Billy Decker is no stranger to winning DIRT Motorsports big-block modified races and titles. This weekend, Decker will be trying to increase his Advance Auto Parts Super DIRT Series lead. Decker has a big lead over defending Mr. DIRTcar modified series champion Brett Hearn (1,346-1,107). Dale Planck is a close third with 1,100 points.

For three straight nights, the top tour drivers will be competing at Brewerton (Friday), Can-Am Motorsports Park in LaFargeville (Saturday) and Cornwall (Ontario) Motor Speedway (Sunday).

Decker is familiar with the three tracks as he has been a regular for many years on Friday nights at Brewerton. He also has made Can-Am his home track for the Saturday-night races this season. Her has also competed and won races at Cornwall.

"The home track can be deceiving for drivers,'' Decker said by phone this week. "Of course, I'm out there to win races wherever the races are being held.''

The several rainouts that have plagued racing this year are seen in a different light by Decker.

"I guess you could say it is all relative,'' Decker said. "This season most of the speedways made the call early enough so we weren't on the road yet. That saves money by not having to go drive to a speedway and then find out the race is postponed.''

Decker has raced a late model for John Wight again this season. Decker said he competes in a late model if it doesn't conflict with the modified schedule. Decker has already won seven Advance Auto Parts series races this season, including a pair of 50-lap features at Canandaigua.

Chip Burdick, general manager at Can-Am, is hoping for good weather Saturday night. He expects a good crowd and an exciting race.

"We should have all the top tour drivers here Saturday night,'' said Burdick. "Dale Planck, Brett Hearn, Danny and Alan Johnson, along with Gary Tomkins, Vic Coffey and Steve Paine, plus a lot of the other veterans should be in the pits Saturday night.''

A handful of regular modified drivers at Can-Am are also expected to try to qualify for the 30-car starting field.

The SUNY Canton Street Stock series, along with DIRT sportsman and IMCA modifieds are also on the Saturday night schedule at Can-Am.

"We've added the SUNY Canton Street Stock series to the program,'' Burdick said. "They've had so many rainouts at Can-Am that we wanted to include them in our race program this weekend.''

WEB SITE CONSULTANT

Ray Robinson of Brownville has been watching races since before entering kindergarten. The 19-year-old, second-year student at the Albany College of Pharmacy is the son of Guy "Shorty'' Robinson and his wife Linda. His father, a successful driver in the area for a number of years, is a member of the DIRT Motorsports Hall of Fame

"Although my father retired from racing before I was born, he's my No. 1 favorite driver,'' Robinson said. "Probably Billy Decker is my favorite local dirt car driver now that is competing and Tony Stewart is my favorite on the NASCAR circuit.''

Robinson never drove a race car, but he's been involved with several speedways on the DIRT circuit in recent years.

"I am a consultant for DIRT Motorsports on their Web site as well as some of the speedways in the area,'' Robinson said. "I have a company called Ryan Robinson Enterprises.''

Robinson is a Web site designer, and he put together the South Jefferson Central School Web site. It includes activities at the school as well as all Spartan athletics. Robinson has been a consultant for the Jefferson County Republican Committee's current Web site

During the break from college, Robinson and his parents usually take several trips in the family motor home to dirt and NASCAR speedways.

"We've been to Daytona for the Pepsi 400 as well as Pocono and Nashville for NASCAR races," Robinson said.

FULLER ON THE ROAD

Edwards native Tim Fuller will be making a trip below the Mason-Dixon line for a Southeastern doubleheader on the World of Outlaws late-model series tour. On Friday night, the Fayetteville (N.C.) Motor Speedway will host the tour, while on Saturday night, the tour moves to Screven Motor Speedway in Sylvania, Ga. Both series races are 50-lap features with $10,000 to win both nights.

Fuller has been on a break from the tour for over two weeks. He had hoped to compete in a DIRT Motorsports modified car last week at Brewerton.

"We were going to race in the modified series on Friday at Brewerton, but the race was postponed due to rain,'' Fuller said this week prior to leaving for the races in the South. "Hopefully, I'll be able to make the modified race later this month at Rolling Wheels Raceway (Elbridge)."

Fuller said that while he has no shot of winning the points title on the late-model tour, he still has a goal in mind.

"We want to win as many races as we can during the rest of the season,'' Fuller said. "We won't have all the extra pressure of competing for the title, so we can concentrate just on racing.''

Fuller said that he plans to compete during Super DIRT Week in early October at Syracuse. He has a late-model race scheduled for earlier that same week, but said he believes he can still make it to Syracuse for the modified race.

Watertown native Tim McCreadie is expected to compete in a prestigious United Midwest Promoters (UMP) late-model race this weekend in Arkansas. While McCreadie could not be reached for comment, Fuller said that in his last conversation with McCreadie, Tim was leaning on competing in Arkansas in a race that pays $40,000 to win.

John O'Donnell covers local auto racing for the Times. You can contact him at jodonnell@wdt.net.