Friesen and Vernon, N.Y.’s Willy Decker quickly raced by Johnson for second and third.įriesen from there would leave Decker behind to lock in on the race leader, and his good friend, Alex Yankowski.įriesen wasted no time getting to Yankowski, applying the pressure with still 20 laps to go. When the green came back out, Friesen resumed his charge to the front. The ensuing restart was a race-altering one, with several heavy hitters involved in a melee on the front straightaway.īobby Hackel IV got crossed up when the race went back to green, collecting the likes of Matt Sheppard, Alex Payne, Andy Bachetti, and JaMike Sowle, among others, ending each of their nights prematurely. “We always ended the night drinking beers at the Tombstone (bar, formerly located in front of the speedway) after the races,” Friesen said with a laugh.įriesen started from the sixth position following the post-heat race draw for starting position, while Middlesex, N.Y.’s Alan Johnson and Covington Township, Pa.’s Alex Yankowski fired off the front row.įriesen raced his way into third, getting by Alan Barker, Jeremy Slosek, and Willy Decker in the race’s opening five laps before the first yellow with Yankowski leading. “He owned Willy’s (Decker) car, and they were our rivals back then.” “When I first met Bill (Shea) we were competitors,” shared Friesen of his memories of Shea, a promoter, car owner and overall fan of auto racing.

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