Jimmy Phelps Tops Big Block Time Trials Using JGR XP3 and 75W110 Gear Oil
Syracuse, NY - 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 34th 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 36th 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.

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