Meet the Team- Randy Williamson

Randy Williamson is, of course, Mat’s father. Being the father of a young and talented driver is, in itself, a challenge, with the parental concern for his son’s safety, along with his fervent desire that he perform well. There is, however, another dynamic at work, the family businesses, BRP and Merritville Speedway. 

 

As if running a business and a race track weren’t enough, Mat is in need of a father’s guidance and inspiration, as well, which brings with it an unusual dilemma for Randy and his son. The nature of the business requires that Randy spend countless hours counseling drivers and race teams on how to get better, a good number of them who race against Mat. Reconciling that can mean walking a tight rope, at times.

 

Mat’s racing career began at the age of five, racing karts. When he reached fourteen, Randy and wife Tracey decided it was time for Mat to take the next step. After a brief dalliance with the idea of racing a Mod Lite, it was decided he would go right to the Sportsman division

 

Randy recalled Mat’s first year driving the Sportsman in 2003, saying, “I told him, ‘Don’t get in trouble racing against these veteran guys.’ He actually ran pretty well. The first week, he didn’t get lapped. The second week he finished around tenth, and the third week he was actually leading the race. He had about a straightaway lead with about three laps to go, and the guy running second at the time was our track champion, Wayne Conn, who is now on our race team. Wayne pulled up beside him a couple times and I guess he startled the kid. Mat blew into turn one and spun himself out. Luckily, the field missed him and Wayne went on to win the race. We finished at the back, but I think it was a good learning experience for Mat- to take the pressure that’s given to you and do the best you can.”

 

Randy sees his main duty on the crew as advisory, but he can be found at crew chief Rick “Dipper” Windeatt’s shop in Ridgeway on Wednesday nights working on the car with the rest of the team. He also travels to Series events and other tracks with the team, when time allows, spending much of his time fielding questions from other teams who are running BRP cars, as well as making suggestions for Mat.

 

While he certainly has input in the setup for the car on race nights, which is his specialty, he points out, “On Saturdays, with my other duties, I don’t spend my nights with them at Merrittville. The crew takes care of it. We’ve got Rob Sawatsky and Wayne Conn to kind of oversee the racing prep for the car. Uncle Dipper takes care of the race team, whose other members include Teddy Renshaw, Charlie King, and Ronnie Sumbler, who have been there over the years. Also, there is Bobby Paladichuk, who was a NASACAR official, who has considerable knowledge. The guys we have surrounded us with are great people. If anyone wants to give me advice, I’m always willing to listen. One thing about racing is, if you’re not willing to give 110%, you shouldn’t be racing.”

 

The dilemma, as noted, comes with the need for Randy to dispense information to his son’s potential opponents. Randy reconciles this by noting, “That’s the business. My son isn’t going into NASCAR racing. He’s going to do the best he can do at local dirt track racing. His ultimate goal is to go Big Block racing. Certainly, the future has him taking over my role in the business, when I retire. He understands. At some points, he’s like any other racer. He doesn’t want to give away the secrets that he learns, but I don’t learn the secrets if we don’t try them on the race car. A lot of time, it’s my decision as to what we’re going to try. It could be good, and it could be bad. We had one night where I wanted to try a right rear shock on the race car and Mat really didn’t agree. We lent John Miller a set of rear shocks that Mat had won with the previous week. Miller liked them so much, I told him he could keep them. I’d sell them to him. When we got to the race track on Saturday, I forgot that I didn’t have another shock like that for the right rear. Mat was a little disgruntled because we had just won with it the week before. I said that it’s about time we tried something else. I put a shock on the right rear; he hated it, and we ran terrible. I don’t know if it was mind over matter with the driver, or it was the car not handling very well. I think he started ninth and finished eleventh. If we didn’t try it, we wouldn’t know if it was good or bad, but the funny part of it is, I turned around and sold that same shock to Travis Braun, and he loved it. Travis always kids me and says, ‘If you’ve got any more shocks that Mat doesn’t like, send them over my way.’”

 

Randy scoffs at the notion that he might hold out information from other Bicknell drivers to help his son, “I’ve always had the open door policy. If you don’t believe that I’m telling you the truth, there’s my son’s race car. Measure it up. I’ll help you out any time. Sometimes, Pete’s crew doesn’t like me giving out some of the information, but the big picture is that building on Cushman Rd (BRP). That big building is what got me where I am now, and it’s allowed my son to race and have some fun.”

 

Notwithstanding the balancing act he has to juggle between the businesses and Mat’s racing career, be assured that Randy is an integral part of the race team, exulting in his son’s success and counseling him through the rough spots. Through it all, he shares Mat’s competitive spirit, while trying to keep the big picture in perspective. It’s been an interesting journey for the man who got his start in racing by hitching a ride with Pete Bicknell a long time ago. That he is now a successful businessman, an iconic figure in the sport he loves, and a key member of his son’s racing team has made the trip well worthwhile. 

Williamson Racing Team- Meet the Team- Dipper

Dipper is the unquestioned conductor of the Williamson Racing Team train. Every team needs a coordinator, not necessarily a boss, and the garrulous 52 year old, Dipper, who drives a tow truck to pay the bills, fits that role to a T. He is intensely dedicated to racing in general and the racing team in particular. The car is garaged at the shop at his home in Ridgeway, which affords him the opportunity to work on it when time allows, along with the regularly scheduled work night, when other members of the team participate. He readily accepts the responsibility of making sure that the car is prepared and at the race track at the required time. In fact, he is usually the first one in line at the pit gate, at home (Merrittville) and on the road. Being early is a fetish with him (there is regular time and there is “Dipper time”), as is enjoying the fruit of the barley after the races, which gives him great satisfaction, as well.

On race nights, assuming his mantle as crew chief, he can be found working on every aspect of the car, in addition to assigning various tasks to the crew members on hand that night. He’s also responsible for having all the equipment, tires, spare parts, tools, or anything else that may be needed on a given night. He even makes sure the coolers are filled. If he’s not grinding tires, he’s checking something on the engine, the gears, the shocks, or just making sure everybody has what they need to get the job done. During the races he makes sure they are ready if Mat needs to come in for any reason. Afterward, he joins with the rest of the team to put things away, load the car, and hold court on what transpired that evening for the sponsors and the many fans who come to visit the pits at the end of the night. A few cool ones usually put the exclamation point on the evening.

Dipper sums it up this way, “I oversee everything. On Wednesday night, everybody shows up and works on the car. I’ve got the cars prepared, so we can spend three hours on Wednesday night to get them ready to go racing. If something drastic happens, we may spend time on other nights, but I maintain everything.”

As iconic as his brother-in-law Randy Williamson’s name is around the dirt racing circuit, the name Dipper has a large following of its own. It seems like everybody at the race track knows him, which brings me to the next point. Where did the name “Dipper” come from? He explained, “When I was sixteen years old, I met Dave Lape. He was coming up here to race and used to hang around with the guys from Ransomville. I was working at Ransomville and Merrittville at the time. He used to call me ‘Dipstick’ for hanging around the race track. That’s where it came from. It went from ‘Dipstick’ to ‘Dipper,’ probably when I was about eighteen. They started calling me ‘Dip’ or ‘Dipper,’ and it just stuck. Everybody has called me ‘Dipper’ since then. My mom and dad even call me that now.”

Dipper’s introduction to the sport came through noted car owner, Bill Morton, who lived near a couple of his buddies. Morton had guys like Dave Moore, Harry Sittler and others drive for him. They used to hang out at the shop, and they also used to go to Merrittville. Upon arriving in high school, he got to know Pete Bicknell and Dave Rizzardo, who had built a race car at their high school. He also went to high school with Randy. He recalled, “I just started hanging around with those guys, going racing. I went from the grandstand to being on the pit crew, and then became an official at Ransomville. I did just about anything you could think of at the race track. I was the assistant starter to Barry Davidson at Ransomville. I packed the rack, watered the track, cut the grass, stocked the shelves, worked the corners, whatever they needed.”

He continued, “When Randy and Pete bought Merrittville, I became a track official there for the first two years. I was head of security, and was also involved with getting the track ready to open. I basically built the bar at Merrittville. We bought a portable building, which was an idea that arose when they first bought the track. Then I built the deck all the way around it and had a friend build the bar. That’s why they named it ‘Dipper’s Turn One Bar.’”

Once the track was established, Mat, who had been racing karts for years, came of age. Dipper noted, “Randy said, ‘Let’s get Mat in a car.’ They were going to build him a dwarf car, but Pete said, ‘Let’s have him in a sportsman.’ So, we formed ‘Mat Williamson Racing.’” The first two members were Dipper and former racer Teddy Renshaw, who ran the operation the first few years. As time went on Rob Sawatsky became involved, bringing sponsorship and technical knowledge, along with Wayne Conn, who supplied additional valued sponsorship and, as a former sportsman and modified driver, on-track expertise. Charlie King, Ronnie Sumbler and others joined at various junctures.

A lot goes into running a race team. To keep it simple for the group involved with the endeavor, Dipper is the owner of the cars. He also owns most of the equipment involved with the operation, including the truck and the hauler. As noted, he provides the team with the materials they need to succeed and spends countless hours working on the cars. However, on race nights, Randy, Rob, and Wayne put the race setup in the car and make the needed adjustments, using Randy’s unparalleled set-up knowledge, past experience compiled by Rob and feedback from Mat. Wayne consults with Mat about the car’s handling. Dipper wouldn’t have it any other way.

On top of everything else, he does, Dipper is well known for the superb pit parties he throws several times a year, which brings up another one of Dipper’s credos. He observed, “I always look after my sponsors. My main concern is my sponsors and my crew looking good. I’ve always had crew shirts and pants, and I’ve always had parties. I used to do a pig roast at the track every year for my sponsors. As it stands now, I do a party every month with food, so if one of my sponsors can’t make it one month, he can possibly make it to another. Every sponsor gets a calendar and is kept informed as to where we’re racing, what we’re doing, and when the parties are.” He is ably assisted with the parties by a bevy of loyal helpers, including sister, Tracey Williamson, his mother, Marlene, who also does a great job as the unofficial team historian, Bonnie
Robison, and other friends of the team, but there’s no question that it’s Dipper’s show.

Dipper considers the toughest part of his job is keeping everything in perspective when things aren’t going well. When the going gets tough and nerves get frayed, there needs to be someone to keep equanimity within the group. He noted, “When you’re going through a bad period where you’re breaking, wrecking or missing the setup and everybody’s down, that’s where I get angry and frustrated, as well, but I’ll always be there. I might be stressed out, but I’m there. I’ve never missed a race that Mat has been in. Mat has been in 348 races, and I’ve been to every one.”

Asked his ultimate goal, Dipper didn’t hesitate. He replied, “It’s to win the points championship at Merrittville Speedway when Pete (Bicknell) is still in his prime. Right now he is the king. My goal is to beat the master. For three years we’ve finished second to him, and every year we’re getting closer.”

After that, he suggested that big blocks might be in the future as well. “Whatever Mat wants to do, I’m there,” he added. Of course, Mat often has a hefty shopping list and, though Dipper would love to give him everything he wants, reality, in the name of finance, rears its ugly head. As the “Chancellor of the Exchequer,” he has to tell Mat they can’t afford it.

Rick “Dipper” Windeatt is racing’s “Everyman.” He loves what he does and is very good at it. The success of the team and the multitude of friends he has made pay homage to that. Here’s hoping he can enjoy his passion for many years to come.

Williamson Racing Team Concludes Satisfying 358 Series Campaign at Brockville

By Dave Sully  - (Brockville, Ontario) The task was simple going into the final 358 Modified Series event on Saturday, October 13th at Brockville. After an up and down Super DIRT Week, which saw the team lose second place in the standings at Cayuga County, and then regain the spot with gutty performances at Rolling Wheels and the Mile, the task was to keep it. With Dale Planck holding an insurmountable lead for the championship, Mat, nursing a fragile five point lead, needed to finish near Terrence to finish in the runner-up spot, which he had held through most of the year.

Buoyed by incredible performances in two of the Series events at SDW, the team carried some momentum going into the race, and Mat put himself in good stead early. After timing 15th of the 39 cars that took time, Mat proceeded to win his heat. He observed, “We were quick. We timed second fastest in our group. We got the lead on a restart and led all eight laps.” That put him in the redraw. However, his bad luck in the redraws continued, as he ended up starting tenth out of the ten who drew.

The race was held during the daytime, which almost always compromises a dirt track.
Things did not go well, at times, during the hundred lapper, as he had to deal with a spin from which he ended up at the rear, and a flat tire, caused by the track conditions, which kept things tense. He did get a bit of good luck, finally, when Terrence was also involved in a mishap, which Mat was able to avoid, and that put him ahead of Terrence.

When the smoke cleared, Mat ended up eighth in the race, while Terrence finished tenth, giving the team a thirteen point advantage and its highest ever Series finish.

Mat summed up his afternoon misfortunes, noting, “We got into an issue on the back stretch, just a racing deal. I ended up spinning around, but I kept going. I was running ninth at the time, and I only lost three spots. They ended up blaming the yellow on me, so they put me tail, even though at some race tracks they have a rule which allows you to blend in, as long as you don’t stop.”

“So, we kept going, racing at the back. At that point we were four spots behind Carey, and I kept trying to catch him. Then I got a flat tire, from tire wear, so we came into the pits, changed it and went back out. Then there was another wreck and Carey got involved with that. I just slid into it and then went through the infield and ended up getting through it. So, all in all, it was a good points race (for us) between me and Carey, but, other than that it was no fun, because the track took rubber and got real hard.”

“We didn’t think it was going to take rubber because the sun wasn’t out and it wasn’t hot, but about five laps in, we found out the rubber was down. We should have pitted then to come out with a different tire compound, but there was never really an opportunity to do that.”

“Overall, the result of the race was good. We couldn’t gain spots (Dale Planck had clinched first by starting his engine), but we could have lost spots and we didn’t, so it was good for points.”

Of the team’s overall approach to the race, Mat explained, “I wanted to win, certainly, but, in my head, when Carey was in front of us, I was definitely racing him.”

He concluded, “We had to go through a lot this year and we certainly didn’t have luck on our side at any race since April. We should have won the Dirt Championship, but so should fifteen other guys, so I’m happy with second. Now we look to next season.”

The entire team should be justifiably proud of the runner up spot in the Series, which saw them overcome some serious adversities along the way. With Dipper conducting the orchestra, the team stuck together through thick and thin, each member going the extra mile to achieve success. Congratulations for a great 2012, and on to 2013, with one more hill to climb.      

Happy Ending to Frenetic SDW for the Williamson Racing Team

By Dave Sully

(Syracuse, NY) Big smiles adorned the faces of the Williamson Racing Team following an exemplary performance in the Gander Mountain 150, which concluded a memorable Super Dirt Week LXI. From the depths of despair on Wednesday night at Cayuga County to the euphoria of a great finish on the Mile in the 150, the team experienced a gamut of emotions that, fittingly, ended on a high note.

There were high hopes entering the Series event at Cayuga. Following a solid performance at Brighton, which ate into Dale Planck’s Series point lead, the team was ready to keep the momentum rolling. Their optimism was short-lived, however, as a blown motor early in the event, doomed the team to a 29th place finish, which not only saw the point gap between first and second grow, but allowed Carey Terrence to supplant Mat for the runner-up position.

Mat explained, “We just blew a motor on about lap 20. The car was good. I was running fifth, after starting tenth.” That unfortunate turn of events necessitated an all-night session replacing the motor, which afforded the team about three hours sleep. Mat noted, “I’ve really got to thank Terry and Carl from ERD. We were hurting for a motor today, and they really came through.”

There was little time to reflect on Cayuga, as on Thursday night, it was off to Rolling wheels to do it all over again, with another Series event. Mat ended up starting in nineteenth, outside Danny Johnson, and was making steady progress, but two flat tires kept him pedaling from the back most of the night. Mat observed, “The car was good for the position we put it in. We shouldn’t have been wrecking like that. It comes down to the fact that a lot of drivers don’t have respect.”

Two incidents resulted in the flat tires that put the team behind the eight ball. Mat explained, “Ryan Susice got around me going down the front straightaway, and he wasn’t clear of my door. He knew I was there and he thought I was going to lift for him, but he chopped me going into one and put me in the water. He took us both out. I’m pretty sure that flattened the first right front. Then, going down the back straightaway later in the race, the 117 wanted the outside. I was on the outside of him on a restart. I don’t know why, but he kept pushing us off the race track. I was off the race track already, when I ended up catching his right rear wheel under yellow.”

As for the overall night, Mat added, “We had a good enough car to be top five, I think, but when you’re racing at the back, things happen. Vinson spun me going into three. I got under him clean in one and two and then he wanted to push me into the guard rail, and then he wanted to spin me. The track was slick, but the water was a big factor on the bottom of three and four, and also going into one.”

Considering the fact that the car suffered two flat tires, and Mat was forced to pass a slew of cars, sometimes the same ones twice, it was a great effort, as Mat soldiered to a ninth place finish. There was little change in the points, as Mat finished only one spot ahead of Terrence, but every point counts; so, all in all, it was a good night.

There was no time to bask in the glory of the top ten finish, as the Twin 20s loomed for Friday. Because the race was at night, a change from the normal afternoon time, the team could finally catch its collective breaths before going to war on the Mile.

Mat timed well and ended up starting fifth in the second of the Twins. He wasted no time being noticed, as he dazzled everybody with a daring move at the start, which saw him dive under Tim Fuller to take fourth, a position he would hold throughout the race, which assured him of a ninth place starting spot for the 150.

Mat described the move, declaring, “We had more motor than he did. I got a good run off of four, and it seemed like, if I was going to stay behind him, I was going to be all over his bumper, so I put it under him. I stated gaining on him as we went by the flag stand, got enough that he knew I was there, and kept it going through one and two.”

On the overall run, he added, “The car was good. It got a little tight at the end. Those bumps in three and four were really bad. I wasn’t going to wreck a race car to gain a spot for the start, because they lock in the top six. If I had gotten by Andy (Bachetti), I would have started eighth instead of ninth. It’s not worth it to wreck a race car for that. I didn’t think I was better than Danny or T-Mac (who finished one/two). We might’ve been better than Andy, but clean air is important here at the Mile. He had it and I didn’t. I think I kept gaining on him through the bumps because I was going slower, and he was kind of sliding across them.”

Regarding those bumps, which prompted a comment from Billy Decker in Victory Lane, Mat declared, “It was horrendous down there, but that’s the only spot on the race track that was. They were all across the race track. If you slowed down enough, you could get under the bumps, even though there were still small bumps there. The track crew did a good job getting the rest of the race track in (racing shape). They can turn it (turns three and four) around for tomorrow. We’ll see.”

Saturday dawned with steady rain, and the team was forced to keep the adrenalin in check until almost 3:45 before the race went green. With a starting spot near the front for the 150, the job was to be prepared, but no amount of preparation could have precluded what transpired. The afternoon became a “feast or famine” affair for Mat, which fortunately, ended with a feast. Having to come from the rear twice, due to flat tires and a scoring snafu, Mat engineered a great recovery, using his wonderfully prepared car and some good instincts to carve out a splendid fifth place finish, which included passing point leader Dale Planck twice during the event. Combined with Carey Terrence’s near miraculous ninth place (he actually lost a wheel during the race), Mat is back in second by a scant five points going into the final race at Brockville.

Mat summarized his day, saying, “We started up front. It was my best start here. I just got in a deal with a lap car on the backstretch and broke both right side wheels. Then we were stuck in the pits and didn’t know if we were down a lap or not. It was mass confusion, and I got mad over the deal, so I said, ‘You know what? Just drive the heck out of the car, and that’s what I did. We found a lane on top before anybody else did, and when that went away, I found the bottom before anybody else did. I benefited from that by passing a lot of cars. I knew we were good on fuel and that’s a positive mental aspect you need to have here, when you don’t have to worry about saving fuel or tires. It was good. I’m just happy to be here.”

As for passing point leader Dale Planck, he observed, “Yea, he got me on the one restart, and I asked my spotter how he got me, because he blew right by. They said that he jumped the restart, and I said, ‘That’s fine. I’ll get him back.’ So, as soon as the next restart fired, I got underneath him to the point where I could benefit.”

He concluded, “I’ve got to thank Bicknell Racing Products, ERD Engines, Semenuk’s Esso, S and W Service Centre, Champion Oil Products, and all of my other sponsors. It was a real good run.”

After a well-eared celebration into the wee hours of the night on Saturday, the team will now roll up their sleeves to get ready for the final Series race of 2012 at Brockville. Whatever happens there, it has been a memorable season for the Williamson Racing Team, for which the entire team can be justifiably proud.

Good Finish at Brighton Puts Williamson Train Back on Track

By Dave Sully  - (Brighton, Ontario) After the nightmarish trip to Mohawk, which temporarily derailed the Williamson Racing Team express, a solid fourth place finish at Brighton, coupled with a less than stellar conclusion for point leader Dale Planck, closed the Series point gap and restored the confidence level of the team heading for Super Dirt Week, where three Series races will take place. Things started out well at Brighton, as Mat set fast time, putting him on the pole for his heat, which he proceeded to win. Breaking his normally dismal luck in the redraw, he drew the fourth starting position, and ran up front for the entire 100 laps.

Mat noted, “We used our Merrittville car. We didn’t change anything between the time trials and the heat, and then changed a little bit for the feature. We were pretty much spot on when we got there.

Speaking about the race, Mat declared, “We were good and (Chad) Chevalier was really good. He and I were racing together most of the night and then (Travis) Braun came along and door slammed Chevalier on a restart and took me and Chevalier back to fifth and sixth. Other than that, it was really good.”

As for whether he felt he had a chance to win, he replied, “Not really. We were consistently in the top five all night, though we dropped back to seventh briefly. We were persistent. Track position was important. The track was really slick. It rained a little bit, but didn’t really get tacky. At first, the top was really fast. Then the top went away and the bottom took rubber. It was a good thing we were up there.”

Ultimately, Mario Clair won the race, inheriting the lead when Planck, who looked like a sure winner, broke a shock mount on lap 87. Planck eventually finished 13th. Terrence finished second, with Merrittville cars, Braun, Mat, Chevalier, and Tom Flannigan completing the top six.

“It was a good night for points, other than Carey (Terrence, who finished second and is Mat’s closest pursuer). We closed up the gap on Dale. We’re 104 pints behind him now. We’ve got to have some good luck. That’s for sure. We need Dale to break and us to have a good run,” Mat asserted.

The team will on an extended break until they leave for Syracuse. As for the Super Dirt Week cars, Mat observed, “Everything will be done Wednesday night, I hope.” The Merrittville car will be used at Weedsport (Cayuga County) on Wednesday night, October 4th, and at Rolling Wheels on Thursday night, October 5th, with the Syracuse car put into action on the Mile for the Time Trials on Thursday afternoon, the Twin Twenties Qualifier on Friday and the 150 on Saturday. Obviously, the team will be very busy during SDW.

Rest assured, they are looking forward to the festivities and will be ready. Mat is already psyched and hoping for the best.

No Good News Emanating From Mohawk

By Dave Sully - (Hogansburg, NY) Mohawk International Raceway is fast becoming a curse word for the Williamson Racing Team, as another disappointing result entered the record book on Saturday, September 15th, complicated further by a rainout of the Big Block event on Friday, which necessitated a re-write of the Saturday schedule. Shuffling the calendar to cram a two day show into a one day show with two admissions, one for the afternoon Big Block race, and the other for the full evening show, which included the 358 Series event, created mass confusion, as the afternoon crowd had to be cleared out, while haulers and spectators for the evening show were trying to get in. By the time everything settled out, it made for a LONG night.

Randy commented, “Racing finished at 2:03AM last night. They scheduled the Big Block race for 1:00PM. Because of that, we couldn’t get into the pits, so we had to wait outside until they ran the Big Block Show. They finished that about six o’clock, but when they finally cleared the pits and the grandstand, everybody was jumping in front of everyone else. By the time we got into the pits, there were no pit stalls, so we were put in the infield. There were probably ten or fifteen teams on the infield, including Cody McPherson, Brandon Easey, and Gary Lindberg, along with us.”

This increased the team’s frustration level even before the No. 6 took to the track. Ultimately, the show went on, but it didn’t produce the desired outcome for the intrepid travelers.

With a healthy field of 42 Modifieds in the pits, the task was challenging from the start. Randy noted, “We didn’t qualify real great. We time trialed sixth in our group. We just missed the setup. So, we changed the car for the heat race and got fourth in the heat, which was good. That meant that we had to start fourteenth in the feature. However, they had a full day of racing and never touched the race track for the night show. By the eighth lap of our feature, which was about midnight, it rubbered down to one lane on the bottom, so it was a matter of waiting for the guy in front of you to screw up. They were trying to ride around the infield tires, and Mat was running good. He came from fourteenth to ninth, and we just finished passing Carey Terrence on the track when he caught a tire with the left front. He got in just a little too tight. Nobody pushed him. He did it himself and pulled the front end out of the car and took out the steering box at the same time. We couldn’t fix it.” So, the No. 6 went off on the hook, the second DNF in a row at Mohawk, a disturbing trend to be sure.

As for the aftermath, he continued, “We’ll still be second in points, but we lost a lot of points to Dale Planck. It will be tough catching him now, but anything can happen. I know Mat’s beating himself up pretty bad about hitting the tire, but I said to him on the way home, ‘Don’t feel bad about hitting those tires, because when Pete used to go to Brewerton and Fulton, we used to pull out the front end yearly. I saw Brett (Hearn) hit the tires while leading the Victoria 200 and pull the front end out. It happens to the best of them.’”

Naturally, Mat was disappointed, but the reality is that there is another race coming up on Saturday at Brighton, so there is little time for the team to lick their wounds. Randy commented, “That’s a track we usually run good at, so we’ll see what happens over there.” They’ll roll up their collective sleeves and be ready.

 

Top Five at Granby Keeps the Ball Rolling

By Dave Sully - (Granby, Quebec) A nightmarish trip to Granby for the Series race on Friday, September 7th, saw the team get bogged down for two hours in Toronto on Thursday night, followed by a long ride to Gananoque, only to find “No rooms at the Inn,” which necessitated another fifty mile jaunt to Brockville. They arrived at 2:45 in the morning, where they could finally rest their heads for a few hours. The agony wasn’t over, as they encountered another untenable delay, due to a construction detour on Rt 20, which saw them visiting heretofore unseen parts of Quebec. In spite of that, the intrepid band of travelers still managed to make the “Dipper deadline,” pulling into the track second in line on pit road, putting the travails of the tortuous journey in their rear view mirror.

Seizing the momentum from the great finish at Cornwall, the team hit the setup after making some changes after the heat, coming from seventeenth on the starting grid to finish fifth in a race that saw only one caution all night in the 75 lap affair. It was another remarkable performance.

Forty-one cars took time. Mat timed seventh in his group, which put him in seventh starting spot for his heat. His fifth place finish qualified him for the feature.

Dale Planck, who is riding a crest of incredible luck, along with his talent, drew the pole and ultimately won the race, but Mat had a much stiffer challenge, as he started considerably further back.

Mat talked about his night, noting, “We weren’t very good in time trials. I don’t know why. Everybody said the track was gong to be tacky and bitey, and you could go hammer down the whole way around. So, we changed our whole race car around for that. When we got there, it was slick, so we didn’t have time to change everything back over, but when we did, we were better. We just didn’t have time to do that for time trials. It was pretty much one lane racing for the heat. We were fortunate to get up to fifth and didn’t have to run the B Main. We started seventeenth, and there was only one caution. It was tough to pass, especially with only that one caution. We were lucky we got to where we did.”

Of the race itself, Mat observed, “We were rolling right through the middle. People would run the bottom, and I’d run up them so fast going in, that I could get a run on them coming out, and I could take their lane away. We passed Mario Clair, and a lot of other Frenchmen. I don’t remember their names. We got by Carey Terrence, and at one point we got up to Danny. I think I raced beside him for three or four laps, but then he turned the light switch on and it was, ‘see you later.’”

“I saw Brett (Hearn) on the last corner on the last lap, but I got under (Matt) Billings, so I think Billings kind of blocked him from getting by me. They said he was on me at one point, (my source told me lap 40) and then I left him. Then he was on me again, and I left him again, so I guess it was quite the battle, but I didn’t see much of it.”

At the line it was Planck, David Hebert, Danny Johnson and Gino Clair the top four ahead of Mat. Dipper summed up the effort, saying, “The car was good. We made a lot of changes. Mat looked good. The guys that finished ahead of him started ahead of him. They all started in the top twelve, basically. Matt Billings started outside pole, and Mat passed him on the last lap for fifth, so it was a good night.”

As for the standings, Mat observed, “We’ve got to start gaining some ground. I started work on the Syracuse car this week, so hopefully we’ll gain some points then. I know that all the point races from here on out are 150 points, so one bad night for Planck, and we could be back in it.”

Following a rain-soaked sojourn back to St. Catharines, after spending the night in Cornwall, the team will catch their collective breaths and begin prepping for Mohawk on Friday, a track that saw Mat in contention for the win with only a few laps to go, only to suffer a mechanical breakdown. They will go to Mohawk hoping to seal the deal this time.

Cornwall Proves Profitable for the Williamson Racing Team

By Dave Sully - After a strong second place finish in the John Spencer Memorial at Merrittville on Saturday, Sep. 1, the Williamson Racing Team traveled to Cornwall on Sunday, September 2nd, for the 125 lap 358 Dirtcar Series event. The trip produced some unintended consequences, as a tire blew on the hauler near Joyceville, but with a truck full of mechanics, it proved only an irritating delay. The tire was changed with all due speed. Unfortunately, that delay put them behind schedule and when they arrived at the track, the road was lined with haulers waiting to enter. Ultimately, forty-two 358s and 37 Sportsman were on hand.

As it turned out, the tire problem became a distant memory as the team came away with a banner performance, finishing third and assuming second place in the overall standings behind Dale Planck.

Mat timed fourth in his group, started fifth in the 5th heat and finished third, one spot out of the redraw. He ended up starting 17th on the grid. He patiently moved forward in the race, which was broken into two segments, 75 laps and 50 laps. In the first segment, he cracked the top ten on lap 70. Following the mandatory ten minute break, during which the team changed shocks and made adjustments for the 50 lap final segment, Mat continued his steady climb on the physically demanding, quarter mile Cornwall oval. After restarting ninth, he briefly lost a spot, but was up to eighth by lap 100, fifth by lap 108, and fourth by lap 113. With a mere four laps to go, he snuck past Carey Terrence to claim his podium finish.

Though the track seems narrow, and being a quarter mile, it is tight. Mat said that passing really isn’t the biggest problem at Cornwall. He was actually able to make a pass between two cars racing top and bottom. The problem is the physical challenge of racing a long distance there. He noted, “Because the shortness of the track, you’re turning all the time. (NASCAR driver Mark Martin has said that the almost round track at Dover is the toughest track for him for the same reason.) Over 125 laps, your arms get sore. It’s the only track I go to where that happens. It’s a real challenge. My arms actually started to get numb, so it’s good to have the break at the halfway point.”

Mat thought the car, which was the same one they ran the night before at Merrittville, was peaking at the end. After he got by Terrence, he said he was actually under the second place car of Danny O’Brien, when they ran out of laps. Mat felt so good about the car he thought that, if they had about ten more laps, he could catch the ultimate winner of the race, Dale Planck.

The bottom line is, it was a great night. The team is on the right page at the right time. As of now, Mat lies only 38 points behind Planck in the standings, with plenty of time to close the gap. He also enjoys a 61 point advantage over third place Carey Terrence, with Erick Rudolph, who is coming on strongly in the dirt ranks, 24 points in back of Terrence.

Next up is the 358 Series race at Grandby on Friday, September 7th, where the team hopes to keep up the momentum.

Strong Run in Spencer Memorial at Merrittville Cause for Optimism

By Dave Sully - (Thorold, Ontario) With the Merrittville Modified Championship still undecided, there was added incentive for the Williamson Racing Team for the 50 lap John Spencer Memorial on Saturday, September 1st. Trailing leader Pete Bicknell by 26 points entering the event, the mission was simple- win the race and hope Bicknell finished twelfth or worse. It was an uphill battle, but, at least, there was a chance.

Things started out very well for the team, as Mat won his heat handily and then drew the pole for the feature, while Bicknell started ninth. When the race started, Mat set a blistering pace and drove out to a commanding lead, with second place runner Mike Bowman struggling to keep pace.

Things started to change when Mat caught slower traffic on the eighth lap. With the lap cars often racing side by side on the race track and often ignoring Doug Leonard’s move over flag, it was a matter of time before Bowman, whose car was set up for later in the race, would become a factor. Around lap twelve, Bowman had closed in and began chasing Mat through traffic. The two put on a great exhibition of close quarter drill.

Fate took over on lap 28, when Mat momentarily jumped the cushion coming out of turn two, and Bowman took advantage of the bobble to grab the lead. Then it was Mat’s turn to be the chaser, but it soon became obvious that Bowman was faster and catching him was unlikely. Mat ended up settling for second, a good performance, while Bicknell wisely stayed out of trouble finished seventh, claiming the title by fourteen points.

Mat talked about the night, observing, “Bowman was faster. There’s no doubt about that. I was fast early. He was fast late. That was the difference. We got caught up in lap traffic. Nobody would show respect and move over or quit racing.”

Of the pass by Bowman, he noted, “I hopped the cushion in one and two there. That’s all it took, one little mistake, and he capitalized. You can’t do that stuff in modifieds any more. You’ve got to run a consistent fifty laps. I didn’t do it, and he took advantage. He was faster. He’s got his act together. He’s going to be tough to beat if he comes back next year.”

Looking back on the season, Mat declared, “We had a good year. I think our worst finish was twelfth. Pete’s so good that you can’t have those twelfth place finishes. You’ve got to finish top five every night. We experimented a little bit, got off track, and that’s what it came down to, really. Congrats to all those guys. They really deserved it. I put out all I had and still came in second.”

“We were a second place car all year. Pete’s just so good. It’s going to be tough beating him next year. Hopefully we’ll step it up. This is basically like a crate class when it comes to motors. Everybody has the same stuff. We tried some body changes this year. Maybe next year, we may try some new things to experiment with. At the beginning of August last year, we came out with a new car. We loved it, finished top three every night, if not win. I think we had two wins with it in August, all from the back. It was good. Now everybody’s got the same stuff, because they saw what we did last year. Maybe we should have waited until April of this year to bring it out, but that’s no fun. We’ll experiment. We’ll do something different. We’ll be the black sheep for a month. Then, hopefully we’ll be back up there.”

With some Series races and Syracuse left on the schedule, this is a good time to have things come together. There’s still time for Mat and the team to make their mark. It starts on Sunday at Cornwall.

“Shoulda, Coulda, Woulda” the Order of the Day at Merrittville

By Dave Sully - (Thorold, Ontario) It looked like Saturday, August 25th was the night that the drought would be over, as the No. 6 was poised to take the lead late in the race at Merrittville on Saturday, August 25th. However, the racing gods in general and Ricky Richner in particular had other ideas, as a lap 26 restart turned into a nightmare. It was all Mat could do to keep the car out of the moat and going in the right direction.

After winning his heat in workmanlike fashion, Mat lined up seventh on the grid for the feature. After a lap nine caution took out the three top running cars of Fred Carleton, Scott Wood, and Larry Lampman, Mat found himself third on lap 12 and then worked his way past Todd Gordon into second on lap 19.

On lap 26, Travis Braun and Pete Bicknell met under unfriendly circumstances in turn one, setting up the pivotal restart. When the green flag flew with Mat on the outside and Richner on the bottom, the 26 of Richner veered to the outside, with Mat almost going over the edge as the cars roared out of turn four. Mat was able to gather it in, but not before he lost momentum and second place to Chad Chevalier.

Richner ran away from the field over the remaining laps, while Mat struggled to regain his rhythm. With the car definitely off, Mat barely held off a fast closing Tim Jones by the razer-thin margin of .001 seconds. Mat explained that the car seemed to lose side bite after the adventure on the restart, which certainly affected the handling.

With that third place finish and Bicknell’s eleventh, courtesy of his jingle with Braun, the almost insurmountable point lead that Bicknell enjoyed over Mat, is a more manageable 26 points. It still looks good for Bicknell to win the title, but now fate can play a role in the final point night next Saturday.

As good as that was, the team feels that this was one win that got away, Mat expressed his dismay at Richner’s move on the restart, declaring, “We were good. We tried some different things tonight, and it benefited us. We got up to second there, a couple of times actually. Cautions kept coming out and we ended up restarting third because of the rule where they go back a lap to line up the cars. We had lots of laps to get back there. I knew we did, so we never got frustrated over it.”

“I knew my car was good enough that I could judge where I was gaining, and where I was losing. I knew I was better in one and two on the bottom. It was weird tonight. I would go through two, and if I drove it in harder and slid up the race track, which is everything you learn not to do, I felt fast, and I would gain ground. Up until that deal with Richner, we were real good.”

“Then the restart came out with nine laps to go. Richner wanted the bottom, so I gave him the bottom on the restart. All of a sudden, when the green flag flew he wanted the top. He screwed us really good tonight. He has all year, really. We had a real good race at Ransomville and when I finally got by him, he door-slammed me because he didn’t like getting passed. It’s frustrating, but we’re getting back up there where we’re getting seconds, thirds, fourths, fifths. We’ve run good the last couple weeks, so I’m happy with that. August has been good. We haven’t been out of the top five at all.”

“Hopefully, next week we can get a good break in the points again. Pete’s horseshoe finally fell out tonight. That’s fortunate for us, especially with the points down to 26. Hopefully, the same thing will happen again next week. We’re still in it. We’re not sixty out or anything like that. I think we’ve got to win and he’s got to finish sixth or seventh. We’ll be doing our homework this week to make sure our car is in top notch shape.”

So, it all comes down to next week. Whatever happens, it won’t be for a lack of preparation and determination. It’s an uphill battle, but the Williamson Racing Team will be ready.

Friday Trip to Lernerville Opens New Vista for Williamson Racing Team

By Dave Sully  - (Sarver, PA) A much-anticipated visit to Lernerville Speedway, a 4/10 mile semi-banked clay oval in Sarver, PA, located at the western end of the state, not far from the Ohio border, produced better than anticipated results and a new found future destination for the Williamson Racing Team. Everything about the trip was positive.

Dipper explained how the trip came about and what occurred, noting, “We’ve been wanting to go there for the last two years. We finally decided on Wednesday we were going and we had a lot of fun. It’s not a bad drive, 3 and a half hours. They run big blocks there, so Mat was at somewhat of a disadvantage. They have a pill draw for starting positions for the heat and out of fifty pills, Mat drew No. 50, putting him last in his heat. He did well, finishing fourth and qualifying for the redraw.”

“For the feature, Lernerville always starts the previous week’s winner tenth. Mat ended up starting ninth in the 25 lapper. He started coming, ran great, but you could notice halfway down the straightaway the big blocks kick in. We crossed the line underneath the third place car. It was great. We had a lot of fun. The people are great. The facility is beautiful, unbelievable. I told Mat that I’d drive there every Friday.”

“The talk is right now, there may be a big block next year. One car will have a big block in it, and we’ll do that (go to Lernervlle) because BRP sponsors a tour down there. So, why not go there, help BRP, and have fun? I was on the internet this morning and people were talking about Mat Williamson. They don’t even know him, and they wanted to know all about him.”

“Now that Ransomville is no longer in the plans, we can do what we want on a Friday night. When you get welcomed like you do at Lernerville, with people coming over to talk to you, and track officials and tech people hanging out in the trailer, it makes you feel good. I thoroughly enjoyed myself.”

Not be outdone and not a party to my conversation with Dipper, Mat offered, “It’s my favorite race track. I love it. It’s not tricky. It’s like Ohsweken was when we were racing Sportsman. I loved that place, and I’ve found my new Ohsweken. It’s such a wide race track, that you don’t get caught behind somebody and trying to pass them for five laps.”

As for the race, Mat continued, “The car was really good. We made the right tire choice. We went with a 300. I don’t think you’d go with any other tire there. We didn’t even cut into the 300, so it’s not like racing Ransomville, where you have to replace a tire every 30 laps, which gets costly, and it doesn’t help when you’re trying to do it on a budget. Even if we have to drive a ways to go racing, you don’t have to spend $180 on a tire every week. The pros definitely outweigh the cons in this situation. It was good.”

“We were definitely at a disadvantage (racing against the big blocks). The track was tacky. I figured, starting at the back I had to either gain from the top or the bottom, so we picked the bottom, and I got stuck on the outside on the restart for one lap. The motor got a little hot, so I had to baby it for a couple laps. I think that hurt us from getting a top three. Everybody raced each other with respect. I love that place.”

It looks like the Williamson Racing Team has turned a corner. With a possible big block and dreams of racing at a top notch facility dancing in their heads, “Joie de vie” appears to be the order of the day.

Strong Second Place Finish and Great Post Race Party Livens Spirits at Merrittville

By Dave Sully  - (Thorold, Ontario) The Williamson Racing Team enjoyed a fun night at the old ball park, as Mat carved out a solid place finish at Merrittville on Saturday, August 18th, and Dipper Windeatt, along with an array of dedicated assistants, put on a signature bash in the pits after the race.

After taking second in his heat, Mat lined up fifth on the grid for the feature. Travis Braun, who has been fast all year, but has run in bad luck, was flawless this night, as he put his No. 76 into the lead from the outside pole and dominated the race. Mat soldiered up to second, clawing his way past Rick Richner and Larry Lampman in the process and was making some headway in running down the speedy Braun.

Then, he got a real chance when the caution flew on lap 24, allowing him to line up next to Braun on the restart. Wisely, Braun chose the bottom and was able to streak away when the race resumed. Mat tried to mount a challenge and was making some progress on the bottom, but he drifted high in turn two on lap 29, jumped the cushion and lost ground and momentum. After that he ran out of time and settled for a well-earned second.

Mat talked about his night, explaining, “We started toward the front after three bad weeks. It was just a race to the front. I think I had something for him, but I hopped the cushion with about six to go, and I got off my game. You just have to hit your marks, and I was playing catch-up for the last six laps. I was getting closer but just wasn’t fast enough to be there at the end.”

About the lap 24 restart, when Travis took the bottom, Mat observed, “The bottom is just so good on the restarts. You can fire faster, and you can see where you’re going. You get the brown on the bottom and, by the time you get you get to turn one, you’re a car length ahead of the guy and get to pick your lane anyway.”

On the big picture he added, “The car was really good. Travis was just better than we were on the top tonight. I need a win. That’s the worst part about it. We came tonight and with a win we were going to go to Cornwall. The good part about it is we don’t have to drive six and a half hours tomorrow. I want to race, you know. Racing one night a week, especially when it rains out, kind of sucks. Maybe we’ll find something for next Friday night.”

“We have to start focusing on Syracuse, because it’s a point race and we’re up there in Dirt points in the Series. It’s double points.”

The second part of the evening was the awesome bash orchestrated by Dipper. Along with the usual libation, it was seafood night in the Williamson pit, with plenty of fish and chips, clams, and lobster dainties, along with a number of salads, killer deviled eggs, topped with shrimp, and even deep-fried pickles. It was a feast to behold, and was much appreciated by all who partook, including your humble servant, who is writing this story. Thanks Dipper. It was greatly appreciated.

With a good finish and full bellies, it’s back to work for the Williamson Racing Team. There is more work to do.

Successful Trip to Michigan Buoys Confidence

By Dave Sully  - Following his podium finish at Merrittville in the Bob St Amand 100, Mat boarded Matt Sheppard’s hauler for a trip to I-96 Speedway in Lake Odessa, Michigan, to drive Sheppard’s backup big block modified in the first Dirtcar appearance in the state. It was only Mat’s second time in a modified, the first being a brief appearance at New Egypt, which ended after the heat because the car owner he was driving for wrecked his primary car and needed Mat’s car for the feature. The sojourn to Michigan turned out to be fortuitous, as Mat took to the car right away, racking up the fastest speed in hot laps, and second fastest in time trials.

In the race he drove a conservative line, steadily moved up and was sitting in fourth by the midpoint of the 100 lap event. Eventually, due to his being on soft tires, he ended up seventh, a fine showing in his first full race in a big block. The team had been hoping for a top ten, so finishing seventh was icing on the cake.

Mat explained how the opportunity arose to travel to Michigan, saying, “We (the team) were talking about going to Michigan with the small block because the race was originally scheduled to run on the 3/8 mile inside track at I-96. We told Joe Skotnicki that we would go, but then it was decided that they would run on the half mile outer track. When they did that, Dad was talking to Matt Sheppard and Matt asked Dad what he thought. He told Matt we weren’t going to go because we’d be wasting our time racing a small block against big blocks on a half mile. At that point, Matt said to Dad he wouldn’t mind putting me in his backup car, if everything went well at Merrittivlle. We planned on that and everything went well on Monday night, so I rode out with Matt and his crew on Monday night, while Dad and Dipper drove out on Tuesday morning.”

The difference between driving a big block and a small block can be daunting, due to the difference in horsepower and handling, but Mat took it in stride. He noted, “Matt’s crew set up my car the same way as his. We made out all right. It didn’t take much adjustment. We were fast in hot laps and second fastest in time trials. We got right into it, finished second in the heat and went from there. It just felt natural.”

As for the race, there were some circumstances that required a somewhat different approach. Mat explained, “Since Matt’s running for the championship, we didn’t want to do anything that would hurt his chances of winning that race. When we went there, Matt wasn’t sure what tires we were going to need, and we didn’t know what tires we were going to need. So, we brought two of our own tires, two front tires, and Matt had what he brings to every race. When we got there, the track was pretty abrasive, so we decided we were going to run hard tires and Matt only had two hard right front tires, so I told him I’d go out with the soft tires. We went out with the soft tires, and they gave way a little sooner than the hard ones.”

“We went there hoping for a top ten and not wrecking any equipment. I did give Matt room on the restarts where I started inside of him. I kind of let him go because I didn’t want to hurt his chances to win the race, especially because of the opportunity that he and Jeff (Brownell, Matt’s car owner) gave me.”

He added, “Matt was very happy with the effort, Jeff has already talked about racing Charlotte and doing some other shows this year; that would be good. There’s also talk about our team moving up and doing some big block racing next year, as well. Every race I can get under my belt will help our chances next year. I want to sincerely thank Jeff, Matt and all their crew guys again for all their help and giving me the opportunity to drive their car. It was a great experience for me.”

As the saying goes, “Sometimes, one gains strength through adversity.” After a few rough weeks, where nothing seemed to go right, the sun seems ready to shine on the No. 6 team again. It’s time to seize the moment.

Podium Finish in Bob St. Amand 100 at Merrittville a Welcome Tonic

By Dave Sully - (Thorold, Ontario) The newly-minted optimism, fueld by the change in philosophy, plus a fast car at Humberstone on Sunday, paid immediate dividends on Monday as the Williamson Racing Team scored a third place finish at the Bob St. Amand 100, a Super Dirtcar Series race at Merrittville on Monday, August 6th. The result put the spring back in the steps of the whole team, which has been on a bit of a downer for several weeks.

The race, which drew thirty-four cars, was populated by around a dozen or so big blocks, with the rest being 358’s, including, of course, the No. 6. A number of the biggest stars were on hand, minus Brett Hearn, who has been hospitalized for tests for an unknown ailment. The track rubbered over quickly, providing the hard, slick, surface that most of the veterans prefer, and which the 358 drivers love when they compete against the big blocks.

Mat started out with a promising run in his heat, after timing in the top ten. Finishing third, he qualified for the redraw, which, unfortunately, has not been his strong suit, as for the third time this year, he drew number 11, out of twelve. Since passing is at a premium in a field as talented as this one, or anyone for that matter, Mat clearly had his work cut out for him.

After falling back early in the event, which was expected, since the car was set up for a long race, Mat began to move forward. Midway through the event, he broke into the top ten and kept right on charging. By lap 75, he was in the top five and looking for more. He drove past Danny Johnson to take fourth and then set his sights on Billy Dunn. After racing Dunn for several laps, he claimed third and actually nipped at second place runner Mat Sheppard’s heels for a while before settling for third at the wire behind Sheppard and winner, Mike Bowman, who led ever lap to record his first ever Big Block Series win.

Mat talked about the race, noting, “At the start, we faded toward the back and then just picked off cars as the race went on. The tires came in and the car got better. We planned for later in the race. We planned for the last fifty, but they came in earlier than that. We were back to sixteenth at one point, so to come back to third is good. If we could have started on the pole we would have had a shot to win..”

As for his race with Sheppard for second, he added, “I just couldn’t keep my momentum up on the bottom. I needed about twenty more points of gear. I didn’t make many changes during the cautions. I knew the car would come on to me. I tried, but when you’re too tight, you can’t adjust to make you any looser, so I just put some rear brake into it and drove the car harder. Every time I could keep rolling in, I would gain ground, but when I was racing somebody I was a bit nervous. I didn’t want to race anybody real hard like I would normally because we’re out here for fun.”

He added, “ It’s not a points race. These guys do it for a living. They rely on what they do tonight, and I didn’t want to take anybody out of contention. We got by Danny (Johnson), (Jimmy) Phelps, and T Bone. We got by a lot of these guys, so it was good.”

With that fine finish, the next challenge is tomorrow night at I-96 Speedway in Michigan, where the Big Blocks will be making their first appearance. Mat has been tapped to drive Mat Sheppard’s back-up car in that race. Meanwhile, the team can celebrate for a while.

 

Weekend Brings Mixed Results at Merrittville and Humberstone

By Dave Sully - The Williamson Racing Team has been chasing the setup, so to speak, for much of the year and the weekend events on Saturday, August 4th , and Sunday, 5th , were no different, as a ninth place finish at Merrittville and getting caught up in a jingle at Humberstone would attest. The difference lies in the realization that scoreboard watching and point races were becoming a major distraction, which was taking a lot of the fun out of going racing. Since the team is not racing for a living, the satisfaction comes out of enjoying the moment, no matter what the result. They’ll work just as hard as they have all along, but the sense of urgency to win the championship will be tempered.

Mat offered, “I’ve changed my attitude a little bit. Hopefully, that will help. Last night I wasn’t as tired when I got in the race car. I was relaxed and calmed down. We seemed to be going forward, so hopefully we’re on the right track (no pun intended). Before, we’d be running in ninth or tenth and Pete’s up in second and that gets me more frustrated. We’ll try not to look at points. We’ll look at the big picture and get some feature wins before the end of the year.”

He also talked about the weekend, declaring, “We just missed the setup a little bit at Merrittville. The track has been weird lately, in that everybody’s fast at the top. It’s hard to race, really. It’s hard to come from the back. We didn’t qualify in the heat. We weren’t very good, but we weren’t terrible. We started thirteenth and ended up ninth. It’s just tough to pass lately. The tops been so fast, and the racing hasn’t been as much fun as it used to be.”

As for Sunday at Humberstone, where a wreck at the front of the field between Chad Brachmann and Fred Carleton caused a major pile-up. Mat opined, “We got caught up in everybody else’s mess. I don’t blame Chad Brachmann at all. He was leading and Freddie took him out. It was payback for what had happened before (the last mod race at Humberstone where Carleton blamed Brachmann for putting him off turn three), but it was the wrong time and the wrong place to do it. That’s for sure. There’s no lights at Humberstone. Everybody who races there knows that. They were sitting there in front of the whole field. Humberstone never threw the yellow as soon as they should have. I ran into the wreck, and drove away from the wreck. When we got to the front straightaway, the yellow came out.”

He added, “We were good though. The new car was really fast. It was about as good as I’ve felt in the last month in any car I’ve been in.”

With the Bob St. Amand Big Block DirtCar Series 100 lapper coming on Monday, and with clearer heads, there appears to be reason for optimism for that race and down the road.

A Rough Night at Merrittville Has 6 Team Looking for Answers

By Dave Sully - (Thorold, Ontario) Another frustrating night at Merrittville, on July 28th, has the Williamson Racing Team scratching their collective heads as they continue to chase the set-up. If hard work were the answer, they would be contending every week, but in a class where the competition is so keen, being even a click off can mean running at the front to struggling in the middle, or worse.

On the surface, the eighth place finish doesn’t sound awful, but when the chief competition for the title, Pete Bicknell, finishes second, there is no cause for celebration. To have any shot at the title, Mat has to beat the 42 every night and hope for the best.

The night started okay, with Mat finishing third in his heat, which put him ninth on the starting grid. Things got worse at the drop of the green, as the car was tight and Mat struggled to hold onto it. Then, early in the race, he provide the drama for the evening when contact with the No. 38 coming out of turn four put him into the implement tires. The car got airborne, but Mat made an extraordinary save.

He explained, “I went into the corner on the bottom. He went in on the top and decided he wanted the bottom halfway through turn four there, and it put me into the tires. My left front climbed the tires and my right front climbed his left front tire. It got my front end in the air. I knew if I came down I was going to roll, so I kept my foot in it and cat-walked the front straightaway.”

When asked if the car was damaged as a result, he cracked wryly, “I was hoping it would have. It might have made the car a little better. We were no good until then.”

After that, it was bite and scratch for every spot. He had a prolonged battle with Shayne Pierce for eighth before finally prevailing, but it was another disappointing finish.

Mat declared, “From sixth to eighth to tenth to ninth. We’re not doing the right things and we’re not doing them at the right time. It was too tight to race. There’s nothing you can do when you’re tight like that. When you’re loose you can adjust the panhard bar. That’s some thing I can do, but when you’re tight like that, you’re kind of euchred the rest of the night.”

The team is down right now, but not out. They’ll keep working, and Mat will keep digging. That’s the name of the game.

Meet the Team- Ronnie Sumbler

Thirty-three year old Ronnie Sumbler, who lives in Ridgeway, is a five-year member of the Williamson Racing Team. His day job is with Scott’s Marine Interiors in Sherkston, a company that specializes in customized work on the inside of ships, with whom he has been employed for eleven years.

Ronnie explained, “We work on Navy boats, Coast Guard boats, Lakers that go through the canal, all sorts of fun things. We do everything on the inside of the vessel, from the bottom right up to the top. You either start from scratch or tear out old stuff and renew it, like new floors, new ceilings, or new walls.” He finds it very interesting and rewarding work.

He always enjoyed watching racing, but his perspective changed when he joined the team. He noted, “It looks easy when you’re sitting in the stands, but then you come over on this side (the pits), and you realize how much work goes into a car.”

His arrival on the team had an interesting twist. He observed, “Dipper was dating my girl friend’s mother at the time, and I just started hanging out, started working on cars with the guys, and I’m still here.”

As for his role on the team, Ronnie is like most of the others. “I try to help whoever needs assistance. If I get the chance, and I’m not working, I’ll go over and help Dipper change motors or anything else that is needed. Sometimes on Saturday mornings, when we’re racing Ransomville, I’ll come over and help Dipper wash the car and get it ready for Merrittville. Sometimes, during the week, I’ll go over and help him, if I get a chance. I don’t mind working on anything. Whatever needs to be done, I’ll do.”

Ronnie’s never gotten behind the wheel, as a number of the other team members have. He declared, “Maybe someday I’d like to try it, but it doesn’t look easy.”

He continued, “It’s my hobby. I really enjoy doing it. It sucks when you can’t do it when work gets in the way, but you’ve got to pay the bills. It’s a real good group of guys. Mat’s really matured over the years, as a driver and a person, a grownup. It’s fun.”

As for a high point in his career with the team, he admitted that he missed Mat’s first modified win, but he did see him win at Merrittville. He added, “Syracuse is fun. Every week is something to look forward to. I enjoy every Saturday.”

Speaking of Syracuse, Ronnie had a memorable experience there a few years back. He explained, “The first year I went, T-Mac (Terry MacNeil) and I were the ones involved in the big fire. We were working on filling up the quick-fill can. He pulled the funnel out of the carry can, and she went up. I was holding the funnel. He ran into the trailer to get a fire extinguisher and when he came out it was humongous. Finally, Dipper and a few others came over with extinguishers. I think the fire crew finally got there. It was pretty scary.” I guess you could call that a real “Baptism by Fire.”

As you can tell, Ronnie Sumbler is enjoying his experience as a member of the Williamson Racing Team and is another reason why the No. 6 is a force to be reckoned with each time it goes out on the track.

Mat Scratches Out Sixth at Merrittville

By Dave Sully  - (Thorold, Ontario) On a night when it seemed like everyone was very fast, moving forward was difficult at best. The Williamson Racing Team’s No. 6 car had a good start on the evening, with Mat finishing third in his heat after starting sixth. That finish earned him the tenth starting spot for the feature, outside point leader Pete Bicknell.

The feature turned into a race within a race for Mat. While Chad Chevalier set a blistering pace before ultimately succumbing to Scott Wood in lapped traffic late in the race, Mat and Pete staged an epic battle back in the field. It didn’t end until they reached the checkered flag, with Mat finishing sixth, edging Pete by one spot and snipping two points off of Pete’s eighteen point lead.

Mat and Pete swapped sixth and seventh several times during the intense event, as Mat vainly tried to make moves on fifth place finisher Tom Flannigan as well as racing Pete. That’s pretty heady stuff when you come right down to it.

Mat was satisfied with the finish, noting to crew chief “Dipper” Windeatt that everyone was fast tonight.

Commenting on the car, crewman Wayne Conn observed, “We just seemed to miss the setup tonight in regard to the shocks. We should have put on a certain type of shock and we didn’t, so instead of digging into the ground, we were sort of skimming off the top of the track.”

Normally Mat can adjust the car during a caution period. Wayne explained, “It didn’t help at all. We didn’t leave too much in terms of adjustment for Mat to do in the car, so pretty much what he had out there was what he had to work with.”

In spite of that, Wayne concluded, “Every night we can finish ahead of the 42 always helps.”

So, after a gritty performance by Mat in heavy traffic, the issue is still in doubt and there is still a long way to go in the championship hunt.

Strong Second Place Finish in the Winger Memorial at Merrittville Helps Salve the Wounds

By Dave Sully - (Thorold, Ontario) For a long time, it looked like that much-needed win was at hand for the Williamson Racing Team, as Mat grabbed the lead early and held it for 32 laps, but in the end a worn right rear tire and a pesky lap car proved to be his undoing, relegating him to second place finish in the Jerry Winger Memorial on Saturday, July 14th. Still in all, it was a strong performance for the No. 6 car and helped to ease the distractions of the last couple of weeks, giving the team some momentum to build on for the future. With Mat finishing two spots ahead of point leader, Pete Bicknell, he is still very much in the hunt for the coveted Merrittville title.

The night started well, as Mat dominated his heat after starting third. He then profited from the redraw, once again sitting third on the grid, behind polesitter Bill Bleich and Larry Lampman. A strong push at the drop of the green put Mat in second, as Lampman took control, but then Mat got a big break when Lampman chose the top on a lap three restart. Mat was able to get a great jump, and a slide job on Lampman in turn one put him in control.

Lampman kept the pressure on, and the two put on a crowd-pleasing duel, with Mat careening around the top, while Lampman hugged the bottom. Mat knew Larry was there, as he saw his nose virtually every lap. After holding him off on two restarts the right rear finally began to fade, and on lap 35, as the two came upon a lap car in turn four, Mat lost his momentum, and Larry was able to slide underneath. The quest for the win was essentially over.

Mat actually lost second to Travis Braun on lap 39, but regained it on a lap 44 restart and was able to come home with a hard-earned runner-up spot. Mat summarized the effort, noting, “We had a good race there. Larry picked the outside on the restart, and I got the benefit of that and got by him. I raced the car pretty hard. I saw him poking his nose in out of turn four every lap, so I had to go harder and harder. We went with a used tire instead of putting a new one on. We couldn’t get the stagger with the new one, so we risked it, and it ended up hurting us. We burned it up pretty good. I could feel it going away. I was better on the short runs, but I needed more cautions and less lap traffic. Larry was good tonight. Like I said, my tire went away and he just out drove me tonight. He was pushing. I could see him down on the bottom. I didn’t want to slow down and go to the bottom, but he just outraced me. I’m pretty happy though. We’ve had a rough couple weeks, so coming in second is pretty good.”

With the Friday night gig at Ransomville out of the picture, Mat is exploring other options, like different tracks and perhaps even different race cars. We’ll keep you posted.

Unfortunate Circumstances Put Ransomville in Team’s Rear View Mirror

By Dave Sully - (Ransomville, NY) After an on track incident during Mat’s heat race on Friday, July 6th, which precipitated a confrontation at the entrance to pit road that ultimately resulted in a physical altercation, the Williamson Racing Team has decided it is in its best interest to sever its connection to Ransomville Speedway.

After Mat was spun out in his heat, by a driver who felt that he was entitled to payback for being “chopped” earlier, the driver was sent tail. When the heat was over, the two cars stopped in the entrance to pit road where the altercation took place. Said altercation involved a track official, a track employee, and ultimately members of the Williamson team.

To be perfectly clear, Mat, in a fit of pique, did exit his race car to confront the other driver, which is against the rules, but the ensuing actions by the track official and the track employee, whose jobs would seem to be to mediate a dispute, ended up precipitating a brawl, not preventing one. If their purpose was to make a point, it had the effect of driving a tack with a sledge hammer, so one-sided was incident. By its very severity, other members of the team felt compelled to intercede, as did at least one member of another team.

When cooler heads finally prevailed, Mat and the other driver were sent home for the evening, thus no participation in the feature.

Car owner Rich Windeatt had a meeting with the track promoter, who expressed regret over what had transpired and promised appropriate action would be taken. Windeatt is confident that the track promoter will handle the situation with the efficacy it deserves to prevent a repeat of the unseemly incident and to retain confidence in the racing community that justice will be served, so that exciting racing will continue to be the norm at Ransomville Speedway.

However, since the incident was well beyond the realm of happenstance, and overtly provocative, the Williamson Racing Team has opted to suspend its racing commitment to Ransomville at this time.

Third Place Finish At Merrittville Helps to Soften the Mood

By Dave Sully - (Thorold, Ontario) After the histrionics on Friday at Ransomville, a good performance, with a solid finish, was sorely needed at Merrittvfille on Saturday, July 7th, and it was delivered in the form of a hard-earned third place. Travis Braun took the lead from the pole and literally checked out on the field, leaving Mat pedaling as hard as he could to improve on his sixth place starting spot, courtesy of a third place finish in his heat.

The car leaped forward at the start, with Mat grabbing third after only four laps. Even though he got to third quickly, he had plenty of work to do, as Braun was already gone, and Tom Flannigan, who started in front of Mat on the outside of row 2, had built up a substantial lead on him as well.

With the race going caution-free, there was no catching Braun, but Mat kept pecking away and drew within haling distance before time ran out, and he settled for third, once spot ahead of point leader Pete Bicknell, who made Mat’s life interesting for a number of laps, but couldn’t get a good enough run challenge for the position.

About whether he would have wanted a caution, Mat was ambivalent, noting, “You do and you don’t in that situation, I don’t know if I would have been faster than Travis. He was on a rail tonight.”

Of the race, he added, “We stuck too much gear in it and hit the chip way too early. That doesn’t help. It was a decent night. It’s a brand new Bicknell car. Coming in third feels good. The outside was fast. When Travis and Shayne (Pierce), did a switch up in turn two there, it was Travis, Tom, and I running the outside. We were a third place car tonight. I saw Pete poking his nose in at the end. I stayed on the outside. If I changed lanes he would have gone around me. I’ve made that mistake too many times.”

He concluded, “It’s nice to hold him off, but we really need a win. These guys (the crew) work their butts off. Hopefully, I can give it to them.”

So, the weekend concludes on a high note, and the team goes on from there.

“Battle of the Border” Produces Top Ten Finish

By Dave Sully - (Ransomville, NY) On Tuesday, July 3rd, the Williamson Racing Team traveled to nearby Ransomville Speedway for the $5,000 to win “Battle of the Border,” which this year took on added prominence, as it was dubbed a 358 Modified Series event as well. Things started out well, as Mat set fast time in hot laps, time trialed fastest in his group, had a good starting spot in his heat and wound up winning it going away. That put him into the redraw, an area that has not been kind to Mat so far this season. After drawing No. 11 at the last series event at Mohawk, Mat once again drew the eleventh starting spot, putting him at an immediate disadvantage.

In the 75 lap feature, try as he might Mat wasn’t able to make much progress against the stout field and ended up finishing tenth, but beating some good cars, like Pat Ward, Alan Johnson, and Dale Planck, among others, in the process.

Mat described his night, noting, “We started eleventh, got stuck behind some junk and then went backwards, but we ended up tenth. It was similar to what happened at Mohawk. We were racing behind some people who don’t use their heads or show the same respect that these guys here have. It was a good race. We would have been a top five car, but we were behind Matt Billings, and he was all over the place. We were behind him about forty laps or so. Every time I went to go around him, he put me in the moat. When I tried to go under him, he put me on the infield. If we could have drawn a better number and started further up, we would have been better. It is what it is.”

Regarding the overall picture, he added, “It’s a little frustrating to be experimenting and not going anywhere. We tried some different stuff on Tuesday night. We thought the track was going to get looser than what it was, and we were a little tight.”

So, it’s back to the drawing board, once again, with a lot of racing still to go.

 

On the Road With the Williamson Racing Team

By Dave Sully - On Thursday, June 21st, I was privileged to be a part of the Williamson Racing Team’s six hour sojourn north to Mohawk International Speedway in Hogansburg, NY, for the Dirtcar 358 Super Dirt Series race. Though the result of the race was disappointing, after being in the hunt for the win, it was an enjoyable and interesting experience, which I’d like to share with you.

The final preparation for the trip started on Wednesday night, when the team checked the car over from stem to stern, including every nut and bolt. Then it was loaded into the hauler, with an array of spare parts and tires. Dipper (crew chief Rich Windeatt) noted that when they travel a long distance, extra tires and a spare transmission are added to the ample supply of spare parts already on board. There are enough parts in the trailer to virtually rebuild the car, if necessary, barring a catastrophe. The trip commenced the following morning from Dipper’s Ft. Erie shop.

Because of the distance to Hogansburg, which is near the Wellesley Island Bridge to Canada in the Thousand Islands, an early departure was in order to arrive comfortably before the pit gate opened, which is a Dipper requirement. He led the charge, arising at the tender hour of five-thirty to make final preparations.

At 7:10, Rob Sawatsky arrived (ten minutes late by Dipper time) and the two left for the Peace Bridge. Upon clearing customs, they headed for Exit 52 on the New York State Thruway to pick me up. At 8:05 they arrived at Jim’s Truck Stop where I was waiting, having been delivered there by my wife Marcia from my home in the Southtowns.

We then set out for one of Dipper’s favorite eateries, the Boston Hotel, on Genesee Street near Dunn Tire Raceway Park in Lancaster, where we picked up Mat and Randy Williamson. They had arrived in the family truck, which would remain there and be picked up on the way back.

From there we set sail for the track, using Rt. 33 (Genesee St) to Rt. 77 and then onto the Thruway at Exit 48. Mat used the time to get a much-needed nap. The route to Hogansburg took us to I-81 in Syracuse to Watertown, where we stopped for lunch at Buffalo Wild Wings. We also made a stop at Walmart for ice, beverages, other supplies, and a pair of shorts for Randy, who forgot that the temperature that day was going to approach 90 degrees Fahrenheit and hadn’t packed for that eventuality. The entire ride was peppered with racing war stories, and busting each other’s chops, which was very entertaining and made the time go by quickly.

After the 30 minute stop, we continued on, using Rt. 37, which took us to the Akwasasne Reservation, where the track, formerly known as Frogtown, is located, pulling in at 3:05PM. We were the second team to arrive, followed shortly thereafter by the Travis Braun Team, with whom we exchanged pleasantries until the gate opened at 4:00PM. As we waited, another team from our area arrived, that of driver Erick Rudolph.

At precisely four o’clock, we were allowed to sign in and were able to pick a parking spot to our liking, near the entrance to the track. After getting settled, the car was unloaded and immediately jacked up, to be checked and adjusted. Also, different gears were installed, since there hadn’t been time to do that the night before.

Changing gears may sound daunting, but with what is known as a “quick-change” setup, it only takes a few minutes to accomplish the task, Every team carries several sets of gears to conform to the various conditions that can be encountered at different race tracks, with variables like track length, configuration, probable track surface conditions such as hard, dry, slick, or tacky, and also driving style for the type of setup being employed. It’s also possible that they could be changed after hot laps and/or the heat as well, if deemed necessary.

Tire choice is also critical, with several different compounds to choose from, depending on what the crew thinks the track will be like at race time and how it may change. Generally, the slicker the race track, the harder the tire. For those into numbers, the tires used are D 200, D300, D400, and the hardest, the D500, which is used at Syracuse.

Stagger is also a critical issue. Stagger, which allows the car to roll through the turns without losing momentum, is determined by tire size on the right and left, plus air pressure. The crew also has to predict how much a tire will expand when it gets heat into it, because that will change the stagger during the race. When you hear a driver say, “When the tires came in, I could go faster,” that’s often what they are referring to.

While the car was being prepped, Randy, who, as the co-owner of Bicknell Racing Products, offers technical support to his customers, was busy offering advice to other drivers who were arriving to race and had questions about their BRP mounts. It is the nature of the business to offer assistance, even though it’s like providing aid and comfort to the enemy. Though he clearly wants Mat to win, it sometimes puts Randy in an unenviable position. Even though it’s a necessary evil and Mat understands it, he finds in unnerving to watch as his father counsels the opposition on how to make their cars run better.

With time trials scheduled for 7:00, there was plenty of time to get the lay of the land. I was able to locate a spot to watch the race, as I was also covering it for Area Auto Racing News, my major media connection. Fortunately, I was able to arrange for a spot in an air-conditioned room in the grandstand tower next to the officials’ booth to watch the race. Fortuitously, they also had food.

Mat had time to chat with fellow drivers, while Dipper and Rob found food at the concession stands, checked out the race track, and socialized with other teams and officials, including Rich Lemieux, who is a tech inspector for Ransomville, Merrittville, and DIRTcar, and was assigned to this race.

At precisely 7:00PM, hot laps commenced. Modified hot laps followed the pro stocks and Mat made his appearance. When he finished, the crew had a short time to make some adjustments, based on what they observed and what Mat told them. Shortly after that, time trials were held.

Rather than the former method of having each car alone on the track, which was time consuming, the cars now come out in groups of five or six, spread around the race track. When they are given the green flag, they run two laps, which are electronically recorded. The purpose of the time trials is to set the grid for the heats, with the fastest cars starting up front. Mat ended up fourth overall in his time trial group, which meant he would start on the outside in the second row in his heat.

Later in the evening, after other classes ran their heats and the Mod Lites ran their feature, the mod heats were contested, with Mat finishing 3rd, putting him into the all important redraw, where the top three in each heat determine their starting position. They select an item, sometimes a Frisbee, sometimes a pop can, sometimes a hat, or something else, which has a number from 1- 12 hidden on it. Mat wound up with starting spot eleven.

The race, as you can read about elsewhere on this site, was going swimmingly for Mat, as he moved up after dropping back early, took second and was lining up a challenge to eventual winner Billy Dunn, when the night suddenly ended on lap 56. A vibration in the engine forced Mat to shut it down before doing more damage. Because it was a high attrition race, Mat officially finished fourteenth out of the thirty car starting field.

As expected, Mat was bitterly disappointed, while the rest of the team tried to figure out what might have gone wrong. There was nothing left to do but load the car, pack the gear and start for home. The hauler was on the road at 12:05AM, very late for anyone who had to work the next day, because the track chose to run four classes, in addition to the 75 lapper for the Modifieds.

There was not a lot of banter, given the circumstances of the race, and the fatigue factor of a long day. We pulled into the Econo Lodge in Watertown at 2:25AM where we spent the night. We were back on the road at 8:45, and after a stop for a late breakfast in Waterloo, arrived back in the Buffalo area at around 1:00. We stopped to pick up the Williamson vehicle, and while Dipper and Rob headed back to Canada with the hauler, Mat and Randy dropped me off at the truck stop, where my wife picked me up to end my part of the trip. Mat and Randy headed home, and we all re-convened at Ransomville that afternoon.

All in all, the trip was fun for me, sharing in the camaraderie of the group, and though I always knew how much hard work goes into a racing effort, I left with renewed respect for everyone on the team, who work selflessly for a common goal- winning.

CHECK OUT OUR PHOTO GALLERY ON MATWILLIAMSON.COM FOR PHOTOS FROM THIS TRIP, AND MORE!!