-Block events that have emerged as Super DIRT Week staples, winning Wednesday at Can-Am, finishing second to Hearn at Brewerton Speedway on Thursday and returning to victory lane Friday at Rolling Wheels Raceway Park before ending up 11th in the ITT Corporation/Goulds Pumps "Salute To The Troops" 358-Modified Championship on Saturday.
"I'm still really proud of my guys here, we had a good week, it was a long week but a good one. Anytime you can finish in the top-three…I'm not disappointed," added Fuller, the Mr. DIRTcar Modified champion in 2005, who recently clinched Rookie of the Year accolades in the World of Outlaws Late Model Series. "We pitted after lap 90 so I knew I was okay on fuel but tire wear was a concern for me as I was rolling it so hard on top. You always want to win but going away from this place in one piece with a second won't make me too unhappy on the ride home. This race just takes so much from everybody involved all week long, its just a relief to finish."
On the outside, Tobias appeared to be just as content with his third-place finish as Fuller was in second, yet his valiant run to the front kept the desire burning within where it will have to stay dormant for another year. "I think we had the best car, just got beat out at the end by fuel," stated Tobias, who steered the Harrell Trucking no. 35 car to win the rain-shortened Rite Aid 200 in 1992 and match his late father Dick Tobias' only triumph in 1975. This week, owner Bob Lineman supplied Toby with a brand new Troyer with a potent Kevin Enders-prepared motor to boot. "I raced hard but made that one critical mistake at the end and it cost us a little bit. But I tell you what, I'm still happy to be here and I'll keep coming back to Syracuse as long as I can. This is an event I have marked on my calendar from day one."
"A big reason why I do this is to hear those fans cheer, that's what its all about. That's why we get paid, the more they cheer the more we get paid. I hope they saw a good show, I know I had fun. Back when my father raced there used to be some great rivalries up here with Buzzie (Reutimann), (Will) Cagle and my old man, and I guess I'm seen as an outsider but that's good. It brought tears to my eyes thinking about all that when we won in '92, I was hoping to get that feeling again. I guess we'll just have to wait for next year, there's always another chance. Luck plays a big part around here."
Rounding out the top-10 behind Johnson and Hebert were Saturday's ITT-Goulds Pumps winner Hearn, himself a five-time Rite Aid champ, disappointed pole-winner Phelps, A-1 Race Products/Bert Hard Charger Marshall (started 43rd), Empire Sprinter Barney and 1999 Rite Aid winner Kenny Tremont. Pennsylvanian Shawn Reimert was named Freihofer's Rookie of the Race while Ronnie Johnson accepted the NYSSCA 'Top Member' award.
In traditional pre-race ceremonies, driver of the William Larned no. 2 TEO entry Ronnie Johnson was recognized with the Gater Racing Photo News Best Appearing Car & Crew award, while Sheppard reluctantly accepted the Magnum Force Pest Elimination/Area Auto Racing News 'Hard Luck' award after running out of fuel with just a handful of laps left.
With Super DIRT Week now officially in the record book, all eyes turn to New Egypt Speedway for the Advance Auto Parts Super DIRTcar Series Twin 50s for Big-Block Modifieds. Tim Fuller holds a 53-point lead over runner-up Brett Hearn followed by Billy Decker, Jimmy Phelps and Steve Paine heading down the stretch run.
Advance Auto Parts Super DIRTcar Series Race #29 – New York State Fairgrounds, October 7, 2007 "Rite Aid 200" Modified Event Summary
FIN STR CAR# DRIVER LAPS $WON$ REASON OUT
1 14 32C Vic Coffey / Leicester,NY 200 50,000 Running
2 3 19 Tim Fuller / Edwards,NY 200 25,000 Running
3 9 USA1 Richie Tobias,Jr. / Annville,PA 200 15,000 Running
4 6 2 Ronnie Johnson / Duanesburg,NY 200 10,000 Running
5 10 1 David Hebert / St. Damase,QUE 200 6,000 Running
6 7 20 Brett Hearn / Sussex,NJ 200 4,000 Running
7 1 98H Jimmy Phelps / Baldwinsville,NY 200 3,600 Running
8 43 98 Eddie Marshall / Ridgefield,CT 200 3,400 Running
9 12 35B Jason Barney / Constantia,NY 200 3,200 Running
10 26 115 Kenny Tremont / W.Sand Lake,NY 200 3,000 Running
11 4 42P Pat Ward / Genoa,NY 200 2,800 Running
12 15 14 Rick Laubach / Quakertown,PA 200 2,600 Running
13 11 26 Ryan Godown / Ringoes,NJ 200 2,400 Running
14 33 1J Bobby Varin / Sharon Springs,NY 200 2,200 Running
15 40 3 Justin Haers / Phelps,NY 200 2,000 Running
16 29 41 Shawn Reimert / Oley,PA® 200 1,900 Running
17 32 43 Keith Flach / Ravena,NY® 200 1,800 Running
18 44 99B Chuck Bower/Lansing,NY 200 1,700 Running
19 20 49 Billy Dunn / Watertown,NY 200 1,700 Running
20 21 45 Wayne Jelley / Pittsfield,MA 200 1,700 Running
21 35 99 Ryan Phelps / Fulton,NY® 200 1,600 Running
22 8 7X Steve Paine / Waterloo,NY 200 1,600 Running
23 39 44S Matt Sheppard / Waterloo,NY 199 1,600 Running
24 30 42 Jimmy Horton / Neshanic Station,NJ 198 1,600 Running
25 17 77X Dale Planck / Cortland,NY 196 1,600 Running
26 27 47 Jerry Higbie / Slate Hill,NY 189 1,600 Accident
27 41 44 Frank Cozze / Wind Gap, PA 184 1,600 Rear Hub
28 23 1H Tim Hindley / Monticello,NY 178 1,600 Accident
29 16 19B Kenny Brightbill / Sinking Spring,PA 173 1,600 Mechanical
30 24 55 Mitch Gibbs / North Norwich,NY 171 1,600 Mechanical
31 38 56 Russell King / Bristolville,OH® 163 1,500 Rear End
32 34 24 Chris Shultz / Pawling,NY 162 1,500 Rear End
33 22 35 Mike Perrotte / Elizabethtown,NY 152 1,500 Engine
34 48 34 Andy Bachetti / Sheffield,MA 140 1,500 Drive Shart
35 28 21J Jeff Trombley / Altamont,NY 121 1,500 Rear Hub
36 36 21 Donnie Corellis / Averill Park,NY 113 1,500 Rear End
37 19 88H Steve Hulsizer / Bridgeport,NY 103 1,500 Accident
38 13 84 Gary Tomkins / Clifton Springs,NY 81 1,500 Engine
39 2 91 Billy Decker / Unadilla,NY 74 1,500 Engine
40 25 62R Ron Smoker / Hamburg,NY 59 1,500 Engine
41 31 83 Tom Sears Jr. / Clay,NY 59 1,500 Engine
42 37 21M Bob McGannon / Garnerville,NY® 41 1,500 Mechanical
43 5 88 J.R. Heffner / Pittsfield,MA 18 1,500 Rear Axle
44 45 42B Kevin Bates/Lake Ariel,PA® 3 1,500 Vibration
45 47 49K Kenny Stafford / Homer,NY 2 1,500 Borrowed Car
46 42 14J Alan Johnson / Middlesex,NY 1 1,500 Rear End
47 18 27J Danny Johnson / Rochester,NY 0 1,500 Engine
DNS 46 12A Jack Johnson / Duanesburg,NY --- ---- -----
EVENT SUMMARY:
LAP LEADERS: J.Phelps (1-54), Fuller (55-61), R.Johnson (62-83), Bachetti (84-100), Barney (101-125), Sheppard (126-153), Coffey (154-200).
TOTAL LAPS LED: 54-J.Phelps, 47-Coffey, 28-Sheppard, 25-Barney, 22-R.Johnson, 17-Bachetti, 7-Fuller.
LEAD CHANGES: 6 among 7 drivers.
CAUTIONS: 15 for 70 laps.
ELAPSED TIME: 2 hrs. 33 mins. 21 secs.
AVERAGE SPEED: 78.253 mph.
MARGIN OF VICTORY: .480 sec.
FREIHOFER'S ROOKIE OF THE RACE $2,000 AWARD: Shawn Reimert.
BERT HARD CHARGER: Eddie Marshall.
A-1 RACE PRODUCTS HARD CHARGER: Eddie Marshall.
ARAMARK UNIFORM SERVICE LAP 100 LEADER $5,000 AWARD: Andy Bachetti.
SHARON'S TOY RITE AID 200 CHAMPION BONUS: Vic Coffey.
SHARON'S TOY RITE AID 200 5TH-PLACE BONUS: David Hebert.
GATER RACING NEWS BEST APPEARING CAR & CREW: #2 - Ronnie Johnson.
MAGNUM FORCE PEST ELIMINATION HARD LUCK AWARD: Matt Sheppard.
AREA AUTO RACING NEWS HARD LUCK AWARD: Matt Sheppard.
NYSSCA 'TOP MEMBER' AWARD: Ronnie Johnson.
WINGFOOT COMMERCIAL TIRE SYSTEMS POLE WINNER: Jimmy Phelps (28.365 sec/126.917 mph).
TEO PRO CAR OUTSIDE POLE WINNER: Billy Decker (28.615 sec/125.808 mph).
MAURI HOLBROOK MEMORIAL FAST TIME OF WEEK AWARD: Jimmy Phelps (28.365 sec/126.917 mph).
ADVANCE AUTO PARTS TRIPLE-20 RACE WINNERS: Pat Ward, Billy Decker, Ronnie Johnson.
DIG SAFELY NEW YORK SHOOTOUT RACE WINNER: Eddie Marshall.
THOMPSON MOTORSPORTS PIT CREW COMPETITION: #91 - Billy Decker/Gypsum Express
CARS ENTERED: 83.
RACE ROOKIES®: 6.
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