Bruno Bags Airborne Asphalt Special
Posted Wednesday, Jul 25, 2007
Plattsburgh, NY — July 24, 2007 – By Tom Skibinski, DIRTcar Racing NorthEast PR Director
The last time the mighty DIRTcar Modifieds circled Airborne Speedway was in 1989 when the track was dirt. In a most fitting performance, 1991 Miller Electric DIRTcar 358-Modified Rookie of the Year Mike Bruno captured the DIRT-sanctioned Big-Block/Small-Block special on July 24 with the storied Airborne 4/10-miler now boasting an asphalt surface.
Bruno (3 wins) led a sweep of the top-three spots by weekly Airborne Small-Block rivals, with track points leader George Foley (2) finishing second ahead by Patrick Dupree (3). The Bomoseen, Vt. veteran collected the $3,000 top prize on Tuesday after leading the entire 40-lap main event that featured a mix of both Big-Block and Small-block Modifieds. Bruno also received an automatic starting berth in the 358-Modified Championship race on Oct. 6 of Super DIRT Week XXXVI at the New York State Fairgrounds in Syracuse, which he gladly accepted in his victory lane speech.
Lebanon Valley Speedway mainstays Wayne Jelley (4th) and Kenny Tremont (6th), and New Egypt (NJ) Speedway standout Frank Cozze (7th) were also signed in, collecting valuable points towards the lucrative DIRTcar East Regional Championship with a total of $20,175 distributed to the top-15 in each region at season’s end. Big-Block star Danny Johnson joined Cozze and Tremont on the talent-laden roster, with perennial pavement power Chuck Hossfeld strapping into the H&H Motorsports no. 98h Mohawk Northeast-New England Race Fuels Troyer entry normally driven in the Advance Auto Parts Super DIRTcar Series by Central New Yorker Jimmy Phelps.
Bruno won the third and final qualifying heat yet the pre-race redraw put his no. 22 Cricket’s Casual Food & Spirits-Bruno’s Towing/Bicknell entry on the pole in the 26-car starting field. He had to survive four brief caution periods and a second-half charge by Foley to salvage his fifth career DIRT-sanctioned feature win. “There was only one strategy starting up front. I just wanted to be patient in traffic tonight, pace myself until the end and stay out of trouble,” said Bruno, whose four previous victories were registered at long-standing DIRT affiliate Frogtown Int’l Speedway from 1992-94.
Fifth-place starter Foley grabbed second from top local Leon Gonyo on lap 24 and shadowed Bruno the rest of the way despite rear suspension failure forcing the car to ride on the left-rear tire in the closing stages. Dupree began 7th and after trying to save the tires early was unable to mount a serious challenge as the track slickened up and he was relegated to protecting his position. Johnson began 14th and worked his way into the top-10 until the rear-end blew out in his borrowed mount while two-time Sunoco Race of Champions winner Hossfeld sat comfortably in sixth until suddenly turning pitside during the final caution on lap 36 to replace a flat tire.
In one more month, Oswego (NY) Speedway hosts the second and final round of the inaugural asphalt mini-series with $3,000 waiting for the winner in the 40-lap main event scheduled on Wednesday, August 22. The DIRTcar Big-Block Modifieds pounded the pavement at Oswego for their lone appearance in 1992. This race can also be used toward the Central Regional points championship that will be up for grabs this season in the DIRTcar Big-Block Modified ranks.
For further information, please contact the DIRT NorthEast office (315/834-6606) during the week or visit www.dirtmotorsport.com 24/7. For specific track information, check out Airborne’s web site at www.airbornespeedway.net or call 518/420-3699 and log into www.oswegospeedway.com or phone 315/342-0646.
Airborne Speedway, July 24, 2007 Big-Block/Small-Block Modified Event Summary
FIN STR CAR# DRIVER
1 1 22 Mike Bruno/Bomoseen,VT ($3,000)
2 5 34 George Foley/Saranac Lake,NY
3 7 24 Patrick Dupree/Saranac Lake,NY
4 4 45 Wayne Jelley/Pittsfield,MA
5 2 28 Cameron Grady/Wilmington,NY
6 6 115 Kenny Tremont/West Sand Lake,NY
7 12 49 Frank Cozze/Wind Gap,PA
8 13 55 Matt Woodruff/Bloomingdale,NY
9 9 6 Francis McNeil/Ellenburg Depot,NY
10 11 31 Richard Chauvin/Drummondville,QUE
11 18 1ny Greg Atkins/Clintonville,NY
12 3 4 Leon Gonyo/Chazy,NY
13 8 98h Chuck Hossfeld/Ransomville,NY
14 15 20x Pierre Berthiaume/Quebec City,QUE
15 10 02 Mike Reyell/West Chazy,NY
16 21 18 Chris Cayea/Mooers Forks,NY
17 19 9z Zack Baldwin/Fort Ann,NY
18 26 c02 Craig Reyell/West Chazy,NY
19 17 27 Andy Kane/Jay,NY
20 22 21 Spencer Rushlaw/Saranac Lake,NY
21 24 b3 Aaron Bartemy/Sheldon,VT
22 23 17 Jason Durgan/Morrisonville,NY
23 14 34x Danny Johnson/Rochester,NY
24 20 14 Ryan McLean/AuSable Forks,NY
25 25 90 Martin Roy/Napierville,QUE
26 16 20 J.P. Gobeille/Quebec City,QUE
LAP LEADER: Bruno (1-40).
CAUTIONS: 4 (lap 27, lap 30, lap 36, lap 36).
SYRACUSE 358-MODIFIED QUALIFIER: Mike Bruno
QUALIFYING
Heat Races (10 laps, top 2 went to re-draw)
#1: Jelley, Foley, Dupree, M.Reyell, Woodruff, Gobeille, Baldwin, Rushlaw, Roy (DNS).
#2: Gonyo, Grady, Hossfeld, Chauvin, Johnson, Kane, McLean, Durgan.
#3: Bruno, Tremont, McNeil, Cozze, Berthiaume, Atkins, Cayea, Bartemy, C.Reyell.
2007 358-MODIFIED SYRACUSE CHAMPIONSHIP QUALIFIERS
(+)-denotes Mr. DIRTcar 358-Modified Championship Series event.
DAY-DATE TRACK LOCATION WINNER/QUALIFIER
Sat-Apr 21 Orange County Fair Speedway Middletown,NY Brett Hearn
Sat-Apr 28 Orange County Fair Speedway Middletown,NY Dom Roselli
Fri-May 25 Ransomville Speedway Ransomville,NY Scott Kerwin
Fri-May 25 Autodrome Granby Granby,QUE Sebastien Gougeon
Sat-May 26 Lebanon Valley Speedway W.Lebanon,NY J.R. Heffner
Sat-May 26 Frogtown Int'l Speedway Hogansburg,NY Danny Johnson
Thr-May 31 Orange County Fair Speedway Middletown,NY Tim Hindley
Sat-Jun 2 Orange County Fair Speedway Middletown,NY Chuck McKee
Sat-Jun 2 Autodrome Drummond Drummondville,QUE Mario Clair
Sat-Jun 9 Orange County Fair Speedway Middletown,NY T.Hindley/Jeremy Markle-2nd
Sat-Jun 23 Orange County Fair Speedway Middletown,NY Kirk Horton
Sat-Jun 23 Lebanon Valley Speedway W.Lebanon,NY Ray Hoard
Sat-Jun 23 Genesee Speedway Batavia,NY Tim Jones
Wed-Jun 27 Frogtown Int'l Speedway Hogansburg,NY Dale Planck
Wed-Jun 27 New Egypt Speedway New Egypt,NJ Jeff Strunk
Fri-Jun 29 Autodrome Edelweiss Hull,QUE Pierre Dagenais
Sat-Jun 30 Orange County Fair Speedway Middletown,NY Johnny Guarino
Fri-Jul 6 Ransomville Speedway Ransomville,NY D.Johnson/Pete Bicknell-8th
Tue-Jul 10 Brockville Ontario Speedway Brockville,ONT Pat O'Brien/Jeff Sykes-13th
Sat-Jul 14 Lebanon Valley Speedway W.Lebanon,NY Andy Bachetti
Sat-Jul 21 Canandaigua Speedway Canandaigua,NY D.Johnson/Bob Henry Jr.-9th
Sat-Jul 21 Orange County Fair Speedway Middletown,NY Chris Shultz
Sun-Jul 22 Lebanon Valley Speedway West Lebanon,NY A.Bachetti/Jeff Trombley-3rd
Sun-Jul 22 Humberstone Speedway Port Colborne,ONT P.Bicknell/Chris Steele-2nd
Sun-Jul 22 Cornwall Motor Speedway Cornwall,ONT Billy Decker/Clement Therrien-5th
Mon-Jul 23 Autodrome Drummond Drummondville,QUE B.Hearn/Kayle Robidoux-11th
Tue-Jul 24 Airborne Speedway Plattsburgh,NY Mike Bruno
Fri-Jul 27 Autodrome Edelweiss Hull,QUE
Sat-Jul 28 Brockville Ontario Speedway Brockville,ONT
Sat-Jul 28 Merrittville Speedway Thorold,ONT
Sun-Jul 29 Cornwall Motor Speedway Cornwall,ONT
Fri-Aug 3 Ohsweken Speedway Ohsweken,ONT
Sat-Aug 4 Orange County Fair Speedway Middletown,NY
Sat-Aug 4 Lebanon Valley Speedway West Lebanon,NY
Mon-Aug 6 Merrittville Speedway Thorold,ONT
Mon-Aug 6 Autodrome Drummond Drummondville,QUE
Tue-Aug 7 Ransomville Speedway Ransomville,NY
Tue-Aug 7 Autodrome Granby Granby,QUE
Sat-Aug 18 Orange County Fair Speedway Middletown,NY
Sat-Aug 18 Lebanon Valley Speedway West Lebanon,NY
Sun-Aug 19 Cayuga County Fair Speedway Weedsport,NY
Mon-Aug 20+ Autodrome Drummond Drummondville,QUE
Tue-Aug 21+ Autodrome Granby Granby,QUE
Wed-Aug 22 Oswego Speedway Oswego,NY
Fri-Aug 31 Ransomville Speedway Ransomville,NY
Sat-Sep 1 Orange County Fair Speedway Middletown,NY
Sat-Sep 1 Frogtown Int'l Speedway Hogansburg,NY
Sat-Sep 1 Merrittville Speedway Thorold,ONT
Sat-Sep 1 Autodrome Drummond Drummondville,QUE
Sun-Sep 2+ Cornwall Motor Speedway Cornwall,ONT
Sun-Sep 2 Northern Region Champion DIRT NorthEast
Sun-Sep 2 Eastern Region Champion DIRT NorthEast
Sun-Sep 2 Western Region Champion DIRT NorthEast
Fri-Sep 7+ Autodrome Edelweiss Hull,QUE
Sat-Sep 8+ Lebanon Valley Speedway(4) West Lebanon,NY
Fri-Sep 14+ Can-Am Motorsports Park,Ltd. LaFargeville,NY
Sat-Sep 15+ Brockville Ontario Speedway Brockville,ONT
Fri-Sep 21+ Rolling Wheels Raceway(4) Elbridge,NY
Sat-Sep 29 Fulton Speedway Fulton,NY
Wed-Oct 3+ Can-Am Motorsports Park,Ltd. LaFargeville,NY
Thr-Oct 4+ Brewerton Speedway Brewerton,NY
Fri-Oct 5+ Rolling Wheels Raceway Elbridge,NY
Sat-Oct 6+ New York State Fairgrounds Syracuse,NY
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., F.X. Caprara Car Companies, Rite Aid Corporation and the University of Northwestern Ohio and the contingency sponsors are Bert Transmission, Bicknell Racing Products, Bilstein Shocks, Brodix Cylinder Heads, Integra Shocks, MSD Ignitions, Miller Electric Manufacturing Company and Wrisco Industries.