Syracuse, NY — October 12, 2008 – By Tom Skibinski, DIRTcar Racing NorthEast PR Director
*Bill Moore Photo
Modified veteran Pat Ward was relegated to the last chance qualifier, then left no doubt as he led flag-to-flag to capture top honors Sunday at the New York State Fairgrounds in the Dig Safely New York Shootout on the final day of competition during Super DIRT Week XXXVII. Ward out-dragged front row Gypsum teammate Roy Bresnahan from his outside pole-position start on the first trip around the Syracuse Mile and led the entire distance in the 20-lap last chance qualifier.
The win was worth $1,000 yet more valuable was the coveted starting berth Ward earned in the Rite Aid 200 headliner scheduled later that same afternoon.
“We’ve had two very sleepless nights,” divulged Ward, 51 after copping the 20-mile last chance qualifier that included 16 of the 24 cars scheduled, with Vince Gagliardo Jr. giving up his no. 66 Vince’s Automotive & Towing/Troyer ride to past Rite Aid champion Richie Tobias hoping to make the field. “We got a bad draw for time trials and then lined up in probably the toughest heat, we just didn’t have any luck most of the week. But the car is driving excellent so I’ve had a good feeling coming in.”
With only three spots up for grabs towards making the starting grid for the Rite Aid 200 later that same afternoon, runner-up Jeff Brownell Jr. and race rookie Roy Bresnahan joined Ward in advancing to the Syracuse finale boasting $1,500 just to start. Ballooning the starting line-up to 46 cars were the addition of Saturday night’s Pullen’s Truck Center “Win And You’re In” Big-Block/Small-Block Super Shootout victor Chad Brachmann (45th) at Cayuga County plus past champion Tobias.
SUPER DIRT WEEK XXXVII MODIFIED NON-QUALIFIERS RACE
Dig Safely New York Shootout (20 Laps)
FIN CAR# DRIVER
1 42P Pat Ward/Genoa,NY
2 29 Jeff Brownell Jr./Geneva,NY
3 02 Roy Bresnahan/Fulton,NY
4 87x Paul Gilardi/Pittsfield,MA
5 66 Richie Tobias Jr.Annville,PA
6 37X Tom Scheetz Jr./Boyertown,P
7 62R Ron Smoker/Hamburg,NY
8 21 Yan Bussiere/Drummondville,QUE
9 24 Chris Shultz/Pawling,NY
10 16 Mike Bowman/Baldwinsville,NY
11 21M Bob McGannon/Garnerville,NY
12 347 George ‘Skippy’ Fox/Springfield,MA
13 37 Jason Herrington/Troy,NY
14 88H Steve Hulsizer/Bridgeport,NY
15 1NY Greg Atkins/Clintonville,NY
16 96 Todd Milton/Auburn,NY
DNS 28P Eldon Payne,Jr./Hopewell,NY
DNS 87 Hector Stratton/Bennington,VT
DNS 3B Chad Brachmann/Sanborn,NY
DNS M40 Mark Forte Jr./Blue Anchor,NJ
DNS 44S Casey Swamp/Akwesasne,NY
DNS 22 Larry Lampman Jr./Port Colborne,ONT
DNS 220 John Ferrier/Middletown,NY
DNS 42 Pete Bicknell/St.Catharines,ONT
DNS 66 Vince Gagliardo Jr./Reading,PA (loaned car to Tobias)
*Top-3 advance to Rite Aid 200 starting grid.
2008 MODIFIED RITE AID 200 STARTING LINE-UP
STR CAR# DRIVER
1 19 Tim Fuller / Edwards,NY
1 19F Tim Fuller/Edwards,NY
2 9S Matt Sheppard/Waterloo,NY
3 20 Brett Hearn/Sussex,NJ
4 98H Jimmy Phelps/Baldwinsville,NY
5 55 Mitch Gibbs/North Norwich,NY
6 43 Keith Flach/Ravena,NY
7 34 Andy Bachetti/Great Barrington,MA
8 14J Alan Johnson/Middlesex,NY
9 12A Jack Johnson/Duanesburg,NY
10 2 Ronnie Johnson/Duanesburg,NY
11 49 Billy Dunn/Watertown,NY
12 115 Kenny Tremont/West Sand Lake,NY
13 88 J.R. Heffner/Pittsfield,MA
14 56 Vince Vitale/Phoenix,NY
15 91 Billy Decker/Unadilla,NY
16 35X Jason Barney/Constantia,NY
17 3 Justin Haers/Phelps,NY
18 44 Stewart Friesen/Niagara-o-t-Lake,ONT
19 4 Duane Howard/Oley,PA
20 1 Bobby Varin/Sharon Springs,NY
21 77X Dale Planck/Cortland,NY
22 99 Ryan Phelps/Fulton,NY
23 84 Gary Tomkins/Clifton Springs,NY
24 26 Ryan Godown/Ringoes,NJ
25 57 Donnie Corellis/Averill Park,NY
26 J66 Danny Johnson/Rochester,NY
27 98 Eddie Marshall/Ridgefield,CT
28 14 Rick Laubach/Hellertown,PA
29 99L Larry Wight/Phoenix,NY®
30 35 Mike Perrotte/Elizabethtown,NY
31 32C Vic Coffey/Leicester,NY
32 53 Ric Hill/Lafayette,NJ®
33 44C Frank Cozze/Wind Gap,PA
34 7 Jimmy Horton/Neshanic Station,NJ
35 41 Shawn Reimert / Oley,PA
36 1H David Hebert/St.Damase,QUE
37 48too Dave Rauscher/Waterloo,NY®
38 19H Chris Higgins/Syracuse,NY®
39 FX1 Frankie Caprara/Watertown,NY
40 83 Brian Swartzlander/Leechburg,PA®
41 7X Steve Paine/Waterloo,NY
42 42P Pat Ward/Genoa,NY
43 29 Jeff Brownell Jr./Geneva,NY
44 02 Roy Bresnahan/Fulton,NY®
45 3B Chad Brachmann/Sanborn,NY
46 66 Richie Tobias Jr.Annville,PA
*Top-6 locked in from Thursday time trials;
*Position 7 locked in from Lebanon Valley 200;
*Position 8 locked in from Rolling Wheels 200;
*Positions 9-38 locked in from Friday Advance Auto Parts Triple-20s;
*Position 40 filled in by BRP Tour Champion;
*Positions 39 & 41 filled in by Series Guaranteed Starters;
*Positions 42-44 filled from Sunday Dig Safely New York Shootout Non-Qualifiers race;
*Position 45 filled by Cayuga County event points winner.
*Position 46 filled in by Provisional Starter.
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.
