Weedsport, NY — June 20, 2008 – By Tom Skibinski, Advance Auto Parts Super DIRTcar Series PR Director
Headed by current series point leaders Billy Decker and Dale Planck, all-time tour winner Brett Hearn and reigning track points king Ryan Godown, the list of probable entries for the first-ever Advance Auto Parts Super DIRTcar Series show at Georgetown Speedway continues to grow.
With the ‘Super Southern Swing’ kicking off the night before at Grandview Speedway in Bechtelsville, Pa., the Georgetown, Delaware oval hosts its first event of the season on Thursday, July 17 and the DIRTcar doubleheader has already swelled to over 40 race teams.
The official date of Georgetown’s inaugural Advance Series show was announced just one week ago yet Big-Block Modified entries have been confirmed for a number of top teams already making plans to contend.
“I think fans are in for a real treat heading down south this year,” said Cory Reed, DIRTcar Racing NorthEast Director of Competition & Track Sanctioning. “The tight racing always makes for an exciting show at Grandview and from what I’ve heard, Georgetown will be smooth and fast all night long. With so many teams having interest right off the bat, they don’t want to miss it either.”
A stellar list of projected entries spanning four states and Canada is already in place for the Advance Series specials at Grandview and Georgetown. The all-star cast of cars and stars from the Northeastern Modified ranks includes defending overall Hoosier Tire Mr. DIRTcar Champion Hearn along with ’07 Grandview titlist Jeff Strunk. Hearn, third in 2008 points, also captured the ‘Traffic Jam 100’ tour stop at Grandview last July.
Headlining the assault behind Decker, Planck and Hearn are ‘08 top tour point-getters Danny Johnson, Jimmy Phelps, Matt Sheppard, Gary Tomkins, Justin Haers, Steve Paine and all-time DIRTcar Big-Block Modified feature winner Alan Johnson. Advance Series regulars Frankie Caprara, Ryan Phelps, Larry Wight, Pat O’Brien and Billy Dunn fill out the front-15 in the standings and all are scheduled to make the trip south.
Season-opening Florida DIRTcar Nationals winners Billy Pauch and Jimmy Horton, along with their sons Billy Jr. and Jimmy IV, are expected to be in competition representing the Garden State while Frank Cozze, Duane Howard, Craig VonDohren, Rick Laubach, Steve Bottcher and Keith Hoffman carry the Pennsylvania flag. Delaware drivers defending their home soil will be Jamie Mills, Chad James, Steve Downs, Tim Millman and upstarts Jordan and Joseph Watson.
Modified teams can direct any questions regarding rule procedures to Cory Reed, DIRTcar NE Director of Competition & Track Sanctioning, at the DIRTcar NE Office (315/834-6606) or log into www.superdirtcarseries.com for additional information. Drivers wishing to add their team to the pre-race roster can contact DIRTcar NorthEast PR Director Tom Skibinski at DIRTcar NE headquarters (x28) or through e-mail tskibinski@dirtcar.com correspondence.
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. Track promoter Jessica James can be reached daily at the event office 302/875-4197.
Grandview Speedway www.grandviewspeedway.com is located on Passmore Road, just off Route 100 in Bechtelsville, Pa. just ten miles north of Pottstown. Event promoter Bob Miller can be contacted at ‘Thunder on the Hill’ www.thunderonthehillracingseries.com headquarters 443/513-4456 while the track phone remains 610/754-7688.
Super Southern Swing @ Grandview Speedway & Georgetown Speedway (June 20)
0 Richie Pratt Jr./Sewell,NJ
1c Craig VonDohren/Oley,PA
1w Billy Pauch/Frenchtown,NJ
fx1 Frankie Caprara/Watertown,NY
3 Justin Haers/Phelps,NY
4 Duane Howard/Oley,PA
5 Jimmy Horton/Neshanic Station,NJ
6 Pat O’Brien/Kingston,ONT
7a Chic Cossaboone/Petersburg,NJ
7x Steve Paine/Waterloo,NY
9s Matt Sheppard/Waterloo,NY
14 Rick Laubach/Quakertown,PA
14 Doug Manmiller/Wyomissing,PA
14j Alan Johnson/Middlesex,NY
15 Billy Pauch Jr./Frenchtown,NJ
20 Brett Hearn/Sussex,NJ
26 Ryan Godown/Ringoes,NJ
27 Chad James/Laurel,DE
27j Danny Johnson/Rochester,NY
27x Steve Bottcher/Lehighton,PA
29 Jeff Brownell Jr./Waterloo,NY
30 Jamie Mills/Milford,DE
30 Jordan Watson/Milford,DE®
33 Ray Swinehart/Bechtelsville,PA
39 Joseph Watson/Milford,DE
39w Steve Downs/Georgetown,DE
41 Shawn Reimert/Oley,PA
42b Kevin Bates/Lake Ariel,PA
43 Jim Horton IV/Neshanic Station,NJ
44 Frank Cozze/Wind Gap,PA
49 Billy Dunn/Watertown,NY
51m Keith Hoffman/Whitehall,PA
56 Tim Millman/Milton,DE
77x Dale Planck/Cortland,NY
84 Gary Tomkins/Clifton Springs,NY
91 Billy Decker/Unadilla,NY
98h Jimmy Phelps/Baldwinsville,NY
99 Ryan Phelps/Fulton,NY
99L Larry Wight/Phoenix,NY®
117 Kevin Hirthler/Boyertown,PA
118 Sean Merkel/Gilbertsville,PA
126 Jeff Strunk/Mohnton,PA
711 Mike Illes/Medford,PA
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.
