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.