Volusia Victory For Danny Johnson

Posted Sunday, Feb 25, 2007

Barberville, FL — Volusia Victory For Danny Johnson Opens Big-Block Florida DIRTcar Nationals

By Tom Skibinski, Advance Auto Parts Super DIRT Series PR Director

Central New York standout Danny Johnson celebrated the 10th straight year of competition at Volusia Speedway Park as he captured opening round honors in the 30-lap Advance Auto Parts Super DIRT Series main to kick off the 36th Annual Florida DIRTcar Nationals presented by Mopar Speedshop for Big-Block Modifieds on Wednesday night.

“It was tough racing out there tonight but we got what we came here to do,” said Johnson, 46, following his 10th career Florida Tour feature win which ranks him second all-time behind six-time and defending DIRTcar Nationals champion Brett Hearn (17). Johnson, himself a two-time tour titlist, scored his last feature race victory at VSP in 2003. “I knew I had to make a good run up high in the corner then duck down low to have any chance to get back by. I still can’t believe I made it under, it must’ve been exciting for the fans because I was pretty thrilled to pull it off at the end.”

Four qualifying heats reduced the 39-car field to 26 starters for the 15-mile big-block finale. Johnson won the fourth and final qualifier to start fourth with the heads-up format in place. The Rochester, N.Y. veteran sent out a clear message right from the start as he used every inch of the slick half-miler to slingshot past pole-sitter Hearn and lead the initial circuit to the crowd’s delight.

Following a pair of early caution flags for the spinning cars of Andy Bachetti and Matt Sheppard, Johnson opened up a commanding advantage although the order in his rear-view mirror changed nearly every lap. Despite Hearn clinging to the runner-up position until the halfway mark, 17th-place starter Billy Decker was the man on the move cracking the front-five by lap five and breaking into the top-three for the first time with less than 10 laps complete.

Johnson and Decker battled up front while Hearn fought to hold back every advance by hard-chargers Jamie Mills and Dale Planck. With under 10 laps still remaining, early casualty Bachetti had broken into the top-five while Sheppard muscled his way among the top-10. After Pennsylvania Dave Schrader looped his mount at the end of the back straightaway, Decker found all the bite he needed on the ensuing lap 22 restart and bolted past high as the lead duo jockeyed through turns one and two.

The 10th and final yellow flag unfurled when reigning overall Hoosier Tire-Sunoco Race Fuels Mr. DIRT Modified points king Alan Johnson came to halt in turn four to freeze the lap counter at 26 and offer front-runners Decker, D.J. and Planck a chance to take a breath before the final sprint to the checkered flag. Decker out-dragged Johnson on the restart but lap 27 was the magic number for the orange no. 27J Thompson Motorsports-Chiefs Tobacco & Gas/Troyer machine as the “Doctor” stormed underneath when Decker overshot the berm between turns three and four. Low running Planck mirrored the winning move with two laps still to go and actually inched past Johnson in the closing stages on the back chute before falling eight car-lengths behind under the checkers. Decker settled for the show position followed by Sheppard and Bachetti while Mills, Canadian Pat O’Brien, Hearn, Pat Ward and Jimmy Horton completed the top-10.

Johnson leads the ground-pounding Advance Auto Parts Modifieds back to Volusia for two more regular programs on Thursday and Friday before DIRT NorthEast's Big-Block stars battle in the fourth and final round on Saturday as a $5,000-to-win 50-lap championship event determines the 2007 Florida DIRTcar Nationals points champion.

SKIDMARKS

Mechanically Speaking: The list of opening night drop-outs included open-wheel veterans Tim Fuller and Billy Pauch plus Big-Block Rookie and 2005-06 Mr. DIRT Sportsman title-holder Russ Hefti. New Yorker Fuller had reached third with 10 laps scored before losing a rear-end in the JL Motorsports no. 19 Native Poker-Chiefs Tobacco & Gas/TEO entry just four circuits later sidelined the 2003 Florida DIRTcar Nationals champ. New Jersey legend Pauch charged into fifth from his 16th-place start yet caught the inside turn four cement barrier with Will Brown’s no. 1W Holly Hill Farms/TEO machine on a lap eight restart to foil any chances of scoring his first feature win at Volusia since 1988. Hefti first looped his zero-numbered Clearview Windows-Sunsetter Awnings/Bicknell mount in turn three on lap 17 and forced another caution period just four laps later, this time as he climbed the wall in nearly the exact same spot. Even though Decker held on for third, the LJL Racing no. 91 Gypsum Wholesalers/Bicknell ride suffered from power steering problems, as did Jamie Mills’ own no. 30 I.G.Burton Car Dealership-ReMax Realtor/Bicknell entry as the Delaware pilot dropped out of the top-five on the final circuit.

Coming Of age: DIRT Big-Block Modified veteran Dick Larkin, 55, and Mike Storms, 19, are the end points on the DIRTcar Nationals Class of 2007 timeline that spans 36 years from beginning to end. “J.R. Heffner helped put this deal together before Christmas, I don’t want to let the team down but I’d still feel more comfortable running at the Valley,” said Alford, Mass. resident Larkin, who owns 32 of his 33 career DIRT BB feature wins at Lebanon Valley (NY) Speedway, with the other coming in the 1982 New York State Fair Labor Day Championship on the Syracuse Mile. “I’ve only been to Volusia twice, once about a dozen years back and the last time was two years ago. I was always pretty much tapped out after Syracuse in the fall and used winter to save up for the next season. Syracuse has always been like Daytona to me, just love the whole deal, its still like nothing else with all the tradition and people involved. I’d like to see some double-file restarts until the halfway point, just like every other Series show. I think it would be great for the fans and doubling up early on would create two grooves to make it more exciting later in the race.” Heffner, also in competition this week, steered owner Ron Dwyer’s no. 88 Advance Auto Parts-Bedell Race Eng.-PromotionalIncentives.com/TEO to a stellar fifth-place finish in last autumn’s Eckerd 200 to close out Super DIRT Week in the Salt City.

Before Wednesday, Storms had never even been to the Sunshine State. The grandson of DIRT NorthEast’s pit staff member Whitey Memmelaar, the Wantage, N.J. driver also never wheeled a Big-Block Modified until his DIRTcar Nationals debut. “I’m a little nervous but I’ll just try to keep my head straight and get through it,” said Storms, who racked up pair of DIRT Sportsman division feature wins last season at Orange County Fair (NY) Speedway, where he placed fifth in the final 2006 track standings. A go-cart contender starting out at the age of 5 years old, he took his maiden voyage in a Sportsman ride in 2005. “My goal here is just to qualify for every race and get some good seat time. Back up north our focus will be on winning the Orange County Sportsman points championship, I probably won’t run the big-block again. Other than that, maybe make a couple Mr. DIRT tour shows at Rolling Wheels and Cayuga County, I’ve never been there before.” Storms already accomplished his initial goal, even winning a qualifying heat before completing all 30 laps to finish 18th in his first Modified main event.

Practice Makes Perfect: For the second straight year the no. 20 Madsen Motorsports-Wentworth Custom Homes/TEO ride and its driver Brett Hearn were recognized logging laps at Carolina Speedway en route to their final destination of Volusia Speedway Park in February. This time around he was joined by David VanHorn, Jr. aboard his own no. 71 Harmony Sand & Gravel-Diamond Hart Ent.-Art's Radiator/TEO machine for two full days of pre-season practice at the 4/10-mile clay oval located in Gastonia, N.C. “Brett invited a lot of guys to come down at the Orange County banquet and we were the only ones that took advantage,” said VanHorn, 23, who plans to be a regular in the Advance Auto Parts Super DIRT Series during the upcoming short-track campaign. The rising star from Phillipsburg, N.J. finished 11th in the VSP lid-lifter. “The trip to Carolina gave us a chance to try out a lot of things, mostly with our slick track set up. You have to be able to do that if you want to be successful in this series.” Hearn, DIRT NorthEast's winningest driver, once again followed up on the invitation extended by Carolina track promoter David Ifft, the crew chief for his initial Grand National effort at Dover Downs (finished 10th) and also a former pit wrench for NASCAR legend David Pearson. Motor issues curtailed much of his own trackside activity and he was able to have Central New York traveler Pat Ward pick up another Enders powerplant before heading south.

While Orange County heroes Hearn and VanHorn were adapting to the Carolina clay, DIRTcar Nationals mainstay J.R. Heffner was circling the high banks of Daytona Int’l Speedway before arriving at Volusia. Heffner tested (178.717 mph ave. – 8th fastest out of 48 cars then 21st fastest on 2nd day and 15th on 3rd day in December) with team owner Mario Gosselin at Daytona in search of landing an ARCA RE/MAX Series ride. In late January he received the needed $80,000 in sponsorship from Capital District area supporters A. Colarusso & Son, Simmons Machine Tool Co. along with Park East Sales to make a qualifying attempt in a second car on Feb. 9 where he qualified 27th in T.T. on the 2.5-mile superspeedway steering the #72 Simmons Machine Tool-Colarusso-Park East Chevrolet Monte Carlo (50.756 sec. / 177.319 mph) to start the ARCA 200 on Saturday. The Stephentown,N.Y. open-wheel veteran placed 35th following an accident that allowed him to complete 36 of the 80-lap distance in his Daytona debut. “We should’ve done a lot better but that’s where experience comes in,” said Heffner, who hopes to race in a couple more events during the upcoming season with ARCA that features star drivers Frank Kimmel, Billy Venturini, Bobby Gerhart, Ken Weaver, Steve Wallace and Gosselin, who was impressed by J.R.’s practice run when he had Cup contender Kyle Busch’s spotter offering tips on the radio. “Our strategy involved two pit stops but the guy that finished second and we were running with missed out on the crash because he took just one. There’s a lot of wild driving in those ARCA events but the chance to run Daytona was definitely worth it. I learned about the high banking pretty quick, at first I felt a little dizzy but after a few laps it was just like everything else and hardly noticed the banks.”

Also getting a head start on the field this week were past Mr. DIRT Modified champions Tim Fuller (19) and Billy Decker (91) plus Vic Coffey (32c), with each also winning Syracuse Eckerd 200 trophies during their Big-Block careers. All three were in attendance this week also parading around in full-fender Late Model machines. Activity actually began at the end of January for John Wight’s Gypsum teammates with Fuller placing 11th in the A-Main at Golden Isles Speedway in Brunswick, Ga. on Jan. 31 after starting 22nd; a performance that earned him the PPM Racing Products ‘Hard Charger’ award. In round two on Feb. 2, Fuller placed 9th and Decker finished 20th while Fuller was scored 12th in the 60-lap finale held Feb. 3. The following week in Florida, Fuller was the only one of the talented trio to make the starting grid in a half-dozen tries at East Bay Raceway outside of Tampa, earning 8th (Feb. 5) and 14th-place (Feb. 7) finishes at the one-third mile Gibsonton oval to rank 20th in the 31st Winternationals point standings.

Press Pass: Members of the media, sponsors, promoters and officials talk with Advance Auto Parts Big-Block Modified drivers Brett Hearn, Billy Decker, Andy Bachetti and Russ Hefti, as well as a half-dozen 360 OTC World of Outlaws Late Model Series contenders, during a special meet & greet session Wednesday afternoon on the VSP grounds. All the drivers interviewed by event emcee Shane Andrews revealed plans for the upcoming season, commented on the Florida DIRTcar Nationals and answered a number of more specific questions posed by those members of the press corps in attendance prior to the start of racing activity.

Advance Auto Parts Super DIRT Series – Volusia Speedway Park, February 14, 2007

36th Annual Florida DIRTcar Nationals presented by Mopar Speed Shop Event #1

BIG-BLOCK MODIFIED FEATURE

FIN STR CAR# DRIVER/HOMETOWN

1 4 27j Danny Johnson/Rochester,NY ($2,000)

2 11 77x Dale Planck/Cortland,NY

3 17 91 Billy Decker/Unadilla,NY

4 13 44s Matt Sheppard/Waterloo,NY

5 22 34 Andy Bachetti/Sheffield,MA

6 10 30 Jamie Mills/Milford,DE

7 23 6 Pat O'Brien/Kingston,ONT

8 1 20 Brett Hearn/Sussex,NJ

9 12 42p Pat Ward/Genoa,NY

10 21 42 Jimmy Horton/Neshanic Station,NJ

11 8 71 David VanHorn/Phillipsburg,NJ

12 5 14 Rick Laubach/Quakertown,PA

13 24 21k Randy Chrysler/Lewiston,NY

14 20 32c Vic Coffey/Leicester,NY

15 2 88 Dick Larkin/Alford,MA

16 25 8 Rich Scagliotta/Bound Brook,NJ

17 19 81 Rich Rutski/Somerville,NJ

18 3 79s Mike Storms/Wantage,NJ

19 15 6pack Dave Schrader/Endeavor,PA

20 26 1 Darwin Greene/Susquehanna,PA

21 14 45 Wayne Jelley/Pittsfield,MA

22 6 14j Alan Johnson/Middlesex,NY

23 18 0 Russ Hefti/Elbridge,NY

24 9 19 Tim Fuller/Edwards, NY

25 16 1w Billy Pauch/Frenchtown,NJ

26 7 74 J.R. Heffner/Stephentown,NY

DID NOT QUALIFY(13)

07-Tim Kerr/Picton,ONT

9-Jeff Brown/Parsonsburg,MD

t21-Roger Chrysler/Lewiston,NY

27m-Dan Hartgraves/Troy,NY

33-Ray Swinehart/Bechtelsville,PA

m40-Mark Forte,Jr./Blue Anchor,NJ

44-Gary Hager/Stewartsville,NJ

48too-Dave Rauscher/Waterloo,NY

66w-Wallace Stacey/Kahnawake,QUE

79-Jeremy Markle/Port Jervis,NY

98-Glenn Richards/Wyoming,DE

118-Sean Merkel/Gilbertsville,PA

923-Colin Jackson/Peckville,PA

Lap Leaders: D.Johnson (1-21), Decker (22-26), D.Johnson (27-30).

Cautions: 10 (lap 2, lap 3, lap 8, lap 8, lap 14, lap 16, lap 17, lap 21, lap 22, lap 26).

QUALIFYING

Heat Races (8 laps, top 5 finishers transferred to feature)

#1: Hearn, Laubach, Fuller, Sheppard, Decker, Horton, Scagliotta, Jackson, Ro.Chrysler.

#2: Larkin, A.Johnson, Mills, Jelley, Hefti, Kerr, Markle, Brown, O’Brien, Hager.

#3: Storms, Heffner, Planck, Schrader, Rutski, Forte, Bachetti, Ra.Chrysler, Richards, Hartgraves (DNS).

#4: D.Johnson, VanHorn, Ward, Pauch, Coffey, Stacey, Merkel, Swinehart, Greene, Rauscher.

Consolation Round (8 laps, top 3 finishers transferred to feature)

#1: Horton, O’Brien, Scagliotta, Markle, Ro.Chrysler, Brown, Kerr, Jackson, Hager (DNS).

#2: Bachetti, Ra.Chrysler, Greene, Forte, Merkel, Stacey, Rauscher, Richards, Swinehart, Hartgraves.

Florida DIRTcar Nationals Point Standings (through Feb. 14, 2007)

POINTS CAR# DRIVER / HOMETOWN

60 27j Danny Johnson/Rochester,NY

56 77x Dale Planck/Cortland,NY

52 91 Billy Decker/Unadilla,NY

50 44s Matt Sheppard/Waterloo,NY

48 34 Andy Bachetti/Sheffield,MA

46 30 Jamie Mills/Milford,DE

44 6 Pat O'Brien/Kingston,ONT

42 20 Brett Hearn/Sussex,NJ

40 42p Pat Ward/Genoa,NY

38 42 Jimmy Horton/Neshanic Station,NJ

36 71 David VanHorn/Phillipsburg,NJ

34 14 Rick Laubach/Quakertown,PA

32 21k Randy Chrysler/Lewiston,NY

30 32c Vic Coffey/Leicester,NY

28 88 Dick Larkin/Alford,MA

27 8 Rich Scagliotta/Bound Brook,NJ

26 81 Rich Rutski/Somerville,NJ

25 79s Mike Storms/Wantage,NJ

24 6pack Dave Schrader/Endeavor,PA

23 1 Darwin Greene/Susquehanna,PA

22 45 Wayne Jelley/Pittsfield,MA

21 14j Alan Johnson/Middlesex,NY

20 0 Russ Hefti/Elbridge,NY

20 19 Tim Fuller/Edwards, NY

20 1w Billy Pauch/Frenchtown,NJ

20 74 J.R. Heffner/Stephentown,NY

10 07 Tim Kerr/Picton,ONT

10 9 Jeff Brown/Parsonsburg,MD

10 t21 Roger Chrysler/Lewiston,NY

10 27m Dan Hartgraves/Troy,NY

10 33 Ray Swinehart/Bechtelsville,PA

10 m40 Mark Forte,Jr./Blue Anchor,NJ

10 44 Gary Hager/Stewartsville,NJ

10 48too Dave Rauscher/Waterloo,NY

10 66w Wallace Stacey/Kahnawake,QUE

10 79 Jeremy Markle/Port Jervis,NY

10 98 Glenn Richards/Wyoming,DE

10 118 Sean Merkel/Gilbertsville,PA

10 923 Colin Jackson/Peckville,PA

2007 Advance Auto Parts Super DIRT Series Big-Block Modified Roster (39)

Car# Driver/Hometown Team (Sponsor / Chassis / Engine)

0 Russ Hefti/Elbridge,NY Clearview Windows-Sunsetter Awnings/Bicknell/Carr Power (Tommy Carr)

07 Tim Kerr/Picton,ONT Saxony-Bronskill&Coe-Grenbush Elec.-Hubert Kerr Const./Bicknell/Enders

1 Darwin Greene/Susquehanna,PA Greene Quality Bluestone-Big Diamond Tools-TJ's NAPA/Bicknell/Morden

1w Billy Pauch/Frenchtown,NJ Will Brown's Truck Repair-Holly Hill Farms/TEO/Lombardo

6 Pat O'Brien/Kingston,ONT 730 Truck Stop-Gypsum Logistics-Newells Garage/Bicknell/Enders

6pack Dave Schrader/Endeavor,PA A&S Production-Superior Well Service-Lictus Keystone/Dirt Wheels/Burnett

8 Rich Scagliotta/Bound Brook,NJ Central Jersey Trailer & Hitch Depot-Adamsville Maintenance/Bicknell/Enders

9 Jeff Brown/Parsonsburg,MD Chesapeake Paving/Dirt Wheels/Lombardo

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/RL Performance

19 Tim Fuller/Edwards, NY Native Poker-Chiefs Tobacco & Gas-G&R Auto Parts/TEO/Enders

20 Brett Hearn/Sussex,NJ Madsen Mtrsports-Wentworth Custom Homes-Kruger-WLR/TEO/Enders

21k Randy Chrysler/Lewiston,NY NECO Distributors-Randy's Smoke Shop-Joey's Sneaks/Bicknell/Campbell-JPM

t21 Roger Chrysler/Lewiston,NY Iroquois Water-Randy's Smoke Shop-Joey's Sneaks/Bicknell/Campbell-JPM

27j Danny Johnson/Rochester,NY Thompson Motorsports-Chiefs Tobacco & Gas/Troyer/Kevlar

27m Dan Hartgraves/Troy,NY New England Disposal Technologies-Diversified Sign/Bicknell/Malcuit

30 Jamie Mills/Milford,DE I.G.Burton Car Dealership-ReMax Realtor-L&W Ins./Bicknell/FingerLakes-DDE

32c Vic Coffey/Leicester,NY Sweeteners Plus-CME,Inc./Bicknell/C.C. Performance

33 Ray Swinehart/Bechtelsville,PA J & L Speed Supplies-PK Moyer & Sons/Troyer/R&R Machine(SB)

34 Andy Bachetti/Sheffield,MA Steve Hough Motors-Troy’s Garage/PMC/JPM

m40 Mark Forte,Jr./Blue Anchor,NJ Stone Grille Restaurant & Bar-BSR Products/TEO/Finger Lakes

42 Jimmy Horton/Neshanic Station,NJ Millennium Car Wash-Grosso Trucking-Metal Fab Race Pro Shop/TEO/Feil

42p Pat Ward/Genoa,NY Gypsum Express,Ltd.-Stadium International/Bicknell/Enders

44 Gary Hager/Stewartsville,NJ Quality Drywall-Building Specialties/TEO/Burnett

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-TLC Contracting/PMC/Dan Bedell

48too Dave Rauscher/Waterloo,NY Magee Transportation Services-Monadnock Disposal Service/Bicknell/Morrison

66w Wallace Stacey/Kahnawake,QUE Bully's Truck Stop-CFF,Inc./Bicknell/RL Performance

71 David VanHorn/Phillipsburg,NJ Harmony Sand&Gravel-Diamond Hart Ent.-Art's Radiator/TEO/D.VanHorn,Sr.

74 J.R. Heffner/Stephentown,NY A.Colarusso & Son-Turner Auto-Miller's Automotive/Bicknell/JPM

77x Dale Planck/Cortland,NY East End Auto Parts & Construction-Jacob's Excavation/Bicknell/Kevlar

79 Jeremy Markle/Port Jervis,NY Len & Jo's Restaurant/Bicknell/Precision

79s Mike Storms/Wantage,NJ New York Truck Parts-Liberty Rock Crushing/TEO/JPM

81 Rich Rutski/Somerville,NJ BRB Construction-MMI Properties-Total Automotive/Bicknell/Feil

88 Dick Larkin/Alford,MA Advance Auto-Bedell Race Eng.-PromotionalIncentives.com/TEO/Dan Bedell

91 Billy Decker/Unadilla,NY Gypsum Wholesalers-Stadium Int'l-Quality Hardwoods/Bicknell/Enders

98 Glenn Richards/Wyoming,DE Hatteras Press-Alessi Construction-Coastal Marine/TEO/Morrison-Barnett

118 Sean Merkel/Gilbertsville,PA Merkel Rebar-Reid Automotive/TEO/Lombardo

923 Colin Jackson/Peckville,PA Ashford Cottages Bed& Breakfast-Jackson Excavating/Bicknell/Griffin

DIRTcar Nationals Showcased On DIRTVision.com: DIRTVision.com launched its fourth consecutive season at Volusia Speedway Park with LIVE Cybercast video coverage of the Advance Auto Parts Super DIRT Series races on Wednesday, February 14 and continues through Saturday, Feb. 17 beginning at 7:30pm, ET. LIVE coverage is for DIRTcar Nationals CyberPass subscribers only so sign up today! Log onto www.dirtvision.com then click on the “DIRTcar Nationals CyberPass” link to subscribe and hang on for the ride of your life. Users can sign-up today for $19.99 using a Visa or Mastercard on our secure payment server at DIRTVision.com.

As part of DIRTVision’s February Special, ALL registered users will now have 24/7 access to our 2004, 2005 and 2006 On-Demand & Cybercast archived videos from around the world of DIRT MotorSports racing. Dirt Radio Network listeners will still be able to enjoy each and every event for FREE as well. Users can sign-up using Visa or Mastercard on our secure payment server at DIRTVision.com. (Monthly & Season CyberPass subscriptions will be available to purchase in March of 2007)

If you are unfamiliar with our LIVE Cybercasts, click on the “Help/FAQ” menu for tips and requirements for viewing the DIRTVision Cybercast. Make sure that you register well in advance of our next show to help troubleshoot any problems you may encounter. Your basic tools will be a DIRTVision.com account, Internet Explorer 5 or higher, and Windows Media Player 9; both of which are FREE. For technical support or questions, e-mail customerservice@dirtvision.com.

Dirt Radio Network Broadcasts: Advance Auto Parts Super DIRT Series announcer Shane Andrews will host all the action with FREE audio on the DIRT Radio Network broadcast on DIRTVision.com. Thousands of fans enjoyed these free audio broadcasts in 2006. Enhanced features for Registered users listening to the Dirt Radio Network broadcasts include our popular text chat and AMB Scoring/Results. All Dirt Radio Network Shows are slated for 7pm ET from Volusia Speedway Park.

Get Out The Word First: RACEceiver is the Official Driver Communicator of DIRT MotorSports. 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 various events.

Tracks Know The Score: In DIRT MotorSports™ ongoing effort to assist every sanctioned track with presenting the best possible race programs, DMS has teamed with AMB i.t. which continues to be recognized as the Official Timing System of DIRT MotorSports. 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 DIRT MotorSports events.

UPCOMING EVENT

The 2007 Advance Auto Parts Super DIRT Series point race schedule for Big-Block Modifieds takes the green flag further north in the springtime. Hagerstown (Md.) Speedway is slated to host the tour opener on March 31 when the Advance Auto Parts SDS big-block teams compete in the 100-lap North-South Shootout paying the winner $6,000 from the total purse in excess of $27,000.

2007 Advance Auto Parts Super DIRT Series Schedule

NP=Non-Point event.

DAY-DATE LAPS TRACK WINNER/LOCATION

Wed-Feb 14 30-NP Volusia Speedway Park DANNY JOHNSON

Thr-Feb 15 30-NP Volusia Speedway Park Barberville, FL

Fri-Feb 16 30-NP Volusia Speedway Park Barberville, FL

Sat-Feb 17 50-NP Volusia Speedway Park Barberville, FL

Sat-Mar 31 100 Hagerstown Speedway Hagerstown, MD

Thr-May 3 60 Virginia Motor Speedway Saluda, VA

Sun-May 27 2-53 Cayuga Co Fair Speedway Weedsport, 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 15 100 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

TBA 100 Orange Co Fair Speedway Middletown, NY

*All events subject to change.

ADVANCE AUTO PARTS MODIFIED SERIES SPONSORS

The DIRT MotorSports™ 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, DART Machinery, Holley HP Carburetors, MSD Ignitions, Miller Electric Manufacturing Company and Wrisco Industries.