RICK @ the RACES (SUPER DIRT WEEK 2013)
9 Oct Weedsport Speedway NY
10 Oct State Fairgrounds, Syracuse NY
10 Oct Brewerton Speedway NY
11 Oct State Fairgounds, Syracuse NY
12 Oct State Fairgrounds, Syracuse NY
12 Oct Rolling Wheels Raceway, Elbridge NY
13 Oct State Fairgrounds, Syracuse NY
After returning from the Fulton Speedway’s Outlaw 200 in the early hours of Sunday (Oct 6) , and suffering from Flu-like sypmtoms, a trip to my doctor, and a Monday and Tuesday off work were required. With the help of his prescribed antibiotics, I had a race against time to be ready for the forthcoming SUPER DIRT WEEK at Syracuse. I’d already booked Thursday and Friday off work as vacation time, but still needed to go back in on Wednesday Oct 9 for one day. I started at 5-00 am in the morning but from 2-00 pm onwards things got hectic !
With so much going on during the week, this report will be done on a day by bay basis.
Wednesday Oct 9
After taking those two sick days from work I went back on Wednesday. After getting a nice early finish (2-00pm) I decided to get my SUPER DIRT WEEK trip going , there and then. A quick phone call to my hotel at Phoenix NY confirmed it would be OK for me to arrive and stay a day earlier.
I left my home in Cornwall , Ontario just before 3-00pm and by 4-00 pm I’d crossed into the USA at Ogdensburg. There were no hold ups on my way down, and by 6-00 pm I’d booked into the Holbrooks Motel. I quickly threw my stuff in the room and was heading for the races.
A 358 Modified Super Dirt race was taking place that night at the Weedsport Speedway, and that was my destination. I was there by 7-00 pm and in good time for the races. The pits were full when I arrived, because not only were the 358’s having a series race, but the Sportsman were too. Needless to say there were plenty of my friends taking part .
I spent the evening, as you’d expect, taking pics on the center with the other photographers. Race winners that night were Matt Sheppard in the Mods 
and Rocky Warner in the Sportsman.
The show was over by 11-00 and I was soon heading back to Phoenix.
Thursday Oct 10
I was in no rush to leave the motel on Thursday morning as my first port of call was the mid day SDW media conference at NY State Fairgrounds. I got there at about 10-30 which gave me a bit of time to check out the pits before the conference got underway.
I picked up my ‘photographers step ladder’ from Joey Ladouceur, who’d kindly bought it down for me in his race car trailer.
Once in the media room I met up with many of my photographer buddies and sat on the front row with Ken Dippell , Alex Bruce and columnist Joanne Evans.
It was hosted by Shane Andrews and Joe Marotta ( who picked up an award for his service to SDW) and as usual a lunch was laid on for all those present.
Billy Decker and Billy Dunn were on center stage for an interview with Shane. As well as meeting the representatives of NAPA Auto Parts , who were the event sponsors, an exciting annoucement was made regarding next years Super Dirt Series. It will be expanding with a number of the former locations returning to the schedule. Utica-Rome, Fulton and Big Diamond speedways are back for 2014 aswell as one newcomer, the Glen Ridge Raceway.
We also had a talk by the local Syracuse TV weather man who gave us even more good news, regarding this years SUPER DIRT WEEK which would be dry and sunny. Once the conference was over I spent a bit of time looking round the pits before setting off for my evenings races. My destination was the Brewerton Speedway where the Hurricane 100, a recent addition to this years 358 SDS series was taking place. I arrived in good time and because I was a bit tired , I had a nap in the parking lot. 
I was caught on camera, so check the accompanying pics.
As expected this turned out to be one of the best races of the week. Danny Johnson, who was struggling to get his car around the track in the heats, and only scraped through to the big one via the Consi, charged through from the back of the pack, passed Matt Sheppard to get the win .
Friday 11 Oct
I left Phoenix a bit earlier on Friday as I was all geared up for a full day at the Fairgounds. By 9-30 am I’d set up my lap top in the Media room along with the guys from Dirt Track Digest, Race Pro Weekly ,and of course Finnish Line Web Design’s Craig Revelle.
There was plenty going on for all four divisions that day. (Big Block Mods, 358 Mods, Sportsman and Pro Stocks)
My good friends Pro Stock driver Rob Yetman and Chanty Lesage were in the pits so I spent some time chatting with them.
It was a full day at the Moody Mile with racing going on under the lights until around 11-00 pm when the program was completed. The main races of the day were three 10 lappers for the Sportsman, Twin 20’s for the 358’s and Triple 20’s for the Big Blocks.
Saturday Oct 12
It was another early start for me at the Fairgrounds on Saturday with the first two, of the weekends four big races . Before them, I made a point of attending one of my favorite annual events. Each year Area Auto Racing News, organize a photo shoot with the current Ms Motorsports. 
This years lovely lady was Katie Todorow who posed along side the Matt Sheppard car.
Also on the agenda that day, were the Pro Stock time trials, where Rob Yetman got the fastest time and earned pole position for their big race on Sunday.
The headlining race of the day was the 150 lap Salute to the Troops for 358 Mods.
This was full of drama as, Billy Dunn, who’d looked all set for the win spluttered to a halt as he ran out of gas on the final lap. Brett Hearn who’d been quite away behind in second place , became the grateful benefactor of Dunn’s misfortune.
The last race of the day was the big one for the Sportsman, but with time pressing on, I wasn’t sure if I’d have time to see it all. I had plans to attend the Rolling Wheels Raceway that night for the World of Outlaw Sprint Car show . I had a lot of friends taking part in the Sportsman race so had to make a difficult choice. I decided to stay and watch it all, but would forgo the Victory Lane presentations. So at about 6-15, as Brad Rouse took the checkers,
I made my exit for the 20 minute drive down to Elbridge, where the ‘Wheels’ is located.
I got there in good time and although the parking lot was jam packed, I managed to squeeze into a spot close to the pit gate. I’m not a big fan of Sprint Cars, but the WoO ( Kinser , Schatz, Swindell and Dollansky) are the ‘creme de la creme’ so won’t miss an opportunity of seeing them in action, when they are close at hand.
Donny Schatz was driving at his best and got a run away victory in the Feature.
Also on the program , the Big Block Mods were having a ‘win and you’re in’ race for Sundays NAPA Auto Parts 200 at the Fairgrounds the next day. Vinny Vitale got this one. The show finished nice and early and I was back in Phoenix before mid night.
Sunday Oct 13
Sunday was the final day of Super Dirt Week, and it climaxes with the 25 lap Pro Stock race and the NAPA Auto Parts 200. It was also the most crowded day of SDW so I needed to be there early to get my car parked.
I was there just after 9-00 pm and was lucky enough to get parked not too far from the Media Center. The Pro Stock Feature was the first to get under way, and on the opening lap, the red flags had to come out due to a multi car wreck where a driver needed medical attention.
Once the race got restarted Yetman took an early lead but after a while he was overhauled by Pete Stefanski. My buddy fought back, and he managed to retake the lead, and continue on for his first Syracuse win. 
A good placing by another buddy of mine, Dave ‘the Bulldog’ Bissonnette secured the 2013 Mr Dirt title.
The beautiful weather that we’d been getting all weekend, meant no major delays and the NAPA 200 went ahead, pretty much as scheduled .
Stewart Friesen made the early running , and for the first quarter of the race, he had to contend with Brett Hearn on his tale. During the mid section of the race, Kenny Tremont and Tim McCreadie took a turn to lead, but as it reached lap 190 the drama began. Various contenders, which included McCreadie and Hearn ran out of gas and with just a few laps left to run, Billy Dunn was out in front.
Dunn went on to take the checkers, and a true redemption for his bad luck in the small-block race just 24 hours earlier.
With the Victory Lane celebrations over, it was time for me to make my exit and take the three hour drive back up I81 to Canada. With a 5-00 am start scheduled for work on Monday morning, I didn’t ‘hang about’ and by 9-00 pm I was crossing the border at Ogdensburg. After a quick stop for a cup tea on the 401 I was back home in Cornwall by 10-00pm.
