Fred Voorhees
07-04-2011, 2:26 PM
Can't help but post about the fantastic season that local dirt track modified standout Billy "The Kid" Pauch is enjoying at the New Egypt Speedway in central New Jersey. I have followed his career since his rookie days and documented his career a number of years ago for posterity. He is closing on a total of 700 career main event wins (which maybe two or three dozen drivers in any division running in the country can lay claim to) and has over 100 wins at two different speedways. Now, he is closing in on 100 wins at New Egypt. The competition at New Egypt is stiffling this season, but for some reason, Pauch has dominated. He says he has never had a better handling car. I would have never claimed he would get to 100 wins this year at New Egypt as at the beginning of the season, he needed I beleive 11 wins...it just didn't seem possible. Saturday night, he claimed his 8th win of the year and needs just three more to get 100. The win Saturday night was his third straight and still, in like fourteen events this year, he has finished no worse than 4th in the main events. Only one other driver has more than one win and he only has two victories. Four other drivers have managed to win one event. To put his dominance at this track in perspective....Billy now has 97 wins there....the next closest driver in wins that is active at the track has only 17.
A little video of Saturday nights racing:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c-TAQq3XC2Y
And here is a portion of Saturday nights press release from the track.
Pauch and Koczon Give Fans Extra Fireworks at New Egypt
New Egypt, NJ (July 2, 2011) – Billy Pauch of Frenchtown, NJ won his eighth feature of the season at New Egypt Speedway Saturday night as he edged out Ron John Koczon at the stripe to win the 30 lap Modified feature event sponsored H&H Gas. In what was described by many of those in attendance as one of the five best features ever at New Egypt Speedway in the 14 years of their dirt history, Koczon lead the non-stop event until the final lap when Pauch was able to get a run under him in the final turn, beating Koczon by half a wheel as the sparks flew.
“I didn’t know it was the last lap,” explained Pauch in victory lane, “I was trying to give Ron John a lane there and we rubbed coming off as we both just went for it. I can’t say enough about this Bicknell car, it works perfect no matter what the surface does. Look, Ron John (Koczon) has a brand new one and look what he is doing.”
Koczon grabbed the lead at the start from his third starting spot and set a strong pace for the competitors in the opening laps as he led Rich Acolia, Dave Hunt and Mike Hendershot. Rick Laubach and Mike Iles were advancing quickly, as was 17th starting Pauch. By lap 10, Pauch was into the top five behind Laubach, and the two moved into second and third by the halfway mark. With 12 laps to go, Laubach caught Koczon in lapped traffic and the two raced side by side for the lead with Pauch following right on their bumper looking for a lane for himself. Laubach actually led at the line several times only to find Koczon race back around him into the lead. With 5 laps to go, the battle continued as Laubach changed to the outside groove in lapped traffic. This move opened the door for Pauch on the very bottom groove and he used it to capture second. Pauch would pull even but Koczon had an answer each time. On the final lap, they ran even around the speedway. As they both moved around lapped traffic in the final two turns Pauch finally got the run he was looking for as the two drivers rubbed nerf bars to the delight of the crowd. Pauch won by half of a wheel ending a great bid by Koczon. This victory is Pauch’s 6th in his last 7 tries. Laubach settled for third after a great run, Mike Iles raced home in fourth followed by Bobby Drayton.
Pauch won the final 8 match races en route to pocketing $850 for his efforts in the Big Bang Bonanza Match Races. When Sam Martz called Pauch out in only the third race, it caught Pauch so much by surprise he had to put on his helmet, as he figured he wouldn’t get called out till near the end. Tim Tanner Jr. brought the crowd to their collective feet as he came the closest to knocking off Pauch with a great last turn run which fell just short.
A little video of Saturday nights racing:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c-TAQq3XC2Y
And here is a portion of Saturday nights press release from the track.
Pauch and Koczon Give Fans Extra Fireworks at New Egypt
New Egypt, NJ (July 2, 2011) – Billy Pauch of Frenchtown, NJ won his eighth feature of the season at New Egypt Speedway Saturday night as he edged out Ron John Koczon at the stripe to win the 30 lap Modified feature event sponsored H&H Gas. In what was described by many of those in attendance as one of the five best features ever at New Egypt Speedway in the 14 years of their dirt history, Koczon lead the non-stop event until the final lap when Pauch was able to get a run under him in the final turn, beating Koczon by half a wheel as the sparks flew.
“I didn’t know it was the last lap,” explained Pauch in victory lane, “I was trying to give Ron John a lane there and we rubbed coming off as we both just went for it. I can’t say enough about this Bicknell car, it works perfect no matter what the surface does. Look, Ron John (Koczon) has a brand new one and look what he is doing.”
Koczon grabbed the lead at the start from his third starting spot and set a strong pace for the competitors in the opening laps as he led Rich Acolia, Dave Hunt and Mike Hendershot. Rick Laubach and Mike Iles were advancing quickly, as was 17th starting Pauch. By lap 10, Pauch was into the top five behind Laubach, and the two moved into second and third by the halfway mark. With 12 laps to go, Laubach caught Koczon in lapped traffic and the two raced side by side for the lead with Pauch following right on their bumper looking for a lane for himself. Laubach actually led at the line several times only to find Koczon race back around him into the lead. With 5 laps to go, the battle continued as Laubach changed to the outside groove in lapped traffic. This move opened the door for Pauch on the very bottom groove and he used it to capture second. Pauch would pull even but Koczon had an answer each time. On the final lap, they ran even around the speedway. As they both moved around lapped traffic in the final two turns Pauch finally got the run he was looking for as the two drivers rubbed nerf bars to the delight of the crowd. Pauch won by half of a wheel ending a great bid by Koczon. This victory is Pauch’s 6th in his last 7 tries. Laubach settled for third after a great run, Mike Iles raced home in fourth followed by Bobby Drayton.
Pauch won the final 8 match races en route to pocketing $850 for his efforts in the Big Bang Bonanza Match Races. When Sam Martz called Pauch out in only the third race, it caught Pauch so much by surprise he had to put on his helmet, as he figured he wouldn’t get called out till near the end. Tim Tanner Jr. brought the crowd to their collective feet as he came the closest to knocking off Pauch with a great last turn run which fell just short.