JOHNSON PACES FIELD FOR FIRST WIN ON FRIDAY AT VOLUSIA

BARBERVILLE, FL...Danny Johnson followed in the tire tracks of new Florida Tour points leader Brett Hearn as he led the distance to score his first win of the year in the 30-lap DIRT Modified main Friday night at Volusia Speedway Park.

Johnson jumped out front from his pole-position start aboard the reworked no. 27 J&J Shop-Planned Poultry Renovations/Troyer entry then survived seven caution periods to post his 269th career DIRT big-block victory and earn $2,000 for his eighth Florida Tour triumph. The Rochester, N.Y. veteran won his first at Volusia in 1987 and four of his previous five triumphs in the Sunshine State came in 50-lap main events.

"We just had a great car tonight and I'm already looking forward to tomorrow," said Johnson, 41, after matching Hearn's flag-to-flag run to the checkers in the 2002 tour opener at Putnam County Speedway. "You never like so many yellow flags when you're out front. I was concerned more with so many coming early but the crew had the car dialed in and right now I couldn't be happier. Tomorrow will be a little tougher since we'll probably start farther back but I'm excited about the changes we made and can't wait to race again," Johnson said.

In a near carbon-copy of Thursday night's early race performance, several caution flags flew during the start of the race to slow the action and keep scorers busy with constant realignments of the original 28-car field.

Heat one winner Johnson out-dragged front-row partner Craig Mullins and rode the low line to lead the Delaware pilot before current points runner-up J.R. Heffner moved in to challenge on the second time around. Ohioan Jim Rasey looped his no. 32 Bicknell mount on lap three and Tim McCreadie slowed the next lap aboard his no. 56 Finch's Trucking/TEO machine to force out the initial yellow flags with Johnson and Heffner suddenly chased by Jamie Mills, Tim Fuller, Mullins, Hearn and a bruised Bob McCreadie, who returned to steer Chuck Hebing's no. 45 Cobra Motorsports ride after demolishing his own Troyer entry the night before.

Fuller slowed on the back chute with motor trouble to bring out the first of three lap 8 caution flags. A three-car accident involving Justin Haers, Jason Barney and Dave Blaney followed by a two-car tangle between Rick Laubach and Tim McCreadie and a turn three crash for Butch Tittle immediately after set the stage for one of the longest laps in Winter Nationals history.

Yellow lights flashed for the sixth time on lap nine when a three-car skirmish in turn one prompted a four car pile-up in turn two and when the track was finally cleared only 20 cars remained to take the ensuing green flag.

At the midway mark it remained Johnson leading Heffner and Mills with Hearn and Winston Cup star Tony Stewart, who won the IROC race earlier in the day at Daytona, settling into the top-five.

Bob McCreadie slowed in turn four to bring out the final caution on lap 17. The slowdown gave Johnson's nearest trailers one final chance but there was never a challenge to be mustered as D.J. crossed the stripe five car-lengths ahead of Heffner followed still by Mills, Hearn and Stewart in his best-ever finish behind the wheel of a big-block DIRT Modified.

Tim McCreadie, Ryan Bartlett, Hoffman, Mullins and Johnson's former Sweeteners Plus teammate Vic Coffey rounded out the top-10.

Through four of five series races run during the 31st annual Winter Nationals, three-time and defending Florida Tour points champion Hearn has regained his perch atop the chart with 212 points. Heffner(204) ranks second ahead of 27th-place finisher Fuller(186) while Tim McCreadie(167) moved ahead of Pat Ward(162) with just one event remaining.

Open-wheel action concludes Saturday at Volusia Speedway Park with the $5,000-to-win 50-lap DIRT Modified finale highlighting the evening program.

FLORIDA TOUR 2002 PIT NOTES

Fri. Feb 15

Lebanon Valley Speedway mainstay J.R. Heffner has been making the trip down south every year since DIRT Motorsports returned to oval-track competition at Volusia Speedway Park in 1998. The bespectacled Averill Park, N.Y. pilot also traveled to the now idle St. Augustine Speedway when Glenn Donnelly's group made their only appearance in the nation's oldest city in 1995. Heading into the 50-lap DIRT finale on Saturday at Volusia, Heffner is the only driver among 37 to post all top-5 finishes in the initial four events. What makes this feat even more unique is the fact that he never placed among the front-five in any feature run in his first five Februarys spent racing in the Sunshine State. "If I had my way right now I'd like to give Grand National or Winston Cup racing a try," admitted Heffner, 29, now settling into the DIRT big-block ranks for the 13th season. "But breaking into those series nowadays seems to come down to connections, who you know not necessarily how good you might be. I'd still like to test my talent on the big tracks and if nothing happens, no big deal, but I wouldn't have any regrets when it's all over." Heffner made his open-wheel debut in a Sportsman car at Lebanon Valley in 1988, scoring one win on the high banks before graduating into the premier DIRT Modified division three years later. All of his six career DIRT big-block feature wins have since been registered at The Valley with his lone 358-Modified victory coming last year at Accord Speedway. Heffner will follow a similar path in '02, competing in the no. 74 A.Colarusso & Son-T & T Body King/TEO machine at Lebanon as well as in a #74 small-block ride at Accord; about a dozen Modified/358 events will make up the team's Super DIRT Series agenda. "I've got a new job this year so I won't have as much free time as before," said Heffner, who recently traded in his sales position at Albany Mack Truck Sales for the general manager post at Rouse Motor Express based in Canaan, N.Y. "At Mack, if I kept selling I kept my job no matter how I spent the time in between, but despite requiring more hours in the office this new opportunity is something I just couldn't pass up. 2002 marks the fourth year with the same crew so I'm finally trusting the guys with more work in the shop when I can't be around." Heffner first appeared at St. Augustine steering the no. 24 Miller Automotive entry to 26th-place in the final points standings. He ranked 30th, 11th, 19th and 7th on the final points chart the past four winters and last year recorded his best-ever feature finish (8th) to end up with four top-10 tour tallies. Although yet to reach victory lane, Heffner's consistency among the top-5 has put him second in current points, just eight markers behind defending Florida Tour champion Brett Hearn. To date, Heffner's most prestigious wins were both celebrated in 2000 --- the $17,500-to-win Mr. DIRT Track, USA title race at Lebanon and the small-block portion of Octoberfest at Hagerstown(Md.) Speedway that earned him $10 grand.

Last season the J&J Shop-Planned Poultry Renovations/Troyer team reluctantly retained its status as one of the most traveled teams on the entire DIRT circuit. Third year car owner Jay James may have an even longer haul in 2002 when he begins his first full season utilizing the services of four-time Hoosier Tire-Sunoco Race Fuels Mr. DIRT Champion Danny Johnson. The popular New Yorker replaced Allentown, Pa. chauffeur Doug Hoffman at the end of last season; at the time James traveled seven hours from his Laurel, Del. base just to connect with Hoffman while another four hours was needed to reach Rolling Wheels Raceway in Elbridge, N.Y. where the team accumulated valuable hometrack bonus points. While Johnson's second victory with James ---his first coming in the 40th Eastern States Championship at Orange County Fair Speedway last October--- scored Friday at Volusia will obviously not shorten the gap, the potential for the best season in James' eight-year tenure as a car owner may lie ahead. While Hoffman gained weekly financial success at Bridgeport(N.J.) Speedway in '01, the team is yet to commit to a Saturday night track for big-block activity during the upcoming season. Johnson has already been cleared to drive James' 358-Modified entry every Friday at Ransomville Speedway, a track that looms even further from home --- another three hours northwest of Rolling Wheels.

Now apparently enjoying a third consecutive year with car owner Bob Faust and his B&F General Machine/TEO machines, Tim Fuller hopes 2002 is another breakout year for the no. m1 team. "I guess I'm now the record-holder staying with Bob this long," smiled Fuller, 34, who continues to maintain Faust's five (4 big-blocks) open-wheel entries in his Edwards, N.Y. shop. "We're probably more alike than people might think." The one common denominator is the yearning to win on one of the most competitive short-track circuits in the country. In 2001, Fuller opened the season with his first-ever feature win at Volusia, captured his initial checkered flag at Canandaigua and added one big-block victory at Cayuga County. Along with a small-block win at Fulton, his biggest triumph of the season came in the 100-lap 358-Modified Super DIRT Series showdown at Can-Am Motorsports Park in September. "We were pretty good last year but this time around everything is in order, from the cars to the motors and right down to the crew," Fuller said. "We're still taking one race at a time when it comes to preparation but the expectation to win is now more realistic every time we visit a track." The familiar black no. m1 entries will be staples every week at Brewerton, Fulton and Cayuga County plus all Rolling Wheels big-block specials as well as in every Advance Auto Parts Modified Super DIRT Series event with only a handful of major small-block races dotting the schedule. Fuller has already garnered one feature win on the Florida Tour and the overall Winter National points crown would be a springboard to even more success further north. "Tires are always the biggest concern down here," added Fuller, who relinquished the points lead to Brett Hearn after motor trouble on Friday relegated him to a 27th-place finish, his first out of the top-five. "There was no question using hards on Tuesday when we won but staying with the same compound on Thursday (finished 4th) was the only difference. Qualifying up front and staying out of trouble are the other keys to finishing consistently this week."

The Friday show at Volusia marked the final appearance of the week in a DIRT Modified for both Winston Cup drivers Tony Stewart and Dave Blaney. Stewart, who won the Budweiser Shootout, finished second in his 125 Qualifier and stole the lead from Al Unser,Jr. with just two laps to go to capture the IROC title event at Daytona, logged a career best 5th-place finish in his last 30-lap Modified main. "Tony was happy the way we improved all week," said Bryan Goewey, owner of the no. 20 GE Sealants & Adhesive/TEO car that Stewart has driven the past two Speed Weeks. "The only difference tonight was that we got lucky and Tony didn't get banged around as much as the first two races." Runner-up in the 2001 Winston Cup points chase, the Rushville Rocket now turns all his attention to Sunday's Daytona 500, an event that would rank as the biggest of his career should he find his way into victory lane for yet another day.

FLORIDA TOUR 2002 RACE RESULTS @ Volusia Speedway Park - Fri., Feb. 15

DIRT Modified Feature (30L)

FIN

CAR#

DRIVER

TEAM (Sponsor / Chassis / Engine)

1

27

Danny Johnson/Rochester,NY

J & J Shop-Planned Poultry Renovations/Troyer/Morrison

2

74

J.R. Heffner/Averill Park,NY

A.Colarusso & Son-T&T Body King/TEO/Enders

3

30

Jamie Mills/Milford,DE

I.G.Burton Car Dealrshp-L&W Ins.-Mills Bros. Markets/Troyer/Myers

4

3

Brett Hearn/Sussex,NJ

Budweiser Racing-WLR Construction-Cavallaro Produce/TEO/Enders

5

20

Tony Stewart/Rushville,IN

GE Sealants & Adhesive-Extreme Silicone Technology/TEO/Enders

6

56

Tim McCreadie/Watertown,NY

Finch's Trucking-Syracuse Frame Service-F.X. Caprara/TEO/Finger Lakes

7

93

Ryan Bartlett/Adams,NY

D.P. Bartlett & Sons Plumbing, Heating & AC/TEO/Bow-Tie

8

60over

Doug Hoffman/Allentown,PA

C.Harrell Trucking-Lincoln Auto Body/Troyer/Morrison

9

2

Craig Mullins/Bridgeville,DE

Gene's Auto Sales-John Lynch Custom Homes/Speed Palace/Enders

10

32c

Vic Coffey/Leicester,NY

Sweeteners Plus-A&C Speedworld/TEO/C.C. Performance

11

42p

Pat Ward/Genoa,NY

Gypsum Express,Ltd./TEO/Enders

12

93L

Rick Laubach/Quakertown,PA

Auger Manufacturing Specialists/TEO/Dave George

13

87

Jason Barney/Constantia,NY

Gypsum Express,Ltd.-Stadium International-Pit Stop/TEO/Enders

14

60

Tim Dwyer/Gloversville,NY

Zoom'N Groom-B&B Auto Sales/TEO/D.Williams

15

32

Jim Rasey/Southington,OH

Twin Oaks Services South-Victory 1 Performance/Troyer/Rasey

16

7jr.

Jimmy Reppert/Hamburg,PA

Harmony Hill Assisted Living/Troyer/CMS

17

27m

Chic' Chandler/Charlton,MA

Diversified Sign-Atlantic Coast Trailer Sales/Bicknell/AC Performance

18

4

Mike Hughes/Riegelsville,PA

Art's Radiator-K&D Contractors-B&M Body Supply/Speed Palace/Coffey

19

45

Bob McCreadie/Watertown,NY

Cobra Trailers-Mohawk Northeast-New Eng. Race Fuels/Troyer/Morrison

20

396

Deron Rust/Georgetown,DE

Rust Motorsports-J&S Utility Trailers-B&K Woods/TEO/Beston Automotive

21

7x

Steve Paine/Waterloo,NY

Sweeteners Plus-A&C Speedworld/TEO/C.C. Performance

22

35

Mike Perrotte/Elizabethtown,NY

Adirondack Auto/Troyer/Enders

23

3h

Justin Haers/Phelps,NY

Sweeteners Plus-A&C Speedworld-Phelps Cement/TEO/C.C. Performance

24

Z

Butch Tittle/Saylorsburg,PA

Tittle & Sons Motorsports/Troyer/Fiehl

25

29

A.J. Romano/Johnstown,NY

Advanced Lubrication Specialties/TEO/Finger Lakes

26

74b

Dave Blaney/Sharon,PA

Smith Bros. Concrete Foundations/TEO/Precision

27

m1

Tim Fuller/Edwards,NY

B&F General Machine-Dixon Steel-Afco/TEO/Enders

28

33

Ray Swinehart/Bechtelsville,PA

J & L Speed Supplies/Bicknell/Reinford Racing Engines

DNQ

79

Jeremy Markle/Port Jervis,NY

Len & Jo's Restaurant/Bicknell/Precision

DNQ

57

Pete Simpson/Hubbard,OH

Bulldog Graffix-Hine Racing Engines/Bicknell/Hine

DNQ

27z

Ray Bliss,Jr./Warsaw,NY

Home & Garden Center-Bliss Logging & Firewood/Troyer/Campbell

EVENT SUMMARY:

LAP LEADER: Johnson (1-30),

CAUTIONS: 7 (lap 3, lap 4, lap 8, lap 8, lap 8, lap 9, lap 17).

HEAT WINNERS: Johnson, Mullins, Heffner.

CONSI WINNER: Haers.

TOTAL PURSE: $10,250.

CARS ENTERED: 31.