Australian Peter Britten Wraps Up Big-Block Modified Binge In U.S.

Weedsport, NY — June 23, 2009 – By Tom Skibinski, DIRTcar Racing Northeast PR Director
*Jay Fish Photo

After two weeks engulfed in a non-stop array of oval track activity around the DIRTcar Modified circuit in Upstate New York, Peter Britten is bound for Australia and his return home to Brisbane, Queensland.

Two successive weekends of racing at four Empire State ovals matched up Australian V8 Dirt Modified Champion Britten against some of the best Big-Block drivers in the Northeast, leaving ‘Batman’ ready to fly back across the world and tell all his mates.

“We definitely didn’t have the kind of weekend we had hoped for the second time around but I can certainly take back a lot of what we worked on and put to use on the track,” remarked Britten, 21, alluding to his first-ever visit to Brewerton Speedway on Friday and a return to Cayuga County Fair Speedway on Sunday, with a second chance to conquer Fulton Speedway vanquished by rain Saturday.

“For the most part I learned that these cars are very different from what I’ve been used to at home. You have to change your driving style as there’s a whole different way to race them. This experience will certainly help out adjusting to the slick tracks and what to do to get the car ready,” said Britten, who plans to depart Wednesday afternoon for the land downunder to conclude a 60-hour round trip.

Britten made his stateside debut June 12 at Can-Am Motorsports Park in LaFargeville and followed up with back-to-back stops at Fulton and Cayuga County. A broken right-front shock relegated him to 17th in his maiden voyage to Brewerton on June 19 before a frontstretch crash sidelined him with just 10 laps scored at Cayuga County (finished 25th).

“It was a little rough at Brewerton, going into one of the corners the shock just snapped,” noted Britten, recognized aboard the primarily blue #1 Troyer Big-Block entry emblazoned with his signature black bat on both side panels and national flag adorning the hood scoop. “Somebody got into my right-rear at Weedsport and turned me sideways, I just hit the wall dead-on after that. The front end is pretty beat up, we’re just pulling it apart now (Monday) and assessing the damage before we pack it up.”

‘We’re also shipping over another complete car, maybe one more to sell, and plenty of spare parts. We want to bring back everything we’ll need to supply our own clients during the year,” said Britten, whose season traditionally starts the last week in September and ends in late May, with 25-30 race meets spread throughout the spring and summer in the southern hemisphere. (Note: Its June and winter has just arrived in Australia).

With full backing from his parents Paul and Jane Britten, the JBR Motorsport team is the recognized distributor downunder for Troyer Racecars and parts, geared up to provide the latest U.S. racing technology to the Australian market. Peter recently captured the 2009 Dirt Modified Australia Championship in Western Australia, bringing with it a series of firsts that includes the first Australian title, first Australian title for a Troyer Chassis in their first year of Australian competition, and first Australian title for a Queensland driver.

“We had a few setbacks but being able to race here was certainly an enjoyable experience overall,” assessed Britten, who is used to racing for a weekly winner’s share of $1,000 and up to $3,000 for the bigger shows staged across the ocean. “For us its typically one night of racing each week, so three chances every weekend is a great opportunity and I really respect the guys that can do it while holding down a job. If you can take out a couple wins along the way its definitely satisfying, although I got to see first-hand how tough it can be when you’re struggling to hit the right set-up.”

Despite falling short in his memorable bid to contend against the likes of reigning overall Hoosier Tire-VP Racing Fuels Mr. DIRTcar Champion Billy Decker, all-time DIRTcar Big-Block Modified feature winner Alan Johnson and Troyer teammate Jimmy Phelps, Britten is already hopeful that a plan to return to America in 2010 will be devised in the near future.

“I went to Orange County (June 17) for the tour show and it was certainly an impressive field, that’s the top of the game,” added Britten, who joined Billy Colton, head of the Rochester, New York-based Troyer operation, and H & H Motorsports team members Phelps and crew chief Randy Kisacky when they traveled to Orange County Fair Speedway in Middletown for the Super DIRTcar Series event. “I’d love to go out there and mix it up with the those guys some day, its any driver’s dream to race full-time and be successful.”

“I don’t have any specific plans to return to the states right now but its definitely something I’d like to do. The past two weeks everybody was on such a fast pace and it was over before we knew it. Next time I’d like a longer stay and be able to run the same tracks, I think some better results would come of it,” Britten said.

For more information on V8 Dirt Modified racing in Australia, please visit on-line www.v8dirtmodifieds.com.au or log into www.jbrmotorsport.com.au; direct e-mail can be addressed to peter@jbrmotorsports.com.au. Also be sure to check out the short video clip of Peter Britten on his way to a dramatic feature win in Australia by clicking on http://www.jbrmotorsport.com.au/page/video_gallery.html.

For further details, please contact:-
Ben Graham- Dirt Modifieds Australia Media Liaison
Ph: +61 413 761 733
E: ben@zoomxtreme.com.au

DIRTcar Racing Northeast main office is located in Weedsport, New York on the Cayuga County Fairgrounds www.cayugacountyfairspeedway.com, home of the 2009 DIRTcar All-Star Weekend, July 17-19, featuring Hoosier Tire-VP Racing Fuels Mr. DIRTcar Championship Series events for Sportsman and Big-Block Modifieds in the richest short-track show of its kind in the nation — the $20,000-to-win Super DIRTcar Series “DIRTcar All-Star 100” on Sunday, July 19.