DIRTcar Sportsman Speedster

Syracuse Standout: New Jersey’s Neal Williams Repeats 2010 Pole Run For DIRTcar Sportsman Championship 30

Fine Field Of 64 DIRTcar Sportsman Sign In For Action On  ‘Moody Mile’

SYRACUSE, NY – Oct. 7, 2011 – By Jamie Weaknecht/DIRTcar Racing P.R. – Neil Williams has proven he can go fast in a DIRTcar Sportsman at the New York State Fairgrounds. Now he wants to show everyone he can last as well.

The 21-year-old driver from Pittsgrove, N.J., was quickest in DIRTcar Sportsman Championship 30 qualifying for the second consecutive year, besting a 64-car field in Friday afternoon’s time trials on the famed Syracuse Mile. He circled the historic track in 32.859 seconds (109.559 mph) – nearly a half-second faster than Cody McPherson of St. Catharines, Ont., who turned the second-fastest lap.

Williams was smiling after collecting a $500 check for his fast lap, but he made clear that his goal is to reach the checkered flag in Saturday’s headliner, which is scheduled to take the green flag at 4:30 p.m.
 

Williams won the DIRTcar Sportsman Futures feature and started from the outside pole in the 30-mile Championship event when he made his first career appearance at the Fairgrounds in 2009, but he was eliminated quickly in a massive opening-lap crash. Last year he was running third in the main event when a sheared left-front hub forced him into the inside berm and knocked him out of the race.

“This is the same car we ran here last year,” Williams said of his Sal DeBruno-owned Teo-Pro machine. “It’s just been sitting on jackstands all year long waiting to run here. Hopefully with more maintenance and a few little new things here and there, we’ll be good and stay up front all the way to end.”
 

A regular at the sprawling five-eighths-mile Bridgeport (N.J.) Speedway, Williams heads into the DIRTcar Sportsman Championship 30 with plenty of confidence.

“Bridgeport relates to this track so much,” said Williams. “I think that’s why I have a little bit of an advantage here. Setups from Bridgeport, and the way you have to keep your momentum up at Bridgeport, really relate to this place. I love it here.”
 

McPherson, a rising 19-year-old who competes regularly at Merrittville Speedway in Thorold, Ont., and Humberstone Speedway in Port Colborne, Ont., pocketed $250 for his second-fastest lap in qualifying. He put his 2007 Bicknell car on the outside pole for the 30-mile in his first-ever start at Syracuse.

“This definitely exceeded my expectations by far,” said McPherson. “I really need to thank everyone for all the hard work they put into this car. It gives me a little more confidence for the race tomorrow.”

The top 24 drivers in Friday’s time trials are locked into Saturday afternoon’s DIRTcar Sportsman Championship 30. The remainder of the 30-car starting field will be determined with two-last chance races, which are scheduled to begin at 11:45 a.m. on Saturday.
 

For more on Super DIRT Week XL, make sure to click SuperDIRTWeekOnline.com each day.

Results of Time Trials for the DIRTcar Sportsman Championship 30 at the New York State Fairgrounds:

DIRTcar Racing in the Northeast Region is brought to fans by several sponsors and partners; including Hoosier Racing Tire; VP Racing Fuels; GM Performance Parts, Nationwide Insurance and Safety-Kleen. Promotional partners include the University of Northwestern Ohio and Chizmark Larson Insurance Agency. Contingency sponsors are ASI; Bert Transmissions; Bicknell Racing Products; Bilstein Shocks; Brodix; ButlerBuilt; Comp Cams; Intercomp; JE Pistons; KSE Racing Products; Motorsports Safety Systems; MSD Ignition; Penske Shocks; Racing Electronics; R2C; Super Flow; Vicci Racing Apparel; WIX Filters; Wrisco Industries; Xtreme Lubricants and Extreme Mufflers.

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