Jim Becker assists one of the many kids who were anxious to sit in his racecar on Saturday at Big Truck Day at Guilderland HS. Biittig photo
By Ed & Betty Biittig
This year, our 64th Eastern States weekend took a new turn. We decided to watch from home using FloRacing on Thursday and DirtTrackDigestTV for the remainder of the weekend. We enjoyed relaxing in our recliners at a comfortable seventy degrees. However, we missed the company of others, which has become such an important part of the experience.
On Thursday night, Brett Deyo’s traveling STSS road show hosted its final event, featuring 61 Modifieds. It was a big evening for Matt Sheppard, who not only secured another STSS North Region championship but also won the 50-lap feature, earning $5,000 plus $15,000 for the point title.
The event also included qualifying for the 64 Sportsman participating in Friday’s Eastern States 50. A.J. Albreada recorded the third fastest time in qualifying time trials, a remarkable achievement considering it was his rookie year and first appearance at the historic fairgrounds. Connor Prokop from Middleburgh won one of the Last Chance qualifying events and finished out of the top ten in the feature. The top three in Sportsman in Friday’s 50-lap event was winner Jared Labagh, second Tyler Peet and third A. J. Albreada.
The highlight at Eastern States on Saturday was the 100-lap 358 Modified main event. With Mat Williamson and Matt Sheppard starting up front, it seemed likely one of them would win. The race itself was unforgettable. Williamson led until lap 60, when a flat tire sent him to the back with forty laps remaining. After that, Sheppard took over the lead and held it until the closing laps, when Anthony Perrego moved ahead. On the last lap, Williamson had battled his way up to second place and thrilled the crowd by nearly overtaking the leader—falling short by just the length of a car hood at the finish line.
Sunday’s events began with an autograph session, well received by fans and well attended by drivers. The Street Stock class was up next and that is always an interesting racing event. At the end of the 25-lap feature Jayden Sleight stood in victory lane as the winner with Tom Cilurso and Jim Maher completing the podium.
Next on the agenda for Eastern States 64 and the culmination of the weekend activities was the 200-lap Will Cagle Memorial Eastern States 200. Alex Yankowski of Covington Township, PA claimed victory, with Tyler Dippel from Wallkill taking second place and Peter Britten of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia coming in third. Yankowski expressed his gratitude to the entire Halmar/Friesen team for giving him the opportunity to compete in this prestigious event, stepping in for Stewart Friesen who was injured at a Canadian track earlier this summer.
Saturday morning brought us to Guilderland High School for Big Truck Day, an annual fundraiser supporting the Senior class. Jim Becker always announces his attendance with his No. 9 race car, and we’ve followed his racing career for 32 years. As usual, the kids were delighted to climb into the race car, and when they finished, Jim provided each child with a photo of his car. Jim expressed how much this event meant to him. The three-hour experience was thoroughly enjoyed by many, with parents pleased to see their children’s smiling faces.
We will be taking a break from our weekly column for the off season and will only submit a column as information dictates. We wish everyone a wonderful and joyous holiday season. And remember, please send all news and/or comments to biittig@yahoo.com.
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