Middletown, NY — October 17, 2008 – By Tom Skibinski, Advance Auto Parts Super DIRTcar Series PR Director
*Bob Armbruster Photo
Defending champion Jeff Heotzler continued to set the pace at Orange County Fair Speedway on Friday afternoon as he bested 74 open-wheel entries to win the WLR Construction/Integra Shocks Fast Time Award for the 47th running of the Advance Auto Parts Super DIRTcar Series Eastern States 200 Championship.
The Wallkill, New York veteran won the Big-Block Modified pole in convincing fashion, blistering the storied 5/8-miler in a record time of 20.839 seconds (107.971 mph), bettering the former standard of 21.345 sec. established by eight-time race winner Brett Hearn during ESW ’03.
“This really feels good, what a race car, no wonder Brett’s so fast” quipped Heotzler, referring to his newest ride that was driven by all-time Advance Series winner Hearn to three feature wins earlier in the season at Orange County. The ‘Jeffer’ rallied from 42nd starting spot last autumn aboard Mike Petruska’s JPM-powered no. 66 Atlas Paving-Behrent’s Performance Warehouse/Bicknell entry to capture his first ‘200’ in 28 tries on the ‘Hard Clay.’ This time around he’ll start first steering the J&S Racing no. 74 Smith Bros. Concrete Foundations/TEO machine in search of a second straight $20,000 payday on Sunday. “It’s certainly better than starting last, I can tell you that.”
“We were a little tight, except I knew I had to keep it tight. I had to keep the tires under me and I just rode with it. Wherever it wanted to go I went with it and I was able to stay on the throttle and get a good lap,” summed up Heotzler, who earned his last start on the point in Orange County’s lucrative season-finale in 1996 — posting a lap time under 100 mph (22.541 sec.).
On a sun-drenched afternoon downstate, opening round time trials locked in the top-six for Sunday’s 200-lap main with Heotzler sharing the front row with former overall Hoosier Tire Mr. DIRTcar champion Tim Fuller (21.094 sec.), who is still in quest of the elusive Eastern States 200 title. Rising star Michael Storms (21.132), multi-time Eastern States titlist Danny Johnson (21.138), Orange County regular Chris Shultz (21.142), and past ESW winners Chuck McKee (21.158) and Rich Eurich (21.158) were next in line. McKee was awarded the outside row three starting spot on Sunday’s feature race grid as his second lap was quicker than Eurich’s initial effort.
By virtue of their finishes in the Advance Series ‘Grand Slam’ events already held, Tommy Meier (Lebanon Valley) and Ric Hill (Syracuse) are slated to start seventh and eighth on Sunday to help fill the 44-car starting line-up on Sunday.
Heotzler was the 56th driver scheduled among the 70 that eventually took time, leaping over Fuller, Johnson and Shultz, who rolled under the clocks in the top 22. A surprising Storms came out ninth from the end before vaulting past a number of veterans to lock himself into a top slot on Sunday’s star-studded line-up.
Eastern States action continues on Saturday with DIRTcar Big-Block Modified qualifiers joining the morning activities that are followed by 358-Modified consolation races. Both pit gates and grandstands are slated to open at 8 am followed by practice before the start of qualifying action for both Small-Block and Big-Block divisions. The final Big-block openings will be filled Sunday by last chance consolation round qualifiers prior to the 47th running of the Eastern States 200 Modified Championship finale.
Advance Auto Parts Super DIRTcar Series
EASTERN STATES WLR CONSTRUCTION MODIFIED TIME TRIALS
Orange County Fair Speedway – Middletown, N.Y., October 17
FAST AVE
TIME MPH CAR# DRIVER
1 20.839 107.971 74 Jeff Heotzler/Wallkill,NY
*$500 – WLR Contsruction/$100 Integra Shocks Pole Award
2 21.094 106.665 19f Tim Fuller/Edwards, NY
3 21.132 106.474 4 Mike Storms/Wantage,NJ®
4 21.138 106.443 j66 Danny Johnson/Rochester,NY
5 21.142 106.423 24 Chris Shultz/Pawling,NY
6 21.158 106.343 19 Chuck McKee/Middletown,NY
21.158 106.343 10 Rich Eurich/Warwick,NY
8 21.173 106.267 71 David VanHorn/Phillipsburg,NJ
21.173 106.267 91 Billy Decker/Unadilla,NY
10 21.195 106.157 47 Jerry Higbie/Slate Hill,NY
11 21.199 106.137 84 Gary Tomkins/Clifton Springs,NY
12 21.272 105.773 42p Pat Ward/Genoa,NY
13 21.279 105.738 14 Rick Laubach/Quakertown,PA
14 21.289 105.688 20 Brett Hearn/Sussex,NJ
15 21.343 105.421 77f Mark Flach Jr./Selkirk,NY
16 21.374 105.268 9x Steve Paine/Waterloo,NY
17 21.384 105.219 2 Ronnie Johnson/Duanesburg,NY
18 21.391 105.184 93x Craig Mitchell/Wappingers Falls,NY
19 21.418 105.052 55 Mitch Gibbs/North Norwich,NY
20 21.439 104.949 73 Rick Mill/New Windsor,NY
21 21.441 104.939 21 Clinton Mills/Middletown,NY
22 21.445 104.920 25 Mike Kolka/Circleville,NY
23 21.458 104.856 3 Justin Haers/Phelps,NY
24 21.463 104.832 98h Jimmy Phelps/Baldwinsville,NY
25 21.481 104.744 88 Steve Dodd/Middletown,NY
26 21.520 104.554 11 Danny Creeden/Middletown,NY
27 21.526 104.525 34 Andy Bachetti/Sheffield,MA
28 21.537 104.471 7k Kirk Horton/Eldred,NY
29 21.552 104.399 99L Larry Wight/Phoenix,NY®
30 21.562 104.350 33-1/3 Tommy Meier/Waldwick,NJ
31 21.566 104.331 1h Tim Hindley/Monticello,NY
32 21.575 104.287 53 Ric Hill/Lafayette,NJ
33 21.586 104.234 77 Jimmy Johnson/Bloomingburg,NY
34 21.589 104.220 j17 Jeff Heotzler Jr./Wallkill,NY
35 21.592 104.205 fx1 Frankie Caprara/Watertown,NY
36 21.595 104.191 49 Billy Dunn/Watertown,NY
37 21.596 104.186 77x Dale Planck/Cortland,NY
38 21.610 104.118 42 Pete Bicknell/St.Catharines,ONT
39 21.622 104.061 Z Butch Tittle/Saylorsburg,PA
40 21.637 103.989 99 Ryan Phelps/Fulton,NY
41 21.655 103.902 10s Randy Sherlock/Milford,PA
42 21.678 103.792 21jr. Gary Edwards Jr./Bloomingburg,NY
43 21.691 103.730 9s Matt Sheppard/Waterloo,NY
44 21.730 103.543 21j Jamie Yannone/Newburgh,NY
45 21.749 103.453 17d Danny O’Brien/Kingston,ONT
46 21.752 103.439 21m Bob McGannon/Garnerville,NY
47 21.804 103.192 1j Alan Johnson/Middlesex,NY
48 21.847 102.989 88h Steve Hulsizer/Bridgeport,NY
49 21.860 102.928 9 Pierre DagenaisGatineau,QUE
50 21.938 102.562 16 A.J. Romano/Johnstown,NY
51 21.988 102.329 673 Bobby Varin/Sharon Springs,NY
52 22.010 102.226 923a Allan Kellogg/Mt.Cobb,PA
53 22.016 102.198 220 John Ferrier/Middletown,NY®
54 22.070 101.948 115 Kenny Tremont/West Sand Lake,NY
55 22.117 101.732 6g Martin Gagne/Granby,QUE
56 22.128 101.681 20c Craig Hanson/Tribes Hill,NY
57 22.153 101.566 22 Rich Coons/Montgomery,NY
58 22.195 101.374 157 Billy Eggers Jr./Woodcliff Lake,NJ
59 22.266 101.051 5 Jimmy Horton/Neshanic Station,NJ
60 22.285 100.965 12t Tim Bayles/Wantage,NJ
61 22.305 100.874 88k Randy Chrysler/Tuscarora,NY
62 22.399 100.451 94 Frank Cozze/Wind Gap,PA
63 22.413 100.388 923 Colin Jackson/Peckville,PA
64 22.432 100.303 7-17 Everett Haubrich/Lafayette,NJ
65 22.482 100.080 k22 Kenny Moulton Jr./Rock Hill,NY
66 22.648 99.347 12c Bobby Hayes Jr./Nanuet,NY
67 22.669 99.254 27 Jerry Wildrick/Wantage,NJ
68 22.784 98.754 81h Jim House/Middletown,NY
69 22.933 98.112 1k Robert King/Granville,NY
70 23.049 97.618 t21 Roger Chrysler/Lewiston,NY
71 -NT- —– 7×1 Bill Wilson/Mahwah,NJ
72 -NT- —– 14b Dan Barnes/Honesdale,PA
73 -NT- —– 16w Lance Willix II/Theresa,NY
74 -NT- —– 33h Matt Hitchcock/Stony Point,NY
*Top-6 locked into front three rows; #33-1/3-Meier guaranteed 7th-place starter (Lebanon Valley), #53-Hill guaranteed 8th-place starter (Syracuse); 74 Entries.
EASTERN STATES MODIFIED QUALIFYING HEAT RACE LINE-UPS
Heat Races (10 laps, top-4 finishers transfer to feature)
#1: Eurich, Laubach, Gibbs, Dodd, J.Johnson, Tittle, O’Brien, Varin, Coons, Jackson, King.
#2: Decker, Hearn, Mill, Creeden, Heotzler Jr., R.Phelps, McGannon, Kellogg, Eggers, Haubrich, Ro.Chrysler.
#3: VanHorn, Flach, Mills, Bachetti, Caprara, Sherlock, A.Johnson, Ferrier, J.Horton, Moulton, Wilson.
#4: Higbie, Paine, Kolka, K.Horton, Dunn, Edwards, Hulsizer, Tremont, Bayles, Hayes, Hitchcock.
#5: Tomkins, R.Johnson, Haers, Wight, Planck, Sheppard, Dagenais, Gagne, Ra.Chrysler, Wildrick, Willix.
#6: Ward, Mitchell, J.Phelps, Hindley, Bicknell, Yannone, Romano, Hanson, Cozze, House.
2008 EASTERN STATES WEEKEND EVENTS SCHEDULE
*All times/events subject to change.
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 18
Pit Gates & Grandstand Gates open, 8:00 am;
Big-Block Modified & 358-Modified Hot Laps, 9:00 am;
Big-Block Modified heat races, 10:00 am;
358-Modified Consolation Races;
Eastern States 100, Mr. DIRTcar 358-Modified Championship Series event, 1:00 pm;
Pit Gates open for Sportsman Modifieds & Pure Stocks, 4:00 pm;
Sportsman Hot Laps;
Pure Stock Hot Laps;
Middletown Motorsports presents the Sportsman Time Trials (top 6 qualify);
Sportsman heat races;
Eastern States Pure Stock Challenge Championship;
Sportsman consolation races;
Eastern States 50, Mr. DIRTcar Sportsman Championship Series event.
SUNDAY, OCTOBER 19
Pit Gates & Grandstand Gates open, 8:00 am;
Race Against Drugs Eastern States Pit Party, 9:30-10:30 am;
Pro Stock Hot Laps, 11:00 am;
Big-Block Modified Hot Laps;
Pro Stock heat races, 12noon;
Big-Block Modified consolation races-2 (8 more qualify), 12:30 pm;
Pro Stock consolation race, 12:50 pm
Big-Block Modified consolation races-2 (8 more qualify), 1:00 pm;
Eastern States 25, Mr. DIRTcar Pro Stock Championship Series event, 1:30 pm;
47th Eastern States 200, Advance Auto Parts Super DIRTcar Series event (44 cars to start), 2:30 pm.
Advance Auto Parts Super DIRTcar Series:
2008 Eastern States Big-Block Modified Roster
CAR# DRIVER / HOMETOWN TEAM (Sponsor / Chassis / Engine)
X Ben Rizzo/Middletown,NY Turner Trucks-Maddy’s Diner/TEO/Precision
Z Butch Tittle/Saylorsburg,PA Tittle & Sons Motorsports/TEO/Fiehl
1h Tim Hindley/Monticello,NY Manheim’s Newburgh Auto Auction/Troyer/JPM
1j Alan Johnson/Middlesex,NY Jake Spraker Used Cars & Trucks-Spra-King Racing/Bicknell/JPM
1k Robert King/Granville,NY Trimline Lawn Care Services/Bicknell/Dan Bedell
fx1 Frankie Caprara/Watertown,NY F.X. Caprara Car Co.-Auto Value-JK Contracting/Troyer/Dan Bedell
2 Ronnie Johnson/Duanesburg,NY Wm.Larned-Palmer’s Service-Morris Auto Group/TEO/JPM
3 Justin Haers/Phelps,NY Phelps Cement-SMV Motorsports-Jeff Jolly Masonry/Bicknell/Finger Lakes
4 Mike Storms/Wantage,NJ® Mike Sparta Trucking-Skyline Construction-Four Star Trans./TEO/Morrison
5 Jimmy Horton/Neshanic Station,NJ Lincoln Auto Body-Schmidt Racing/Troyer/JPM
6g Martin Gagne/Granby,QUE Charland Chevrolet Cadillac-Transport Demers/Bicknell/Boomer’s Racing
7k Kirk Horton/Eldred,NY Olori High Reach-Shadow Shocks/TEO/Horton
7×1 Bill Wilson/Mahwah,NJ Diamond Hart-Wilson’s Auto & Truck/TEO/Chevrolet
9 Pierre DagenaisGatineau,QUE Carriere Sabliere (Quarry Dagenais)/Bicknell/Enders
9s Matt Sheppard/Waterloo,NY JB Motor Sports-BPG/Chad Sinon Motorsports/Bicknell/Finger Lakes
9x Steve Paine/Waterloo,NY JB Motor Sports-Seneca Auto Sales-Tallmadge Tire/Bicknell/Finger Lakes
10 Randy Sherlock/Milford,PA Tri-State Roofing-Dirt Works-Escape RV/TEO/Precision
10 Rich Eurich/Warwick,NY Collier Motor Car-Lain’s Auto Parts-AZ Trucking/Bicknell/JPM
11 Danny Creeden/Middletown,NY RGH Construction-Mid Hudson Construction Management/TEO/Dan Bedell
12c Bobby Hayes Jr./Nanuet,NY Harley Contsruction-Paul Bitts Co./TEO/Precision
12t Tim Bayles/Wantage,NJ Winters Auto Parts-Kel-Mar Construction/TEO/JPM
14 Rick Laubach/Quakertown,PA Jerry Simons Builder-Alpha Mills-Reiley & Sterner Auto Sales/TEO/Enders
14b Dan Barnes/Honesdale,PA Noah Thomas Builders-Horton RacingTEO/Precision
16 Lance Willix II/Theresa,NY Nor-Shir Construction-APP Inn-Bennett’s Car Care/Bicknell/Morrison
16r A.J. Romano/Johnstown,NY Bill Lake Modular Homes-North Norwich Motors/Troyer/Grant
17d Danny O’Brien/Kingston,ONT 1000 Islands RV Centers-Stover Bus Lines-Pat’s Radiator/Bicknell/Morrison
j17 Jeff Heotzler Jr./Wallkill,NY Adsit Custom Haulers-John Marsh General Contractor/Bicknell/JPM
19 Chuck McKee/Middletown,NY WLR Construction-Perino’s Market/Troyer/JPM
19f Tim Fuller/Edwards, NY Street Wise Fight Wear-JL Motorsports-G&R Auto Parts/TEO/Enders
20 Brett Hearn/Sussex,NJ Madsen Motorsports-Wentworth Custom Homes-Kruger-WLR/TEO/Enders
20c Craig Hanson/Tribes Hill,NY Sampson Motor Car-Yellow TransportationEggelston Energy/TEO/Morrison
21 Clinton Mills/Middletown,NY Image Tree Service-Complete Forklift Service-/TEO/Gary Edwards Sr.
21j Jamie Yannone/Newburgh,NY X-Treme Powder Coating-Alex’s Marine Plus-Yannone Enter./PMC/Moshier
21m Bob McGannon/Garnerville,NY Pine Bush Equipment-McGannon Excavating/Bicknell/Morrison
t21 Roger Chrysler/Lewiston,NY Iroquois Water-Randy’s Smoke Shop-Joey’s Sneaks/Bicknell/JanCen
21jr. Gary Edwards Jr./Bloomingburg,NY New York Truck Parts/TEO/Precision
22 Rich Coons/Montgomery,NY Sunset Embroidery-Hansen Custom Homes/Bicknell/The Engine Shop
k22 Kenny Moulton Jr./Rock Hill,NY RK Customs-Gervic Paints-Ken Labagh Truck/TEO/Precision
24 Chris Shultz/Pawling,NY Liberty Rock Crushing-Bob’s Garage/TEO/JPM
25 Mike Kolka/Circleville,NY Distinctive Hardwood Floors-Minisink Paving/Bicknell/Precision
27 Jerry Wildrick/Wantage,NJ FDI Injection Molding & Tool-Die Making/TEO/Precision
33h Matt Hitchcock/Stony Point,NY Alex’s Marine Plus-Hitchcock Landscape/TEO/GM Crate
33-1/3 Tommy Meier/Waldwick,NJ Barry’s Lawn Service-Pearseco Construction-F&S Auto/Bicknell/Precision
34 Andy Bachetti/Sheffield,MA Albraeda Waste LLC-Wentworth Construction/PMC/Morrison
42p Pat Ward/Genoa,NY Gypsum Express,Ltd./Bicknell/Enders
44 Frank Cozze/Wind Gap,PA Waite’s General Contractors-Carquest-Bert Transmission/PMC/M2 Power
47 Jerry Higbie/Slate Hill,NY Beaverkill Trout Hatchery-Superior Building Supply/Bicknell/Precision
49 Billy Dunn/Watertown,NY Number One Speed-American Traditions-Fast Lube/Bicknell/Finger Lakes
53 Ric Hill/Lafayette,NJ Escape RV-Precision Seamless Gutters/TEO/JPM
55 Mitch Gibbs/North Norwich,NY New York Truck Parts-Gibbs Speed & Auto/TEO/JPM
j66 Danny Johnson/Rochester,NY Atlas Paving-Behrent’s Performance Warehouse/TEO/JPM
71 David VanHorn/Phillipsburg,NJ Harmony Sand&Gravel-Diamond Hart Ent.-Art’s Rad./TEO/D.VanHorn,Sr.
73 Rick Mill/New Windsor,NY Frank Stevens & Sons Roofing-Peak Racing Equipment/Bicknell/Simonek
74 Jeff Heotzler/Wallkill,NY Smith Bros. Concrete Foundations/TEO/Chevrolet
77 Jimmy Johnson/Bloomingburg,NY All Seasons Fuel-Total Sanitation/Bicknell/Precision
77f Mark Flach Jr./Selkirk,NY Gould Erectors & Riggers-F&M Farms/Troyer/Dan Bedell
77x Dale Planck/Cortland,NY RezX Racing-Grow It Hydroseeding-Action Race Prts-Teo Fab./TEO/Kevlar
81h Jim House/Middletown,NY McMickle Agency/TEO/House
84 Gary Tomkins/Clifton Springs,NY Honeoye Auto Parts-Red Parker & Son Excavating/Bicknell/Mastin
88 Steve Dodd/Middletown,NY Boyce Excavating-Todd Lyons Paving-Spiro&Spiro Electric/Bicknell/JPM
88h Steve Hulsizer/Bridgeport,NY Thompson Road Tavern-Circle S Stables/Troyer/Kevlar
88k Randy Chrysler/Tuscarora,NY Signal Cigarettes-Randy’s Smoke Shop/Bicknell/JanCen
91 Billy Decker/Unadilla,NY Gypsum Wholesalers-Stadium Int’l-Quality Hardwoods/Bicknell/Enders
93x Craig Mitchell/Wappingers Falls,NY FPHATS.com-J&J Auto Maintenance-Dom’s Towing/PMC/M2 Power
98h Jimmy Phelps/Baldwinsville,NY Mohawk N.E.-New Engl. Race Fuels-Joe Gibbs Rcng/Troyer/Finger Lakes
99 Ryan Phelps/Fulton,NY Big Red Towing-Dave Miller Auto Body/Bicknell/Enders
99L Larry Wight/Phoenix,NY® Gypsum Express,Ltd./Bicknell/Enders
115 Kenny Tremont/West Sand Lake,NY S&S Asphalt-Park East Sales-Doherty Bros. Constr./Bicknell/Tremont
157 Billy Eggers Jr./Woodcliff Lake,NJ Eggers Racing/Bicknell/Precision
220 John Ferrier/Middletown,NY® Superior Building & Remodeling-Keen Moving/Bicknell/Precision
673 Bobby Varin/Sharon Springs,NY Mike Sparta Trucking-RM Tuit Paving/Bicknell/JPM
7-17 Everett Haubrich/Lafayette,NJ Direct Flooring-E & E Carpets/Bicknell/Wally Fiehl
923 Colin Jackson/Peckville,PA Ashford Cottages Bed & Breakfast-Jackson Excavating/Bicknell/Griffin
923a Allan Kellogg/Mt.Cobb,PA Ashford Cottages Bed & Breakfast-Jackson Excavating/Bicknell/Griffin
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.
