Middletown, NY — July 31, 2008 – By Tom Skibinski, Advance Auto Parts Super DIRTcar Series PR Director
*Bob Armbruster Photo
There’s nothing like home as Brett Hearn certainly found a comfort zone Thursday night at Orange County Fair Speedway, scoring his second Advance Auto Parts Super DIRTcar Series victory of the season in the Escape RV 75 to reach a career milestone.
All-time Orange County feature winner Hearn charged ahead from his pole-position start and outlasted runner-up Chuck McKee to post his 11th career Advance Series win at the historic ‘Hard Clay’ oval, giving the ‘Corporate Jet’ 100 tour triumphs during the past quarter-century.
Click to listen to first place Brett Hearn, second place Chuck Mckee, and third place finisher Dale Planck
“I guess that’s appropriate winning here,” figured Hearn, 49, who has won at least one Advance Series race every year since 1995 with a tour-high 10 extra-distance wins posted in 2002. The Sussex, New Jersey star registered his initial series win at Lebanon Valley (NY) Speedway in July of 1981 and now owns 170 Big-Block victories at Orange County. “Some people say its because we started on the pole but we had a great race car tonight.”
“I feel very fortunate because so many people that have been with me through these 100 series wins are here tonight …. like Guy Madsen (car owner), Bill Rumsey (WLR Construction sponsor) has really supported me, Don Kruger (sponsor), George Wentworth (sponsor) couldn’t make it tonight but Jay Castimore is here and has been with me for most of these wins. And so many other people. Its been an awesome run and we still got it rollin’ man and I’ll tell you what, a TEO Pro car tonight with a Kevin Enders engine …. Vinnie (Salerno) helped the guys on the running gear and we did a complete re-build on the car this week. The guys really worked their butts off to get the car fresh for tonight and it really showed,” noted Hearn, who captured his first Advance Series win of ’08 at Autodrome Granby in Quebec.
In five earlier appearances at Orange County this season, Hearn opened the campaign with three straight victories and settled for second behind his protégé Michael Storms in June. The early season wins were taken aboard the no. 74 Smith Bros. Concrete ‘Saturday Night Special’ while his landmark triumph on Thursday came steering the Madsen Motorsports no. 20 Wentworth Custom Homes-Kruger-WLR/TEO ride that he enters at all Advance Series stops.
“We didn’t get a chance to look at them yet but we made a decision on tires and the guys prepped them to perfection,” boasted Hearn, after pulling to within 93 points of fifth-place finisher Billy Decker in the Advance Series standings through 12 races. McKee settled for second-place followed by tour traveler Dale Planck and Middletown mainstay Jerry Higbie. “The car just stayed really good the entire race.”
“As I predicted, the track wouldn’t be one lane like it was last year. It was a great race track with guys running from top to bottom all night. I stayed on the top the entire 75 laps and my car felt great out there, yet there were other guys running right on the bottom. Vinny (Rotundo, track prep) really did a great job on the track,” commended Hearn, after collecting the $6,000 top prize while runner-up McKee earned preferred starter status in the headline Rite Aid 200 during Super DIRT Week, October 7-12, at the New York State Fairgrounds in autumn.
Spurred by the use of a new Hoosier Tire soft compound available this season, the record-setting night began with 30 cars bettering the old track standard in Integra Shocks Time Trials. Third-generation pilot David VanHorn Jr. led the blistering brigade, touring the fast 5/8-mile clay oval in a time of 20.710 sec. for an average single lap speed of 108.643 mph. Hearn was sixth fastest on the clocks out of 43 entries yet after copping the second of four heat race qualifiers selected the position number one in the customary pre-race draw to start the 75-lap Modified main.
Hearn opened up a comfortable margin as the first third of the race ran caution-free, reaching traffic after just 11 laps scored with McKee holding onto second ahead of Sheppard, Planck and Storms. Back-to-back yellow flags flew on lap 25, first for Danny Johnson, who rolled to a stop high in turn one with a flat tire, then for Justin Haers, who sat parked low outside of turn two after defending Orange County points champion Jeff Heotzler climbed over his front end.
A flat tire for Advance Series standout Gary Tomkins slowed the action for a third time on lap 38 and on the ensuing restart Planck rolled past Sheppard into third for a second time with Higbie charging from 16th to fifth by the halfway mark. Teenager Larry Wight looped his Gypsum Express mount at the end of the back cute to incur a fourth caution period on lap 39, yet Hearn carried on without hesitation at the front of the pack.
Higbie successfully maneuvered past Sheppard into fourth-place on lap 41 and Decker followed suit with a move under ‘Super Matt’ five laps later. Flat tires by young guns Ryan Phelps (lap 66) and Billy Dunn (lap 68) only slowed the race pace, failing to stall Hearn’s winning ways as he pulled away effortlessly for a 10 car-length advantage over the final half-dozen circuits.
“My car worked great and I think there had to be some good racing behind me,” said Hearn, after matching past winners Frank Cozze (2007) and Decker (2006) with flag-to-flag victories in the 36th edition of the Escape RV 75. “I don’t know what it looked like back there, I’ll have to watch the tape to see what everybody else was doing.”
“Its kind of an optical illusion because when you go down into the bottom of turns one and two you can kinda close the gap getting in there but what I’m doing when I go in on the top there is setting myself up for a good exit. Just when (Chuck) was ready to get back on the gas I’m already coming down the hill and roarin’ out of (turn) two. You can drive in there and get pretty close but man its really hard to get off the bottom on a guy that’s running good up top,” Hearn added.
Keeping the leader in his sights for the duration, runner-up McKee closed the gap to under a half-second on a handful of occasions when Hearn battled through traffic yet a couple seconds difference separated the top-two runners when the final checkered flag waved.
“We’ll take second, it’s a long season and we’re just glad to get out of this one,” said McKee, 50, a three-time Advance Series winner at Orange County with four season point championships coming at the historic ‘Hard Clay’ oval. “After warm-ups we had a problem with the carburetor so after making a change it really put us behind all night.”
“Billy Colton from Troyer gave us a couple shocks to try. The car was pretty close, probably the best its been on a hard track. When the track is fairly soft the car is always fast. Tonight the guys had a good car for me, the (new) carburetor worked great. We just kinda put ourselves behind a little bit and didn’t know if it was gonna work or not,” McKee said.
Middletown’s McKee was 13th quickest in time trials and finished third in his heat, yet a good draw put him outside front row to contend with Hearn at the drop of the green.
“I was hoping (Brett) would go to the bottom so I could move up top,” divulged McKee who never strayed from the inside lane with the no. 19 WLR Construction-Perino’s Market/Troyer entry, hoping to catch Hearn when it counted most. “He didn’t care where I was and had a nice straight line. If I had his line it probably would’ve been easier for me but you gotta run where he’s not. I had to try something different.”
“Troyer cars have come a long way in the last couple years. Billy (Colton) has worked really hard and Robbie Perino puts his heart and soul into this car. So my hat’s off to the team,” added McKee, who sits second to VanHorn on the Orange County points chart with just one more month of racing left before a driver is crowned champion over Labor Day Weekend.
Ending up where he started, Planck posted his best career finish at Orange County as he crossed the line third behind the wheel of the RezX Racing no. 77x Grow It Hydroseeding-Action Race/TEO machine.
“This is just like a feature win for me,” stated a contented Planck, following the Homer, New Yorker’s seventh top-five finish in 12 point shows including three Advance Series wins to keep him in the hunt. “I’ve been coming here for a lot of years off and on, just never felt comfortable going around the track. Thanks to Bobby Hearn for getting this Pro Car going good, I’m just happy to be here finally.”
“I can’t thank Carey Terrance (owner) enough for fielding this whole deal. And my hat’s off to Matt Sheppard. We ran side-by-side-by-side and I don’t think you could’ve put a hair between us. Lap after lap after lap we never touched, just shows the kind of respect we have for each other ….. just awesome racing. The track was in great shape. It was good in the inside, the outside, the middle. I’m just so happy to finish well enough to make it to the podium,” Planck said.
Tour travelers Hearn and Planck will get another chance to close in on current points leader Decker when the Advance Auto Parts Super DIRTcar Series invades Merrittville (Ont.) Speedway for the ‘Trevor Wilkens Memorial on Monday, August 4. Danny Johnson is the defending race winner.
Advance Auto Parts Super DIRTcar Series Race #12 – Orange County Fair Speedway, July 31, 2008 ‘Escape RV 75’ Big-Block Modified Event Summary
FIN STR CAR# DRIVER
1 1 20 Brett Hearn/Sussex,NJ($6,000)
2 2 19 Chuck McKee/Middletown,NY
3 3 77x Dale Planck/Cortland,NY
4 16 47 Jerry Higbie/Slate Hill,NY
5 12 91 Billy Decker/Unadilla,NY
6 4 9s Matt Sheppard/Waterloo,NY
7 15 98h Jimmy Phelps/Baldwinsville,NY
8 5 4 Mike Storms/Wantage,NJ®
9 21 53e Ric Hill/Lafayette,NJ
10 6 fx1 Frankie Caprara/Watertown,NY
11 9 7x Steve Paine/Waterloo,NY
12 26 66 Jeff Heotzler/Wallkill,NY
13 22 73 Rick Mill/New Windsor,NY
14 18 84 Gary Tomkins/Clifton Springs,NY
15 17 99 Ryan Phelps/Fulton,NY
16 14 49 Billy Dunn/Watertown,NY
17 24 m10 Danny Johnson/Rochester,NY
18 27 93x Craig Mitchell/Wappingers Falls,NY
19 30 j17 Jeff Heotzler,Jr./Wallkill,NY
20 10 14j Alan Johnson/Middlesex,NY
21 11 24 Chris Shultz/Pawling,NY
22 25 m40 Mark Forte,Jr./Blue Anchor,NJ
23 19 99L Larry Wight/Phoenix,NY®
24 7 14 Rick Laubach/Quakertown,PA
25 20 1h Tim Hindley/Monticello,NY
26 13 3 Justin Haers/Phelps,NY
27 28 88 Steve Dodd/Middletown,NY
28 23 118 Mike DePalma/Wallkill,NY
29 29 10 Rich Eurich/Warwick,NY
30 8 71 David VanHorn Jr./
DID NOT QUALIFY(13)
OB’s-Johnny Guarino/Nanuet,NY
1-Dave Werber/Brewster,NY
7-Donnie Wilson/Ramsey,NJ
7k-Kirk Horton/Eldred,NY
8-Jimmy Horton/Neshanic Station,NJ
11-Danny Creeden/Middletown,NY
21-Clinton Mills/Middletown,NY
21m-Bob McGannon/Garnerville,NY
25-Mike Kolka/Circleville,NY
j66-Jared Petruska/Wayne,NJ
79-Jeremy Markle/Port Jervis,NY
244-Chris Whitehead/Sussex,NJ
923-Colin Jackson/Peckville,PA
EVENT SUMMARY:
LAP LEADER: Hearn (1-75).
CAUTIONS: 6 (lap 25, lap 25, lap 38, lap 39, lap 66, lap 68).
HEAT WINNERS: VanHorn, Hearn, Decker, A.Johnson.
DIG SAFELY NEW YORK LAST CHANCE RACE WINNERS: Hill, Mill.
BICKNELL RACING PRODUCTS WINNER AWARD: Brett Hearn.
CRANE CAMS WINNER AWARD: Brett Hearn.
RISLONE OIL STABILIZER & TREATMENT WINNER AWARD: Brett Hearn.
BARS LEAKS RUNNER-UP AWARD: Chuck McKee.
CRANE CAMS RUNNER-UP AWARD: Chuck McKee.
SYRACUSE RITE AID 200 QUALIFIER: Chuck McKee (P).
HALFWAY LEADER: Brett Hearn.
BERT/KSE RACING PRODUCTS HARD CHARGER AWARD: Jeff Heotzler.
HOLLEY HARD LUCK AWARD: David VanHorn Jr.
PENSKE POWER POSITION AWARD (6th): Matt Sheppard.
INTEGRA SHOCKS FAST TIME AWARD: David VanHorn Jr. (20.710sec/108.643mph) *NEW TRACK RECORD.
TOTAL PURSE: $27,575.
CARS ENTERED: 43.
NEXT EVENT: Merrittville Speedway “Trevor Wilkens Memorial” – August 4, 2008.
QUALIFYING
FAST AVE
TIME MPH CAR# DRIVER
*1 20.710 108.643 71 David VanHorn Jr./Phillipsburg,NJ
*$100 Integra Shocks Fast Qualifier Award
2 20.789 108.230 77x Dale Planck/Cortland,NY
3 20.792 108.215 98h Jimmy Phelps/Baldwinsville,NY
4 20.834 107.997 14j Alan Johnson/Middlesex,NY
5 20.854 107.893 fx1 Frankie Caprara/Watertown,NY
6 20.964 107.327 20 Brett Hearn/Sussex,NJ
7 20.976 107.265 14 Rick Laubach/Quakertown,PA
8 20.977 107.260 24 Chris Shultz/Pawling,NY
9 21.000 107.143 3 Justin Haers/Phelps,NY
10 21.024 107.021 21m Bob McGannon/Garnerville,NY
11 21.026 107.010 91 Billy Decker/Unadilla,NY
12 21.033 106.975 47 Jerry Higbie/Slate Hill,NY
13 21.054 106.868 19 Chuck McKee/Middletown,NY
14 21.099 106.640 49 Billy Dunn/Watertown,NY
15 21.118 106.544 66 Jeff Heotzler/Wallkill,NY
16 21.134 106.464 7x Steve Paine/Waterloo,NY
17 21.149 106.388 99 Ryan Phelps/Fulton,NY
18 21.177 106.247 244 Chris Whitehead/Sussex,NJ
19 21.192 106.172 99L Larry Wight/Phoenix,NY®
20 21.231 105.977 7 Donnie Wilson/Ramsey,NJ
21 21.234 105.962 93x Craig Mitchell/Wappingers Falls,NY
22 21.241 105.927 118 Mike DePalma/Wallkill,NY
23 21.250 105.882 4 Mike Storms/Wantage,NJ®
24 21.254 105.862 1h Tim Hindley/Monticello,NY
25 21.268 105.793 10 Rich Eurich/Warwick,NY
26 21.280 105.733 9s Matt Sheppard/Waterloo,NY
27 21.286 105.703 25 Mike Kolka/Circleville,NY
28 21.317 105.550 11 Danny Creeden/Middletown,NY
29 21.328 105.495 m40 Mark Forte,Jr./Blue Anchor,NJ
30 21.333 105.470 53e Ric Hill/Lafayette,NJ
31 21.373 105.273 79 Jeremy Markle/Port Jervis,NY
32 21.376 105.258 73 Rick Mill/New Windsor,NY
33 21.406 105.111 7k Kirk Horton/Eldred,NY
34 21.433 104.978 84 Gary Tomkins/Clifton Springs,NY
35 21.537 104.471 j17 Jeff Heotzler,Jr./Wallkill,NY
36 21.647 103.940 21 Clinton Mills/Middletown,NY
37 21.675 103.806 OB’s Johnny Guarino/Nanuet,NY
38 21.709 103.644 1 Dave Werber/Brewster,NY
39 21.807 103.178 923 Colin Jackson/Peckville,PA
40 21.827 103.083 88 Steve Dodd/Middletown,NY
41 21.839 103.027 8 Jimmy Horton/Neshanic Station,NJ
42 -NT- —– m10 Danny Johnson/Rochester,NY
43 -NT- —– j66 Jared Petruska/Wayne,NJ
*NEW TRACK RECORD
Heat Races (10 laps, top 5 finishers transferred to feature, top 3 went to re-draw)
#1: VanHorn, Caprara, McKee, Haers, R.Phelps, Forte, J.Horton, K.Horton, Guarino, Mitchell, Eurich (DNS).
#2: Hearn, Planck, Sheppard, Dunn, Tomkins, Hill, DePalma, Werber, Whitehead, McGannon, Petruska (DNS).
#3: Decker, Storms, Laubach, J.Phelps, Wight, Heotzler, D.Johnson, Heotzler Jr., Jackson, Markle, Kolka.
#4: A.Johnson, Shultz, Paine, Higbie, Hindley, Mill, Creeden, Dodd, Wilson, Mills.
Dig Safely New York Last Chance Races (top 5 finishers transferred to feature)
#1: Hill, DePalma, Forte, Mitchell, Eurich, Werber, J.Horton, K.Horton, McGannon, Guarino, Whitehead (DNS), Petruska (DNS).
#2: Mill, D.Johnson, Heotzler, Dodd, Heotzler Jr., Creeden, Jackson, Wilson (DNS), Markle (DNS), Mills (DNS), Kolka (DNS).
Advance Auto Parts Super DIRTcar Series Point Standings (Through July 31, 2008)
Rank No. Driver Total SeriesDiff Money Wins Top-5 Top-10 Starts
1 91 Billy Decker 1031 1031 0 $39,400 5 9 12 12
2 20 Brett Hearn 938 938 -93 $26,800 2 8 11 12
3 77x Dale Planck 902 902 -129 $27,975 3 7 9 12
4 98h Jimmy Phelps 854 854 -177 $20,200 0 4 10 12
5 9s Matt Sheppard 810 810 -221 $19,800 1 2 8 12
6 84 Gary Tomkins 775 775 -256 $11,625 0 3 10 12
7 7x Steve Paine 728 728 -303 $12,375 0 4 5 12
8 FX1 Frankie Caprara 715 715 -316 $8,600 0 1 7 12
9 27J Danny Johnson 688 688 -343 $12,925 0 3 4 12
10 99 Ryan Phelps 641 641 -390 $5,650 0 0 2 12
11 3 Justin Haers 630 630 -401 $7,250 0 1 6 11
12 14J Alan Johnson 625 625 -406 $8,250 0 1 4 11
13 49 Billy Dunn 599 599 -432 $6,075 0 0 2 12
14 99L Larry Wight 514 514 -517 $4,600 0 0 1 12
15 6 Pat O’Brien 299 299 -732 $2,960 0 0 1 7
16 29 Jeff Brownell Jr 298 298 -733 $2,000 0 0 0 7
17 14 Rich Laubach 256 256 -775 $4,700 0 2 2 4
18 79 Mike Storms 255 255 -776 $2,650 0 0 1 6
19 42B Kevin Bates 220 220 -811 $1,950 0 0 0 6
20 4 Duane Howard 198 198 -833 $8,500 0 2 2 2
21 21 Yan Bussiere 161 161 -870 $1,600 0 0 1 3
22 1w Billy Pauch 152 152 -879 $2,800 0 0 2 2
23 22 Mario Clair 152 152 -879 $1,000 0 0 0 3
24 99b Chuck Bower 140 140 -891 $900 0 0 0 4
25 11j Sean Beardsley 139 139 -892 $900 0 0 0 4
26 16 Mike Bowman 135 135 -896 $900 0 0 0 4
27 357 Stewart Friesen 131 131 -900 $2,750 0 1 1 2
28 19 Tim Fuller 130 130 -901 $2,750 0 1 1 2
29 46 Kayle Robidoux 125 125 -906 $1,200 0 0 2 2
30 56 Vince Vitale 125 125 -906 $610 0 0 0 3
31 5 Jason Potter 125 125 -906 $900 0 0 0 4
32 5 Jimmy Horton 121 121 -910 $700 0 0 0 2
33 48T Dave Rauscher 119 119 -912 $750 0 0 0 3
34 14w Ryan Watt 111 111 -920 $675 0 0 0 2
35 19 Kenny Brightbill 111 111 -920 $1,100 0 0 1 2
36 30 Jamie Mills 110 110 -921 $4,000 0 1 1 1
37 71 David VanHorn Jr.109 109 -922 $1,320 0 0 0 2
38 30 H.J. Bunting III 103 103 -928 $6,000 1 1 1 1
39 15x Billy Pauch Jr. 103 103 -928 $1,340 0 0 0 2
40 85 Wade Hedrickson 103 103 -928 $1,500 0 0 1 2
41 44 Shannon Whaley 100 100 -931 $450 0 0 0 3
42 62s Tom Sears Jr. 99 99 -932 $700 0 0 0 3
43 26 Ryan Godown 98 98 -933 $600 0 0 0 2
44 3 Claude Brouillard 98 98 -933 $650 0 0 0 2
45 19 Chuck McKee 96 96 -935 $4,000 0 1 1 1
46 126 Jeff Strunk 96 96 -935 $4,000 0 1 1 1
47 23 Dany Bilodeau 96 96 -935 $650 0 0 0 2
48 123 Robbie Krull 96 96 -935 $4,000 0 1 1 1
49 43 Jimmy Horton IV 90 90 -941 $1,050 0 0 0 2
50 2 Michel Dussault 90 90 -941 $600 0 0 0 2
51 85 Dan Vauter 89 89 -942 $600 0 0 0 2
52 1 David Hebert 88 88 -943 $600 0 0 0 2
53 8 Rob Bellinger 86 86 -945 $600 0 0 0 3
54 47 Jerry Higbie 85 85 -946 $2,000 0 1 1 1
55 24L Carl Labonte 84 84 -947 $600 0 0 0 2
56 21 Derrick Podsiadlo 84 84 -947 $600 0 0 0 3
57 39w Steven Downs 83 83 -948 $1,050 0 0 0 2
58 54 Steve Bernard 81 81 -950 $600 0 0 0 2
59 6G Martin Gagné 81 81 -950 $600 0 0 0 2
60 84L Eric Landry 80 80 -951$600 0 0 0 2
61 66w Wallace Stacey 80 80 -951 $300 0 0 0 1
62 89b Todd Burley 80 80 -951$1,700 0 1 1 1
63 28 Scott Kerwin 76 76 -955$1,400 0 0 1 1
64 13 Tony Steiner 73 73 -95$ 300 0 0 0 1
65 32c Vic Coffey 70 70 -961 $500 0 0 0 1
66 1c Craig VonDohren 68 68 -963 $1,000 0 0 1 1
67 53e Ric Hill 65 65 -966 $800 0 0 1 1
68 88 Steve Hulsizer 65 65 -966 $450 0 0 0 2
69 20m Jeff McGinnis 65 65 -966 $800 0 0 1 1
70 17d Danny O’Brien 65 65 -966 $800 0 0 1 1
71 97 Michel Chicoine 60 60 -971 $300 0 0 0 1
72 63 Dominic Dufault 59 59 -972 $300 0 0 0 1
73 66 Jeff Heotzler 58 58 -973 $400 0 0 0 1
74 8 Rich Scagliotta 58 58 -973 $300 0 0 0 1
75 26 Rick Richner 58 58 -973 $400 0 0 0 1
76 73 Alain Boisvert 58 58 -973 $400 0 0 0 1
77 73 Rick Mill 56 56 -975 $350 0 0 0 1
78 95 Alex Boisvert 56 56 -975 $300 0 0 0 1
79 93 Richie Vinson 56 56 -975 $350 0 0 0 1
80 M96 Jessica Zemken 54 54 -977 $325 0 0 0 1
Advance Auto Parts DIRTcar Modified Entries – July 31 (43)
CAR# DRIVER / HOMETOWN TEAM (Sponsor / Chassis / Engine)
OB’s Johnny Guarino/Nanuet,NY Boria High-Tech Auto-RW Construction-Advance Concrete/TEO/Precision
1 Dave Werber/Brewster,NY Stan’s Auto Body-Markle’s Handy Corner/TEO/Meserendina
1h Tim Hindley/Monticello,NY Manheim’s Newburgh Auto Auction/Troyer/JPM
fx1 Frankie Caprara/Watertown,NY F.X. Caprara Car Co.-Auto Value-JK Contracting/Troyer/Dan Bedell
3 Justin Haers/Phelps,NY Phelps Cement Products-SMV Motorsports-Jeff Jolly Masonry/Bicknell/Finger Lakes
4 Mike Storms/Wantage,NJ® Mike Sparta Trucking-Skyline Construction-Four Star Transmissions/TEO/Morrison
7 Donnie Wilson/Ramsey,NJ Diamond Hart-Wilson’s Auto & Truck-Black Magic Shocks by Shadow/TEO/JPM
7k Kirk Horton/Eldred,NY Olori High Reach-Shadow Shocks/PMC/Horton
7x Steve Paine/Waterloo,NY Tallmadge Tire-Swarthout Recycling-Instant Heat Wood Pellets/Troyer/Finger Lakes
8 Jimmy Horton/Neshanic Station,NJ Central Jersey Trailer & Hitch Depot-Adamsville Maintenance/Troyer/Feil
9s Matt Sheppard/Waterloo,NY Advanced Lubrication Specialties-BPG/Chad Sinon Motorsports/Bicknell/Finger Lakes
10 Rich Eurich/Warwick,NY Collier Motor Car-Lain’s Auto Parts-AZ Trucking/Bicknell/JPM
m10 Danny Johnson/Rochester,NY Wildside Custom Trucks and Trailers-BSR Products/TEO/Finger Lakes
11 Danny Creeden/Middletown,NY R.G.H. Construction-Mid Hudson Construction Management/TEO/Dan Bedell
14 Rick Laubach/Quakertown,PA Jerry Simons Builder-Alpha Mills-Reiley & Sterner Auto Sales/TEO/Enders
14j Alan Johnson/Middlesex,NY Tri-State Roofing-Dirt Works-Escape RV/TEO/Precision
j17 Jeff Heotzler,Jr./Wallkill,NY Atlas Paving-Adsit Custom Haulers-John Marsh General Contractor/Bicknell/JPM
19 Chuck McKee/Middletown,NY WLR Construction-Perino’s Market/Troyer/JPM
20 Brett Hearn/Sussex,NJ Madsen Motorsports-Wentworth Custom Homes-Kruger-WLR/TEO/Enders
21 Clinton Mills/Middletown,NY Complete Forklift Service-Maintenance Plus/TEO/Gary Edwards Sr.
21m Bob McGannon/Garnerville,NY Pine Bush Equipment-McGannon Excavating/Bicknell/Morrison
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
m40 Mark Forte,Jr./Blue Anchor,NJ Wildside Custom Trucks and Trailers-BSR Products/TEO/Finger Lakes
47 Jerry Higbie/Slate Hill,NY Beaverkill Trout Hatchery-Superior Building Supply-Team Shaver/Bicknell/Precision
49 Billy Dunn/Watertown,NY Number One Speed-American Traditions-Fast Lube Watertown/Bicknell/Finger Lakes
53e Ric Hill/Lafayette,NJ Escape RV-Double D Racing-Ferriauolo Excavating/TEO/JPM
66 Jeff Heotzler/Wallkill,NY Atlas Paving-Behrent’s Performance Warehouse/TEO/JPM
j66 Jared Petruska/Wayne,NJ Atlas Paving/TEO/JPM
71 David VanHorn Jr./Phillipsburg,NJ Harmony Sand&Gravel-Diamond Hart Ent.-Art’s Radiator/TEO/D.VanHorn,Sr.
73 Rick Mill/New Windsor,NY Frank Stevens & Sons Roofing-Peak Racing Equipment/Bicknell/Simonek
77x Dale Planck/Cortland,NY RezX Racing-Grow It Hydroseeding-Action Race Parts-Teo Fab./TEO/Kevlar
79 Jeremy Markle/Port Jervis,NY Len & Jo’s Restaurant-Advance Recovery/Bicknell/Precision
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
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 England Race Fuels-Joe Gibbs Racing Oil/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
118 Mike DePalma/Wallkill,NY JR’s Service-Mike’s Getty/TEO/Precision
244 Chris Whitehead/Sussex,NJ Vernon Pool & Spa/Bicknell/Precision
923 Colin Jackson/Peckville,PA Ashford Cottages Bed & Breakfast-Jackson Excavating/Bicknell/Griffin
SKIDMARKS
VanHorn Eyes OCFS Championship: Third-generation chauffeur David VanHorn Jr. kicked off the Advance Series Escape RV Shootout by establishing a new track record in Integra Shocks Time Trials. After copping his qualifying heat, the motor expired in his no. 71 Harmony Sand & Gravel-Diamond Hart Ent.-Art’s Radiator/TEO machine to force him to pick up the tail end of the feature field in a back-up Small-Block ride. “Its no surprise and not unexpected that we’ve done this well so far,” remarked VanHorn, 25, who led the Orange County point standings heading into Thursday’s show despite being denied a trip to victory lane. “We’ve got a new chassis and improved motor program and everything is clicking. There’s good people around us working together for a common goal, that’s important to have for a successful season. I came here to win tonight and do all the things that got us here. Just keep on coming through the pack and see what happens.” VanHorn’s only consolation was the Holley Hard Luck Award after a blown motor in his primary car forced the Phillipsburg, New Jersey driver to start last and eventually finish there with just three laps in the books.
Alan Johnson Joins TEO Experiment, Brother Danny Left Looking: The Johnson Journal continued with its latest chapter as both Alan and Danny were in new rides at Orange County on Thursday. Although remaining with the Sherlock Motorsports operation, ‘A.J. Slideways’ debuted a brand new “experimental” TEO Pro Car that carried the familiar no. 14J. A conglomeration of ideas pieced together by car owner Roby Sherlock, car builder Bobby Hearn and Johnson, the new creation was fourth fastest in time trials and first in a qualifying heat before fading late in the feature go to fall in 20th on the final scoresheet. Younger brother Danny did finish the main event, although one lap down in 17th, steering the Forte Racing Wildside Custom Trucks and Trailers-BSR Products/TEO ride re-numbered M10 for the Advance Series special. A last minute deal put together by Bobby Hearn, first-string driver Mark Forte Jr. made just one stipulation prior to the race, for Johnson to “just make it back in one piece so I can roll it in the hauler .”
Heotzler Streak Stopped At Two: Defending Orange County Fair Speedway points champion Jeff Heotzler came into Thursday night’s Advance Series showdown riding a two-race win streak. That was against the regular Saturday night crew in Middletown but Heotzler still wanted to preserve the bragging rights he laid claim to last autumn with a victory in the season-ending Eastern States 200. “Its nice to run against these (tour) guys, I always look forward to it,” said Heotzler, 50, a winner of 44 Big-Block features as he looks for a fifth track title in his 31st season of short-track competition. As of late, the veteran from Wallkill, New York has been battling a bout of Lyme disease discovered over a month ago after being bitten by a tick while mowing his lawn. The initial medication hindered his visibility before a new prescription put him back on track and ultimately in victory lane. “I like running with this group, they’re a little less rammy than the regular weekend crowd. To have any chance against them you have to start in the top-10. You hate to see the track change and not have anything for the end but in this kind of race you normally know where you’re gonna be after 50 laps anyways so you try to get to the front as soon as you can.”
Pot Holes: 45 years difference in the diverse field of drivers signed up at Orange County, with Middletown veteran Rich Eurich still winning at age 60 and 15 year-old Larry Wight continuing to get his feet wet in the Big-Block ranks…..Steve Paine unloaded a re-skinned Troyer machine complete with a new axle after getting banged up in the recent ‘Super Summer Swing” down south at Grandview and Georgetown speedways…..Attempting to qualify his own car in the advance Series show staged at Orange County last May, Brian Weaver was offering his services to the Honeoye Auto Parts Team and driver Gary Tomkins this time around…..Rich Scagliotta signed in his familiar no. 8 Central Jersey Trailer & Hitch Depot-Adamsville Maintenance/Troyer mount although it was fellow Garden State chauffeur Jimmy Horton that was the designated driver on Thursday. “I have a good set-up in the car just want some input from Jimmy, whether its me or the motor that’s holding us back”…..Rookie Big-Block driver Michael Storms earned his first career victory at Orange County in June and was looking for more as he participated in a special test session at OCFS on Tuesday…..Oscar Boria was waiting for Butch Tittle to arrive and take over the driving duties in his OB’s TEO ride but when he failed to show, area upstart Johnny Guarino was summoned to make a rare appearance in a Big-Block for the annual mid-week special…..The police patrol was in full force during the trip downstate, with a half-dozen cars stationed along Route 17 hoping to deter off-track speeders. The H&H Motorsports team hauler of driver Jimmy Phelps was the lone victim of the DOT layover, with a female officer stopping the rig only to check for roof height during the minor delay.
Get Out The Word First: RACEceiver is the Official Driver Communicator of DIRTcar Racing. A compact radio receiver that conveniently fits into a driver’s pocket, a RACEceiver allows each driver to hear directions from series officials, which greatly enhances the safety and timeliness of events. A similar version available to fans will allow RACEceiver users to hear what information series officials are relaying to the drivers. For more information about RACEceiver, visit www.raceceiver.com, call 866/301-7223, or look for their sales trailers at various events.
Tracks Know The Score: In the ongoing effort to assist every sanctioned track with presenting the best possible race programs, DIRT has teamed with AMB i.t. which continues to be recognized as the Official Timing System of DIRTcar racing. AMB i.t. is the world’s leader in automatic race timing and scoring systems and the DIRT organization is proud to retain the company as a valued partner in the timing and scoring of all DIRTcar Racing events.
UPCOMING EVENTS
The mighty Mod Squad makes its annual trek across the border to Merrittville (Ont.) Speedway on Monday, August 4 for the Trevor Wilkens Memorial before returning stateside for back-to-back Advance Series shootouts at Brewerton Speedway and Canandaigua Speedway, Aug. 8-9. Can-Am Motorsports Park and Cornwall (rescheduled from July 13) stage consecutive 100-lappers Aug. 16-17 prior to the touring stars arriving at the home of DIRTcar NorthEast on Aug. 31 for Twin 54s at Cayuga County Fair Speedway.
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 B.Decker/Robbie Krull(P)
Thr-Jul 10 Brockville Ont Speedway B.Decker/Jimmy Phelps(P)
Fri-Jul 11 Autodrome Granby Brett Hearn(G)
Sat-Jul 12 Autodrome Drummond D.Planck/Steve Paine(P)
Wed-Jul 16 Grandview Speedway B.Decker/Jeff Strunk(P)
Thr-Jul 17 Georgetown Speedway H.J. Bunting III(G)
Thr-Jul 31 Orange Co Fair Speedway B.Hearn/Chuck McKee(P)
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 17 Cornwall Motor Speedway Cornwall,ONT
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 http://www.advanceautoparts.com.
ADVANCE AUTO PARTS MODIFIED SERIES SPONSORS
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 and Hoosier Racing Tire. Rite Aid Corporation is a promotional partner and the contingency sponsors are Bars Leaks, Bert Transmission, Bicknell Racing Products, Bilstein Shocks, Brodix Cylinder Heads, Crane Cams, Dig Safely New York, Holley HP Carburetors, Integra Shocks, Intercomp, KSE Racing Products, Motorsports Safety Systems, Penske Shocks, Rislone Oil Stabilizer and Wrisco Industries.
