Sheppard, Marcuccilli kick off NAPA Super DIRT Week with wins at Weedsport
Modified and Sportsman drivers gain momentum leading into their biggest races of the season
WEEDSPORT, N.Y. – October 9, 2014 – Matt Sheppard, of Waterloo, N.Y., and Dave Marcuccilli, of Cayuga, N.Y., kicked off NAPA Auto Parts Super DIRT Week XLIII right, picking up wins at Weedsport Speedway Wednesday, Oct. 8.
“It’s the perfect weed to get on a hot streak. Hopefully we can keep it going right on through Sunday,” said Sheppard, who battled Western New York small block star Chad Brachmann for the 75-lap DIRTcar 358-Modified Series win Wednesday night.
Sheppard started third on the grid after placing sixth overall in time trials and winning his heat race. Ryan Godown, of Ringoes, N.J., started on the pole and took the initial lead over Sheppard at the green flag. World of Outlaws Late Model Series star Tim McCreadie, of Watertown, N.Y., started second but fell to third at the start of the race.
By lap 13, the leaders had reached heavy traffic, Godown still leading over Sheppard. In lap 16, Godown tapped the inside wall in turn 1 and slowed enough for Sheppard to pass him. In lap 17, Brachmann maneuvered through lapped traffic to pass Sheppard for the lead.
Brachmann held onto his lead through cautions in laps 27, 37 and 38, fending off Sheppard’s advances off the double-file restarts. By lap 50, leaders were again forced to handle heavy lapped traffic, and Sheppard took his opportunity when he had it. Sheppard passed Brachmann for the lead in lap 54.
“When Chad drove by me, I thought, man we’ve got nothing for him. I was about a straightaway behind him,” said Sheppard, a three-time Super DIRTcar Big Block Modified Series champion. “But then I really felt my car start to come in a little bit. We started gaining on him in the lapped traffic and a couple of those restarts I was able to hang with him on the top. The thing just came to me the longer the race went.”
Brachmann stayed at Sheppard’s tail for the rest of the race, but wasn’t able to reclaim the top position.
“Unfortunately, the lapped traffic played a role in this tonight,” Brachmann said. “But, it is what it is. One of these days I’ll catch the break I need and come out on top in one of these big races.”
Godown finished third after Brachmann. Rounding out the top five are Tim McCreadie in fourth and Anthony Perrego in fifth.
Marcuccilli battled Boyd MacTavish and Steve Gray to pick up the DIRTcar Sportsman Modified Series win Wednesday at Weedsport Speedway.
“We love coming here,” Marcuccilli said of the track, a newly refurbished pristine facility 30 miles west of Syracuse. “It’s probably the place we know the best.”
MacTavish drew the pole and Marcuccilli started third on the grid. MacTavish claimed the initial lead, but Marcuccilli kept up, gaining enough momentum by lap 7 to race the leader wheel-to-wheel. In lap 9, Marcuccilli made the pass, cruising by MacTavish on the front stretch.
The leaders entered traffic in lap 15, and Marcuccilli maneuvered around lapped cars to keep his spot. A late-race caution slowed the pace in lap 27, but Marcucilli kept the lead off the restart and through the remaining laps.
“We got into lapped traffic there and we didn’t know what to do. They were racing two-by-two,” Marcuccilli commented. “I guess the caution kind of saved me. I think Steve (Gray) would have gotten by me if it weren’t for that.”
Steve Gray finished second and early leader MacTavish third. Rounding out the top five are Rocky Warner in fourth and Gary Lindberg in fifth.
NAPA Super DIRT Week continues Thursday with qualifying for DIRTcar 358-Modifieds and Super DIRTcar Big-Block Modifieds. Friday afternoon features the Futures Races while Camping World Friday Night Lights includes the fan-favorite Triple 20s for Big-Block Modifieds, Twin 20s for 358-Modifieds and Triple 10s for Sportsman Modifieds.
The main events on Saturday include the USAC Silver Crown “Salt City 78” at 1:30 p.m. followed by the “Salute to the Troops 150” for the 358-Modifieds. On Sunday, the DIRTcar Sportsman and Pro Stocks will compete before the premier Syracuse 200 for the Super DIRTcar Series Big-Block Modifieds takes the green flag at 2 p.m.
“Racing’s Biggest Party” runs through Sunday, Oct. 12. For more information and the latest updates on NAPA Super DIRT Week, click www.SuperDIRTWeekOnline.com, follow on Twitter @SuperDIRTWeek, or find us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/SuperDIRTWeek.
DIRTcar 358-Modified Series at Weedsport Speedway (Wednesday, Oct. 8, 2014)
A-Main (75 laps): 1. 9H Matt Sheppard; 2. 3B Chad Brachmann; 3. 901 Ryan Godown; 4. 4 Tim McCreadie; 5. 18 Anthony Perrego; 6. 91 Rick Laubach; 7. 14 Stewart Friesen; 8. L99 Larry Wight; 9. 33 Mike Mahaney; 10. J99 Jimmy Phelps; 11. 42p Pat Ward; 12. 20 Brett Hearn; 13. 93 Ryan Bartlett; 14. 38 Ryan Susice; 15. 14J Alan Johnson; 16. 14B Peter Britten; 17. 02 Roy Bresnahan; 18. 22c Mario Clair; 19. 16w Lance Willix II; 20. 25 Erick Rudolph; 21. 27J Danny Johnson; 22. 6 Mat Williamson; 23. 323 Neal Williams; 24. 66x Carey Terrance; 25. R70 Ryan Arbuthnot; 26. 16 Dany Creeden; 27. 70 Brady Fultz; 28. 29 Jeff Brownell, Jr.; 29. 10c Tim Currier; 30. 12 Brian Sage.
B-Main 1 (10 laps): 1. 10c Tim Currier; 2. 12 Brian Sage; 3. 93 Ryan Bartlett; 4. d17 Danny O’Brien; 5. B42 Kevin Bates; 6. H25 Bobby Herrington; 7. 71 Mike Bowman; 8. 9J Jordan McCreadie; 9. 1 Tyler Dippel; 10. 21 Yan Bussiere; 11. G14 Brian Gleason; 12. J19 John McKenney, Jr.; 13. 1R Jeff McGinnis; 14. 39a Alan Therrien; 15. 678 John Smith
B-Main 2 (10 laps): 1. 38 Ryan Susice; 2. 16 Dany Creeden; 3. 27J Danny Johnson; 4. 66x Carey Terrance; 5. X21 Randy Chrysler; 6. 39 Clement Therrien; 7. K21 Kyle Weiss; 8. R70 Ryan Arbuthnot; 9. 22c Mario Clair; 10. 44 Zach Aubertine; 11. 16w Lance Willix II; 12. 66 Kyle Dingwall; 13. 3m Bill Mullin; 14. T21 Roger Chrysler
Qualifying Heats (8 laps, top 4 transfer, top 2 redraw)
Heat 1: Ward, Fultz, Williamson, Hearn, Currier, Terrance, Bowman, Clair, Dippel, Mullin
Heat 2: Godown, Laubach, Friesen, Phelps, Creeden, O’Brien, Arbuthnot, Herrington, Willix, Smith
Heat 3: Brachmann, Williams, Rudolph, Brownell, Sage, D. Johnson, A. Therrien, Aubertine, Bussiere, Roger Chrysler
Heat 4: Sheppard, Mahaney, Britten, Wight, Susice, McGinnis, Randy Chrysler, McCreadie, Weiss, McKenney
Heat 5: McCreadie, Perrego, Bresnahan, A. Johnson, Bartlett, C. Therrien, Bates, Dingwall, Gleason, Shield, Reakes
Time Trials: 1. Fultz 17.543, 2. Ward 17.561, 3. Weiss 17.579, 4. T. McCreadie 17.638, 5. Williamson 17.641, 6. Sheppard 17.641, 7. Creeden 17.661, 8. Hearn 17.699, 9. Godown 17.716, 10. Bowman 17.730, 11. Currier 17.734, 12. Brachmann 17.745, 13. Terrance 17.785, 14. Williams 17.808, 15. Perrego 17.821, 16. Laubach 17.828, 17. Wight 17.879, 18. Rudolph 17.891, 19. Susice 17.893, 20. A. Johnson 17.898, 21. Dippel 17.916, 22. Britten 17.952, 23. McGinnis 18.012, 24. Friesen 18.017, 25. Brownell 18.044, 26. Sage 18.102, 27. Bresnahan 18.104, 28. Phelps 18.109, 29. Clair 18.126, 30. Herrington 18.158, 31. Randy Chrysler 18.158, 32. J. McCreadie 18.166, 33. Arbuthnot 18.183, 34. C. Therrien 18.200, 35. Bartlett 18.214, 36. O’Brien 18.216, 37. Mullin 18.428, 38. A. Therrien 18.445, 39. Gleason 18.470, 40. Willix 18.573, 41. D. Johnson 18.678, 42. Bates 18.839, 43. Dingwall 18.957, 44. Bussiere 18.988, 45. McKenney 19.081, 46. Shield 19.170, 47. Roger Chrysler 19.210, 48. Aubertine 19.528, 49. Smith 19.681. Light: Mahaney. No Time: Reakes
DIRTcar Sportsman Modified Series at Weedsport Speedway (Wednesday, Oct. 8, 2014)
A-Main (30 laps): 1. m1 Dave Marcuccilli; 2. G29 Steve Gray; 3. 41 Boyd MacTavish; 4. 97 Rocky Warner; 5. C19 Gary Lindberg; 6. 21 Taylor Caprara; 7. 0 Shane Pecore; 8. M3 Mathieu Desjardins; 9. 3a Adam Hilton; 10. J77 Cody McPherson; 11. 7m Mike Maresca; 12. F44 Alan Fink; 13. 32 Ron Davis III; 14. 18 Louie Jackson, Jr.; 15. 47 Corey Wheeler; 16. 4 Greg Martin; 17. 30 Brad Rouse; 18. 98h Justin Lalancette; 19. 14 Jeremy Pitcher; 20. 92P Martin Pelletier; 21. 44 David Rogers; 22. 92 Joey Ladouceur; 23. 77e Ryan Stabler; 24. 10 Mike Stacey; 25. 16 Earl Rudy; 26. 52 Jessica Power; 27. 31 Kane Bristol; 28. 80 Matt Smith; 29. X20 Kevin Ridley; 30. 5 Don Spatorico
B-Main 1 (10 laps): 1. 14 Jeremy Pitcher; 2. 32 Ron Davis III; 3. 52 Jessica Power; 4. 77e Ryan Stabler; 5. 44 David Rogers; 6. 4m Tim Murphy; 7. 17 Tristan Draper; 8. J11 Jason Simmons
B-Main 2 (10 laps): 1. 92 Joey Ladouceur; 2. 16 Earl Rudy; 3. 18 Louie Jackson, Jr.; 4. 7m Mike Maresca; 5. 25 Derrick Borkenhagen; 6. 10 Mike Stacey; 7. 15 Brianna Ladouceur; 8. J12 Jimmy Morton
Qualifying Heats (8 laps, top 5 transfer, top 3 redraw)
Heat 1: Hilton, Lindberg, Gray, McPherson, Pelletier, Pitcher, Rogers, Draper, Murphy
Heat 2: Marcuccilli, Pecore, Rouse, Desjardins, Power, Stabler, Caprara, Davis, Pugh
Heat 3: Spatorico, MacTavish, Smith, Bristol, Fink, J. Ladouceur, Borkenhagen, Maresca, Nutting, Simmons
Heat 4: Warner, Martin, Ridley, Wheeler, Lalancette, Rudy, Jackson, B. Ladouceur, Stacey, Morton
Time Trials: 1. 17.604, 2. Pecore 17.967, 3. Warner 17.990, 4. Marcuccilli 18.010, 5. Lindberg 18.016, 6. Gray 18.019, 7. Ridley 18.036, 8. Martin 18.070, 9. Bristol 18.080, 10. Pelletier 18.149, 11. Desjardins 18.155, 12. Davis 18.167, 13. Rogers 18.179, 14. Rouse 18.215, 15. Pitcher 18.235, 16. Spatorico 18.315, 17. McPherson 18.325, 18. MacTavish 18.341, 19. Wheeler 18.434, 20. Lalancette 18.394, 21. Smith 18.400, 22. Rudy 18.493, 23. J. Ladouceur 18.598, 24. Pugh 18.629, 25. Fink 18.643, 26. Caprara 18.653, 27. Borkenhagen 18.678, 28. Jackson 18.678, 29. Draper 18.801, 30. B. Ladouceur 18.803, 31. Stabler 19.054, 32. Simmons 19.101, 33. Maresca 19.134, 34. Morton 19.212, 35. Power 19.320, 36. Hutting 19.567, 37. Murphy 19.699. No Time: Stacey
The Super DIRTcar Series and DIRTcar Racing in the Northeast Region is brought to fans by several sponsors and partners including Hoosier Racing Tire, VP Racing Fuels, Chevy Performance Parts, NAPA Auto Parts, and Safety-Kleen. Contingency partners include the University of Northwestern Ohio, ASI, Bicknell Racing Products, Bilstein Shocks, Brodix, ButlerBuilt, Cometic Gasket, Comp Cams, Edelbrock, Integra Shocks, Intercomp, JE Pistons, JRI Shocks, KSE Racing Products, Mobil 1, Motorsports Safety Systems, MSD LLC, Fox Shocks, Pole Position Raceway, Racing Electronics, Superflow and Wrisco Industries.
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