Nirvana Reached With Final Week Win for Mat Williamson & Team

By DAVE SULLY - The 2014 Modified Championship now resides with the Williamson Racing Team, as Mat put an exclamation point on the season with a victory in the 50 lap John Spencer Memorial, his second in a row in that event, and the fifth win of the season overall. Following a season of ups and downs, the team never lost focus and never got too discouraged, plus they entered the final point night with some momentum. Going into the race, Mat held a 17 point lead over Chad Brachmann and needed to keep him in sight to claim the crown. However, the redraw, after Mat finished second in his heat, proved to be an unexpected bonus, as Mat, who has had miserable luck most of the year with redraws, drew the pole, while Brachmann, desperate for a good starting spot, drew ninth.

Starting on the pole is huge in a lot of ways in a dirt race, the biggest being running in clean air, and able to avoid wrecks or being taken out by someone else's indiscretion. Mat made great use of that advantage, as he cruised to a healthy lead in the first half of the race. Things changed on lap 28 when Mike Bowman, who had moved into second on lap 23, lined up right next to Mat on a restart after a melee in turn three. Mat got away from Bowman when the raced resumed, but it was apparent that Bowman was stout and Mat had to decide how hard to race him with the title on the line.

Two more restarts, one on lap 29, and another on lap 31, tested his mettle, as Bowman was able to get under him going into turn two, but Mat was able to turn him back both times. The second time, on lap 31, was made somewhat easier in that it was caused by Brachmann, whose drive shaft gave way, ending his night and his chances for the title. Thus, the title was basically decided right there, and Mat could now concentrate on racing for the win.

Still mindful of protecting his equipment, Mat was able to fend off Bowman on that final restart and gradually opened a lead over the rest of the race, which came to a sudden and unexpected end on lap 45 when a sudden downpour soaked the track. Thus, the win and the title were secure.

Talking about the race, Mat offered, “I just got lucky with the redraw. It's a good way to start a race because you don't have to worry about anybody else. I knew we had to get a good start, good restarts and just had to have 50 laps of solid racing. I saw Mike (Bowman) under me a couple times. I saw Pete (Bicknell) was coming through. I know he started seventh and got up to third. I was just worrying about hitting my marks and not messing anything up.”

As for the dicing with Bowman on the restarts, especially in turn two, he noted, “I didn't want to pound the daylights out of my stuff on the cushion for 50 laps. I would have been happy finishing second or third, if someone had wanted to beat on their stuff for 50 laps, because I just had to finish. That's all I was focused on. It was fun.”

As for his mindset when he saw that Brachmann was out of the race, he said, “That was when I knew we just had to race. All we had to do was hit my marks and win the race. It got kind of squirrely after one restart. I started to miss my marks and had to get back in the game and worry about the big picture.”

As for the rain, he added, “They called it pretty good. I was worried it was raining because it felt like when the guy in front of me is leaking gear oil or something, but there was nobody in front of me. It was a good call, and I'm happy we're on top.”

Of the big picture, Mat concluded, “This is surreal right now. It still hasn't hit me. I'm sure when we have a couple of beers around the campfire, we'll realize we just won the Merrittville Championship and put ourselves in a group with a bunch of good drivers, a bunch of Hall of Famers, really. It's awesome. It's a great feeling. You can't buy this stuff in the store. You've got to earn it, and it's pretty cool to do it.”

Rob Sawatsky, speaking for the team about the remarkable season, declared, “After the problems with the Big Block at Lernerville, where we actually won a race, we decided to concentrate all our efforts on the 358 program at Merrittville. All of these guys on the crew put so much time and effort into it. That's what pulls it all together. As the 358 program went on, we still had some obstacles, like oil problems in the engine and some problems with another engine, but ERD builds a very good piece, and we had a great car underneath us and a great bunch of guys who worked diligently on it. We didn't let things, like the battery failure, bother us. We all gathered up on Wednesday nights when we get into our repair program and we said, 'Let's go,' and we did. It didn't really bother us. It was a little bit of a stumble, but we put our heads into what we needed to accomplish. There was a little bit of luck we had here and there, along with the stumbles. Luck goes back and forth, but tonight Lady Luck was with us, and we pulled it off. It was nice to go out with a win. You can't ask for a better time.”

Thus, the 2014 Merrittville season is history and the desired goal has been reached. Congratulations to the entire team, and especially to Mat, who was the ultimate wheel man when the issue was in doubt. The team wishes to thank all of its loyal sponsors, all of those who helped out with food, moral support, and encouragement, and our many fans, who stuck with us through thick and thin. You can all enjoy this for a long time.

In closing, let us pay homage to the memory of Pete Cosco, a wonderful man, who meant so much for our sport, whose untimely passing tempered the celebration.

Team on the Brink After Good Finish at Merrittville

By DAVE SULLY - A somewhat momentous week was capped off by a strong run by Mat in the semi-final point night at Merrittville on Saturday, August 23rd, setting up a final push next Saturday for the team's ultimate goal, the championship. It was not easy, as some shivers went up the team's collective spines at Humberstone in the Tri-Track Modified event the previous Sunday, after the Saturday event at Merrittville was rained out. While looking very good in winning his heat, the car began smoking, and it was feared that something had gone wrong with the motor. Upon further review, it was determined that the smoke was caused by a loose valve cover. The condition also soaked enough of the engine that the team decided not to take any chances by running the feature, so they packed it in and began prepping for Saturday.

They went into Saturday's race, now down to two point shows after the rain-out, with a thirteen point lead over Chad Brachmann, with the goal of staying close enough to Brachmann to ensure that they would be in the lead going into the final night.

Mat came from last to finish third in his heat, and because he won the previous race, started twelfth, while Brachmann went off eighth. After initially dropping back to let things sort out, Mat was able to utilize the top to make his way forward. He was able to catch and pass Brachmann midway through the race, reaching third after a lap 29 restart. Then a heart-stopping moment ensued when Mat clipped the guard rail in turn four and the front of the car jumped into the air. Fortunately, no damage was done and Mat was able to right the ship without losing too much valuable track position.

He actually nosed into second and was poised to make a run for the lead held by Tim Jones, when a caution erased that move and forced him to restart from third. After dropping back to fourth, he was able to reclaim third from Tom Flannigan in the final accounting. Brachmann ended up fifth, giving Mat and the team a seventeen point lead going into next week's finale.

Talking about the race and the early strategy, Mat declared, “I was simply trying to stay out of trouble. We had a good race car. In traffic I wasn't as good as I needed to be, but when I could get out and run my own lane, and when I got to third there and smashed the guard rail, I was good. I think we were good enough to get by Jonesie, but it was my own mistake. I smashed the guard rail, and it set us back two spots. It was a bad deal there, but we're focused on the big picture right now.”

Regarding his pursuit of Brachmann during the race, he added, “Once I passed him I didn't worry about it. It didn't matter if he was right behind me, or two behind me, or five behind me. As long as we didn't lose any points tonight, we put ourselves in a good position. I'm looking forward to next week because we don't have to start twelfth.”

Thus, the moment the team has been waiting for is at hand. As we all know, there are no sure things in racing, but the goal is in sight. The last chapter will be written next Saturday.

Mat Williamson & Team Back in the Driver's Seat After Win

By DAVE SULLY - The ups and downs of the 2014 Merrittville season continued on Saturday, August 9th, this time on a high, as Mat made a determined run from his seventh place starting spot to win the Modified Feature, vaulting him back into the point lead, with three point races remaining. It was a night when everything came together, and with a great race car under him, Mat made the most of it, turning an 11 point deficit into a 13 point advantage.

The night didn't start too well, as Mat, who has a notorious record in pill draws, drew fifty out of fifty, putting him at the rear of his heat. He got up to third, one spot out of the redraw, (“We were fast, just ran out of laps,” Mat noted), putting him in that seventh place starting position.

Of the race, Mat explained, “ I got rolling on the outside, just kept my momentum up, passed cars, one or two a lap. Before we knew it we were in third. (Brandon) Easey and (Tom) Flannigan had quite a lead. I think they were a half straightaway in front of me. I reeled them in and just got by them both. Then the caution came out with three laps to go, and the car was a rocket ship.”

Mat did most of his work on the outside, but was able to go to the bottom when he entered lap traffic.

Mat continued, “We were good right off the bat. I knew we were going to be a force to be reckoned with. I had a good race car. That's for sure.”

With the win and the realization that there are three point shows left, the question of strategy enters the picture. It would be easy to say that you just go all out and let the points fall where they may, but Mat will certainly be aware of where his chief opposition, Chad Brachmann, is running. Mat explained, “It's certainly in the back of your mind. I'm going to try to zone it out as much as I can. That way I don't worry about it until the last points night, and then just know where we have to finish and where Chad has to finish. The way I'm looking at it right now is that we have a good enough hot rod to win two more races at Merrittvile and go into the last race with a good point lead. That's the way I'm hoping it's going to turn out. We've got to make sure we cross our Tees and dot our I's.”

As we've noted before, nothing is for sure in racing. Witness the battery failure that put the team behind the eight ball in the St. Amand Memorial. Barring mechanical failure or some other unexpected development, like getting caught up in a wreck or suffering a flat tire, the goal is within reach. It won't be long before we find out if the stars line up correctly.

Mixed Bag for Team at Two Race Merrittville Weekend

By DAVE SULLY - Two races at Merrrittville, a point race on Saturday, August 2nd and the Bob St.Amand Sr, Super Dirt Series 100 lapper on Monday, August 4th, produced some encouraging results and some disappointment when the dust settled. The Saturday race produced a seventh place finish, which saw Mat drop to second in the standings with three point races left, while the non points Series race saw Mat make a gallant charge through the field after earlier entanglements forced him to utilize a track provisional to get into the Feature.

On Saturday, Mat started twelfth and was able to soldier to a seventh place finish on another night when it was tough to pass, which is becoming the norm at Merrittville because of the quality of the competition.

Mat summed it up, saying, “We were decent. We were going for fourth and just got caught up in other people's messes, I guess.”

The upshot of the Saturday finish is that, with the three remaining points races, Mat trails Chad Brachmann, who won the race, by eleven points, hardly insurmountable, but it will require due diligence by the team to bring about the desired outcome- the title.

On Monday, things were going swimmingly for a while. Mat, driving his Small Block, timed second and started outside Larry Wight, who had a Big Block under the hood, in the heat. The two bolted into the lead and quickly separated themselves from the rest of the ten car field. However, on the fourth lap the caution flew for a spin, necessitating a restart. Wight started inside and Mat started outside on the front row. When the green flew, things went awry.

Mat explained, “I went into turn one, and of course, I had a Small Block and Larry's got a Big Block. He was trying to protect the bottom. He did nothing wrong. I went in a little harder because we're a hundred pounds lighter. We can drive it in harder and the car is going to stick. I drove it in like I normally would in a heat race, not thinking that Larry was going to protect the bottom, and I got into his left rear. It was unintentional, but it was my own mistake. That basically set the night up for us.”

“We got two flat tires and a bunch of damage. We actually got the tires changed and got out on the lead lap and then cut another one down because it was rubbing on the sheet metal.”

The end result of the heat race was Mat had to start tenth in the consi, where only three cars would qualify. Mat was able to get up to sixth, but wasn't able to race his way in. Fortunately, he qualified for the Feature by way of the track provisional, along with Scott Wood, and ended up starting 29th in the 30 car field.

By any account, Mat had a great run, clawing his way to an impressive 12th place finish, which Mat actually thought could have been higher. He observed, “We looked forward to that race. We put so much effort in running good in it. We had a good race car. In a hundred laps it shouldn't matter where you start. I got up to about 13th or 14th and got door slammed going into turn three in the middle of the race. I don't know if it caused us to have a slow leak or what happened, but after that we didn't have as good a race car as we did the first 50 laps. It was just unfortunate, but we just have to move on to this week.”

To sum it up, Mat added, “We had a good race car the first 50 laps when it was slippery. The car was tight actually, so it would have been nice to see what it would have done the last 50 laps. A couple more cautions might have helped us, but to come from 29th to 12th, I'm happy, but I'm not happy.”

So, the die is cast, with three more point races, starting this Saturday. Mat and the team know what they have to do. Now they need to execute.

A Reversal of Fortunes Puts Team Back in the Title Hunt

By DAVE SULLY - With the bad taste still in their mouths after the disheartening battery problem produced a poor finish two weeks ago, the stars lined up for the team on Saturday, July 26th, resulting in their regaining the point lead. It took a bad break for Chad Brachmann and a gutty performance by Mat to turn the trick.

After finishing third in the heat, Mat started eleventh in the field, next to Brachmann, and the two were immediately caught up in a battle for positions, as Scott Wood grabbed the lead on lap three and established himself as the one to beat. Mat had moved up a few spots when the caution flew on lap 10 when Tim Jones spun in turn four after contact with Brachmann. Brachmann was sent to the rear for hitting Jones.

When the race restarted, Mat continued to advance, with each spot being surrendered grudgingly by his competitors. By lap 33, Mat had moved past Mike Bowman into third when the caution flew once again, setting up a green/white/checker finish. Wood held on for the win, while Mat kept digging and nipped Chad Chevalier for second at the line. Brachmann, meanwhile wound up finished 15th, which at the end of the day, saw Mat regain the point lead by a single point, with plenty of racing left in the season.

Mat had this to say about the goings on, “I've got a sweet hot rod right now. We worked for it. We got down on ourselves last week and tonight what happened was the perfect situation. It's bad luck for Chad. Whether he got into Jonesie or not, they put him back. I don't know the logistics of it. It was good for us. It just needed to be a deal where he had a bad night and I had a bad night. I had mine two weeks ago, and he had his tonight. We're going to do the last five nights here, I think it is, with some good runs and just hope we're ahead at the end.”

“Like I said at the beginning of the year, the ultimate goal is the point championship, and tonight couldn't have gone any better. It's like a win, coming from eleventh on a track like that, which is really tough to pass on. We've got a good hot rod and it showed. We just have to keep trucking.”

On the last second pass for second, which turned out to be huge, Mat added, “You have to look at it as it's four points. Third is two points, but if you get to second it's four more points, so you look at it like that when you're behind. Now that we're close, you can just go back to racing again. I had to get that distance that we lost. I had to get it down to where we don't have to worry about it any more. Now, we're back in the picture.”

Nothing regarding the championship is assured, as the team is readily aware, but it's a nice feeling to know that they're in the hunt. They'll carry that euphoria to the next race.

Clock Strikes Twelve for Mat Williamson at Merrittville

The recent Cindarella ride to the top of the Modified heap for the team saw the coach turn into a pumpkin, as a malfunctioning battery ruined a promising start at Merrrittivlle on Saturday, July 12th. Everything was looking good early, as Mat showed plenty of speed in winning the third heat. He drew eighth in the redraw, but with this being the 50 lap Jerry Winger Memorial, that shouldn't have been an overwhelming problem.

When the feature started, it became obvious that something was wrong, as Mat immediately began dropping back. On lap two he went off turn one to bring out the caution. He went to the pits and the team quickly replaced the MSD box, hoping that ignition was the problem. Unfortunately, it wasn't, and the car rolled to stop on the front stretch when Mat tried to continue.

Very disappointed, Mat observed, “I knew something was wrong right away. I just didn't know what it was. It's just frustrating. Now, all we've got to do is win every race from here til September and hope the points fall our way. If you start worrying about points, it bites you. Tonight, it was just one of those deals. You've just got to keep on trucking, just move on.”

As I mentioned to Mat, the hill just got a little higher to climb, but in the immortal words of Yogi Berra, “It ain't over till it's over.” I've been around racing a long time, and the one thing I learned is nothing is for certain. Sometimes, it takes more than talent and hard work. Luck and breaks play a significant role as well, for everybody. The team will get back to work and maybe the pumpkin will become a carriage again.

Near Win at Humberstone and a Win at Merrittville Keeps Team Geared Up

By DAVE SULLY - On Tuesday, July 1st, the team made the short tow to Humberstone for the track's first DIRTcar 358 Series race, a hundred lapper, and when the night was over, Mat came up one spot short of scoring his first ever Series win, and it took a bizarre sequence of events to deprive him of a race he should have won. Starting eighth in the 23 car field, Mat moved steadily forward while Mike Bowman and Todd Gordon were duking it out at the front, claiming second on lap 19 and then taking over the top spot on a lap 22 restart when Gordon chose the outside.

From there, Mat jumped out to a healthy lead, which he held until late in the race. Erick Rudolph moved into contention, by taking second from Gordon on lap 50 and then tried to reel Mat in. Things came to a head when Mat entered lap traffic and Rudolph was able to slice into the lead dramatically. When he showed Mat his nose on lap 88, Mat made a banzai move between two lap cars, which had the crowd buzzing, to put some distance between himself and Rudolph.

It soon became apparent that Rudolph would need a caution to have any chance to win, and he got it on lap 91. Here's the rub. He caused it, when he struck a marker barrel in turn four and the barrel bounced out onto the race track. Ordinarily the person causing the caution has to go tail, but since there was no wreck and Rudolph never stopped, he wasn't penalized, so he restarted second. On top of that, the two lap cars that Mat took great risk in passing were moved to the rear, by DIRTcar rules, so he restarted on Mat's bumper.

When the race restarted Mat was bent on protecting the bottom and on lap 96 Rudolph was able to drive around the outside to take the lead and the win. Mat told the crowd at the post races interviews of the top three finishers that he may have been a little too good too early, and he sealed a tire over on the last caution and that gave Rudolph the opportunity to make the pass on the outside. Rudolph referred to the timely yellow that gave him the opportunity to win and denied that he hit the marker on purpose to bring out that “timely yellow.” Only Erick knows for sure.

Though it was disappointing, Mat gave Rudolph credit for the win, while celebrating the fact that the car was very great.

With Humberstone behind him, Mat set his sights on Merrittville on Saturday. Starting twelfth in the feature, he clawed his way forward in the uncharacteristically rugged Modified race, which saw eleven cautions punctuate the event. He was able to avoid being collected and found himself in the runnerup spot by the time a caution flew on lap 13, after a prolonged battle with Scott Wood, which produced some contact.

Mat battled Bicknell for close to ten laps before finally getting around him for the lead on lap 23. From there, the car, which was every bit as good as it was at Humberstone, carried Mat to close to a straightaway lead, which was erased by a final caution on lap 33. From there, Mat was able to keep his now somewhat bent up race car ahead of Bicknell to claim his second win of the year at Merrittville. Couple that with Chad Brachmann's third place finish and Mat, who trailed Brachmann by two points going into the event, now is back on top by six markers.

Mat mentioned that the pursuit of the Merrittville title is now center stage, as two ailing big block motors have changed the main focus to the 358 program.

The team knows there is a long way to go, so they will concentrate on scoring as many wins and top five finishes as they can to keep the title in reach until the end of the season.