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From 13th, Billy Decker Earns First Short Track Super Series Victory Sunday at Thunder Mountain Speedway

CENTER LISLE, NY – Though he earned a series
championship during the 2018 season, a victory with the Bob Hilbert Sportswear
Short Track Super Series (STSS) Fueled By Sunoco had eluded Billy Decker.

Until Sunday
night.

Decker, of
Sidney, N.Y., thrilled a partisan local crowd at Thunder Mountain Speedway when
he piloted the Jeremy Smith Racing No. 91 to a popular victory in the ‘Lightning
on the Mountain’ STSS Modified event contested on the eve of Memorial Day.

The defending
Halmar International North Region champion achieved the conquest in style,
marching forward from 13th starting spot in the 50-lap main before a
standing-room-only crowd. He pocketed $5,000.

Decker picked
the worst number available in the post-qualifying redraw. Twelve drivers had
earned positions through the six qualifying heats Sunday evening and a 13th
– Shayne Spoonhower – got in the draw following a Dash event on Saturday.

Decker’s
unlucky hand left him inside the seventh row. But a strong racecar gave the
veteran driver confidence.

“It’s about
damn time,� Decker said of ending his winless drought with the STSS. “I had a
heck of a race car under me tonight. It’s been a long time since I’ve had one
this good. When you are comfortable like that, it makes you brave to make moves
through traffic.�

Back at the
controls of his family owned No. 97 on the series, Jerry Higbie launched off
the pole at the start of the main. Higbie checked out during the early going,
while Stewart Friesen settled into second with the Halmar International No. 44.

Decker found
the outside of the banked three-eighths-mile oval to his liking and had cracked
the top-three running order by the 20th circuit. Both Friesen and
Decker were closing on Higbie.

Higbie led
the $200 Superior Remodeling Halfway Lap but his lead had evaporated.

With Friesen
on the bottom and Higbie rim-riding, Decker shot the middle gap exiting turn
four to lead lap 26 at the line.

“I knew I had
a car good enough to go through the middle,� Decker surmised.

The race’s
first caution didn’t fly until lap 31. Despite three additional yellows before
the Sunoco checkered flag flew, Decker was up to the challenge, turning back
the relentless challenges – both high and low – from Friesen.

Sprakers, N.Y.’s
Friesen posted his second consecutive runner-up finish in the Halmar
International North Region worth $3,225 including Rob Sherlock Roofing Heat
Winner Bonus ($100) and the MJK Home Maintenance overall Heat-Race Hard Charger
cash ($125).  

Ontario’s Mat
Williamson drove the Behrent’s Performance Warehouse No. 3 from 11th
to complete the podium. Ryan Jordan of Groton, N.Y., a two-time winner on the
Mountain this season, was a solid fourth in his No. R21 and Mike Gular of Boyertown,
Pa., drove Terry Fasnacht’s No. 2A to fifth. Gular has back-to-back North
Region top-five finishes to start the ’19 season.

Finishing
sixth through 10th, respectively, were Andy Bachetti of Sheffield,
Mass., up from 17th on the grid; Mike Mahaney of King Ferry, N.Y.,
driving the Olum’s No. 21; defending Thunder Mountain champion Alan Barker of
Norwich, N.Y.; Land Hoe Maintenance $200 Hard Charger Shaun Walker of
Masonville, N.Y., up from 25th; and 21st-starter Billy
Van Pelt of Westfield, Pa.

A stout field
of 55 STSS Modifieds signed in on the Mountain. Rob Sherlock Roofing $100 heat
winners were Mahaney, Friesen, Ryan Jordan, Higbie, Matt Sheppard and Duane
Howard.

Michael
Maresca, Van Pelt and Mike Kolka Jr. annexed the consolations.

Jeremy Smith
topped a special B-Main and had the option of $500 or the 26th
starting spot in the main event. He opted to race in the feature.

Tim Hartman
Jr. of Niskayuna, N.Y., made his debut at Thunder Mountain a memorable one in
the 25-lap Crate 602 Sportsman event. Hartman picked up the victory in Race No.
1 of the STSS North Region worth $1,500.

After working
from last to win his heat race, Hartman started the main in third and shot into
the lead by the fourth lap of the feature. He paced the remainder of the
distance.

Dustin Jordan,
who started fourth, drove to the runner-up spot late in the distance and closed
on Hartman, but finished second ($700). Will Eastman, Pat Jordan and Casey
Pavlick completed the front five.

Heat winners for
the 33 assembled STSS Crate 602 Sportsman were Bobby Flood, Eastman, Hartman
and Jimmy Zacharias. Jim Housworth and Jack Butler split the consolations.

The Chad Sindoni
Memorial featured ‘topless’ Street Stocks and Dylan Cecce of Addison, N.Y.,
took a liking to racing his No. 7 without a roof. Cecce dominated the 25-lap
event and pocketed a cool $1,000 for his efforts. Cecce convincingly took the
win over Gene Sharpsteen, Trevor Dudley, Mike Wilbur and Shane Wolf Jr.

Street Stock
heat wins went to Wolf and Dudley.

MOUNTAIN MEMOS: The 55-car STSS Modified turnout was
the largest in five years on the Mountain. The holiday weekend event drew
tailgaters and campers early in the day to the track, with the entire
grandstand plus turn four viewing area and towers full….

Matt Sheppard
rolled into Thunder Mountain on the heels of 11 consecutive victories. After a
convincing heat win and draw of ‘four’ many believed he could get No. 12. However,
Sheppard’s car lost brakes on the 10th lap of the event and he was
later collected in a turn-one tangle….

A tire issue
ended what was a very promising night for Jerry Higbie, who led the race’s first
half….

Crate 602
Sportsman winner Tim Hartman Jr. pulled double duty in both the Parillo
Services No. 22 Sportsman and Jim Becker’s No. 9 STSS Modified. Hartman finished
19th in his Modified debut on the Mountain….

Billy Decker
became the 29th different STSS Modified winner in 69 events run
since 2014….

Next up for
the Bob Hilbert Sportswear Short Track Super Series Fueled By Sunoco is the
annual North vs. South ‘Anthracite Assault’ at Big Diamond Speedway in
Minersville, Pa., Tuesday, June 4. Modifieds race 50 laps for $5,000 to win,
$1,000 for 10th and $400 to take the green with points on the line
for both the Halmar International North Region and Velocita-USA South Region
presented by Design for Vision and Sunglass Central.

Also in
competition: STSS Crate 602 Sportsman (North & South points) and XCel 600
Modifieds.

To
learn more about the 2019 Short Track Super Series Fueled By Sunoco, visit www.shorttracksuperseries.com, e-mail bdmotorsportsmedia@gmail.com, check out ‘Short Track
Super Series’ on Facebook or @ShortTrackSS on Twitter or Instagram.

The
Short Track Super Series is presented by American Racer/Lias Tire, Sunoco Race
Fuel, Insinger Performance, Bob Hilbert Sportswear, Halmar International,
Velocita-USA, Design for Vision/Sunglass Central, Rob Sherlock Roofing, ATL
Racing Fuel Cells, Behrent’s Performance Warehouse, Beyea Custom Headers,
Bicknell Racing Products, Dirt Track Digest, EIBACH Springs, Escape RV, Fast
Axle, Fox Racing Shocks, Henry’s Exhaust, Hig Fab, HyperCo, Kirkey Racing
Fabrication, Land Hoe Maintenance, K&N, MJK Home Maintenance, Precision
Hydraulic & Oil, QA1, Racing Optics, Superior Remodeling, Teo-Pro Car, VAHLCO,
Velocita, WELD Racing & Wilwood.

‘LIGHTNING ON THE MOUNTAIN’ RACE
SUMMARY – THUNDER MOUNTAIN SPEEDWAY MAY 26, 2019

Bob Hilbert Sportswear Short Track
Super Series Fueled By Sunoco Halmar International North Region Event No. 2 Modified
Feature Finish (50 laps):  BILLY DECKER,Stewart Friesen, Mat Williamson, Ryan Jordan, Mike Gular, Andy
Bachetti, Mike Mahaney, Alan Barker, Shaun Walker, Billy Van Pelt, Anthony
Perrego, Danny Johnson, Danny Creeden, Duane Howard, Matt Sheppard, Cory Costa,
Michael Maresca, Craig Hanson, Tim Hartman Jr., Brent Wilcox, Mike Ricci, J.R.
Hurlburt, Mike Kolka, Ken Titus, Allison Ricci, Jerry Higbie, Jeremy Smith,
Shayne Spoonhower.

Did Not Start: Mike Bowman.

Did Not Qualify: David Schilling, Alex Yankowski,
Colton Wilson, Brian Malcolm, Mike Colsten, Eric Leet, Kyle Coffey, Louden
Reimert, Garett Rushlow, Jim Maher, Joey Colsten, Joe Judge, Kevin Jordan,
Scott Landers, Damon Decker, Kailee DiMorier, Kurt Hundeland, Joe Krum, Larry
Mekic, Corey Cormier, Nick Nye, Dom Roselli, Brett Tonkin, Byron Worthing,
Tyler Siri, Roger Henion Jr.

American Racer/Lias Tire Bonuses (FREE
Tire): Alan Barker
(eighth) & Dan Creeden (13th)
ATL Fuel Cells Bonus ($200 Certificate):
Mike Gular (fifth)
Behrent’s Performance Warehouse Bonuses ($50 Gift Card): Ryan Jordan (fourth)
& Shaun Walker (ninth)
EIBACH Springs Bonus ($100 Certificate): Andy Bachetti (sixth)
Henry’s Exhaust System Power Position ($50 Certificate): Anthony Perrego (11th)
Land Hoe Maintenance Hard Charger Award
($200): Shaun Walker (25th to ninth)
MJK Home Maintenance Heat-Race Hard Charger ($125): Stewart Friesen
Racing Optics Bonus (Sleeve of Tear-Offs): Mat Williamson (third)
Rob Sherlock Roofing Heat Winners ($100
each): Mike Mahaney, Stewart Friesen, Ryan Jordan, Jerry Higbie, Matt
Sheppard & Duane Howard
Sunoco Race Fuels/Insinger Performance
Bonuses ($50 Certificates): Stewart Friesen (second), Danny Johnson (12th)
& J.R. Hurlburt (22nd)
Superior Remodeling Halfway Leader Award
($200): Jerry Higbie
WELD Wheels Hard Luck Award (FREE 5XL Wheel): Brett Tonkin
Wilwood ‘Lucky 7’ Bonus ($50
Certificate): Mike Mahaney (seventh)

Bob Hilbert Sportswear Short Track Super Series Fueled By Sunoco Crate 602
Sportsman North Region Event No. 1 Feature Finish (25 laps): TIM HARTMAN
JR.,Dustin Jordan, Will Eastman,
Pat Jordan, Casey Pavlick, Tommy Collins, Corey Cormier, Stacy Jackson, Kenny
Hammond, Travis Green, Bobby Flood, Rich Talada, Jimmy Zacharias, Todd Hayward,
Daniel Morgiewicz, Jim Housworth, Blaine Klinger, T.J. Frost, Daryl Krebs, Mike
Austin, Mike Nagel Jr., Jake Mason, Hunter Lapp, Tim Guild, Tom Velez, Jack
Butler.

Did Not Qualify: Cole Youse, Connor Brown, Thomas Van Vorst,
Pat Riser, Adam Haddon, Marc Goodwin, Erica Bowman.

Chad Sindoni Memorial Street Stock
Feature Finish (25 laps): DYLAN
CECCE,Gene Sharpsteen, Trevor
Dudley, Mike Wilbur, Shane Wolf Jr., Jake Fowlston, Doug Stack Jr., Rich
Sharpsteen, Nick Robinson, Kevin Garland, Craig Kranz, Butch Green, Doug Stack
Sr., Jon Carpenter, Jonathan Fowlston, Shawn Boynton, Earl Zimmer.

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