HEARN OUT-DUELS WARD FOR OPENING ROUND VOLUSIA VICTORY
BARBERVILLE, FL.....All-time Florida Tour champion Brett Hearn added to the record book as he captured opening round honors in the 30-lap DIRT Modified main Tuesday night at Volusia Speedway Park
Despite starting on the pole, Hearn's 14th career victory in the Sunshine State was far from a runaway as he forged the final lead change with two laps remaining.
Hearn regained the lead from Pat Ward to squeeze out a car-length victory while brothers Keith and Doug Hoffman and Jimmy Horton trailed in the top-five.
"This is always a tricky track," said Hearn, 45, after scoring his 10th feature win at Volusia since making his first trip to the winner's circle during DIRT's 1993 Invitational. His no. 3 Budweiser Racing-Kruger-WLR Construction-Gable Auto Stores/TEO machine has been victorious in four of the seven openers since DIRT Motorsports rejoined the Winter Nationals card in 1998.
"You have to spend the whole night searching for the fast groove as it changes throughout the race. The car was better up high so when Pat caught me low I knew I needed to hang out there a little longer to get back around. The track was really fast tonight and sometimes I just had to hold my breath running up against the wall," Hearn added.
Hearn set the tone early as he charged from fifth to first in his qualifying heat to earn the pole-position start for the 15-mile Modified main. He easily out-dragged front row partner Keith Hoffman with Ward improving quickly from his start inside row three.
Lap four was the longest of the night to complete as three separate caution periods slowed the action. Yellow lights actually flashed for a fourth time, yet the lap was finally counted as most of the field was able to be scored.
Popular Frenchman Pierre Dagenais looped his no. 124 Bicknell entry in turn four to incur the initial yellow. Ward sprinted around Hearn on the ensuing restart yet chief starter Kenny Golden deemed it a false start and realigned the field. Again making his lane choice, leader Hearn this time selected the high side for the restart.
Ward made sure he stayed in line the second time yet the slower pace resulted in cars stacking up behind on the restart. Heat four winner Billy Decker, who started last after failing to fire to start the main, locked bumpers with Yan Bussiere to bring out a third yellow flag.
Just as the leaders reached the stripe to finally complete lap four, the biggest wreck of the race required yet another caution. It all began when Delaware invader Jamie Mills slowed high exiting turn three and was tagged by 18 year-old Dan Vauter. Former teammates Danny Johnson and Vic Coffey piled in, with Johnson's TEO copy sent smoking into the pits while Coffey ran only three more laps after suffering severe sheet metal damage.
Back under green flag conditions, Hearn regained command followed by Ward, J.R. Heffner, Hoffman and Tim McCreadie. Following the same high line that carried him to victory lane the night before in Late Model action, McCreadie charged into third on lap seven then swept around Ward to set his sights on Hearn.
The leaders reached traffic on lap 14 and McCreadie dug in low aboard his no. 39 Sweeteners Plus/TEO mount. The second-generation chauffeur could not make it stick and settled back into chasing Hearn by the midway point.
Hearn and McCreadie continued to weave past lapped cars as the laps dwindled until McCreadie saw an opening with 10 to go. But just as he tried to slide around Hearn coming out of turn three, the leader drifted high to avoid a pair of slower cars. Contact forced McCreadie's mount up against the wall before it spun sideways eventually coming to a stop with a flat left rear tire.
Ward regained his runner-up status and with the final 10 laps run straight through under green was able to mount a challenge to the normally untouchable Hearn. And when the 'Jet' slipped high on lap 25, Ward was quick to fill the gap in his debut aboard the no. 42p Gypsum Express, Ltd./Bicknell entry.
Hearn quickly regrouped, pulling up to Ward's rear nerf bar on lap 28 before nosing ahead for the final time as the two red machines crossed the stripe with the white flag in hand. He collected $2,000 after posting his 295th career DIRT sanctioned big-block victory which keeps him third all-time.
Defending Florida Tour points champion Tim Fuller started 17th and rallied to finish sixth followed by Heffner, Pennsylvanian Rick Laubach, Winter Nationals rookie Jim Scherer and Orange County Fair (N.Y.) Speedway regular Randy Sherlock steering Al Johns no. 25 Pike Underground mount.
The DIRT Modifieds are off on Wednesday before returning to Volusia for two more regular programs on Thursday and Friday. The big-blocks battle in the fourth and final round on Saturday as a $5,000-to-win 50-lap championship event is saved for the finale under the lights.
DIRT Diary:
Reigning Mr. DIRT champion Alan Johnson was forced to use the No. 14J Mohawk Northeast/Troyer small-block back-up car in the feature, joining Decker at the rear of the field after qualifying in his preliminary heat. Without any hot laps, Johnson pulled pitside with 17 laps complete after a vibration sidelined his effort. Making his first trip to Volusia since the late 1980s, Decker was done with ignition problems after his lap four tie-up with Canadian Bussiere.
Participating in his sixth straight Winter Nationals event, open-wheel veteran Butch Tittle celebrated his 50th birthday on Friday (Feb. 6). Securing the final point fund payoff position (15th) in the overall 2003 Mr. DIRT Championship, the bearded Pennsylvanian is still looking for his first top-five tally in Florida feature race competition. Fittingly, Tittle's notorious 'Z' car placed 15th in Tuesday's tour opener.
Running Feb. 12-14, a free trial subscription is being offered during the DIRT Florida Tour with "live" audio/video coverage presented from Volusia the final three nights. This subscription is valid until the end of March. During Florida Tour '04, live audio and text chat will be available during each event while on-demand highlights from the previous night include both audio and streaming video.
This week the DIRT Web goes live at 5pm on raceday. Users just need to register for their username and password by clicking the DIRTvision.com link posted on the DIRT homepage. [To receive full features of all "live" video webcasts, a cable or DSL broad-band connection is strongly recommended]
SUMMARY EVENT NO. 1
HEAT 1: Hearn, Ward, Heffner, Sherlock, Dwyer.
HEAT 2: K.Hoffman, Pratt, Dagenais, Laubach, Fuller.
HEAT 3: Scherer, McCreadie, D.Hoffman, Coffey, Mills.
HEAT 4: Decker, King, Horton, Vauter, A.Johnson.
CONSI 1: D.Johnson, Tittle, Bussiere.
CONSI 2: Smith, Rasey, Chrysler.
FEATURE(30LAPS): BRETT HEARN, Pat Ward, Keith Hoffman, Doug Hoffman, Jimmy Horton, Tim Fuller, J.R. Heffner, Rick Laubach, Jim Scherer, Randy Sherlock, Jim Rasey, G.R. Smith, Rex King, Ron Dwyer, Butch Tittle, Pierre Dagenais, Tim McCreadie, Dan Vauter, Richie Pratt,Jr., Yan Bussiere, Alan Johnson, Randy Chrysler, Vic Coffey, Billy Decker, Jamie Mills, Danny Johnson.