Jeff Decker got the win at Petaluma tonight passing Paul Gugliamoni with 4 to go.
1. Jeff Decker
2. Paul Gugliamoni
3. Randy Shafer

14 cars tonight, heat wins to Shafer and Decker and Decker also won the Dash for Cash. Pretty good crowd on hand for the season opener, fantastic weather.

Thanks Steve. I saw you called after I drove back from my Mom's in Lake Isabella. Sorry I missed you.

I love being home so early after the races..lol

Pictures are now up
http://stevecurtisphotography.smugmug.com/2010-Pictures/Petaluma-327-1/11645972_...

Thank you to Jim Soares and his staff.

Tacky as usual.  Decker started 7th and pretty much rode out the first night jitters/carnage until they stretched themselves out.  It looked like he didn't have a lot of room to maneuver, but as soon as they got stretched out he started his march to the front.  He used the high line in 3-4 to get around Gugliemoni, the only high side pass I saw all night from a LM.

Lots of sheet metal shops are going to make some money.

Jeff Decker sweeps, Sparky Howard gets first win, in Speedway Openers
Sunday, 28 March 2010 16:14  

There’s no better feeling in sports than to start off a new season on a winning note and there were no wider smiles than those worn by the five Petaluma Speedway drivers who kicked off the 2010 All-Pro Racing Series campaign with victories last Saturday night.

With more than 60 race teams taking their first green flags of the year in a five-division race program and a grandstand filled with eager fans happy that the long winter off-season is finally over the action on the 3/8-mile clay oval exceeded all expectations with all five feature winners coming from the second row or further back to win their individual events.

Among those grabbing the spotlight was Late Model feature winner Jeff Decker of Morgan Hill who started seventh in a 14-car field and patiently picked his way to the front before capturing the lead with just four laps to go to steal the victory from pole-sitter and Paul Guglielmoni who led the first 21 laps. The victory capped a perfect night for the highly competitive Decker who earlier posted wins in his heat and the trophy dash.

“It’s all about being patient,” said Decker, who had climbed just one spot after the initial 13 laps of the 25-lap race as Gugilemoni flawlessly led a hungry pack of heavy-on-the-throttle racers. He gained a couple of more positions when second running John Silva fell to seventh  after getting sideways and an receiving unavoidable nudge from behind. Decker went to the bottom of Turn 4 to take second place from Randy Shafer on Lap 19 then took the high side to take the lead from Guglielmoni three laps later. Eighth-starting Randy Shafer finished third behind Decker and Guglielmoni, followed by Steve Johnson, Richard Papenhausen, defending division champion Silva, Chevy McGinnis, Clarke Guglielmoni, Anthony Restad, and Bud Walberg.

LATE MODELS

Heat 1—Randy Shafer; John Silva; Rod Arnold; Chevy McGinnis; Richard Papenhausen Danny Potts.

Heat 2—Jeff Decker; Anthony Restad; Steve Johnson; Paul Guglielmoni; Rick Shafer; Bud Walberg; Dennis Souza.

Dash—Decker; Restad; Silva; Randy Shafer.

Main—Decker; P. Guglielmoni; Randy Shafer; Johnson; Papenhausen; Silva; McGinnis; Clarke Guglielmoni; Restad; Walberg; Rick Shafer; Potts; Arnold; Souza