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LATEST NEWS
Media Coverage “Quick” Nick Decarlo kicks-off 2009 | The Martinez News-Gazette UPDATE July 29, 2009 - HOT OR NOT?! YOU DECIDE Each week for the past 2 1/2 years, I have checked our local area newspaper for the "Who's Hot and Who's Not" Section for local race tracks to see if they consider "Quick" Nick Hot or Not. Finally, about two weeks ago imagine my surprise after all this time finally seeing his name in that section. What was gut wrenching was seeing him in the Who's Not Section. It said, Nick DeCarlo finishes 6th in the Dirt Modifieds and drops down in the points race. I was sick to my stomach and then I got mad. What this little excerpt didn't mention was that he finished 6th because he broke. So let me tell you the REAL story of the race. The kid started on the pole along side the #81 of Bob Motts. The green flag dropped and the kid was off. He had a push in turn 4 and was sitting in 3rd. Quick Nick sat in 3rd through lap 12 holding off current points leader #99 Kenny Neu and the 2C of Duane Cleaveland all the while trying to get around the #81. With 4 laps to go, the #81 was out and the kid was running 2nd. He'd go in high and Neu would try to get underneath him, but the kid would come out on top. Until Lap 18 with 2 laps to go, then disaster struck. The motor gave way burning up a piston putting Quick Nick at a 6th place finish. Now I don't consider that a 6th place finish, I consider that holding off the big boys and breaking and still finishing 6th. I guess any press is good even if it is bad, but they really need to tell the real story. What do you think? If you still aren't sure, let me give you a little update for the past two weeks of racing. With Antioch on break the week of July 18th, Nick stopped into Petaluma Speedway. He was 4th in the heat and 4th in the main and was even a lap or two down in the 18 car field. Then, last week "Quick" Nick traveled to Ocean Speedway on Friday Night and back to Antioch on Saturday. Friday Night, "Quick Nick" joined all the "Big Boys" in the Mike Cecil Memorial Race with 2 25-lap main events. Nick finished 4th in the qualifying heat right out of the last transfer spot behind Clay Daly, Jeff Mead and Kellen Chadwick (Finishing order) landing him a spot in the "B" Main. But wait, it gets better. The field of the "B" Main event included Jim Pettit II, Bobby Hogge III, and Bobby Hogge IV. "Quick" Nick was going door to door with Pettit and finished 2nd behind him. Hot or Not? You decide! The "A" Main had Nick starting somewhere around 17th in the field of 22 cars. Nick worked his way up to a 5th place finish. Don't think that is good? Here is the top 5: 1st Jim Pettit II Unfortunately I had taken a little vacation from racing on Friday and Saturday Night and I don't have many details of the races, but what I do know is that "Quick" Nick was scheduled to start in the 2nd row and Saturday. A last minute drop of the pole sitter put Nick on the pole. "He was flying" is the standard response I have gotten. He was leading the race and once again disaster struck when the upper A arm bolts broke putting him down 6 laps and a 10th place finish. Unfortunately I had taken a little vacation from racing on Friday and Saturday Night and I don't have many details of the races, but what I do know is that "Quick" Nick was scheduled to start in the 2nd row and Saturday. A last minute drop of the pole sitter put Nick on the pole. "He was flying" is the standard response I have gotten. He was leading the race and once again disaster struck when the upper A arm bolts broke putting him down 6 laps and a 10th place finish. Now let's recap: 17 main event starts
Okay let's be real. He is consistently in the Top 10 and over 50% of the time he is in the Top 5. Consistency wins Championships. He is one of the least talked about racers currently on the local circuit because he isn't out front at the end of the race. But he is right on their asses and finishing right where he needs to be and when it counts, don't ever count him out. I may not consider him HOT, but I definitely don't think he is NOT! See you at the races....
July 1, 2009 - This Sunday, Quick Nick will be competing in the 2nd of 3 races in the Freedom Series Race at Antioch Speedway. Currently sitting 5th in the points for the Freedom Series, Nick has the dual task of moving up several spots in the Freedom Series points as well as trying to take the lead in the year end point standings. As of June 13, 2009, Nick was tied with Track Champion, Kenny Neu for first place. RESULTS RECAP - May 9th through 7/25 17 main event starts
5/8 - Ocean Speedway - 4th place main event finish
*********************************************** June 20th - Tonight at Antioch Speedway Quick Nick will try to break his first place points tie with Kenny New, the 2006 Antioch Speedway Dirt Modified Champion.
The motor problems that have plagued the #17 over the past several weeks have finally come to an end. Quick Nick proved that last week with a 4th place finish at Antioch Speedway. Even with a broken tie rod that took him out under a yellow, Nick was able to pull into the pits have the tie rod fixed and was back on the track. Working his way up from the back of the pack. Tonight the purse is $2,000 to win and Quick Nick, his pit crew and #17 are ready to roll. Don't forget to stop in the pits after the race to see Quick Nick and get an autograph. ***************** June 12th - Even as the month of May flew by and the first weeks of June have passed, the mechanical problems continue to plague the #17 of Quick Nick DeCarlo. Motor change after motor change has not rectified the problem. But don't fret. The crew of the #17 headed up by Terry DeCarlo Sr. will prevail as always. They'll have all the kinks worked out by November when Nick heads to the Duel in the Dessert in Las Vegas, Nevada with many fans in tow. The mechanical problems haven't held the young man back to far in the pack. With 9 Main Event starts he has 5 Top 5 finishes and 8 Top 10 finishes. Nick has made two appearances this season in the #17 Dirt Modified at Petaluma Speedway, a favorite track of his fans. His last visit gave him a win in his heat, a trophy dash appearance and 3rd place finish in the main. With two appearances, Nick currently sits in the Top 10 in points with 10 points separating him from 9th. Quite interesting after two appearances. Last night at Ocean Speedway, where Nick has made 4 appearances this season and is currently sitting 15 points out of a Top 10 spot in the standings, Quick Nick lugged his crew to the Wild West Modified Tour by the encouragement and support of one of Nick's racer buddies, #66 Kevin Fitzgerald. 30 cars showed up with many out of towners, like Nick, competing for the $1,000 prize. The #17 once again was not 100%, but Nick drove the car to a 4th place finish in his heat, one spot out of a transfer spot to the A-Main. Not to worry, with two B main events, as always, Nick has to do things his own way....the hard way. Nick finished 3rd in the B Main earning a transfer spot to the A-Main. Starting 18th in the pack of the 26 car field, the track was "tacky, sticky and fast". "They are flying" was the word from Ocean. Working in the traffic and pushing the red and white #17 to her best, she just wasn't up to the challenge once again. But Quick Nick finished 13th. His first finish outside the Top 10 all season. Tonight, Saturday, June 13th, Nick will put her to the test again at his home track of Antioch Speedway. As modifications to the #17 are possibly underway at this time, we shall see what she has for tonight. Nick currently sits in 3rd place where 8 points separate first, second and third Stay Tuned for the results. RESULTS RECAP - May 9th through 6/13 12 main event starts 5/8 - Ocean Speedway - 4th place main event finish
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April 25th 2009 - Antioch speedway fans got a double dose of DeCarlo racing action this past Saturday Night when Quick Nick DeCarlo and his long time racer dad, Terry DeCarlo Sr. gave the fans something to cheer about. The father son duo gave the Speedway Fans a 1 – 2 punch with Terry winning the main event for the Nor-Cal Vintage Hard Tops and “Quick” Nick DeCarlo coming in 2nd in the main event in his #17 Dirt Modified. Antioch hosts the Nor-Cal Vintage Hard Tops several times in its 2009 schedule. This Saturday was the first of the series. Terry DeCarlo Sr. ran the #39 car owned by Tommy Thompson of San Leandro to a 2nd place finish in the heat after starting in the back of the pack and a win in the main event. The 1937 Chevy is the original car driven by Tommy Thompson in the late 70’s and is exactly as he left it after winning the last race in 1978 in Vallejo. DeCarlo won the race by a landslide lapping cars. It was exciting to see the old cars in action once again. “Tommy and I used to race these cars in the ‘70’s in Vallejo” said DeCarlo. “I am just having some fun out there.” Following in his dads footsteps “Quick Nick” wasn’t going to be out done. Pulling off a 1 – 2 win of his own, the young DeCarlo won the heat and was 2nd in the main, with a 3rd place trophy dash finish. Starting in the front row outside of the main event as the green flag dropped, Quick Nick took the lead and didn’t look back. He lead the first 9 laps of the race with a ½ lap lead ahead of the 2nd place car. The first yellow of the night came in lap 3 with the 2nd of the night coming Lap 6. Quick Nick would be challenged to hold off 2007 Dirt Modified Champion, Kenny Neu. A task that the youngster handled quite well, taking the outside position, putting Neu on the bottom, the youngster pulled ahead again to a 5 car length lead. A yellow in Lap 9 had DeCarlo and Neu in the same predicament. Nick was up to the challenge but the red and white #17 just wasn’t going to be very helpful. Still with a lot of car left, DeCarlo and Neu pulled ahead of the field by a ½ a lap. DeCarlo started experience problems but the large lead over 3rd place of Kevin Fitzgerald held up bringing Quick Nick to a 2nd place main event finish. “You’ll win soon” said one blogger on Quick Nick’s website. A sentiment that is echoed by many. Quick Nick will be back in action this Saturday Night at Antioch Speedway where he will once again put the #17 to the test while celebrating his 19th birthday.
Opening Day Results - Ocean As the afternoon fog rolled in over the hills, opening day at Ocean Speedway was getting underway. With the #17 Dirt Modified shining and ready to go, Quick Nick was ready to get the season started. Starting in the 2nd row inside of the heat, the car was looking spectacular on the track. The track on the other hand was showing the signs of the off season work not quite settled in yet. With huge ruts in turn one, there was nothing in the low groove. Starting in the back of the pack of the Main event was like repeating most of 2008. Nick always liked to do things the hard way last year by working his way through the traffic. Something he has the skill to do no matter what the circumstances. Friday night was no different. The tracks name suited it on Friday night, "Ocean", as turn one was like riding the waves of the high tide. Nick used his patient driving ability and worked his way from the back of the pack to finish 7th for the night. "I am happy. Starting in the back and finishing 7th is good" said Nick after the race. This Saturday is opening day at Antioch Speedway. With all things going extremely well for the Nick DeCarlo Race team, 2009 looks to be a great finish in the points standings. The youngster makes a name for himself at the Budweiser Championship Series Bakersfield, California With Antioch Speedway cancelling 2 weeks of racing due to track conditions, Quick Nick's excitement of debuting his new Modified quickly came to an end. He'd have to wait a few more weeks to put his new red and white #17 on the track. The 4-day old motor from the last race of 2008 built by Nick's dad, Terry had its new trinkets on it, but it could not show its stuff. But if you remember last year, never ever count Quick Nick DeCarlo out until it is over. Nick got word of the Bakersfield Budweiser Championship race but due to the economy the cost of the long trip was too much for Nick to put out. On Thursday, Nick received word that Sean O. Wilson of Polaris Risk Management & Insurance Services would sponsor Nick's trip. Quick Nick was goin' racin'. Most of Nick's normal fan base was unable to make the trip to Bakersfield, but a few Martinez fans in Bakersfield for the Drag Races stopped in to give some cheers to the out of towner. As the #17 rolled in, the local favorites were in plain sight, Brad Pounds, Mike Johnson, etc. As usual Nick was in the fast heat starting 2nd row inside. Nick pushed hard into turn two and came out ahead of the leaders, they caught him again. Coming out of turn two again Nick pulled ahead. They caught him one last time and then down the straight away 18 year old Quick Nick DeCarlo passed Brad Pounds on the straight away to win his first heat rate of the 2009 season. The young out of towner had now turned some heads. Pulling a 6 in the pill draw Nick's starting position for the A Main was 3rd row outside of the field of 18 cars. Nick finished 4th in front of two-time track champion Gary Dutton and Pounds. Quick Nick is starting out the 2009 season with a bang. He has earned himself a few whispers from the local racers at the 2009 is starting out quite nicely for Nick and you can bet it is only going to get better ************************************** Rookie of the Year anticipates the 2009 Season The start of the 2009 Season is vastly approaching for Quick Nick DeCarlo who was named the 2008 Antioch Speedway Dirt Modified Rookie of the Year, a title deserved by none other than him. Nick has been working on his newly owned Dirt Modified all winter in preparation for the upcoming season. At 18 years old, he alone fabricated a new red & white #17 which he will race in Quick Nick will debut his #17 Dirt Modified at Antioch Speedway on March 7th where the purse is $1,000 to win. Check back each week starting in March for the Saturday Night update and a listing of where Quick Nick & the #17 will be racing. Welcome to the 2009 Season Race Fans
Final Race of the 2008 Modified/LM Season With the final race upon him and the motor sponsor having to rebuild the motor for next season, Nick was faced with the dilema of what to do for the final weekend of 2008. Little did Nick know as he and his mom, Danette were pulling the motor out of the Modified to return it to the sponsor, that his dad, Terry, was already building a new motor for him for the weekend. Terry knew the motor wasn't going to be strong, but it would get the job done for Nick to race one last time for the 2008 season. The field was deep with out of towners Pappenhausen, Coughman, both McDaniels and then the locals Neu, Brown, Crowell, Chadwick. But Quick Nick is becoming a force to be reckoned with. Over the last year he has learned enough about racing the Modified and enough about the style of most of the drivers to get the job done and being patient enough to know when to make a move to the top of the field. Nick must have decided to do things the easy way this weekend, a bit of a different route than he had to take in the last two Modified races. In the heat, his 2nd place finish kept him from having to race the "C" Main or "B" Main. Races he has become very familiar with. The 2nd place finish had him starting on the inside of the third row. The green flag dropped and shortly after the first yellow of the night. Nick was in 3rd behind the #27 of Kellen Chadwick. The race began again and yet another yellow flag. Nick was in 6th place but pulled off the track. He was concerned that the car was losing power. Dad gave the instructions "it is still running and you look great, get back out there" and off he went. Now pulling off the track caused him to do things his own way again. He was in the back of the pack. Not to worry, he likes to bring his fans to the their feet and this week his fan base came from all over Northern California - From Oakdale to Forrestville with one of his most faithful fans watching via text messaging while in the San Francisco Bay. With 18 laps to go, the kid was already in 8th and "going fast" was the message. With 11, to go he was in 5th and that darn 4 day old motor was workin' its magic. As the checkered dropped, it was Ryan McDaniel, Kenny Neu and that youngster we all know and love, Nicholas "Quick Nick" DeCarlo. The season has been amazing for this young kid. From getting a friendly gesture of a one time race, to a ride for the season, to being the car owner. All the pieces are falling into place for this guy. With his own Muffler/Fabrication shop in the early stages of opening, the cars tucked away and ready for refreshing and that amazing 4 day old motor getting some new trinkets, the 2009 season is vastly approaching. I am told, Nick plans to keep in shape with racing his 500 in Lakeport every now and again, but the real racing action will be back faster than we all think. See you in 2009.
LIVE UPDATES FROM IMCA Western Nationals - Ocean Speedway 10/3 Quick Nick is up against some of the best drivers around in and out of the state. There are a total of 51 Modifieds at the IMCA Western Nationals here in Watsonville. Nick raced the 4th qualifing heat of 5. He started in the back of the pack. He had a little bump to the 11 car which caused the 11 car to spin. Rules here are if you cause the yellow, you get black flagged, or something to that effect. Not exactly sure, but they say "one and your done". This put Nick in the 3rd "B" Main. Top 4 places transfer to the "A" Main. Once again in the back of the pack, Nick was hot, hot, hot. On lap 7 he turned the fastest lap time of the race at 15.684. Nick was pushing hard and had passed two packs of cars to be in 5th place. He pushed just a tad to hard and got just a little sideways in between turn one and two. When the caution flag didn't drop, Nick ended up one lap down and the night was over. Tomorrow is another night. We are praying for no rain and a low pee #.
Antioch Speedway - All Star 35 Results 9/26/08 After racing to a 4th place Main event finish in his Crate Late Model on Friday Night at Ocean Speedway and jumping two positions in the point standings to finish 5th for the season, Quick Nick's 5th place finish in the UMP Modified didn't come easy Saturday night at Antioch Speedway. This cinched up a Top 5 finish in the year end point standings for the youngsters first year in a Modified. The 40 cars that rolled into Antioch Speedway were the best of the best in Northern California. A flat tire in the qualifing heat left Nick running the "C" Main event. With the top 6 transfering to the "B" Main, Nick finished 7th. Nick and his crew had come to terms with the night ending early. With the trailer some what packed, they were headed for the stands to watch the race just as the call came in that a car had dropped out. Nick had just seconds to get dressed and be in his car to make the "B" Main. The "B" Main again wasn't an easy one for the #27. Nick was battling it out with the #9 and the #28 for the 6th place spot. The #9 was not giving up his line to let Nick pass even though the #27 was faster. Fighting it out with #9 gave the #28 of Chest Niss a chance to sneak by leaving Nick to finish 8th. His fans were somewhat confused and figured Nick was done for the night thinking only 6 cars transferred. Imagine their surprise as he rolled on the track for the "A" Main event starting in the back of the field of 18 cars. 18 year old Nick was in the "A" Main with some of the best drivers around. But Nick's patient driving earned him a spot in the middle of the pack after several laps. Running 8th on lap 15th, Nick's luck was once again challenged with yet another flat. With a quick change of the tire, Nick was out on the track and once again in the back of the pack. He fought his way up the pack and came away with the 5th place finish. It was a long, wild, tough night for Quick Nick, but once again he prevailed. Antioch Speedway Results 9/20/08
Making his debut in his now newly owned #27 Dirt Modified, Nick started deep in the field of cars. Running 5th with 11 laps to go a tangle up with the leaders Rob Norris and Kevin Fitzgerald, who is on Nick's tail in the points standings, left the door open for Quick Nick and two other cars to sneak by on the high side. Green flag dropped once again and getting stuck behind a car gave opportunity for Donny Shelton to get about a half a track lead on the pack. No worries for Quick Nick. The Cohelo chassis held on as Nick pushed her harder and harder to catch
Welcome to the website of "Quick Nick" DeCarlo 2008 is beginning to unfold with exciting things for Nick. He built his second Crate Late Model to race in Watsonville, California. Look for Nick in the Wingless Sprint owned by Dan Gonderman at Antioch Speedway in California. In addition, Nick has secured a ride in the Dirt Modified of Brad Coelho after taking everyone by surprise in March when he proved his natural racing talent once again. His season debut in the Modified was on March 29th with a friendly offer from Brad Coelho to race the #27 Dirt Modified. That night Nick dazzled the Antioch Speedway fans. It was Antioch's first race and many of the top modified drivers in the state were on hand to show support for local injured racer, Kellen Chadwick. Not to mention, the race purse was upped to $1,000 going to the winner. Nick started the race deep in the field, 17th in the 20 car field. He patiently worked his way forward. He soon found himself racing veteran racer, Randy McDaniel for a top five spot. Late in the race, he moved past Randy and was looking ahead running in third. A late race caution slowed the pace but Nick was ready to move on the leaders, Ryan McDaniel and Duane Cleveland. Luck was not on his side. As the green flag flew one last time, he charged towards the lead but the engine let go. His night ended with a disappointing finish but a strong run. Engine failure. Although the car failed, Nick's talent stood out. Nick showed that even at such a young age, he is ready to challenge the veterans and show his skill. Many exciting things are in the works for the racing career of "Quick Nick" DeCarlo. Look for Nick at Ocean Speedway, Antioch Speedway and anywhere else a race will take him. IMCA Western Nationals - Ocean Speedway 10/4 Once again, Quick Nick kept his fans on their feet from the qualifing heat all the way through the "A" Main where he finished in the top 10 amongst the fastest, most seasoned drivers from California to Arkansas. All night long, Nick ended up in races that included every "hot dog" driver that showed up at Ocean Speedway. The qualifiying heat was no exception. Nick was in the field with drivers such as Jim Pettit II and local favorite Bobby Hogge IV. 10 Cars - 10 Laps - Top 3 Transfer. Nick started in the back of the pack. A late yellow on lap 8 sent the field into a single file start. With Pettit in 3rd, Quick Nick in 4th and the #7 of Kellen Chadwick in 5th. Green flag dropped, Pettit got sideways in turn 3 and Quick Nick scampered by. Now in the final transfer spot with 2 laps to go, Nick had a slight bobble in turn 3 and Chadwick got underneath him leaving Nick to finish 4th and required to race the "B" Main. The real excitement came in the "B" main. 12 Cars- 15 Laps- Top 5 transfer to the "A" Main. Once again, 18 year old Nick was in the middle of the top most seasoned drivers. Hogge, Pettit, Chadwick and Friday Nights "A" Main event winner Ryan McDaniel. Starting on the outside of the front row, the green flag dropped and it was on. Nick was running strong and sitting in 2nd when the first yellow flag dropped in the 6th lap. Local favorite Bobby Hogge IV was out. After the green flag dropped, the excitement began, Nick was now holding off two-time Southwest Tour Champion, Jim Pettit II. Pettit was trying to run underneath in the turns, racing door handle to door handle, Nick would come out strong and in front pulling Pettit down the back stretch. Four laps later, Pettit would get by. A late yellow in Lap 13 had them starting single file, Pettit, DeCarlo, #19 Michael Dalton, holding the top 3 spots. Green flag dropped and it was now in the bag for Pettit and DeCarlo as they both pulled away from the field and with the veteran Pettit taking the checkered flag first it only seemed fitting for the youngster to follow in 2nd..... this time. The "A" Main had Nick starting on the outside of row 8. The first yellow came shortly after the green flag and Nick who started 16th was already 9th. Lap 19 showed Nick's amazing driving skills when the #68 passed Nick low, but crossed up and Nick slid right underneath holding his spot. #68 would later pass moving Nick only one spot to finish 10th. Nick's Top 10 finish put in the him at the end of the list of the most elite drivers at the IMCA Western Nationals.
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