Hearn, Phelps Vying for Top Spots in Final Rounds of Super DIRTcar Series Season
Competitors prep for series finales during PEAK Motor Oil World of Outlaws World Finals presented by NAPA Auto Parts
CONCORD, N. C. – Nov. 1, 2013 – Anything can happen come race night.
The mantra rings true for any Super DIRTcar Big-Block Modified Series event, but, reeling from Kellogg’s Qualifying Night on Thursday at the PEAK Motor Oil World of Outlaws World Finals Presented by NAPA Auto Parts and going into Friday’s and Saturday’s feature events, the Modified pits more than ever exude the tension the saying expresses.
The Big-Block Modifieds of the Super DIRTcar Series, along with the World of Outlaws Sprint Cars and the World of Outlaws Late Models, took on The Dirt Track at Charlotte for preliminary events leading to each series’ season finale. Super DIRTcar Series teams completed most of their qualifying events, including timed hot lap sessions and heat races, for both upcoming features, which take place Friday and Saturday. Race day B-Features and redraws will complete the starting grid for each A-Feature.
The stakes are high as competitors prepare for the last two races of the season. More than 300 series points are on the line the next two days, and Jimmy Phelps, currently second in points, hopes a good starting spot can help him win an ample portion of those points.
“We’ve got two more races, and we want to win them both,” said Phelps, who made fast time and placed first in his heat in qualifying events for Saturday’s 40-lap A-Feature. His qualifying results allow him to take part in Saturday’s redraw for one of eight top starting positions. Phelps also finished third in qualifying events for Friday’s A-Feature, also 40 laps, earning him the tenth starting position.
The driver of the HB Motorsports No. 98h is just 84 points behind series point leader point leader Matt Sheppard, and anything could happen over the next 80 feature laps to close that gap, or make it wider. For now, Phelps is trying to take it one race at a time.
“Our goal right now is to just keep this thing in second,” said Phelps, whose heat win followed of a tight battle with Hearn in the Madsen Overhead Doors No. 20. “We need to get a little faster. I thought in that qualifying race, even though we won, Brett had us on the watch a little bit. We got the jump on the green and we were able to hold him off, but I thought his car was a little better. So, that being said, we have to pick it up a little for Saturday. We’re definitely in the ballpark, we just have to make a few adjustments.”
Hearn, who is currently third in the series and trails Sheppard by 100 points, also qualified well. making it to the redraw both nights. Even for Hearn, the tension is high; a lucky redraw could have him starting first, a not-so-lucky one starting eighth. His main concern is keeping up with track conditions and making sure the car’s setup is suited for them.
“The challenge is going to be to read the track and drive it the way it needs to be driven,” said Hearn, of Sussex, N. J. “We know the car is good, it’s just a matter now of watching the track and making the right adjustments at the right times. We don’t know if the track is going to be the same tomorrow night, or if it’s going to change.”
PEAK Motor Oil World of Outlaws World Finals presented by NAPA Auto Parts continues Thursday, Nov. 2, with B-Features for the Super DIRTcar Series, heat races for the World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series and World of Outlaws Late Model Series, and A-Features for all three series. A similar schedule repeats Saturday, Nov. 3, in preparation for that night’s feautres, with Super DIRTcar B-Features and heat races for the World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series and World of Outlaws Late Model Series leading to feature events for all three.
PEAK Motor Oil World of Outlaws World Finals presented by NAPA Auto Parts
Super DIRTcar Series, Rounds 16 Qualifying Events
A-Feature scheduled for Friday, Nov. 2
Qualifying heats (8 laps, top 4 qualify, top 2 to redraw)
First Heat: 1. Tim McCreadie; 2. Tim Fuller; 3. Justin Haers; 4. Danny Johnson; 5. Matt DeLorenzo; 6. Carey Terrance; 7. Tom Sears Jr.; 8. Randy Chrysler; 9. Bob McGannon; 10. Mike Turner.
Second Heat: 1. Peter Britten; 2. Brett Hearn; 3. Jimmy Phelps; 4. Matt Sheppard; 5. Stewart Friesen; 6. Dave Allen; 7. Kevin Bates; 8. Billy VanInwegen; 9. Adam Roberts; 10. Vince Vitale.
Third Heat: 1. Ryan Godown; 2. Kenny Tremont Jr.; 3. Billy Dunn; 4. Tim Kerr; 5. Rob Bellinger; 6. Mike Bowman; 7. Tyler Siri; 8. Matt Hitchcock; 9. Tim Currier; 10. Roger Chrysler.
Fourth Heat: 1. Gary Tomkins; 2. Billy Decker; 3. Rich Scagliotta; 4. Dan Vauter; 5. Michel Chicoine; 6. Dave Rauscher; 7. Rick Richner; 8. Matt Hulsizer; 9. Tim Hindley; 10. Jerry Shaffer.
Timed hot laps session: 1. 20 Brett Hearn, 16.151; 2. 21a Peter Britten, 16.359; 3. 747 Ryan Godown, 16.393; 4. 98h Jimmy Phelps, 16.488; 5. 74 Tim Fuller, 16.491; 6. 91 Billy Decker, 16.611; 7. 27J Danny Johnson, 16.663; 8. 115 Kenny Tremont, Jr., 16.801; 9. 3 Justin Haers, 16.816; 10. 4* Tim McCreadie, 16.831; 11. 9s Matt Sheppard, 16.835; 12. 3d Matt DeLorenzo, 16.843; 13. 84 Gary Tomkins, 16.946; 14. 07 Tim Kerr, 16.962; 15. 1J Stewart Friesen, 16.970; 16. 62s Tom Sears Jr., 16.975; 17. 49 Billy Dunn, 16.977; 18. 8R Rob Bellinger, 17.023; 19. 10V Billy VanIngewen, 17.038; 20. 5* Tyler Siri, 17.120; 21. 21m Bob McGannon, 17.156; 22. 10c Tim Currier, 17.225; 23. 97 Michel Chicoine, 17.227; 24, 8 Rich Scagliotta, 17.236; 25. 56 Vince Vitale, 17.254; 26. 6N Kevin Bates, 17.271; 27. 66x Carey Terrance, 17.281; 28. 71 Mike Bowman, 17.362; 29. 88 Dave Allen, 17.427; 30. 1H Tim Hindley, 17.454; 31. 85 Dan Vauter, 17.474; 32. 48too Dave Rauscher, 17.503; 33. 63 Adam Roberts, 17.511; 34. 26 Rick Richner, 17.544; 35. 4 Jerry Shaffer, 17.549; 36. 55 Matt Hulsizer, 17.650; 37. 21K Randy Chrysler, 17.653; 38. 96 Mike Turner, 17.733; 39. 10h Matt Hitchcock, 17.905; 40. T21 Roger Chrysler, 18.206
PEAK Motor Oil World of Outlaws World Finals presented by NAPA Auto Parts
Super DIRTcar Series, Rounds 16 Qualifying Events
A-Feature scheduled for Saturday, Nov. 3
First Heat: 1. Peter Britten; 2. Tim McCreadie; 3. Justin Haers; 4. Rich Scagliotta; 5. Rob Bellinger; 6. Billy VanInwegen; 7. Bob McGannon; 8. Matt Hulsizer; 9. Matt Hitchcock; 10. Roger Chrysler.
Second Heat: 1. Billy Dunn; 2. Matt DeLorenzo; 3. Stewart Friesen; 4. Dave Rauscher; 5. Mike Bowman; 6. Tim Kerr; 7. Randy Chrysler; 8. Dan Vauter; 9. Mike Turner.
Did Not Start: Dave Allen
Third Heat: 1. Jimmy Phelps; 2. Brett Hearn; 3. Tim Fuller; 4. Gary Tomkins; 5. Ryan Godown; 6. Tom Sears Jr.; 7. Vince Vitale; 8. Rick Richner; 9. Michel Chicoine; 10. Tyler Siri.
Fourth Heat: 1. Kenny Tremont Jr.; 2. Matt Sheppard; 3. Carey Terrance; 4. Danny Johnson; 5. Billy Decker; 6. Tim Hindley; 7. Kevin Bates; 8. Adam Roberts; 9. Jerry Shaffer; 10. Tim Currier.
Timed hot laps session: 1. 98h Jimmy Phelps, 16.532; 2. 115 Kenny Tremont, Jr., 16.681; 3. 20H Brett Hearn, 16.716; 4. 74 Tim Fuller, 16.757; 5. 21a Peter Britten, 16.805; 6. 49 Billy Dunn, 16.912; 7. 4* Tim McCreadie, 16.917; 8. 84T Gary Tomkins, 16.977; 9. 9s Matt Sheppard, 17.014; 10. 27J Danny Johnson, 17.066; 11. 3d Matt DeLorenzo, 17.133; 12. 3 Justin Haers, 17.208; 13. 8 Rich Scagliotta, 17.211; 14. 747 Ryan Godown, 17.283; 15. 62s Tom Sears, Jr., 17.305; 16. 1J Stewart Friesen, 17.327; 17. 48too Dave Rauscher, 17.351; 18. 66x Carey Terrance, 17.363; 19. 97 Michel Chicoine, 17.382; 20. 8R Rob Bellinger, 17.390; 21. 91 Billy Decker, 17.405; 22. 71 Mike Bowman, 17.443; 23. 63 Adam Roberts, 17.513; 24. 85 Dan Vauter, 17.515; 25. 88 Save Allen, 17.515; 26. 1H Tim Hindley, 17.523; 27. 6N Kevin Bates, 17.544; 28. 26 Rick Richner, 17.548; 29. 56 Vince Vitale, 17.588; 30. 10c Tim Currier, 17.593; 31. 10V Billy VanIngewen, 17.680; 32. 21K Randy Chrysler, 17.686; 33. 21m Bob McGannon, 17.708; 34. 07 Tim Kerr, 17.728; 35. 4 Jerry Shaffer, 17.844; 36. 55 Matt Hulsizer, 17.930; 37. 10h Matt Hitchcock, 18.023; 38. 96 Mike Turner, 18.267; 39. T21 Roger Chrysler, 18.308; 40. 5* Tyler Siri, 19.073
The Super DIRTcar Series and DIRTcar Racing in the Northeast Region is brought to fans by several sponsors and partners including Hoosier Racing Tire, VP Racing Fuels, Chevy Performance Parts, Gander Mountain, NAPA Auto Parts, Nationwide Insurance, and Safety-Kleen. Promotional partners include the University of Northwestern Ohio. Contingency sponsors are ASI, Bicknell Racing Products, Bilstein Shocks, Brodix, ButlerBuilt, Cometic Gasket, Comp Cams, Intercomp, JE Pistons, Klotz Synthetic Lubricants, KSE Racing Products, Motorsports Safety Systems, MSD Ignition, Penske Shocks, Racing Electronics, Superflow, Vicci Racing Apparel, WIX Filters, Wrisco Industries, and Xtreme Lubricants.
