BILLY DECKER TAKES HOME MORE THAN 8K IN HISTORIC PENN CAN CLASH WIN

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News from the VP Racing Fuels Short Track Four Crown presented by Pioneer Pole Buildings Inc. – 'No BS. No Politics. Real Racing.'
Media Contact: Brett Deyo – 845.728.2781 or Deyo99H@aol.com

For Immediate Release/June 8, 2011

Billy Decker Returns 'Home' To Penn Can and Collects Huge $8,050 Payday in Historic 'Clash at the Can' Following Battle with Modified Up-And-Comer Danny Tyler; Huge Crowd Watches Talented 66-Car RoC Modified Field

SUSQUEHANNA, PA - Billy Decker returned to the track where it all started and left with a big payday.

Decker, 46, a resident of Unadilla, N.Y., who kicked off his storied career in former 'Tiger' division at Penn Can Speedway, invaded the Susquehanna County oval and walked off with an $8,050 payday in Tuesday night's monumental 'Clash at the Can' event, which featured the highest ever winner's share and total purse in the speedway's history. Decker, who started 12th in the 60-lap event, earned the victory in John Wight's potent No. 91 Gypsum Racing Bicknell after a battle with young Danny Tyler, an up-and-coming Modified star from Cottekill, N.Y., who races regularly at Accord (N.Y.) Speedway.

The 'Clash at the Can' was a co-promotion involving Brett Deyo and speedway managers Reed Miller and Al Wilcox and served as the first event of the Short Track Four Crown. The event attracted a phenomenal, talent-filled field of 66 Modifieds for the Race of Champions Dirt Modified Tour-sanctioned program and was contested in front of a standing-room-only crowd. Marketing partners VP Racing Fuels, Pioneer Pole Buildings Inc., Plant Food Company Inc. and Reading Plastic Fabricators contributed to the night's large payout.

The typically reserved Decker showed some raw emotion following the victory at his old stomping grounds.

"This is a great payday for a midweek show," Decker said. "I've got to thank everybody who worked to put this event together. It's been a long time since I've been in Victory Lane at Penn Can!"

Garth Tonkin Jr., a Penn Can regular, blasted off the front row to lead the caution-free opening 12 laps of the main event before Tyler, who started fourth, drove his family-owned No. 22 Teo-Pro car to the lead entering turn three. Tyler checked out on the field while Decker methodically raced forward. Decker charged into third on a lap-29 restart and three laps later took over second, beginning his pursuit of Tyler.

The 21-year-old Tyler, driving the race of his burgeoning Modified career, repelled Decker's advances through lap 47, when experience and the outside lane of the one-third-mile oval prevailed.

"He (Tyler) ran one hell of a race," Decker, who extended his RoC Dirt Modified Tour point lead, said of the upstart. "He was firing off the restarts. I was moving around on a track and came to him once we got some laps under green."

Tyler chased Decker to the finish in second, making a new career highlight. The fourth-generation of the racing Tyler family has previously won Modified events at Accord and Glen Ridge (N.Y.) Motorsports Park.

Jimmy Phelps of Baldwinsville, N.Y., guided the Wave Energy Drink No. 98H Troyer to third from 16th starting spot. Phelps passed Duane Howard of Oley, Pa., on the final lap. Howard, driving Chad Sinon's BPG Racing No. 4, started 20th following a win in one of three consolations. Matt Sheppard of Waterloo, N.Y., also a consolation winner, charged from 19th to finish fifth in the Brownell Motorsports No. 9s.

Placing sixth through 10th, respectively, were Tim McCreadie of Watertown, N.Y., in Vinnie Salerno's No. 4* from 24th starting spot, Mike Gular of Green Lane, Pa., who ran as high as third during the race's first half in the T&S Motorsports/Eastern Rigging No. 53, 13th-starter Danny Johnson of Rochester, N.Y., who started 13th in the Mike Petruska-owned No. 66, 25th-starter Jeff Strunk of Bechtelsville, Pa., in Norm Hansell's No. 357 and Wade Hendrickson of Lawrenceville, N.J., in the Leach Racing Associates No. 99.

Heat winners, receiving $50 each from Manmiller Electric, were Shaun Walker (Masonville, N.Y.), Decker, Garth Tonkin Jr. (Carbondale, Pa.), Hendrickson, Mikey Nagel Jr. (Susquehanna, Pa.) and Alex Tonkin (Carbondale, Pa.).

Dirt Track Digest consolations went to Sheppard, Howard and Kevin Hartnett (Troy, Pa.).

Harry Marvin III of Susquehanna, Pa., emerged from retirement to win the 25-lap Trackside Products Race of Champions Street Stock 25-lap event driving the Ryan Stone No. 67R. Marvin started fourth. Butch Green drove from 11th to finish second, followed by Ken Sparks Jr., Brenton Miller and Earl Zimmer.

Alec Bartholomew of Coplay, Pa., was the XCel 600 Modified victor in the 20-lap main event, winning over Richie Hitzler, Jeromy Guistwite (from 12th), Nick Mady and former Penn Can Modified racer Butch Getz.

The next Short Track Four Crown event is set for Tuesday, Aug. 9 with the 'Hot Summer Night' 60-lap event offering a $5,000 winner's share for the Race of Champions Modifieds, plus RoC Trackside Products Street Stocks and Sportsman. Stewart Friesen won the 2010 'Hot Summer Night' event with a last-lap pass.

BD Motorsports Media heads to Big Diamond (Pa.) Speedway on Wednesday, June 22 with the 'Anthracite Assault' Race of Champions Dirt Modified Tour in a 60-lap event featuring sail panels, plus RoC Sportsman and XCel 600 Modifieds. Race time is 7:30 p.m. For further information, contact Brett Deyo at 845.728.2781, e-mail at Deyo99H@aol.com or on the web: www.bdmotorsportsmedia.com.

CLASH QUIPS: Passing was prevalent in the 60-lap RoC Modified feature. Only three of the final top-10 finishers - Tyler, Gular and Hendrickson - started the event inside the top-10. Five of the top-10 finishers - Phelps, Howard, Sheppard, McCreadie and Strunk - started outside the top 15 on the grid....

Representatives from the management teams of a variety of speedways, including Accord, Brewerton/Fulton (N.Y.), Big Diamond, Five Mile Point (N.Y.), Orange County (N.Y.), Thunder Mountain (N.Y.), New Egypt (N.J.), Utica-Rome (N.Y.) and others, enjoyed the program as guests....

A spectacular fireworks display on the wave lap for the RoC Modifieds drew a rise from the enthusiastic crowd....

The Kevin Bates No. 42B 'My Darkest Days' Bicknell race car was displayed behind the grandstands prior to the start of racing. A number of signed giveaways including shirts, CDs, concert tickets and photos were given away during the program....

A total of 118 race cars registered for the program....

CLASH AT THE CAN RACE SUMMARY - JUNE 7, 2011

Clash at the Can Race of Champions Dirt Modified Tour Feature Finish, 60 laps: BILLY DECKER ($8,050), Danny Tyler, Jimmy Phelps, Duane Howard, Matt Sheppard, Tim McCreadie, Mike Gular, Danny Johnson, Jeff Strunk, Wade Hendrickson, Nick Rochinski, Shaun Walker, Bobby Varin, Stewart Friesen, Pat Ward, Rick Laubach, Kevin Albert Jr., Doug Manmiller, Roy Bresnahan, Kevin Bates, Alex Tonkin, Brett Tonkin, Joey Grammes, Mike Colsten, Danny Creeden, Kevin Hartnett, Garth Tonkin Jr., Alan Rudalavage, Keith Hoffman, Mike Nagel Jr., Ryan Watt, Jimmy Horton.

Did Not Qualify: Bobby Trapper Jr., Alan Johnson, Darwin Greene, Mike Sabia, Justin Holland, Dan Pompey, Larry Wight, Dave Gerhart, Jamie Batzel, Tommy Scheetz Jr., Bobby Trapper Sr., Billy Van Pelt, Clinton Mills, Ken Titus, Craig Von Dohren, Michael Storms, Jeff Crambo, Mike Trautschold, Mike Lartz, Lance Willix, Butch Tittle, Dale Planck, Brian Weaver, Brett Hearn, Joey Colsten, Rob Bellinger, Rusty Smith, Mike Schane, Glenn Strunk, Kenny Peoples Jr., Allan Kellogg, Billy Pauch Jr., Grant Hilfiger, Ryan Phelps.

Lakey's Tavern Lap leaders: G. Tonkin Jr. (1-12), Tyler (13-47), Decker (48-60)
Manmiller Electric Heat Winners ($50 each): Walker, Decker, G. Tonkin, Hendrickson, Nagel Jr., A. Tonkin
Dirt Track Digest Consolation Winners: Sheppard, Howard, Hartnett
Hard Charger ($100): Tim McCreadie (24th to 6th)
American Racer Tire Giveaway: Decker
Dart Heads Drawing: Walker
BFP Specialty Gift Certificate (Draw, 6th-10th-place finishers): Gular, seventh
Mirabito Travel Center Subway Sub: Decker
Selinsgrove Speedway Icebreaker TWO FREE Passes for March 2012: Decker
New Egypt Speedway Friends of Mike Guaranteed Spot: Decker
Shiley Fabrication Hard Luck Award (front and rear bumpers, left and right rubrails): Nagel

Trackside Products Race of Champions Street Stock Feature Finish, 25 laps: HARRY MARVIN III. Butch Green, Ken Sparks Jr., Brenton Miller, Earl Zimmer, Shane Wolf Jr., Dave Pope, Bob Buono, Kevin Boynton, Russell Morseman III, Buck Mills, Kris Shimer, Paul Harrington, Nick Robinson, Matt Spencer, Chad Stone, Dave Predmore, Karl Shimer, Rich Powell, Doug Polhamus, Nick Nye, Gene Sharpsteen, Dan Babcock, Don Russell Jr.

Did Not Start: Jason Butler

XCel 600 Modified Feature Finish, 20 laps: ALEC BARTHOLOMEW, Richie Hitzler, Jeromy Guistwite, Nick Mady, Butch Getz, Chris Stockham, Brian Mady, Pasco Tomaino, Cody Coons, Kevin Rex, Aaron Bowes, Burrows Micheal, Sean Weiss, Kevin Rex Sr., Ryan Higgs, Brad French, Arielle Roldan, Mark Howanitz, Kailee DiMorier, Jon Horn, Steven Sherwood, Madison DiMorier, Paul DeRuyter, Mike Keppler, Joe Fanelli, Ryan Mohr, Cory Coons.