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Column By: MIKE TRAVERSE / RPW – CENTER LISLE, NY – Super DIRTcar Series points leader Mat Williamson was probably feeling pretty good about his chances of pulling off a win at Thunder Mountain on Tuesday.
After timing 3rd in his group and finishing 2nd in his heat, Williamson drew the pole for the 77 lap Dale Planck Memorial race.
And Williamson might very well have won the race except for one slip up in the first 1/3rd of the race.
Williamson had led the first portion of the non-stop 77 lap feature, dueling with Tim Sears Jr. But as the race progressed, the outside groove was not the place to be and a trip out there is what bit Mat.
“I made one mistake there at the beginning of the race, I tried to go around a lapper,’ Williamson said. “Jimmy (Phelps) and Matt (Sheppard) got by me and when Jimmy is in the lead, he’s not going to make that mistake.”
Although that mistake dropped him to 3rd behind Phelps and Sheppard, Williamson stayed close to the leaders and when Sheppard tried to make something happen on lap 54, Mat was able to take advantage to move into 2nd where he ran out the final 1/3 of the race behind Phelps, waiting for Jimmy to make a mistake that he never did.
“When Jimmy is in the lead, he’s not going to make mistakes, he’s been around a long time. I was just running behind him and Matt and he (Sheppard) tried to throw a Hail Mary to get by Jimmy and a lapper and he just fell back like I did,” Williamson said.
It was a hot day and evening in this part of New York and Williamson suspected that at some point during the feature, it would affect the track.
“Tough conditions. When it’s 103 degrees it’s tough on track crews, track owners, fans to be here and racers. I’m not one to complain about racetracks. We’re here racing and doing what we love to do,” he said. “It was cool to put on a show for the fans and fun to come to Thunder Mountain.”
It was a good points night for the driver of the Buzz Chew #88. But still, the 2nd place finish had to be a bit of a letdown for Williamson.
“Obviously, when you start on the pole, you don’t want to finish 2nd, my hat’s off to HBR and Jimmy.”