Weedsport, NY — June 12, 2008 – By Tom Skibinski, Advance Auto Parts Super DIRTcar Series PR Director
Spreading its wings south from home base in Central New York, the Advance Auto Parts Super DIRTcar Series is ready to host the first-ever tour show at Georgetown Speedway in Delaware. The recent announcement has already locked up internet message boards as web surfers chase down details surrounding the historic event.
Thursday, July 17 is the upcoming date settled on by series and speedway officials, with round one of the ‘Super Southern Swing’ taking place the night before as racers make their trek to Pennsylvania for the 10th Annual ‘Traffic Jam 100’ at Grandview Speedway.
“We’re looking forward to a return trip to Delaware, and especially our first visit to Georgetown, where we know a lot of long-time Big-Block fans are still avid followers of the DIRTcar circuit,” said Cory Reed, DIRTcar Racing NorthEast Director of Competition & Track Sanctioning. “We’ve heard great things about the racing at the track and can’t wait to see for ourselves in another month.”
“Whenever there’s midweek travel involved we try to schedule back to back shows. Its exciting to have another race date in Delaware and doubling up with Grandview creates a very attractive run for all of our teams and fans looking to make summer vacation plans,” Reed added.
The Advance Series has not journeyed to the First State since top point chasers raced at Charlie Cathell’s Delaware Int’l Speedway in August of 2004. Bridgeport (NJ) Speedway owner Jay James took over the Georgetown lease this year and wasted little time contacting Reed to discus the possibilities of staging another tour stop.
“I wanted to run Georgetown long before I got Bridgeport,” said James, who last promoted an Advance Auto Parts Series event in 2005, his second full season at the helm of Garden State staple Bridgeport. Residing in Laurel, Delaware just 10 minutes from Georgetown Speedway, James was also a successful car owner fielding Big-Block Modified rides for veteran wheelmen Danny Johnson, Jimmy Horton, Doug Hoffman and Ricky Elliott. “If the July show works out well we’re looking at another show around Labor Day.”
Sitting idle for a decade, Georgetown re-opened in 2006 and finished with one of the most solid seasons in the track’s storied history that dates back more than a half-century. Also operating under the names Sea Coast Speedway, Delaware Speedway and Stokley Speedway, Georgetown’s half-mile dirt oval first opened for competition in autumn of 1949 and continued through 1963, running again 1971-1990 and 1992-97.
Scoring four wins in the eight Big-Block features held last season, Ryan Godown topped the final 2007 track point standings followed by Wade Hendrickson (3 wins), Billy Pauch (1), Chad James and Duane Rust. Pauch took the most checkered flags (5) driving for car owner Will Brown in ‘06 —joining Jamie Mills, Keith Hoffman and Richie Pratt Jr. in the win column— yet no points champion was officially declared.
When the cars and stars from the Advance Auto Parts Super DIRTcar Series come to town for the first event of the year at Georgetown, it will be current point leaders Billy Decker, Dale Planck, Brett Hearn, Danny Johnson and Jimmy Phelps taking on the hometown heroes in their bid to become the first winner in the First State.
Contact Director of Competition & Track Sanctioning Cory Reed at the DIRTcar NorthEast Office (315/834-6606) or log into www.superdirtcarseries.com for additional Advance Auto Parts Super DIRTcar Series information. Georgetown promoter Jessica James can be reached daily at the event office 302/875-4197.
Georgetown Speedway www.georgetownspeedway.com is located on the northbound side of U.S. Route 113, just 35 miles south of Dover, Delaware, a 45-minute drive from Ocean City, and easily accessible from Washington DC, Baltimore and Philadelphia.
2008 Advance Auto Parts Super DIRTcar Series Schedule
NP=Non-Point event.
*All events subject to change.
DAY-DATE TRACK WINNER/RITE AID 200 QUALIFIER
Wed-Feb 13 Volusia Speedway Park-NP Billy Pauch
Thr-Feb 14 Volusia Speedway Park-NP Brett Hearn
Fri-Feb 15 Volusia Speedway Park-NP Dale Planck
Sat-Feb 16 Volusia Speedway Park-NP Jimmy Horton
Sat-Mar 22 Hagerstown Speedway Weather-Cancelled
Thr-May 1 Virginia Motor Speedway Matt Sheppard(G)
Sun-May 4 Rolling Wheels Raceway Billy Decker(G)
Sun-May 4 Rolling Wheels Raceway Dale Planck(G)
Sun-May 25 Cayuga Co Fair Speedway D.Planck/Danny Johnson(P)
Sat-Jun 7 Fulton Speedway B.Decker/Brett Hearn(P)
Thr-Jul 3 Ransomville Speedway Ransomville,NY
Thr-Jul 10 Brockville Ont Speedway Brockville,ONT
Fri-Jul 11 Autodrome Granby Granby,QUE
Sat-Jul 12 Autodrome Drummond Drummondville,QUE
Sun-Jul 13 Cornwall Motor Speedway Cornwall,ONT
Wed-Jul 16 Grandview Speedway Bechtelsville,PA
Thr-Jul 17 Georgetown Speedway Georgetown, DE
Thr-Jul 31 Orange Co Fair Speedway Middletown,NY
Mon-Aug 4 Merrittville Speedway Thorold,ONT
Fri-Aug 8 Brewerton Speedway Brewerton,NY
Sat-Aug 9 Canandaigua Speedway Canandaigua,NY
Sat-Aug 16 Can-Am Motorsports Park LaFargeville,NY
Sun-Aug 31 Cayuga Co Fair Speedway Weedsport,NY
Mon-Sep 1 Rolling Wheels Raceway Elbridge,NY
Sat-Sep 6 Lebanon Valley Speedway West Lebanon,NY
Fri-Sep 12 Lernerville Speedway Sarver,PA
Sat-Sep 20 Canandaigua Speedway Canandaigua,NY
Sat-Sep 27 Rolling Wheels Raceway Elbridge,NY
Sun-Oct 12 New York State Fairgrounds Syracuse,NY
Sun-Oct 19 Orange Co Fair Speedway Middletown,NY
Headquartered in Roanoke, Va., Advance Auto Parts, a leading automotive aftermarket retailer of parts, accessories, batteries, and maintenance items in the United States, serves both the do-it-yourself and professional installer markets As of April 19, 2008, the Company operated 3,291 stores in 40 states, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands. Additional information about the Company, employment opportunities, customer services, and on-line shopping for parts and accessories can be found on the Company’s web site at www.advanceautoparts.com.
The Advance Auto Parts Super DIRTcar Series for Big-Block Modifieds is brought to fans across the Northeast by several sponsors and partners, including series sponsors Advance Auto Parts, Hoosier Racing Tire and Sunoco Race Fuels. Promotional partners include AMB i.t., Rite Aid Corporation and the University of Northwestern Ohio and the contingency sponsors are Bert Transmission, Bicknell Racing Products, Bilstein Shocks, Brodix Cylinder Heads, Crane Cams, Integra Shocks, MSD Ignitions, Motorsports Safety Systems, Penske Shocks and Wrisco Industries.
