Yes, Virginia! It's A Danny Johnson Win
Posted Thursday, May 03, 2007
Jamaica, VA — By Tom Skibinski, Advance Auto Parts Super DIRTcar Series PR Director
Danny Johnson continued to be the most dominant figure dotting the Big-Block Modified landscape as he staged a dramatic performance to capture the inaugural Advance Auto Parts Super DIRTcar Series ‘Thursday Thunder’ event at Bill Sawyer’s Virginia Motor Speedway. Johnson pocketed $6,000 for his 62nd career Series win in the 60-lap Paul Sawyer Memorial presented by Thurston Spring Service, Inc., improving his early season win total to five on the DIRTcar Racing NorthEast circuit.
“I don’t know what it is but I hope we can figure (hot streak) out and keep it going,” said Johnson, 47, following his first Advance Auto Parts SDS win of the year which vaulted him into fifth on the points chart after just two events along the 25-race tour. The ‘Doctor’ could not remedy tire problems with Dave Thompson’s no. 27J Chiefs Tobacco & Gas/Troyer machine in the Series opener in March at Hagerstown Speedway where he finished 20th on the final score sheet. “Four wins in four races with this car, it can’t get much better than that.”
The 30-mile Modified main was slowed by just four caution periods with Johnson staving off a late race challenge from Series star Matt Sheppard, second-year tour follower Dale Planck, current series points leader Tim Fuller and Central New York standout Jimmy Phelps. Integra Shocks Fast Timer Fuller, Sheppard, Gary Tomkins (finished 9th), Frank Cozze (8th) and Johnson rank among the top-five points.
Luck of the draw put heat two runner-up Planck outside the front row to start the feature while Johnson filed into fifth after claiming the third and final qualifying race. Fuller, who set fast time (18.305 sec.) to earn the Integra Shocks quick qualifier award and collect an additional $500 from the host Sawyer family, began ninth following a third-place finish in his heat. Fuller had selected the number four ball to determine how many cars were to be inverted to start the heats.
Planck sprinted past pole-sitter Billy Decker and set the early pace head of Justin Haers, heat one winner Brian Weaver, Johnson and Tim McCreadie, fresh off his Super Late Model victory at VMS and steering Gary Mann’s no. 55 New York Truck Parts/TEO entry in the Modified main. Johnson wasted little time charging toward the front, ducking under Weaver on lap five, disposing of Hears after three more circuits and taking care of Decker with just 10 laps scored.
When the first yellow flag flew on lap 11, Johnson had the no. 77x East End Auto Parts & Construction/Bicknell mount of Planck clearly in sight despite the leaders already maneuvering through traffic. Brett Hearn tangled with the lapped car of Darwin Greene in turn four to incur the initial caution which ultimately brought the curtain down all too fast on the Madsen Motorsports-Wentworth Custom Homes-Kruger-WLR/TEO effort. After 16th-fast timer Hearn picked the worst of the numbered Advance Auto Parts baseball caps in the traditional pre-race draw he started 12th in the original line-up looking to improve on his runner-up tally in the Hagerstown opener.
Back under green flag conditions and with a clear track ahead, Planck and Johnson waged a torrid battle until D.J. found the needed bite low between turns three and four to forge the winning move on lap 14. Decker held down the show position until the LJL
Racing no. 91 Gypsum Wholesalers/Bicknell ride slowed for the final time in the second corner. Johnson, Planck, Haers and fast moving Sheppard filled up the top two rows for the lap 16 restart with Weaver continuing to linger among the top-five ahead of steady climber Fuller and McCreadie as Phelps moved into the picture for the first time.
Fuller continued to find the fast way around the Sawyers’ smooth and spacious half-mile clay oval, picking off the front-runners one by one until reaching third on lap 20. A third of the way through, Johnson and Planck were firmly out front while Fuller and Sheppard jockeyed for third-place as Haers and Phelps contended for a top-five spot.
It took Sheppard just four more circuits to blast into second and when Vic Coffey looped his Sweeteners Plus entry to slow the field on lap 24, Phelps had slipped past Haers to establish what would be the final order. That final outcome was still uncertain at the time as ‘Super Matt’ applied relentless pressure lap after lap at the midway point of the race. The Ross Motorsports no. 44s BKS-G-U-Currier Plastics/Bicknell Modified mirrored every one of Johnson’s meticulous moves and remained a fixture in his shadow until the leader finally pulled away in traffic with 35 laps glowing on the scoreboard. With just 15 circuits still to go, Johnson put Cup competitor Kenny Wallace down a lap as 27 of the 32 starters remained trackside.
The fourth and final yellow flag unfurled on lap 51 when fifth-place runner McCreadie careened into the turn one wall to end his night with front-end damage obvious on the Mann mount. Even before the caution lights flashed on, Sheppard had managed to reduce a 2.7-second deficit by more than half using traffic to his advantage in the closing stages. With the track clean and ready for green, Johnson once again extended his lead using the high line in turns 1-2 while Sheppard attempted to close the gap clinging to the low side in turns 3-4. But any hopes of pulling off an apparent upset were soon vanquished as Johnson cruised out to a commanding half-straightaway advantage under starter Dave Farney’s double checkered flags.
“The car was just running really good for me up (high) tonight,” said Johnson, who used a pair of victories at Volusia (Fla.) Speedway Park to clinch the Florida DIRTcar Nationals Big-Block Modified title in February and opened the season at Cayuga County (NY) Fair Speedway with two more feature wins to lead the entire DIRT NorthEast circuit; these coming on the heels of his late-season triumphs during Super DIRT Week ’06 on the Syracuse Mile. “I used the top to stop the car getting in, was able to maintain the momentum through the corner and then get a good drive off. It’s fun to have good equipment to be able to do that, and a good crew to take of it. I’ve got a great owner and everybody is working good together. We’ve had some good luck and have a great motor combination right now. I’m already looking forward to coming back, it’s a great place to race.” Before Johnson etched his name in the record book at VMS, the Rochester, N.Y. native had already claimed victories in the first-ever Advance Auto Parts SDS point races held at Delaware Int’l Speedway (1996), Lernerville and Tri-City speedways in Pennsylvania (1997), and Central New York showplace Fulton Speedway (1999).
Runner-up Sheppard is well on the way to setting his own standards, scoring one Advance Auto Parts Series win each of the past three seasons. “I took a shot at him and then got into lapped traffic,” said Sheppard, 24, who owns wins at Autodrome Drummond in Quebec, New Egypt (NJ) Speedway and Canadaigua (NY) Speedway with the potent Ross Motorsports ride. “I was running the bottom and that’s where they were directing the lapped cars at the end. By then I had pretty much used up my right rear (tire) so I just rode around after that. I wasn’t as good as Dan, he could really get off the corners well. I’m still happy to come from 13th to 2nd, definitely a good run tonight. We made a few good calls in the pits that paid off and gave us a shot at him but Dan was just too strong for us tonight.”
Just laps away from securing a top-five finish in the ’07 AAP opener at Hagerstown before losing his brakes and suffering through an expired water pump gasket for a second time, Planck redeemed himself with a solid third-place tally in his first visit to the Old Dominion State. “This is just an outstanding facility and I had a great time, I’m happy to be here and be part of our first-ever race in Virginia,” said Planck, who posted his first career tour win last summer at Cornwall Motor Speedway in Ontario, Canada. “I was lucky to be part of the front pack. I kinda knew from earlier in the night that the track surface is so good it takes a lot of motor. We came down here with one car and one motor for our short track program so third is like a win to us. I can’t thank enough Ryan (Jacobs, owner) and the guys on this team, you just can’t do it without everybody’s support nowadays.”
Fuller and Phelps filled the front-five slots with Haers, Bert Hard Charger Alan Johnson (started 22nd), Frank Cozze, Gary Tomkins and Weaver rounding out the top-10. Tour regular Steve Paine and Western Pennsylvania standout Brian Swartzlander were the last to complete the entire 60-lap distance.
In three more weeks the Advance Auto Parts Big-Block Modifieds are back in action at DIRTcar Racing charter member Cayuga County Fair Speedway on Sunday, May 27 to conclude Hall of Fame Classic Weekend. Highlighted by special appearances from Cup driver Carl Edwards and his car owner Jack Roush, the Memorial Day holiday is extended another four days as Orange County Fair Speedway hosts the AAP tour on Thursday, May 31 with a 75-lap title event paying $6,000 to win and offering points towards the overall Hoosier Tire-Sunoco Race Fuels Mr. DIRTcar Championship.
Advance Auto Parts Super DIRTcar Series Race #2 – Bill Sawyer’s Virginia Motor Speedway, May 3, 2007 'Thursday Thunder' Paul Sawyer Memorial presented by Thurston Spring Service, Inc. Big-Block Modified Event Summary
FIN STR CAR# DRIVER
1 5 27j Danny Johnson/Rochester,NY ($6,000)
2 13 44s Matt Sheppard/Waterloo,NY
3 2 77x Dale Planck/Cortland,NY
4 9 19 Tim Fuller/Edwards, NY
5 8 98h Jimmy Phelps/Baldwinsville,NY
6 3 3 Justin Haers/Phelps,NY
7 22 14j Alan Johnson/Middlesex,NY
8 7 44 Frank Cozze/Wind Gap,PA
9 14 84 Gary Tomkins/Clifton Springs,NY
10 6 1a Brian Weaver/Windsor,NY
11 15 7x Steve Paine/Waterloo,NY
12 11 83 Brian Swartzlander/Leechburg,PA
13 10 48too Dave Rauscher/Waterloo,NY
14 18 60 Kenny Stafford/Homer,NY
15 17 98 Kenny Wallace/St.Louis,MO
16 23 91d John Willman/Birdsboro,PA
17 16 32c Vic Coffey/Leicester,NY
18 19 49 Billy Dunn/Watertown,NY
19 21 Z Butch Tittle/Saylorsburg,PA
20 28 39w Chuck Tucker/Georgetown,DE
21 26 m40 Mark Forte,Jr./Blue Anchor,NJ
22 30 r2 Rusty Smith/Bethlehem,PA
23 29 1 Darwin Greene/Susquehanna,PA
24 4 55 Tim McCreadie/Watertown,NY
25 31 t21 Roger Chrysler/Lewiston,NY
26 25 15 Brett Tonkin/Carbondale,PA
27 33 37x Tom Scheetz/Boyertown,PA
28 24 66w Wallace Stacey/Kahnawake,QUE
29 20 45 Wayne Jelley/Pittsfield,MA
30 1 91 Billy Decker/Unadilla,NY
31 12 20 Brett Hearn/Sussex,NJ
32 27 93 Ryan Bartlett/Adams,NY
DNS 32 14 Rick Laubach/Quakertown,PA
LAP LEADERS: Planck (1-13), D.Johnson (14-60).
CAUTIONS: 4 (lap 11, lap 16, lap 24, lap 51).
ECKERD 200 QUALIFIER: Danny Johnson(G).
QUALIFYING
FAST AVE
TIME MPH CAR# DRIVER
1 18.305 98.334 19 Tim Fuller/Edwards,NY
*$100 Integra Shocks Fast Qualifier Award
*$500 Sawyer Family Fast Time Award
2 18.341 98.141 91 Billy Decker/Unadilla,NY
3 18.398 97.837 27j Danny Johnson/Rochester,NY
4 18.400 97.826 44s Matt Sheppard/Waterloo,NY
5 18.464 97.487 14 Rick Laubach/Quakertown,PA
6 18.579 96.884 3 Justin Haers/Phelps,NY
7 18.608 96.733 44 Frank Cozze/Wind Gap,PA
8 18.647 96.530 83 Brian Swartzlander/Leechburg,PA
9 18.711 96.200 98h Jimmy Phelps/Baldwinsville,NY
10 18.738 96.061 1a Brian Weaver/Windsor,NY
11 18.778 95.857 77x Dale Planck/Cortland,NY
12 18.812 95.684 48too Dave Rauscher/Waterloo,NY
13 18.815 95.668 32c Vic Coffey/Leicester,NY
14 18.907 95.203 55 Tim McCreadie/Watertown,NY
15 18.963 94.922 Z Butch Tittle/Saylorsburg,PA
16 18.974 94.867 20 Brett Hearn/Sussex,NJ
17 18.987 94.802 84 Gary Tomkins/Clifton Springs,NY
18 19.107 94.206 93 Ryan Bartlett/Adams,NY
19 19.135 94.068 49 Billy Dunn/Watertown,NY
20 19.180 93.848 98 Kenny Wallace/St.Louis,MO
21 19.313 93.201 60 Kenny Stafford/Homer,NY
22 19.357 92.990 15 Brett Tonkin/Carbondale,PA
23 19.412 92.726 91d John Willman/Birdsboro,PA
24 19.420 92.688 66w Wallace Stacey/Kahnawake,QUE
25 19.556 92.043 39w Chuck Tucker/Georgetown,DE
26 20.039 89.825 m40 Mark Forte,Jr./Blue Anchor,NJ
27 20.057 89.744 r2 Rusty Smith/Bethlehem,PA
28 20.071 89.682 t21 Roger Chrysler/Lewiston,NY
29 20.766 86.680 1 Darwin Greene/Susquehanna,PA
30 -NT- ----- 7x Steve Paine/Waterloo,NY
31 -NT- ----- 14j Alan Johnson/Middlesex,NY
32 -NT- ----- 37x Tom Scheetz/Boyertown,PA
33 -NT- ----- 45 Wayne Jelley/Pittsfield,MA
Heat Races (10 laps, all finishers transferred to feature, top 4 went to re-draw)
#1: Weaver, Cozze, Fuller, Hearn, Sheppard, Coffey, Dunn, A.Johnson, Tonkin, Tucker, Chrysler.
#2: Swartzlander, Planck, McCreadie, Decker, Tomkins, Wallace, Jelley, Willman, Forte, Greene, Laubach.
#3: D.Johnson, Rauscher, Phelps, Haers, Paine, Stafford, Tittle, Stacey, Bartlett, Smith, Scheetz.
Advance Auto Parts Series Point Standings (Through May 3, 2007)
Rank No. Driver Points Diff Money Wins Top 5 Top 10 Starts
1 19F Tim Fuller 191 0 $8,000 1 2 2 2
2 44s Matt Sheppard 167 -24 $5,200 0 1 2 2
3 84 Gary Tomkins 155 -36 $3,300 0 1 2 2
4 44c Frank Cozze 152 -39 $2,400 0 0 2 2
5 27J Danny Johnson150 -41 $6,300 1 1 1 2
6 3 Justin Haers 146 -45 $2,200 0 0 2 2
7 98H Jimmy Phelps 144 -47 $2,100 0 1 1 2
8 77x Dale Planck 143 -48 $2,800 0 1 1 2
9 20 Brett Hearn 138 -53 $4,400 0 1 1 2
10 91 Billy Decker 133 -58 $2,400 0 1 1 2
11 7x Steve Paine 129 -62 $1,500 0 0 1 2
12 1a Brian Weaver 128 -63 $1,100 0 0 1 2
13 14J Alan Johnson 112 -79 $1,500 0 0 1 2
14 32c Vic Coffey 110 -81 $1,000 0 0 1 2
15 83 B.Swartzlander108 -83 $700 0 0 0 2
16 60 Kenny Stafford 94 -97 $625 0 0 0 2
17 66w Wallace Stacey 92 -99 $700 0 0 0 2
18 14 Rick Laubach 90 -101 $1,800 0 1 1 1
19 T21 Roger Chrysler 88 -103 $700 0 0 0 2
20 37x Tom Scheetz 86 -105 $700 0 0 0 2
21 R2 Rusty Smith 82 -109 $700 0 0 0 2
22 15 Brett Tonkin 82 -109 $700 0 0 0 2
23 48T Dave Rauscher 59 -132 $350 0 0 0 1
24 42B Kevin Bates 56 -135 $350 0 0 0 1
25 0 Russ Hefti 54 -137 $325 0 0 0 1
26 98 Kenny Wallace 52 -139 $400 0 0 0 1
27 1 Darwin Greene 51 -140 $400 0 0 0 1
28 91d John Willman 50 -141 $400 0 0 0 1
29 115 Kenny Tremont 50 -141 $300 0 0 0 1
30 49 Billy Dunn 46 -145 $400 0 0 0 1
31 Z Butch Tittle 45 -146 $400 0 0 0 1
32 39w Chuck Tucker 44 -147 $400 0 0 0 1
33 m40 Mark Forte 43 -148 $400 0 0 0 1
34 14r Ryan Odasz 43 -148 $300 0 0 0 1
35 42 Jimmy Horton 43 -148 $300 0 0 0 1
36 33.3 Tommy Meier 42 -149 $300 0 0 0 1
37 55 Tim McCreadie 41 -150 $400 0 0 0 1
38 45 Wayne Jelley 40 -151 $400 0 0 0 1
39 93 Ryan Bartlett 40 -151 $400 0 0 0 1
40 117 Kevin Hirthler 40 -151 $300 0 0 0 1
41 25 Mike Kolka 40 -151 $300 0 0 0 1
42 44B Jim Bobbitt 10 -181 $0 0 0 0 0
43 92 Dave Reynolds 10 -181 $0 0 0 0 0
44 16 A.J. Romano 10 -181 $0 0 0 0 0
45 98hx John Pfeffer 10 -181 $0 0 0 0 0
46 1w Billy Pauch 10 -181 $0 0 0 0 0
Advance Auto Parts DIRTcar Modified Entries – May 3 (33)
CAR# DRIVER / HOMETOWN TEAM (Sponsor / Chassis / Engine)
Z Butch Tittle/Saylorsburg,PA Tittle & Sons Motorsports/TEO/Fiehl
1 Darwin Greene/Susquehanna,PA Greene Quality Bluestone-Big Diamond Tools-TJ's NAPA/Bicknell/Morden
1a Brian Weaver/Windsor,NY RD Home Remodeling-Field's Used Furniture/Bicknell/Wally Fiehl
r2 Rusty Smith/Bethlehem,PA Smith Excavating & Paving-Bourdeau Financial/TEO/David VanHorn,Sr.
3 Justin Haers/Phelps,NY Phelps Cement Products-SMV Motorsports-Jeff Jolly Masonry/Bicknell/Finger Lakes
7x Steve Paine/Waterloo,NY Tallmadge Tire-Terrell's Potato Chips-Swarthout Recycling/TEO/Finger Lakes
14 Rick Laubach/Quakertown,PA Alpha Mills-Reiley & Sterner Auto Sales-Werner's Auto Body/TEO/Enders
14j Alan Johnson/Middlesex,NY Bully's Truck Stop-CFF,Inc./Bicknell/Morrison
15 Brett Tonkin/Carbondale,PA Grimm Construction-G&G Towing/Bicknell/Wally Fiehl
19 Tim Fuller/Edwards, NY JL Motorsports-Chiefs Tobacco & Gas-G&R Auto Parts/TEO/Enders
20 Brett Hearn/Sussex,NJ Madsen Mtrsports-Wentworth Custom Homes-Kruger-WLR/TEO/Enders
t21 Roger Chrysler/Lewiston,NY Iroquois Water-Randy's Smoke Shop-Joey's Sneaks/Bicknell/JPM
27j Danny Johnson/Rochester,NY Thompson Motorsports-Chiefs Tobacco & Gas/Troyer/Kevlar
32c Vic Coffey/Leicester,NY Sweeteners Plus-CME,Inc./Bicknell/C.C. Performance
37x Tom Scheetz/Boyertown,PA TNT Repairs-Jeff D'Ambrosio Dodge/Bicknell/Automotive Machine Specialty(AMS)
39w Chuck Tucker/Georgetown,DE Wood's General Contracting-Pinder Fencing/Bicknell/Precision
m40 Mark Forte,Jr./Blue Anchor,NJ Stone Grille Restaurant & Bar-BSR Products/TEO/Finger Lakes
44 Frank Cozze/Wind Gap,PA Waite's General Contractors-Carquest-Bert Transmission/PMC/Feil-M2 Power
44s Matt Sheppard/Waterloo,NY BKS/G-U-Currier Plastics-Magee Transport-Adam Ross/Bicknell/Finger Lakes
45 Wayne Jelley/Pittsfield,MA K&F Modular Homes-Freedom Plains-Advance Auto Parts/TEO-PMC/Dan Bedell
48too Dave Rauscher/Waterloo,NY Magee Transportation Services-Monadnock Disposal Service/Bicknell/Morrison
49 Billy Dunn/Watertown,NY Number One Speed-Fast Lube of Watertown/Bicknell/Finger Lakes
55 Tim McCreadie/Watertown,NY New York Truck Parts-Mann Racing/TEO/JPM
60 Kenny Stafford/Homer,NY HS Edinger Trucking-Amsoil-Fast Line Performance/Troyer/JPM
66w Wallace Stacey/Kahnawake,QUE Bully's Truck Stop-CFF,Inc./Bicknell/RL Performance
77x Dale Planck/Cortland,NY East End Auto Parts & Construction-Jacob's Excavation/Bicknell/Kevlar
83 Brian Swartzlander/Leechburg,PA McCutcheon Enterprises-Precise Racing Products-LaRusse Distr.(Bud)/TEO/Enders
84 Gary Tomkins/Clifton Springs,NY Honeoye Auto Parts-Red Parker & Son Excavating/Bicknell/Mastin
91 Billy Decker/Unadilla,NY Gypsum Wholesalers-Stadium Int'l-Quality Hardwoods/Bicknell/Enders
91d John Willman/Birdsboro,PA Hampton Bros. Truck Repair-Penske Racing Shocks/Bicknell/Dave George
93 Ryan Bartlett/Adams,NY D.P. Bartlett & Sons Plumbing & Heating-Village Peddler Bikes/Troyer/Sonny Barron
98 Kenny Wallace/St.Louis,MO Mohawk Northeast-New England Race Fuels-Joe Gibbs Race Fuel/Troyer/Bruneau
98h Jimmy Phelps/Baldwinsville,NY Mohawk Northeast-New England Race Fuels/Troyer/Bruneau
SKIDMARKS
2007 Tour Travelers: For the third straight year tour officials have once again signed up the best Big-Block Modified teams in the Northeast to compete in every Advance Auto Parts Super DIRTcar Series show. The current list of contracted drivers is 10 strong with a ‘race in’ for the final two spots now in effect through June which began Thursday at Bill Sawyer’s Virginia Motor Speedway and encompasses the next four races Cayuga County Fair Speedway (May 27), Orange County Fair Speedway (May 31), Fulton Speedway (June 9) and Susquehanna Speedway (June 14) in Pennsylvania. Already in the mix of contracted drivers are reigning Mr. DIRT points king and winningest Big-Block Modified driver Alan Johnson, ‘05 Mr. DIRT champion and World of Outlaws Late Model Series rookie contender Tim Fuller, all-time Advance Auto Parts SDS race winner Brett Hearn, ‘04 Mr. DIRT titlist and two-time Hagerstown winner Gary Tomkins, third-year tour follower Jimmy Phelps, rising star Matt Sheppard, early season threat to his older brother’s throne Danny Johnson, Canandaigua Speedway record-setter Steve Paine, full-time follower Dale Planck and Keystone State open-wheel veteran Frank Cozze. Each of the contracted drivers owns provisional starting positions in the 2007 Advance Auto Parts SDS and are guaranteed to take home no less than $500 in winnings every time out.
Wallace Wonderful In DIRTcar Big-Block Debut: Kenny Wallace was one of two ---joining Kenny Schrader--- Cup drivers competing Thursday at VMS yet the only one attempting to qualifying for the Big-Block Modified field, on this night steering a brand new H&H Motorsports no. 98 Mohawk Northeast-New England Race Fuels/Troyer entry with teammate Jimmy Phelps. “This is just my third year on dirt so I’m definitely more comfortable in a (UMP) Modified,” said Wallace, 43, younger brother of Rusty Wallace, both from St. Louis, Mo. He set 20th fast time and finished sixth in his qualifying heat before ending up 15th in the feature, one lap down to the leaders “These guys do it for a living, that’s the biggest difference. This is also some new equipment so I’m just out here to have a good time and try to be a more well-rounded driver. I’ve been in sprint cars before but this (Big-Block) car is totally different yet still everything I expected. I’m used to having three pedals and there’s only two in the Big-Block. I’ve seen these cars on TV before and know some of the names. I think Tim McCreadie is kind of cool the way he dyes his hair. He said I was the funnest guy to watch at Volusia last winter. He comes from a legendary family and that made what he said really neat.”
Reutimann On The Ropes: Despite being absent from the Thursday action at Virginia, another Cup driver, rookie David Reutimann, has indicated that he still has a strong interest and HOPES to make a return visit to downstate New York and his dad Buzzie’s former stomping ground at the Orange County Fairgrounds. The second-generation driver is already lined up to wheel the double zero-numbered Dave Cruickshank Big-Block entry ONLY if given clearance from his Cup team. Owner Jack Roush has even offered to fly Reutimann to the Middletown, N.Y. oval in May along with his first-string driver Edwards who will make his second annual stop at the Hard Clay!
Troyer Toughening Up: Jimmy Phelps started the gears turning last summer with his dramatic rally in the Advance Auto Parts SDS thriller at Brewerton (NY) Speedway while Danny Johnson carried the torch with lucrative Super DIRT Week and Victoria Weekend triumphs in autumn. The common denominator for both touring drivers was the sudden success achieved by the latest Troyer chassis. 2007 is looking even brighter for the Rochester, NY-based car builder headed by Billy Colton. Already ordering Troyer copies this season are long-time TEO supporter Steve Paine and recent Bicknell chauffeur Russ Hefti. On Thursday, Phelps turned the fastest lap in the first round of practice while teammate Kenny Wallace was 10th quickest. 2006 DIRTcar Modified Rookie of the Year Kenny Stafford was among the top-10 in warm-ups and Ryan Bartlett was another driver sporting a Troyer machine in the Old Dominion State. That was just a prelude to the final outcome as Johnson put another first-place prize in the Troyer trophy case with yet another stellar performance staged on foreign soil.
Forecast Fallout: Bill Sawyer retired to his sleeping quarters on Wednesday night ready to dream about a packed grandstands and full field of race cars, anticipating a roar from both sides of the fence bellowing through the air the following night. Yet when the eight-year owner of Virginia Motor Speedway awoke Thursday morning, he was greeted by overcast skies with a steady mist in the air although not nearly enough to alter the best laid plans for an Advance Auto Parts SDS debut at his state-of-the-art motorsports arena. “I’m confident we’ll get this (event) in but the way the weather is it may scare away some of the travelers,” initially asessed Sawyer, who finalized the purchase of the 1,500-acre facility in February of 2000 along with his nephew Clarke, who today serves as the track General Manager. “Whether we get 5000 fans or 50, if the drivers put on a show and run balls-to-the wall I guarantee they’ll be back next year. Tradition has to start someone, its just too bad we’ve had rain in the forecast for every major race scheduled the last six years.” His optimism paid big dividends with 33 Big-Block Modifieds and 34 Super Late Models signed in. And immediately after the checkered flag waved over Danny Johnson to close out the inaugural ‘Thursday Thunder,’ Sawyer promised he would be issuing an exciting release regarding next year’s Big-Block Modified format in the near future. Expect an official announcement to come on DIRTcar NorthEast’s grandest stage --- the New York State Fairgrounds for the 36th running of Super DIRT Week (Oct. 3-7) on the Syracuse Mile.
Educational Access: The trip to Virginia Motor Speedway actually began on Wednesday for DIRTcar NorthEast Director of Competition & Track Sanctioning Cory Reed as he was invited to monitor a STEM project presented by Sussex Tech High School senior Jessica James. Among those in the motorsports fraternity joining more than a dozen panel members were Area Auto Racing News Editor Lenny Sammons, New Egypt Speedway Chief Starter Warren Alston and Bridgeport Speedway owner Jay James, Jessica’s father. The premise of the project was proper use of safety harnesses and seat restraints and their benefits if made mandatory in all forms of motorsports around the country. It was divulged in the aftermath that Jessica’s professionally prepared slide show and video presentation entitled ‘Safety Devices of Head and Neck Injuries in Auto Racing’ earned her a near-perfect mark using the standard 100-point grading system!
Missing From Action: With a list of nearly 40 teams penciled in among pre-race entries, 33 drivers ultimately signed in for ‘Thursday Thunder’ at Virginia. Owner Jay James had two cars ready to haul down from his Laurel, Del. shop before his son Chad James suffered a blown motor in the no. 27 Planned Poultry Renovations mount in a regular Saturday night show. VMS 15 year-old Late Model sensation Austin Hubbard was scheduled to steer James’ back-up TEO mount ….. ’07 Rookie of the Year contender Russ Hefti had his no. 0 Clearview Windows-Sunsetter Awnings/Bicknell machine loaded and ready to depart for Virginia until an unexpected family issue threw a wrench into his travel plans. The two-time Mr. DIRTcar Sportsman Champion hopes to debut a brand new Colton-prepared Troyer chassis in the coming weeks as he continues to call Canandaigua Speedway (Sat.) and Cayuga County Fair Speedway (Sun.) his homebases during the upcoming season ….. Third-generation racer David VanHorn, 24, was en route to VMS for his first AAP Series event of the season when his hauler suffered a broken wheel bearing as the team traveled through Delaware.
Pot Holes: Young speedster Billy Dunn from Watertown, NY made his ’07 Advance Auto Parts SDS debut in Virginia. “The way things worked out we should’ve made the trip to Hagerstown (opener) too,” said Dunn, 22, who plans to run at Thunder Alley, Can-Am and Cayuga County throughout the season and follow most of the AAP tour in between. “We were supposed to open our ice cream stand that weekend but the weather wouldn’t let us so we could’ve raced. We’d like to follow the rest of the Series, a lot will depend on the next few races and how we make out ….. New Yorker Matt Sheppard leads the New Egypt (NJ) Big-Block point standings although he is yet to crack victory lane at the Garden State oval in his first season as a track regular. “I think we’re just about the only one to finish every race,” figured Sheppard, 24, a Waterloo, NY native who now resides in Albany’s Capital District. “The track was good the first race and has gotten a little rough since then. They guys drive the track pretty hard there but you have to be around at the end to have a chance. We’ve probably been a little more conservative so far and that’s why we’re up front in points” ….. Central New York traveler Dave Rauscher made the rare tour trip to Virginia, no less than a nine hour trip from his Waterloo home base. “I’m so committed to work once the summer arrives, I won’t have too much time to race once the season is in full gear,” said Rauscher, 51, who works by day for a company that services the natural gas industry in New York State with duties that include building well sites and moving the equipment used to drill them. “Right now I’m just trying to get as many races in anywhere I can before my job keeps the car parked” ….. Eastern New Yorker Gary Mann became a car owner for the first time last season with Gary Edwards Jr. running his no. 55 New York Truck Parts/TEO entry weekly at Orange County Fair Speedway. Still without a regular driver intact for the upcoming season, the Wurtsboro, NY resident is already looking ahead to the ’08 campaign. “We wanted to remain just a weekend owner but I can see the quality is with the Series,” said Mann, who secured the talents of defending World of Outlaws Late Model Series points champion Tim McCreadie behind the wheel of his Big-Block on Thursday. “We’re still looking for some drivers to give us a little track time this season. Next year we’re hoping to have just one guy behind the wheel to follow more of the Advance tour” ….. Tim Fuller, Billy Decker, Vic Coffey, Tim McCreadie and Kenny Wallace were the handful of drivers performing double-duty. While Fuller (18.305 sec.) was the Integra Shocks Fast Qualifier, McCreadie (17.564 sec.) set fast time when the Super Late Models ran under the clocks first. In the Modified main, Fuller (finished 4th), Wallace (15th) and Coffey (17th) all saw the checkered flag while McCreadie (24th) and Decker (30th) were DNFs. McCreadie topped the LM field while Coffey (6th), Wallace (8th), Decker (10th) and Fuller (27th, broke) followed in the full-fender finale ….. Pennsylvania chauffeur Rick Laubach was the lone driver not to make it trackside for the featured event, suffering a blown engine aboard the no. 14 Alpha Mills-Reiley & Sterner Auto Sales-Werner's Auto Body/TEO ride in the second heat. “That’s a tough outcome after timing (5th fastest) so well and having some high expectations,” said Laubach, who rallied from 26th to 5th in the Hagerstown SDS lid-lifter to earn the Bert Hard Charger Award. “We’re still hoping to follow most of the series and plan to be in Weedsport on the (May) 27th. These guys on tour are obviously some of the best and we’re confident we can run with them after a couple good showings” ….. Wayne Jelley made the long haul down the Atlantic Coast from New England with two cars and needed both of the no. 45 K&F Modular Homes-Freedom Plains-Advance Auto Parts entries to reach the starting grid. It was discovered that his primary yellow TEO entry had sustained a broken oil line during pre-race warm-ups to force the Pittsfield, Mass. pilot to initiate plan B. Yet after just 23 laps of navigating the dust-free VMS layout, Jelley’s red PMC mount suffered a broken shock mount to force a pre-mature exit to the pits. “When the car started bouncing around so much, after a while I just thought this is enough,” Jelley revealed. “The track is beautiful so I wanna come back next year, we’ll still probably have two cars but maybe a little better luck and only need to use one.”
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 select events.
Tracks Know The Score: In the ongoing effort to assist every sanctioned track with presenting the best possible race programs, DIRTcar 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
Advance Auto Parts Super DIRTcar Series race chasers close out the month of May with the first two events of the year slated to run in New York State. Cayuga County Fair Speedway in Weedsport hosts the 16th Annual DIRT Hall of Fame Classic at on May 27 of Memorial Day Weekend while special appearances by NASCAR Nextel Cup and Busch Grand National star Carl Edwards and his car owner Jack Roush highlight the tour stop at Orange County Fair Speedway in Middletown on May 31.
2007 Advance Auto Parts Super DIRTcar Series Schedule
NP=Non-Point event.
Day-Date Laps Track Winner/Eckerd 200 Qualifier (Location)
Wed-Feb 14 30-NP Volusia Speedway Park Danny Johnson
Thr-Feb 15 30-NP Volusia Speedway Park -rain-
Fri-Feb 16 30-NP Volusia Speedway Park Tim Fuller
Sat-Feb 17 50-NP Volusia Speedway Park Danny Johnson
Sat-Mar 31 100 Hagerstown Speedway Tim Fuller(G)
Thr-May 3 60 Virginia Motor Speedway Danny Johnson(G)
Sun-May 27 2-53 Cayuga Co Fair Speedway Weedsport, NY
Thr-May 31 75 Orange Co Fair Speedway Middletown, NY
Sat-Jun 9 100 Fulton Speedway Fulton, NY
Thr-Jun 14 100 Susquehanna Speedway Newberrytown, PA
Tue-Jul 3 2-50 Rolling Wheels Raceway Elbridge, NY
Fri-Jul 6 100 Ransomville Speedway Ransomville, NY
Sun-Jul 8 100 Cornwall Motor Speedway Cornwall, ONT
Mon-Jul 9 100 Autodrome Drummond Drummondville, QUE
Tue-Jul 10 100 Brockville Ont Speedway Brockville, ONT
Wed-Jul 18 100 Grandview Speedway Bechtelsville, PA
Fri-Aug 3 100 Brewerton Speedway Brewerton, NY
Mon-Aug 6 100 Merrittville Speedway Thorold, ONT
Thr-Aug 9 2-50 Canandaigua Speedway Canandaigua, NY
Sat-Aug 11 100 Lebanon Valley Speedway West Lebanon, NY
Wed-Aug 15 60 New Egypt Speedway New Egypt, NJ
Sat-Aug 18 2-50 Can-Am Motorsports Park LaFargeville, NY
Sun-Sep 2 2-53 Cayuga Co Fair Speedway Weedsport,NY
Mon-Sep 3 2-50 Rolling Wheels Raceway Elbridge,NY
Sat-Sep 8 200 Lebanon Valley Speedway West Lebanon,NY
Sat-Sep 22 3-50 Rolling Wheels Raceway Elbridge,NY
Sun-Oct 7 200 New York State Fairgrnds Syracuse,NY
Sat-Oct 13 2-60 New Egypt Speedway New Egypt, NJ
Sun-Oct 21 200 Orange Co Fair Speedway Middletown,NY
*All events subject to change.
ADVANCE AUTO PARTS MODIFIED SERIES SPONSORS
The DIRTcar Advance Auto Parts Series 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 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.