Phelps Saves Best For Last To Set Fast Time For Sunday’s Rite Aid 200

Syracuse, NY – October 4, 2007 – By Tom Skibinski, DIRTcar Racing NorthEast PR Director

Team Troyer driver Jimmy Phelps continued his climb up the DIRTcar Racing ladder as he bested a stellar field of 70 Big-Block Modifieds under the clocks to earn the pole-position start for the Advance Auto Parts Super DIRTcar Series Rite Aid 200 scheduled for Sunday at the New York State Fairgrounds. Phelps was the third from last driver to take time and he made the best of the late afternoon assignment, winning the $2,500 Wingfoot Commercial Tire Systems Pole Award after touring the historic Syracuse Mile in a one-lap clocking of 28.365 sec. (126.917 mph).

“These guys brought two awesome cars here this week and we made the best of it,” said Phelps, who time trialed sixth quickest in 2005, improved to third fastest last October before taking top honors yesterday on a sun-drenched day on the Moody Mile. “We just did what we had to do today to set up for the week and that definitely takes some pressure off the rest of the way.”

Capturing three consecutive pole awards from 2003-05, four-time Rite Aid 200 Champion Billy Decker went out just ahead of Phelps and stopped the clocks at 28.615 seconds to collect the $1,500 TEO Pro Car Outside Pole Award. Last year’s fast timer Tim Fuller (28.714) was the 34^th car out of the gates and held the top spot until dropping to third on the final chart while Decker’s Gypsum Express teammate Pat Ward (28.953), recently crowned Lebanon Valley Speedway points champion J.R. Heffner (28.986) and Phelps (28.987) in his back-up car filled out the top-six.

With the six fastest cars locked into the front three rows and Phelps putting a pair in this elite group, second-generation standout Ronnie Johnson was next in Iine to fill the position and will start outside row three on Sunday. Tenth fastest time trialer Brett Hearn will start seventh in DIRTcar racing NorthEast's signature race on Sunday by virtue of his victory in the Lebanon Valley 200 in mid-September.

“When I first went out I thought I’d be in the top-six with the second car. After the first lap I knew there was a little work left to do so I took it in a little deeper the second time around and the car just stuck. Other than scuffing the tires we really didn’t do too much to the car today. Its great to be starting up front but we’ll have a bigger smile if we can stay there on Sunday,” said Phelps, who will be chasing the lucrative $50,000 first-place prize aboard the H&H Motorsports no. 98H Virginia Motor Speedway-Mohawk Northeast New England Race Fuels/Troyer entry to close out the 36^th edition of Super DIRT Week in the Salt City.

Eighth-fastest in last year’s opening day trials, Decker improved a half-dozen spots to share the front row with Phelps on Sunday. “This is a testament to the crew as we haven’t really changed a thing since we unloaded the car for inspection on Tuesday,” said Decker, who led a race record 160 of the 200-lap distance en route to his latest victory in 2005. Decker still owns the track record for Big-Block Modifieds at Syracuse, running the Moody Mile in a time of 28.348 seconds (126.993 mph). “I’ve been hearing all the weatherman calling for a great week but being around here so long I find it hard to believe we won’t some kind of wet stuff at least one of the days. We’ll just have to play it by ear, you just never know what to expect from day to day around here. But that’s what makes it Super DIRT Week, there’s a lot going on and even more can happen.’

Despite starting on the pole last autumn, Fuller is looking to improve on his seventh-place finish after pacing the field the initial 45 laps one year ago. “This is pretty much all we can really ask for,” said Fuller, after putting his JL Motorsports no. 19 Street Wise Fighting Gear/TEO machine to begin Sunday’s show inside the second row. “I know it was really fast out there today and my hat’s off to those guys for running it a little harder than we did. We’re pretty satisfied where we are right now and we’ll just have to wait to see how everything pans out over the weekend.”

The remainder of the Rite Aid 200 field will come from Friday’s Modified Triple 20’s and the 'Dig Safely New York Shootout' last-chance qualifier on Sunday, with the 2nd Annual Pullen’s Truck Center “Win And You’re In Twins” Big-Block/Small-Block Super Shootout at Cayuga County Fair Speedway giving the driver with the best combined finish in a pair of 25-lap features the 45th starting spot in this year’s Rite Aid 200.

Super DIRT Week XXXVI action continues on Friday with the Advance Auto Parts Big-Block Modified Triple 20s and Pullen’s Truck Center 358-Modified Twin 20s taking center stage on the NYS Fairgrounds oval. P & M Fabrication and MSS Sportsman Time Trials follow in the afternoon with Thompson Motorsports reviving the popular Modified Pit Stop Competition to conclude the fourth day of activity. But that’s not all as the action then moves over to Rolling Wheels Raceway Park for a 358-Modified/Sportsman Mr. DIRTcar Series doubleheader while Cayuga County hosts round no. 11 of the 12-race Caprara Bros. Outdoor Toy Store Mr. DIRTcar Street Stock Super Series, with Mod Lites and NY Modified Midgets making up the three-star attraction.

SUPER DIRT WEEK XXXVI MODIFIED TIME TRIALS, NYS Fairgrounds, Oct. 4

            FAST             AVE

            TIME             MPH    CAR# DRIVER                                          

1          28.365            126.917          98H     Jimmy Phelps / Baldwinsville,NY

*$2,500 – Wingfoot Commercial Tire Systems Pole

2          28.615            125.808          91        Billy Decker / Unadilla,NY

*$1,500 – TEO Pro Car Outside Pole

3          28.714            125.374          19        Tim Fuller / Edwards,NY

4          28.953            124.339          42P     Pat Ward / Genoa,NY

5          28.986            124.198          88        J.R. Heffner / Pittsfield,MA

6          28.987            124.194          98Hx   Jimmy Phelps / Baldwinsville,NY

7          29.043            123.954          2          Ronnie Johnson / Duanesburg,NY

8          29.105            123.690          98        Eddie Marshall / Ridgefield,CT

9          29.117            123.639          35B     Jason Barney / Constantia,NY

10        29.151            123.495          20H     Brett Hearn / Sussex,NJ

11        29.182            123.364          26        Ryan Godown / Ringoes,NJ

12        29.232            123.153          14        Rick Laubach / Quakertown,PA

13        29.282            122.942          88H     Steve Hulsizer / Bridgeport,NY

14        29.293            122.896          115     Kenny Tremont / West Sand Lake,NY

15        29.323            122.771          1H       David Hebert / St. Damase,QUE

16        29.325            122.762          USA1x Richie Tobias,Jr. / Annville,PA

17        29.337            122.712          44S     Matt Sheppard / Waterloo,NY

18        29.363            122.603          27J      Danny Johnson / Rochester,NY

19        29.513            121.980          19B     Kenny Brightbill / Sinking Spring,PA

20        29.537            121.881          7X       Steve Paine / Waterloo,NY

21        29.569            121.749          55        Mitch Gibbs / North Norwich,NY

22        29.581            121.700          21J      Jeff Trombley / Altamont,NY

            29.581            121.700          32Cx   Vic Coffey / Leicester,NY

24        29.665            121.355          47        Jerry Higbie / Slate Hill,NY

25        29.672            121.327          93X     Craig Mitchell / Wappingers Falls,NY

26        29.677            121.306          77X     Dale Planck / Cortland,NY

27        29.788            120.854          45        Wayne Jelley / Pittsfield,MA

28        29.842            120.635          24        Chris Shultz / Pawling,NY

29        29.854            120.587          49        Billy Dunn / Watertown,NY

30        29.861            120.559          34        Andy Bachetti / Sheffield,MA

31        29.889            120.446          84        Gary Tomkins / Clifton Springs,NY

32        29.893            120.430          3B       Chad Brachmann / Sanborn,NY

33        29.948            120.208          42        Jimmy Horton / Neshanic Station,NJ

34        29.965            120.140          35        Mike Perrotte / Elizabethtown,NY

35        30.005            119.980          1H       Tim Hindley / Monticello,NY

36        30.007            119.972          1J        Bobby Varin / Sharon Springs,NY

37        30.048            119.808          62R     Ron Smoker / Hamburg,NY

38        30.069            119.725          3          Justin Haers / Phelps,NY

39        30.076            119.697          99B     Chuck Bower / Lansing,NY

40        30.140            119.443          12A     Jack Johnson / Duanesburg,NY

41        30.170            119.324          32C     Vic Coffey / Leicester,NY

42        30.183            119.272          43        Keith Flach / Ravena,NY

43        30.187            119.257          44        Frank Cozze / Wind Gap, PA

44        30.200            119.205          56        Vince Vitale Jr./ Phoenix,NY

45        30.299            118.816          OB's    Scott Flammer / Milford,NJ

46        30.319            118.737          21        Donnie Corellis / Averill Park,NY

47        30.352            118.608          21M    Bob McGannon / Garnerville,NY

48        30.381            118.495          62Rx   Ron Smoker / Hamburg,NY

49        30.426            118.320          41x      Shawn Reimert / Oley,PA

50        30.464            118.172          USA1 Richie Tobias,Jr. / Annville,PA

51        30.707            117.237          M96    Brian McDonald / Cornwall,ONT

52        30.806            116.860          37        Jason Herrington / Troy,NY

53        30.880            116.580          6N       Eric Palmer / Cresco,PA

54        30.907            116.478          14B     Rick Laubach / Quakertown,PA

55        30.916            116.445          41        Shawn Reimert / Oley,PA

56        30.945            116.335          56        Russell King / Bristolville,OH

57        30.972            116.234          65        Rex King Sr. / Bristolville,OH

58        30.993            116.155          99        Ryan Phelps / Fulton,NY

59        30.995            116.148          49K     Kenny Stafford / Homer,NY

60        31.126            115.659          76        Brett Graham / Kerhonkson,NY

61        31.157            115.544          66        Vince Gagliardo Jr. / Kenhorst,PA

62        31.188            115.429          16        Mike Bowman / Baldwinsville,NY

63        31.190            115.422          83        Tom Sears Jr. / Clay,NY

64        31.212            115.340          24D     Patrick Dupree / Saranac Lake,NY

            31.212            115.340          M40    Mark Forte Jr. / Blue Anchor,NJ

66        31.350            114.833          00        Doug Manmiller / Shoemakersville,PA

67        31.569            114.036          165     Rex King Jr. / Bristolville,OH

68        31.669            113.676          80        Jeff Marshall / Fort Covington,NY

69        31.830            113.101          18        Sean Beardsley / Central Square,NY

70        31.838            113.072          48too  Dave Rauscher / Waterloo,NY

71         -NT-                -----               1          Sean Gallivan / Troy,NY

72         -NT-                -----               2x        Ronnie Johnson / Duanesburg,NY

73         -NT-                 -----               11        Scott Armbruster Jr. / Monroeville,NJ

74         -NT-                -----               14J      Alan Johnson / Middlesex,NY

75         -NT-                -----               20        Brett Hearn / Sussex,NJ

76         -NT-                 -----               22        Mike Bruno / Castleton,VT

77         -NT-                -----               26x      Ryan Godown / Ringoes,NJ

78         -NT-                 -----               37X     Tom Scheetz Jr. / Boyertown,PA

79         -NT-                -----               42        Pete Bicknell / St.Catharines,ONT

80         -NT-                -----               47x      Jerry Higbie / Slate Hill,NY

81         -NT-                 -----               66X     Carey Terrance / Hogansburg,NY                                  

*Top-6 locked into front three rows.                                 

- 81 Cars Entered