Weedsport, NY –  September 6, 2009 – By Tom Skibinski, Super DIRTcar Series PR Director

What a difference two years can make. Yet the past two weeks alone have been enough to change the outlook of reigning Mr. DIRTcar points king Billy Decker as he captured his second straight Super DIRTcar Series main event Sunday in the ‘Night of Champions 100’ for Big-Block Modifieds.

Inheriting the lead 10 days earlier at Lebanon Valley Speedway when leader Jimmy Phelps suffered a blown rear-end with just four laps remaining, on this occasion race-long leader Matt Sheppard crashed into the turn one wall on lap 76 and Decker bolted by Phelps on a lap 92 restart to ride away for a 10 car-length victory worth $6,000.

“We’re pretty happy right now the way things are going for us, that’s usually what happens when you win,” downplayed Decker, 44, following his fourth series win of the season a year after he tied the all-time tour mark with 10 extra-distance victories. “We lost a couple races (weather) so the series is a little too short to catch the leaders now but we’ll just keep digging and see where it take us.”

“We’ve done good the last couple years here, things kind of came to us tonight so we’ve got it down pretty good now,” remarked Decker, following his 53rd career tour triumph at the DIRTcar Racing Northeast charter member facility. All five of his series wins in Weedsport have come during Labor day Weekend, including the past three holiday events. “The track always seems to be changing, sometimes the high line is good, then the middle comes in and the low side gets quicker.”

After starting 11th on the 30-car grid, Decker methodically worked his way through the pack steering the potent LJL Racing no. 91 Gypsum Wholesalers-Stadium Int'l-Quality Hardwoods/Bicknell ride both high and low. The outside lane became the preferred groove when it counted most as the Unadilla, N.Y. veteran grabbed his first lead of the race up high with less than 10 laps to go and pulled away unchallenged the remainder of the way.

“I just can’t believe how good we were right there on that last restart,” beamed Decker, who still trails points leader Brett Hearn (finished 8th) by 154 markers, with Sheppard and Phelps ranked in between. “I don’t know if the tires were just right or what, but this thing took off and got balanced. Actually, I was pretty good on the restart before trying to run the bottom and was too tight. When I moved up a couple grooves I was really able to roll.”

While his nearest chasers Johnson and Hearn bumped and banged their way around in the early stages, Sheppard needed just a dozen circuits to reach traffic aboard the JB Motorsports no. 9s Xtreme Lubricants/Bicknell entry with plenty of distance to spare. The gap suddenly evaporated when Shannon Whaley looped in turn three to bring out the first yellow flag on lap 16, just missing the onrushing runner-up machine of Hearn with Danny taking advantage to duck back into second while older brother Alan Johnson and Haers wrestled for front-five positions directly behind.

Local runners Chuck Bower (lap 22) and Dave Axton (lap 34) forced the yellow lights to flash twice more for minor mishaps, and by the midway mark Sheppard retained the point ahead of a charging Jimmy Phelps while Alan Johnson was dogged by an even faster mount occupied by Decker.

With Sheppard the class of the field able to outdistance his closest rivals at will, the competition was far more unsettling behind him as positions shuffled lap after lap and Hearn faded back almost as quickly as Danny Johnson did 20 laps earlier. Alan grabbed third on lap 53 and Decker moved into fourth the following circuit despite ‘Super Matt’ building up a straightaway lead.

As the laps clicked off, traffic thickened just as fast, cutting Sheppard’s once solid 3.0-second advantage down to 2.3 as Phelps dialed in the H&H Motorsports no. 98H Mohawk N.E.-New England Race Fuels-Joe Gibbs Racing Oil/Troyer machine in pursuit of his first-ever tour win in Weedsport. Suddenly, without warning, another yellow flag unfurled and sitting sideways in turn one was the Sheppard car which earlier had broken a right-rear hub and caliper which ultimately knocked out any rear brakes.

A once commanding lead for Sheppard was now a precarious one for new leader Jimmy Phelps, yet on the ensuing lap 84 restart the ‘B’Ville Blast’ opened up comfortable advantage as Decker and Johnson slugged it out for second. However, the fifth and final caution period for the looped machine of Gary Tomkins in turn one proved to be Phelps undoing as Decker blasted around with still nine laps to go and had his way the last three miles.

“Things are starting to look good, everybody’s been scrambling this year,” admitted Decker, fresh off copping the Fulton (NY) Speedway points title the night before at his car owner’s track. “The engine shop has done a phenomenal job.”

“We really had a lot to cover this year. Starting our own engine program, we’ve been chasing it a little bit and not performing quite as well as we want. Been changing a lot of race cars, a lot of parts … so it makes a win like this even more special.“

“Thought we were pretty solid tonight, coming from 11th in a super tough field of cars. I’m pretty proud of this win. Don’t want to be a hog but I want to win them all, whatevers left,” added Decker, who established a personal career high of 22 Big-Block feature wins at nine tracks last season en route to the overall Mr. DIRTcar crown.

On the brink of scoring his first-ever series win at Cayuga County, Phelps reluctantly settled for runner-up honors despite occupying one of the fastest cars throughout the night.

“The car was real good on long runs, but on that second restart at the end I felt like I just didn’t have the stick I needed,” said Phelps, 34, currently third in series points with his lone win this season coming in July at Cornwall (Ont.) Motor Speedway. “The tires cooled off a little bit even on that first restart, just didn’t feel quite as good as I did before that.”

“We got going real good there ---shame to see Matt get knocked out--- and at that point right before the yellow (lap 76) I felt the best I had all race. Those last two cautions took a couple laps to get going.”

“Billy found that middle (groove) and he’s one of the best in the business so its awful tough when he’s a little better to hold him back. Second-place never hurts you, just hope I have some momentum going my way tomorrow (at Rolling Wheels). I really like this new car, hopefully we’re due for another win really soon,” figured Phelps, after logging his seventh top-five in 16 events.

Coming into Weedsport, Johnson was just a handful of points behind Sheppard in the track standings, and by the time the Middlesex, N.Y. chauffeur was ready to depart he was sole owner of the coveted Cayuga County trophy for a ninth season.

“You love to win these (series) things, but running against these guys third-place is still a really good run,” said Johnson, 51, after successfully defending his season points title at Cayuga County where he ranks third all-time with 62 Big-Block wins, six of which came in series events. “It’s a heck of a field, a lot of strong cars here tonight.”

“My guys had the car running good, like I said, third is tough. I was trying everything out there, nothing seemed to be working too good for me. Maybe the bottom was a little better, I don’t know, I was just all over. It really didn’t feel too good anywhere I put it tonight,” reflected Johnson, recognized today in the yellow Bully's Truck Stop no. 14j CFF,Inc.-Raymond's Car Care/Bicknell entry.