Gater Leads The Way In Super DIRTcar Series Action

Weedsport, NY — March 17, 2010 – By Tom Skibinski, Super DIRTcar Series PR Director

The overall lap leader in the 2010 Super DIRTcar Series will earn a big bonus following conclusion of the annual Big-Block Modified tour thanks to the continuation of a special program developed in 2001 by the staff at Gater Racing Photo News.

The winner of the “Gater Leads The Way” lap leader award will earn a package valued in excess of $1,000, including a gift certificate from Leaf Racewear, Gater subscriptions and a commemorative plaque. The award will be presented by Gater News editor Joe Patrick at the 35th Annual DIRTcar Racing Northeast ‘Night of Champions’ Awards Banquet in November at the Turning Stone Resort & Casino in Verona, N.Y.

“We’re pleased to once again recognize one of the Series’ front runners with a special reward,” said Joe Patrick, whose father Norm Patrick, retired publisher of Gater Racing News and ’97 Northeast Modified Hall of Fame Inductee, co-founded Central New York’s top-rated tradepaper in 1966. “This is a unique award as past winners haven’t always been able to lock up the overall Mr. DIRTcar title despite their consistency when it comes to leading the way.”

That notion has been proven on four occasions over the last nine years with Brett Hearn (2002 & ’04), Tim McCreadie (2003) and most recently Matt Sheppard (2009) falling short in their bid for the coveted Mr. DIRTcar Championship even though they paced the field more than any other driver. Hearn even led 14 races for 793 laps in 2002 before Alan Johnson earned DIRTcar’s highest Big-Block honor.

Last autumn Sheppard accepted the $1,000 package from Gater Racing News for leading the most laps (699 in 11 of the 20 races) while Hearn captured an all-time record 7th overall Hoosier Tire-VP Racing Fuels Championship.

The 22-race Super DIRTcar Series opens on Saturday, March 27 with the ‘North-South Shootout’ at Hagerstown (Md.) Speedway and concludes Nov. 4-6 with a special appearance during the World of Outlaws World Finals at The Dirt Track at Charlotte.

Follow the Super DIRTcar Series as the top open-wheel drivers chase the Gater gold every week. Editions of Gater Racing Photo News are printed 37 times annually and one-year subscriptions are currently available for $42.00 (US addresses) and can be ordered by phone (315/457-0175) or writing to P.O. Box 2187 – Syracuse, N.Y. 13220.

Be sure to check out www.gaternews.com for additional information, including an opportunity to subscribe on-line for just $19.95 to the electronic version of the print publication e-Gater, which hits the web every Monday night during the season with the latest news, views and area race reports.

For more touring information, contact DIRTcar Racing Northeast Director of Competition & Track Sanctioning Joe Skotnicki (704/796-4566) or log into www.superdirtcarseries.com for additional news & notes. Be sure to sign up on http://www.twitter.com/SuperDIRTcar and receive updates anywhere at anytime.

DIRTcar Racing Northeast main office is located in Weedsport, New York on the Cayuga County Fairgrounds, home of DIRTcar All-Star Weekend in July. DIRTcar Northeast’s crown jewel event —Super DIRT Week at the New York State Fairgrounds in Syracuse runs annually in October featuring Hoosier Tire-VP Racing Fuels Mr. DIRTcar Championship Series events for Big-Block Modified, 358-Modified, Sportsman and Pro Stock divisions. Ticket and schedule information is available by contacting the Weedsport office (315/834-6606) during the day or logging into www.allstar100weekend.com and www.superdirtweekonline.com anytime.