BACHETTI IS THE ULTIMATE WINNER AT LEBANON VALLEY

AUGUST 5, 2004

WEST LEBANON, NY- Andy Bachetti recorded one of the most impressive victories of his career at Lebanon Valley on Thursday night. The Sheffield, Mass driver won the 100-lap Advance Auto Parts Super Dirt Series race which was billed as "The Ultimate Showdown." Bachetti had his Albreada Waste #4 PMC racer dialed in as he bested some of the biggest names in dirt racing. Bachetti pocketed a cool $10,000 for the victory. That money will come in real handy as his wife had a baby on Wednesday night. In victory lane Bachetti dedicated the race to his wife, Natalie and their new baby boy, Blake. None of the drivers took up the offer by promoter Howie Commander to start 21st on the grid and get a bonus of $10,000 if they won. In other racing action Thursday night K.C Goewey recorded his fifth win of the season in the 20-lap sportsman feature. A special thank you goes to our main sponsor of the night, Budweiser.

Rich Ricci Jr and Matt Sheppard led the field of thirty big block modifieds to the green flag. Sheppard grabbed the early advantage over Ricci. Trouble for Billy Decker as he tagged the turn one wall on the first lap and dropped several positions. Bachetti used the horsepower from his Morrison engine to vault from fifth to second by lap three. Tim Fuller came into this race third in the Advance Auto Parts point standings, but motor problems sidelined him on lap eight. The first of six caution periods came out on lap eleven when Dave Leckonby lost his rear brakes and slammed the turn one wall hard. Bachetti began the first of many challenges on the restart, but Sheppard was able to fend him off, for now. Pat Ward was bounced off the back straightaway wall on lap 18 and done for the night. At the one-quarter mark of the race it was Sheppard, Bachetti, Brett Hearn, Kenny Tremont and Decker.

Sheppard caught the back of the field and starting lapping car by lap 32. The lapped traffic allowed Bachetti to close back in a remount a challenge for the lead. Bachetti made the pass for the lead in turn four just as the caution flag flew on lap 40. Hearn made his way around Sheppard for second around halfway. The scariest wreck of the night came on lap 48 as Ron Dwyer got spun around in turn one. Canadian driver, Steve Poirier had nowhere to go and flipped after catching Dwyer's right front tire. Poirier rolled three times, but walked away from the incident. Attrition developed as a story line just passed the halfway point of the event. Only eighteen of the thirty cars were still running by lap 65.

The final caution period of the race came on lap 75 for Chad Brachmann. This allowed Hearn to get right on the rear deck lid of Bachetti, but to no avail. Bachetti had the dominant car on this night and he crossed the finish line a half-straight-away ahead of Hearn. Sheppard had his best career finish at the track in third. Tremont was fourth and Gary Tompkins finished fifth.

Decker, Tompkins, Wayne Jelley and Dave Leckonby won the heat races. Bachetti picked up the Holley Performance Halfway bonus and the Eckerd 200 guaranteed starting position. Brett Hearn was the JE Pistons Quick Qualifier. It was a good night for the Valley regulars who had seven of the top ten finishers in the race. Lebanon Valley regular Mike King took home the Bert Hardcharger Award with the Thoma Tire #55.

Kyle Hoffman led over half of the 20-lap sportsman feature. Frank Harper took the lead from Hoffman in turn two on lap 12. Harper tried to run away and hide as Art Collins and K.C. Goewey tried to run him down. Goewey got passed Collins and then Harper to take the lead on lap 17 and go on to record his fifth win of the season with the Team Goewey Kia #2. Harper was second, Collins third, Brian Sandstedt fourth and Ed Harkin fifth. 

BUDWEISER MR. DIRT ULTIMATE SHOWDOWN (100 LAPS) - 1 Andy Bachetti, 2 Brett Hearn, 3 Matt Sheppard, 4 Kenny Tremont Jr, 5 Gary Tompkins, 6 Billy Decker, 7 Wayne Jelley, 8 Eddie Marshall, 9 J.R. Heffner, 10 Rich Ricci Jr, 11 Steve Paine, 12 Donnie Corellis, 13 Rob Pitcher, 14 Alan Johnson, 15 Brian Berger, 16 Chad Brachmann, 17 Mike King, 18 Ron Dwyer, 19 Butch Tittle, 20 Steve Poirier, 21 John Alberti, 22 Vic Coffey, 23 Guy Sheldon, 24 Denny Soltis, 25 Pat Ward, 26 Chris Whitehead, 27 Dave Leckonby, 28 John Hewitt, 29 Tim Fuller, 30 Ronnie Johnson

SPORTSMAN RESULTS (20 LAPS) - 1 K.C. Goewey, 2 Frank Harper, 3 Art Collins, 4 Brian Sandstedt, 5 Ed Harkin, 6 Bobby Knipe, 7 Lorne Browe, 8 Ryan Larkin, 9 Mike Mason, 10 Tony Ferriero, 11 Carmon Carnibucci, 12 Kory Sandstedt, 13 Poover Daley, 14 Jeff Watson, 15 Walt McKay, 16 Hawley Smith, 17 Bob Bouchard, 18 Greg DeCamp, 19 Kyle Hoffman, 20 Chad Pierce, 21 Jason Tompkins, 22 Greg Hoffman, 23 Dave Colwell, 24 Alan Hotaling