HEARN WINS 358 SUPER DIRT SERIES RACE AND POINTS TITLE

ELBRIDGE, NY..9/26/98..The Suzuki World Series of DIRT Track Racing Weekend got off to a spectacular start featuring three classes of cars on opening day. After starting twenty-fifth, Brett Hearn, from Sussex, NJ, won the 98-lap double point Skoal Bandit Racing sm Super DIRT 358-Modified Series finale last Saturday evening at the super fast Rolling Wheels Raceway. Tom Kuck took top honors in the 20-lap Mr. DIRT Street Stock championship race. Finally

Greg DeChick won a weather shortened 36-lap enduro, earning $250. One hundred and thirty-six cars were on hand for this event.

Tim Fuller, drew the pole in pre-race ceremonies and parlayed his way into the lead at the drop of the green. Billy Wilcox was second followed by Chuck Akulis and Mike Colsten. The first of fifteen yellow flags flew on lap four when Steve Paine, Todd Burley and Tim McCreadie made contact with the inside concrete wall in the second turn. With weather threatening it was decided to count laps under caution, however no one would lose any laps during any yellow thrown the first 25 laps. All of the drivers except McCreadie were able to return to the race.

Fuller continued to show the way, as Gary Tomkins broke into the top five. Wilcox remained seven cars behind Fuller and in a battle for position with Tomkins. Tomkins grabbed the runner up position on lap 11, sending Wilcox back to third. On lap 18 the yellow flew again when Frank Cozze slowed with a flat tire. He pitted and returned in the lead lap. Tomkins was now threatening Fuller and at times was able to pull alongside of the CarQuest Special from the "North Country."

On lap 25 the yellow flew for the third time when Joe Shields and Joel Doiron both slowed and spun out. Tomkins maintained the pressure on Fuller. Becoming a threat was second place in series points, Alan Johnson, who was running fifth on lap 29.

On lap 38 the number 82 of Ron Holmes coasted to a stop in the first turn causing a yellow. The running order at this time was Fuller, Tomkins, Johnson, Wilcox, Pete Bicknell and Akulis.

On lap 50 the multi-time modified DIRT track champion in 1998, Billy Decker, ended his race, abruptly stopping in between turns one and two. With the halfway mark behind them the field restarted in single file. Brett Hearn had now joined the top five battle. On lap 61 Hearn wowed the crowd, passing both Tomkins and Fuller in one move for the lead. Hearn then proceeded to pull out a ten car advantage over Fuller. Fuller had his hands full with Johnson as the series points battle between Hearn and Johnson was becoming very clear.

Johnson took second from Fuller on lap 67. It now came down to a two car battle, Hearn versus Johnson. By fact Hearn would win the title no matter which one won the race, but series pride was on the line for Hearn and he pushed his "Auto Zone" Teo on to victory.

The closing laps saw a one lap dash for the checkers after Todd Ryan blew up on lap 96. Hearn maintained the lead and won the 98-lap feature. This victory earned him $4,000 and the 1998 Skoal Bandit Racing sm Super DIRT 358-Modified Series title. Johnson came home in second followed by Fuller, Tomkins and Bicknell.

Six heat races had to be run as 62 cars were present to

qualify. Heat wins went to Pat O'Brien, Charlie Donk, Bill Wilcox, Bicknell, Curt VanPelt and Danny O'Brien.

In the companion 20-lap Sunoco Fuels-Hoosier Tire Mr. DIRT Street Stock feature Scott Fremouw took command at the drop of the green. As the cars exited the second turn, Ken Gates's Camaro hopped a wheel and became airborne, flipping onto its roof. Gates exited the car uninjured, but his efforts were done for the evening.

Fremouw continued to lead with Kevin Jordan running second and Bill Hallett in third. The yellow flew again on lap four as a multi-car tangle took place in the fourth turn. Bill Hallett was able to take the lead on the restart with Fremouw second and Jon Miller third. Eventual winner, Tom Kuck was running fourth and Les Whyte fifth.

On lap 10 the yellow flew again when Rob Rowe came to a stop in the first turn. Kuck was now second behind Hallett. Two more yellows and, on lap 16, Kuck was able to pass Hallett for the lead. Top point runners Steve Pesarek and Les Whyte both met with difficulties. Whyte dropped from the race and Pesarek had to report to the rear of the field after looping his car.

Kuck took his first series win of the year. Hallett came home in second followed by Fremouw, Jon Miller and Tom Barron. Dembek's sixth place finish keeps the Street Stock battle only one point difference between himself and Barron.

The 50-lap Enduro started under a special lightening show put on by Mother Nature. As these lightening strikes became more common, starter Dave Farney decided to call the race. The checkers halted the race on lap 36 with Greg DeChick nearly a full straight away ahead of Tom Hettis. Only four cars finished on the lead lap.

358-Modified racing will return to Rolling Wheels on Friday, October 8, when the small blocks run their 100-lap J.G. Turner Construction Mr. DIRT race. The night before the small blocks will invade the nearby Brewerton oval.

SUSUKI WORLD SERIES OF DIRT TRACK RACING WEEKEND-DAY 1

SUMMARY

ENDURO

FEATURE TOP 3 (36-laps): GREG DeCHICK, Tom Hettis, Tom Juhl.

MR. DIRT STREET STOCKS

HEAT 1: K. Jordan, J. Holmes, J. Burton, B. Lutz.

HEAT 2: S. Fremouw, D. Champus, L. Whyte, A. Dembek.

HEAT 3: B. Hallett, J. Miller, K. Ward, M. Sullivan.

HEAT 4: T. Barron, T. Kuck, Ra. Miller, T. Teal.

HEAT 5: J. Langenback, T. Cannizzaro, R. Rowe, C. Tinnelly.

CONSI 1: J. McGuigan, D. Marshall (DQ), S. Govertsen, E. Walters, Ri. Miller, R. Breed.

CONSI 2: K. Gates, R. Kowalczyk, S. Pesarek, M. Walters, J. Pittsford (DQ).

FEATURE (20-laps): TOM KUCK, Bill Hallett, Scott Fremouw, Jon

Miller, Tom Barron, Andy Dembek, Ricky Breed, Scott Govertsen, Jerry Holmes, Doug Champus, Ted Teal, Cliff Tinnelly, Jim Langenback, Ram Kowalczyk, Randy Miller, Kevin Ward, Steve Pesarek, Rick Miller, Kevin Jordan, Mike Watkins, Mark Sullivan, Jim Burton, Les Whyte, Bobby Lutz, Rob Rowe, Ed Walters, Jim McGuigan, Tom Cannizzaro, Ken Gates.

SKOAL BANDIT RACING sm SUPER DIRT 358 SERIES

HEAT 1: P. O'Brien, T. Burnett, D. Heaslip.

HEAT 2: C. Donk, T. Fuller, T. Kinsella.

HEAT 3: B. Wilcox, C. Akulis, T. Griffin.

HEAT 4: P. Bicknell, M. Colsten, T. Ryan.

HEAT 5: C. VanPelt, D. Heaslip, A. Johnson.

HEAT 6: D. O'Brien, J. Shields, R. Holmes.

CONSI 1: D. Planck, S. Paine, B. Hearn, F. Cozze.

CONSI 2: J. Doiron, M. Perrotte, T. Burley, J. Higbie Jr.

CONSI 3: A. Bachetti, B. Decker, P. Dagenais, S. Glover.

FEATURE (98-laps): BRETT HEARN, Alan Johnson, Tim Fuller, Gary Tomkins, Pete Bicknell, Pat O'Brien, Chuck Akulis, Mike Colsten, Todd Burley, Steve Paine, Troy Griffin, Frank Cozze, Danny O'Brien, Tom Kinsella, Steve Glover, Curt VanPelt, Charlie Donk, Jerry Higbie Jr., Tim Burnett, Todd Ryan, Pierre Dagenais, Joe Shields, Joel Doiron, Andy Bachetti, Dale Planck, Bill Mullin, Dave Heaslip, Bill Wilcox, Billy Decker, Ron Holmes, Mike Perrotte, Tim McCreadie.