Bicknell & Decker Tame Thompson Motorsports 358-Mod Twin 20’s 

Syracuse, NY – October 5, 2007 – By Tom Skibinski, DIRTcar Racing NorthEast PR Director

Modified qualifying races for the ITT Corporation-Goulds Pumps 150-lap Salute to the Troops 358-Modified Championship got underway Friday with Pete Bicknell and Willy Decker taking checkered flags in the Pullen’s Truck Center Twin 20s for the 358-Modifieds

Bicknell led every lap of the opening heat race while Decker inherited the lead on 18 when race-long leader Pat Ward blew a motor to send him pitside for the remainder. Separate purses were posted for each event with the winner’s collecting the $1,000 lion’s share in the 20-mile sprints.

“Its great to follow up fast time yesterday with a win here today, so far everything has gone right on schedule for our team,” said Bicknell, who will start on the pole Saturday in quest of an unmatched total of six ITT-Goulds Pumps 150 Championships since the event was christened in 1980. “Still, it wasn’t easy as you’ve always got to worry anytime Tim (Fuller) is behind you, any little mistake will make a big difference at a place like this. Right now the way the track is tires aren’t gonna last very long, especially if the temperatures continue to stay this high.”

Fuller chased Bicknell for the entire 20-lap distance, holding off the north country standout by three car-lengths at the wire, while J.R. Heffner, Matt Sheppard and all-time Syracuse Small-Block winner Brett Hearn filled out the final front-five.

Ward easily jumped ahead early in the 20-lap closer yet with less than three laps to go his no. 42P Gypsum Express entry slowed with terminal engine trouble. ’07 Brewerton Speedway Big-Block points king Decker was in position to take over the point and there he finished with Vic Coffey three car-lengths back and Ric Hill, Martin Roy and Rick Laubach securing top-five tallies at the line.

“This place is just awesome, I really didn’t think we would be this fast so soon out here,” admitted Decker, who will start outside row two in Saturday’s 150-lap Small-Block finale at the NYS Fairgrounds. “We’ve pretty much been sticking to our game plan so far, not really knowing what tire wear there will be. After Pat slowed, our patience certainly paid off at the end.”

SUPER DIRT WEEK XXXVI 358-MODIFIED TWIN 20s RESULTS

*Thompson Motorsports Heat #1

FIN  CAR# DRIVER

1          42        Pete Bicknell / St.Catharines,ONT

2          19        Tim Fuller / Edwards,NY

3          5          J.R. Heffner / Pittsfield,MA

4          44S     Matt Sheppard / Waterloo,NY

5          4*        Brett Hearn / Sussex,NJ

6          91        Billy Decker / Unadilla,NY

7          115     Kenny Tremont / West Sand Lake,NY

8          M96    Brian McDonald / Cornwall,ONT

9          3B       Chad Brachmann / Sanborn,NY

10        76A     Jack Johnson / Duanesburg,NY

11        24        Chris Shultz / Pawling,NY

12        959     Brett Graham / Kerhonkson,NY

13        145     Roy Bridge / Castleton,NY

14        22        Eric Gauvreau / Chelsea,QUE

15        007     Roy Tarbell / Hogansburg,NY

16        4          Andy Bachetti / Sheffield,MA

17        45        Wayne Jelley / Pittsfield,MA

18        37X     Tom Scheetz Jr. / Boyertown,PA

19        24D     Patrick Dupree / Saranac Lake,NY

20        77G     Robbie Grant / Malone,NY

21        16        Lance Willix II / Theresa,NY

22        99        Mike Adderley / Watertown,NY

DNS   17D     Danny O'Brien / Kingston,ONT

*Thompson Motorsports Heat #2

FIN  CAR# DRIVER

1          1X       Willy Decker / Vernon,NY

2          32C     Vic Coffey / Leicester,NY

3          12        Ric Hill / Lafayette,NJ

4          90        Martin Roy / Napierville,QUE

5          14        Rick Laubach / Quakertown,PA

6          22B     Mike Bruno / Castleton,VT

7          55        Mitch Gibbs / North Norwich,NY

8          M40    Mark Forte Jr. / Blue Anchor,NJ

9          93X     Craig Mitchell / Wappingers Falls,NY

10        80        Jeff Marshall / Fort Covington,NY

11        00        Doug Manmiller / Shoemakersville,PA

12        55F     Perry Francis / Akwesasne,NY

13        22C     Mario Clair / St-Edmond,QUE

14        19K     Paul Kinney / Vernon,NY

15        27J      Danny Johnson / Rochester,NY

16        42P     Pat Ward / Genoa,NY

17        19H     Chris Higgins / Syracuse,NY

18        9          Mark Smoke / Akwesasne,NY

DNS   17        Jerry Higbie / Slate Hill,NY

DNS   66X     Carey Terrance / Hogansburg,NY

DNS   28        Jimmy Phelps / Baldwinsville,NY

DNS   28P     Eldon Payne,Jr. / Hopewell,NY

ITT CORPORATION-GOULDS PUMPS "SALUTE TO THE TROOPS" 150

MR. DIRTcar 358-MODIFIED CHAMPIONSHIP STARTING LINE-UP

STR  CAR# DRIVER

1          42        Pete Bicknell / St.Catharines,ONT

2          42P     Pat Ward / Genoa,NY

3          80        Tim Fuller / Edwards,NY

4          19        Willy Decker / Vernon,NY

5          1X       Matt Sheppard / Waterloo,NY

6          44S     Vic Coffey / Leicester,NY

7          32C     J.R. Heffner / Pittsfield,MA

8          5          Ric Hill / Lafayette,NJ

9          12        Martin Roy / Napierville,QUE

10        90        Brett Hearn / Sussex,NJ

11        4*        Rick Laubach / Quakertown,PA

12        14        Billy Decker / Unadilla,NY

13        91        Mike Bruno / Castleton,VT

14        22B     Kenny Tremont / West Sand Lake,NY

15        115     Mitch Gibbs / North Norwich,NY

16        55        Brian McDonald / Cornwall,ONT

17        M96    Mark Forte Jr. / Blue Anchor,NJ

18        M40    Chad Brachmann / Sanborn,NY

19        3B       Craig Mitchell / Wappingers Falls,NY

20        93X     Jack Johnson / Duanesburg,NY

21        76A     Jeff Marshall / Fort Covington,NY

22        24        Chris Shultz / Pawling,NY

23        00        Doug Manmiller / Shoemakersville,PA

24        959     Brett Graham / Kerhonkson,NY

25        55P     Perry Francis / Akwesasne,NY

26        145     Roy Bridge / Castleton,NY

27        22C     Mario Clair / St-Edmond,QUE

28        22G     Eric Gauvreau / Chelsea,QUE

29        19K     Paul Kinney / Vernon,NY

30        007     Roy Tarbell / Hogansburg,NY

31        27J      Danny Johnson / Rochester,NY

32        4          Andy Bachetti / Sheffield,MA

33        45        Wayne Jelley / Pittsfield,MA

34        19H     Chris Higgins / Syracuse,NY

35        37X     Tom Scheetz Jr. / Boyertown,PA

36        9          Mark Smoke / Akwesasne,NY

37        24D     Patrick Dupree / Saranac Lake,NY

38        17        Jerry Higbie / Slate Hill,NY

39        77G     Robbie Grant / Malone,NY

40        16        Lance Willix II / Theresa,NY

41        99        Mike Adderley / Watertown,NY

42        93        Rich Vinson / Sanborn,NY           

*Top-6 locked in from Thursday time trials;                    

*Positions 7-26 locked in from Friday Pullen’s Truck Center Twin-20s;                  

*Positions 27-41 filled in by Provisional Starters;         

*Position 42 filled in by Rolling Wheels Qualifier.        

The Advance Auto Parts Super DIRTcar Series for Big-Block Modifieds is brought to fans across the Northeast by several sponsors and partners, including series sponsors Advance Auto Parts, Hoosier Racing Tire and Sunoco Race Fuels. Promotional partners include AMB i.t., F.X. Caprara Car Companies, Rite Aid Corporation and the University of Northwestern Ohio and the contingency sponsors are Bert Transmission, Bicknell Racing Products, Bilstein Shocks, Brodix Cylinder Heads, Integra Shocks, MSD Ignitions, Miller Electric Manufacturing Company, Motorsports Safety Systems, Penske Shocks and Wrisco Industries.